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Showing posts from November, 2015

Nippon

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  Well, I'm back in Japan! I just came off from a week and a half RGI stint in New Jersey that, due to bad weather in Chicago resulted in an airport stay-over, turning my 4 hour flight into a 26 1/2 hour airport extravaganza. Fast forward to Friday, (5 Days Later) and I'm wheels up for Japan. It's no wonder that I'm going at things a bit raw to begin with regarding travel. Not that I'm bitching mind you (well, ok you caught me, I am whining a bit... sorry.). I'm am so fortunate to be able to do what I do! I just am looking forward to the time where we can be beamed places instantaneously, rather than spending hours or in some cases days getting to our destination! I can just hear the voices of days long ago screaming in harmony, "Cry me a river you big baby! Do you even have a clue what we went through to travel to places? Try being on a crappy, disease ridden, cramped, leaky boat for 6 months w/no guarantee that you were even going to survive the jou...

In Search of the Heroic

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Thanks to a snow storm in Chicago that turned my 4 hour flight into a 26 hour airport marathon, I'm a bit disoriented from my journey home from New Jersey. We've ( www.rgi.co ) been working with the Camden County Police Department since April of this year and this last crew was the largest group to go through the course yet. A bunch of tough hard charging young officers and a handful of veteran cops as well. It was great seeing all of the Camden mentors again. You all did a fantastic job helping out! We couldn't have done it without you folks. I always get  back from these training's a little wiped out emotionally and physically, but so inspired! Reconnecting with my RGI compadres', working side by side w/the new Camden mentors and of course training the officers going through the course is an honor, a way for me to not only give back, but to learn as well. An all around fulfilling experience that helps me to reactivate, sustain and Keep Going! Working w...

The Warrior Sage

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My friend Jack Hoban  often jokes about how easy it is being a "Warrior Sage" for a couple hour class or weekend seminar, but then there's the rest of your life. There is how your students see you and then there is the rest of the world. Your significant other, sibling or best friend probably has a much different perspective of your sage like qualities compared to that guy or gal who read your book, watched all of your videos and is hanging on your every "enlightened" word of inspiration regarding human nature and the path of the Bodhisattva Warrior. But all cliche's aside, if you are training protector tactics, self defense, personal protection, etc. there is a reason and benefit for you (professional protectors or not) to find someone or group of someones who are helping you to clarify, connect and sustain this warrior ethos. Being an Ethical Protector as Jack says, or a PeaceWalker in my lingo is essential. Why? Because if you don't it can...

Say HELL YEAH or Hell No!

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  I wish I'd written the blurb below. Words to live by once you get passed the point of living and working only for necessity and simply sustenance. Every year I get one step closer to taking on more projects that I want to be involved in; working with more people that I find fulfillment engaging with; making more of a difference. This all means saying no to many of the things that pull me away from the projects, and people who take up time in a way that I don't find as beneficial to me and my life. It's not all bad, there are a lot of good ideas out there and it's easy to get caught up in "busy work," but before you know it there is no time or energy left for the things that really matter. These are some of the reasons why I left Corporate America many years ago. Not that I really wanted that (corp. America) in the first place, it kind of happened and I got caught up in it. Luckily, I was able to break free to do more of what I want. Following your bliss ...

Do NOT Approach: A Tale of Mistaken Identity

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  I don't consider myself a jogger, however as part of my workout, I typically run 3 to 4 miles a day, pretty much everyday of the week. I run rain or shine, snow or sleet. My apparel isn't elaborate; typically beat up olive drab fatigues, an old t-shirt and sometimes a hat if it's chilly or wet. Yesterday, Because it was raining I had my forest green rain coat on along with a baseball hat that I picked up twenty some years ago when I did some training in South Korea. Soaked from head to toe, I finished my run. I sprinted across Leonard street toward Westside Fitness , the gym that I teach my Krav Maga Classes. The gym is in an old strip mall that used to be what we called "little Meijers." It was a Meijers grocery store before they transitioned into the gigantic hyper markets they are today. Anyway, there are a number of other shops in the building one of which is a subway. There was a lady coming out of that subway. She was walking to her car when I came ...