C3GUS analysis - ideal self

I've been thinking about my C3GUS lately (the key to awesome reference)

About everyone's, actually.  About not just "is my C3GUS being fulfilled" but, SHOULD it be.

What do I mean?

To use an example, let's say Connection was my top value, and, to get that connection, I felt growth was my next most important value - then that would mean that growth led to Connection.  Meaning connection was the top priority, verses connecting to grow, I would grow to connect.

With me so far?

With that thought, I began thinking "what is the ideal hierarchy?"

I started with the thought of
Connection
Significance
Certainty
Contribution
Growth
Uncertainty.

I then quickly changed my mind to
Connection
Certainty
Contribution
Growth
Significance
Uncertainty

After some thought, I changed my mind again to
Connection
Growth
Contribution
Certainty
Significance
Uncertainty

And, currently, I'm thinking that
Connection
Contribution
Growth
Certainty
Significance
Uncertainty

is the winner.  I'd love your feedback on what yours are, or what you wish yours were, or, what you think of my choices.

My explanation is this:
Connection is my top value, and always have been.  I really believe that life is all about connecting with people and improving their lives as well as your own.  Ultimately, that's why I believe we're all here.  To that end, my life has focused upon increasing the quality of my interactions, and the quantity of them as well.

Yet, oddly, I used to put "contribution" fairly low on my list of priorities.  I think I associated that with things like charity, vs wanting to contribute/help those around me; which, again, is what I'm all about.

So, with that small shift in viewpoint, my list became quite different.

Suddenly, Connection and Contribution were first, and growth followed shortly thereafter.  My reasoning for that came from my 2011 lessons learned; one of which was "sharpen the saw, use it, repeat".

Growth has moved around my hierarchy over the years, and, I'm quite happy with its placement here.  For me, its borderline second, because I think of Love & Connection AS Contribution, so, really, contribution was there all along but it wasn't RECOGNIZED as such, and, as a result, I don't think I fully understood myself.

Growth getting top spot makes me happy too, as, I really enjoy the process of personal growth.

Certainty getting itself down to the middle of the stack is a proud thing for me, as, I think when I was younger it was first, if not... above first lol.  I have a feeling that the older I get, the farther down the list it'll slip.  For now, I think that certainty/financial abundance helps fuel the growth, as well as help magnify the ability to help connect and contribute.

After that, significance, possibly the biggest shift in values, is getting lower and lower on the list.  The reason for this is similar to what I would tell a student focusing on getting a stripe.

When you work for the stripe, you often don't get the stripe.  If you work on it to work on it, ironically, you often get better faster, and the stripe sooner.

If you connect for significance, its ego driven and it comes through as preaching vs connecting.  If the significance comes from the certainty which came from the growth which came from the contribution which came from the connection... then that's an entirely different thing.  You're getting significance from the lifestyle and the proof that its working - you're getting the growth and contribution from connecting... it all flows nicer, and makes for a more honest and forthright person.

Uncertainty has always been last on my list.

This is probably the area of my values hierarchy that needs the most work - not because it is necessarily in the wrong place, but because I don't feel the need to move it.

All the other values move around and evolve and grow, while uncertainty has always been left to last.  What that tells me is that there is fear, there.  The fear to move that value could be holding me back in some way.

How?

Not sure.  That's what mastermind meetings are for, though.

If you value variety in your life more than any of the other C3GS, please, tell me why!  I'd love to hear a different point of view, especially if it challenges my perspective :)

2011 Recap

What worked?

• Focusing on relationships, connection & listening
• Being honest
• Sticking to ethics & standards
• Being genuine
• Being myself, and also focusing on increasing others' happiness
• Mediation practice, ideal self alignment
• Expressing gratitude often
• Success journal
• Teaching improvements
• Overcoming & performing well despite large fear (cruise ship Karaoke adventure + snorkeling)
• Early positive habits (cleaning, exercise, reading)
• Expressing needs/wants in the positive / team focus
• Priority management & clarity (huge increase)
• Self discipline w/MMAmadeEASY
• Team recognition, acknowledgement
• Self aware "vibrations" - what am I broadcasting/receiving?
• Conversational mindfulness.  What energy am I encouraging / multiplying?
• Self listening/self talk, field training
• Meetings and counselling with friends & students

What Didn't?

• Getting preachy
• Being self delusional
• Not asking for help
• Time based stress & fear
• Telling others potential good news before it was a done deal
• "new dwelling excuses" loss of positive habits, diet choices, exercise decline
• Being judgmental
• Late positive habits ("I'll get to it later", but then being tired or it being "too late")
• Threats instead of requests
• Self control & excuses
• Ignoring reminders/dealing with what's urgent vs what's important
• Infrequently noted and used, un-urgent to do lists

Lessons Learned

• People prefer to discover things on their own.  Helping them do that can be more beneficial than showing them solutions.  Longer lasting & more powerful change happens in this way.
• With the right questions, helping & guiding are appreciated
• Knowing what's really going on lends itself to more concrete action plans & the overcoming of overwhelm.
• With quality relationships, friends & family are always willing to help
• Honesty & Tragedy have the power to mend fractured relationships
• It's good to have milestones, not "deadlines" & stress points
• When things are "out of your control" focus on other things.  Focusing on potential negative outcomes only quickens their likelihood into manifestation.
• Be proactive, solution oriented, clear & patient
• Checks & Balances help positive habits grow as does positive reinforcement.
• Excuses are lame.  Take ownership and just friggin' do it.
• Finding faults is fine, but use tact, probing & patience.
• Just like in class, frustration or being too "goal" oriented can have the adverse effect.  Instead, be patient & focus on getting better.
• Even marginal improvement, especially when recognized (ideally by the self as well) is better than frustration
• Improve & plan & introspect in the morning.  Work & play in the evening.
• Sharpen the saw, use it, repeat.
• Ask, and it is given.  Threaten, and it is withheld.
• Self control & self discipline are different.  My focus upon self discipline has left my self control in need of development.
• A big why turns baby steps into baby skips!
• A great teammate is priceless.  Be generous to them.

Coming up next:  C3GUS, ideal value placement & evolution.

The Story of Shinka

Man, what a great ride.  If this was Disney World, Shinka would be my fast pass ride of choice.

My beloved dojo Shinka, 2008-2012 is dead.  For a while, I was the only one who had that horrible thought digging at his soul as I desperately tried to save her.  She was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.  I'd sold everything, borrowed everything, given everything and, in the end, she'd lost too much, and I had nothing left to give her.  She was going to die, and it was heartbreaking.

I made a video of farewell and apology to my students, who I felt I was abandoning, disappointing, and failing.  It wasn't a super chipper time in my life.

But, something happened when I made that video.  It... released all the sadness that I was feeling. It made it possible to empty that cup, and fill it back up with my regular juice - positivity and passion.  (much yummier, especially with gratitude on top)

Almost immediately after the tears had been emptied, I began thinking about all the good that could come from this.  It is always a little bit more of a challenge to see the good that comes from tragedy while still experiencing (or about to experience) said tragedy, but, a great quote I heard once was "some day we're going to look back at all this and laugh.  So, why wait for some day?"

And, to that, I adhere, align and embrace.  Sure, something can be sad - even traumatic, but that doesn't mean you have to be all down about it.  There's still plenty to be grateful for, enjoy, and embrace.

So, making that video cleansed me of that... pent up sadness.  I couldn't tell any of the students, because a lawyer had informed me that it could seriously compromise some of our legal options should bankruptcy be the next step etc etc, and, as a result, I felt this growing monologue of sadness building in me for when I could finally express myself.  Not healthy if its a sad monologue.  Its always been a challenge of me to NOT express my feelings honestly.  Sometimes and asset, sometimes not!

I began seeing this as a way for my dreams to become true, a necessary loss for a greater gain.  "but isn't Shinka your dream?" you ask?  Well, to be honest, yeah.  It really was.

But there were problems, too.  The business' marketing was terrible, its website laughable, and, as a result of that, and the downward slope of the economy, and a few other mistakes I'd made, the business was nearly constantly losing money.  I never took a salary the entire time the school was open, and, while teaching there was heaven, not really being able to afford to live a lifestyle I could be proud of for 6 years was... stifling to the soul.

I also wasn't exceptional at billing, handling the accounting, and even cleaning was something that wasn't my specialty (and it showed at times).  My joy, my love, had always been in the connecting with the students, looking for ways to improve their lives, and designing classes intended to maximize that effect in little one hour chunks at a time.

I learned so much from Shinka, its students and its staff.  From personal development, to martial arts, I feel as though I learned & grew more in these past few years than I did the rest of my life!

To give a C3GUS (for those Key to Awesome readers ;-) evaluation of that, the reasons are obvious.  Nearly every day, in some way, my life purpose was being fulfiled through Shinka.  My needs (love & connection, contribution, growth, certainty, significance, and variety) were being met at level 10 virtually every day.

I was living the dream.  The only thing that was depreciating rapidly, was the need of certainty.  Financially, Shinka was failing, and, the building itself was beginning to reflect that in her last few months of life.

The heaters broke, we didn't fix them.  The lights began to flicker and dim, and their ballasts (which, by the way, can't be purchased in Canada anymore, but that's another story) stayed broken.  As an organism, Shinka's time was coming.

It was then, that the students of Shinka taught their Sensei a thing or two.

First of all, they all surprised and impressed me with their collective show of support and gratitude for all that Shinka had done for them.  They came out of the woodwork, too.  Not just current students, but students from long ago came out to express all that Shinka had done, and how their lives had been changed by it.

It was...  the best Christmas gift a guy could ask for, honestly.

This Christmas, I was moved to tears by the cards, emails, gifts and kind words that all the students sent.  It was amazing.

One student helped change my perspective with a few simple words:
"We're losing a building.  Shinka is an ideal.  Ideals don't die, they just adopt new shells"

I smiled, "like Batman."  (yes, it always comes down to Batman haha)

And so, the ideal of Shinka, that of empowerment, actualization, evolution, growth, embracing challenge, living with passion, and the collective desire to improve the whole continues.

In what forms, you ask?

Well, for starters, there is MMAmadeEASY, the online martial arts database.  And that is just its beginning. As Shinka was not just a martial arts school, so too will MMAmadeEASY surpass any expectations.

I intend on continuing to teach - although in what form and where is still going to be dependent upon the fates (job/schedule/space availability/options/location/student desire/finances).  I also got a neat idea for a new book out of this adventure, so, once my life gets a bit more certainty, I'll begin working on that, as well.

So, what lessons have been learned from all this?
A post for another day.  Domino, my new puppy, needs a walk!

The Sensei Mindset

One of my students asked me the other day how to have the "Sensei way of life", to which I replied you would need the Sensei mindset.  Its the same way you get the life of anyone, you simply adopt their habitual behaviors.

I then clarified with him what he meant BY the Sensei way of life, and he was talking specifically about my tendency to tap him out without too much effort.

I replied that it was certainly a question of knowing the techniques, but, that the most important aspect was the mindset behind the techniques - the constant seeking for opportunity, recognizing the opportunity, and acting upon it habits.

I informed him that its the same habits I have for a lot of things, including financial desires.  I informed him that the only thing that separates millionaires from non-millionaires is their ability to see, recognize, and act upon opportunities.

The same is true in Jiu Jitsu :)

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

When there's no right answer

What do you do if you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't?

What do you do if there is no right answer?

I say:  Ask, or create, a different question.

To give a humorous example, this morning I went in to shower, and noticed that my wife's towel (which has her name on it) was in "my" spot, and that the other towel there was more damp than the other, but both were slightly damp.  Like a monkey who has gotten a shock when choosing the wrong towel, I was left at an impasse. If I take the towel in her spot, that's wrong.  If I take the towel with her name on it, that's wrong...  bzzzt!

So, I went to the linen closet, got a third towel, and used that.

Am I suggesting that all of life's challenges can be solved so simply?  Perhaps not in the amount of effort my new option took, but yes, I am suggesting that the mindset to look for a third option when there appears to only be two is an excellent habit to have, which will lead you to solutions such as this.

Whenever you are damned if you do, damned if you don't, you will eventually have to pick a side - nobody respects a fence sitter (and its uncomfortable anyway).  In the process of picking the "best of the two bad outcomes" I suggest always looking for a third option.

There usually is one :)

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

How to lose weight, be rich, be happy, have a great relationship, be healthy and achieve the impossible

For every extreme outcome, there is the same process to follow.

1)  Define your outcome, and write it down in explicit and implicit detail.  That is, write down the exact goal, and define it so that it takes the form of an "order" rather than a dream.  eg an average of $1 p/second passive income, indefinitely and in perpetuity is better than "make lots of money".

2)  Define your process, and write it down in explicit and implicit detail.  That is, whose problems are you going to solve, and in which way?  Through which processes?  When?  How much?  "Invest my money" is great, but "research the following 6 companies via methods described in the following 8 books and invest 20% of my coffee money over the next 8 years, taking the time to update my knowledge on Sundays at 4pm" is better.

3)  Decide on a due date based off of estimates from #2

4) Go into explicit detail as to how you will use #2, to achieve #1, by #3.  Whose help will you need, what will you need to learn, how long will it take to rest and recuperate from aspects of your training.  Plan, plan plan!

5) Draft #1 to #4 into a statement of affirmation.

6) Recite #5 to yourself in the morning first thing, and, before you go to bed, and visualize yourself having already achieved it with emotions you would feel upon its completion.  Keep track of your benchmarks and be flexible in method, and stubborn with outcome.

The language of martial arts

I had an interesting discussion with a student today on their difficulty with memorization.

I let them know that martial arts is like learning a language - the fact that they couldn't necessarily remember the exact sequence of a combo they'd learned a week ago was of little importance - could they remember the exact syntax of their first conversation this morning?  Probably not - but, could they replicate it if someone provided, or fed them, the same input?

ie:
"hey, how's it going?"
"Great!"

the fact that this was an automatic response made it less relevant if "great!" was followed by "how's your wife?" or "but I stepped on a tack" or any other millions of variations.

What mattered, was that the language was automatic, and shot from the hip without thought.

Martial arts is the same.

It doesn't matter if you remember "block kick punch duck punch block kick" - what matters is:  if someone throws a punch, that you have an automatic and effective reaction.  And, after that reaction happens, you have another, also automatic and effective follow up motion, and so on, and so on.

When syntax is important (and there are movements where it is), those motions should be treated as "one" motion, not as a sequence of individual motions ("y'knowwhatImean?" might be a language example) thereby freeing up the brain of remembering specific sequences, and leaving it to the reflexive motions to do all the work for us.

There is no time for thought, just as it might be difficult to sing a song in rhythm if one had to learn the language for each word on the karaoke machine's screen while it was playing.

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Why You're Both Right | Communication, Beliefs and Values

I think one of the biggest impacts on my communication style has been Tony Robbins.  

I remember one instance in particular, where I learned how subjective broad terms such as "respect" could be.

The story was of Tony himself, and his wife.  She and he had been getting into arguments, and, were upset with the way each was handling themselves during the argument.

While both had the #1 value of "respect" being crucial to a relationship, they were still, in each others' eyes, being very disrespectful towards each other.  How could this be?

The reason was, they had each defined "respect" differently.  They had the same values, but contrasting beliefs as to how those values were fulfilled.

Tony had grown up in a household where respect was very important.  If you got into an argument with someone, it was respectful for you to tell the truth.  Say what was on your mind and, even if you had to yell to get your point across, you would get the problem solved.  It was incredibly disrespectful to leave in the middle of an argument, as this would rob the person of the ability to resolve the situation.

Sage, his wife, in contrast, had grown up in a household where respect was very important.  If you got into an argument, it was respectful for you to cool off, and discuss things in a rational discussion later, once the emotion had left the situation.  It was incredibly disrespectful to yell at someone, and even more so, to not allow the person their space when it was requested.

Can you imagine the fights between these two as they both "respected" the other?

When we have our partners, as well as friends, students, associates, business partners etc, and some issue comes forth, I would say that the issues are often not values, but the beliefs as to how those values are fulfilled, that are the root of the issue.

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

The Art of Martial Arts

Many people over the years have asked me why its called martial arts

The answer I tell them is that I believe there's a different answer for all of us as to why, however, my observations have been the following:

1) Martial Arts is using the body as an art piece, similar to competitive weight lifting, although, less based upon aesthetic form, and more based upon function.  What can I do?  What am I capable of? If I push myself, what can I truly achieve?

2) It is the art of creating a martial art itself.  The forging of all the various styles together into one style which one believes to be the best for them.  Like a chef looking for the perfect recipe, constantly combining concepts and ingredients.

3) The class structure and teaching of the art itself.  This transfers the art from oneself to another.  What can you get THEM to do, what is the perfect art for THEM?  How best to engage the audio learners, the visual learners, the kinesthetic learners and so on?

4) The art of self improvement on a holistic scale.  Meaning that Martial Arts becomes a vehicle for self improvement.  The ideology that how we do anything is how we do everything and feeling that, as we expand our ability to do Martial Arts, we expand our ability to do (insert goal here: business, relationships etc)

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Family Bonding | Shinka Martial Arts

A family that trains together, stays together.

One of my favorite things to watch at Shinka, is the look of joy on a child student's face when their Mom or Dad joins to take Martial Arts with them.

I'd say my favorite thing to watch, is the child teaching the parent.  "No Mommy, like this" is just about the best thing on the planet to watch.

The role reversal really strengthens the relationship between the parents and child, and, it gives the child a sense of personal power which carries over into other aspects of life.

Ultimately, it is the bonding between parent and child which is so heartwarming and special to me.

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Shinka Martial Arts is Huge!

One thing I never get tired of, is people's reactions when they first see Shinka's huge space.

Now that we have the boxing ring, I think it really puts the space into scale.

For those of us who have trained in little 20 square foot dojos, a 7,000 square foot dojo is a huge luxury.

Just simply having room to spar and run around is amazing, and its even better with long weapons (such as staff).

Also, this nice big space to train in allows us to simulate different situations, like alleyways, and other choke points (parking lots, garages, clubs etc) for really great self defense drills.

We're looking forward to putting in a UFC style cage as well, to simulate some fences and other flexible wall surfaces.  Ah, much to look forward to!

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Higher Grades From Martial Arts

100% of Shinka Martial Arts students who train 3 or more times per week have their grades go up.  Often quite dramatically.

The reasons behind this are many, including increased self discipline, empowerment, personal growth, uneleashing hidden abilities, as well as an increased fitness level which brings more oxygen to the brain.

On top of all that, Shinka uses scientifically tested methods of breathing techniques and movements which have shown to increase our students' test scores, as well as isolated test subjects and groups (including special needs students with ADHD, ADD, and Autism) called Neurodevelopmental Technology, or, Neuro-Tech.

What this all means to you, is that if your child is training at Shinka regularly, not only will they get in great shape, relieve stress, have fun, and learn to defend themselves...  but they'll get smarter, too.

Cool eh?

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Martial Arts Fitness | Fun Workouts That Help Us Lose Weight

Martial Arts is the most fun way to exercise that I know.

For me, I dislike going to the gym.

I feel like I'm "wasting" time lifting heavy things repeatedly and I find it difficult to "push" myself.

At the gym, my mind understands the benefits, but my heart feels bored and distracted.

With Martial Arts, my mind is engaged, my heart is excited, and I'm smiling.

Yes, at the end of class I'm exhausted and I've burned a ton of calories, but it was basically by playing, not by "exercising"

The next thing I love about martial arts is how it engages the mind, and makes one focus on the now.

But that's another article :)

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Top 3 Best UFC Fights

As a Richmond Martial Arts instructor, I often get asked which are my favorite UFC fights of all time.

These are my top 3, and reasons as to why.  I've done my best to avoid spoilers :)

GSP vs Matt Sera II
This was following GSP's loss to Matt Sera, and the pressure for this fight had been building for a long time.

Many felt it was a "lucky punch", but, many, including GSP himself, said that there was no such thing, and that, ultimately, Matt landed, GSP had underestimated him, and that'd been it.

I love this fight BECAUSE GSP lost to Matt, and because of the emotional tension leading up to it.  There was always this fear that he'd get caught again, and forever fade away into obscurity as is all too often the case when a fighter loses twice to the same person in a row.

This is a display of mastery.


Matt Hughes vs Frank Trig 2
Matt Hughes had won their first encounter in devastating fashion from a standing rear choke, which had made several hi-light reels.

This fight is like a movie.  You will be in awe.

UFC 52 also has another fairly important (although not necessarily "best of") match of Randy vs Chuck.  The two were destined to fight three times.

Also on the card, is GSP vs Jason Miller, which almost made one of the "top fights" as well.  This fight has the only kip up I've ever seen DURING a match.

A very entertaining fight, full of near submissions, great ground and pound, and, as I mentioned, an unorthadox moment or two, including a kip up.  This is also a nice look into the history of GSP, when he was the FIRST fight of the night, vs the main event.

This is just after he lost to Matt Hughes in their first fight.

It also contains one of the best corner-man yells and Joe Rogan quotes of all time:  "He's got retard strength" and, it has a funny "cold" ending, too.

The collection of all those fights makes UFC 52 one of the more entertaining cards in history.

Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida
First of all, I love these two fighters.  They're both insane, they're both cardio machines, and they can both take a heck of a shot.

Diego nearly always gets fight of the night, ditto for Clay.  The two together was the magic you'd expect from such top athletes.

I honestly don't even remember who won - it doesn't really matter, to be honest.  The show was fantastic.

(in fact, I think I'm going to go watch it again right now)

The Evolution of MMA

UFC has come a long way.  This article originally started as "the best UFC fight of all time", and gradually evolved into a history of MMA's evolution.

I was thinking about the concept of the "best ufc fight of all time" as I was playing UFC undisputed (very fun game, by the way) and, I realized I'd never attempted their "unlockables" section; odd, considering I've owned the game since some time in late 2009.  When playing Forest vs Bonnar in an effort to recreate the best fight of all time, I found myself wondering why it was that so many thought this to be the case.

I've noticed my preference for fights has fluctuated throughout the years.

Sometimes I've been inspired by the passion or the heart of a fighter, ie Arturo Gatti when he broke his hand, and still went on to win the fight with only one hand, or, the classic match up of Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar

In both cases, it could be argued that there wasn't a huge level of technical proficiency.  

However, there's something amazing about the raw emotion one can find in these types of situations.

Where by all rights, a fighter (or, in the case of the TUF Season 1 finale, both fighters) should be beaten, broken, or even knocked unconscious, and yet, somehow, they keep going.

We love it in cinema, as well.  Rocky comes to mind nearly immediately, but, Bloodsport and a million others have capitalized off of this human need to see us triumph over adversity through sheer force of will and a strong heart.

And, it cannot be disputed that this is why many are touting the Bonnar vs Griffin fight to be the best MMA match of all time.

Certainly it is not due to either fighter's technical proficiency.

Their punches are sloppy, their kicks off target, their entire performance is actually quite horrible.  And yet... and yet:  I, like many others, love this fight.

Is it because we identify with the fighters in some way?  Is it because we see these two inept fighters, going at each other for a million dollars and think to ourselves "yeah, that's what I would do"?

Perhaps.  Perhaps we are simply inspired by someone who refuses to know when they are beaten.  Someone who rises above it all and says "My name is Neo" after they've been beaten.

If you look at Matt Hughes vs Mike Swick II, it is a utterly fantastic fight, as, again, the fighter triumphs over seemingly insurmountable odds.

At some point, my tastes fluctuated to that of technical proficiency.  

Fighters like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, and BJ Penn began sprouting up out of the woodwork.  Long time reigning champions like Chuck Liddel, Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz began fading away.

Perhaps gone were the days of the big bruiser with a single fighting strategy, and, in came the reign of the complete fighter.  The truly mixed martial artists.

And, with them, came a sense of wonder.  The same feeling one might get from watching any art form done well.

Seeing a master at work is an awe inspiring thing.

These were true masters of their craft.  While Tank Abbot could entertain the early UFC crowd, he wouldn't even make it as a referee in the new world.

While this new era of skilled fighters was being born, so too was UFC taking greater measures to capitalize off of the WWE style soap operas.

Forrest Griffin brought fourth a whole new revenue stream for the UFC.  That of the emotionally charged match.  People wanted FORREST to win, not just "the karate guy".

Yes, Chuck Liddel had been a recognizable fighter long before Forrest, but, Forrest was the first fighter the public had gotten to know as a person.

They could relate to him.  Empathise with him.  And ultimately ROOT for him, emotionally.

He had a sense of endearing, self deprecating humor which the MMA audience immediately enjoyed.

So, while starts like GSP were on the rise, the UFC began marketing effectively.

Marketing... emotionally.

The interviews became more in-depth.  The press conferences more widely distributed, and soon, males had a soap opera to replace the WWE.

Fighters had their entrance music, their crying soft sides, and, the audience slowly evolved.

All but gone were the plaid shirts, mullets and side burns, and in their place was the well dressed crowds of Las Vegas and other wealthy cities.

The sport had officially arrived.

And with it, came a more... refined sense of ratings.

Now, my favorite fight was Georges st. Pierre vs Matt Serra.  Not because of a triumph of adversity per se, but, instead, because of a total dominance from a fighter I felt "deserved" to win.
There was a fight between the two, where Serra had done "the impossible" and defeated GSP.

People were awe struck and shocked at the outcome, and, the audience felt betrayed.  How could their idol be de-throned by someone such as Serra?

Still emotionally driven, now our choices for "best fights" were based off of the complete domination from a fighter who we liked.

Still, some fights were good because the fighters were good... but...

It was a new era.

What is your favorite fight?  And, perhaps most importantly... why?

Does the fighter clearly win every round?  Does the fight end abruptly?  Does the fight go back and fourth and end in a split decision?

I will post my official top fights in the next article.

Jiu Jitsu for Self Defense in Richmond

At Shinka Martial Arts, we teach Jiu Jitsu for Self Defense.

What happens if you fall down in a fight, or twist your ankle, or are taken down?

How do you get a larger person off of you if they are sitting on your chest and holding your arms?

If someone is too big, and you can't move them, can you still escape?

On the flipside of this coin: 

Can you turn those situations around, and incapacitate an attacker quickly and effectively?

What if the person is not some "random badguy" but someone deserving of pity or tender care?

Are you capable of detaining someone you do not wish to hurt?  For example, if someone was hallucinating or inebriated, or irrational, would you be able to peacefully detain them until help arrived?

In a severe self defense situation, would you be capable of disarming an armed attacker, breaking joints etc?

All these questions are answered by Jiu Jitsu

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Judo For Self Defense

Takedowns are a very important aspect of self defense

At Shinka Martial Arts we teach aspects of Judo, as well as other grappling arts to help our students understand that landscape of self defense.

How do you stop someone from grabbing you from behind in a choke hold or by the hair?

How do you stop a bear hug?

How do you get someone to let go of your arms?

All these sorts of questions are answered with various forms of grappling, including Judo.

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Martial Arts Fun | Fun Fitness

Shinka Martial Arts makes fitness fun.

And yes, one of the reasons is because we like to have fun, too.

And, that fun is also there to help our students reach their fitness goals.

There's a reason "Smiling" is one of our promises that we make to our students for every class.

If you are relying entirely upon willpower to achieve your goals, you MAY achieve them, possibly.  But how long will you maintain your goals before you return to older, more fun habits?

As harsh of a reality as it is, any of us who rely entirely upon willpower is going to eventually give in to our pleasure-driven brains.

As a result, what we need is something that we enjoy, which has fitness as a result.

This encourages us to maintain our fitness levels, vs just attain (and then lose) them!

Sensei Ono

Shinka Martial Arts Founder

Winner of Best Dojo, Best place to work up a sweat, most innovative curriculum, best coach/sensei, biggest martial arts studio, and top 3 Richmond businesses 

Alkalinity and Genes

I found this video of Dr. Gundry talking about genes very interesting.

In summary, he basically says all the things I've mentioned in The Key to Awesome's health section, about an alkaline diet; meaning, the outcome is the same (eating lots of leaves) however, his reasoning isn't the alkalinity, but rather, one's own genes and how they react to various forms of food.

He states that our genes decide on weather or not to kill us based on our diets - that if we are eating specific things, we are deemed healthy for the planet/ecosystem and are kept alive by those decisions - conversely, our genes decide when to off us by that same code.

As there is always conflicting debates on health and dieting, I felt that another scientific approach finding the same result might be interesting for some looking for corroboration.

http://www.drgundry.com/dr-gundry-american-health-journal/

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts

Bully Proofing

So often, as a martial arts instructor, I get told by my students how Shinka has helped save them from the horrors of schoolyard bullies.

What I feel obligated to point out, is that violence is rarely needed in these stories.

As Shinka targets so many aspects of self development, all it really does is provides the child with confidence and aptitude - from that, respect is forged, and bullies back off.

From the simple ability to not be harmed by an innocent (yet threatening) situation in a schoolyard game, to being able to dodge things effectively, to being stronger, faster, or, in some instances, to being able to defend themselves directly against a physical bully.

I love these stories.  I'm going to start recording these stories to have in a sort of "scrapbook".

Sensei Ono, Shinka Martial Arts

Post Marriage. Some tips: Make A Journal

Record as much of the event in writing as you can!

Yes, there are photos, and videos, and it is one of the most impressionable, memorable, beautiful days in your life.  BUT, like all memories, pieces fade.  You'll be surprised, as you record, just how much it brings to the foreground of your short term memory.  I know for a fact that, if I hadn't begun recording (I'm only up to the vows, but I have many, many pages) that I would have already forgotten some of the tiny details.

And, like anything, sometimes the tiny things make a huge difference towards the significance, and magnitude of the big things.

Dojo Attendance: Ebbs and Flows

It's the story of nearly every business, but, it can be especially noticeable in a martial arts school:  The Seasons of Attendance.

I admit, my first year of teaching, I don't know if I fully noticed.  I was very preoccupied with staff, and the financials of the school, that, although the students were always my primary focus while I was teaching, I don't know if I fully gave the attendance of the school much thought.  I simply taught who showed up with 100% of my ability, and assumed any who missed class had a good reason.

I know that I didn't notice this, because my other instructor, who had considerably less to worry about, Shinka-wise, would point out the attendance ebbs and flows, and I would usually remark upon his observational skills.

In the second year, I tended to notice only during extremes, that is, extremely high attendance, which I responded to with joy, and extremely low attendance, to which I responded to with worry and sadness.

In my third year of running Shinka, I now tend to notice attendance's seasons and, hopefully by year 4, I'll be able to predict them to a certain extent.

May/June, for example, is the end of the school year for many children - as the pressures of school mount, attendance tends to drop in martial arts class (which, by the way, is not recommended - studies show that taking martial arts during exams is especially effective as martial arts improves grades, relieves stress, and allows for creative channeling of thought and energy).  This year, I've noticed a huge increase of new students during that same time, which is very interesting.  I'm going to pay closer attention to this sort of thing when I get back.

Even trivial things like sporting events or season finales of television shows can drastically and unpredictably alter attendance.

The WHY behind our passions

I was inspired by a blog post of a recommended local Richmond acupuncturist, where he describes some of the seedlings of reason behind the passion for what he does, and, it occurred to me that there would be many such stories if one were simply to ask.

So:  What is the passion that drives you, and... why?  Where did the passion come from?  I know that for many of us, this question is a difficult one; a "I've always been this way" type answer is undoubtedly going to spring to many of our lips, as it did to mine - but there must be a seedling, somewhere, that drove us to this passion.

What was the first, "baby step" towards this burning desire to do what we do?  Was it simply seeing the results of doing it the first time, or, did we get inspired by someone else and say "I wanna do that"?

I'm curious as to what my own answers are.  I will meditate on this and get back to you when I get an answer.

In the meantime... what's yours?

How to teach yourself anything - History

History

Expand your knowledge of the past with these history sites that contain info, photos and lessons on numerous topics.

93. Archive.org: With links to information on the history of music, documents and even the Internet, this site is a one-stop-shop for learning.
94. Library of Congress: With numerous digitally archived photos, documents and manuscripts, as well as a few wholly online exhibits, you’ll find a wealth of great information on this site to help you learn about American history.
95. The Rosetta Project: No matter what language you want to learn about, still spoken or long dead, you’ll find its history and loads of information about it here.
96. Digital History: This online project offers users a wide range of digitized historical information to make learning easy and fun.
97. U.S. Census Bureau: Get the stats on just about everything you could want to know about Americans on this site.
98. Biography: Learn a little more about the people who have shaped the world we live in today with the information from Biography.
99. Artcyclopedia: Wanna know a little more about the history of art? You’ll find information, photos and  resources galore here.
100. History Channel: Even if you don’t have cable you can watch videos, engage in interactive programs and read all about world history on this site.

How to teach yourself anything - Creativity

Creativity

These lesson-filled sites offer a chance to learn more about art, music and digital creativity.

81. Berklee Shares: Here you’ll get access to loads of free Strobist: Check out this blog and its tutorials to learn the basics of lighting in photography.
82. Teoria: On this site you’ll find a number of music-related tutorials and lessons to help you better understand music theory.
83. Digital Arts: Need a little creative inspiration? This site can help you out and help you better learn to use your digital art tools.
84. PSDTUTS: Whether you use PhotoShop to touch up your drawings or to make completely digital works of art, you’ll find helpful tutorials here.
85. Photography Mentor: Join this site to get educational videos for your computer or iPhone to learn more about digital photography.
86. E-Chords: The video tutorials on this site can help you learn to totally shred on the guitar or bass.
87. DrumBum: If drums are more your style, these tutorials and lessons will help you master a variety of types of music.
88. Music Theory: Ricci Adams teaches the basics of music theory and notation with lessons and tutorials on this site.
89. Computer Music Products: Want to make and distribute music right from your computer? This site can teach you how.
90. Duey’s Drawings: If you’ve always been envious of those who can draw and paint, give this instructional site a visit for lessons on how you can improve your skills.
91. Video-Tutes: Learn a number of useful things about shooting and editing videos from the instructional tutorials on this site.

How to teach yourself anything - Science

Science

Learn more about the amazing world around you from its chemical makeup to the processes going on in your own body with these helpful sites.

71. The Chem Team: Learn the basics of chemistry with the tutorials and lessons provided by this site.
72. Get Body Smart: With interactive animations and activities, this site makes it fun to learn about how the body works inside and out.
73. The Physics Zone: You can get a better grasp on concepts like magnetism and motion with this site that offers instruction on the theoretical and mathematical aspects of physics.
74. The Life Wire: Here you’ll find a number of animations and tutorials that are designed to help you learn more about biology, even the stuff that may have confused you before.
75. Geology Rocks: The earth may seem like a stable, static entity but it’s always changing and moving. Check out this site to learn more about these processes and the ground under your feet.
76. NASA: If Earth isn’t your thing, take to the heavens with videos, photos, articles and podcasts all about the stars, planets and what lies beyond.
77. Inner Body: Check out this site to learn a bit about the circulatory system and find out just how that cheeseburger is clogging your arteries.
78. Exploratorium: Also called the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, you’ll find lessons here on everything from how music works to the effects of global warming.
79. Science A-Go-Go: This site is a great place to learn about the latest and greatest scientific discoveries. You can take to the discussion forums as well if you’d like to debate any topic.
80. The Why Files: If you’ve ever wondered why or how a news story about science is true or want to learn more about everyday science, check out this site.

How to teach yourself anything - Math

Math

Many people struggle to understand mathematical concepts. These sites offer help and instruction no matter what level you’re on.

61. S.O.S. Mathematics: Check out this site to find tutorials and worksheets to help you learn more about math and get a little practice applying it.
62. MathVids: If you’d rather learn from videos, the instructional ones provided here will be helpful to you, offering explanation of a wide variety of math issues.
63. Math Cracker: Get a little help on math subjects from the basics of algebra to the intricacies of calculus with a variety of helpful tutorials.
64. Real World Math: Think your math teacher was full of it when he said you’d actually use the math you’re learning? This site applies all kinds of math to real situations, making it easier for many to see how it might be valuable.
65. Math for Morons Like Us: Even the smartest people can sometimes forget their multiplication tables, but if you feel especially weak in math you may want to check out this site. It breaks down even complicated ideas into easy to understand lessons.
66. Math.com: With some great tools and a variety of tutorials on algebra, geometry, trigonometry and more, this site has loads to offer learners.
67. MathTools: If you’re using MATLAB you can get some information on how to better use the program and understand what’s going on with these free tutorials.
68. Paul’s Online Math Notes: This professor wants to help you learn math, and offers notes, lessons and more.
69. Visual Calculus: The modules on this site are designed to help you see visually how calculus works, an easier way to learn for many who struggle to understand abstract concepts without illustration.
70. PurpleMath: Visit this site to find notes, tutorials and lessons on a variety of math subjects.

How to teach yourself anything - Technology

Technology

These tech-focused sites offer help to both technophiles and beginners alike.

48. actDEN: Never learned how to use Microsoft Excel? Now you can with free tutorials on this site, offering education on a number of computer programs.
49. How-to Geek: From setting up to fixing problems, this site will help you learn to get your gadgets up and running.
50. W3Schools: Learn just about anything you could want to know about Web design and development from the large number of tutorials on this site.
51. KillerSites: Here you’ll find loads of free info on web design and hosting.
52. Productivity Portfolio: Are you really not good with technology? Here you’ll find tutorials designed just for you, with simple 5-minute lessons on the basics of programs like Outlook and Firefox.
53. Tweako: This site is home to numerous tutorials focused on technology, programming and the net.
54. Vista4Beginners: Many people find Vista hard to navigate, and if you’re one of them you can find help on this site, filled with great tutorials.
55. Digital Arts: From tips on using Photoshop to what it takes to make great web designs, this site will help you embrace the creative side of technology.
56. InPictures: With tutorials that come complete with visual representations of how to do everything, this  site is perfect for the visual learner.
57. N Design Studio: This site is focused on Dreamweaver and Illustrator, providing a wide range of tutorials.
58. NetTuts: Check out this site if you’re in need of a little help with a web development project or want to learn more about programming on the internet.
59. Geekpedia: Here you’ll find tutorials on just about every programming language you could want to learn.
60. MuppetLabs: Programmers and aspiring geeks alike can find numerous tutorials here on languages like C++ and Perl.

How to teach yourself anything - Language and Writing

Language and Writing

Those who want to learn a new language, improve their writing skills or just learn more about literature will be well-served by these instructional sites.

38. BBC Languages: With numerous languages to choose from, this site offers visitors some really valuable free language learning materials.
39. Project Gutenberg: Catch up on reading the classics with the free e-books offered here.
40. Teach Yourself Japanese: Whether you’re learning for business or pleasure, this site offers all kinds of resources for Japanese language learners.
41. Literature.org: The extensive library of free material on this site makes it cheap and easy to read up on just about any subject.
42. Bibliomania: With free books and study guides to go along with them, you’ll not only be able to read the classics but get help understanding them as well.
43. LookLex: Here you’ll be able to learn the basics of the Arabic language with free audio tutorials.
44. American Sign Language Browser: If you’ve ever wanted to learn ASL you’ll find a number of resources here that can get you started.
45. Learn Spanish: As one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, there’s no better time than now to start learning Spanish.
46. Writer’s Resource Center: This site is home to loads of support and information on writing better fiction.
47. Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: Need some help writing? You’ll find instructional articles here.