All Posts By

Andrew Dunn

Motivational Monday

Dear Hapkido Family:

· While we are keeping our physical distance, staying socially and emotionally connected is more important than ever. The National Mental Health Commission has come together with mental health organisations, experts and leaders to launch #InThisTogether – a national conversation that everyone can join in on, sharing practical tips online to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australians during #COVID19.

· Coronavirus is changing the way we live, work and connect. Looking after our mental health and staying connected is important. Follow and share these practical tips, and seek support when you need it. We are #InThisTogether.

Staying at home can be lonely but there are things that can help. It’s more important than ever that you stay socially and emotionally connected even if you are physically distancing. Make a daily commitment to connect with families, friends and your communities. Be creative in the way you connect and help those who may not be technologically savvy to navigate connection during this time.

Check-in with yourself and be kind. Some of us may be providing support to many people at the moment. Don’t forget that this is challenging for everyone and you need to take care of you also. Learn and practice new coping skills. Monitor how YOU are feeling and seek support when you need it. At this time of anxiety and concern, be kind to yourself.

Take regular breaks from work, news, phone calls and family demands. Your mind needs rest and time to reboot to reduce anxiety and stress; You will benefit from ‘switching off’. Taking some time each day to do something that allows your mind to relax is good for your mental health. Get sweaty by doing a Hapkido session. Activate the feel good hormones.

Even the smallest amount of exercise has great benefits for your physical and mental health. Try not to sit in one place all day. If you can, go for a walk, run or ride outdoors by yourself. If you’re staying inside– YouTube is your friend with thousands of free exercise guides from stretching to high intensity. And there are the patterns on our Hapkido website as well as the postings from Instructors on Facebook or club websites.

Stay well, Stay Connected

Master Butterworth

I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside. Wayne Dyer

 

Motivational Monday

 

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY with MASTER BUTTERWORTH

Dear Hapkido Family:

I never expected that my first Motivational Monday would be what is to follow. It was going to be about setting goals. As the world and our lives appear to be on pause I thought it more important to put on my Psychologist’s hat and share with you some suggestions which I have been receiving through my work.

Strategies to cope with stress, anxiety or distress

When many things feel uncertain or out of our control, one of the most effective ways we can manage stress and anxiety is to focus on the actions that are in our control. Here are some ways you can take intentional steps to look after your physical and emotional wellbeing during this challenging time:

Learn how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The Australian Department of Health has recommended important actions we can all take to protect against infection and prevent the virus from spreading including: practicing good hygiene, self-isolating, and social (physical) distancing.

Acknowledge your feelings. Whatever you are feeling right now, know that it’s okay to feel that way. Allow yourself time to notice and express what you’re feeling. This could be through journalling, talking with others, or channeling your emotions into something creative (e.g., drawing, painting, poetry, music). Mindfulness or mediating can help us stay grounded in the midst of an emotional storm. You can learn how to witness and let thoughts and feelings come and go in their own time, without getting overwhelmed by them. This helps to settle and calm the body.

Practice Self-Care. To help encourage a positive frame of mind, it is important to look after yourself. Everybody practices self- care differently. Even if you’re in self-quarantine, or working from home, there are many ways to look after yourself. Examples can include:

• making time for activities and hobbies you enjoy such as your Hapkido. You can always practice your patterns, kicks and pole patterns at home by following along with the videos on the website.

• keeping up a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet. Remember to breathe- take slow, deep breaths to induce the calming response.

• exercising regularly, getting quality sleep and avoiding the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to cope with stress

During this time of change, it’s natural for our minds to think of all the usual activities we may not be able to do at the moment. This is especially relevant to us as Hapkido students. Like me, I’m sure you all look forward to your weekly Hapkido training sessions. Make a conscious shift to focus on the activities we are still able to do, or those that we may have more opportunity to do if we’re at home more often. Some ideas could be to:

· Keep learning and maintaining your study

· Read a book

· Listen to a podcast

· Try out a new hobby or skill (e.g., cook a new recipe, play an instrument, learn a language, learn how to sew, gardening).

· Stay connected with others, so you’re not feeling socially isolated or lonely. Schedule a Hapkido workout together over a video chat with a fellow student.

Keep things in perspective. In a situation that’s uncertain, it’s natural to have many ‘what if?’ questions in our minds. In the absence of information, our anxious mind will often fill in the blanks with worst case scenarios, which can leave us feeling overwhelmed, helpless, or vulnerable. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to shift your thinking from catastrophizing to a more helpful mindset:

· What are the things within my control?

· Am I overestimating the likelihood of the worst-case scenario?

· What strategies have helped me cope with challenging situations in the past that will serve me well during this time?

· What is a small helpful or positive action that I can take now?

Wishing you all emotional, mental & spiritual peace, health and wellness.

We are all in this together and together we will come through it.

 

AHA Annual Camp

Australian Hapkido Association
Autumn Camp – 3-5 April 2020

 

It’s fun, it’s friendly, it’s exhausting and exhilarating, it’s the AHA’s annual Autumn Training Camp! And now is the time to register to attend!

This year’s camp will be held at the NSW State Sport and Rec centre at Point Wolstonecroft – 90 minutes north of Sydney.

The camp is a great mix of training, fitness and fun that will allow you make a huge leap in your understanding of Hapkido and at the same time meet other like-minded martial artists. The focus will be on Hapkido, health, fitness and so the Masters and senior black belts have requested this years camp be alcohol free.

 

Registering for the camp is a two-step process.

Step one –  register (and pay) via the AHA website.

Step two – Once you have registered you will receive an email containing a link to the NSW Dept of Sport and Rec online Medical and Consent form, which you must complete. Note: a separate form is required for each and every attendee. This is compulsory whether you are training or not – i.e. non-training parents/guardians must complete a form for themselves too. Failure to complete this form (by Friday 13 March 2020) will mean that Point Wolstonecroft will not consider you to have registered, rendering you unable to attend the camp.

Prices:

Full weekend – training adult (18 years and over) – $255

Full weekend – NON-training adult (18 years and over) – $200

Full weekend – child (5-17 years) – $190

Saturday only – $95*

Sunday only – $75*

(* Note: these day-only prices include your lunch and the Dept’s site access and usage fee of approximately $20)

The full camp price includes all meals and accommodation from Friday evening till Sunday after lunch. Note the last training session of the camp is Sunday morning 9am to 12 noon, followed by lunch and tidy up of the lodges.

Bring a pillow case (mandatory – camp rules) and either (1) a sleeping bag or (2) sheets and a doona, also toiletries. (Pillows are supplied). A suggested packing list will be provided closer to the camp weekend.

Important info for parents/guardians

 

All children under the age of 15 years must be under the supervision of a parent or guardian for the entire weekend. The AHA does not provide general supervision for unaccompanied children. If you have a child or children under the age of 15 years who wish to attend the camp unaccompanied by you, you will need to discuss this with their instructor BEFORE registering your child/ren. Either your child’s instructor or another adult from their club must agree to act as guardian to your child/ren for that weekend for your child/ren to be able to attend.

 

Black Belt Training

Black Belt training has been scheduled for the last Sunday of each month, from 8:30-10:30am.

First training session for 2020 is on Sunday 23 February

Held at AHA Headquarters in Brookvale. Unit H, 134-140 Old Pittwater Road , Brookvale.

Cost for each session $25 payable at the time of class.

Similar to last year, we will be hosting various of our senior Instructors each month to impart their knowledge in specific aspects of Hapkido. We will begin this month with Master Geister teaching who will use this session to get through some of the Black Belt Syllabus to  get an indication of where everyone is at regarding their training. Our attendance levels were generally  good throughout last year, but there were still quite a few of you who only got along to only one or two if that. This is your chance to train with higher level Black Belts from all over Australia, and learn from each other to take back to your own schools. I highly recommend you put the dates in your Calendars one year in advance, and try and plan your social life to try and incorporate these sessions into your monthly schedule.

Instructors and the planned content for each session will be available soon.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the mats

2020 Annual Camp

The 2020 camp has been booked for the weekend of 3-5 April and will be held at the NSW State Sport and Recreation centre at Point Wolstonecroft.

More details , including pricing, will be made available soon. In the meantime check out the video from last years camp!

 

Christmas Holiday Closures

Most Dojang’s will be taking a break over the Christmas New Year period. Here are the holiday closing dates for the various clubs.

Brookvale

Last Night Grading 18th Dec    (Final Training session Monday 16th Dec)
First Class Back  Adults and Teenagers  Mon 20th Jan 
Kids Classes Wed 29th January
 
Central Coast
Last training sessions for this year on Saturday 21 December 2019 and will reopen on Saturday 4 January 2020.
 
Redhead
Closed from 19/12/19 to 20/1/20
 
Murwillumbah
Will be finishing on 17th December and recommencing on the 21st January.
 
Glebe
Last day is on Mon 16th Dec 2019 and we will re-open on 20th Jan 2020.
 
Hills
last classes of 2019 will be:
Riverstone – Monday, 16 December 2019
Dural – Tuesday, 17 December 2019
 
First Classes of 2020:
Riverstone – Monday, 3 February 2020
Dural – Tuesday, 4 February 2020
 
Port Macquarie 
last session on Thursday 12 Dec and start 2020 on 30 Jan 202
 
Stanwell Park 
Closing date for 2019 is Thursday 19th Dec.
Will reopen on Thursday 30th January 2020.
 
Mullumbimby
Last class is Wednesday, December 18th 2019
Classes resume as follows:
Adults Evening Class resumes Wednesday, January 22nd 2020
Kids and Luminous Youth Classes resume Wednesday, January 29th 2020