Weekly Concepts For Schools

By Terry Bryan
www.americanblackbeltacademy.com

Week 1 -The Way is in the Training

In Kojosho, it is the monkey that is always busy – playing or training. The warrior understands what is measured improves. He also recognizes that in order to reach his true potential, he must practice his arts and tactics as often as possible. When walking, standing or sitting he is constantly training his mind, body and spirit. He is constantly reading or listening to that which will make him a better person. When traveling you will see that good books or tapes are a vital part of his travel kit.

What you don’t use goes away – use it or loose it the saying goes. Well the mind doesn’t necessarily go, but it fades pretty fast. The goal is to work smarter not harder and this is accomplished by being creative. Creativity is a product of self-esteem and knowing that you have many options to choose from. Having lots of options gives one the sense of control and increases self-esteem.

We use kihon renshu, or basic karate exercises to develop the body for karate techniques, but what techniques do we use to train the mind. Wu Wei is the first concept one needs to understand in training the mind, which translates as no unnecessary action. While in the physical world, more power and energy usually means better results, in the mind less is more. We learn to trust our instincts after they are developed and understand that the mind works best with faith and relaxation. Through practice, the warrior learns to use the power of his mind to redirect hostile intention and to bring positive things into his life. A true warrior is always prepared to use his most powerful weapon – the mind.

"The tiger’s fangs are long and his claws are sharp. He is unrelenting and stern, courageous and cunning – the ruler of earth. To become like the tiger you must let your spirit merge with the spirit of an animal that knows no fear and can attack without hesitation."

These are the words of Fred Absher and are the foundation for my understanding the posture of the tiger. One must understand that the tiger is a style of resolving conflict and a series of tactics, but more importantly it is an attitude.

The tiger knows that most real encounters are finished at close range and right away. He views long range tactics like kicking and punching that you see in tournaments, as entertaining to watch but having little value in real combat. Either you close quickly, and go for the juggler or break the neck - or you simply don’t waste your time.

There is the tale of two tigers, where it is explained that two tigers in the wild never fight. The reason, it is explained, is because they know that one will die and one will be maimed for life in any such encounter. The tiger stylist has the same attitude. He knows, that should he have to defend himself or his loved ones, he will do so with extreme prejudice and without hesitation. Simply knowing this and showing no fear is usually enough to deter most aggressors. Having nothing to prove, he walks among us without fear, and that overwhelming and confident attitude projects this intent that is immediately felt when he walks into a room. Instead of others feeling threatened when he walks in the room because of his tremendous abilities, they actually feel safer and more comfortable when he is around.

Most martial artists understand what physical courage is, to make the body do what it fears to do. Slowly we learn to overcome our fears through this simple process of doing what we fear to do. Many times it is the moral courage that is needed the most in the modern society. Moral courage is the ability not to abandon a position or belief you hold when it may not be popular. Moral courage may be standing up to bigotry, racism, and unfairness or bullying behavior. Moral courage is the challenge of standing up for what is right without fear of personal consequences. It takes courage to do the right thing especially when everyone else is going as different direction.

Week 3- Kime – "Synchronized Concentration"

In Kojosho, the bear is the animal that best displays focus of energy that we call kime. This is the synergy and timing used to develop total power. In combat, as well as life in general, good timing is essential. If the warrior acts too soon or too late he may be injured or killed. In civilian life, success is totally dependent on the timing of all energy in relationship to opportunities. A skilled fighter is one that can fill the gaps of his opponent’s defense with his own strikes. Those strikes are a summation of mind, body and spirit and delivered to a specific target at a specific time. This is easily demonstrated by an advance karate-ka when they slide across the floor and execute a technique. Each detail has been integrated into the process to create maximum efficiency with minimum effort.

Being "on time" is a universal law. By totally concentrating on one thing at a time, and putting all our resources to bear on that task, we are able to produce the most effect results with the use of minimal amounts of energy. If all things are equal, the side that is the most unified and has the best timing will win.

This concept is also true when applied to personal success training. The sub-conscious can only focus on one thing at a time, either yes or no. By concentrating on positive forward-thinking goals, negative thoughts can’t penetrate your defense. The law of concentration dictates that what ever we

concentrate on grows in our mind and in our experience. The modern warrior is constantly thinking strategy and tactics in all areas of his or her life. By always seeing options and focusing on positive outcomes, the modern karate-ka is being proactive by developing a winning attitude no matter what the situation. Failure is not an option.

We have all heard that we are what we eat. Well, we are what we think as well. By surrounding yourself with positive and successful people, you will begin to think like a winner. If you concentrate on good and healthy things, those things tend to be everywhere. Once you start focusing your mind on winning strategies, opportunities will present themselves more and more. Successful strategies, whether you are talking about combat or in your personal lives, are predictable. If you adopt the strategies and tactics of other successful people, the odds are that you too will be successful in what ever your endeavors may be. As Brian Tracy puts it, " If you want to fly with the eagles, you need to quit scratching with the turkeys."

This time of year encourages many of us to plan and set goals for the coming year. High achievers accomplish their goals by planning far in advance, but more importantly through their day-to-day activities. The goal of becoming a black belt begins in the mind, but is accomplished by daily sweat and training.

Through out the ages, we have watched the winners in combat and adopted their attitudes and behaviors because we have seen the ramifications of using the strategy and tactics of their loosing adversaries. A warrior understands that it is easy to know how to become successful in battle or even life. Simply watch what successful people do and duplicate their actions.

All successful people have a unique ability to see the future through a keen vision. They create their future one step at a time. The actions they take in the now, are not highly evolved tactics, but usually very basic things linked to universal truths. To understand yourself and the world around you, you must learn to incorporate these universal truths into your everyday life. This tactic begins with truly paying attention to what you should be doing right here and right now.

Have you ever noticed at a martial arts seminar, that the beginners are working on the basics – how to stand, step, and how to deliver a powerful technique while staying in balance. The more advanced students are working on fancy moves, advanced techniques and sophisticated tactics. But over in the corner, you will see the senior instructors working on…. the basics - how to stand, step, and how to deliver a powerful technique while staying in balance.

Standing, sitting, walking and lying down are the 4 virtues according to Chinese thought. The civilian thinks these things easy but the warrior knows different. Of course the warrior seeks excellence, but achieves it through concentration of the basic things. He learns to do the basic things very well and goes back to them often.

Nietzche once said, " The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly." The warrior does not worry about how small he may look in someone else’s eye. He is too busy right now, identifying and working on the basics.

Sun Tzu wrote, "If you know yourself and know your opponent you will be victorious 100 battles out of 100 encounters.’ The civilian comes into a situation not understanding himself or his opponent, and is assured defeat. Know Thyself. The true warrior knows his skills, weaknesses, values and priorities. He knows in advance what is worth fighting for and will never try and figure that out in the heat of a conflict. This knowledge is not inherited but must be gained through experience and participation. Knowing why you behave based on your values and thoughts is the basic step to self-knowledge. The Chinese have a saying; " It is better to know the dragons within, than to suffer their affects unconsciously."

Before you can be successful, you must identify what it is you really want. Many people set goals to be financial successful but once they are there they realize that their family life is not a very good one. In goal setting, first identify your true values, then do long range planning and work backwards to quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals. Know what you want, know what it is going to cost, and be willing to pay the price.

One thing that all humans want is to be happy. The ideal of happiness hasn’t changed that much in the last few thousand years. The key to happiness, is this:

" Dedicate yourself to the development of your natural talents and abilities, by doing what you love to do, and doing it better and better in the service of a cause that is greater than yourself."

This is a powerful statement and a commitment. Being happy requires that you define your life in your own terms. Only you can do the things that will make you happy. Happiness is an inside job.

When happiness becomes a key element in your goal setting and your personal mission statement, life will become much easier. Earl Nightingale once said, " Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." You will only feel happy when you are moving, step-by-step, toward the accomplishment of a clearly defined goal. In order to achieve goals, it is important to constantly evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. This was clearly understood by Sun Tzu when he wrote to know yourself and your opponent.

You can never be happy until you know that what you are doing is making a difference in the world. Here are 7 steps towards happiness:

Dream big dreams

If you could be, do or have anything in life and were guaranteed you would not fail, what would you do. Go for it, don’t hold back. Visualize yourself 5 years in advance and everything worked out just right, what would it look like. What would make you happy.

Identify your unique talents and abilities

What makes you special? What do you find easy to do, but others think is hard? Sometimes, ask others what they think you should do. Many times they will see unique talents that you have over looked.

Resolve to do, what you love to do, and commit to be excellent at it.

It is only when you are growing in something that is important to you that you feel alive and in touch with your world. Remember that excellence is not a destination, but a life long journey.

Accept 100% responsibility for who and where you are in life.

You are where you are because that is what you have chosen. You are what you are and where you are because of your past behaviors. If you want to change the future, then you need to change the behaviors you are doing today. True maturity begins when you realize that no one is coming to the rescue, but that you are totally responsible.

Be honest with yourself

Refuse to engage in the idea that the laws of cause and effect will ignore you. You know that every thing that you get will because of something that you have put in. The biggest mistake is to expect something for nothing. Success only comes from paying in full, in advance.

Set clear specific goals

Less than 3% of people have written goals, and everyone else works for them. Only serious goals are written down. The more you write down your goals, the clearer they become in your mind and the more you believe they are attainable. The more they become attainable in your mind, the more you are willing to overcome the obstacles that will come in the way.

To resolve to persist until you succeed

Your willingness to endure the problems that you are going to face. Persistence is self-discipline in action. Your persistence is your belief in yourself and your ability to succeed. The more you believe in yourself, the higher your self-esteem. Soon you will develop an unstoppable attitude or Tamashi – indomitable spirit.

Week 6 - BUDO – The Way of Stopping Conflict

Many people translate Budo as "the way of war", but "to stop conflict" is probably a better definition. From a soldiers point of view it may be easier to see, but how does the modern martial artist use this principle in the everyday life?

The modern warrior seeks peace and is a master of resolving conflict. He strives for peace while at the same time not allowing himself to become a victim. He has learned the ways of the world by observing nature, and adopting the successful strategies and principles of others. Knowing that he can’t do any good for his family or his community if abused, victimized or dead; he defends his place in the universe. There are several ways of defending against threats, and the first is simply don’t be there. This is the art of awareness, the art of avoiding dangerous situations and always taking positions of relative safety. When you find yourself in a crisis situation, then avoidance is a solution. Using the way of the crane, he uses angling and stepping off the line of attack as a common tactic. This strategy demands the psychological attribute or ability to give up or yield a position, as well as the physical traits of balance and agility. The modern warrior also uses the tactics of the leopard, yielding to aggression until the time is right for a defense. The civilian on the other hand, stands strong and hardens his position, many time suffering the same fate as the mighty oak tree during a wind storm

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The warrior looks for the win-win situation in every encounter while the civilian sees this tactic as weak and ineffective. A key principle in looking for the win-win, is to truly know yourself and your opponent. Many times what the civilian sees as the attack, is only a posture and the true intent and attack is hidden. The warrior has the ability to see things as they really are, and therefore is guaranteed success before the action begins.

In combat, attacks are usually fairly obvious, but in general, most attacks to our well being are subtle and almost undetected. Sometimes, simply hanging around people with negative attitudes can be a tremendous threat. Many negative comments, that do indeed threaten your success in life, need to be neutralized with positive thinking, clearly defined goals, and proactive action based strategies. This is why you may see students doing push ups in the dojo for using "the four-letter word can't!"

Having a positive attitude, setting goals and being proactive won’t allow you to do everything, but it will allow you to do everything better than negative thinking and tactics will.

Week 7 - The Proactive Way of Defeating the Enemy at the Lowest Level

The warrior sees a fight in his future. Someone is going to abuse him, attack his integrity or even take a swing at him. Instead of waiting till this happens, the warrior takes the initiative. This is why we train. Preemption is an extremely economical strategy for dealing with conflict (The Chinese Term of Wu wei means "No Action" or "No Unnecessary Action"). In the beginning the attacker is not consumed by emotion and is not fixated on a particular outcome. At this point the warrior’s resolution is easy, small touches can nudge a situation back into alignment. The civilian ignores these signs and delays a response until it intensifies. This will eventually cause a tremendous amount of time and energy to be used to resolve the situation. Following this logic of preemptive action, the warrior understands that there is no limit to how early he can act. He learns that benevolence; respect and positive thinking are the elements of a proactive warrior.

The old saying," When looked for, could not be seen; when felt for, could not be touched" was in reference to the Shaolin monks. This is all about neutralizing the enemy at the lowest level. Psychologically, there is a lot of information that is usually presented before a conflict becomes physical. A true warrior understands human behavior and uses words, gestures and actions to prevent the situation from escalating. Example of this concept: How do you deal with any type of attack? Don’t be there.

Now of course these are over simplifications, but hopefully you can see how this important concept works. In a physical situation, we work on side stepping in 8 different directions or simple body shifting (Tai Sabaki) to let the attack just go right by. This is a much lower level than having to block or absorb the power of an attack. The hard lesson to learn is taking the idea of "not being there" and exploring the mental and spiritual aspects of that concept.

Week 9 - Put First Things First

For the civilian, most conflicts are vague. He struggles like a boxer fighting in the dark against unknown sources. He stumbles in the dark and wastes his creative energy, unsure who his opponent is. In some situations the target is clear, a person attacks you on the street, he is easily identified. But in many situations, the attack is camouflaged. Many times the real problem is not what you see in front of you, but coming from another direction entirely. A warrior uses question likes, " Who is the real opponent?" The problem may not be a person, but a personality; not an individual but an attitude; not an organization but a policy.

In identifying challenges for our growth in order to put first things first, we start by identifying our values and goals. The following questions should help you qualify what is important to you.

List the five most important things in your life.

In 30 seconds identify your top 3 goals.

If you found out that you had just won 1 million dollars, what would you do?

What would you do if you had only 6 months to live?

What have you always wanted to do, but have been afraid to try?

Looking back over your life, what has brought you the most sense of importance?

If there was one thing that you could have what would it be?

Remember all things are possible. It all depends on how badly you want it, and if you are willing to pay the price.

The civilian lives in a world that edifies mediocrity. He spends his time playing computer games and when he looses, he just hits replay to try again. He watches TV where the person dies and next week guess what, he is back on the screen again. Instead of taking personal responsibility, he looks to blame others, society or the government for his problems.

The warrior, on the other hand, understands the concept of one encounter one chance. He knows that in a life and death encounter there is no second place. He never takes these things lightly, and would never engage in a situation where he is not assured victory. He believes in the saying, "If it is to be, it is up to me."

He constantly strives to increase his abilities and his understanding of the obstacles around him. He believes there is truth to the statement that you are either getting better or your getting worse all the time, and therefore works everyday to improve mentally, physically and spiritually. This concept is not trying to be better than someone else, only that you are improving a little everyday.

Kaizen is the Japanese word for constant and never ending improvement. In our quest for black belt excellence, there is no time off. This is a 24/7 endeavor. If you witness senior students and instructors they are always working on improving their mind, body and spirit. Winners feel they are destined for success and are constantly trying to grow and prepare for that goal. Successful people constantly read and listen to positive and inspirational books and tapes. They know that by reading 30 minutes everyday, within a few years they will be in the top 10% of their chosen field. In the dojo, they give it all they have every class, forging their spirit and attitude.

The Chinese say that a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step. Kaizen is all about making that step towards improvement, everyday – in every way.

Week 11 - Law of Expectation

It has been said the pen I mightier than the sword. The power of language is even greater when it comes to self-talk. The civilian is apathetic about language; he throws it around as if it were cheap and harmless. The warrior on the other hand, is a linguistic warrior. He appreciates the power of language and uses it as he would a sword, with profound respect. As a prime mover of human knowledge, language shapes nearly every dimension of our lives. Words, whether they are external or self-talk, direct our attention, our perceptions and consequently our behavior.

One must eliminate destructive criticism or words from our lives. Negative self-talk, like "I can’t" should not be a part of our vocabulary. "I Wish" is an expression of guilt and implies can’t. "I’ll try" is a victim word that implies that you are going to fail. Simply say that you will or that you won’t. A winner plans to win, prepares to win, and expects to win.

Because the warrior deals with life and death situations, he understands the concept of one encounter – one chance. He understands that not knowing the difference between real or false, or allowing his self to unconsciously be weakened by negative ideas, thoughts or actions, or even weak training habits; can be the difference between life and death. A true warrior understands that life or death is totally his responsibility, we can never rely on maybe someone will show up to help. The training we do every day – mental, physical and spiritual will be the foundation to success on the battlefield and in life.

Personal responsibility is not an option it is 100% mandatory. Where you will be tomorrow is directly dependent on what you do today. Successful people take a high degree of responsibility over their lives and there is a direct correlation to a feeling of self-control and high self-esteem. Success has been identified as having the greatest number of great experiences over the longest period of time. Responsible people are proactive in making those experiences happen. Make it a point today to take responsibility for your own life and get away from blaming others for anything.

Week13 -The Law of Vision

The warrior’s vision is a wide screen view. He sees the totality of the environment in which the conflict takes place. His peripheral and long-range vision is outstanding. The warrior’s ability to see all the systems and the effects of his actions on each one of them allows him to see the big picture. Warriors have long known that the best way to observe the actions of the hands and feet is by watching the center and seeing with the peripheral vision. This same tactic is used when observing, and seeing physical, mental and spiritual capabilities.

Vision is the ability to see the future before it happens. All great things are created at least twice, once in the mind of the creator and then in reality. To have vision, one must have Zanshin and truly see the potential in everything. Most people don’t see opportunities because they come disguised in work clothes. One needs to put the idea of servitude and added value service to everyone and then your vision will become a reality. Zig Ziglar says, " You can have everything you want, if you help enough people get what they want."

By focusing on the center of ones opponent, you will be able to watch the hands and feet of your opponent with your peripheral vision, which is stronger. If one watches the hands, then the feet can get through and if you watch the feet, the hands can get through. Staring at the center allows for your defused gaze to absorb everything. Soon the student learns to see things that others do not. The total process of reading nonverbal signs, of listening, and of using all their senses, become a part of the warrior.

The other act of using vision is used during self-defense training. If you see yourself winning every time you are attacked, then this vision helps you see yourself as a winner when you actually need to perform.

The early Chinese martial artists tried to understand the world around them through a process called Shamanism. They watched nature and used what they saw as a base for creating concepts of the world as it really is. In Kojosho, we have 18 postures that are used to help create an understanding as to the ways of the world and the martial arts. These 18 postures are made up of 9 animals and 9 elements, each with their own specific virtues and key principles. Each modern Kojosho student concentrates on these concepts and uses them to help understand the key principles of success – in combat and life in general.

This week we will talk about some of the attributes of the Hawk. The hawk defends by staying outside of her opponents range, circling, probing for weaknesses. When she attacks, she darts in like a thunderbolt. She is vicious, ripping and tearing with her talon and beak, and then quickly retreats before her enemy can retaliate. These physical attributes are easy to see, but what about the hidden success qualities the hawk possess.

One of the key principles is that the hawk is a master at scanning as a method of awareness. By moving her attention smoothly and continuously, she builds a comprehensive image of the current situation as it develops. There are two major errors in the scanning process that the hawk has learned to overcome – fixation and omission.

Fixation and omission are universal errors in human attention. Fixation is deadly in combat. It is imperative that the mind be alert in combat in the now, not detained or focused elsewhere. When we become fixated on a given situation, we are open to other attacks which could be equally or more dangerous. The hawk sees everything, as it truly is, not giving it more importance than is necessary to handle the situation.

Omission is equally dangerous, because if you deny the existence of a threat, then you may miss the danger and get hurt. Each detail is paid attention to with an understanding of how that detail is linked to our own specific needs and goals. The hawk knows that she does not have the ability to go toe-to-toe with the larger or stronger opponent, so she has become a master of seeing what cannot be seen. Only by seeing everything, can a true warrior make the right decision in the moment of choice. This is the way of the hawk.

Week 15 - The Law of Self-Renewal

The warrior knows there is a time to rest and a time to press forward. All tasks are achieved much easier when we do not forget to take time for ourselves. By spending a few minutes in solitude and reflection, many times we save once we start doing. As Stephen Covey explains, there was a man trying to saw down a tree and when asked why he didn’t take time to sharpen his saw, he said he was too busy cutting. Take time to sharpen the saw. Most successful people get up early and spend the first hour of the day reading or listening to self-growth material. By starting the day off by taking care of yourself, you are bound to have a better day.

The Tao pertains to the natural path we find ourselves on as we pursue our goals in life. We watch and use many signs to help us stay on this path, and try and get back on this path as soon as possible when we notice that we have gone astray. Many times, we even find that retracing our steps, and going back to a true place or principle in life, is actually the fastest way of becoming in the future. On this path the warrior becomes highly adaptable, well suited in a wide diversity of habitats. From deep forest to mountain cliffs; from quite times alone, to large social events; the warrior is at one with himself and those around him. The warrior trains in all the arts and skills necessary to obtain a wide and constantly expanding comfort zone. In all nature there is a close relationship between an animal’s comfort zone and his ability to stay alive. The basic rule is simple: The wider the comfort zone, the greater the chances of survival.

The first comfort zone is the body, patterns of movement, strength, self-defense capabilities and endurance. We also find comfort in social, cultural, psychological and political dimensions. We surround ourselves with people that think like we do and hold the same values.

In the mid-50's and early 60's, psychologist Abraham Maslow presented what he believed to be the hierarchy of man's basic needs. He held that as long as lower needs remained unfulfilled, higher needs - such as a quest for greater knowledge - would not be pursued. One of the most basic needs of all is personal safety. Maslow held that everyone needed a predictable and safe world. If a child's need in this area went unfilled, he or she would feel mistrustful and insecure. Mistrust and insecurity would cause him or her to seek to establish, by whatever means possible, a greater degree of security. For many, this quest for security can lead them in a very dangerous direction.

Expanding ones comfort zone makes a warrior a successful person and a better fighter. Ample experience allows him to tolerate higher levels of adversity and pain. An expanded comfort zone also increases his range of tactical options. All paths have knowledge and the true warrior never rejects knowledge no matter what the source. A true warrior challenges the limits of his comfort zone on a constant basis.

The only thing that we can really plan on in life is that things will change. Many people fear change because they fear that they will be worst off with this change than they are now. Brian Tracy identifies fear as standing for, "False Evidence Appearing Real". An expanded comfort zone helps the warrior accept this change that he encounters along the path of becoming. Proactive warriors direct all change in a positive direction by constantly setting goals and ensuring that they "stay the course". Goal setting gives us a sense of direction and path for any change. Being proactive by constantly reviewing and renewing our goals establishes the reality that we are in complete control of our own path in life. By us understanding that we are in control, our self-esteem is higher. Successful people avoid homeostasis and psychocyrosis (hardening of attitudes), and learn to live and prosper outside their comfort zone on a daily basis.

I have learned that the true essence of Okinawan karate is in understanding the Kamaii, or the fighting postures of the kata. In fact, I have come to believe this is true of all classical martial arts and life itself. Learning to read postures, understand their intent and being proactive in their use is the mark of a true warrior.

In western thinking, we believe that when a person has self-confidence, his posture changes and he projects that confidence in the way he sits, stands and walks. In Eastern thought, if a person improves his posture in sitting, standing and walking, his self-confidence improves. Whatever your school of thought, there is a direct correlation between posture and self-confidence. Seasoned opponents recognize this and many time will avoid a conflict with a person that exerts a confident posture.

To understand postures is to understand the truth. The warrior is in constant pursuit of the truth, not as things seem to be. He understands the ways of deception and how a cleaver opponent uses them. Hiding the real and concealing the truth is a cleaver tactic. In the animal word, they show false strength by posturing. Humans show false strength with exaggerated postures and overblown words.

Showing false strength is a bluff, and works at times in the natural world – like a blowfish or a bear standing up on two legs. In the word of man however, this tactic can have some significant weaknesses. First, it is relying on the opponent’s sense of rationality. This is a gamble, and may actually trigger the attack you are trying to prevent.

Showing false weakness, on the other hand, is a more effective tactic. Lao Tzu said, " Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance." This is the demeanor of the Chinese master that appears to be old and slow, but in reality is agile and powerful. This tactic can be used to pull an opponent in. Birds do this by pretending to have a broken wing, to pull intruders away from their nests. If you intentionally show a weakness, you have a high probability of knowing what your opponent is going to do, which gives you a tremendous advantage.

It is said that the stalk of rice with the most fruit bows the lowest. The warrior that has the most confidence in his abilities to fight, is usually the most humble person you will ever meet. Successful people set high goals but take their accomplishments with a grain of salt and give credit to others.

Week 18 - Kuzushi – The Art of Getting Back Up

Even the most highly trained warrior occasionally loose his balance, overextends his reach, or gets distracted. He may miss a block, underestimate an opponent, or fail to set limits. The warrior understands that all his behaviors, methods, assumptions and conclusions may be mistaken. Therefore he trains himself to fall gracefully. He learns to make smooth transitions through the unexpected back to a state of dynamic balance. This way, this fall is not really a fall at all, but a graceful transition. The mental tactics are the same as the physical world in that rigidity leads to injury. Relax and go with the flow. When you slip, mentally or physically, acknowledge your error at the earliest possible instant, compensate as gracefully as possible, and then return to your original objective.

When setting goals, recognize that it is totally at the mercy of reality. It most certainly has some flaws to it. Do not be surprised when it doesn’t live up to all your desires. Expect it. Many times we are given challenges as learning blocks for future success. Most self-made millionaires failed 18 times before they hit a home run. If one does their homework, and learns from each opportunity, then success will eventually come to them.