Excel Martial Arts

"A habit is something we do so many times that we train our brain to think differently". This is not the traditional definition of a habit because it was written from the psychological perspective. It's important, for our purposes this month, to think of CHANGE as something that happens on the inside, not just the outside. Learning a skill is different than changing the way you think about that thing to such a degree that you no longer have to struggle with dieting or live w...ith raging anxiety all your life. Our counsellors often say, "change your mind and your butt will follow". We are tempted, by virtue of the world we inhabit, to try to correct people's behaviours and force them to do something until they're convinced. We can't forget that the best way to make people better is to help them want to make themselves better. Doing something you love is not a chore and far more likely to translate into a lifestyle. A habit is something we do so many times that we train our brain to think differently. Or to put it another way, our goal is to create martial artists, not just people who know martial arts. The martial arts way is a mindset, not an action. This month we're talking about CHANGE!

From our family to yours - Happy Easter from Excel Martial Arts. Enjoy the long weekend and time with family. Stay Safe out there. See you next week!

EMA ReWired - March 2021 - CHALLENGE to CHANGE The perfect transition from March to April's ReWired content. In March we discussed "challenge". We did some challenges (who did all the physical challenges?), and some mental challenges (meditation). Why do we challenge ourselves? We challenge ourselves to CHANGE our self. CHANGE is April's theme. ... WITHOUT CHALLENGE, THERE IS NO CHANGE!! Want to get a degree? You have to study... Want to make money? You have to work hard... Want to lose weight? You have to exercise... Want to be happier? You need to find things that make you happy... Want to be independent? You need to learn life skills... If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you! The last challenge...continue with the physical or mental challenges from March, and continue them through April, while you learn about change. Then feel the change in your body and mind! Don't believe us, try it and see. It's just two months out of your life and a few minutes a day. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #martialarts #change #challenge #CBT #stepup #knowledge #changemanagement #budo #bushido

EMA ReWired - March - CHALLENGE Our last topic on the challenges children face: #6) Changes in Socialization - There have been many changes with the way people, especially kids, socialize. Socialization is becoming something part of the online world rather than the real world increasingly quickly. However, parents are remaining inclined to give kids a similar socialization to their own taking them outside for play dates, and to meet new friends. For some kids, this can be s...tressful as they are not used to socialization in this way, preferring to build an online identity. However, this doesn’t have to be a challenge if the right structure is put around the child, to help facilitate interaction between them and their peers. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #challenge #socialization #martialarts

EMA ReWired - March - CHALLENGE We continue with challenges our children face today, with #5. #5) ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a medical condition whose diagnosis has skyrocketed in the past 20 years. According to the World Health Organization, the disorder affects 5-7% of children. While there is some debate as to the validity of the disorder versus it being a behavioural problem with an environmental cause. What is known is that since the 1970s, the am...ount of ADHD diagnoses has risen to the point that some physicians believe the disease to be over-diagnosed. ADHD is not only an issue for the children and families diagnosed with it. It is also an issue for schools and classrooms, with misbehaving children taking up a disproportionate amount of teaching and learning time as opposed to their well-behaved peers. #ema #excelmartialarts #martialarts #challenge #rewired #adhd #add

EMA ReWired - January - NO EXCUSES At EMA we have the privilege of knowing and working with countless members from hundreds of different industries. They have incredibly demanding schedules. However, in their 24-hour day, they exercise, call people back, file reports, complete assignments, eat healthy, read, study, and spend time with family and friends. They may not watch much TV, though. They don’t play hours of video games or take long lunch breaks (unless this is a prior...ity for them). Admittedly, they have very little idle time in their day, unless it’s by design (such as personal reflection time or meditation), but they still accomplish all their priorities. They don’t have a different amount of time in their day than the rest of us; they just have different priorities and prepare accordingly to address all of them. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #noexcuses #martialarts

Who's ready to make 2021 their best year yet *Content was captured pre covid restrictions #martialartstraining #excelmartialarts #martialartslife #backtoschool #martialartslifestyle #kidsmartialarts #trainingathome #martialartsfemales #martialartathletes #coquitlam #portcoquitlam #chilliwack #langley #mission #martialartsweapons

What are your typical excuses? I don't have the time... I am not that out of shape... I am too old to start...... I am poor... I don't have the support... I don't know if I can do it... I am not motivated enough... I am not smart enough... I'll start tomorrow... The best one is - I am not ready... No one is ever 100% ready, but sometimes we have to make that leap of faith. "Paralysis by analysis" is very common when we overthink our goals and dream. Sometimes, the best way to succeed it to just start and figure it out along the way. We would not have electricity, the light bulb, Tesla's, or iPhones if these scientists waited until everything was perfect! Stop making excuses for yourself. Make a plan, and start now, not tomorrow or next week. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #noexcuses #martialarts #makeaplan

With the right teammates, anything is possible! TAG your teammate *Content was captured pre covid restrictions #martialartstraining #excelmartialarts #martialartslife #backtoschool #martialartslifestyle #kidsmartialarts #trainingathome #martialartsfemales #martialartathletes #coquitlam #portcoquitlam #chilliwack #langley #mission #martialartsweapons

EMA ReWired - January - NO EXCUSES Student Task; Week 1: Make a plan. Set your alarm for just 10 minutes earlier this week. In those 10 minutes spend it journaling. Instead of writing thoughts and feelings (which is perfectly fine if you want to all do that), make your to-do list. Write down what you want to accomplish today. Once it’s all written out prioritize the list. There are the must do’s, the should do’s and the nice-to-do’s. Your must-do’s might be to exercise, e...at three healthy meals, and study/read for 30 minutes. Your should-do’s might be to go for a walk and call your friend. Your nice-to-do’s might be to take a long bath or watch two episodes of your favourite show. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #noexcuses #martialarts

The floor is lava *Content was captured pre covid restrictions #martialartstraining #excelmartialarts #martialartslife #backtoschool #martialartslifestyle #kidsmartialarts #trainingathome #martialartsfemales #martialartathletes #coquitlam #portcoquitlam #chilliwack #langley #mission #martialartsweapons

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Featuring Mr. Daniel Bravo Mr. Bravo has been a principal figure of the Coquitlam Training Centre for some time now. Backed by a supportive crew in Coquitlam, Daniel has helped EMA grow and prosper. ... Daniel recently graduated, but he had some challenges along the way - even thinking that it might not have been possible. Luckily Mr. Bravo was able to shake off that negativity and is very proud of his accomplishments. In EMA we have a term we call the Silent Professional. It's an unassuming person who just gets the job done, without fanfare, without looking for reward. This is Daniel. But, the Silent Professional is far from weak just because they are not the centre of attention all the time. Have you ever seen Mr. Bravo compete? The man's a savage! Then he can shake hands and hug his opponent. Thank you fine sir for your TOUGHNESS and dedication to EMA! In these photos you see Daniel atop a podium and with his father (who also trains in EMA) after graduating.

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Your workout for today - GO!

Re-Wired - TOUGHNESS Featuring the Fantastic Ms. Peligrino Valirie has been training in martial arts since she was a wee little child. A proud Coquitlam Training Center member, she has been an incredibly reliable and dedicated member of Excel Martial Arts since its inception. Now, as the Chief Instructor of Coquitlam she takes on even more responsibility within EMA. ... When Ms. Peligrino is not running the Coquitlam gym, teaching classes, and chasing kids around in the after school program, she can be found spending time with family and friends, usually outside. What makes Valirie so tough? She had big shoes to fill when Mr. Janzen moved to Edmonton, and she has done a glorious job. She is such an amazing role model to the youth of today. She is a perfect example of being tough, but kind, strong, but caring - and ALWAYS with a smile on her face. You will always know when Val enter a room, as it's usually with a boisterous laugh. We definitely need more Val's. EMA would like to thank you for your toughness and dedication. In these photos you can find during her travels, 4X4'ing with her Jeep, backpacking, and carrying a teammate in the Tough Mudder. She also seems to be incredibly photogenic during our demos, often getting the best photos of anyone! Wow, how does she fit it all in?

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS "Somewhere there is a nice sunny place with a warm breeze blowing where all the second place people train." KB. We challenge you this Fall and Winter to take your training outside. Rain or shine, wind, sleet, cold. It doesn't matter. Don't worry, you can't catch a cold from getting cold - old wives tale. ... You will be amazed at how much more brute strength you have after you train outside in the elements. Lifting rocks, logs, slogging through deep snow, hiking steep hills, rolling around on the ground - anything goes. Watch this video of boxing trainer Ross Enamait. His workouts are legendary. #RossEnamait #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #toughness #tough #rossenamait #boxing #martialarts #resilience #outdoor #rosstraining #nature

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Featuring Mr. Adam Gibson - husband, father, friend, EMA Owner and Chief Instructor. Adam Gibson Toughness is about being tough in all areas of life. Adam runs a very successful martial arts school, has a wife and two children, and still makes time for growing EMA in his community. When he is not running his Chilliwack EMA Training Centre and Daycare he can be found dirt-biking with his two boys, hiking mountains with friends, surfing, or travelling wi...th family. Adam's welcoming personality along with his astute business sense have made him a leader in the Chilliwack business community. #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #toughness #familyfirst #father #husband #businessowner

Here's what's happening next month. At Excel Martial Arts we believe that being strong and healthy is not just the way you work out or how many push-ups you can do. Join us this October for a free online seminar with one of our Mental Health Professionals as we learn practical tools that you can use to take your game to the next level!

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS A physically fit EMA student trains for a belt test by performing their form 2-3 times in a row. A tough EMA Martial Artist trains by doing the form at least ten times, without stopping, on an empty stomach, after a rough night's sleep. ... A good student reads all their notes and textbook to prepare for an exam. A mentally tough student prepares weeks in advance, using every resource at their disposal, studies late into the night, and or wakes at 4am to prepare. See the difference? There is nothing wrong with the first approach. It's what most people do. But, at EMA we encourage everyone to push a little more. We believe you have so much untapped potential. You need to believe in yourself as much as we believe in you. Over the years we have seen amazing transformations of children, teens and adults. EMA has literally saved lives by the impact it has had.So, when we preach toughness, there is always a reason behind it. We want you to achieve your potential - be the best version of yourself possible. #Ema #excelmartialarts #tough #toughness #resilience#resiliency #martialarts

ReWired - TOUGHNESS Featuring Ms. Carmen Little - EMA Langley Instructor. Camren Little... Carmen was in the first wave of Black Belts from our Langley School - a Langley member since it opened. She has shown such dedication and is key to Langley's success under the tutelage of Ms.Ens. If she wasn't tough enough before with her rugby playing, hiking and other athletic endeavours, she sure is now as a Black Belt. She puts the time in on the mat, and in nature. After a long week of teaching classes, she can be found on some remote mountain finding her inner peace. Ms. Little is a great role model for our children and teens. She leads by example - she is tough, but fair, intense but friendly. You can always count on her to give her best effort. That is what toughness is!

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Here are some action items on developing physical toughness. 1. GRIND - Do whatever you do until it hurts, and then keep going a little while longer.... 2. DEPRIVATION - this is a good thing. Deprivation makes us tougher. Deprive yourself of food occasionally. When a real disaster hits, you have the confidence knowing how easy it is to go days without food. 3. THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER, just soft people. Exercise in, or at the very least, spend time in an environment that is not climate controlled. We all must work, play and live with the weather during some part of every day. The more we train in it, the physically tougher we become. **These challenges are not for the faint of heart - but anyone can do them. This is not about torturing yourself, although it may feel that way. In EMA we believe that building the physical helps the mental, and building the mental supplies the physical. Ying Yang at its best - one flows into the other. #excelmartialarts #ema #martialarts #toughness #tough #resilience #resiliency #grind ##deprivation #brucelee #yingyang

Re-Wired - TOUGHNESS Featuring Mr. Richard McIlmoyl - EMA Port Coquitlam Owner and Chief Instructor. If you want someone that exhibits toughness, talk to this fine gentleman. Richard wakes up while many of us are still in dreamland, to work his day job - a very physical job with long hours. Then he heads straight from work to his passion - EMA. He puts in long hours there, and still finds the time to train himself, educate himself, hike, backpack and travel.... Richard is our oldest EMA Instructor, but he has never settled for status quo. Richard attends martial arts conferences every year, does online courses, listens to martial arts podcasts, audiobooks, and has his own martial arts business coach. Richard takes pride in his family. Forced into single fatherhood early in his children's life, he made plenty of sacrifices for his children. Those experiences moulded him into the man he is today - a dedicated father and loyal friend. The photos shown are just a few of the adventures Richard has taken over the years. That scary looking mountain is called Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park. Richard looks forward to many more adventures like this - this guys never rests! Talk about tough...

EMA Re-Wired - TOUGHNESS Although fitness is important, we are going to face many challenges in life that we will not be able to be overcome just through our fitness. Our ability to still accomplish the task will be dictated instead by our physical AND mental toughness, and possibly that of our teammates and leaders. Therefore, regardless of the battlefield where we compete, the best teammates and the best team leaders are both physically and mentally strong. Our office, sch...ool, or training centre battlefield may not experience the same harsh conditions that are commonplace on Mount Everest or in war, but we will all have all long days and sleepless nights. We still have our own mountain to climb. Toughness will help us do so - AND REMOVING THE WORD CAN'T FROM OUR VOCABULARY IS A GOOD START. #excelmartialarts #ema #toughness #resilience #resiliency #tough #martialarts

ReWired - TOUGHNESS Featuring EMA Langley Owner and Chief Instructor Ms. Leanne Ens. MsLeanne Ens Photos are of Ms.Ens doing a gruelling hack with a heavy pack. The first photo is her in a glacier lake in the middle of a Tough Mudder - an extreme obstacle course race. ... Ms. Ens has been training in martial arts her entire life. Just ask her how it's impacted her. If you want to see someone that exhibits toughness, look no further. She works hard at her business, teaches all day, plus finds time to train like an animal on her own. Weekends are spent hiking, cycling and even more outdoor adventures. She also takes time for herself too, which is important for recovery. She finds time to garden, spend time with her two dogs, and family and friends. Follow EMA Langley on Instagram just to see a glimpse of her day, which often starts before sunrise with exercise. Leanne is such a great role model for your children! Work Hard, Play Hard!

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS When you have two paths to achieve something, and you choose the harder path. That is TOUGHNESS. Developing Physical Toughness - This weeks' toughness building activities are:... 1. Perform your current form, upon waking, 10 times consecutively, with no breaks, no water, no breakfast. This should take less then 5 minutes for colour belts. 2. Adults - skip all meals the day of your EMA class, then attend, push yourself hard, and go to bed hungry. Drink all the water you want. Take note of how great and "light" you feel the next day. **Do not perform this if you have Diabetes (Type 1 or 2), any metabolic disorders, eating disorders, or current health issues. You might be surprised how long you can go without food. Water we need. This is essential. But food? Of course we need it, but do we need to eat 3 meals a day 7 days a week? Absolutely not. We live in a world of excess and have been told by "experts" that we need to eat like that. Most adults can easily skip a few meals a week, and be better off for it. But this is not a nutrition post. Learning that you won't die of starvation when without food for a few days is empowering. It's a mental switch for sure - when disaster strikes others will be scrambling for food and toilet paper. You will focus on what's important - shelter, water, fire. Build this toughness now so you know can do it when the time calls for it. #excelmartialarts #ema #rewired #toughness #fasting #resilience #resilientkids #tough

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Building resilience: 5 Ways to a Better Life. Take 5 minutes to watch this video on building resilience. ... #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #Resilience #toughness #martialarts

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS SealFit is a program for aspiring Navy Seals. It not only works on the incredible superhuman physical requirements, but the mental toughness required to get through the intense training. We can learn from this program, as they have turned out some of the toughest humans alive. There are 4 Big Skills every Navy Seal must master:... 1. Breath Control - we cover this in EMA Instructor Academy Level 2, and touch on it in EMA Fit. THE BREATH IS THE LINK BETWEEN YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND. 2. Positivity - this is about creating a positive internal dialogue. 3. Imagery/Visualization - visualize success. 4. Micro-Goals - keep a task oriented focus on the smallest chunks that are leading us toward victory. #excelmartialarts #martialarts #rewired #toughness ##Resilience #navyseals #sealfit #markdivine #excelmart

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS It's Thursday. Why haven't you done the Toughness Challenges yet? It's not too late. 1.Take a super cold shower.... 2. Hold Horse Stance for 5 minutes. No breaks. If you missed last weeks challenges they are: 1. Perform 500 push-ups in under on hour. 2. Perform 1000 squats in under one hour. (A Chilliwack EMA member did it in 35 minutes). 3. Wake up at 3am and clean the entire house, top to bottom. #excelmartialarts #martialarts #rewired #toughness #Resilience

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Tough times are ahead. That is something you can bet on. As Rocky said - life is not all sunshine and rainbows. Tough times will happen to us all. But, there is no reason for us to wait for them to occur to build toughness. There will always be another problem ahead. Do these tough things now! Take the more challenging course in school. Take EMA Instructor Academy. Ask that special someone out. Take a public speaking class. Go for a run in the rain. S...ign up and train for a Tough Mudder, Triathlon, or Marathon. It does not need to be summitting Mt. Everest and it does not matter how tough or not you are today. Just as we can train ourselves to be more physically fit, we can train ourselves to be more physically and mentally tough. TOUGHNESS IS A LEARNED TRAIT. #excelmartialarts #rewired #martialarts #toughness #toughnessisalearnedtrait # #Resilience

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Tough times do in fact make tough people. The more experiences we have in putting our bodies in physically and mentally uncomfortable environments, the tougher we become. Our lives are fraught with tough moments; exams at school, sporting competitions, public speeches, losing your job, job interviews, firing an employee, ending a relationship, being sick, or having a sick parent of friend. ... YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Someone has gone through the same problem as you. Many are going through much worse. While in the moment you may think your world is crumbling around you, take a moment. Take a serious moment. In five years from now, will this seem as catastrophic to you? We all have hardships in our life. It's how we react to them, then deal with them, that determines our success (or failure). Fall down 7 times, get up 8. #excelmartialarts #rewired #martialarts #toughness #Resilience #Falldown7GETUP8

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Toughness is doing what you HATE to do, but doing it like you LOVE it. What are some things you really don't like doing? Laundry, cooking, making your bed, sparring day, taxes, mowing the lawn, workout out? ... FLIP THE SWITCH! Do it like you love it. See how that changes your perception of the activity. This week we have TWO TOUGHNESS ACTIVITIES 1. Take a super cold shower (like we talked about in July with recovery). 2. Hold Horse Stance for 5 minutes, while doing multiplication tables in your head. Make sure the horse stance is low. After 2 minutes you should be in great discomfort. It won't kill you. Get to 5 minutes. Set a timer and do it now! #excelmartialarts #rewired #martialarts #toughness #fliptheswitch #Resilience

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS "Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not the muscles." Alex Karras... You've all heard of miraculous feats of strength in emergency situations. The mother who lifts the car off her child. The young girl that carries their older brother out of a burning home. These situations are however rare. Don't rely on some superhuman abilities to get you out of danger. Prepare for it! Every healthy human being should strive to be able to do these things: 1. Run as fast as possible, at full speed for 400m - that's once around a typical track. You don't have to be Usain Bolt - this is YOUR max speed. 2. Carry a family member 20m - a brother or pet. 3. Swim for 10 minutes continuous. 4. Tread water for 10 minutes with your clothes on. 5. Do 3 pull-ups (this is hard for most people) 6. Walk 6 hours non-stop. 7. Know basic first aid. 8. Know how to start a fire. 9. Know how to build a make-shift shelter. 10. Know self-defence. If you fall short on anything on this list, see if you can rectify that by the end of 2020. If you are a parent with children, take it upon yourself to learn these survival skills to be of best use to your family in an emergency! #excelmartialarts #rewired #martialarts #toughness #resiliency #worstcasescenario #excel

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Toughness is a learned trait. I don't care how physically strong or mentally tough you are, it still takes practice to not quit when things seem impossible. Many people get overwhelmed under extreme stress. It's under this stress that we make poor decisions. In a very stressful situation three things happen. PAY ATTENTION HERE AS THIS IS RELEVANT TO A VIOLENT SELF-DEFENCE SITUATION. ... 1. You get tunnel vision- you cannot see around you, only what's directly in front of you. 2. Your ears fill with blood and your ears start ringing. This makes it hard to hear other danger. 3. You freeze - you are like a dear in headlights. This is in our genes. It's human evolution. This sympathetic nervous system response happens to everyone, even professional fighters. But, it works against us. By training to the limit, pushing ourselves, doing these challenges we recommend, you push beyond the boundaries your mind has set for you. In EMA you are building this TOUGHNESS, especially when you push the boundaries of your comfort zone. #rewired #excelmartialarts #martialarts #toughness #resiliency #rewired #rewired

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS We all know the power of visualization. We are taught to picture a positive outcome. Always. But...the outcome is not always what we want. We all lose sparring matches, we lose races, we mess up an entrance exam. We need to plan for the worst. There is a very popular book called "Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook". It's worth getting. We should all have family emergency evacuation plans (like schools and businesses). We should have first aid kits ...at home, in the car, at work. We should have out of province emergency contacts. We should practice fire drills with our kids. This is being realistic, not fear-based as some people think. EMA's entire self-defence system is based on this. The physical components of our self-defence system can be learned quickly, but the mental components of overcoming a bad guy takes a lot of training, drills, scenario based training, and study. Build TOUGHNESS as best you can when you choose to! Plan, prepare, train, prepare more, train more. If we wait until the bleakest times to build toughness, we may not be adequately prepared. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #martialarts #resiliency #visualization

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS It's Thursday already. Have you done the Toughness Challenges yet? If not, why? Reading these ReWired posts is great, but they mean nothing if you don't take action. As the motivational speaker Anthony Robbins always says - "to ignite change, we need to take MASSIVE ACTION". Forget baby steps! Do this now.... 1. 500 push-ups in under an hour 2. 1000 squats in under an hour 3. Wake at 3am and clean the entire house, top to bottom. Failed to get the number of reps in the exercise? Who cares ! You tried and will do better next time. We learn from our "failures" but even half those reps is impressive! Weve had one EMA member report it took them 35 min to do 1000 squats. Everyone has that amount of time! #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #pushupchallenge #squatchallenge #1000squatchallenge #500pushupchallenge #resiliency #justdoit

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Toughness is doing what is right, even when other easier paths are available. Make this your mantra. Do not always take the easiest path. Think of a time where you really earned something - winning a race, a school award, a promotion, winning your love's heart. You didn't get there by being lazy or taking the easy way. You got there through hard work and determination. ... We are, or we are not tough. We can do tough things, show toughness, and exhibit qualities of toughness in a practice, game or business day. It does not make us a tough person; it just means we are doing something tough, or being tough in the moment. Toughness, like any core value, means we are tough all the time and in everything we do. Selfless (not selfish, lol) people are not selfless only some of the time or with some people. They are selfless all the time. If integrity is a core value of ours but we only act with integrity some of the time, or when people are around then we are not a person of integrity. Toughness is making the difficult decision, as hard as it is, risking not being liked, and possibly facing confrontation. Toughness is not a sometime thing, it is an ALL THE TIME THING. Tough people are tough all the time! #rewired #excelmartialarts #martialarts #toughness #resiliency

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Remember we said toughness is like a light switch? It's either on, or off. We either have it, or we don't. Someone who is a "1" or a "Tough Person":... 1. Has great habits. 2. Makes good mental decisions regardless of adversity. 3. Is emotionally resilient, cheerful in the face of difficulty. 4. Craves a challenge. 5. Does not have self-limiting beliefs. Someone who is a "0" (not a tough person): 1. Has poor habits. 2. Makes poor mental decisions when faced with adversity. 3. Has no emotional resiliency; when things are good they are happy and share their happiness. When things are bad, they are mad/sad and they share their madness/sadness/anger. 4. Avoids adversity. What do you do on a daily basis to build toughness? Do you wake early to exercise? Do you read every day? Do you take the time to talk to your spouse or children? These are actually tough things to do when we are drawn to so many other useless distractions on social media. #rewired #excelmartialarts #martialarts #toughness #resiliency

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Toughness is a light switch, not a dial. If we follow the line of thought previously where "1" is on, and "0" is off (like a computer), then toughness is either a 0 or a 1. There is no dial to slowly crank it up. Athletes that choke in big games, will always choke in big games. The good news is that toughness is a trait we can train. And, it is one of the most valuable things we teach our children or students. This week's TOUGHNESS activities. Choose ...one of these activities and post your results/feelings here. 1. Perform 500 push-ups in one hour. Do these anyway you want - regular, from the knees, on a ball, against a wall, using push-up bars. Take breaks, pace yourself, and have a method to track reps. 2. Perform 1000 squats in under one hour. Same as above - do them any way you want. Expect to be sore for a few days. 3. Wake up at 3am! Clean your house, top to bottom, non-stop until 6am. Then, get on with your day. The first two are meant to be almost impossibly difficult. That's the point! #ema #excelmartialarts #rewired #toughness #tough #toughasnails #resiliency #martialarts #buildingtoughness #squats #pushups

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS It is easy to be a hero when it is blue skies and sunny. Unfortunately that is not when we need heroes. It is when things are the bleakest, not ideal, and almost impossible that our best leaders shine through. This is when they prove how great they are. And...you may think they were born that way. "Born Leaders." RUBBISH! It was years of hard work that moulded them into a leader. Plenty of failures and mistakes. Also, plenty of learning. We always talk... about being a "lifelong learner" in EMA. This is so important for building toughness. Stay tuned for next week's content as we show you ways to build TOUGHNESS. It's never too late!

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS Who remembers The Fonz? Arthur Fonzarelli! Was he tough? ... If you watched the show (circa 1974), you know he was. He was tough when he needed to be, even instilling fear into bullies, yet did anything for those he loved. He taught life lessons to his younger friends. Who do we have in our lives that are our Fonzie? Who can you go to for advice? Who can you trust? Who can help you through tough times so you can grow and get stronger? You may be the type of person that does not have a lot of friends, but trust us, there is always someone willing to take the time to help you, lend an ear, and offer advice if you need it. Your instructors in EMA are one of these people, along with the leaders in our Training Centre. There are also parents with loads of life experiences in EMA. You are not alone. #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #martialarts #resiliency

EMA ReWired - TOUGHNESS A good video on things that eat away at our self-confidence. SOCIAL MEDIA - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc - these are all perfectly curated versions of other people's lives. It's not what is really happening. When we compare our lives to others, it only creates stress and unattainable goals. Here is a challenge - take stock of the feeds/pages and people you follow. Social media should enhance our life, not create stress. If you are following over 10...00 people/accounts, how is this helping you? It's just pulling you in a thousand different directions. Pare down your feed to the bare minimum to create a more positive experience for yourself. #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #martialarts #resiliency

ReWired - TOUGHNESS Toughness, like our computers are binary. It is a 1 or a 0. We are, or we are not, physically and mentally TOUGH. Luckily, both are learned traits. The most important thing we can learn when we are young is to learn from our mistakes, and not see them (or ourselves) as failures. ... Anyone that has ever watched an EMA Grand Championship knows it takes great physical prowess. What they may not realize is that it take much more MENTAL TOUGHNESS. After performing all morning in multiple events, they must now jump onto centre stage, without proper warm-up, and perform at their best, with hundreds of people watching. The winners are the ones that maintain their composure through each round, yet still perform at a high level. Winning a Grand Championship is 95% physical. But it is the 5% Mental Toughness that determines the winners. Every. Single. Time. Who do you know that can "flip" the switch?! They can go from a polite, happy-go-lucky person to a ferocious competitor in one second? The ability to go from 0-100 in competition is the sign of a great athlete. #rewired #excelmartiarts #martialarts #toughness #resiliency

Mindfulness is the ability to know what's happening in your head at any given moment. Why this needs to become as important as your other habits.

EMA ReWired - September - TOUGHNESS This month we redefine a word we often use - TOUGH. Conventional wisdom tells us that tough is being physically strong, macho, maybe even a bit brazen. Anyone can be tough when it is warm, sunny, and perfect conditions. We do not control all the variables that would make a typical sparring match or workday perfect. We never control the heat, cold, the rain, the sun, unforeseen injuries, or how talented our opponent is. We do no control how... noisy the party on the floor above us the night before an exam is. We face some form off adversity and stress every day of our life. Physical and Mental Toughness allows us to remain the best teammates, friends, or team leaders that we can be, regardless of these challenges. The best team leaders (or parents or black belts) are tough, both physically and mentally, NOT physically OR mentally. EMA defines TOUGH as the ability to withstand and attack adversity or hardship while continuing to make good decisions that lead to completing a task. We also believe it mean attacking these difficulties with a positive attitude. Basically, it means exhibiting cheerfulness in the face of adversity. Share with us one person you think exhibits this! Is it your Mom, instructor, a friend? #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #resiliency #martialarts

Coming tomorrow - ReWired September - TOUGHNESS Is this toughness? Perhaps. But being physically strong is just one very small component of toughness. You can be a kind, compassionate, caring, loving, giving, humble, funny, and easygoing person and still be tough as nails. Does "The Rock" exhibit these qualities? If he is anything like he portrays himself to be, then yes. He seems to be a great Dad and husband and donates money and time to charity. But, who really knows exc...ept him and those closest to him. Who we really are is who we are when nobody is watching. That's when it matters most! #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #martialarts #resiliency

Coming in just a couple of days! September ReWired - TOUGHNESS What is TOUGHNESS? Why do we need it? How does it help our children? Why should I be tough on myself to build resiliency? Why should I be stricter with my children? Why should be I put myself in uncomfortable and stressful situations on purpose? Why should I do things I don't like doing? ... Learn all this in September's ReWired topic of the month. #rewired #excelmartialarts #martialarts #toughness #resiliency

Coming in September - perhaps our best and most controversial ReWired topic yet! We take a deep dive into TOUGHNESS! What does it mean? Trust me, it's not what you may think. It's one of THE MOST IMPORTANT CORE VALUES you can develop yourself, and teach your children. ... We live in a society where qualities of toughness are sometimes looked down upon. This is one reason why we have epidemic levels of depression, suicide, PTSD, divorce, drug-use, alcoholism, and obesity. Controversial, YES. True, also yes. Join us this month as we ReDefine TOUGHNESS. Learn for yourself, and your children. Our future depends on it. #rewired #excelmartialarts #toughness #resiliency #martialarts

Do you have a child who struggles with anxiety? Worry Coping Cards are a great way to focus those racing thoughts and redirect unwanted emotions. And they're free!

A great centering activity to do with your kids or enjoy yourself. Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods and The Graveyard Book, tells a fantasy story. Clinicians use tools like this to help clients find equilibrium when they feel stressed or are struggling to calm down. It's short, why not check it out?

Get GG is a great site for finding mental health resources that clinicians use with clients (and charge real money!). Surf through the headings to find helpful tools for working on anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, impulse control, addictions, and a whole lot more. This month on re:wire we are providing practical tools for people to use for emotional and psychological success, on the mat and in traffic.