Posts Tagged ‘striving for excellence’
Kung Fu Panda Messages
Kung Fu Panda came out ten years ago. This well-made movie has artistic animation, and whimsical lines and action. It has wise messages that still ring true in karate. KUNG FU PANDA SECRET INGREDIENT Toward the end of the movie a great fight scene takes place. Kung Fu Panda fights the bad guy, Tai Lung,…
Read MoreSelf-Discipline through Traditional Karate
Traditional Karate builds self-discipline in many ways. Parents appreciate the discipline in kids karate. Over time, that leads to self-discipline. But I started training as an adult and my self-discipline skills are from martial arts. It could be because I was a young adult and my brain had not quite finished developing. But I believe that with…
Read MoreThere’s No Crying in Karate
The Tom Hanks quote, “There’s no crying in baseball,” came out in the 1992 movie, A League of Their Own. Since then, this phrase has gained popularity. We even use it to frame other phrases about sucking it up in other activities and places. That generated the proclamation, there’s no crying in karate! THERE’S NO…
Read MoreKarate Spouse Benefits
When I say karate spouse, I mean the wife or husband of a karate practitioner. I am looking at the benefits of being the spouse of a karateka. And admittedly, I am biased, looking through the eyes of someone who trains. But I have met many karate wives, and some husbands too, who appreciate the…
Read MoreKarate Student Training Mistakes: Top 5
In over 19 years of intensive involvement in our dojo, I have seen patterns develop in adult student training missteps. On the plus side, I have also seen patterns in the things that adult students appreciate about karate. This article is geared mainly to adult students. Kids and karate parents will get their turn in…
Read MoreVegetables of Okinawa: Top 10
The traditional Okinawan diet had over seven times more vegetables than the modern American diet. Why does this matter? Many tout the diet of elders in Okinawa as one of the main reasons they live active, healthy lives to over 100 years old. The biggest difference in nutrition? Okinawans traditionally fill up on vegetables (instead…
Read MoreKarate Empowered Me To: Top 5 Things
I hope this doesn’t come across as bragging. It’s not meant to be an ego trip. But karate empowered me in many ways and I want to share with you the practicalities of how that plays out in my life away from martial arts. Every once in a while the realization hits me. I am…
Read MoreTop 10 Reasons Black Belts Quit Karate
As an instructor, it breaks my heart when yudansha pull their support and attendance from the dojo. It also disappoints me when I learn that one of the U.R.K.A. black belts quit. I don’t even like to hear that black belts I know from other styles stopped training. When I shared the title of this…
Read MoreGenerosity 2: Students’ Generosity
This is a continuation of my last blog citing our students’ generosity. I constantly and consistently learn from my trainees about many aspects of the human condition. That is in addition to the deeper understanding of martial arts when studied from the prospective of the instructor as well as the learner. Here you will find…
Read MoreGenerosity 1: Learned From Students
You may think that a high ranking karate instructor only imparts wisdom. But we learn from teaching and we learn from our students as well. I have learned a lot about generosity from my students. And I keep an open mind to continue to do so. GENEROSITY WITH A GUITAR Sometimes instructors can’t help but…
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