Discipline Must Blend into Motivation

Discipline must blend into motivation. There are many ways to train the human mind. There are classic forms of meditation, contemplation, and education. No doubt some forms of disciplining the mind have been left off this small list. I am confident you can point to another overlooked form or version of the three presented.

They all are overseen by the great governor of mental training; the primary is discipline.

Discipline means, in this context, doing what needs doing on an ongoing basis. To hold oneself accountable. Self-accountability can also mean who one thinks. The mental game, the mental training, is the separator between the great and the greatest.

Shannon Miller World Champion Gymnast on Training

In an interview with The Dana Foundation, whose motto is; Your gateway to responsible information about the brain, they talked with Shannon Miller. Shannon Miller is a former United States Gymnast. Miller won eleven gold medals, six silver medals, and four bronze medals in world competition.

Miller Stated “The physical aspect of the sport can only take you so far. The mental aspect has to kick in, especially when you’re talking about the best of the best. In the Olympic games, everyone is talented. Everyone trains hard. Everyone does the work. What separates the gold medalists from the silver medalists is simply the mental game.”

Motivation will only take you so far. Motivation is like a middle school crush. It is intense and it will go away. Motivation is a wonderful initiator. See motivation for what it is, a white-hot burn, then sort the discipline. Coaches will often say, “Find your motivation.”

A reporter may ask an athlete, “What’s your motivation?” these are not good questions, they are like asking a comedian, “Where do you get your ideas from?” That implies the ideas fly into their head, and sometimes their inspiration too, but mostly it is work. Disciplined work. Without the substructure of discipline, motivation is useless.

Calendar of Discipline with Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is well known for having a calendar in his apartment in the early part of his career that he used to track his work. Every day he wrote jokes. Then he put an “X” on the calendar for that day he wrote. His discipline was not breaking the train of continuous days of joke writing.

Discipline must blend into motivation. It is not inspiration alone; it’s grinding it out when you don’t want to.

Ray Lewis Will Light You Up

The furnace of discipline needs stoking. Although I am fairly self-contained in motivation and discipline, we all need a boost. Something or somebody to blow on the coals in that furnace. I listen to, “Everyday Greatness, The Ray Lewis Podcast.”

It works for me. And it works for everybody I have recommended the podcast to. You may be the one off, but I doubt it. If you don’t know who Ray Lewis is here are a few of his American Football career highlights

Ray Lewis Everyday Greatness Podcast — Ray Lewis

Super Bowl champion (XXXV, XLVII)

Super Bowl MVP (XXXV)

NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003) 2x’s

First-team All-Pro (1999–2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009)

Second-team All-Pro (1997, 1998, 2010)

Selected to the Pro Bowl (1997–2001, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011)

All-Decade Team (the 2000’s)

100th Anniversary All-Time Team in the National Football League

Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor

First-team All-American (1994, 1995) in college

The man knows of which he speaks.

Remember motivation is like the middle school crush, it will fade. Discipline must be executed even when the motivation is less than it could be. This is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Discipline must blend into motivation

And here is a trick to writing a joke.

Write the joke backward. Start with the punchline and then write the joke to serve the conclusion, the payoff. There is your pro tip of the day.

A few suggested links you may also find interesting.

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KRIS WILDER

Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.

November 23, 2020December 25, 2020

Concern is Better Than Worry

Concern is better than worry. Concern is life-affirming if used correctly. Worry is draining. Worry drains you and it drains those around. It steals your energy and is exhausting to those that surround you. The concern is external in many ways. Concern has a less internal residence in your emotional house.

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”

– Leo Buscaglia

Concern can stand outside of the issue being observed that worry does not process. Concern allows you to see an issue that is in front of you, to set the majority of the emotion. Worry, on the other hand, personifies the issue at hand. Worry takes the issue deep inside your body. Then worry, like a fine guitarist, plucks the strings of your emotional guitar.

If I’m concerned about my teenage child or I’m worried about my teenage child, the results inside the body are different. It is no secret that a calm mind makes better decisions. But, the connection between a distressed body and bad decisions is often overlooked. And it takes an adroit mind to sort the modern-day world. Not that the modern world is horrible, it has outrun or physical and mental systems.

A Layer Cake of Worry

This is where you insert the modern culprits. The media, social media, traffic, bureaucracy, forms, rules, debt, divorce, etc. No one thing is responsible for the worry. Stack them on top of one another and you have a layer cake of worry

Worrying and concern travel together, but worry does not have a conclusion it spins on itself over and over again. A simple test you may want to use is to ask yourself every day, “Am I concerned about my work or do I worry about my work?” “Am I attentive to ____________, or am I worried?”

Kind of Mellow

Fedor Emelianenko (Fedor) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist, sambist, and judoka. I loved watching him fight, direct, smart powerful. One powerful moment I recall was before one of his fights. I will do my best to recall the essence of the moment.

Fedor was sitting in his locker-room straddling a bench. Fedor was playing cards with another person, I assume his trainer. The announcer commented on this unusual pre-fight activity. In asking Fedor about the causal approach he replied, and I paraphrase, “The preparation is done, all that is left is to fight.

Turn Down the Worry

Here is the lesson. If you worry, turn down the volume of the worry by taking small action in the correct direction. It needn’t be large. Small acts, infinitesimal acts, are interpreted as action. Your mind and body respond in a positive way to correct action. This begins to prove concern is better than worry.

Buscaglia is correct, worry fixes nothing, and steals your future. Fedor is correct also, be prepared and you only need to act when it is time.

Summary: Take a small act in the direction of removing worry, and then prepare. The first act relaxes your mind and body into thinking things are moving in the right direction. The second part is the full-on Zen. Be ready and be in the moment.

Let’s make that concern is better than worry idea even smaller, three words

Small action, preparation.

Like more? Here are some links

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KRIS WILDER

November 22, 2020December 25, 2020

It’s in the Doing for a Better Life

It’s in the doing for a better life. That is a phrase that is common and thrown about with ease. But there’s also a deeper aspect to doing. That is making the effort about the steering of one’s life.

A person not only needs to seize their life and their direction but make a concerted effort in the direction of their goal.

People need to make an effort to steer their life towards a virtuous target. A person can set their life towards a non-virtuous goal. In their pursuit of a non-virtuous goal, they may well succeed.

To the reader, this likely sounds hollow.

People who undertake martial arts training are seekers, and the path is internal. The martial arts may appear to be an external act and that is part of it, but it goes further.

Once the mind and heart are linked focusing on a goal the world begins to snap into place. Call that sensation clarity. A martial artist sets about ordering their lives from the inside outward. They make this movement by adopting a curriculum that is tested and has gotten results over time.

There is also the mentorship that takes place. The advanced practitioners reaching back to aid those on the climb and the newest of students reaching upward. This is how the select organize themselves. They find a system, adopt the process, and vest themselves in the process. Like a strong river current, mentorship runs through the entire experience.

Legions of practitioners are living examples of a better life built around a virtuous goal. The quotes regarding the martial arts as a means of self-improvement and self-understanding are numerous. Here are three examples of these ideas in quote form.

3 Martial Arts Journey Quotes

“The warrior learns of the spiritual realm by dwelling on the cutting edge of the sword, standing at the edge of the fire pit, venturing right up to the edge of starvation if necessary. Vibrant and intense living is the warrior’s form of worship.”
― Stephen K. Hayes

“The most difficult part of traditional taekwondo is not learning the first kick or punch. It is not struggling to remember the motions of a poomsae or becoming acquainted with Korean culture.
Rather, it is taking the first step across the threshold of the dojang door. This is where roads diverge, where choices are made that will resonate throughout a lifetime.”
― Doug Cook, Taekwondo: A Path to Excellence

“I can show you the path but I cannot walk it for you.”
― Master Iain Armstrong , Get Your Health Back FAST With Chinese Chi Kung.

The Goal of Self-Improvement

When people on the path of self-betterment, in this case using martial arts as a tool, order their world a wonderful thing happens. These people can help those in their immediate sphere of influence. This is an important role and touches on that mentorship part of who we are.

Martial arts are far more than punching and kicking, but you knew that. You are getting an independent third-party validation. That’s what you just read.

Good on You! It’s in the Doing for a Better Life!

A metaphorical tip of the cap in your direction. An acknowledgment for embarking on a journey. A journey of becoming better, better for yourself, serving your family, and bettering your community.

You are involved in one of the more difficult tasks in life, getting better at being a good person, a virtuous person. You have found a time tested and solid path that will not make your work easier, but it does provide a road map.

The journey continues. It is in the doing. Always has been and always will be.

A couple of links from which to choose if you want more.

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KRIS WILDER

November 21, 2020December 25, 2020

Must I Retreat from the World?

Must I Retreat from the World? Here are some answers. Peter Owen Jones (1957- ) made a BBC 2, television production calling it, “Extreme Pilgrim.” Jones spent time researching and experiencing different religions.

At one point found himself in the desert under the guidance of Fr. Lazarus. The transformation of Jones, over his time in the desert is profound.

Thoreau Thinks You Should Retreat – Some

Two years, two months and two days by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) The author of Walden. Thoreau recounts his experience as he lived in a small cabin on the shores of Walden Pond. Walden Pond is next to Concord Massachusetts in the United States. Thoreau writes, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Do You Find Yourself When You Retreat from The World?

*The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit*. I recommend this book.

The odd case of Christopher Thomas Knight (1965- ) a hermit of the Central Maine area. Knight spent 27 years in the wilderness. Speaking in a 2014 GQ interview by Michael Finkel, Knight waxed, “What I miss most,” he eventually continued, “is somewhere between quiet and solitude. What I miss most is stillness.”

Knight said he’d watched for years as a shelf mushroom grew on the trunk of a Douglas fir in his camp. Finkle commented, “I’d noticed the mushroom when I visited—it was enormous—and he (Knight) asked me with evident concern if anyone had knocked it down.” I assured him it was still there.

In the height of summer, Knight said, he’d sometimes sneak down to the lake at night. “I’d stretch out in the water, float on my back, and look at the stars.”

These are three examples, and there are many more. The gradation of experience and purpose can range from intention to take something back into the world, or a complete snubbing of the world. A retreat from the world and a snubbing are different.

The World Does Not Go Away

The Rule of St. Benedict, written by St. Benedict (c.480–550) has one section titled, “Chapter 70: The Presumption of Striking Another Monk at Will.” Yes, there had to be a rule about hitting each other.

Retreating From The World

Retreating from the world, whether solo or in a group can have a positive side and bring us great works like Walden. Or this kind of retreat can be a deep dysfunction exhibited by Christopher Knight.

To be clear Knight stole over his 27 years to support his hermit behavior. Knight did this by breaking into local Maine cabins. Knight burglarized and stole to survive.

Then you have St. Benedict having to put into writing a banning of monk-on-monk violence.

You don’t have to retreat from the world. You can, but it is not necessary. And Knight and St. Benedict prove the problems of the world are real no matter your location.

Musashi, the greatest swordsman of feudal Japan went into the woods to live and study by himself? Well, yes, and no. He went into a solitary life for a period. The majority of Musashi’s life was spent in the company of other warriors and students.

Further, can you name one modern athlete that has retreated? No, all of them, to a person, lean into their coaches, trainers, and social support systems.

Periodic retreats are a good thing, but they don’t solve everything.

If you look to the great spiritual leaders you will see they go into the wilderness, for periods and then return to the world.

Humans are social animals, not always well behaved, but social none-the-less. A person is more valuable to themselves and others when they can retreat, learn, and return. And in that return share with those who take an interest.

Some further information you may find useful.

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KRIS WILDER

November 20, 2020December 25, 2020

Goldilocks Rule and Martial Arts

The Goldilocks Rule and martial arts. The Goldilocks rule is about avoiding excess. As a child growing up during the cold war the Olympics were a blood sport. The Olympics were about athletic competition. But the Olympics was also about The United States getting more medals than the Soviet Union.

Olympics were a replacement for actual combat. Instead of the dead, you counted the number of medals and what kind. I’m confident that the members of the Warsaw Pact held that same position.

The Warsaw Pact was a group of countries in Eastern Europe pledging cooperation with one another. The motto of the Warsaw Pact was: “Union of peace and socialism.” The Democratic Republic of Germany (GDR) or East Germany was a member of the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact.

Too Much Energy

The East German athletes were unbelievable in their physicality. Their level of Olympic competition was extraordinary.

The GDR female swimmers had profound physical attributes bordering on male. These female swimmers had broad shoulders powerful arms, an ambient muscle mass unknown for women before this time. It was revealed in later years that the GDR’s women’s swim team was using anabolic steroids to boost their physicality.

The risks to the misuse of anabolic steroids are now known. Not just a change in irritability or increased aggression. but hair loss, liver disease, and heart disease.

Putting too much energy into the system for an extended period is dangerous to the system. A violation of the Goldilocks Rule. The GDR athletes, in the calling of service to the country, were willing to overdrive their bodies.

Not Enough Energy

Not getting enough energy into a system results in the organization falling apart. Starvation is an example. Fewer calories are taken into the body than needed for survival.

Over time the body begins to cannibalize its resources and the body is no longer able to function. Again, an example of the Goldilocks Rule being disregarded.

Extremes And Trade-Offs

No matter what the extreme, there are tradeoffs. The merits of the moment at hand, versus the long term, can be argued, but, there is a price you will be paying. The extremes, in either case, are bad. This applies to the Goldilocks rule and martial arts.

Strike a balance in your journey. Heed the warnings of steroid misuse and anorexia. These two examples are examples of choices. They are not the result of forces out of our control. An example would be famine. Famine is out of our control anorexia is not.

The Goldilocks Rule provides a tried and true example of why the old martial arts masters can still perform at a high level. These martial artists adopted the middle path.

The Goldilocks Rule is based on the fable of Goldilocks and The Three Bears. The moral of the story is, not too hot not to cold, just right. Venus is too close to the sun and as a result, is a boiling mess, Mars, too far away, too cold. Earth is just right for us to survive.

The Goldilocks Rule and Martial Arts

We live in this Goldilocks zone and we should approach the martial arts journey in the same way. Don’t drive the system too hard, too fast, because you will burn out. Don’t be too soft either because you will waste away.

Choose the middle path, seek balance. You will become imbalanced when necessary, but once that force is removed seek the balance and live a long and more importantly healthy life through the martial arts.

A few related articles you may want to explore

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KRIS WILDER

November 19, 2020December 25, 2020

A Martial Arts Mind Experiment

A Martial Arts Mind Experiment. Can I take the guidance of a couple of leaders in their field to rewrite my mind? Yes, and here is the process.

First off, I have a heart rate monitor, a Blood O2 monitor, and a brain wave monitor – this will make sense in a moment. It is not as cut and dried as one would want. The results are getting blocked with/by some other things.

NSNG

Shortly after I started the Wim Hof Method, I started the NSNG diet (No sugar, no grain). See Vinnie Tortorich, I didn’t sign up with him I just followed his rules. As a result, I dropped 35 lbs.

Resting heart rate is 60, down ten points from the last doctor. visit ½ years ago. I do not recall the numbers on the blood pressure but I recall the doctor. commenting that was, “Very good for my age.” I’ll take it.

The Breathing

When I do the breathing, I have started to watch my Oxygen level (O2) and heart rate. The O2 starts high, and of course, decreases over the breath-holding. I have noticed when the breath reflex kicks in the O2 has dropped to about 62-68%.

This drop can be overcome. But as the heart rate increase starts it becomes challenging. This reaction is the body responding to the need for breath. And, or it is me reacting to the reaction of the lowering O2. How to measure the impact of the physiological response and my mind? The jury is still out; my goal is to receive the reflex and maintain a normal heart beat. But immutable physics tells me the lower the O2, the more the heart will beat to meet the body’s need for O2.

The heart rate is an inverse bell curve, high during preparation and high at conclusion. The heart rate lowing during the majority of the training. The upturn in heart rate begins as the stress of lower O2 takes effect.

Wim Hof & Brain Waves

Brain waves begin in Beta during this training, and shift to high Beta. The brain waves go no further, no matter the level of relaxation I use. I had suspected I would shift to Alpha, doesn’t happen. It may shift elsewhere but my assumption of Alpha has not proved out.

Another point of interest is Wim Hof has you do several variations on this theme. Hot shower, cold shower, hot shower. After finishing his home course and have taken it in a different direction. I start with a hot shower, then go to a cold shower. I used no breathing preparation I set my brain to feel as if I had prepared with the Wim Hof method. After about 1 week -/+ I was able to control the cold shock response.

Cold Water

I know the cold water is coming so that changes the equation. The brain has learned the cold blast is not terminal and has lowered the reaction. Of course, this raises some other questions and possible methods. Some more research and experimentation are warranted. The upper temperature of the warm water I don’t know. The lower level of the cold water is 40 F or so this winter, a little higher in the summer.

If Wim Hof teaches this, I don’t know it seemed a path to go down on my part. I need to know if though Exposure Therapy I can gain control the sympathetic system. Exposure Therapy is what it sounds like, a little exposure increasing over time. This therapy is most often used to address anxiety, panic and fears. I went straight after the panic center.

The event I am seeking is the moment of transition, from hot to cold. The transition and duration are abrupt and small. If I can nip it in the bud, as Barney Fife would say, I win. I have tested the process for 1 minute, not more than that as I am focused on the transition. I am interested in suppressing the cold shock response.

Times above 1 minute without core temp dropping is possible. Maintaining core temperature over time as has been demonstrated by better. And a different goal than what seek.

I have yet to find a way to measure core temp. I suspect I know, but…yeah. I don’t need that martial arts mind experiment.

Summary

Summary. Wim Hof is responsible for this experiment. I took it and challenged myself using Hof’s encouragement, via video, and the one time I trained with him and 100+ folks in Vancouver Canada. I was creating my own martial arts mind experiment.

Exposure Therapy works, you can rewire your brain. Hof’s methods have withstood medial scrutiny and work. The combination brings good results. No fear of the cold water, low response to the temperature change and a better handle on how to control the sympathetic system in my body.

A few other post you may find interesting or helpful

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KRIS WILDER