Training in Martial Arts since a very young age has helped me tremendously. Joining a Karate school was the best decision my father could make back then. It opened up opportunities, a world of discoveries, it built me up, it gave me the strength to overcome my challenges, I've made great friends and, through consistent practice it helped me develop and build strong social confidence. Throughout my career as a martial arts teacher, I have witnessed thousands of success stories, and today, I want to share few tips and strategies on how to become more socially confident.

Some people have social confidence to spare. It's easy to see that some children are seemingly born with great social confidence, while others are not. Social confidence seems to come and go for most adults.
 
A serious lack of social confidence can lead to isolation and stifle career growth.If there's one part of your life in which it pays to be confident, it's in your social interactions.
 
 Use these strategies to increase your social confidence and feel comfortable in all social situations: 

1. Practice. Every person that crosses your path is a practice partner for your social skills. The more practice you get, the better you’ll become at interacting with others. The better you become, the more confident you’ll feel. There are all kinds of things you can practice:
   
   

●      Eye contact
●      Conversation (small talk)
●      Non-verbal communication
●      Telling jokes
●      And more

1. Rehearse. Visualize yourself being successful socially. Before you head into a social situation, rehearse in your mind. See yourself being confident and competent. Imagine others responding to you in a positive way. In time, you’ll learn to feel the same way out in the real world.
2. Adopt an effective attitude. It’s not a matter of life and death. No one is judging you or spending any of their time thinking about you. In fact, they’re probably wondering what you’re thinking about them.
   
   

●      Interacting with people in a social context should be fun and pleasant. Have a reasonable perspective on the situation.

1. Focus on self-development. When you feel better about yourself, you’ll be more socially confident. Whether that means getting in shape, learning a new skill, or meditation, any enhancements you make will leave you feeling more confident.
   
   
2. Learn. Learn about communication. Pick one area, such as nonverbal communication, and become an expert. Then, get out and practice. When you’ve mastered that, pick a new area to learn about. The more you know, the better you’ll become. That leads to real confidence.
   
   
3. Avoid the need to be perfect. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be the funniest person at the party. You don’t have to be the most charming person in the bar. Perfection is an unreasonable goal that leads to anxiety and a lack of confidence.
   
   
4. Join a social group. You know a group of people that hang out together. It might be at work. It might be a friend that has a separate group of friends. See if you can join, too..Finding the right group of people can boost your social confidence

●      Perhaps you already have a group of friends. Spend more time with them. Or, you might form your own group.

1. Combine social events with activities you’re good at. You've always wanted to do martial arts but you've always postponed? Look for a Martial Arts school in your area and give it a try. Do you like cars? Join a car group. Find an activity you excel at and turn it into a social activity.

●      Make a list of everything you do better than the average person. Now, find a way to do that in a group setting. You might join a band, a chess club, or a group that goes hiking on the weekend.
 
Think about how much your life would change if you were more socially confident. How would it impact your career? How would your social life be affected?
 
It's hard to think of any potential downside to having greater social confidence. If you weren't lucky enough to be born with perpetual confidence, you’ll want to build, grow and nurture this important attribute.

      George C. Hristescu / April 22 of 2022

You may call me a martial arts enthusiast.I have been practicing martial arts for over 30 years, I am a 7th degree black belt in Taekwondo and I love teaching martial arts. 
Along this amazing journey I have worked with thousands of children, teenagers and adults.  Many young girls started  training in Martial Arts and  I was fortunate to see many of them develop from a very young age, going through their ranks, growing to become confident young women.
Some girls are athletic, assertive and stand out from the very beginning of their martial arts journey, some find it quite challenging. Regardless of how they started their Taekwondo journey, with proper guidance and the tremendous support of their families, I have  watched these girls become fierce black belts and exceptional martial artists. Taekwondo is the perfect environment for women, Taekwondo proves to be  a martial art that encourages growth, and that growth is experienced by all students, regardless of gender or social status. 


There are many ways our students benefit from martial arts training at US World Class Taekwondo Bethany  but today I will list the top 3 in my book:

1. Mental
Today's social media promotes superficial values and our martial arts program provides a grounding environment for children, girls in particular.
They receive many psychological social and emotional benefits that are tied into many areas of life. the structured nature of traditional martial arts instills focus, self-control, listening skills and discipline.These are character values that are hard to find in the images fed to our youth through these social media channels.  Martial arts offers the opportunity to build social skills, long lasting friendships with their peers who have one thing in common, they kick together! They become part of the big worldwide martial arts family. 

2. Skills and Physical fitness.
The athletic abilities developed in Taekwondo carry over into other sports. Girls become, stronger and healthier. Muscular strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility, coordination, balance. Taekwondo is also an olympic sport that girls can participate and excel at. 

3. Self-Defense
There is great confidence that comes with being able to protect yourself. This is empowering. Bullying is still a problem in schools but it is known that girls seem to be attacking other girls more than ever. If you know that your children are prepared to hold their own if ever confronted with such situations that is a bit of relief. 
Bullies always target those who seem passive or less of a challenge. When they know that your girl will speak up and kick hard, it's less likely that she will be tested. 

Ok. please allow me to list a fourth BENEFIT: It's so cool and a lot of fun! 

George H.

If you have any questions on how to get your kid or teen started, US World Class Taekwondo  is  located at the heart of Bethany Village Centre in Portland Oregon , by QFC and Bethany's table on the corner of 153rd and NW Central Dr. We accept kids for enrollment ages 3 and up. Give us a call at 5035319096 or fill out the contact form and we will be happy to get you started. 


George Hristescu is currently the president of the Oregon State Taekwondo, and a leader of the US World Class Taekwondo Association. He also served as an executive council member of the Pan American Taekwondo Union overseeing forty plus countries in the pan am region and taught thousands of students in the Pacific Northwest. He is  a 7th degree Black Belt. international referee, author, and designer of numerous martial arts programs with over 30 years of practice in the field. Master George  immigrated to the United States in the year of 2003 and established the US World Class Taekwondo Bethany Black Belt Academy in West Portland. Soon thereafter, established ten more successful martial arts school, helping and guiding many young black belts to start a career in teaching martial arts and living their best life. 

"The earlier we introduce screens the more it affects the child’s brain development and the more likely they will have trouble managing their addiction to screens and technology later in life.”
- DR. LAURA MARKHAM

This Pandemic has changed everything. Many parents  were forced to work from home, with all schools closed and daily virtual classes going on for hours, now, more than ever it is important to find ways to keep our kids engaged in activities that will keep them away from the gadgets.  Though we do live in a digital age, you may be wondering if your kids spend too much time on screens. Should you limit them in any way, or should you embrace the age of technology?There’s no hard and fast rule about how much time kids should spend on screens. And if you have a day when your kids spend a lot of time on screens, it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed as a parent.Why Should You Limit Screen Time for Your Kids?
Technology is going to be a part of your child’s life as our world becomes more dependent on it. Now they spend few hours daily doing their regular school. The main thing is to make sure that your child is given the opportunity to spend time doing other life-enriching things as well after their virtual lessons are done for the day.
Not everyone agrees on a certain number of hours that a child should spend playing video games or watching TV, but most experts agree that unlimited screen time can lead to several issues.

Some of these issues include:

●      Sleep challenges
●      Obesity
●      Behavioral issues
●      Emotional issues
●      Developmental delays

Many parents anecdotally report that kids that spend a lot of time on screens become cranky and difficult to manage. In some cases, they’re more likely to fight with siblings or dissolve into tantrums.

Some experts believe that one of the biggest issues with screen time is the amount of time spent on devices. While they could be doing things like learning, exercising, or developing new skills, they’re planted in front of a device instead.

Other studies have shown that screen time - especially for younger children - can lead to developmental delays such as delayed language skills.

Many who study the effects of screens for kids also say that the quality of the screen time matters. If your child is watching high-quality educational TV or interacting with educational games, the time spent can have positive returns.
 “Whether you are a parent or not, carving out time to turn off your devices, to disconnect from the wired world and engage with the real people who are all around you, is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and the people you love.”

- ALAN BROWN
 
Here are few ideas on how to keep everyone away form the screens :
 Spend time outside
 Arts and Crafts Time 
Have real conversations with the kiddos 
Go out Shopping, maybe on some Long walks, at the Farmers market
Encourage your children to write their own stories 
Cooking and chores Time
Consider taking Martial Arts Classes! Taekwondo is the perfect discipline to practice with your children. Classes are so much fun. Families that kick together stick together.
​
Do what works best for your family.
Our kids spend too much time already in front of the screens. We have to try our best to make sure when they are finished with the virtual learning they spend more time doing other things. You will be amazed at the ingenuity of your children. In addition, as the family spends more time together and less time on screens, you will see your bonds growing stronger. Finally, understand that technology is nearly inescapable these days. Many jobs depend on technology in order to run. Your kids should be learning how to use technology and you shouldn’t feel guilty for them developing these skills as well. The takeaway is to offset their screen time with other things that are important for their growth.
Be patient with yourself and your kids during this transition and reap the rewards!

GH
E-book coming soon. 
​​

Determining the purpose of your life can be a simple process.
It didn't take me too long to realize that teaching and making a positive impact in people's life through Martial Arts  practice is my true purpose. Now, It can take a bit of work to uncover the truth, but it’s within you. It’s waiting to be unearthed and utilized. Living a life that’s congruent with your purpose will allow you to start each day with a smile, hope, and a plan. It’s a tool for connecting with something meaningful outside yourself. Everyone has a different “why”. The trick is to determine the “why” that fits your values and talents. If your life is in a rut, discovering your life purpose is the first step to a life filled with passion and contentment.

“The purpose of life is to live it,
to taste experience to the utmost,
to reach out eagerly and without fear
for newer and richer experience.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt 

1.     What are your greatest regrets? Which missed opportunities do you regret the most? Is there a skill you wish you had started learning years ago? What decisions would you change if given a second chance?
‣      What career would choose if you could go back in time and be 18 years old again? Is it really too late now?
2.     Who inspires you the most? Think about the people that fill you with feelings of respect and admiration.
‣      What is it about them that inspires you? Could you incorporate some of these same qualities in yourself? Could you live a similar life?
3.     What are your natural talents? In what areas have you always excelled? Do you understand complex ideas? Is it your social skills? Are you musically talented? Are you compassionate and considerate?
‣      While you can learn to be good at anything, you can save a lot of time if you’re able to put your natural abilities to work. Imagine the progress you’d make after 10 years of effort using your natural abilities rather than starting from scratch.
‣      If you believe that you were born with a particular purpose, it only makes sense that the necessary talents would be provided to you, too.
4.     What makes you feel good about yourself? If you could spend most of your time doing things that make you feel great, your life would be pretty wonderful!
5.     If you had to teach a subject, what would you choose? It’s only enjoyable to teach subjects that you like. The subject you’d like to teach is a good candidate for your life purpose.
6.     In what areas do people ask you for help? Most of us wouldn’t ask a homeless person for stock tips. We ask people for advice that we believe have a level of expertise higher than our own.
‣      Do others constantly ask you for relationship advice?
‣      Do people ask you about spiritual matters?
7.     Imagine you’re 80-years old. What memories do you want to have? Imagine you’re sitting on your front porch swing. What would you like to claim as your past? What type of relationships would you like to have experienced? What do you want to have accomplished?
‣               How can you make this ideal past become your present?
You now have a good idea of your life purpose. The next step is determining how to incorporate the knowledge into your life. Ideas are the easy part. It’s the implementation.


“As the struggle for survival has subsided, the question has
emerged: survival for what? Ever more people have the
means to live, but no meaning to live for.”
- Viktor E. Fra

George C Hristescu


George C Hristescu is a Taekwondo 7th degree Black Belt , a member of the executive council of World Taekwondo Pan America, currently the president of USA Taekwondo Oregon and the Chief Master Instructor and founder of US World Class Taekwondo Bethany.