In this blog I will cover 3 main topics for improving yourself.

The first will be The Body The next will be The Mind The last will be The spirit.

Body

What can I do to help my body?

Take up a sport or activity.

Go buy yourself some volleyball equipment and start playing.  All you need is some shoes knee pads and volleyball shorts.  It doesn't take much, just do it.  Join a team meet some new people and enjoy yourself.  This can be any sport or activity I just used this as an example.  Get out, get active, get involved, get healthy, and get to know someone.

This is just the first post of several that I will talk about some kind of sport or activity that you might not think of to get involved in.   Now that I think about it in the next post I may go a little more in depth with volleyball equipment, so you will know a little more info about it.

Mind

What are some things that you can do for yourself to make yourself a better person?

For your mind

Read something.  Not just anything.  No tabloids or gossip columns read something substantial.  Today most of us don’t read much of anything.  We are too busy.  Doing what I don’t know.  This is important for your mind; don’t lose the most important part of you.  It is what makes you you.  This is what I suggest to do to get started.  If you want, start with a magazine then work your way up (remember what I said earlier no trashy tabloids).  Next step is to start on a novel that you will enjoy it doesn't matter if its fiction, nonfiction or a biography just get use to reading again.  Finally, try to branch out and read something different.   I think that a self help book of some type is good.  Pick something that looks interesting to you and read it.

Spirit

Improving your spirit can be a tricky one.  Your spirit is how you feel about yourself your surroundings and how you feel about others.  You can help improve this in many ways.  Searching out something that is greater than yourself is one way to do this.  

Here we are in a new year. This is 2012 and there are a lot of things that we have planned for this year. Of course, we are continuing with our Black Belt Test requirements. I am also going on a trip to Korea for two weeks of training and a tournament. I was surprised to learn how much work there is to get ready for the trip (plane tickets, getting everything together for the passport, checking and double checking everything is filled out right so they will let you on the plane) and Mrs. Kimm is doing most of the work. Special thanks to Mrs. Kimm and DoJuNim for all the work and planning they are doing for our group. I am not sure of the complete itinerary yet but it will be a great trip. Not many people can say that they have trained overseas, and because of Dr.Kimm's connections, we will go places that other tour groups won't or can't go. Also, my picture was on the January cover of TaeKwonDo Times. I was just the assistant but not many people get in the magazine much less on the cover. I am also going back to basics this year, planning out things in advance, covering things that are often overlooked, and trying out some new ideas. If I can keep it up, I think that this will be a great year.

Ideas for the New Year

We have been tossing around ideas to start in the New Year.  One idea that keeps coming up is Verbal Judo.  We have done a lot of research on bullying and would really like to help our kids be better prepared to deal with the bullies in their lives.  Another concept that we have been building into our classes is fitness.  We have increased our own fitness levels and the fitness levels of our students.  We will continue and increase our fitness goals in the New Year.  Hand in hand with fitness is nutrition.  We have improved our nutrition and now we need to bring awareness of nutrition to our students.  We have monthly lessons that we are working on improving the overall lesson and information to be shared.   The life skill lessons are divided into 12 months.  January's skill is focus, February is discipline, March is respect, April is family, May is academic, June is attitude, July is confidence, August is choices, September is goals, October is fitness, November is teamwork and December is manners.  Each skill is discussed with examples and practice during classes.  Each skill is encouraged to be displayed at our dojang, at home, at school and everywhere that the student goes. We try to relate each skill to home life, school and life beyond the dojang.

Week 11 - Copiah Animal Shelter

 Triple Black Belt Academy spent the month of November collecting donations for the new Copiah Animal Shelter. We have gathered many items from blankets and towels to dog collars. We will take our donations to Cameron's Veterinary Clinic on Hwy 51 in Hazlehurst.   All About Animals Veterinary Clinic in Crystal Springs on the corner of Hwy 51 and Hwy 27 is collecting donations for the Crystal Springs area.    The students and instructors at Triple Black Belt Academy encourage all citizens of Copiah County to remember the animals that are in need of a good home and shelter during the holidays. 

Below are some facts about spaying and neutering taken directly from www.dosomething.org.

1. Between 3 and 4 million adoptable animals are euthanized in animal shelters each year simply because they do not have homes.

2.  Spaying and neutering dramatically reduces the number of stray animals on the streets. Strays can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents and scare people, so the reduction is a plus.

3.  The term “spay” refers to removing a female animal’s ovaries and uterus so that she cannot reproduce. The term "neuter" refers to removing a male animal’s testicles so that he cannot reproduce (although the term neuter technically means the sterilization of either a male or a female animal, today it is typically used to refer to the procedure for a male animal).

4.  Dogs and cats can be spayed or neutered as early as 2 months of age.

5.  Historic records indicate that surgical procedures to sterilize male animals date back as far as 284 B.C.. Such surgeries for companion animals date back about 100 years.

6.  Spay/neuter surgeries will lead to a decrease in the euthanasia rate and increase the live release rate (the number of animals that leave the shelter alive) of animals. Research shows that each canine sterilization reduces shelter intake by .72 dogs, and each feline sterilization reduces shelter intake by .57 cats.

 7.  Spay/neuter surgeries can only be performed by licensed veterinarians.

8.  High Quality High Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) programs are efficient surgical initiatives that meet or exceed current veterinary medical standards of care in providing accessible, targeted sterilization of large numbers of dogs and cats in order to reduce their overpopulation and subsequent euthanasia.

 9.  There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering your dogs, cats and rabbits! Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

10.  Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering.

11.  Many unneutered pets have aggression problems and often mark their territory with strong-scented urine, which can make the household unbearable. Early neutering can nix aggression.



Source:

ASPCA

Thankfulness

Thanksgiving has come again and with it comes time off from work, spending time with family, eating too much, and Black Friday sales. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, we all need time off to spend with the family, relax and just visit each other in a world of “I'm too busy for anything”. I understand that it is convenient to shop while you have some time off and the Thanksgiving holiday provides the perfect time. I do feel that Thanksgiving has become more of a "holiday" than a day of really being thankful. I thought about this when we got home from visiting family. A good friend of ours called and told me that his son (a student of ours that is going to be a great martial artist) had a seizure. He is 9 years old and never had a problem before. The doctors said they don't know what caused it and that it could be a one-time event. This made me realize how thankful everyone is that he is OK. Also, how thankful his parents are that he is part of their lives, and how thankful we are that he and his family are part of our lives. It may be after Thanksgiving but let’s not forget to be thankful for what we have. So, sit down, think about who you’re thankful for and then tell them. It will mean a lot to them and to you. One way that we try to show family that we are thankful for them is to help out whenever we can. During this particular holiday, we helped with the irrigation system. By your acts, your deeds or by what you say, friends and family can know that you are thankful to have them in your life.

Back on Track... Hurray!

Ok, Thanksgiving is over and we are getting back on track.  At least for the next three weeks, then it will be Christmas and all the eating that goes along with that holiday.  When visiting my parents house, it is very difficult not to over-eat.  There are always "healthy" foods but there are always too many choices and too many containers of "healthy" snacks.  Even healthy can become unhealthy when you eat too much of it.  For example, my mom loves cashews.  I do too and I can eat more than I should very easily.  We ate very well, meaning everything was fresh and we had loads of vegetables to go with everything.  The problem was, once again, the fact that there was just toooooo much food.  Yummy, Yummy FOOD!  Especially, when I cook!!!

Week 9 - Bullying and Suicide Issues

It seems that the more you look into bullying the more information you find.  There are so many resources and so many kids that need those resources.  Today in the news, I found two stories of kids (one 10 year-old girl and one 14 year-old boy) that committed suicide because of bullying.  Another story of a high school football player, who apparently died of a drug overdose because the "friends" he was with left him unresponsive instead of taking him to the emergency room.  

The Centers for Disease Control states that "For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death,"   "Each year, approximately 149,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U.S." "Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities".  They also mention that more young people survive suicide attempts than actually die.  

From the website: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com comes the following information.

"Warning signs of suicide:

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or reckless
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide."

"If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:

• Do not leave the person alone.
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional."

Week 8 - Performance State

I am working on focusing my attention to the task at hand.  My goal is to learn how to relax, which learning how to relax will help clear the mind, clearing the mind helps you focus and being focused helps you be more aware of yourself.  When I am concentrating on the task at hand, it is hard for me to stay focused when something is going on around me.  When I am tense, fighting off the distraction, it is hard to continue with the task.  The world must cooperate with me in order for me to get my focus back.  In the book, The Art of Learning, by Josh Waitzkin, he calls this the Hard Zone.  Like a brittle branch on a tree, you will snap under the pressure of the distraction.  To be in the Soft Zone, you must learn to be more internally focused and to go with the flow.  You must be like the grasses in the plains and bend with the wind.  I must learn to block external distractions and be internally focused.  I must learn to pull myself back into focus when I have been distracted from the task at hand.  As the years go by, I find myself more and more easily distracted.  I guess that there is more and more going on in my life.  I can see the point of daily meditations.  Clay and I must both work to make time in our daily routines to do our daily meditations.

Follow this link, http://greatday.com/ for daily motivator for November 10, 2011 titled "Act on it".  To summarize this passage: you must act on your ideas, not just talk about it.  This is something that I talk about to other people all the time, this is something that I try to act on in my daily life.  It is hard.  I had someone the other day ask me why they weren't a master, they have always loved martial arts and always wanted to train... simple answer, you must act on it.  Triple Black Belt Academy has offered Tai Chi, Cardio, Fitness Class and Women's Self-Defense.  None of these programs have really lasted.  Whether we charge for lessons or give lessons away for free does not seem to make any difference at all.  People want to be healthy but will not take the time to eat right or show up for a free class being offered.  It is easier to talk about being healthy than to actually do what it takes to get healthy.  We have offered free months to try to entice new students to walk through our doors, that didn't work.  People, including myself, must learn to act on what it is that is important to them, to give their ideas real meaning.

Stress Relieved (momentarily)

I have been focused on the technical part of my 5th Dan test for the past month. Training every day, on techniques or forms has been alot of work and a bit stressful. I feel really good about how I did on the test which is saying something because I would be harder on myself than anyone else would be. When it was over, I felt the stress lift and I felt like I could relax and take a breath. Now, I am ready to concentrate on other aspects of my test (and get stress from somewhere else). It is time to focus and get some things together. Class was good last night, I was able to get in some good exercise, teach what I love, and do some palm striking techniques to Michelle and receiving some palm striking techniques from Michelle (ribs a little sore, but in a good "I went to martial arts class and had a blast last night", kind of way).

Week 7 - They Did It!! New Black Belts and New Rank

They did it!!

  

Master Cheroni, Nijah and Scott looked great this past Friday night in 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  

They tested in front of a board that included many high ranking officials, including Dr. He Young Kimm, 9th Dan, Founder of Han Mu Do, GrandMaster Jamie Serio, 8th Dan, Grandmaster Shin Rhee Chul, Kum Do Grandmaster, Chief Master Donald Kimm, 7th Dan, Chief Master Penny Serio, 6th Dan, Chief Master David Carr, 6th Dan, Chief Master Mateo Lopez, 6th Dan, Master Frans van Boxtel, 5th Dan, Master Bernardo Osio, 5th Dan, Master David Higgs, 5th Dan, Master Eduardo Navarro Delgado, 5th Dan.

Week 6 - Black Belt Testing

Well, the week is here.  This is the last week that Nijah and Scott will be brown belts.  They are prepared and we are confident that they will be awarded their Junior 1st Dan Black Belts this weekend.  Master Instructor Clay Cheroni should come home as Master Cheroni.  Danaher and Donovan will be his partners this time around.  They are both terrific fallers and will do a GREAT job of making Clay look good.

Ideas for a project

I work for Mississippi State University at a vegetable and ornamental flower research station. I am going to work on the idea of square foot gardening as a project of mine. I thought I could put some of the things I have learned working here to use in other ways. I never considered using gardening as a lesson in martial arts, but it does fit in with having a healthy lifestyle. If nothing else people can learn where food comes from (and its not Wal-mart). Here is a link to a video of a few different ideas on square foot gardening, raised bed gardening, handicap accessible gardening, and alternative ideas on growing plants.


youtube video of Gardening Ideas

Square Foot Gardening

The last few weeks, have been really busy at my ''Job that pays the bills''. We have this huge fall garden festival every year that requires a lot of attention. I read a blog on square foot gardening the other day, I thought that is something I could get involved in as a community service. I work at a vegetable and ornamental flower research station for Mississippi State University so I have a good bit of experience with plants and a lot of resources (3 scientist work in the same offices with me). I just got a portable video camera and shot some video of the fest. There are some ideas on square foot gardening and handicap accessible planting boxes on the video. Now I have to make a plan on how to use this knowledge. I thought about starting at our school with a box for each class, have them take care of it (with supervision). They will also be able to take home the vegetables they grow. I have a lot of ideas going through my head right now. I am going to try to download my video on our blog so people can see. I never thought about using my experience in the garden and flower beds in this way so I have to thank Tom Callos for the inspiration.

5th Dan Testing - Pre-Test

This past weekend went very well. My 5th Dan Pre-Test was challenging but I felt good about it. I wasn't sure that I would be ready to perform all my techniques and forms. I have been getting ready for a year (except after my surgery). I was ready in March but because of my appendicitis, I was forced to delay my testing. There are things that I know I can work on to better my techniques and forms, but there are always things to improve on. Now, I will demonstrate for Dojunim He-Young Kimm on Friday, Nov. 4th before the weekend seminar starts. I feel confident, not nervous at all. Although when I get to his school in Baton Rouge, it might hit me. I have also had a lot going on at work, so I have been so busy that I haven't had time for much else.

Week 5 - Youth Black Belt Testing

Just in case you didn't know already.... We have some of the best kids around at Triple Black Belt Academy.  Our students consistently come through for us, shining like the stars that they are.  We had two of our youth complete their Black Belt Pre-Test at Triple Black Belt Academy this weekend.  Wow, they did great.  Sometimes, we get frustrated as we are going along with the day-to-day routine of teaching HanMuDo.  But, in the end, the kids learn what it is that we are trying to teach and they learn it well.  Our students have heart and knowledge and it shows.  They count in Korean like champs, stay together when doing forms, have tremendous memory skills and learn at least one more form than we started out saying that they needed.  We like for them to learn Jedo Kum, even though it is not required for Black Belt testing.  They learn it easily and look great doing it, so we make sure that they know the form before testing.  Below is a picture of a brother/sister act that we like to take credit for.  Not really, these kids were just born with a natural ability and we just helped to bring out the best in them.   The second picture is another example of one of our awesome future black belts.  Notice the nice form and body position.

5th Dan Testing

I have recently written an essay for my HanMuDo test which was coming up. This made me think of how I have gotten to this point with the UBBT and my 5th Dan Black Belt test. It is a long story and I've been thinking about doing a video blog about it. I’ll attempt make a long story short. I started training for my test last year and was supposed to test in April but my body had other plans. My appendix ruptured and I had to have emergency surgery. The recovery was hard and I was not able to do much training for a few months. Obviously, my test was delayed. During this time, I started looking for advice about my school and ran across the UBBT and the 100. I was very interested but with the hospital bills and the school numbers being down I thought there is no way I can afford this. But I couldn't stop thinking about it, it was speaking to me in a way that nothing has before. I put it off for 2 1/2 months and finally contacted Tom Callos about it. Tom and I talked about it. Michelle and I talked about it and then we talked to our adult class about it. The decision was made that we would do it. Although, I had been doing some of the requirements before I ever called Tom. I planned to make the UBBT part of my 5th Dan test. This weekend (Oct.15^th) is my pre-test; it usually takes 7 or 8 hours to complete (the more you know the longer it takes). My knowledge of my techniques and forms will be tested. On Nov. 4^th, I will be tested in front of Dojunim (the Founder of Han Mu Do). Then, for the next year the test will get really hard. Completing all the other requirements that the UBBT asks for will be a challenge, but I think that it will be worth it in the end.

Week 4 - 9th Grade Academy

I have had a hard time thinking of a subject for a blog this week.  I’ve watched videos on YouTube for inspiration.  I’ve tried reading for inspiration.  Nothing is coming to mind until I saw one of the 9^th graders that I taught during 9^th Grade Academy.  9^th Grade Academy was a two week session for students entering the 9^th grade in the fall.  They had classes in math, reading, language arts and martial arts.  I taught the martial arts sessions from 8:30 until 11:30.  I had groups of all sizes, ranging from 6 to 18.  I had groups of all boys, all girls and a mixture of boys and girls.  What I found was that the separated groups worked better for this type of training.  The boys were very energetic and full of energy (the good kind).   The girls were having loads of fun and we turned POW into the kihap.  The mixed group was a little more reserved. 

We were in the library on a hard floor, so I concentrated on kicks and punches.  There were some awesome kickers in the groups.  We also worked on stances.  I brought my square targets and other pads from Triple Black Belt Academy.  The kids were eager to learn and jumped straight into lines, ready to come to attention.   They enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed myself.  I got plenty of exercise on top of it all.  Many kids were hoping that they would offer martial arts as a PE/elective during the regular school year.  I was kind of hoping that to.  Teens are so hard to get into our classes at Triple Black Belt Academy.  They are so busy and have to depend of parents to drive them everywhere.  Martial arts in the school setting would peak their interest enough to get them dedicated to coming to class.  What the school was talking about was doing a semester class, allowing me to conduct "tryouts" to determine who was in the class.  Without tryouts, I would have ended up with 100 kids in one class. When the principals from last year approached me about the possibility of doing one class a day, I jumped in with both feet.  I came up with a curriculum, a course description, a syllabus, a recommendation sheet, and a grading rubric for participation/ knowledge and understanding.  I was ready within a week.  

Practice makes Permanent

Last month, in our school, our lesson was about setting goals. This month our lesson is about fitness. So, I decided to show our students how to set a goal and stick to it. My goal was actually a fitness goal so I have been able to work the two months lesson together into one big lesson. I also had an ulterior motive, which was getting ready for the Ultimate Black Belt Test. I told our students that my goal for the month was to do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 100 squats every day. I asked the students to help me reach my goal, so in every class; we did 30 of each exercise. By the end of the month, Michelle and I were doing at least 105 to 140 every day. We told our students that we reached our goal with their help and for us to be able to get through the UBBT, we would have to ask for their help some more. I think if we practice doing our exercises every day, we will develop a habit and during the UBBT the exercise part will be a little easier. I have always heard that practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent. With that in mind, maybe when one of us says "you ready for another set", the other won’t say "AGAIN".

Missing students

Last night in class, I was thinking that I really miss some of our students that no longer train with us.  I also miss some of the people that I have trained with throughout the years.  Some no longer train because they moved, which is an acceptable reason.  Some no longer train because they can't find the time.  Some no longer train because of financial reasons.  Some no longer train because they weren't having fun or enjoying classes anymore.  That worries me.  Do we need to always have fun?  I believe that answer would be NO.   But what can we do to make learning the techniques and forms more enjoyable?  What can we do to make classes more fun but still get the required learning accomplished?  There is a fine line between just allowing the kids to play and being too demanding.  Part of what we are hoping to accomplish during this Ultimate Black Belt Test journey is to better ourselves, thereby bettering our teaching and our school.

Week 3 - Technology

We are trying hard to keep our Facebook, website and blog up-to-date.  Probably the most satisfying so far, out of the three, is the Facebook.  When someone "likes" one of my photos or uses one of my photos as their profile picture, I get great satisfaction from that.  I know that it is hard to get pictures of yourself, when you are out on the mat training so when a good picture is taken, it is special to the people in the picture.  Capturing the action of HanMuDo is a lot of fun for me and it shows the people in the picture how awesome they look to everyone else.   Every now and then, we get feedback from our website and we now have had a few people talking to us about our blog.  Our goal with this blog is to show how we are improving the quality of our lives and motivate people to get out there to be the best that they can be.  We want to serve as role models for our family, friends, students and community.  We want to be role models for ourselves.  If we can do it for one week, why not the next week and then the next... until a whole year has passed and it is just a way of life for us.  Kind-of like how martial arts becomes a way of life for the individual.  You go to class every chance you get and after a while you forget what it was like to not have class.  In fact, often one may feel lost if they don't have a class to go to.

Ideas for Environmental Community Projects

We are researching ideas for Environmental Community Projects.  Anyone with ideas please e-mail us....

With our pedometers, we have figured out that the 1000 miles will be no trouble.  We walk between 4 to 8 miles on a average day.  Writing down the 1000 acts of kindness will be hard, because remembering to write down things is difficult.  I am trying to write things down in my daily diary that I started.  I also am writing down my prayers and meditations.   I will try to figure out a better system to record everything.  I think that having a weekly journal blog and food blog would be difficult to keep up with and not as usable for our readers... So, we are experimenting with doing both on the same blog.  Comments on that would be appreciated.

Thanks

Evolving

I have been preparing myself to start the Ultimate Black Belt Test for about a month and a half now. We talked to our teen/adult class about it to get feedback on the idea (which was positive). This week at our graduation, I am going to make the announcement to all of our students and their parents. This is exciting for me and I believe that it will be exciting to others. There will undoubtedly be changes at and in our school over the next year. I also believe there will be changes in myself as well. I think that this possible change is what excites me most. Evolving as a man, a martial artist, and a human being.

Bully Prevention Resource Website

This past weekend, we began working on the Bully Prevention Resource Website.  We traveled to the bookstore and spent a couple of hours looking through books.  On our website, we will keep a Suggested Reading List for kids, parents and family. Also on the website will be general information that we have gathered with links and ideas for the community to help solve the problem of bullying.   Our intention is to bring out the truth about bullies and present various ways to deal with them.   It is the time to help the children in our community learn to deal with the bullies in the world.   All parents are concerned for the safety of their children and bullying is one problem that parents can help their child with.   Parents, Guardians and Educators play a key role in helping children learn to prevent and stop bullying.  Everyone can help prevent and stop bullying.  Adults have the responsibility to protect kids.   Adults have the responsibility to be a role model for kids, teens, and young adults.   Adults need to know about the ways to intervene and help the person being bullied.  At Triple Black Belt Academy, we are also working on a Bully Defense curriculum that will be taught to all of our students.  Watch for more details to come.....

Starting the journey that will change my life forever.

I am starting a new quest, a challenge, a journey that is going to push me to my limits and maybe even beyond. You can achieve nothing without risk, all our successes and all our failures start with risk. So I decided to take the risk, talked my wife Michelle into joining me and here we are. We are starting the UltimateBlack Belt Test which is a year long test that will push us physically (50,000 push ups, sit ups, squats 1,000 miles walked, 1,000 rounds of sparring, 1,000 reps of a form just to name a few) and mentally (daily meditation, weekly journal entries, designing curriculum, and leading a large number of community projects and environmental projects) but in the end it will be worth more than any test that I have ever taken. I am ready to change for the better, to take the first step on a new adventure. I hope that people will be willing to assist us and encourage us through out this year-and-a-half long test. And in return I hope that we will encourage and inspire you to take a risk. To try things you have been putting off or things you thought were too hard for you to do. Even in failure there are lessons to learn. If you learn from your failures or mistakes then you turn your failure into success.

Talking to Tom Callos

Today, Clay and I finally got to talk to Tom Callos.  He is currently in Greece so setting up a time has been a challenge.  After a few attempts, we successfully figured out video chatting.  One interesting thing that Clay brought up was the fact that the HanMuDo student creed kind of goes hand in hand with the Ultimate Black Belt Test philosophy.  This creed has been guiding our lives for many years and we are excited to start this journey.  Part of what we plan to accomplish this year, is share our eating habits with you.  Last spring, we read the book, The China Study.  We have drastically changed our eating habits since reading this book in April 2011.   We are what we like to call 90% Vegans.  Maybe 80%... We have tried for years to increase our vegetable consumption but it was hard.  Part of our plan that we follow now, is vegan with lots of vegetables and whole grains.  In the past we found it hard to eat lots of vegetables when we had yummy meat on our plates.  So, cutting out animal based products made it possible to made the vegetables the focus of our meals.  My weakness is shrimp and cheese.  When we first started eating this way, our son was totally against it... said he would never drink soy milk.  So, I bought a small milk for him and unsweetened soy milk for us.  Next thing we knew, he was using soy milk on his cereal instead.   We continue to research and discover information about healthy diets.  Our goal is to live a healthy life for as long as possible.

Deciding to embark on this journey


The decision for me to devote the next year and a half to the Ultimate Black Belt Test was not a hard one.  Clay has been debating over this for several years and finally decided that he was ready to make that commitment.  He started doing push-ups two months ago.  During the month of September, he asked me to join him on this journey.  I thought it over for a few seconds and said absolutely yes.  It never crossed my mind to say no.  On the nights that we have classes, it is easy to get our push-ups in.  We have told the students that they are helping us reach our goal of 150 push-ups a day.  September's lesson was on goals and goal setting, so it was easy to work this into our mat-chats.  When we shared our goal with the teen/adult class, they got nervous.  After we had to pull their jaws up off the mat and explain that they were not the ones that had to do 50,000 push-ups and 50,000 sit-ups, they felt better about helping us.  Just for fun, we added 50,000 squats and I added 50,000 calf muscle exercises.  Walking the 1000 miles won't be too hard, since we both walk a lot on our jobs… over 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day.  Clay has been known to walk 13,000 steps in a day.  

Over the past 6 months, we have completely changed our eating habits, so eating healthy won't be an issue either.  Both of us have been on a quest to be at our healthiest weight.  Although, I must say, that Clay is winning... probably because men generally lose weight easier than women and he is younger.  I would say that is cheating but I guess he can't do anything about his gender or his age.