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The Gaze in Strategy
In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close, and to take a distanced view of close things. It is important in strategy to know the enemy’s sword and not to be distracted by insignificant movements of his sword. You must study this. The gaze is the same for single combat and for large-scale combat.
The gaze should be large and broad. This is the twofold gaze: “Perception and Sight.” Perception is strong and sight weak.
It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is written here: use this gaze in everyday life and do not vary it, whatever happens.
From The Book of Five Rings.
Your Home Is Your Gym
Who doesn’t hate going to the gym? Face it: it takes time to go to the gym, to work out, and to take care of all the other necessary duties that accompany this endeavor. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When it comes to results, you may be even better off by not going to the gym—if you play your cards right, that is.
Starting a Home Workout
So, what does all of this have to do with working out at home? Everything. Simply make your home environment your workout zone and start using your own body. Use great music to get you going when the going gets tough. Here are three simple workouts:
Squat jumps: Sit back into a squat with your weight distributed on the heels. Jump into the air. Land softly by bending your legs. Repeat this motion 15 to 20 times. Focus on your thighs, abs and butt.
Triceps dips: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair with your hands under your body on the seat. Extend your legs out in front of you so that your hands and heels support your body weight. Lower yourself and push back up again. Repeat 15 times, rest five seconds, and repeat one more time. Focus on your triceps and shoulders.
Leg raises: Lie on the floor on your back. Place your hands flat below your butt and raise one shoulder slightly off the ground. Lift both of your legs until they are about a foot and a half above the floor, and slowly lower them just as far as possible without lifting up your lower back from the floor. Repeat 20 times, rest, and perform the exercise again. Focus on your abdominal region.
What Not to Do
Don’t exercise without warming up.
Make sure you pay attention to the movements; don’t just go through the motions. Feel your muscle working, and stay in control.
Don’t forget to make some space for yourself to move around easily.
Don’t cheat the movements just because nobody is around.
The Best Bang for Your Buck
You can also save money by working out at home, despite the fact that there is a wide range of mostly useless equipment out there for thousands of dollars. A treadmill (which does not teach you how to use your body or give you a variety of integrated movements) costs between $1,500 and $7,000. Other gym equipment, such as a lat pull machine, costs more than $3,000.
Stefan Aschan, leading expert on lifestyle, health, and fitness solutions.
The Long-Lost Son
A beggar came into a quiet village. His appearance was thin, dirty, weak, and hopeless. Most of the people in town steered clear of him as he put out his hands to those passing by the spot where he would lie in the center of town. That is until Master Kwan stopped and spoke with him.
Many of the people passing by were unsure why Master Kwan, who was a respected martial arts teacher, would even waste his time. What was even more disturbing to the people was when the Master lifted the man up and began to walk him to his dojo.
The interaction between Kwan and the beggar became the talk of the town. The next day, one of Master Kwan’s students asked, “Why did you take in that dirty beggar?”
Kwan replied, “Things are not always as they appear, but you must trust me that I did what was right.”
Several weeks went by and the talk faded about what happened that day, because the beggar just seemed to disappear. Then, one night, out of nowhere, the long-lost son of one of the village’s chief council members showed up at Kwan’s class.
Since most of the town trained with Kwan, there was tremendous excitement at the sudden appearance of the man, especially by his family. When asked what had happened to him, he explained, “I got lost a number of years ago and had been trying to find my way back home. I nearly starved to death on a number of occasions.”
His father replied, “It doesn’t matter now; we’re just glad to have you back.”
The man replied, “It’s all because of Master Kwan.”
Everyone was surprised.
“What do you mean?” the man’s father asked.
Kwan stepped in and replied, “The man who appeared to be a beggar is the same person as the long-lost son. I saw in his eyes who he was. He was suffering from malnutrition, which was also hurting him in other ways. I decided to nurse him back to health with good nutrition. Now you have your son back.”
Everyone, but especially the boy’s father, rejoiced.
Winning is a Choice
Martial artists who make the choice to win never lose in any situation that life throws their way.
During a time of training or competing, victory will happen for those who make winning their choice. Just by deciding to win and following up with action, winning becomes a habit.
When you’re learning a new technique in your training, it doesn’t always come easily, but struggling doesn’t equal losing. The struggle itself is winning. Even continuing to work at the skill regularly through the hard times is a win because it develops discipline and confidence for the next time you face a similar situation.
In a tournament, whether you get a trophy or not, you can still be a winner with the mindset of being a winner
Winning can be something as simple as not giving into to the fear of facing a superior competitor. You’re a winner when you still have a positive attitude even though things didn’t go as planned during a breaking competition. The ultimate win in any competition is to come out of it as one who has an attitude of true sportsmanship, no matter what happens.
The same can be said for life when you make winning your choice. Any time your job seems difficult with regards to achieving your goals, you can win by using that as a learning experience. No matter how other employees act, you can be a winner by always maintaining a good work ethic. In addition, winners also have the attitude of being a team player in any business.
By making winning your choice, you will experience some form of winning, no matter what happens in the experience.