Stick and Move

A few nights ago I was getting punched in the face. Not a lot, but enough for me to realize that it annoys me.

I was fighting three of my sparring partners, all of them with a longer reach than me. I can shrug off a body shot like it never happened, but there’s something special about having my cage rattled. Even as my brain responded to each punch to my forehead or chin inside of a millisecond with, “What the–??” and then, “Ouch!” and then, “Don’t let that happen again, Captain!” (that’s what my brain calls me when we talk to each other, Captain, and in a Scottish accent no less) I was still reminded of a few lessons that not only apply to fighting and defending myself, but also in my business and personal life… 

1. Stick…   You can knock someone off focus with just a jab. Remember General George S. Patton’s famous mantra to his field commanders?  “I want you to hold onto them (the enemy) by the nose, and then kick them in the pants.”   In a fight, in life, in business, you can maintain control, or at least buy yourself some time, with minimal resources. It doesn’t have to be the “Big Right Hook” all the time. It can’t be. Too expensive. Too much mobilization of resources required to deliver it.  A jab however, in all its metaphorical forms, is a quick and easy way to set someone back on their heels so that you maintain control of the interaction and thus dictate the next step. And the next one after that. Until you’re ready to deliver the big right hook, win the argument, choose the restaurant, or close the sale.
2. …and Move. Keep moving. And not in and out, back and forth, either. Forget the full-frontal attack and retreat game. That’s for amateurs. Napoleon Bonaparte taught us that two hundred years ago. Instead, work the angles. Circle to the flank. Hit there. Try to get to the soft and unprotected spots on your opponent’s sides and rear. Can we do this in business? Every day. When we’re competing for a new client, why go head-to-head against our competitor’s strength? Yield that space and move the fight for your prospect’s attention to ground of YOUR choosing. A place where you have the upper hand.

How will you stick and move today?

The Age-Old Martial Arts Secret to Make Yourself Valuable to Others

Do you surround yourself with people who can do some
things better than you? How do you add value to your team?

A 100-year-old idea, born in the Industrial Age, still holds the key to unlocking our success today.

In fact, though the idea may have been first popularized in the 20th Century, it has actually been the key to success in the martial arts for thousands of years. In fact every civilization that has had a martial way of life, the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Celts, the Vikings, the Chinese, the Mongols, and hundreds of others, have proven the idea works.

Yet we continue to see people struggle. Rather than embrace the proven path, many still impede their own progress.

How? Those who fail to achieve their goal, of any kind, business, academic, athletic, often have at least one thing in common: They try to do it alone.

So what is that 100-year-old, Industrial Age idea that is actually thousands of years old and been proven many times over by every civilization?

Surround yourself with people who know more than you do, and give them the support they need to do their job.

Henry Ford, credited not for inventing the automobile but for inventing the automobile business, said this was his finest achievement, and the most important key to his business success.

Steve Jobs, a more modern example, lived by the same credo. He admitted in many interviews that the programmers he hired could write code in circles around him. But he had a vision for his company, and he had the wisdom to hire people who were better than him in the specific skills he needed to grow his business into a world-class organization.

General Dwight Eisenhower had a huge team of officers that helped him plan the D-Day Invasion and Operation Overlord. And he relied heavily on Bradley, Patton, and Britain's General Bernard Montgomery to carry that assault from the beaches of Normandy eventually into Berlin, and the end of Nazi tyranny.

Martial Arts Teaches You How To Be Valuable

And so it has been throughout martial history, especially at the soldier level. Martial artists and warriors have always known that the fastest way to train someone is to surround them with people higher in skill.

We see it in martial arts classes today. Sure, sometimes classes are divided into advanced and basic student groups, but even within those clusters there are levels of expertise.

Most notable perhaps is the humility I've heard some black belts admit to: That even a black belt can learn something from a new white belt.

Learning, and thus progress and success, can potentially happen anywhere, and from anyone. My own Senseis have brought in masters in knife fighting, and Muay Thai combatives, using this same logic. They believe that they serve their students better by bringing in masters in those specific skills to lead special seminars.

So if wise leaders surround themselves with people who know more than they do about the things necessary to achieve their goals, what can we do to make ourselves valuable to these wise leaders?

The answer lies in the question. If you're asking yourself what you can do to add more value to people, then you're on the right track. That's step one, realizing that there are people out there who need help. Now match your skill or knowledge with their need.

So pay attention to what interests you and what people need. Then, if you haven't already, get good at that. Real good at it. As in, better than most people you know.

This comforts me, and it should comfort you too. Why? Because for the most part, we have considerable control over our degree of mastery. Put in the time, put in the focus, put in the work, and chances are very good that you'll yield proficiency, and probably even excellence. Sound familiar? Overlay that last sentence over your martial arts journey, and you'll be able to see how your training has taught you how to practice, focus, work hard, and learn new skills. 

And it's taught you that the process can be fun.

Wise people have shaped history with their successes. But they still need more people around them who can do certain things better than they can. What they need, is you.

5 Ways to Make Yourself an Easy Target for Muggers in the Winter

Freezing weather can do you harm beyond just frostbite.

Part of our martial arts training is situational awareness; the need to be aware of your surroundings, always alert for potential danger. This mental preparation helps us avoid being mugged on the street while we're out minding our own business.

Here are some freezing weather scenarios that could make you an easier target for a street attack, and some self-defense tips you can apply, from head to toe, to overcome them.

Head

In freezing weather, you're probably trying to preserve body heat by wearing a heavy knit hat or ear muffs that cover your ears. Combine that cover with the sound of the whipping wind, recognize that you can't hear as well. A stalker or would-be attacker will be able to get closer to you before you hear him.

DEFENSE: Since you can't hear as well as usual, keep your head up and make sure you're looking around and over your shoulder.

Neck

Wearing a scarf? I bet you are. That's a Christmas gift for a mugger. An exposed handful of scarf can become a choke collar in an instant.

DEFENSE:  Wear the scarf, but make sure it's tucked inside your coat. Don't give anyone anything to grab.

Shoulders

You know that thing we do when we walk in freezing weather? The hunchback thing? That's our body's natural instinct to keep the heat from escaping from our neck. Our shoulders stay in a near-constant shrug, as if trying to reach up to our ears in order to crawl inside them.

That behavior also forces our head and eyes down, and tucks our chin into our chest. That's not a bad posture when in the midst of a fight. But it's a horrible posture when you're about to get in a fight with one or more people -- and you're the only one who doesn't know it yet.

DEFENSE:  Same tactic as the ear muff defense. Keep your head on swivel mode. Eyes up. Keep looking around. Swivel left. Swivel right. Like a person using a metal detector on the beach.

Hands

Wearing gloves or mittens is fine, necessary even, in freezing weather. With your hands buried in your pockets you set yourself up as an easy target for an attacker savvy enough to pin your hands in place. And before you can say "groin strike" you'll be face down on the ground sucking pavement without benefit of a straw.

DEFENSE: Say it with me: "I will k-k-keep m-m-my hands out of my p-p-pockets."  Instead, clap your hands together and clench and unclench your fists. That will increase the blood circulation in your hands, which will warm them up. And your hands will be out and ready to block a punch, break a choke, throw a hand spear into an eye gouge, or an open palm strike to the bad guy's nose.

Feet

Along with freezing weather comes snow and ice. And slush. And frozen slush. And snow banks. It's not easy to navigate this tundra in dressy, delicate shoes. It's sometimes hard to even stand up straight, so what if a few would-be attackers chase you? All of these obstacles keep you from sprinting away from danger like the track star that you are.

DEFENSE: Wear the shoes you need to wear. Don't be the weak gazelle in the pack. If the weather is harsh, dress to deal with it. If that means boots of some type, then so be it. Wear something sturdy enough to ground yourself, kick, or run.

Martial Arts - A David And Goliath Story

"David and Goliath" from a panel on the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo. The real one. Not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

I wonder if David, had he trained in martial arts back in 1100 B.C., would have left his sling and rock with King Saul. Can't you just picture David, this shepherd-turned-slinger, handing his sling and stones to his King and saying, "Here. Hold this for me while I go grapple this giant with my bare hands."

There was a lot at stake. The Philistine army was marching up the Elah valley, heading toward Bethlehem so that they could split Saul's Israelite kingdom in two. After they divided the Israelites, they would find it easier to conquer them. No more Judea. History as we know it today, changes big.

So King Saul led his army to intercept the Philistines. The Israelite army gets to the north ridge of the Elah valley, where they see the Philistine army encamped on the southern ridge. Stalemate ensues because neither army wants to be the first to give up their elevated position on their respective ridge.  Both sides knew that the first army to descend into the valley to advance on the other would be fighting up hill against an entrenched enemy. That's a recipe for losing.

Finally, the Philistines sent their champion, a 6'9"-tall warrior called Goliath into the valley to have a one-on-one, champion-to-champion fight to the death. The winner of this duel dictates slavery for the losing side's entire army.

None of the Israelites wanted to fight Goliath because they only could imagine fighting him toe-to-toe, in full armor, sword vs. sword. His height, reach, and strength, against theirs.

Where others saw strength, David saw weakness. He convinced King Saul to let him descend into the valley without armor, without a sword. He was armed only with his sling and stones.

David realized that his best chance to win this fight was to use the advantages he had over Goliath. With his sling, he could hit Goliath from a distance...and he did. David hurled a fast-moving stone at Goliath that smashed him in the forehead. The lumbering giant, covered under the weight of his armor, fell to the ground. David, unarmed, and unarmored, sprinted to Goliath, picked up the warrior's sword, and cut his head off; a head he could never have reached had he fought Goliath standing up.

That's one way to break a stalemate.

Martial Arts for the Modern Day Underdog

Martial artists thrive on the physical truth that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger person by using leverage. Practically all of the styles teach techniques that use body mechanics to bring an attacker to the ground. The smaller person can minimize the size advantage that the larger person has when they are both grappling from their knees and backs.

On the ground, height, weight, and reach, while great advantages in a stand-up fight, lose their dominance. The smaller person gets in close and controls the larger with chokeholds and joint locks. When you're that close, body-to-body, reach measurements don't matter. The two combatants now have a more even playing field.

Height advantage flies out the window as well. Both people are on the ground. At that point, the grappling begins, and it's often a race to see who will get in position first to apply the hold that will control the fight. On the ground, speed matters far more than height, weight, and reach.

And strength? That's where the joints and chokes come in. Strength measures muscle power. By directing force on some of the weakest parts of the opponent's body (because there is less muscle in these parts), like the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees, martial arts can help today's "David" defeat giant "Goliath-like" attackers.

If you're interested in reading more about how many of history's greatest achievers appeared to be underdogs, but instead turned their weaknesses into advantageous strengths, you may want to check out David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.

On Reinvention and Other Things New

Welcome to 2015.

Here's what I hope your 2014 was like:

You broke something
You fixed something.

You lost something
But you found something else.

You learned a new skill
You learned something new about yourself
You learned something new about someone you love.

You made a mistake...
...But you learned from it.

You made at least one new friend.
You got more selective about who you label "friend".

You got knocked down
You got back up
You got knocked down again
And you still got back up.

I experienced all of the above in 2014, and some of it was not fun. But I think I came out on the other side better for it. That's why I sincerely wish it for you.

Now, to be sure, we can absolutely change directions, work on a new project, or improve something within our lives on any day of the year. But there's something about us and the calendar, the seasons, and the way the stars line up at the changing of the year. It has pushed and pulled inside of us, unexplainably, for as long as there's been an "us."

So I say, embrace that natural momentum the world gives us right now, when the New Year looks us square in the eyes to ask, "What's next for you? Will this year be a year you grow? Or will this be a 12-month, no-change, business-as-usual, snooze-fest?"

Now is the time of the year to choose a big goal or two, and run after them hard. Out-of-breath-hard.

This is the part where we reinvent ourselves.

One Thing I Learned About Resistance

"The path of least resistance leads to crooked rivers and crooked men."

-- Henry David Thoreau

I have a reputation.

All of my life I've been known in my circles as "the one with the willpower."

"I wish I had your discipline," they'd say.

I'm the guy that has always risen early. Army PT, work, whatever. Set your clock to it.

I'm the guy who stops after one scoop of ice cream. "I just wanted the taste. I've had enough."

I don't miss workouts. I just don't. I may have to do it later or earlier than planned. I may have to do it at home instead of in class. But I do it.

And for over 3 years now, I've written almost every day.

My secret? I take Resistance with me wherever I go. Well, more like she follows me. I've tried to shake her, but she's always there. But I know she's there, and always will be, so I plan on this.

We're attached at the hip, and despite what family and friends think of my iron willpower, sometimes she does win. Sometimes I wolf down a bowl of ice cream. Once a month I do hit the Snooze button. Workouts have been skipped, and writing days have too.

But I've won many more times than she has, because I learned something a long time ago.

Momentum matters.

Resistance uses it too. It's a jump ball, and we both want it. Me, to do good. Her, evil.

Everyday is a jump ball against Resistance.
By Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Flickr: 05) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If a few days click by and I haven't had any ice cream within my reach, I forget about it. I lose interest.

If I stick to my workout schedule, a rhythm develops. Instead of dreading the effort, I'm hopped up and can't wait for my next session.

And writing. Man, you want to talk about something people hate doing? Guess what. Writers don't always feel like bellying up to the keyboard either. But string a few days in a row together and it starts to get, (dare I say it and provoke her?)

FUN.

But it only gets that way with momentum. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow all have to happen. I have to show up with my hard hat and lunch pail and boots laced up. I have to work the line. I punch in, and I don't punch out until the whistle blows. That's the secret, though it's not a trick. It's just one foot in front of the other type-stuff.

But I don't get cocky. I don't look over my shoulder and laugh at her. I have too much respect for Resistance. She's jumping for that ball everyday too, and she could fill every seat in Madison Square Garden with all the tricks she'll use to win. Nothing is off limits to her. She'll throw things at me like the weather, family, work, grocery shopping, a cold, a flu, friends who want to get out for a beer...all that, and more. They are veiled as "good reasons."

Watch out.

If I (foolishly) reason with Resistance, watch how fast the tide turns on me. One day skips to the next, and now Resistance has me down on the mat. She's covering me in full guard, and I have to squirm like hell to fight my way out and get back my working rhythm.

It looks exactly like this:

Cold water on the face. Today's the day. Get back into it. Start my new streak. Day 1 (again). Write today. Write tomorrow. I don't feel like it. This is hard. Work out today. Work out tomorrow. Keep going. Back on track. 

So I keep wearing her down. Everyday. I don't wait for "when I feel like it." I don't wait for "inspiration." Inspiration is for the amateur. That's someone else, not me.

My writing could be crap. My body could be tired and crapped out. That's fine. But I'd rather do my thing crappy, than not do it at all. Crappy still says I win. And I'm not too proud to win that way.

So I string those days together because momentum gives me a shot, a blessed shot, at beating Resistance.

When Giving Is Difficult

By Mike Massie, author, Martial Arts Character Education Lesson Plans for Children

There’s a young man I see on the corner most days when I’m driving into downtown Austin, and it brightens my day every time I speak with him. I struck up a conversation with him one day due to the Medical Corps tattoo on his neck, and the fact that he’s missing his left leg from the knee down. My route takes me by his corner, and now I always make an effort to chat when I stop and he’s there.

As it turns out, this young man was a nurse in the Army, and he lost his leg in an IED explosion in Iraq. Every time I stop and whether I have any cash on me or not, he always smiles and thanks me for taking the time to say hi. We chat about how his day is going; sometimes it’s great, other times he admits that his leg is bothering him (apparently the bones have shifted in his stump, and he’s 108^th in line at the VA hospital for a new prosthesis).

But, he’s always smiling when he chats. Always. Ear to ear. It’s infectious.

The other day, I asked him how things were coming along with his VA claim. See, he’s waiting for the paperwork to get approved so he can get full disability benefits. That’s why he’s on the street corner every day. I know, it’s infuriating; I mean, I’m infuriated by it, and I’m not the one in his shoes.

Still, every day the young man smiles. And as he replied to me that in March everything should be squared away, his smile got even bigger. Not because he’s looking forward to finally having enough money to get off the street and back on his feet (both the one God gave him, and the one the Army replaced), but because he says he plans to help other homeless and disabled vets once he’s better situated financially.

“I’m going to come back out here and give back, once I’m able,” he told me with a huge grin. I told him I thought that was great, and that I hoped it came sooner rather than later. He smiled again, the light turned green, and I waved as I began to drive off.

“Thanks for taking the time to talk!” he said, with people behind me honking because I was holding up traffic in order to respond in kind. I checked the rearview as I drove away, wondering at how we can ask so much of our service members and give them so little in return. And as I drove a little further I couldn’t help but wonder at how this guy who has lost so much can still be so focused on helping others.

So if giving is difficult for you this year, perhaps because you’re irritated at one more holiday expense or one more charity asking for donations, please think about that veteran and reflect on how good things really are for you and yours this holiday season. For me, I must admit that I was finding it hard to give this year, at least until I received a Christmas reality check from my roadside friend. I can’t help but think that if we all shared his attitude and spirit, the world would be a much better place.

- - -

If you’d like to find out more about our wounded veterans, and also find out how you can help wounded veterans who are having a difficult time making the transition from military to civilian life, please visit http://www.garysinisefoundation.org/ and http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.