The Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
What’s the difference between autism and Asperger’s syndrome? What do they have in common? That’s a question that concerns many people.
Asperger’s syndrome and autism are both on the spectrum of Autism Disorder which also includes Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, etc. All these types of autism disorder present at least some of those symptoms: echolalia (repeating words said by others), abnormal social behavior, restricted range of interest, poor motor coordination and self-stimulating behavior.
Asperger’s syndrome is a mild form of autism. People suffer asperger’s don’t have communication delays as people with other forms of autism have, they function relatively well in terms of intelligence and social functions, and they often manage to go to school, graduate from colleges and live independently. Asperger’s syndrome is a specific type of “high-functioning autism”(HFA), which is characterized by poor social skills, advanced and overly formal language, and extensive, pervasive interest in a specific subject. It’s said that geniuses and people with asperger’s share same characteristics, because they both have narrow interests and are more focused and persistent on what they are doing than normal people. Many geniuses showed asperger’s traits, for example, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, George Orwell and H G Wells. It is widely said that the president of United States, George W. Bush, suffered from asperger’s syndrome too.
Both Asperger’s and Autism are subgroups of a larger diagnostic category called Autistic Spectrum Disorders(ASD), people can be affected by the disorder very differently form others.
ATV Kelly Blue Book
When people want to sell their motorcycles or ATVs they generally try to find what the current market values are for their vehicle. The main guide that is used by the industry and various individuals is that of the Kelly blue book. The Kelly blue book is updated from year to year. This makes it possible for you to find motorcycle and ATV Kelly blue book figures as well.
The Kelly blue book is basically reliable but there are a few factors that may need the appraisal of a private appraiser. These items are various aftermarket parts, paint and graphics jobs on the body of the ATV, the condition of the vehicle and the number of miles that have been used by the ATV.
Of course you don’t always need a private appraiser’s opinion when you are considering buying or selling a good conditioned ATV. The ATV Kelly blue book will usually have the values that dealers and ATV companies sell their stock for as well as the types of vehicles that they sell.
You can find the Kelly blue book at your local library, credit companies, book stores and sometimes you can also find the these blue books at your local ATV dealership. In addition to these venues you will also be able to find the ATV Kelly blue book on the internet. Of course the Kelly blue book is only a guideline for the various prices that you can expect from the ATV market.
There are some private ATV owners who will use the Kelly blue book price as maybe the beginning point for their pricing of the ATV. With these individuals you may be able to bargain the price of the ATV down to an amount that is acceptable to both of you. Now the one thing that you will need to take into consideration with second hand ATVs is that once the price has been finalized between the parties you can’t bring the price down to what is stated in the ATV Kelly blue book.
Now you must understand that the ATV Kelly blue book will give the current pricing for known ATV models that are in popular demand. As the market price is found from information given by ATV dealers and dealer surveys in addition to consumer sales information the Kelly blue book will not be able to supply you with information regarding ATVs or Motorcycles that are probable considered as collectors items.
Having access to the information in the ATV Kelly blue book will let you buy and sell your ATV for a good price that is acceptable to you. Also the Kelly blue book will give you the necessary information so that you are not taken in by unscrupulous dealers or sellers of ATVs.
What is Success and How Do We Achieve It?
To be clear about what success is must be the first step to achieving success.
So far, the best definition I have come across is: “Success is the completion of anything intended.” In other words success is finishing what you planned to do.
Even robbing a bank is a kind of success if that is what you wished to do. However, you probably did not intend to end up in prison!
The above definition of success shines a light on failure and success. Make a plan and follow it and you will have succeeded. Make a plan and do not follow it and you will have failed.
This gives a yard stick for judging every day of our lives. We can say at the end of the day “I have failed” or “I have succeeded.”
This may seem very obvious but it is amazing that only about 85% of the human race end up doing what they intended.
I asked several people what they thought success was. One person said that “Success is making loads of money.” Another said that success is “Achieving your goals”. Some one else said that success is “Fulfilling your potential”. An interesting answer was that success is “Making others jealous”.
Brian Tracy agrees with the connection between success and goals. He has said “Success is goals, and all else is commentary.” Tracy believes that people with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them.
Stuart Goldsmith in “The Midas Method” has an important section on how to set goals so that they are achieved using the full power of the subconscious mind.
Maria Nemeth gives this definition of success: “Doing what you said you would do, with ease”.
“Doing what you said you would do” is currently not achieved by the majority of the human race especially politicians! Doing it with ease is achieved by even fewer and requires making the most of the subconscious mind.
Jim Rohn argues that success is just a few simple disciplines practised daily.
The power of daily discipline is HUGE. Because the discipline is practised daily the effect is cumulative. The good practice is carried out 365 times a year with, perhaps, a few lapses.
It cannot fail to have tremendous influence. Once the discipline becomes a daily habit, it can be forgotten about until the rewards start coming in.
The writer who writes every day has written well over 300 pages by the end of the year. If he or she does not write every day they lose momentum and inspiration. If they keep up the writing (even just a few words a day) a magnet for relevant thoughts develops.
Recently a Liverpool student of American media studies applied for 600 jobs and received only one interview which he failed. He decided to write a novel. He determined to complete ten pages a day. He worked in the evenings at a dead end job to make money and then wrote until about 5 in the morning at his novel which has now become famous. It also looks like becoming a Hollywood blockbuster film.
He points out that if you write only one page a day for 100 days you can write a screen play. He wrote his novel by studying the structure of two other novels and noticing how they were structured and wrote his screenplay after studying video of films and noticing how long each scene lasted before there was a change.
I can’t remember his name or the name of his book as I just happened to hear part of his interview on television.
The practice of daily disciplines alone can change our lives totally. Another benefit of daily disciplines is that they quickly create habits and habits create character.
A great quote by Jim Ryun, the American Athlete, is as follows
“Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going”
Another brilliant quote is:
“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”
Albert Einstein
The next quote says more or less the same thing:
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” Henry David Thoreau
Many would argue that success is not about making money but about developing oneself into a person who is valuable to others.
However, this quite often will lead to making money because people will pay for value. Any one who is very good at their job can usually command whatever pay they wish.
Adam Hollioake is one of the most successful English county cricket captains. He realised what is important in life when his brother Ben was killed in a car accident in Perth Australia. Adam learned that he should be kind to people and have fun and “that’s what life is about.”
His view of success in cricket is not necessarily winning. He is not afraid to lose a cricket match. He is only concerned that his team put 100% effort into the game. He comments:
“If we do put that effort in we usually win anyway”.
Success then is putting in 100% effort whatever the results. More often than not, however, the results will be excellent.
Michael Angier has a great definition of success.
“Success is the result of steadily taking action on our most important goals. When we consistently focus our energies and our efforts upon what matters most, we can’t help but be successful”.
Angier also admires Ralph Waldo Emerson’s comments on success:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded.”
What are the causes of failure and success?
William James, the great American psychologist, puts failure down to lack of faith in one self
“There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man’s lack of faith in his true self.”
Faith in one self is a huge part of success. Stuart Goldsmith in “The Midas Method” talks about two kinds of belief that are necessary for success. You must believe that you deserve to succeed and you must believe that you have the ability to succeed.
Another big cause of success is discipline.
“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success.” Brian Tracy
Another cause is the willingness to try to succeed even if the possiblity of success is remote.
“Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.”
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) American Writer
My computer guru, Danny believes that you should hold on to your dream in all circumstances and never let go. Grab hold of your vision with an iron fist and even if you are down on your luck and in the gutter never give up.
Danny himself has held on to a dream for 22 years. His dream is to develop the best languages translator in the world.
It does not matter if you are 72 – grab hold of your dream. Actually visualize your hand holding on to that dream. Too many people are worn down by life and give up their dreams.
Every dream is personal but the principle is the same. You are an idiot if you let go. You have to have a reason for living. Set yourself a goal and never let go until you die.
There is nothing you can’t do. If you can’t swim 10 lengths without a rest, train for a few months and you will be able to swim 50 lengths.
Danny’s comments about swimming reminded me about how little is taught at school about how training can improve your abilities.
At my school in the Isle of Man, there was an annual half mile swim in the sea. I knew I would drown if I attempted this but no one ever suggested that I start training hard so that I would be capable of completing the swim.
I was just classified as someone who could not do the swim. It did not occur to me that through determined training I would be able to do what I could not previously do.
When Danny was young he was a skinny weakling. But one day he decided that this was not a good thing. He filled out and did some weight training and set up his own fitness, strength and flexibility routine.
He performs this every other day. This avoids the boredom of a daily routine. He does 200 situps, 30-50 leg raises and three or four sets of 20-30 bench presses.
He also does 2 sets of 20 or 30 squats with dumbells to develop leg power. The dumbbells avoid the danger of overbalancing with a barbell across your shoulders. There is also little likelihood that you will drop the dumbbells on children or family pets! Dumbells allow for greater control than barbells.
Danny’s advice for success is to do something. If in doubt, read a book. The worst thing you can do is sit on your backside watching TV. If you do, nothing will ever happen. He notes the hypnotic effect of TV on the spectators. Danny seldom ever watches TV.
Danny also is impressed by Arnold Schwarzenegger who has just been elected Governor of California. If Arnold wants something, he does what is necessary to get that thing. If he had to eat 50 mars bars, he would eat them. If he had to stand stark naked on his head in a field for half an hour he would.
This is an example to us all. If you have to put stamps on thousands of envelopes to send out your direct mail sales letters, you just have to do it.
The basic principle is that you have to do what is required. Some things require certain actions to achieve them and you have to do them whether you like doing them or not.
It is no good saying I want to be Governor of California but I don’t want to do any public speaking or travel on the campaign trail or be friendly to thousands of people you don’t like. You have to pick up babies and smile at people you may not like.
If you want to be rich you have to do those things which will make you rich. It’s no good saying “I don’t really want to do it.” Danny gives himself a virtual smack round the head every time he is tempted to give up on his projects.
Some people think they will make money by taking short cuts like suing people or fraud. The world would be a much better place if people just got on with doing what they had to do.
Many successful people stress the importance of action in achieving success.
Michael Masterson of the Ezine “Early to Rise” writes:”Action is the key to success, and failure to act is the reason most people will never achieve the kind of success they dream about”
Another approach to achieving success is to stay cool about it. Just get on with doing what you think is important and what you love to do.
“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.” Sir David Frost
Elvis Presley gave his cousin Donna some advice to help her achieve her goals for the future. It seems good advice to me:
Donna’s best memory of Elvis was when she was 18 and she spoke to him one on one. He asked her about her plans for the future and told her she could achieve anything she wanted “so long as you have faith in God;have faith in yourself; work hard and never let anyone tell you, you can’t do something”.
Elvis himself had plenty of discouragement which he successfully ignored. The later part of his life was not too successful but as Donna commented, we should focus on what he did achieve which was amazing.
Peter Vidmar explains how he achieved success at the Olympic Games:
“There’s only two things I had to do to win the Olympic gold: Train when I wanted to, and train when I didn’t.”
This is possibly my favourite quote of all time. It sums up the essence of success and the will power and discipline necessary to achieve it. Sometimes training will be easy but sometimes it will take effort because one really does not feel like training. This is simple and beautifully easy to understand.
Another quote I like is concerned with the kind of success which depends on people liking your work or product. Don’t worry about whether they will like your work. Just do your best and leave the liking or disliking up to them.
“Success has a simple formula: ‘Do your best and people may like it’”.
Sam Ewing
Any success involves some kind of cost; usually some boring work is involved as suggested in the following quote. The word ‘drudgery’ sums this kind of work up exactly. Almost any kind of business involves marketing and marketing is the last thing many businessmen enjoy doing.
“Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours”.
Orison Swett Marden, 1850-1924.
Mike Litman comes up with golden statements frequently. Here is just one of them:
“The biggest secret of success in life is: You don’t have to get it right; you just have to get it going. Perfectionism can kill success. We never get going because we are always waiting to get everything just right. Instead, let’s get going.”
One success breeds another. Bobby Robson, now over 70, is one of Britain’s most successful managers. He should know what creates success. He recently commented about his team’s performances:
“Success breeds success”
This makes sense. Write one successful book and you will have the confidence to write another. A lady over 70 wrote a book about overcoming the pain of arthritis. It was a huge success to her total amazement and made hundreds of thousands of dollars. Not surprisingly she has now written two more books.
Success is a key goal for most people but it helps to have a clear idea of what success means to you. I hope this article will have shed some light on possible definitions of success and provided some ideas about how you can achieve your kind of success. 2500
Top 10 Tips on How To Write About Yourself
Many people find it really hard to write for business and marketing purposes about themselves and/or their product or service – much harder than it is to write about someone or something else. If that sounds familiar, read on; in this article a professional business writer shares her top tips on how to write about yourself and what you do, efficiently and effectively.
1. Before you do anything else, ask yourself not what you want to say, but what you want to achieve with the text. Be honest with yourself and don’t be overly ambitious. Once you’ve clearly identified your objective keep it in mind throughout the writing exercise. You’ll find that keeps you on track far more effectively – what you want to achieve should define what you say.
2. Forget modesty. As an experienced salesperson would say, “if you don’t think you’re good, why the hell should I?” Equally of course you don’t want to exaggerate your strengths – that can lead to problems when you’re eventually called upon to deliver! But be realistic about what you can do and don’t be afraid to describe it in a positive light.
3. A useful way to achieve tip #2 is to step outside of yourself and regard yourself as a product or better still, as a brand. For the purposes of this exercise you are not Mary Doe the person. You are writing about Mary Doe the brand. It’s not as difficult as it sounds; write in the third person to start with, if you find that more comfortable. Imagine you’re a colleague writing about you.
4. Bear in mind that whoever reads this text probably won’t care much about you; they’ll only care about what you can do for them. Structure everything with that in mind. If you need to include factual/statistical information (educational details, qualifications, etc.) then make sure you stick it in a box so it’s visually separated from the main text.
5. Where possible, identify the audience who will be reading your text and aim your writing squarely at them. It’s possible that the “core” of your text can remain the same for a number of different purposes, with individual “tops and tails” aimed at specific audiences. The more relevant your text is to the reader – telling him/her how you and your service meet their needs – the more successful the text will be.
6. First person or third person? In point #3 we suggest writing in the third person to make it easier for you to regard yourself in an objective light. However there are times when you may need to present your text in the first person – e.g. in a letter or email. Try where possible to use the third person – if for no other reason than it gives you more leeway to write enthusiastically about yourself.
7. Follow the rules of modern business writing; keep it simple. Use “active voice” rather than “passive voice” where possible. Keep your sentences down to a sensible length and use no more than three or four sentences per paragraph. Use cross headings and “pullouts” to break your text up visually and allow the reader to pick up on the main points.
8. Where appropriate, use short clips of testimonials from existing clients or customers. Avoid the pleasantly banal bits and use phrases and sentences that have some meaning and bite. A sentence or two normally is plenty – any more and the reader will probably just skim over it.
9. Be sure that your grammar, spelling and punctuation are right. Although standards have been slipping in the last few years the recent publication of “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” has focused everyone’s attention on the tekkie bits of writing again. Goofs of this nature make your text, and you, look amateurish.
10. Do a reality check on your text after you’ve completed it. Show it to friends and colleagues and ask not if they “like” it, but if they feel it represents you fairly – and if not, why not. Then take other people’s opinions on board, but don’t lose sleep over them. At the end of the day you probably know yourself, and your market, better than anyone else. Don’t be afraid to make final judgments.
Awkward Moments
- When you’ve already said goodbye to someone before a long trip or even to leave somewhere for good, but you end up having to come back moments later for something you forgot. The original goodbye loses all of its sentimental value. Awkward!
- When you’re walking down a long hallway and someone you know is approaching from the other end. What can you do after the initial wave? You can’t really yell all the way down at them, and it’s kind of creepy to just smile the whole time until they get close enough for a conversation. Eeh. Time to pretend-check your cell phone or tie your shoe.
- When you come out of the store and you feel the eyes of a charity collector burning into you as you try to get to your car, except even if you did want to donate, all you have is a credit card. You can’t make eye contact, or it’s all over. This would be a perfect time to engage your cloaking device if you have one.
- When you’re driving and some idiot cuts you off, you get next to him and give the finger, he gives you the “what the hell is your problem?!” look, and then the upcoming light turns red. Now you have to sit next to each other for the next 90 seconds, and, unless you’re the type to get out of your car and punch his window out, just pretend to press buttons on the radio until the light turns green. Extra fun bonus: See how many CD tracks you can fast-forward through while he/she stares at you.
- When you’re walking your dog and she stops to poop in the only yard whose owners are sitting on the front porch. Hopefully you brought a bag with you or you’re not gonna be a huge hit with the neighbors…
- When you’re visiting someone and the only photo they have of you features you in the exact same clothes you’re wearing.
- When you have a mild road rage incident with someone, only to find out they work with you or live on your street.
- When you profess your undying hate for a given profession or sport, and someone in your group is a diehard practitioner of said activity. Oops.
- When your young child tries out some newfound curse words at a crowded store or social function. “But daddy’s allowed to say it!”
Christmas Quotes
An occasion as warm as Christmas has rightly inspired wonderful thoughts and nice quotes on it. These Christmas quotes are many and are worth a glance for anyone who’d like to be in the spirit of the holidays and share some warm notes with all far and near. From Shakespeare, Longfellow to Dickens and Scott, today’s literature can boast of a plethora of Christmas quotes that will keep nurturing the warmth and goodness of Christmas through time. So as you celebrate Christmas full throttle, stop and spare some moments to sink deep in the Christmas quotes. Here are some:
At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May’s new fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows.
~William Shakespeare
I heard the bells on CHRISTMAS Day. Their old familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat. Of peace on earth goodwill to men.
~ Henry. W. Longfellow
So stick up ivy and the bays, and then restore the heathen ways, green will remind you of the Spring, though this great day denies the thing, and mortifies the earth, and all, but your wild revels, and loose hall.
~Henry Vaughan
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do.
If you haven’t got a ha’penny, then God bless you.
~English traditional Christmas rhyme
I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year.
~Charles Dickens
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
~Clement C. Moore
England was merry England, when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
‘Twas Christmas broach’d the mightiest ale;
‘Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
A poor man’s heart through half the year.
~Sir Walter Scott
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
Star and angels gave the sign.
~Christina Rossetti
Find the Best Mortgage Refinance Companies
There are very many mortgage refinance companies in the world today. You can choose from private companies or public companies. You will find that one type of such companies will have the backing up of a bank. Financial institutions have also been known to be joining the mortgage refinancing sector. You might be having a problem when finding such companies.
The process to get one of the good mortgage refinance companies is illustrated below. Research would be the first step. Of the companies that are in your area, find out which of them have had the least number of disagreements with their clients.
A company that has had very few disagreements is a company that one can trust. It means that they are serious about their business and they give their clients satisfaction. You can also check their duration in the business. Due to the high level of cons that have been happening all over, it would be prudent to choose a company that has been in business for several years at least.
This will give you security when you are dealing with them. It also means that they have been in the business long enough to able to know the pros and cons of the business. The mortgage refinance companies that have been in the business for long have a higher chance of having the best interest rates in the market.
Alternatively you can inquire from close relatives and friends on which mortgage refinance companies they have used. Having had first hand experience with a company, a relative or a friend can be able to direct you on the do’s and don’ts of mortgage refinancing.
They can be able to tell you of their experience with certain companies this can help you in saving time that one would use to physically find out for themselves the history of a certain company. They may also warn you on companies that they have had a bad experience with. Another method that one can find a mortgage company is through the internet.
There are very many online mortgage companies that can be found on the internet. From these sites you will be able to find which companies will work best for you. You can contact them and inquire with a few questions before you make up your mind. Online refinance companies are easier to research as they are on the internet and in a few hours you will have gotten one that suits you.
Learn to Speak Basic Chinese (Mandarin) Words and Phrases
The Chinese Language and dialects
Each province, each city and even each village speaks their own dialect. There are hundreds of Chinese dialects in China so much so that each dialect speaker is not likely to understand another dialect speaker from another village or city. Fortunately, Mandarin, the official dialect, is understood by all dialect speakers.
Let’s learn a few useful basic and common Mandarin words and phrases that will help you break barriers with your Chinese friends.
How are You? -Ni Hao Ma
Also commonly shorten to Ni Hao.
This is likely to be the first Mandarin phrase that you will ever learn. Useful as a greeting or a ice-breaker. Suitable for use with all ages and professions.
Thank You -Xie Xie.
Another polite term that is easy to remember and use.
Very Good -Hen Hao.
This is useful when giving praise for a job or task well done. Also useful as a reply to anyone who says “Ni Hao Ma?’ to you.
Ni Hao Ma? (How are you?)
Hen Hao (Very Good)
No Good -Bu Hao.
This is useful when there is a need to comment on a shoddy or incomplete job or task. Can also be used as a reply to Ni Hao Ma? but may not be such a good reply.
Ni Hao Ma? (How are you?)
Bu Hao (No Good)
Very Expensive -Hen Gui.
When bargaining at the shops, this is the best term to use when driving a hard bargain.
Don’t want or No -Bu Yao.
This is the best term to use for touts – street hawkers who approach you at every tourist stop to ask you to buy things. Bu Yao….will stop them in their track.
This is beautiful -Hen Piao Liang.
Use this phrase to praise something that is nice or beautiful. May also be used when meeting a pretty girl too!
Taxi -De Shi.
De Shi is the correct term but you should be understood even if you use the English word for Taxi. They sound alike anyway.
Good Bye or See You Again -Zai Jian.
Well, I guess this is another term that will be easily understood even if the English word is used.
Excuse Me -Jie Guo.
There is always a crowd in touristy areas. There are so many Chinese who wants to see the same monuments too. Rather than push your way through the crowd, using the term Jie Guo may just open the path ahead for you!
Receipt -Fa Piao.
Always ask for the receipt or Fa Piao at the shops or from a taxi. This may be useful if you need to complain about a fraud or shoddy product. Also useful if you leave behind your bag or camera in the taxi.
I don’t want -Wo Bu Yao.
Useful when refusing a tout or when offered a drink too many at the Dinner table.
Benefits of Martial Arts Training For Kids
Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we’ve all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.
But when your five-year old yells at you “Mom, Kids Rule!” or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these “family programs” really teach our kids. And sadly, its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded “bling bling” pop culture of today.
Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is a solution out there to consider.
Martial Arts training.
From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid
You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?
First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.
Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.
Comparing that to other kid’s activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.
Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70′s, when I was growing up!
The Advantages
o Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.
o Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.
o Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.
o Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training are safer than most school sports.
o Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.
Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?
Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class you see, take some time to check out the different methods available, and match it with what you know would suit your child best. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sprout from a conflict of your child’s personality and the training techniques.
Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class that doesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training) but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better for him. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer the more forceful moves and thrive in competitive sparring.
Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts training you’re likely to find:
Martial Arts From Japan
Karate
o Uses defensive and aggressive moves
o Centers on building strength and endurance
o Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring
o May use weapons
Jujitsu
o Uses defensive and aggressive moves
o Involves lots of sparring
o Teaches a fair amount of weapons training
Aikido
o Uses a more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirecting the aggression of the attacker as the form of defense, using throws, pins, rolls etc.
o Taught on the premise of disabling an aggressor without attacking, through your individual inner energy
o Does not involve sparring or competitions
Judo
o Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements
o Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts
o Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development
o Engages in competitions
Martial Arts From China
Kung-Fu
o The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with a variety of styles
o Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques
o Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling, katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.
o Engages in sparring competitions
Martial Arts From Korea
Taekwondo
o Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaborate footwork and unique high kicks.
o Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.
o Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.
Choosing The Right Instruction
If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d like your child to participate in, the next step would be to find the right school. Finding the right class that not only matches your child’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feel comfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are all important factors.
Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate for Kids. What are the things you should look for?
1. Good Instructors
Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watch carefully how they interact with the other children. It should be a fun learning experience!
2. Space and Safety
Obviously you would want to entrust your child in as establishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean with ample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.
3. School Values
Different martial arts schools inevitably go by different values, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handle aggression in one way, while a judo class would have a different approach. Take some time to observe which school’s ideals match your family’s principles.
4. Prices and Schedules
Prices for martial arts training can vary according to school and location, so make sure you the instruction you choose represents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fit martial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is also essential, knowing what works best with your schedule and other activities.
Baby Blackbelts
Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (children as young as the age of four are usually accepted, as it is also a good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents have found that in as little as a year, their children who were involved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traits such as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physical fitness.
Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training program themselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entire family.
How to Write a Newspaper Article Quickly and Easily!
Articles in a newspaper are quick and to the point, not infused with a whole lot of personal opinion or evaluation, and tend towards the facts plain and simple as you can possibly imagine. This style may not seem like a lot of fun to write, but it is one of the most important types of stories and writing skills that you could possibly have. After all, newspapers employ more writers than any other writing industry, and even most companies who are not in the writing industry will look to hire people for writing newspaper articles. So, if you’re a writer, then you need to learn how to write a newspaper article quickly. And if you need to learn how to write newspaper article quickly, then follow this simple guide.
All good newspaper articles start off with a good headline that will entice the reader to follow up and read the whole article, so it would be remiss of me not to cover the basics in this how-to guide for writing newspaper articles. The type of headline will likely be determined by your placement in the newspaper if you write for a physical product, so make sure to have plenty handy. If your article is to appear on the cover, something enticing will work well, however, if you’re stuck on the inside pages, you need to stick to the facts and write a more generic title. Your title also might need to be shortened depending on what kind of space has been allotted for your article. For online magazines and publications, you should find a more enticing title that will tell them about the key idea of your article, but mention that it contains a “surprise” or a “secret.” These two words drive more clicks than you can possibly imagine, and work very well for driving people to your articles.
For the body of the article, you need to find some good quotes from interviews. Nothing brings people in like quotes. It will make your article more personable and give it a human quality, plus it allows you to break the flow of facts.
There should be no more than three sentences per paragraph. If you have more to add about a particular topic, you should revisit it after a relevant quote or at the end of the article. Your article will be cramped into a corner and put in thin columns, so writing with short paragraphs will look more appealing and readable. Most people forget this, and will write long and interesting paragraphs, full of information, but will wonder why so many people skip reading them.
The last thing you need to know about how to write newspaper articles is that your article should contain a picture. Words are less powerful than a picture, and a captivating picture will make or break your readability. Without a picture, your article looks dry and unimportant. With a picture, you will suddenly gain notoriety and visibility.
If you follow those simple steps, then you will have learned the basics of how to write a newspaper article, and you can write a newspaper article quickly and easily. If you want to learn how to make some money with your newspaper articles, then click here to learn how to make money with your newspaper articles.