PeaceWalker Blog

I was thinking about one of the stories Jack Hoban told this past weekend when he was here teaching a seminar at our Grand Rapids Krav academy... If you were there you might remember him telling the story where 20 or so years ago he and his teacher Dr. Hatsumi, were eating w/Jack's wife and (then) young son talking and Hatsumi yells at Jack...   "Idiot! You don't know who you are... You must choose..." "...Who Are You?!" He went on to say,  "You do a lot of things, you're a..." Husband Father Son Brother Marine Businessman Musician Martial artist Landlord Etc.. "Are you a Businessman doing martial arts?" "A martial artist who works a day job?" "A musician who practices martial arts?" "A martial artist who plays music?!" "WHO ARE YOU?!?" What's Your Deepest Identity?!? Let's Clarify... I don't...

I got home Saturday afternoon, and I had the chance to catch up w/an old friend of mine... We ended up sitting around the camp fire, had a few adult beverages and shot the sh*t for a few hours... It was just what the doctor ordered! We talked about everything! No Political Correctness here! Nothing was off the table. And it got me to thinking... Take a Seat... Yes, we have our differences and NO we may not always agree or accept some of the things each other does or says... I don't really care about your gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, profession, how much money you make (or don't), where you live, what you drive or wear, your background or affiliations... Just don't be an A$$ Hole! ...And leave your drama at home! We don't insult one another with being 'Politically Correct'... Because we see one another beyond our relative differences, so we can be REA...

I see it all the time, people are excited to begin something new. They are all gung ho and enthusiastic... Until they hit their first obstacle... It seems that when people even get a whiff of a challenge or... Heaven forbid something that resembles FAILURE... They take the path of least resistance faster than you can say "Shiny Object!" No, this isn't something new... AND it's not necessarily the end of the world as we know it either... We just have to change our mindset, manage our expectation and (you got it...) KEEP GOING! Failing Forward!? If you want to get down to the 'brass tax' (whatever the hell that means!)... If you're not failing, you're not progressing! You see, we HAVE TO FAIL to succeed at the things that are out of our reach! If you aren't willing to fail multiple times, you aren't really investing in your success! But HERE'S the Catch... (Yes, there's...

A great question came up last night after a student realized that she held her breath during one of the physical defense drills we were doing. Afterward she asked. "How do I remember to breathe?" As usual, my answer was simple... Yet, not easy! You just train and when you notice you're holding your breath... Breathe! Keep doing this until you train yourself out of holding your breath during exertion and stress! It can also help if your training partner (and coach) reminds you too, when they see you holding your breath. How Important Is It Anyway!? As you know, breathing is essential for our survival... AND... It makes a huge difference in your performance of everything from controlling stress, verbal communication, coordination, physical exertion, even cognitive functions. Once you stop controlling your breath everything else suffers as well! Breathing Basics... There are many many ways to breath, Compr...