Live out of Mindsight not Eyesight
"The most complete map in the world won't take you anywhere unless you know where you are." This particular statement cannot be ignored. Do you know where YOU are? Without this critical information there's no chance for advancement and self-improvement. On a weekly basis you should be tracking where you are, and daily would be the ideal. Whether this is for fitness or business goals, knowing where you are simply makes it way clearer to know where you need to go. I know most people know this but are you doing it? When you hit daily goals, it creates a surge of energy and enthusiasm as well as momentum. Momentum to take you through this year and others to come. In all areas of your life, where are you headed? Are you drifting along haphazardly reacting to life or actively creating your destiny? From a Martial Art standpoint, skill, strength and flexibility doesn't just happen without dedicated effort and paying close attention to what 's working and what isn't in your training. Conversely, relationships don't last forever without romance, communication, adventure and honesty. A business organization doesn't stay alive and thriving for over 30 years without constantly re-inventing itself, re-investing profits and finding better ways to serve their customers. For each area of your life (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, family, and financial) put them under the microscope, think of it as research, just that the test subject is YOU. Live your life out of Mindsight not Eyesight. Mindsight means to live out of your imagination while Eyesight means to live out of memory. The past does not equal the future. You are responsible for what you create, make it amazing and worthwhile! Master Yourself, Sibok M Labels: Attitude, Fang Shen Do, Fitness Goals, Goals, Life Lessons, Mindsight, Personal Development, Sibok Martin Patenaude, Success
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Bodies Exposition Review in Montreal
During last week's March Break I had a chance to share special moments with my kids and family. One thing that really stood out was what we did on Saturday. This one thing, I can't get out of my head. I mean, I've always been interested in the human body, nutrition and ways to stay happy, healthy, and vibrant. But having a chance to actually see the human body from inside and see the effects smoking can have on your health and lungs, the fragility of the brain and nervous system, the importance of choosing wisely what you eat as well as engaging in daily exercise and the positive effects it has on your circulatory system was AMAZING. I'm talking about the BODIES EXPOSITION in Montreal. If someone goes through the exhibits and doesn't quit smoking on the spot and seriously starts eating right and ditching the junk food, I don't know what will. What happens in our bodies on a daily basis is nothing short of a miracle. The perfect balance and harmony of the various systems is mind boggling. Yet many people choose to purposely destroy the master control (i.e. the Brain) with mind altering drugs? Or some choose to lead a sedentary lifestyle when one's body can be twisted and articulated in thousands of positions, equipped with muscles, tendons and ligaments that will adapt to loads and retain memory of those movements so they become easier with time. Apart from the physical wonders of our body and what it can do mechanically it's interesting to note what movement can do for our mind, our energy and our emotions. Ultimately adding Quality to your Life. You've probably heard the saying: "The more motion you undertake the more emotion you will create" I get my best ideas while in movement, training, or maintaining my martial art skills. It connects me in a way that no other sport can. This is why I urge you take up martial art training as the sport of choice, not only to get in shape but to optimize bodily function, maintain mental alertness, and stretch your imagination when it comes to what you can accomplish and create in your own life. Master Yourself, Sibok M P.S. Not a member yet? Get started here.Labels: Bodies Exposition Review Montreal, Fang Shen Do, Fitness, Goals, Martial Arts, Sibok Martin Patenaude
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This is YOUR year
January is my favorite month! You're given a chance to wipe the slate clean and attack the new year with optimism and gusto. It makes you feel like you're starting fresh, it makes you contemplate and imagine a long list of endless opportunities and possibilities. This is YOUR year. Clearly map out what you're going to do this year. Visualize and actually imagine NOW how you will feel when you've reached those goals. Express gratitude for what you have and what is to come. Figure out what drained you last year and what could of pushed you off course and correct it. Throw procrastination out the window. Refuse to settle for: "good enough". Acquire a burning desire for the attainment of your goals. The fastest way I've found to understand the concept of developing a burning desire, and this at record speed, is through a unique way of training we've incorporated in Fang Shen Do. Once understood, it's easily transferable to any other goals you might have. It's what I personally used as a kid to lay the foundation of discipline, follow through and a "never give up" kind of attitude. You can find out more about it here. Master Yourself, Sibok M Labels: Fang Shen Do, Goals, Sibok Martin Patenaude, Station Training
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Watch the Results Show
It's hard to believe a decade has already passed in the "not so long ago" new millenium. A wise man once said about goals: "The important thing is not where you were or where you are but where you want to get". 10 years can fly by and without planning, can seem like you haven't accomplished much during that time when you look back on it. Your future should not be left to chance. For a forward thinking individual each of the 10 years that have passed was a step closer to reaching your master plan. Without goals you cannot grow, you'll feel like you're stagnating. If you've never written goals before I urge you to start this year. If you share this habit, keep it up. Write easy, yearly goals you can knock off in 12 months and remember to focus on creating an image of yourself 10 years from now. What do you want to accomplish in your life? What do you want to be? What level of responsibility do you seek? What kind of standard of living do you want for you and your family? How strong and healthy will you be? Questions of that nature. To quote David J. Schwartz: "You must form an image now of the person you want to be 10 years from now if you are to become that image". What a difference this kind of thinking has made in my life and my training. Apply it to yours and watch the results show. If you've done like I have and chosen martial arts training to improve every area of your life, you're in luck. You'll find many DVD courses and books in our Product Section to help you do that. Be on the lookout as well for new, up and coming DVDS, Books and Courses soon to be released in the new year. Let's make 2010 your best year yet. Master Yourself, Sibok M Labels: Attitude, Fang Shen Do, Goals, Sibok Martin Patenaude
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All the Best in the New Year
The new year is coming. Will you be ready? You already know that written resolutions without taking action on them is a waste of time. How do you "muster up" the will power to act on the goals you've set? As a rule of thumb, start by the goals that are fairly easy to accomplish this way you'll build momentum and confidence. Or find a way to chunk down a goal. Like losing weight. Instead of focusing on losing 50 lbs right away in January, which might now seem impossible, overwhelming, and so far fetched, turn your focus to losing 1 lb a week. This mini-success so to speak will get the ball rolling and help you believe you can do it. You'll surely end up losing more than 1 lb a week once you start getting results and most importantly getting inspired. This same principle can be used in "flexibility goals" for example or "strength goals". Chunking down is by far the best way to actually follow through on the goals you've set in 2010. I'd like to thank you for being one of my subscribers and even more so if you were a customer of ours this year, I really appreciate it. From my family to yours, may you have an adventurous, fulfilling, and prosperous new year. Sibok M Labels: Attitude, Fang Shen Do, Follow Through, Goals, New Year, Sibok Martin Patenaude
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Never to be Forgotten
 At the Great Wall I admired these great big stone tablets lining the walls before starting our ascension through this wonder of the world. The wall's history is set in stone never to be forgotten. The stone tablets reminded me of the importance of writing, preserving and documenting goals, both past and present as they serve you in keeping track of YOUR history. It serves you as a reminder of: - What you were thinking about.
- What needed to be accomplished.
- Your dreams.
- What you went through to reach them.
- Who you were and who you've become.
I still review goals from 2, 3, 5 years ago. Just the other day I crossed off a goal I had written 7 years ago.  Once you plant a seed in your subconscious mind it doesn't forget. It will be hard at work making sure it accomplishes what you set out to do even if it means taking a few more years for its completion. When reviewing past and present goals you can't help but feel really happy that you took the time to write and record your thoughts and put a part of you on paper. Your life and what you make/made of it is worth recording right? Here you are at that time of year again where you have to prepare for next year's experience. Physically, where will you BE at this time next year? How much will you weigh? How strong will you be? What about Flexibility? Endurance? Which weapon will you master?  Will you make better food choices? Cut out filthy habits of smoking or doing drugs? Increase confidence to follow your true calling in life? Will you remember to breathe and take care of your internal world, flowing the chi and releasing unwanted stress? Who are you going to meet this year in love, business or as a role model? Will you hold yourself accountable throughout the year to make sure you're following through and working towards the completion of the goals you've set? Will you take some time alone at least once a week to meditate, feel your life and reflect on the choices you've made?  Will you dare to dream big goals? Will you demand your absolute best even when you don't feel like it? Will you get right back up after suffering a set-back or disappointment? Will you walk the path of mastery this year? I hope you do. And I'll be right there beside you. Master Yourself, Sibok M Labels: China Trip, Goals, Great Wall, Life Lessons, Sibok Martin Patenaude
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Like attracts Like
Like attracts Like. You've probably heard this saying before.  This picture taken at the Forbidden City off of a huge copper caldron used to store water in case of a fire reminded me of what my father always told me about "What you are looking for is looking for you". Keeping your goals and desires at the forefront of your mind and reviewing them daily, insures you attract into your life the person or people, the circumstances, or the feeling you are looking for. One way to be clear about what you want is to clearly write down what you want. As simplistic as it might sound, the scary part is most people don't have written down goals? Some have a general idea in their head. And others are oblivious, just going through the daily grind, reacting to life instead of designing it. I want you to get what you want. I really mean that. If you're on this list you're at the right place. DECIDE today what you really want in all areas of your life then attack it with passion and a burning desire. Master Yourself, Sibok M P.S. Interestingly before leaving for China, I packed my journal to record thoughts and feelings after each neigong training to review and track my progression. While flipping through it I came upon an old entry, 3 years to the day, where I clearly stated my intention of traveling to China to work with a neigong master. My book is filled with examples like these. Through reading my blogs and e-mails, one might think of my situation and unique experiences as being lucky. I'm simply following my plan. Write yours today! Labels: China Trip, Chinese Culture, Goal Setting, Goals, Neigong, Sibok Martin Patenaude
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I can have, be, do, whatever I set my mind to.
Do you find that 2009 is just flying by? June already? Around this time I usually take extra time to review where I'm at as far as goals and what I've accomplished. Also more importantly what is still unfinished and pending completion. I strongly recommend you do the same. Hopefully you took the time in January to write down a set of goals for the year or at least had a general idea of what you wanted to do. That resolution you took in January, is it still in effect? Or did you get "side tracked" (nice word to say: Gave up on it) Well, it's never too late to re-focus yourself and still end up losing the weight you wanted to lose, or stop smoking, or stick with your fitness and nutrition plan, or implement the lifestyle changes that would make you happier, more confident and accountable. That's why this weekend we're offering our students and the public alike a chance to recharge their batteries with a Focus On Results Seminar offered by our Founder, Sijo Jacques Patenaude. This event is one of my favourites. It's the perfect dose of fun, motivation, reflection, and instilling in you more determination, less fear, and getting in the habit of coming out of your comfort zone. Breaking arrows with your throat?  Talk about coming out of your comfort zone! We want to impress upon you that you possess great power if you direct your emotions in the right direction. That means FORWARD. Not BACKWARD, dwelling in the past with perhaps past failures or short comings. When you're done with this special 2 1/2 hour workshop you'll come out telling yourself: "I can have, be, do, whatever I set my mind to and I'll never let fear stop me ever again." Thousands of men, women and kids have broken arrows over the years and I'm inviting you to join the ranks of fellow arrowbreakers who refuse to be "just" average, who actually follow through on their goals, and will let no obstacle (even an arrow) stand in their way. The event is held at my St-Denis School in Montreal at 3 pm. You can reserve your spot right here, once you do you'll get a confirmation e-mail with all the pertinent details. Master Yourself, Sibok Martin P.S. WARNING: This is a high energy, dynamic event, risk of extreme excitement and emotional break throughs. Only sign-up if you accept the fact you might not be able to sleep that night! See you there! Here's that link again: F.O.RLabels: Determination, Focus on Results, Goals, No Fear, Sijo Jacques Patenaude
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Life itself is a combat
When you focus on where you want to hit with full commitment and follow through, you get the desired result, a knock out. Goals are the same as punching, without focus, commitment and follow through nothing ever gets done.  Alot of people still haven't found out the secret weapon that is martial art training. Armed with the right instructor and the right system, you'll quickly make parallels between fighting principles and day to day living. You and I spend way more time dealing with our inner demons than having to defend ourselves for real or having to compete at a high level in a ring or cage. Life itself is a combat.  When you understand that, that's where you realize how important it is to acquire tools to defend against the daily challenges of life such as: Getting up in the morning and loving what you do for a living. Not being controlled by food that robs you of your energy. Fighting lazyness. Blocking the crap that is fed to us through media. Not being afraid to dream big without feeling guilty. To stop seeking approval from everybody. Staying centered and grounded when seeing chaos around you. Not allowing anybody to put you in a box, speaking from experience, alot of people out there try to label us when it comes to what we do in the martial arts. To quote Bruce Lee: "I have no style, therefore I am all styles."  The old model of working all your life at the same place, then retiring, is long gone, it's just not fulfilling enough. People by the millions ask themselves at that point: "Is this all there is?" Same thing with martial arts, the ones who are not constantly evolving will get left behind which is one reason why we're still here after 30 years. One tool you'll find fascinating is Firewalking. Everything gets put in perspective the moment you take your first step in the fire pit. An experience like this strengthens you and opens up your imagination to what you can accomplish. Join us this Sunday for an unforgettable experience. You can read more about it here. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Fang Shen Do, Firewalk, Goals, Martial Arts
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If they can't have it, then neither can you?
 Every one of us is reaching for success in at least one area of our life. Right? And if you're like me and my family you're aiming for excellence in all areas of your life. How do you feel when you see someone close to you make the climb up the ladder of success? Happiness or Envy? This reminds me of the Crab bucket story. You know this story? If you don't, listen up. If you do, best to hear it again to make sure it sinks in. A son and father are walking down the beach when the son sees a fisherman close to the boardwalk selling some of the day's catch. The son sees a crab bucket next to the man and it doesn't have a lid on it. The son turns to his dad and asks why the crabs were not able to escape. The father said, "If there was only one crab in the bucket it would certainly escape. However, when there is more than one crab in the bucket, if one tries to crawl out, the other crabs would grab hold and pull it back down so that it would share the same fate as the rest of them." "You must ignore the crabs if you want to be a success in life." This is true with people. If you attempt to better yourself, other people might attempt to drag you back down to share their fate. Do you know crab people? Have you attempted to better yourself only to have family and friends to discourage you? Surprisingly, in our line of work, even some competing martial art school owners engage in this kind of crab behavior. You would think that this thinking would be non existent in the martial art industry. We are supposed to work together in a common goal of helping people reach their goals through the wonders of martial art training. Still, some would prefer to try to tarnish our image or attempt to destroy what we've spent the past 30 years building just because they might be less successful than we are or because we don't hold the same credentials as they do, maybe even just because we practice a different style all together. The crab schools can stay together in the bucket. We made it out of there a long time ago. You might share the same experience in your life. Some people around you might have the mentality that: "If they can't have it, then neither can you" You can be slim, toned, strong, confident and happy. You can be the most successful person in your field. You can be in a relationship, madly in love and enjoying every minute of it. You can have the nicest house on the block. Aim for excellence in all areas of your life and watch out for the crab syndrome, it's contagious. If you're on my list I'm gathering you're an independent self-starter, motivated and ready to jump out of the bucket? Let me warn you, you must be physically fit to do so. Those crabs are clingy little suckers. Let me suggest you start with our Basic Fitness System to get you started on your ascension. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Character, Confidence, Fang Shen Do, Fitness Courses, Goals
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Never Again
While you get set for this new year ask yourself: "What am I fed up about?" What must absolutely change this year? If you find nothing to change or improve upon, that's great, I'm happy for you. I don't know about you but there are still many things in my life and in my training that I want to improve on. If you also feel this way, good. It means you don't want to settle for mediocrity and you possess the discipline to constantly set a high standard for yourself. One thing for sure though, if you don't get disturbed or angry about the current situation you're in or about a destructive habit you subject yourself to or you fail to back up your desire for change with some emotion you'll either never change or the change will be temporary. You have last year to look back on. What did you start last year but didn't finish? How much time went by before you cracked and gave in? Become a master at following through and it starts with two simple words: "Never Again" Those 2 words should echo through your mind this year. When you catch yourself thinking of giving up on your goals of training 3 times a week or catch yourself reaching for food you know goes against your goal of losing X amount of pounds, say it with strength: "Never Again". When someone tries to discourage you from making a career change or tries to sabotage your efforts, say it with strength: "Never Again" This is the perfect time to start something new. This time of year, your motivation should be at an all time high. Act on it. What better way than to get started with one of our strength training kits. If you're a student you'll enjoy having the freedom to use it in between classes. If you're not one yet, you'll be surprised at how easy and fast they are to follow. Once the area of Fitness is taken care of, all your other goals will be that much easier to accomplish this year. Your fitness kit awaits here.Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Fitness, Goals, Strength Training
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Say it with Strength
Woke up this morning clear and focused knowing that there's one last thing I need to do. We all understand the word "DEADLINE". What's coming up in a couple of days just might be the most important one of the year. If there was one deadline you couldn't miss this year it would be this one. This last task involves a bit more than turning in a term paper or finishing an important project. It's mapping out in detail what you're gonna do next year. How you're going to eat? How many personal best records you're going to shatter fitness wise? Which new project you're going to tackle? Which bad habits got to go? Find out what some of your weaknesses are and welcome opportunities for growth. How far out of your comfort zone will you go? When your map is finally complete, remember to use your workout time to strengthen your goals. What I mean is, use the powerful feelings of strength, intensity, focus, and commitment generated in one exercise to add fuel and desire to reach your goals. Learn to state silently or out loud your goals while exercising. They just seem to "stick on" permanently when using this technique. When you say it with strength, the goals you've set aren't just ideas anymore, they become a part of you. They become imprinted on your nervous system, your muscles, your heart, your blood. You'll tackle your goals with more tenacity and passion than you ever have. I trust you'll put this technique to good use. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin P.S. Speaking of projects and goals, there are many new things coming up on the website in the new year as well as new products being released shortly, I'll point you in the right direction when they're ready. Labels: Goals
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What and by When ?
I remember a time when writing goals just before the new year was all about the WHAT. My lists were long and detailed. I had a clear vision of where I was going. Or was I? Without a deadline, without the question WHEN, you're just shooting in the dark. We all understand deadlines when it comes to work but sometimes fail to apply the same principles to our goals. You will attack goals and dreams with greater intensity, passion, and commitment when the clock is ticking. When listing your goals this year just before the new year hits, make sure to add a date next to all of them. If for some reason the goal you listed is not reached by the set time (might happen with larger goals, the ones that really challenge you) rest assured having a target is better than not having one at all. Reset the date to when you think it'll be done and double your efforts. If you wrote goals for this year (which I hope you did), only you know how you did this year. What a feeling to cross off a new goal or better yet cross off a goal that's been reappearing year after year because it never got done and finally, just finally gets realized. For me this year was loaded with old time goals like that, goals that finally materialized this year 5 years after they were originally conceived. Your mind, like a magnet will eventually attract the right person, the right opportunity, or the resources to make your goals a reality. We still don't fully understand the full power of our minds but I do know that the people who write and plan out their goals are far more successful and happy than the ones who leave it up to chance every year. Get clear with what you want. There is a tool we use to do just that. It helps you organize your goals by creating a detailed map along with the action steps to get there. It comes free when you purchase the FSD Training Guide. Our gift to you to get you started on the right track this coming new year. Get clear here.Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Fang Shen Do Book, Goals
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It's Louse Time!
If you're new to my list of focused, motivated, self- starters, Welcome. (if you're not jump right away to today's lesson below) Every day I communicate to you the best ways to train and the kind of mindset it takes to get results either in your physical fitness or martial art training. Friday is always what I call: "Louse Time". Modeled after Bruce Lee's strategy in Enter the Dragon. You know that part where he's having tea with the government agent but he's disturbed by one of his students and Bruce Lee tells the agent: It's Louse Time! The agent replies with his british accent: "yes of course". Since I'm 6 years old that scene has always stuck with me and I'll be using that same strategy with YOU every week. Friday is where I share with you Life Lessons and Direction given to me by my dad (and Sifu) every Friday. Today's lesson is: Living Life on Your Own Terms I like this quote by Christopher Morley: "There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way." Have you ever been discriminated against? Ridiculed. Told you weren't good enough. Been openly criticized? Well we have. I can just imagine how women felt back in the early 1900's. Unable to vote. Not recognized as a qualified person to be appointed to the senate, other people telling them what they could and couldn't do. Or what African Canadians went through to have equal rights in this country. The nerve of people who think they can control you and decide what you can and cannot do in your place. I have alot of respect for those groups of people that had to fight for their Freedom. Choose how you want to spend your life. With Who? Where? Doing What? Do not let anyone dictate what you can or cannot do. There's only one person that can stop you from accomplishing your goals: YOU. Become a Self-Leader. Stick to what you believe in and march straight ahead towards it. Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Goals, Purpose
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Add 15 pounds of muscle
I got an interesting e-mail the other day. I've said it before, we have some pretty awesome students. Students that don't let past experiences put a hamper on their future. If there's anything you don't like in your life, change it. This student offers the perfect example. --- Dear Sifu Martin, You've been writing me for quite some time and I am honored. During the last Focus on Results seminar in Montreal I was able to break what seemed unbreakable at first, my ARROW. Today I'm participating in a Triathlon and I will complete it because I know I can. I carry a very heavy emotional baggage even though I'm only 15 years old. I've been through a lot. After having been beaten and sexually abused by my father, I felt this emptyness , it just feels like part of him is dead to me. As you can imagine this had an adverse effect on me and my self-esteem. At that time I weighed 220 pounds and standing at 5 foot 5 inches! One morning I decided I had enough, slipped on my running shoes and started running, convinced I could make it and lose 30 pounds. I never stopped running from that day forward and ended up losing 70 pounds. When I lost all that weight I started asking myself: "What else I could do except for Football to continue my evolution, my physical and emotional progression?" One day my brother told me: "Hey they're opening a kung-fu school just up the street from here, we could check it out?" At that time I weighed 150 pounds and that's when I decided to start my Fang Shen Do training. Today marks my 8th month in kung-fu and now weigh 165 pounds, all the weight I gained is purely muscle mass, backed up by better focus and a renewed sense of purpose. I sincerely thank you and your team. I'm infinitely grateful! I have to go win my triathlon now. S ---- Hi S, Incredible. Congratulations. You know there is no age to inspire someone. YOU insprire me. I'm sure that when you started running it was your way of dealing with your problems by running away from them. After having done the training at the last Focus On Results meeting you've learned to face them head on without any fear. Continue your training, all I can promise you is continued growth and self-discovery. We'll make sure you keep setting higher goals for yourself and we'll offer you the support to reach them whatever they may be. Again, you're an inspiration and let me know anything else I can do to help you. Sifu Martin --- We all have our up days and down days. All I need to do is go through my drawer of success stories like this one to get me back on track. If you have a similar success story don't hesitate to send it my way. Until next time, Sifu Martin P.S Speaking of being down, I wanted to release that link to the 500 year old secret training link to you today, just solving a few tech problems and will send it to you tomorrow guaranteed. Labels: Attitude, Direction, Goals
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He's 3 and he knows what he wants
This morning I drove my son Vincent to day care as I usually do on Tuesdays and Thursdays when he asked me a question. When am I gonna do Kung-fu? He's just a little over 3 years old. He knows that Thursday is Kung-fu day for his sister Justine and he thinks he's ready to start. So I said yes, I'll pick up a uniform for him tonight and pack the video camera to catch it all on film. We'll see how he does. When driving back home I couldn't help but think of how kids know what they want and they'll do anything to get it. Compared to so many full grown adults who don't. Do YOU know what you want? Because if you don't, you're not gonna get anywhere. Be clear on what you want to look like physically. How do you see yourself in 5, 10 years? What line of work do you want to be in. Is it what you love? Is it easy and effortless for you to do? The next thing I thought about driving back was the importance of being a good role-model. Vincent wants to do kung-fu because he SEES me doing it. Kids are like sponges and I must be careful to set the right example for him in all areas: from seeing me make physical health and conditioning a top priority, to how I treat my wife, to what I eat to fuel my body, to seeing me read and educate myself. You don't need to be a father to do this. You can be a role-model to your friends, to your co-workers, or to your family. Set the example of what having a balanced life should look like. Inspire someone to master themselves. Tomorrow I'll let you know when you can get your hands on that 500 year old secret I've been keeping locked away in the FSD vault. Until then, Aim higher, Sifu Martin P.S. This information was hard to come by and comes directly from the birthplace of martial arts. Stay tuned... Labels: Goals
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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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Keeping the fire lit
I get flooded with training inquiries, requests and advice on different subjects. I don't always have time to answer all of them but I'm gonna answer one today. Here goes: ---- Hi Sifu, As you know I am a huge fan of your writtings. Here is a subject I would like addressed. I would like your insight on how to maintain the desire needed to be successful in Fang Shen Do. In other words, when someone is feeling like their passion for Kung Fu is "dwindling" and a person begins to second guess their decision about pursuing FSD to it's fullest....How do you keep the fire lit? K ---- Sifu M: It depends what's at stake. What kind of mental pact have you done with yourself? If you haven't associated anything of value to fight for in moments of lack of motivation, quitting will be painless and common in other areas of your life. I see it as a pattern that could potentially repeat itself in the future. Finish what you start. Do you usually finish what you start or do you constantly bounce from one undertaking to another? Make a pact with yourself. Set the stakes high. For me martial arts is a wonderful vehicle to work on so many areas of my life. I don't know of any other physical activity that covers all the bases like FSD does. Let me share what I use to stay motivated in moments of weakness. Well first of all I'm very stubborn and quitting something before its completion would be a direct hit to my ego, or the self-image I have of myself. It is an image of tenacity, determination, and success. Quitting would be a direct hit to those core values. Age motivates me. I don't want to be and look like all the other 70 or 80 year olds when I get to that level. I don't like what I see and training is my way to stay young and vibrant for as long as possible. Quitting for me is an attack on the quality and length of my life. Where else is there a team of people behind you, supporting you, encouraging you to set new limits for yourself, a team that believes in you and wants you to succeed? Find out what motivates you, what would really make you stick with your training? Is it your ability to move? Is it having vibrant health free of disease? Is it the satisfaction of knowing you've spent years mastering your body and mind? Is it to keep on learning new skills? Is it having an un-breakable spirit? Is it seeing your kids graduate? Just find that one reason and keep that image in your mind, let it carry you through the ups and downs of martial art development. No one ever said mastering yourself was easy. Everything in life is a test. Will you pass or fail? I say Master Yourself, Sifu Martin Labels: Fang Shen Do, Goals, Mental Power
www.fangshendo.com
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Power of Dreams
No matter what your situation is, you can accomplish anything you desire. If you have a DREAM, you can make it a reality. A dream keeps you motivated, it can help you get through a difficult phase of your life because you keep your focus on the big picture. The VISION you have for yourself. I can't help but to think about my father and how he had all the odds stacked up against him. If you didn't have a chance to read his Bio on the web site it's a pretty inspiring story. It confirms what he's been saying for 3 decades: If he can do it so can you. You just need to believe in yourself. What do you want to accomplish? What do you think about most? What's easy for you to do? What doesn't seem like work? Whatever that is THAT'S your dream and you should pursue it. Some people around you might not agree, you might be criticized but you have to be immune to it. No one can control your destiny, only you can. Dreams are contagious. Especially if you're a father or mother, your dreams can inspire your own kids. Just like my father's dreams helped forge mine. Reaching a point where we share the same dreams about martial arts and personal development. One of his dreams of becoming a firewalking trainer influenced mine and now coming this May we're holding a firewalking event in Bruxelles, France May 8 th to the 10 th. My dad would say: "Everything we have in this world is our own doing, you're 100% responsible for it" That can go both ways. If you don't like what you've been getting out of life you can always dream bigger and better ones. I like to believe how you feel inside reflects what you produce on the outside. The first step to feeling good inside is mastering your body. Here's the training system we've been using with great success for the past 35 years. Aim Higher, Sifu Martin Labels: Attitude, Goals, Strength Training
www.fangshendo.com
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The Power of Fire
Firewalking gets you all fired up! (pun intended!) It stretches your imagination. You expand your way of thinking and what you want out of life. Everyone's goals are different and everyone needs different things to be truly happy. Firewalking helps spice things up a little bit. Making those goals more exciting, more "grandiose", helping you dream big without limitations. Walking on fire is such an unnatural thing for your mind and body to do since its been programmed since childhood that fire equals: "burn" or "pain" that the mere act of "walking on coals" frees your mind in a way. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities and quickly makes you question other things in your life that you thought were "set in stone" because of past programming. Things like: What you fear? Why are you paralyzed by that fear? What would I really do if I no longer had that fear stopping me? How much better my quality of life would be? It literally takes about 5 seconds to get across the fire pit and in that short time you undergo a complete "belief check up". What you thought was real goes under scrutiny: Your level of confidence. How you express yourself in public. What you see in the mirror every morning. Are you doing what you love?  You're thinking about a million things all at once. Every time I walk it's a new set of questions and keeps me stretching my comfort zone, expanding my potential and keeping the "fire" burning for years to come. Come walk with us, pre-register today, our next event is on March 2nd at the Pagoda. Sifu Martin Labels: Firewalking, Focus, Goals, Mindset
www.fangshendo.com
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