The question of the week is: Do I search for purpose and meaning, or does it find me? This hints at our experience of finding purpose and meaning in life. For many of us it seems like a long journey, perhaps even one without an end. It may feel like we will search for a purpose forever. For others, especially if we have already found our purpose, it may feel effortless.

The question of the week in the dojo is, “What is the secret to inner strength?” This got me thinking about a few things. For one, the breath. Whether you’re doing specific energy work like Qigong and Tai Chi, breathing exercises to relax or feel energized, trying to get more power in your strikes in Kung Fu or stay calm and flow in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the breath is key.

Pressure often shows up at tournaments. This weekend in the dojo we had our first kids grappling tournament since Covid. It was a great afternoon with lots of close matches. In the end, each division could only have one winner. As we entered the final rounds to see who would get the gold medal, the competition began to heat up. When the students felt the pressure to perform and win,

The question of the week is How do you react when you’re overwhelmed?   Let’s dissect the question a bit. First, the word react assumes a more or less automatic action, as opposed to a deliberate response. Most of us go through life reacting rather than responding; being forced into action by something that happens to us. The next part of the question basically points to that idea, that you’re overwhelmed, meaning

We take off our shoes before entering the mats in the dojo for a few reasons. One, we practice barefoot for safety (some kicks and brazilian jiu jitsu techniques are more difficult or dangerous with shoes). Two, it is cleaner as we don’t track dirt from the outside world onto the mats. Three, we remove our shoes as a sign of respect.  The cleanliness and respect reasons are related, as I