Embrace Criticism By Asking For Feedback

April 25, 2010

This is Part Two of a series on the martial arts principle of giving criticism.
In my last post I talked about the value of leveraging a feedback mechanism for personal development, relating the use of the criticism process commonly used in martial arts training. As I stated previously there is simply no better way to [...]

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Embrace Criticism to Improve Self Development

April 17, 2010

This is a series on the martial arts principle of giving criticism. On a true personal development level there is simply no way to progress in whatever you are doing without getting some type of feedback from others. I find this interesting because while there is a large and ever growing personal and professional coaching [...]

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Preparing for Opportunity to see “The Opening”

April 4, 2010

Nowhere is the study of opportunity and how to seize it more real than in martial arts training. A black belt and his opponent face off against each other.  Cautiously and defensively they move around each other – circling, sensing, and waiting for the right moment. A seasoned black belt is patient, knowing how to [...]

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On Leadership, Authority and Standing Tall

March 27, 2010

One of the more fascinating elements of martial arts training to me is how the characteristics of leadership are formed. To be able to lead means you have to get others to go where you want to take them. This skill is innate to some people but it can be learned over time by almost [...]

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Get In Touch with Your Feminine Side

March 22, 2010

An odd title for a post coming from Black Belt Guide, I know. I first heard this put into context at about the age of 23. A young black belt, I was physically confident and slightly full of myself (at least I thought my attitude was slight). I was attending a seminar on multiple brick [...]

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Respect and the Power of Dignity

March 11, 2010

This is a companion post to the “Know your worth by finding centered truth” post I wrote that was published on 6 Aliens.
One of the most powerful and difficult aspects of self development is the need to feel respected. I believe most people seek respect from peers, colleagues, friends and even strangers if only to [...]

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Get to the Edge – Making Performance Breakthroughs

March 6, 2010

This is part 2 in a series discussing performance breakthroughs.
I always tell karate students to push themselves to the edge of what they can take and then I get them to go beyond that for short periods of time. This kind of short period, high intensity focus forces exhaustion and frustration. But it also achieves [...]

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Tsunami of Change – Make a Breakthrough

March 2, 2010

This is Part 1 of a series on training yourself to achieve breakthroughs.
One of the most rewarding aspects of self development through any activity, and one that is clearly seen in martial arts training, are the significant breakthroughs that occur in both mental acuity and physical performance over time. These are milestone events and are [...]

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Personal Mission Statement – Develop Your Conduct Code

February 25, 2010

Surfing through TV channels late the other night, I came across one of the ultimate Hollywood personal discovery movies – Jerry McGuire, starring Tom Cruise. In the beginning of the movie McGuire is wrestling with his place in life as top sports agent and how unfulfilled his life is. In a fit of alcohol fueled [...]

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Make Yourself Commit to Succeed

February 22, 2010

I really enjoy the process of fighting. Not from a physical violence aspect nor as a way to settle something (it is not). But for what it represents as a metaphor in life. If you want to win you have to commit to it. I struggled with this concept for years outside of my study [...]

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