Tag Archives: Judo

Are You Using Your Fear Properly?

If not, here’s how you can make the most of it. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Continue reading “Are You Using Your Fear Properly?”

Training through the years.

This was me as a fresh white belt at my first seminar with Gustavo Machado, my head instructor. As I near ten years on the mat in Jiu Jitsu, plus the many more in Wrestling and Judo, I can’t help but think about this year and what it will be like. I have never tiredContinue reading “Training through the years.”

7 New Year’s Resolutions for Martial Artists

Commit to being more disciplined This year, be more disciplined in your training. Jocko Willink said, “How do you become better? There is only one way – The way of discipline.” This might mean doing more reps during class. You might get there early and do solo drills. Make every move count. With every newContinue reading “7 New Year’s Resolutions for Martial Artists”

Quitting: Should I walk away?

Have you ever felt like quitting? Whether it’s a martial art, a marriage, or a job, we’ve all felt like giving up the fight at some point in our lives. So what do we do when we face the temptation to walk away? Why people quit. Some do it because of the stress involved inContinue reading “Quitting: Should I walk away?”

Even Elvis Had a Black Belt

Photo credit: http://www.elvispresleyindex.com.br/2014/05/elvis-e-o-karate.html Being the good parent that I am, I recently made my children watch all of the Karate Kid movies (except the one I dub as Kung Fu kid for reasons I might reveal in the future). I hadn’t seen some of them in their entirety in many years. As we watched, itContinue reading “Even Elvis Had a Black Belt”

Don’t Stop Beating Yourself Up - Use It

Who needs truth when you have an incredible tale to tell? Alexander the Great, one of the most successful conquerors of all time, was purported to have wept when he surveyed the size of his kingdom and realized there were no more lands to subdue. This story makes for a great analogy even if IContinue reading “Don’t Stop Beating Yourself Up - Use It”

Prepare for Days That Kick You in the Face

One night after class, I had a conversation with a student who rarely misses. I mentioned to him about having to cut back on his training in the future if he gets married and has kids. His reply was, “I won’t get married if she won’t let me train three or four times a week.”Continue reading “Prepare for Days That Kick You in the Face”

Letting go improves your grappling… and your life.

A couple of months ago, I broke the ring finger on my left hand. Unable to use that hand effectively, I gripped harder with my right. This ended up with me breaking my pointer finger on my right hand. With two bum hands, I had to figure out a way to train safely to letContinue reading “Letting go improves your grappling… and your life.”

To drill, or not to drill?

Early in my martial arts career, we would drill the same techniques repeatedly throughout the class. This might mean doing armbars for thirty minutes or having to rep fifty on each side before we could do anything else. At the time, I disliked this style of training because I became distracted or bored. Looking back,Continue reading “To drill, or not to drill?”