Dream in February - 2021

*HOLIDAY CLOSURE*

Dream will be closed on Presidents' Day 

Monday, February 15th, 2021 

MARTIAL ARTS AND DREAM PLAY CLASSES ARE CANCELLED

DREAM MARTIAL ARTS BLOG

MORAL OF THE MONTH: PERSEVERANCE

Models of perseverance are all around us. Our students have exemplified it each time they adjusted to changes in school or consistently came ready for outdoor classes. They also see how the adults in their lives handle challenges and keep showing up. Even classic tales like The Tortoise and the Hare or The Little Engine that Could allow our kids to see committed characters give their best efforts despite hurdles in order to reach their objectives.

Our own class sessions have always been a space to see perseverance at work. Our students will often hear us talk about and show the importance of staying the course and not giving up. They see that each adjustment they make, new skill they acquire and setback they learn from brings them closer to their own personal goals, like self-mastery or higher belt rank. There are many reasons why we value this trait so much, which reach far beyond the dojo.

Martial arts training entails lifelong skill building, including perseverance. Besides gaining pride and confidence from their continued efforts, kids who persevere in the dojo will see their endeavors impact other facets of life. Persevering children are more successful in academics, self-control and knowing how to deal with stressful situations. The ability to persevere is also an indicator of future success in work and relationships.

Parents can further support the development of perseverance by goal-setting, breaking down big goals into smaller achievable ones, and looking back together on accomplishments and the work that went into achieving them. Providing the space and grace to let kids safely struggle or fail will help them own their independence and success. Kids will also sometimes need help getting through difficult situations, so being available to assist or offer tips or strategies is invaluable.  

We will always support our students to ensure they have positive, ambitious goals to work toward and, when they attain them, celebrate and experience with them an earned sense of accomplishment!

Dream in January - 2021

Happy New Year!

Special News and Announcements

Temporary 2-Week Virtual Transition Reminder

To everyone in our community—students, families and staff alike—we hope you enjoyed your holiday breaks!

Dream will be instituting a two-week period of post Holiday quarantine so that we can return to in-person classes as safely as possible.

We will transition temporarily to all Virtua training starting Monday, January 4th through Saturday, January 16th.

Dream Play is CANCELLED during our 2 weeks of virtual training and will resume on Tuuesday, January 19th.

Martial Arts classes will resume with in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 19th. We will be back to the same schedule we had in Nov-Dec.

Virtual classes are cancelled for Monday, January 18 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Dream Martial Arts Blog

Moral of the Month: Resiliency

With the new year we have new morals of the dojo for the next six months:

January: Respect

February: Perseverance

March: Community

April: Patience

May: Kindness

June: Valor

Respect continues to be the first moral of the dojo at it is a fundamental part of training in martial arts.

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 that person 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 having pride and confidence in yourself and behaving with honor and dignity. It is not contingent on success or failure but rather a perception of your own self in relation to your fundamental humanity. We cannot buy self-respect or obtain it from other people; we have to build it ourselves by making choices that prioritize our care and growth.

Self-respect also entails standing up for yourself when someone is disrespecting you or treating you poorly. Practicing self-care and setting healthy boundaries is also an important aspect of self-respect.. Building upon self-respect will simultaneously help students with their self-esteem and worth and allow them to feel capable of tackling life’s challenges.

Dream in November - 2020

Season’s Greetings, Families!

Schedule Updates

Daylight Savings Time is here! The sun now sets earlier, so we have adjusted our outdoor accordingly:

Please follow us on Facebook to receive notes and updates:
facebook.com/dreammartialarts

You can also view our updated class schedule here: dreammartialarts.com/ourschedule

Additional Class Update: Indoor classes are coming in December, stay tuned details.

*Weather Cancellation Reminder

Dream keeps a daily eye out for weather conditions. We will notify families if classes are cancelled or are shifting to online class due to inclement weather. In the event of light rain or cloudy skies and you have not heard from us, please assume classes are to be continued as scheduled.

UPDATE ON ONLINE SESSIONS

Its a new month! Our zoom link password has changed, effective Tuesday, November 3rd, 2021.

*HOLIDAY CLOSURE*

Dream will be closed Wednesday, November 25 and Saturday, November 28, 2020

Enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

Moral of the Month: Gratitude

“We can only be said to be alive when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

—Thornton Wilder

To be grateful is to choose to focus our attention and energy on what we appreciate. Gratitude is selfless; it instills a sense of interconnectedness and good will and is the catalyst for feelings of joy and reciprocity. A grateful heart also possesses healthy amounts of many other values, like humility, awareness, kindness and respect, for example.  It is no wonder why Cicero deemed gratitude “not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all others.”

Gratitude benefits our emotional, social and physical wellness. A study conducted out of the University of California, Davis, revealed that fostering gratitude can increase happiness, self-esteem and empathy levels, while other studies have shown that kids who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and family. Additionally, appreciating the contributions of our friends and family fosters stronger, more positive relationships.

Gratitude also highlights the fact that many of the things we own and the opportunities we have come from someone other than ourselves, leading us to understand how interdependent we all are, which may make us more inclined to treat others with respect. Gratitude has also been linked to healthier heart health and better sleep. 

“Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.”

—Henri Frederic Amiel

There are so many things to appreciate in our world and practicing gratitude regularly enhances our lives. We are extremely grateful for our dedicated students and our wonderful Dream community!

Dream in October - 2020

Special News and Announcements

Happy October families! 

PLEASE NOTE:

Martial Arts Classes and Dream Play sessions are cancelled 

Monday, OCTOBER 12, 2020.  

Nature Arts programs are still on. 

Schedule Updates

Our online Mondays and Fridays 7-15yrs Intermediate class from 6:15-6:45pm has been suspended.

Our in person Saturday 11-15yrs all levels class from 11:45-12:30pm has been suspended.

We’ve merged age groups for our in person Saturday Intermediate class, from 7-10yrs to 7-15yrs.

UPDATE ON ONLINE SESSIONS 

Our zoom link password for online sessions has changed, effective Monday, October 5:

MORAL OF THE MONTH: RESILIENCY 

The last 6 months has shown that life sometimes presents us with challenges, struggles and unpleasantness. This is why the ability to manage adversity, adapt and overcome is so important and worth nurturing early and often. 

If we try to shelter our children from frustration, boredom or failure, they will have no frame of reference when faced with difficulties throughout life. But the resilient child, who has faced disappointment, pressure or setbacks, can manage the stress that comes with difficult events and will have greater confidence in handling what comes their way. They will be brave, adaptable and willing to take risks. In fact, children who develop resiliency are more likely to have more positive outlooks, better mental health and greater success in school. 

At Dream, resiliency is something that we work to build in our students through both our martial arts and nature programs. We anticipate that our students will be challenged, and we expect them to fail at times—a key lesson we impart is dealing with adversity! 

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

–Confucius

We allow our students to fail and to struggle within an environment of care, guidance and understanding. When they do, they are not judged or made to feel that something is wrong with them. Rather, failures and setbacks are viewed in a positive light. We present it as an opportunity to learn and rise. It is at these moments when character is forged! 

Learning primitive skills, for instance, is a series of failures and mistakes until, over time and through trial and error, one gains proficiency. These essential and empowering skills connect children to nature and show them another way to be safe and self-reliant.

But it is not proficiency in the skills that is the ultimate goal. The bumps along the way—the process rather than results or expertise—is the real focus. Through these journeys free of instant gratification, our students can experience their capacity for building resilience as they look within and develop body-mind mastery.

Though resiliency takes time to build, it is a trait that will serve our children in every aspect of their lives. The best and most enduring rewards are those that are hard-won.

Dream in September - 2020

Special News and Announcements

September Classes at Dream

Class registration is now open for all active DREAM members.

Full Membership at Dream includes:

** 2 days of in person classes every week

**1 Dream Play session (a 1 hour drop off open play session which gives our students more time for games, fresh air and socialization) 

and 

**1 virtual session a week. 

In-Person outdoor classes begin on Tuesday, September 8 at Anderson Park near the Bellevue Avenue entrances.

Attire

All in person classes will be located outside in Anderson Park. For safe play and training, students should come prepared to class dressed in their,

Dream t-shirt and athletic bottoms

Sneakers (NO SANDALS)

Masks

*We will soon have black training pants for sale*

It would be helpful for students to pack:

Full water bottle

Extra masks

Additional Notes

Parents and caretakers, please have your kids use the bathroom before coming to class. There is one port-a-potty located on the other side of the park from where we will be conducting classes. We also ask that you make sure your child(ren) has full bottles of water, because there are no water fountains nearby for refills.

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Virtual Classes

 Virtual classes begin this Friday, September 4.

For safety reasons, we ask that you do not share this zoom link for any reasons.

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COVID-19 Safety for Outdoor in Person Classes

Our new policies and procedures for our school are based on consultations with medical experts, pediatricians and following the guidelines from the CDC and NJ health department. 

While no environment is risk free, we have made every effort to minimize the risk of virus transmission and to help our children and families enjoy a safe experience. The mental and emotional wellbeing of our students is paramount as is the health of their families and the community in which we live.

Dream’s new safety protocols and procedures include:

Student Health Screening
Staff Screening and COVID Professional Development
Safe Distancing Procedures

We will be taking temperatures of each student before class. Students with a temperature above 99.5 degrees, cannot train. Parents, please stand nearby during handoffs for temperature check, to make sure your child has a safe temperature before class.

We welcome parents and caretakers to stay after drop-off, however, all must maintain social distancing and wear masks.

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Moral of the Month: Discipline

This month, Dream will be sharing lessons about the importance of discipline and how self-discipline can help us reach our goals and become the best versions of ourselves. 

Dream in July - 2020

July Schedule

As a reminder, our Kids Online MMA Class Schedule for the month (July 6th-July 31st) will be held Monday through Friday at the times listed below:

 (4-6 yrs) 3:00-3:30 pm
(7-10 yrs) 3:45-4:15 pm
(11-15 yrs) 4:30-5:00 pm

Corresponding Zoom links will be sent near the start of the month.

Please Note  
 
We will be closed for the month of August. All students' accounts/billing will be frozen for the month. 
See below for more details.

 

Other News and Updates

 Below are the Morals of the Month for the second half of the year. 

July: Respect
August: Perseverance
September: Discipline
October: Resiliency
November: Gratitude
December Generosity

A Look Ahead to September at Dream

In preparation for an amazing re-opening of Dream in September, we will be closed for the month of August. As mentioned in previous communication, we will freeze students' billing for the month so you won't have to do anything on your end. We hope students take this time to unplug and reconnect with their families, communities and themselves.

 In the meantime, we will work to ensure that Dream remains a fun and safe space for our students to return to in a focused and deliberate way. This includes health and safety protocols we have already started implementing and will continue expanding for the Fall. In addition to other measures, some things families can expect to see may include:

• temperature checks

• smaller and scheduled class sizes

• outdoor classes (dependent upon the weather)

• PPE worn by all staff members

• social distancing of staff and students when possible

• Regular hand washing/hand sanitizing

• Frequent and regular cleaning and disinfecting of high touch/high traffic areas and surfaces

For more details on how we plan on helping our students and families stay safe, please see our COVID-19 Safety Protocols page.

We will keep you posted with any and all updates and look forward to an exciting Fall season with our students!
 

Dream in June - 2020

MMA Belt Tests/Promotions are coming up!

Week of June 8-12
Parents, there's still time to meet the attendance and morals requirements!
Students need 10 attendances between May 4th and June 8th 
AND
a form signed by parent/guardian confirming adherence to the dojo morals
We can't wait to see our hard-working students promoted!
Be on the lookout for further communications from us.

 

Please note  

The Saturday morning Movement & Conditioning Classes are discontinued. There will be no class June 6th.

Other News and Updates

Registration is now OPEN for our Onsite Summer Camp!

Weeks of July 13-17, July 20-24, and July 27-31
Ages 7-11 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am-2:00 pm - $450/week
Ages 4-6 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am-12:30 pm - $300/week

Limited spots available to maximize one-on-one instruction and a fun and safe camp experience!

Moral of the Month: Wisdom

“Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day.”

—Zen Proverb

What does it mean to be wise? A dictionary definition describes wisdom as the ability to think and act based on one’s knowledge, experience, understanding, and insight. However, with wisdom also comes a sense of courage, perspective and humility. We cannot gain wisdom without living, taking risks and being open-minded.

Wisdom then is the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment, and is an immensely important virtue. A child who can stop and think, learn from consequences, understand thoughtful decision-making, or see and practice humility is on a good path to gaining wisdom and making wise choices. This is a lifelong practice.

Consider this story from Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings:

A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it?”

The teacher’s reply was casual. “Ten years.”

Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice every day, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?”

The teacher thought for a moment. “20 years.”

We are not born with wisdom and it cannot be rushed. It is first preceded by knowledge, experience and reflection. Wisdom is developed from both action and stillness, from life’s daily trials and perspective. This is why we teach our students technique and form in tandem with mindfulness and meditation. With these tools, children will come to understand there is a time for exploits, achievements and failures, and there is a time for contemplation. Let them fully take part in each as stepping stones on their lifelong paths toward wisdom.

Dream in May - 2020

Family Fun Day!

Saturday, May 9th 2020
10:30 am-11:15 am
Students and grown-ups, let's enjoy some fun and games
in our virtual community get-together.
Don't miss it! Details will be emailed.
 

Please note  

 Belt Tests/Promotions will be taking place the week of June 8-12. 

Stay tuned for more information and details. 

Other News and Updates

We wouldn't be where we are today without the dedication and support of our Dream community families. We are eternally grateful.

As a local small business, we're working hard to be a reliable partner and resource for our students and families during this crisis. If you're happy with your experience and the impact our programming has made in your daily life, please share your thoughts and leave a review on Google or Facebook on how Dream has been a positive force during these uncertain times.

#KeeptheDreamAlive

Moral of the Month: Creativity

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

—Albert Einstein

Families and friends join drive-by caravans from safe distances to celebrate loved ones’ birthdays. Teachers log on to video conferencing software to conduct distance learning lessons for their students. Local distilleries switch to producing hand sanitizer for the public. What do all these situations have in common? They all involve creativity!

Creativity is the ability to devise new ways to solve a problem or meet a challenge. It is this capacity for ingenuity that allows us to overcome obstacles and turn our resourcefulness and imagination into reality. Each and every person can be creative, not only in difficult times but in everyday life.

Creativity, like martial arts, is tied to increased happiness, boosted immune system, and improved mental health and cognition. Creativity reduces anxiety, depression, and stress and can also help individuals process trauma. A creative mind is more likely to be happy, open-minded, curious, less stressed and unafraid of making mistakes.

While it may seem like the contrary, the martial arts encourage creativity. Although self-discipline and form are taught in martial arts, the structured environment provided therein also serves as the domain for creativity. Each student must adjust these lessons to their own bodies and abilities and be creative when sparring or engaging in self-defense. We’ll talk about this in more detail in class.

Here are some other ways to cultivate creativity in everyday life:

Free Play: Kids who have unstructured play time and open-ended play that allow them to imagine, invent and create are more creative. We hope to get back to our in-class 15-minute free play sessions soon!

Take a Step Back: Letting our children fail and not swooping in to solve their problems is actually one of the best gifts parents can give. Kids can grow from failure and learn to problem solve on their own- often with surprising results. Feel free to ask open-ended questions to elicit fresh and dynamic ideas.

Do something different: Whether it’s preparing lunch, taking a walk, or dressing for the day, break up the norm and do something different, or differently. It could be something as silly as writing a note backwards, as novel as reading a different genre, or as experimental as trying a new food or eating in an unorthodox way (like trying spaghetti with chopsticks)!

With a creative mindset, obstacles become opportunities—opportunities to innovate and carve out new solutions that allow us to emerge on the other side with enhanced optimism and resilience, something we could all benefit from in these times.

Dream in April - 2020

Online Classes are in Full Swing!

Our lessons help students maintain a routine, which is so important in these times, while also reinforcing character development.
Through our online classes, Dream students enjoy a fun and fitness-oriented daily rhythm. 
See below for more details. 

Please note  

We'll be hosting classes throughout the Spring Break dates of April 13 to April 17th.
 

Other News and Updates

Our kids online classes are Monday-Friday:

Ages 4-6 from 1:00-1:30 pm
Ages 7-10 from 2:00-2:30 pm
Ages 11-15 from 3:00-3:30 pm

Dream parents, our Saturday morning adult classes are open to you! Come join us and decompress from a long week with a reinvigorating workout for all levels. No experience necessary!

Saturdays from 9:00-9:35 am

Be on the lookout for weekly communications from us with class invite links and passwords.

We're so grateful to all the families who are loving our online classes and sharing their experiences with others. We're constantly looking at ways to maintain and improve our students' experience, too!

We've had a lot of interest in memberships for these classes. For any family or friends interested in trying a class and/or joining our school, please freely share this link: www.dreammartialarts.com/freetrialclass.
Thank you again for your support!

Moral of the Month: Community

“Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

—Fred Rogers

Community means much more than simply a group of people living in the same place or having the same goal or interest. Beyond proximity or sharing something in common, community is what we as individuals can lean on in difficult times—the friends, neighbors and loved ones who make up the community we belong to is a powerful and crucial element in our well-being, happiness and success. Through our community, we have a sense of belonging, support, responsibility, and fulfillment.

At Dream, we’ve taught our students about the difference we can all make in each other’s lives through respect, kindness, and goodwill, among other things. We provide opportunities for service so that our students practice being valued community members and see our interconnectedness firsthand as they impact others’ lives just as others impact theirs each and every day.

In this unique and trying time during COVID-19, the importance of community is all the more evident. We couldn’t be prouder of or more grateful to our families for the strength, adaptability and support they’ve demonstrated. In the same spirit, Dream will continue serving as a familiar source of wellness, fun and routine and cultivate our shared values through online classes and resources for our community members.

Here are a few ways to maintain your well-being and stay connected:

• Partner up: Reach out and partner up with someone to do periodic check-ins with each other. Use video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Hangouts to connect to chat, have tea or watch shows together virtually. This can be expanded to group and community platforms as channels to share feelings, stories and resources.
  

• Join a wellness routine: Regular fitness activities aren’t just beneficial for the kids. Whether it’s a morning walk or an in-home workout, it’s equally important for adults to stay active and healthy. Our school has extended Saturday adult online classes for Dream community parents to facilitate involvement in energizing, accessible group workouts. Look out for weekly communications and links from us!
  

• Slow down: You cannot pour from an empty cup. Whenever possible, take time to unplug, pause and center yourself, even if only for a few minutes.

Please reach out to us if you feel there is anything else we can do for our families in this time. Dream stands in solidarity with our families and larger community. We’ll weather it all, together.

*For anyone struggling with coping in this time, the CDC lists some helpful resources on its site.

Dream in March - 2020

MMA and BJJ Students, you're invited to  
Subforce Charity Training Day!
Sunday, March 22
10:30 am-12:30 pm
at SubForce Brazilian Jiujitsu and Martial Arts
718 Ridge Rd, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

Students ages 4-15 are invited to attend this special day of inter-school training
Games and prizes! Pizza lunch included!
All proceeds to support the Lyndhurst Food Pantry
Suggested donation is $20 and 1 non-perishable food item

Look out for a special email invite from us soon to register for this event! 

Other News and Updates

Reminder! We still have some Spring Break Camp (April 13-17) spots available, and Summer Camp early bird pricing ends this month! Reserve your child's place today for a fun and unique enrichment experience combining nature and martial arts!

We will be hosting two martial arts workshops at Nishuane Elementary School on Saturday, March 7th between 1:00 and 2:15 pm. Stop by and support our Junior Leaders as they help us showcase the work we do at our school!

Get to know our staff!
Dream is thrilled to welcome Abby Marshall as our new Community Manager! Abby is well-versed in our school's values and programs; both her son and husband train at Dream! In this role, Abby will work closely with Dream families and our broader community to enhance the experiences of our community members, ensure students have a fulfilling and enriching experience at our school, and manage special events to engage our students and their families.
 
Abby is a licensed social worker in the state of New Jersey with extensive experience working with neuro-divergent families and individuals. Abby is passionate about helping individuals and families achieve balance, joy and a sense of greater purpose in their lives. She is looking forward to using her training and experience to help Dream families get the best out of their experience at Dream.
 
You can reach Abby at community@dreammartialarts.com.

Please join us in welcoming Abby to the Dream Team!

Moral of the Month: Safety

“Each of us is the progeny of thousands of generations of people who were able to survive extreme conditions of insecurity, scarcity and struggle. This process of evolution and survival has endowed us with innate attributes that keep us safe, the most powerful of which is our own intuition.”

—Gavin de Becker

What does it mean to be safe? We make choices every moment of everyday about safety. Safety for our bodies, our minds, our communities and our world.

How do we teach children to be safe in a world of ever-changing threats? This is a daunting question for many parents including myself.

What role does intuition play in keeping us safe? How do we teach our children to tune-in to their bodies? To essentially trust their guts?

Our mindfulness exercises boost our awareness to hear and interpret the information the body provides us. Through meditation we can be more familiar with our mental and emotional reactions to stress.

When we teach our students self-defense, it empowers them to take responsibility for their personal safety. Peer pressure can often put our kids in unsafe predicaments. Young people are infamously impetuous and more likely to take pointless risks. Research has shown that their brains have not developed to the point where they can clearly foresee all the consequences of their actions.

We will talk to our students about having the courage and confidence to remove themselves from unsafe situations. We will give them tools and ‘verbal judo’ tactics to deescalate such circumstances and avoid danger.