Judo, TKD, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, MMA, XMA, etc... They are all useless in today's society if you are studying the arts just to learn to become a great fighter or a great technical martial artist. The last thing we need in this world is another punch thrown, kick landed, lock applied, or throw executed.

"Our world suffers from terminal normality." Stuart Emory from Mastery,

We are suffering from a lack of pursuing what's important to us, a lack of mastery in our own lives. In the United States today, for most people, we are not fearing for our lives when we step outside. We don't all need to learn to become great fighters to protect our lives and our families lives like hundreds of years ago. (unless your in the military which NLT does support)

In today's age, physical combat is secondary. We are more likely to be hurt deeper and hurt longer by the following:

* Negative Opinions From Others * Bad Relationships * Low Self-Esteem * Environmental Issues * Bad Nutrition * Acceptance of Mediocrity * Lack of Compassion...etc.

Allow your martial arts to be practiced with an appreciation and understanding of gratitude and compassion. Let the reason you train in the martial arts to be to demonstrate what is possible physically, mentally and compassionately instead of training solely out fear of being attacked someday. It's a paradigm shift that we all must endure.

And Check This Out - As a result of the physical martial arts training, you will be prepared when that dangerous opportunity arrives; though you may find that these dangerous situations will never come because of your level of compassion in your training. You'll find that you won't be attacked because you've put out such a vibration of understanding and empathy and trust and compassion and peace, that these fearful, violent acts that require the physical self defense of the martial arts simply wont find a place in your life. This is ultimate self defense.

I am making a personal commitment to pursue my martial arts in a whole new light. My art, my expression needs to be beautiful, moving, and elevate to something above and beyond just forms and grappling and sparring. I need to demonstrate to others that I am a great martial artist and in the process, have become an extraordinary human being. I further challenge you to pursue a similar mission with your own martial arts training.

Being a great technical martial artist is not enough. I must lead by example and perform at the highest levels of acts of kindness, community projects, and personal goals that I've achieved. Leadership will come as a result of the experience of getting the Black Belt (and beyond), rather than the actual receiving of the belt.

This experience of training in the martial arts is a vehicle of my pursuing goals that are important to me. Julia Butterfly Hill sat in a tree for a couple of years to save that tree and others around it. From her work, she asks a very interesting and important question, "What is your tree?" What she means is, what is your mission, what is so important to you that you are willing to make a stand for it and make it your personal purpose.

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