Happy New Year!

It's a tradition for people to make New Years Resolutions... usually about shedding unwanted pounds, or being healthier.  My father had an annual tradition where he would give up smoking.  The celebration of a new year is a perfect time to reflect on our lives and decide how to make things better.

I'd like to encourage students of the IKS to think about what they can do to make their journey into the martial arts better.  Is it possible to commit yourself to going to one more class a week?   Or maybe setting aside 15 minutes every morning for stretching?  

If you pledged to learn one new kenpo technique every week, at the end of the year, you would have 52 more kenpo techniques in your knowledgebase.  

I suggest that all students evaluate what they can do to improve themselves, pick a modest goal, and strive to achieve it.

The power here is learning to change your habits.   If you want to get better at kata, set aside 15 minutes a day to run through your katas at home.   If you need to become more flexible, ask Sensei Pete or another senior instructor to advise you on what you can try at home to reach your goal, and set a schedule to follow up on it.   Want to become an expert on martial arts history?  Talk to the history buffs in the school, like Shihan Marsh and find sources he recommends for you to study from.

The journey through the martial arts can be an exciting one, but you will only get out of it what you put into it.  Take this new year to ask yourself if you want to get more out of your experience, and if you do, then figure out how.

Yours in kenpo,

- Shihan Kittredge