The Ocean & The Wave

The Glass & the Lake

2012-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

One day a teacher grew tired of her apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him into town to buy some salt. When the apprentice returned, the teacher instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then drink it.

"How does it taste?" the teacher asked.

"Bitter," spat the apprentice.

The teacher chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it into a nearby lake. So, the two of them walked down to the shore and once there the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the teacher said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the teacher asked, "How does it taste?"

"Fresh," remarked the apprentice.

"Do you taste the salt?"

"No," said the young man.

At this, the teacher sat beside this serious young man who reminded her of herself and took his hands in hers, offering "The pain of life is pre salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of bitternes we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things... Stop being a glass. Become a lake."

~ Center yourself and focus on something that bothers you. A pain within yourself.

~ Rather than trying to eliminate the pain, try to breathe through it.

~ With each in-breath, notice your efforts to wrap around the pain.

~ With each in-breath, try to enlarge your sense of Self and let the pain float within the depth of something larger than yourself.

Taken from Mark Nepo's Book, "The Book of Awakening."

Enjoy the ride,
~Craig

The Pecha Kucha 20 x 20 Challenge

2012-01-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

A picture from my perspective on stage while presenting at PetchaKucha Night

It sounded so easy at first. This would be just another speaking engagement right!? Last year I spoke at just under one hundred and thirty engagements, seminars or trainings. Now this number doesn't include my regular teaching schedule or networking meetings which would add another four hundred plus individual events. So, in light of that you may understand why I figured that speaking at this Pecha Kucha Grand Rapids event would be a fun little challenge.

You may be wondering what is this Pecha Kucha Night anyway? Well, PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

My first challenge was to take the PeaceWalker Project idea and be able to describe it in 20 x 20. That is twenty power point slides, at twenty seconds per slide, which equals six minutes and forty seconds. Now keep in mind that normally a simple intro of this program is typically sixty or ninety minutes long. The kicker was also that I had no control over the timing of the slides; they would cycle automatically. That means no wandering thoughts or words. I had to strip this concept down so that it was understandable and inspirational in a record speed of 6 min, 40 sec. For those who know me... you may understand how challenging I would find this to be.

This was a timely challenge. One of my goals this year is to work toward condensing my thoughts and words to be more concise. In effort of this I think the universe came to my aid to help me train and practice.

I began stripping away all but the essence of the PeaceWalker message that would fit into the 20 x 20 format. This was not going to be an easy task, so to help me on my journey, once again the universe came to my aid. As I was searching for ideas in Schuler Books I ran across Dan Roam's new book "Blah, Blah, Blah: What to Do When Words Don't Work." It ended up to be the perfect book for my quest.

After countless attempts I finally put something together that I thought was a pretty good place to start. The next step was to try it out. So I had to time the power point slide show with the verbiage. Now there is obviously an easy way and a hard way of doing this and I of course chose the hard way. One would think that I could have found a much more efficient way of keeping time of advancing the slide show as I spoke. And of all of those ways I chose none of them, rather I propped my laptop up on my living room tv (no flat screen for me folks, its a vintage 2001 Montgomery Ward going out of business sale 27" console tv that I picked up for double what you probably paid for your 75" flat screen from BestBuy this past Christmas Season... hey, what can I say!? It still works just fine AND I can put laptop on top of it!). Ok, now all I needed was a timer. Thanks to Meijers my tv is propped up on an inexpensive yet stylish entertainment stand on which sits my small Panasonic stereo. The stereo has a digital counter. Now that I have a way of seeing the seconds go by, all I need is a song that is the right time. Enter Dio. That's right, Ronnie James. So, in the stereo sits a cd, and on that cd there is a song by Ronnie James Dio called Sacred Heart. It is the second song on his 1985 album of the same name. Why did I choose this particular song? Well, if you read my last couple blogs you may have realized that I have been a bit of a Dio kick lately and being that I happened to have the cd in my player and the song was six minutes twenty seconds long, it seemed to make a good enough improvised timing devise for me to keep track of when to advance my slides.

My first taste of nervousness really came after watching a video of Will Oatman . He was funny and he juggled the entire time! Neither skill I really posses. I am a trainer, not an entertainer. Oh, and did I mention that I can't juggle either. After watching Will's video I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I may have made a grave mistake taking this on. Even after hours of practice the feeling didn't go away, if anything it got worse as the time got closer. Then the event night came. Aside from a couple appointments, I spent pretty much the entire day polishing the delivery of my presentation.

It was snowing and cold. I packed up my things, got in my car and began driving down to Stella's Lounge downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. I arrived early and circled the block a few times looking for a parking space. I found one a couple blocks away. Parked and walked to the venue.

As the night ramped up, so did my nerves. I haven't been this nervous in a long time. Was it the venue? The fact that I wasn't in control of advancing my own power point slide presentation? The fact that I couldn't juggle?! All possibilities I suppose. Regardless of what all of the factors were, the truth was that I was having a near panic attack! I couldn't remember my presentation at all! I couldn't catch my breath! I was perspiring... man it was HOT in here! I wanted to cut and run. That sick feeling in the pit of my stomach was something that I haven't felt since asking Tonya Jenkins to skate with me during couples skate in the 6th grade. This was ridiculous! I had to get myself together. So, I began my breathing exercises and changing my self talk and see a positive out come rather than me being tared and feathered on stage while I was laughed at, just before being run out of town on a rail! It would be good to face this challenge and get it over. Great plan... until Dan Terpstra of Terpstra Photography tells me that I am will be the seventh presentation. That's right, number seven out of eight presentations. Greaaaaaaaaaaat! Must reframe my perspective: "Seven is a lucky number! Right?!"

Presentation after presentation is performed and then a voice announces MY name over the sound system.Uh oh! This is where the rubber meets the road. Time to face my fears and the crowd. Here we go, time to put my money where my mouth is so to speak!

As I walk away from my table toward the small lit stage the feeling in my stomach was that same feeling I got when I bungee jumped from a hot air balloon in Colorado years ago. It's GO TIME! Embrace the feeling and use the adrenalin to better perform.

You may be wondering how things went?! Actually, after getting up on the small stage and breaking the tension with a quick photo (shown above); once I got into the groove things went well. Overall I was happy with how it all went. I was thankful for the opportunity to get the chance to present. I gained much from the entire experience. As a matter of fact Dan and Rob Terpstra of Pecha Kucha Grand Rapids asked me back to perform again at their next event sometime in April. I think I might take them up on it!

Until next time gang!

Keep going,
~Craig

Ronin Martial Arts Academy Wins U.S. Commerce Association 2011 Grand Rapids Award for Martial Arts Training

2011-12-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Thank you, thank you! I am honored to have won this prestigious award! In receiving this recognition I would like to thank my mom and dad, all of my mentors and of course all of those people who train at our academy!!

Hold on, wait one cotton pickin' minute... Before my I get too big for my britches, we should talk about something first. Who is the U.S. Commerce Association anyway and how did I win this so called award? Well if you google this official sounding association you'll find out very quickly that it is one big scam to get business owners to buy these bogus awards. Tricky tricky! So business owners beware of this scam to pilfer your pocket books!

Have a good New Year all!

And as my grandad used to say, "Don't take any wooden nickles!"

All the best,

~Craig

The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame

2011-12-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here I sit in one of my favorite coffee houses, sipping on my Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea, listening to some Ronnie James Dio and reflecting about 2011 and of course looking forward to what 2012 has yet to bring! Before I go into too much detail about my thoughts let me tell you a little "Tie In Story." I call this one, "The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame." I don't remember where I picked this story up from, so for that reason forgive me if I don't recite it word for word. I changed the title and adapted things to suit both my purpose of telling it as well as my fading, sometimes ill tempered memory. So without any further ado:

"The Stone Cutter of Notre Dame"

One day the foreman of a very large stone query was out doing his rounds checking on all of the workers who were cutting stone into bricks that were to be used in constructing the great Cathedral of Notre Dame. As he walked he came across one of the workers grumbling and very unhappy with life. The foreman asked the worker what he was doing? To which the worker replied, "What's am I doing?! Isn't it obvious? I am working out here in the hot sun cutting these huge stones into bricks. It's back breaking work. And look around, no matter how many rocks I finish there are more rocks to chisel. This project is so immense it will never be finished in my lifetime. It's endless! So, if you would excuse me I have to get back to work."

Under normal circumstances the foreman would have fired the worker, but he had known this worker for a long time and knew he could be a bit cranky, however, he never missed a day and he did good work, so the foreman just smiled and agreed that carving stones into bricks was very hard work and kept moving.

As the foreman walked along he came upon a second worker who was also carving stone. Because of the response of the first worker the foreman was hesitant to ask the second worker what he was doing, but being that was his job, he asked all the same. Upon hearing the question the second worker replied, "What am I doing? I am supporting my family. Although the work is difficult and very taxing, it supports me and those I love, so I am thankful for it. And because this project is so large there is job security which makes me feel safe in knowing I will be able to provide for myself and my family for my entire life."

To this the foreman nodded and agreed on all of his points, knowing that each was true.

Finally, before finishing his rounds the foreman came upon a third worker who was moving with conviction. Seeing his dedication the foreman asked him what he was doing? The third worker looked up from his work, brow red and sweating from the sun and replied, "I am carving the foundation to the great Cathedral of Notre Dame which will bring enlightenment, knowledge, and peace to many peoples lives for generations to come. I know that this project cannot be finished in my lifetime, which makes my job even more important. The efforts of others will be built upon my own, so you'll have to excuse me my friend for not chatting longer, but there is much work to do."

The foreman was at loss for words as he thought about the connection that this laborer felt to his own work and how that drove him to excel in everything he did. He began to understand how powerful perspective and belief was in everything we do.The deeper connections to our daily lives is what keeps us on track and motivated to continue on. It makes for a more fulfilling and prosperous path.

Live, Protect, Inspire & of course... Enjoy the Ride!

Best,

~Craig

The Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari by Mushtaq Ali

2011-12-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Mushtaq & I at a SNDSTL

[Secret Non-Disclosed Silat Training Location =]

Here is a good post entry I thought you would benefit from. Mushtaq Ali shares his "Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari." Although told in a lighthearted way, they are some seriously good principles of warriorship! Enjoy!

If you would like to read more of Mushtaq's insights check out his blog. The Traceless Warrior

The Twenty Rules of Silat Zulfikari
by Mushtaq Ali

While these rules started out a bit "tongue in cheek", (someone asked me about the philosophical basis of Silat, I replied "I hit you". The rest, as they say, was history). So, for the edification of my students, and the amusement of my readers, I present to you

The Rules

(with commentary)

1. I hit you

"We are but a simple people."

It is good to always remember that the point of the exercise is to deliver energy in the form of destabilize shock to one's opponent. This may be in the form of a strike with the hand, elbow, knee, or the whole planet. It may also be in the form of a strike with the mind, using words, body language and such, but in combat things need to be kept simple, so "I hit you".

2. I don't get hit

Not getting hit means that your structure is good, and it also means that you can absorb and shed the shock your opponent tries to give you. Not getting hit also means that your intent is to protect yourself.

3. When in doubt, I hit

Rather than ruminating indecisively, deal with the situation. Do not be in denial about what is going on. Strike with the spirit, strike with the mind, strike with the body.

4. Centerline is MINE!

While there is the obvious meaning to this statement, keeping your structure so that you protect and control "centerline" between you and your opponent, there is a deeper meaning to this. Centerline is where you define it.

5. While we are on the subject, so is everything else

Own your whole space, utilize everything.

6. It's all in the Jurus

A juru is a series of bio-mechanical exercises grouped together in a closed kinetic chain. They contain the motions and teach the principles from which technique can be spontaneously generated. Jurus become more useful when one learns to open the chain.

7. My __fill in the blank____ are ___fill in the blank____ until they aren't

Don't get stuck in thinking that rules are anything more than guidelines, know when to break the rules to your best advantage.

8. Elbows DOWN!

Maintain good structure throughout your movement. Make sure that you are using proper power generation, don't give your opponent openings. Oh yes, and keep your elbows down.

9. If it goes physical, I WILL be the one who walks away.

Keep your priorities straight. If you have to act, do so with commitment. Not protecting yourself from someone who is trying to hurt you is a sin against yourself.

10. It ends NOW!

When you have to become physical, do so in a way that ends the confrontation in the quickest appropriate manner. Do not leave anything for later, don't win just this fight, win in such a way that you are not making future trouble for yourself. This could mean anything from NOT gloating over a victory to making sure your opponent knows that looking for a rematch is foolish.

11. How badly I hurt you depends on how much of a physical threat you offered me

Use only the degree of force necessary to the situation. If you are dealing with a drunk friend who is just getting a little out of line, breaking his arm is usually not what is needed. If you are attacked by a man with a knife, acting as if this is not a life or death encounter will get you killed.

12. I am so dangerous I can afford to be polite, reasonable and mellow.

Only the weak, the insecure and those who live in fear need to "woof" or show everyone how tough and dangerous they are. Always treat others with respect, strive to understand all points of view, never let yourself be controlled by negative emotion.

13. Gravity is my friend, on the other hand, it doesn't like you very much.

Use gravity to help power your movement and make your work easier by being supple, help your opponent to work against gravity by making his structure more dense. When appropriate hit your opponent with the ground.

14. I not only have the right to think at all times, but the responsibility to do so.

When you look around this planet, all the human problems you see may just be caused in large part by this one thing, giving over ones responsibility to think for themselves. If you're given the ability to do great damage to your fellows, then you MUST take responsibility and never let yourselves be controlled by unconscious memes.

There is an old saying, "If you make yourself into a donkey, there will always be someone willing to ride you."

15. When it feels too easy, then I am doing it right.

Good Silat is not about effort and strain, it is about integrating breath, movement and structure in such a way that what you do happens with an "effortless" flow.

16. Effective Silat means moving in four dimensions.

While some martial arts rely on two dimensions, forward and back, right and left, good Silat will use all dimensions of space, changing levels, taking the most useful vectors in relation to the opponent. Good Silat also uses time.

17. The strongest lever is the screw.

This is of course basic physics.

18. A screw moves circles through time and space.

If you don't understand this you are not doing good Silat.

19. Make sure your opponent is 'Screwed'.

Draw your opponent into the natural spirals of your movement. Use what the internal arts call "reeling silk energy", which is what is described in rule 18.

20. It's ALL Kebatinan

Kebatinan means "inner" or "secret" teachings. This rule was first articulated when a student asked, "so when do we start learning the Kebatinan (secret stuff)" To which I replied "It's ALL Kebatinan". Silat Zulfikari hides all its "secrets" in plain sight, in other words, you learn the "secrets" from the beginning. There is enough mystery in a "simple" strike that you can spend your life exploring it and never reach the end of new discoveries.

Written by Mushtaq Ali
Traceless Warrior Blog

The Ethical Warrior: Are ethics tactical? by Jack Hoban & Bruce Gourlie

2011-11-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is a great article on PoliceOne.com written by fellow RGI compadres Jack Hoban & Bruce Gourlie. A great article I thought you folks out there would benefit from as well. Click here for more about Resolution Group International.

Talk to you soon.

Best,
~Craig

The Ethical Warrior: Are ethics tactical?

Our power to overcome danger is born from our duty to protect

Our recent article, “The Hunting Story,” tells how a simple soldier in the back of a truck was able to activate a feeling of human equality between relatively well-off Americans and destitute villagers in a poor, allied country with just a few words and a challenge. When asked to articulate why all people feel that their lives are equal he said, “I don't know why they value their lives so much. Maybe it's those snotty nosed kids or the women in the pantaloons. But whatever it is, they care about their lives and the lives of their loved ones, same as we do.”

Human equality and the “inalienable right to life,” are the bedrock premises underlying the Ethical Warrior concept. All other behaviors and cultures are relative, but the Life Value is universal. Certainly, we address illegal behavior — that’s our job. We absolutely don’t have to respect criminal values, but we still must respect the life of the criminal, or our enemies, if we are true ethical protectors. But that begs a few very important questions, including:

• With such an emphasis on values — do we risk making LEOs “too ethical” to deal with immoral and implacable criminals?
• Wouldn’t it be better only to focus on protecting our own lives and the lives of the innocent?
• Don’t we put ourselves at additional risk by trying to also protect the “bad guys?

We agonized over these points in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) and it comes down to this: should Marines be trained as killers or protectors?

• Are “protectors” as prepared for the realities of war as “killers?”
• Will ethics training somehow make Marines “soft,” and less capable of accomplishing the mission?
• When a Marine is in a fire fight with his sights on an insurgent who is shooting back, will he suddenly freeze, say to himself “that guy’s life and the life of his loved ones is as important to him as mine are to me,” and fail to pull the trigger?”

Law enforcement officers might very well ask themselves the same question and many have expressed to us their concern. Our Ethical Warrior approach has even been called, “not aggressive enough.” As a Marine and a soldier, rarely are we called not aggressive enough! So is being an Ethical Warrior too soft or not?
Anecdotally, one may hear both sides of the argument from sincere people who have “been there.” After a lot of thought, we still don’t know the answer definitively, but imagine the following scenarios:

1.) You are walking through a forest and you see a killer grizzly bear, would you be afraid? Almost definitely so.
2.) You are walking through a forest and see a grizzly bear with two cubs, would you be less afraid — or more? Most people would say “more afraid.” Why? Because, even in nature, it seems the protector is more dangerous than the killer.

The same seems to be the case in law enforcement. Obviously, good law enforcement officers don’t think of themselves as killers, but even if they only think of themselves as criminal-catchers, that perspective creates a certain mentality — the mentality of a collector of human garbage. You may even think that your approach must be just as ruthless as a criminal’s — only “different.” This, we believe, is a trap. Taking the approach that you must “out thug the thug,” may start to color your psyche in a very negative way. And it is not necessary. Protectors are more dangerous than thugs. We wholeheartedly believe that this is because their cause is purer and their bodies are stronger.

One of the definitions of the word “tactical” is: “a maneuver or plan of action designed as a way of gaining a desired end or advantage.” What is the desired end-state if faced with ending a violent encounter or taking a dangerous person into custody? It is to accomplish the lawful action while protecting ourselves, innocent others, and the criminal if possible. Of course, the desired end is not always possible and we may need to use appropriate force if the criminal poses an imminent threat. Force is used not just because we’re following departmental rules and guidelines, but out of a genuine desire to protect life. Just like the bear with cubs, our power to overcome danger is born from our duty to protect.

We believe an Ethical Warrior is not only more moral, but more psychologically — and tactically — powerful than a criminal. What is more fierce than well-trained, ethical law enforcement professionals engaged in the performance of their sworn duty to protect and defend the innocent people on their watch? We can’t think of anything. Can you?

By the way, it is no secret that Marines do pull the trigger when it is necessary to protect their lives, the lives of their fellow Marines, and the lives of others. As an Ethical Protector, you will, too.

This article was written for and can be found on PoliceOne.com

About the author:

Jack E. Hoban is president of Resolution Group International and a subject matter expert for the U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Bruce J. Gourlie is a Special Agent of the FBI and a former U.S. Army infantry officer.

Things Change: Kapap, Krav Maga

2011-11-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

The following blog post is written by Israeli Krav International Head Instructor Moshe Katz. It is an interesting article that I hope you find as informative as I did.

All the best,
~Craig

Things Change

"Nothings going to change my world", sang John Lennon in the 1960's, but perhaps more than any other man of his time he embodied change. He was shaped by the winds of change and he helped make those changes. "The times they are a – changing," Sang Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan, and indeed changing they were and changing they are. Change is constant.

But some of us try to preserve the way things are; we forget that no one can stop change. Yes, some things stay the same forever but some things change.

The same sun rises everyday and sets every night, human nature is basically unchanged, love and hate, jealousy and fear; our emotions are the same as thousands of years ago.

And man comes up with defense mechanisms. One of those remarkable developments has been the martial arts. From ancient Israel to Greece to Japan to modern Israel – the martial arts have developed and changed and adapted. What was considered perfection by one generation is considered obsolete by another.

Bruce Lee came along and challenged the martial arts world with his "way of no way", "Use no way as the way". Royce Gracie came along with the "ultimate challenge" and changed the way this generation trains. A generation comes and a generation goes.

Sadly, man does not seem to change very much, and we still have a need for self-defense, but the circumstances do change and our tactics and training must change as well. We cannot fight today's fight with yesterday's techniques.

In Israel we have had a need for hand-to-hand combat since the very beginning. Our training is based on our reality. During the early years; 1930's, 40's and early 50's, the Arabs often attacked using sticks, axes, swords and blunt objects. The Jewish community did not have "live" weapons such as hand-guns or rifles.

What they did have was sticks.

Early Kapap Training, Israel

The art of the stick developed. In Hebrew this was called Kapap, which stands for "Krav Panim mul Panim" (Face to Face Combat). The main focus of Kapap was use of various sticks. This suited the times very well. In the hands of a trained Kapap fighter the stick became a formidable weapon of self-defense. Older men have told me stories how they always took their sticks with them on hikes and trips. Often they would be confronted by hostile Arabs. The stick proved effective in stopping attacks and in earning the respect of the local Arabs.

The Jew had been known to the Arabs as the "Child of Death" because they had always seen the Jews as victims. Kapap and the stick helped change this perception.

As the years went on the facts changed. Arab attacks took on different forms, Jews gained statehood and live weapons, and the use of the stick lost much of its significance on the street and in the field.
And yet it was difficult to give up the beloved art that had proved so successful. Like an old rifle that had proven itself in combat the soldier had difficulty accepting the "new and improved" rifle.
The youth movements took it upon themselves to "preserve" the art of the stick and Kapap. But here lies a great martial truth: When one is only "preserving" an art but that art is no longer necessary for survival – it changes.

The changed art is either more "stylistic" or simple a watered down version of the original art. Simply put – if your life depends upon these skills – then you train differently.

Preservation of an art does not bring out the combat training that one needs for survival. That is why trying to learn real life combat from "fossilized" or "stylized" arts will never work. We cannot live in a museum, or in the past. We have a certain nostalgia towards the past; this is natural but this must not cloud our judgment for the present. The needs of the present must dictate our decisions.

The Polish cavalry charged against the Nazi Panzer divisions. They were fighting World War Two as if it were World War One; this did not work out so well. Fighting tactics must constantly be evaluated and updated. In Martial arts we tend to make holy all that came before us. It is important to honor the past, respect it and learn from it but we cannot let it hold us back from necessary adjustments

This was Bruce Lee's outcry against the martial arts establishment. He challenged it saying, "The king has no clothes." – The techniques are not real!! They are only formalized version of what once worked in combat, long ago and far away.

Kapap training in the youth movements was a watered down version of the original arts used against Arabs. Manuals were written for the sake of preservation, not for survival. Gradually the art pretty much died out. It was replaced by an art that evolved from it; Krav Maga.

No one is quite sure how the transition took place. For a while both terms were used interchangeably but by the early 1960's the name Kapap had pretty much fallen into disuse.

Circumstances had changed. Attacks on Jews walking in the fields became less common. Methods of transportation and travel changed, more people live in the cities. Today we have other sorts of challenges and we must not deal with these using the techniques and weapons of the past.

Things change, Times change and we must adapt if we wish to remain relevant; both in Krav Maga and in life. Too many instructors are teaching yesterday's Krav to today's students.

As the poet Bob Dylan wrote so many years ago:

"As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.

Your old road is Rapidly aging'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'."

~ Moshe Katz - IKI Head Instructor
www.your-krav-maga-expert.com

It's Been a While... Footnotes from the Ronin!

2011-09-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards;

they try to have more things, or more money, in

order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.

The way it actually works is the reverse.

You must first be who you really are, then do what you need

to do, in order to have what you want.

~Margaret Young

It's been a couple months since I've written, so I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts. I've been really busy lately, fortunately all good things! My work with The PeaceWalker Project, Resolution Group International, Ronin Empowerment Group and of course Ronin Krav Maga all have been keeping me rather busy. Not to mention my meager college class load that I am able to scratch out as I try to finish my degree in ethno-history. I'll probably be eighty years old before that bad dog is finally done!

I have all of you to thank regarding how my path has developed and keeps moving forward. I appreciate everyone who has written, attended seminars, come to classes, mentored me, listened, spoke, confided, or just simply quietly read my words. Each of you have made a contribution to my path in your own way!

This month marks the second year I have been out of Corporate America! Yes, it was just two years ago that I came back from Buyu Camp to get called into my bosses office and in short order fired, downsized, rightsized, let go, laid off, kicked to the curb, liberated, freed... etc. =)

For whatever reason it didn't come to me as a surprise, being that I had only been with the company for a year, I was the new kid on the block so to speak. With the economy as it was back in 2009 (kinda like now only less certainty), my struggling sales numbers and the companies lay offs, it was no wonder about their decision to let me fly. Funny, I went from one of the top sales reps in the nation only a few years prior (with another company I had been with for collectively 10ish years) to trying some other opportunities that hadn't worked out as well as I had planned. The transition had been many years in the making. Although my exit strategy didn't go down exactly as planned, when the end came, I welcomed the opportunity.

I have no hard feelings with that former employer, they run a solid business and were professional how they handled the situation. It was simply time to part ways. (So, don't worry E.L. I'm not out gunning for you buddy, all is well! =)

I was planning on making my exodus out of the rat race known as corporate sales, only I was thinking I would have more time to wrap up some of my other businesses. I was thinking that I would slide out of things about two years later than what actually happened.

In 2007 I had started my education back up at college seeking another degree (history). My plans were going in the direction of teaching at the college level (of which they still are), knowing things may change along the way, but I knew I needed to leave the corporate world behind before it sucked the rest of my soul dry of every ounce of sanity, happiness and self respect that was left. Trust me, after almost 20 years of playing the corporate game there was little left of it. I am still undoing many habits that I picked up through the years of trying to be everything to everyone. Solidifying that next sale, killing myself to ensure insane deadlines, negotiating unrealistic deals or resolving conflicts with people who had entitlement issues and little tolerance for what a win/win situation really looks like beyond their own perceived needs, created some behavioral scars that are taking some time to fade. I have a good idea that many of you out there can relate!?

Now, I don't want to come across that life was all doom and gloom in those days, because it wasn't, I met a lot of great people, built many good relationships & connections (many of which I still enjoy today!). I had a lot of good times and learned a lot of things that are serving me well now, however words cannot express my relief as to not being in that profession any longer. Those days seem a lifetime ago, now some day's are so surreal that I have to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming!

I sometimes see people who I haven't seen since my migration into what I am currently doing and they'll ask, "So, what's going on with you?" I really can't begin to describe to Biff & Muffy what's been happening in my life without going to a local pub for a few hours (& beers) and commence sharing a journey no less important than that of Marco Polo's account of his travels through the Khan's Mongolian Empire, and no less fantastical! Ok, so that last statement might be a little over the top, however when this discussion comes up, many people just look at me and get that deer in the headlights look as they try to put together why I, in their eyes, gave up the "American Dream," of a career, stuff, wining, dining, trendy people, cool cocktail parties, shaking and moving, a cool downtown loft condo (not to mention the entire building!), the cover of the Business Journal, Grand Rapids Magazine, etc. etc. I used to be a top sales rep making great money for god's sake!! All gone! ...and frankly, good riddance.

Once the ball was rolling in that direction (which was out of the corporate scene), I couldn't look back. I downsized my life and swore off going back into the fire. In the beginning I figured I'd go back to bar tending, security, executive protection, or whatever else I had to do to A) get to school full time and B) not have to go back to the corporate grind.

Once again my plans didn't exactly go as I expected. My other life long endeavors of martial arts, woman's assault prevention, empowerment, leadership and conflict management courses were all ramping up to the point that I was beginning to make a livable wage from them. Now don't confuse, no longer could I afford my corporate lifestyle, however, I am inspired every morning and I am doing things that matter, not only to me but to those around me. The ripple effect is already being spread far and wide, and as more people get involved, it is only getting better!

The life I once had lived was becoming more and more of a distant memory. The momentum that I am still building is quite inspiring. It came at a time that I wouldn't have expected it, but I was on the cusp and took a chance. I figure, "What the hell, GO FOR IT!" ...and that is exactly what I have been doing AND loving every minute of it! I love what I do. Of course nothing is without its challenges, however, the rewards have far outweighed the risks, and so far so good. I believe I have heaven and earth on my side... and if I don't, shhhhhh, don't tell'em and maybe no one will be the wiser!

I don't know where my ship will end up, but I like the way the wind has filled my sails so far!

Some of my goals when I set out on this journey, were to do things that inspired me, work with more people who I enjoyed working with and make a difference that was deeper than simply making money (whether putting it in someone else's pocket or my own). Life it TOO short, damn it people wake up! If you are not inspired with your life, then do something different with it! Things will have to change though! The bigger your dreams, the bigger the change, however things can change, over time, not over night! Most will give up before they break through, or they justify their misery as their stuff owns them.

I am amazed at how many of you I hear from who want to follow their dreams as well. Many have contacted me already to be a part of the PeaceWalker Project or Her Survival Guide in some way. In response to that, stay tuned, there are many things in the works and opportunities on the horizon!

Thanks to all of you for what you have done, will do and what will transpire in the future! Hang on, it's going to be one hell of a ride!

Talk to you soon.

All the best,

~Craig

What Saved the Hostages in Recent Standoff with Dantzler?

2011-07-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Home where the standoff took place.

In the wake of the recent tragedy concerning 34-year-old Rodrick Dantzler much has been reported on. This deeply unfortunate event that has rocked the foundation of our community is certain to touch each of us in some way, to a lessor or greater degree. It is times like these that truly illustrate just how interconnected our community is. The degree of separation that each of us has from someone involved in this incident will probably prove to be surprisingly small, for me it has been but three tiny degrees.
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My Saturday wrapped up much as it always does, teach from morning into late afternoon, go home, take a shower, wrap up some bookwork, take a quick power nap and then off to a Saturday night of socializing, while taking advantage of another incredible Michigan Summer. This week I ended up at a small pool get together on the West Side of Grand Rapids near Leonard and Covell. Things started as they usually do in similar social settings; small talk, beverages, laughter, music, discussing past and future vacations, etc. Then as it was destined to, the inevitable subject came up: The events of what had happened only a couple days prior regarding Rodrick Dantzler.
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There was a rather interesting crew around that table at this time: I, myself, working in the conflict resolution, leadership and tactical defense industry, the other people with whom I was sharing company were mainly employed in community mental health and child protective services. I think our respective positions made us tread even more lightly on the subject at hand, probably due to how close we all were to it and how recent the events occurred. Not to mention that some of us are asked by people to provide answers or to help make some sense of events like these. People often look to other "experts" to provide some reassurance on what to do, or for some sort of comfort and security. In situations like this I hesitate to make claims and/or provide answers. People are vulnerable in times of unrest and it is not good to jump to conclusions and even worse to spread those conclusions out as if they were undeniable truths. In my opinion this is not a good time for being up on a soapbox. To every ones credit, we were all choosing our words and opinions very carefully.
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Just as the conversation gently cascaded toward Dantzler and what had happened, Holly, one of the gals at the table, dropped a bombshell. She told us that one of her friends was very close to one of the hostages who was in the house Dantzler at the time of his final standoff. Holly went into detail on how these people handled the situation and how they treated Dantzler with empathy as they tried to calm him down and deescalate the situation as much as they could. The way they held it together under such adverse conditions sounded quite incredible. They were literally fighting for their lives. Dantzler had already killed seven people, shot an additional two, put countless people in jeopardy and was now cornered by the police, he could have just as well killed the hostages before killing himself. Why did he choose to let these people go? Was the fact that those hostages left with their lives anything short of a miracle? Did keeping a cool head, attempting to de-escalate and show empathy to Dantzler save their lives? We can only speculate, but many experts like former Cold War conflict resolutionist Dr. Robert Humphrey, Resolution Group International's president Jack Hoban and the late Dr. George Thompson, creator of Verbal Judo, have all advocated how important staying calm, showing empathy and trying to de-escalate a conflict can increase ones chances of better resolving a crisis and provide an opportunity for a more peaceful conclusion.
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Obviously, when dealing with a situation as volatile as the episode with Dantzler, nothing is guaranteed. As former negotiator Lt. Robert Zuniga points out in his recent interview regarding Dentzler's suicide, "There's people that study suicide, but the bottom line is I can't control what they do, nor can anybody else,” said Zuniga. “They're in control of their own destiny.”
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As I think of the Dantzler's hostages my mind goes back to watching a training video during a Tac Com - Conflict Resolution certification program:

(The following is excerpt taken from a blog post from James Morganelli's kosshi blog site )

...we can see part of a table and chair against a wall inside a police interrogation room. A scruffy man is led in by a detective and seated in the chair. He looks forlorn. Dr. Thompson speaks up, "This guy is a cop killer," he points to the screen. All of us inside the darkened classroom turned theater silently acknowledge. The video plays on, the detective returns, handing the man a bottle of water, "Here you go, amigo." Thompson speaks again, "That just saved that detective's life."

The scruffy man opens the bottle methodically, takes a drink, the detective leaves. A moment passes. The scruffy man is thinking. He reaches under his shirt, produces a handgun, and shoots himself in the head. The detectives return, "Nobody shook him (searched him)." The video fades to black.

The man in the video (a known cop killer) could have shot the officer and then himself, he really had nothing to lose. Dr. Thompson believed that probably the only thing that save the officers life was because he still treated the man with dignity and respected his Life Value (even if the mans actions didn't necessarily constitute it).

When faced with such adverse circumstances we can not always dictate what happens to us, only how we respond to it. As psychiatrist, author and holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl stated in his famous quote, "The last of human freedoms - the ability to choose ones attitude in a given set of circumstances."

The ability to chose ones attitude, may well have saved those hostages from being three more fatalities, rather than survivors, able to tell their tale.
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My thoughts are with all of those impacted by last weeks events.
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~Craig Gray
www.roninempowermentgroup.com

Spirit is Spirit

2011-07-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

"Once upon a time I asked a wise man how he reconciles the religious tradition of the Indigenous, Native culture into which he was born with his affiliation with one of the three Abrahamic faiths. His response to me was, "Spirit is Spirit."... I did not know at the time that I also belong to an Indigenous, Native culture. Thanks to that same wise man, I know that now and have also come to understand that indeed, "Spirit is Spirit". I will always remember those words..."

~Corinne Clair Coughlin
w/some possible mysterious connection to a certain Mushtaq Ali Al Ansar, but one can never be sure =)

The Note - A Fathers Day Tribute!

2011-06-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tom Gray (my Dad) on Left - 1960 Okinawa

Earlier this year I moved out of my condo and as part of my downsizing strategy; I decided to get rid of quite a few of my books. This sounded easy enough at first, unless you are an avid book reader and collector as I am. You other "book-ies" out there know what I'm talking about! Well, deciding to undertake a book purge has been a good lesson for me in terms of practicing non-attachment and letting go. I have accumulated somewhere between 1,800 to 2,000 books. No, that's not a misprint, I did have THAT many books! Too many, WAY too many! So I began going through them, picking out the ones that I wanted to keep (like ALL of them!) and the ones that I would give away or sell. I would first make three piles: The first made up of those books I couldn't do without; the second were those books that I knew I didn't really need and then the third... Oh, that damn third pile, it was the most difficult of all because it was the "undecided" pile. That's right, that pile was made up of all those books that I didn't really NEED (not that I really need ANY of the books!) but books that I did like. As a matter of fact I liked them enough to shell out top dollar for them at Schuller Books or Barnes and Noble's. However I was determined to cut down my collection to about 400 books or so. My goal was to have all of my books fit into two of my bookshelves. I am about there... almost! =)

Aside for my being able to practice non-attachment and letting go, I did have the opportunity to reminisce about various parts of my life. You see, I often stick notes, cards, and other memorabilia into my books and then like most pack rats, I forget about i,t so years, sometimes decades later I come across these items and and pleasantly surprised and delighted to see a part of my life that may have faded from my memory.

So, yesterday I was going through one of these books (which made the cut by the way!) and I came across this little note from my Dad. It was something that he wrote to me before I left for one of my trips abroad. Although, I don't remember exactly which trip I was going on.

Now, before I tell you what the note said, there are a few things that I want you to understand about my Dad. First, he is a former Marine who served in Okinawa and the Philippines back in the early 60's. He was also my first martial arts teacher when I was knee high to a grasshopper. And although he loved us kids very much he was a man of few words... VERY few! As he has gotten older he has opened up a lot more and has really tried to come out of his shell. Now we sometimes spend hours talking about politics or life, go out shooting or for an occasional bike ride; but it wasn't always like that. I have always knew that he loved me, even in those times that he's had trouble expressing it.

So, back to the note:

Here I am, my bags packed, ready to go to some foreign land on yet another adventure. I don't remember exactly when he wrote the note, it may have been shortly after 9/11, when there was a bit of tension regarding travel. Now, my Mom will talk my ear off telling me every detail of her apprehension with me traveling or whatever I may be doing at the time that makes her nervous. My Dad however is different. From what my Mom always tells us, he worries as much if not more, than she does, but he just doesn't say anything to us. Sometimes however he expresses himself in other ways. That said, shortly before I leave for my trip, he leaves a note for me. It says:

MY OUTLOOK FOR TRAVELING ABROAD (JUST A THOUGHT OR 2)

1) Low Profile (Hickish).
2) Be aware of what's going on around you (your surroundings).
3) No martial arts "give away's," such as clothing or books!!
4) Try to blend in well as best as you can.
5) Remember the terrorist and/or perp's know exactly what their about to do and have a different mindset.
6) Always remember surprise is one of your best first response defenses.

Love,
Dad

To those who train with me; doesn't this all sound a bit familiar!? So, just in case you were wondering where I get it from, there it is. As I say, "The Fruit doesn't Fall too Far from the Tree!"

Those are some simple and very practical tips that I thought I'd share with all of you. This is also a loving tribute to my Father. Thanks for all you've done for me Dad.

Happy Fathers Day!

I love you!

All the best gang.

~Craig

Muskegon Middle Schoolers Get Some Tips on Conflict Resolution

2011-05-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

In response to public cries for answers regarding conflict in and outside of our schools Timberland Charter Academy decided to take a different approach in addressing some of the problems facing thier students. In a society where zero tolerance policies, strict legal ramifications and over the top laws are having difficulty providing solutions to the serious problems that our kids continually face, this small school in Muskegon is working to do something more. Wondering if stiffer penalties and inflexible guidelines are the only ways to deal with issues facing the young people attending their schools, playing in their neighborhoods and walking down their streets, assistant principal Todd Hendricks tries another approach.

The real question that needs to be asked is whether or not the bullying and violence is the problem, or if it is a symptom of something deeper? How can we inspire the respect needed to even have a chance of avoiding the threats of bullying and violence? In the real world there are real problems that are often not addressed and skills that are not taught. Among those skills are the basics of conflict resolution.

On Friday, May 13th twelve students from Timberland Charter Academy in Muskegon, Michigan would get the opportunity to experience some methods of cross cultural conflict resolution and tactical verbal communication skills. These skills could teach the kids not only how to deal with altercations differently, but how to live more empowered lives in general.

"I’m excited, as usual. This is one more chance to change a kids life," Vice Principal Hendricks stated in his email.

The two hour session taught by Ronin Empowerment Group was an introduction to the PeaceWalker Project, a program that trains teachers and students not only how to resolve conflict, but how to live a healthier, more empowered life. The idea is as Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

The session began by asking the kids some questions:

What if you could feel safer? What if you had a way to handle people who were upset and acting like jerks? What if you weren't picked on or bullied anymore? What if you how to stand up for yourself? And maybe the biggest question of all, what would your world look like if you could create it?

Things usually change over time, not over night, so practice is essential in trying to develop a new habit of dealing with people under stressful and adverse circumstances.

After the questions, the group was introduced to the foundation of conflict resolution, respect and clarifying the life value. This is essential in dealing with conflict. Dr. Robert Humphrey's Dual Life Value is the foundation of the PeaceWalkers philosophical approach. Dr. Humphrey, a Marine during WWII fought on the island of Iwo Jima and later after the war became a conflict resolutionist for the United States during the Cold War. Humphrey's cross cultural conflict resolution theories were put to the test successfully overseas during the Cold War and then later to deal with youth gangs in some of the major cities in the U.S.

After clarifying the ethical perspective the kids were exposed to Holocaust survivor Vikto Frankl's perspective that everything can be taken away from a person except their ability to choose how they will respond to what happens to them. That perspective can never be taken from a person, only given away. Understanding that concept is key in taking responsibility for one's life and maintaining an empowered perspective.

Some of the other things that the kids were introduced to included: How to keep a cool head under pressure, how to create allies, not enemies, how to deflect insults, and of course a specific, step by step verbal communication process called B.A.R.C.C.S.,which provided a framework for dealing with difficult and even dangerous people.

Having some skills on what to say and how to say it, as well as when to abandon negotiations is essential to not only resolve conflict, but to stay safe when the kids are dealing with conflict.

The hope is that by giving the teachers and students better conflict resolution skills that those tools can be used when real life conflict arises in and outside of the classroom.

Article written by
~Craig Gray

The ethical warrior: Developing a cop's combat mindset by Jack Hoban & Bruce Gourlie

2011-04-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here is another great article by my colleague, friend and RGI President, Jack Hoban. In this article Jack and Bruce clairify and add depth to the concept of the Combat Mindset. They go into depth regarding the three dislipines that make up this path. The discussion includes how and why these dynamics are so important no matter if you are a soldier, police officer or a civilian PeaceWalker (something I will elaborate on later).

I hope you enjoy the article and find it beneficial along your journey. If you would like to find out more about this perspective please join us at our Resolution Group International Conflict Resolution Workshop coming up in May. Click here for details.

In the meantime enjoy the article and as Jack says, "Keep Going!"

Best,
~Craig

The ethical warrior: Developing a cop's combat mindset
by Jack Hoban & Bruce Gourlie

One popular phrase says: “Be polite and professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” It may sound sensible to some and cool to others, but both perspectives may fail to examine what that really means. What is the mindset of the person who adopts this philosophy? Is it that of a protector, or that of a killer?
A combat mindset — the ability to act effectively and ethically under adversity — is key to the Ethical Warrior. Being effective under stress requires the ability to overcome emotional and autonomic impulses that might keep us from performing well in combat — or get us killed. Our perspective is that clarified ethics makes you more effective — and safer — in a combat situation. After all, what are ethics but life-protecting values in action?

Philosophy Drives Actions

Many things happen in the mind of a law enforcement officer when an encounter with a suspect turns violent. Training, judgment and self control compete with confusion, anger and fear. Be careful of what you prime your mind with. The officer needs to instantly take the necessary actions to protect himself or herself and others — that’s the job. The actions need to be effective, legal and appropriate for the level of danger involved and, for many reasons including the officer’s own mental health, they have to be ethical. In today’s world, it is also likely the encounter will be captured on video. How can we develop a mindset that will produce a result that accomplishes the mission and guards against legal and ethical problems?
Preparation for the critical moment requires a synergistic program of ethical, physical and mental training. In previous articles we have discussed the relationship between ethics and tactics. We explored how using physical skills to activate the universal moral value of protecting life produced ethical actions. We now turn to the third critical element: developing the mindset that produces fast and effective ethical action under the pressure of physical danger.

The Three Disciplines

To get a fresh perspective, we use the U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) as a frame of reference. Marines involved in counterinsurgency operations are often placed in a role similar to a peace officer. They protect and serve the communities in their areas of operation, interact with an often suspicious public, and do their best to build popular support for their work. When violence occurs, they are held accountable for using the appropriate amount of force along a defined continuum.

The Marines have found that the three disciplines of MCMAP — physical, mental and ethical — help them act decisively in the right way at the right time. It helps them act in a way that keeps faith with the people they are protecting, while helping them live with the consequences of their actions all while remaining the most effective fighting force in the world.

The phrase “mind-body-spirit” is often associated with the martial arts. Many people assume that this is a philosophical concept requiring years of study and mystical initiation. Actually, the connection between mind, body and spirit outlines a very accessible and practical system. Mind: the ability to organize and control ones thoughts; body: technical and tactical ability; and spirit: the moral clarity that guides ones actions, are the building blocks of the combat mindset.

Combat mindset is an attitude of awareness, confidence, and purpose — awareness of the situation, confidence in our physical skills, and clarity of our legal and ethical purpose. Whether it happens consciously or not, all physical actions begin in the mind. Even so-called “muscle memory” is just a faster version of the mind-body connection. The problem is that even on a good day, the mind is managing many things at once. The added stress of physical danger can turn multi-tasking into system overload. A well-developed combat mindset enables the quick effective thinking that triggers quick effective action. Again, what philosophical perspective are you priming your mind with?

Confidence in our physical skills can only come through effective training. Just as MCMAP is designed for military combat, there are many combative systems geared toward law enforcement. A system useful for developing the combat mindset should have some specific characteristics. The system should be based on sound tactical principles as much as fighting techniques. It should employ techniques that are simple to learn, easy to practice, and adaptable to many conflict situations. Finally, it should focus on keeping the officer’s weapon safe and available if needed. The goal is to develop a set of quickly deployable physical tools that can be used in a variety of dangerous situations.

The Ethical Warrior
We seek to attain the spirit of the ethical warrior to clarify our purpose. The warrior protects one’s self and others. The others can be a partner, a bystander or even the violent suspect. When a situation turns violent, this commitment to protect life forms the foundation of our purpose. This clarity provides reassurance that our use of physical force is for the right purpose, allowing us to act decisively with the confidence that we won’t regret our actions.

The goal of developing a combat mindset is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason under extreme stress. Physical training and ethical clarity support a mindset that identifies and deals with danger in an effective and dispassionate way. Every officer knows that a quiet shift can instantly turn into the ultimate test. Developing a professional combat mindset can be an important tool for excelling at that test.
Let’s consider rewriting the popular phrase above to say: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to protect myself and all others, at all times, if at all possible.”

About the author

Woosha! by James Morganelli

2011-04-03T10:54:00.000-07:00


Craig Gray - Dr. George Thompson - Gary Klugiewicz - James Morganelli

I recently received my Instructors Certification in Dr. George Thompson's Tactical Communication course he calls Verbal Judo www.verbaljudo.com. It is an impressive course on how to de-escalate and negotiate with a person to gain voluntary compliance, cooperation and collaboration. It was created and run by Dr. Thompson and his right hand man Gary Klugiewicz.

As I was putting my thoughts down in a manner that would be enjoyable and beneficial to read, I saw that RGI Associate and friend James Moganelli wrote a nice piece on the experience, so being one to leverage talent, I asked James if I could re-post his article.

As for James, he is a very talented martial artist, instructor and writer. I met him a couple of years ago through Jack Hoban www.rgi.co and I am glad that we are getting a chance to know each other better. I would recommend that you check out James's blog site http://sgtidojo.blogspot.com

Here is James article:

The video is grainy, but bright. It is December 19, 2003, and we can see part of a table and chair against a wall inside a police interrogation room. A scruffy man is led in by a detective and seated in the chair. He looks forlorn. Dr. Thompson speaks up, "This guy is a cop killer," he points to the screen. All of us inside the darkened classroom turned theater silently acknowledge. The video plays on, the detective returns, handing the man a bottle of water, "Here you go, amigo." Thompson speaks again, "That just saved that detective's life."

The scruffy man opens the bottle methodically, takes a drink, the detective leaves. A moment passes. The scruffy man is thinking. He reaches under his shirt, produces a handgun, and blows his brains out. Blood erupts from his temple, pouring out like a dropped bottle of wine. His eyes swell shut, his nose drips blood, his body deflates. "Holy fuck," detectives return, "Nobody shook him (searched him)." The scruffy man's head lolls. "Holy fuck ..." Blood taps dances on concrete. The video fades to black.

How many fights have any of us ever been in? And how often? I can count on one hand the number of times I have used physical force - just ask me about the Ritz-Carlton bar fight. I cannot, however, count how many fights I have not been in - countless. Why? Simple - I usually talked my way out of it.

This past week I became a certified 'Tactical Communications' instructor after I was invited to complete a 40-hour course in "Verbal Judo." It was outstanding! If you are unfamiliar with VJ, look it up - it's founder, Dr. George Thompson, started teaching VJ some 30 years ago after getting his PhD in English Lit, and then switched gears to serve some 20 years in Law Enforcement, where he figured out and refined VJ techniques.

The video above was one of many, illustrating the idea that our words can either be a stitch in a bulletproof vest or a nail in our coffin. The scruffy man was a cop killer, just arrested, and many might have treated him with disdain, venting their anger and emotions; had the detective done that, no one might have thought twice about it. But, because the detective followed Thompson's 'First Universal Truth' - "Everyone wants to be treated with dignity and respect," he didn't arm the scruffy man with a reason to kill him.

Thompson, a long-time martial artist, describes VJ as a 'martial art of the mind.' And he's right - VJ's principles are psychologically based on observation of the human condition and designed to teach one how to take advantage of another's verbal aggression, tip them off balance, and gain control. He speaks about letting go of one's ego, maintaining our temper, focusing only on another's behavior, letting their angry words slide off us like water on a duck's back. Thompson cleverly reconciles his years of police work with Aristotelian models of rhetorical persuasion and lays it all out in clear form. He even jokingly turns a personal kiai into a summary acronym - WOOSHA! (Win Only On Secret Hidden Agendas).

Throughout the week, the class is punctuated by examples of people saving lives using the trained mind and 'tactical courtesy' as a baseline for conduct. There's the story of an officer, kidnapped at gunpoint, convincing his aggressors to give themselves up saving all their lives including his own, or the legendary gang detective, whose past professional conduct, even with despicable thugs, saves his life one night: A bogus 911 call is actually a gang initiation designed to assassinate a cop, but when this detective answers the call, the thugs lower their rifle, explaining to him some months later, their respect for him (because of the respect he had shown them) saved his life.

Thompson himself is called in to negotiate with an unstable father holding a knife to the throat of his three year old. Throughout their conversation, Thompson searches the father's words for the key to use against him. When the father says he does not want to kill his son, but has to because he is possessed by the devil, Thompson convinces the man to allow a priest to perform an exorcism. It works - the father releases the boy, is taken into custody, and lives are saved - the boy from his father, the father from police snipers.

Like 'Taisabaki' maneuvers the body, TacComm is 'Kotoba o sabaku,' maneuvering with our words. As 98% of all conflict is verbal, we should remember Taijutsu is not simply a physical art.

Written by james morganelli
http://sgtidojo.blogspot.com

Zen and the Art of Krav Maga

2011-03-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

We recently made the front cover of Rapid Growth Media. A nice article that you can read here:

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/03242011KravMaga.aspx

The article has created a little ripple of a buzz inspiring some others to do a little writing of their own. Here is a nice write up by John Kowalski's Babacita blog shout! Thanks for the good words John!

Here are John's words:

An excellent article on Krav Maga and local Grand Rapids, MI instructor Craig Gray. I’ve had the honor and privilege of knowing Craig as a friend and also training with him for a few years. He is the utmost professional and extremely skilled in teaching this important, life-changing mentality and skill set.

Some excerpts from the article:

“Our global society has changed the way we do warfare. It’s not ‘us versus them’ anymore. You don’t always know who the enemy is,” explains Gray. “Krav continues to change to embrace new threats.”

No matter the situation, Gray believes “going physical should be a last resort.”

“The idea of the way we teach is protection of self and others. If we can train to do with less force, it’s less damaging for us,” says Gray. “Frankly, I’m protecting the bad guy.”

This offers more than just physical protection; it prevents psychological fallout. According to Gray, except for the four percent of people who are sociopaths, all humans must justify their actions. Violence requires us to “separate” and dehumanize — an immediately effective, yet ultimately volatile workaround that can eventually lead to post traumatic stress.

“If you don’t do anything that means that someone else is resolving the situation for you,” Gray cautions. “The situation will be resolved either for you or by you.”

By John Kowalski - Babacita

Familiar Sounds by Moshe Katz

2011-03-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

A chill ran up my spine when I first heard the news regarding the terrorist bombing a bus in Israel, especially upon the news report of the particular bus that was said to have been hit: Bus #174 to Maaleh Adumim. It is the bus I take when I am training in Israel with Israeli Krav International Head Instructor, Moshe Katz. My first thought was, is Moshe alright?! Once I found out that he was, my next thought was, "Hey, that is the bus that I take. It could have been me on that bus!" Reality check and some food for thought! Another Krav Lesson.

Later reports confirmed that it was NOT bus #174, rather it was bus #74, regardless a tragic event all the same.

Here is an article Moshe wrote regarding the recent terrorist bombing in Israel.

I just landed yesterday, back home in Israel after a long seminar tour of the USA and Canada, and it is great to be home. Today I received some phone calls from dear friends and family, "Are you OK?", "Sure", I said, not understanding their concern, "I landed safely".

No, that is not what they were calling about; they were calling because the first reports on the news were that the 174 bus was hit by terrorists. That is our bus; the bus to Maaleh Adumim .
As it turns out it was a mistake, the 174 bus was not hit/ The bus to Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem, bus 74, was hit. But, as my friend Stephan in Heidelberg said, same bad stuff, Har Nof or Maaleh Adumim, same bad news.

As I always point out; Jerusalem and Israel in general are very safe yet always under threat. Daily our enemies our out to get us but our outstanding soldiers, police and civilians are on the watch. Very few terrorist actions succeed because "The Guardian of Israel does not rest."

Tim Hillis and I with a couple Israeli Officers in Jerusalem

This was the first successful attack in our capital in three years. But, as the news is reporting as I write, "Jerusalemites heard the familiar sounds"; i.e. the screams of the wounded, the ambulances, the police. These are sounds the people of Jerusalem are all too familiar with.
A terrorist attack puts life into perspective again, a wake up call, a call to understanding. Everything else becomes "small stuff"; minor problems that can be worked out, little issues that can be dealt with. Everything but life itself seems to be small change.

A terrorist attack reminds us not to take life for granted, that each day is precious and every person is special. Nothing should ever be taken for granted. Today will never come back, no day is ever repeated. And a life that is lost is gone forever.

Yes, it is also a reminder to be more alert, to train harder in Krav Maga, to be watchful as we near a bus station. But it is also a reminder to embrace life and live it to the fullest because today will never come again, and tomorrow…never knows.

Post by Moshe Katz - Israeli Krav International Head Instructor

The Masks We Wear

2011-03-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Moshe (bottom) & I showing some Krav Maga ground tactics at a seminar in Indy (ouch!).

Here is a blog post by Moshe Katz. I liked what he says here and thought you would find it insightful as well.

THE MASKS WE WEAR by Moshe Katz

We all wear many masks throughout our lives. We are trained not to act spontaneously, not to show our hand, not to reveal too much. A child cries when it feels like it, even if the timing and location are very poor. Tomorrow I will fly to the USA, a twelve hour flight, and I pray I will not be near any crying children on the plane.

As a child grows older his parents train him how to behave in public, and this is a good thing. We must learn to be considerate of others, not to shout out loud in public when we are overly excited about something. We live in a civilized society and we must be constantly aware of our behavior and be considerate of others.

But then there are moments when a person might lose control. He might forget all his careful etiquette and proper behavior and his gut feelings will come out in an explosive way. At this point we hope that his inner nature is a good one and that he does not do something dangerous or tragic.
Krav Maga builds on this gut reaction.
Many martial arts are built on complex techniques that take years of training and condition to absorb. When a real life situation requires action, and our stress levels go through the ceiling, we tend to lose all those finely honed skills and revert back to instinct. The mask falls off and we are back to basic instinct. Krav Maga is built on those instincts.

Krav Maga trains us to use our natural instincts in the best way possible. We don’t' fight our instincts. We don't train ourselves to go against our natural inclinations, we flow with them.
That is why a technique may come out different depending upon the circumstances. Based on the size of the attacker, or his body motions, the Krav technique might take different twists and turns. The point is that as long as the Krav principles and basic techniques are adhered to – the situation will turn out well.
We learn a technique, we understand the underlying concept and then we train with speed, power and resistance. It may not come out picture perfect every time, it may not look the same every time; that is of no consequence. We value aggressiveness over finesse; we use our mindset and attitude to counterbalance and overcome obstacles.

In Israel we have a saying, "We overcame Pharoh; we shall overcome this". No situation is viewed as hopeless. The Israel Defense Forces, Krav Maga and in fact all of Israeli society are built on the idea of rising to the challenge, thinking on your feet and working with your gut feeling.

by Moshe Katz ~ Israeli Krav International Head Instructor

Playing with Fire!

2011-02-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

I hesitated to post this because of the dangerous nature of the subject matter, however I often get questions regarding Krav Maga firearm disarms when it pertains to directly grabbing the weapon. I was forwarded these videos by Nick Gutschow (Thanks man!). One video shows what happens when you grab the slide of an automatic pistol the other video shows what happens when you grab the cylinder of a revolver.

Now before you watch the video let's talk about a few things:

1) If you are in a conflict with a person who has a weapon (in this case a pistol), THEY have the advantage. It is best to do whatever you can to not get into a physical confrontation with them. If you can talk or walk your way out of the situation that would be the best and safest way out. If you do have to go physical remember the 3C's:

CLEAR your body from the danger (this includes innocent bystanders)
CONTROL the weapon (through space, finding cover or by physical manipulation)
CONQUER the threat or CLEAR the area

*These things can be done simultaneously but best odds for success is when they are done in the order described above.

2) DO NOT try to replicate what is on either of these videos!! I don't know the guys who did filmed these but they must be crazy mofo's to attempt this dangerous test. Please for your safety and the safety of others don't try this yourself!!

3) DO NOT train with live weapons!

This first video shows an automatic pistol:

This video shows what happens when you grab a revolver by the cylinder (and barrel):

If you are looking to train practical firearm disarms that are tested and used in the field by the Israeli Defense Force visit my Krav Maga website: www.roninkravmaga.com

Train Smart & Stay Safe!

Best,
~Craig

The Ethical Warrior: Philosophy and why it is important

2011-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

Jack Hoban Teaching the USMC at their base in Quantico Va.

The following article is featured in www.PoliceOne.com. It was written by Jack Hoban and Bruce Gourlie, two talented professionals that I have the pleasure of working with. Jack's organization, Resolution Group International (RGI) www.resgroupintl.com is a professional training organization created to address the needs of military, law enforcement and civilian organizations. I am proud to be a part of this organization and work with such high caliber instructors with the same vision: To make a difference in a very profound way.

So without further ado:

The Ethical Warrior: Philosophy and why it is important

We can help people become ethical by encouraging them to act more consistently in accordance with their moral values. That begs the question: “Why wouldn’t they act ethically in the first place?”

There is a saying, “All actions proceed from philosophy.” Either consciously or subconsciously, people act based upon their core values. If you haven’t clarified your personal philosophy, you may not know what you will do when you need to act — particularly under stress. Philosophical confusion may even cause you to freeze at the most critical time.

The Ethical Warrior is a bit of a philosopher. He or she knows that his or her values, combined with training, will almost certainly drive what he or she does on the street — or on the battlefield.

If this perspective intrigues you, you should know that philosophical terms such as "values," "morals," and "ethics" are used rather imprecisely in our society. But, it is very important to be able to understand the distinctions — particularly if you might be involved in violent or deadly situations.

In order to facilitate the development of the Ethical Warrior while working with the U.S. Marine Corps and law enforcement, we created the following primer on Values, Morals and Ethics:

Values, Morals, and Ethics

Values. According to the Dictionary.com, values are “things that have an intrinsic worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor,” or “principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable.” However, it is important to note that, although we may tend to think of a value as something good, virtually all values are morally relative—neutral until they are qualified by asking, “How is it good?” or “Good to whom?” The “good” can sometimes be just a matter of opinion or taste, or driven by culture, religion, habit, circumstance or environment, etc. Again, almost all values are relative. The exception, of course, is the life value. Life is a universal value. We might take this point for granted, we all have the life value, or we would not be alive. Life is also a dual value — self and others.

Morals. Moral values are relative values that protect life and are respectful of the dual life value of self and others. The great moral values, such as truth, freedom, charity, etc., have one thing in common. When they are functioning correctly, they are life protecting or life enhancing for all. But they are still relative values. Our relative moral values must be constantly examined to make sure that they are always performing their life-respecting mission. Even the Marine Corps core values of "honor, courage and commitment" require examination in this context. “Courage” can become foolish martyrdom, “commitment” can become irrational fanaticism, and “honor” can become self-righteousness, conceit and disrespect for others. Our enemies have their own standard of honor, they have courage, and they are surely committed (we have all heard the saying “honor among thieves”). What sets us apart? Respect for the lives of self and all others sets us apart.

Ethics. A person who knows the difference between right and wrong and chooses right is moral. A person whose morality is reflected in the willingness to do the right thing — even if it is hard or dangerous — is ethical.

Ethics are moral values in action. We strive to be ethical because morality protects life and is respectful of others. It is a lifestyle that is consistent with mankind’s universal values as articulated by the American Founding Fathers — human equality and the inalienable right to life. As Ethical Warriors it is our duty to be protectors and defenders of the life value and to perform the unique and difficult mission of taking the lives of those acting immorally (against life) when necessary to protect the lives of innocent others.

When you kill protecting life it is still hard, but it is moral. Those who kill others not observant of their narrow relative religious, ethnic or criminal values — in other words, kill over relative values — are immoral. A dedication to protecting the life value of self and others — all others — makes the Ethical Warrior different and moral.

If all of that is a little too philosophical, we also created a vignette, called “The Bully,” to explain the terms in a more down-to-earth way.

The Bully

You are a kid in the schoolyard. You see a bully. He thinks he is the “top dog.” That is fine. That perception is a relative value. But when his relative value supersedes the life value of another kid — in other words, when the bully picks on and/or punches the other kid — this is wrong. Here is the rule: relative values, no matter how “great,” cannot supersede the life value.

You see the bully picking on the other kid. You feel — in your gut — that this is wrong. Congratulations, you are moral. By the way, most people are moral — they know the difference between right and wrong.

Now... you see the bully picking on the other kid. You overcome the “freeze,” you overcome the embarrassment, and you go tell a teacher. Congratulations! You are ethical. (Ethics are moral values in action).

Now... you see the bully picking on the other kid. You overcome the “freeze,” you overcome the fear, and you go to the aid of the kid being bullied. You put yourself at risk. Congratulations! You have the makings of an Ethical Warrior.

And it doesn’t end in the schoolyard. Almost all problems in our society are caused by bullies — those who would supersede the life value of others with their own relative values. We need Ethical Warriors to counter bullies.

We can help people become ethical by encouraging them to act more consistently in accordance with their moral values. That begs the question: “Why wouldn’t they act ethically in the first place?” The answer is simple. They are afraid; or they are embarrassed; or they are philosophically confused; or they simply “freeze” under the stress. So what can we do to help others gain the ability to “do the right thing,” even under great adversity? It is not certain that there is one answer that works for everyone, but there appears to be a formula that works for most people.

The “ethical formula” is: Moral + Physical = Ethical

1.) People benefit from a clarification of their beliefs and a better understanding of how values, morals and ethics actually work.
2.) Physical confidence bolsters moral courage. When you possess physical skills, it is easier to act ethically... even if it never “gets physical.”

When you break it down like this, a methodology for developing Ethical Warriors becomes clearer. Consider a training formula that combines philosophical clarification with martial arts training. You may end up with a wonderful contingent of Ethical Warriors in your organization.

About the authors

If you are interested in RGI Ethical Warrior training opportunities, please go to: www.rgi.co/courses.

Live - Protect - Inspire

2011-01-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hiking Samaria Gorge in Crete 2008

Where to begin?! I was just sitting in Barnes & Nobles when I picked up a book called "Brains on Fire" and it hit me! I had a brief moment of clarity about a better way to communicate not only how I felt about my martial arts, conflict resolution & tactical training & teaching, but also why I chose this path in the first place and what YOUR part is in all of this is as well! Yes, that's right a clearer understanding on how to communicate what and why I train and teach!

Now, trying to get it all in writing. My mind has been going a mile a minute since I sat down at B&N! I just hope I don't lose what I was feeling earlier before I can get it written down.

Yes, the reason that I train & teach is to help others Live - Protect & Inspire themselves and others. As I write it down the words seem somehow hollow, like I've said that one million times before (probably because I have). So why did that sound so different when I was in B & N? Good question!

Here it is; because this isn't about me, it's about all of us! I cannot do this alone, I need YOU, yes ALL of you to help. We all need each other really. None of us no matter how peaceful we are can live peacefully in a violent community. None of us are safe until all of us are safe. And to be honest, it isn't only about violence, it's about living a fulfilled life, one that enriches you and all of those people who you come into contact with. It's a ripple effect. This effect begins inside of each and every one of us. Ironically so does the conflict.

I didn't pick up that book by accident any more than you are reading this blog by accident. We all have a story to tell. We all have things to share. We all have people we love. I am looking for some people out there who want to Live better, to Protect not only themselves but others too. What others? ALL OTHERS! Even those who aren't like you & you may not even agree with or like. Finally I am looking for people who want to learn how to Inspire others not through demands, but rather though example. Ignite Inspiration by creating a healthy environment that respects and protects all life. People who want to learn how to gain and keep their ethical true north and respond to actions appropriately and deal with conflict at all levels.

We are a part of something much larger than our selves, larger than any class or workshop that we are training in. Each one of us CONTRIBUTES to the bigger picture in one way or another.

I am looking for those who are ready to step up to the challenge of this mission, this cause, this underground movement, this underground rebellion to LIVE - PROTECT & INSPIRE ourselves and others.

Are YOU up for it?

I think you are!

All the best,
~Craig

Stretching, injury, and performance: A brief summary by Leonard H. Van Gelder

2011-01-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Leonard Van Gelder

It was a good night; our Wednesday Krav Maga class was going well, everyone was sweating and training hard. We were working on frontal chokes while being pushed up against the wall. Leonard was having a difficult time getting one of the escapes to work, so he asked for help. After going over a couple of details Leonard said that he had it. Apparently he did, because a second later I hear a huge crash. As I turned to see what was going on I saw Leonard execute the escape perfectly on his partner Chris who had fallen forward with enough force to break through the drywall. The look on Chris's face was priceless as he picked himself up and out of the gaping hole in the wall.

Now you may be wondering what all this has to do with my blog. Well, nothing really, I just thought I'd give a little introduction to Leonard Van Geldner who was kind enough to write this article for my blog.

I've known Leonard for about 8 years or so now, he is a very talented martial artist and is a certified athletic trainer (ATC) and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) who has been involved in martial arts for over 19 years. He is currently finishing up his Clinical Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy at Grand Valley State University.

I asked Leonard if he would like to write up a article and after talking about how I am always on people warming up before class; it seemed appropriate that he would write about that subject.

Leonard, thanks for writing out such a thoughtful article. I appreciate your insight. Hopefully it helps clear up some questions people have out there regarding stretching, injuries etc.

Both Leonard and I hope that you enjoy the article and find it beneficial.

All the best,

~Craig

Stretching, injury, and performance: A brief summary

Leonard H. Van Gelder, ATC, CSCS

By now, most of you have read about the controversies regarding warming up, as well as all the different types of stretching. From my discussions with individuals, I still detect hint of confusion in athletes when deciding what to do before, and after, training or competition. And unfortunately, there is a vast amount of outdated and inaccurate information available on the internet regarding the topic. Science obviously isn't the end all be all, and can be manipulated, however, it needs to be taken into consideration along with experience. My goal is to give a very brief overview of important research and then provide a practical application based on my experience and perspective.

First and foremost, when we talk about stretching before exercise, what are we talking about? Although there are numerous forms of stretching, in general, pre-exercise stretching falls into two types of stretching, static stretching and dynamic stretching. Static stretches can be defined as slow, gradual, and controlled stretches held for a specific amount of time. Dynamic stretches are typically defined as active, functional stretching exercises that are sport specific to prepare the body for activity. To be honest, even though I'm a researcher in the area of stretching, I hate the term dynamic stretching. The terms dynamic warm-up, or "movement preparation", are much more appropriate, but for consistency sake I will stick with the term dynamic stretching.

Secondarily, regarding injury, static stretching before exercise has never demonstrated a decreased risk of injury in research. Specific to the tactical athlete, a study of 1,538 male army recruits during boot camp demonstrated no difference in injury rates between one group that warmed up and stretched prior to activity, and another group that performed only a warm-up for four minutes (12). One study which has been claimed to demonstrate benefits of pre-exercise stretching actually did a better job of providing evidence for long term stretching and/or conditioning in injury prevention. Masatoshi Amako and his team followed 901 new military recruits over two years during basic training (1). These recruits were separated into one group that performed static stretching both before AND after training, while the other group did not perform any static stretching. Curiously, the static stretching group increased their injury rate over the first month, compared to the non-stretching group. But then over next three months, the stretching group had decreased muscle injury rates, but not bone, ligament, or joint injuries. This fits the idea that static stretching has long term benefits, but we have been unable to show them in short term in research. Previous studies on rowers and ballet dancers have also demonstrated that static stretching can play a role increased injuries (2, 8). Besides these individual studies, a number of critical reviews of available literature have concluded that pre-exercise static stretching does not reduce risk of injury, although perhaps long term use after exercise, or at different times, may help (14, 15). If there is anything that should be taken from this post is that people need to stop claiming that stretching before working out reduces the risk of injury. Other than anecdotal belief, there is no recorded evidence that stretching, of any type, performed before activity decreases risk of injury. It's even questionable whether warm-up does, although it is more plausible. It's important to consider that many comparison studies of stretching created one group that did no warm-up or stretching and then performed high intensity exercises without any recorded increased injury rate.

So what does reduce the risk of injury? We have growing evidence that particular conditioning activities (prehab), rehabilitation, and long term stretching protocols over time appear to reduce risk of injury. But to date, nothing performed prior to activity has clearly demonstrated the ability to decrease a risk of injury or the reoccurrence of injury.

Last, regarding athletic performance, static stretching prior to certain activities has demonstrated decreased performance in force production (7), sprint performance (13, 16), depth-jump performance, vertical jump height, long jump distance (5, 18), strength endurance (11) , and balance, reaction, and movement times (3). These deficits are not always present and seem to have some relation to the length of the stretch, starting with as little as 15 seconds. The deficits seem more apparent with powerful movements such as jumping and sprinting. However, taken into the context of the real world, some of the studied stretching lengths of over two minutes are not realistic. In addition, it is unlikely an athlete would not complete some form of sport specific drills prior to their sport after stretching, so it is important to take these results with a grain of salt.

Dynamic stretching on the other hand, has shown improved sprinting performance (6, 9), leg extension power (17), agility performance (4, 9, 10), and improved long jump distance (5). There have been a small number of articles published on the topic of combining static stretching and dynamic stretching to possibly either remove the negative effects related to static stretching, or to further improve performance. To save time covering each, I will say that the results of the combined studies have been contradictory, although some evidence seems to indicate that performing a high intensity activity for few minutes after static stretching appears to restore performance to the level of the dynamic stretching groups. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, and as I mentioned earlier, this usually happens in most sports anyway. The real question to ask yourself is, how important is your time? Do you really have to do both static AND dynamic stretches when you get the same results from just dynamic stretching alone?

Phew, ok, enough with the science, what does this mean to you, the martial artist/tactical athlete? To really summarize the application, although static stretching before exercise is not always associated with poor performance or increased risk of injury, it clearly does not reduce the risk of injury. Therefore you need to ask yourself why are you wasting your valuable time with it? Even if in a few more years of research we find static stretching isn't as bad for performance as some researchers and strength coaches make it out to be, it has consistently been shown to provide no additional benefits in comparison to dynamic stretching. Adding dynamic stretching after static stretching may remove some of the possible negative effects, but again, why are you using something just because it was "traditionally" thought to benefit you. Yes, we've been using static stretching for thousands of years, but we also thought the world was flat for how long? We can speculate a great deal, but if we have evidence for something better, why are we so resistant? Wasn't the concept of Jeet Kun Do or Krav Maga really about taking the useful but abandoning the wasteful? As tactical athletes in particular, isn't minimalism the key to efficiency and efficacy? Taken even further, when in a true "live" scenario are you going to get a chance to statically stretch let alone even warm-up? You're not, so why teach your body or your subconscious to fear potential injury from not adequately warming up or stretching? Yes, in training we want to protect our bodies from excessive abuse. However, beyond the research discussed above, it seems a better use of your time would be to focus on overall physical conditioning, some form of "prehab"/injury prevention training, and properly addressing past injuries.

There are THREE exceptions in which static stretching prior to exercise may be necessary. First, in the case of a physical therapist or certified/licensed athletic trainer specifically prescribing a stretch, or stretches, designed to inhibit an overly active muscle. Second, if you are unable to properly or safely perform a technique without inhibiting that muscle with a "good" stretch. Third, not really practical to the tactical athlete, but possibly to a Wushu athlete, if the sport requires holding a static posture for any length of time that requires an extreme range of motion, static stretching is appropriate to prepare for that technique. In these examples, the potential "side effects" and additional time involved are more important in allowing you to perform proper technique or treat a chronic injury. Also, on a side note, if something hurts, have a physical therapist or athletic trainer look at it. It is possible the stretches you trying to use to make the pain go away could numb the pain (a whole topic in and of itself), but may be stretching important ligaments that need to be tight in order to protect a joint (very common with the back). It could also cause increase damage to the area by further tearing an already torn muscle or tendon.

So we spent a lot of time talking about stretching before working out, what about after working out, or between workouts? This is where static stretching seems to possibly aid in injury prevention and even provide some performance improvements when performed over time. These benefits appear related to at least two specific changes from regular static stretching. First, static stretching clearly improves the range of motion of a muscle over time with regular stretching. We know that too little range of motion for your sport is an injury risk, so creating a more permanent change will be beneficial. Just remember, on the converse side, too much flexibility is also an injury risk. Second, much in the way that muscle grows and gets stronger with progressive micro-tears from resistance training, it appears that static stretching produces small tears in the fascia and muscle as well, which progressively heal longer and stronger over time. This is also why at times if you haven't stretched in a while and really stretch quite a bit one day, you feel a fair amount of soreness over the next few days, similar to a hard workout. Consistency is the key to maximizing these benefits, with at least 2-3 regular sessions a week, if not every day, and after every training session.

So what about this dynamic stretching business, how do you use it in your training? Depending on interest, I may make another post with a general dynamic warm-up that can be catered to your needs. In the meantime, you can get away with creatively developing a warm-up specific to your training session. Start with a series of general callisthenic exercises such as bodyweight squats, pushups, lunges, and the like. Then slowly perform techniques from your style and progressively increase the speed up to your "game speed" as your body loosens up. Listen to your body! Start with simple movements and progressively increase the difficulty. Work both legs and arms, and take the most time and care with kicks. If something is particularly tight and you aren't familiar with a dynamic stretch for that area, make a static stretch dynamic. Slowly move into the position you would normally hold for a static stretch, but then immediately (but slowly) back out of the end position, holding it for no more than a second. With each repetition, slowly and painlessly try and increasing how far that position could be held. It's not rocket science, even though I know a number of professionals try to make it that way. It's important to keep it simple and straightforward, in general, 8-10 minutes in length will work for most, some need more, some need less, feel it out.

That's stretching in a nutshell as we know it up to now, and a little of my biased opinion intertwined. From the perspective of a tactic athlete, static stretching before exercise isn't going to destroy you and the potential negative effects are negligible. So if you're absolutely fixated on doing it before training, go for it. I simply hope you take a moment to ask yourself why you are doing it. Dynamic stretching has benefits and can improve performance, but it's not a magic fix for poor technique or lack of strength and conditioning. Ultimately, it's important to keep in mind that your thoughts are extremely powerful, so if you think you're going to pull your hammy because you didn't statically stretch it before you exercise, you probably will.

References

1. Amako M, Oda T, Masuoka K, Yokoi H, Campisi P. Effect of static stretching on prevention of injuries for military recruits. Mil Med. 2003;168(6):442-6.

2. Askling H, Lund T, Saartok A, Thorstensson. Self-reported hamstring injuries in student-dancers. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2002;12(4):230-5.

3. Behm DG, Bambury A, Cahill F, Power K. Effect of acute static stretching on force, balance, reaction time, and movement time. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36(8):1397-402.

4. Chaouachi A, Castagna C, Chtara M, Brughelli M, Turki O, Galy O, Chamari K, Behm D. Effect of warm-ups involving static or dynamic stretching on agility, sprinting, and jumping performance in trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(8):2001-11.

5. Faigenbaum AD, Bellucci M, Bernieri A, Bakker B, Hoorens K. Acute effects of different warm-Up protocols on fitness performance in children. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(2):376–81.

6. Fletcher I, Anness R. The acute effects of combined static and dynamic stretch protocols on fifty-meter sprinter performance in track-and-field athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(3):784-7.

7. Herda TJ, Cramer J, Ryan E, McHugh MP. Acute effects of static versus dynamic stretching on isometric peak torque, electromyography, and mechanomyography of the biceps femoris muscle. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(3):809-17.

8. Howell DW. Musculoskeletal profile and incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in lightweight women rowers. Am J Sports Med. 1984;12(4):278-82.

9. Little T, Williams AG. Effects of differential stretching protocols during warm-ups on high speed motor capacities in professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(1):203-7.

10. McMillian DJ, Moore J, Hatler BS, Taylor DC. Dynamic vs. static stretching warm up: the effect on power and agility performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(3):492-9.

11. Nelson AG, Kokkonen J, Arnall DA. Acute muscle stretching inhibits muscles strength endurance performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(2):338-43.

12. Pope RP, Herbert RD, Kirwan JD, Graham. A randomized trial of preexercise stretching for prevention of lower-limb injury. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32(2):271-7.

13. Sayers A, Farley R, Fuller D, Jubenville C, Caputo J. The effect of static stretching on phases of sprint performance in elite soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(5):1416–21.

14. Shrier I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of muscle injury: A critical review of clinical basic science literature. Clin J Sport Med. 1999;9(4):221-7.

15. Thacker SB, Gilchrst J, Stroup D, Kimsey D. The impact of stretching on sports injury risk: a systematic review of literature. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36(3):371-8.

16. Winchester JB, Nelson AG, Landin D, Young MA, Schexnayder IC. Static stretching impairs sprint performance in collegiate track and field athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2008;22(1):13-9.

17. Yamaguchi T, Ishii K. Effects of static stretching for 30 seconds and dynamic stretching on leg extension power. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(3):677-83.

18. Young W, Elliott S. Acute effects of static stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching, and maximum voluntary contractions on explosive force production and jumping performance. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001;72(3):273-9.

Leonard Van Gelder, ATC, CSCS
www.dynamicprinciples.com

The Ocean, The Wave & Krav Maga

2010-12-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

Moshe is the gentleman wearing the beard

Israeli Krav International founder Moshe Katz wrote a wonderful follow up piece regarding my latest blog post!

Check it out:

http://www.your-krav-maga-expert.com/Ocean-Wave-Krav-Maga.html

Thanks Moshe!

All the best,

~Craig

The New Year: Confidence Testing Your Limits & Letting Go

2010-12-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

My knuckles were pure white as I pulled back on the yolk of the Cessna 150 airplane. All I could see was blue sky in front of me. My stomach was filled with both exhilaration and anxiety; kind of like being on a roller-coaster only I was the one driving this crazy thing and there was no guarantee that I would be rolling back into funland at the end of the ride!

The plane was pitched almost 90 degrees straight up from the ground. The emergency air whistle on the planes wings blew its eerie tone letting me and my flight instructor know that the craft was ready to stall out, loose it aerodynamic lift and drop like a rock back toward the earth!

Kris kept telling me to pull back more on the yolk, "she'll take more, keep pulling back." She told me that these Cessna's would pretty much fly themselves and besides she would take the controls if I froze or didn't know what to do during our simulated crash landing. I was both excited and terrified! What if I did freeze or did the wrong thing? Part of me knew that Kris would take care of it, but I was the acting pilot and I wanted to be able to pull out of this stall. I was more than nervous.

Just then a weightless feeling came over us, the plane lurched forward losing air speed, the whistle stopped its telltale screeching; I saw the wing come around as the aircraft didn't just stall out but went into a spin toward the ground! I could feel the blood drain from my face as I freaked for a split second until the drill Sargent in my head started barking at me to quite being a pussy (sorry, his words, not mine! =] ) get it together and f*ing start pulling out of this just like I was taught.

My technique was a bit ugly, but I managed to pull out alright. Although I think that Kris's slight pale complexion was a tip off that she was about as surprised as I was regarding the partial spin. She played it off well though as she pointed out what I did well and what I could use some work on. She went on to explain what caused the spin was that in my nervous state I must've been pushing on the rudder peddle with my foot making the tail come around.

Kris assured me again that the Cessna would fly itself even if I didn't do anything to recover from the stall. She said "If you have enough altitude the plane would right itself and naturally find its aerodynamic state and glide all by its self until it ran out of sky.

To which I replied, "Oh yea, prove it!"

So we climbed to about 2800 feet in altitude and she told me that whenever I was ready induce the plane into a stall again and just let go of the controls.

I repeated back to her what she said. It was more of a question than a statement. "Just let go then?" I said.

She smile knowingly as she gently said, "Yes Craig, just let go."

And that is exactly what I did!

I took the plane up up up and when I heard that emergency whistle blow I pulled harder on the yolk until the plane slowed and then dropped. My stomach once again had that feeling of falling, my mind panicked for a split second telling me that I was crazy to just let go. What the F was I thinking? I was going to die! And then I just let go.

The plane did exactly as Kris said it would it first fell and then it righted itself and then it glided. As it was doing this I asked Kris what would happen if I still didn't touch the controls. She repeated what she had told me earlier. "It will just continue to glide until it loses air speed and lift. Then it will fall and then start the process over again until it "runs out of sky" and eventually crash."

We let the plane do repeat this cycle (all except the crashing part!) a couple more times to appease my curiosity and then as we began "running out of sky" so to speak, we gave the old 150 some throttle got to an acceptable altitude and took'er to the airport for a safe landing.

After that day my flying dramatically improved. With my increased confidence levels everything seemed to be less stressful and so much easier!

Damn I LOVED this I thought to myself!! I love testing myself & embracing my own fear.

That lesson in the skies over Grand Rapids once again confirmed many things for me. Being able to better identify a true emergency vs merely a challenge was invaluable; Sometimes our natural perception is counter intuitive regarding overcoming the challenge that is in front of us; Knowing and trusting our equipments limitations makes your trip not only more enjoyable, but safer for everyone; The value of good instruction and mentoring; and maybe the biggest lesson of them all: Having faith and knowing when to just let go!

For those of you reading this I ask you to please write in your comments about the lessons of this story.

For those who are curious how to pull a airplane out of a stall or spin here is a link on how to:

http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/stall-recovery-142290.html

Happy new year folks! I hope that in the year to come you face your challenges with confidence, faith and the ability to let go!

All the best,
~Craig

Training, Injuries and Outlook

2010-12-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

I have been hearing from a lot of you regarding healthy training. Some people are asking what should they dedicate their time to, others are concerned about their injuries, or about training as they get older. All great questions. I thought I would address injuries and some basic training attitudes from my perspective.

If you have been training for any length of time you have undoubtedly have been injured. It seems inevitable. So how can you prevent getting injured and what should you do if/when you get injured?

Lets look at injury prevention first. Many people say warming up and stretching is the basis of injury prevention. Although this is true, there is something even more basic than this: Your mindset! How you approach your training is really the thing that will set the stage for you. Now I don't know about you, but (#1) I am not getting any younger (#2) I'm not training to fight in the next UFC or Olympics (#3) Sustained training to help me not only perform when necessary, but also to enhance my mind/body/spirit connection.

What I advocate is a workout that is middle of the road encompassing some peaks and valleys. Middle of the road training can be described as pushing past your comfort level, without going to the extent of being overly hazardous to yourself. Think of the bigger picture; the marathon rather than the sprint.

Does it make sense for a weight lifter to take steroids to get huge only to end up having liver or kidney failure because of it? Not in my book! That doesn't make any more sense to me than training "all out" in full contact sparring matches or overly zealous grappling (because it's "more real" or "that's the way it would happen in real life") and damaging yourself so that everyday life becomes miserable. Your training should IMPROVE your life, not make it more difficult. Not to mention it's difficult to defend yourself and others in the field if you are all busted up. Unlike fighting in the cage/ring you can't reschedule someone's attack and you never have the time to plan in advance. You have to be ready at a moments notice to perform, not take 3 months or so to prepare for one incident.

I have had a number of people ask about working through injuries during training. First off, as you know I am not a doctor, so remember what I say is simply my opinion; I would recommend that if you are or get injured go see your doctor before you do anything that will hurt you more!

Here is my methodology regarding working through injuries: If I am injured I will work around the injury. Meaning I will train in a way that doesn't aggravate it or aggravates it less. Basic rule of thumb, if it hurts do something else. If the pain is too much, is so extensive or such a major body part that I can't train around it, then I won't train physically. However I can typically formulate a strategy to continue training. If we only train when we are 90% or 100% we end up never training. If you ask any athlete most will tell you that they have some injury or something that is bothering them most of the time. Don't let that be your excuse not to train! I hear that one as much as: I just don't have the time, I'll start training after I lose a few pounds or I can't afford it. As far as I'm concerned these excuses are most always a bunch of BS. Try to keep training, do something to continue. An all or nothing mentality limits you and your progress.

The last thing I wanted to touch base on today is to remember that your training should be fun. That is not to say that you shouldn't sometimes make it intense or challenging, but if you push yourself to the point where you don't consistently enjoy your training I doubt if you will choose to do it for very long. I have been fortunate to have been training most of my life. I am grateful for my dad teaching me in the basement when I was knee high to a grasshopper (pun intended). I enjoy training every bit as much now as I used to, however my training has changed in the past 34 years since I began this journey. I suspect that it will keep changing to reflect my path as I wind down the road of life. I wish the same for all of you as well.

Life is too short to dedicate time to things that don't inspire you. The list of things to occupy our time is limitless... however our time here on earth isn't. My advice is to do what inspires you, what expresses who you are, who you want to become and as much as possible share what little time we have here with those we care about, enjoy the journey...it's short!

Keep going!

All the best,
~Craig

Plank Holder

2010-11-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

On September 10th - 11th & 12th I had the pleasure of both teaching and training at Jack Hoban's RGI Conflict Resolution Level I Course. What a wonderful experience! I am proud to be a part of such a dynamic group of people! The instructors were an impressive collection of seasoned professionals. Although everyone impressed me, I have to admit that I was moved the most by Lt. Col. Joe Shusko (in above pic front row on one knee glasses on his head). He was a true inspiration. A true gentleman warrior. Capable, seasoned, experienced, yet humble & approachable, a true leader. Some people who serve in the military are (or were) soldiers, Joe is a true warrior. He doesn't demand respect, he inspires it. In my eyes, he is what all Marines should try to aspire to. The kind of guy that makes you proud to be an American! He is the kind of leader that brings out the best in those he leads, even if it is only for a weekend!

I loved Joe's perspective, his teaching style is soft yet he means business. Even at 55 he has an incredible fitness level that would put 20 and 30 year olds to shame (trust me on this one!). One of the things I really liked was Joe's "Tie In" stories. Short inspiring stories with a moral that he would tell before, after and sometime between working out. His "5 - 4 -3 - 2 - 1 most important words in the English Language" was absolutely great! I wrote it for you below so you can share it with others as well.

The 5 - 4 -3 -2 - 1 most important word in the English language are:

5) All Men (People) Were Created Equal
4) Live a Balanced Life
3) I Love You
2) Genuine Concern
1) Humility

It was great meeting and working with you Joe! Thanks for all of the training, "Tie Ins" and perspective that you shared. I look forward to working with you and the rest of the RGI crew soon!

Best,
~Craig

The Summer, the Wolf and the Wolf Pack

2010-08-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

A beautiful night on the oceanfront in Tel Aviv, Isreal, 2010.

Hey gang! It has been a while since I've written. It's been a busy summer: Teaching seminars and running regular Krav Maga classes at Westside Fitness; collaboration with, developing and teaching new workshops with Jack Hoban and RGI; radio interview on WMOM 107.2 FM's morning show; our usual work with Frontlines of Freedom radio show; completed upcoming article in Alpena Fifty-Two Magazine; innovated new LIFE Leadership & LIFE Skills program with Relationship Violence Prevention Expert Anne Parpas; promoting and presenting various programs to numerous organizations nationally; coordinating upcoming Krav Maga program and Her Survival Guide seminar at East Hills Athletic Club & Rockford Community Education; and looking forward to starting back up school at the end of the month (History of Michigan & Early Western European History 400 B.C.E. through 1400).

I'm ready for the ramp up this fall, it is going to be an exciting autumn and winter!

~
Ok now for something useful:

I was taking a walk around the Heritage Hill /East Town area the other day when I saw some kids vandalizing a light post at the newly renovated houseman field. About the by the time I took notice I saw two other young men approaching (early 20's maybe) the young hooligans. These young guys hollered at the kids messing with the light post. As they approached the kids took off cursing at them as they left. I walked up to the area and began talking to the young men seeing if I could be of some help. We started talking about how the area has been turning around and that in order to keep that transition going they had to stay involved in keeping the area up and continuing to keep an eye out for Shannan's like what we just saw.

I applaud these guys for stepping up to the plate and taking action. We have to watch out for each other and our communities. Many people witness things like this (and worse) and never do anything about it. They turn the other way hoping someone else takes care of the problem. These people may be "Moral" (knowing right from wrong) but lack proper "Ethics" (doing what's right).

These young men were proud of there community and stood up for what they believed in. Using nothing more than their presence and voices to deter the offenders. Now they could have averted their path and just called the police who might have driven by after the damage was done or they could have just ignored the kids all together only to complain how the neighborhood is going down hill or how the police need to keep a tighter patrol on the area, but they didn't!

Jack Hoban and I were just talking about Morals vs. Ethics the other day when he was here. The reason that developing confidence and having skill is so important is that: 1) We are more likely to be able to discern a real threat from one that isn't real 2) Being a protector / defender is risky and requires more skill to feel more confident to choose to be ethical under pressure. We believe that by having physical skills it will help people to accomplish this. The best way we found is to teach with an integrated methodology. It is more effective to train physical, mental and ethical skills simultaneously for deepest impact and best result. The Ethic drives the tactic which then drives actual technique. The combination between mutually supported physical activity and discussions can be a very powerful tool to getting the message across more effectively.

Remember: We are all in this together, so we have to help one another out.

"The WOLF is only as strong as the PACK and the PACK is only as strong as the WOLF."

Keep going,

~Craig

Gathering of the Tribes

2010-06-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

G of the T: Too many people to list... I'm in there somewhere (kinda like where's Waldo!)

Ok, before I get going with this blog let me briefly revisit my last. After receiving numerous comments on my last blog (thanks folks!) I thought I might clarify a couple things:

First I wanted to thank Andy Veen for covering some of the Wed. evening classes for me while I was/am gone. I do appreciate it and I hope the experience helps you on your journey as well. You always do a good job.

Second, I wrote the article to let you readers in on some of my process; some of the things that enter into my head if even for a brief moment, that's all...don't take things too seriously, no worries gang...really! :-)

Third, thanks for all of your feedback keep it coming!

Now for our regularly scheduled show:

Memorial Day weekend was the 10th Anniversary for The Gathering of the Tribes seminar held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Many students and instructors from all over the U.S. came to train, share knowledge, meet new people & have a great weekend. There were several main workshops and many smaller breakout sessions. I was asked to teach a Krav Maga segment again this year which I was honored to do. I was also asked by a few folks to do some breakout sessions which thrilled me to no end as well!

In my main section I covered: warrior ethics, universal values, protector/defender mentality, some empty hand Krav Maga tactics followed by a knife defense or two and finally some pistol disarms.

I would go on but this blog entry from Chuck Sullivan does a great job summerizing things. You can check out his blog at http://memphishsingyikwoon.blogspot.com/2010/06/gathering-of-tribes-10th-anniversay.html...or read it here!

The Gathering of The Tribes 10th Anniversary On Memorial Day weekend the guys and I made the trip up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to go to The Gathering of The Tribes. It was a weekend filled with lots of quality martial arts instruction in an ego free environment. Anyone who has been in the martial arts knows what kind of political junk that goes with that whole scene. The Gathering is a refuge from that kind of crap. The people were easy to hang with and talk to. After being into martial arts for over 20 years I had begun to get really jaded concerning other martial artists. They are usually obnoxious, arrogant, and condescending. After just being a fly on the wall and watching everything go down I realized that these guys were actually "leaving their egos at the door". It turned out to be a great weekend. I can't say enough good things about everyone there.

We got to train with some advanced FMA and Silat players from around the country.

Chuck Pippin of Innovative Martial Arts taught the opening session and even ran a bladesmithing class where Jeff walked away with an awesome knife. I hope to get a picture of it on here soon.

My brain started to turn to mush after awhile.But here is what I remembered:

Chuck and Don from Innovative Martial Arts opened with some great drills to add intensity to real life threats that include physical violence combined with verbal abuse. They also went through a great drill called the Increasing Five. I am going to have Chuck come to Memphis sometime this fall for more of his "Vendor Neutral" knife work. Write me if you want to come on over to the class.

Terry Trahan did some of his no BS martial applications against the knife. I didn't get to spend much time with Terry and hope to pick his brain more next year.

Bobbe Edmonds worked on some cool Hubud stuff. A word about Bobbe...he is LARGER THAN LIFE. I spent most of the weekend studying him from afar not sure if I wanted to run or have a beer with him. Here is my favorite quote from the weekend that he gave when Rob was trying to tell him one of his trademark bad jokes..."I'm Bobbe F-ing Edmonds. You gotta come up with something better than that."

Buzz Smith delivered some of his trickery. We took an instant liking to Buzz. He is a sincere knowledgeable teacher that isn't afraid to answer your questions. We did a lot of work in between sessions where he taught us a little of the short staff work from Kuntaw. Rob is going to be coordinating a future trip for Buzz to the Memphis area soon. I hope to get some pics up of him stretching Jeff out pretty good.

Jay Carstensen,the founder of KSMA, gave a cool interpretation of Hubud with your back on the ground that included a sweep. Jay is also a Life Coach. Check out his site if you get a chance.

Craig Gray of Ronin Martial Arts taught some knife and gun disarms from Krav Maga. This was my first exposure to Krav and I like it. He let me pick his brain about being on the ground with a knife. We hope to have him down here in Memphis to teach his 5 hour ground defense against the knife this fall. It will probably be a small private class give me a call if any of my local friends are interested in attending.

Sean Stark represented his Combat PSP silat style. I didn't get to do this section as Chuck was helping work on a custom sheath for a knife my grandfather gave me. The guys said he gave out some good solid material.

Geoffrey Bossman from Kentucky taught at the Gathering for the first time. He has that punk dry slightly sarcastic sense of humor that I love. We did some Hubud with sticks and a close that was great. He also taught some standing grappling. Geoff had some really interesting experience to share from working with his crew. The police officers, bouncers, etc that he works with still see a lot of haymakers and front tackles. Cool stuff.

One great unexpected thing that happened this weekend was being conscripted into the Kapatiran Suntukan Martial Arts organization. I look forward to learning and hanging with all of these guys in the future.

Posted by Chuck Sullivan, L.Ac. at 8:06 AM

More from me:

As the weekend progressed I quickly realized how far my training and habits have diverged (even more) from art to tactical methods. Not passing judgement or anything like that, just recognizing some differences. Gone were my numerous defensive variations from attacks such as straight and hook punches or knife thrusts. I found myself relying on a few simple, straight forward tactics to deal with the situation. I realize that I am practicing "possibility" less and "probability" more. I have an appreciation for the diversity of all of the many variations of defenses that I saw and that were shared with me, however this is just further reinforcement that my path has changed direction. As I continue to teach people who are not "artists," and who have minimal time to practice yet still rely on the tactics to work under pressure & surprise, I find that my training also changes to support these efforts. That said my days as an artist are most likely behind me. I will admit a part of my ego still has a certian yearning for art and seeing so many incredible people so well versed in their respective styles left me inspired and appreciative for my experience with each of them. Training with great martial artists and sharing in their craft is a wonderful experience, thank you to all who I had the pleasure of encountering.

All the best,

~Craig

"No One" Perspective...

2010-06-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

A beautiful Saturday... Arts festival raging downtown... There is a million other things that I would rather be doing today other than being here at the studio waiting for students to show up for class, but I know that once I get moving and people start to show up everything will be good! BUT... The catch is...NO ONE SHOWS UP! Not only does no one show up for group class, but no one shows up to the intro class either. WTF?! So I call a couple of people who scheduled their intro class with me Wednesday night. I hear the reasons (or excuses): "I would love to be there, but (insert "reason" here)... I reeeeeally wanted to be there, but I had things to do... people to see... Homework... Dog ate my car keys... Had to wash my hair... Oops, forgot... ...I'm broke (yet spent $50 on my bar tab last night), yadda, yadda, yadda..."

Needless to say I am a bit peeved by this time for blowing my entire morning and some of the afternoon on what feels like absolutely nothing! Sure Saturday class hasn't been really consistent due to my seminar & training schedule, but since I can rarely find anyone to cover class we end up having to cancel. Now one might think that those days off might give people a bit of a break to enjoy some of time off and/or get some things done; they might look forward to training on the dates available. However it doesn't work like that. Rather it gives people the opportunity to get out of the habit of coming to class.

I know you are probably wondering if I am done complaining, whining and being bitter about about all of this yet!? So let me get to my point. I want to thank everyone for helping ME train without even showing up. After my last phone call to my no-show I began changing my perspective because it was either that or I was about to go ballistic. So I took a breath and a proverbial step back from the situation to re-assess my state of mind. Here's what I came up with:

1. My attitude is about ME not others.

2. I can't control what others do, only how I respond to it.

3. After my group class was a no show I should've called my intro class students to confirm that they were still showing up.

4. If I wasn't teaching I would've probably slept in anyway. So how much time was really "wasted?!"

5. It's my decision to teach, run a school, travel for seminars, etc. AND I LOVE IT! So sometimes you have to be willing to shake off some of the disappointments & (try) not to whine, complain and carry on (or if you do I hope you have a blog, ha ha).

6. Just because I am so into training and I choose to sacrifice other activities and resources to do so, doesn't mean that every else shares my same perspective to the same degree.

7. Do to the lack of classes I was able to catch up with some of the people at the fitness center and have a great conversation with Dan about this very subject!

8. If this is the worse thing that happens to me today I'm doing pretty darn good!

9. Practice this lesson of letting go.

...and yes for those of you reading I AM only human, emotions and all. (For those readers who are instructors; I KNOW you've had days when you felt the same way! :-)

Keep going.

All the best,
~Craig

Krav Maga Tour and Train Day 6

2010-05-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Craig Gray, Fred Heins & Tim Hillis are promoted to Black Belt Phase Two Instructors.

Day six began with krav maga ground fighting with weapons. Unlike sports such as MMA or events like UFC, in reality there are no rules at all. It is very likely that in a ground fight someone might pull out a knife or a gun; in IKI Krav Maga we prepare for such an eventuality.

Moshe Katz demonstrates ground knife defense, controlling the knife hand and striking pressure points

BACK TO THE CARS

Next we addressed the issue of the passenger in the back trying to strangle the driver with a rope.

Self defense outside the car, someone attacks you as you attempt to unlock your car.

As Friday is a short day we took no breaks. The kids arrived for their class at 1:30 and our international guests worked with the local Israeli kids, many of whom spoke two or three languages.

Our Krav Maga guests with kids of the Mitzpe Nevo dojo

Graduation

Our seven guests recieve their diplomas for completing the intensive six day course in Israel. Back row:left to right, Gregg Jackson (Indiana, USA), Tim Hillis, (Arizona, USA), Moshe Katz (IKI head instructor, Israel), Stephan Shutter, (Heidelberg, Germany), Craig Grey, (Michigan, USA. Front row: Justin Tarin, (Indiana, USA), Robert Amos, (Indiana, USA), Fred Heins, (Tilburg, Netherlands).

Post taken from Moshe Katz blog www.your-krav-expert.com

Thanks again!

~Craig

Krav Maga Tour and Train Day 5

2010-05-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Day five begins with coffee, some Hebrew, discussions about Israeli history and culture and how all this comes together in terms of how Krav Maga is practiced today. I feel the guys are really getting the picture, they are getting the feel of the country. The previous day some of the guys tried to visit a certain historic military site and found themselves being targeted by sinpers and shown the door, in Israel security always comes first.

We begin our training with Seated self defense What to do if you are attacked while seated, not a typical dojo situation but whent that can happen in real life.

We move on to Krav Maga Ground Defense. The difference between this and MMA type grappling is we keep it street practical; simple, good for all sizes, we do not look for locks or submissions, just get out of harms way.

On the way to lunch we spot a heard of sheep and goats

Greg enjoys a plate of Shakshuka while Justin has the humous.

Tim Hillis from Arizona finally gets to taste "Botz" (mud), real Turkish coffee. Turns out he likes it, quite different from StarBucks.

Afternoon
We view a video about World War Two and discuss the dilemmas both Jews and non-Jews faced during this difficult time. The members are getting more of a feel for what it felt like for a Jew in that time; surviving Nazi Europe, begin turned away by the Americans, not allowed into Israel by the British, and then finally having to battle the Arabs for sheer survival. This is where Krav Maga mentality comes from; we have no alternative.

Mount Herzl Our next stop is the Mount Herzl military cemetary and memorial. This solmn place honors both the memories of those fighting for the State of Israel and those who fought on many fronts before the establishment of the state. Among those honored are 250,000 Jews who were killed as combatants in World War Two fighting for the Red army against the Nazis.

We see a group of typical Israeli girls who came to pay their respects to those who made Israel a reality.

Fred Heins from Holland, Robert Amos and Justin Tarin from USA, pay their respects to David Raziel . David Raziel was the commander of the Irgun, a Jewish milita that helped establish the State of Israel.

Hannah Szenes (Hebrew: חנה סנש‎) (Hungarian: Szenes Anikó) (July 17, 1921 – November 7, 1944) was a Hungarian Jew, one of 37 Jews living in Israel, who were trained by the British army to parachute into Yugoslavia during the Second World War in order to help save the Jews of Hungary, who were about to be deported to the German death camp at Auschwitz.

Szenes was arrested at the Hungarian border, imprisoned and tortured, but she refused to reveal details of her mission and was eventually tried, and executed by firing squad. She is regarded as a national heroine in Israel, where several streets and a kibbutz are named after her, and her poetry is widely known.

Poem by Chana Szenes

My God, My God, I pray that these things never end, The sand and the sea,

The rustle of the waters,

Lightning of the Heavens,

The prayer of Man.

אלי, אלי, שלא יגמר לעולם

החול והים

רישרוש של המים

ברק השמים

תפילת האדם

Head stone of Danny Hass of blessed memory. Danny was an American student at Bar Ilan University in Israel. I attended Bar Ilan shortly after him, my brother knew him. He was a role model for many students. A popular student, expert martial artist and firm supporter of Israel, when the Lebanon War broke out he volunteered. He was one of the first of many American/Israelis to fall in combat in the two Lebanon wars. His sister lives in my community and is related to me by marriage.

IKI members from the USA, Germany and Netherlands, honor the memory of the fallen.

Evening

In the evening we trained a Jerusalem family. This family lives and works near the Old City of Jerusalem and trains in Krav Maga purely for self defense; this is the real meaning and purpose of Krav Maga. Our international team joined with the locals for a training session in the park in Jerusalem.

Yosef learns to defend against a knife attack

A group shot after training in the park across from the U.S. Consolate.

Post taken from Moshe Katz blog www.your-krav-expert.com

~Craig

Krav Maga Tour and Train Day 4

2010-05-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

Day Four begins again with coffee, discussions about the previous day's visit to the Holocaust Memorial, and some basic Hebrew. We continue with defense against various types of kicks. Today we are joined by two instructors from Rehovot, Israel, Jill Shames and Naomi Milano Yitzhak.

Naomi takes a much needed water break

After a morning of training we head out to our favorite lunch spot, now this is how humous should be!

After lunch we view historic footage and documentation about the "Forgotten Refugees", the 750,000 Jews of Arab lands who were expelled by our Middle Eastern nieghbors and absorbed into Israel. We learn of their difficult history and brutal expulsion.

We go outside for "Self Defense in a Car", a topic often neglected in martial arts training but an important part of our program.

Naomi defends against a gun threat.

In Israel the modern the and ancient live side by side. As we are training for defense inside a car a local nomad rides by on his donkey, as did our forefathers on this very land for millenium.

Scary situations here, but we must learn to deal with it.

Day Four Afternoon - Evening

Our Tour & Train visitors train with the kids. They are impressed with the kids ability, the kids have a super time.

Yaakov Agranat blocks knife attack by Robert Amos of Indiana

We had begun our day at 9:30, some of the guys left for some private touring of Jerusalem, while others stayed to train with our local Maaleh Adumim guys.

Our group for Day Four!

The day ended at 10 p.m. until tomorrow morning....

Taken from Moshe Katz blog site www.your-krav-expert.com

Thanks!

~Craig

Krav Maga Tour and Train Day 3

2010-05-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Day Three begins with a walk from the center of Jerusalem to the Old City.

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Our expert tour guide, Josh Even Chen, points out sites of historical, cultural and religious significance.

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Beduin woman tends her flock, as people in this region have done for thousands of years.

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This olive tree in the garden of Gethsemane is about 2,000 years old.

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Outside of the many churches we saw. Some of the participants are devout Christians, others are just interested in the history.

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A few of the many soldiers we ran into during the day.

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Heading up to Lions Gate

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Hanging out with the Border Police, Old City, Jerusalem

Hey, one of these guys is not like the others! Stephan blends in with the locals

The Cardo dates back to Roman times, 1800 years ago.

After many hours of walking the gang enjoyed a good meal of shwarma, humous, and pita.

In the Jewish quarter.

As we approach the area where the Holy Temple once stood (Currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock), Josh teaches us about the original dimensions of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Walking to the area of the Temple, a young woman is actually armed security (of which there are many in this area).

Our guys met and spoke with members of the Yasam, one of Israel's top police units.

Craig Gray from Michigan with some local soldiers.

Yad Va Shem - Holocaust Museum
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After many hours of walking and touring Jerusalem we board taxis and headed out to Yad VaShem, the memorial to our people who were murdered by the Nazis and their helpers in World War Two. Our expert guide Josh explained that as Krav Maga instructors who want to understand modern Israel and Krav Maga, we must visit Yad Va Shem, because it is here where it all begins, here you find the answers.
We began by visiting a few of the 6,000 trees planted to honor the Rightious among the Nations; non-Jews who risked their own lives and saved Jews during this "darkest period in our history". Josh pointed out that this is both a "Thank you" but also a slap in the face to the people of the world. "How can you say 'there was nothing we could do!' for here you see the names of those who had a different attitude and who did save their fellow human beings.

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Josh at the forest for the Rightious among the Nations.

What we saw inside cannot be described, just as what the Holocaust survivors experienced cannot be explained. Chilling, horryfying, shocking, gastly, are a few words that come to mind, but none do justice. Our guests leanred a little of what our people went through, and how little the nations of the world, including the United States, did to help.

We could not take photographs inside the memorial but I am sure a great deal is available on line.

As we walked out of the memorial, back into the living, thriving Israel of today, Josh discussed with us the evolution of the Israeli people and the changed attitude towards Holocaust, Shoah, victims and survivors.

Josh discusses with us the monument to the Jewish resistance fighters and the Holocaust survivors. This is where Modern Krav Maga and Israeli fierceness takes a new form.

Our instructors will truly go home changed people with a deeper, more profound, understanding of Israel, the Jewish people and Krav Maga.

Once again this post is taken from Moshe Katz blog www.your-krav-expert.com

Thanks again Moshe!

~Craig

Krav Maga Tour and Train Day 1 & 2

2010-05-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

The group began to arrive. For those who arrived on Friday I had to make sure they had food. This is Jerusalem, Jews observe the Sabbath and close down their shops on Saturday; no supermarkets, no restaurants.

Sunday morning: Coffee and orientation. We study some Talmud; the laws of "Rodef - a pursuer", and the obligation to save another. Craig from Michigan emerges as a bit of rabbi and Talmudic scholar. We learn some Hebrew words, Boker Tov - Good morning. Eyfo Ha Autobus - Where is the bus?

We take a long walk in Mitzpe Nevo and see the Judean desert, the homes that the US governement does not want us to live in, and we meet some local residents who don't seem nearly as fanatical as those that CNN shows on TV.

Sunday morning, knife defense

One p.m. Lunch at our local Humous place followed by a ride into the Judean desert; Nomads, camels, heards of goat and sheep. We stop for camel rides, negotiate for a while and agree on a price.

Stephan from Germany matches the camel with bright colors.

Next we continued along the long and winding road in the Judean desert, driving alongside the Dead Sea, or in Hebrew, the Salt Sea. We observed the incredible mountains and rock formations and then visited the Dead Sea itself.

Tim Hillis, IKI instructor, Arizona, floating in the Dead Sea.

Training at the Dead Sea, now this is realism. Very hot and dry, rough terrain, got to love it!

Back for more training after touring, these guys do not slack off.

Day Two

Day Two was devoted to training, eating some more humous, and learning a little about Israeli and Jewish history.

We began with Krav Kickboxing drills and defense against various types of strikes.

1 pm, back to our favorite lunch spot, Humus Adumim. Afternoon sessions begins with history: we discuss the history of the nation of Israel, roots of the Arab claims to our land, Rome, Europe and the USA. We then have a video presentation about the history of Jerusalem, the city we will visit tomorrow.

Back for more training

More knife defense

Our Tour and Train guests train with the kids.

This post was taken from Moshe Katz site www.your-krav-expert.com

Thanks Moshe!

~Craig

Bus Stops, Uzi's and Refridgerators

2010-05-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Roadside Arab merchant and camel near the Dead Sea.

My computer battery is running low and I am very tired (it's midnight here!) so I will try to keep this short!

A great day!! Some cool things happened and some not so cool things as well...nothing big, but ironic. Our day started off at 7am when we all got up to look in the fridge and find that most of the groceries that we bought the night before were stolen by one of the other people in the neighboring room. The kitchen is shared between three rooms so there is some risk of misunderstanding, inconvienence and of course theft. I didn't really put anything in the fridge that I couldn't live w/o, so it wasn't any real big deal for any of us (Fred and Tim as well), but it did provide some entertainment for us. We taddled to the folks who run the place and they were very nice about everything and come to find out the person who allegidally took the food was a friend of the son of the owners...so, a phone call later and it was curtains for that kid!

After we finished breakfast (which was fantastic btw!) we started walking to our bus station to get to training. Many of the bus stops had young military men and women carring M-16 rifles ready to rock! The stop we went by that was the most interesting had, I think, four people strapped w/sub machine guns to them. One older gray beaded man complete with yamaka (spelling error I'm sure!) and prayer shawl strapping a uzi to his back. Standing next to him were two younger men dressed in t-shirts and sunglasses w/tricked out M-16's and lastly a young military gent packing heat as well. An interesting site...one that most American's (including myself) aren't accustomed to! I wanted to get a picture so bad, but it seemed inapproperate!

So we find the bus station that we think we should be at and are waiting for our bus to arrive. We wait and wait and good ole' #174 never shows up dispite #28 returning again and again to our bus stop (literally 10x min!). Finally one of the bus drivers tell us that we are standing at the wrong bus stop and directs us to the right one, which btw, is very funny because the owner of the B&B directed us to that one only we couldn't understand her, but in hind sight she was trying to help us but she had broken English so we weren't getting what she was trying say. Oh well, we'll know for tomorrow.

Went to the Dead Sea as well today. Very cool! The salt deposits and rocks by the shore were very cool, so I brought some homes. We could see the boarder of Jordan on the other side of the Sea. We also worked out for a short while we were there, it was cool (well, hot really!).

After seeing the Dead Sea we trained some more...until 10pm that night! It was nice, but tiring!

Today we trained all day (today) about 8hrs total (6hrs-ish of training). We worked on the typical Krav Maga arsonel (so we'll be working on some new stuff in class).

Tomorrow we are off to Old Jerluseum! Should be a blast.

Well, I'm noddin' off again so I'm going to let you go.

Talk to everyone soon!

~Craig

Training in Israel... The Journey Out

2010-05-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

This is the view from my porch of the B&B I am staying at. Ammunition Hill - Jeruselum , Israel.

We're going to switch gears a little here folks. I'm going into travel writer mode for a spell while I'm here in Israel training. I hope you can just sit back and enjoy the ride along with me!

It is about 7:30pm Israeli time, so about 2:40am in Michigan. I am sitting here in my bunk bed at the B&B I am staying at here in Israel http://www.bnb.co.il/house57/ . It is a really cool place with a wonderful couple, Dan & Ilana Tamir who own it. If you are in Israel I would highly recommend staying there. Very reasonable cost, clean and near many of the historical sites! The only thing I don't like about it is that has European style shower aka rather small. I don't really mind it, but I am a slob and so I get water everywhere (sorry about the mess guys).

You'll have to excuse me because I am a bit jet lagged from my 22hr. flight, 9 hour layover and 8 more hours in the airport trying to connect with Tim one of the other IKI instructors out of Arizona. So if I zonk out for a second (like I just did!) and dooooooooooooooo that type of thing you'll know why!

So this flight plan was a long one and it ended up being about 38hrs in an airport or on a plane! :-(

So I'm on the Polish Aire flight 4 flying from Chacago to Warsaw Poland and I buy a snack that wasn't on the menu. The flight attendant gives me some change and has to go back to get my the rest. When she gets back she hands me a 5 dollar bill, everythings fine right?! Not really. This bill feels weird, it looks weird, it even smells weird. I look at it a little closer and it is the old style bill in mint condition... drum roll here... the date says 1950! It's true. I think it's counterfeit. So I put it in my money belt and will be taking it to the bank when I get back to the states to see what's what! If it IS counterfeit (which I believe it to be) I wonder if the airline knew it was handing out funny money? Who knows, maybe some Russian Mob connections!? You'll have to stay tuned later to see if that bill is real or not!

I have a 9 hour layover in Warsaw, so I figure I'd take advantage of it and go paint the town red. Much to my dissaponnet I am too wiped out from the flight and just drooled as I fell into a disoriented zombie-like coma until I had to catch my next flight to Tel Aviv.

I arrive in Tel Aviv at 3:30am...yes ladies and gents that is right 3:30am after an 9 hour flight. Tim and I decided to hook up at the airport. He was flying in from Arizona and I was coming from Michigan. So I see his flight comes in at 9:25 am... yea, 6 hours, but not the end of the world. After I get off the plane, get through the "interview" question about why are you coming to Israel, how long you're staying etc. then get through customs and grab a bit to eat the timeframe would probably be just fine. It would give me time to get on my computer to check e-mail, facebook, blah, blah, blah. We'll it was getting near 8am and I see on the board that the flight is delayed so now they're saying that it was going to be 10:50am. So I wait... 10:50 no Tim. 11am no Tim. 11:30 no Tim. 11:45 no Tim 12:15 no Tim. I ask the attendant if everyone got off the plane and he assured me that everyone has departed the plane! Uh oh! Tim and I were going to ride together to the B&B.

Earlier I tried using my computer at the airport and it needs a adapter, which I have, yet it still isn't working just right and keeps shutting down. I was able to briefly look at my e-mail to see that time messaged me from his Blackberry saying that he and Moshe were worried because I wasn't there yet and he (Tim) waited 2 hours for me before grabbing the shuttle to the B&B without me! WOW! Uh-oh (again!). Shit!!! The computer crashed just before I sent them both an e-mail that I was alright and would call them. I didn't bring my cell phone so I had to use a pay phone which turned out to be a disaster. No ange for the phone, weird country code that I didn't have, so I couldn't dial out, dailed the number and got some young kid. Walked for over a half an hour for another phone only to turn my happy butt around to use the same one I tried in the first place. All for nothing... I never did get that darn phone to work.

After my failed attempts at the phone call I finally just said screw it I'm going to take the shuttle. I jump on it and the guy says five minutes until we leave... 5 min, 15 min, 20 min, a half an hour... an hour... FINALLY a little after an hour the driver has enough people on board the van to make his rounds from the airport in Tel Aviv to the city of Jerulsum. About 45 minutes later I was meeting Tim, Fred and Stephan for the first time!

Well gang, that's it for tonight. I'll write more later. Tomorrow is our first day of training!

~Craig

Craig Gray on Nationally Syndicated Frontlines of Freedom Talk Radio Show

2010-04-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Listen to my latest discussion about Awareness on the Nationally Syndicated talk radion show Frontlines of Freedom - http://frontlinesoffreedom.com/

All the best~

~Craig

Bart Simpson vs. Krav Maga

2010-04-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Funny and well true! :-)

~Craig

Marketing, Modesty and Blowing Your Own Horn

2010-03-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Me at the gates of Hell in Hell, Michigan (ironically on my way back home w/Will "Buddha" Weatherby from Jack Hoban's Buyu Camp in September, 2010!)

Hello all~

I am still sitting here listening to Robert Plant belt out the jams and I wanted to share some things with you; things that have been on my mind today regarding some marketing that I put out.

Earlier today I put out a marketing flyer that promotes one of my upcoming seminars (www.roninkravmaga.com for more info!). I have always had a difficult time blowing my own horn (I know some of you are thinking, "yea right!" :-). It is the most assertive advertising that I have published to date. Anyway I have to admit that I feel a bit funny about it. Not that it's not true, because everything that I said is factual and honest. It is that I feel a little funny proclaiming it to the mass public and more importantly to all of you. I feel strange tooting my own horn to everyone on facebook, LinkedIn, all of my friends, my clients and everyone on the internet! It makes me feel a bit self conscious, boisterous, arrogant... a braggart or a sell-out.

Now, I have been in corporate sales for decades, yet this feels different. It is easier to promote someone or something else, but it can be difficult to promote yourself in the same way. I feel...well vulnerable in a sense! I am waiting for the hammer to fall so to speak. I'm waiting for the critic, for someone to say something bad. This someone would probably be a person that I most likely don't even know. Someone who has never met me let alone trained with me. I fear that this person would tell me that what I said is BS, that I am just full of myself or that I must be in it just for the money. In a way I feel guilty of that, even though I know it's not true.

I think this feeling has a lot to do with how I was raised. My folks were humble people, people who never would tell others about their business; good or bad. They were friendly, but kept their cards close to their chest so to speak. That said, it is an interesting opportunity for me to grow.

I remember something that Tony Blauer wrote that helps me in times like this: His definition of Fear: F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real. Wise words! Words that I try to keep in perspective during times like this when I feel vulnerable!

Why do I choose to share this with all of you?! I don't know really. I think that there is so much out there that really is bullshit and so many people who are so full of themselves that it is difficult to be around them or know when they are being honest with you. I try to be genuine and not drink (too much of) my own Kool Aide, and I guess I just hope that I am not viewed in a way that is something other than my intentions.

I always try to learn and grow as much as I can. As I travel along my path I also try to give as much as I can to help others live safer, healthier, happier, more empowered lives. I am not used to tooting my own horn so to speak, so I guess I am feeling a little awkward doing so! I guess I haven't quite found my groove regarding marketing myself yet. I am confident I will grow into it!

Well, there you have it, my pink belly exposed for everyone to see... I still believe that the fears we face make us stronger. Why? Does it all really matter anyway!? We are all just travellers passing through this crazy, wonderful, paradoxical life anyway, so what is a little criticism, what is a little fear, many others have faced much more. Still the challenges we experience no matter how trivial can sometimes seems huge, but it just gives us all another chance to practice trying to breath, relax and letting it go! :-)

Thanks for listening!

All the best,
Craig

Multi Cultural Krav Cuisine

2010-03-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Moshe Katz and I at a recent seminar here in Grand Rapids, MI.

Hello gang~

It is Sunday night, I am sitting here watching/listening to Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation DVD. It is a good one. I've always been a Zep fan and Roberts performance on this one is great! He and his band play one Zep tune and then one of his songs from the Mighty Rearranger. The Zep tunes are done in a very cool non-conventional way; keeping a great energy, yet a different twist on the old songs we know and love. A great DVD! If you like Zep and Plant pick it up!!

I was on Moshe Katz IKI site the other day reading his latest blog "Multi Cultural Krav Cuisine" and it really resonated with me. I liked it a lot, so I asked him if I could copy it and use it in my blog for all of you to read and hopefully enjoy as much as I did!?

I believe in a universal life value and I thought this reflected that sentiment as well.

Multi Cultural Krav Cuisine

Yesterday as I was driving to Brooklyn to visit my rabbi, I got off on the wrong exit. No worries, everything in life is a lesson. As I was driving up Avenue “U”, in the slow moving traffic, I looked at the physical and human landscape. Brooklyn is still is a city of immigrants. I saw many signs in Chinese and other Far East languages, I saw signs in Hebrew, and I saw signs in Russian. Some signs were even in English.

I saw signs advertising Glass Kosher restaurants, and Vietnamese cuisine. I saw signs saying “Products from the Middle East”, and “Products from the Far East”. Even while trying to fit in to America they are still trying to hold on to the life they left behind. They want to keep their culture alive and pass it on to the next generation.

I observed the fascinating human landscape, people hustling and bustling, all trying to make a living, to make it in the American Promised Land. I saw them loading trucks, negotiating deals, rushing across busy streets, shouting in a variety of languages.

Some were dark skinned Jews from Iran or other parts of the Middle East. Some were burly Russian men; others were Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Arabs, Jews, Russians, Chinese, all different but all the same. I wondered, what would they create?

As I looked at them and tried to imagine their hopes and dreams, their struggles and disappointments, I tried to imagine what the next generation would look like, and think like. They would be some sort of mixture. They would speak English better, hold on to some traditions and drop others. Some might stay in the “Old Neighborhood”, while others would move away. What was clear is it would never be the same. Nothing remains the same.

I related all this to Krav Maga. I thought of the countries I have been to and the wonderful people I have met. Krav Maga is very Israeli but it is also multi-cultural. It draws from the Jewish experience, from the Israeli experience, from the Eastern martial arts of China and Japan, even from Russian martial arts. And in the uniquely American way, like American and Israeli culture, it is a blending of all these different cultures.

People from all over the world are learning Krav these days, and like any fine cuisine, each impacts the art, each one shapes it in some way, adding a little according to taste, adding a little local flavor. And just as each one adds something, each one learns something unique. Each learns a little about the soul of another people, about their history and their struggles. Just like that busy street in Brooklyn we are all in this together, we may look different, speak different languages but we are still on the same street, loading those trucks, trying to make a sale, keeping our heads above water, surviving and hoping to pass on something of value to the next generation.

Blog Post Written by Moshe Katz
Head Instructor Israeli Krav International
www.your-krav-maga-expert.com

Training, Kicking Ass and Empowerment

2010-03-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

I found this video while on Tim Ferris's www.fourhourworkweek.com blog. ki'une's video is great. The song is one that I heard years ago and was casually keeping my ear open for it with little success, so it was good to have found it after all.

Those of us who have been training a while are often asked why we do it? People will come with a gleem in their eye wanting to learn to "fight," to "defend themselves," to "kick some ass." I think that what they truly seek is very different from what they ask for. I believe that what people are really looking for is empowerment. Empowerment to live, to protect and to inspire. To live up to ones true potential and if neccessary to defend and protect themself and others. To develop the courage to do as Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss." It takes guts to do this and it helps to surround yourself with others that are on the path as well. We can all help one another to stay on track; to lift one another when we fall; to be honest with one another and to kick each others ass when needed. The wolf is only as strong and the pack and the pack is only as strong as the wolf.

As those guys in the Bujinkan always say, "Keep Going!"

~Craig

What Would You Do?

2010-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Imagine yourself sitting at your favorite coffee shop sipping on your latte', chai, whatever; your laptop's open as you update your facebook account or ramp up for your next business meeting, when all of a sudden some goon walks in wearing a long trench coat. As you notice that something is just wrong with this picture, he whips out a rifle and begins to hold up the place. Yea, I know what you are thinking, "this sounds like some cheezy movie...how cliche'!" Well, this really happened at a local Grand Rapids coffee shop called The Bitter End. It's a place that that I often go because it's less than a mile from my condo.

I'm not a stranger to violence, I've been around the block my fair share, but I haven't been in a situation where there was some gun toting thug in the middle of a place where there were numerous people that I could put in jepordy if I were to decide to take action and things went South.

So here is my question to all of you. What would you do? Check out the video and see what one young guy did and then think what you would do if you were in the same position. Please share your comments on the blog so everyone can benefit from your insight.

See the entire episode here: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Law-student-turns-hero-during-robbery

~Craig

Thanks Brodey for bringing this to my attention!

Jack Hoban on Frontlines of Freedom Talk Radio

2010-03-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

The last time that I was in the studio with Lt. Col. Denny Gillem recording my episode on Frontlines of Freedom (http://www.frontlinesoffreedom.com/) he was trying to get an interview with someone who was training the military in hand to hand combatives. Overhearding his conversation I thought, "hey, I have just the guy for him...Jack Hoban!" So I talked to Denny and made the introduction; a couple of weeks later they did the interview!

Jack does a great job talking about his perspectives regarding Warrior Ethics, Universal Values and the idea of training Ethics-Tactics & then Techniques. Jack explains that by keeping the ethic first the appropriate tactics and techniques should follow and support those universal human values. Now stop reading my yaking and check out Jack's interview yourself: http://www.frontlinesoffreedom.com/podcasts.html it's the March 11th episode, first one.

I was just out in Jersey training with him and his crew earlier this month. I always appreciate his perspective and the training. I always walk away with more than what I came in with.

As always thanks a million Jack!

~Craig

Robert Humphrey's Warrior Ethics by Tony Notarianni

2010-03-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was out training with Jack Hoban in New Jersey earlier this month. While there I had the pleasure to train with Tony Notarianni a martial artist out on the East Coast. He wrote a great article in his blog regarding Robert Humphrey's Warrior Ethics. He was kind enough to let me post it here for you to read. Thanks Tony!

The Dual Life Value

Between February 19 and March 26, 1945 (65 years ago from this article) the world witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of World War II in the pacific. American forces sought to wrestle control of the strategic island of Iwo Jima from Japanese hands. In the midst of this concentrated conflict a marine by the name of Robert L. Humphrey found himself on the front line in charge of a saturated rifle platoon. During this conflict he experienced first hand a collection of universal concepts that set him on a life long journey to understand and where possible resolve conflict in many forms. Perhaps the most significant universal concept he developed during this journey was the Dual Life Value.In summary the Dual Life Value concept is quite simple. All life is of value and should be preserved where possible. This a Dual value because for any individual life is internal and external which is a Dual perspective. Humans as living organisms have a universal standard of preserving both their own lives and the lives of others. Generally by ‘others’ it is often needed to specifically declare ‘all others’.Towards the end of his life Mr Humphrey was asked by an interviewer what his greatest achievement had been in life. He answered with a story from his time on Iwo Jima where he had protected a surrendering Japanese soldier from his own men. They were afraid of a trap and willing to kill the surrendering man in order to avoid taking any mortal chances. By challenging his own men and ordering them to stand down Mr Humphrey was directly responsible for saving the life of this individual.On Iwo Jima of the 22,786 Japanese soldiers stationed there only 216 were captured. The rest were killed including several by their own hand. One of these 216 men owed his life to Mr Humphrey who believed that this single ethical act had prevented him having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder unlike many other veterans of the battle. This was an example of upholding the Dual Life Value. Preserving his life, the lives of his men and even his enemy who at that moment did not need to die. Perhaps symbolic is that the captured man had information that became useful later and had the potential to preserve further lives.For the most part human beings live a life along this universal Dual Life Value whether they are aware of it or not. Unfortunately due to various differences in relative values conflict may occur in any place at any time. This is most likely to occur when individuals involved are clouded from the universal values they already have with other more tangible relative values. It is also important to remember that due to certain conditions there may be individuals who for whatever reason are missing half or all of the Dual Life Value from their nature. This essay considers the ways that a warrior (be they professional or civilian) may be taught to deal with conflict, uphold ethical values and also survive.

Reacting to conflict - The Soft Form

Some instructors of combative methods may avoid the emotional complexity of combat or merely address it as an after thought to be dealt with in the heat of the moment. The focus of the training may be upon the internal aspects of training, the perfection of form and the upholding of moral standards and behavior. In the martial arts this is often called the soft or internal form. It could equally be said of any scenario where students are being trained for combat without addressing the sensations of adrenalin, emotion and rapidly changing scenarios. Students of these teachers may be non-aggressive in their attitude but run the risk of not reacting at all when faced with someone who, unlike the student, is not capable of demonstrating self control, is not open to reasoning and has a very different set of values.Being unprepared may cause the student to freeze completely and be unable to defend themselves or others. Shock will cause the mind to numb, the senses to dull and the resulting performance will be significantly poor. Once this helpless feeling is experienced the student may completely alter their mindset during training to become much harder and focused.

~
Reacting to conflict - The Hard Form

Quite often more experienced instructors of combatives tell their students that in a 'real fight' (when we are in serious risk of physical harm or death) we had better be prepared to do 'anything' that is necessary to 'defend ourselves'. This kind of instructor may even have actual experience of life and death situations and truly believe that throwing out the moral handbook in a time of crisis was what saved them and is also the best advice for their students.In a sense this is an accurate observation. Firstly because if you are unprepared for a confrontation and truly wish to survive then deciding about the ethical implications of each action will certainly slow you down and possibly get you killed, it makes sense to temporarily forget about the long term impact of the unfolding events in order to preserve your life at the 'current moment'. Secondly because most people are uncomfortable with and struggle to come to terms with the idea of hurting others it is often necessary to instill in them a 'killer instinct' which is triggered to take over once a threshold of threat level has been reached. Once pushed to a certain point the individual can let go of their inhibitions completely and react freely without thought.One major method that has often worked throughout history is to 'enable' the hard form by demonizing the enemy. By making the enemy sub-human or 'lesser' the warriors of a given society are able to react strongly against anyone not of their own kin without having to feel the same level of conscience they would otherwise.Another method that also intertwines with religion and culture is the concept of revenge. In the same way as a judge and jury may sentence a criminal to death, a warrior may take it upon himself to by-pass the entire process in order to achieve the same end result. In this case instead of de-humanizing the enemy as being intrinsically lesser the moral issue is overcome by placing a label of 'deserving' upon the enemy.

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Hard and Soft Approaches versus the Dual Life Value

The problem with both approaches is that the response of the student in a real life combat situation may be too much or too little. Too much means an excessive use of force that can result in the defender causing unnecessary harm or escalation of the situation and then living with consequences be they legal, psychological or physical. Too little means the defender does not effectively deal with the situation allowing themselves and anyone else who may need protection to be harmed. Should they be lucky enough to survive then long term physical and psychological damage may await them.Most importantly of all neither solution addresses the Dual Life Value directly. That is the ethic of not only protecting the self, but also others, all others, including the attacker if possible.
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The Dual Live Value in historical conflict

This problem of how to deal with combat and apply a correct response while upholding a Dual Life Value is probably as old as mankind, even if mankind had no name for these values, and it seems strange that for all of our technological advances we have not solved this particular problem globally. However it is quite likely that it has been understood many times and perhaps even solved in various forms but that this knowledge has been lost or simply overlooked.

Warrior Codes

There used to be many societies where warriors actually were a part of the social structure and formed distinct segments of society. They certainly had their own transferred understanding of coping with combat, where experienced warriors took leadership of the less experienced not only to protect them physically but also to stop them from making mistakes in the heat of battle. In a roman phalanx the more experienced soldiers were around the back of the newer recruits, not just to stop them from running away, but to actually encourage them real-time during combat. There is also the hereditary aspect of parent to child education in a military family. Children born of experienced military men would be given lessons in the mistakes and not just the successes of previous generations. During periods of history where warfare was ongoing for several generations those who survived must have had considerable understanding of conflict and ethics.With respect to valuable lessons learned it is unlikely this would be the concern of the general leadership and so we could assume that a great deal of this knowledge was not written down nor was it in the interests of the military to discuss such things openly. In fact some things are almost impossible to explain, especially for those trained in combat and not literature, and so warrior codes although they have existed in many cases are now often no more than romantic literary concepts which have lost the original ethical relevance.

~
Treatises on WarSun Tzu wrote that:12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seekingto determine the military conditions, let them be madethe basis of a comparison, in this wise:--13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbuedwith the Moral law?(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heavenand Earth?(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?(5) Which army is stronger?(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?(7) In which army is there the greater constancyboth in reward and punishment?Perhaps Sun Tzu was not an individual as some scholars argue but a refined collective knowledge by generals of the period. This would actually strengthen the case that millennia ago the complexity of war was fully understood by many individuals. The very idea that 'Moral law' was highest on his list, the understanding of the far reaching implications of combat and rejection of simple minded objectives. Other famous authors such as Carl von Clausewitz have re-iterated similar understandings of morals only centuries ago which highlights even further a constant quality to the nature of war. It certainly hints at an understanding of the Dual Life Value where what is best for all is best in conflict. However as great and inspirational these works are, the objective to deconstruct them and create a practical and effective method for teaching ethical values is probably more than a lifetime’s work
~

The Sanshin

One interpretation of the Sanshin in the Bujinkan martial art is the combination of Ethics, Tactics and Techniques as an operational concept. It seems daunting to believe that in one instance an individual could uphold the dual life value, employ safe tactics and where appropriate utilize forceful technique. There are exercises however that not only show that this very perfect balance is possible, but even more surprisingly it can be demonstrated that in the same scenario abandoning any one of these concepts can actually make the whole effort less effective. It seems obvious that bad technique may result in failure, or that bad tactics may result in failure, but bad ethics? Drills and exercises show that abandoning ethics is directly capable of impacting tactics and the effectiveness of technique. In summary then there is still a practical approach to teaching realistic combative training while maintaining a Dual Life Value.
~

Foundation using technique

In martial art dojos and military training operations we often see the individuals learn technique first, then tactics and finally an attempt to cap it off with ethical understanding. This approach at first seems logical. Techniques are small and isolated body movements, easy to teach to several persons at one time and easy to categorise into the form of a curriculum. Once basic movements have been learned the student may be instructed in various ways to combine the forms depending on various circumstances and this may be called tactics. Finally once the student has demonstrated an understanding of various tactics they will require a regulation of everything they have learned according to the moral standards of the time.On second look there are a few problems with this method.First, in the modern era combat often involves firearms, where the technique can be simplified down to pointing a weapon and pulling a trigger. Lining up students and asking them to fire a weapon repeatedly or execute a technique repeatedly may be a good exercise but does not rapidly advance their education.Second, once the technique is learned you now have several trained individuals with little tactics and little ethical training. This means that should they enter combat they will be a danger to themselves and a danger to others. Even when they become versed in tactics they will still be a danger to themselves and others if they don't have the ethical training.Thirdly, once the student has learned technique and become familiar with tactics they may have already established internally a view on ethics based on what seemed to work and what didn't in a training environment. At this point it may be very consuming to penetrate the ethical values back into the training which has already developed a momentum of its own.In short this process actually develops a dangerous group of individuals during early stages of training, and in later stages stifles all the creative tactics that were created by dropping an ethical restraint upon the students.
~

Foundation using the dual life valueAnother teaching method is ethics first, then tactics and finally technique. It seems unlikely that this has been done by many civilizations in the past due to the lack of preparedness and focus on other endeavors. Perhaps in tribal initiation ceremonies a young child coming of age must prove they are willing to endure some hardship for the whole group (not just the other fighters but the entire collective) before being accepted as a warrior. However in the average modern society most humans have the benefit of living in a generally stable and for the most time comfortable and peaceful world.There are several reasons why founding the training on the Dual Life Value can be effective. First of all the dual life value is not a very complex one. All life is worth preserving if possible, yourself and others. By understanding this very clear ethic one can more simply ensure that any tactics do not violate this ethic. Next once deciding upon the tactics one may choose to employ a technique, in fact the tactic can be quite simply to establish a situation whereby the technique is only required should the situation require it. The technique itself may be very simple, in fact strategically the technique should be simple to reduce the danger of it being executed poorly.

Ethics in action

Here is an example of a situation. A group of enemy combatants have occupied a building and are firing at the local forces on the ground, they also have several human hostages on the premises. There are of course various techniques available. Maybe it is possible to call in an air strike, or heavy ground fire could be used against the building and also an attempt could be made to approach and enter the building to prevent any combatants from continuing their course of action.Bombing the building would immediately kill both innocent civilians and enemies. It does not uphold the life value. However here is an idea, if possible threaten the combatants that you will destroy the building. You may even destroy a nearby empty building as a show of force. This is already an ethic, to give the enemy an opportunity to surrender. Compare this kind of act with a terrorist act such as plane bombing. Terror organizations will argue that they are upholding some morality and resort to clandestine operations due to necessity. However there is one important point that is often missed by many commentators. Most terrorists do not provide an opportunity for their victims to bargain for their lives. Their motivation is to kill, sometimes themselves and others, the exact opposite of the dual-life value. So in this given situation offering a chance to avoid conflict is desired if the situation allows, to show you have force and give the enemy a chance to capitulate. Also the way that the enemy reacts will also provide much information. Perhaps the enemy will not surrender but allow some children or women to leave. Perhaps they do not seem to care about the hostages at all. This information may be vital in coming stages.If the combatants are firm in their resolve then the tactics will be ever so important if an attempt is made to access the building and rescue the hostages. The tactics will require methods for remaining as safe as possible, protecting the civilians and forcing co-operation from the enemy. This means that the skill level of those that carry out this operation must be extremely high. In a sense the only way to be able to uphold the Dual Life Value on a regular basis is to work towards having the highest available embodiment of the Sanshin in every significant action.

Post written by Tony Notarianni.

Check out his blog at: http://neshaminy-dojo.blogspot.com/

Frontlines of Freedom Military - Veteran Talk Radio Interview on Attitude

2010-03-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hello gang~

I am sitting here listening to Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same" DVD and catching up on some on-line stuff.

Check out my latest interview on Frontlines of Freedom Veteran / Military Talk Radio with Lt. Col. Denny Gillem (Ret.). We talk about one of the fundamental aspects of defense, empowerment and life: Attitude. The person who does not have the proper attitude is at a huge disadvantage regarding survival and life. As a buddy of mine says, "If you're going to be stupid you'd better be tough, because stupid hurts!"

Check out the podcast, I'm on part 3 about 6 minutes in:

Listen to my interview on Frontlines of Freedom talk radio http://www.frontlinesoffreedom.com/podcasts.html

Talk to you all later.

Be well,
~Craig

Escaping from Zip Ties

2010-02-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you are in a foreign country, you don't speak the language and for reason's we don't need to know you find yourself in the back of a van with a horrible headache and your hands zip tied together. Hell, it could've been a rave party gone bad, a local girl who neglected to tell you her brother was a mob boss, you're a journalist in area's that don't appreciate reporters, or you're on a Mexican walkabout where the police are more crooked than the criminals (not that you would know anything about that Buddha...). Whatever the reason I thought these videos clips on how to escape from zip-ties restraints might prove to be useful!

Check them out!

*These videos come courtesy of http://www.itstactical.com/ it's a pretty cool website, check it out. Jeremy Z. a fellow Kravist from class forwarded this to me a while back.

Enjoy!

~Craig

Sparring & Survival Skills

2010-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

I often get asked whether or not we spar in class. Usually this question comes from sincere, energetic, young men who have little or no experience and are looking to somehow prove their manly worth in the pecking order of Darwinian life. This question is asked with an intensity that reflects their belief that one's ability to spar well is directly related to the ability to protect, defend and most importantly to pro-create! They seem to have this idea that if they train hard enough and spar well enough they will turn into some bullet proof superhero that will get lucky with all of the ladies like those guys on the AXE body spray commercials (or if you're from my generation the dudes from the old Bugle Boy Jean commercials...excuse me are those Bugle Boy Jeans you're wearing?!) :-)

Now don't get me wrong, we DO SPAR in class. We spar in all ranges: Kickboxing, Grappling, MMA, Clinch, with and without weapons... we spar no contact, light contact and sometimes when the mood strikes us we spar balls to the wall FULL CONTACT... we spar in every conceivable way you can think of, we try to cover it all, BUT, here's the BIG difference. We treat sparring as a drill, not as the be all and end all of our ability to defend ourselves in the field or street.

Sparring is a great way to work on many combative skills that can save your rear end when the chips are down. Learning to work against someone who is directly resisting you is very challenging not to mention many good skills can be acquired by sparring, but this is not the only determining factor to training one's survival skills, especially as age starts to set in.

If you are learning to become a duelist and want to compete in competitions that are as such, then by all means spar away and learn how to kick some major booty in the ring, but what happens when you get older and can't keep up with the young bucks any more, what then? Or how about when your one on one combat sport gives way to the reality of surviving an incident when you may not be able to go toe to toe with someone on an even playing field? I've said this before but I think it would be good to revisit. It's about controlling the playing field not just being a good fighter.

The stress of getting hit by an unpredictable opponent is priceless. The ability to take a hit and keep dishing it out is also important. When you are in the middle of a clash with someone who is able to school you and you know it, but you face your fears, your abilities, your conditioning and quite frankly your humility these are all good things! The lesson of finding that inner drive to keep going when you just want to give up is priceless, especially if you can do it in a safer environment when your life doesn't depend on it. These are some things that can help you if you ever find yourself in a situation that losing may mean more than not bringing home a trophy.

When you are sparring try to concentrate on things that you want to improve on. It may be getting out of a submission you just learned the reversal to; it may be trying to hold a dominant position or escape from a position that you have trouble getting out of; it might be getting into a range with someone that you are not as comfortable with. The idea is that you are working on things that take you out of your comfort zone, that keep challenging you in ways that might help when you or someone else really needs it. Oh, yea, and it has to be sustainable as you get older, it has to be done in a way that reduces potential injury and doesn't damage you permanently.

On the flip side don't let sparring give you a false sense of security. I have personally witnessed pro-fighters get their asses handed to them in the street and end up in the hospital because they responded like they trained. Not to mention they let their egos dictate their survival strategy. What started out a duel turned into a survival situation when the other guy pulled a knife.

Also remember that there are no weight classes in the field and things get nasty quick. People won't pull punches or play fair in the street. The best situation is to use your other skills regarding risk identification, assessment and resolution using other than just your physical tactics for resolving the conflict.

A KMWW Force Training Division instructor once said, “Students I've trained who have gone on to defend themselves in real life (mostly law enforcement and/or military) usually had no sparring experience when they defended themselves successfully.” Although I am not doubting his words, I still think that sparring is important, but keep in mind it is not the be all end all. It is a great drill that teaches many lessons. Keep it in perspective, keep it safe, keep it sustainable and keep learning!

The bottom line is… be real, but keep sparring in its proper perspective.

Keep going,

~Craig

Who is Responsible for Your Training?

2010-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Pic is from a recent MCOLES approved training I conducted with a group of officers from police departments throughout West Michigan.

The other day I was having a conversation with another instructor regarding his disappointment with his students performance at their pre-test. He was beating himself up feeling that he had somehow short changed his students. He felt that their poor performance was his fault. He thought that maybe he wasn't going hard enough on them or maybe he did something that didn't motivate them to perform better. Now, I know this instructor well enough to have a good idea how much he is dedicated to his students success. Now don't get me wrong I have had my fair share of instructors that either didn't care, were inept or were just plain horrible teachers. Let me tell you this instructor is none of these. I have a good idea that he is a great instructor and bends over backwards to try to give each of his students access to as much information and insight as he can, yet he still gets frustrated with how little some of the students seem to care. He truly wants the best for them and is willing to sacrifice much to give them what he feels they need. So what's the problem? Why does he feel so frustrated?

Like this sincere instructor, I too have felt this way and sometimes still do. I must sometimes be reminded that we are all responsible for our own training. Most of the people that I train are there because they want to be, not because they HAVE to be. They can leave whenever they want. They can choose to take training as seriously as they want. They can practice on their own as much as they think they need. It is my job to create an environment that is conducive for learning. To share openly and honestly. To be as accessible as much as reasonably possible. To make the learning process as effective as I can. To communicate as clearly as I am able to. But despite all of this the student is still responsible for their own training. Ultimately when it boils down to it it's our own rear end that we are saving if the shit hits the fan in the field or on the street. As Royce Gracie once said about having a black belt, "Your belt protects about 2 inches of your ass, the rest of it is up to you." I couldn't agree more! It's difficult to be a life guard when you can't swim!

This doesn't mean that I am not going to continue to strive to be the best instructor that I can. What it does mean is that I will not deny the other person their journey either, nor will I worry about it. It doesn't do me any good, heck, it doesn't do the student any good either. Granted, sometimes I loose sight of this and get frustrated like everyone else, I just try to refocus and put things back into perspective. I will always be there to help and go above and beyond for the people I train with, but ultimately it is still up to them to train, to work, to embrace, to adapt, to develop... to KEEP GOING! It always has been this way.

Recently I was taking a sociology class and I was having a difficult time. I didn't agree with the way that the instructor held us responsible for his inability to properly schedule his time. He fell behind in his curriculum which ended up with the class having a few major papers due at the same time as the mid-term exam. He was asking for too much. His teaching methods were abysmal. It wasn't fair. I thought that I should catch on to the material faster than I was. The reality was this; if I didn't step up on my own I would not get the grade that I wanted. I discussed this with the professor and he agreed that he should have scheduled his time differently, but ultimately the requirements were not going to change, so if I wanted to get the grade I was after, I would have to bust some butt and deal with it. So I burned the midnight oil and worked through things to get what I believed I deserved. I was responsible for my training even when... especially when the instructor was falling short. Now, I am not encouraging all of you instructors out there to fail at doing a good job teaching, rather I am challenging all of us students out there to be responsible for our own training especially when things become challenging.

Keep going,

~Craig

The Tao of Frappe'

2009-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Greek Frappé

Preparation Time: 2 minutes Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 tsp Nescafé Classic 2 tsp sugar Ice cubes.

Preparation: Pour 10-15ml of water in the shaker (preferably not chilled, but chilled will still do). Add two tea-spoonfuls of Nescafé Classic and one tea-spoonful of sugar, or more if desired. Shake strongly until all the water becomes foam. The use of an electric hand mixer, instead of a shaker, will make a shinier and creamier foam. Pour into a glass of 250ml, add 3-4 ice cubes and chilled water to fill the glass for black Nescafé Frappé. For white Nescafé Frappé, add 20-30ml chilled evaporated milk. Ideal serving temperature is 10 degrees Celsius.

Hint: The quantity of water in step 1 plays important role in creating qualitative foam. Very small quantity will not produce enough foam while large quantity will produce soapy foam. If you desire different dosages of coffee and/or sugar, the exact quantity of water in step 1 should vary accordingly. Milk should always be put after stirring otherwise the foam loses all its stability.

I am watching a video called "My Life in Ruins." It is a B+ grade movie about a college professor who lost her job and takes a position as a tour guide in Greece. We'll just say that things don't exactly go her way and she is a bit up tight and cranky. After many mishaps she is blowing her cool and begins to melt down. Richard Dreyfuss is the smart ass of her latest tour group. She finally blows her lid at him after he makes another comment and no sooner than some defensive words leave her lips than she realizes she said something she didn't really mean. Come to find out Dreyfuss lost his wife a few years previous and went on this tour because she always wanted to go to Greece, so he goes in memory of her.

The movie reminds me of my Greek travels last year. Seeing many of the places that I went to. Simply breath taking! I feel very fortunate to have been able to go. I feel very fortunate to have been able to travel as much as I have, do the things that I've done and meet the wonderful people that I have along the way.

There is a part of the movie where someone is drinking a "frappe' " and it reminded me of my first frappe in Greece. Nestled in a quaint outdoor cafe' in the center of Athens I was told that a frappe' in Greece is kind of like having a Starbuck's here in the U.S. only MUCH better! Having a frappe' is more than just a drink it's an experience to be shared and to be relished, not rushed. So that is exactly what we did, enjoyed the conversation, watched all of the crazy people go by, talked about where we all had been, what we did, would like to do, what we thought and just about any other subject you can think of and sometimes we all talked about nothing in particular at all. This went on for hours. It was strange at first and took me some time for me to fully appreciate and embrace. My fast paced corporate habits were difficult to shake, but after the guilt went away and the feeling that I had to be doing something more "productive" subsided, I was able to enjoy simply being, sharing and living. It was simply wonderful!

What can be more productive than sharing the experience of being alive with others? Joseph Campbell said, "I don't believe that people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive!"

I think Joe was absolutely correct!

The person who I have to thank for introducing me to my first taste of Greek culture was Hannah, a sweet Aussie bartender I met at the hostel Athena on my first night in Athens. She taught me a few things about Greece; Ouzo, frappe, torpedo's, how to drink guy after guy under the table and probably the biggest lesson of all, how to really live life. Hannah was young, full of life and fearless. She befriended everyone she met and lived for the moment. When I heard of her death this past August it made me reflect on many things. I was glad to have met her and continue to be inspired by her zest for life.

It just goes to show that you better be enjoying the ride you're on, because tomorrow may never come. Do you remember the movie Captain Ron? At the beginning of the movie some guy on the elevator says, "We all have things we want to do in life, but before we get to do them some window falls on us, some truck flattens you or you catch some disease... Someday I'll retire to Wisconsin, someday we'll all have more time for our kids, someday Marty will do something worth writing about. Well, what if someday never comes and this is all there is? Huh?"

Well, what then?!

If one day you woke up to believe this was true how would you change what you are doing right now? How would you treat others? How would you choose to spend your time?!

Food for thought for the new year.

Enjoy that frappe' as long as you can my friends! Life's too short!

All the best,

~Craig

Eye of the Storm

2009-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

Yes it is true I am back from Jersey and training with Jack Hoban. I decided to leave GR early to avoid getting caught in the blizzard that was threatening to paralyze my travels. Attempting to stay in the "Eye of the Storm" so to speak, I left Wednesday afternoon of last week and missed the storm completely! The trip driving back was equally un-eventful which I am thankful for as well!

For those who I train with here in GR, I'm sure that you know what main themes I usually come back with after training w/Jack:

1) Warrior Ethics - Universal Values - Protector/Defender Mentality

2) Controlling Space

3) Smithwicks

It is always good training and this month was no exception. I especially liked the material that we worked on this time. December is also the time that the Buyu has their Daikomyosai which is a celebration honoring Jack's teacher Masaaki Hatsumi. So after the training everyone gets duded up and has a fancy dinner and drinks. It was wonderful to share that with everyone!

On Sunday I had the opportunity to hang out with Jack at his abode. He and Yumiko were wonderful hosts! Thanks so much for your hospitality!

Jack and I chatted, watched the Jets beat the Buccaneers and we talked about Jacks new company - Resolution Group International (RGI) http://www.resgroupintl.com/index.html. RGI is a conflict resolution organization created to address the needs of military, law enforcement, peacekeeping, security organizations, and international corporations.

During a conversation with Jack I pointed out that in order to maintain your tactical space you have to keep your emotions in check while under pressure. If you get overly emotional you rarely think, respond or move in the manner that gives you the tactical advantage. This is true physically, mentally or emotionally. If you lose your cool you often make decisions that place you in harms way. How many times have you gotten angry at someone and "lost it" finding yourself saying and doing things that you regretted later. Or maybe you can remember a test you had while in school that you studied hard for, but you lost it mentally and could barely write your name down. On the battlefield if the soldiers break rank they are more vulnerable and put themselves and others at risks, not to mention they cannot accomplish what they set out to do.

Keeping a cool demeanor is critical in life, especially to save it! If you get the chance pick up and read "The Survivors Club" which tells many true survival stories of all types. It talks to people who have survived some pretty "un-survivable" circumstances ranging from cancer to accidents, assaults; the gamut. The book also outlines common traits that each of the survivors have and how it helped in their survival. Among these traits the ability to stay calm was the number one common trait among the survivors.

We are so inclined for drama in this day and age most people don't know what to do with tranquility if they ever experience it, hell, I don't know what to do with it half the time. As Dan Millman said in his book "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior," "It is the way OF the peaceful warrior, not the way TO the peaceful warrior and walking the path itself makes the warrior..." This is essential especially when working under stress.

This attitude of staying calm under fire; being the eye of the storm will help you in life and in crisis, but it needs to be cultivated and constantly worked on. As Jack says, "A warrior does two things, fight in wars or trains. So if they aren't in a war they are training for war."

Without staying calm in a situation you put yourself and others more at risk.

Some hints for staying calm are:

Keep a good attitude:

Have a certain amount of faith that things will workout alright even if...especially if you don't know exactly how it will happen, be open to opportunities that you weren't expecting.

Positive internal dialog:

Keep that coach inside your head telling you positive things that will help you to keep yourself under control (rather than not).

An example of this would be:

Let's say you were having a conversation with someone who you don' t think is listening to you how do you respond to them? Or how about if you were waiting for a loved one to get home and they were late: If your Internal Coach was telling you that the person that you were waiting for was in a horrible accident you might be anxious or upset; but if you were thinking that they may be running late because they were picking up something nice for you, then you may be in a different state of mind.

Our Internal Dialog frames the neutral event and we tend to play into how we frame things.

Breath:

Taking a deep breath helps to clear the mind. Maintain a slow steady breathing pattern from the abdomen.

Remember the acronym T.A.C.T.E.? We went over it in a previous blog:

T- Take a deep breath & think clearly

A- Assess the situation

C- Create a simple plan

T- Take action

E- Evaluate your progress

So there you have it.

Happy Holiday's everyone!!

Be well,

~Craig

The "Buzz" and Some Insights

2009-11-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey Gang~

I'm sitting here listening to some Dishwalla, thinking about my life, my past, my new career directions and just reflecting on the day.

It's been a good day. Krav class in the morning was good. We worked on some clinching and talked about negotiation and de-escalation tactics and how it relates to Universal Values.

After class wrapped up I went to another great seminar taught by Buzz Smith. Chuck Pippin from Innovative Martial Arts brought Buzz in to teach this all day seminar.

Buzz taught with great thoughtfulness, insight, and respect. I've grown to admire those qualities in him. He always shares his unique perspective and art openly with the skill and care of a true artisan. He explains the concepts in a way that everyone can understand. By making the complex simple he doesn't just show you what he can do, he shows you what YOU can do. The mark of a good instructor. I'm sure everyone left with more than what they came in with on many levels.

I saw and trained with many others that I haven't seen since The Gathering in Spring or at one of the other seminars. It was great to see and train with everyone! Also thanks to Chuck for bringing Buzz in! Much appreciated!

One other thing happened that I want to mention: Buzz asked his childhood sweetheart Deb to marry him! She accepted...of course! :-)

Buzz told us that he chose to propose to Deb at the seminar because he considered us all his family and wanted to share that moment with us as well... people who he cared about and who cared about him. It was a touching moment for all of us. Congratulations Buzz and Deb! Thanks for sharing that with us!

Ok, now here is the educational part of the show... well sort of. For your education and entertainment I picked out some videos and pasted them below. I labeled each with a thought. You should find them rather informative, educational, but mostly just entertaining. Enjoy!!

*For those who offend easily or are upset by profanity you may want to skip this next part! :-)

When to Give Up:

How to Properly Profile a Threat (Will Smith Style):

Private Security 101... I thought you'd be bigger!

Confidence and Being a Good Host:

The 4 Big Questions:

Preparing for the Impossible Krav Style:

What a Real Car Jacking Looks Like (well...in your dreams or if you're Jeremy Wiersma):

Belt Ranking:

The True Origins of the UFC & Life Perspective:

The YOU you Want to Be:

Is This Reality?

A Life in a Dream:

One Night Stands, Melancholy & Serendipity:

Follow Your Bliss, But Ignore This Music!

Predator & Prey / Protecting & Defending:

What We'd Like to do When Someone is Trying to Screw Us in a Business Deal (Explicit):

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed my fun little tangent!?

Talk to you all soon.

Keep going,
~Craig

Freedom Writers

2009-11-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a good day of training. Regular class in the morning and a four hour workshop in the afternoon. I watched the UFC with some friends last night. Some good fights. I was happy to see Forrest win over Tito. I would have liked to see him submit Ortiz, but it went to decision.

So, it's Sunday morning and I am watching Freedom Writers. It is such a great movie. It touches me in a lot of ways. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. Talk about teaching Universal Values.

The main character Erin Gruwell teaches at risk teens whose lives are torn by a war zone in the inner cities where they live. The real war zone isn't in our cities, it's not in the countries, it's not in our relationships, it's not in our religion, our race or in our families...It's in ourselves. It begins in the way we see ourselves and then those around us. It's in the way we treat those who we perceive to be different than ourselves. In the way we teach ourselves and others how to engage, interact and experience each other and the world around us. In the way that we externalize those fears onto other people, things, situations, countries, relationships, religions, races, ethnicity's, or anything else we can conceive to distract us from our own inner demons.

It starts small. We rationalize the behavior. We justify our actions. We create an environment that validates its self and the actions necessary to survive, saying the ends justify the means... How Machiavellian. We make it about us and them, this group vs. that group. This color vs. that color. This country vs. that country. This religion vs. that religion. This culture vs. that culture. This neighborhood vs. that neighborhood. This gang vs. that gang. This person vs. that person. etc.

It seems to be easier to take our internal struggle, externalize it, give it a name, a face, anything other than seeing the struggle for what and where it truly is. It's easy to validate this fear, there is enough evidence out there to support your perspective. You've heard it: Blacks are all criminals, Muslims are all terrorists, poor people are stupid and lazy, rich people are insensitive, self centered and exploit the poor, Germans were all Nazi's, our economic struggles are because of the Jews, or the Mexicans, or the Chinese... you get the idea.

Does this really happen? Yup, it does, every day. Some black people ARE criminals... and others like President Barrack Obama are leaders of nations; some Muslims ARE terrorists and some like Pakistani Ansar Burney have fought for peace and human rights their entire lives; some poor people ARE lazy and some like Oprah Winfrey overcome great odds to become successful and influential; some rich people DO exploit those less fortunate and others like billionaires Dick DeVos and Jay VanAndel have donated millions of dollars to build schools, medical facilities and research organizations, some Germans WERE Nazi's and others like Oskar Schindler helped hundreds of Jewish people escape from the Nazi Holocaust during WWII.

Different cultures have customs unique to themselves. Different races may have different skin color or facial features. Different religions may worship differently and call god by a different name. Different ethnicity's may eat different food listen to different music. But aren't all of these things what makes life so interesting? Aren't these the things that make our world so rich in culture and discovery? Our strength comes from our diversity.

But some say: "Let's face it we weren't all created equal in what we can do, what we have and where we were born." Its true, people have talents and skills in different area's. Everyone is not equally good at everything that's what makes this world so diverse and each of us so unique. Although we may not have been created equal in all the things that we can do, where we were born, etc. But we WERE all created equal in Who We ARE as living beings. Which not only gives us basic human rights regarding dignity and respect as a living being; I believe it also gives us the right to have equal opportunity to explore what we might be good at, what we have to contribute to ourselves and others and yes even the right, especially the right to fail as we set out on that journey.

Try to see beyond what your fears and stereotypes are telling you. Look for the similarities. See that others hurt just like you. They have families and friends that they love and care about just like you. They have hopes and dreams just like you. They can learn just like you. They have struggles that are just as important to them as yours are to you. They want dignity and respect just like you.

Our beliefs create the lives we live as an individual, a family, a neighborhood, a society and a global community. When we change our beliefs we will change how we live over time not over night for good or bad.

What belief are you going to embrace and spread?

All the best,

~Craig

The Dash

2009-11-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Hello all~

Here is a little video clip I shot at a place where I go to get perspective when I need to. This goes hand in hand with the poem called "The Dash" by Linda Ellis. I like the poem and thought you might too.

The Dash

by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Be here NOW, don't waste a minute because we all know it goes fast. We don't know when or how our time is going to end, only that it will. As Mel Gibson so eloquently said in the movie Braveheart, "Every Man Dies, but Not Every Man Really Lives!" Sad, but often too true.

Keep going,

~Craig

Frontlines of Freedom Military - Veteren Talk Radio

2009-11-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all~

I was just asked by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Denny Gillem and to be the Official Personal Defense Subject Matter Expert for his Military - Veteran Talk Radio Show called Frontlines of freedom - AM 1260 - It is currently airs in Michigan and Florida and is being recommended for national syndication. In the West Michigan area it airs Saturday nights 7pm EST and is Podcast at www.frontlinesoffreedom.com.

You can hear my first segment here:

www.frontlinesoffreedom.com/podcasts.html

Click on the segment labeled - 09 Oct 29th part 3 - to listen.

I am honored to be a part of this program and to be able to contribute to a larger community through the show's reach. Thanks for the opportunity Denny. I appreciate your confidence in my perspective and experience and insights regarding Personal Defense!

Take care all. Talk to you soon!

~Craig

Purpose

2009-10-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you have any brothers or sisters you may remember when you would fight as kids; once your parents finally got wind of your shenanigans and began their interrogation of the guilty parties you always seemed to get in more trouble if you did the named offense "on purpose." My punishment would be much worse if they thought that whatever I did was "on purpose," rather than it being "random and accidental." Like that time I was grounded because I "accidentally" (ha ha) hit my brother in the head with my sneaker that just happened to fly off from my foot while he was in front of me! Ahhhh the memories!

As we grow up and become adults many of us hold this same fear; the fear of doing things On Purpose! So, as American writer and philosopher David Thoreau said the result is that many people begin to "live lives of quiet desperation."

What is YOUR purpose? If you don't know your purpose is it is difficult to choose your direction. If you don't have a direction then any direction you take can't be wrong. Right? If you can never be accused of doing something On Purpose, you won't have to take any responsibility for what you do, thus you'll never get in trouble for it. It's all an accident right?! Your decisions, your career, your training, your relationships, your life! Nothing On Purpose...

This is all fine and dandy I guess. As J.R.R. Tolkien said "All that wander are not lost..." right?! Maybe, except if for whatever reason you are not happy, fulfilled or passionate about your decisions, your relationships or your life.

You've all heard it, the complaining, the whining, the talk of always being the victim of circumstance. Granted life rarely works out exactly the way we want it to, but that doesn't mean that we are victims. It means that we have to learn to let go of our attachment, have faith, embrace change, learn how to be tenacious, persevere, survive and keep going!

Finding the balance to be able to go full throttle toward something, giving it your best shot yet not being overly attached to the outcome is something that is not easy to do. It takes constant practice. It is so easy to externalize our problems; to blame things that happen to us on events, people, circumstances, whatever we can to avoid the one thing that is constant in all of our lives... US!

Ok, now back to Purpose.

What is your purpose? If you know what it is, prioritizing and keeping focus is much easier. It doesn't have to be complicated, just clear.

Let me share with you what my purpose (take a seat, fasten your safety belts and hold on!)

Here it is (drum roll please):

My purpose in life is to:

Love

Be loved

Experience life authentically

& never stop learning

That's it.

Tim Ferris wrote in his book "The 4 Hour Work Week" that his purpose was to love, be loved and to never stop learning it rang true with me and seemed to get directly to the point, so I added the authentic part and adopted it as my own! Oh, and by the way you should read "The 4 Hour Work Week" if you haven't it is a great book! In the upper right hand side of this blog site is an Amazon link if you want to check it out!

As far as martial arts go many people train for different reasons: Sport, competition, self defense, survival, preserving history, health, because it's fun, to meet people, to experience another culture, etc. The problem is if the purpose doesn't match the practice. For instance training in an art that is based on strict tradition in attempt to preserve a particular historical cultural experience and thinking that it is tactical street defense. Be open and honest with yourself.

My purpose in martial arts is the following:

~To help stay healthy mentally, physically and spiritually throughout my life.

~To train tactically to protect the life of myself and others. What others? All others!

~To share what I know with individuals who want to live more empowered lives and contribute to an enlightened local and global community.

My question to you is simply this:

What is YOUR Purpose?

Be well,
~Craig

Paradox, Humor and change

*I chose this picture of Jack Hoban because he often inspires me to train and live my life On Purpose! Thanks Jack!

Controlling the Playing Field pt.2 - Elements of the Game

2009-09-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Events rarely happen randomly, there are typically recognizable patterns and dynamics that set up and follow the event through. This is what we call “the game.” Although combat and survival is not a game, we have found it to be very successful to break down the elements of what typically happens using terminology that is less threatening, thus easier to talk about, recognize and define. “The Game” is a metaphoric term used to describe any situation that may present a challenge in life. If you can learn to recognize the patterns and how everything comes together you will have a better chance at making more empowered decisions. Being able to recognize, assess and deal with these dynamics will dramatically increase the odds of survival and success in whatever challenge you may face.

Elements of The Game

The Players – Characteristics of Predators and Prey.
The Objective – What the Predators want.
The Board – The environment needed for Predators to get what they want (primary & secondary locations)
The Rules of Conduct – Behavior profiles of both Predator & Prey. How both parts are played.
The Rules of Engagement – How predators and prey interact & play their roles together.
The Playing Field – How all of these elements come together & how to stack the odds in your favor.

If you can control the playing field you can better control your chances of success in anything you have to tackle in life!

Like I said before, think like the general, not the soldier!

Keep going!

~Craig

P.S. I'm heading out to train at the Bujinkan Buyu Camp this weekend! I'm looking forward to training with Jack Hoban and everyone again. I am honored once again to be asked by Jack to teach a session! I look forward to sharing also.

Controlling the Playing Field (part 1)

2009-08-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail the other day regarding a person who was wondering about Krav Maga and the viability of the techniques in a real situation. He, as many of us was very concerned about the effectiveness of the system. Although I feel it is a legit concern to make sure the tactics that you learn are going to be there for you in a pinch, as I read the e-mail further it seemed that this person had a perspective that many hold: 1) Always being prepared for any circumstance 2) Basically looking for a system that would give him the ability to be able to take out anyone no matter the person, situation or conditions. He described a circumstance where he was facing 6 guys at least one of whom who had a weapon. From his description he did make it out alive, hurt, but alive. He admitted that he was very lucky because they were probably drunk and he got the jump on them so to speak. I would agree that he got VERY lucky!

I don’t know of any system that would protect you from this if you were hoping to pull a Steven Segal and want to take all of them out via empty handed. It seems like it is the age old quest, to be invincible. We all would like it to go down like in Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” or most any other action flick, where the hero is surrounded by numerous bad guys where upon he systematically takes out everyone of them because… well, because he is clearly waaaaaaaay cooler and can kick some major booty! That should show everyone who’s the “big boss” (The Big Boss aka Fists of Fury) right? We all know what the real answer to that is don’t we? Yes, we would like for it to be different somehow, especially for us, but alas it is the same answer: We are merely human like everyone else and although some people are more athletic and may have more legitimate skill we all have limitations.
In light of this I believe that if you look at things from a slightly different perspective you can increase your odds of survival in situations that are stacked against you.

1) Identify what game is being played
2) Don’t play their game
3) Think outside of the box
4) Control the engagement
5) Control the playing field

So what do I mean control the playing field and not playing the adversaries game? Let me use an example:

The 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center was a tragic, but good example of controlling the playing field. If the terrorists would have gone toe to toe with the United States military forces in conventional warfare they would have been utterly destroyed, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. However they knew our game; didn’t play it and were able to unknowingly make us play theirs by using civilian aircraft as weapons. The result was the most devastating attack on American soil ever in our history from a foreign threat. It was a tragic day for the US; but a tactical success on the part of the terrorists. They were able to do what otherwise would have been impossible had they fought toe to toe with us. They really followed the above five principles. They identified what game the US was playing both militarily and socially, they didn’t play our game militarily and they also thought outside of the box to used our civilian freedom and trust against us by creating a tactical advantage through the use of domestic civilian aircraft as weapons to execute a devastating strike; they controlled the where, when and how of the engagement and we didn’t know what game they were playing so we weren’t able to successfully adapt and defend. By utilizing all of these strategies they ultimately controlled the playing field and the game forcing us to play the way they wanted.

So how can we utilize this same strategy? First by not looking at an engagement as you would a duel (a sporting match is in effect a duel). Rather think of it as more a chess match regarding controlling the playing field (game board, tactical space etc.). It is not whether or not the pawn is tougher than the king, or the queen tougher than the bishop. It is about how you use tools, tactics, tricks and environment to give yourself the best strategic advantage to survive or conquer the situation. Only a portion of it is fighting. Unfortunately too many people are thinking about it as a duel and being able to beat the other guy. Although many great things come from sport training and it is absolutely necessary to become proficient at fighting there is so much more to it than that. If you only train in the physical aspects of a sport mentality you will only view situations as you being able to “beat” the other guy. Be a general not a soldier. There is more to the encounter than just the fight! You can be a world class BJJ athlete but if the goon has a knife and isn’t playing the sport bjj game you could be in for a big surprise: If you are a knife or stick guru and can balisong your way through even the toughest Dog Brother; that may not do you any good if the other guy has a .40 caliber, 20 feet and is a crack shot: You could be great with your pistol but find yourself in the crosshairs of a sniper 200 yds away: You could be a UFC champion and think you are going to walk straight through this goob who you want a piece of and you could, but it might be harder once you realize he has three mean and ugly brothers w/tire irons. The situations are limitless but the principle is the same. There is always a “what if.” Someone can always be younger, stronger, meaner, more aggressive, more skilled…and their all uglier! Don’t fight and if you have to don’t fight toe to toe. It is not a duel / sporting match. Simply put, your ego can kill you.

There is a good video on Hock Hocheim’s site that shows a scuffle in a convenience store where one guy clearly knows some grappling. He puts the other guy in a closed guard and guillotine choke just before getting stabbed numerous times with some sharp pointy object that was found on the ground. The guy who got stabbed was clearly a better grappler and had the advantage …well up until he realized he was in a knife fight without a knife. His ego got him into trouble because he thought it was a duel/fight and he didn’t respond tactically he tried to “beat” his opponent. Incidentally he died from his wounds at the scene.

Don’t let your ego get you in trouble. It is not just about the fight; control the playing field by whatever means possible using strategy which may or may not involve fighting. It is better if it doesn’t! And if you do have to go to blows; the more you control the how, where and when of the engagement the better off you’ll be. Think outside of the box, be creative. Once again be the general not the soldier.

Keep going,
~Craig

Fighter vs. Warrior

2009-08-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

What is the difference between a fighter and a warrior?

A fighter trains to fight and sometimes they learn to live. A warrior trains to live and sometimes they have to fight protecting themselves and others. What others? All others.

Yes the warrior does train to fight, but the fighting is not the focus of the training.

A warrior fights because he has to.
A fighter fights because he wants to.
A warrior fights to protect others.
A fighter fights for himself.

I have trained with both fighters and warriors. I have fought for myself and to protect others. I prefer warriorship over fighting. I feel it is a richer, deeper, more fulfilling path although it is more challenging. Your steps along this journey are sometime difficult to see clearly. The greatest obstacle has always been yourself. Giving and sacrifice to others over seeking self gratification is tough because we are all human and none of us are perfect.

Being a warrior isn't about some belt, trophy, title, job (solder, officer, bodyguard, gladiator, etc)or any goal that we achieve, we don't ever really master it really, it is just a choice that we make every step that we take. Sometime we stumble and sometimes we fall, but warriors get up, brush themselves off and "Keep Going!" It is our actions, what we DO and our intentions behind those actions. If we ever really think we are "there" or that we "got it" we are fooling ourselves. It isn't something we get it is something that we do over and over again. You are either walking the path or you are not. It isn't a journey with an end. Only one step after the next. It is really about the practice and EVERYTHING, everyday, every moment is practice.

All the best,
~Craig

Where are the Freakin' Rapids?

2009-07-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! This weekend was a great one! I could write a book on everything that transpired, but we don't have time for that today. I only have time to share a little bit of what went on during that 36 or so hours between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning.

You see this past Saturday Jack Hoban and I gave a seminar at Ronin Martial Arts / West Side Fitness in Grand Rapids, Michigan (the place where I hold on going classes). I picked Jack up from the airport late Friday afternoon, we hung out, watched some good friends of mine play in their surf band at Rocky's Tavern, a local watering hole near downtown Grand Rapids then cut home to get some shut eye. We didn't stay out long because we has a full day of training Saturday.

Although both Jack and I covered a lot of physical tactics, what I want to talk about in this blog entry is a little of what Jack was sharing regarding Dr. Robert Humphrey's view's concerning Living Values & Warrior Ethics. It is important for us to clairify what training is really for and who we are trying to protect.

Jack shared with us how warrior training whether it is done by the military, law enforcement or in the local martial arts studio can act as a vehicle for a higher purpose. If done correctly this physical training along with insightful discussions can help to align our purpose with our actions regarding ourselves and the lives of others. What others you ask? All others.

These ideas are something that seem to ring true in every individual that I have met. They are simple ideals that strike so close to home with each individual human being that it is almost impossible to deny their effect upon us. I say these principles are simple, not to be confused with easy! These very simple concepts that everyone seems to resonate with yet they are so easily lost from us.

By now you may be wondering what the heck I am talking about... Well, let me very simply tell you: It is about R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Aretha Franklin had it right, it IS all about respect.

How do we begin to combat all of the hatred in ourselves and out there in the world? How do we take steps closer to peace and further from war? How do we overcome many of the differences between us all regarding culture, language, ethnocentrism, religion, etc? These are common obstacles that we have to overcome when dealing with people of the world and in our lives. Here's a question for anyone who wonders about violence, self defense and protection: How do we justify physical violence and/or killing if we find ourselves in a position where we feel that we have to do it in order to survive or protect the lives of others?

Believe it or not, it still boils down to respect! Respect what? Life! Who's life? Your life and the life of others! What others? ALL OTHERS! So, when would you then physically defend or kill someone? To protect life. Who's life? Everyones life! Your own life and the life of others! What others? ALL others! Do you see the pattern here?

Now you may be thinking, "Well that is a great theory, but there are bad people out there. People who need to be dealt with, some of them probably should even be killed. What about them? There are terrorists, murderers and many others out there who mean to do us in.

Yes that is true and those people do need to be dealt with and some of us reading this have a duty to protect others from this type of threat, but how can we do it within the context of this "living Value" principle? Well, it still boils down to respect, and relative values vs. universal values!

Let me explain:

We will do what is necessary to protect the life of ourselves and others from the ACTIONS of those who are threatening those lives. Even if we don't condone an action or need to stop that action of someone else, it doesn't mean we should disrespect the person as being human or hate them in some attempt to justify our actions. Remember it is stopping the action, not justifying and dehumanizing the individual or group through prejudice, bigotry and hatred. It is all too easy to see the differences in people and use that as justification to perform sometimes extreme acts of violence to each other. We've done that for centuries! Hatred and killing due to religion, skin color, heritage, financial class, gender, language, social class, etc. etc. the list is endless! Over the centuries we've perfected the art of justification and brainwashing people into killing over relative values only to become sick in the aftermath of it all. Hopefully we can evolve past all of that and embrace a more peaceful path.

When do we take a life? To protect life. Who's life? Our own life and the life of others. Period. All other reasons are relative values. You might be thinking: Well what about freedom that is a universal value isn't it? NO it's NOT! That is relative. Everyone's view of freedom is different. What about equality? Shouldn't we be able to kill for equality? Equality is still a relative value, because everyones idea of what equal is can be relative. The ONLY universal value is life! The only time taking life is justified is for the protection of LIFE!

If you are still somewhat confused maybe this analogy that Jack shared with us will help: If you had a child that you loved yet they were stealing from others and not being a very nice person, chances are you wouldn't condone their behavior and would probably even punish them for their actions, but despite their behavior you still love and respect them as a human being. You are punishing their BEHAVIOR, and when those actions changed so would the way that you treated them. You didn't punish them because you hated them, although you may have hated their actions! The only reason that you acted in the way that you did was in response to their actions, to change their behavior, not disrespect them as a human beings nor justify what you did through some false rational. Well, I know it's hard, but take that sentiment and try to expand it to include everyone! Wow, I know that is a tall order, and that is why we have to keep being reminded or we lose that feeling, then when we come across a difficult situation the universal values often become fuzzy and unclear.

Does that help to clear things up at all? I hope so. If not visit Dr. Humphrey's website: www.lifevalues.com to get a clearer idea of this life changing concept.

Speaking of Dr. Humphrey, here is a simple way to show respect to people who may even speak different languages or are from different cultures with customs that may be foreign to you. Oddly enough this exercise will also work with those in your life who are not strangers as well! This method comes from Dr. Humphrey's "hunting story" in his book Values for a New Millennium.

The Sergent from Tennessee looked at Humphrey and said, "You got to be able to look them (the natives) in the face and let them know, just with your eyes, that you know they are men (or women) who hurt like we do, and hope like we do, and want for their kids just like we all do." You gotta let them know that you respect them for the humans they are dispute all of the differences that you see, smell, hear, taste and experience.

It seems that the timing is right to share with you something that I wrote in my journal about 15 years ago or so. Here it is:

"To find truth seek similarity, not difference. Look not at outward stylistic separateness, but at the inward principle sameness. Understand the core, the why, the principles that make the manifestation work. Recognize differences, but seek similarity. The embodiment of truth comes in many forms. The word of truth translates into many languages. Although outer appearances may differ, look deeper and you shall see the truth."

Dr. Robert Humphrey's Warrior Creed:

Whereever I go people are safer because I am there.

Whereever I am anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I go home people are happy that I am there.

...its a better life.

One last thing before I go:

Jack, thanks for coming out man! It was good hanging out with you again and training. I also appreciate that you took the time to share your insight and skills with some of the folks in this neck of the woods. I am looking forward to training with you soon my friend!

Keep going!

~Craig

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

2009-07-17T07:39:00.001-07:00

Hello all! I hope everyone's summer is going well. It's going by way too fast!

Ok, here is a little technique for you to use when you face a challenge that needs to be overcome. This method can be used during a tight spot and/or just in general.

Whenever you face a challenge you need to create a plan. If you don't have a plan you are at a huge disadvantage, so here is an easy method to use it is called T.A.C.T.E.

Think calmly and clearly (as much as the situation allows)
Assess the situation
Create a simple plan
Take action
Evaluate success

*repeat as needed.

The elements are simple. The calmer you stay and the clearer your thinking the better your chances of overcoming the challenge at hand. Assess the situation at hand and make your plan. The plan needn't always be complicated. As a matter of fact if you are in the middle of an emergency or conflict you may need to quickly asses and create a very simple plan in order to save your skin (or the skin of another). After creating your plan of attack, you need to act on it. Doing nothing is an action if you choose to do it rather than simply freeze. The final step is to evaluate your success. If what you did is not getting you the results you intended change what you need to be successful.

Well, that's it for now.

Talk to you all later.

All the best,
~Craig

Training, Krav Maga and Freedom

2009-07-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July.

I know the above picture contrasts such a cheery intro, but as you read the article below it will become more clear why I chose the above picture.

I began writing my blog for the 4th when Moshe e-mailed me this article. I thought that it was written very well and said everything I was trying to convey, so being one for efficency I thought I would share his words. I ran it by Moshe to make sure it was alright with him and indeed it was, so here you go!

Krav Maga for me is more than a 'martial art', or even a method of self defense. It is part of my essence; it is part of who I am.

I am an American citizen and an Israeli citizen, and I am proud of both traditions and I am loyal to both flags. I signed up for the US draft, although I was never called, I vote in every election, I support our troops.

The United States and Israel share the same core values, values which are not shared by many other countries. At the outset the USA was an experiment in democracy. Kids often ask me, "Why should I study history? What's the big deal?"

Well, you must study history. Without the knowledge of history you will never understand the present. When you study early American history; the founding fathers, their struggles, their passion and sacrifice, their goals and uncompromising attitude, you will understand what America is about, or what it was about and should be about.

At the time of the founding of the United States of America, the personal freedom which we see today in America and in many parts of Europe was unheard of. Most people today could not even imagine that kind of life, a life without the freedom of personal choices, a life without the freedom of diversity or self expression. We are free to choose our life style and beliefs.

Early Americans struggled, fought and died, so that you today can have the life you have. We are still indebted to those early freedom fighters and we must never forget that we too must fight; we must always remember that freedom is never free. I can not understand how an American can not know the lives of Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Franklin. I do not know how an Israeli can not know the lives of Jabotinsky, Begin, Trumpeldor and Herzl.

Why do we train in Krav Maga? Because we want to be free. We train so that when a woman walks down the street she is empowered to stand up to sexual or verbal abuse, so that a child or teenager can feel strong enough to say 'No' to peer pressure, so that an older person can walk the streets without fear.

We train in Krav Maga to retain the basic freedoms that the USA and Israel stand for. The government, army and police protect us on one level; we must protect ourselves on another level. To live in fear is not to be free, we train to be free.

Each person who stands up to personal abuse, each person who feels secure to be whom they want to be, each person who lives without fear, is a triumph in freedom. Each one of us contributes to this freedom.

I see Krav Maga as an Israeli contribution to American life and to the lives of all those who value freedom. Give it as a gift to someone who needs to feel the confidence, the power. This is the spirit of freedom, the spirit of America, Israel and all people who stand up to tyranny.

By Moshe Katz - IKI Krav Maga Founder and Head Instructor

I wish everyone a great 4th of July!!

All the Best,
~Craig

If You're Going To...

2009-06-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

If you're going to be passionate about something, be passionate about learning.

If you're going to fight something, fight for those in need.

If you're going to question something, question authority.

If you're going to lose something, lose your inhibitions.

If you're going to gain something, gain respect and confidence.

And if you're going to hate something, hate the false idea that you are not capable of your dreams.

~Daniel Golston

I liked this quote by Golston and I thought you might like it too.

Keep going,

~Craig

Toolboxes, Tools and Mechanics

2009-06-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

A broad definition of a tool as stated by Wikipedia is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other. For example, a crowbar simply functions as a lever. The further out from the pivot point, the more force is transmitted along the lever. A hammer typically interfaces between the operator's hand and the nail the operator wishes to strike. A telephone is a communication tool that interfaces between two people engaged in conversation at one level.

Marshall McLuhan famously said "We shape our tools. And then our tools shape us." McLuhan was referring to the fact that our social practices co-evolve with our use of new tools and the refinements we make to existing tools.

So basically tools are those things that act as an extension of ones self to assist in completing a particular task. As our tools evolve so shall our choices, options of the situation and also the evolution increases our ability to create and use even greater tools.

When referring to combat the tools are namely the techniques or tactics that are readily at your disposal. Mechanics on the other hand are the skills of being able to work with those tools within a particular situation to facilitate a solution of the task at hand.

An example of someone who has good tools but is not a mechanic would be a person who went out and bought a new $10,000 Snap On tool box filled with a vast array of extraordinary tools, but that person has no engineering, mechanical or construction abilities. The individual may know the basics of how each of those tools are supposed to be used. They may be able to use their screwdriver to screw in a wood screw into a block of wood or their hammer to pound a nail into a 2 x 4, but they don't know the dynamics of how to to fix a car or build a house.

Further, having good "tools" does not mean one is a good mechanic. Many martial artists fall into this category because of their lack of real world experience and/or the way that they train. The opposite of this would be many street fighters, bouncers, body guards, soldiers and police officers who may have good mechanic skills even though they don't necessarily have the best tools (flashy techniques etc.) to work with. These "mechanics" could fix almost any situation with a pair of pliers, a butter knife and a roll of duct tape.

Our goals as warriors should be to create and maintain a well rounded toolbox and learn to be good mechanics so we know how to use those tools (techniques, tactics) in the real world to save our own bacon and/or the lives of others.

Keep going,

~Craig

Why Do You Train?

2009-06-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

When training I will sometimes ask everyone: "When do we give up?" The response is "When we are dead or safe!" I have heard a shorter version of this that I like from the Navy Seals: "Not dead, can't quit." This is a great mantra.

To flesh this idea out a bit I developed a simple exercise that will help to bring this mantra to life for you. It can keep you focused in training when you are fatigued, beat down, gassed, frustrated, wiped out, trashed, getting schooled, at your wits end, and ready to throw in the towel. This same exercise is absolutely essential to keep focused if you ever find yourself in a real situation where your life (and possibly the lives of others) depends on you not quitting even when everything else is screaming at you to give up.

Take a evening and reflect on all of those things that you want to live for. I know this sounds a little corny, but really think about this. Why do YOU want to be here on this earth? Is it to see your kids grow up and have children of their own? Is it to mend those regrets you have between you and an old friend? Take care of a parent who has stood by you throughout your life? Grow old with your husband or wife? Is it to take that trip around the world or write that novel that you started ten years ago? Is it to simply have a beer with with an old school buddy just one more time? Or maybe to defend the freedom and dignity of others. Protect those who need help. To stand in the face of tyranny. To help the down trodden and exploited.

I don't know what it is for you, but YOU need to know what it is for you, so take out a sheet of paper, grab a pen and make that list; a physical list of all of these things and when the time comes in training or life that you have a choice whether or not to give up, think about those things that you wrote down.

Really dig down deep within yourself to find meaningful emotional triggers that will bring out your true desire to live. You have to feel it or this won't be an effective tool for you.

Have a clear understanding of what is worth living for and what is worth dieing for. Make it personal for YOU and your life.

Those are the real reasons why we train!

All the best,

~Craig

It's a lot like wearing your seat belt!

2009-06-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Civilian, Law Enforcement Officer, Soldier, Bouncer, Security Guard... It doesn't matter who:

If you knew that you were going to be attacked by an angry, aggressive assailant tomorrow and you knew how he was going to attack you, how would you train that defense in class tonight? Would you work that technique until you could do it from any position without hesitation. Would you train it so you could concentrate on surviving the assault rather than looking pretty? Would you work it until you understood its principles intimately and responded reflexively to the threat? Would you want to know that your training was increasing your odds of surviving the attack, rather than just some motions you were going through as you got your cardio workout?

Well, I'll let you in on a secret: The defense you are working on tonight may be the one that saves your life tomorrow.

It's a lot like wearing your seat belt:

1) Just because you wear your seat belt doesn't guarantee that you are not going to get in an accident.

2) It doesn't guarantee your survival IF you get into an accident.

3) It simply betters your odds of survival when you get into an accident... and it's too late if you never put it on in the first place. JUST LIKE TRAINING!

Here's a deeper question for you:

If you knew that someone would attempt to kill your child or loved one and you knew how they would be attacked, how would you train to defend them?

Keep going,

~Craig