Life, Love & Martial Arts

Honor in Martial Arts (UFC 229)

2018-10-09T09:57:00.004-07:00

UFC 229 really put me into a funk for a bit, and I've been trying to process why.

Did Khabib miss a "GSP opportunity" to show the world what true martial artists are like, what true honor looks like as he helped up Conor and spoke to the crowd about why honor is important, about why what we say to each other matters?

Yeah. He really did.

And did his actions endanger the audience, and tarnish the reputation of mixed martial arts?

Yeah. They did.

And was Khabib wrong for ganging up on Conor's friend? Probably. I don't really know what the story behind that is/was, but I heard some pretty disturbing stuff about that.

Was Conor acting like a criminal lunatic when he attacked the bus? Yup.

Was what Conor said during the fight buildup "crossing a line"?

...I don't know.

"Trash talk" is a thing, and it works. Knowing what to say to make your opponent fight angry is a legit tactic. It's not only one of the tools he used to GET both of his belts... it's how he got the fights in the first place.

But here's where I get bogged down. Here's where I start to get bummed out if I'm not careful.

Was the UFC absurd when they used Conor's illegal, dangerous, insane behavior as a promotional tool?

I think so, yeah.

I think that's what's really bugging me.

That we're encouraging and financially compensating the behavior that is the antithesis of martial arts.

Or, at least, what martial arts used(?) to be.

Maybe that's living in the past. Maybe that era is done and it's time to move on. Maybe.

Shane says that Bruce Lee used to represent martial arts, and that he was different from Conor.

But, truth be told, Bruce had more in common with Conor than either of us would care to admit.

In the early years, Bruce was often arrogant, often short tempered, and would fly off the handle on a regular basis.

It was only later in life when he calmed down and found a more balanced approach to life.

So, maybe this is a stage. A pendulum that will swing one way, and then the other. Maybe we need our Conors in order to appreciate our Georges.

Which again, brings me back to Khabib's wasted opportunity.

He could have been the Georges we needed in that moment. He could have shown the world what martial arts is all about.

It could have been a storybook ending.

...

Okay. Enough whining.

What is the solution?

It's easy to sit on the sidelines and tell the fighters they should all be honorable, respectful, courteous and represent martial arts and the UFC with integrity.

And some fighters do.

What are their names?

How many magazine covers, movie deals, endorsement opportunities and sponsors do they have?

If the system in place, and we, the consumers, compensate those outliers that attack buses, beat their wives, pee on their fans, torture dogs or whatever else our sports "heroes" do in their off time...

Who but the fans are ultimately at fault?

What's that saying?

"Don't hate the player, hate the game"?

Is it the UFC's fault that fans want what they want, and they provide it? They endorse it? They promote it?

Maybe.

Maybe they could swing the narrative away from the chaos and embrace the calm.

Maybe.

But 229 sold a shitload of PPVs.

Demetrius Johnson is an amazing human.

He's kind, humble, extremely talented, extremely representative of a martial artist. He might be the most talented martial artist the world has ever seen.

He might be the kindest fighter on the roster.

But nobody is buying his whiskey.

Know your limitations

2018-10-09T08:52:00.001-07:00

I once taught a class where everyone who was there had been there for about a year and a half. There were formally abused wives, formerly overweight men, former smokers, former inactive people, formerly timid people etc.

And they were all sitting there, panting after the grueling class with proud smiles on their faces, and I told them to sit and close their eyes.

And visualize themselves as they were. As they were when they first came in, not knowing what martial arts was, or what they could do.

I asked them to put themselves into that mindset and to "watch" the class that these people just did.

I asked them to keep their eyes closed, and to raise their hand if they thought they could do (what they just did)

No hands raised.

What they just did had been impossible for them to visualize doing less than two years ago.

I asked them to ponder that. To think what else in their lives was currently "impossible."

I told them I was very proud of what they had become, what they had achieved, and that I was looking forward to seeing the new them in another few years.

Tears and hugs were plentiful after that class. And lives changed.

Never look at your current self to know your limitations. Because your current self doesn't have a damn clue what they are.

<3 p="">

Conor vs Khabib All Perspectives in chronological order

2018-10-07T11:29:00.002-07:00

This post is simply to put everyone's perspective in chronological order. EVERYTHING BELOW IS ALLEGED (because there are contradictory statements coming from both camps)

The Spark
Khabib, whose manager was involved in 9/11 and whose friends chopped up some dude with an axe, confronted Conor's friend for sexual assault in a club that was a case of mistaken identity so Conor, coked out of his mind on post-maymac blow, flew from Ireland to kill Khabib but had to settle for attacking the bus he was in because security wouldn't let Khabib get off the bus.

Multiple lawsuits, criminal charges and one product launch later, and the whiskey promotion/fight was scheduled.

The Build Up
During the press conferences and weigh ins it became apparent that Conor's reflexes, understanding of range, and previously fearless demeanor were significantly compromised, drugs and alcoholism were implied heavily, though it could simply be that he's become more socially distracted due to being a father. He insulted everything under the sun in those press conferences, and, as we'll see later, Khabib took some of it personally.

The Fight
Round 1:
Conor displayed excellent takedown defense, mediocre striking, and eventually was taken down. He did well on the ground, doing more damage than Khabib (I actually gave him the round, despite him spending the majority of it on his back) though his striking was, as many expected, without the usual pop, range awareness and reflexes, and, perhaps due to his long layoff, seemed to have forgotten the majority of the rules involved in the sport.

Round 2:
The improvement in Khabib's striking was becoming apparent, though it was ultimately the wrestling which sealed the deal, finishing up with a barrage of strikes, mostly deflected, but some landed very clean.

Round 3:
Likely due to Khabib being a bit tired from raining down blows for a good portion of round 2, Conor won the striking exchange with more mediocre striking, the likes of which we haven't seen from him in the octagon.

Round 4:
Conor landed some really nice front kicks to the body. Khabib ended it with a beautiful transition from back to mount to back to a choke that looked an awful lot like a neck crank, and then decided to assault one of Conor's teammates in the crowd while three other members of Khabib's team decided to assault Conor in the cage from behind.

The Aftermath
Conor opted not to press charges. Dana is sad. Khabib is "apologetic," facing suspension and worse from the commission (whose governor was in the stands and ran out for fear of riots) and Khabib's manager still owes child support to Noah.

Did I miss anything?

Oh, right!

Who is at fault:
It was bad for Conor to do what he did.
It was bad for Khabib to do what he did.

Yeesh.

What a mess.

EDIT: Looks like maybe there were a few other things

Rape & Seatbelts

2018-09-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

I saw a post this morning where a woman was very upset, claiming that teaching martial arts to women either as rape prevention or as rape recovery was like saying it was the victim's fault, or that rapists should just rape someone else.

I thought about what they were saying, and I think the best analogy I've come up with is driving.

Let's say I'm driving, but I've been drinking, I'm not wearing my seatbelt, I'm speeding, and some fuckface runs a red light and smashes up my car.

...

And I get really, really... really hurt.

It takes a very long time to recover.

A lot of tears are shed, and fuckface goes to jail for a few years.

Now, firstly:
SHOULD HE HAVE RUN A RED LIGHT?
No.

DO YOU THINK HE KNEW RUNNING THE RED LIGHT WAS WRONG?
Probably.

DO YOU THINK EDUCATION WOULD HAVE PREVENTED HIS ACTIONS?
Probably not.

ARE THERE THINGS THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO LESSEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS ACCIDENT?

...

I am not victim shaming. I am odds-pointing-out-ing.

It is bad to rape. Rapists shouldn't do it.

But here's the thing. No matter how true that is... no matter how right that statement is... they do.

And seeing billboards on every street corner touting how rape is actually not a very nice thing to do is not going to change their minds about it today. Maybe someone will come up with a brilliant education method that will actually change rapist's predilection for forcing themselves on people, but... they haven't yet.

Jiujitsu is a seatbelt.
If you never have to feel that "clunk" when you hit the brakes, or when someone smashes into your car and it keeps you safer... cool man. That's awesome. But... if you ARE ever in an accident.... which, statistically... is likely... you're going to want the best damn belt you can get.

Situational awareness is defensive driving.
Be smart. Being smart is not the same as being scared - it's just being aware. Statistically, you're more safe doing one thing over another. Be aware. We all drive faster than we should at some time or another, but we do it with our eyes open, and our hands on the wheel. Be safe.

...Drinking is still drinking for this analogy (heh.)
I'm not saying you can't drink. I'm not. But, just like with driving, it's gonna increase those odds. Maybe get someone who hasn't been drinking to drive the car, yeah? A sober wingman/girl is going to help us get home safe.

Now, do people with their hands at 10 and 2, driving exactly 50k several car lengths back, while wearing their seatbelts and being surrounded by airbags still get in car accidents?

Yes, they do.

But, it happens less, and they get less hurt, less often.

-

I feel like I'm delivering Louis CK's "of course, but maybe" bit here, but, being "RIGHT" doesn't make you less raped.

It doesn't.

Just because someone SHOULDN'T run a red light doesn't mean they WON'T.

Seatbelts save lives.

And yeah, maybe some day we'll all be in driverless cars, and the world will be rid of the need for seatbelts. But until then... for fucks sake, buckle up.

Leveling up your parenting

2018-09-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

"We give and we give and we give, and all they do is take!"

I think we've all heard a parent say this, yes?

I have a re-frame for you to consider.

Imagine you're in a video game, and you're grinding out a skill to level up. Would you complain that the 400th archer you just snuck up on did nothing but take all your efforts? What about the 300th iron hat you just forged in the blacksmith? Would you complain that all that anvil did was take your time?

No, you're getting XP, right? You're leveling up, right? And now that you've leveled up, the quests are bigger, the challenges are greater, the gear is cooler, you've got the ability to do more things!

So, here's the thing. Life ain't that different.

If you're giving in order to receive, I think you're missing the point. The point is the XP. The process. The experience.

Our kids, spouses, friends, enemies, associates, strangers... they're all there for us to experience, they're all there for us to practice and develop different skills.

And, here's the thing. If I didn't have a toddler, would I still need to develop patience? If I didn't have a toddler, would I still have to develop presence?

If we look outward, for people to blame in our lives... I think we're missing the point. It isn't the archer's fault you suck at sneaking up on him. It isn't the toddler's fault you suck at patience.

And if they weren't there, YOU WOULD STILL SUCK AT IT. That skill would still need to be developed. You just wouldn't have an as efficient tool with which to practice that skill.

So, you have two options. You can look at that toddler and say "damn it, s/he needs so much patience" or, you can say "sweet, double XP."

Either way, the process is there. That day is there. The same activities and same development will or won't occur.

Situps need to be done to get nice abs. Imagine if you found situps you enjoyed doing! (Jiujitsu is one way). Enjoy the process. Enjoy leveling up.

Or... don't.

There's always someone else to blame for our problems, and there's always some way to justify our failings. Level 1 quests and rewards are cool, too.

12 Grappling Tips for starting Jiu Jitsu

2018-08-25T08:39:00.002-07:00

So you're starting up BJJ and looking for some beginner tips?

1) Always ask your partner how they beat you, and always tell your partner how you beat them.

2) There are only two movements in BJJ. Shrimping, and bridging. The rest is just knowing when to do them and holding onto stuff.

3) Be patient with yourself. Unlike a striking art, your progress is not visible as a student, but your instructor can tell when you're starting to get things way before you can.

4) If something isn't working, try the opposite. If that didn't work, go back to what you were trying, then do the opposite again but faster.

5) If you're stuck, tap out and ask rather than strain.

6) Strength DOES matter in BJJ. BJJ is a strength enhancer via leverage and superior positioning.

7) Watch at least one UFC to see how striking plays a MASSIVE role in ground fighting.

8) Watch at least one kino mutai instructional video to see how biting plays a MASSIVE roll in ground fighting.

9) Tap easy, learn easy, stay healthy.

10) Your partner will often mirror the energy you give them. If you want to learn, so will they. If you want to smash, so will they.

11) Try your absolute best to find three partners

A person who is bigger than you, but less skilled
A person who is the same size and the same skill as you
A person who is smaller than you, but more skilled.

Learn that there are different ways to win.

12) Learn how you learn. Do you like someone to demonstrate on you? Do you like it when someone narrates the move step by step? Do you like to observe the technique working on others?

12b) Ask questions in a way that will facilitate #12 (eg "could you show that to me again" vs "could you show me how that feels")

Bonus tip: If you want to quit, that's fine.
But don't quit today, when it's hard.
Don't quit today, when you're just not getting it.
Don't quit today because you're sore.

If you gotta quit, quit when you're doing amazing, when you're winning, when you're helping others get better. If you quit then, it's a choice, not because you're giving up.

NEVER
Give
Up

Why Will Martial Arts Help Me With My...

2018-07-12T13:55:00.001-07:00

Alright, buckle up. I'm going to do my best to answer this question in one giant blog post that I'll keep adding to every time someone asks a question that isn't in here.

If it gets too long, feel free to search for your target word via CTRL+F

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SADNESS & OBSESSIVE TENDENCIES
Martial arts requires a presence, a focus, and a posture that is the antithesis of these negative realities.

Think about this for a second:
Imagine a (depressed/anxious/sad) person in the height of their issue. What do they look like?

Are they breathing shallow, or deep? Controlled breathing in their stomach, or higher breathing in their chest? Are their shoulders back, or slumped? Is their posture dynamic and powerful, or slow and withered?

Emotion comes from motion. Our bodies tell our brains what to feel. The intensity and literal postures of martial arts are the antithesis of depression, the focus required obliterates anxiety, the camaraderie and sheer joy of the class nourishes happiness, and hell, your obsessive tendencies will at least be channeled into something constructive (google GSP on this)

They've done studies on people who all they did was (literally) FORCE THEM TO SMILE for extended periods of time, and it combated their depression with equivalent results to antidepressants. They did another study where they forced people to "cape walk" (that is, walk as though they were a superhero wearing a cape) and had similar results.

Your motions change your emotions.

FEAR, APPREHENSION & INSOMNIA
Martial arts provides you with a confidence I cannot describe. It doesn't just come from being a bad ass (though that certainly helps) it comes from the knowing that you are the type of person that overcomes adversity. The type of person who has been in countless battles and has found a way to win. A person who knows that all defeats are temporary.

Also, exercise and learning to breathe kinda kick the shit out of most problems on their own.

SELF CONFIDENCE, FEAR OF FAILURE, IMPOSTURE SYNDROME
Martial arts is the ultimate proving ground. You know what you're capable of, and what you have yet to learn - you also know the path to take you to the next step.

I cannot tell you how many "I can't"s I have seen turn into "I just did"s over the years. The first board break, the first time a tiny 90lbs person manhandles a giant with ease. Even just learning how to freaking yell and explode with power.

Martial arts takes you out of your comfort zone and shows you what you're capable of. It is fucking awesome.

It is also FILLED with setbacks, hardships, mistakes, looking foolish, failures and more. Everyone around you is supportive, and everyone around you is modelling what perseverance looks like. The dude at the front with the black belt was, more often than not, a BIGGER spaz than you are now. Spazzes make the most empathetic and accomplished instructors because they understand what it's like to suck at it, and they know a million ways to try to get better, and which ones worked for which sorts of people.

People who suffer from any sort of self-doubt learn when that doubt is actually warranted, and when it is not.

Mindsettertainment: The gateway drug to happiness and fulfillment

2018-06-16T08:02:00.001-07:00

Two percent of the population is interested in self development.  Those are rookie numbers.  

Quick show of hands.  How many of you have been to a Tony Robbins event?  Cool.  Those of you who raised your hands, answer me this:  How many of you can think of a single person who would NOT benefit from going to a Tony Robbins event?

The problem isn't the quality of the event.  

The problem is that there's no gateway drug.  Jumping from nothing to Tony takes a huge leap of faith.  A commitment, financial, emotional, and time.  

Plus, what if it SUCKS!?  What if it's BORING!?  What if I hate it!?  I don't wanna be stuck in a room full of hype-men telling me positive thinking will solve all the shit in my life!  Right?

What we need is a gateway drug.  

I call that gateway drug "Mindsettertainment."  I wrote a book called The Shard Chronicles that has explosions, boobs, swearing, fighting... and yeah, mindset.  And because the protagonist is experiencing it... so is the reader.  Experiential learning is always more impactful.  Again, that's why going to Tony's event can be so life changing.

The goal of this book isn't to have the impact of a Tony Robbins concert (and those of you who've been, you know that "event" simply doesn't do it justice) The goal of this book is to show you a slice of that world.  To get you hooked.

First one's free.

My challenge to those of you who've already mainlined the hard stuff is to create your own versions of a gateway drug.  Create media that empowers and inspires.  Movies that impart wisdom.  Comic books that inspire us to be better.  Books that entertain and improve us.

Let's get those rookie numbers up already.

Let's change the world.

Ono Northey

Why Not-Thanos is okay and Not-Batman isn't

2018-05-21T08:31:00.003-07:00

"But, but... Thanos isn't Thanos! He's supposed to be in love with Death, not... not re-hashed, cosmic Ras Al Ghul!"

Alright. I hear you. I do. I can see why this might sting a little DC. I mean, why can't you re-make Batman into a laughing, joking, gun toting murderer while Marvel can rake in the dough by re-making Thanos into a tree hugger?

HERE'S WHY

1) Consistency
This is really... really important, so I want you to lean in.

When people read comic books... they are willing to suspend disbelief. They are willing to accept that Bruce's choice to put on a pointy hat and cape rather than simply fund better prisons, rehabilitation programs and outfit the police with better tech because that would make for a pretty shitty comic.

What they are NOT willing to do, is put up with inconsistency of character.

WHY DOES BATMAN USE BATARANGS
Because they are elegant, they take skill. They are not guns. Guns ricochet and kill innocents, guns make it easy and... y'know GUNS KILLED HIS PARENTS AND HE HATES THEM.

So, making him use guns is... stupid.

Next: WHY THE FUCK DOES HE DIVE OFF THE ROOF AND SAVE HARLEY QUINN!?

IF you're going to re-write Batman as a well funded Punisher with a bat fetish THEN DON'T HAVE HIM SAVING CRIMINALS!! PICK A THING!

PICK. A. THING.

See, here's the point of this: If Thanos had been giving Death a hug in his first appearance, then everyone would be much more upset about his actions in Infinity War. Because then it WOULDN'T make sense. It would be...

C'mon DC...

Starts with an I...

In-congruent?

Hey, y'know what? I was going for inconsistent, but yeah, I'll take it.

In fact, let's talk a little more about congruence.

2) The hero vs villain rewrite okayability

It's actually more okay to (sorta) re-write a villain. See, people go in with a LOOOOT of emotional investment in the hero. Jack Bauer is a bad ass, Batman doesn't kill, Mr. Fantastic is smart.

But villains? Villains it's more okay to give a unique backstory to make them fit the plot of your movie. I mean, look at the brilliant work of Mr. Freeze in Batman: The animated series. Hard to argue against that rewrite.

Or hey, look at the version of Penguin in the Arkham City video game. Great job.

Or even Kite Man in that one comic.

See, people go in wanting to BE the hero in the movie. They are (supposed to be) the protagonist, the character we all dive our minds into and experience for a few hours. We see their trials and tribulations and we want them to succeed.

That means they have to act congruent with the belief structure previously established and emotionally bought into by the viewer.

If Batman starts offing people, the audience is taken out of the experience by the cognitive dissonance. "Wait, why would I use an AK-47? I'm Batman! What's with the joking? Shouldn't I have just grunted, or ignored her altogether, being too busy with my preparation which ultimately saves the day in some implausible foresight-related genius moment?"

"AH HAH! But Ant Man is supposed to be smart!"

Yup. You're right. That was shit.

"Wait... what? It was? I mean... YEAH! SHIT! And... and he's supposed to be a jerk! A wife-beating jerk!"

Yeah.

I mean, yeah.

So two things on that. One, if you see the whole "audience member wanting to be the protagonist" point above... I think you can agree that going a different route with that character kinda makes sense.

I mean, you can understand it, right? Nobody should be buying Hank Pym with wife-backslap action button action figures... so I hope you can see why they did it.

But, you're right.

To make him some Ryan Reynolds knock off was a bad choice.

They still could have made him a troubled, insecure asshole and simply not given him his own movie. They could have "gone to him for help" or something, instead of... the dogshit that was Ant Man.

So nobody's perfect.

And that's the point, DC. You can still turn this shit show around. Not now. No. Not now. You've hurt the fans too much. You have to wait six years and do a reboot. BUT when you DO...

Here's how to win:

Read a comic book. Hell, read a few of them. Talk to nerds. Run your stupid... stupid scripts by them and get their feedback. If they say anything resembling "why the fuck is XYZ acting like this?" or "Jesus christ, have you READ the source material!?" or anything like that... listen to them.

IF they say "actually, in episode 6 of the original golden age comic it was confirmed that, though he is often right handed, he catches the ball with his left hand so, in this sequence where he catches the ball with his right hand..."

IT'S OKAY TO IGNORE THAT.

Just... hit the main bits, okay?

Superman is nice.
Batman is stern.

Just... start with that. Okay?

Now stop crying.

Dear DC Comics

2018-05-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Dear DC:  I don't want to kick you when you're down, it's just, well, we've been here before, haven't we?  We've had this conversation a dozen times, haven't we?

"Why don't the kids like me?  Why do they all like Mister Popular Marvel over there!?"

Now, I'm not suggesting you change you are, sweetie.  You have to be yourself.  But I do want you to listen.

(And maybe now that Infinity War earned more in a weekend than Justice League earned in its entire run at the box office, you'll listen.)

Batman, Superman... these are all good characters.  They really, really are.  They've had a great run, and entertained millions.

The thing is, I think it would be really, really beneficial if you, maybe, read one of those comics before making a movie about it.  (I'm just saying, it might help)

I take no joy in bludgeoning a stupid, stupid dead horse, and I wouldn't bother if not for my love of the DC characters you have clearly yet to read about, but please, for the love of mylar bags, read a goddamn comic or, hell, just ask any nerd if your script is even halfway decent before committing to it.

Now, I know, I know - you want to adapt the characters to a new medium.  I get it.  I do.  And I know you've said this to us all a few times, about how you want to take a fresh new take on a character.  And that's cool.  I get it.

Here's the thing:  Let's say you made a documentary about Hitler and you made him a super nice, 6'4 black man whose main motivation was to beat Rommel in a fist fight... and you called it "World War 2"

How do you think that'd go over?  Do you think people would celebrate the fresh new take on the character, or, do you think they might go "huh, why didn't they call that something else?"

When you have Batman (a character whose DEFINING TRAITS are that he DOES NOT USE GUNS or KILL... running around... SHOOTING AND KILLING PEOPLE... that is black 6'4 hitler-boxer.  Do you understand?  It isn't that you couldn't make a really great movie about hitler-boxer, but you don't CALL HIM HITLER you call him Josh or something, and you don't name the movie World War 2, you name it Boxer Guy.

When you make the super genius lex luthor borderline retarded, inept, insane, and clearly without a feasible plan... that bothers people.  

Do you understand why?  Do you understand?

Robert Downy Jr and Tom Holland.  Why do you suppose people LIKE those people playing their characters?  Do you think, perhaps, it's because they resemble the characters they are supposed to be playing?  Do you suppose it might be that they are acting like their characters?  Do you suppose it's because the dialogue they've been given MATCHES their GODDAMN CHARACTERS!?

HOW IS THIS NOT COMMON SENSE!?  HOW!?

Okay.  Okay.  I'm sorry I yelled. You're right.  That isn't fair to you.  It's just... well, we've had this conversation so many times, now.

But, you're right.  Casting is so tricky.  I get it.

Maybe... all of your choices...  all of them... maybe they weren't so... wrong.  Maybe it was just the script.

Okay.  Let me help you, okay?  I'm going to sum up what you did wrong with every person in your movies.

Batman:

Batman, is occasionally sarcastic in the justice league cartoons, so I'll give you poetic license to give him a quip here and there.  Eg "It's called eyes, Flash.  I use them."

He's very efficient in his speech.  He wouldn't, for example, say "more or less.  Okay.  Mostly less.  Okay, he didn't join us at all, no."

He isn't Woody Goddamn Allen.  He's batman.  Jesus.

He doesn't use guns.

He doesn't kill people.

He is generally stern, impatient, and pissed off.

What you made

A fun loving joking fellow who murders people with guns.

So... not super close.

Superman:

Superman finds the light, and humor in serious situations.  He is a symbol for HOPE.  He is decisive, a natural leader, charismatic, beloved by all and very, very powerful.

What you made

A whiny, depressed, dark loser who takes everything serious, nobody listens to and his despised by most.

So... not great.  Not... not great.

Lex Luthor:

Megalomaniac, narcissistic sociopath who wants to be seen as Metropolis' savior/most powerful man who feels threatened by Superman's presence.  Alternatively, he could feel that the human race, in order to thrive, cannot have a crutch like Superman to fall back on.  In either case, he is dignified, politician like (at some point he DOES become the president of the united states) untouchable, above the law, one step ahead of everyone.

What you made

A spastic moron, with seemingly no logical motivations at all.

Okay.  So... yeah.  Also, not great.  Not...  okay, moving on.

Doomsday, Steppenwolf, Darkseid, Ares... and every other horrific CG villain you've made.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?  JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!

Okay.  Doomsday is not Zod and Lex Luthor's love child.  Steppenwolf does not collect motherboxes from... from earth... MOTHERBOXES ARE MADE ON APOCALYPSE!  Darkseid is... look.  Ares is the god of WAR he doesn't want to END WAR.

Holy shit.

Sorry.  Lost my temper again.  Look, maybe we should pick this up another time.  We've both said some things we didn't mean.

No.  

No, we need to do this, DC.  I'd just be lying if I said I didn't mean any of what I said.

We have to do this.  Through the fire we will burn away the impurities and come out stronger for it.

We need to move on.

WE NEED YOU TO LISTEN.

Lex Luthor did not design the logos for the members of the Justice League.

Flash can move quickly

...oh shit, wait.  You...  you did make him move fast.  

(double checks)

No wait.  I knew it was too good to be true.  End of Justice League Flash is running long enough for him to circle the globe multiple times and has only moved a mile.  Aaaand then Superman catches up... and passes him... while carrying a building.

Okay.  But hey!  You had him catch a baterang!  That was pretty fast!  

And he's... well, he's supposed to be a cheerful forensic scientist... charismatic, beloved by all...  and you made him a neurotic, friendless high school student... 

Okay, let's quit while we're ahead on Flash.  You made him move pretty fast.  Good job.

Cyborg...  actually, y'know what?  

Cyborg:

Cyborg ex-football player who is sad about losing humanity.

What you made:

Horrifically rendered CGI cyborg ex-football player who is sad about losing humanity.

Nice!  That was almost good!  See?  You're getting it.  Keep at it.  Don't make him a hispanic woman determined to help Luthor pass his SATs in the next movie and you should be fine.

Conclusion

Look, we all know you... mean well.  That you're trying.

I mean, hey, Superman and Batman's moms ARE both named Martha.  I mean, what are the odds, right?  Good for you for noticing that.  That's neat!

I wouldn't... I wouldn't say that was the... foundation of their friendship.  Or... relevant.  But... hey!  It's a heck of a coincidence, right?

I know it's hard.  To please nerds.  We're hard to please.  I get that.  I do.

I think... I think if we all felt you were trying, that might be enough.  I mean, let's say the plot was bad, but everyone acted sort of like who they were.  I think that'd be a thing, right?  I could see that working for you.  For everyone.

Give it a go, okay?  Make a movie where the characters are as they have been written, in an adventure that seems to fit what those characters would take part in, and who knows?  Maybe you could save the franchise!

People are SUUUPER forgiving with superhero movies.  Look at the horrific Joel Schumacher Batman film, and how everyone reacted to Christopher Nolan's take, right?  Reboots are all the rage with comic book movies.  So, there's hope.

Not in the near future, surely.  No, for the next five or six years you are totally screwed.

But, give the world a while to recover from your... attempts.  And then, give 'er another go!  You'll remember what you've learned... Flash runs fast.  Cyborg is sad... and build off of those successes with an entirely new franchise!

Who knows!  Maybe... maybe there will be...  Hope.

Virtual Art Gallery

2018-05-01T17:09:00.001-07:00

There's new holographic technology that looks very impressive to me. My first thought was a digital art gallery.

Here's the breakdown: You, the artist, upload your 3D, digital work to a central database. (up to you if that's originally 3D, or if you 3D scanned your actual artwork) That database distributes the above technology to people for free, or close-to-free (with a monthly subscription plan)

People get access to ALL the artwork in the database, and can switch it out whenever they want.

Server takes the subscription fee, and distributes it to artists whose work is being used.

eg: $9.99 subscription x 100,000 users
60% of the subscription fee goes to artists ($599,400)
Your artwork was used by 10% of the audience, here's your monthly check of $59,940
This guy's artwork was used by 1% of the audience, here's his monthly check for $5,994

Everyone wins.

I think this is a pretty decent idea.

If, by chance, you implement this idea, do me a solid and cut me in for 1% of the profits, will you? Thanks!

Grit within passion. Purpose within suffering

2018-04-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

I've been uploading my entire 306 page book, one page at a time, for two days. I'm about halfway done as I'm writing this.

Believe it or not, this was the BEST solution that was found after other, failed attempts which took place days previous.

Now, I have no question in my mind that, at some point, I will learn how to do this process more efficiently, however, as it stands for the moment, I haven't.

I don't post this to bitch and moan (I've done plenty of that already). I'm posting this to make a point.

That one's WHY must be strong enough to create perseverance strong enough for the eventual bullshit one WILL have to wade through in order to achieve one's goal.

If there's no bullshit, your goal ain't big enough.

So, here's the thing. I can bitch and moan about it (which, to be fair, I did. A lot) or, I can choose to transmute frustration into the development of patience. I can choose the mind numbing boredom into the development of perseverance.

When you play Skyrim, you make dozens of hats. Why? So you can develop your crafting skill, gain XP and level up. Yeah? We grind.

So, as I upload page TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN (holy shit I'm almost there) I could look at it a number of ways.

1) I could be grateful to have such a first world problem. I have internet, the free time necessary to even write a novel, and a person of interest (Tom Bilyeu) who is interested enough in my project to warrant me creating this sample for him.

But, the thing is, that still takes willpower. It's all true, but it still SUUUUUCKS to do what I'm doing. Yes, other things suck MORE, but that still isn't as empowering (to me) as I'd like.

2) I could watch my XP meter go up. For some reason, I hear the song "Heart of courage" go off in my head. I'm leveling up. Fuck yeah. It doesn't take willpower to level up, if anything, I start looking for more things to be proud of.

3) I imagine the funny future. EVERYTHING that is SHITTY in our lives... in 10 years? Those are most often our best stories. So, I CHOOSE to look "back" at this NOW, and laugh.

I choose to level up, I choose to laugh at the absurdity of it all. I choose to envision myself at Comic-con, talking to some young writer who is marveling at just having met me, and has asked the question "what was the hardest part of writing your amazing novel" and I get to pull this story out.

About how I had to choose between a properly formatted document, or a document with the fonts I'd chosen to reflect the personalities of the different characters... and I chose a third option that I made up.

Just export the files into 306 individual jpegs and upload them one at a time as a photo book instead of as a print novel. I chose to say fuck you to only having two options, neither of which I liked. I chose the path where the book was how I envisioned it.

I chose this. Times new roman can go fuck itself. Solis speaks in Bree Serif, and that's all there is to it.

I also FULLY RECOGNIZE that Tom Bilyeu might look at the book, love every minute of it, and suggest we use Times New Roman instead to reflect Solis' personality. I recognize that if that WERE to happen, it would make for the best punchline of all.

If life is a "funny story" you get to tell when you're older, about how you developed all these skills, then life is enjoyable, even when it isn't supposed to be.

So grind. Make those hats.

Sportificaiton Rant

2017-10-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

I recognize that, like all things, there are different quality of instructors and focuses out there - my understanding is that there are many talented BJJ instructors out there who regularly incorporate striking, weapons and other street defense tactics into their curriculum. Fierce studio comes to mind, Ari being a bouncer/cop undoubtedly has an efficient filter from which to teach the remarkable positive qualities of jiu jitsu (and Aikido).

I cannot, however, in good conscience, consider what *I* have seen in every BJJ school I have interviewed to be anything short of ludicrous, silly, and the exact OPPOSITE of self defense focused.

"Turtle guard"!? REALLY!? Curling up in a ball is your go-to offensive maneuver!?

I get it, as a recovery position it is important to learn... but your GO-TO!? Are you insane!?

You TRY to get to a position where you literally have no control, your partner can literally just stab you, knee you, soccer kick you, get up and leave, or just bring their forearm down on your neck...

Again, I'm not saying that the turtle position doesn't have it's place - every position has it's place, especially if you're in a scramble, or, trying to lock up a submission and something goes awry. It's important to learn how to transition out of everything, how to upgrade everything.

All true.

But... to even IMPLY let alone specifically STATE that *UPGRADING* to the turtle position is in ANY WAY based on self defense... safety... or even common sense... is... criminally negligent.

If my SELF DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR regularly coached me to upgrade to the fetal position, and I was in a street self defense situation... If I lived, once I got out of the hospital I would sue him for negligence.

How could you not?

How can you, as a SELF DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR sleep at night, knowing that what you're teaching WILL eventually get one of your students hurt, or killed?

That's like saying wrapping yourself in tinfoil will stop a bullet. I mean, it'll slow it down, and, hell, maybe if you wrapped enough layers around yourself it might actually work - but a friggin' kevlar vest is probably the way to go, no?

Now, this rant is certainly not limited to BJJ, it is, perhaps, the most glaring example for my beef with sportification. I have equal beef with a great number of martial arts schools I've seen. TKD is another great example where "self defense" is written on the door and (I SHIT YOU NOT) they coach to get down on one knee and chop the inside of someone's leg as a goddamn knife defense.

If it says "self defense" on your door, and you teach that curling up into the fetal position is a "dominant position" or that proposing to your knife wielding attacker is the correct way to handle the situation YOU ARE BAD.

When I ask the instructor, he replies "well, no, you wouldn't use that in self defense, or even in MMA - it's just for competition/forms/show/art."

THIS ANSWER... Drives me insane.

That's fine, if you are a "BJJ Sport" school, and you put on your door "useless, but fun! get a great workout! go to tournaments! get medals! friends!" - cool. I have no beef with you. I have no beef with cardio kickboxing, badminton, most tai chi schools etc. I only have a beef with you when you put "learn self defense" in your advertising when it is the furthest thing from your mind.

"BUT LEARNING THIS WILL STILL GIVE YOU A LEG UP IN A SELF DEFENSE SITUATION!"

Oh, I'm getting to you in a second.

Yes. I agree. Your olympic level badminton playing skills WILL transfer, somewhat, into a self defense situation. You'll be in better shape, and you'll have better hand/eye coordination.

And yes, if you have 20 years of training in virtually anything, and you go up against a fellow who has no training, chances are you can spike his proverbial birdie. If nothing else, you'll outlast them in the cardio department.

The question becomes about just how diluted your "self defense" is. If you have 1% self defense, and 20 years of training, and you go up against a person whose style is 100% self defense oriented who only has 4 years of training...

Okay. Let's move on to the next excuse:

"The rules are there for safety"

Okay, cool. I get it. Really, I do.

Injuries are pretty darn common in a lot of "pure self defense" schools. I understand why (most of) the rules in MMA exist - fighter safety, entertainment etc.

As long as we agree that we could "show" an illegal strike (in a safe way) or perhaps simulate it in an isolated, controlled way to train it, that's fine.

As long as we agree that we are doing our best to safely simulate dangerous combat, that's cool. We all gotta work in the morning and we don't want to have black eyes. I get it. I do.

So, let's go back to the BJJ turtle example.

How... I mean... HOW could that be argued. "well, it's in the rules" okay, change the goddamn rules. Why... WHY put a rule into your MARTIAL arts themed sport which goes directly AGAINST self defense? That's like giving a ballet dancer cement shoes to clunk around in. "She gets more points for the shoes" (but isn't it supposed to simulate being weightless!?)

These analogies are getting out of hand...

It isn't for safety.

Clearly there's the same level of danger in any particular position in BJJ. Is it for entertainment? Do people find someone attacking with their face on the ground entertaining? Perhaps? Maybe without that you just get a lot of side control and stalling??

I've heard by so many people I respect that BJJ is a super power, that it is essential for street self defense, that all fights go to the ground etc etc etc.

And, I would argue that GRAPPLING is essential for street self defense, (especially the ability to get back up) and that GRAPPLING is a super power. Especially when combined with common sense.

HOW BJJ has moved so far away from their original purpose is staggering to me.

Now, having said that, I'm willing to be proven wrong. Teach me sensei - teach me the virtues of the turtle position. Hell, Diaz and Serra both used it a LOT in their respective GSP fights. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe that's the way to go. Maybe Georges is just too damn good, and anyone else would've been destroyed by their turtle attack.

(I mean, at the very LEAST, wouldn't someone just wind up and kick you in the balls?? I mean, isn't that a BEST case scenario...?)

Okay, I'm done.

Rant over. Ready to learn.

This is Everything I Know: Sensei Ono Northey

2016-03-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

This book could change a person's life. It has everything from parenting tips to how to beat anorexia to how to get better in bed.

Fantastic book that deserves a place in every person's home!

This is Everything I Know

New Years Resolutions 2014

2013-12-31T20:29:00.001-08:00

This year I'm going to be a bit more clear on "action based" resolutions. "To do" as well as "to be/have"

1) "Adonis state"

Break workouts into a 10 day cycle; each day being a different body part with a wildcard day at the end of the cycle.
Exercise in the morning every day on the targeted area before breakfast.
Make gradual progress on percentages. 70% by June, 80% by end of year.

2) "Passive income generation"
Note that much of the "to be" section of this will be accomplished by having and maintaining a sales job/training.

Overcome approach avoidance insecurities by

Recognizing the amazing value for dojo owners, and being confident in the benefits of increasing their revenues substantially without raising their tuition and without adding additional products or costs.
Taking action, recording the results, getting references & referrals for improving lives.

Overcome judgement-based fears by

Recognizing that worthwhile friends & family are happy for success and will encourage and/or take part in it.
Having empathy for those who do not do so by recognizing their fears manifesting as harshness or defensiveness.

Overcome phone-based fears by

Using electronic media to set up conversations
Simply making the call

Note that this step leads to Shinka 2.0, published video game & coaching resolutions currently shelved.

3) "Joyous & Abundant Job"

This one is tricky... the resumes are well written, and the jobs are being searched for and applied to regularly. Renee has been a huge help in both areas. The elusive fulfilling & profitable job search continues.

Get sales job with product/service I can stand behind with integrity, where my performance affects my income... be outstanding.

Fallback(s)

Life coach?
Community center classes?
Daycare?
Find joy in the process of everything, find ways to connect with and improve people's lives regardless of environment, find happiness in the routine of life, and in the knowledge that I am building towards bigger things.

4) "Creed"

Cultivate happiness by being playful, curious, and patient.

New Years Resolutions, 2013: RESULTS

2013-12-31T18:55:00.002-08:00

Before I get into my resolutions for this year, I will mention my progress upon last year's.

1) Write in a journal every day, to capture what I learned, what worked well, where to improve, what I'm grateful for, and what the high point of the day for me was.

GRADE: 99%

RESULT: An amazing treasure trove of memories that is super fun to go over at the end of the year and review.

BONUS: I wrote out the top high points for each month into a short list to summarize the entire year's worth of awesome. Some months the winners were more difficult to pick, others were obvious.

2) Create a goals spreadsheet for my ideal body/each muscle group (eg "100 knuckle pushups, 200 regular for chest development") make regular progress, document and update the spreadsheet and use it as a "progress bar" towards adonis state

GRADE: 100%

RESULT: I kept this spreadsheet on my desktop as my four focuses for the year, and made regular progress.

BONUS: I found recording my exercise sessions in the beginning to be helpful (as I was able to "give myself significance/kudos" like a trainer)

3) Have a joyful & creative career where I get to help & empower people; earning at least $60,000 p/year in addition to the passive income which will lead to financial freedom so that I can live the life I want for myself, my wife, and my child

GRADE: 0%

RESULT: Though not from lack of trying, discovering what career simultaneously pays well and I find joyous has been a challenge I was not up to this year. While teaching anybody from daycare kids to adults is an amazing high for me, the pay simply wasn't there to sustain a lifestyle. On the flipside, working for higher wages in environments with negative & hostile people paid well enough, but leeched the soul to the point where I was bringing my anger and frustrations from work home with me.

UPDATE: Will add to 2014, with perhaps, more clarity than originally put forth.

4) Have a successful video game published and distributed so that I can share my creativity with the world, and have a wonderful source of passive income to help earn the life I deserve.

GRADE: 50%

RESULT: I created (and re-created, and re-created) a design doc, and had the input of Microsoft game doc analyst & lead programmer/designer of Relic, and have a viable product. Funding is the next step.

5) Increase household passive income so that we can both have the freedom to be with our child, and do our passions without sacrifice.

GRADE: 5%

RESULT: Not as much passive income as I'd hoped for, however the wheels are in motion for the coming year.

____________________

Ultimate result:

I will continue the journaling. It has been an excellent way to focus my mind upon positive things, while simultaneously acknowledging areas that I can improve, setting plans into motion etc.

I will continue to use the "Adonis spreadsheet"

I will continue to increase passive income (which also directly impacts the game creation) and add additional clarity to this.

Joyful & abundant job will be added to 2014.

New Years Resolutions 2013

2012-12-31T20:32:00.000-08:00

1) Write in a journal every day.

HP (High point)

WDIL (What Did I Learn)

W2I (Where to improve)

G (Grateful for)

2) Create a goals spreadsheet for my ideal body, make progress towards 100% in all areas.

3) Get a GOOD job.

4) Make progress towards having my video game published

5) Find passive income vehicle, and get 'er done!

What to take for more energy

2012-11-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Just a quick disclaimer: Without regular exercise and a healthy diet, the below isn't nearly as effective.

This list can be used for males or females, anything gender specific will be marked as such.

Energy comes from a few things over and above the results of regular exercise and eating healthy, and that is having Healthy Blood & a Healthy Digestive System

What I highly, highly recommend is getting into the habit of having a shake first thing in the morning, specifically, within 30 minutes of waking up (this stimulates the metabolism and gets your body going)

The shake should have approximately 30g of protein if you are (as above) exercising regularly and having a healthy diet.

For a basic "Morning Shake" I recommend taking baby steps. This means, start with one item on the list, and make it a habit you enjoy. Then, gradually add more of the items into the list as you "build up a tolerance" for having a yummy morning shake.

The most important aspect of this morning habit is that it BECOMES A HABIT. That means... as contrary as it seems to being healthy... you should do what you want to make it a habit, even if that means adding something less healthy (eg milk) to the concoction so that you enjoy it. Just remember to take baby steps towards weening yourself off all junk, and having all health.

Baby steps. I once told a student who ate McDonalds every day for breakfast to try to eat his burger within 30 minutes of waking up, as at least the protein would jumpstart his metabolism. It wasn't "good", but it was "better" -- focus on making habitual changes you can stick to, gradually increase the health. Just like smoking or drinking, pushups start with "just one" :-)

Step 1: Stuff that tastes good but is good for you
My Vega Chocolate Protein Powder
If you've had some protein shakes in the past, you know that some of them can be a disaster on your taste buds. I've found this one to be as delicious as it is good for you. I haven't tried their other flavors (I'm always wary of "strawberry"... must have had too many bad experiences haha).

If you are having trouble drinking "the whole thing" (eg the whole scoop) there's no rule that says you have to start with that, although you should build up to something that has 30g of protein eventually, you can always start with a half scoop.

Also, keep in mind that you can add as much water as you want to your morning shake, as long as you drink it all. If you don't want a thick milkshake feeling, you can water it down easily enough.

Again, if this is your first experimentation with healthy shakes, I recommend trying this out with a blender and some ice, as it really, really changes the flavor and texture. (The blender I've linked to is tiny and detaches as a travel cup if you're feeling rushed in the morning)

Other tips: If you want it even thicker, make some oatmeal (bulk foods oatmeal-oatmeal, not that flavored stuff) and put it in the fridge. Scoop out a little bit of it into the shake - you won't be able to taste it, but it will thicken it up. Also, oatmeal is an excellent breakfast / digestive aid. If you find yourself still hungry after your morning shake, oatmeal with some almonds is an excellent breakfast.

Chlorophyll

If you find yourself still with low energy, try taking some chlorophyll on top of this. Chlorophyll is basically "plant blood" and to a certain degree mimics human blood as a result.

This means if you're low in iron, or have sticky hemoglobin, the chlorophyll can help get things moving. It is also an excellent digestive aid and an internal deodorant, making your farts/sweat smell nicer.

Sometimes, when we cleanse, our bodies are shedding more toxins than they're used to, and that results in some stink. Chlorophyll to the rescue!

Unlike chlorella, Chlorophyll tastes yummy. (The link I've posted is for the mint flavored kind, much better than 'regular') I add it to my drinking water if I'm carrying around a water bottle to give it a nice minty taste. To start off, the water should have a light green look, and still be clear.

Side note: If you are regularly exposed to radiation (eg flight attendants, nurses) then up the amount of chlorophyll you are taking substantially; the color of the water should be built up to a dark green.

Step 2: Stuff that tastes bad, but is overpowered by how good the above tastes
(ONLY TAKE THESE ON THEIR OWN IF YOU ARE "HARDCORE")
Chlorella Powder
You don't need much, thankfully, as it is very bitter. Put a small amount into the shake BEFORE ANY OTHER INGREDIENTS and put a little bit of water on it, and swirl the shake around to liquefy the powder as much as possible, before continuing with your shake prep. Hardcore people, take this as a shot.

(The reasons for this is that the powder is very fine and light and will not mix very well if placed on top, even in a blender I've had a chalky result without using this method)

Step 3: Breathing
Find a well ventilated spot to do a 3 minute meditation. It will cleanse out your lymphatic system which will facilitate the removal of toxins in your body. Do this a lot. Make it a daily habit.

Step 4: Pills
Keep in mind that much of what you need will be in the above shake. If you are still feeling run down and low energy, its possible you need a few extra boosts of:

B Vitamins
Start with B12 sub-lingual lozenges. Put them under your tongue and let them dissolve over approximately 20 minutes. After they're gone, freshen your breath with some of that chlorophyll ;-)

Great for energy, metabolism, brain function and some other wonderful things. Sometimes when we feel low energy, it is less to do with physical at this stage, and more to do with mental. This will help with both. If you don't notice a difference in your energy within a day or so, you can also try a B Complex - this is more of a "shotgun" approach, as it has multiple forms of B vitamin. While 12 is the most common culprit, sometimes we lack other variants if we have scar tissue etc.

Digestive Enzymes
We only have so many of these, and, if you're still eating meats, white flour, or other things that are difficult to digest, digestive enzymes are for you. Note that the link I've provided is for "general enzymes" -- do a little bit of browsing and find what's right for you. Beans make you fart a lot? Get bean specific digestive enzymes etc.

Make sure you follow the directions on these ones. Eat them at the wrong phase of a meal and they either digest YOU, or don't work at all.

Step 5: What? Still not energetic? Are you SURE you're exercising regularly and eating healthy? Are you SURE you're doing everything above? I mean, eat salad... like, a lot! Sweat for an hour every day! Stuff like that?

Haha, okay then: Let's get serious:
Some of us are run down from allergies or the medications we take for those allergies. Try...

Oil of oregano
It is a blood purifier and many allergies are simply blood impurities. It will also cleanse the system of virtually everything else. It's anti-everything-that's-bad.

Downside? You really have to take the liquid drops. Put them under your tongue, and keep it there for about AN HOUR. Why an hour? Because, like the B vitamins, they absorb through the sub lingual system. However, they take much longer to do so. This is an extremely effective way to take the oil.

If you're a wuss, you CAN take the pills, but know that too much of it can actually be harmful to your digestive system, so if you're swallowing huge amounts of it...

On top of that, your stomach acids burn away up to 95% of the oil, making it very expensive and time consuming to take so many of the oil capsules.

Related Articles: The Secret Elixir of Immortality

Breakfalls and your first day of college

2012-03-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

For me, the best moment where I got to apply my breakfalls (learning to fall safely) was my first day of college. I was going to CDIS, a school whose entrance was most easily accessible my traversing a hill beforehand.

However, that grassy hill was rather slippery from the last night's rain... and oopsie doodle, down I went.

However, thanks to my breakfalls (and a leather jacket) I was able to not only land and roll unharmed, but, managed to look pretty darn spiffy in the process.

Not WHY you'd learn them, of course. But hey, it didn't hurt ;-)

The Importance of Breakfalls

2012-03-22T14:40:00.003-07:00

Having had my clumsy moments in life like anyone else, I must say that one of the most useful aspects of MMA for me has been breakfalls (learning to fall safely).

Two times that come to mind immediately were my first day of college, and a time at the library. I'll write about those another day.

Sharpening The Mental Saw

2012-03-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

Many martial artists are familiar with the old story:

A man walks up to see another man feverishly sawing away at a tree with a dull saw.

He's been at it all day, and the tree is showing very little in the way of progress.

"Hey there," says the man, "that saw you're using looks pretty dull!"

"It sure is!" The lumberjack replies, swearing in frustration.

"Shouldn't you sharpen it?" The man asks, hoping to be of assistance.

"Are you kidding!?" The lumberjack scoffs,

"I don't have time to do that, I've gotta chop down this tree!!"

We've all been guilty of doing what is urgent rather than what is sensible or important, haven't we?

I know I have.

One of the things that I find so, so, SO many people neglect is the power of their minds.

As I said, most martial artists are familiar with the concept of sharpening their saws, that is, practicing the striking or grappling "they already know" (That's a whole other article) to make their overall martial artist package better.

But, even within that wonderful group of individuals so dedicated to self improvement, they still often neglect their minds and their emotional development.

But, how do we do this, you might ask?

Well, books and tapes are great, as is meditation and other forms of introspection - but, the problem with many of our methods is that they are from our own perspective. Even books are often read through a "filter".

For the most bang for your buck, there really is no greater place for self development than a seminar.

And yes, its true, there are some stinkers out there that are boring... LECTURES. But, there are some that are truly... TRULY life altering, and, a total BLAST!

Speaking from my own experience, I was $197,000 in dept when I went to the MMI, a fantastic, life altering seminar that my friend and mentor Steve Chang invited me to.

The tickets were very expensive, and, neither one of us could afford them at the time; but, he had a special code (MMI26568 is that code, by the way) which got him some tickets for FREE.

I literally jumped on the opportunity. (knocked over some things in the process haha)

My focus was primarily upon financial growth (or at least getting back to just being broke instead of being in debt!!) and, those were the "lenses" I went in wearing.

And, while I did learn the necessary skills to get myself financially back into the positive from that seminar, I also experienced some truly remarkable, literally life-changing epiphanies, realizations, distinctions and, as the speaker called them "little gems of wisdom" that, quite honestly, it would do you a disservice to paraphrase.

The short version is, I went in to learn about money, and came out richer in all ways imaginable. Healthier, wealthier, free. I don't think many of us realize how much weight we're carrying on our shoulders until someone helps us lift it off.

If I could suggest one thing other than taking martial arts in the first place (which is its own exercise in self exploration and development in a very different and complimentary way), it would be to go to that seminar.

But!

Don't just go for learning money secrets (which, you DO learn). Instead, go to grow.

Play full on. Don't back down from ANYTHING they throw at you. Stand up, be strong, and do it.

Stay for the whole thing. Parts of it are designed to be a CHALLENGE for you to overcome. Push through, and: JUST. DO. IT.

Need a direction in life?

2012-02-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

If you ever find yourself searching for something and not knowing what it is, chances are, its fulfillment. That is, a purpose or direction in life that lets you be happy via the process.

Another way of putting it would be loving gymnastics, not loving the medal you get for them. (Peaceful Warrior reference, see the key to awesome books section)

There are two types of people in the world in terms of motivation. Moving towards, and moving away from people.

Why be rich? "So you don't starve/aren't poor"
Why be rich? "To be able to travel to Fiji/to be able to eat without ever looking at the prices on a menu again"

The moving towards people, as a general rule, have bigger goals, and achieve more. The moving away from people generally make less mistakes in life.

So, as the title of this post would suggest: What do you do if you're a moving towards person, and have nothing to MOVE towards??

Answer: Search out that something.

How do you do that? A great start is to figure out who has what you want.

For example, I want to surround myself with passionate, driven, successful, happy, enthusiastic, wealthy, generous people.

The next step is to find those people, and figure out what you can do for them. Can you be a brainstorming sounding board? A personal assistant? A peer? A financier? A councilor? A teacher?

Remember: You are waaaaay better at SOMETHING than they are. Maybe they want to learn that something.

To the new year!

2012-01-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

A question I have asked myself fairly recently, and one I would highly recommend you ask yourself, is the following:

"What beliefs and habits would a person who -INSERT GOAL HERE- have?"

For example, what beliefs and habits would an olympic athlete have? Well, likely they'd have a high level of self discipline, motivation, passion, drive, focus, determination and habitual behaviors designed to increase all of those attributes, as well as a high time priority for their craft.

What beliefs and habits would a person who makes twenty grand a month have?

See how it works?

You can then redefine yourself very easily. Often times a minor tweak here 'n there will vastly alter one's destiny.

If you recall the post I did a few days ago on C3GUS priorities, that's an excellent example. Say you valued Certainty and Love and Connection in your life, while someone else valued Love and Connection and Certainty in theirs.

Would they have different lives? You better believe it.

One loves and connects with the world, and makes money. The other, when they are without money, doesn't love & connect with the world. You see how even a small priority shift opens doors where previously they might have been closed?

Anyhoozle, my own "ideal self alignment" has been, and will continue to be an ongoing project, and, I think reflection on such ideal selves can really help one focus one's drive, heighten one's passion, and help one fully embrace life.

Taking life by the horns is easy if you've got a big enough WHY!

2012-01-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

Finally broke down and cried today as I said my final goodbyes, thank yous, and apologies to Shinka, gave her a final bow of respect, and left.

I am very thankful for Tony Robbins' writings on changing one's state. They really came in handy today as tools. Thanks Tony.

C3GUS analysis - ideal self

2011-12-31T17:14:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about my C3GUS lately (the key to awesome reference)

About everyone's, actually. About not just "is my C3GUS being fulfilled" but, SHOULD it be.

What do I mean?

To use an example, let's say Connection was my top value, and, to get that connection, I felt growth was my next most important value - then that would mean that growth led to Connection. Meaning connection was the top priority, verses connecting to grow, I would grow to connect.

With me so far?

With that thought, I began thinking "what is the ideal hierarchy?"

I started with the thought of
Connection
Significance
Certainty
Contribution
Growth
Uncertainty.

I then quickly changed my mind to
Connection
Certainty
Contribution
Growth
Significance
Uncertainty

After some thought, I changed my mind again to
Connection
Growth
Contribution
Certainty
Significance
Uncertainty

And, currently, I'm thinking that
Connection
Contribution
Growth
Certainty
Significance
Uncertainty

is the winner. I'd love your feedback on what yours are, or what you wish yours were, or, what you think of my choices.

My explanation is this:
Connection is my top value, and always have been. I really believe that life is all about connecting with people and improving their lives as well as your own. Ultimately, that's why I believe we're all here. To that end, my life has focused upon increasing the quality of my interactions, and the quantity of them as well.

Yet, oddly, I used to put "contribution" fairly low on my list of priorities. I think I associated that with things like charity, vs wanting to contribute/help those around me; which, again, is what I'm all about.

So, with that small shift in viewpoint, my list became quite different.

Suddenly, Connection and Contribution were first, and growth followed shortly thereafter. My reasoning for that came from my 2011 lessons learned; one of which was "sharpen the saw, use it, repeat".

Growth has moved around my hierarchy over the years, and, I'm quite happy with its placement here. For me, its borderline second, because I think of Love & Connection AS Contribution, so, really, contribution was there all along but it wasn't RECOGNIZED as such, and, as a result, I don't think I fully understood myself.

Growth getting top spot makes me happy too, as, I really enjoy the process of personal growth.

Certainty getting itself down to the middle of the stack is a proud thing for me, as, I think when I was younger it was first, if not... above first lol. I have a feeling that the older I get, the farther down the list it'll slip. For now, I think that certainty/financial abundance helps fuel the growth, as well as help magnify the ability to help connect and contribute.

After that, significance, possibly the biggest shift in values, is getting lower and lower on the list. The reason for this is similar to what I would tell a student focusing on getting a stripe.

When you work for the stripe, you often don't get the stripe. If you work on it to work on it, ironically, you often get better faster, and the stripe sooner.

If you connect for significance, its ego driven and it comes through as preaching vs connecting. If the significance comes from the certainty which came from the growth which came from the contribution which came from the connection... then that's an entirely different thing. You're getting significance from the lifestyle and the proof that its working - you're getting the growth and contribution from connecting... it all flows nicer, and makes for a more honest and forthright person.

Uncertainty has always been last on my list.

This is probably the area of my values hierarchy that needs the most work - not because it is necessarily in the wrong place, but because I don't feel the need to move it.

All the other values move around and evolve and grow, while uncertainty has always been left to last. What that tells me is that there is fear, there. The fear to move that value could be holding me back in some way.

How?

Not sure. That's what mastermind meetings are for, though.

If you value variety in your life more than any of the other C3GS, please, tell me why! I'd love to hear a different point of view, especially if it challenges my perspective :)