This article contains a series of photos of how over the years I have tried to engage and develop Chinquchi.....Notice that each photo shows the tension that several Dojo's have completely forgotten about when it comes to gaining strength...... ABOUT KATA AN ORGANIZED SERIES OF PREARRANGED DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE MOVEMENTS SYMBOLIZING AN IMAGINARY ...

Enter your text here ... Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality. Bruce Lee Never allow temporary defeats, thoughts of failure, or hardships to cause you to turn away from your purpose in life. Defeat and failure are nothing more than opinions. The truth is that you are never defeated until you...

The superior man seeks what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable. Confucius Today it is very rare to find a person who will think about what is right instead of what is "best" for him personally. As I have discussed, the warrior should be a superior man, a man of excellence. Confucius tells us that the superior man will seek what is right...

Rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. Sun Tzu You don't really have any control over whether or not some predator decides to mug you or assault you. While it is true that presenting a c...

This is from my good friend Sensei Jeff Brooks. The painting hangs in our Dojo and has great meaning. By Jeff Brooks Some people in the class wanted skills they could use to make their lives better. Some people were looking for approval. But it did not matter to me which they wanted in that moment, or what their motives were when they walked in the...

January 07, 2025 When you walk into a dojo, it's a truism to say you've enter a different world and a special space. But, if it's a commonplace sentiment, it's also an important observation. For contemporary Westerners and Americans walking the martial path, our training has implications for our lives. And, from my perspective, the rigorous pursuit...

Never hate your enemy. It clouds your judgment. Michael Corleone The strategy of making your enemy angry in order to cause him to act irrationally and make mistakes is as old as time itself. This is a strategy which has been used throughout history to gain an advantage in both times of war and in personal conflicts, and it works for a specific reas...

The photo is a path I chose in the NYPD. I chose to be an Undercover... When you find yourself in a room surrounded by your enemies, you should tell yourself, "I am not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me!" This is the kind of mindset you should have if you want to succeed in life. Get rid of that victim mentality. Bruce Lee Nev...

You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. Miyamoto Musashi So many people in this world find something that works for them, and then think that they know what's best for everyone else. This happens a lot in the martial arts world with arguments over style, techniques, instruction, etc. Martial artists like to ...

Make sure that you are not your own worst enemy! Ancient wisdom literature is packed with warnings about making careless mistakes which can cause you great harm. Whether is it is allowing your emotions to control your words and actions, or simply being careless with your speech or actions, you must guard against being your own worst enemy. Througho...

The Monk would have you believe he is on fire, But it is just his energy showing itself.....The Monk never complains..... Spending today complaining about yesterday will not make your tomorrow any better. It is time to stop wasting your time complaining. Cut complaining out of your life completely! You cannot change the things which have already ha...

Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times, they can only make you stronger. Keanu Reeves Nobody ever said life would be easy. Everyone has their struggles and their challenges in this life. You may never know what all someone has gone through, but be assured, everyone you meet has had t...

I remember after having developed the above photo telling myself I need to step it up and change...my status was the same as everyone else, I need to change ...to push more then the other person at work and the Dojo........I told myself this is it, nothing will stand in my way.......and I never really looked back....... Change the way you speak abo...

Constant Training by George McCall  Last Sunday after keiko, I was lining up to say thank you to one of the older 7dan sensei (lets call him S-sensei). 77 years old now, I remember going to his 70th birthday celebration the highlight of which was him doing tachigiri keiko – he fenced a shodan, a nidan, a sandan, a yondan, a godan, a rokudan, a...

If there is one thing that a beginner has, it is questions! Yet, in the martial arts we are often told we should not ask questions. But that doesn't mean we should just accept what is said to us without trying to understand it further. We still need to pay attention. I was living in Kyoto in the mid-seventies. I had just graduated from college, and...

Mushin (無心; Japanese mushin; English translation "no mind") is a mental state into which very highly trained martial artists are said to enter during combat.[citation needed] They also practice this mental state during everyday activities. The term is shortened from mushin no shin (無心の心), a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also r...

 Rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. Sun Tzu You don't really have any control over whether or not some predator decides to mug you or assault you. While it is true that presenti...

When you find yourself in a room surrounded by your enemies, you should tell yourself, "I am not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me!" This is the kind of mindset you should have if you want to succeed in life. Get rid of that victim mentality. Bruce Lee Never allow yourself to fall victim to a victim mentality. You are in contr...

Knowing your place in the Dojo. Giri is a Japanese term that can be translated into functionally correct English but that really has no equivalent in English if one refers to the emotion behind it. Giri roughly means "obligation" but to the Japanese, it means "life-long commitment" as in repaying something that was done for you or to help you. This...

You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. Miyamoto Musashi So many people in this world find something that works for them, and then think that they know what's best for everyone else. This happens a lot in the martial arts world with arguments over style, techniques, instruction, etc. Martial artists like to ...