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18 Apr 2022
Mental aspect of control

When something doesn’t go the way you want it to, it’s really easy to sit and wonder why. When you start questioning things, it’s also really easy to place blame on yourself. What could I have done differently? Did a choice I made give me this result? But, that doesn’t allow you to accept the reality that sometimes, things just happen. Maybe you studied really hard for a test, and just had a bad day. Maybe you got hurt and can’t do something you want to do now. Maybe you have a health problem that is impacting you both physically and mentally. Maybe your boards just didn’t break at testing, even though they broke every time you practiced. Some things ....
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4 Apr 2022
Post Testing Feelings

One of my favorite parts of testing is watching the faces of the students who test, and seeing how they process all of the different emotions that go into it. Testing is hard. It’s scary and nerve wracking. One of the things that we try to do is make it that way as much as possible. We want our students to learn how to deal with nerves, stress and fear. If they are ever in a situation where they have to defend themselves, they will go through very similar emotions, and our job is to ensure that they can control them. Testing never gets easier to do or go through. Actually, it tends to get harder as you progress in rank. The difference between testing for your Yellow Belt and testing ....
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21 Mar 2022
Just Kick

Just Kick Everyone has a reason as to why they struggle with something. Everyone has an excuse as to why something is hard. As my instructor always said, “excuses are like armpits. Everyone has them, most of them stink.” But in general, making reasons for why you can’t do something only shows that you are self-conscious about your training, your techniques, and your ability. Excuses are a reason for you to validate why you’re struggling. And while it may not seem like a big deal, when someone gives you a correction or a critique, making an excuse as to why it was done differently is disrespectful. Think about it like someone told you to clean your ....
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Post Tournament Write Up

Post-Tournament Write-Up: I was so excited to see so many of our students participate in the tournament! Make sure to tag us in your pictures :) I was also excited to see all of you compete. We are so proud of all of you who went and competed, no matter what medals you got. It takes a lot of courage to get up in front of people who are there specifically to judge you. For an idea, we had 161 competitors between 3 schools. The schools combined have approximately 350 students who take classes from us. Less than half of the students that we have in our region went to the tournament. This is for various reasons: vacations, injuries, finances, etc. But some of the biggest reasons that I hear ....
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28 Feb 2022
Tournament Q&A

With this being the last week to sign up for the tournament, I wanted to address a few concerns that people have had about the event. I’m not sure that my student/I’m ready to compete. Tournaments are definitely set up to see how students perform against people of similar age, ranks, and sizes do against each other. But it’s not always about the medal that they receive. Is your student excited to compete but you don’t know if they’ll win? Well, everyone goes to a tournament wanting to win, but only 2 gold medals get handed out in each division. Holding your student back because you don’t know if they’ll perform “well enough” starts ....
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14 Feb 2022
THUNK

A 16 year old 2nd Degree Decided Black Belt set up her board breaks for testing. She had practiced them over and over, and always broke them the on the first try. She broke her elbow smash first, easy, first attempt. Then she went to her flying side kick, easy again, first attempt. Then she went to her spin side kick, and she knew it was going to break. Then she heard the THUNK. That thunk meant she had to hit it again, and for that Black Belt, it was the beginning of the end. She had NEVER gone to second attempt on a board. So she took a deep breath, set it up again, bowed in, and threw her kick. Before she heard the second thunk, she said it was a bad kick. The center judge for her ....
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31 Jan 2022
Tournament Wrap Up

We had such a great tournament this past weekend! All of our students brought home medals and rocked it! We even had a few who earned gold medals! We had two competitors who earned both a Gold medal in Forms and a Gold Medal in Sparring! It is so easy to be proud of their results, but the thing that I’m most proud of had nothing to do with any of the medals that our students earned. It didn’t matter if our students won or lost, I watched them all cheer for their competitors, celebrate with them on the podiums, and congratulate all those around them. When someone else took 1st place, or they lost a sparring round, there was no whining or crying. They simply moved on and went ....
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24 Jan 2022
Criticism

As we get closer to tournament and testing time, you will start to receive more detailed corrections and positives of your pattern. It’s important to remember that instructors are there to correct what we both think you can fix, and what is expected of your rank. At our regional camp in November, 6th Degree Master Instructor Ms. Nicole McGhee taught a forms seminar, and one of the first things she said was that if you do your pattern in front of someone and don’t expect to hear anything to work on, then you need to check your ego. She was 100% correct. Mr. O and I have both done taekwondo for 20+ years. Every time I do my form in front of higher ranks they find something I can ....
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17 Jan 2022
"I Have a Dream"

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and every year I try to learn more about one of the things that this incredible man did for our country. His fight for racial equality is recognized throughout history, and his journey is well documented. What I think of most when I think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was how he managed to convey his message about a topic that is considered to be one of the most controversial in our country’s history, in a way that shouted for peace and love to all. As racial inequality has continued to be an issue in our society, I have always wondered why, as a community, people cannot have a discussion without it turning to anger and violence. ....
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10 Jan 2022
Self-Care

Last year I read a book called "A Year of Positive Thinking" and shared daily posts in our Facebook group. This year, I am reading "A Year of Self-Care" and continuing to do the same. Both are things that I have struggled with in the past, and that I hope to gain insight from and share that insight with you. Self-Care is often one that's hard to do. I often feel selfish when I do the things that I want because I feel like I could be doing something to help someone else instead. If you're like me, make sure you're a part of our Facebook group, www.facebook.com/ctafamilies you need this as much as I do. You cannot be fully happy if you are putting everyone else first. Even ....
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3 Jan 2022
Happy New Year!

It's the first week of the new year! What changes are you going to make from 2021? If you weren't happy with some of your results from last year, the only way to change them is to make a change. If you didn't get the medal you wanted at a tournament, what are you going to do to have a better chance of winning it this year? If you didn't pass a testing last year, what part of your training are you going to change? You are the only one who can make things happen for yourself. Your work ethic, effort, and level of commitment are what makes a difference. If you don't try, you will never improve. ....
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15 Nov 2021
What do you do when someone falls down?

When someone falls, what do you do? At this point I'm sure many of you have heard about the unfortunate incidents at Astroworld in Houston. An occasion that so many people take as a stress relief, attending a concert, ended up with multiple lives lost, solely because people in all levels of the event didn't pay attention to anyone except themselves. This weekend Mr. O and I went for our delayed 5th anniversary trip (our May 2020 event was postponed because of Covid) to Welcome to Rockville, a 4 day music festival. Needless to say, the Astroworld event was not what we wanted to see a week before going to our own festival. But what if did was make people more conscientious. At least ....
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9 Nov 2021
Is your cup empty or full?

Weekly Motivation: Is your "cup" empty or full? I'm not asking if you're looking at things in a positive or negative manner. I'm asking if you are open to accepting more to your cup. We just had a fantastic weekend with Ms. McGhee, and one of the best things I heard her say was that "if you do your pattern and don't expect to hear any corrections, we will never grow to our full potential. Taekwondo is an art where you are constantly evolving and learning. After 19 years, I heard Ms. McGhee explain things in a way I had never heard them before. If your answer to every correction is "I know" or "I'm trying, but…", then your cup is full and you are not accepting ....
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Testing Week Nerves

The week of testing is always one of the most stressful weeks of the training cycle, for parents, students, and instructors. Students are stressed because they want to make sure that they do their best. They want to succeed and get their new belt. They want to see all of the work that they have put in through the training cycle come to fruition. Parents are stressed because they see how hard their children have worked. They also want their children to succeed, which sometimes results in them pushing their children harder than they mean to. The instructors are stressed for a combination of those. We've seen how hard you worked and want you to do well. We've also seen what you have struggled ....
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27 Sep 2021
I Don't Think I'm Ready....

“I don’t think I’m ready for testing,” or “I don’t think my child is ready for testing”. We hear this phrase a minimum of 10 times a training cycle. Self-doubt is a serious thing that can truly hinder you as a student, or your child when you project it onto them. Especially in the early ranks, we aren’t looking at how great of a white belt you are, no white belts are perfect. We are looking at how you have handled this new challenge. We are looking at what you could possibly be in 3 or 5 years. We are looking for what you may look like as a black belt. Did you get motivated to learn the material and do your best? How did you handle your ....
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6 Sep 2021
So, there's a chance?

Anyone who knows Mr. and Mrs. O knows that we are huge UCF fans. Former UCF Quarterback, McKenzie Milton, made his return to college football last night (even though it was for FSU) after almost losing his leg in November of 2018 during a football game. He was rushed from the field in Tampa directly to the operating room, as they tried to save his leg from being amputated. Months later he revealed that when he woke up in the hospital, he lifted up the blanket, not knowing if his leg was going to be there or not. After that, he battled with infections which resulted in even more surgeries. His surgeon said that the best possible outcome would be if he could walk again without pain. His ....
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31 Aug 2021
Pressure

Pressure, we've all felt it. Some people thrive under it, others struggle to deal with the weight of it. All of us are under pressure every day. As adults, that may come at work, with a boss or trying to meet a deadline. It may come from family to spend more time on them, or to plan am event like a party. It may come from friends to be more social. It may come from yourself. Sometimes, we just want to yell and tell people to leave us alone and that you're trying your best. Children have those same pressures. Replace work with school and teachers. They deal with pressure to get their work done and get good grades. The pressure from parents to help around the house or maintain great ....
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9 Aug 2021
Testing Is OVER!

For everyone who tested this past week, we are so proud of you! This was one of the best testings we’ve had in a long time, and we are glad that you were a part of it! Along with testing ending this weekend, the Olympics wrapped up, and there were some exciting things that happened!What I’d like you to take from this past weekend is that in order for you to do well at something, you have to struggle. If everything comes easy for you, you will never feel that need to push yourself past your limits. Author Napoleon Hill wrote in one of his books, “Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” This weekend I saw ....
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2 Aug 2021
Effort

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter. Last week we talked a lot in class about effort. To me, effort is one of the biggest aspects of training of any kind. An instructor, coach or parent can teach you everything that you need to know about a sport or art. They cannot make you do it the way they showed you. They can tell you what you will have to do to succeed, but they cannot make you try to do it. If I could figure out how to get inside everyone’s head and make them do their pattern the way we talk about, or spar the way we tell them to, I would. BUT, since I ....
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To win, you might lose

As many of you know, the Olympics have started! These athletes are the epitome of hard work, dedication, and effort. Watching them compete is a fantastic demonstration of how to take a craft that you are good at, and apply yourself to the fullest potential, to become the best that you can be. Jean-Claude Killy, a French ski racer & three-time gold medalist, once said, “To win, you have to risk loss,” and I cannot think of a more true statement. Anytime that you compete at something, there may be someone who beats you. Anytime that you put yourself up to be judged, you may end up lower than you thought. Does that mean you shouldn’t compete? Or that you shouldn’t ....
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19 Jul 2021
Self-Control, the most important tenet?

There were so many things I was proud of at this tournament, and some moments I didn’t like seeing. The fourth tenet of taekwondo is Self-Control, and while we shorthand the meaning to be “Never lose your temper”, there are so many other things that this applies to. Tournaments are a great example. People get so tied up in the score they receive, or warnings they get, or points they hear clicked for the other person, that they distract themselves from performing well. In regards to self-control, Morgan Freeman says, “Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn’t shift based on the insignificant actions of ....
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Consistency is Key

As we prepare for the tournament (and for testing the first week of August), consistency is key. The way that you practice your pattern every day in class is the way that you will do it on tournament or testing day. Everyone has heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”, but that’s not exactly true. If you practice your pattern every day, but doing the wrong block for one of your moves, it will never be correct. In reality, “PERFECT practice makes perfect.” Practicing your pattern the way you want it to look at the most important times is the only way to get it to consistently look that way. The only person who can control how much effort you put in, is you. ....
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6 Jul 2021
Sometimes, Bad Things Happen to Good People

This past weekend, I spent a lot of time with one of my best friends. I listened to her tell me about all of the issues she’s dealt with in the past week, and it made me remember the fact that bad things happen to good people. This friend is one of the best people I know. I’ve watched her grow up over the last 16 years, and to see her going through these issues as she prepares for one of the biggest events in her life was hard. But through it all, I watched her maturity. While she could have whined and cried about how unfair everything was, she instead put on a smile and talked about her plans to overcome the issues. While she was emotional when she talked about it in private, ....
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28 Jun 2021
Everyone's entitled to a bad day, even the G.O.A.T.

This weekend, I spent a good amount of time watching the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Gymnastics, especially the women. Specifically, Sunday night, I watched the woman who is broadly considered to be the greatest female gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, and I watched her STRUGGLE. She lost her balance on the uneven bars and got a deduction, on her vault she couldn’t stick her landing to save her life, and on the balance beam she even fell off. Listening to the announcers, you could hear how in shock they were, that she was having such a rough time, but in the same breath that they discussed how bad her night was going, they talked about all of the amazing things she has done. It ....
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Join Us For the Best Kids Martial Arts in Clermont

Welcome To Our New Website! We’re Proud To Serve Clermont with Kids Martial Arts! At Clermont Taekwondo Academy, we are working hard to go above and beyond for every person who walks through our doors. And you could be next! We are offering Clermont a hands-on approach to Kids Martial Arts. And you don’t need any prior experience to succeed! Come visit us at Clermont Taekwondo Academy and see for yourself what makes us the best Kids Martial Arts facility in town. Just fill out the "Request Information" form on the side of the page and stop in for a visit today! And don't forget to click below to visit us on our social media pages!! ....
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Blog | Clermont TaeKwonDo Academy

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Mental aspect of control

Post Testing Feelings

Just Kick

Post Tournament Write Up

Tournament Q&A

THUNK

Tournament Wrap Up

Criticism

"I Have a Dream"

Self-Care

Happy New Year!

What do you do when someone falls down?

Is your cup empty or full?

Testing Week Nerves

I Don't Think I'm Ready....

So, there's a chance?

Pressure

Testing Is OVER!

Effort

To win, you might lose

Self-Control, the most important tenet?

Consistency is Key

Sometimes, Bad Things Happen to Good People

Everyone's entitled to a bad day, even the G.O.A.T.

Join Us For the Best Kids Martial Arts in Clermont

Joseph Latham

Request Information Now!