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Showing posts from December, 2011

Ronin Martial Arts Academy Wins U.S. Commerce Association 2011 Grand Rapids Award for Martial Arts Training

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  Thank you, thank you! I am honored to have won this prestigious award! In receiving this recognition I would like to thank my mom and dad, all of my mentors and of course all of those people who train at our academy!!  Hold on, wait one cotton pickin' minute... Before my I get too big for my britches, we should talk about something first. Who is the U.S. Commerce Association anyway and how did I win this so called award? Well if you google this official sounding association you'll find out very quickly that it is one big scam to get business owners to buy these bogus awards. Tricky tricky! So business owners beware of this scam to pilfer your pocket books! Have a good New Year all! And as my grandad used to say, "Don't take any wooden nickles!" All the best, ~Craig

The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame

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Here I sit in one of my favorite coffee houses, sipping on my Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea , listening to some Ronnie James Dio and reflecting about 2011 and of course looking forward to what 2012 has yet to bring! Before I go into too much detail about my thoughts let me tell you a little "Tie In Story." I call this one, "The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame." I don't remember where I picked this story up from, so for that reason forgive me if I don't recite it word for word. I changed the title and adapted things to suit both my purpose of telling it as well as my fading, sometimes ill tempered memory. So without any further ado: "The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame" One day the foreman of a very large stone query was out doing his rounds checking on all of the workers who were cutting stone into bricks that were to be used in constructing the great Cathedral of Notre Dame. As he walked he came across one of the workers grumbling and v

The Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari by Mushtaq Ali

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Mushtaq & I at a SNDSTL  [Secret Non-Disclosed Silat Training Location =] Here is a good post entry I thought you would benefit from. Mushtaq Ali shares his "Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari." Although told in a lighthearted way, they are some seriously good principles of warriorship! Enjoy! If you would like to read more of Mushtaq's insights check out his blog. The Traceless Warrior The Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari  by Mushtaq Ali While these rules started out a bit "tongue in cheek", (someone asked me about the philosophical basis of Silat, I replied "I hit you". The rest, as they say, was history). So, for the edification of my students, and the amusement of my readers, I present to you The Rules (with commentary) 1. I hit you "We are but a simple people." It is good to always remember that the point of the exercise is to deliver energy in the form of destabilize shock to one's opponent. This may be in th