To say that this past week has been successful would be a great understatement. The Trinity team came to Nationals with the goal of bringing home gold medals and we will be doing just that! For the past 6 months we have all trained hard and I have come to regard 4 awesome ladies and 1 awesome coach as my “gymily”– my family away from home.  I never thought that I would have had the opportunity to compete in a sporting event at the National level and I definitely wouldn’t have made it here without Erika, Stacy, Susie, Rachael, and Nathan.

Ashley Nationals 2010

In January I started out knowing the bare essentials of competitive fighting and now, in June, I have watched myself grow into *ahem* a bit of a badass. Whereas I would have never considered myself an aggressive, competitive, or athletic person in the past, I see myself growing into someone who is gradually gaining more confidence and realizing that I can be whoever I want to be with some hard work and focus. I knew that joining the Trinity TKD team would push me further physically than I have ever been pushed before and even though I might have been nervous or afraid (especially given some of my team mates more athletic backgrounds) I knew it would be a great test to find out  just what I could do.

In competing at Nationals this week with my team mates I have accomplished just what I have set out to do by becoming a fighter. I had two fights this week and even though the  girls I fought were bigger than I was and may have had more experience,  I never backed down. Although I still have a lot to learn I am noticing big changes in my skill level with each fight.  I am becoming less nervous, more skilled in my movements, and more aggressive.  I am proud to be bringing home two silver medals  for the Trinity team and I feel they truly represent how far I’ve come in the last 6 months. I know they are just a jumping off point for the person I hope to become in the future. I have come to love my team mates as sisters and Nathan as a great friend and supporter. I  could not have made it this far without their love and support.

The last week has been an amazing experience and I’m looking forward to watching Nathan compete tomorrow (you’re going to be awesome by the way) and celebrating with the rest of the Trinity family when we return home.

Posted under Trinity TKD Team

It’s hard to believe that my first Nationals are over.  I wasn’t able to accomplish everything I wanted, but my time here has been memorable and is still hard to put into words.  I am proud of my accomplishments and improvements over the past six months.  I had one of my best fights yet at AAU, so being just a couple kicks away from the win has been slightly disappointing.  However, it was a tough fight, and I had a lot of fun trying to rise to the challenge of a great competitor.  Ashley and I didn’t have any competitors in our division to fight at USAT, but managed to find a heavyweight as eager for practice as we were and got some experience with electronic chest protectors.  I will still bring back a new bronze and gold for team Trinity to add to the collection.

Rachael 2010 Nationals

One of the biggest goals I had for myself when I joined the team was to get back to a healthy weight.  I have lost 30lbs since January and am now fitting into clothes I haven’t worn since college.  Being slimmer has helped my speed and endurance in the ring.  In these last two fights at Nationals, I also was able to get in several kicks to the head on taller girls, something that we’ve worked very hard on in practice.  Additionally, I feel like things have finally begun to slow down in the ring.  Being mostly an endurance athlete, I have had a hard time adjusting to the frenzy of 1 or 1:30 minute rounds and getting the most out of every second.  In my fights here at Nationals I felt the most control over seeing the fights unfold and the strategy behind each particular match.  Finally, the hours of training and practice leading up to Nationals have taught me about focus, intensity, setting goals, and pushing towards something you decide is worth accomplishing.  There will always be new fights and new goals, so I now look forward to the journey ahead.

I am thankful for all the hard work my coach and teammates have put into these last several months and am proud of everyone’s successes here at Nationals.  This is an amazing group of ladies and they make spending long hours in the gym just a little easier.  Thank you to everyone at Trinity who has helped us along the way, many of you encouraging us on our most tired days.  We return with medals, stories, camaraderie, and even a few seashells.

It’s been a busy week here in Florida, and after Nathan’s big day tomorrow, we look forward to getting home and back to all the things we’ve been neglecting during the last few weeks of training… maybe getting a few extra hours of sleep as well.  But the one thing we quickly learned about this group of ladies is that we don’t sit still for long and coach has a hard time keeping us out of the gym.  We look forward to seeing all our friends back in at the gym very soon!

Posted under Trinity TKD Team

I’ve been having an amazing time with the girls and boy (coach)! Nathan fights tomorrow and we all wish him the very best luck ever. He has been a wonderful coach to us 5 girls and we have learned so much and improved tremendously over the past 6 months. I don’t think any of us can say we are the same people that we were before we joined the Trinity TKD team. We have all grown as individuals and as a family. Thanks to Nathan we are bringing home a butt-load of shiny medals and a myriad of great and hilarious memories. It has been an enjoyable journey all along, but surely not an easy one. We have all trained very hard and have pushed ourselves past preconceived limits and doubts. We have all had good and bad days and have helped each other work through them all. We truly have become  a family and I care for them all tremendously. I am very grateful to have had them on my side to hold me up along the way. A funny secret too, I think we all kick in our sleep now and wake ourselves up periodically through the night.

National Champs!

Rachel is the brain of the group and a solid rock to lean on, Stace is the glue and kinda team mom, Susie is kind of a momma herself and she definitely adds a lot of color and excitement to the group. Ashley is a brain too and she comes out of nowhere with the most hilarious comments….good timing and delivery, just like her kicks! Nathan is obviously our coach and gets to boss us around and keep us in line as we expect him to.  He can also get pretty silly with us and be a fabulous buddy. God knows the boy loves pizza. These guys have become a second fam. and I regard them all very highly. I hope that I get to to it all again with them next year!

We did get a little time to relax, a little beach and a little pool, but I will definitely be ready to celebrate tomorrow night after we are all done fighting. I am looking forward to pizza and a couple of beers for sure!

Thanks N for taking us on a great journey and I am very happy to bring home two gold medals to add to the Trinity collection!!

Posted under Trinity TKD Team

After an eventful morning, the Trinity Tae Kwon Do team destroyed the competition at the AAU National Championships with 3 National Champions, a Silver and Bronze medal.

2010 AAU Nationals

Susie was up first to lead the team to it’s first Gold medal. She had 5 pounds to drop the day before weigh-ins. That’s a pretty big deal since she had already cut a significant amount of weight. She weighed in at 128! Susie used  a great strategy of setting her opponent up, getting her to move in for a kick and countering her attack. Susie dominated her fight with a crushing win of 8-0 in the first 49 seconds of the first round to stop the fight by point gap. (point gap is a 7 point spread over your opponent) The computer was supposed to shut off before the 8th point scored, but Susie was racking up points 6,7 and 8 so fast that she was able to score again before the computer could register.

Erika was up next and fought two tough matches but clearly showed dominance by staying ahead of each opponent throughout the fights. Her Gold medal match was decided by a TKO. Erika’s opponent gave up after being kicked repeatedly to the chest. (If you’ve ever seen Erika kick or felt the pain she inflicts you’d want to run too) Erika’s win brought Trinity it’s second Gold medal of the day!

Third in the line up were Rachael and Ashley. They were in the same division.

Rachael fought hard and was able to keep the score really close. She moved up in the score after she kicked her opponent in the head with an awesome back leg round kick that made the crowd gasp in awe. Rachael and I formulated an simple but effective game plan of pushing the action. She was able to score effectively and keep her opponent from scoring. Her opponent came back to win by two points. Although she didn’t win her fight, she brought home a Bronze medal.

Ashley was up next and took the fight to her opponent for the entire match. She set up her kicks with great checks and was also able to keep her score close. We kept to a basic fight plan because it worked well in the first round. She was faster than her opponent and Ashley was scoring well with a right leg round kick. Her opponent, being a little taller used her longer reach to fight off the kicks. Ashley brings home a Silver medal.

The big match up today was in Stacy’s division. After weighing in at 109, we were told by officals that there were no fighters any where near her weight for her to compete with. Our only two options were walk home with a Gold, but no fights or forfeit our gauranteed win and fight in the heavy weight division!

The 3 girls that made up the heavy weights were 152, 165 and 200 pounds. Remember, Stacy weighed in at 109.

Her first fight was against the 200 pound girl. Stacy used her speed and quick reflexes to avoid any damage from the heavy kicks and score quick. She point gapped the first opponent in the second round 10-3. Her gold medal match was with a strong 165 pound fighter from Colorado. (her coach was an Olympian from the 2000 Olympics) After watching Stacy’s first fight, they came up with a very effective plan to shut down Stacy’s speed and kick her so hard it would prevent her from scoring. The plan (from their perpsective) was working. Stacy sat at the end of the first round and a minute into the second round down 4-0. However, we had a plan of our own. It was to move and make them kick so much that they’d out kick themselves. With only 30 seconds left in the match, Stacy scored 8 points, finishing the match 8-5. The opposing coach and player had no idea what happen and had no game plan for what they saw coming at them. (remember, it’s not over until it’s over!) Stacy brought back Trinity’s 3rd National Championship Gold.

2010 Trinity Tae Kwon Do Team

I am super satisified with how the team trained troughout the last six months leading up to this event and it was awesome having a ringside seat watching these ladies compete and put it all on the line!

But, it’s not over…we leave tomorrow (Friday) morning for Orlando. Saturday, the girls fight again to add more medals to our count and then Sunday I will competing for a spot at the Olympic trials for the 2012 team. Stay tuned for more facebook and blog posts as the weekend unfolds.

It’s after 12am, I’m tired and going to bed!

Good night!

Posted under Trinity TKD Team

MONDAY – JUNE 28th

The whole team finally made it in after a few flight delays and we’re settling in nicely. It’s not too hard when you’re a block from the beach and it’s warm and sunny!

All these super bad ass ladies will be fighting on Thursday.

Susie is cutting weight, hard to make the under 129 weight class. When she first started with the team she was 142. She has a few pounds to go before the Wednesday weigh-ins, but we’re sure she can make it! After training at my coach’s school, Sunday, he decided to not have me fight at the AAU Nationals and put all our efforts into preparing for USA Nationals on Sunday.

The first 2 spots qualify for the 2012 Olympic trials and the first 4 spots qualify for Pan Am team trials and the 2011 National team.

AAU Nationals would have been great to compete in but, doesn’t get you closer to the Olympics whether you win Nationals or make the AAU team.

We will have pictures up shortly… having trouble with finding internet service and downtime to load everything up.

Talk to you tomorrow.

GOLD MEDAL DREAMIN’

Just so you can put names and faces together, here’s the the team…

Nathan Nowak - Black Belt

Stacy Wyman - Red Belt

Ashley Regan - Green Belt

Rachael Aubert - Green Belt

Susie Spivey - Green Belt

Erika Morgan - Green Belt

Posted under Trinity TKD Team

The warmer weather makes it a great time to take your exercise routines outside and enjoy the outdoors.  

Unfortunately, spring and summertime are prime seasons for attackers and rapists.

Why?

As the temperatures rise, we spend more time outside, and we shed the bulky jeans and sweaters for tight running shorts and tops.

The first tip to staying safe is where and when you run.

If you run early in the morning or late at night, find a running partner.  If that’s not an option, a dog is a great deterrent. If you still decide to go it alone, be aware of your surroundings at all times and leave the head phones at home.

Second, be careful using head phones.

A lot of runners and walkers wear head phones because listening to music passes the time and keeps runners motivated. When the music is blaring in your ears, however, you can’t hear the person next to you, let alone an attacker on your heels. Rather than putting both ear pieces in, leave one out so you can hear everything around you, including cars and other traffic hazards.

The next tip is to have a partner.

A running or biking partner can help on those days when you feel little motivation.  They provide support and often make the activity much more enjoyable.  Most importantly, a partner can keep you safer on trails where there aren’t too many people around.  

Keep in mind attackers want easy targets.  While it’s true that desperation can cause an attacker to approach a group, this seldom happens.  You have a greater chance of being avoided if there is someone with you.

Also, always carry a cell phone.

What would we do without cell phones?  Don’t talk on your cell phone unless it’s an emergency!  Cell phones are equipped with a form of GPS, and they can give the police and other emergency personnel your exact location.

The final tip for this newsletter is even when you’re heading back to your car, don’t put your guard down until you’re in your car, with your doors locked and driving away safely. Make sure you’re aware of everyone and everything around your vehicle.

*These are excerpts from week 3 of Trinity’s self-defense course, Are You Prepared?

All of these tips are for avoiding potentially dangerous situations before they happen. However, what do you do if you are approached and the only option is to fight back? We cover all physical aspects of self-defense in Trinity’s 5 week course, Are You Prepared? If you’re interested in taking the course, please call the gym at 404.966.KICK or go to Are You Prepared? for more information.

Posted under Are You Prepared?, Programs and Courses, Seminars

Here’s a short video from Will Smith.

Will is a famous actor starring in Bad Boy’s, The Fresh Prince, In Pursuit of Happyness and many more!

Many actors and actresses just don’t live on the same planet we do, but I think Will Smith does!

I encourage you to watch this daily until you believe you can have everything you want too.

It’s out there for ALL of us.

We must have the courage, persistence and determination to go out and get it!

FINISH STRONG!

Posted under Motivational

Self-Defense

Although we don’t like to think about it, violence is an unfortunate fact of life.

Effective self-defense is about agility, attitude, and awareness –  three components that reinforce each other.

The stronger and more fit you are, and the quicker your reaction time,  the more confident you are that you can react swiftly and creatively to threats – throwing a punch, aiming a kick, running away, or doing whatever it takes.

Trinity Self-Defense instructor, Steven Carter, assisting with kicking drills during an "Are You Prepared?" seminar

Confidence generates a “hands-off” attitude that can discourage would-be attackers.

The discipline and focus you develop while getting and staying in shape make you more alert, aware of activity in your immediate environment. That awareness increases your responsiveness to sudden moves, odd sounds, and other “danger cues” that require decisive action.

Disciplines such as tae kwon do and kickboxing teach excellent skills such as kicking and punching that can be applied to staying safe day-to-day.

Self-defense classes focus specifically on practical, simple moves to stave off attacks.

But whatever fitness activity you pursue, take time to think about the practical applications of the coordination, muscle strength and self-esteem you’re gaining.

Remember: ability, attitude and awareness can spell the difference between being a victim and becoming a criminal’s worst nightmare.

Not a hard choice to make.

Wednesday, September 2nd is the first night of Trinity’s “Are You Prepared?” 5 week course. We are offering $150 OFF the program. (regular price $399)

Are You Prepared? students

We only have 4 spots remaining!

This could very well be the last 5 week course of the year. Don’t put your safety on hold. It just may be too late!

Check out a CBS 46 video of Trinity’s self-defense program on our website. “Are You Prepared?”

Posted under Are You Prepared?, Media, Motivational, Programs and Courses, Seminars

I know you know what it feels like to be prepared.

Learning how to bring an attacker down to size!

You’ve studied for a test, a presentation at work or trained for a sporting event.

When it was time to act, your preparation gave you the confidence in your ability to perform under the pressure,
but, what about in a self-defense situation?

What would happen if today, after work, you were approached by someone as you walked to your car?

What would you do if someone stopped you at your doorstep and pushed you into your house?

What would happen if at a stop light, you find yourself sitting next to a carjacker who just got in the unlocked passenger side of your car?

What would you do?

Are you prepared for these and many other situations you could find yourself in at anytime?

We successfully completed another 5 week course last Wednesday June 24,2009. This was the third course this year.
Normally we only have three per year.

Why did we decide to add another one to the schedule?

Because women are calling in and wanting to take action NOW!!

We hear from government officials, crime is under control, but is it really?

While police say crime is under control, Ga. Tech students are being held at gun point and robbed in their houses, women are being attacked in their apartment complexes and people can’t even walk to local attractions (Centennial Olympic park) without being held up and robbed.

So, what can you do about it?

What steps can you take to make sure you and your family is protected?

Don’t leave your safety and the safety of those around you to anyone else.

Take responsibility for yourself!

These women are prepared!

Feel empowered,

Build self-confidence,

And learn real techniques that can save your life if you have to fight back!

Check this out!

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/19879037/index.html

Posted under Are You Prepared?, Motivational