THE SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS
Koramangala, Bangalore
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The milestone of achieving a black belt is truly a remarkable feat. It truly is, a test of persistence and will power. Congratulations, to all the new black belts. The journey is a never-ending one, but you have reached your first major milestone. Congratulations.
I cannot begin to stress the importance of a peaceful mind. It is the key to leading a peaceful life. And therefore I would like to quote three simple methods of having a healthy and peaceful mind.
Yoga: Beginning a day with some basic yoga will help you stretch and relax your body. It helps enlighten you both mentally and physically. Old at 30 or young at 60, the choice is yours.
Jog/Walk: A brisk walk or a jog around the park can turn any torn-down lazy mornings into a day with buzzing activity. After all, it is better to be healthy than be a lazy couch potato at the end of the day, right?
Smile: How much better would it be if we all could share a smile? It would not only naturally heightens one’s mood but it also brings joy to people around you.
The art of Taekwondo or any other form of martial arts is often mistaken for violence and/or performed by people who are young. But this is far from reality.
Martial arts can be taken up by anyone as long he is ready to drop his ego and dedicate his time. It teaches one to control one's emotions and respect all individuals.
Let us set an example for the generations ahead by staying healthy and helping other stay healthy. Cheers!
And to all the students at the academy, I dedicate this quote
“Black belt is a white belt that never quits.” – Unknown
A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES...
Poondhanam [ Black Belt ]
Published: 21st February 2016 (4th Black Belt Ceremony)
Poondhanam [ Black Belt ]
I joined The School of martial art on the 16th of May 1999 as a student of master Ashwin Naidu. It's the 14th year of my journey with the school. And I am still continuing to learn and grow. I trained hard for 5 years before getting my black belt. But only after I became a black belt did I realize its value. It then struck me how difficult it is to maintain that Standard.
Martial arts training will not only make One fit and healthy but also agile and alert, physically and mentally. It is a peerless stress buster too. Martial arts foster serenity and tranquility enhancing one's forbearance and fortitude which are inevitable qualities in today's dog eat dog world. My journey in the world of martial art has been instrumental in ushering in a flurry of positive changes in my life. I have personally experienced its awesome power to banish the blues and the negative thoughts. When the mind and body are intensively engaged in an edifying sport like martial arts there is hardly any scope for petty pursuits and non-value adding activities.
I now realize that the journey has completely shaped me into the person I am – calm, composed, cool and confident. I have no urge to fight except in exceptional circumstances which threaten my safety. Even when I do fight, I am completely in control and do not lose my poise. I still get disturbed sometimes but hardly get rattled and enraged especially if one is deliberately trying to provoke me. I am unruffled and unflustered, learning more and more about harmony and life and I own it to martial arts. At One point of time, I couldn't truly understand people but I certainly do now. I am what I am largely owing to martial arts.
It is indeed unfortunate that as life gets swamped with routines one has little time left for learning those invaluable, inexhaustible life skills that a discipline like martial arts has to offer. However, I believe that making time to learn some of these lessons was the most important step in my journey. I live the lessons that I have learned despite the fact that there is none to reinforce them anymore. And that is the quintessence of being a martial artist - being a self-driven, fully functioning individual!
MY TRYST WITH THE SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS
Published: 24th February 2013 (3rd Black Belt Ceremony)
Poondhanam [ Black Belt ]
In this 21st century where every little thing is mechanized, everything is effortless, but for me, the day wakes up with a different song. A path where endless effort, dedication, and determination is the only key to see the light on the other side. My inner soul is reborn every day as I train, as I practice. I was fascinated by martial arts from a very young age. As I moved to Bangalore with the intention of building my career, the love for the mat arts was covered up by work. But soon I heard about the class by Mr. Ashwin at St. Francis ground, I immediately joined. Now looking back at the years of intense training and effort I feel reaching a Black belt was quite a simple task when compared to training to reach next level. My master stood by me guiding leading the way but at a certain amount of time, he heads to let me go. This is the time when I had to practice myself, tame my mind and push myself to the extreme. The toughest period of my training yet, still a long way to go. I believe I have just scaled the foot of a very large mountain and I feel proud to have done a pretty decent job.
Martial arts is not only for self-defense but also a path to a healthy and calm life. Once in practice, we learn to put up with the world to find the simplest and most efficient solution to a problem by just thinking calm and clear. It is quite a task in this century. A personal advice or rather a request to all people out there young or old is to practice martial arts which will help you lead a life with the utmost of health and peace.