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109. Having a Moral Compass in Budo

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 09:01

Budo, the practice of Modern Japanese Martial Arts, like all human endeavors is home to some very unsavory folks. However no matter whom you meet and what you get involved in, it is important that you stay true to yourself. If you have a strong moral compass then things will work out for the better. The immediate future may be uncertain but it will definitely help you in the long run.

Applied Principles: Playground Swings and Hot Summer Days

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 19:00

This article illustrates the importance of both perspective and how it can change a seemingly frustrating task into a joyful one and the joy of looking out for those you love. Often when we are solely focused on our needs we are our most unhappy, turning our vision outward may be all we need.

3 Tropes

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 09:00

In this article, the author refers to the”state of (his) country” after which he discusses a Nielson study that says the average American watches 34 hours of television per week. The author then lists three “tropes” which he believes are contributing to the intellectual decline of his country and of the world: The cult of the Passionate Amateur, the Virtue of the Unprepared, and the Dreamers.

How To Start a Fight Club | The Art of Manliness

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Wed, 10/15/2014 - 19:00

In this article, the author discusses the virtues to be gained by starting an underground fight club out of one’s own garage. While at the first glance it seems like a humorous piece, deeper reading reveals a deep well thought out article. The author shows assets that can be gained by starting a fight club in your garage; such as humility, camaraderie, commitment, and overcoming your own nervousness. He also tells us that little equipment is required to start such an endeavor, and even lays out a sample of how a typical session should progress.

This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Get Kicked in the Head | Mother Jones

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Wed, 10/15/2014 - 09:00

In this article the author discusses previous news articles about concussions that are sustained by soccer athletes. The author in this article tries to explain that the concussive danger in sports is not merely caused by the ball that is used, but by everything else that occurs. She then provides statistics to back up her claims.

Moving Goalposts and Other Pedagogical Crimes

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Tue, 10/14/2014 - 19:01

This article is about a couple of unfair ways that leaders and teachers use to prevent others from advancing from where they currently are, by either “moving the goal posts”, or by punishing people arbitrarily. In the first example, the author dicusses a college that decides to raise its passing requirements. the second example talks about the way that inadequate coaches use punishment to humiliate and to degrade their players.

Warriors and Roadblocks

Shun Shifu Weaver's picture
Submitted by Shun Shifu Weaver on Mon, 10/13/2014 - 23:14

I'd recommend reading this entire post. Info here will have a strong bearing on your successful martial arts journey.

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I'll admit it. I lump people into categories. Two categories to be exact. It is a necessary efficiency. If I neglect this efficiency my life gets chaotic. Things get very stressful and forward progress is often halted. In general, things go badly.

Everything and Nothing

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Mon, 10/13/2014 - 19:00

It turns out that sword fighting and lighting a fire in the wilderness are not so different. No matter how practiced you are, no matter what technique you have chosen, you can fail quite handily, under the right circumstances, or be wildly successful, for the right reasons. The important question to ask is not whether you can use the tools and techniques you have available, but what will work best, under what circumstances, and why.

Turning negatives into positives!

Submitted by Xue Sheng on Mon, 10/13/2014 - 09:00

In life, things don’t always go as planned. When that happens, it can be an opportunity to turn what could be a negative experience into something positive. Be sure to try to learn from what happened. Find good things that happened in the experience. Author Andre Bertel writes about a karate competition that didn’t go as planned, and how he views the competition as a positive learning experience.

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