School is getting started for many of our kids in next couple of weeks.  The following is some items written by Greg Silva a martial artist himself and a life coach.  He put together a list of key points that most successful martial arts do and related it to kids and school.  These are fantastic points and will help those who follow them.  Remember that martial arts helps those who participate become better at all they do, they become better people, better friends, better students, better workers, better family members.  There is no other activity out there that does these things on the level of martial arts.

Back to School for Good Grades 

• First impressions are often the only impressions you get to make. Make your teacher’s first impression of you one that will help you get good grades and all the help you can use. Use Martial Arts focus.  Focus you body – Focus you mind and Focus your eyes. 
• Remember that your first few classes are your most important classes. This is where you get off on the right foot and to a good start. Concentrate and be alert so you can do your best.  Remember how we accept challenges in Martial Arts – be positive “Bing Them On.”
• Your room is your castle and your office. Be sure to make it orderly and functional. Keep it clean.
• Prepare for tomorrow the night before. Set out your clothes for the next day. Pack your backpack with your completed assignments and books you used. Put it an accessible place so it is ready to go in the morning. Get a good night’s rest.
• Start the day in a relaxed and purposeful manner. Set your wake up clock or phone with enough time to do what you have to do in the morning. Thirty minutes is never enough to get ready for school, and it is not fair to you, your grades, or your teacher.
• Be on time for school and your classes. Late is never good, while early is almost always the way of the winner.
• The best time to do your homework is right after you get home. You will have a better chance of remembering that day’s instruction, and less of a chance if you chose other distractions first. Do it NOW! The best time is NOW!
• Rule your own life. If you let the television, video games, or your friends rule your life, then you will not be the winner you should be. You have a life of your own. It is worthwhile and meaningful. Rule it yourself.
• Learn how to stop texting and making calls. Use respect, but hang up anyway and stop messaging. Your teachers will not accept a 2-hour texting binge as a reason for poor or incomplete homework. Learn to say, “Can I please call you back in 30 minutes?”
• Walk away from situations or people that will destroy your mental or physical growth. Rule your own life.  Don’t get caught up with gossip.
• Make good use of small blocks of time. There is no rule that says you have to lay comatose while listening to music or watching TV. Do some of the easy stuff at those times.
• Have a POSITIVE relationship with your parents and your teachers, and always maintain respect.  Show respect at all times, and you will do much better.
• BE SELECTIVE IN CHOOSING YOUR FRIENDS. You do not have to be friends with the whole school. Pick out a few people who are headed in the same direction in life that you are. If you hang out with the respectful, intelligent, and safe people, then you will be respectful, intelligent, and safe. Think about it.  You tell your best friend that you can only talk to him/her for a few minutes because you have homework. Do they get upset? If your friends cause you to skip the important things, then they are not your friends. If they understand because they are doing the same thing, then you will never be under pressure to do the wrong thing.  PICK YOUR FRIENDS WITH CARE. YOU ARE WORTH THE TIME.
• Have the phone number of one person in each class minimum. Swap phone numbers so you can exchange notes or other class information, or even get homework assignments if you are sick or absent.