I have a friend who has been unofficially diagnosed with schizophrenia. He doesn’t get psychiatric help or take medication, and his symptoms make it difficult for him to work and have a social life. One of the most difficult aspects for him are the constant delusions he suffers from. For example, my friend believes that [...]
This time of year is pure magic. I’m not talking about the holidays. Those are over. I’m talking about the potential of the new year. Many of us use this time to look back on the previous year, see what we did well and what we could have done better, evaluate our goals then decide [...]
I recently heard a great story about perspective that I will paraphrase here. View from the toll booth A man was approaching a line of tollbooths on the freeway in San Francisco. He began to dread the most mundane, sometimes depressing kind of interaction that you get with someone stuck in a toll booth. Yet [...]
When I was young I used to choke a lot. I mean this both in the physical sense (me choking on something, not choking someone else as we do in the adult martial arts classes) and the mental sense. For instance, I used to be totally incapable of taking pills. I would psyche myself out [...]
In a few weeks we will be having our first Internal Retreat here in California. My teacher Sifu Brown, who first taught me the value of meditation in martial arts, has had many such events in Michigan, and we are excited to bring it to our students here. Our retreats are a wonderful opportunity to [...]
About two years ago I wrote an article about rank in martial arts after Chris earned his red sash. We’ve had many tests recently, so I’ve decided to revisit it with some changes and additions. Enjoy! How do you get a black belt? You find a competent teacher and a good school, begin your [...]
The question of the week in the dojo is about your relationships, “What is the most enjoyable thing your family has done together in the last three years?” For many of the students who have brought their family to the dojo, practicing martial arts might be that thing. For those of us who no longer [...]
A few days ago I got a great question from a student. She asked about the difference between acceptance and surrender. Here are my thoughts. In general, we fight a lot. Struggle is important because it helps us grow. Moving your body against resistance builds muscle and stamina. Similarly, having difficult conversations helps you [...]
Last week’s challenge was to forgive someone. We got a lot of great responses from it, so I’d like to talk a bit about forgiveness in general and how it relates to our martial arts and meditation practice. First, who is forgiveness for? When I asked the kids, they answered, “For the other person, sir!” [...]
Martial Arts and Meditation are like Cats My brother is out of town this week so I’m taking care of his cat, Blue. He is a typical cat insofar as he wants attention when you’re busy, and when you want to play with him he wants nothing to do with you. This reminds me of [...]
