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Photo by Duane Mendes on Unsplash
Receiving my yellow belt was a dream come true to me. I remember when I was a white belt, I thought that attaining yellow belt was so far out of reach. But there I was standing proud with a yellow belt tied around my waist. I was ecstatic that I could call myself a practitioner of martial arts. There was a new challenge ahead of me. The challenge of learning a new line drill and kata was set before me. I took to the challenge eager and ready to go. However, little did I know, a bigger challenge relating to martial arts and life had already been set into motion. That challenge is being patient.
When one practices martial arts and advances through the ranks, the practitioner must complete a something called "time in rank." "Time in rank" refers to the time one is promoted to a certain belt level (in my case being promoted to yellow belt) until he or she is promoted to the next level (my case orange belt). At my school, the minimum time in rank for a student had to be in was 3 months. After 3 months, the possibility of being promoted to the next belt rank would be considered by the Sensei, and the Black Belt members of the school. Meeting the minimum "time in rank" status does not automatically qualify one to be promoted. Other items must be taken into consideration as well. Such considerations would be, does the student have their stripes (1 for line drill and 2 for kata) on their belts, how well can the student execute the sequence of moves in the line drill or kata, are the moves being performed sloppy or crisp in nature, or is the student physically, mentally, and spiritually ready to take on the requirements of the next rank. When I was a yellow belt, I did not know this.
As time progressed, I had earned my two strips per the requirements of the curriculum. Additionally, I had met the 3-month minimum waiting period. In my mind, I was ready to be promoted to Orange belt. But I did not get promoted or even considered for promotion for quite some time. This confused me greatly. As mentioned above, I had acquired my two orange stripes, met the 3-month waiting period, what else could I do to even be considered for promotion? Unbeknownst to me, I still had much to learn. Throughout my time as a yellow belt, I had to learn to make my moves look sharper, my stances firm and strong, performing my kata with a methodical approach instead of rushing through it. But most importantly, the lesson I learned in my time as a yellow belt was patience.
It took me just over a year to be promoted from yellow belt to orange belt. That is a long time for a 9-year-old kid to wait. However, waiting this long taught me the lesson of patience. If one is patient long enough it will come. It may be tomorrow it may not be, but it will eventually happen. Furthermore, my time spent as a yellow belt taught me that it does not matter if I think I am ready, if my Sensei did not believe I was ready to be promoted, then I was not ready to advance. I have taken this lesson and apply it to my personal life.
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Ways to Inspire Your Kids to Be More Physically Active
Kids today lead a life that is very different from the kids of scarcely a generation before. Whereupon the latter used to spend their time outdoors playing hide and seek and other games, kids today spend more of their waking hours on screen than off it.
25 November
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Apart from the damage to their eyes, the sedentary lifestyle is also very harmful to their health, both now as well as when they grow up. This holds particularly true if they continue their habits when they become adults. However, you can always inspire them to become physically active so that they move around more and expend more energy.
This will help them to sleep better, not to mention that they would be less susceptible to creeping obesity. Let us see how you can inspire them to be more physically active:
Your focus should be on having fun
Kids simply love to have fun. If they are doing something they enjoy a lot, it is very likely that they will continue to keep exercising if it's a fun enough activity. How about turning on the music and having a party where everyone dances and no one is allowed to be a wallflower. You can also go for an extended walking tour at the local zoo or get them interested in miniature golf.
Make the activity more social
'The more the merrier' goes that old saying. You can ask your kids' friends to come and enjoy the healthy festivities. After all, we adults are also more liable to stick to our exercise regimes once we are with our friends. Much the same goes for kids as well. There is no fun in going about it on your own and you should not expect your children to do the same.
Competition is a really great motivator
How about trying to make it a contest? You can check and see who can run faster, work out harder or do more jumping jacks or push-ups. Make sure that one of your kids will win and give that winner a really nice prize. This will motivate the others to try harder. You can use a smartwatch, an online pedometer, or even an app that will track your speed and distance to find out who has won. Ultimately, the more calories that are burned, the better it is, and everyone turns out to be a winner.
Make sure they participate in household activities
Household chores are a great way to lose some excess calories and also instill a sense of responsibility in your children. In fact, quite a few household chores such as washing the dog, mowing the lawn, or waxing the car can burn plenty of extra calories.
Add to those activities growing indoor plants as well. It is a great way to teach your kids the importance of nature and taking care of it. You are going to need to install grow lights to grow indoor plants successfully in order to make up for the lack of lighting. Gardening in general is a good way to get the family together and enjoy some time in each other's company.
Gift them items that will help to increase their physical activity
Rollerblades, soccer balls, bikes, ice skates, and even baseball equipment make awesome gifts for children since they promote a lot of movement and physical activity. You can also gift them a few activity-tracking apps so they too will get caught up in the calorie-burning game.
Limit their screen time
This goes for both TV as well as computer time, not to mention smart devices. You should offer them better options such as joining an after-school karate class or joining a swimming class. As long as they are involved in activities that provide them ample exercise and also keep them entertained, they won't miss their smart devices.
Create your own home gym
You might also consider creating your very own small home gym that will be used by you and your family. You will need age-appropriate equipment there such as very light weights and treadmills that cannot go beyond a certain speed. Apart from that, you will also need wall-to-wall rubber gym flooring so that you and your loved ones will always be able to exercise on a really comfortable gym surface.
Conclusion
Thanks to the proliferation of video games and smart devices, kids rarely ever get the chance to exercise. Here you can do the needful by providing them with alternatives to a sedentary lifestyle. You can also work out in a well-equipped home gym so that everyone is able to keep his or her weight and waistline in check.
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Two Duke Basketball Players Are Facing Serious Legal Consequences After Team Win
Duke's star freshman, Paolo Banchero, and grandson of head coach Mike Krzyzewski were charged with a DWI and aiding a DWI.
23 November
9
Following Duke University's win over Campbell on November 13th, two Duke men's basketball players were stopped by police officers and detained.
Around 1 a.m. November 14th, Paolo Banchero and Michael Savarino were stopped by highway patrol.
Michael Savarino is a junior at Duke University. Savarino is not only a reserve guard for legendary Mike Krzyzewski, but also his grandson. Savarino was driving a 2017 Jeep SUV registered to Paolo Banchero. Banchero is a freshman at Duke University and is one of the top freshmen this year. He is also expected to be a high NBA draft pick.
The pair was pulled over for a stop sign violation in Orange County, North Carolina. When the officer approached the vehicle, he stated that the vehicle smelled strongly of alcohol and that Savarino looked as if he had been drinking. When asked, Savarino admitted that he did in fact drink that night.
After this was admitted, the officer did a field sobriety test which Savarino did poorly on. Savarino was taken into custody and was administered two breathalyzer tests which resulted in a .08 blood alcohol level. Savarino was charged with a DWI for consuming alcohol and driving while under 21. He was released into the custody of one of the team managers, Grayson Sherr, around 3:30 a.m. Savarino's license was also suspended for 30 days and has a court date of December 9th.
ACC preseason freshman of the year and starter for Duke Paolo Banchero was released at the stop and only charged with aiding and abetting a DWI. Banchero was reportedly in the backseat of the Jeep and had knowingly turned over the vehicle to an impaired driver. In North Carolina, aiding and abetting a DWI can be charged when a person knowingly turns over their own vehicle to someone who is impaired or fails to prevent an impaired person from getting behind the wheel. Banchero also has a court date for December 8th.
Duke played again on November 16th against Gardner-Webb. It is rumored that Michael Savarino has been suspended from the team after not appearing with them for the game. Paolo Banchero was once again starting as he has consistently this season. While Coach Krzyzewski stated that they were dealing with this situation internally, he also stated that these are two different situations and they will be dealt with accordingly. The Duke athletic department released a statement that said "Any further actions as a result of this situation will ultimately be determined by the Vice President/Director of Athletics and University officials."
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Bam Adebayo was the 14th overall pick by the Miami Heat in the 2017 NBA Draft. In his career so far, he has averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 5.9 defensive rebounds. This year in the 2020-2021 NBA season, he is averaging a career high 19.9 points. In his career, he has mostly been focused around the Center and Power Forward position
From the time he was drafted, Bam Adebayo has helped to revolutionize the idea of Big Man around the league. Adebayo is an extremely versatile big man, being able to efficiently space out the floor and guard any position. It does not matter if it is another big man like Joel Embiid or a small guard like Kemba Walker.
The emergence of Bam Adebayo has indicated that the days of the big lumbering big man that the NBA was accustomed to for decades is over. Big men in the modern NBA has to be more versatile, be able to shoot midrange shots, and even three point shots. We have seen this develop in other big men like Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Karl Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
One of the most iconic moments with Bam Adebayo, perhaps his most iconic moment was his crucial block on Jayson Tatum in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. That moment was a testament to Bam Adebayo's versatility and potential.
Bam Adebayo is already a great big man in the NBA. What is amazing is that he still has so much room to get even better. Adebayo is still only 24 years old. It is highly possible that he has not even reached his prime as an NBA basketball player. Adebayo will only continue to grow and prove himself as the staple big man and player not only on his team, the Miami Heat, but the league as a whole.
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Featured
November 25 is Two Holidays This Year
At least for me, please no one celebrate the second one
25 November
166
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Birthdays are uncomfortable. The kind, considerate people in your life go out of their way to ensure you have a great day, which results in 24 hours of awkwardly polite conversations. Thus begins the pressure of everyone deciding it is "your day," even though you don't know how to spend it. Luckily, Mother Nature has given me the best birthday present of all. This year, November 25 is not just my 20th birthday - it is also Thanksgiving.
This has happened only twice before, and both freshly three and nine-year-old Katie did not approve. I've been told I had a lot of personality as a child, a kind way of describing my somewhat commanding attitude. I just remember being confused as to why I had to eat gross green beans instead of the pizza I'd been hoping for. Even my dessert was affected, as my beautiful birthday cakes were paired with fruit pies. Fruit is not dessert.
Now, I am eternally grateful for the calendar's alignment. Birthdays have become stressful. The day requires me to choose activities, food, and celebration that I simply do not want to decide upon as a highly indecisive person. How are you supposed to ensure everyone likes the meal, the cake, the activities? Thank you so much to whoever runs the celestial clock – I appreciate Thursday birthdays more than you know.
This year, I don't have to pick a special birthday dinner. I will get to enjoy turkey and mashed potatoes and the freedom of knowing everyone is happy with what they are eating. As I've grown up, my palate has undoubtedly matured, and I now look forward to the dinner rolls, vegetables and stuffing. And a day entirely full of eating sounds like a fantastic way to spend my birthday.
This year, too, I get to relax in the knowledge that no one went out of their way to spend time with me. On a regular birthday, especially one that always falls on the week of a holiday, I am all too aware that it can be difficult to coordinate seeing my loved ones to celebrate. When I turn 20, however, it will be in the full comfort that everyone in my family would have made time for this either way.
Most of all, I am grateful to have something to celebrate in tandem. Nothing is more awkward or uncomfortable than the seemingly endless barrage of a group of people singing "Happy Birthday" to you. Everyone stares intensely as you are uninvited to sing along. What do you do with your hands? Where do you look? This year, I can hope to be spared the awkward smile as I sit there, trying not to make intensely direct eye contact with any specific serenader. This time, I can simply say what I am grateful for at dinner and hope no one thinks to sing.
Finally, I am gifted a year where my birthday will be comfortable. My birthday will be less about corny celebrations and more about cornbread this year, and I am certainly thankful.
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