Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences (decision making) and a former professor of psychology at Princeton University. His 2011 book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” is still a popular book for people trying to figure out how our cognitive selves operate. Though he is intelligent and highly educated, he can take theContinue reading “Readings: Thinking, Fast and Slow (and What That Means for Martial Artists).”
Tag Archives: Philosophy
Looking Back. Looking Forward.
It’s safe to say we have all had an interesting, if not rough year. It would be easy to say that the year was a complete bust for most of us. With COVID shutdowns, election-year drama, and unexpected surgeries (in my case), who knew if we would survive. If there is one thing we canContinue reading “Looking Back. Looking Forward.”
Bruce Lee Broke Out of Plato’s Cave
When we first begin our martial arts journey, we start from a void, a vacuum where we know nothing. This idea holds for almost any kind of learning. As we expose ourselves to more knowledge and experiences, we slowly fill that void. But as we grow, part of learning must also come through our ownContinue reading “Bruce Lee Broke Out of Plato’s Cave”
Fighting Without Fighting: 3 Details You Should Know.
I’ve had young guys come in the gym trying to exert their physical dominance or display their machismo. You might say they are looking for a fight. One day, you realize the muscles weaken, the speed slows, and the hairline recedes. You can’t be the young lion forever. But, if you train correctly and focusContinue reading “Fighting Without Fighting: 3 Details You Should Know.”
Playing Not to Lose Until You Learn How to Win.
Have you ever felt like a loser because you just couldn’t win at anything? Here is an idea you can try to start winning, but it will take time, learning, and a willingness to lose in the short-run. I played the game Connect Four with my son the other day. After he lost several timesContinue reading “Playing Not to Lose Until You Learn How to Win.”
Let Us Live… and Buy a T-shirt.
Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “Most men die at 27, we just bury them at 72.” I would argue that most people have not truly lived, regardless of their age. At the end of your life, and it could be sooner than you think, what proof will you have to show that you lived?Continue reading “Let Us Live… and Buy a T-shirt.”
Survive. Then Thrive.
I had a newer student who tried to submit me any time we rolled. It’s fairly typical behavior when someone comes in with little or no previous training. The name of the game is to submit your opponent, right? In Wrestling, the new kid rushes in like a bull and in Judo, the new guyContinue reading “Survive. Then Thrive.”
3 Things You Need to Know About Being Prepared
There was a time in my life where I tried being a preacher. Public speaking was natural to me and I enjoyed looking for little nuggets of truth or application in the texts I read, particularly the Bible. I still search for bits of wisdom there though I stepped away from the pulpit several yearsContinue reading “3 Things You Need to Know About Being Prepared”
Why Complicate Teaching?: What I Learned from my Students.
Due to having back surgery, I have had to let a few upper-level students teach my classes. Usually, I hate relinquishing control, but in this case, I didn’t have a choice. After class one night, one of my assistants messaged me. He had a revelation about teaching while filling in for me, one which isContinue reading “Why Complicate Teaching?: What I Learned from my Students.”
You Only Live Once (Chasing the Will-o’-the-Wisp)
Sitting in a political philosophy class in college, my professor noticed many students on their phones, texting or surfing social media. We then took a detour from Plato and Aristotle for the rest of the period. Instead of political theory, we discussed something more permanent, yet forever fleeting. That class was the first time IContinue reading “You Only Live Once (Chasing the Will-o’-the-Wisp)”
Joshua Clements Writes 