And, you’re invited to attend!

Why attend?

• Take a tour of our expanded facility
• Meet our instructors
• Get answers to your questions
• Pick up a free information kit
• Sign up for our next trial program
• And more!

There is absolutely no cost or obligation when you attend our open house.

You can also enter win a month of free lessons when you attend!*

WHO

Adult men and women (18+) who are interested in learning self defense and the martial arts.

WHEN

Saturday March 27, 2010
10AM-2PM

WHERE

Arrowhead Martial Arts
4700 S. Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
(801) 503-0028

Learn more about the open house here.

We look forward to seeing you on March 27th!

*Applies to new students only. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

We will be having several people test again this year with Mr. Leonard going for 2nd black while Steve and Josh going for black belt! Jessica will be taking her 2nd brown belt test and Joel, Nate and Cheryl will be testing for 1st brown belt. We will also have a few other students testing for various colored belt ranks. I look forward to your tests everyone!

More information including seminar titles, teachers, times and costs will be posted as it is made available.

Start planning now!

Attention instructors and students of Arrowhead Martial Arts:

Announcing the 2nd annual Holiday Party and Donation Drive at Arrowhead Martial Arts.

We had so much fun last year we decided to throw another holiday bash this year!

Join us for an evening of:

• Food and drinks
• Music
• Friends
• Drawings for prizes
• And more!

WHO

Arrowhead Martial Arts students and their adult guests.

WHEN

Friday December 11, 2008
7:00-9:00 PM

WHERE

Arrowhead Martial Arts
4700 Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT

RSVP DEADLINE

Please RSVP by Tuesday December 8th at the studio. We will have a sign up sheet at the studio on the front counter. You can also RSVP on Facebook.

WHAT TO BRING

If you have a favorite food, drink or desert item you wanted to bring, please do! Be sure to include what you’re bringing on the RSVP sheet so we know how to plan. We’ll have all the basics covered like cold cuts, cheeses, bread, water, sprite, root beer, etc. If not, just show up ready to have a good time!

DONATION DRIVE

Once again we will be supporting the YWCA of Salt Lake City this year. Bring your donations the evening of the party or before. You can purchase one item or 100. It’s up to you how much you donate. We will have a donation box just as you walk into the workout room. Join the studio and many of our other students in donating to this great cause. Remember, every donation counts!

WHAT TO DONATE

You can either donate money or buy gifts from their wish list. A list of new items to buy and donate can be picked up at the studio during class hours or you can download their wish list here.  They desperately need every day items like clothing, shoes, and jackets of all sizes and styles. As an option, you can also donate cash and we will go purchase items in your name. 100% of your donations will go to this cause.

We look forward to seeing you on Friday December 11 from 7-9pm!

The black belt moves with speed, power, accuracy and finesse while the beginner can seem slow, uncoordinated and a lot more rigid; often holding their breath.

One of the main differences is how that the black belt has repeated that technique hundreds if not thousands of times to get to the level of black belt.

And that process is commonly referred to as muscle memory training.

What is Muscle Memory?

Muscle memory is when you repeat movements over and over again until you build neural pathways to the brain until the neurons communicate with the muscles automatically. You’re developing the ability for muscles to record patterns of tension and relaxation so you can do them without thought.

The more you practice a certain self-defense technique the more it becomes easier to do without thought. Not only that, but you also eventually gain accuracy, speed, finesse and power while executing it the more you practice it.

Muscle Memory Takes Repetition

While there is no magic number to internalize a technique, it is safe to say it requires thousands of repetitions before your brain and body created the neural pathways to do it sub-consciously.

And, how you practice at home can be critical to your ability to quickly gain muscle memory.

If you’re struggling with your progress, it could be that you’re not leveraging the power of repetition for muscle memory correctly.

There are two ways people usually practice:

1. They work on a lot of self defense techniques only doing each one a couple of times.
2. They work on fewer self defense techniques doing each one several times.

Which is better?

My recommendations is the latter.

Repetition of an activity brings familiarity and habit. It can help you get more comfortable with things faster and improve your confidence. In fact, it will also increase your chances of survival in a self-defense situation.

If you’ve only done a technique 100 times, do you think you could use it on the street?

Chances are, no.

You swinging a golf club 100 times won’t make you play like Tiger Woods at the Masters any more than practicing a technique 100 times will be make you as capable as Mr. Mills at the Legal Tender on a Friday Night.

Each technique requires thousands of repetitions in order to wire your brain and body correctly in order to be able to use it (or parts of it) in self-defense situation. So, be sure you’re practicing with fewer techniques and increasing your repetition of them when you practice.

Some people get their black belts faster than others because they understand the importance of repetition and practice the right things the right way.

Muscle memory is only one part of the equation in order to be able to protect yourself in a self-defense situation. However, it is one of the most important.

Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the form of a comment!

• We will be closed on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26th, 2009).
• Our usual two week holiday break will be from December 22, 2009- January 5, 2010 this year to give everyone time to be with their families. Classes resume January 5th at their regularly scheduled time.

Thanks everyone!

1. How I got my start in the martial arts (VIDEO)
2. Two New Paul Mills AKKI Kenpo Video Clips!
3. 21 Popular Ed Parker Quotes
4. 11 Things You Should Know about Kenpo
5. Ed Parker’s Infinite Insights into Kenpo & Encyclopia Now Available
6. Ed Parker Kenpo Knife Fighting Video
7. 20 American Kenpo Principles of Motion You Shouldn’t Ignore
8. How Often Do You Practice Martial Arts?
9. How to Find the Courage to Stick Up For Yourself
10. Are You the Biggest Barrier in Your Martial Arts Training?

Which one was your favorite post? Let me know in the form of a comment below!

Naturally, there are more than 11 things, but will at least get you started.

1. Built on Common Sense
KENPO is about teaching you how to think about and execute self-defense in street wise manner. Not only is KENPO built on common sense, it also is guided by logic. Questions such as:  “What is the most likely follow up attack that will be thrown?”, “how can my moves be countered”  and “What is the  closest most vulnerable target is available?” are asked to make sure things are built from a strong and practical base.

2. A Modern Approach
KENPO is based on today’s environment, not what things were like 2,000 years ago in another country. In this way, we teach an American martial arts system.

3. Is Tailored to You
When you learn KENPO, everything you do will be adapted to your height, weight, reach, flexibility, strengths and more (instead of the other way around). In some martial arts schools, whether you are 6′5″ or 4′7″ you all have to do your stances the exact same height and is an example of how you are tailored to the art instead of the art being tailored to you.

4. Principles of Motion
KENPO is governed by principles of motion. Like ingredients, these principles help you to understand how to combine them to hit harder, faster and more accurately than you ever thought possible. We use principles such as “point of origin,” “marriage of gravity,” “body momentum,” and “rotational torque” to not only make our students  hit harder and faster, but also so they know specifically what to work on to improve. In this way, they learn why we do what we do instead of just mimicking our instructors.

5. Rearrangement Concept
Once you learn a sequence of moves in one particular order, you also learn how you can add, delete, insert, rearrange and more so you can adapt to the task at hand. This helps you become more adaptable and spontaneous so you are better prepared if you have to protect yourself. For example, if you learn four moves you learn how you can create 24 versions of those moves where you never do the same move twice.

6. Based on Universal Motion
KENPO teaches you empty hand self-defense that simultaneously teaches you how to use a stick, knife and more. Our stand up defenses are also possible from sitting positions, kneeling positions and when on the ground. Rather than learning multiple arts to accomplish this, our martial arts system is multi-dimensional and can all be learned in one system.

7. A Martial Arts System, Not a Style
KENPO is a martial arts system and not a martial arts style. The difference is that a system gives  you a comprehensive foundation of basics, self-self defense moves and drills while a style only shows you a personal preference on what someone likes to do; which may or may not be guided by logic or principles.

8. Get Proficient, Faster
Every aspect of the KENPO system we teach (which can only be found in AKKI KENPO) is 100% built around internalization patterns, speed patterns, power patterns and more. Every facet of the system incorporates these so everything you do gets burned into your subconscious. Not only that, but you will also learn how to tap into your natural born, built in reflexes to better help you respond to a threat more spontaneously and effectively.

9. Its Practical
We don’t care how pretty a move looks, all we care is that it works. We work on speed, surprise and simplicity to make sure we’re not over complicating things.

10. Four Ranges of Self-Defense
Many martial arts are primarily focused on one range of self-defense (like grappling).  KENPO gives you a comprehensive system incorporating them all; as all ranges can occur in the flow of a self defense situation. We cover everything from kicking to striking to trapping to grappling ranges.

11. Simple Everyday Motion
If you can throw a frisbee, hammer a nail or saw a log then you can do this martial art! We focus our efforts in showing you how everyday motion you already make can help you become a highly proficient martial artist.

For those in KENPO, what would you add to the list of things people should know about KENPO?

Please join me in congratulating everyone who tested by leaving a comment below!

If you find yourself saying “I just don’t have time to practice at home” or “I’ll practice later” or even “I just don’t have the material down like I should” then this might be just the kick in the pants you need to straighten yourself out.

The Truth About Your Training

I hate to break it to you, but you’re the only one in the way of your personal success. I can’t make you practice outside of class. I can only help push you while you’re in class. You have to want to get better AND also have the dedication and desire to do something about it.

While coming to class is a good start, you might also need to work in some more training time in between classes.

How To Take Control of Your Training

Coming to class twice a week for some is all they need to get things down, however, for most, they need more time outside of class to get things down.

The simplest trick is to schedule one 30 minute practice session outside of class each week. As that becomes easier, schedule at least a second 30 minute training session or extend your workout to an hour.

Mark it on a calendar. Put a reminder in your outlook. Add a reminder to your cell phone. Whatever you got to do but just do it so you get into the habit of training at least one additional time per week.

And, if you’re letting other things get in the way and you’re constantly letting something else bump your training time, well, knock it off!

Think of it this way, you already come to class twice a week. Why? Because it’s scheduled. Now, do the same thing for yourself at least 30 minutes a week for personal training. If it’s not scheduled, it’s too easy to let it slide.

What to Practice In Your Training Session

If you’re struggling with a form, practice it as many times as you can in your 30 minute session. Have a hard time remembering the technique names? Read your quick reference journal for 30 minutes and quiz yourself on the names. Maybe even create flash cards to test yourself.

Whatever is getting in your way of feeling confident with the curriculum, start at those places and work your way out from yellow belt on up. Write down a checklist of things you want to get better at then use your time to chip away at those things. Once you feel confident with them, mark them off your list.

Be sure to also read 15 Tips to Help Your Martial Arts Workouts Outside of Class. This will help give you some additional ideas on working out at home.

It all starts with you taking responsibility for your training then doing something about it. Start now so you can benefit later!

First, congratulations to following people on their belt promotions:

• Joshua – 2nd Brown
  
• Jessica- 1st Brown
  
• Nate – Green
  
• Joel – Green
• Blake – Blue
  
• Aaron – Blue
  

As always, I was extremely proud of all of you and really glad to see you on the test floor. You represented our school well. Now take the experience and build on it and let it help you grow.

Second, thank you for all the students and instructors who were able to attend and support the camp. I know for some, this was your very first camp and probably are a little bit wide eyed at the whole experience. It was good to have you all there and I look forward to seeing you again at future camps.

As Jessica T. said on our Facebook page:

Thanks! Another successful camp. I came back feeling the familiar excitement for the depths of the art–and feeling a few bruises and aches too. It really is amazing the amount of material that is offered there. I hope more people can come in six months.

Based on the other feedback I received, I’d say I’m not the only one who had a good time!

Here’s what Jodi had to say:

I would just like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in Mr. Mills International September 2009 Kenpo Camp in Evanston Wyoming. Although I was not able to attend the complete camp I found it extremely motivating and very inspiring. I know that I will be attending the next camp. Thanks again.

Also, thanks to those who attended my seminars and hope you got a lot out of them. For those who couldn’t make my seminars, I will be teaching some of the ideas in class soon.

It was a fun for me to have you all learn from my instructor Mr. Paul Mills as well as the other senior black belts in the AKKI.There were a lot of great seminars on developing the proper mindset, reflexive response training, power, timing, knives, ground fighting, forms, techniques, sets and more.

As usual, my head is still swimming. How about yours?

I will post the camp dates for this Spring just as soon as they are available and hope you can all make it!