The Difference Between a Fighter and a Martial Artist

If you can kick butt, does that make you a martial artist? Not necessarily. The word “art” is etymologically related to the word “artisan”. To the renaissance man, something was an art because it is based on well-ordered principles. A sound art is able to efficiently and effectively achieve a desirable end through a seamless alignment with nature, as the Read More …

Am I Learning Fast Enough?

It is tempting as a teacher to always respond to this question with “Yes”. I have found that people these days seem to be hard on themselves and are terrible at accurately assessing their own progress—I certainly have seen this in myself. It is difficult to view progress subjectively because with learning comes a greater awareness of what you don’t know. This continually expanding Read More …

Willpower is for Suckers – Make a Training System to Succeed

Willpower is not enough Any plan that depends on willpower for success is doomed. Success in anything is largely based on rhythm and the ability to take gradual and reliable steps toward your goal. Crunching away at the 10,000 hours of mastery required to become excellent at a skill is not going to come from a few good bursts of training; Read More …