The Line in the Sand

Perhaps you have heard of the metaphor ‘to draw a line in the sand.’  This is famous phrase which can trace its origins to a very long time ago. Basically, the meaning is that you are emphasizing a point at which, when crossed, you will act…

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Viran RanasingheComment
Perseverance

The quality of perseverance is a very important trait in any martial artist.  If you want to be a blackbelt then it is an imperative!  What does it mean to persevere?   It basically means sticking with something despite difficulty in achieving success.  Let’s examine that in more detail.   

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Viran RanasingheComment
The Evolution of your Sparring

Most students’ sparring mirrors the evolution of man.  Wow, you must be thinking what does that mean?  According to modern scientific understanding, humans developed from apes, which over time transformed into cavemen and over further time evolved to where humans are today.  

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Viran RanasingheComment
Dealing with Fear

Do you have any fears in karate?   Are you afraid to fight certain people in class?  Are you afraid to break a board?  Are you afraid to present your kata in front of the entire class?  Fear can hold many people back from succeeding and is an important concept to understand.

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Robert H. Goddard

Robert H. Goddard was a brilliant rocket scientist for whom the NASA facility in Greenbelt Maryland is named.  One of my favorite quotes of his is, “It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” …

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Early, On-time, or Late

One of my all-time favorite Coach V sayings is,

“If you’re early, you’re on-time. If you’re on-time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re forgotten.”

It sounds cool, and he says it really well. But, what exactly does it mean?

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Spring

Spring is the season of renewal.  Mother nature uses this time to rebuild and replenish the environment so that it can flourish later in the Summer.   In the same way, you should use this time to rebuild your karate fundamentals so you can continue to improve and flourish. 

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No Days Off!

For a long time now, I have embraced the philosophy of “No Days Off.”  The basis for this idea is that while you might be taking a day off training/practicing/visualizing, your opponents and competitors are not.  They are out there working hard and gaining an advantage on you.

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Filling Your Bucket

Everyone wants to get better.  Everyone wants to get better, faster.  So, one of the big questions that our karate students ask, is how do you go about getting better, faster?  One answer is to continuously seek knowledge during every single class you take. 

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Viran RanasingheComment