“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.” – Will Durant . “Arete.” – Is a powerful word. To the Greeks, it meant ‘excellence’. It was the ultimate expression of human greatness—moral, physical, spiritual. It’s what the Stoics were chasing. It’s what you should be chasing today. ….
Tag: Mind
The Dojo…A brief vacation from your problems.
With so many people these days leading hectic, over-stimulated, and sleep-deprived lives, it’s no wonder that worry and anxiety is at an all time high. In a way, our brains are hard wired to be on the lookout for threats and reasons to worry, despite whether they are real or imagined. . What this means…
“A teacher, a really good sensei, is never a giver of ‘truth’…”
“Mentorship is like friendship: it evolves over time, and it’s a two-way street.” – Simon Sinek . Mentorship is an activity in which we engage in to help develop the next generation of karate teachers, style or group leaders. What exactly is mentorship? What makes it effective? How does it differ from just teaching or…
“The journey has to be based on passion.”
Most teachers of the martial arts do not enter teaching with the expectation that they will be working with consistently well-behaved, enthusiastic, successful students who enjoy standing quietly in rows listening to teachers lecture at them. . Nor do most teachers anticipate that all their students will dutifully use their highest cognitive processes to memorize,…
If you really want to do something, you will find a way.
If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t you will find an excuse – Jim Rohn (1930-2009) . . If you really want to do something, you WILL find a way. But, do it NOW! And not later. Don’t wait for the right time. There is no other…
Challenge yourself; go farther than you think you can go.
Research shows that people who train martial arts are more alert and focused than those who have never trained before. It also shows that the longer a person has trained, the more enhanced his or her cognition becomes. . But you need to have an insatiable desire to continually improve your skills. . Martial arts…
How to be unshakeable in your enthusiasm for teaching the martial arts.
How to be unshakeable in your enthusiasm for teaching the martial arts. . Students can tell when we’re just going through the motions. But how can you summon the energy to teach with passion; day in, day out? . Firstly there is authenticity: There are times when we have to act excited about teaching a…
“It’s not just about skill in karate, it’s about having the right spirit, being a good person!”
“I would like to teach my juniors as I was taught by my teacher, so that I can pass on the traditional karate culture of Okinawa. The challenge is to find the right spirit, the right heart, I teach only those who have the right mind. The more I do karate, the more I…
Questions? I’ve got ALL the answers.
Highly opinionated people don’t usually ask for anyones opinion. They think they have the answers for everything and are easily offended by any opposing view. Highly opinionated people tend to lack a bit of empathy or understanding toward anyone who doesn’t think their way. Their minds are closed off because they already know the right…
“The answer is only important if you ask the right questions.”
“The answer is only important if you ask the right questions.” ?? . Miyagi Nariyoshi – Miyagi-do Karate. . Everybody wants to progress, everyone wants to wrap themselves in another black belt, but very few are willing to look in the mirror to see where he or she is, right now. . It’s not enough to…
Never fail to practice.
“Where there is no practice, there is no Karate practitioner. Never fail to practice.” (end quote) – Minoru Higa 10th dan Shorin Ryu Kyudokan . ‘究道無限’ (Kyudo Mugen) – (The Path of Study Never Ends) . It is easy to believe you know enough. You have reached all the knowledge you need or want. You…
You are your own worst enemy.
“You are your own worst enemy. Fortunately, you know all your weaknesses.” . You know yourself better than anyone and you know where you want to go. Therefore you need to create a path on which you are going to step in and on. . One of the problems about today’s society is that many…