For a while, I would be slightly offended if people didn’t make the effort to remember things I had already told them. Or if a friend wouldn’t check up on me after an injury, or ask about the outcome of a particular stressful event I was nervous for. I’d be Continue Reading
Philosophy
Pay Someone a Compliment: It Will Reward Them Dividends
We all like to hear good things about ourselves. That’s a fact. I was attending my martial arts organization’s world championship and while exiting the elevator, I walked past a gentleman from Great Britain that I had judged earlier in the day in the colored belt competition. I went past Continue Reading
Approaches to Training: Old School vs New School
There’s a common school of thought that old-school martial arts training was better because it was more rigorous; maybe you’ve heard (or seen videos) of shaolin monks training in kung fu monasteries in China. Punching and kicking trees or walls for conditioning, meditating outside in freezing temperatures with minimal clothing Continue Reading
Give it Your All, All The Time
Over the last few years when I was training I couldn’t give a 100% in my martial arts classes, barely even 80%. I had suffered from a lot of crazy injuries over time, from chest injuries to shoulder injuries to ankle injuries, I experienced a lot. Even after I recovered Continue Reading
Friction Makes the Wheel Roll: Differences are Beneficial and Cause Growth
When we look to grow as martial artists and as people really, we need to understand that it’s perfectly okay to disagree with others. In fact, people are less likely to trust and believe you if you agree with them on each and every little thing. People will believe that Continue Reading
Reconnecting with Nature: Respect the World Around You
We have our Tang Soo Do World Championships in North Carolina every other year, and I usually drive rather than fly for ease of transporting weapons and equipment. One thing that’s an added bonus is driving through the beautiful forests and mountains of West Virginia, with scenic views along the Continue Reading
Scope Creep in the Martial Arts and the Workplace
In Korean martial arts there is a philosophy known as Ryu Pa. Ryu Pa, the theory of streams diverging from the main branch of the river that eventually become their own waterway. This can be seen in adding different variations to a specific form or technique, and it can even Continue Reading
The Best Kind of Student: The Eager and Honest Orange Belt
Many times when we are looking to gain insight or at the very least get the ball rolling in our own train of thought, we think revelations or thought provoking questions will come from the masters. While, yes, we would hope that we would gain insight from the masters of Continue Reading
Evolution in Thinking Toward Self-Mastery
About a year ago, Anthony wrote a three part series of articles called “The Martial Artist Mentality” explaining how different lessons we learn in the martial arts can positively affect other realms of our life. You can see all three of those articles below. Today I am writing to explain Continue Reading
Start From the Ground Up
In previous articles I’ve talked about my self-confidence journey, and how it is still far from over. Don’t get me wrong, I have come a long way from the depths of low self-esteem I used to live in, however there are still some times where I feel nervous or not Continue Reading