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To truly comprehend Jeet Kune Do, as a practitioner it is vital that you develop the proper mindset toward training. I call this mindset, for wont of a better term, the “JKD attitude.” At various times on my blog I will include what I consider to be essential ingredients in developing a full and clear understanding of Jeet Kune Do. One of the fundamental tenets of JKD that was instilled in me from the moment I first began my training in the art was, “If you understand motion, you don’t need “style”. Jeet Kune Do is about moving beyond “styles” and instead simply looking at martial art in terms of motion. What this means is that as you develop your combative tools and skills, you should look at actions, movements, or techniques not from the perspective of, “This is a Wing Chun punch” or “This is a Muay Thai Elbow” or “This is a whatever style kick”, etc., but rather from a scientific, bio-mechanical point of view. You should look to physics and its related sciences of physiology and kinesiology, and analyze the way the human body moves with regard to such things as body alignment, balance, recovery, speed, power and coordination. Start with scientific principles as the bottom line and go from there. The principles will help you discover or find technique, and the technique should be a practical illustration of those principles. This is reason that JKD has been described as “science applied to the realm of fighting.” If we examine Bruce Lee’s notes on the subject we can see a clear example of this bio-mechanical approach -- “In any physical movement there is always a most efficient and alive manner to accomplish the purpose of the performance for each individual. That is, in regard to proper leverage, balance in movement, economical and efficient use of motion and energy, etc.” While this principle is simple, it is nevertheless a difficult one for many people to apply. Why? As I stated in my article “Understanding the True Nature of JKD,” the reason it’s so hard for many people to comprehend the idea of moving beyond the separation of styles and instead simply looking at martial art in terms of motion is that because ever since we first began learning, we’ve been entrained to separate, compartmentalize and label. And that kind of mindset is what you are attempting to move away from in JKD. I am the first to admit that even I have been guilty of such things myself. For example, in my book Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do - The Textbook, I gave an example of the idea of flowing from art to art. However, as my understanding of JKD increased I came to see that this was incorrect. It has nothing to do with moving from one art to another, but rather it is simply flowing from one movement to another. (A Note of Caution) -- Be careful, because you can even become bogged down by saying such things as “This is a JKD punch” and “This is a JKD kick.” etc. Another key tenet that interconnects with the previous one is “It doesn’t matter where it comes from, if you understand it and can use it, it belongs to no one; it’s yours.” When I used to travel with my teacher, Dan Inosanto, and assist him on seminars, one of the ways in which he would illustrate this principle to the people attending was to demonstrate a particular wristlock or armlock on me and ask the participants, “Where does this lock come from?” Dependent upon the martial art background, one person might answer that it was a ju jitsu lock, while another might say that it came from Kenpo. And so on. Then Dan would make the point that it doesn’t matter where the lock came from or what you call it. If you understand the lock and can use it, it belongs to you. So the bottom line is this, develop your techniques around scientific principles and understanding motion as opposed to any particular style or styles, and don’t get hung up on where a motion comes from.

In his martial art notes, Bruce Lee talked about maintaining what he referred to as a “playfully serious” attitude during sparring, writing, “Turn your sparring into play -- but play seriously.” My teacher, Dan Inosanto, used to relate the same idea to me, telling me that when it came to sparring, and even training for that matter, one should “train seriously, but not seriously train.” He didn’t mean by this that we should take a “who cares” approach to training, but rather that there should be no long, serious faces while training, and that even though it might be challenging and frustrating at times, we should enjoy ourselves while engaging in it. Rickson Gracie, the legendary jiu jitsu master reiterated the same idea in an interview, stating, “You cannot learn when you are fighting, bringing in all sorts of tension and emotions. You learn when you are having fun, training in a smart and gentle way.” In the book about Western fencing entitled, “Foil” by Charles A. Selberg, the author relates the same concept, “Fencing is the epitome of serious playfulness. The intensity of concentration, the creativity, the pouring out of yourself experienced in sparring resembles the seriousness of a child at play. Play is an attitude, not an activity; it is a freedom and creativity that comes from the courage of complete commitment. There is no calculation in play, only a richness of experience.” When we are too serious, we can become rigidly attached to a particular way of doing things, a particular technique, particular perspective, etc. Sparring should be a time for experimentation and exploration with certain parameters, rather than simply a win at all costs, beat-the-opponent type of mentality. Like Yin/Yang being “playfully serious” is the harmonious combination and integration of two opposites: seriousness and playfulness, as opposed to running to one extreme or the other. Utilizing the idea of “playfully serious” will offer you the opportunity to find new perspectives, be creative, and maintain fluidity. It can allow you to “get out of the box,” keep you loose and pliable and create space for new possibilities. Furthermore, it will allow you to “ease the burden of your mind” by helping you from becoming overly self-conscious with regard to all your actions. See if you can apply the idea of “serious playfulness” in your own training.

I dislike giving out lists of techniques. Sometimes students will ask me, “Why don’t you give us a list of all of the punching combinations, so that we have them?” My response to them is, “If you want a list, you can write one yourself, but I’m not giving you one.” Here is my reason for telling them that. As is often the case, when students are given lists of techniques, that is all the student looks at or uses. While lists may initially serve a somewhat useful purpose, in many cases, if a person is not careful, they can become a form of limitation. Let’s take punching combinations as an example. My goal for my students is not to have them memorize a bunch of combinations, but rather, to understand the “essence” of compound punching. Initially, I will have the student develop each basic tool individually such as the lead straight, rear cross, hook, uppercut, etc. Then I will tell them, “Now I want you to develop your ability to use your lead arm striking tools in combination.” -- “Now I want you to develop your ability to use your lead hand and rear hand in combination.” I might tell them to come up with a two-punch combination, a three-punch combination, or even a fix or six-punch combination. And as long as they aren’t violating any fundamental principles, I let them go. The point is that I want the student to develop their own ability to think and create combinations themselves without relying on me or some list. What type of combination they use in sparring has to relate to their opponent’s positioning, their defense, etc. If we include such things as feints and false attacks into combinations, then you can change, adjust, or adapt them. For example, a simple three-punch combination can be done four ways: Hit - hit - hit Feint - hit - hit Feint - feint - hit Hit - feint - hit It doesn’t make sense to end a combination on a feint. So if you had a list of possible punching combinations you could continue to extrapolate into who knows how many techniques. The list, as they say, could be endless. Let’s look at Hand Immobilization Attack. (I know the use of trapping is controversial and various people have their own very definite opinions about it, so let’s not even go their, okay?) My point is that you learn basic trapping actions, then you move on to compound trapping actions. But all those actions are built around the principle of the type of energy and reactions you receive from an opponent, not some list that gives you fourteen trapping combinations off a ‘pak sao’ (slapping hand) trap. You don’t just do a pak sao, lop sao, gua chuie combination because it’s on a list. You use it because that’s what the opponent’s energy and actions (or reactions) dictates would be the most appropriate action to use at that moment. There is nothing inherently wrong with lists. If you choose to use them, that’s fine. But make sure that you use them as a resource to help you grow, and don’t allow them to restrict your own thought processes. Use your creativity and imagination to develop yourself and become a free-thinking and creative martial artist.

The word “atrophy” is defined as, “A wasting away or failure to develop, due to inadequate nutrition, exercise, etc.” It is commonly used to describe the loss of muscle tissue in an individual. Such a loss may be the result of injury or illness; however, the most common cause is simply lack of use. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Use it or lose it.” Many people look at what has happened to their body after years of living a sedentary lifestyle and following poor nutritional practices and become depressed or even angry about the shape it is now in. Oftentimes they then look around for someone else or something else upon which they can place the blame and relieve themselves of any if not all accountability. When people experience a loss of muscle, they also often experience other negative effects on their body. This is because when a muscle’s mass and strength are decreased it affects other metabolic systems in the body as well. For example, some people find they have decreased endurance. Others, especially senior citizens, may complain that they feel cold all the time (muscle is exothermic and helps regulate body temperature). And as many of these systems decrease in function, the individual finds themselves doing less and less. But wait a minute, people! Don’t freak out. There is good news. The fact is that your muscles haven’t really gone anywhere, but are in effect lying dormant, desperately waiting for a stimulus to reactivate them and bring them back either to the shape they were once in, or pretty close to it. In some cases, depending on your lifestyle, it may even get them into better shape than they once were. In the same way that our muscles will atrophy if we do not use them, our soul can atrophy as well if we do not take care of it. Soul, spirit, life-force, energy core, I don’t care what you choose to call it, in the same way muscle atrophy can negatively affect other metabolic systems in our body, allowing our soul to atrophy can have very negative effects other areas of our life. We may lose the zest we once had for life and instead find ourselves frequently becoming depressed or despondent. We may lose our sense of drive and motivation and instead waste an enormous amount of our energy on such things as worry, anxiety, procrastination, etc. And in the same way that we can live a sedentary lifestyle with regard to our body, we can also live a sedentary lifestyle with regard to our soul. Sedentary ways of the soul can include such things as staying within one’s comfort zone, refusing to take risks, becoming locked into set ways of thinking and acting, allowing our own self-beliefs to limit us, etc. But once again, here is the good news. Your soul, like your muscles, has not disappeared or gone somewhere else. It’s still there, lying dormant, desperately waiting for a stimulus to revive it and let it shine in all its glory. And as long as there is a pulse, there is a soul that can be revitalized! If you discover your soul has atrophied or is atrophying, then you can start rebuilding it the same way one rebuilds muscles that have atrophied, through some form of development program which stimulates growth -- a sort of “soul fitness” regimen if you will. As with rebuilding atrophied muscle, the stimulus for our soul needs to progressively overload it in such a way that it allows for positive adaptation to occur. The proper level of intensity is essential. If it is not intense enough, then no stimulus for growth will be presented. At the other end of the spectrum, if it is too intense then we may not be able to sustain it and as a result give up and call it quits. So the goal is not “too high” or “too low.” The only person who can decide this is you. Muscle-rebuilding is not just about doing the work. Allowing proper time for the muscles to recover is another crucial element in the overall equation. Likewise, it is equally important for soul-rebuilding as well. Like the recovery phase in strength training, keep in mind that your purpose in training is to build up your soul, to enhance its capacities. So be sure to include time for rest, reflection and contemplation in your program. Finally, in the same way that nutrition and diet plays an important role as we are rebuilding (or building) muscle, mental nutrition and diet plays an important role in rebuilding our soul. What we feed our body is our choice. What we choose to feed our soul is our choice also. I wrote a blog titled “Breakfast of Champions” some time back that discussed the idea of what we feed ourselves daily. The following is a brief excerpt from it -- In the same way that what you put into your body is important, what you feed or put into your mind at the start of each day is equally important. Beginning your day by feeding your mind positive, ideas, etc. can go a long way in helping you deal with the challenges and stress you may find yourself coming up against during the day. It doesn’t matter where the food comes from, positive thinking books, spiritual writings, books of quotes, etc.; the container is not what’s important, but rather the medicine within it. If you put crap food into your body you will get less than satisfactory results from it. In the same way, if you ignore feeding your mind or put a bunch of junk into it (pessimistic or negative thoughts, etc.) you will get poor results from it. So make sure that you are taking in the proper mental nutrition and feeding yourself what I refer to as (forgive the pun) “soul food.” A proper "soul-building" program can help "muscle-up" your soul. It can you move from where you are now to where you want to be. It can broaden the scope of what you can or will do. It will afford you the opportunity to reclaim your true self, actualize your full potential, and live life to the fullest.

In his book, “Teaching with the Brain in Mind”, Eric Jensen, one of the leaders in brain-based learning, discusses the importance that the role of “processing” plays in learning. He relates the following three points: 1. Much of what we learn cannot be processed consciously, because it happens too fast. We need time to process it, so the brain continues to process information before and long after we are aware that we are doing it. 2. To create meaning for ourselves about what we learn we need internal time. Meaning is always generated from within, not from external sources. So in order to figure out what it all means to them, a student must “go internal” using such things as reflection and contemplation. 3. After each new learning experience, we need time for the learning to imprint. (For example, new physical skills can take up to 6 hours to solidify). He goes on to state that it’s important that we allow for this creative time if we want new learning to occur, and cautions that cramming more content per minute, or moving immediately from one piece of learning to the next, virtually guarantees that little will be learned or retained How much processing time depends on the difficulty of the material and the background of the person learning it.. According to Jensen, teaching “heavy, new” content to novice learners may require processing time of 2-5 minutes for every 10-15 minutes, whereas review of old-hat material may require only a minute every 20 minutes. So what does this mean for those of us who teach martial arts? To me it means that perhaps we might need to re-examine our teaching approach and some of our teaching methods. The martial art industry is forever bombarding us with messages about how classes have to be fast-paced and filled to the brim with material to keep students engaged and excited and prevent them from becoming bored. But a lot of that is based on fitness industry propaganda that has been adopted by the martial art industry. “Get ‘em in - get ‘em out” -- “You gotta make sure they leave sweating and smiling.” You know the rhetoric. But they never seem to mention anything about thinking, do they? Who says that classes need to be taught in such a way? The people who think you should teach classes that way, that’s who. Perhaps we should move away from getting caught in this “gym” attitude and hype and bring in time for processing. We need to remember that learning martial arts is primarily neural. It is about skill conditioning rather than physical conditioning; developing the proper neural pathways, not how many kicks a person can do in one minute. While physical conditioning may be an integral component in most forms of martial art training, it’s important to keep in mind that skill conditioning and physical conditioning are two different things. How can we bring processing time into our classes? One way would be to encourage “personal processing time” after new learning for material, perhaps though the use of short breaks interspersed into the training or between rounds of training which the students reflect upon and discuss what they are learning. If you’re their teacher or coach you can ask them simple questions about what they just did, about how a drill or motion or even a sparring session felt to them. This can help them process and stay in tune but also relax a bit. We’ve all read statements such as “JKD is a process…” etc. Well, I think we need to make sure they we include “process time” in that process. To find out more about Eric Jensen and his brain-based learning visit: www.jensenlearning.com Sources: (“Teaching with the Brain in Mind” -- Eric Jensen – Association for the Supervision of Curriculum Development – Alexandria, Va. – 1998)

A beginning student is throwing side kicks against a kicking shield being held by his training partner. He is well-muscled and looks in good shape, but after throwing twenty kicks he is tired out, breathing hard, and his kick have diminished to lightweight taps against the shield. Forgetting that he currently runs two miles three times each week and spends thirty minutes on a stationary bike another two times per week, he glances over at a skinny student who, now on his fiftieth kick, is kicking easily and powerfully and thinks, “Man, I thought I was in good shape, but my endurance is crap. I’ve gotta improve my cardio.” Such is not the case. In reality it is a matter of skill conditioning rather than physical conditioning. While a person’s level of physical condition may be an integral component in their overall martial art training, martial art training is primarily neural -- how to do the techniques or actions correctly, how to move, etc. “Laying down a neural groove” so to speak. Skill conditioning is a neurological event that readies you, or betters you in the performance of the task that you need to do. It’s the mechanics; be it a kick, a punch, am immobilization, or a takedown. When we approach a new and unfamiliar task, our body always tends to over-mobilize its forces initially because it doesn’t really know what the activity or event is, with the result that we end up working far too hard and expending much more energy than is actually required. The first time we do it we’re usually exhausted, sore, etc. But then, as our body gets more familiar with it, it says, “Hold on, we didn’t really need to use as many muscles (or much energy) on this, so we won’t put as many of them into it.” So it reduces the amount it puts into it, and you notice your heart’s not beating so hard, your breathing is easy, etc. And eventually your endurance seems better. But what’s really happening is your body is just learning what it needs with regard to certain muscular involvement, metabolic involvement, and what it doesn’t. Your body learns how to economize the more often you do something. In other words, the way you get better at doing something is by doing it. I remember the first time I took my daughter out to practice driving after she had completed driver training. Within ten minutes she was tired out, and even perspiring. Why? It wasn’t that she was out of shape and needed to build her endurance in order to drive. It was because she over-mobilized her resources, and as a result her entire body was in a state of continual tension as she drove. The next time out she was a little more comfortable and relaxed, and the next time even a little more. One day when I was at home sick with the flu, I decided to go through one of Bruce Lee’s day-timer diaries one time and count up the number of punches he threw in one particular month. (Hey, I was sick and bored, okay?) What I discovered was that in one month he threw a total of 18,250 punches, which comes out to about 600 per day. I think that is a pretty clear-cut example of the idea of skill conditioning at work. Proper neural training will result in superior skill development. Practice and rehearsal of a skill is what will make you better at that skill. So put your time and energy into specific practice when you train. Make sure that you don’t lay down neuromuscular connections that serve no purpose for what you are doing, or lay down the wrong neuromuscular groove. Finally, keep in mind that skills are always very specific to the event or the activity that you’re doing. What this means is that bicycling, running, or swimming, will not make you better at doing martial arts. Practicing martial arts will make you better at doing martial arts. So when it comes to your training, remember the old adage, “If you want to learn how to kick, kick.”

The image which you hold in your mind about a movement greatly influences the structure of the movement. The sensations that you focus on during the performance of a movement is of crucial importance in determining the actual form of the movement. If you change the area of focus through what is known as the “ideo-motor set-up”, you will change the structure of the movement and modify the technique. Ideo-motor set-up, as defined by Aladar Kogler, PhD., “is a psychological factor that relates to movement and perfecting it. It is one of the main elements in determining the form and structure of a movement.” In his book, Yoga For Every Athlete, Kogler, who is a five-time Olympic fencing coach and Director of Columbia University Sports Psychology Research Laboratory, relates an Eastern European study that was conducted with fencers, which I think any martial artist seeking to improve themselves might find interesting. The following excerpt from his book relates the test: In a study, Tishler looked at the amount of time that fencers require to complete a “direct attack.” Fencers were timed from the beginning of their movement, until the completed execution of a head cut with fleche and lunge. Fencers were given the test of trying a number of different mental set-ups as they executed their fencing moves. At first, the fencers were all required to complete a direct attack without using any mental set-up. Next, each fencer was asked to execute the attack using one of four different mental set-ups. With each mental set-up the action was repeated three times. The four mental set-ups included: Focusing on the start of the movement of the fencer’s front - leg making an explosive movement with the front leg. Focusing on the start of an explosive take off with the back leg. Focusing on the “synchrony” of movements of both legs. Focusing on the speed of the movement of the arm (with weapon) - to hit the target as quickly as possible without attempting to control the movements of the legs. The lower level and middle level fencers performed the fastest attacks with mental set-ups which focused on leg movement. That is, they did best with the first three mental set-ups. The technical level of these fencers required them to focus on the take-off and the factors related to the take-off. When these fencers focused on the speed of their arm movement, the take-offs were late and errors occurred in hand-foot coordination. The opposite was true for top-level fencers. Focusing on the take-off from the front or back leg actually decreased the effectiveness of their attacks. When these fencers focused on coordinating their leg movements, they had the same results as when they had no mental set-up at all. However, when the top-level fencers focused on the speed of their arm movements they increased the overall effectiveness and speed of their attacks. For these fencers, focusing on arm speed improved all aspects of the take-off, and increased the overall speed of the attack. Thus, demonstrating that the advanced fencers increased their speed and effectiveness of their attacks using a different mental set-up than lower level fencers. Presumably, this difference was due to the fact that top-level fencers had so mastered their leg movement that there was no need to think about or concentrate on the legs, just on the speed of the arm holding the weapon. How does this relate to you as a martial artist? It boils down to the fact that the quality of your performance depends on the quality of your attention and intention. What you focus on during performance of an action, movement, technique, etc., can have a great impact on the results. So depending on your level of skill and experience, you may achieve better results in training by focusing your attention on a different area of an action such as (a) footwork or (b) arm movement (strike) or leg movement (kick). Why not try experimenting with this training principle in your own training and note the results? Source: Yoga For Every Athlete by Aladar Kogler, PhD. Llewellyn Publications (1995)

It starts inside our head. Sometimes it whispers, sometimes it shouts. Call it what you want; the “inner opponent,” “the internal critic,” “the saboteur,” the voice speaks and unless we are careful, we listen. The voice scolds us with such things as, “Who do you think you are?” -- “You’re not smart enough to accomplish that” -- or “You’re too old.” And if we pay attention to what it says, we often end up stopping what we are doing or deciding not to even start something. How many people today are intercepting or “stop-hitting” their own potentials, dreams, vision, etc., shutting them down and preventing them from becoming a reality? How many people, as the adage says, “go to their graves with their best song still in their heart.” Why do we do it? Why do people “stop-hit” themselves? Why do they shoot themselves in the foot, so to speak? There are numerous reasons, but the prime reason is fear of failing. Fear of failure is the major killer of great plans. Most of us learn (or are taught by others) early in life that failure is bad or negative, and therefore something to be avoided at all costs. As a result, we become uncomfortable with the idea of failure. We learn to hide our failures, make excuses for them, and in some cases even deny their existence. Some people begin to stop taking risks. They become more cautious about taking chances due to the possibility of failing. They start to limit the choices they make and tend to stick with only those things they know they can do well or are sure they will succeed at. Fear of failure becomes a “lens of conditioning” that filters how they perceive certain things. This lens narrows their vision narrows and shrinks their horizon. How can we stop “shooting ourselves in the foot?” How can we stop “stop-hitting” ourselves? The following ideas can help: Be aware -- As with countering a physical attack, awareness is a crucial factor, because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to shut it down. By developing your ability to recognize negative thoughts and negative self-talk as soon as they start, you can challenge the utility of them by asking yourself such questions as: Is this thought helping me or hurting me? Is this thought motivating me to action and moving me closer to where I want to go, or is it blocking me with fear and self-doubt? Is it helping me to perform efficiently and productively? Know yourself -- Are you really secure within yourself? Do you have any doubts about yourself and/or your abilities? If you don’t have any such doubts, fine. If you do, they need to be addressed and removed or corrected. Understand the intention of an attack -- The goal of an attack that comes from within ourselves (fear, self-doubt, worry, etc.) is the same as that of an external attack used against us by an actual opponent; it is to attempt to throw us off-balance, damage us in some way, put us on the defensive, and get us to question ourselves and our abilities. Don’t give the opponent what they need to work against you -- If you understand what it is physical opponent needs to work against you, then you can choose not to give it to them. The same goes for dealing with an internal attack. Remember that you are in control of the way you feel, and you are in control of your thought processes. You have the power over your state of mind, so pay close attention to and control your thinking. Dealing with external opponents is one thing. Dealing with inner opponents such as our own self-limiting concepts, unfounded personal doubts, fear of failure, etc., is another matter. Oftentimes we discover that the biggest adversary we face in our life is ourselves. If we want to actualize our potentials, be it in martial art or anything in life, we need to make sure that we don’t stop-hit ourselves along the way. Make sure you’re not “shooting yourself in the foot.”

The following excerpts were drawn from my daughter, Sarah Leliani’s essay “Becoming Leilani” that she wrote for her college creative non-fiction class. I chose it because I believe it clearly illustrates the joy to be found in liberating ourselves from anything that might hold us back and truly experiencing life at its fullest. Sarah had made up her mind that she wanted to try surfing, and the opportunity presented itself when she took a trip to Hawaii in order to take her Tutu's (grandmother's) ashes and put them in the ocean so she would be reunited with her grandfather, Papa Ernie, who passed years ago -- I breathed in the salty air and looked to the horizon, smiling with nervous excitement. Pono (my cousin) grabbed the surfboards out the back of his small green pickup truck as I slipped my father's rash-guard shirt over my head. At seven o'clock in the morning the waves were gray and misty, rolling over top of one another and crashing into the sand. Standing there on Oahu beneath the early rising sun the ocean beckoned to me. We laid the boards on the sand and stretched our stiff bodies. Pono briefed me on the safety guidelines of surfing and surfer's etiquette before we strapped ourselves to the boards and hit the water. My heart began pounding in my chest as the waves grew in size and intensity while Pono held onto and guided my board. I kept repeating everything he'd told me in my mind - body centered on the board, push up to let the wave pass between you and the board, don't face sideways against an oncoming wave and' most importantly, if you wipeout do NOT fall in head first.' "We'll wait here 'til I see a good wave," Pono said. "'When I do, I'll turn your board around for the first one and when I yell 'paddle', you PADDLE! Once you feel the push of the wave, stand up!" As I paddled towards the curling tongues of saltwater l realized how terrified I truly was. These were just baby waves, but there remained the possibility in the back of my mind that my very first wave could very well be my last. I could fall incorrectly and hit my head on a sharp reef or have a run-in with a hungry shark that mistakes me for a fish. Though I was terrified, I realized how incredibly badass I felt. And by badass, I mean I was overcoming my fears and simply going for the thrill of a new adventure. Hawaii has this vibe of, 'I can do anything' and it welcomes you like a cool breeze of fresh air. I was at the mercy of Mother Nature and in a strange way it felt good. In the same way I felt fear I also felt an enormous amount of respect - respect for the wild, unclaimed territory that is the ocean. Pono finally found a wave that looked to be a good one and prepared me for the ride. He flipped my board around and before I could glance behind me there was a push of water rushing beneath my board. I was so nervous that I only made it to a kneeling position and quickly flopped back on the board again. Pono jokingly yelled, 'Why didn't you stand up on the board?" I paddled towards him with trembling arms and the determination to get it right the next time. I was not giving up so easily. I wiped out on the next wave when I accidentally stepped too high up towards the nose of the board. I braced myself for it as soon as I knew I'd made the wrong move. But as it goes, the third time's a charm! Pono found another promising wave for me to try and as I heard the thundering surge of water coming up behind me I paddled for all I was worth. Gathering my balance I slowly raised myself to a standing position, flying high above the water with arms outstretched against the backdrop of a blue horizon. "This is so RAD!" I yelled in exhilaration. As the wave dissolved I centered myself on the board once more and paddled out with all my strength (which is a lot harder than one might think. . .) for another taste of liberation. So what about you? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and get a taste of liberation? You’ll know unless you try. As my daughter said – “It’s RAD!”

Never orthodox, always the innovator, Bruce Lee had an indelible impact on both martial art world and the world film world. Sometimes referred to as “the Galileo of martial arts,” Lee broke down centuries of tradition and classicalism and changed the way people viewed martial arts and martial art training. As an actor, writer, producer, director, and stunt action choreographer, he changed the face of action films. In order to achieve these lofty goals, Lee understood that he couldn’t simply follow a path that had already been set by someone else,but instead had to blaze his own trail. The definition of “trailblazer” is “a person who blazes a trail for others to follow; an innovative leader in a field; a pioneer.” Trailblazers point the way, take the risks, and change the environment. They have a vision to move forward, a faith that turns their dreams into reality, and a determination that cuts through barriers and obstacles. In the same way, why not blaze your own trail rather than following one set by someone else? Blazing your own trail is about carving your own path in the world. It’s about being your own story and making your own mark. Make no mistake about it, the fact is that blazing your own trail requires courage. It means refusing to allow someone else to choose your path or mould you. It means forgetting about what others might want you to do or be and being who you are. It means separating yourself from the rest of the herd who are huddled together for security. Blazing your own trail in no way disallows you from drawing inspiration from other people who are successful in their life or chosen field of endeavour. There’s nothing wrong in looking to people as sources of inspiration or to help motivate you. However, remember that their story is their own, and yours is your own. Keep in mind too that there is a big difference between being influenced by someone and imitating someone. I’m sure that every one of us has been influenced in some way by various people we have met, seen, or read about throughout our lives. I know I have. Usually, these people are individuals we have respect or admiration for. For example, my instructor, Dan Inosanto, has been a major influence on my development as a martial artist. So have other notable martial artists such as Bruce Lee and Rickson Gracie. My writing mentor, Anthony Yerkovich, and my close friend, John Little both influenced my approach to writing. However, while each of these individuals has influenced me in some way, I don’t want to imitate any of them or ‘be’ them. Imitating someone else will arrest your own spiritual and artistic development and prevent you from developing in your own process. Finally, remember that there is nothing egotistical about insisting on blazing your own trail. One of the most important things I learned from my martial art instructor was, “Sing your own song, not your instructor’s song.” Instead of following a known and already cut path, afraid or refusing to venture off it, instead why not look at what comes next with curiosity and excitement, seeing it as an opportunity to grow and expand yourself? In closing I’d like to leave you with two quotes from two world-renowned trailblazers, Bruce Lee and Steve Jobs -- When I look around, I always learn something, and that is to always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him…”—Bruce Lee “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice; and the most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs Be an original, not a copy. Create your own life. Blaze your own trail and make your own mark in this world!