It's Louse Time!
This week my dad reminded me of the Dog story. It goes kinda like this: This salesman arrives at a farmer's house and notices the farmer's dog sitting quietly on the porch.  Salesman asks the farmer: "Is your dog always that quiet?" "Oh, he's just sitting on a nail" "A nail? Shouldn't we do something?" the salesman asks. "Oh no, he's been sitting there quietly for a week" "Are you sure he's okay?" Farmer responds: "Well, I guess it doesn't hurt enough!" How much pain are you supposed to endure before you actually do something about it? Many people follow this weird behaviour. Some wait to be overweight before they start a fitness conditioning program. Others prefer a lung cancer diagnosis to quit smoking. Maybe it's failing to know how to defend yourself until you're a victim of domestic violence, rape or an unavoidable confrontation. Why wait for so much pain before taking action? Put physical fitness, self-defense and personal development at the top of your priority list. If you've been procrastinating about something for the last few months or even years maybe it's time you got off that nail and took some constructive steps towards achieving it? There's no good or bad time to take action, just as long as you start. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, Goals
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Increase Confidence, Respect and Discipline
Here are some more pics from our Fight for Fun Tournament back in February. Students were offered a chance to compete in a safe and controlled environment.  With over 400 people in attendance some students were a bit "jittery" performing in front of that many people. Sometimes the best way to learn and grow is to take yourself out of your comfort zone. Even the 5 & 6 year olds showed great maturity and confidence. To have that at such a young age will definitely give them an edge as their growing up.
If you're a parent looking to enroll your child in a confidence building program, look no further.  Our martial art programs for kids offer them the mentorship that is desperately needed today. For more information on kids classes in Eastern Ontario, the Ottawa area as well as the Montreal Area browse our list of 25 locations to find one close to you. Giving the kids a chance to also see older students train and compete gives them people to look up to. Setting the example for our young students is one of our top priorities.
Getting your body ready for Kung-fu Kickboxing (Sanshou in Chinese) consists of stretching, contractions, and isometric exercises which can be done anywhere, anytime.
In Fang Shen Do, we make a parallel between Sparring and Life.
You never know what to expect in both areas. You must face the unknown and reach for your goals even when you sense fear.  You must know your strengths and weaknesses while being able to adapt to whatever comes at you. In the end you always rely on your instincts. If it FEELS right go for it!     With over 35 years of experience our team is strong and ready to help you get fit, flexible, focused and commited to reaching your goals. Our next event is held in June, See you there, Sifu Martin Labels: Confidence, Discipline, Fang Shen Do, Respect
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Breaking the Habit - Part 2
Following up on my e-mail yesterday, when I answered J, I didn't get a response until almost one month later. I was impatiently waiting for a response from him until finally I saw his name in my inbox. --- Sifu, It's been almost 3 weeks since my last puff and the cravings are starting to go away. I've been using vase meditation as a way to relax myself during cravings and I've told my friends that I no longer want to associate myself with smoking and don't want to be around it. They haven't even given me a call. So it seems the smoke was their main priority in our friendship, too bad. I'm also starting to notice that my energy is coming back as well as my confidence. I've proved that I can do anything now. Thanks for your help, I mean I'm not completely through this yet but I feel that the hardest part has past. So thank you very much, it was your words that stuck in the back of my mind when I denied countless opportunities to have a smoke. Now the next step is starting back into training again. I know I will have trouble with breathing at first but in time I'm sure I'll be back where I left off. Cheers, J ----- Hi J, I was waiting for your reply. I knew you could do it. Like you said there will always be that little craving but if you're training hard and giving it all you got, you'll squeeze out whatever is left of it. Do you know how many people can't do what you did? I'm proud of you. Hope to see you soon at a seminar or training session so I can congratulate you in person. Again, keep me posted on your progression. Right now you need to use this momentum to set some high fitness goals. Here's a list (these are just examples, I don't want to scare you!) 500 Rowing Squats 1 mile run under 6 minutes 120 push-ups in 2 minutes Hold Bridge for 3 minutes Handstand 3 minutes Replace the old craving with the best craving of all: MASTERY! Sifu ---- This is why I love to do what I do. Helping people achieve their personal & fitness goals through our martial art system. The whole purpose of this daily e-mail is to provide you with inspiration, training tips and to share stories that you might connect with. If you have any questions or testimonials about our training system send them my way. Aim Higher, Sifu Martin Labels: Addictions, Discipline, Mental Power
www.fangshendo.com
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Need to break a filthy habit?
A few weeks ago I got an interesting e-mail from an ex-student. I'm sharing it because maybe there are others who are going through the same challenge. So here goes: Sifu, I used to go to Fang Shen Do Kung Fu, 3 times a week. I used to participate in seminars and extra training. I have not been back for over 3 years now. Since then I took up smoking cigarettes and marijuana and have made friends with only people that do the same. I am realizing as the days go by that I was happier without the smoking lifestyle. I was happier when I was fit, but I have made some really close friendships with some of these people. I have tried to break the habit more than twice now but because every time I'm around them, I see the smoking and crave it. I really want to get back into Kung Fu but I need to break the habit first. Is there anything I can do in this situation to help myself back on the course of life I am searching for? As of today, I am one week sober from smoking but I feel like I'll crack any day now like I always do... Please help. Thanks, J ---- Hi J, Congratulations on your first week sober. You are at a crossroad my friend. You can't have both: Your smoking friends and Your health. You have to decide. You have to associate so much pain to smoking that it will act as your main motivator when cravings hit. I always tell this to my students or coaching clients. Ask yourself: What am I gonna look like in 30 years from now if I continue doing what I'm doing? Offer to be a volunteer at a cancer ward, or visit the terminally ill (from smoking) wing. Go take a stroll in the local cemetery. Go in an old folks home and ask to interview one of the residents, one that has smoked for 30 + years, and just look at them and see if what you see adds to your craving or completely wipes it out? One of my assistants' dad did smoke for that long and he's on his 5 th operation and he's only 63 years old. Tell yourself you only want to breathe in fresh air. Treat your body like a million dollar machine, because it is. As for your friends, I know it sucks but you have to ask yourself or write down each person's name and list what that friend brings to you, how do they help you, what do they contribute to your life? Is it just companionship and a few chuckles? Remember often times friends love to see you down and out like they are, you're part of the pack, so don't expect any help from them. I have a hard time with that word FRIENDS. The only friend I trust, the only friend I can always count on is MYSELF. First of all see the image of yourself not smoking, keep that image in your mind. Then also see images of yourself training. Feel it. Change the craving of smoking to a craving of training. When you have a craving go sprint. Or Do your isometric breathing (remember Lin Sil Die Dar Hard) exhale, maximum resistance, contraction. As you exhale visualize the poison coming out of your mouth and cleaning your insides. Tell yourself: "I am the master". When you quit smoking did you know it takes over 7 years for your body to completely heal itself and clean itself out? Something to think about. Tell your friends you'll be on Hiatus for awhile, That you have some issues you have to work out. Give me a report every week. Sifu --- I'll finish the rest tomorrow. If I can help just one person get back on the right track, I'll have done my job. Until then, Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Addictions, Discipline, Mental Power
www.fangshendo.com
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Increase circulation in the legs
Use it or Lose it. The first thing to GO with old age are your legs. When you think about it, the legs are being used less and less. You probably sat in your car, on the bus or on the subway today. You might be sitting at your desk at work. You'll be sitting on the couch tonight. You'll sit to eat. And, chances are, you've taken the elevator or escalator to get to where you needed to go today, right? What's wrong with this picture? EVERYTHING Make sure your legs get adequate circulation and stimulation daily. No one wants to be in a wheelchair or walker on purpose. Many people who are disabled would give everything they own to be able to walk, run, squat, jump and lunge. Yet, you probably take your legs for granted. We all do. We just need to be reminded, poked in the ribs a little. So that's what I'm doing. Poking you in the ribs. Whenever you find yourself sitting too long, choosing to take the elevator instead of the stairs, or "vegetating" in front of the TV. Get up, train and maintain your legs. One of the best ways to do that is to engage them in stretching. Nothing complicated, can be done in the comfort of your own home or office. Check out our complete stretching system here: http://www.fangshendo.com/flexibility_dvd.htmlMaster Yourself, Sifu Martin P.S. All it takes is Awareness. Always put your legs FIRST, that way they'll never let you down when you really start needing them. Labels: Discipline, Flexibility training
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Quit Smoking Fast
Learning from other people's mistakes can save time, money, energy, and most importantly your health. Take smoking for example. Isabelle (my spouse) asked me this question while driving up to St-Sauveur. How many people in India do you think die every month from a tobacco related illness? Do you know? I say 1000. She says more. 5000. More 25 000. More. WHAAAT. Try 70 000. 70 000 people die every month. That's the size of some canadian cities! I always ask myself this same question when doing or starting anything: "What's this gonna do for me if I keep it up for the next 30 years?" Well that's one question you won't need to ask when wondering if smoking is any good for you. You DIE. And not peacefully. Those few minutes of pleasure when smoking turn into months of pain and suffering when you're on that hospital bed. How much evidence does one need to realize smoking is BAD for you? Let's ask the same question about strength and flexibility training. Fast forward 30 years from now. How will you be feeling? How many quality years will you add to your life? If you're already training you know the answer to that question. If you're not, the sooner you do (start), you'll realize it doesn't take 30 years to feel good, recharged, and in control of WHAT you let IN your body. Your body is NOT a trash can. If you owned a million dollar race horse would you feed it chips, fast food, and cigarettes. Would you keep it locked inside sitting on a couch watching TV? Why is it okay to do that with our own body? Decide NOW that it's not okay. The first step is to start training with one of our strength training kits found right here: Take better care of yourself, Sifu Martin P.S. Realize what you're worth. You're capable of many a' great things when you sprinkle a little bit of discipline to your life. Labels: Discipline, Flexibility training, Strength Training
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The secret to always follow through
Whoever or wherever you are you fall in one of these categories. You're either a PROCRASTINATOR. Nothing ever gets started and the time to start something like strength training and physical fitness never seems to be right. You might be a STARTER. Most people are good at starting pretty much anything. Some are actually very good at it. But as soon as it gets challenging, and you realize the secret to physical fitness for example is repetition, consistency and commitment, you "self-sabotage" by finding excuses. You listen to your voice of reason in disguise (you know that voice that tries to sway you away from exercising: It goes something like: "You don't feel like it today", or "You're tired, you should rest". You start missing one day then 3 and before you know it 3 mths go by with an extra 10 pounds around your waist. That same voice comes on again: "Hey, you should start training again". Then the same pattern repeats itself. What can we do to actually FINISH everything we start? How can we become a part of this group, the master FINISHERS. I'll explain to you how, only if you promise to put it to good use. You become a great finisher by understanding what the Japanese call: Shoshin. Translated it means: Beginner's Mind. One who approaches strength training and martial arts with a beginner's mind is fresh, enthusiastic, and open to the various possibilities that lie before you. When you possess a beginner's mind you're not burdened with old habits or thoughts of how things could have been or should have been. It's hard to get bored of your training when everytime you do, you look at it with a new set of eyes. As if experiencing it for the first time with child like optimism. That is the secret to becoming a great finisher. There's always something to learn if you look close enough. If you're always learning you'll always be growing. Transfer this philosophy in everything you do and you too might become a great finisher. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Attitude, Discipline, Fitness Training, Strength Training
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Talk less - do more
I have the chance to train with my dad every week. He truly is an inspiration. He doesn't make any excuses. He knows what he has to do and he just does it. He can do pretty much what I do and I'm almost 30 years younger. I know most of you are maybe not as lucky as I am to have a father that's in martial arts and started training you from a young age but find someone. Someone you can think of when you're going through a difficult exercise or a challenging time in your life. You ask yourself what would your mentor do in this situation.  You know that scene in Enter the Dragon when Bruce Lee breaks his tea ceremony with the government agent an says: "It's Louse time", and the agent replies: "Yes of course" It's a time where the instructor teaches an important lesson to the student. I get one from my dad every week. I'm working on making those lessons available through several Podcasts which you'll be able to download to your ipod, on your computer or your PSP ("Play Station Portable", just in case you don't know what I'm talking about).  Today was "Black Tongue". One of the reasons people don't succeed in business or reach a high level of physical fitness is exactly that. They have a black tongue. Everything that comes out of their mouth is garbage. They prefer to complain than to train. Things like not doing what you said you would. Being a king or queen of excuses. Preferring to complain about what other people have instead of focusing on what you really want. Concentrating on the problem instead of the solution. Instead of doing the above, talk less - do more. Or make use of your tongue correctly. Use isometric breathing for tough exercises by putting your tongue behind your teeth as you exhale. Connect your tongue to the palate of your mouth to activate blood and chi flow. Use empowering keywords to not give up in a challenging exercise. Say "Thank You" for the special people you have in your life. Reaching a decent level of physical fitness is attainable. You just need to learn to become a self-starter. An action phrase I use all the time in moments of weakness, as quoted from W. Clement Stone is "Do it now". You're sitting on the fence, you want to get started but you don't. Instead, take charge, no more garbage, "Do it now", here's where you need to go. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Attitude, Discipline, Strength Training
www.fangshendo.com
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Stay in "First Date" shape
Does this sound familiar. Have you or someone you know, ever been guilty of this? You've been in a relationship for 10 years and both of you are complacent and comfortable. You slowly let yourself go. You stop exercising and taking care of your body. You stop making yourself look good for your partner. You don't brush your teeth as much and you don't really care if you have bad breath. Your hair is often un-done and you don't try as hard to "court"your spouse. You stop being creative to surprise each other with a weekend get away or a romantic night together. Before you know it you split. You're sad at first and as time goes by you realize it's definitely over. There's no chance of getting back together, you tell yourself you'll start dating again. So what's the first thing you do? You say: "I gotta lose 25 pds, get rid of my belly". You go get a haircut. You go to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned. You start training. Suddenly you're motivated and you make physical fitness and feeling good your # 1 priority. What I always find funny is why couldn't you focus on maintaining yourself when you still had the love of your life. Because at one point that person was the love of your life right?" But you let them slip away. You got too comfortable. Instead of trying to "court" one thousand people only once, focus on "courting" that one person one thousand times. Tomorrow's St-Valentine's Day. Don't let you or a loved one slip away from you. Make looking and feeling good about each other your # 1 priority. Keep your body in "FIRST DATE" shape. Here's the link to how you can do that now. http://www.fangshendo.com/station_training_dvd.htmlKeep that fire alive, Maintain Yourself, Sifu Martin P.S Starting to train and being health conscious AFTER you've broken up can easily be avoided. Get fit and stay fit. Labels: Discipline, Fitness Training, Strength Training
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Body says NO but it means YES
Something I've realized over the years is when I don't feel like training and actually work up the will to train, that training is the best one I ever had. Strange Huh? Kinda like my body was saying NO but it really meant YES. Whenever I get that: "I dont feel like training today" feeling, I realize I must of done something wrong the day before. I figure my body is giving me a warning sign. Maybe I didn't eat right the day before, maybe I slept too much, or perhaps I didn't sleep enough, it might be stress or lack of sunlight. Something. So make sure to act on that message and go do something physical. Drop some cards down and put in a great workout. The easiest way is to get your very own strength training kit. They're loaded with various exercises and they take out any downtime thinking of what you'll actually "do" exercise wise. Pick one up right here, Aim Higher, Sifu Martin P.S. Remember what I talked about before: Strong are they who force their thoughts to control their actions. A negative thought must be turned in a positive one with great haste or surrender to the art of vegetation. Labels: Attitude, Discipline, Follow Through, Strength Training
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He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.
Baloney! That is a quote from George Bernard Shaw. I totally disagree with him. Teaching takes you from being average to pretty decent in no time flat. Anyone who has taught will tell you they greatly improved their own ablities by teaching it to someone else. It forces you to know the material, you need to be able to demonstrate it, makes you verbalize it, which in turn guarantees you'll never forget it. A good teacher realizes he can learn as much from the student as the student does from him. You now know another method to staying motivated this year with your goals. I told you I wouldn't let you down! The secret is in Teaching. As soon as you get our strength training kits, call up a friend, wife, husband, son, daughter and show them what you've learned. You'll quickly get a better understanding of the exercises and will help you master your own technique at the same time. But first, you need to have something to show them, something of value. Show them your new Strength training kit. Pick it up right here. Aim Higher Together, Sifu Martin P.S. Having a training partner is another way to stay motivated this year. Get one now. Labels: Discipline, Station Training, Strength Training
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Learn from a 7 mth old
You might think: "This ain't gonna happen" As you might know I'm a father of three. When I was holding my baby girl today she taught me a valuable lesson we all need to remember. I had her sitting on my lap and she reached out to grab a toy. For the next 30 minutes she was totally focused on the toy. Nothing else seemed to exist or matter. She picked it up, turned it, threw it, drooled on it, hugged it. On and on she did this without losing focus. If a 7 month old can do this, I suppose an adult can do this? Are you able to stay focused on one thing for at least 30 minutes and do it well? Do you try doing too many things all at once when it comes to your fitness training? Things like: a gotta do my abs, gotta do my legs, gotta do cardio, etc... Our strength training kits lets you put everything on auto-pilot and lets you focus on the most important thing: DOING the thing. Not thinking about it, organizing it, contemplating about it, or analizing it. The goal is to get in the zone. And the way to do that is just: START. Everything will flow from there. Fitness Training should be like Playing: Effortless Want to know how to make every aspect of fitness training effortless? Reach for our strength training kits right here. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, Follow Through, Health, Strength Training
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Start with the end in mind
I got to stay on you this year. I can't let you lose motivation and drop the ball on so many things you want to accomplish. I'm getting alot of questions about goal setting and how to stick with them. And so, I'm gonna keep giving you small things you can implement to do just that. Yes, we all have days where we don't feel like training or follow the healthy eating habits we promised ourselves we would follow. Take any habit, good or bad and see it through 30 years from now. Imagine it. What are you gonna look like if you continue to sit on the couch when you get back from work?  What's it gonna feel like carrying an extra 25, 35, 45 pounds? How will eating fresh, organic, unprocessed foods change your body? Brushing your teeth daily?  Smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day? Training strength, flexibility, and endurance daily? Your behaviour right now will automatically have an effect on you in the future. Do you want to add 10 years to your life or take 3? Are you looking forward to being fat and diabetic? Do you see yourself kissing someone with your beautiful yellow stained teeth? Are you looking forward to feeling vibrant, strong and full of energy? When talking about strength training, it's not always easy.
You might feel some pain the next day. You might struggle at first. But, nothing beats the feeling AFTER you've completed the workout. And that's what you should focus on whether it's strength training or nutrition goals.
Block out anything else that goes through your mind before starting your training. Focus on the end. That blissful state, that feeling of accomplishment, the relaxation and stress-relief that comes with training. In that moment you should be totally happy. You know what would make me happy? Knowing that I won't need to worry about you because you're training with one of our strength training kits. It's a proven system, get yours right here today. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, Endurance, fat loss, Strength Training
www.fangshendo.com
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Body says: you're fired!
Are you overwhelmed by today's hectic living? Would your body fire you if it could, based on the times you missed work - outs. When it comes to physical fitness you might think it would be easier to live in a monastery like monks and train all day every day to get results. Very few of us would have that privilege. We all seem to have less and less time to enjoy the things that make us happy. We need results fast and that's where we come in. Station Training was created to keep you in peak physical and emotional shape in the least time possible. If in one hand, I guaranteed you results with a 2 hour workout, a trip to the gym and a personal trainer while in the other offered you our Strength Training Program with the same results at a fraction of the time with no commute, while in the comfort of your own home or office. What would you choose? The answer is obvious. It doesn't take complex workouts or routines to get results. Shuffle your cards, pick 15 of them, lay them down, put the music on (or download to your i-pod) and go! You have the luxury of choosing within 50 different exercises in your stack. As you progress your workout will get easier and so will your desire to do more. Next, you'll need to set a number of reps for each exercise. Still too easy? Work your way up to 2 minute stations instead. Still not enough, take your intermediate stack (85 exercises) and choose from those. I can go on like this all day. The versatility of the kits are incredible. But the best part has to be it's SIMPLICITY. We all have too many things to juggle: Kids, businesses, employees, relationships, AND our physical fitness? Might as well make fitness the easy, fun part. 15 stations equals 15 minutes. You can take only 5 stations and make those the hardest ones you've ever done and still have a sense of accomplishment at the end and it only took you 5 minutes. The secret is in the Intensity. The emotion you bring to your workout. Don't leave your problems at the door bring them with you and burn them right out of your mind and body. Use them as fuel to take your physical fitness levels to all time highs. Your body will feel refreshed and pleasantly satisfied. Avoid getting a Pink Slip, get your strength training kit now. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, Exercise, Intensity, Strength Training
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Use your Enemies
Some people are still having trouble sticking with the goals they've set. So I'm going to show you some ways to help make it work for you since it's so critical to your success. This information is very valuable considering the odds that are stacked up against you: The stats show that most will not follow through on their goals and resolutions this year. Avoid being part of the statistics. You've heard of the term "Use your Enemies"? Here's a simple way to do that. Start by "Thinking Back" or "Thinking Now" of people around you who are not supportive of your goals. It could be a family member, co-worker, someone who bullied you in school, ex-boyfriend, or ex-wife. Someone. Make a mental picture of that person. Whenever you find yourself deviating from your goals this year, that person should pop up in your head. They say "Success is Revenge". Use that negative energy into a positive one to stay motivated. If you catch yourself reaching for that bowl of ice cream or skipping out on one of your workouts, think of what that enemy would say: "There I told you so, I always knew you were a friggin' loser, You're no good for nothing, Look at that ass getting bigger". You know, things like that. If you're like me, you'll never allow that enemy to get the best of you. If I'm doing 500 Squats I'll do 520, just to show that prick that I'm unbreakable. I'll add more weight, I'll add a minute, I'll do my "fasting" one day longer. This is a surefire way to stick with your goals. We all want a sense of Pride and we won't let the enemy have his way with us. For strategies like these and many others to stay on top of your game, Pick up the FSD Training Guide today and show that prick what you're made of. As I'm writing this, mine have just appeared in my mind, gotta go punch the bag now and show those bastards who's the boss around here. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, fat loss, Follow Through, Mental Power
www.fangshendo.com
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2 mistakes stealing motivation
Everyone starts off the year excited and on fire. For most, that fire starts to "dwindle" after the first weekend. Why? You've decided you want to get in shape and lose some stubborn fat. You start off all "Gung-Oh" and do too much too soon. Before you know it you're sore all over, frustrated you pack it in and decide training just isn't for you. In no time you're back reaching for the bag of potato chips. You might reach Feb. 1st, some might even stick with their program until April. It's only a matter of time before you lose motivation. Here are just 2 reasons for losing that drive. The "Quick Fix" and "I'm fixed". Let me explain. As you probably know we live in a world of instant gratification. If you don't have the results you were looking for NOW you assume what you're doing isn't working. And so, you bounce from one training routine to another. The other problem with us Humans is when our training program actually starts giving us results, for example: we start feeling better, leaner, stronger and more flexible we stop doing the very thing that brought us all those good feelings in the first place. Before long you're back to where you started and that vicious cycle starts over again. Yes it's weird but some of you do that. In a way you're going in circles. It doesn't have to be that way. Realize there are no "Quick Fixes" and taking care of your "Million Dollar Machine" (maybe more?) is a commitment you should stick to for the rest of your life. Simplicity, levels of difficulty to expand as you do, variety and fun are qualities you'll find when working with our Station Training Program. This is the very program I've stuck with for over 25 years and it's definitely what I'll do for the next 25. Model the right people, get started today. You can get it here. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Discipline, Patenaude Kung-Fu, Strength Training
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