“Notice it before you become it!”

At AKF Martial Arts Academy of Eau Claire, we believe self-control is more than staying quiet, standing still, or following directions. True self-control begins with awareness.

Before students can control a reaction, they must first notice what is happening inside them. They need to recognize their emotions, thoughts, physical reactions, habits, and choices before those things take control.

That is why Awareness is the first pillar of our 8-Week Self-Control Black Belt Challenge.

What Does Awareness Mean?

Awareness means recognizing what you are feeling and doing in the moment.

A student might notice:

• “I’m becoming frustrated.”
• “My voice is getting louder.”
• “I’m about to interrupt.”
• “I’m distracted and not listening.”
• “I’m making excuses instead of taking responsibility.”

Noticing the reaction does not immediately make the feeling disappear. It creates a small but important opportunity to choose what happens next.

Instead of saying, “I’m angry,” students can practice saying:

“I notice that I’m feeling angry.”

That change reminds students that they can experience an emotion without allowing it to determine their behavior.

Week #1 Awareness Challenge

Students should complete any five of the following challenges this week:

1. Name an emotion you are feeling before reacting to it.
2. Notice one physical sign that you are becoming upset, nervous, frustrated, or overly excited.
3. Catch yourself before interrupting someone and allow them to finish speaking.
4. Notice when your voice becomes too loud, too quiet, or disrespectful, and correct it.
5. Recognize when you become distracted during homework, chores, or martial arts practice, and refocus yourself.
6. Notice something that needs to be done at home and take care of it without being reminded.
7. Recognize a mistake without blaming someone else or making an excuse.
8. Notice someone else demonstrating strong self-control and tell them what you observed.
9. Ask a parent, teacher, or instructor to point out one self-control habit you could improve.
10. Before bed, think of one moment when noticing your feelings helped you make a better choice.

Students only need to complete five challenges, but they are welcome to complete all ten.

How to Earn the Self-Control Life Skill Patch

Each week, students must:

• Complete at least five challenges from that week’s list.
• Submit a video of themselves performing that week’s Self-Control gesture.

For Week #1, students must submit a video demonstrating the Awareness gesture. We will teach the gesture during class and share it through our social media.

Videos may be posted in the AKF Eau Claire Facebook Group or sent directly to the student’s instructor.

Students may tell their instructor which five challenges they completed or send a short written explanation.

Students who complete the requirements for all eight weeks will earn their Self-Control Life Skill Patch.

How Parents Can Help

Parents can reinforce this lesson without immediately correcting or solving the situation for their child.

Try calmly asking:

“What are you noticing right now?”

Parents can also demonstrate awareness themselves:

“I’m noticing that I’m becoming frustrated, so I’m going to slow down before I respond.”

When children see adults recognize and manage their own emotions, they learn that self-control is not about pretending we never become angry, frustrated, excited, or distracted. It is about recognizing those feelings early enough to choose a responsible response.

Awareness creates the opportunity to choose.

That is where self-control begins.

PIL SUNG!

AKF Martial Arts Academy of Eau Claire