A reader of this column sent me an email recently, thanking me for a column I had written on getting outside the box. She then told me how she had lost focus for a while, but had turned things around. She encouraged me to write a column on staying focused. I immediately thought of my varsity golfing days at the University of Minnesota many years ago. Back then, The Saint Paul Open was one of the top tournaments on the men’s professional golf circuit. Prior to the tournament, I had a chance to meet Gary Player when he was taking a lesson from our team coach, Les Bolstad. Later that evening I went to dinner with the world’s future #1 player when he was still an unknown.

Over the last fifty years, there is probably no one person whose name is more recognizable or more prominent relative to the martial arts than Bruce Lee. When people think of Bruce Lee, they think of the martial arts and vice-versa. Looking past all of the powerful kicks and punches Lee performed, we find the true fuel of his achievements in a tremendous passion from his deep martial arts philosophy.

Every day is filled with distractions of all types. In order to be truly successful as a martial artist, you must learn to manage your time effectively. All aspects of your life will begin to run more smoothly if you are able to put things in their proper place from a priority standpoint. What are the things that are most important to you? What are the things that must be done first and foremost every day? An essential key to managing time is prioritizing your daily routine.

The highest excellence is like (that of) water.
The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things,
and in its occupying, without striving (to the contrary), the low
place which all men dislike.

More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, often as a result of unhealthy diets and a sedentary lifestyle. To improve our nation’s health, the Dietary Guidelines recommend reducing the following:

When Flying Eagle’s first son was born, the people in the village waited anxiously to hear the name of the boy. Flying Eagle said, “His name will be Soaring Eagle because he will also fly down upon his prey and become a great hunter.” The people of the village cheered, “Our people will never grow hungry, we will have two great hunters as our chiefs.”

People with a negative self image typically will lack true confidence. This manifests itself either in extreme introversion or overcompensation through arrogance. Everyone knows people like this, and it is no secret that they simply feel unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives.
A person with a positive self image is able to assert themselves with a sense of quiet confidence. They feel no need to use other people as stepping stones in order to elevate themselves. Looking at yourself positively is a necessity for those wishing to have a true sense of happiness in their life.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted

For students to have the greatest chance of success, they have to be properly prepared at each level of their learning. Educators are well aware of the concept of “readiness” and study when children are ready to learn things like addition and multiplication. The timing in moving a student from one level to the next requires great care.

By appearance, no one would ever think Master Fung was an expert in martial arts. He was short, slender in build, and was very humble in his manner. Outside of his five pupils, no one in the town he lived in knew of his skill.

Small changes can make a big difference to your health. Try incorporating at least six of the eight goals below into your diet. Commit to incorporating one new healthy eating goal each week over the next six weeks.

Without veracity and sincerity, politeness is a farce and a show. “Propriety carried beyond right bounds,” says Masamuné, “becomes a lie.” An ancient poet has outdone Polonius in the advice he gives: “To thyself be faithful: if in thy heart thou strayest not from truth, without prayer of thine the Gods will keep thee whole.”

Long ago there was a great swordsman. As he approached his 80th birthday, he realized that the time had come to select a successor to teach his students for the next generation. His top two students were both great swordsmen and teachers. He decided to devise a test to see which of the two should be the next master of the school.

You will only get the most out of martial arts training when you have a joy for learning. A high level of skill does not come to those who are fainthearted, it’s reserved for those willing to struggle to learn deep mysteries found in what seems simple. You must have a mind that is ready to learn in order to walk a path of mastery.

We will be closed Thanksgiving day!! (11/26 - 11/28)

Your Daily Food Plan helps you manage your daily intake by recommending the amount of food you need from each food group. Your portions at each meal do not need to be any specific amount-but to stay within your energy needs, the total amount you eat each day should match the total amount recommended for each group. For example, 1 regular slice of bread counts as 1 ounce of grains. This doesn’t mean that you have to eat a sandwich with one piece of bread. It just means that if you eat two slices, you should count them both toward your total grain intake for the day.

On top of preparing yourself for Martial Arts success, enduring the pain and hardships of training can then prepare you for the rest of your life. From one preparation, you enter another. Whether it be at school, home, out for your friends, or in training, you have to prepare yourself for challenges and prepare to prevent danger and trouble. You can always connect your life struggles back to the struggles of your training, then use those same inspirations and motivations to help you overcome adversity anywhere.

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”

Preparation is a key to success. In order to achieve your goals, you must write down a clear and specific plan. A clear and specific plan is like a blueprint for a house or a map for finding a location. If you don’t write out your plans, they will become easy to forget.

Martial arts training offers you an opportunity to explore ways of acting
with increasing balance, grace, and effectiveness in everyday situations of conflict or stress. Guided by principles of movement, harmony, and connectedness from martial arts, you can sharpen practical skills for communicating, dealing with conflict, and cultivating a grounded way of being present, even in chaotic situations.