Kaju AZ Student of the Month - Ron Bromund

Every week we introduce you to one of our students. This week, we would like to introduce you to Ron Bromund.


Ron is a Kaju Student at our Gilbert School.  He is an Orange/Purple Belt in our Kaju System. He is a police officer, likes the color yellow and enjoys a nice juicy steak. He is married to his wife Lindsay and he has 2 children, Alexis who is 6 and Patrick who is 3. Alexis is one of our Dragons. They have a greyhound named Athena and a very unusual pet, Shelly, who is a snail.

Ron loves spending time with his family. He used to teach high school history and so he still enjoys reading about history and watching The History Channel. Ron also learned magic when he was young and still enjoys a trick or two!

Ron loves the Ohana atmosphere at Kaju AZ. He says that everyone works together and pushes each other to be the best they can be. His goal in the dojo is work harder and learn more than last year, and outside of the dojo he strives to be a good father and husband.

If you get a chance to see Ron in action, you can tell that he has prior martial arts experience. He is a fast learner and pays great attention to the detail of a technique. We sure are lucky to be able to train with Ron and look forward to many more years!

Kaju AZ Student of the Month - Meet Jessica

Each month, Kaju AZ introduces you to 4 students. This week, meet MMA Red Belt, Jessica King!

Jessica King has been training in MMA for just over 4 years. She trains with her sons, Jacob and Ben, and when her partner Robyn isn't working, Robyn trains as well. Jessica and Robyn love animals. They have 4 dogs and 1 cat and take in foster animals and strays and find them loving homes and families.

Jessica admits that besides Kaju, she loves to shop and we both agree that you can never have too many shoes in your closet. Take a look sometime at all the cute shoes she comes in the dojo with! She also enjoys spending time with her family and Aunt and Uncle on the weekends. 

Jessica has found a new passion in running and has learned that the more she runs, the more she likes it. She has decided that she likes anything that involves sweating.

Kaju AZ is a place that makes her feel better and adds a light to her day. She is grateful it is something she can do with her sons and they can help each other get better. When she comes to train, she feels like she matters and that it truly enriches her life.

Her goals for the next year are to continue training hard and become a better martial artist by learning from the teachers and black belts at the school. Outside of the dojo, she is going back to school for nursing, something she has always wanted to do.

Anybody that knows Jessica, knows that she trains hard and hits hard and with that same intensity she is always giving back to other students with a helping hand, good advice and a great smile, a smile that lights up the room when she enters!

Martial Arts to Me

When I first got into martial arts, I was about 16 years old.  I was influenced by watching Bruce Lee movies and wanted to be able to kick like Bruce Lee.  Luckily, my mother put me in Isshin-ryu karate and my martial arts journey began. 

I stayed in Isshin-ryu for a couple of years and continued doing martial arts when I went to college.  I joined the Isshin-ryu club at Ohio State and  I also trained in Aikido. After college, I moved to California and wanted to continue in martial arts training.  I wanted to stay in Isshin-ryu but it was hard to find it on the west coast so I ended up at a mixed martial arts school called John Barrett American Martial Arts.  John Barrett was a movie actor and martial artist who starred in many movies with Chuck Norris and his own.  I remember when I first started training in his style, I had trouble adapting because my “glass was half full” (with my previous experience).  I felt like I was dishonoring my prior training and didn’t want to adapt to the new style.  I suddenly realized I was holding myself back by not “emptying my cup.”  Once I did, my martial arts skills, technique and understanding of myself increased exponentially.  I also learned much more about discipline, respect, character, hard work, confidence and humility. I not only grew as a martial artist, but as a person. 

After many years in California, fate drew me to Arizona where I found Kajukenbo.  I instantly fell in love with the warmness of Ohana and the deadliness of the martial art.  Like my prior training, Kaju AZ helped me focus on my skills and the Ohana brought me back.  Today, I don’t think so much about being able to kick like Bruce Lee but what martial arts has done for me as a person both mentally, physically as well as spiritually.  People have said “I make it look easy,” but remember I have been working for years to “make it look easy.”  

Whether your focus will be martial arts or something else, by always sharpening your skills, working hard and keeping humble (your glass half empty), then you too have the same ability of achieving greatness.  I have achieved my greatness through martial arts…martial arts means everything to me!

-Sibak Jonathan Hedden

Black Belt Principle - RESPECT

This is the first in a series of six blog posts on our Black Belt Principles - RESPECT

Respect. We talk about it. We expect it. From our children. Our coworkers. Our bosses. The guy in the carpool lane next to us. But what does it mean? How do we show it to the people we know and love and to total strangers?

Respect: a relation to or concern with something specified; an act of giving particular attention; consideration.

That’s the official definition, but what does it mean and how do we show respect in our every day lives? Respect is an attitude. Respect is an action. Respect is how you treat people. People you know and people you don’t. Being respectful helps you succeed in life. If you don’t have respect for authority, your peers or even respect for yourself, it is almost impossible to succeed.

Our children may learn respect from schools, but we as parents have the most influence on how respectful our children grow to be. Until children show respect at home, it is unlikely they will show it anywhere else. What are some ways we can show respect to our children and in turn teach them how to respect others?

Be Honest - If you do something wrong, admit it and apologize.

Be Positive - Don’t embarrass, insult or make fun of your child.

Be Trusting - Let your child make age appropriate choices and take responsibility for themselves.

Be Fair - Listen to your child’s side of the story before jumping to conclusions.

Be Polite - Use “please” and “thank you”.

Be Reliable - Show your child that you mean what you say. Keep your promises!

Be a Good Listener - Give your child your full attention when they are talking to you. Put down your cell phone or laptop and look them in the eye as they speak.

Remember that children learn by watching you. Make sure that you are modeling respectful behavior. Some of the things you can do are:

Be On Time - One of the simplest ways to show respect is to be prompt. Show up to work on time, make sure your kids are at school or karate class on time, make sure you are where you say you are going to be when you say. When you show up on time, you show the person you are meeting that they are important to you.

Follow the Rules - Whether they are traffic laws or rules posted at the public pool. Rules are in place for a reason. If your child sees you break rules you see as unimportant, they will begin to pick and choose the rules they will follow by what they think is important.

Be Caring - Show concern for people, animals and the environment. Make it a point to donate your time, money or talent to those in need and explain to your childrent the importance of taking time to help others.

Avoid Poor Role Models - When you see examples of disrespect, discuss them with your child. Avoid people that show disrespect to others. They are not good role models for your family.

Explain Rules - When you set rules at home, explain why the rule is important. If your child understands why a rule is in place they will understand why it needs to be followed.

Build Their Independence - Give them responsibilities as soon as they can handle them. Even the smallest child can have chores around the house as simple as putting silverware away, folding clean towels and socks, or simply picking up after themselves.

There are so many ways to show how we feel about people in our lives. The most important thing to learn and teach is how to show love. Encourage your child and show that you believe they can succeed and they will believe they can as well.

Ms. Jessica
(adapted from teach-nology.com)

Student of the Month - Meet Kyle!

Each month, Kaju AZ introduces you to 4 students. This week meet Junior Brown Belt Kyle!

Kyle is 12 years old and has already been training in Kajukenbo for 9 years! Kyle brings a high energy to his training. He trains hard and is a hard h

itting young man, and yet, he is still very humble and kind to everyone he meets.

Kyle's favorite color is purple and his favorite food is Chinese Style Roast Pork. Kyle lives with his mom and dad and has 8 cousins, 4 aunts, 3 uncles, 2 grandmothers and 2 grandfathers. And he also has 7 koi fish as pets.

Kyle's favorite subjects in school are math and science and he also enjoys playing basketball, Boy Scouts and band.

Kyle likes training at Kaju AZ because of all the friends he has made. It helps him to reduce stress from school. And most importantly, he says kaju has helped him to become a good leader at school and in Boy Scouts.

Leaders are Successful

Ask a recent high school graduate what they want to do and invariably, one of the elements is 'I want to be successful at…'  Ask a parent what they want for their children, the answer will probably be something having to do with their child's success in life. Some questions come to mind: How do we measure success? Success of what kind? What makes a person successful or what drives success?

My definition of success is simply  'not quitting and continuous progress toward a goal.' To be successful, you have to have a goal and then you have to start moving towards it. My experience has been that most successful people have leadership attributes that aid in their success. Some important leadership qualities that aid a person in achieving their goals are:  communication, a no-quit attitude, and the ability to envision a better future for oneself.

In a typical, energetic class at Kaju AZ these elements are in prime view… You will notice an instructor encouraging students to push themselves and to work hard. You will notice students encouraging each other, lifting each other off the ground. Students will be patting each other on the back or giving high-fives for good work shown. Students that have never pushed themselves in such a way in any other activity or going beyond their assumed boundaries or even the boundaries of their parents or loved ones! Students learn that the limits are farther away than they ever thought and that more things are capable of being achieved and are within closer reach.

The various reasons why we STARTED in martial arts are not always the main benefits we receive as we CONTINUE in the martial arts. Most common reasons for starting to train are weight loss, self defense, strengthening and conditioning. Parents enroll their children for the purposes of physical activity, gaining confidence and increase in focus and attention. These are all great reasons for training and continuing to train. During the process of continuing to train and bettering oneself, something amazing happens. The increased skills build confidence in the martial artist. The confidence enables the martial artist to demonstrate and help others. Sharing the knowledge with others allows the martial artist to gain in the skills… and the cycle continues.

The skills that are refined and honed during this process are not just the physical martial arts skills. Some skills (or attitudes) that are automatically practiced during the training process are: communication skills, a take charge attitude, empathy when working with another student, the no-quit attitude, and a desire to attain one's goals. These skills are all important aspects of a leader. And a great leader combines these attributes with a goal or vision to lead others to a common goal. Or, more importantly, and on a more personal level, my estimation of the best result of leadership training is when a young person can lead him or herself to a better life by simply taking charge of their life, envisioning the future, and putting in the efforts to make that future a reality.

It is true that we need strong leaders in the world. But before that, we need people that can think for themselves, communicate with others, care about the people and the world around them. We need to be leaders of our own lives. If we can successfully lead ourselves to our own goals, then naturally, we will be able to help and encourage others on their own journeys to their own goals. Sometimes our goals overlap, and when this happens, synergy!

What's the best recipe for leadership success:  simply working hard and training hard, and helping those around you!  And like any good CrossPIT workout…repeat, repeat and repeat!

   

-Sigung Kelly Corder

Meet Hannah - October Student of the Month

Kaju AZ Student of the Month - October - Dragon Orange Belt

Meet Hannah. Hannah is a very focused young lady that comes to class every day with a great attitude. Hannah leads her classmates by being a hard worker and a great example. Hannah has begun her transition into the Juniors Program and I can't wait to see her grow as a martial artist.

Hannah's favorite color is purple and likes spicy chicken quesadillas. Her favorite subjects in school are Science and Reading. 

Hannah loves her family and they love her. She enjoys watching movies, eating meals and playing games with her mom, dad and brother Jacob. She also has a dog named Ruby, 5 cats: Morgana, Braveheart, Leo, Miss Hiss and Mama Kitty, a hermit crab named Spiderman and a tank full of fish.

Besides Kajukenbo, Hannah enjoys swimming, reading, giving her dog Ruby walks and drawing.

Hannah likes Kajukenbo AZ because she enjoys making new friends and learning how to do different defenses.

We are so proud of Hannah's accomplishments at Kaju AZ. She is a bright young lady with a great future ahead of her!