Upcoming Black Belt Testing
Over the past few weeks I’ve been very involved in preparation for the next Black Belt test. We have nine candidates getting ready to test on June 14th. The Black Belts have offered their training time to work with them and they’ve been putting in countless extra hours on the weekends and during the week on top of their regular classes. I’ve...
May 28, 2008 | Continue reading »
What is a Leader?
Leaders have to learn to stand alone, but can never do so if they don’t love enough. So, you want the prestige of being a leader? Let’s define the concept, shall we? The first lesson is the lesson of vision. What are your goals? What is your spiritual incentive? Is that incentive strong enough to the purpose and true to the objective? This...
April 30, 2008 | Continue reading »
What is Peak Oil?
I admit it! I am not enamored with politics and its lack of truth about the real issues affecting the United States, its policies, and the economy. I often wonder what has come over this old warrior – with my optimism at heart but cynicism in view. Reality is a hard taskmaster. True in martial arts – true in evolving points of view. Bush...
April 23, 2008 | Continue reading »
The Beginning, the Middle, and the End
My students have often asked, “You seem to know what I am going to do before I get my move started. How do you do that?” I wish that I could tell them that I had some great all knowing psychic ability, but I don’t. Most of the time my answer leaves them even more puzzled than a “crystal ball” secret ever would have. I couch...
April 10, 2008 | Continue reading »
Martial Arts Magic
Many of the movements in well-performed martial arts are optical illusions. That means they are misleading images that deceive visual perception of size, shape, and motion. This occurs because the human eye has a tendency to not see the entire sequence of a technique but only the most conspicuous component. This lack of vision will not note efficiency...
April 1, 2008 | Continue reading »
Love/Hate…Yin/Yang
Love/hate relationships…yup! Seems to be the story of my life these days. Yin/yang is the order of this third dimensional existence! Love it – because the only guarantee is one day we will all leave it. I have not written in a while…major testing for students at my school. I love the results, but hate the process. Our policy is to...
March 19, 2008 | Continue reading »
Self-Protection: Are you really reaching your students?
You see it in the news every day. People – men, women, and children – are getting attacked along with robberies, rapes, kidnappings, car-jackings, and muggings. Face it! There are some scary, freaky people out in the world today. We all realize that it is time to become more aware of these situations and our potential to be a part of it...
February 28, 2008 | Continue reading »
What “is”?
Busting the myths. I often instruct my students in this simple way to observe their world and environment; I ask them to spend time in developing the following perceptual filters. “See what it is. See what it is not.” We live in a world of perceptions, prejudices, rumors, and impressions. Our views of life are constantly attacked by manipulations...
February 15, 2008 | Continue reading »
Yesterday’s Champions vs. Today’s
I am always interested as I watch the strikers in the various and sundry full contact martial arts, with their alleged “all-out” approach to fighting methods. They appear to be lacking in the most basic understanding of the sweet science of leverage when using their fist in punching. One cannot fault the conditioning of these men. The heart...
February 11, 2008 | Continue reading »
$600? Yea, right.
Many years ago, when I lived in Maine, there was a local comedian that had an amusing expression. He referred to someone as being, “Numb as a hake.” A hake is a fish. He continued by saying, “Not only does he not know anything, but he doesn’t even suspect anything!” This really describes the American people and their awareness...
February 7, 2008 | Continue reading »
