Mindfulness & Meditation

What is Mindfulness? 

According to John Kabat-Zinn (here), Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and founder of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." 

Mindfulness enables you to see things more clearly, free of self-imposed filters and preconceived notions; you see things as they are, rather than as you want them to be. By undoing mental and physical knots and tensions, it increases your sense of being fully present in the moment, giving you greater strength to face different challenges, large and small, in your daily life.

Through the practice of Mindfulness you will learn formal seated meditation, breathing techniques to calm body and mind, a ‘Body Scan’, and even how to eat more mindfully, among a host of other techniques and practices that don’t involve sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Can Anyone Learn How to Practice Mindfulness?
Um ... yes. Mindfulness can be taught to anyone from young children to adults. 

What are the Benefits?
Among other things, you may experience:

• more energy and enthusiasm
• a more relaxed mind
• a greater capacity for physical relaxation
• enhanced self-confidence
• more compassion toward others 
• and an increased ability to handle stressful situations 

Additionally, it has been my personal experience that a regular mindfulness/meditative practice is effective in overcoming stress, worry, addictions and more. It leads to peace of mind, a deeper sense of well-being, greater focus and creativity, and improved relationships. It helps you to: be more emotionally aware; more attentive and fully engaged; put aside preoccupations and wake up to what is happening right now.

Studies at Harvard and other top Universities have shown that as little as 6 - 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation brings a significant increase in grey matter concentration in regions of the brain associated with sustained attention, emotional regulation and perspective.

Mindfulness has also been used to deal with specific issues such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), management of chronic pain, dealing with the effects of cancer, and even the slowing down of the progression of Alzheimer's. 

Mindfulness Meditation is helping our soldiers deal with Post-Traumatic stress Disorder

As a daily regimen of exercise strengthens and tones the physical body, regular meditation is fitness for the mind and spirit. Who among us wouldn’t enjoy more contentment and less stress in life? Meditation provides you with the best conditions for training your mind to be calmer, clearer and kinder to yourself.

Many people believe that to meditate you must sit cross-legged, perfectly still on the floor for long periods of time, chanting mantras, while patchouli incense burns. Although you can do this, there are as many different ways to meditate as there are people. The most important thing is to be comfortable; so it doesn’t really matter whether one is sitting in a chair or on a cushion, standing against a wall, laying down, or supported in other ways.

Meditation has been practiced in various forms all over the world for thousands of years by people from all walks of life. Children from as young as five and adults well into their 90s can all learn and benefit from meditation.

What is the difference between Mindfulness and Regular Old Relaxation? 

A good question! Meditation can be profoundly relaxing and even though they may sometimes feel the same, meditation and general relaxation are actually two different things – but they don’t have to be!

There are many different ways to just relax – taking a nice long walk, sitting and listening to music, a conversation with a friend, playing with your dog in a local park, swimming, watching TV or reading a good novel, or even just chilling out in a comfortable place with nothing to do or nothing in particular upon which to focus your attention for a period of time.

Meditation is a practice where you train your mind to become more aware of the present moment, the here and now.

The cool part is anything, therefore, can be meditation when done mindfully – washing the dishes, taking a shower, gardening, making love, even those activities mentioned above. Whenever the mind is focused on this moment, and distractions are eliminated, that is a form of meditation. Which means that, although we often choose to sit while practicing, in truth one can meditate anywhere ... at any time ... while doing anything. 

Mindfulness: Good for What Ails You
For the longest time in the West, meditation was thought of as being the domain of hippies and the New age movement.

But the theory that meditation can reduce stress, depression and even chronic pain is one that has been gaining in momentum in the medical community in recent years. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as taught by Mark Williams at the University of Oxford have quickly become the interest and choice for academics in the mental health field, and organizations such as the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

How do I Know if Mindfulness is for Me?
Are you breathing? Then mindfulness is for you.

Let’s face it, there are very few (none) of us who don’t need a little relief from the stress and pressure of daily life. We are all faced with bills, family obligations, demands at work, school, anxieties in personal relationships, too-little-time, and health issues.

Everyone can benefit from developing a more mindful approach to Life.

In our Saturday meditation sessions we have teachers, parents, office workers, moms, dads, and others.

Meditation ... Not just for hippies anymore!

Meditation is useful for anyone who is ready to look directly into themselves and learn new ways of responding to what life brings. It is entirely secular and suitable for those of any religion or none.

Some people want to learn better how to cope with stress in their work or family life; and some people simply want to learn to appreciate their lives more fully, letting go of preoccupations. Some people come because they want to work with a particular issue: depression or anxiety, or chronic pain, for example.

The principles and practices explored in the Saturday sessions are relevant in each case.

If you would like more information, or to reserve a spot on the mats, please call (570) 332-4377 or email me at barnesmartialarts@yahoo.com. 

Self-Defense is Found in the Simple Things

At Barnes Martial Arts, we teach self-defense -- but not like other Martial Arts studios. We teach that self-defense -- real self-defense, genuine self-defense -- transcends the physical; it is more than knowing how to kick or punch, or wrestle someone on the ground. Yes, we teach our students -- adults and children -- how to physically, effectively protect themselves from dangerous people and situations. What kind of school would we be if we did not? But we also teach that when it comes to safety, escape is nearly always the first, best choice; fighting is a last resort. Using verbal techniques and body language to reduce or deescalate incidences of potential violence is another area we address.

 Since "self-defense" forms the greatest part of our curriculum, we have an inherent responsibility to our students, their families, our community, and to our own integrity to ensure their protection in any area of their lives. 

If all one knows is mayhem and physical violence, they may be a "fighter" (and I harbor personal doubts even about that), but they are not a Martial Artist. Real Martial Arts balances the efforts of the body, with practices of the mind and heart. Just as important, therefore, we teach that self-defense is found in the simplest of things.

Fitness may be the ultimate self-defense for the body. Unfortunately it may also be the most overlooked. Martial Arts can be part of an overall healthy lifestyle; but ... you can take the most effective, deadly, infallible, butt-kicking art on the planet ( is there such a thing?) and put in to hands of an obese, out-of-shape, unfit, can-barely-move individual and it becomes virtually useless. Like a high-performance or luxury car, the human body requires a continuous supply of high-quality fuel (see Good Food, below) and oxygen to keep running at maximum efficiency. If you put in cheap, low-grade fuel, there is a good chance both will become sluggish or break down. The difference is if the car breaks down you can get a new one ... the only body you will ever have is the one you were born with, so it benefits you to defend it properly. Like the red lights on your car's dashboard, pay attention to the signals your body is sending -- pain, weakness, fever, nausea, etc. A little preventative maintenance can save, and is preferable to, a ton of after-care. At Barnes Martial Arts we suggest regular exercise -- a minimum of 30 minutes/day, 3 days/week (Martial Arts are great exercise .. hint, hint); get plenty of sleep; eat healthy -- avoid sugar, excessive alcohol, fried and highly processed foods; and drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Just as taking care of your automobile can ensure that it runs in top condition for many years and hundreds of thousands of miles, smartly keeping your body fit leads to a longer, more pleasant, productive life. 

Kindness, for example; kindness is a beautiful form of self-defense. Kindness, without expectation of reward, payment or even personal benefit, is self-defense for the heart and soul. It is our studio philosophy that if we want a kinder world, we must all be an active part of the solution. It is not enough to "talk the talk", we must "walk the walk". Accordingly, we instruct students to take our lessons "Out of the Dojo, Into the World".

Good food --and the appreciation of it; there’s a fine, fine kind of self-defense. Our Western diet -- highly processed, full of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, and high in sodium, fat and calories -- is killing us. We lead the world in chronic obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, clean healthy eating, mindfulness of what goes into our bodies, and an emphasis on fresh, wholesome vegetables, fruits and lean protein, will do as much -- perhaps more -- to protect us from harm than knowing how to punch someone in the face.

Oh, and how about love of community? Participation in --and love for --one’s community is a kind of self-defense that’s impossible to put a value on. Why? Because we're all in this Life together and only for a relatively short time. Two of the definitions of community are: (A) "a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals", and (B) "a group of interdependent organisms of different species growing or living together in a specified habitat". By getting along, seeking out similarities and establishing common ground, by promoting peace and harmony, and helping one another, instead of constantly being at loggerheads because of perceived differences, we benefit ourselves and future generations. 

And my favorite kind of self-defense, by far, is found in a simple rule, The Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would want them to treat you." The reasons why this is important should be obvious.

Simple. And simply perfect.

At Barnes Martial Arts, we like Tom Callos’ (www.tomcallos.com) description of self-defense too: “Self-defense isn’t only about personal protection, it’s about taking care of the people around you and the place you live as well.”

And of course, self-defense training at our Studio is all you already imagined it to be, but with this particular attitude about it, self-defense becomes about living a good life. What a great idea.

For information about our school and self-defense lessons for today’s world, check us out on Facebook (here), contact us at barnesmartialarts@yahoo.com or give us a shout at (570) 332-4377. (CREDIT: This post was inspired by and adapted from the writings of my mentor, Tom Callos, of the100.me (here) and the Ultimate Black Belt Test (here). Thank you, Tom, for your wisdom, insight, and continuing guidance.).

10,000 Acts of Kindness

“Kindness. One of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return.” -- Unknown Author

"Be Kind whenever possible. It is always possible." H.H., Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

     Almost two years ago to the day I wrote an article for this blog titled, "So You Say You Want a Revolution", in which I described our Studio's intention to start a Kindness Revolution. 

     I concluded that article with a quote by poet Maya Angelou, "People may not remember the things you say, or even the things you do, but they will always remember the way you made them feel."

     At Barnes Martial Arts, we understand that if self-defense is truly "protecting ourselves from anything that would cause us harm", then Kindness is self-defense. 

     As a result, we feel that it our calling to radically redefine the concept of self-defense in the minds of the public to include Acts of Kindness. To that end, we have consistently required students to perform a minimum of 5 Acts of Kindness for Stripe and Belt Tests. As a member of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, we have undertaken monthly Kindness Missions -- some suggested by the Foundation, others of our own creation. 

     There is great power in Kindness. It changes lives, and it costs nothing to be a decent, compassionate human being. 

     With that in mind, we are announcing our most ambitious Kindness Mission ever: 10,000 Acts of Kindness. 

     Here is how it works: Beginning today, we are requiring each student -- adults as well as kids -- to do a minimum of 3 Acts of Kindness per day. Write down WHAT you did; WHEN you did it; and for WHOM you did it. Example: "I bought coffee and a sandwich for a homeless person on Tuesday, March 1st." When you have written down 25 Acts of Kindness, turn them in to Master Barnes and start on your next 25!

     It is literally THAT simple. We will keep all of the Acts of Kindness sheets in a large folder and in 6 months, in September, we will tally them up. 

Never underestimate the power of a single act of Kindness

     Our goal is, obviously, 10,000 Acts of Kindness, but if we ALL take part there is no reason why we cannot substantially exceed that goal!

     Let's look at some numbers in order to see just how easy it would be to achieve this goal:

     Say we only have 10 students. If each student performs 3 Acts of Kindness each day, that is 30 Acts of Kindness per day ... 30 x 7 days/week = 210 Acts of Kindness per week ... 210 x 4 weeks/month = 840 Acts of Kindness per month ... 840 x 6 months = 5,040 Acts of Kindness in half a year. 

     That's just with 10 students!! Pretty amazing, right!!

     Now watch what happens when all 40 of our students participate: 40 students x 3 Acts of Kindness per day = 120/day ... 840/week ... 3,360/month ... and ... WAIT FOR IT ...

     ... 20,160 Acts of Kindness in just 6 months!!!

     That is over double our goal!!

     Together, we can do this. We can leave a lasting, positive change on our communities and the world.

     Maybe others will be inspired by our example to "pay it forward." Maybe our Studio will be the center of a movement that ripples outward, one nice act building on another and another. 

    Think about it: we turn on the television or radio, and all we see is violence; on the Nightly News we are witness to story after story of famine, disease, war, poverty, crime, corruption and man's inhumanity to man (and other living creatures). 

     I'm tired of hearing and seeing all of that negativity, aren't you? 

     What if, instead, we all made a concerted effort to be nice to one another?  To actually, genuinely care about our fellow man -- not just SAY it, but ACT on it? What kind of world would it be if we ... all held open doors for one another? ... Let the person with just a few items go ahead of us and our overflowing shopping cart at the grocery store? ... Rescued pets from the SPCA and taught our children how to care for them? ... Made a real effort to say "Please" and "Thank you"? ... Shoveled a neighbor's driveway in the Winter? ... Or raked their leaves in the Fall? ... Or mowed their lawn in the Summer? ... Helped a co-worker with a project? ... Volunteered in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen? ... Bought a sandwich for a homeless person? ... Stopped to chat with a complete stranger? ... Read a book to an elderly person at an assisted living facility? ... Helped someone carry groceries to their car? ... Took a minute out of day to tell our spouse or brother or sister or parents, "I love you"? ... Thanked our car mechanic, or postman, or teacher, or the kid who works the drive-through window at McDonald's and told them what a great job they were doing? 

     What if we did all of those things -- and more -- every day, with no expectation of thanks or reward? What is the worst that could happen? What kind of world would it be?

     Our world would be a better place.

     We might sleep a little more peacefully tonight.

     That doesn’t sound too bad at all.

     In fact, it sounds pretty nice.

     So 10,000 Acts of Kindness? ... Yep, I'm in!

     

     

     

     

What is The Gratitude Project?

What is The Gratitude Project?

For several months I have been discussing my thoughts with various students for a community action team that we have, subsequently, come to call the The Gratitude Project. It began as a germ of an idea, a persistent notion that our Studio was/could be more than just a place where people learned to punch and kick and grapple, -- there are already so many schools that fulfill that basic need -- more than just another faceless business. I had this inspiring thought that because of what we teach – our focus on educating people on the deeper lessons of the Arts and of humanity and character -- that we are uniquely poised to bring something ... more ... to our community.

Over time and through meetings with students, parents and some very engaged community volunteers like Louise Keller of the Domoestic Violence service Center, the idea began to evolve and finally crystallize.

Now, I’d like to take a few moments of your time to clearly share what The Gratitude Project is ... its purpose and its goals.

Although hosted by/at the Studio, The Gratitude Project is a completely separate entity from our regular physical Martial Arts curriculum. It is – or will be – comprised of students, parents and members of the community at large who are interested in building a legacy of Kindness, compassion, giving, service and helping those in need.

We do it out of a sense of gratitude for being able to serve, and because it the right thing to do. 

Everyone has a cause that matters to them. Maybe it is related to cancer, diabetes, heart health or some other health-related issue ... maybe it is humanitarian efforts, like helping flood or earthquake victims ... maybe your cause has to do with animal rights ... or going green ... or helping to stop bullying in all of its forms.

Whatever your passion, we want to work with you on it, to do something as a Team – a project – that means something to you and we want you to do it with Excellence.

Want to raise food to feed local hungry families?

Help the Humane Society get supplies or toys for sheltered animals?

Help a neighbor with small household repairs?
Mow a lawn?

Shovel snow for the elderly (not now, of course, but, like, in the winter!!)?

Raise funds for a local charitable organization?

It doesn’t matter whether the cause is large or small, local or national in scope. If it is important to you, it is important to the The Gratitude Project. If every one of us did just one project that touched our hearts, imagine how much better our world would be. Now imagine if we put together a group of like-minded, dedicated people – people like YOU and me – who were committed to making that kind of involvement a regular part of their lives, to making Kindness and contribution a habit. Can you envision the difference they could make?

It seems that we always find the time to do the things we want to do, the FUN stuff – video games, sports, hanging with our friends. What if doing good things for others could be just as much fun?

NOW IT CAN!

Our vision is not to have boring, stuffy, dull meetings. Yes, we still teach and learn valuable leadership skills that carry into other areas of our lives (more on that in a bit) but we do it by getting together once or twice a month (maybe more, if a particular project requires) for a Gratitude Project party!! Think of it as a high-energy, fun-filled, positive, motivational atmosphere – with refreshments and exciting activities and exercises to develop teamwork and leadership!

The value of any Team is found in its members and in its mission. The Gratitude Project is designed to be an outlet where members identify a need or a cause; plan and design a project as a group; document each step through the use of video and the written word; and implement their project through direct action.

The Team revolves around Project Based Leadership – that is, we actively develop practical leadership skills that Team members can put into a portfolio or a resume and use in other endeavors like school, sports, or career. Beyond that, though, these are viable, hands-on skills that instill the values of contribution, kindness, giving back. As it grows and develops over time, The Gratitude Project will function to allow more experienced members to serve in a mentoring capacity; this is yet another skill our young people can carry forward in their lives.

As you can see, serving on the Project benefits the members as well as the community.  

This is an opportunity for students, parents and members of the community to get off the couch, turn off the TV or computer, come together and do something that has genuine meaning to them and create a forum to inspire people and make a real difference.

Lastly, what identifies a team as a team? A uniform, of course. That is why, as the Team grows and evolves, as the members knit together, we are eventually looking to provide t-shirts with our Team logo in order to unify us.

We would love for YOU to become a part of our Team.

PLEASE SEE MASTER BARNES IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

THE ULTIMATE BLACK BELT TEST

The following article was written by Tom Callos, a Martial Artist whom I have looked up to for many years. Tom is a 6th degree Black Belt and for the last year and a half or so, I have considered him my mentor. I speak with him frequently, not only about ideas for growing the school, but how to make the studio a more relevant, contributing presence in our community. 
Tom has a unique view on the Martial Arts -- one which I share. We both believe that Martial Arts is a singular vehicle for personal transformation.

Tom created the concept of the Ultimate Black Belt Test with, I believe, the intention of showing the widest possible potential for the Martial Arts to affect change, personally, professionally, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To my knowledge, nothing of this breadth or scope has ever been attempted in the industry; it is a return to authenticity.

It is my goal to participate in an upcoming UBBT.  

I hope you enjoy his thoughts on the Ultimate Black Belt Test. 

Curriculum for The Ultimate Black Belt Test 2016

By Tom Callos

First, An Overview of What the UBBT Seeks to Accomplish

If I begin with the end in mind, one of Stephen Covey’s "7 Habits of Highly Effective People from the book of the same name, I can tell you almost exactly what I’m looking for from participants in The Ultimate Black Belt Test (UBBT):

I’m looking for a complete physical transformation from those members who come to the test with a need for that. I expect every participant to use the year (or longer) that they engage the UBBT to come out of it in the best shape of their life --or as close as they are able to come to it. To transform oneself physically, in a way that isn’t unhealthy or unwise, requires careful scrutiny of diet, exercise, rest, and training methods --and I want UBBT graduates to be able to show their students, their community, and the international martial arts community that they know, from experience, how to engage and facilitate physical transformation. The ultimate black belt would be / should be a living example of the physical benefits of their practice.

Members of the UBBT must have extraordinary and/or highly polished martial arts skills. I have no attachment to any style or method, so I don’t care if someone practices aikido, karate, jiu-jitsu, judo, taekwondo, or MMA, participants must come to the final exam with thousands of hours of practice under their belt. Regardless of the physical talent of any martial artist, every black belt can find what they love to do and do well and bring that game to their UBBT. Without extraordinary martial arts skills developed through the shedding of blood, sweat, and tears, there would be nothing “ultimate” about the Ultimate Black Belt Test.

The impact of the UBBT on a participant must, in part, be measured by the way the test affects the people in the tester’s sphere of influence. The ultimate test isn’t one that affects the tester alone, but that radiates out from the participant to have an impact on his or her family, friends, students, teachers, community, and ideally, to the international martial arts community. If you have an “amazing” test, one where you get in fantastic shape, where you set and meet many of your personal goals, and where you look the part of a serious and seriously trained martial artist, then you’ve achieved only a small fraction of what the UBBT is about. The ultimate test is measured by how what you put yourself through affects others.

The UBBT must engage the participant in new learning and/or the exploration of things presently unknown or unexplored. The ultimate test isn’t a rehashing of old skills or staying in the comfort zone of things without risk, the UBBT is to be used as a catalyst for new adventures and learning.

A participant in the UBBT must work in the realm of things important. I’m looking for accomplishment and/or program development involving environmental issues, sustainable living, health, diet, fitness training, social issues of importance, bully prevention, suicide prevention, art and design, architecture, and or any of the many subjects ignored, shunned, or otherwise absent from the martial arts community as it is today. I expect each UBBT member to champion one or more projects and/or subjects that enlighten, educate, cultivate, and expand the international martial arts community’s understanding of what the martial arts are --and how they can be used for good, out of the dojo and in the world.

Each UBBT member must make their test process public and as transparent as they are capable. Each tester must journal their progress or lack thereof, their victories and mistakes, and how their practice manifests itself in small daily actions. Without test transparency the members of the UBBT have little or no chance to use their own test process to affect the quality and/or practices of martial artists and others who live outside the realm of direct observation. In the end, the UBBT is a program designed to bring new ideas and practices to the international martial arts community, through the cultivation of transformation in the individuals engaged in the program.

A Review

Physical transformation + highly developed martial arts skills + impact on others + new learning and experiences + expanding the work to things important + transparent testing / journaling = a platform for the practices the tester engages in to create the ultimate test.

Feature Article in the Times-Leader

Our Studio -- and our monthly Kindness Missions -- was featured in the Saturday, April 18 edition of the Times-Leader.

Overall I felt it was a very positive article and successfully illustrated that we are more than just kicking and punching.

Martial Arts Students Practice Monthly Acts of Kindness

You Are Only as Big or as Good as Your Vision

Any Martial Arts studio can teach a student to kick and punch. Unfortunately, that is all some of them do.

I have given 34 years of my life to exploring, training in and teaching the varied arts that I love; I have seen and experienced firsthand the incredible transformational power that can come when they are properly taught and studied.

That is why it deeply pains me to see that, for so many studios, ego has taken over and the driving force has become all about how much money the owner can make (charging hundreds of dollars/month in tuition, using hard-sell tactics, and constantly hyping "program upgrades"), how many "world champions" or so-called "black belts" or they generate (often too quickly and while charging exorbitant test fees, to the detriment of both the student and the art), how many trophies line their front windows, etc. They nominate and elect themselves to meaningless, ridiculous martial arts "Halls of Fame". In the pursuit of money, trophies, glory, or self-aggrandizement they have either forgotten or deliberately abandoned the deeper lessons of the Martial Arts.

While that appears to increasingly be the norm, I'd like to think Barnes Martial Arts students are part of something more intelligent.

They know that fighting is absolutely the last resort, the final option.

They are aware that their actions and behaviors affect their families, their friends, their neighborhoods and their world in ways both positive and negative. They strive on a daily basis to maximize their positive impact while minimizing the negative. 

To that end, our students undertake various projects each month that serve to expand the reach of the lessons they are learning. Here are just a few samples of the Missions (some completed, some ongoing) at Barnes Martial Arts --

• Work toward the elimination of bullying in our local schools by offering classes, seminars and specialized programs that focus on educating students, the public and school administrators and teachers on how to identify, deal with and safely intervene with bullying behavior.

• Work toward the elimination of Domestic Violence in Luzerne County (and elsewhere) by offering free workshops, clinics and self-defense seminars.

• Monthly Kindness Missions -- everything from cleaning up our neighborhoods, to painting Kindness Rocks, to working with charitable organizations like the ALS Association.

• Annual Toy and Clothing Drives to help those in need.

• Working with the Al Beech/West Side Food Pantry to feed hundreds of hungry local families in our area

• Organizing a Card & Letter Campaign for Blake Kitchen, a 12 year old autistic Missouri boy who was severely beaten by a school bully.

• Finding and recognizing local heroes (upcoming)

• Group participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge organized in 2014 in memory of my fiancé’s father Ray Williams, to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

• April 2015 -- Spring planting campaign. It doesn't matter what they plant -- a tree, herbs, vegetables or flowers -- they are spreading Life and that is Kindness. 

Our goal – the likes of which has never been attempted before in Northeast PA – is nothing less than the complete redefinition of the concept of self-defense and the role of the Martial Arts studio – and Martial Arts student -- in the community.

First, we must accept that true self-defense comes from safeguarding ourselves from anything that would harm our mind, body, or spirit. Considering that cardio-vascular disease and diabetes, for example, kill far more people in the United States than do violent street encounters or roving bands of sword-wielding ninjas, it is not an exaggeration to suggest that the food we eat, what we drink and other substances that we put into our bodies are as much factors of self-defense as knowing how to throw a powerful, knockout punch or a devastating kick. 

Next, positivity goes hand-in-hand with Kindness and Compassion.  These are the deeper lessons that we teach; these ideas may be considered as “self-defense of the Spirit.”

Each of our students embodies the commitment to becoming a meaningful, contributing part of their/our community. They realize that the true nature of the training transcends the physical; the act of punching and kicking is merely a vehicle to a deeper understanding of lessons on life and living.

They understand that we are all part of one world and it is our duty, as individuals, to leave that world in a better state than we found it, to steward it for future generations. You might call that “community” or “environmental” self-defense.

The same goes for our mental "nutrition". We must defend our minds as much as our bodies, perhaps more. How different would our day -- indeed, our very lives -- be if we awoke each morning with a heart full of joy, grateful for simply being alive? What successes and benefits would we enjoy if we greeted the morning with a smile on our face? What consequence would we experience if, before we took on the day, we sat for just a moment on the side of our bed and gave silent thanks for 5 or 10 things in our lives?

Attitude does determine our altitude -- in Martial Arts, education, business, and in Life. Of course, it isn't always easy to stay positive in a world that often seems pitted against us. But really, what other choice is there? 

Negativity sets the tone for our day -- we see everything as a curse; the world is out to get us; the Universe hates us. We say destructive things to ourselves like, "This is just my luck" or "I am such a loser", until, like weeds, those thoughts, take root, germinate and grow, eventually dominating not only our behavior but our very identity.

Is that any way to live? By contrast, a positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, reactions, events, behaviors and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.

I often say that our Studio is "small, but we are mighty." The reasons listed above are proof of that.

As Martial Artists we have a greater responsibility to each other. Compassion is one of the fundamental capacities of what it means to be an evocative, instrumental member of one's community, and the world at large. More than that, for Martial Artists it represents balance and harmony. It is not enough for us to learn how to damage people without also learning how to reach out and help them. Too often, Martial Arts studios -- even here in NEPA -- focus on the closed fist rather than the open hand.

This is why it is so important to our identity as a Studio that our students all become engaged in our ongoing efforts to spread Kindness, to set the example that Martial Artists are more than just fighters, and to truly take these lessons ... “Out of the Dojo, Into the World”.

Thank you for your continuing efforts to help us redefine the role of what it means to be a Martial Arts school in our contemporary world, to set the bar higher than it has ever been set locally.

By aligning with our wider, deeper Vision, together we can truly accomplish great things.