Martial Arts Center - Joseph Hurtsellers

2012-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

I am now shifting my blogging out to my Google+ account.

To follow me on Goolge or read any of my new posts simply click here - thanks; looking forward to seeing you over on Google+

"I Moved Your Cheese"

2011-11-28T09:10:00.001-08:00

Just finished an excellent book called; "I Moved Your Cheese" written by Deepak Malhotra who is a professor at Harvard Business school. The book is climbing quite a bit in the business book popularity category, and is a satisfying response to the original business classic "I Moved Your Cheese". I enjoyed it thoroughly and could really see the obvious connections between this read and the Martial Arts - I kept thinking "Every aspiring Martial Artist should read this!".

When I got to the end I read all of the "Acknowledgments" section. Usually this is a portion I skip over, but I liked the book so much I thought it might be nice to see some of the authors influences. I was pleaseantly suprised to see the mention of Sifu Brown as one of the Professor Malhotra's influences.

Check it out if you get a chance. (Also the book is available at the library both in hard copy and digitally)"I Moved Your Cheese"

Quote

2011-11-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

From Drop Box

Very Touching

2011-11-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

This article speaks for itself; it's the Ulogy of a man who changed the world and made it a better place. Thank you, Steve Jobs, for everything you created that made our lives a little better and a little happier.

Confidence

2011-10-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked to the teens about confidence. I believe confidence is an internal knowing; it's a type of mental certainty.

I believe confidence comes from aligning thought and desire. In other words when there is something you want, and you allow no other thought of limitation, or negative belief to grip you - then you will begin to KNOW that your desire is coming.

At the dojo; we use meditation as one of the best tools to eliminate negative belief and therefore allow our natural POWER AND CONFIDENCE to shine through.

Here is a video that to me powerfully gives an example of a person who is a complete state of knowing and confidence. It's pretty amazing to see this joyful, unshakable knowing shine through this contestants words and actions. Enjoy!

(I couldn't embed this one for some reason) but here is the youtube link. Trust me it's worth a watch: http://youtu.be/AeqPJojGqxc

The world is changing right before our eyes.

2011-09-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Isn't it wonderful to see that companies are taking a hard look at the way they do things - and then making ethical choices. Good stuff!

Some of the best Steve Jobs Quotes Ever.

2011-08-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a Google fan. I love Android. Yet I have great appreciation for those who have been the great innovators of all times. Steve Jobs is one of those world changers.

In many of these quotes (not all) but many of these quotes you will find some of the best Martial Arts principles ever recorded. If I were to sum up the best of these in one line I would say this: "Care deeply about what you do - don't work for money alone - work from a sense of passion."

Thank you Steve Jobs for making this a better world.

Enjoy

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/08/24/steve-jobss-best-quotes/

I love these pictures of the mall!

2011-08-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

These are some of the original architects drawings of the concept of the Lake District. I love teaching and working out here! (Click them to get a better view.)

From Mall dojo pics

First day of outdoor practice on the Lake

2011-07-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Outdoor practice on the lake - wow it's nice to have pleasant weather!

From Instant Upload

The first day

2011-07-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

OK; so it's not the best pic - but it's notable because it's the first picture I took at the new dojo. I was on my way out the door heading to Glendale; I'm glad the move was so fast!

From Instant Upload

New Talk: "Your Place of Power

2011-06-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

Enjoy.

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New Talk:"Rabbits and Basketball"

2011-06-20T07:33:00.001-07:00

Are you on the right road? When you miss, do you keep on firing?

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Gotta Love Fallen Timbers Mall

2011-06-13T11:05:00.001-07:00

People ask me why I love the managment at the Shops at Fallen Timbers so much. Need I say more?

From Mall dojo pics

Latest Talk: "Confidence"

2011-05-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

My latest talk on the subject of confidence.

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The End of the World?

2011-05-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

With all the recent talk about the "End of the World" I thought this sort of hit the mark for me.

More science about meditation

2011-05-10T07:13:00.001-07:00

http://lifehacker.com/5800249/why-meditation-relieves-chronic-pain-and-stress

Inspiration: My Karate teacher - a Lifetime of Practice

2011-04-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hanchi Robert Bowles; my Karate teacher - and probably my greatest life influence- working kata and bunkai this year. He has over fifty years of practice; and moves and looks the way he did over 30 years ago. What an inspiration!

I truly am blessed.

Tournaments?

2011-04-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

I was talking to Sempai the other day and the subject of Karate tournaments came up. A lot of my training days were spent participating in various events, and she was wondering why we don't do a lot of participating these days.

To answer this question I think I first have to tell you why I participated in competition in the first place. Ever since I was 15 years old I always wanted to teach Martial Arts. Competition just didn't appeal to me; in fact I think it's fare to say I'm basically not a competitive person at heart. But since I did want to teach I always thought that by winning various events I'd have the credibility to represent my art and my Sensei as a teacher. (This was mistaken thinking - see my footnote.)

Thinking that I had to accomplish something in order to be a great teacher was really a mistake. While it's true that I wouldn't trade anything for the lessons learned through competing, the reality is none of that was necessary to be a good teacher. All that was and is required is a genuine love for the students you are blessed with; it's that love that makes people of all ages learn - it's also that ability to see the greatness in them that makes them see it in themselves. Behind every Master is someone who knew they would become a Master - someone who believed in them; and that's what all great coaches and teachers have in common.

One coach screams like Bobby Knight, another is soft spoken like Tony Dungey, but no matter what STYLE of coaching, the consistency is they care about their people and see their greatness.

But as for open tournaments, I do NOT recommend open tournaments to our students today. (We do host our own internal dojo events that I DO recommend HIGHLY.) The reason I do not recommend tournaments in the open circuit to most students has to do with the philosophy and atmosphere that we've created at our dojo. The culture of our dojo is a carefully designed ingredient to helping students learn. We have a certain way of treating each other, a certain way that we believe rank should be considered and respected but not lauded, a way we believe that higher ranks should conduct themselves. We also believe that winning is secondary to representing self and art with etiquette and dignity.

We believe that you could spend a lifetime on one segment of one art. We believe that the variety of technique is far less important than one technique performed with excellence. We believe in being flexible and open to change, but change for change sake or out of boredom is a mental and attitudinal problem that can never be fixed with a new technique, form or weapon.

The problem I have with open tournaments is that new - and often unaware - students are exposed to a clash in culture that is not representative of what we believe the Martial Arts are and should be. Sadly they sometimes can bring some of these less than positive attitudes back onto our mats and have a less than positive impact on our culture. Sometimes this can lead to the student getting sidetracked, and losing sight of what matters the most, and losing their way in their own practice.

I realize it may sound self serving to say this, but it's from the heart. I believe we've created something really special in our dojo. We've created something that shouldn't be special because it's the atmosphere that the Martial Arts was designed around; but unfortunately today it IS really special. It's my conviction that open tournaments are seldom helpful in creating a better dojo and better Martial Artists.

Do you still have the urge, just gotta know what it's like? Here is my challenge to you then: spend one year training in our dojo HARD. (no off one week on another) Train hard and fully submerge yourself in the class, the philosophy, and learn to meditate and do it daily. If you've given the dojo one year, then go and watch your first tournament and I bet you you will not be comfortable there. You will feel something is missing, something very important in the practice of the Martial Arts and you will understand my viewpoint.

Is there a place for competition in the Martial Arts world? I believe there is a place for few, and I mean very few, who might be looking for MMA experience to use that experience as sort of a test - a personal rank test - of what it's like to face their fears and challenges head on, and try one of these events. But that is the exception and not the rule, and generally an MMA event is not viewed as a "Martial Arts" event; it's generally viewed as a "sporting" event. Consequently our team members actually have a better chance at influencing the culture of the event rather than the other way around. - I've seen this happen with my own eyes!

Bottom line; train, train harder, meditate and understand the philosophy behind what we do, and don't let anything side track you on your way to becoming the Martial Artist that our ancestors would be proud of.

Just my thoughts today.

This weeks talk: Listen to Me!

2011-03-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

I got myself fired up when I gave this talk so I hope it does the same for you!

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“mindpower” is Joseph Hurtsellers podcast. It’s a weekly shot of motivation and inspiration. Joseph Hurtsellers (Sensei Hurtsellers) - as his students call him, is a 30 year veteran of the Martial Arts field. Joe uses his experiences both on and off the mats to create a talk each week that is designed to help you get more of the things you want and less of the things you don't. While many of Joe's talks will help those practicing Martial Arts, these talks are designed for EVERYONE that might be looking for techniques, stories and thoughts designed to inspire, and live a more joyful life.

"Massive thanks go to some of the great influences of these talks: Esther Hicks and teachings of Abraham, Wayne Dyer, Steven Covey, Tony Robbins, and Sifu Robert Brown. A great deal of thanks also go to the students at the Martial Arts Center (www.ohiomartialarts.com) for their constant support and enthusiasm that has made this work possible." - Joe Hurtsellers

It's Up To You - latest talk

2011-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

What if you could control the way you feel? What if you could learn to practice your way into being happy? What would life be like if no outside force could cause you to feel fear, anger, or resentment?

To find out more, enjoy this weeks talk by pressing the play button below:

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How the world of audio just got a little better.

2011-03-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

If you don't listen to internet radio there is a new service that might make you join in.

If you do listen – this new service will make you fall in love with radio all over again!

This post is an exception to the rule of my posts. Rather than being inspirational I just want to share something I found that I really, really, like. As many of you know I love tech - and when I see something that makes my jaw drop it's in my nature to share it.

The other day I found a fairly new web site called RadioWeave. This site is pretty revolutionary, so much so that I think it could be the very beginning of something very big across the internet. Imagine being there at the beginning of Facebook or Twitter. I believe that RadioWeave has the might have that same kind potential.

Remember the days when in the car the radio was king? The traditional approach was you pressed your preset buttons that were based on the kind of station you wanted to hear. You didn't have to download anything, mess with any settings, you'd just get in and listen. If you didn't like what was playing you just pushed the next preset (or maybe later just changed the preset all together). That radio model worked incredibly well for decades - to tell the truth sometimes I still miss it. (This is probably the reason that people still subscribe to Satellite radio - you just tune to a station you like, but if something comes on you don't want to hear you just press a button.)

But, the world has changed so much since the days of the radio. There are literally hundreds of thousands of places you can get audio content over the internet – and music is only a fraction of the content available. These stations are really each individual shows that cover the broadest subjects (like CNN, ABC News or NPR) – down to the most specific subjects - you name the topic and somewhere there is an internet radio show hosted by enthusiasts on the subject. (I host a weekly show on the specific subject of using your mind to create a better life that I call "mindpower" as one of many such examples.)

Now imagine what it would be like if you could get in your car, or go on a run, or head to the gym, and simply press a button that was a loop of all of your favorite stations all kept track of for you and updated as soon as new content was published. If you are listening to one show and get bored you just tap a button to move to the next one, and all of your shows – and the individual places you've left off are all kept in perfect order for you and played as an indivdual track ranging as long as 6 minutes to shorter broadcasts such as quick weather, or stock updates. Radioweave is sort of like an eight-track player that is continuously organizing and playing the tracks of your life. (Sorry to those of you too young to know what an eight-track is.)

But there is even more – because RadioWeave also links to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. What this means is that as part of your running loop the service READS OUT LOUD recent Facebook and Twitter posts. I'm not kidding and I”m not making this up, IT READS THEM OUT LOUD!

I think the reason RadioWeave is so powerful is it matches the way most of us naturally go about our day. Rarely do I have a large block of time to listen to my shows; usually I'm moving from one place to another, doing yard work, working out ect. So what ends up happening is I end up with small blocks of time to listen throughout the day. RadioWeave keeps me updated on what's going on around me, but it let's me skim everything I find interesting and find the real gems in the audio world that I would otherwise miss.

Bottom line is this: I can tell you personally that almost as soon as I signed up with RadioWeave it immediately began to change the way I listen to content and I'm absolutely in love with this service!

Wait you say – what does it cost?

That's the best part of all – it's FREE! ..... Don't we live in some amazing times?

Here is a video from the company – when I watched it I was it's 64^th view on YouTube – so really folks we are on the absolute cutting edge of this new technology. If you love podcasts like I do – or think you might if there were an easier way - then check them out.

I have only two warnings: So far RadioWeave has a highly developed Iphone app, it's stable and works great, but the Android app is still in Alpha so it's not in the regular market - (Mine seems to work OK - still a little buggy but passable!). Secondly, RadioWeave is new - and they don't seem to have Wall street money behind them yet; they are a small group of people working on this project in their spare time - so if everything doesn't work perfectly just remember they are doing their best. I consider it the price I willingly pay for being on the absolute cutting edge and being able to do something no one else can. If you keep those things in mind; and like audio like I do, I think you're going to become a fan.

Free Hugs!

2011-03-07T07:46:00.001-08:00

The story behind the video:

One day, while Juan Mann was getting off an airplane he noticed all of the friends and families of travelers waiting to hug their loved ones. He thought it would be sad if someone didn't have someone waiting for them to give them a hug, so he started this project.

For over an hour he waited - then finally - the older lady in the video took him up on his offer. She told him earlier that day she had lost her best friend - her dog - and his hug had meant a lot.

Still later others started joining the project but local authorities tried to stop it. Juan was told he needed 10,000 signatures in order to continue - watch the video to see what happens.

To date this video has been seen over 67,000,0000 times; and Jaun has sparked a movement that has been repeated countless times all over the world.

My New Talk: The Tightrope Artist

2011-03-05T02:05:00.000-08:00

Today's talk is all about faith; enjoy.

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About "mindpower":

My Newest Talk: What is the 2% of your day that is responsible for 98% of your results?

2011-02-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Are you missing out on noticing the small moments throughout your day that are responsible for the majority of your success?

Listen in on talk 26 - it might be important!

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How to choose a Martial Arts school.

2011-02-16T07:36:00.001-08:00

Martial Arts Center

I was surfing the web the other day and started looking for articles on how to find a good dojo. I was amazed at how much really bad information was out there. So as the saying goes, "If you want something done right do it yourself".

When I was scouring the web for articles the first thing I noticed was the shameful self promotion that was actually going on in the guise of trying to help a reader or parent. Most of the articles were written in order to bolster the reputation of the writers dojo. It's the oldest sales method in the book. It works something like this; the salesperson becomes the "consultant" on what to look for in a product or service, and then gives the consumer a list of important items that are really the "sales points" of what the salesperson is trying to push. In other words if I sell red cars, and you ask me what I should look for in a car I'd say something like: "Well there are lots of choices out there, but probably the most important thing to look for in a car is it's color, and clearly you should look for cars that are red."

My way is not the only right way.

At my dojo there are a lot of things I do a certain way because they grew out of my personality, my community, and my life experience. One example is our very short term contract policy. (We do three months at first and then go "month to month" after a fairly short period of time.) The reason I do our programs this way today grew out of my real life experience and our community. I know this is against the Martial Arts industry philosophy as a whole, but my perspective is I'd rather bring someone in who is new and fresh and really wants to learn, than keep someone who is unmotivated on the mats because of their sense of obligation to pay. This is the way I do things today, not because it is a "sales point" but because it helps me create the culture I want in the dojo, and be a better teacher.

But all of that said I would not tell you to use that as a criteria for choosing a dojo. Why? Because I know some of the best teachers I've ever met who DO use longer contracts, and some awful teachers who DON"T. So there really is no hard and fast rule, my belief is what matters is congruency; does the teacher believe what they do and say, and have they created a culture that's a reflection of them rather than having created some commodity that they are selling to the public.

Am I the only one who is getting tired of internet content farms?

The second thing I noticed was the amount of really poor search results you seem to get these days. Articles that were clearly written simply to pick up Google search phrases and said basically nothing were everywhere. Do we really need another article that suggests that we figure how far a dojo is from our home to see if it's an option? Do we need another article that suggests we check our budget first to figure how much we can afford to spend?

I'm to the point where I think some of these articles are written by templates, and somewhere there is a computer program that simply swaps in the keywords and PRESTO - new article!

So here is my shot of providing useful information. Before I do it's important to really understand this one thing first and foremost: The Martial Arts are an ART! Performing them is an ART, teaching them is an ART, and directing a dojo - like it or not - is an ART too! There really are no hard and fast rules when it comes to a dojo. Consequently there is also no hard and fast rule for finding one either.

How to tell if your on the right track?

I think the best model for a great Martial Arts teacher is the example of Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" movie. Although this was a fictitious character, I think he best embodied what we are all looking for in a teacher.

The easiest and most powerful way of picking a good dojo or teacher is to use what I call the “Mr. Miyagi Test”. It's very simple; when trying to figure out the criteria for what your looking for first ask yourself this simple question. “In the “Karate Kid” would Mr. Miyagi have passed this criteria?” If you use the “Mr. Miyag Test” you will find yourself almost always on the right track, and you can quickly skip the dozens of articles and books to get the education you are looking for.

A simple list: So what do you look for in a good dojo? Impossible to answer; but I have provided a list that (I think) is useful for what NOT to look for.

What NOT to look for in a dojo:

1.) Relying primarily on larger governing bodies to determine a dojo's quality.

There's a saying for Martial Arts insiders that is appropirate for this one. “All Chiefs and no Indians.” There are hundreds – if not thousands – of martial arts associations. Almost every one of them has a main purpose to make the member dojo look good on paper. Very few have rigid standards that are worth a hill of beans, and even those that do have no way of standardizing the way classes are taught on a day in day out basis. That's just a fact of life when it comes to studying an art.

Is being in one of these organizations a bad thing? Of course not; I've been members of several over the years myself, but DO NOT rely on this information at all to determine the quality of the school. Instead rely on your own eyes, ears, and mostly your heart. They will tell you more than any piece of paper on the wall that was framed at the mall.

2.) Relying on the head instructors Rank or qualifications.

The same as item number one. If you can't rely on organizations, then how can you rely on the rank that these same organizations sometimes give out?

In the mid 1980's I was sitting in the late great Robert A. Trias's office in Pheonix Arizona. (Mr. Trias has the legacy as being known in the Martial Arts world as the “Father of Karate in America” - having introduced the art to the US in 1942. His accomplishments are far to numerous to mention but he is known as one of the true pioneers of Martial Arts in the U.S. - check the link)

He walked in and said: “Joe, you should congratulate me, I was just promoted to 10^th degree Black Belt!"

I was taken back; I didn't think it was my place to comment to someone of his magnitude – I stayed quiet.

He smiled and said: “But Joe, do you know the only problem?”

“No Sir” I said.

“The problem is (and I'm quoting here) I don't know any of the S.O.B's that promoted me!”

The point is you can't rely on rank promotions, don't hold it against anyone, but don't use it to judge in their favor either.

3.) Relying on the head instructors accomplishments or qualifications

I'm starting to get redundant here; suffice to say I'd love to use this, I have a lot of things in my life that I've done in the Martial Arts field that I'm proud of but you really can't use them to judge a teacher. What matters is that there is a fit, a connection between YOU and the TEACHER. (How many awards or trophy's did Miyagi in “The Karate Kid” have?”

For a list of my accomplishments that you should NOT consider click here. (I'm proud of these accomplishments but truth is I know people who have done more but are not great teachers, and I know those who have done none of these things that are simply marvelous!)

4.) Relying on a particular style as your reason for selecting a school.

This comes up for me all the time. A student who is moving to another part of the country or world will ask me for someone who is teaching the same style that I teach. My answer is always the same; I go strait to "The Miyagi Test" but with a twist:

I say: “In the movie “Karate Kid” there was a good teacher, but there also was a bad one.” Which Martial Art did they BOTH say they were teaching?”

4.) Relying on what you are told.

I hate to say it but it's true of every field. Some lie, and some simply leave part of the truth out, very few are truly honest. Trouble is, it's almost impossible for you to tell the difference. Some liars will look you directly in the eye and take on a tone more sincere than "John Boy" from "The Walton's". Some honest men and women will sometimes stutter. The fact is you can't rely on what anyone says; instead rely on what you directly observe, and then trust your heart.

6.) Relying on the quality of the facility or the training equipment.

I believe in the Zen saying “How you do one thing is how you'll do everything.” So it is fair to base some of your judgement on cleanliness and attention to detail. Other than that your on your own because 99% of all dojo's are empty space anyway. It's what happens in that empty space that really counts.

7.) Relying on internet articles or books:

Do I really need to comment on this one?

What should you look for in choosing a Martial Arts school?

So by now you're seeing the pattern. Maybe it's this pattern that explains why there are so many bad articles on the web. The pattern is really the heart of my "Miyagi Test"; you must rely on your own best judgment based on your direct observation. In the end it's all you can trust.

What does a good mechanic have in common with a good dojo? - A lot!!

In closing I want to tell you how Sempai Shelly selected the mechanic that we now use for our cars today. We've been using him for over twelve years now. His name is Dave from the Shell Service Center on Reynolds Road in Toledo. Some years ago Sempai Shelly was waiting for an oil change on a company vehicle in Daves lobby. A young college student came in with a problem with her car; it was obvious the girl needed transportation an didn't have much money.

As Sempai sat quietly in a corner of the lobby pretending to read a magazine she overheard the following interaction:

Dave told the girl kindly “You know I could fix your car, it would cost a couple of hundred dollars, but I think with the miles it's got on it, I can make an adjustment or two and get you through the next year. Then next year, if it breaks again, I think you'll be better off with buying another used one rather than having us fix it. When that time comes, bring it in to me before you buy it and I'll make sure it doesn't have any problems and tell you if it's a good deal or not.”

The girl left that day paying less than twenty-five dollars. From that day forward Shelly decided that that was the person she was going to bring her car to. Since that time we've spent thousands of dollars with Dave. (We drive our cars a long time) In addition we've referred probably a dozen different people to him over the years. Dave continues to prosper, but (unless he happens upon this article) will never know why we continue to trust him and his business.

It's hard to pinpoint what to look for in teacher or a dojo; for good or bad you are pretty much on your own. My ending advice to you is this: don't settle. Your life has gone on fine so far without Martial Arts just fine, and it will continue to do so either way. You don't need to pick a dojo just because it seems better than the place down the street; pick it because it's the right place for you and accept nothing less.

How do you pick the right dojo? I can't tell you, but just like Sempai Shelly, at the Shell station - when you find the right person for the job in your heart you will know.

For information about my dojo in both Toledo and Maumee Ohio click here.

Just Pushed Out Another Talk - mindpower25, AT&T

2011-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is another one of my talks; I hope you enjoy it. My hope is that they will be sort of an inspiration and a pick me up to anyone listening!

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For all of my recent talks go to: http://www.ohiomartialarts.com/mindpower%20weekly%20podcast.html

Best of Toledo

2011-02-04T18:01:00.001-08:00

Just finished picking up the best of Toledo award. Thanks everyone!

"Blizzard" Bill Spencer was my presenter- below are a few pictures from the event and my picture with him; taken about ten minutes ago.

Well can you?

2011-01-22T04:19:00.001-08:00

Sit quietly and do nothing for two minutes - click this link first.

I really like the good nature of this.

2011-01-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

Interesting; I love the goodness of paying it forward.

On happiness

2011-01-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

I love TED talks. Some of the best ideas and stories I get are from TED. Here is a talk I've been telling stories from in class recently; very interesting.

So who do you think is happier on year later, a lottery winner or an accident victim who has become a paraplegic? Listen in to find out.

A note from the Universe for 2011

2010-12-31T07:35:00.001-08:00

I subscribe to a daily email called "Notes from the Universe". (You can get on the list for free by clicking here).

Anyway here is a note sent to me for 2011, I thought it was a good one.

Joseph, soon the new year starts, so now's a great time to:

1. Wipe the slate clean.
2. Focus upon what you really want.
3. Chart your course.

Right?

Well... only if you want to risk having to repeat these steps for the same wishes next year! Maybe this is splitting hairs, but here's an adventurous alternative:

1. Give thanks that life is... just as it is (and that it's been... just as it's been). Because of it, you're now "READY."

2. Define what you want in terms of the end result. Don't worry about the hows, or even the course. KNOW that what you want is ALREADY yours in spirit, by divine LAW, just focus on the certainty of this ownership, understand it, claim it, and "it will be on earth, as it is in heaven (spirit)."

3. LET THE UNIVERSE show you the way via your impulses and instincts that appear as you take inspired action. Don't worry that your first steps seem silly or futile. And if you don't know what to do, do anything! Go! Get busy! Do not insist on intermediary successes, only upon the end result.

2011 is going to be your year (it already is),
The Universe

An important cause....

2010-12-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

I love knowing about and supporting good causes, especially this time of year. My sister in law works for the company that manufactures these. If you have an extra ten bucks this year I don't think you could do more good in the world with it than this.

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Does money grow on trees?

2010-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

For some it does; for others.... maybe not so much.

Possibly the best 15 minutes you will spend all week

2010-12-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

This video speaks for itself.

Happy Thanks-Giving!

2010-11-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Happy = Joy, Thanks = Gratitude, Giving = Kindness.
What a great holiday!

SMILE from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

Bruce Lee's screen test.

2010-11-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed watching this. You can see the youthfulness and the eagerness of young Master Lee - very nice.

The dog buscuit

2010-11-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hi again all; this is a talk taken from my weekly podcast - my podcast is really about sharing inspiration and ideas I'm learning with everyone who's interested. It's designed to be uplifting and motivational with a strong undercurrent of metaphysics. I hope you enjoy it!

An American Hero

2010-10-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

I just thought this was worth sharing. The details in the link below I think tell a better story than the video only.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39533885/from/toolbar

Why to believe in others

2010-09-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

Viktor Frankl: Why to believe in others | Video on TED.com

A wonderful talk that tells us why that being positive toward others is not just nice; it's our responsibility, and actually uplifts mankind.

Testing was a smashing success!!

2010-09-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Testing night went great last night! I was so proud of each of the participants, how prepared they were and how much effort they put out. If I ever lack enthusiasm, or feel discouraged, I will think back on how much real work was put in by the group, how seriously they take their practice, and how great they looked.

I am truly a lucky teacher indeed!

Don't let things turn invisible!

2010-09-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

It's really easy to forget the beauty that's all around us. After a hard day of teaching classes i get to walk out and look at this elegance; If i don't remind myself how beautiful it all is, it might as well the invisible!

Joseph Hurtsellers - Sensei
Martial Arts Center /ohiomartialarts.com
419.385.1000

Thoughts on Black Belt Today

2010-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

When I started Martial Arts in the 70's Black Belt was rare. If a Black Belt even walked into the dojo (which didn't happen all that often), the entire room would be called to attention, everyone would bow deeply out of courtesy to this rare treat!

Unfortunately today, the standard for Black Belt has gotten so watered down that Black Belt is considered the norm! My question is, are these ten year olds really the same thing as the Black Belts of old? I think everyone with even a little background in the Martial Arts knows they probably aren't.

It's easy to explain how this happened. Sometime in the 1980's commercialized schools started realizing the main customer based was the six to ten year old age bracket. Mostly this was due to a huge series of hit movies that included the "Karate Kid" and "Teenage Mutant Turtles". School owners everywhere realized the key to a successful business operation was to keep these students attending and the parents paying for as long as possible. They also realized that kids loved getting recognition and awards, so basically what happened was that schools instituted a system where if a child showed up a certain number of times they would receive a new belt. Rank testing was essentially replaced with "promotion night".

To make matters worse, since kids were pushed through and promoted to ranks they probably shouldn't have received in the first place many schools instituted what was called "black belt camp". "Black Belt Camp" was instituted to help fix the log jam of kids who simply were not ready for Black Belt but were nearing the end of the program where payments would stop and Black Belt was promised.(In black belt camp, parents were required to drive there kids to endless camp classes at the end of a program so that the child could be "coached" into getting through the already watered down Black Belt requirements.)

Here's what I believe. I do believe that kids do need rewards and recognition. I believe that they do need encouragement. I do need they do need to feel a real sense of progress. But I also believe that all of that can and SHOULD be done OUTSIDE the rank system.

Changing the ranks system to retain students is like a public school handing out College degrees in order to keep the kids interested! It's just not the way education should be handled, and even though it does work, I think it's not in the best interest of the child long term.

We do try and offer awards, progress reports, encouragement, opportunities for recognition to our kids. We just don't confuse any of those wonderful things with "Black Belt".

Oh, and by the way; I think our kids are better for it - and it shows.

MMA needs more of these!

2010-08-14T07:11:00.001-07:00

While it's true there are many wonderful MMA fighters who display great class, few athletes from any sport have been as great a champion as Evander Holyfield. What a role model!

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Sign is up finally!

2010-06-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just finished seeing the finished sign for the first time; quite a wait but I think it was worth it!

Fast Lane - The Slide

2010-06-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Just goes to show you that if you make people happy, you will sell a product. This commercial made me smile; it also made me want to own a Volkswagon!

Northwest Ohio can be a beautiful place (our friends patio)

2010-06-21T07:55:00.001-07:00

We spent the afternoon Sunday with friends who live near the mouth of the Maumee. Their view and lifestyle was amazing! It just reminded me that we can create our own paradise wherever we live.

While some of us complain about our area; there are others squeezing every drop of good out of it. They can't imagine living anywhere else - why would they want to?

Joseph Hurtsellers - Sensei
Martial Arts Center /ohiomartialarts.com
419.385.1000

A new look to the front of the Glendale dojo.

2010-06-14T06:53:00.001-07:00

Spent my Sunday morning helping a crew create this new look on Glendale ;I think it looks great!

An amazing place!

2010-06-13T02:47:00.001-07:00

Every day I'm reminded of what a beautiful place I get to teach from. This is only a few steps from the FT donor front door with the street empty for the car show.

Ribbon cutting!

2010-06-12T07:57:00.001-07:00

A terrific day at our ribbon cutting! (From left to right - me, Maumee mayor Tim Wagner and Davis Bethel from General Growth.

-From a few weeks ago-

Great quote of wisdom

2010-06-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

A student recently sent this link and I thought a few might enjoy it; enjoy!

Why or what?

2010-05-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing video. I believe if more people used this as a model for there family, there business, and there life, the world would change for the better. One of the best success related and practical talks I've heard, maybe ever!

The ideal student/dojo relationship

2010-04-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day about what makes an ideal student. I think I could write a book about it, but here is one of the most important criteria.

First, is the student consistently taking more value from the dojo than what they are paying in tuition? In other words are they using Martial Arts as a tool to really improve their lives? Are they getting in better shape, are they in class regularly, are they STUDYING the Martial Arts, and using it to live a happier life?

Secondly; are they bringing more value on the mats for the other students than there would be if they were not present? In other words is the dojo a better place because of there attendance than it would be without them?

It's very clear, and it's very simple. This is the double win of a good student/dojo relationship. It's maintaining this relationship that assures a dojo has an atmosphere that helps others grow. Maintaining this relationship requires constant attention, but when it is present both student and dojo can accomplish truly great things.

A terrific quote.

2010-04-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Saw this quote and thought I'd pass it on today; a nice guideline to start the day with and makes me smile.

"Be easy about it. Don't rush into things. Savor them more. Make more plans
and be more deliberate and specific about the plans you are making, and in
all you do, let your dominant intent be to find that which pleasures you as
you imagine it. Let your desire for pleasure and your desire for feeling
good be your only guiding light. As you seek those thoughts that feel
good, you will always be in vibrational harmony with the Energy that is
your Source. And under those conditions, only good can come to you -- and
only good can come from you."

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday, April 14th,
1998 #406

www.abraham-hicks.com

The philosophy of Martial Arts in one sentence.

2010-03-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Meditation raises our consciousness by allowing us to stop thinking. When we stop thinking we let go of all of our negative thoughts, concepts, and self limiting beliefs. Since our natural state of being is a powerful and joyous one, with practice meditation therefore creates happiness in our lives.

Another way to create this powerful natural unlimited state is by using positive thought purposely. There are many tools and techniques to do this; I teach and use many of these on a daily basis; but the long and short of all of these techniques is learning to consistently think in a direction that makes you feel more joy and more freedom. In other words to retrain yourself to always think good and kind things.

So in considering all of this I remembered Thumper's Mom from "Bambi". She said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Now that's great advice for all of us; but I'm going to modify it only slightly and then you will have the entire internal philosophy of the Martial Arts as I teach them. The entire philosophy of the Martial Art in one sentence is:

"If you can't THINK anything nice, don't THINK anything at all (meditate)."

Easy to remember and true.

How to change your life!

2009-12-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

When you think a thought the thought creates a feeling. Your feelings create your actions; and your actions create every aspect of your future. Your beliefs are simply well rehearsed thoughts; thus the saying "Your belief forms your reality" is absolutely true.

This very powerful technique will teach you how to take control of the thoughts you think and consequently make effective changes to your beliefs and as a consequence create quick and powerful changes in the quality of your life.

Listen in by clicking the play button below.

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Loyalty

2009-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Here are my thoughts on the subject of loyalty; where does it really come from?

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In life you hold the statistical advantage!

2009-11-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

I'm not a gambler, but I do play the Black Jack game on my cell phone quite a bit. Before I had ever been to a real Casino I discovered something obvious about the game in my phone. I discovered that over time I would always win out. The reason was that no matter how many times I might lose a hand I could always double my bet - over and over again if necessary - and eventually I would end up with more money than I started with. As long as I kept playing, and kept raising the stakes, I would alway increase my earnings!

I thought to myself; if it's so easy to win at this game, why don't people just quit there jobs and play cards for a living at real Casinos; whats the catch?

But in Las Vegas there is one critical difference. Even though the odds of winning an individual hand are identical, and the game is played exactly the same, there is one major drawback. At a real Casino each table has established a "maximum" bet. An amount of money that you can bet no higher than on any given hand. As a consequence of the "maximum" bet you can't follow the strategy of simply parlaying your bet because you will almost always hit that ceiling!

On the game in my phone no matter how many times I lose I can always double up and eventually I win. In the Casino there is a limit to what I can bet, and it's this limit that is responsible for statistically always making the house win.

And so here is my point. Most people think life is like a Casino. They try things and lose, they try again and lose, and unfortunately if they lose enough times they arbitrarily decide that they have hit there limit and stop trying. They get up and leave the table.

The great news is that life isn't like a Casino. Life is more like the game on my cell phone. In life there is no "maximum" bet. You can keep on betting and keep on betting, and all you need is one big success to make up for dozens of misses.

Over time, because there is no maximum to the number of tries you get, life is always stacked in your favor. Some appear to gain there successes more quickly, others more slowly, but the great news is this: it is a 100% statistical certainty that as long you keep on trying you will succeed!

Letting to Let Go of Resistance

2009-11-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief talk on learning to let go of those beliefs that may be keeping you from being your best; enjoy!

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Sometimes you get more if your willing to pay more.

2009-11-12T11:24:00.001-08:00

Does getting something for nothing usually work out? Here's a brief story about my experience of getting a "free" education.

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Comfort Zones in the Martial Arts

2009-11-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

Imagine yourself climbing an infinitely high ladder. When you go up the first couple of rungs there is no fear; you are still a safe distance from the ground. But when you get past a certain point if you're like most people fear can set in. That fear simply means you've climbed out of your comfort zone.

You can avoid the experience of fear in two ways. First if you keep looking up and avoid looking down. Secondly at any given level, if you stay there long enough, your fear will begin to diminish. (This happens all the time with new construction workers who are terrified at first of working on tall buildings but after a period of time they just grow used to it.)

Comfort zones in the Martial Arts (or anything else) work exactly the same way. Often in your practice when you feel uncomfortable it simply means you've moved up a rung in the ladder; you've moved past where you were into higher, more uncharted territory. You can avoid most of the discomfort by keeping your mind on where you are going, and stay in the new place long enough for you to feel safe. Eventually the fear will subside and it will be time to move on again!

What has stopped more aspiring Martial Artists than just about everything else combined is the refusal to move into an unfamiliar area and or the refusal to move out of a comfortable area. If you study every great Martial Art Master they all had one major thing in common; they all were innovators, they stepped out of there comfort zones, often becoming students again and again, continually modifying their techniques and the styles they taught. If you want to be great you must keep moving and looking ahead!

There is some really good news about comfort zones. If you were on a ladder, climbing it higher and higher, eventually you would come to a place where going still higher wouldn't bother you at all. After all, is six hundred feet really that much different than five hundred? So in exactly the same way, when you get to a certain place in your practice moving to new territory isn't that big of a deal; it's just what you do and it gets easier and easier.

So there you have it; if you want to break through your limitations there really is a simple formula.

1: Don't look down, keep your mind on your progress.

2: Stay in your new area long enough to feel good about it.

3: Keep moving and realize eventually you will get to a level where progress will come to you with very little discomfort.

Good luck breaking through your comfort zones!

Your relationship with others and your relationship to practice.

2009-11-04T08:26:00.001-08:00

I was speaking last night about the three phases of relationships I've had in my life. When I first started teaching in the early 80's most of my relationships were based on thinking about "me". I used to think the way you get things done is through placing yourself in an advantageous position. At that time in my life I spent most of my time creating wins for me; but I'm ashamed to say that I didn't care very much if the other person got a win or not. In those days I had a lot of stress, few friends, and pretty terrible relationships.

By the 90's I had come to realize that the only way for me to win was to create a win for the others. I made every effort to create win/win relationships because I knew that was going to be a key to my own success. While this change was a quantum leap in my life, and did relieve a lot of stress, it still was not the highest level. While my interactions had improved I still wasn't totally happy. I still had falling outs, I still had few friends, and I still knew that something was missing.

The biggest change for me over the last ten years is I've purposely started to look at others differently. I no longer see others as a means to reach my goals; but instead I genuinely try and see them the way I believe the Divine sees them. I try and see the best qualities and sometimes even write them down and take them into my meditation. I look at the people I allow into my dojo and into my life as amazing gifts that came from God; and I am reverent toward them and treat them with the utmost care. I don't set up wins for others so that I can win myself; I set up wins for them because I stand in such admiration for them and who they are; my service to them is the least I can do!

The paradox is that not only are today's relationships pleasant, not only do I have more friends than ever and a wonderful stress free lifestyle; but amazingly my business is blessed too! I've come to the conclusion that I receive blessings when I don't seek them, but try my best to simply give them!

I believe that your relationship with Martial Arts practice should work the same way. When you are focused on what practice will "do" for you they will never reveal their deepest secrets. When you learn to see Martial Arts through the eyes of love; when you do it just for it's own sake, when you try to uplift, improve, contribute, all for the simple fun of being on the mats its at that moment you are on the right course.

When you lose yourself in the practice -without trying to get anything from it- at that moment a flood gate of benefits will flow to you; the confidence you were seeking, the self-defense skills, the fitness and concentration. All will come to you naturally, the way a butterfly might land on your shoulder if your still enough. All good things in the Martial Arts will come to you, not because you chase them, but instead precisely because you do not.

Fascinating Video

2009-07-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure exactly why I'm posting this but when I watched it I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's about an amazing experience in the life of a brain researcher who has a spiritual experience as a result of a section of her brain shutting down.

Very dramatic and powerful!

Silence and learning

2009-07-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick observation about learning. The more you talk the less you actually learn!

Part of Zen training in the Martial Arts teaches us that most of us has an "internal dialog" going on in our head all the time. In other words we are busy talking to ourselves for most of the day. It's this talking to ourselves that prevents us from actually seeing and experiencing what's going on around us in the real world. In other words this "self talk" prevents us from listening.

It works the same way in a conversation. Someone is speaking and you are supposed to be listening, but instead you are planning what you are going to say and as a result no actual communication takes place.

This is also the same basic problem that students have when sparring or free rolling with a partner. They are so busy planning what they are going to do that they don't see the easy and obvious opportunities that keep appearing.

To be excellent at Martial Arts you must learn to stop this internal chatter. The place to develop this is during class. In class you make every effort to simply pay attention. When you begin to judge yourself (positively or negatively) you simply let that voice go and go back to the practice. In time you will begin to grow strong in your ability to concentrate for longer and longer periods, all by simply letting go of the internal chatter.

Beware! If you allow this "internal" chatter to go on for too long, eventually it will erupt into "external" chatter. You will notice students actually begin to chat with each other as they go into practice. They ask questions of each other, they stop to explain, and feel the need to share their experiences. This is absolutely contrary to the mindfulness that Martial Arts is designed to develop. So if this is you... just stop it!

The best way to learn is to learn in silence, both by not speaking, and then working diligently to still the mind as well. Your learning will be greatly enhanced as will the learning of those around you. If you do have a question, hold that question until the end of class and then use that opportunity to ask it. Do this not just in Martial Arts, but in every area and notice how your communication improves and your learning greatly accelerates!

What are you useing for your excuse to feel good?

2009-06-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite stories comes from the winter a few years back. At that time my favorite night of the week was Thursday, because on Thursday I would go up to Detroit to train in Sifu Brown's class. You might even say I would look forward to Thursday all week long! One particular week seemed like a pretty long and tough one, and I kept thinking, "If I can just make it to Thursday things are going to be terrific." The whole day I waited in eager anticipation of my class in Detroit.

About 30 minutes before we were scheduled to leave one of the kids said; "Hey, there is something wrong with the ceiling." Sure enough he was right; the ceiling at my home was leaking!... Not just leaking in one small place, but leaking massively in several areas. We started rushing around with buckets, trash cans, and towels, trying to limit the damage. What had happened was that my flat roof home had had the drains in the roofing system improperly installed so that as the 18 inches of snow that was on the roof began to melt it was going into the drain area and then leaking into the house!

At that moment we realized the only choice; to climb on the roof and get the foot or two of snow off otherwise it would end up inside my house! I also realized any chances of going to class in Detroit were completely shot.

I remember being on that roof; so angry and resentful for what I was going through. Realizing that I had to move about 3000 square foot of deep snow off my roof; by hand, and was totally missing my favorite part of the week as a consequence!

My mind kept looking for a way out. This can't be happening; there must be another solution... but no.... there was no solution. The only solution was hours of work in the wet darkness of my roof. There was nothing to do but give up.

But then something wonderful happened. I did give up; and started to ask myself, since there is nothing you can do about the circumstance; is there a way to use this situation to your advantage? I remembered the words of Sifu when he would talk about every situation is either an opportunity to loose balance or an opportunity to practice.

I decided then and there that I was not going to miss my practice that night. My practice was going to be on the roof. Every shovel of snow was going to be part of my training, every lift, every twist of the hips, every breath was going to involve focus, and mindfulness. I was on that roof something like four hours, and I have to say that it turned into one of the best Martial Arts Practices of my life!!

As crazy as this sounds I came down from that roof with a feeling of exhilaration; I was actually glad it happened!! I had used the power of my mind to take a horrible situation and use it to my advantage, and I became a better Martial Artist because of it!

I heard Esther Hicks say one time that everything that happens gives you an excuse; you can either use it as an excuse to feel bad or an excuse to feel good. But if you use something or someone as an excuse to feel bad it's not long before you will hate and resent that person or circumstance. On the other hand if you use that person or event as an excuse to feel good it won't be long before you love them. And love is always better than hate. Love transforms; and if you hold to the concept of love long enough the circumstances around you will even begin to change to match your inner feeling.

I know it's a big pill to swallow (and God knows I'm still working on this myself) but the most important thing to remember is it's not the outside circumstances of our lives that determine our happiness. It's our decision to be happy and find a way to make every event of our life into and excuse for us to feel good. That may be the only lesson a person really needs to learn in life.

Have you ever noticed that one person goes for a run and loves it; but to another running is torture; so you can see it's not the activity itself; it's the way you choose to view it! And you are always the one that's choosing; not an outside force, no one else, only you!

I believe this is what were doing all the time. Making excuses; choices really about how we want to feel based on what is happening around us. We think that if something happens that we "prefer" then that is what is making us happy, but seldom do we realize it was us who made the choice to "prefer". Wisdom teaches us that we can't control the circumstances of our life; but we can control how we choose to view them. So in all cases we are in control or our own happiness!

So the question is: "What are you using as your excuse to feel bad; and what are you using as your choice to feel good?" Either way it's just an excuse; and an excuse is nothing more than a choice.

Congratulations to all fighters!

2009-05-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Ground and Pounds fight night held Saturday night. We are incredibly proud of all of our fighters!! We are also proud of the job GPP productions did with the event from top to bottom. Great attitudes, great spirit, and a ton of fun for everyone!!

Here is a rundown of the our competitors and the results:

Dan McMurray: Dan was relaxed and easy the whole day before the fight; confident and poised. Bell rings Dan comes out and it's almost like Dan can't miss. Every shot he throws is accurate and on point. His competitor has great defensive skills, tries to get into a clinch but Dan controls him there too. Towards the end of the first round Dan goes on a run of hitting him with one punch after another and the referee wisely steps in and gives Dan the TKO!

Best Quotes:
Dan's Partner - “**** that guy is so strong!”
Dan's Partner - “I'm so glad your a nice guy cause I would have hated getting beat like that if you were an ass.”

Dan: “You know what fired me up? I looked over there and I saw Dan Kissling, I know Dan's never going to be an MMA fighter, but he came out to support me, that really inspired me, I knew I was going to beat my guy in front of Dan.”

Dan: “Clickity-Click”

Brad Bell: This was Brads first bout ever. Brad came out confident and ready; got caught with a couple nice shots but gave them right back. Brad took his partner down; almost cinched a Kimura, stayed on top and finished by winning a very close round. When Brad got back to the corner we realized he had sustained an eye injury from one of the early shots and had lost vision, we made the decision not let him continue. (Good news is he's just fine now!)

David Blattman: David was the youngest competitor at the event; the only teenager, and very recently turned 18, and this was his first MMA fight. His partner was sharp, skilled and 24. David totally dominated round one with powerful wrestling skills easily taking his partner down almost at will and staying on top almost the whole round. (He was a huge crowd favorite and you could hear the roar every time David picked his guy up and slammed him to the mat!) Unfortunately, in the second round David made a key wrestlers mistake by starting to get up from the mats from all fours – his competitor new exactly what to do and took his opportunity by leaping in and catching David with a beautiful uppercut that finished the match. (This is why we teach “technical lift!!”) In any case David couldn't have got beaten by a more skilled or more humble young man. I think David made a new friend and new training partner!

Best quotes of the match: David Blattman – (On the medics table and still a little foggy) “OK; so when can I fight again? When can I fight again?”

On the day we went one for three. Not all of the results were what they could have been but we couldn't be more proud of our fighters or the people they faced. I called my brother and told him about not only Dan's victory but the losses by Brad and David. He sent me this quote and it gave me chills; I hope every GPP competitor gets to read it.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt, "Man in the Arena" Speech given April 23, 1910
26th president of US (1858 - 1919)

Life's little instructions

2009-04-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've come to a stage in my life where I judge wisdom from my heart. I don't pay much attention to the credentials of the author, from where the information came, or if the material is popular. What matters most to me is that the teaching brings me joy.

Some would say this document doesn't have anything to do with Martial Arts; I say the principles this list contain are at the exact center of what being a warrior is all about - learning to live a more elegant joy filled life! Don't be fooled by it's humor and ease; there is deep wisdom here if your looking.

Every time I visit my friends Mark and Robin I see this framed document in their home. Every time I see it it never fails to tug gently at my heart. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Life's Little Instructions:

Sing in the Shower
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
Watch a sunrise at least once a year
Leave the toilet seat in the down position
Never refuse homemade brownies
Strive for excellence not perfection
Plant a tree on your birthday
Learn three clean jokes
Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full
Complement three people every day
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them
Leave everything a little better than you found it
Keep it simple
Think big thoughts bur relish small pleasures
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
Floss your teeth
Ask for a raise when you feel that you've earned it
Be forgiving of yourself and others
Over-tip breakfast waitresses
Say "thank you" a lot
Say "please" a lot
Avoid negative people
Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards
Wear polished shoes
Remember other people's birthdays
Commit yourself to constant improvement
Carry jumper cables in your trunk
Have a firm handshake
Send lots of Valentines Cards; sign them "From someone who thinks your terrific."
Look people in the eye
Be the first to say "Hello"
Use the good silverware
Return all things you borrow
Make new friends but cherish the old ones
Keep secrets
Plant flowers every spring
Have a dog
Always accept an outstretched hand
Stop blaming others
Take responsibility for every area of your life
Wave at kids on school buses
Be there when people need you
Feed a strangers expired parking meter
Don't expect life to be fair
Never underestimate the power of love
Drink champagne for no reason at all
Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation
Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake."
Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
Compliment even small improvement
Keep your promises; (no matter what)
Marry only for love
Rekindle old friendships
Count your blessings
Call your mother

Remembering our trip to "Team Bundy"

2009-04-21T05:46:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last Sempai and I had the honor of going on a visit to our close friend Jim Bundy of "Team Bundy" in Youngstown. We've known Mr. Bundy for years and are very thankful for his friendship and spirit. Jim is a professional MMA fighter and certainly one of the top MMA trainers in the state. He also is a fantastic teacher and does a great job of creating a helping sharing environment in his gym.

He took a lot of time with us and really got specific on the details of several key Jiu Jitsu transitions and techniques. I've included a video him teaching some of they key points of the day; enjoy!

Jim Bundy from Team Bundy; Jiu Jitsu for MMA - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

Testing Completed!

2009-04-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday a group completed their high rank test. The test took the better part of three hours and was pretty comprehensive. I had five students testing for various ranks and fortunately all five made it and were promoted!

I was especially glad to hear each of them read their papers. As a matter of fact I think all five papers were fabulous and from the heart. I left inspired and motivated; I think they left feeling the same...but a little more tired than me!

Some days I wrestle with testing. Since our tests are really hard testing time is unfortunately a time when some students decide to quit. They know that there is a tremendous amount of preparation and training that will have to go into passing one of these tests and some, when they balance the work, with the rest of their lives choose to give up practice instead of taking the test.

In my early days as a teacher I used to worry more about this. I used to think: "If they give up on Martial Arts then they won't be able to get the benefits of practice." In those days the temptation to make the tests easier and easier were strong. But through it all I've noticed something very important. I noticed that no matter how easy you make a test, the student who is not motivated to do the work will work even less!

So today I look at my role differently. I look at my job as a leader, an inspiration, as a facilitator, and realize that I never an responsible for the student "getting the benefits of practice". My job is always to create the right environment, and be the one who encourages the student to aspire to higher levels.

If I'm ever tempted to make a test easier because a student or two quits I will remember the look on the faces of those who passed Saturday. The smiles, the pride, and even a few tears of gratitude will be what I remember. To have a few students who really care, who really want to be good, to me it's worth it!

On Growth and Progress

2009-04-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today I've been speaking about the process of growth. In Martial Arts (as in everything) students grow by first observing and then experiencing the discomfort of not having. It's this discomfort that leads students to observe, ask questions, practice, and eventually master the new technique. This is the process of learning, and it repeats again and again...forever!

As a practical matter what this means to you is that often when you are not feeling very good about your training you have actually just made progress. It's just that the progress you've made is on a mental level; you now recognize there is something more to learn and you are not yet a match to it. This distance between where you are and where you want to be is what we call discomfort.

Unfortunately we live in a society that for the most part is so focused on “getting” that we don't realize that before any getting there must be “wanting”. It's this wanting that is the cause of our discomfort. It's also this wanting that is calling you to grow.

Much of the Martial Arts world is split on this subject. Some say if you want to relieve the suffering then you must get rid of the wanting. But in my view, if you get rid of the wanting you will indeed get rid of the pain, but you will also get rid of the possibility of growth and expansion. A rock doesn't experience much suffering; but it will never learn to dance either!

I teach my students that there is another way. I believe the way is to make friends with the wanting. To understand that the wanting and the having are just two sides of the same coin, and since this journey will continue forever it makes no sense to be uptight about where you are right now.

The key is focus. In every situation there is that which you want; and that which you don't. ie. I want to be good at kicking; but I have a difficult time with kicks. The trick to using the enormous power of your mind is to spend the bulk of your time, energy, and focus on what you want. In this case I begin to think about the improved technique, I read about it, I study it, I look up Youtube video's about it, I literally become an aficionado of kicking. I may not physically be there just yet; but as I become a fan of kicking, as I study it, as I really becoming an expert in the subject an amazing thing starts to happen - my kicks start to improve! Given enough focus over enough time I'm going to be really good at kicking by keeping my mind where it needs to be.

What's it like when a goal finally happens? One day I notice myself in the mirror and realize I'm really good at kicking. I've gotten really good at this new skill set and I feel the elation of the progress I've made. But then what? How long does that last? It lasts about five minutes and the next thing you know I'm noticing something else that I'm wanting to get good at! No big deal because all I have to do is focus on it and before too long I'll be a match to the new skill and again progress will be made. And all the while even though it looks like I'm learning Martial Art technique what am I really learning? I'm learning to be the creator of my own happiness and growth!

Most have not yet learned to use the above formula. Instead most people fight against the process by putting most of their mental focus into what they do not have. In other words a person realizes he is a weak kicker and then begins to strengthen the position by putting the power of his mind on his deficiencies. He says things like; “I'm not good because of my bad knee.” or “I'm not as young as I used to be.” or “I've never been very coordinated.” etc. ect. All the while this person is not understanding that the only thing that is keeping them from progressing is their attention on their “weakness” instead of disregarding all of that and focusing on the subject they desire.

Remember it's the “reality” of the situation that has caused you to want to grow. But now you don't want the reality; instead you want something that is not currently a part of your reality, and you will soon get it as long as you don't stay stuck focusing on your current truths. You simply have to take your mind off of where it now is and put it on what you want and hold yourself there mentally until you physically can catch up. That's just the way it works in all cases!

When you understand this method of growth you will understand much about my teaching method. I try and create an environment where everyone is friendly, helpful, and caring, but at the same time make it clear that we are not here to provide a “customer service” experience. If a student wants to get good at something we will help them as best as we can, but we will leave the majority of the “work” to the students themselves. In this way the student never becomes dependent on teacher or dojo, but instead learns how to learn. My goal is to facilitate that personal learning by providing the right environment. If the right student is in the right environment; amazing things will happen!

The most powerful word.

2009-04-08T14:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a short five minute video. It's one of my favorite mat chats despite being such a simple principle. If more people used this formula I think far more of them would be happy and productive.

I hope it's beneficial to you.

A wonderful seminar with Riggan Machado!

2009-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Sempai Blanco and I had a wonderful time at the Professor Riggan Machado seminar in Detroit. To be around this living Jiu Jitsu master was really an honor that we will both remember forever!

We loved the stories he shared about Jiu Jitsu, his life, and the world. We are still humbled by his generous love of sharing and teaching. (We also loved his sense of humor!)

Sempai Blanco asks Professor (jokingly) if he will pose for a picture

of her putting him an arm bar; I swear there are men

who have probably been killed for less :)

Machado Black Belt Mr. Ryan and us.

A Self Fulfilling Prophecy

2009-03-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone; here is my latest update. My idea is to take a mat chat ever week or so and post it in my blog. Enjoy!!

A Christmas Carol in March

2009-03-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Thinking about the line from "A Christmas Carol" where Bob Cratchet is confronted by Scrooge. Scrooge claims there is no value in Christmas Spirit.

Bob says: "Well Ebineezer; while it's never put an extra schilling in my pocket, I believe keeping Christmas has done me good!"

Scrooge says: "Bah Humbug!"

My question is; who was right? Does doing things that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside do us good even though they may not appear to put money in our pockets? Does it make sense to find a way to be kind, to give, and love even when there is a lot going on that seems unlovable?

Here's what I've been working on; I have decided that my number one responsibility in life is doing things and thinking thoughts that make me feel good; (you know; warm and fuzzy inside). That's the reason I write this blog, that's the reason I teach Martial Arts, why I work out ect.

Using feeling good as the model for what I'm responsible for sure makes things easy. You take action based on how it makes you feel when you do it and before you know it you begin to notice yourself more and more spending time doing things you are genuinly interested in and passionate about. As a consequence the feeling of fatigue so many face begins to lift and life starts to get easier and smoother.

By following this simple strategy I've been able to revolutionize my business. I no longer dread Mondays; I actually look forward to them. I no longer go home tired, my biggest problem is sometimes I'm so excited about my day that I can't sleep because of the excitement. - And, while I'm far from rich, money has become so much easier to come by than it ever did back in the days when I thought it was important to make sacrifices in my joy in order to get ahead in business!

So getting back to Bob Cratchet; was he right? Did keeping Christmas do him good?

My opinion from personal experience is YES! If your doing something that's making you happy it can't help but bless you in the long run; and in the short run too.

But then someone might ask; yes but what about Scrooge? By being miserly and cruel, wasn't he also doing what was making him happy?

The answer is NO. Scrooge hated being alone, he was living a miserable life, it's just he had stopped doing what he loved, had given up even the people he loved because he thought that's what he needed to do to get ahead. So he began to focus on his SURVIVAL not his joy. (Kinda the way I used to view my dojo.)

I'm no Doctor, or financial advisor, but I believe Scrooges way of living leads to health problems, mental problems, and the eventual loss of financial freedom. In other words when you sacrifice joy to get something you almost always not only lose your joy, but you also lose the very thing you were sacrificing for!

So here is my non-medical, non-certified, and non degree answer to lifes major woes: Do and think that which makes you feel warm and fuzzy. If something is going on that is "true" but it doesn't make you feel good, try and give it as little attention as you can; keep going back to the warm and fuzzy thoughts and actions. Eventually the good feelings will be so predominate that those wonderful feelings will begin to drown out most of the apparent reality your caught in. You will begin to see problems as small bumps in the road, but your mind will mostly be filled with the satisfaction of knowing you are almost always moving in the right direction.

So the bottom line: If you want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise; get happy and stay there!

BTW: I owe almost all of this message to Esther Hicks and "The Teachings of Abraham!" Check them out!!

Thoughts about freedom in martial arts study

2009-03-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

In many dojo's the student teacher relationship is based on fear. Teachers are afraid of loseing students to other instructors, and students are try to force there teachers to give them what they want at the time. (Sensei; can we sparr more? Sensei can we start doing weapons now? etc. etc.)

If a teacher doesn't do what the student wants the student feels the need to criticise; and if the student doesn't do what the teacher wants the students "loyalty" is called into question. It's this basic lack of freedom that causes ugly break ups in relationships and organizations; martial arts or otherwise.

The saddest part about this model is that opportunities to learn are lost by both student and teacher out of fear. Students aren't allowed to even look at other teachers or dojo's; if they do their loyalty is called into question. Naturally teachers rarely look to increase their knowledge and branch out into other arts because it would set the stage for there students to do the same. It also might make the teacher look bad because the instructor is afraid of being seen as a "lower rank" in a new art.

What I love most about the way I teach today is I don't view the students as “my” students. The students I'm lucky enough to teach are students of the “Martial Arts”. My job is just to be a facilitator and share what I know and point them in the right direction. I no longer view myself as a teacher of a "style" but as the sharer of the cumulation of arts I've studied and am continuing to learn.

The absolute best part of my life as a teacher today is that it not only frees the student, but it also frees me. I can study a different style; I can be a “begnner” in some other art. I can expand my knowledge and progress the way I want, and can share what I know with students at a time and place I see fit. If students likes what I do then they stay, if they don't then they go. Either way I'm happy with it and so are they. I have found that making the way I teach and run my dojo match what makes me happy is a full time job. I try not to give one second to trying to make other people happy; it diverts my energy too much.

The lesson learned is you can never really give yourself freedom until first you give it away to others. The more freedom you give the more you get; and that's the way I like it!

A really good question.

2009-03-19T01:48:00.000-07:00

I heard this question the other day and like it: "What happend that trained you into your current attitude about ________ .?"

The reason I like that question so much is that it forces you to recognize that your attitude has been shaped by real experiences you've had. Your not making up the things that have happend to you; they are real, and it's those things that to a large extent have shaped your current attitudes and beliefs.

But here is where it get's interesting. It's your current belifes and attitudes that will for the most part make up your future "real" events. When those future "real" events happen you will then be trained by them to a like attitude and so on. What this means is the better it gets the better it gets; but also the worse it gets the worse it gets. And this is an excellent example of what is called the "Law of Attraction".

So if you're wanting positive change in your life what should you do? The answer is to stop focusing on past or even present negative circumstances and direct your mind toward the way you want the future to be. Become a visionary. Speak about, look forward to, write about what you are wanting. Begin to retrain yourself from the perspective of your your imagination as opposed to your memory.

It seems like a tall order, but it's only a matter of practicing what you speak about and think about. Become obsessed with the future; and soon you will see the results, and the results will give you confidence, and you will be on your way!

A nice voicemail.

2009-03-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

After I ended my kids class today I decided to give them a talk on how important it is to realize that no matter how bad things "are", everything is constantly changing; so don't give up hope when your really down.

These talks are funny for me because sometimes I can see the kids feeling a little restless and even a few rolling there eyes. I had to decide a few years ago if I was even going to keep giving those little talks; it seemed to me that the kids just didn't care. After quite a bit of soul searching I decided to keep giving the talks. The main reason; I don't care if the kids like them or not, I love giving them and when I give these talks to others it really makes me feel better!

This evening I recieved a nice voice mail from one of the parents of one of my child students. They told me how much they appreciated those little talks, how they get in the car every night after class and discuss what I said. She went on to say that those little talks had made a huge difference in the life of her child; and tonight especially it made a big difference. She said she just had to call to let us know.

It's funny but when you do what you love you can't help but also have a positive impact on others too. Why not do what you love to do today?

posting about my thoughts...

2009-03-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about the word truth. Ehster Hicks (Teachings of Abraham) has said that you can always tell that which is true based on how speaking or thinking it makes you feel. If you are giving your attention to something that is "true" then it will make you feel good!

Based on the above definition someone might ask: “What if my reality is in conflict with the truth?”

This is the basic problem of the human condition because we give way too much attention to “reality” as if reality had some independent life of it's own. But what if reality is always in a constant state of flux? What if reality is being created constantly by our thoughts, beliefs and actions. If reality is constantly the result or our behaviors rather than independent of them then it makes no sense to make too big of a deal out of reality. - This means reality is a result, not a permanent condition.

In other words; reality is not a good enough excuse to feel bad. Just because something is true you don't have to make it into such a big deal because you know things are constantly changing. Begin to change the way you think and behave and you will notice your reality will change too.

What if there is a hidden truth about your potential and nature? What if this truth is so big and so bold that it is totally unlimited by space or time? If this is so, when you tell yourself something that matches the truth of your real nature wouldn't it be natural to feel good? When you tell yourself something that doesn't match your true potential, wouldn't it be natural to feel bad?

One of my favorite lyrics comes from a band named “Reliant K”. The lyric goes something like this...

“Please don't see me the way I am, only see me the way I am.”

I like to translate this lyric as follows: “Please don't look at the “reality” of me, instead please look at my true “potential”. (the truth of me)

So the basic advice; stop paying attention to “reality” and start paying attention to “truth”.

arghhhh a rainy tuesday!

2009-03-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is one of those tough days for me. Just seems like the day is so splintered it's hard to get anything done. Maybe I should just chill and not worry about getting things done on Tuesday?

Sounds like a plan to me.

Still I did get to work with some pretty amazing students today, and if I were to compare my average Tuesdsay to my parents.....well, I guess I'd be a rock star!

I really like this time change!

2009-03-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Changing the time for me over the weekend was wonderful! It seems to me that the time change is the unofficial beginning of spring. It makes me wonder if it's really the temperature that makes winter rough in the midwest or mostly the darkness and the gray...hmmmmm.

Anyway, what a wonderful day. I got to workout twice, and had terrific, highly skilled students who stayed late and rolled with me. I love teaching martial arts and living life!

Village Idiot Acustics for Autism

2009-03-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the "Acustics for Autism" event, also callled I AM, hosted at the Village Idiot in Maumee... Amazing! Don't know what the stout beer was but it was great! Event was probably the coolest event, and with the coolest people I've been around in a long, long time.

Way to go!!!

New music player

2009-03-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

I love finding new free way cool internet things. I also love great music. Yesterday I saw a posting from CNET about a new tool that I'm totally in love with. It's called Muziic and it is about the best thing I've seen for music on the internet. It's 100% free, stable, and uses a simple concept. Muziic simply acts as a front for Youtube so you can listen to everything in Youtube (basically everything in the universe) in one organized player with play lists, and full search.

I can't tell you how impressed with this little thing, as I understand the owners of this software are a fifteen year old and his Dad, and I think this concept could literally shakeup the way music is listened to on the web!

The first post

2009-01-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

This is the first post to the Martial Arts Center blog. Who knows where this will take us?