I recently began reading and thoroughly enjoying Sports for the Soul, a series of books by Darrin Donnelly in which the author uses various sports settings and figures as platforms for a larger, deeper message. The third installment, Relentless Optimism: How a Commitment to Positive Thinking Changes Everything, Donnelly tales a minor league baseball player…
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I started martial arts in 1986 at the behest of my Aunt when I was in the 6th grade after being on the wrong side of an after-school altercation with 3 older kids. In hindsight, I was by no means completely innocent in the incident but didn’t exactly deserve the 3 on 1 treatment.…
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A few weeks ago, we hosted a concealed carry certification at our gym taught by my friend Reggie Morton, a state certified instructor. The CCW course (or CHP as I learned it’s called in Nebraska) was very similar to the hunter’s safety course I took as a youth. Growing up in Pennsylvania the hunter’s safety…
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I recently finished a book titled by renowned trainer Tim Grover. He is widely known for his work with elite athletes, most notably Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, and considered an authority on performance, motivation and mental toughness. I highly recommend the read. Grover categorizes athletes into one of three groups: Coolers, Closers…
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“We sitting in here — I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play…
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Frustration. “The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.” Psychologically it is an emotional response that arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of an individual’s will or goal and is likely to increase when the longer it is denied. EVERY student I have ever taught…
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Awareness. A concept I often discuss during my entrepreneurship classes as it is vitally important to fully understand who you are, your strengths, and more importantly, your weaknesses before embarking on a risky endeavor such starting a business. As a young karate student, Self-Awareness was one of the “Selfs” we were required to learn and…
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I recently had an opportunity to speak to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Freshman Leadership Council; essentially a college version of student council. The senior adviser requested I talk about networking, something I discuss a lot at the College of Business as a vital part in any business endeavor. In the 30+ years of…
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One particular principle the authors highlight as key to creating an environment and culture of ownership is Discipline. Now this shouldn’t be a foreign term to any practitioner of the martial arts. It’s a staple. A core value. A central pillar of the practice and study of any martial art.
I often get asked by parents what is a good age to start martial arts or how young do you take kids? It’s a tough question that unfortunately doesn’t have a clean answer. The martial arts are a great activity for kids for 2 big developmental reasons: physical attributes and life skills. Malcom Gladwell’s now…
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