Author: Master Torres

Preparation is an essential part of any sport, and Taekwondo is no exception. Mental skills like stress inoculation, mindfulness, growth mindset, and self-talk can all play a role in helping athletes perform their best at an upcoming tournament. As a psychologist, I’d like to share some tips on how Taekwondo athletes can use these mental skills to best prepare for their next tournament.

Stress Innoculation

One of the most important mental skills for Taekwondo athletes to develop is stress inoculation. Stress inoculation is a process of learning how to manage stress by gradually exposing oneself to stressful scenarios and learning how to cope with them. For example, an athlete could start by imagining their upcoming tournament and imagining how it will feel to compete in it. From there, the athlete could practice visualization, relaxation, and self-talk techniques in order to help them cope with the stress they’re feeling. Additionally, the athlete can practice their technique in a simulated environment, such as a sparring match or tournament-style drill, in order to prepare themselves for the real thing.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is another important mental skill for Taekwondo athletes to develop. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of one’s thoughts and emotions in the present moment. This can help athletes focus on the task at hand and be present in the competition. Additionally, mindfulness can help athletes stay calm and confident when competing. For example, an athlete could practice mindfulness by taking deep breaths before competing and focusing on the present moment. Additionally, the athlete could practice mindfulness by reflecting on their performance after each match and noting any areas for improvement.

Growth Mindset

Growth mindset is an important mental skill for Taekwondo athletes to develop. Growth mindset is the belief that one can grow and improve through hard work and dedication. This can help athletes stay motivated and push themselves to their fullest potential. Additionally, a growth mindset can help athletes stay focused on their goals and not be discouraged by their mistakes. For example, an athlete can practice a growth mindset by reflecting on their mistakes, learning from them, and setting goals to become better.

Self Talk

Finally, self talk is an important mental skill for Taekwondo athletes to develop. Self talk is the practice of talking to oneself in a positive and encouraging manner. This can help athletes stay confident and motivated while competing. For example, an athlete could practice positive self-talk by telling themselves that they can do it and that they have the skills and abilities to succeed. Additionally, the athlete could practice positive self-talk by reminding themselves of their successes and affirming their abilities.

In conclusion, Taekwondo athletes can best prepare for an upcoming tournament by developing mental skills like stress inoculation, mindfulness, growth mindset, and self-talk. By utilizing these mental skills, athletes can stay focused, motivated, and confident while competing. With the right preparation, athletes can be well on their way to achieving their tournament goals.

Halloween is upon us and it can be super fun and exciting for some but… parents beware that ghouls and goblins aren’t the only dangers to watch out for during your trick-or-treating adventures with kids. There are spooky things to watch out for like cars while crossing the road, trips and falls, and candy quality. So, here is a cheat-sheet of safety tips for kids and parents.

WALK SAFELY

• Whenever possible cross the street at corners using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Remember to look left, right, and left again when crossing… and keep looking.
• Keep electronics away so you can listen to and look at your surroundings.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths or if there is not sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Carry a flashlight or headlight to light the path once it gets dark to avoid trips and falls.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
• Don’t go into the homes of people you don’t know.

EAT SAFELY

• Adults should examine candy before eating them.
• Never eat open or unwrapped halloween foods.
• Ask your parent or guardian if unsure about eating a treat.
• Call the National Poison Center toll-free number if your child becomes ill or believe the treat was tampered with: 1-800-222-1222

COSTUME SAFETY

• Use reflective tape on costumes and bags to help drivers see children at night.
• Make sure costumes are the right size to avoid trips and falls.
• Avoid wearing masks that limit obstruct field of vision. Wear face paint and makeup instead whenever possible.
• Carry a glow stick, glow necklace, or glow bracelet to help spot your child at night easier.

DRIVE SAFELY

• Drive slowly in residential neighborhoods.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections.
• Enter and exit driveways carefully.
• Eliminate distractions in car to improve alertness and concentration on driving.
• Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic.
• Turn on your headlights earlier to help be seen.
• Be extra alert during popular trick-or-treating times – 5:30pm – 9:30pm.

KIDS TRICK-OR-TREAT WITH AN ADULT

• Children under 12 should trick-or-treat with adult supervision.
• Parents with young children might want to bring a stroller to carry tired children or extra candy.
• Bring a backpack to carry extra candy.
• Remind children who are mature enough to trick or treat without adult supervision to stay with their group in light and familiar areas.
• In case of an emergency dial 911.

SPOOK-TACULAR OFFER

• Download our Halloween Safety Tips & Spook-Tacular Offer.pdf
• Empower your kids today by taking advantage of our Spook-Tacular 6-Week + Free Uniform Offer for $69.

Question: What additional Halloween safety tips to you have?… besides not eating all the candy at once!  ;P 

Written by: Yoendry Torres, Psy.D.

Are you (or your child) new to Taekwondo in Tucson or elsewhere and want to be the best? Then Keep reading because I’m going to share 3 hacks that will help new students 1) kick higher and stronger, 2) block & punch with power and 3) learn your poomsae faster.

So here are the 3 Taekwondo hacks:

1. One of the biggest mistakes that new students make is not pivoting their feet. It’s important to pivot the foot that is on the floor so that the heel is facing the direction one is kicking. This opens up the hips and allows for greater range of motion… meaning higher kicks! So try this routine and practice 3 sets of 10-25 round kicks and 10-25 side kicks against the wall making sure your heel is facing the direction your kicking. Your kicks will be higher and stronger in no time!
2. The second hack will help new students block and punch with more power. However, first new students have to slow down, way down! New students tend to be excited about learning martial arts and want to jump right in and do every movement fast and strong, which is wonderful… however, this may lead to poor technique in the long run, which will reduce both your blocking and punching power. Try this instead: Practice all blocks and punches in slow motion 5-10 times making sure that your rotate wrist at end of every block or punch and the blocks and punches are ending in the correct endpoint (e.g., soloplex, shoulder level, etc). Once you’ve done these drills enough, muscle memory will take over when executing techniques at full speed/strength and your blocks and punches will be much stronger.
3. The third hack will help the new students to learn their poomsae. It’s no surprise that new students struggle to learn poomsae, as most poomsae are 20 or more steps with defensive and offensive hand and foot techniques. The cool thing is that we can use brain science to help us better memorize our poomsae. Research on cognition and memory has shown that chunking material into smaller bits of information greatly increases our ability to memorize large amounts of data. So try this poomsae training tip: If your poomsae is 20 steps long, then break it into 4-step chunks and practice each 4-step chunk starting with the first 4 steps of the poomsae until you have memorized and mastered the technique. Try doing 5-10 repetitions of each chunk. Chunking can also help advanced students perfect their poomsae by drilling the chunk they want to improve. This type of practice is called deliberate practice.

What tips do you have for new Taekwondo students?

Let us know in the comment section below.

TKD Wellness teaches olympic sport Taekwondo in NW Tucson, AZ and is a member club of USATaekwondo. Our goal is to have fun while getting fit and empowering our students through Taekwondo.

Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!

Written by Dr. Yoendry Torres, Psychologist & 4th Dan Taekwondo

Taekwondo is probably one of the funnest ways to get our dose of weekly exercise, in my opinion. Not only are Taekwondo classes a great workout but they are fun! Taekwondo classes are also energetic because we’re training with friends and because the the drills rotate and change from class to class, keeping it fresh. Most importantly, we will continue to exercise via Taekwondo because its fun and whether we realize it or not, we’re cultivating our minds, bodies and spirt.

Speaking of minds… also known as our brains. Did you know that there are an ever-growing body of research that shows the many ways regular exercise benefits our brains. For example, Wendy Suzuki, neuro-scientist, recently gave a wonderful review of these brain benefits of exercise in her TED talk. Check it out below:

Summary of the brain benefits of exercise:

1. Boost in mood: Immediate effect on our moods due to increased neurotransmitters after workouts that last at least 2 hours. Other research suggests there is an “exercise dose” for anxiety (high frequency 5-6 days a week short duration 20-30 mins workouts) and for depression (low frequency 3-4 days a week with longer duration 45-60 minutes workouts).
2. Improved focus: Exercise actually improves attention. For example, a study from 2013 in the Journal of Pediatrics concluded that exercise has “positive implications” on how children with ADHD perform at school.
3. Long term memory: The hippocampus is involved in long-term memory and is positively impacted by regular exercise in that it produces new brain cells, increasing its volume and enhancing our memory.
4. Protects against brain diseases: Neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease can be warded off by exercise. This is thought to be because exercise helps improve one’s cardiovascular functioning in our brains as well as the rest of our body.

Remember that there are other great reasons to train in Taekwondo such as to get physically fit, make friends, or learn self defense. Whichever the reason, I want to encourage everyone to go out and exercise for a healthier you.

Question: What is your top TKD training benefit?

Follow us on Instagram!

Written by Dr. Yoendry Torres, Psychologist & 4th Dan Taekwondo