Tien Lung Christmas Party

Only one week left to get your tickets! Don't miss out!

This year the Christmas Party will take place at the Millwoods Rec Center! The party will run from 4:15 - 6:15 p.m., Sunday, December 14th!
The cost for tickets is:
$10.00 ($8.00 BBC & $7.00 MC)

Your ticket includes:
- Your admission to the pool
- A visit from Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus (Children under the age of 12 will receive a gift from Santa Claus)
- Black Belt Recognition!
- The Tenet & Most Improved Student Awards!
- A great time socializing with your fellow classmates and Instructors from both the North and South side schools!

Friends & family are welcome to come too! Bring a friend and fulfill your Qualification Requirement. Your tickets MUST be purchased by Friday, December 5th at the Front Desk.

December 2008 Black Belt Exam

Another Black Belt exam is coming up quickly on December 12 & 13!

Anyone who is examining is required to attend the final qualification code meeting with Sabumnym Wisniewski on Friday December 5th, 2008. You must have all your examination requirements completed. Be prepared to show all your required certificates and hand in your essay (if applicable).

All students examining for their Black Belt also need to sign up and pay for the fitness part of the exam at the Front Desk, the cost is $15.00.

Please note: Red Belts also need to register for and complete their practice fitness exam this weekend as part of their qualification code requirement.

Schedule of Events:
** Please note that this schedule is tentative and is subject to change** Please watch for any variations closer to exam date

Saturday, December 6, 2008
10:00 am-12:00 pm: Written Exam

Friday, December 12, 2008
6:00-8:00 pm: Fitness Exam
Edmonton Garrison Fitness Center Building
Military Fitness Building, Edmonton Garrison
(Look for the Tien Lung Van!)
All aspects of fitness exam will be done at the Garrison. [Note: Please meet the Instructors in front of the facility at 5:30 pm]
8:30-9:45 pm: Self Defense - At the North Dojang
9:45-10:45 pm: Step Sparring

Saturday, December 13, 2008
(All at the North Dojang)
9:30-11:00 am: Patterns
11:00-12:30 pm: Lunch
12:30-1:00 pm: Sparring
1:00-2:00 pm: Breaking

Sunday, December 14, 2008
(At Northlands Agricom)
10:30 am-12:00 pm: Students Check In
12:00-2:00 pm.: Graduation Ceremony

Mini Dragons Winter Session
(Parents & Tots)

Tien Lung is now taking registration for January's Parents & Tots (Mini Dragons) session. There are two Saturday morning classes available, one at 10:15 a.m. and one at 11:00 a.m. beginning on January 10th, this is a 10-week session. Each child will receive a free T-shirt and belt, and at the end of the session, will earn an achievement star to go on their belt. There are only 12 spots available per class. Your child will receive a different colour shirt and star each session! See the Front Desk to register!

Does your child attend daycare or are you looking for an after school care alternative?

Your child doesn't need to attend a boring daycare anymore! Speak to one of our staff members about enrolling your child in Daily Dragons NOW! All of our routes are filling up fast, so sign up now before it is too late!

Just imagine getting five days a week of Taekwon-Do classes + PD Days + Camps (all year round)! The Competitive and Leadership programs are also included in the cost of Daily Dragons. If your child wants to earn his/her black belt after school, Tien Lung's Daily Dragon Program is the right place!

We are currently picking up from:

Aurora
Belvedere
Bishop Greschuk
Bishop Savaryn
Calder
Coronation
Crestwood
Delton
Delwood
Dovercourt
Elmwood
Father Leo Green
Grandin
Grovenor
Highlands
Inglewood
John A. McDougall
Katherine Therrien
Lauderdale
Lynwwod
Montrose
Mount Royal
Norwood
Oliver
Our Lady of Peace
Riverdale
St. Angela
St. Bonaventure
St. Francis
St. Lucy
St. Pius X
Victoria
Virginia Park
Westglen

T.L.P. Meeting

The next T.L.P. meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 9th at 5:15 p.m. Please plan to attend if you are currently in or want to join the T.L.P.

The T.L.P. program is for students who want learn to become leaders both inside and outside of Tien Lung Taekwon-Do. This program also trains you to become one of our Tien Lung Instructors and is open to any students who are Blue Belt and above and at least 10 years of age.

Tien Lung Early Dragons, your alternative to morning Day Care!

We are now offering Early Dragons as an alternative to morning Day Care! Your child not have to attend a boring daycare in the morning, they receive additional Taekwon-Do classes and get to have even more fun here at Tien Lung. We also drive your child to school in the morning. Please speak to Miss Schwanke for more information.

December Pro-Shop Sale

This month the Tien Lung gym bags are on sale! These are a great way to get all of your gear to and from class in style! Pick one up for yourself or even as a gift today!

Christmas Wish lists

When you look around the dojang, you will notice new Christmas Century catalogues. If you/your child would like something from these catalogues for Christmas, please pick up your wish list from the Front Desk. This wish list can then be given to your parents or the front desk so they know what you/your child would like for the holidays as a gift.

Tien Lung Weekend Seminar 2

Come and learn directly from Sabumnyms Wisniewski on February 21, 22 & 23, 2009!

This course is open to all students of all levels and this particular weekend will cover a range of topics from sparring concepts and drills, black belt sparring techniques to pressure points and learn how to judge and referee!

Mark your calendar, as this seminar is MANDATORY in order to examine for your BLACK BELT. So be sure to plan in advance if you will be examining for your Black Belt in April, August or December of 2009, you will need to take this course if you haven't already done so. The more seminars you go to the better off you will be!

This is a great opportunity to review your basics, even for Black Belts. Besides, what a great way to spend the weekend, surrounded by other martial art enthusiasts having a blast all weekend long!

The seminar fee is $150.00, BBC $120.00 MC $105.00. Please see the Front Desk to register.

Canadian National Championships

Thank you so much to all our fantastic volunteers. Your commitment to the school and your children is what makes Tien Lung events the best events in Canada. And thank you to all of you who have mentioned that you are gong to help at the next tournament. A little extra help will make things run even smoother. Again, the added bonus to those of you who volunteered is that you got to be right on the floor with your child(ren).

Congratulations to all the competitors who won medals at the Canadian National Championships!

Tien Lung Taekwon-Do is taking 16 Students to Russia, in October 2009 to compete in the Senior World Championships.

Congratulations to our Canadian Team members!

Visit the website at www.tienlung.com for all the results.

We are in the process of scheduling another Tien Lung Invitationals in April of 2009. The exact date will be announced once it is confirmed, so start planning ahead.

Happy Birthday!

'Tis the Season to Be Jolly...

Merry Christmas! As you will soon see we will have stockings hung by the Instructors' and staffs' pictures with care. If you wish, you can take advantage of this opportunity to show your appreciation to your Instructor with a little gift, card, or stocking stuffer. Please hand your gift to the front desk, do not attempt to fill the stocking yourself!

Daily Dragons

Daily Dragons will be closed from December 22nd to 26th, and also Thursday, January 1st for New Years Day. Remember, you will need to notify the Front Desk to confirm your attendance at the Daily Dragons Christmas Camp.

Competitive Class

The last Competitive Class before the holidays will be December 12. All competitive classes will resume on January 9th.

You are EXACTLY where you should be!

Far too often we hear from parents and students that they or their child is falling behind their classmates or that they are not the proper belt level. They find it difficult to motivate to come to class at times when they seem to be struggling and often times it is easier to just chose not to go for it involves less work.

Parents & Students - here are some words of wisdom: Right now - this day, this hour, this minute - you are EXACTLY the belt level that you should be! This may not seem to make sense when you see in your Student Manual that you should have examined several months ago for your next belt level. However, the dates and time frames that we use to determine how soon people should progress are only a rough guide and based on the averages.

Have you considered the following below, all of which have a significant impact and combine together to determine how quickly (or slowly) students progress through the belt levels (this is not a complete list). Are you doing everything in your power to help ensure that you and your loved ones (or both of you) succeed? Are you setting yourself up for failure? Here are some suggestions from over 30 years of Martial Arts experience the Tien Lung professionals have:

1. Attendance. Regular attendance 2 days per week is required to progress (some may require more than this)
2. Medical issues: Blindness, hearing loss, missing limbs or digits, fused joints, joint problems, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, gum disease (floss!), etc.
3. Practice. 15 minutes is not a large time commitment and goes a long way to help your body & muscles learn the physical techniques - your body learns slower than your mind does usually. (Watch favourite TV shows - practice during the commercials)
4. Learning disabilities. ADD, ADHD, FAS, Dyslexia, Autism, slow learners, bipolar, depression, and other cognitive issues (and the severity: mild, moderate, severe) will impact your ability and timeframe to focus, comprehend and absorb the material.
5. Illness, Injuries and absences. Vacations and time away from class whether intentional or not will affect your ability to progress. Make up missed lessons (whatever the reason).
6. Your physical condition. Being "over fat" not "over weight" (having too much fat is unhealthy weight) causes many health related problems: stamina, not being able to keep up with the class pace, out of breath climbing a flight of stairs, excessive wear on the joints, tendons and muscles, susceptibility to develop health problems. Any exercise at least 30 minutes everyday is beneficial for many reasons.
7. Healthy Diet (high carbohydrate, fatty diets with lots of refined sugar affect digestion, energy levels, weight, etc.)
8. Stretch. Increases flexibility (& speed), reduces chances for injury, eases performance, Good for overall health.
9. Unrealistic goals. Trying to keep up with "Mr. and Mrs. Jones and their kids" in class is not healthy - undue stress.
10. Asking instructors questions to help you solve problems when they arise instead of letting frustration build.
11. Other activities. How many other activities do you do? Are you trying to do too much? Develop skill & confidence by focusing on one main activity that provides you the most benefits. Then compliment it (if you feel you must) with 1 or 2 other hobby type activities that do not have as many benefits.
12. Sleep. 8 hours per day - aids in recovery of developing muscles, reduce fatigue and cortisol levels.
13. Instructor's knowledge of the above or lack thereof (if you chose it is not important to inform us), affects our ability to provide instruction that may help you learn the material better and help reduce student frustration.
14. Attending extra classes (breaking, sparring, demo team).
15. Attending extra curricular club activities - developing friendships helps makes classes more enjoyable.
16. Private lessons help when having difficulties - Masters Club members receive a free private lesson every month.
17. Attending extra programs (competitive, leadership, staff, school apprenticeship)

When you first signed up with Tien Lung we promised to provide you the very best in Taekwon-Do instruction that is currently available. At that time you had the desire to get in better fitness & health, to learn valuable life skills on how to protect yourself, as well as to increase your self confidence, focus & discipline, more energy, develop an attitude for success and have fun learning cool things! These are outcomes - black belt is a goal. You can receive most of (if not all of) these outcomes by reaching your goal. Losing weight is a goal - the outcomes may be more energy, easier to perform activities, joint relief, etc.

So the next time you feel you are falling behind in Taekwon-Do (or life) and getting down on yourself remember this: "You are exactly where you should be." With anything you wish to succeed in (school, business, family, etc.), the amount of work and effort you put in, combined with other life factors, will determine what rewards you receive (higher grades, or willing to do everything you possibly can, it is unrealistic to expect all of the rewards you want. One last important thing - do not begrudge those who do have the rewards you want. You have no idea what they or their family had to go through to get there. When the "it must be nice" phrase comes to your lips, know this - It is! And you can have it too if you continue to work towards it!

Here's to a Happy Holiday Season for you and your loved ones from your Tien Lung family and staff!

Mr. Marc Gaudet, B.Sc., Vth Degree Black belt
Technical Director, Tien Lung Edmonton South

A = Kicking & Step Sparring    B = Self Defense & Sparring
C = Patterns & Fundamentals    D = Dallyon & Breaking (Saturdays Only)
P = Black Belt Fundamentals & Patterns    S = Black Belt Sparring & Self-defense
D = Black Belt Dallyon & Kicking
Little Dragon Parents Day      Pink = Noon Hour Classes