The Full Armour of Martial Arts

      Martial arts will teach us many lessons. Some about physical situations in self defense and sparring, some about breaking material such as wood, or brick however the real  strength it gives comes from within.  The real “armor” of martial arts is in the understanding of universal laws we have been talking about, the Laws of Sowing and Reaping, Attraction, Abundance, Vibration, Polarity and Rhythm...through the understanding of these laws, we can protect ourselves from so much more than anything physical.

     Although we know the Universal Laws, it is not what we know but what we do with what we know...so there is also some armour that will help keep us mentally safe. When we use the following pieces of armour, we defend from the real and ongoing attack that each of us face, every day.  The attack on our confidence, ability and self-worth can be overwhelming sometimes.

Helmut of Salvation of the Higher Purpose we have
Breastplate of Courtesy and Righteousness
Belt of Integrity and Truth
Shoes of Perseverance and Peace
Shield of Self Control and Faith
Sword of Indomitable Spirit

When we get up each morning and meditate on these things, we activate the Universal Power (I call it God, you can choose something else) to help fight the good fight.  To help us overcome the inner demons (ego) that constantly say we are not good enough, you are too old, you do not even have a college degree, who's going to listen to a little kid? all sorts of negative things that we say to ourselves.  When we put on the amour of martial arts it will help us to seek and destroy the negative weeds in the garden of our mind.  Then clearing space to plant Goods seeds in our Good soil to produce a plentiful crop of 30, 60, or 100 times.


Respectfully,
Mr. Chris Rowe

Universal Law

There are several great resources for understanding the Universal Laws, I read this great blog One Mind Energy, that does a very good job, and anyone who has traveled with me, knows I listen to Brian Tracy Universal Laws of Success as well, among others.  So here is a collaborated understanding of these four Universal Laws.

The Law Of Abundance can best be understood by looking at the continual growth and unlimited resources available within our Universe. It is continuously producing and multiplying effortlessly through the power of the Universal Laws, the abundance of which is determined only by our own self limiting beliefs.
 If it is to be…It is up to me!

The Law Of Vibration states that anything that exists in our universe, whether seen or unseen, broken down into and analysed in it's purest and most basic form, consists of pure energy.  And that pure energy is constantly moving (vibrating) at a certain frequency, and that it will resonate with others things at the same frequency...think of 2 pianos in a room, strike the “C” on one and the other pianos string will Vibrate along with it. So when we think certain thoughts, we begin to connect with certain people, the type of people is our choice.
Who Am I…I am a Champion!

The Law Of Polarity.  Do you ever wonder why in a world of untold Abundance, that we must sometimes go through events, conditions and circumstances that we perceive as unpleasant? When we becoming aware of and develop a deeper understanding concerning the Law Of Polarity we see that if there was nothing bad, we would never know if something was good, if there was no light we would not know dark, if there was no cold we would not know warmth, if there was no anger, we would not know Love.
 Things are neither good nor bad, but thinking makes them so

The Law of Rhythm simple states that everything has a season, and a time affixed to it.  We do not always know what that time frame is, we may not like it, but it is there.  The only thing we can state with certainty is that “This too shall pass”.  When you are going through a tough time with your goals, you are training but not seeing the results you want, and you feel discouraged...”This too shall pass”.  When you are struggling with your relationships, work, or there is a down turn in the economy...”This too shall pass”.
Everything has its tides

Respectfully, 

Mr. Chris Rowe

Universal Law of Attraction

Universal Law of Attraction

What we Think about we bring about...

As a man Thinketh in his heart so he is... 

Birds of a feather flock together...

    These are all ways of explaining the Universal Law of Attraction.  We have been talking about this for millennium, and yet we still do not understand it fully.  Like all God Laws (or Universal Laws) we can not break them...Try it with Gravity and see the impact, or rather feel it.  The easiest way to explain The Law of Attraction is that we (humans) attract what we think about, as long as there is an emotion attached to it. Whether it is good or bad, Fear is just as strong an emotion as Happiness, it a lower vibration and therefore easier to get to as it takes no energy.  However, most of the time we attract by “default” because we are often on auto pilot.  It is when we become conscious with our choice that the real Magic happens.  We Make A Greater Individual Commitment to your goals.

We Know what we want and Why!

We take Action

We Create Daily Habits towards our goals

We are Willing to Do What is Necessary

We have an Attitude of Gratitude

and We Enjoy the Journey!

This is why it is so important to write your goals down, and look at them everyday!  Visualize yourself achieving the goal and feeling how empowering it is!  And you need to repeat the steps always having faith that it will come.

Remember to use the seeds we talk about last month to attract what you want this month!

If it is to be it is up to me!

Do it Now! Do it Right! Do it All!

Problems are opportunities in disguise, often in work clothes.

F.E.A.R. - is just False Expectations Appearing Real.  

Who Am I?...I am a Champion!

Respectfully, 

Mr. Chris Rowe

The Universal Law of Sowing & Reaping

There are many ways to look at this Law but it is best explained in the story from the bible;

  “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or Thirty times what was sown.”

      From this store we can look at two aspects, The Seed, and The Soil.  The seeds of Tae Kwon Do are the tools (the Tenants) we as students are given to deal with day to day life. From stress and pressure at work, to relationships and school. But it could also be your thoughts, your time, and talents that you share with others.  Those seeds maybe be positive or negative but those are the seeds.  What seeds are you using on a daily basis.
   
    As beginners we can be forgiven for "not even knowing we don't know". But as we progress and once we hear the message we can not unlearn it. It becomes our job to dig deeper and gain better understanding of the knowledge, then take it and use it...because it is not what we know it is what we do with what we know that counts. What are you doing with the knowledge you have?


 
     Secondly the Soil, what type of soil are you, are you letting the pressures of life get in the way of you flourishing in TKD? Are you letting other distractions take your energy away from developing in the best person you can be? Or are you just dong TKD until the next fad comes along? I encourage you to become the good soil and not only hear the message but live the message and let TKD help you in all aspects of life.

   Finally we can look at this store as the Law of Averages, if you do anything long enough a ratio will appear.  In martial arts it is about 25%.  1 out of 4 people will achieve their black belt, so I have to ask will that be you?

Stay Motivated!

Staying Motivated

Keeping up our training throughout the summer can be hard if we don’t keep ourselves motivated. There are a lot of things vying for our attention. It’s ok to take a break in the summer for sure, but try and coordinate your breaks with the natural holidays of the academy.

Here are four ideas’ to keep in mind over the next couple of months.

1. Remember your goals
You need to figure out where your goals lie. What are you aiming at that will bring you success? Knowing your goals will help you stay motivated and help you attain them with ease. When ever you feel like quitting, remember why you started.

2. Maintain a positive attitude
Stay positive. It will help you in staying motivated to your goals. Sticking with your positive attitude will help you overcome many difficult situations and increase your productivity. You can also brighten up the moods of your colleagues and training partners with your optimism and enthusiasm.

3. Leave personal problems aside and stay focused on your task.
Don’t bring your problems to your training. Maintain a line between your professional, personal life and training life. It will help you stay focused and motivated to handle all issues better. Moreover, worrying about personal problems at work will not help in solving your personal issues. It will only distract your focus. Keep problems at bay and focus wholly on the task at hand.

4. Upgrade your knowledge and skills

To have an edge in life, you need to sharpen your skills and upgrade your knowledge. All this will help you gain self-confidence and help you perform better. This is a good motivational factor. Take advantage of all the extra seminars that go on at the academy throughout the year. 

Here is a great Motivational Speech from The Hip Hop Preacher Eric Thomas

Thoughts are Things

Thoughts are Things

     When we learn and commit to our memory “positive thought quotes” they surface into our conscious mind when we need them. An example would be when I don’t really feel like doing something I’ll say to myself “Do it now, Do it right, Do it all!” This reminds me instantly about my long term goal(s). Another quote that comes to mind is when I start to play the blame game and not take responsibility for my own happiness…I’ll say “If it is to be, it is up to me” it reminds me there are no excuses or denial of who is really in charge of my own life.

Definiteness of Purpose
This is much more than a goal. It is the difference of “wishing for something” and “being ready” to receive it. It is a purpose backed by faith that you will receive your goal.

Create organized plans

Once you have chosen a definite purpose of what it is that you want and backed the idea (thought) with your belief in yourself you can do it (faith) you must organize. Start by thinking of the obstacles (I like to call them stepping stones) that you will have to get over. Identify the people, groups and organizations that you’ll need to work with. Then spell out a plan of action. Then next comes…

Action
Let’s just say that your goal is – “to drink a nice cool glass of water” that is sitting on your table across the room. First you would have the thought – I want the water. Next you back that purpose by faith. – There it is I just need to go and get it. You look, and then notice you’ll probably have to go around a few obstacles to reach the water. Here’s the ACTION part. I can think about getting the water, I can write a goal down with a date on it to get the water, I can repeat all the positive things I want into my mind, but until I actually “take action” get off my rear end and reach out and pick up the water I will never get the benefit of drinking the thirst quenching nice cool water.
Respectfully,
                                                                                                     Sr. Master Dan Zaleski VIII
                                                                                                     www.tkdi.ca

The Four Steps to be a Master in Tae Kwon-Do

All achievement in Tae Kwon Do is a result of a definite purpose backed by your burning desire for it’s fulfillment in your own personal reality. That is step one. This means if you don’t have a goal to work towards, how can you ever know if you are progressing or not. In TKD we have the great colored belt system for progression feedback. What about our Black belts? What should they be doing? They must take full responsibility for their own growth and progression. Setting higher written SMART goals while finding out what they need to do to advance to their next degree. Without a goal there is no purpose, without purpose it becomes to hard to get past the second degree. Step two is having a definite plan, expressed through continuous action. This means taking out your day timer (in whatever form you use – I-pad, calendar, computer) and putting down what you need to do (whether you feel like doing it or not). Then through doing small daily habits you get to the next level or degree of Black belt. Step three is keeping your mind tightly closed against all discouraging influences. We must take personal responsibility for what we let enter our conscious minds. By what we watch on T.V. or listen to in the forms of music or gossip. The last step is to find a friendly alliance of one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through with your plan and purpose. This is what your instructor and training partners do for you. Enjoy the journey. Respectfully, Sr. Master Dan Zaleski VIII www.tkdi.ca