“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength
lies solely in my tenacity.”
– Louis Pasteur
Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is starting out fantastic for each and
every one of you reading this. The new year is often a time to look
back, and then plan forward. While I don’t really make resolutions in
the traditional sense, I am big on goal setting and find the new year
a perfect time to set new goals for the next 12 months and beyond. I
hope the lead article this month helps you with your training goals.
IN THIS ISSUE
Training Goals
Self-Defense Tip
Your Warrior’s Edge Blog
Striking Thoughts – Bruce Lee’s Wisdom For Daily Living
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks
Black Belt Communicator Tip
Just For Fun – Tough Guy Wisdom
Parting Thoughts – Start 2014 Fast
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.”
– Stevie Wonder
TRAINING GOALS
Have you determined your 2014 training goals yet? Why or why not?
Did you write them down? You should. Writing your goals down provides
a concrete intangible desire. Written goals help you stay on track.
There are many articles, books, and programs on goal setting. Follow
one and make your goals a reality. A book I’m using this year to help
with my goals is “Design Your Best Year Ever: A Proven Formula for
Achieving Big Goals” by Darren Hardy. The book has information on goal
setting, but is also a workbook to use throughout the year to achieve
your big goals.
What I want to do here is point out the areas of training goals that
you might want to include in your goals this year. I’ve found that
some people don’t think of these different areas, and if you don’t
think of them, how will you set goals for each? And if you don’t set
goals for your training, you might not become as great as you can
become. So in no particular order, here are some things to think about
when setting training goals for the year and some resources to help
you achieve them.
Strength Training
Strength training will make you a better martial artist, enable you to
defend yourself better, and generally improve your physical fitness
and allow you to do more and live longer. There are many resources out
there to help you with this, the key is to ensure you incorporate
strength training into your fitness program.
Aerobic and Endurance Training
While you might not need endurance in a self-defense situation because
it will be over so fast, you need endurance to make it through your
practices and if you compete, to make it through a long day of
competition. There are many sources to help you learn about aerobic
and endurance training. I strongly recommend you look into some kind
of interval training incorporating sprints or high intensity activity
when you do this.
One book I’ll be opening a few more times this year as I work on my
strength and aerobic training goals is “Take Charge: Fitness at the
Edge of Science” by Clarence Bass. He’s lived health and fitness for
over 75 years now and has a lot of knowledge to help you too.
Flexibility Training
Depending on your goals, flexibility will play a part of your physical
activities. “Stretching Scientifically” by Thomas Kurz is one of the
books I’ll be looking at again this year to help with my flexibility
goals.
Yoga Training
Yoga can compliment martial arts and a health and fitness plan. There
are many classes, books, and DVDs available to assist in learning and
training in yoga.
Meditation Training
I’ve meditated off and on for years, and one of my goals for this year
is to increase my practice to daily, with some longer sessions at
times. One book I’m reading right now to help with this is “Meditation
For Warriors” by Loren Christensen. I also have a number of other
books to help throughout the year.
Qigong and or Tai Chi Training
I was fortunate that my Hapkido instructor in Korea also taught Qigong
classes. (Only a few of us in Hapkido went to these, they were mostly
attended by older students who had nothing to do with Hapkido) I want
to increase my study of Qigong, and some of the best written and DVD
resources I’ve found come from Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming of YMAA. You can
also get good Tai Chi resources from YMAA too. There are also many
other resources depending on the kind of Qigong you wish to learn
about and study. Obviously finding a qualified teacher near you for
live training is best.
Martial Art Skill Training
This heading covers many topics depending on your specific goals.
Skills could include learning joint locks, throws, kicks, weapons,
combinations, tournament winning strategies, ground fighting, improve
speed, improve agility, and so on. As stated above, a live qualified
instructor is always best. But you can supplement your training with
books, DVDs, and seminars. I have DVDs that help with some of these
skills at my site, and there are many others out there. One of many
martial art books I will read this year is “Essential Book Of Martial
Art Kicks” by Marc De Bremaeker and Roy Faige to get tips on kicking
skills. If there is a skill you want to improve, write it down and
find the way to do so.
Self-Defense Skill Training
Like martial art skills, you may wish to improve on your self-defense
skill set. Seminars such as Bill Kipp’s FAST Defense or Peyton Quinn’s
RMCAT can help improve such skills. You can also supplement your
martial art training with books and DVDs that focus on more realistic
self-defense. Just be sure to get with training partners and work on
the skills, not just read about them or watch them from the couch.
After my Streetfighting Essentials, I’d recommend DVDs by Kelly McCann
and others on my website to help you with this.
Better Nutrition
A goal that complements all of your training goals is one of eating
better. One guide aimed at martial artists is “The Fighter’s Body” by
Loren Christensen and Wim Demeere. Another aimed at martial artists is
“Martial Arts Nutrition” by Teri Tom. Just realize that there are many
theories on nutrition and training, and it is good to study more than
one and find what works best for you to achieve YOUR goals.
What Are Your Training Goals?
So, what will you do this year? What training goals do you want to
achieve? We all train, but when we train with a purpose, we’ll
accomplish more. So set some goals, find the teachers and resources
you need to help you achieve them, and then let nothing stop you!
“Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate
yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the
trenchant zeal of a crusader.”
– Paul J. Meyer
SELF-DEFENSE TIP
If there is one street boxing weapon that is overlooked by countless
fighting art practitioners, it is the head butt. The head butt has
come to be very much an English and Scottish tool of combat. Go to any
bar in Liverpool or Newcastle on a Saturday night and watch the
action.
The head butt is a powerful blow that can cause severe damage to the
opponent, even from individuals who do not train or practice the move.
So just think what you can achieve with dedicated scientific practice!
Though not a punch per se, this is one of the big guns in street
fighting and self-defense. It is a close-range weapon, and the impact
area should be the top of your head, not your forehead as often
thought. The head butt can be utilized as a preemptive attack or in
combination with punches. It can also be inserted as a half-beat shot
in between other actions.
(Tip from Street Tough: Hard-Core, Anything Goes Street Fighting
Fundamentals by Phil Giles)
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
– John Wooden
YOUR WARRIOR’S EDGE BLOG
Recent blog posts you might have missed include:
Book review of Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy
Leap Into The New Year and Make Good Things Happen
Book review of The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi
Book review of 10 Days to a Bully-Proof Child
Seven Secrets of Self-Defense and Staying Safe presentation
“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to
unlocking our potential.”
– Winston Churchill
STRIKING THOUGHTS – BRUCE LEE’S WISDOM FOR DAILY LIVING
“To strive actively to achieve some goal gives your life meaning and
substance.”
“Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.”
(From the book Striking Thoughts published by Tuttle)
HARD-WON WISDOM FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
The revised and expanded edition of Hard-Won Wisdom is now available
in paperback and as a kindle e-book. Learn more and order here:
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks
“Read and learn from this book. It covers a much-over-looked area of
the subject of fighting: the middle ground.”
– Marc “Animal” MacYoung, from the Foreword
BLACK BELT COMMUNICATOR TIP
When negotiating, you need to set objectives. Before you contact the
other side, think about your interests and concerns and what is really
important to you. You need to do this in order to formulate a content
goal, which should be specific, precise, and measurable. It is the
“what” that you wish to attain in the final agreement. In a complex
negotiation, multiple objectives are probably needed.
JUST FOR FUN – TOUGH GUY WISDOM
Who said this and from what movie?
“Mental toughness is the ability to accept the fact that you’re human
and that you’re gonna make mistakes, lots of them, all your life. And
some of them are gonna hurt people that you love very badly. But you
have the guts to accept the fact that you’re imperfect and you don’t
let your mistakes crush you and keep you from trying to do the very
best that you can.”
Reply to this newsletter with the correct answer and you will receive
a code to buy signed Tough Guy Wisdom books for 50% off.
(Also reply if you want the answer.)
“Nothing can resist the human will that will stake even its existence
on its stated purpose.”
– Benjamin Disraeli
PARTING THOUGHTS – START 2014 FAST
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
– Dr. Seuss
Please share this newsletter, the website, and the facebook page with
others that may enjoy and benefit from them. Thanks!
Wishing you all the best on your journey as you live with the
Warrior’s Edge. Please let me know how I can help you.
Remember to start this year fast and then finish strong!
Alain