MMA classes at Mount Laurel's Dinoto Karate Center

Dinoto Karate Center’s martial arts programs continue to increase in popularity due to their never-ending desire to improve!

Dinoto Karate will be adding an MMA class to their schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 PM.

MMA is an abbreviation for "Mixed Martial Arts," i.e. someone who trains in more than one martial arts discipline or a school that combines training methods from various disciplines.

MMA is one of the most effective martial arts strategies for overall fitness, health and self-defense; Mixed Martial Arts - it’s intense, it’s realistic, it works and it’s FUN. This will NOT be a “traditional” martial arts class –no uniforms, gi’s or doboks here! We will combine kickboxing, Muay Thai & Boxing hand target drills, footwork drills, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), standing & ground grappling to train and condition the WHOLE body in a functional and practical way for FITNESS and SELF-DEFENSE.

However, we are a martial arts school NOT a fighter’s gym. Our school is a place where men, women and children strive to improve in all areas of their lives.

We teach our students with respect. Dinoto Karate is committed to personal growth and development; students are exposed to strong, principled role-models while experiencing thrilling, realistic, safe and motivating training.

Diagrams:

Healthy Life-style

Training strategy for Self-defense - Be Prepared BEFORE you need it!

MMA classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8:00 PM.

If you are interested in participating in our MMA class, please contact us at EMAIL: pliciaga@gmail.com or PHONE: 856-235-0414.

Parents Night Out

Hello everyone! Hope your Memorial Day was as great as mine! Parents Night Out is going to be on Saturday, June 11th from 5 to 8PM. Space is extremely limited so see Mrs. Dinoto right away to reserve your spot. The cost is as follows: Basic Members $20; BBC $10; LP/CIT $5; Friends and Family $10. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Martial Arts if You're Over 30? Well, Yes (or Maybe)!

If you're over the age of 30, should you consider studying the martial arts?

Well, yes --and no.

You should consider a regular, daily, exercise program, for sure. A sensible one; one that starts slow and lets your fitness sneak up on you (rather than hitting you over the head with it).

A martial arts program certainly has the potential to be a wonderfully complete training program, as it includes stretching, strength training, aerobic exercise, and requires a kind of mental focus akin to deep meditation. That is, if the instructor you choose is old enough to have the right kind of experience. Instructors that are under the age of 30 are often spectacular athletes, but they don’t know what it’s like to be out of shape, to be 30-plus, and they tend to lean towards competition and acrobatics --and trust me, at 30 the last thing you need is acrobatics.

But Oh, find a great teacher and the martial arts can become your best friend. The training can keep you supple, sharp, and clear thinking. A martial arts school, directed by a conscientious teacher, can be a centering, inspiring, refreshing place that you love going to --and leave thinking about your next session.

As a teacher at 49 and getting ready to turn 50, I'm so much more careful, more balanced, more patient. After training for over 40 years and teaching for almost 20, I'm finally starting to get good at it.


Chronicles of Doneghy - Session 11 from Peter Liciaga on Vimeo.
74 year old training in martial arts for fitness and self-defense! Outstanding!

Yes, look to the martial arts for some new perspective on your life, after the age of 30. It’s not too late, even at 40, 50, or 60. To choose a school take their trial course (which should be free or close to it). All the best schools offer new students an opportunity to test drive “the car” before buying. I think you should try my school, of course, but I might be a tad bit prejudice.

If you’re thinking about taking classes, allow me to be the first to invite you in. Mention that you’re over 30 and I will offer you a free private lesson and a couple of group lessons to try us out (no strings attached). Warning: It’s fun, affordable, and invigorating. It’s never too late to start working out. The most difficult aspect of exercise is taking that first step.

Reach me here: masterliciaga@dinotokarate.com or call 856.235.0414 and ask for Peter Liciaga!

2 Simple Self Defense Tips

Here are two simple self-defense tips, a one-minute-read, that could save your life --and/or the life of someone you love.

Ready?

1. Eat MINDFULLY. Eating without paying attention causes you to eat the wrong things and/or too much food. Doing either (or both) could, as they say, “take the shine off your shoes.” Heart disease, diabetes, and all sorts of ailments await the person who doesn’t practice mindful eating. Look to the video, below, for for some mindful eating basics (it’s Harvard Professor, Dr. Lilian Cheung, co-author of Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life): The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emd9q6_o6Z0
2. The self-defense expert Sanford Strong, author of Strong on Defense, sets forth four survival rules that everyone should know if faced with a dangerous situation or attack:

• React immediately
• Resist,
• Avoid crime scene #2
• Never give up.

Want more? (We want you to want more!)

We are actively recruiting women (mothers and daughters) in our community for an upcoming 2 hour “What I Need to Know About Self-Defense” workshop. If you would like to be on our “Self-Defense Tips” mailing list and/or hear more about our workshops, please contact us here: masterliciaga@dinotokarate.com or call me Peter Liciaga directly at 856-235-0414.

Self-Defense is Found in the Simple Things

We teach self-defense --and self-defense is found in the simplest of things. Kindness, for example; kindness is a beautiful form of self-defense. Good food --and the appreciation of it; there’s great kind of self-defense!

Oh, and how about love of community? Participation in --and love for --one’s community is a kind of self-defense that’s impossible to put a value on.

And my favorite kind of self-defense is found in a simple rule, The Golden Rule:

Treat others as you would want them to treat you.

Simply perfect.

I like Tom Callos’ (www.tomcallos.com) description of self-defense too:

“Self-defense isn’t only about personal protection, it’s about taking care of the people around you and the place you live as well.”

And of course, self-defense training is all you already imagined it to be, but with this particular attitude about it, self-defense becomes about living a good life. What a great idea.

For information about our school and our self-defense lessons for today’s world, contact us HERE.

Master Dinoto Teaches Your Child The Importance of Appreciation

Yesterday in our childrens' martial arts class, Master Instructor Michael Dinoto discussed the importance of learning to appreciate what we have- not to take anything for granted- not your parents, friends, or the opportunities and things we get to enjoy in life.

The word “appreciation” means really seeing something for what it is - an awareness of how special, how lucky, how unique, how blessed, how big, wonderful or awesome something is. Appreciation is a recognition not based on comparison, but based on the intrinsic value, character or immensity of a thing or state itself.

In a money-centered world, it may feel difficult to teach children the act of being grateful. While merely teaching thank you is a wonderful start, here are some tips that carry on the sentiment of thanks long after the words have been spoken.

Tips for Teaching Gratitude to Kids

• Having children go through their belongings periodically gathering unused items to give for charity donations is another way to teach the importance of helping others.
• A homemade, anonymous gift package is a wonderful way for your child to show gratitude. Baskets may include toys or stuffed animals that your child no longer plays with given to another child with a handmade/drawn note/card of thanks.
• The simple act of leaving spare change on a public bathroom counter with a gift note may help teach the importance of giving.
• Print-out coloring pages with themes of appreciation make excellent gifts of gratitude.
• Have your child pay for a friend's lunch in school one day.
• Children learn to help others when given the chance to read to, play games with, or teach math to a younger friend.
• Many communities offer the opportunity to help those less fortunate during the holidays by adopting a family that cannot afford their own gift exchange or holiday feast.
• Teach your child to find & clip coupons to use towards the purchase of food items intended for food bank donations.
• Earn money for charity by running a lemonade or cookie stand.
• Offer to help a neighbor do simple yard work or other chore.
• On family outings, spend an hour at the beach or park picking up trash.
• Many children will enjoy baking and delivering fresh, homemade goodies to a neighbor or friend.

*Create an Appreciation Book
As a special honor, an appreciation book for gift giving that includes a personal photograph or drawing on the cover page is an excellent way to show thanks, especially to grandparents and our elderly. Assign an admirable trait to each page and decorate these pages with photographs, stickers, and crayons

If you have any other ideas to add to this list, please add it below in comments. If your child is already demonstrating acts of appreciation, please let us know.

While teaching children actions such as holding the door for others, and saying please and thank you are a daily reminder of gratitude, thankfulness can be further ingrained through fun and playful gestures towards others. As children witness those around them showing appreciation, it will become clear that setting a good example is one of the most effective ways to teach gratitude.

Article contributor: Peter Liciaga is an education activist and a project-based leadership program mentor. To find out more about Peter and Project Based Leadership Training, call 856-235-0414.

Martial Arts Is About Perfecting Character

"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants."

~ Master Gichin Funakoshi

A couple of parents (and students) have asked about the leadership training and what it's about. In a nutshell, our leadership program is about character development in a "new way".

The "old way" VS the "new way"

The "Old Way" of teaching leadership education, character development, and motivating and inspiring children, youth, and teens was through speakers or books about someone else's journey toward leadership.

The "New Way" is to make these students become the ACTION hero of their own journey. Give them challenges to take action in their communities and take real action on their goals and achievements. Teaching them to build confidence and leadership skills through creating their own success stories and recording it along the way.

What's more powerful, giving a student a book or an inspiring lecture about their ability to succeed... or ...helping them become a part of a team that logs hundreds of community projects effectively teaching something very real about confidence, discipline, initiative, courage, action, awareness, and above all leadership?

Our leadership team oath is 

I Promise to do My best to be a Black Belt Leader

Not just here at the academy

But at home, at work, and at school too.

I Promise to improve my mind and my body every day.

As an education activist and a martial arts master teacher, my goal is to teach something very real about leadership in our leadership program with the hope that all our students will look to their martial arts teacher for direction in becoming a leader.

Making the Right Choices
On our path through life, we are constantly making choices. Every choice that we make will have a positive result or a negative result. The decisions that our children make now will shape the rest of their life forever. When you make the choice for your child to learn REAL leadership by taking action in thier community, there can only be one type of results - REMARKABLY POSITIVE RESULTS!

Leadership is Learned

We have all heard that leaders are not born, they are created... created through experiences, opportunities, and overcoming adversity. Whether your child already exhibits leadership qualities, or you feel like your child has no leadership traits at all, they CAN become a leader.  Their journey towards leadership starts with a community project and their project portfolio.

Learning Skills For The Rest Of Their LifeCompleting community action leadership projects at any age is impressive, especially when your child is influencing others around them to help. The leadership skills they will learn will help them through Grade School, Middle School, High School, College, their Career/Profession and beyond.

For more information about our leadership program, call us at 856-235-0414 or email me at masterliciaga@dinotokarate.com

Self-Defense? Oh Yeah, It’s About Diet Soda (Is it?)

Did you, by chance, see the article on-line that reported a study about drinking diet soda? The report suggested that there was a 61% higher risk of vascular events (like strokes and heart attacks) for people who drank a diet soda every day.
Now whether that report is accurate or not is not the issue. What IS the issue is that your health is linked to what you (do or do not) consume. This is so important an aspect of self-defense that my colleagues and I have started a website called www.DietarySelfDefense.com . Nutritionist and black belt Mike Tubbs oversees the site --and loads plate-fulls of useful reminders and information there.

Food and nutrition information is finding its way into our schools and on to our mats too (not to mention, in our mouths!). It’s about time!

Self-defense training is so much more than learning how to handle yourself in a hand-to-hand combat situation. If self-defense (of any kind) is of interest to you, call us. We’re collecting stories, people, and ideas around the topic of, well, EVERYTHING Self-Defense.

Our contact information: Peter Liciaga c/o Dinoto Karate Center, Mt. Laurel NJ

856-235-0414 or visit us HERE

Here’s the link to the story on diet soda: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41479869/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition

Martial Arts? You would do well with a few "things."

In the martial arts, to make true and worthwhile progress, you would do well to have a few "things."

One of those things is patience. Patience means you look at the long-term benefits of steady, consistent training; not too hard and not to easy, but training that’s varied, interesting, and --eventually --both meditative and challenging.

Another thing is the big picture view. Your martial arts practice should not be limited to --or even predominately on --the mat. The awareness, the calmness, the confidence, should make it’s way off of the mat and into your world.

“My favorite saying about the martial arts and life is,'My life is my dojo.'” --Tom Callos ( http://www.tomcallos.com/ )

And yet another great thing to have is an instructor with a brain and some awareness. It’s a great, great thing to have friends and mentors who have the makings for a full picnic lunch --and it’s a real bummer when you end up hanging out with someone who turns out to have brought the basket, but forgot to pack the sandwiches.

Oh, and a really wonderful thing to have is a good diet. Without a good diet, the body doesn’t cooperate the way it should and training is never as much fun or as productive as it could (and should) be.

If you’re considering martial arts classes as a way to have some fun while polishing those “things” that you like most about yourself, consider checking us out here. I like to give new students a good, healthy opportunity to see what the training is like (we always start slow and easy). If you have questions, please, call this number: 856-235-0414.

The Power of the Moment

Anger management, environmental self-defense, dietary self-defense, community involvement, meditation, empathy training, and sustainable living represent a part of the new kind of “self-defense lessons” taught in schools that recognize what I call the power of the moment.

That moment is the opening that comes every so often; that moment when the young and impressionable student is listening to his or her martial arts teacher like only a child can –with that wide-eyed acceptance, that fully open mind, ready to grow, instantly absorbing, and highly impressionable.

It is at that moment that we want our hero at the front of the class to speak not about defeating an opponent or striking another human being or winning a tournament; we want to hear words and ideas that inspire compassion, awareness, respect for self, for family, for the community, for the global community, and for the planet.

We want a seed planted and/or watered at that moment; something that has the potential to sprout into a kind of wisdom and happiness that is uncommon, but the deepest wish of every mother and father.

When that moment comes, as I have seen it come so many times, trust that your teacher is fully aware and recognizes what power his or her words, influence, actions, and position wields.

This is the kind of martial arts I am coaching your teacher to practice (and if they have sent this letter to you, then you can assume that he or she is a good student! Note: The best teachers are almost always good students themselves).

My clients are the kinds of teachers who are acutely aware of the power of the moment; they live to create those moments –so that they might make a true contribution to a better and more peaceful world.

We consider this “our business.”

We spend only the smallest amount of time necessary working on how to run our businesses so that we can pay the bills and have money left over (like all business owners); we spend the majority of our energy on coming up with the most innovative, creative, interesting, and powerful ways to create moments of deep learning, constructive and useful attitudes, and the kind of awareness that promotes peace of mind –and peace in action.

To be a part of my programs, your teacher must transform himself (or herself) into someone who makes the pursuit of genuine martial arts mastery a deep, personal and spiritual daily practice.

You can recognize my students because they are training to be in the best shape of their lives; they are eating and living with full consciousness of what they consume; they define and engage their heroes; they practice meditation; they read; and they take on projects with their students that benefit their respective communities; projects that show, firsthand, how to apply their training principles to life —on and off of the mat.

My members are grounded, real –and exuberant people.

Among our ranks is an Academy Award winning filmmaker; there are songwriters, environmental and civil engineers, artists, authors, attorneys, world champions, school teachers, counselors, journalists, grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers—and all of them are martial artists with a desire to make a difference, here and now, through what they teach and how they teach it.

That is the mission of this work, which is now made up of my work and the work of your teacher.

Find out what your instructor is doing by visiting him at www.PeterLiciaga.org

Martial Arts Lessons: It’s Not About Violence

Just the other day a parent asked me if she thought my classes promoted violent behavior in young boys. She was inquiring about lessons for her son and was concerned that he and his friends might take what they’re learning and use it inappropriately.

I thought it was a fine question.

Yes, there have been a few cases (very few) of students “playing martial arts” with friends, the same way they play as their favorite superheroes, but I’ve never heard of the play being malicious or hurtful. I do, however, hear many stories of my young students using the kind of restraint we talk about in almost every class. I hear many stories of the young people in my program --and other martial arts schools --avoiding violence, avoiding conflict, and staying out of trouble as a result of their training.

A good martial arts teacher adds instructions and advice about how NOT to use martial arts, as often as he or she teaches the technical aspects of the arts.

“The ‘cake’ that is what a martial arts teacher offers his or her students,” says Tom Callos (www.tomcallos.com), the National Director of The One Hundred (www.flavors.me/masterteachers), an association made up of martial arts instructors who embrace education over the more media-prevalent aspects of martial arts instruction, “is made up of blocks, punches, kicks, and other maneuvers, But the real “flour” of the recipe is in the restraint, the self-control, and the attitude of self-discipline that makes up the best-of-the-best the martial arts has to offer.”

And by way of an offer, any reader of this piece that would like to “taste” the cake we produce at our school, need only contact me, Peter Liciaga, Instructor at Dinoto Karate Center to receive a free private or group trial class (no strings attached, no sales pitches, nothing but a genuine “try us”).

And no, it is not about violence or aggression or hurting people. The martial arts are about grown-up adults mentoring young people in the ways of non-violence, self-control, and contribution.

Martial arts is more than kicks and punches!

...it's leadership at it's BEST!!! Martial artist, friend and fellow ultimate black belt test member Brian Williams is making a HUGE diffence in the lives of our youth across the nation! I am inspired, motivated and challenged by his work. This is truly what it is to be a black belt leader!

Watch this video and visit his website at http://www.thinkkindness.org/

41 Days Till Launch - 100,000 Shoes from Brian Williams on Vimeo.

Find out about leadership programs in Mount Laurel NJ by calling 856-235-0414 or visiting us at Mount Laurel Project Based Leadership

10 Simple Lessons In Self-Defense, For Girls

It’s this simple: Children defend themselves with their heads. It’s knowledge that protects children in today’s world. Knowledge about safety, about what to avoid, about what to do, where to go, and how to stay out of harm’s way.

I’m a part of a remarkable association of martial arts teachers, really forward thinking and action-oriented instructors, who come together almost every day to move worthwhile projects forward. The group is called The One Hundred, it’s headed by a 6th degree black belt named Tom Callos (www.tomcallos.com).

The One Hundred, all of us, work on things that are, literally, “good for the world.” Like we’re bringing diabetes education to martial arts schools and anger management training and environmental self-defense programs. This week we launched a very simple, but powerful website to help girls (young women) learn about a kind of self-defense made just for today’s world.

The site, still being added to and polished, is www.flavors.me/10Lessons . Check it out.

And if you know a young person who could use some self-defense instruction, send them our way. Tell us you visited our 10 Lessons site and we’ll give you a self-defense lesson for free --and one thing you will NEVER get at a school in The One Hundred, is a “sales pitch.” We don’t see over the counter, we sell by engaging in and delivering extraordinary work.

For your free self-defense class and mark my words here, there’s no “hook” or sales pitch in this offer. This is simply a way for you to try our school, before ever THINKING about enrollment. Click HERE or contact us at: 856-235-0414

"Wisdom of the Elders" - a community project

Mount Laurel resident and ultimate black belt member, Peter Liciaga will interview 100 senior citizens/elders for his 5th degree black belt test. Master Liciaga will sit down with 100 elders in our community and ask them about life, wisdom and what their thoughts are about...

how they feel about the world today; what their pet peeves are; and what would they say to the future generations.

These questions and many more are answered in an interesting series of videos, Wisdom of the Elders, directed, produced, and filmed by Peter Liciaga, a 49 year old master martial arts instructor. Liciaga will seek to answer questions about the important lessons our elders have learned on their respective journeys through life.

Participants’ responses to his questions range from humorous to fascinating to reflective.

View the Wisdom videos below.


Seniors Are America's Most Underutilized Asset

That’s what this project is all about: the things America’s seniors have learned from their many years of living, in their own words. It’s their personal observations, made from their individual perspectives – looking back.

Share Your Experiences

Peter Liciaga is interested in your experiences and would like to interview you. Please read through the interview questions below, answer the questions (as many or as few as you like) and email as an attachment to

Peter Liciaga (pliciaga@gmail.com)

Please be sure to include your address, telephone number and email address. Thank you!
Please let Peter know if you would allow him to interview you.
Questions: Looking Back

• As you look back over the years, how do you feel about your life? Any regrets?
• Anything you missed out on that you would liked to have done?
• Is there anything you would do differently if you had it to do over again? Would you follow a different path? In what way?
• Were you a self-confident child? Did your level of confidence change as you became an adult? If not, why not?
• Did you have a mentor or a special person who helped guide you as you were growing up?
• Did the lessons you learned from that person still stand out in your mind?
• What were your dreams and ambitions when you were growing up? Did any of them come true? If they did, did it have the same importance to you that you thought it would?
• What advice would you give to future generations?
• Finish this statement. "Wisdom is... "

Children’s Classes in Martial Arts, What to Expect

Expect there to be one or more experienced teachers on the floor in your child’s class. Expect the teacher to, at times, appear to have the patience of Job. Expect a bit more, Oh how shall we say it? ENERGY, every so often. Expect the teacher, whether gently guiding everyone along or cranking up the troops, to wear a smile (a happy one!).

Expect a lot of talk about respect, about leadership, about good manners, about anger, about a whole bunch of things just about any parent would love to hear some OTHER adult talking to them about. That’s the way we do it.

“I haven’t been a ‘karate kid’ for some time, like decades, but the experience is still in my mind like it happened yesterday. Parents, enroll your child in a good martial arts school. You’ll never regret it --and your children will never forget it.” -- Tom Callos, http://www.tomcallos.com/

Expect a lot of good-sleep-inducing exercise. And expect some special events, as one of our primary goals is to teach our students to take what they practice on the mat and apply it to other things (like school, like work, like fun, and like --to the community).

Expect to look back on your son or daughters martial arts lessons with great pleasure and fond memories. Expect, genuinely, some very good times.

For a free class (and mark my words here, there’s no “hook” or sales pitch in this offer. This is simply a way for you to try our school, before ever THINKING about enrollment. Click here or contact us at: 856-235-0414

Advice for Men and Women over the age of 40, Thinking About Taking Martial Arts Classes

First, take it slow. No, really. There’s no hurry, it’s not a competition, and you’re not 20 anymore (even though you look like it). Going too hard, too fast, is why a lot of people who would like to enjoy all the benefits of training, no longer practice the martial arts (or any number of activities). Go too fast, get injured; get injured, quit training.

Second, if the instructor is your age (or older), that’s a good thing. If he or she is younger, make sure they know who’s the boss (you!). You only do what your body says you can do. If and when a class moves into an area you, for sure, want to avoid, you can always find an alternative way to stay engaged. What you shouldn’t do is “100 reps” when your body is telling you the 50 would be wise. Trust me, your teacher will appreciate your input. Give yourself enough time and you will not only keep up with the group, you might be leading it!

Third, be consistent. Being inconsistent about class attendance can dampen the fire of your enthusiasm. Stay on course!

Try out the class you’re interested, first, before enrolling. There’s nothing wrong with trying a week or even two weeks of classes with an instructor you’re interested in studying with. Most all schools will provide you with an introductory or trial course, without a fee (if you like classes, they’re going to know you for a long, long time). If a school doesn’t offer an introductory, it’s a red flag to enrollment.

By the way, click here to find out about a beginner introductory course to our school.

Peter Liciaga, 50 years of age and a 40 year veteran of martial arts practice (see his bio at http://www.peterliciaga.org/) offers the following advice:

“Don’t hesitate to enroll in martial arts classes,” says Liciaga. “It’s a wonderful, thorough, and engaging form of exercise. Just be mindful about the way you practice. Study some of the history of the art you engage in. Enjoy the process of improvement.”

Purpose, Mission and Intention

I am a member of a society (the one hundred) that lifts our collective purpose to a new level of mission, purpose, and intention. I am no longer operating in the box of what martial arts training/instruction/schools used to be, what we/they did in the 70′s, 80′s, 90′s, etc.

We are returning to the center. We are re-defining my role in society –for the purpose of increasing our actual value to it. We are not a Curves. We are not a laundry. We are not a “business” in the traditional sense. We are martial arts master teachers in training; we serve our community, uniquely, as warriors for something different, smart, wholesome, and PREVENTIVE.

We serve as role models for an elevated form of thinking –and an elevated, mindful form of living.

We are banding together in a way that has never been done in the martial arts world, never could have been done before now. We are looking at the world’s problems and determining that we can play a more important role in creating solutions.

The young people who come up in our schools are going to be exposed to ideas –ideas about what this training is for —ideas about how to use the martial arts —ideas about how to take what they practice so hard on the mat –and apply it all to real issues in the real world.

We will battle obesity –and the root causes of it. We will battle prejudice, sexism, and other forms of fear and ignorance. Our students will understand the value of small things to make big differences. In this way each of us becomes a Kano, a Ueshiba, a Funakoshi, and a “Great Teacher.”

Now we can turn to martial artists who are starting to represent the human spirit, the spirit of hope, the spirit of change for the better —now I can say, “Do you want to see the best-of-the-best of what the martial arts produces? Look to these men and women, they’re “living it.”

We will embrace peace education like we would a bid to win the world championships. Immerse ourselves in wisdom, surround ourselves with wise people, with Mandela, with King, with people who work for the greater good. Then when someone calls us “Master,” it will be because we are a student of the true masters of humanity.

We won’t have to put a “Master” patch on our uniform –as our life’s work and simplicity with which we live will demonstrate that we have, indeed, learned something from our years of study and practice.

The one hundred was formed not to “teach business,” but to serve as an example of exactly what we hope the martial arts world could become. It is our time.

I, for one, am very excited about what we stand to accomplish –and what we represent.



If you have any questions about martial arts in Mount Laurel NJ, please contact me personally at 856-278-5282 or visit Martial Arts for Adults & Children in Mount Laurel

Thank you for reading my blog.

Peter Liciaga

10 Tips for Martial Arts Students, to Deepen Your Practice

By Tom Callos for Peter Liciaga and Dinoto Karate Center students

You didn’t start your study of the martial arts to “go through the motions” of it all, did you? Of course you didn’t, but look around you in your next class and I’ll bet you spot a number of your classmates doing that very thing, going through the motions. It’s human nature to get distracted, to multi-task, and wander off course.

To deepen and strengthen your practice so that you stay on the mark and make reasonable progress, I offer you these 10 time-tested, Tom-tested tips:

1. As often as you can remember to do so, say to yourself “I am aware that I am training” (kicking, punching grappling, or whatever it is you’re doing at the moment). For me, that never fails to get my head out of the clouds and back into my practice (I am aware that I am writing this!).
   
2. Use a training partner (or partners) to hold you accountable to more intense, more focused, and more “present” practice. Friends are a good thing.
   
3. Eat better food before and after ever class (and, of course, that translates into ALL THE TIME). If you’re body’s jammed full of food-delivered chemicals, cups of corn-syrup, and crates full of unnecessary carbs or fats, you’re going to find you don’t function like the well-oiled machine you're supposed to be. Contrary to the way a lot of people live their lives, what you eat IS important to your performance. In fact, what you eat IS self-defense.
   
4. Breath deeply, focus on breathing deeply, think about breathing deeply, and maybe, if you have a habit of forgetting, write “BREATH DEEPLY” on the backside of your hand. To see just how much this helps you, do it. You’ll feel the benefits right away.


5. Take your practice off of the mat. Courtesy and respect for others isn’t something that’s practiced in the school with people you’re semi-afraid of. It’s for that ding-dong at the supermarket (you can tell what someone is made of by how they treat the people that mean nothing to them). It’s for your Mom, who sometimes bugs you in a big way. It’s for the substitute teacher (yes, even for him/her).


6. Practice at home, a minimum of 10 minutes a day on the days you don’t attend classes. Little things add up, so even 10 minutes of practice can help you grow. Oh, and if you don’t think 10 minutes matters, try to hold your side-kick out out for 10 minutes or try and hold your breath for 10 minutes. Yeah.


7. Read age-appropriate philosophy. Champions, whether in science, baseball, chess, jiu-jitsu, or cross-country skiing, all have belief systems that make them rise above hardship and overcome obstacles. They all learn to cope with defeat --and victory. Reading the words of someone with experience can be the next best thing to talking with them face-to-face.


8. Go crazy. Yes, act in a way that most people would consider very odd indeed. For example, when things start getting really hard, you pretend they’re getting easier. Crazy! When everyone else complains --and for good reasons too, you find the good in the situation and jump up to be the first person to turn whatever is wrong, right. Insane! When everyone else quits, you stick to it! You’re a nut!
   
   Actually, you’re a martial artist.
   
9. Measure your own personal performance on a scale between 1 and 10, with “1” being your worst performance --and “10” being an all out, focused, beautiful-to-behold effort. Try to operate as close to level 10 as you can during your classes (whether you’re standing still or doing difficult maneuvers). And while you’re at it, try to LIVE at level 10, whenever possible. It’s a good thing.
   
10. I hate to drop this one on you last, as it’s a bit of a let-down after all this glorious focus on you and yours, but maybe the best way to deepen your own practice of the martial arts is to help others deepen theirs. Yes, that’s right, in the end, it’s not about you at all. Funny how it always works out that way.

If you are thinking about martial arts classes in Mount Laurel for you or your family, find out more HERE

About the Author: Tom Callos’ bio and project portfolio may be read at http://www.tomcallos.com/

What should you expect of a martial arts teacher?

Yes, what SHOULD you expect from a martial arts teacher?

You should expect --and get common courtesy, yes? Of course. You might even expect uncommon, beyond-the-norm courtesy I would think? After all, isn’t a good deal of the martial arts about learning and practicing respect?

You should expect the teacher to be in good --to excellent --physical shape. An exception to that rule might come from a teacher who has an unexpected health condition or who suffers as a result of a disabling accident. Stephen Hawking, for example, is still without question a brilliant theoretical physicist, despite his physical limitations. But, in most cases, your teacher should be an example of the benefits of the lifestyle that the martial arts promotes.

You should expect your teacher to be knowledgeable, beyond his or her art. It takes more than a knowledge of kicks, punches, grappling, or the ability to break boards with your head, to be the kind of teacher one imagines a “Master” of the martial arts to be. It takes some life experience, some mistakes, some losses, and some mileage on one’s life odometer to accumulate a little "wisdom" (common sense).

In the group of instructors I am a part of, The One Hundred, each of us is listed on this site: www.flavors.me/masterteachers. Each member listed there maintains a “project portfolio,” a record of the things we have done --or are currently doing --that, as the head of the project, Tom Callos, says, “Shows how we take our martial arts out of the dojo and put it to work in the world.”

Some of The One Hundred members are new teachers, so their project portfolios are just getting started, while other teachers on the team are veterans of dozens of remarkable community-based projects.

“In the future,” says Tom Callos, “all martial arts teachers will be judged not only by their physical skills or experience, but by how they’ve applied their ‘mastery’ to things in the world that lives outside of their schools.”

One thing you should definitely expect from every cognizant martial arts teacher is a chance to try his or her classes before making any kind of commitment to attending regularly. Ask for an introductory course (we will provide you with one free of charge), to try some classes before determining whether the school is a place you would like to spend time at.

If and when you’re ready, call, write, or stop by our location, here:

Peter Liciaga/Dinoto Karate Center
127 Ark Road, Mount Laurel NJ 08054
856-235-0414
masterliciaga@dinotokarate.com

For more info about Martial Arts in Mount Laurel go HERE

“Nobody Can Make Me Anything.”

Teaching kids about self-defense isn’t just teaching them how to block punches, kicks, and thwart aggressive bullies, it’s instructing them in the importance of proper attitude, perspective, and self-talk. Tom Callos, team coach for a program called The Ultimate Black Belt Test, promotes the idea that real self-defense is far more about what a child thinks --than it is about some technique of martial art (obviously, this goes for adults too).

“One of the 10 top self-defense skills I teach my students,” says Callos, “is the idea that nobody can make them anything. Someone else can’t make you angry, make you sad, or even make you happy. It’s not wise to give that power to anyone besides yourself. Of course, this is easy to say and far more difficult to put into practice.”

I have to concur. I do know, however, that big things, giant things, huge accomplishments (like learning to take responsibility for the way you feel), are achieved through small, consistent efforts. One incident where you (or I) don’t blame someone else for how we feel then adds up to two incidents, then three, and from there habits begin to form.

This is much the way martial arts classes work (and if you're kind enough to read this blog, you may visit our school and receive a free pass to try our lessons. Thank you!); anyone can be trained as a martial artist through small successive victories. Real self-defense isn’t just physical, it’s mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Thinking, “Nobody can make me anything,” is, in my opinion, as good or BETTER a technique of self-defense than anything I have ever learned; OK, except for The Golden Rule (Which is, of course: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But then, that's another lesson.).

Hope to see you on the training floor! :)

~ Peter Liciaga

For more information about Self Defense for children (and adults), contact me, Peter Liciaga, Master Instructor at Dinoto Karate Center in Mount Laurel NJ.