Holiday time management

Holiday season is here again and this year it came in really fast. I feel like I was just putting on flip-flops to visit our local pool!

There are lots of things to do to prepare for the holidays. Shopping, cleaning, cooking, sending out holiday cards and going to the post office are just a few tasks that come to mind.

Holiday preparations involve time and money management and can take away from important everyday things that keep your family on a "regular" schedule.

When the adults in children's lives get busy, it's easy to get frustrated. Here are three ways to find time other than family time to get holiday chores done.

So what can you do when you absolutely need to get things done? One simple way to help with time management is to get some of the items on your holiday to-do list taken care of when kids are in school.

If you have the opportunity to get time off during a week day or if you already have some daytime hours free, doing a little shopping while the kids are in school means that there are less lines to wait in, more parking spaces and retail associates with less stress.

Getting some baking done during the day means a great smelling house when the kids get home and the possibility of some highly-qualified "taste testers!"

Let the kids decorate cookies, package them up, hand-address labels and even help with dishes!

A second way to get things done, and still have family time every day, is to schedule your holiday chores while the kids are at their extra-curricular activities.

Most karate schools, dance schools, churches or after-school sports will allow you to drop your kids off during class time.

Leaving your kiddos with a trusted coach or teacher can allow for a little extra time to get things done while your children enjoy their normal routine. Just make sure you clear it with your child's teacher first and alway be sure to pick them up on time.

The families at Community Karate and Fitness know that as long as mom or dad have left their cell phone number with us, let us know where they are going and when to expect them back, that it's ok to occasionally leave their kids with us during class. We even give parents a 15-minute before and after window to give them more time to get things done.

Lastly, work together with another family. Host a friend's kids for a movie night while they get some shopping done and then they can do the same for you!It's a great way to foster community, feel helpful/helped and know that your kids are not bored, but getting a special night out.

Ok, these aren't my kids, but pets need fun time too!

 I like to help out and watch my "grand-dog" Franklin, a one-year old Newfoundland, when my daughter needs time to get things done so that he isn't home alone.

My dog Cricket, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, loves when her best friend Franklin comes to visit!

Reduce your holiday stress level by helping others and allow yourself to be helped too.

I hope you find these tips useful to help you enjoy the holiday season!

Karate makes a great family gift for the holidays

Finding something to do as a family can be rewarding for young kids, tweens, teens and adults. Karate classes provide great stress relief for parents and great exercise for kids of all ages.

We have fun events like Sword Fighting Competitions!

All levels and all ages are invited to join our fun events at our karate school.

Here's our Little Ninjas class in action!

We've got a few Holiday Special offers still available. Contact us today to find out how YOU can benefit from martial arts classes at Community Karate and Fitness.

You've probably been looking for something that will give your kids positive messages and encouraging instruction. You will find all of that and more at our dojo!

We've got a flexible class schedule that works for busy families.

CONTACT US TODAY - You are going to love our great karate classes!

Homework: 5 Helpful Homework Tips

Homework - it's not something most of us look forward to. It's a constant struggle for most families to keep up with homework demands and deadlines.

I've been a mom for 28 years and a karate instructor for 15 years; homework is a popular topic among families that I interact with. Here's a list of 5 things you can do to help avoid the homework meltdown with your kids.

1. Sit with them. I know it's hard to pass up an opportunity to get one more load of laundry done or get a jump start on dinner, but sometimes having mom or dad at the table helps out a lot. You don't have to help them, just be there.

2. Get some upgraded supplies. Having a nice pen, pencil, eraser, paper, etc., can make the difference. It can boost your child's enthusiasm to have a "wicked nice pen" to write with. Yep, I'm from the East Coast (:

3. Snacks.

4. Stop the punishment - add rewards. Most kids react positively to a reward system and will shut down when the punishment comes. Instead of telling your child that you will be taking away dance classes, soccer or karate classes, let them know that if they get their homework done they can stay up late for 10 minutes and have one on one time with mom and dad. Believe it or not, this is a huge motivator for both boys and girls. Try it!

5. End it on a good note. From a parent's perspective it can be a daily frustration that sets an unpleasant tone for the evening. Student's can feel defeated and wil go to bed feeling unsuccessful when a homework meltdown occurs. That feeling can creep into morning time and stay with your child throughout the day. Whatever progress your child makes, let them know that you know it is difficult to keep up and you are proud of what they have accomplished. Your sincere praise will make a difference.

I hope that these 5 tips help to keep your family "homework happy!" Let's see if we can help our kiddos become more successful by using these 5 helpful homework tips.

Family fun karate-style!

This year, we celebrated the end of Summer with a pool party at "The Swimmery" for all of our students and their families. Here's a video clip of us performing Heian Shodan in the pool!

The Colorado Springs karate families at our karate school are the most fun people you will ever meet! If you'd like more information about The Nice Karate School, give us a call at 719-599-7024 or stop by - we'd love to meet you!

Community Karate and Fitness - What we are and what we are not

 We are a community-minded school. You will love our warm and welcoming environment.




We teach with patience. We understand that karate is not something the students know how to do naturally. We encourage our students to try their very best. We do not punish our students or make them feel badly for making mistakes.






We have affordable programs that fit nearly every family's budget. We have classes 5 days/week and you will have unlimited use of our class schedule 2x/week with our beginner's program.

We have a large, clean facility where everyone feels at home and welcome. Our school doesn't look or smell like a gymnasium. Our school appreciates and understands that we are great because of the families who train with us. We welcome students and families who have positive attitudes, strive to do their best and believe that with hard work and determination great things happen.



We train hard and reap the rewards of working with great teachers and students. We follow the rules - all the time. We are gracious and helpful. We do not tolerate bad attitudes - everyone knows how to behave at our school.

Want to see for yourself what sets us apart? Call us at 719-599-7024 or email us: mrsc@communitykarateandfitness.com

Being nice is good.

Focus, co-ordination, discipline, better grades...

But what about being NICE?

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Martial arts schools are known for helping children become more focused & disciplined. Karate helps kids do better in school and listen better at home.

Pediatricians, teachers and guidance counselors recommend karate classes to kids who struggle to fit in, have coordination issues or need another voice to echo what mom and dad want for the success of their kids.

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But what about being nice? At Community Karate and Fitness we teach your child to be "NICE." We teach our students in a positive way, so that they learn from someone other than mom and dad, that being nice is important.

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We explain that when we "bow" in class it's a promise to "be nice." When students listen nicely in class they are rewarded. When they don't, we give them the opportunity to "make a better choice" and guide them in the right direction.

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At Community Karate and Fitness we have classes for kids as young as 3 years old. Our Kids Classes are safe and fun and will promote good physical and mental fitness.

We teach kicking, punching, self-protection & self-awareness. We teach katas, which are karate moves put together in a pattern - think ice skating routines, but with blocking, punching and kicking...and no ice.  

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Karate isn't all about yelling and screaming. It isn't about punishing students; it's about encouraging students to do their very best every day. If you want your child to understand the value of being nice, then give us a call today: 719-599-7024. It's nice to hear from you!

Back to school - Routine is key to success!

Back to school time can be tough, especially if your family fell out of its normal routine during the summer months. Here are five simple tips to help kids get back on track:

1. Set up wake times and go to bed times and stick with them. Kids who get up at the same time every morning on a regular basis will develop a natural instinct to eventually get up on time on their own. This will help with going to bed on time every night.

2. Set up allowed after-school activities. Believe it or not, kids love rules. If you set up a schedule after school, for example: snack, homework, screen time, chores (or whatever works for your family), then kids have a pattern to follow. Setting up a reward system like screen time after homework and before chores creates a "sandwich" style system that kids really like.

3. Set up an activity outside of school. Kids who have regularly scheduled classes, like karate, outside of school create new relationships, stay focused in school and have healthier habits. Attending classes a few times a week gives kids something to look forward to.

4. Create a responsibility and reward chart. Is there something your child really wants? A trip to the zoo? New sneakers? A night at the movies? Create a realistic chore chart that corresponds with the value of the item/event your child is asking for. A night at the movies might be equivalent to making your bed four times, putting away laundry twice and not arguing with your siblings for three days. Be creative. Let your child help design the chart. Kids who participate in household chores enjoy the responsibility of helping out.

5. Be consistent with praise. It's easy to fall into the constant criticism trap of telling your kids what they are doing wrong, what they forgot to do and how they fell short of expectations. Take time every day to catch your kids doings something right and reward them on the spot. Rewards can be as simple as a hug, a high five, 10 minutes stay-up late with mom/dad, the last package of fruit snacks or choosing a movie for the family to watch.

Try some of these suggestions and see how they can get your family on track for a successful school year. If you are looking for more parenting tips or have questions you would like answered in a future blog, email me at: MrsC@CommunityKarateandFitness.com Your question could be featured in my next blog!

Kids in Colorado Springs just want to have fun!

Kids in Colorado Springs who attend our events at Community Karate and Fitness have a great time "Sword Fighting" with each other every month.

They love the 90 minute non-stop energy fest of trying to score points on one another in a structured, fast-paced, fun environment under the supervision of Sensei Deb Cupples, owner of the karate school and Mr. Cameron Davies, head instructor.

Kids want to run around and have fun.  Why not enroll them in something that they want to do with other families who are just like yours?

"I had no idea a karate school could be like this."

More often than not I hear from new students that our school is not what they expected.  Expectations are usually that our facility will be more like a gymnasium, concrete walls and bare floors.  People also let me know that they don't expect the owner of the school to be teaching most of the classes.

Well, that's what makes us different at Community Karate and Fitness.  Read more about us in the article in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

Read more about our school in this article by the Colorado Springs Business Journal

It's determination that moves us forward

Have you ever wanted to be great at something only to find out that you don't have "natural ability?" Well, believe it or not, you are NORMAL! Most of us don't have an innate ability to be great at something new.

What we do have however, is hard-working determination. All you need to do is try. Just put yourself out there and try - a lot. And then try some more and then just keep trying. That is how most of us learn how to be good at something - we just keep trying.

So, get out there and try something new and promise to stick with it for 3 months, or six months...or maybe even longer. Who knows, you just may become great at it!

Everyone "fits in" at Community Karate and Fitness

What makes you unique is what makes you, well...YOU! At Community Karate and Fitness we embrace each student's differences and help everyone to feel like they fit in....because they do! We are proud to make sure that everyone feels welcome the moment they step through the door. Whether you are shy or outgoing, an athlete or new to physical fitness - we help you fit in. If you are nervous or confident, enjoy team sports or like doing your own thing - we help you fit in. Are you geeky or nerdy? You will definitely fit in! We are accepting of differences, embrace students who have felt like outsiders in other sports and are ready to help you feel like part of the family. The thing is, we are all different and we are all the same and we all find common ground with each other at the dojo. Karate is a unique sport in that you train in a "team" environment, but are awarded on "individual" merit. It's the perfect sport for everyone. Do you have a child who feels like they don't quite fit in? Come and visit our dojo and see why everyone fits in at Community Karate and Fitness. VISIT US AT WWW.COMMUNITYKARATEANDFITNESS.COM or call us: 719-599-7024 to speak directly with Sensei Deb Cupples, the owner of the school - one location, female-owned, local business. Community Karate and Fitness was founded in 2006 and has become the karate school that families trust to offer the best instruction in a clean and welcoming facility with instructors who care about their students.