MIMA Blog

KoreanTerminologyPDF.pdf here is the pdf which will be easier to read:)

How to fold, and put on your uniform:

In martial arts -- there are traditions and rituals associated with the wearing, and tying of the belt and the uniform.  There are many reasons stated from different instructors, master’s and sensei about how these traditions have evolved.   It is, in my mind, all about mindfulness.  It is a practice which reminds us that we are entering and leaving a place, a dojang, where the realities of everyday life can be set aside, and a focus upon the person’s physic

Random Bags of Kindness is something the kids and I have been doing for a while but have ramped up production for the black belt project.  We fill ziplock bags with items for homeless persons and keep them in the car to hand out to anyone who needs it. Usually they have water, food, socks, toiletry items, first aid supplies and other things depending on season (heavier socks in winter, more water in summer…) Some are designed for people with pets and have dog food as well as people food, some ar

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Learn kicks, tricks, and combos!  A cool Demonstration Form, Trick Battles, and Kick Competition!  Also awesome character training:

Build AWESOME POWERS:  Be unique, stand out, show respect to self and others.  Build friendships, build confidence, and be a good sport.  All part of being AWESOME!

Register Now -- Space is very limited:  Be Awesome Camp!

For my leadership project I spent a week in Oregon with my Youth Group doing various service projects. One being Project Transformation, a literacy program for at risk elementary school kids. During this project, we helped younger kids read a choice book. We would encourage them to sound out words themselves and participated in other activities that helped the kids focus and learn. In addition, we cleaned books at The Children’s Book Bank; a place for donated books to be examined, cleaned, and p

I hope to be the kind of black belt that someone of any rank can feel comfortable around. I know that when I first started, black belts looked intimidating and I was terrified of messing up in front of them. I want to be a black belt that makes others feel confident and strong. Encouraging them to not be afraid to reach their own goals. This way, they can continue practicing and pass along the advice and lessons they’ve learned on their journeys to others as well.

Upon receiving my black belt, I would want to continue training to improve my flexibility, endurance, confidence, and focus. I would also want to become more precise in doing my forms and in sparring. Practicing Martial Arts has provided me with skills I never thought about seriously. Such as, knowing I can defend myself in an unwanted situation. Although it’s nice to feel safe, my main reason to keep practicing is because I simply enjoy it. Taking part in a physical activity is what I do to de-

Katherine Johnson is an African-American mathematician whose work as a “computer” at NASA resulted in the first U.S. manned space flights. “Computers” were women who performed calculations by hand with pencil and graph paper. This often took more than a week to complete and filled numerous notebooks with data and formulas. In 1962, Johnson did calculations for a flight research team plotting the flights of John Glenn’s orbital flight. Her knowledge of analytic geometry and use of Euler’s Method

EXPLORING FAMILY TAEKWONDO AND ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

Abstract (summary): Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most common condition in children worldwide. Families are often challenged by the condition and some are utilizing family Taekwondo as a tool to manage unwanted symptoms.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the impact of family Taekwondo on the functioning of the family and child with ADHD, who were participating in Taekwondo programs in southern

These are videos from the last test!  Congratulations to all the Red belts, and Blackbelts who passed their tests in October 2018!

The videos can be found in the "video" area on this page.   Here is the link: VIDEO

I believe Marcello is a good candidate for a black belt promotion because of his hard work, dedication, and respect for the art. One quality of his that I admire and especially stands out is his ability to make a commitment and stick to it. This journey has had its challenges but Marcello has persevered nonetheless.  I also feel the experience of helping out in classes has provided him with the opportunity to lead without managing. This is also evident at home with our own kids whether running t

Dear Grandmaster Strongheart and Master Wells,

I am writing to you with the highest recommendation for Marcello Lioy’s advancement to the rank of black belt. For the years I have been a member at Mercer Island Martial Arts, Marcello has always been a consistent voice of encouragement and a great role model for me.

I appreciate Marcello’s respectful approach to providing feedback, and always enjoy practicing with him during class. I also know he carries the values of a black belt throughout his lif

For my community service volunteered at the Vera Project.  Vera is an all-ages volunteer-fueled music and arts venue, and its mission is to fuel personal and community transformation through collaborative, youth-driven engagement in music and art.  Music has always been an important part of my life, and when I was in college and in my early twenties I was in various bands and also studied to be a recording engineer.  After pursuing a career in the music industry for a few years, it became clear

My primary goal upon receiving my black belt is to continue to train regularly; I greatly enjoy it, as it pushes me both physically and mentally.  One area that I feel I need to focus on is sparring – that is the most challenging aspect of the training for me.  I have a tendency to over-think things in general, and on the mats this manifests itself in my being much slower than I would like to be, and am physically capable of.  I am also excited to continue to train with my children who in the co

I would like to be an approachable black belt, one that other students are comfortable coming to for help. I feel I have much to give as I have struggled through (and continue in many cases to struggle with) various techniques, or aspects of the forms and have noticed others struggling with the same things. I enjoy leveraging my learning and experience, and know that I can point them down the path that helped me make progress on challenging areas. It will also challenge me to find ways of explai

My mother is someone I greatly admire; not only did she teach me to value tolerance, and judge people for who they are and not where they are from or what they look like, but she was also quite successful on her own terms.  My mother worked for various non-governmental organizations working in developing nations in the public health domain.  Being born in France (which continues to have quite traditional gender roles) she had to push past the limitations of not only her parents, my grandfather i