We all tend to fall into routines and have particular expectations. Then when something out of the ordinary happens, we are rocked to our core. Unexpected results from the doctor, a car accident, an opportunity in business, or a literal punch in the face can send us reeling, physically and psychologically. It all seems to have the same effect on us. How can we prepare for inevitable element of the unexpected?

Martial Arts as Preparation for Chaos

In the Pink Panther movies, Inspector Clouseau instructed his devoted servant Kato to attack him when he arrived home each evening to help keep him on his toes. Kato would invent all sorts of crazy schemes for attacking the Inspector, and thus the comedy ensued. However, the hapless inspector had a pretty good idea, which was that he knew he had to keep himself ready for the unexpected. Granted, the movie took it to the comedic extreme, but there is a kernel of truth to the idea.

It was a random encounter that brought me into martial arts. I was a victim of a violent crime. I have described that moment to people as one that pierced my little bubble of reality, my concept of personal security, and whatever theories I may have had about things like that happening to others.

It doesn’t matter what you call it. Happenstance, random events, cosmic uncertainty—it all means the same thing. There are some things that are out of our control. I have always sought to control the things that I can, and release from my psyche those things that I cannot. It is a very difficult discipline, but one that we all must master, or be forever obsessed with things we can’t change and inevitably ignore the things we can.

Martial arts training should include some elements of the unexpected. I try to prepare for the unexpected by introducing variety. If you train in a stand-up style, include some ground work. If you train for one opponent, try two. What about weapons? It will make things interesting to say the least. My real-life incident was with three opponents and a knife, all extremely close.

Always Be a Martial Artist

I got some great advice from my teacher when I first started training: “Take your martial arts with you when you leave. Don’t leave it here at the school.” That was something that I always appreciated and have tried to reinforce. Don’t be two people: one within the walls of your martial arts school, and then another when you leave. Take all the life lessons gleaned from your training with you, so that you can use them when that unforeseen circumstance arises.

What can we really control?

• While we don’t have a say in many of the things that happen to us, we can control how we react to them. We can control the thoughts in our head, and edit that loop that plays seemingly without end, so that it benefits us rather than causes us anxiety.
• We can control what we do with our body. This will likely have a greater impact than many of the other things we often obsess about. We control what we eat, and what we do.

What will you do if you get clocked on the street and fall on your ass? Martial arts, regardless of the discipline one may study, uses the body as a means to train the mind and spirit. While beautifully executed forms and technique are great, the gritty reality that a real encounter is messy, inexact, and not pretty. Life is not a martial arts movie. It is a way to train your character, your resilience, and your tenacity. It is a way to prepare yourself for those moments of chaos, when good judgement and decision making skills are needed. It is less about the mechanics of the punch, and more about the willingness of the person to throw it.

Preparation for the unexpected has its limitations. Knowledge, planning and analysis are great, but it still does not exempt one from the random occurrences that happen in life, and those moments when you think things should go one way, but for some reason they go another. We must prepare as best we can, but in the end, make peace with uncertainty.

Whether you grow or wither in the face of uncertainty is a decision:

Maximum Effort: Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets

The post Train for Uncertainty: It’s Guaranteed appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In running, there is a phrase for when you are at your physical limit. They call it “hitting the wall.” Hitting the wall is the point when you have used up all of your physical power and must draw upon pure will to continue. That is, if you choose to continue. Everything in your body is telling you to quit. Your muscles are fatigued, and your breath is short, coming only in gasps. You are running on fumes, and with every footfall you think about stopping. Giving up. Quitting.

Hitting the wall is when your negative self-talk can sabotage you. From somewhere deep within yourself, a sultry and seductive thought starts to appear. You see it materialize out of the darkness of your psyche and start to take form. Once fully manifested, it slowly and softly speaks to you. It gives a knowing smile and touches you with a gentle hand. Why not stop now? it whispers. Stopping is a code word and we know it. Stopping is merely the nicer and more polite word for quitting. We should always call it what it is, so that there is no mistaking it.

Finding Reasons to Quit Is Easy

We have all had things that we wanted to pursue that we “stopped” doing for some reason. I teach martial arts, and this subject comes up quite a bit. As a teacher, I see firsthand the way people deal with hitting the wall. Whether it is after days, months, or years everyone has that moment: Do I quit or go on?

Most people are very excited when they first start studying martial arts, and then some quickly fade. They start to realize it will be a long haul to make their goal. Some see only a long, lonely distance to travel, rather than a journey to be experienced.

Most people are masters of rationalization. We are very adept at providing reasons for quitting. We will come up with all sorts of reasons we can’t continue such as money, or some sort of injury from some other activity, or we are busier now, or we have to take care of a sick relative, etc. When I hear these things, I often start to think of John Belushi in The Blues Brothers when he is telling Carrie Fischer, while at gunpoint, all of the reasons he left her at the alter: “An old friend came in from out of town, I didn’t have enough money for cab fare, I had a flat tire…” (Do yourself a favor and see the movie. It is a great one!)

Excuses are the currency of failure, but you don’t want what they will buy you.

Why Don’t You Want to Succeed?

When my teacher used to ask his students why they weren’t going to a training camp that would help them advance towards their goal, he used to ask this way: “Tell me why you don’t want your black belt?” I found it refreshingly honest.

If a person genuinely decides not to pursue something due to a change of heart, or a valid reason of some sort, I can understand that. But I think that situation is pretty rare. I think that, more often than not, what happens is that people think of how far that they have come, and then they assess the prospect of a lot more work ahead to reach their goal. It all sinks in, and is weighed against the comfort of where they are. Suddenly, there is a quick glance around to make sure no one is looking, and then the well-worn and heavily-travelled path to mediocrity is taken, just as soon as one can find enough room to get on it.

The Choice to Quit or Continue

So how can we face this moment of truth and not end up where we would rather not be? I think that the most important thing is to see it for what it is: Reality. It is not something that can be ignored or lessened. It is a decision, and you make it whether you like it or not: Quit or continue. It is only a fool that can pretend it is anything else. But one should not be too hard on themselves and assume that one slip means you must fall forever. I believe in redemption. We all can redeem ourselves, pick up the mantle and start over.

It is not easy to continue, but like all things we do, the more we do it, the stronger we become. Our resolve becomes our resilience. The more we stay the course of dogged persistence and consistency, the more we are able to achieve. I often refer to the words of my first martial arts teacher who gave me wisdom at a critical moment while pursuing my black belt. He said to me, “If you quit you will never get it. If you continue, eventually you will get it.” Success is simple. It just isn’t easy.

If you truly want it, the decisions make themselves:

On Success and the Illusion of Choice

The post Have You Hit the Wall? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

To truly emulate the beast physically, we must become the beast mentally.

What if you had the ability to fly or were impervious to pain? How about the power to eat whatever you want and not gain weight, punch through a wall, or inhuman acrobatic skills? What if you could be as strong as a beast or have the power of a tiger or dragon? I think most people would like to have these abilities.

People come to martial arts for a variety of reasons. For example, I was a victim of violent crime, and then decided to pursue martial arts to recover physically and mentally; I wanted to reclaim my power. Others I have known sought martial arts to provide them with a to stay fit, compete, and some secretly want to get as close to a super power as possible (although they might not readily admit it). Martial arts can give the practitioner power over the body, power over the mind, and power over circumstances.

Having the power of a particular beast, such as a tiger is like a superpower. I have studied beast styles for a long time now, and I enjoy them. What is a beast style? My own definition is a style that incorporates the desired attributes of particular animals as a means of expressing martial technique, ability, and strategy. (Wanting to be like a tiger for instance.) The styles that I have studied: Shou Shu and Xing Yi, both incorporate beasts.

I did have flash backs to bad Kung Fu films when I was first taught to use a “Tiger Claw,” and I felt more than a little self-conscious about it. “So am I turning into a tiger now?” However, when I felt the power of channeling the feeling of the tiger into the strike, and then feeling the impact of the swat of my hand/claw hitting a bag, and then hitting a body, I was convinced. It felt incredibly strong, just as though I was using some kind of superpower.

One only has to think of Rocky Balboa and his quest to get his mojo back in Rocky III by attaining “the eye of the tiger,” for an analogy of the internal qualities associated with beasts. Humans associate beasts with power. Our ancestors, and some primitive cultures, wore animal skins for warmth but also partially for the visage of the beast. Whether it’s horned helmets, dragon boats, animal teeth on necklaces, or team mascots, we seem to instinctively associate beasts with desirable traits. We want to be as powerful and courageous as the tiger, as mysterious and regal as the dragon. We want to harness the attributes of the beasts to help us compensate for what we often feel we lack. Although it is the external we usually talk about, it is the internal attributes we may actually seek: courage, confidence, definiteness of purpose, and decisiveness of action to name a few. To truly emulate the beast physically, we must become the beast mentally.

Over the years, and in a variety of ways, I have learned and used exercises that helped me get the feeling of the beast into my body. I think everyone should experience this. Below, I provide a “beast” exercise for you to try that is great for building leg strength and balance. It’s a great cardio workout as well. Please try the exercise below to build up your tiger legs.

• Squat onto the balls of your feet keeping your back straight and guards up.
• Drive up with your legs and do a snap kick or a thrust kick forward.
• Squat back down and repeat the exercise kicking with the opposite leg.
• Keep alternating legs until you have done a set of 10.

Remember to keep your back straight. [Photo credit: Noel Plaugher]

Try to do two sets of ten. But if can’t do two sets, then at least do one set. You will want to use a mirror to check your form. Watch out for things such as leaning one way or another, or hunching over when you are on the balls of the feet. Keep your knees together. Balance will likely be the hardest part as you rise and fall on your legs vertically. Do the exercise slowly until you have the mechanics of it down and then add speed. The tiger is known for its strength and power, especially for pouncing on its prey. This exercise will help to train your body to be more like the tiger.

For most, this type of training will provide some surprising physical challenges and enhance whatever style you study. I think we can all agree that strong legs, better balance, and improved stamina will help anything you do. For others, studying a beast style may satisfy your psychological needs for a better state of mind. And for a few, I hope, it will satisfy your inner nerd who wants to get as close to attaining a superpower as possible.

Want to improve your fighting skills?

Five Tips for a More Effective Fighting Stance

The post Obtaining Beast Powers Through Martial Arts appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

There are many misconceptions about teaching, but most pervasive is that the teacher is somehow losing something by teaching. I once asked a student to consider becoming a teacher, and they responded with, “I want to work on my own stuff.” I had already gone through my spiel about the benefits of teaching, so this person obviously didn’t believe me, didn’t care, or perhaps both. That was fine with me; I didn’t want to force someone to teach. I am a firm believer that people will usually not do a good job if their heart isn’t in it. What the student failed to realize, believe, or understand is that if you teach, you get more than you give.

Spread your knowledge and you will make a difference in yourself and in others. [Photo credit: Jeff Nguyen]

Why You Should Teach

When I was younger, way, way back in that other semi-sordid life as a musician, I remember not wanting to teach a friend a particular guitar lick that I liked to play, because I was afraid of losing it. Another friend who taught guitar told me, “You know, when you teach someone that lick, you’ll get another one. It never runs out.” I was struck by that idea, and I’ll be doggone if that isn’t exactly what happened. Later, in music school, I heard the same thing from just about every player that taught there. I eventually heard the phrase, “The more you give, the more you get.” I believe it implicitly.

When I entered the world of martial arts, I was struck by the similarities in thought about teaching. When I attended my first black belt class, I was surprised to hear the Grand Master say, “I don’t teach for you, I teach for me!” When students grumbled about the volume of material to learn and keep up with, he would say, “If you don’t like to practice, then teach.” I knew what he was saying was true, as I had been teaching for some time. But I still saw some people roll their eyes, wanting instead to work on their own stuff. I always found time to do both. In fact, I had more time because as a teacher, I had less to practice.

The other objection I often hear is that a person thinks they are not good enough to teach. I like to ask them when they think they will be good enough. It is usually in the very distant future, or an indeterminable time such as, “When I am better.” I tell everyone that uses this excuse to just get started, and the rest will take care of itself. You will get better faster if you teach than if you don’t. No preparation will make you as good as standing in front of someone and showing them how to do something.

The Benefits of Teaching

So what are the overall benefits of teaching?

• Confidence: If you are not confident, you will not teach well. Putting yourself on the spot will make you cultivate a level of confidence you likely didn’t know that you had. This is a tremendous benefit for those persons seeking self-improvement. Teaching can be scary, and a person willing to confront that fear will improve tenfold. If you need extra work or practice, you will likely do it, knowing that there is a real and pending reason to do it.

• Your skills will improve: Whatever you are teaching, you will get better at doing. My first martial arts teacher used to tell me to teach the technique that I most wanted to improve, because it was the fastest way to make it better. Want to improve your snap kick? Ground technique? Arm bar? Teach it!

• You will be a better student: As you teach, you will appreciate those students that exhibit behavior that is pleasant and makes it easy for you. Likewise, when you are being taught, you will have empathy for the teacher and strive to be attentive, alert and engaged. Consequently, you will learn more as well. Your lessons as a student will be more productive.

• Practice time: For a skill like martial arts, teaching enables you to practice as you teach, so you lessen the need for extra practice time. There was a time when I used to practice all the forms in my style of martial art. Now that I teach them, I only practice the ones I don’t teach. And I am looking for students for those!

You Will Improve Yourself and Others

I believe wholeheartedly in the idea of teaching to make yourself better at whatever you are doing. When I started studying judo, I taught everything I learned in my lesson later that night. I have done that for some time now. I wanted to be a better grappler, so I started teaching grappling. It absolutely made me better, and quick.

I can always tell a good teacher by how they accept a new student. Are they enthusiastic and cheerful at the opportunity to show something new, or are they bothered that they got pulled away from “their stuff?” When I started studying Xing Yi, my teacher greeted me with, “Great to have you! Now I don’t have to practice my Xing Yi!” I knew he would be a great teacher, and he was. Spread your knowledge and you will make a difference in yourself and in others.

Develop your skill set:

The Psychology of Skill Development

Develop the skill of your athletes:

The Lost Art of Handwritten Programming

The post Don’t Like to Practice? Then Teach appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

These are all things that people have asked when I talk to them about qigong. All except for that last one; that’s a running joke that I have with a friend of mine.

Qigong can and should be a whole lot simpler. For some people even the word qigong conjures up images of bizarre exercises and outrageous claims and abilities. I have seen some as well. For this reason, some people have dismissed it outright.

Qigong has absolutely helped my health, strength, and my judo. It is my hope that students of varied disciplines such as Brazilian jiu jitsu, judo, Muay Thai and MMA will give qigong a try to enhance their training.

An Unassuming Beginning

Like most things worth studying, you need to find a good teacher. My first teacher was a TCM doctor, and he didn’t teach anything beyond relaxing, breathing, using intention, and correct body alignment. He showed me how to stand as if embracing a sphere in front of me, and that is where it started. It was unusual, but not magical. It was useful and not complex.

I practiced embracing the sphere every day for 15 minutes. I felt it made me stronger, yet relaxed and more focused. It was subtle, but effective. My legs were stronger, and my posture improved. My arms were relaxed, but still able to hold the forms for long periods with little effort. My martial arts improved. The practice was meditative and unified my mind and body. Overall, I just felt good and that made it worth practicing, so I continued.

I studied for some years, then had to move away from my teacher. After I moved, I looked up qigong on the internet, hoping to find a new teacher. I found quite a few people teaching it, but in a strange way. There was a kind of magical take on what I had always thought and practiced as a very internal and useful form of exercise. There was no magic when I learned it. It was slightly esoteric, and some things were a little strange, but not magical. The focus was breath, alignment and intention. These are powerful things when you put them together, and will provide you with many amazing benefits, but you still won’t be able to shoot lightning bolts out of your palms.

Finding Freedom in Discipline

I wound up finding some great teachers. They taught qigong as well as xing yi, ba gua and tai chi. What struck me most about qigong was how simple it was. The emphasis from all of the teachers I encountered was to simply “do.” There was no real analysis beyond what the practitioner needed to know to do the exercise correctly. The benefits were felt, not explained. Only occasionally would the teacher give an explanation longer than a sentence, and that was only after learning from them for a while.

I once asked a question of a teacher about a particular part of a form, and their response stunned me: “If you are shifting your weight, breathing, and making circles with your hands it doesn’t really matter what you do.” Even now, the simplicity is awe-inspiring. It was a truth I always cherished and remembered. In fact, it has inspired me to work with qigong with “no form,” which I will write more about in the future.

The teacher was not saying that form was unimportant, or even that what they were teaching was to be taken lightly. What they were emphasizing was that in the total of the many important things related to qigong, there are some things that matter more than others. These three elements matter most:

• Breath
• Shifting weight
• Circular motion 

It is simple to understand, but difficult to do. Most people want to add more, and look for things that may or may not be there. But if you want to enhance your martial arts training or just your health, there is little you need to know beyond the basics.

Simply Start Your Practice

My martial pursuits have benefitted immensely from studying qigong. Everything I have learned, from xing yi to judo, has made me realize the benefits of keeping up my qigong practice. I prefer the standing variety, so that is what I do the most. I encourage people studying any martial art to try some simple qigong. Start with the standing posture taught in my previous article. Do this for a few minutes a day for several weeks. Stand, relax, and breathe. You will start to feel great if you stick with it. Hopefully, you will add some type of qigong to whatever you study, but remember to keep it simple. If I ever learn how to shoot lightning bolts, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Learn to take full advantage of proper breathing:

A Primer on Diaphragmatic Breathing

The post Qigong Made Simple appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Each moment can be an expansion of knowledge. [Photo courtesy of Noel Plaugher]

Embracing the New

Let me give you an example. I was a second-degree black belt when I began studying the internal art of Xing Yi Chuan. It was somewhat similar to what I had studied before, but it had internal elements that I had to learn. I found that I really loved that particular aspect of Xing Yi. For me, embracing that unknown area was very beneficial to my health and all of my martial arts training. As I learned more about the Qigong found in Xing Yi, I became an advocate for the standing postures because they had changed my body and mind for the better. I felt so strongly that I wrote a book about it. I was glad that I decided to try something new and found that it provided elements that added nicely to what I had been doing.

Years later, I was at my friend’s martial arts school and I decided after watching him teach numerous grappling classes that I needed to learn some grappling. Students in my school had asked about it, plus I thought it was a good idea since all of my experience was primarily with striking arts. This began my pursuit of Judo.

I still remember the first time I did Randori (free practice) with my classmate. The instruction part of the class was over and we had been working on techniques for both standing and ground work. We were then instructed to do Randori for one minute and then switch partners. A minute didn’t seem very long to me. I thought to myself “Well, I have been doing these other arts for a long time so…whoa!” He had gripped onto my collar and pulled me suddenly in one direction, and then threw me in another. I landed with a hard thud. He quickly followed me to the ground, landing on me with his body. (I could swear I felt my ribs flex a little, ugh.) He was on top of me quickly working towards a submission, and I tried desperately to think about what to do, “Crap! How the hell do I… Ok, I think I am supposed to move to the…” I suddenly felt burning pain in my elbow as it was being hyperextended and I tapped furiously against his leg. He had pinned me with an arm bar. We quickly stood up, although I got up a little slower than he did, and we began to do it all again. It felt much longer, but it had only been a few seconds into that minute. This was going to be a long minute. We went on until the time was up, and I realized that I had a lot to learn.

That experience was quite a wake-up call for me, and I immediately understood why some people choose to learn something different, and why some stick to what they do best already.

All of my training has helped everything else I do. [Photo courtesy of Noel Plaugher]

Get Out of the Familiar

Sticking to what you are an expert in, and are comfortable with, gives you a certain safety with the familiar. It is uncomfortable to place yourself in an unfamiliar environment, but that is when you really learn, and when you are really tested. If you like to feel secure, then it is very uncomfortable to throw yourself into the metaphorical deep end of the pool, but it is probably very necessary for your own personal growth.

As a martial artist, I think exposure to new things is necessary, whether you embrace them or not – If for no other reason, one must keep their ego in check. It is too easy to be an “expert” with theories and logical reasons why you have all of the answers, but that is not reality. There are unknowns and a randomness of how events unfold that makes the comfort of certainty the main reason that it should be shunned. Certaity is not real.

When I extracted myself from that environment of certainty, it left me with the reality of who I really am. When there is nothing familiar around you, you stand metaphorically naked, stripped bare. It can be unpleasant if you see things you don’t like. There are things that were likely always there, but now are unable to remain hidden, and so they must be changed or accepted. But, to be the best you can be, it is important to see who you really are.

Since studying martial arts, and trying many new things, I have been able to add these new elements to my repertoire. Ironically, rather than finding an amalgamation of differences, I have found a plethora of similarities. Even between seemingly unrelated things like Judo and Qigong there are still similarities. I found that the better my standing Qigong training, the more comfortable I was with my Judo because the use of energy and whole-body power is a part of both. My comfort with close proximity from Judo has enhanced my previous training and provided some interesting insight into the use of motion that I learned previously in other arts. All of my training has helped everything else I do.

I have always enjoyed learning, and I feel stagnant when I am not challenged or learning new things. For me, the most empowered feeling is not putting on my black belt, but putting on a white belt. With a new and untraveled road of knowledge in front of me, I know that I will be learning all new things and having new adventures. Each moment will be an expansion of my knowledge in an endless collection toward my own self-mastery. I urge you; do something different and challenge yourself this week.

More on challenging yourself:

Why Better Than Average Isn’t Good Enough for Me

The post Embrace the Chaos and Try Something New appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Diaphragmatic breathing, often referred to as abdominal breathing, is the best way to breathe deeply for health, meditation, and exercise. You may have heard of diaphragmatic breathing for yoga, martial arts, and Qigong, but rarely is it ever fully explained or instructed. I have been teaching and practicing it for years, and know that it is easy to learn and extremely beneficial for everyone.

I learned to breathe diaphragmatically when I was a singer, back in my other life as a musician. Little did I know that it would be the best thing I ever did for my body and mind. It is a constant source of calming energy as well as a reservoir of audible focus in the form of a “Kiai” when executing martial arts techniques. I learned how to breathe diaphragmatically using the method below, and I have been teaching it ever since for meditation, martial arts, and learning to be in the moment.

Here is a step-by-step approach to starting your practice:

1. Lie on your back on the floor and relax.
2. Place an object on your abdomen that has some weight, but is not too heavy. In the old days we used a phone book because it was the right size and weight. I often use a binder, so use something comparable.
3. Inhale deeply, and think about pushing all of the air into your abdomen, pushing the binder up as high as possible using only your abdomen. If possible, have a spotter watch you inhale to ensure that your chest does not rise. It is important to make sure you are not breathing into your chest.
4. Exhale and think about all of the air exiting your abdomen. As the object is falling, imagine it sinking through your abdomen to the floor. This will help you execute a complete exhale.
5. Never hold your breath. You should either be inhaling or exhaling.
6. Use counting to ensure the breathing is long and even. Breathe in for a count of five and exhale for a count of five, etc.
7. With subsequent breaths, try to inhale for a longer duration and exhale for a longer duration. Watch as the object rises and falls with your breath.
8. Concentrate on only using the abdomen, as the breath is entering and exiting, to move the object.
9. It helps to take audible breaths so you can hear yourself doing the exercise. Strive to make the breaths long.
10. After about a dozen breaths, you should feel that you are breathing deeper, and be used to feeling of pushing up the object and letting it fall.
11. When you are ready, sit up very slowly. Do not stand. It is common to have a “head rush” when you sit up. If you stand too quickly you may fall.
12. Take a few breaths normally and stand, or better yet, sit briefly in a chair.

Take time daily to breathe deeply for a few minutes. Even two to five minutes will be beneficial. You will find that you can relax deeply and when you finish, you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle what awaits you. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the single most important things that you can do with your body. It is not just for internal business though. On some nights after I close the school, and everyone is gone, I pull out my old clunky guitar and give it a quick tune like I did all of those years ago. I take a deep breath and belt out a couple of my old favorite songs with all the power and volume I want. Breathe deeply, and do all the things that bring you joy.

Are you breathing to your fullest potential?

The Neglected Training Mojo: Breath

The post A Primer on Diaphragmatic Breathing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Sundays we do judo. We had just completed a rigorous judo workout that included exercises, instruction, and some spirited Randori (free-style practice). As we stood there soaking in sweat, I put my hands on my wet head in an effort to catch my breath and he asked me, “Are you going to do your bag workout?”

“Yes,” I said quietly, and nodded. Eventually I got enough air to ask, “Are you?”

“Yep,” he said as he smiled back, sweaty but full of energy.

Unwavering Dedication

The gym was so empty that every noise echoed. The weights and machines squatted dormant in their designated places, and I looked around thinking that maybe we were crazy being there on a holiday weekend. On the way into the gym that morning I noticed most of the traffic, what little there was, was going the other way. I wondered if they knew something I didn’t.

After a brief rest, and a big slug of modestly energized water, I changed from my wet and sweaty judo gi into badly cut shorts I had made from an old pair of sweats. I added an aged t-shirt and put on my beat up gloves for the punching bag. My worn out shoes completed my often-mocked outfit. In my own defense, I have always believed that expensive or fashionable workout clothes are unnecessary as I just plan to get sweaty and I don’t care who sees me. As Richard put on an old ripped shirt and a pair of discolored gi pants I saw that we thought alike. Since he is a champion, I figured I was in good company.

Left: Richard Trammell; Right: Richard and I training. [Photos courtesy of Noel Plaugher]

I asked if we were the only ones coming in that day. Usually, a group of people would show up later for personal training or for a boxing class. They would typically stream in when we were finishing up our first workout.

“Yep, it is just us. Some people said they were coming, but they didn’t show up,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders and continued wrapping his hands to work the heavy bag.

“Maybe we’re crazy, huh?” I asked.

“No, we’re just different. When most people think about coming in, and working out, they look at it as giving something up. We look at it as giving something up if we don’t come in,” he said with a smile and continued wrapping his hands.

At that moment I realized what he meant when he said there was a difference between doing something out of obligation and doing something out of a hunger and drive to succeed. One look at Richard’s many accomplishments, including having the physique of man twenty years younger, speaks to the fact that there is no arguing with this mindset. A reluctant soul who is not committed to their success will likely not see it. One thing is absolutely true, if you are looking for a way to accomplish something, you will find it, and the opposite is also true.

Listen to Yourself

If you have a burning passion to do something, and it brings you joy to do it, there will be those that don’t understand your pursuit of your goal, and they will try to provide you with some really great excuses for not pursuing it. You must be careful about who you interact with, especially those who do not share your dedication. Monitoring feedback from friends, family, and coworkers is imperative for maintaining a positive mindset, and I find at this late stage in life that I am choosy about who I take advice from.

A mindset towards a goal will often draw critics in the form of: “You need balance,” or “Don’t overdo it.” But you must ask yourself: Is it my balance or someone else’s? You need to do what is necessary, and you will know what that is. Just because someone else can’t imagine spending an afternoon in a sweaty gym and loving it doesn’t mean you should stop. If you are trying to accomplish something it usually means that you must be prepared to sacrifice and confront difficulty.

Years ago, I remember leaving for a martial arts class after work. My co-workers were standing in the break room getting ready to have an after work get together. As I left, one said, “Do you have to go to class? Can’t you miss it just once?” I told him as politely as possible, that I didn’t want to miss it, and I went to the class. Once I started finding reasons to miss class, I would start to find more of them, and then the journey back to being consistent would be difficult.

How many people have given up on their dream because, “life got in the way”? The door to distractions is easy to open, but hard to close. I am glad I have made the choices that I have, and I still enjoy pursuing my goals in martial arts. I have never regretted any of my training. For me, it is good to know that it is the mindset of a champion.

Learn from the greats:

4 Mindset Lessons From the Legends

Headline photo courtesy of Baltimore BJJ.

The post A Champion’s Mindset appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As part of my training, I would start by standing silent and motionless in a series of positions, usually with my eyes closed. Standing with my arms embracing an invisible sphere, I would get lost in the moment. Deep diaphragmatic breath calmed my mind and body. I used imagery to visualize internal energy moving through my body like a golden wave, as I moved deeper into a meditative state. I imagined my body becoming stronger and full of energy.

Time seemed to slip away. Often, I wouldn’t realize the children’s soccer league had arrived. When I emerged from my blissful meditative state, I was suddenly surrounded by ice chests, lawn chairs, and several minivan loads of kids running around the field, and sometimes even around me. Parents would either ignore me completely or stare at me, trying to figure out what I was doing. When asked, I always responded, “Exercising.” They would look at me strangely, and with their head tilted say, “Really? Looks like you’re just standing there.”

Exercise doesn’t always mean movement. [Photo courtesy Pixabay]

Introducing Qigong

Most people think of exercise as movement, but there is a great form of exercise based on standing still and holding a position or series of positions for a period of time. This type of exercise is called standing qigong. I once explained standing qigong to a friend in this way: “Standing qigong has all of the benefits of yoga, but you don’t have to tie yourself up in knots.” That is an oversimplification, but it communicates that standing is both mental and physical exercise all on its own.

Qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”) is a form of exercise that is part of traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese internal martial arts. Internal arts are martial arts that include some form of energy cultivation and use the mind to lead the body. Tai Chi is probably the most famous internal martial art.

Qigong means “energy-work.” It is a practice of working with your energy using both mind and body. People are often drawn to such practices when they want something more than physical exercise, or when they are dealing with a physical or psychological issues like stress or anxiety, as it can often help both.

Standing Qigong

My favorite type of qigong is the standing variety. Standing qigong involves standing in a specific posture for a period of time. It sounds simple, and it definitely has less moving parts than a 108-part Tai Chi form, but it is still challenging. The great thing about standing qigong is that it requires no equipment, fancy clothes, or special location. You can practice anywhere. That also means no excuses for not doing it.

The following is my favorite standing qigong posture, and a great introduction to the practice:

• Choose a level space and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and push your weight slightly to the outside edges of your feet.
• Think about a string being tied to the back of your head pulling it up. Let that feeling gently pull your body until it is erect, but not stiff.
• Take a deep inhale, and let your arms softly float up to the level of your chest.
• Let your arms form a circle. Think of holding a large sphere of energy.
• Drop your shoulders.
• Stand in this posture for a minute or two to start. Use a timer or count your breaths.

This posture provides a frame for your body to work from; a base for your motion. It has so much utility that you may want to keep using it even after you have a whole catalog of postures to choose from.

The external aspects of the posture are the first concern when starting your practice. Once you have the form down, you can delve into deeper concepts, such as diaphragmatic breathing and visualization. Look for future articles on these refinements.

Left: start position; Middle: arms float up; Right: finish position. [Photo courtesy of Noel Plaugher]

Consistent Practice Is Key

I have students who come in and do all the classes for a few days, and then I don’t see them for a month. They don’t see as much benefit as the ones that maintain a regular practice. In everything I have ever done, persistence and consistency are the keys to success, and qigong is no exception.

Start standing with intention now. If you practice this form for 5-10 minutes a day, you will start to feel the benefits, including a stronger foundation, more energy, and a better mind-body connection. What? You don’t have five minutes? Okay, then do it for two minutes. Not even two? Then do one. That may not sound like enough time, but as with all things, the key isn’t how long you do qigong, it is how often.

Want to know more about this martial art?

Qigong: The New (Ancient) Way of Improving Health and Performance

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