Another school year has begun. A few of you still have some free time left. I hope you have all had an enjoyable summer and were able to create lots of great memories of another wonderful summer.
Going back to school is a good time to review some basic safety issues that you may have forgotten or havent’ thought about in a while.
The most important and probably the easiest way to stay safe is to PAY ATTENTION. Be aware of everything around you. Make eye contact with everyone you are around. Knowing what is happening around you can allow you to anticipate an action and give you more time to react to it or to avoid it all together. Be sure to report anything out of the ordinary to your parents and/or teachers. If you ever have to defend yourself (with words or techniques) please let someone know about it. Also, if you walk, ride a bike or the bus to school pay extra attention to who and what’s around you and report anything weird. Parents want and need to know if something isn’t right or if there is a change. If at all possible, don’t go alone and always follow the path you and your parents have decided is the safest route.
Remember to blend with all that happens. This can mean you have to physically move around something or someone, or it can mean keeping your mouth shut instead of jumping to conclusions and getting in an arguement. It’s tough, but NOT talking or reacting right away can sometimes help keep things civil. It also gives you time to consider why something has happened. Maybe there’s a reason that’s not immediately noticable. By taking even just a few moments to consider the events you allow yourself the opportunity to react more appropriately.
And, finally, remember to extend positive energy to all around you. Be the first to say hello, smile at people, help someone in need, be a good role model, do your best in everything and always be kind and respectful.
You learn Aikido techniques in the event you should have to defend yourself, but your Aikido training needs to be practiced daily by being a person you are proud of every day.
Good luck this school year and I look forward to all the fun we’re going to have on the mat!
Teresa Mastison Sensei
The Kids’ Corner article on safety has brought to my mind something that I think is crucial to a parent-child relationship and that is the existence of good communciation. To me this means an ongoing dialogue of life issues, an open door policy for whenever questions arise and creating an atmosphere of trust and security that whatever is discussed won’t be shared or ridiculed.
The topic of children and safety is a passion of mine and the kids’ article has stirred in me several strong memories and I ask for your patience as I try to make a point by sharing them.
In smaller cities like the one I grew up in years ago personal safety wasn’t really a big concern. I remember heading out on my bike in the morning and telling mom I’d see her later for dinner. I gave a general description of what I had planned for the day, but not always and it usually changed depending on which friend was home and available. There were plenty of times that no one even knew where I was because I was at my “secret” place. I often went there when I was bothered by something and needed time to think or I was mad and needed to vent. No one would have known where I was had anything happened to me. Another time when I was a teenager I was walking downtown alone when I thought I was going to be asked directions by someone in a car, but got exposed to indecency instead. I was very frighted so I returned to the store I just came out of to call home. No one answered so I walked home after checking to be sure that the individual was gone. Thank God I made it home okay. But what was I thinking walking home alone after that? I don’t even remember telling my parents about it. It’s not like they were mean or uncaring and I don‘t have any bad feelings about it (except the actual incident), we just didn’t talk about stuff much. To be sure we lived in another time where the need wasn’t as great and it was a much smaller and safer community than where my family is today. However, had there been a line of communication already established and practiced I imagine it would have helped me to discuss the incident as well as give me courage and help to report it to the police, which I don‘t remember doing. As I think of it, I usually just figured things out on my own or asked my friends. I guess it goes along with my independent nature, but I’m not sure why I didn’t go to my parents concerning this incident. As someone suggested to me, my brain had never dealt with this type of event before so I had no plan on how to deal with it.
But speaking as a parent now there’s nothing more I want than for my children to come to me if they have a question, a problem or want to discuss something. Heaven forbid anything like my incident should happen to them, but I want them to know that they can come to me for anything.
After writing the Kids’ Corner article and reliving these memories I just wanted to make a special plea to all parents, guardians, teachers or anyone in charge of children to ask questions and foster a relationship where they can come to you for whatever reason. If they don’t share very willingly you have to be the one to initiate the dialogue. They may not always like being “quizzed” but it may start some important discussions and they will remember you caring enough to ask. Listen to what they have to say and be attentive to what they need. The older they get the more they need to know you are available.
Teresa Mastison Sensei
Dojo Field Trip Our Saturday, September 11th’s class will be to attend the Arizona Aikido Fall Bridge Camp, featuring Hiroshi Ikeda and Mary Heiny. As usual, we will meet at Lucy Mailloux Sensei’s house for breakfast and then carpool to Prescott for the day. Be sure to bring a lunch and plenty of beverages for the day! If you have any question please see Sempai, Dojo Cho or myself.
If you have recently joined us I’d like to welcome you to Aikido of Phoenix. We hope you have an enjoyable time training and we encourage you to ask any of the instructors or fellow students if you should have questions at any time. We are glad to have you on the mat!
Each month that you train you will need to register with the city by filling out a registration form (online through the City’s website or at the location) and paying the city fee. You also need to pay the instructor fee for each month that you train. You may do that through our website (www.AikidoOfPhoenix.com) or at the dojo. You can register for multiple months at a time to help save a little time and effort. If you need to take a break you do not need to register, but as soon as you get back on the mat the city requires you to be registered. If you have any registration questions, don’t hesitate to ask another student, Sensei or myself. You can contact me through email on our website, at the dojo or give me a call at our new phone number (480-639-4628).
Teresa Mastison Sensei
The Mesa dojo will NOT have classes on Monday, Sept. 6 as the Red Mountain Center will be closed for the Labor Day holiday. Classes will resume on Friday, Sept. 10.
The Chandler dojo will NOT have classes on Tuesday, August 31 or Wednesday, September 1. The Community Center will be stripping and refinishing all the floors so we will not have room to train. Due to how the dates fall on the calendar each month still provides us with four weeks of training. Enjoy the break and we’ll see you when classes resume on Tuesday, Sept.
The South Chandler dojo will NOT have classes on Saturday, Sept. 4 or Monday, Sept. 6. The Snedigar Recreation Center will be closed in honor of Labor Day. Enjoy your long weekend and we’ll see you back on the mat Saturday, Sept. 11.
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