Students who step onto the mat in dojos around the world are often asked to bring an attendance card with them. This practice is more than just a way of keeping track of who is in class. It is also an exercise in discipline, and a metaphor to reinforce the roles we each play in … [Read more…]
SAFE AND SOUND When we run self-defense classes at our schools, they’re not just about “survival strategies”. They’re about success. And the best expression of that is when people are empowered enough to *proactively* take control of their safety. Of course it’s important to know tactics and techniques. But in many cases, an ounce of … [Read more…]
TRANS/FORMATION Transformation is at the heart of many martial arts “success stories”: practitioners go from bitter to compassionate, from reactive to proactive, from an unhealthy to a balanced lifestyle. Even the origin myths – those legends passed down over decades or even centuries – tell stories of powerful, personal change through martial arts practice. Today’s … [Read more…]
Have questions for us about your own training, our practice, what/how/why we do what we do…or anything else? We want to know! We’ll be answering your questions on an upcoming podcast episode, so submit your questions in the form below or on this thread. You can also send us an email or ask us on … [Read more…]
So we’re in a bookstore and we come across a kind of weird, modern self-helpy kind of book, and lo and behold it has a bunch of advice about Jiu-Jitsu in it. Not technical advice but guidance and opinions around choosing a place to train, the right philosophy, and on and on. It takes the … [Read more…]
In this episode we dig into the relationship between freedom and discipline in the martial arts. Although many of us look for more freedom through our training and practice, how we get to it is a big question. Constraints – inside the classroom and inside our heads – determine a lot about how far we can … [Read more…]
To my generation, Fabio Gurgel was considered one of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners ever, a real pioneer in the early days of Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. Some of you might even know who he is :). A few weeks back, he wrote a long post on Facebook about how he felt that his biggest mistake as a teacher was using … [Read more…]
Keeping a list of goals is still, to me, a worthwhile activity. It makes sense to track what you’re working on. And some of the things that are on there have been on there for years, which I’m fine with – this is a long-term process. But looking at that list recently, I asked myself why … [Read more…]
In this episode we tackle the importance of eliminating complaints, why presenting an “upright bearing” matters, and why we all need someone in our life to hold us accountable. We finish up with a discussion of Sifu Paul Vizzio’s contention that many practitioners go far…but not far enough. ••• Listen on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/walk-faster/id1015990733?i=1000403436013&mt=2 Share This:
Someone once said that martial arts doesn’t have to be a pastime. It’s not one of those things that you necessarily need to outgrow.It can have a beautiful long arc to it, as long as you’re able to consider mastery as a result of the practice. Close to forty years after my first class, I’m … [Read more…]