Thursday, May 22, 2014

Why do YOU need a coach??

That was the question a student asked the other day......

Apparently as i'm the owner and chief instructor of the Stealth academies I shouldn't need a coach as I should know everything.......?
Well in fact I have several coaches, I have 2 business coaches, 1 Body building coach, 1 nutritional  coach and 7 martial arts coaches with whom I work with on a weekly basis.

So why do I need a coach?
Well simply put if you surround yourself with experienced people at the top of their field of expertise, that share similar goals to you, are passionate about what they do, have a genuine desire to make you as successful or even better than them AND they are willing to share this knowledge and experience with you for a fee, the question should be "WHY THE HELL WOULD'T YOU HAVE A COACH".

This is why I have a coach for every area of my life that is important to me.
Let's take a look at the London 2012 Olympics for example, and in particular the top athletes on the British team...... do they have coaches?? yes of course they do! why? because a good coach can help you SET, STEER TOWARDS and ACHIEVE your goals, they can push you that little bit harder than you think you are capable of, they can make you accountable for your own actions, they can also engage you with new ideas and training tips that are not the norm but can have fantastic result.

4 years ago hardly anyone had heard of Mo Farah outside of the athletics world, around this time he was introduced to Alberto Salazar who became his new coach, 4 years on he's a double olympic champion and a household name........ coaching works!!

As my role in the academy develops over the next 5 years or so and the younger more athletic Sensei's gradually take over the day to day teaching, I will be directly responsible to coaching these Sensei's ensuring that they stay at the top of their game for as long as possible before nature takes over. You only have to look at Sensei Kieran when he is back on leave for proof, he is now light years ahead of me in what his body can do yet I have been his sole coach since he started martial arts aged just 5, and quite frankly every time he's back and we spend time with each other he gets faster and faster no to mention stronger. The same can be said for the young gun's coming through in 3 or 4 years they will be unstoppable, and with the likes of Harry, Lottie Joe, Joe & Arran having already got 5-8 years experience under there belts there really is no better role models for your children, who in turn will eventually replace them.

Trust me when I say, no one is more committed to improving the standards within Stealth than I, i'm a firm believer that when your at the top it's a responsibility to stay there!! I will always give 100% to my students in return all I ask is 100% loyalty and effort!

Yours in Martial Arts
Sensei Craig Smith
Master instructor Stealth Black Belt Academies

Sunday, May 11, 2014

CARDIFF SUCCESS

TTSDF United Kingdom Open 2014
24 competitors from Stealth travelled down to Cardiff to take part in the Tang Soo Do United Kingdom Open, one of the largest Martial Arts competitions in Europe, in total there were 977 individual competitors from countries afar a field as Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, France, Italy and the USA.

I've very proud to say Stealth came away with a huge hall of medals, 17 Gold, 4 Silver and 7 Bronze. These were all won in some very tough categories particularly in the Black Belt divisions. And whilst it's fair to say the majority of our medals were won from sparring (Stealth's strength area) we also made massive gains in the forms and weapons divisions, proving that the instruction, training and hard work is starting to pay off.......

Well done Team Stealth..... One very proud SBN
TANG SOO!!!

Next Stop is a little closer to home "Stealth TSD Open Championships 2014" at Stealth June 8th



Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Kyoshi Dave Kovar explains the benefits of Martial Arts training.

"One of the things that I’m focusing on is helping instructors be able to discuss the benefits of martial arts training, both with current students and potential students.  Here is an outline of some of the things we talk about:

Stress – With everything that is happening in this country and around the world; the stress level of the average person is dramatically higher than in the past.  Unmanaged stress can be extremely detrimental to our health, our relationships and even our job productivity. As you all know, there aren’t many things that can reduce stress better than an intense martial arts class. How many of you have come to the dojo stressed from the activities of the day and then left with a completely different mindset?  At the end of a good class, remind your yourself this the next time you consider skipping class, you should remember how good it feels to train, and always anchor in the good feelings you have when class is over, because that memory will make it easier for you to stay in the routine.

Obesity – Martial arts is fitness with a purpose. Fitness has three components: strength, flexibility and endurance.  Martial arts training demands a balance between the three.  Therefore, a person who trains in martial arts will find their weakest areas greatly improved.  And, because they develop greater balance of strength, flexibility and endurance, children will be less likely to injure themselves while participating in other athletic activities.

Athletic Enhancement – There is a reason why every professional sports team in every major sport supplements their training with martial arts.  Martial arts training offers several advantages.  It is amazingly effective at enhancing general coordination because it uses every part of the body in a balanced way.  Upper body, lower body, right side, left side, forward movement, lateral movement and rotational movement are all included in martial arts training.

Relationships – With so many screeens in front of them at any given time, many kids and adults need more face-to-face social interaction.  At the dojang, students find themselves surrounded by positive, high quality, encouraging people (instructors and co-students alike) who help to bring out their best and keep them focused on the prize."
So there you go, if you want to receive these benefits and more from martial arts training then contact us today!!
One of the things we are passionate about at Stealth is our commitment to ongoing learning and improvement. The Japanese have a word for this "Kaizen", it's the principal that I founded Stealth upon. One of the ways that we do this is to invite other instructors from around the world who are top of their field of expertise, to come and host seminars for us.  Over the next few months we are very fortunate to have 3 fantastic seminars coming up.

SATURDAY 22nd MARCH 2.00-5.00pm (£20pp)
This Saturday we have Avinder Panesar (Coach AVP) visiting, his team of fighters are one of the top teams on the UK freestyle circuit, in addition he has also had 3 of his students selected to become full time athletes on the GB Taekwondo team, in preparation for The Rio Olympic games. We look forward to welcoming him and his team this Saturday. There are still a few places left should anyone else want to get in on the action.


SUNDAY 18th MAY 10.00am-12.00pm (£20pp)
 up we have our old friend and mentor the legend that is Bill "Superfoot" Wallace traveling over from the USA to do his UK spring tour. We are very privileged to be a Superfoot School and as such nearly always manage to secure a date with Sensei Bill. For those that don't know Sensei Bill is the undefeated world Kickboxing champion, and also one of the pioneers of modern kickboxing. now in his 70's his wit is just as sharp as his legs, this will be the 5th time we have hosted one of his fantastic Seminars, each time he delivers an amazing 2 hours and energises the room. We only have 40 places available and we always get other clubs asking to attend so book on early.


FRIDAY 30th MAY 6.00-8.30pm (£15pp)
Next up we are privileged to have my old WKA Scotland team mate, World Champion Natasha Walker and her coach Kevin Baldwin for 2 hours of "Blitzing points drills. Tash and Kev are both WAKO Scotland coaches and run their own full time martial arts centre "Wolfpack" in Edinburgh. 
Agin spaces are limited so 1st come 1st served.