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The O.O.D.A. Loop is a process that we all go through while processing stress in real time. First we OBSERVE a stimulus or threat. That stimulus might be a punch comming at our head, a car approching us from the rear, a yellow light, a nasty look from someone, et al. We interpret the danger. Second we ORIENT it to ourselves. How close is it? How fast is it going to get to me? Is it coming for me at all? Am I even in danger? Third we DECIDE what we are going to do abo

I can't tell you what happens at other martial arts schools in Shawnee, Ok. or most places but I can tell you what will happen at our school. When you first come into Spherical Martial Arts in the Shawnee Mall, I, Chance, the head instructor will probably greet you with something like "Did you have any questions?" When you inform me that you are here to try a class I will then hand you a clipboard with our application/liability waiver and then say "Just fill this out and d

With enough effort and time, most people can become good at martial arts. I once saw a video and a man asked a BJJ coach "How hard is it to get a black belt in BJJ?" The coach replied "Not hard at all." The original man laughed and then the coach said "If you stay long enough it will happen." Now I'm sure not every BJJ coach would agree with that sentiment, and neither do I. Attending class does not mean reward. You get out of training what you put into it. You stil

I have been teaching for 23 years and I can tell you with certainty that martial arts training is very beneficial for those with ADD or Autism. Let' s start with ADD. Though I was never officially diagnosed, I used to show all the signs of ADD and still show some today. I realize that now it is ADHD but I personally disagree. I never had a hyperactive component. I digress. Over the last 23 years, i have trained many people will ADD/ADHD. As a child I just had to le

Martial arts is excellent for those that struggle with social interaction as well as those that struggle with playing team sports. I started martial arts training when I was fifteen and have continued for the past 33 years. When I was young, I was terrible at group sports. I got so confused trying to remember what each person was supposed to do, what I was supposed to do, how we were all supposed to interact, what rules were most important. In short, group sports had to

In today's world most people think of martial arts training as either something for children or something for those rare adults who want to fight in cages. I believe that martial arts is for anyone who wants to and can train. In today's post I will share reasons why martial arts training is an excellent use of time and resources for adults. 1) Stress relief. Let's face it, adult life is stressful. It's even more stressful when you are balancing relationships, work,

How Martial Arts Training Transforms Practitioners into Peaceful People It is well documented that those that engage in combat sports (Boxing, Karate, Wrestling, BJJ, Hapkido, et.al .) for long periods of time usually (more often than not) become very peaceful people. In this post, I want to share the psychology behind that. It's a transformation through exposure and integration. Now, let's dive in. Aggression Becomes Familiar. Fear and aggression are tightly linked in t

According to several studies from the National institutes of Health website, Scientific research suggests that regular participation in combat sports (such as Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, et. al.) can foster positive character development. Though results depend on the training context and intensity, Key statistics indicate that combat sports practitioners generally exhibit higher levels of conscientiousness, lower neuroticism, and improved self-regulation comp

9 Psychological Principles Behind Our Teaching Method. Sometimes parents notice that our classes feel different. We are encouraging - not coddling. We are structured - not chaotic. We are Supportive - not permissive We are loud. Non of this is accidental. It is all intentional. There are psychological reasons behind how we teach. The following are some of the core training principles we quietly build into our classes. Stress inoculation Training (Controlled Exposure t

What parents should look for in a martial arts school in Shawnee, Ok. Which martial arts school should you choose? That is a great question and I am not going to say this one. There are several great options in Shawnee, Ok. Let me first encourage you to pause and ask yourself "Why do I want my kid to train in martial arts?" Take a moment...I'll wait. First, pick a school that you can afford. There are many options in Shawnee, Ok. Call around first or visit their websi

I'm sure that the title sounds a little suspicious. It's not meant to be that way but the truth is any physical activity that you do touches your neurological system, especially martial arts. Knowing this truth I embrace the fact and openly explain it. As stated before, everything that you do, in one way or another, trains your Neurological system. How we train your NS is that we: Address the most common attacks on a regular basis with the same response. As we repea

Sparring is essentially engaging in violence in a controlled manner with rules. Whether that is striking sparring, grappling sparring, weapons sparring or a mixture of any. Sparring is an essential part of martial arts training for any program that exists to empower people to defend themselves. Sparring is a subset of pressure testing. Pressure testing is an activity that applies pressure to what you are doing. We do many types of pressure testing but sparring is the foc