{ |
Martial Arts Therapy |
} |
for children fighting cancer |
Martial Arts Therapy Program – Page 1
Martial Arts and Sciences is the study of internal and external energies and forces as they relate within and to yourself, to others in your vicinity, and to your environment for the purpose of protecting yourself from physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual harm.
Martial artists are required to study and manipulate the natural forces within, and to learn to amplify and neutralize forces within and around themselves when necessary creating harmony.
Martial artists are proactively involved in using their acquired dynamic skills and energies to
pursue peace and health.
Martial Arts Therapy works on several principles revolving around empowerment through energy
training, focus one's mind, repetition of doing things kids are motivated to do, and
scrambling pain messages.
Some principles we utilize:
Blocking pain – Scrambling the brain's message of pain and focusing on another message through various forms of meditation creating peace of mind. Also using pain as a source of focus to achieve other objectives.
Focus – Utilizing our senses to gather information and discern the multitude of incoming messages thereby isolating the message we don't want to be distracted by and to amplify other messages of healing.
Repetition – Because most martial arts students are highly motivated and believe in their Sensei-teacher's judgment that the exercises given to them will have them achieve their goal of empowerment, they are committed to practicing the exercises that their doctors and physical therapists would only dream of. Repetitions lead to internalizing the movements which assists the children in rehabilitation and healing. These repetitions are also a form of recreation. After each class the students see positive results.
Virtual Karate & Judo – Because so many of our children with disabilities and illness cannot have physical contact we have developed tournament play to test their skills virtually. In virtual karate students spar from a distance with contact and judges in each corner and in the center decide whether the punch or kick would have scored if delivered up close. Additionally, judges score points when students make spectacular blocks. This approach also levels the playing field where healthy kids without disabilities can spar with our students because there is no chance of any injury.
Discipline – Martial Arts students learn to discipline their minds first with the belief that the body will follow. The students learn to push themselves beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Guidance Imagery – The principal of altering our state of mind through imaginary events taking place
in and around our bodies causing our brain to react to this planted information stimulus. If you think
it and believe it our bodies will act on it or against it. This is also known as a form of self-hypnosis.
A typical example of this is that we teach and train our students to imagine a helpless frightened disabled cell being attacked by a brutal cancer ninja cell. Then we train the students to further imagine the antibodies as samurai or police officers each dressed in their uniform in formation to conquer and arrest the cancer.
Chi – Internal Energy – The oriental cultures believe that the human has a natural energy charge and
that each person has a certain amount of energy with a distinct energy pattern signature that flows
within our bodies. Sickness usually occurs when the flow is blocked or interrupted. Poor nutrition
and other poor personal habits can cause this interruption. Likewise we believe that people
are Energy Units constantly seeking to maintain their Energy Levels. Rating from 1-10 in daily life
many of us should be hovering around the 50-75th percentile. However when it drops too low we teach them how to self-activate.
When our students become aware of this energy in their bodies they begin the cultivation process, which often leads to healing and certainly to pain management.
At the beginning of each class the instructor – Sensei will ask what is your E-L (Energy Level)? Most students will usually say between 3 & 7. After some martial training one often hears the instructor inquiring in a loud demanding demeanor – "WHAT’S YOUR E-L MISS/MISTER" and the students will shout the number they have risen to.
Help us make a difference
Your contribution counts. Every dollar you give will help Martial Arts Therapy to reach more children. Now it can be your money that helps a child fight pain and cancer, and if you want to get involved with Martial Arts Therapy or see how donations are used, please visit our contributions page.
Our Program
About Gary Moskowitz
Rabbi Sensei Gary Moskowitz is a former New York City police officer, private investigator, teacher, principal, social worker, talk show host, and president of a Long Island Jewish community council. He has trained police in the United States and anti-terrorist units in Israel in riot and hostage tactics. Gary holds a Seventh Degree Black Belt in both Juijitsu and Karate, a Second Degree Black Belt in both Judo and Oriental Weapons, and he is an instructor in Tai-Chi-Aki. His life long desire for educating others and for making the world a better place has led him to teach Martial Arts and a broad variety of other subjects over many years and to found the award winning National Association for the Jewish Poor and other charitable organizations, including Martial Arts Therapy for children fighting cancer.