“There’s only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) . Sometimes we have to test ourselves and push ourselves to the limit. It is how we grow, and it is how we gain life experiences. You never know your real strength until you push your boundary. . […]
“There’s only one way to avoid criticism.” Read More »
You QUIT karate? . It’s a harsh reality that the students you’re teaching right now will not be the same students you’re teaching a year or two from now. Every dojo or school goes through it. They quit. . There are many reasons why people quit. The novelty of training may have worn off, or
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus . What happens to us is in life is an objective reality, how we respond is a subjective choice. The Stoics — of which Epictetus was one — would say that we don’t control what happens to us, all
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Read More »
Whether you’re a Karate practitioner, MMA fighter, combat fighter or any other competition martial artist, you train for are a very specific arena, dealing with very specific parameters. Outside in the real-world, if you use those parameters, oftentimes you will find unskilled people, who just have the ability to want to hurt you, are going
The goal is to live a life that avoids violence, not encourage it. Read More »
Gichin Funakoshi’s 6th precept stated – “Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu” (心は放たん事を要す). Be ready to free your mind. . There are many interpretations of the exact meaning of Funakoshi’s precept, but I believe part of it is that we should always keep our minds open to learning new things. . I often watch students
Be ready to free your mind. Read More »
“What do you think is the most valuable thing you might have in your life, that you really don’t pay attention to, especially when you’re young, because you just feel you have an abundance of it? It’s never ending…….… Time.” – Sylvester Stallone . The reason why people keep saying, “the trouble is you think
Don’t waste your most valuable asset…… Read More »
Close-minded is when you believe in something or in someone and your mind will stay closed to that belief and will not even try to acknowledge any other idea or concept. . Nobody wants to admit they’re close-minded. Ask anyone, and 90% of the time, they’ll tell you they’re an open-minded, positive individual who’s (apparently)
The problem with closed-minded people, is that their mouths are always open. Read More »
“A teacher is never a giver of truth; he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself.” – Bruce Lee . Strictly speaking, education and instruction are mutually exclusive. You instruct soldiers. You teach students. An instructor lays down rules to be obeyed; a teacher strews ideas to
Are you an instructor, a teacher, both, or something else? Read More »
My karate is stronger than yours! . Really? You think so? . It’s essential to define what people mean by “strongest”. I’m assuming that when people are looking for the strongest karate styles, they mean strongest in terms of effectiveness and practicality. But strongest, WHERE? In the dojo? In a ring? In a competition? In
My karate is stronger than yours! Read More »
When is the time to retire from the martial arts? . I’m finally old enough to examine it with some objectivity. The issue, of course, is when one should retire in karate or other forms of budo. No serious martial artist “retires” in the sense that the person ceases to train, study and explore life
When is the time to retire from the martial arts? Read More »
We are scared of change, and always avoid it for as long as possible. People appreciate regularity, security and comfort. Change is the contrary, it takes you out of your comfort zone, it is unstable at first, scary because unknown. And we have always fear what we ignore. . Another way of thinking would be
“Carry the tradition into the future.” Read More »
Modern life sometimes encourages an individual to act without thinking, to treat others carelessly, to feed the ego. By contrast, etiquette, discipline, and a respect for others is at the heart of the martial arts. . Etiquette is not simply a matter of tradition, nor is it a matter of “being polite.” It is at
Never neglect courtesy and etiquette. Read More »
