One of the things that I have always loved about training is the cathartic effect it has. I can be in the worst mood, and all I need is a good hour of solid training to purge the strong emotions that are dragging me down.
At least, this was what I thought was going on. continue reading…
As a martial arts instructor, I have a unique perspective of my students’ lives. When I meet them, I am offered a snapshot of who they are. I don’t have a sense of what preceded them entering the Dojang, and I don’t know where we will end up. As I get to know students and their families over time, the depth of my knowledge of their pasts, and my understanding of the potential in their futures grows. I always find the unfolding of who my students are to be an interesting process and one that is often filled with surprises. Some surprises are small, some are stunning. I had one of the later while talking to a parent a couple of weeks ago. continue reading…
Since I first started martial arts, I’ve been intrigued by the concept of mastery. It seemed to me that the process of achieving mastery was a transcendent one, meaning that not only did you achieve a high level of skill in something (in this case, martial arts), but also that somehow you acquired special wisdom and insight into the human condition. This motivated me that much more to apply myself to my training. How cool that not only would I become an invincible martial artist, but also an impeccably wise guru as well. continue reading…
Many people are drawn to martial arts because of fear of physical confrontation and a desire to be able to defend themselves effectively if things get dangerous. Students at Traditional Martial Arts Academy learn self defense, as with many martial arts schools. But we also explore fear in general so that we can limit how it holds us back. Fear isn’t just a problem when someone attacks us. It is the single greatest limitation in our ability to fully live life to our potential. continue reading…
Life is difficult. The struggles and effort required to keep going have lead people since the beginning of time to try to find deeper meaning in their existence. A powerful approach to living is to view these difficulties as learning opportunities. This is a strategy long offered by great teachers and spiritual leaders. It is a strategy that allows you to gain strength and energy by embracing hardship, rather than being beaten down and broken by it. In this posting, we will look at ways to learn from our most difficult experiences. continue reading…
For the past posts, we’ve been looking at fear and love, and how these emotions effect our lives. We’ve also looked at some strategies for dealing with fear more effectively and how we go about bringing more compassion and love into our lives. For this posting, I want to continue exploring the cultivation of love. continue reading…
Psychologist Abraham Maslow established through his work a description of how we process the immediateness of our needs and establish our priorities around motivations and behaviors. continue reading…
In my last posting, we looked at the importance of moving to a love-based approach to life and away from a fear-based approach. The conclusion was that we should embrace fear and cultivate love. But how? continue reading…
Fear is something we live with everyday. It can be the small doubt about yourself that arises in a conversation. It can be the dread that sinks into you as you face your boss. It can be the nervous anxiety that rattles you when someone is walking towards you on a dark street. continue reading…
At Traditional Martial Arts Academy we study Pyon Moo Do, The Warrior Path of Transformation. The name implies that we are transforming ourselves into warriors. Doesn’t this stand in contradiction to my teaching students to practice peace, harmony and unconditional love? Isn’t warriorship rooted in violence and conflict, things to be avoided? continue reading…
