The Power of Decision

Today, I'd like to share a personal anecdote and connect it with our training:

One week before I tested for my 3rd Dan, I blew out my knee. I was performing a board break with a flying side kick, jumping over four students. As I leapt, my foot caught on the carpet. I felt a sickening twist in my knee. It broke my concentration and I missed the board. In one of my classic 'stupid' moments (a time when adrenaline overruled reasoning), I ran back, knee and all, repeated the jump, and was successful.

That night, my knee became a watermelon. I limped to my car and drove myself to the ER (another stupid idea). The doctor glanced at my leg and said I'd be out for at least 6 weeks, possibly up to 6 months.

My heart sank. Any chance of a second opinion? He didn't even do any tests! Grrr!!!

As I lay in bed later, I decided I would test. Even if I wasn't at 100%, and had to baby my leg, I would be there. I wouldn't quit. Somehow, I would find a way.

The next few days were powerful. By test day, I was 95% better, with a fancy "bionic knee brace" as backup. I didn't actually need the brace because of a near-miracle (that's another story), but I still wore it. I needed to be flawless to avoid further injury. One bad move, one slip beyond my brace's protective capacity, and it'd be over. I performed the best test of my life that night.

What's the point of this - that you can defy medical advice and duplicate my stupidity? No.

My decisions focused me on a certain set of options, and it changed my attitude, actions, and results.

Be mindful of your choices, young grasshoppers. They define you.

Take away the superficialities of circumstance, and what remains is always the same: choose, and act. It's easier said than done, but I hope that you always choose well, my friends.

Criticism and "Leading By Example"

Recently, I encountered harsh criticism from someone close to me. That's not uncommon, especially when you're moving in a new direction. In my case, it went like this (paraphrasing in 3rd person):

"Greg Garcia talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. He has big dreams but tends to fall short of them. He's a nice guy, but underneath the surface, he isn't a model of discipline, fitness, or character. It would be unwise to follow someone who cannot be the example that he expects. He doesn't represent what a martial artist stands for anymore."

How hurtful those words are....not just to me, but to anyone who accepts that kind of ridiculous thinking!

Sure, there is merit to being a positive role model. It's a fundamental principle of leadership. When you set a good example through your words, thoughts, and actions, it helps people think, "Well, if they can do it, then I can too!" It inspires success, yet it's potentially limiting.

Limiting? How so, G?

Consider this: How different would the Chicago Bulls have been in the 90's if the team never listened to Coach Phil Jackson? Coach Jackson can't jump, run, or shoot, so was he a bad coach if he can't play as well as his players? Bull. (Not a basketball follower? Neither am I, but you should read up on their accomplishments in that decade. Truly amazing.)

I don't need to be the UFC champion to live like a true champion. Similarly, I don't need to be a bestselling author before sharing great stories with my students. I also don't need to be a monk in order to pursue a life of kindness and compassion. As a master teacher of the martial arts (the techniques, theories, culture, lifestyle, and everything inbetween), I aspire and commit to the kind of improvement that fuels success in training, thinking, and living - and on most days, I'm doing all 3. That, my friends, is the example to follow. As I pursue further growth in all aspects of my life, I expect to encounter setbacks. If I'm not failing occasionally, then I'm not setting my goals high enough.

If you want to double your success rate, be prepared to quadruple your failure rate. Life's rules, not mine.

It is part of living to try things (and fail at them as often as necessary) in order to succeed.

Go forth into the world and fail gloriously, in the spirit of finding lasting success.
(this from the guy who just failed at keeping this issue under 300 words, lol...next one will hit the target!)


Bonus food for thought:
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career and lost more than 300 games. On 26 occasions, I've been entrusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed."
-Michael Jordan


P.S. On a side note, Brock Lesner's post-victory speech in the octagon (in the recent UFC 100) is living proof that winning a belt doesn't necessarily make you a champion. Epic fail.

Whatever It Takes

Here's a little martial arts story for you:

A master violinist once performed for a private party of wealthy socialites. His music was brilliant and stirred the emotions of more than a few audience members, save for one, who spent most of the evening talking about musical theory and the nuances of the songs. Following the concert, several of the guests flocked around him.

"Brilliant, my lad!" the talkative partygoer remarked. "I used to play the cello in school, but I could never play like that, so I gave it up. You MUST tell me your secret. I'd give anything to be able to play like you."

The violinist, possessed of uncommon arrogance (and not exactly known for his tact), retorted coldly, "Anything EXCEPT the years' worth of practicing for hours each and every day, endless afternoons and evenings listening and analyzing the works of the great masters in order to gain insights into their technique, reflecting on the brutal criticisms of my mentors, peers, and audiences so that I might glean a sliver of advice that I could improve upon, and then enduring empty conversations with rank amateurs at dinner parties in which I am asked to impart in moments what takes a lifetime to achieve. And this is merely the beginning! No, sir, what you would give is NOT anything, nor would it be sufficient to attain what you desire, because where you made excuses, and grew frustrated and quit, and the times afterward where you sought shortcuts to greatness, or stood and watched others struggle towards brilliance with your dim glimmer of proficiency, I did more than reminisce of days gone by and conjure empty dreams. I lived."

Ouch. As rude and unkind as the violinist may have been, his words are truthful.

"But Mr.G, I thought you were going to share a martial arts lesson?"

I did.

Beyond Your Front Door

Yesterday, advanced members of our club participated in a fun, sweaty workout at a West Coast World Martial Arts school in Hollister, owned by Master Mark Preader, an old friend of mine.

I like visiting my old martial arts buddies. Many of us trained at different schools and we were introduced to one another because of similar visits that our instructors did with us. It warms my heart to see them, to reconnect our schools and our students once again.

For a while, I lost sight of this. What used to be regular visits with my instructors slowly faded away. We missed out on the opportunities to connect with others. As my school became more successful, I believed that I didn't need to do it - that I was doing fine on my own, and others would just come to visit me.

How arrogant of myself to believe that I was worth visiting, and they weren't!

We need to reach out to others in our lives regularly. It inspires excellence by broadening our perceptions of how excellence manifests in people. It inspires compassion and understanding because we can see how other people experience their own challenges and still find success in their own way. It fosters innovation and new ideas through synergy and collaboration. Most importantly, it builds connections which are far more valuable in our lives than building walls.

Unless we make a conscious effort, our lives will often provide us with compelling reasons to stay home.

Why do homes have windows? So that we are reminded that there's a world outside of our "personal bubbles", one that we must be a part of by stepping beyond our front doors.

Who haven't you seen in a while? Maybe it's time to change that.

Thoughts of Mastery, Part 1

As I journey towards mastery, I find myself looking to masters of every art. Every field has its great masters, past and present. If I can tap into their mindset, then I may grow within my own. Certainly, I look to many role models within the martial arts, but as Funakoshi-sensei himself once wrote, "When you look at life, think in terms of karate, but remember that karate is not only karate - it is life."

With this in mind, I will occasionally bring you a few words of wisdom from a handful of the world's great masters and pepper your e-mail boxes with their thoughts:

"Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do."

-Napoleon Hill, American author (early producer of personal success literature)

"Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place. It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting points and its rich environment. But the point from which we started out still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of the broad view gained by our mastery of the obstacles on our adventurous way up."

-Albert Einstein, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921

"All of your scholarship, all your study of Shakespeare and Woodworth would be vain if, at the same time, you did not build your character and attain mastery over your thoughts and actions."

-Mahatma Gandhi, internationally esteemed Indian philosopher

How interesting. An author, a physicist, and a political activist understood the arts without ever setting foot in a dojo. We would be wise to study them.

Thoughts of a New Teacher

Kristi W., a senior-ranked student (and new instructor) of Sensei Chris Feldt, recently posted this journal entry. Her words capture a journey that many teachers go through, and not only in the martial arts world. Enjoy.

I Am A Teacher

I am a teacher and I loathe it.
I lack confidence.
I can not find the words to express what little knowledge I have to pass along.
My hands sometimes shake.
I forget to explain steps I simply do out of habit.
I must revisit that tedious technique so that I can teach it.
Something always goes differently.
Things I have known for years suddenly become mysterious when, inevitably, the student asks me "why."
What is more inadequate for an answer than "because?"

I must explain my knowledge differently.
I have to find new words.
I have to find a different way to think things through.
Everyone learns differently after all.
I must adapt more quickly when things don't go as expected.
I must research that difficult question so I can give an accurate answer.
I must relearn what I know again and again.
I must have more confidence with that shaky technique next time.
My students always find a way to make me better.
I am a teacher and I love it.

Show compassion for the teachers in your life. Each is at a different stage of their journey, and will react to things differently, but all of them respond well to kindness. Part of that compassion stems from acknowledging that Kristi's feelings can be spoken from a student perspective just as easily. If we can all feel this way, then we have common ground to begin building something far better than any stereotypical teacher-student relationship.

The path of the teacher and student are one.

Metaphors, Slogans, and Catchphrases

Black Belt Excellence.
Strive for Mastery.
Live Like a Champion.
Warrior of the Light.
Jedi Master (lol)
Everyday Heroes.
Be a responsible adult.
Community leader
Become a Citizen of the World.
Good [insert social affiliation here, e.g. Catholic, student, athlete, friend, son, etc.]
Be an amazing human being.
Fulfill your potential.
Heal the world.
Be the change.
Make a difference.
Transform your life.
Believe in yourself.
Think positively.
Help others.
Get fired up.
Live with passion.
Reach for the stars.
Practice random acts of kindness.
Love thy neighbor.
Aim high.
Fulfill your destiny.
Choose well.
Dream big.
Now is the time.
No better time than the present.
Today is a gift.
The future begins now.
Seize the day.
No excuses.
Time to step up.
Do it now.
Just do it.

My favorite one comes from my mother, and it ties everything together:
"How many times do you have to hear it before you do something?"

I'm listening, Mom. Now look what I can do.