PeaceWalker Blog

USMC  Lt. Col. (Ret) Joe Shusko Instructing Camden NJ PD  RGI Mentoring Course 2015  "Good artists copy. Great artists steal." ~Pablo Picasso Some things in life cannot be given, they can only be "stolen." You may be thinking, "What the heck is Gray talking about now?!" Well, let me explain. I'm not talking about ripping someone off, plagiarizing or pirating the next Star Wars movie before it's released. I'm talking about learning, applying and succeeding at something.  I have heard this "stealing" idea from many of my martial arts instructors regarding training. However the same idea pertains to other things in life as well. My interpretation of this "stealing it" concept can mean many things. I wanted to explore a few ideas. First, you have to want it. It seems that we are used to being spoon fed now a days. As a result many people often give up too soon, feeling that the path should be easier an...

It was a hot summer day running the hill during one of our Krav Maga Outdoor Bootcamps. Along with working on defensive tactics, the training consists of four rounds of physical conditioning: Two short trail runs, a half mile circuit training course where you walk, jog or crawl to each station to do push ups, squats, mountain climbers and crunches followed by a (quick?) sprint down and back up an 1/8 mile steep grassy hill, we finish out our day by breaking up into teams where all of the exercises are done with one or more of our team mates. We were just finishing up the second round of PT (Physical Training) on the hill and there were a couple of the guys that fell behind the pack a bit. When we the main group was done, rather than just sitting down to rest while the others finished, one of the guys got up and jogged over to complete the course with the two people who were still finishing. It only took one person to step up to inspire over half of the group to join in to finish...

Azadi Tower - Tehran, Iran I have been doing a fair amount of travel lately. I have developed a tradition of picking up a few of the cool trendy magazines when I am at airports. They range from surfing mags, fitness, technology, business, psychology and of course travel. My attention is drawn to the beautiful pictures of exotic and far away lands. I love traveling for business and pleasure (not TOO much travel though, it has to be in balance. I'm still working on that part.). Last week while in-route from New Jersey I picked up a travel Magazine called AFAR. It has gorgeous pictures and some good articles. The moment I read the Founder's Note, I thought, "I need to meet this Greg Sullivan guy sometime. It would be interesting sharing a few beers and stories with him." Here is his Founder's Note that inspired me: I'm in Tehran, on the back of a motorcycle being driven by a random guy off the street who speaks no English. We are in a dedicated bus la...

"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body and polish the spirit." ~Morihei  Ueshiba I get a fair amount of people asking questions about how long it will take to defend themselves. People want to know:  How long will it take to get my black belt or my next rank?  What should my short and long term goals be? Where should I be in 1, 2 or 5 years? What should I be working on? What should I get out of my training? etc. etc.  First off, I don't view training (martial arts) like this. Secondly, only you can really determine what you want out of your training and how you choose to fit it in your life. My approach to training is an ongoing practice, a lifestyle; like working out, going to church or taking yoga, it never really ends. It's something that grows and breathes with me helping me to Live, Protect  & Inspire. Next month will mark my 40th year training. It started with me and my dad working out in the...