Dream in April - 2019

Happy Spring everyone!

Here is what is happening in April:

Monday April 1- Saturday April 6 Buddy Week!

 Bring a friend to try out classes all week for free. Having a buddy to train with makes class more fun and keeps our martial arts more top of mind. We also appreciate your support helping the dojo to grow and thrive!

Monday April 22-Friday April 26

Spring Break Camp!

Nature and martial arts in a play and adventure based learning environment.

Ages 6-10, 9AM-3PM. After Care is available.  Full week $450, Per day $90

 Moral of the Month: Humility

Humility is defined as having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.

Real humility comes from a place of strength, confidence and belief in oneself. By supporting, praising and building our children up we lay the groundwork for humility. By creating a positive and encouraging environment when they are little we can shield them against insecurity that craves constant affirmation. Someone who knows they are loved and accepted doesn’t need to boast or put other people down.

We can help to engender humility by providing our children some perspective about where their lives exist in the vastness of time and space. If you know your family tree, show them the lineage that they come from. Show them how their life is one more lifetime in a line that stretches back generations. They were not the first who struggled and persevered; many came before them and hopefully many will proceed them.

Attempt to give them experiences of things that are greater than themselves. A sunset, a sky full of stars… even talking to them about how big the known universe is will provide them an understanding of how minuscule our lives are as compared to the whole manifestation of existence.

Here is a great video that compares the size of earth with other celestial bodies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=octRYMsiLX0

And as always, the best way for them to learn is through modeling humility ourselves.

Osss, Emilio

Dream in March - 2019

Hello Dreamers!

There is a lot going on in March at Dream Martial Arts!

1. Our next Mixed Martial Arts belt test is Thursday March 14 during regularly scheduled class times. Promotion ceremonies will take place on Saturday March 16. There is no charge for class belt tests. There are no tests for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
   
   Private pre-tests can be scheduled for Saturday March 9. There is a $40 fee per student for pre or make-up tests.
   

2. Our first ever promotion ceremony for students who train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu will take place on Friday March 29 at 6PM.
   

3. We are having a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Date Night on Saturday March 23 7- 9PM. Couples can come learn some moves and get a nice workout. Immediately following enjoy beer and wine and hors d'oeuvres! $85/couple. Spots are extremely limited so please reserve ASAP.
   

4. Registrations for Spring Break (4/22-4/26) and Summer Camps are now OPEN go to our website for links and information. www.dreammartialarts.com/montclair-kids-summer-camp
    

5. Next Buddy Week is April 1-5. Friends train for free all week! If your child brings in a friend to try a class they will receive a large Dream sticker. If their friend signs up for a membership your child gets a free t-shirt! Besides the incentives, training with a buddy is fun!

The Moral of the Month is Integrity.

Integrity is being true to yourself and living up to the values and virtues that you honor. 

We will use stories to demonstrate the meaning of integrity and show that sometimes acting with integrity requires courage and fortitude. 

Here are a couple of examples of stories we will tell during class: 

Tennis player Andy Roddick was one point away from winning a match in an important tournament. The line judge made a bad call that would have ended that match in Roddick’s favor. Roddick couldn’t let it stand and showed the judge that the ball had landed in play. Roddick actually went on to lose the match but for him it was better to lose than to win without integrity. 

A wise old emperor decided it was time to pick his successor. He gave all his top ministers a seed to plant and told them to come back in a year. Based on what they grew, he would choose the next emperor. The next year when they came back most of the ministers had lovely, lush plants except for one minister who just had dirt in his pot. The emperor announced that this minister would be named emperor. The emperor revealed that all the seeds he gave out had been boiled the one minister with an empty pot was the only one who didn’t swap the seed with another one that was fertile. 

Following rules and doing what we are told is not the same as living a life of integrity. Our goal is for students to do the right thing not because of any external directives but because they have cultivated within themselves a moral compass to guide them. Acting in line with personal values will boost students’ self-respect.

Dream in February - 2019

Greetings Dreamers!

We are closed Monday, February 18 for President’s Day.

Our next Mixed Martial Arts belt test is Thursday, March 14. The promotion ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 16. There is no charge for class belt tests. There are no tests for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

A private test can be scheduled for Saturday, March 9 if you cannot make the March 14 group test. There is a $40 fee per student for the private tests.

The February seminar at SubForce in Lyndhurst originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 16 is postponed. We will announce a new date soon.  

Registrations for Spring Break (4/22-4/26) and Summer Camps are now OPEN! Go to our website for links and information. www.dreammartialarts.com

The moral of the month for February is Honesty. Here are some tips and talking points about reinforcing honesty.

Establish honesty as value/moral of your household.

Discuss with your children from an early age that honesty is a foundational part of your family.

Being honest is not always easy.

Sometimes it seems like lying will make a situation easier and allow us to avoid punishment or difficult conversations, but in the end, it is the best and simplest course.

Join the feeling that caused the lie.

Make sure a child knows that lying is not okay, but also let them know that you understand why they lied. For example, if they cheated on a test be sure to communicate that you are empathetic that they were worried about getting a good grade. Once they feel that their feelings in the moment were understood, you can then guide them to better choices.

Praise truth-telling. When your child does tell the truth, reward him/her with praise.

Set an example. If your child sees you as someone who is truthful, they are likely to follow your example.

Dream in January - 2019

Greetings Dream Team, 

Happy New Year! Let’s keep moving forward, growing and improving! 

We are closed Monday January 21 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Movie, Game and Pizza Night 
Drop the kids off for an awesome night of fun. We will be showing a movie on the mats and we will have board games in our party space. We will also be playing games on the mats and eating delicious pizza! 

Sunday Jan. 20
Ages 6-10
5PM-8PM
$40 per child

We begin the 2019 with new morals of the dojo. Each moral will provide us with a theme for the month.  

1. Respect 2. Honesty 3. Integrity 4. Humility 5. Contentment 6. Awareness 

Respect is the first moral because it is a fundamental part of martial arts training. We often tell our students that a dojo cannot function without mutual respect between all parties. 

Showing respect to someone means you act in a way that shows you care about his or her feelings and well-being. To treat someone with respect means to treat him or her as you would want to be treated.

Besides respecting other people and places we will also talk to students about self-respect. Self-respect is essentially behaving with honor and dignity and having pride and confidence in yourself. Self-respect is not contingent on success or failure but rather a notion of yourself relating to your fundamental humanity. We cannot buy self-respect or obtain it from other people; we have to build it in ourselves by doing the right thing. 

Self-respect is also about standing up for yourself when someone is disrespecting you or treating you poorly. Removing someone from your life who doesn’t respect you can be a hugely important demonstration of self-respect.  

OSS 

Emilio

Dream in December - 2018

Mixed Martial Arts Belt Test: Thursday December 13 during your regularly scheduled Thursday class time. Dream does not charge belt-testing fees.

Promotion Ceremony: Saturday December 15 during your regularly scheduled Saturday class time.

Holiday Brunch: Saturday December 15 after your age group’s ceremony.

Holiday Break: Dream will be closed December 24-January 1

The Moral of the Month of December is gratitude. Our Family Fun and Gratitude event on November 24th was a great kick-off for gratitude awareness. Thank you to all students, caretakers and family members came out and participated.

By bringing our attention to what we are thankful for rather than what we lack or are missing can lead to greater contentment, health and satisfaction in our lives. Studies have shown that kids who practice grateful thinking show more resiliency and have more positive attitudes toward school and family.

Gratitude strengthens relationships; when we reflect on who and what we are grateful for we realize how much the people in our lives value, care for and love us.

Below are some talking points that we will be touching upon in classes. We invite you to reinforce these lessons at home with your children.

• We have so much to be grateful for! Shelter, food, clean water, our families and friends. The shoes on our feet!

• Anytime is a good time to count our blessings. Talk with your child about the things you are grateful for and ask them to name three things that they are thankful for. This is a nice bedtime activity!

• Tell your kids why you are grateful that they are in your life.

• Encourage them to express gratitude to others. It might be writing a thank you note or simply saying thank you for a kind gesture.

Article about gratitude in kids: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/grateful_schools_happy_schools

Dream In November - 2018

Dream Mini Camp!

There are still spots available for our Martial Arts and Nature-based Mini Camp on Thursday Nov. 8 and Nov. 9. Schools are closed during the teacher’s convention so come join us! Camp hours are 9AM-3PM for ages 6-10. After Care is available Click here to register.

Closings And Announcements:

We are closed Wed. 11/21 – Fri. 11/23

Saturday 11/24 we are having our Family Fun and Gratitude Event during regularly scheduled classes. Grown ups will be invited on to the mats to train and play. You will receive an email with more information and to RSVP. It’s a wonderful bonding moment you and your kids will love. Hope to see you there.

Next MMA Belt Test Thursday Dec. 13

Promotion Ceremony and Holiday Brunch Saturday December 15

Moral of the Month: Patience

In a world of instant gratification, it can be difficult to cultivate and embody patience. Patience is vital to achieve goals and overcome obstacles.

Establishing patience in our children returns huge dividends not only in their life and future but also in making our lives as parents easier!  No one is born patient; it is a skill that must be developed.

We will talk to students about short-term and long-term patience. We will ask them to make a point to sit patiently while they are waiting for their meal or their turn with toys. We will talk to them about the patience required to achieve a long-term goal such as earning a black belt.

If your child demonstrates patience, please let us know so we can recognize him/her in class.

Put it into practice:

1. Model Patience

The best way to develop patience in our kids is to model it for them. I wish there was an easier way! Can we breath and wait patiently while they take forever to get their shoes on or unbuckle themselves from their seat? Can we slow down on the road or remain mindful when we must wait in line? Show them what patience looks like!

2. Start small

Challenge your children to wait patiently for food, drink or whatever it is they are requesting.  If you are in the middle of a conversation ask them to wait rather than allowing them to interrupt. Remind them that this is what we are working on at Dream and that if they can be patient they can talk about it in class and maybe get a sticker!

3. Acknowledge Patience

Look for opportunities to point out when they are practicing patience. Also, when you are being impatient point it out to show them that it is something that you are working on as well. Patience requires effort and dedication.

Good article about the importance of patience: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250211

Dream in October - 2018

DREAM is closed Monday October 8. All classes are cancelled.

Theme of the Month: Discipline

Discipline is a fundamental building block of a martial arts practice. We define discipline as doing something beneficial that moves us towards our goals even if we don’t feel like it. Alternatively, discipline is also choosing NOT to do something that doesn’t benefits us or impedes progress towards goals.

Everything from the way we address instructors and fellow students to the way we drill techniques involves a sense of discipline. Repetitive positive action builds positive habits that benefit every aspect of our students’ lives both on the mats and in everyday life.

Here are ways you can cultivate a sense of discipline:

Reward/recognize self-discipline. Did your child exercise self-restraint? Recognize it no matter how small it may seem, simply with a kind word of encouragement and a hug.

Rewards can come in the form of an allowance, but non-monetary rewards can prove even more effective. Anything from 30 more minutes of playtime to an extra book at bedtime can reinforce positive behavior.

Build in some downtime. Exercising self-control takes energy! Make sure your child has an opportunity for free time to play before moving onto the next objective.

Structure a clear routine. Establish concrete expectations and a schedule for your child around any number of activities or phases of the day from getting ready for school to completing homework. Following routines build habits!

Dream in September - 2018

Thursday September 20: MMA Test day: Mixed Martial Arts students will be tested during regular class times. We no longer charge a fee for testing. There is no testing for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Thursday September 27: MMA Promotion Ceremony: Each age group will have their promotion ceremony during regularly scheduled classes.

Theme of the month: Wisdom (Third Moral of the Dojo)

Wisdom is a virtue that can be difficult to explain or define. It is more than knowledge or book learning. Nor will experience alone impart wisdom. Only when we reflect on our experiences are we able to gain wisdom.

This month we will talk to students about the importance of taking time for reflection and contemplation. What did we learn from our experiences? How did we react to difficulties? We will encourage them to take time to unplug from distractions to sit quietly. Our mindful meditation practices that we learn in class will serve as our foundation.

Wisdom means seeing the whole picture, not looking at situations in black and white terms. Most situations, especially those involving human behavior, are nuanced. Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes to understand their choices can build wisdom and empathy. 

Included in our lessons about wisdom we will discuss the importance of showing respect to elders. When an older person walks in to a room, go to them and greet them. Look them in the eye and say hello to an older person first, don’t wait for them to greet you.

Morals of the Dojo: 1. Respect 2. Perseverance 3. Wisdom 4. Discipline 5. Patience 6. Gratitude 

Dream in August - 2018

PLEASE NOTE! DREAM IS GOING ON SUMMER BREAK

The school will be closed August 27-September 3. Our normal class schedule will resume on Tuesday, September 4.

Theme of the month: Perseverance

Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. 

At Dream we talk about how perseverance is needed not only to get through tough times but also to achieve our goals and accomplish great things. At some point in our Martial Arts journeys we will need perseverance to push us through moments when we want to give up or quit.  

Here are some ways for you to reinforce lessons about perseverance at home:

- Encourage them. Don’t reward or congratulate your child only for achievement. Recognize effort and perseverance as well.

- Talk to your children about times when you needed perseverance to accomplish a difficult task. We don’t often tell our children about our failures, so children sometimes think that success comes with ease.

- Be clear. Tell them that Martial Arts and obtaining the rank of black belt is not easy. Struggle and challenges are inevitable. Knowing that they are meant to struggle makes it much easier to deal with.

- Be there for them when they do struggle or fail. Provide support, help them evaluate why things weren't successful, and guide them in determining how to try again.

Dream in July - 2018

Greetings Dream Team,

Summer is here and the time is right to keep training and learning.

We are closed Wednesday July 4 for Independence Day.

July we begin the second half of the calendar year with new morals of the dojo. Each moral will provide us with a theme for the month.

1. Respect 2. Perseverance 3. Wisdom 4. Discipline 5. Patience 6. Gratitude

We decided to keep respect as the first moral because it is a fundamental part of martial arts training. We often tell our students that a dojo cannot function without mutual respect between all parties.

We cannot train martial arts by ourselves; we need our training partners. We must strive to be somebody who our training partners look forward to seeing in class and the way we do that is by treating one another with kindness and respect.

Respectful behavior is severely lacking in our culture right now. Even those who hold the highest positions in government, entertainment and sports are not modeling respectful behavior for young people. To be dismissive and disrespectful is moving towards becoming normal. To stem that tide we focus on respect at Dream and hope to instill respectful behavior in our students. If your child does something that demonstrates respect please let us know so we can recognize him/her in class.

There are different facets of respect that we will discuss with the students. Respect for others, self-respect and respect for property/places.

There is still time to join us for Summer Camp.

Camp runs from 9am-3PM. Before and after care is available. Here is schedule:

Ages 9yrs-11yrs

July 16-20

July 23-27

Ages 6yrs-8yrs

July 30-August 3

August 6-10