VISION 2012

GREETINGS!


As we all get set to celebrate the Holidays, I wanted to take a quick moment to THANK all of YOU for being a very wonderful part of my year. I truly look forward to sharing an even more AMAZING 2012, full of progress & VICTORIES!

So the question I have for you as we move to enter 2012 is..."What do you want?" What do you truly want. When you imagine the life of your "dreams", what is it? What do you want physically, emotionally, & financially? How amazing would your life be right now if you HAD the life of your dreams? How would you feel? What would you do? Where would you go?

As you look to your Vision of what you want your life to be...realize that you CAN have it. All of us truly can have the life we want...if...IF...we are willing to GO AND GET IT! Even if we have setbacks. Even if we struggle. Even if no one else believes in us. WE CAN & SHOULD get EVERYTING WE WANT in this life.

My encouragement for you today, is to sit with a pen & paper and do yourself the favor of this assignment. First, write down your TOP 5 Victories of 2011. Yes, they exist! What did you do well!?Write them down. Now, write down your biggest challenges. What things are you doing or not doing that are keeping you from achieving your Goals? Next, write down "WHAT DO I WANT?" Then just begin writing. Make it like the "story" of your life. What to you TRULY want. Last, write down an actual ACTION plan on HOW you are going to ACHIEVE what you want. What can you do daily, weekly, and monthly to get you where you want to be?

I can tell you, that as I have done this excercise this week, I feel INSPIRED! You want to build MOMENTUM leading INTO 2012. This excercise will help you get yourself READY & WILLING to take ACTION this coming year! Don't be one of the thousands of people who are fired up January 1st & depressed February 1st. Be ONE of the FEW who GETS WHAT THEY WANT! Decied NOW that you will HAVE AN AMAZING LIFE! Remember, if someone else can do it, SO CAN YOU!

I wish you the BEST Holiday Season, and and even more AMAZING 2012!
Let's all ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANT this coming year!

ALL THE BEST!

OUS,
Coach

How to be a Great Student-}#5 Passion

Greetings!

The key to sticking with something long term is Passion. If you truly love what you are doing, you won't quit. Even when it gets tough. Even when it's challenging. If you love what you do, you will never give up. To be great in the martial arts, you have to love it. You have to stick with it long term.

If passion is the key to sticking with your training, how can you be sure to keep it burning bright? I have a quick hit list to help you:

1.) Hit the Mats! By simply going to class, even on days that you've had a hard day at work, you never get "out of sight, out of mind."

2.) Set Realistic Goals! Frustration is the enemy of passion. Don't set your bar too high and get angry when you don't reach it. Set small, attainable goals for each class.

3.) Pay attention to progress! It's so important for YOU to realize you are getting better! Each victory helps feed your passion.

4.) Love the Process! Learn to enjoy the JOURNEY of getting good at the martial arts. Relish in the amazing changes you are making as a person.

Passion drives us to be our very best. Do everything you can to keep yours alive!

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!

All the Best!
COACH

Coach Jim Bundy: How to be a Great Student->#4 "Teach"

Coach Jim Bundy: How to be a Great Student->#4 "Teach": Greetings! If you truly want to know something, you should teach it to others. As you help them understand the topic, it helps you underst...

How to be a Great Student->#4 "Teach"

Greetings!

If you truly want to know something, you should teach it to others. As you help them understand the topic, it helps you understand it better. To explain something to someone, you have to talk about all the details and fine points. This serves as a great tool to re-inforce the details within yourself. This is very true in the Martial Arts. If you help your friend with his technique, in turn you are helping you're technique. The more you think about and share the details of a skill, the more you memorize them.

There are many times in you're training that you have a partner. If you practice Jiu Jitsu, you always have a partner. As you work on a skill together, it's always good to help you're friend with the fine points of the move...even if you're novice. Again, everytime you talk about the details, it helps you memorize them. Not too mention, that you will be a great partner. Everyone appreciates help learning their technique. Especially if they are new to it.

The same holds true if you are the higher rank. By sharing skills you are good at with a lower rank student, not only will you sharpen that skill even more, but you will have shared it with your friend. If everyone has this philosophy, then we will have a lot of great techniques being shared on the mats!

This week, make a point to "teach" & "share" your knowledge. You will find your skills getting sharper & your partner having more fun! Don't be surprised if your classmates ALWAYS want to train win you!

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
COACH

How to be a Great Student--}#3 Always be a White Belt

Greetings!


Did you get a chance to train with Professor Sauer this past weekend? If you did, I truly hope you can appreciate the level of instruction you received. If not, don't worry! He comes every year! Be sure to mark it on your calendar of things to do in 2012! I talk about this today, because it fits perfectly into this series of articles I've been writing, designed to help you to be a Great Student. This past weekend, I was not the teacher...I was the student. And as such, I followed the rules of BEING Great student. 1.) I had a purpose=>Get better at Rear Naked Choke. 2.) Ask Questions=>I took a private with Professor and asked him key questions about challenges I was having with my technique. 3.) I had my "mental white belt" on that day=> I approached my training like a beginner. Wanting to know anything and everything that Professor was willing to share.

Number 3 is our topic today. Always being a white belt. What do I mean by that? Well, think about your 1st day of training in the martial arts. EVERYTHING was new. You were a virtual sponge. Trying to soak up as much knowledge as you could. The challenge is, as we progress in the martial arts, we tend to forget to be that sponge. Sometimes, we think "we know something"...like a punch or a submission, or a takedown. We take for granted that we have "learned it before" and we don't "work on it" anymore. This is a critical mistake to becoming Great in the martial arts.

Let me take a moment to use my definition of "advanced techniques"--Ehem...Basic moves with more intricate details. Ok...that's it. Not superman punch, flying armbar, or spinning wheel kick. I'm talking the most basic moves...just done on a more intricate level. A level of knowledge that allows you to perform it on anyone. Even someone who knows the technique and has ways to defend it. When you have the ability to make your moves work on skilled students, you REALLY are getting good. But...how in the world do you accomplish that?? Always be a white belt.

Each and every day you come to train, look at moves as if you have never done them before. Be in constant search of refining them. Polish them, just like a diamond. Listen to your intructor as if it were your first class. That's what I do. When Professor talks, I just sit and listen. There is so much wisdom and intelligence being spoken that I don't want to miss any detail.

Remember, the day you stop being a "student" is the day you stop learning. None of us can achieve perfection...but to quote Vince Limbardi, "If we chase perfection, we can catch excellence." Practice each day as if it were your first. Absorb, listen, and learn. Take your time and polish your moves. Try to catch excellence.

I truly hope you gained benefit from this today!

All the Best!
COACH

How to Be a Great Student--} #2 Always Ask Questions

Greetings!


You may have heard me say the phrase, "The Best students ask the most questions." How true of a statement! As we consisntenly strive to get better, we must constantly ask our instructor for ideas & suggestions on how we can improve. However, many students NEVER do this. They sometimes NEVER ask ANY questions at all! Let's explore why, and help you to learn how to ask questions to help you achieve excellence in your training!

Has your instructor ever asked you, "What techniques or ideas do you need to work on?" Do you know what the common response is when I ask that? "Oh I don't know...all of them. I'm bad at everything." What a terrible outlook to have on your training! Not very motivational, is it? To feel you suck at everything? The main reason I feel that students respond in this way is they simply have NO DIRECTION with their training. They don't have a skill that they are currently working on. Many students rely SOLELY on their instructor to provide the techniques they work on. They never decide to focus on one technique to work on in their own time, or "extra" during class. They get "ok" at some ideas and never work hard at "MASTERING" one of them.

I'd like you to consider an idea today...Do you want to be a "Black Belt?" Now we can define Black Belt as a thing you wear around your waist, but I'd like you to look at being a Black Belt as someone proficient in a given style. What I mean by proficient, is they have a high level understanding of the basics, and are able to apply them without "thinking." In Jiu Jitsu, it takes roughly 10 years to achieve this rank. Does that seem like plenty of time to get proficient? How long would you be able to work on your armlock if you had 10 years to be skillful? Could you work on it 6-8 months, then move on to another skill?

The point I'm trying to make for you, is you have to at some point DECIDE "how long" am I going to be training. If you are in it for the "long haul", you have plenty of time to focus on individual techniques. So...pick one! Work on it when you are in class each week. That doesn't mean you don't work on other skills. It simply means, you give that one "more attention". You put most of effort into "MASTERING" it.

This leads us to the point of today's article. ASK QUESTIONS! Once you have a skill you are working hard at, you will certainly run into trouble figuring it out. It is imperitive that you ask your instructor questions about how to improve! A good success model for this is PAARR==> Practice - Analyze - Ask questions - Re-try - Repeat! Try your move, see what's not working, ask for help, and practice more! Simple right?

In closing, remind yourself that the Mats are your LABORATORY... filled with trial & error...victory & defeat. Treat your training as a HUGE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT! You must have an intelligent, well thought out approach to getting the results you are after. Don't leave it to pure chance! Therefore, I'd like to encourage you this week to ASK MORE QUESTIONS!

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
COACH

How to Be a Great Student --} #1 Always Train with a Purpose

Greetings!

Over the next few weeks, I will be writing a series of Articles entitled, "How to be a Great Student." For some of you, these will be simply great reminders. For others, it will be a great new way to look at your training. You may have heard me say, "Everyone wants to be good, but not many people know how to GET good." Let's explore ways to help you accomplish your goal==>being great in the Martial Arts!

The first thing I would tell any new student is...always have a PURPOSE for stepping on the mats! Your purpose can change from class to class, and it can change from skill to skill. It doesn't matter what your GOAL/PURPOSE is...it matters that you have one! Some days you may be coming to the gym just to have a great workout. Ok, great! That is your Goal. So how are you going to achieve it? Are you going to go all out each round of your workout? Are you going to push yourself even when you are tired? If you have those things set as your goal, you will be able to actually achieve them.

Do you train Gracie Jiu Jitsu? When you come to class, do you have a SPECIFIC goal of what you would like to be better at? Many students never do. It's very hard to make improvements when you don't know what you are trying to improve! More than that, you rarely see improvements in your skill THAT ACTUALLY exist! You are only going to see all of the things you are doing wrong. If you have a specific goal for each class, like...I'm going to get a little better at arm lock, you have a chance to achieve that goal. And guess what else? When you do, you are HAPPY with yourself. We ALL need to feel achievement & progress! Especially if we intend to stick with an activity/sport/martial art long term.

You can apply this idea to Boxing, Kickboxing, and ANY type of training class you participate in! HAVE A PURPOSE for your training! Don't rely solely on the Coaching staff to give you goals for your skills. It's on YOU to ultimately get GOOD! Your Coaches just help & guide you along the way.

When you have laser beam focus on area of improvement, you surely will make some level of progress. It is one key way to ensure that class to class, week to week, you actually get GOOD at your skills. Don't leave it to chance to improve...make a CLEAR CHOICE that you are going to improve!

This week, before you leave the house, stop and make sure you have a PURPOSE to you training that day! You will have more FUN & will CERTAINLY GET BETTER!

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

It's All a Matter of Perspective

Greetings!


Challenges...obstacles...heartbreak...life if full of them. On our quest to achieve our goals, we can run into many pitfalls. We have been discussing many ways to overcome them. Let's talk about just one more. Our perspective.

How we view a situatioin gives it meaning. Tony Robbings has a great quote, "It's not what happens that makes a difference, it's what we chose to do about it that makes the difference." The way I interpet this is simply, are we going to focus on all the negative a situation offers? Or is it possible we can focus on the positive? We have all heard the phrase, "Every cloud has a silver lining." Unfortunately, this concept is often easier said than done. But, that doesn't mean it's not possible.

We can Decide in Advance, that when we are hit with a negative, we will give our best to react with a positive. It will help us stay happier with way less stress, anger, and anxiety. Let's use a story to illustrate. Let's say that you are home one day watching TV. Your signifcant other normally gets off work at 4pm. They normally arrive home at 4:30pm. Not today. Today it's getting late. It's nearly 6pm. So...here's where we have to chose our perspective on this situation. We could chose to believe that maybe they got held up at work. We could think they were in a car wreck. We could also think they are meeting for a coffee with "another person". Each of these pespectives will affect our feelings directly. Therefore, we need to work hard at what we chose our perspective to be.

This week, as challenges come your way, try hard to have the "proper perspective". See if you can't use this idea in other ways,as well. Perhaps to not judge others so quickly. We can chose our pespectice on just about anything. Give it a try! See if it helps you to stay more relaxed, confident, and focused on your goals.

I truely hope you gained benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
COACH

D.I.A. --}Decide in Advance

Greetings!


As we all work each day to reach our goals, there are obviously many challenges that can arise. We've talked about having a Vision of our future, creating a Massive Action Plan, and our mindset to help keep us focused. To further that line of thinking, I wanted to share with you the idea of Deciding in Advance!

If you want to maximize your day, you must decide the night before that you are going to do exactly that. If you decide ahead of time that you will work your hardest, it is easier to hold yourself accountable. If you know that negativity can be thrown your way, sometimes unexpectedly, Decide in Advance that you will deal with it in a positive way.

When a fighter is ready to get in the ring, he or she must Decide in Advance what they are going to do. In the ring there are certain things you can't control...but there are certain things you can. The figther can decide he is going to fight his heart out...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will always be patient...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will never give up on himself...NO MATTER WHAT.

In regular life we have that same ability. Before entering a situation, we can decide in advance how we are going to deal with it. We can decide what we want to feel, and how we want to act. This way, we don't let our emotions get the best us. We have already decided how we want to go about the situation.

Try to apply this idea as you attack your goals throught the week. Before the week starts, decide in advance the things you are going to get accomplished. Don't decide in the middle of the day if you are going to work out. If you are tired, chances are you won't. You will make an excuse on why it's "okay" to stay home. But, if you've already decided that you are working out certain days of the week, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable to get it done.

See if this idea helps you to be more accountable for your actions, and to deal with challenges better that come your way...DECIDE IN ADVANCE that you will use this to your best ability! ;)

I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Greetings!


As we talk more about having a Vision of the future you want and the actions to get you there, we need to talk for a moment about your mindset. The key to your energy level and excitement to get things done is a motivated mindset. So this week, we need to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin'!

Stinkin' Thinkin' is a phrase I borrow from Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker. It should be obvious that it simply means a bad attitude and mental state. As humans, we are ALL guilty of having a negative outlook from time to time. It is so vital, however; to have the abiltiy to avoid a bad mindset and to work ourselves out of one when it happens.

One good piece of advice is to Read, Listen, and Watch things that keep you motivated DAILY! If you are always putting positivity in, it's harder for negativity to have a chance to get started. Another tip would be to surround yourself with positive, goal oriented people REGULARLY. (This one is easy! Just hit the Mats!)
It's so much easier to have high energy and an optimistic point of view when you MAKE A POINT to have one!

So what should you do when you get in a bad mood? The more we focus on what's negative in our life, it's easy to feel down in the dumps. It can start to feel like nothing goes well for you and everything is going wrong. The good new is our strategy for staying positive is very similar to recapturing it. It is so important to "download" positive ideas when you are this state of mind. Now, more than ever, you need to get inspired. Read, Listen,  and Watch things that make you HAPPY AND ENERGIZED. Talk to people who help you remember all the positive things in your life. Remember this phrase, "Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is a lack of it!" Surround yourself with entusiasm until it rubs off on you!

On our journey to be successful, we have to learn to gain Control of OURSELVES. What and how we think. It truely is the key factor to us taking the ACTIONS we need to take to help our VISIONS come to reality!

This week, make a point to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin' at ALL COSTS!


I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
COACH

M.A.P.

Greetings!

Here's a cool acronym a picked up a while ago. M.A.P.=> Massive Action Plan. Last week we talked about creating a Vision for your future. What and who you want to be. What you want to achieve. That will get you no where if you don't take ACTION! We all need a Map to get us somewhere we have never been. Let's have a map full of action that leads us to success!

Very often when we sit and brainstorm on our future, we jot down great ideas of what we want. From fitness to finance, we all have a definition of being successful. The challenge is, most of us think Big, but DO nothing. Once you have your Vision of what you want established, you must also create an ACTION plan of what you will need to DO in order to accomplish your goals.

In the Martial Arts, there is RARELY only ONE thing you can do that makes a technique great. It is normally the combination of many little things that make it perfect. This is key to remember when creating your MAP. What small things are you going to have to do DAILY in order to achieve your goals? If you want to improve your fitness, will you be able to work out once and be fit? (It would be nice!) The obvious answer is no! So, what are you going to have to do? What small things throughout each day MUST you do to slowly, BUT SURELY get you closer and closer to success?

This is the same in anything. We need to realistically look at how we are going to achieve our Goals. What are going to be the NECESSARY ACTION STEPS required to get there. Dreams are exciting, but achieving them is MORE exciting! WHAT ACTIONS can you take TODAY that will start this process?

Be sure to have a clear Vision of what you want. Know what your MAP is to get you there! And do what every Successful person does...work at it ONE DAY AT A TIME!

I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Vision 1-3-5

Greetings!


Vision...a clear picture of what you want to achieve and who you want to be. Do you have one? No? Is your vision is a little blurry? Let me share an excercise with you that may help out!

Having a Vision of what you want is very important. It sets the tone for all of your goals, and MORE importantly, the ACTIONS you need to take to achieve them. When you have a moment, close your eyes and visualize where you are in your life when you achieve SUCCESS. Success means different things to different people. What does it mean to you? Being rich? Driving a Ferrari? Having a stabile job and a happy family? The point is this is YOUR vision. What is it?

Now take it a step further. Put a time line on your vision. Where do you want to be in 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? I heard a great phrase long ago..."Many of us overestimate what we can do in 1 year, and underestimeate what we can in 5." You have to have SHORT, INTERMEDIATE, & LONG TERM Goals.

Now, after you have a Vision of where you want to be, what are you going to have to do to GET THERE! Take a look at what you want in 1 year...what ACTIONS must be taken to achieve it! Do the same for 3 years and 5 years.

This is a great little excercise. It helps us to put some Clarity into our thoughts and our actions. When we have a clear VISION of what we want it's so much easier to get there.

I'll leave you with a great story. It's a little sketchy in my mind, so bare with me. :)
When one of the new Disney parks opened, the head of Disney at the time was interviewed by reporters. One reported asked a slightly rude question. He said, "Don't you feel bad that Walt Disney died and never got to see this park?" To which the man answered, "He did see it, that's why you are standing here today."

Remember, you have already achieved success in your mind. All you have to do is take enough actions to bring it to reality.

I truely hope you gained benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Think it, Ink it

Greetings!


I was just reminded of a great phrase today! "Think it, ink it!" This phrase helps me get a lot accomplished. And when I don't accompklish tasks, it's usually because I failed to follow it.

I learned the hard way to buy myself a Planner. Ever forget to do a task? Multiple tasks during the week? Even important ones? Me, too! Tons of times! I learned that trusting my brain to be a file cabinet is not the way to go. Each time that I forget that, I am quickly reminded to not do it again anytime soon. Planners, electronic devices, notebooks...they help us keep things ORGANIZED. They insure we get our tasks done in a timely manner. Especially if you are a professional... So when you think it, ink it!

This phrase is also very helpful in goal setting and brainstorming. If you get a good idea, WRITE IT DOWN! Don't leave it to chance that you will remember it. More than that, writing things down gives them Real Power. It gives a sense of reality to the your thought. It makes it more tangible. That leads to it having a Greater chance of becoming reality!

So my reminder this week (for us all!) is to write down what we are thinking! Keeping a goals and ideas notebook, as well a "planner", makes us more efficient AND successful!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

What Got you Here may Not Get you There

Greetings,


I think we all can agree, that when we "win", we never learn as much as when we "lose". Why is that? Winning shows us that what we are doing is working. If if ain't broke, dont' fix it...right? But, when we lose, we are shown that we are capable of failure...of making mistakes. It forces us to do a little intraspection.

Often times, whatever effort we have put in to achieve success, is not the same effort to reach your next level of success. I love the old question, "What's the biggest room in the world?" The room for IMPROVEMENT! To constantly reach new levels of achievement, we must constantly grow and get better.

I believe this is true in just about anything. Ever reach a "plateau"? In your diet? Business? Relationship? Training? Athletic performance? You reach a certain level on your quest to be the best, and then what...? The momentum train comes to a screaching hault. Why? It's time to take yourself to another level. Another level of focus. Another level of education. Another level of drive and determination. Another level of effort. The key is to "shake up the trees." Whatever you have done to get where you are won't be enough to get you where you want to be.

Anthony Robbins says that when you become frustrated to get excited. You are the verge of a Breakthrough! When we hit a wall, it forces us to take a strong look at our approach toward achieving our goals. My encouragement for you this week is to not dread landing on a plateau. Get excited to experience a new level of success!

Remember, the Best must always get Better! Keep reading. Keep training. Keep staying focused and motivated. There is no plateau you can't get past!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Personal Development Series-} Success Leaves Clues

Greetings!


Years ago, I read an idea in a Tony Robbins book that I wanted to share today. As with most things in life, it took me a while to take that idea from something I know, to something I apply. To quote Tony, "Success leaves clues."

To put it simply, we can struggle to be successful with out any guidance...or we can choose to follow the path layed out in front of us by successful people. If we want to succeed at something, don't we need a mentor? A coach? Someone to show us the ropes? Someone to ask questions when we are having difficulty? I know I do! Don't you?

My point is, when you are trying to achieve success at something, don't reinvent the wheel. And more than that, don't look to people who have not achieved success themselves. Look to someone who can give you ideas on how to achieve the level of success you are looking to gain.

Would you agree that there are some patterns that successful people have in common? Drive, passion, amazing work ethic...etc. The key is to find some of these patterns and work to do them YOURSELF! What do these successful people do? What do they read? How do they stay motivated?

It is true that not all successful people DO the SAME THINGS. Each person has there own unique perspective on gaining success. But, wouldn't you agree that there are plenty of similarities? There are general guidelines you can be sure to find that you can try to follow yourself.

Therefore, you need to find mentors to follow. You may need more than one. Maybe you need a fitness mentor, a business mentor, a spirtual one... you need to find a mentor for the all of the areas that YOU want to achieve success!

That doesn't mean you have to "meet" and have a "friendship" with all of your mentors. Some of my best mentors are simply authors to amazing books I've read. Other mentors, you may know, you just never took the time to make closer relationship. Why not take the time to ASK them to mentor you? ..."You are very successful! It would be an honor to have you as one of my mentors! Would I be able to ask you for advice from time to time when you are not busy?"....That's not hard, right?

My encouragement for you this week is to pinpoint areas of your life that you want TO EXCEL! Then find a mentor or mentors to help get you there!... Don't stuggle reinventing the wheel!

I hope you gained benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Personal Development Series-} Strategies #2

Greetings!


As we continue to talk about Maximizing our efforts to achieve more, I'd like to continue on this week with the idea of Strategies. We've talked about how to recognize your Strategies for Success...now let's discuss strategies that lead to us failing.

It's never fun to focus on the negative things we do, but it is an important excercise to be sure. It allows us to find our weaknesses so we can work at them. The more that we create great habits for success, and eliminate bad habits for failure, we certainly will have a greater chance of reaching our goals!

Time for some intraspection...think of a day when everything irritated you. Things went terrible. It was like a "black cloud" was sitting over your head. It is true, that there are times in our lives when bad things happen to us that are beyond our control. It is equally true, that often times we can be the leader of our own demise.

Take a look at that day. Did you get bad rest the night before? Did you drink a few too many "rootbeers"? Did you get up late? Not eat breakfast? Focus on negative thoughts during your morning shower? If you realize you are having a bad day, you may be able to trace the cause of it to some actions that started your downward slide.

We are all human and capable of mistakes. But, if we work each day to "pay attention" to our strategies, we have a better chance of having more "good days" than bad ones. My encouragement for you this week is to try to REPEAT your Strategies for Success and ELIMINATE your Strategies for Failure! You will definately have a "GOOD" week...I'm sure of it! :)

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Personal Development Series-} Success Stragies #1

Greetings!


I wanted to continue this week with some tips and ideas on how to stay motivated, energized, and goal oriented. If there is one idea that I would put at the top of my list, it would be identifying and managing your strategies for success.

What do I mean by strategies? We all have a "recipe" we follow when we are productive. We do certain things in a certain way that make us feel energized and inspired to take action. The key is to try to identify "patterns" within our daily lives that produce good results.

Any good business looks for "trends" in their industry. It allows them to focus directly on them and to maximize their ability to make profits. If you take that same level of scrutiny to your daily actions, I'm sure you will find "trends" that you follow when you gave good days. I'm sure you will also find trends that lead to bad days. But, for now, let's focus on strategies that lead to your SUCCESS.

Take a look at a day you've had in recent history that you would consider a "good day". What was your morning like? What did you do the night before? Did you get enough rest? Did you listen to something energetic or inspiring in the morning? Did you have a conversation with someone that excited you? What did you eat? Was it something healthy that added to your energy level? Did you excercise and get your endorphins pumping? ...Once you get a very clear picture of YOUR strategies for success, you can work hard to try to REPEAT THEM!

What are two extremely difficult times for people to be MOTIVATED?....You guessed it, MONDAYS & MORNINGS! If you can find SUCCESS STRATEGIES for these two crucial times in your week, you can have MOMENTUM that can lead to great RESULTS!

My encouragement for you this week is to really take a look at how to GET THE MOST out of yourself. That's starts with finding YOUR strategy for SUCCESS!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Personal Development Series-} How often do you read?

Greetings!


Over the next few weeks, I wanted to give you some good ideas and reminders on things you can do to stay focused, energized, and goal oriented! Today's question is, "How often do you read?"

When I ask this question, I'd like to be clear on the types of books that you are reading. If you don't read, we'll get you started! If you do, when is the last time you've read a book that inspires you? Educates you(non school related)? Motivates you? Challenges your thinking?

I once heard years ago that we are the sum of the people we talk to and the things that we read. Simply meaning, how we view the world is a direct reflection of the stimulus we chose to surround ourselves with. I believe you would agree, that if we read material that is uplifting and inspiring, we have a greater chance of being inspired. The challenge is, many of us don't put enough time into our Personal Development. We get caught up in the Grind that is life...and that's very easy to do.

My challenge for you this week is to spend some time "working on you!" How you think, feel, and view things. How you view yourself and the way you interact with your world. To do this you will need to find material to read that CHALLENGES your thinking! Look for books that you feel will INSPIRE you and cause you to have self reflection. Books that simply make you THINK!

We all know it's important to excercise our bodies. What we sometimes forget, is we also need to excercise our minds! Read this weeek! Make it a habit that will continually give you great reward!


I hope you gained benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Every Mouse wants a Bite of Cheese

Greetings!


This week, we are continuing on with tips and ideas to help you maximize your training! I wanted to spend some time today on an amazing idea we learned from Professor Sauer...the Mousetrap.

As I've been watching students train recently, I have noticed a trend. Many students are trying to "force" their partner into their move. A good example is a student "grabbing" an arm and trying to force them into armbar position. Do you see what I mean? It is very difficult to force a person into a technique. It can be done, but you better be certain that you are considerably stronger than your opponent. Even then, this thought model is not a very effective method to executing your technique. The success rate is considerably low.

So, how then, can we "attack" without our opponent knowing what is coming? You must learn the Philosophy of being the Mousetrap. If you know this Philosophy, how often are you using it? Is it a Philosophy that describes how you train? Let's take a step back. Let's be sure you understand what the theory of the Mousetrap is all about.

Of all the ways to catch your opponent in a technique, I believe the best idea lies in letting him "believe he is winning!" If you allow your opponent to go for a skill of his own, and you can find a way to catch him in your skill along the way...bang! You've set the perfect Mousetrap. By the time the "mouse" realizes the cheese is just a "bait"...bang! He's caught.

My encouragement for you this week is to truly "buy into" the Philosophy of using the Mousetrap. See if you can lure your partner into your technique instead of trying to force it. Let me know your Results...and how many mice you catch!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

If you ask the Right Question, you'll get the Right Answer

Greetings!

I'd to share with you another Helpful tip to maximize your training this week! The idea today is the Art of ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS.

The best students always have questions. But, why? Why do great students always have something to ask their instructor? The answer is simple. They are always evlaluating how they are doing, and seek constant advice to improve. The real question is, are you evaluating your skills?

When students ask to "roll" with me during Sparring, I often ask them, "What have you been working on?" Or I may ask, "Where do you want to start from?" My intent is to see what technique or idea the student has been trying to improve upon. Therefore, I can help them accordingly during our match. Unfortunately, not many students have a technique or idea they are "working on". Subsiquently, they don't know how to answer either of these questions.

During your training, you must focus on one concept or skill at a time. When it's time to "train" or "sparr", if you have an agenda, you will find things that are working AND not working within your technique. Once you have this information, you now know HOW to ask QUESTIONS with your Instructor. I will give you a simple formula to follow. Ready!? Here it is=>

EXPERIMENT, ASK QUESTIONS, EXPERIMENT MORE, REPEAT!

If you follow these simple guidelines, you can drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to learn new skills. If don't have a good action plan to improve, you will be driving to your destination WITHOUT a MAP!

Take the time this week to ask questions about skills that are giving you trouble. Don't go home frustrated that you can't accomplish your goals. Be sure to ask an instructor for HELP! It's the only true way to GET BETTER!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

How Slow Can You Go

Greetings!


We are continuing this week with helpful tips on how to get the most out of your training. Today's focus is the speed in which you should practice to get good at your skills. It may be slower than you think.

You may have heard me say in class, "Practice your move so slowly that you can't possibly screw it up." This is my light hearted way to remind you to TAKE YOUR TIME when practicing. One of the most common errors we encouter when learning new skills is the speed in which we try to execute them. The challenge here is understanding that FAST skills are not necessarily GOOD skills...especiall when you are novice at them.

The most important idea here is to keep your EGO in check. We all want to be great at the skills we are drilling. For most of us, that means do the move with the same level of speed that we see our instructor demonstrate. The problem with that line of thinking is your instructor is ALREADY GOOD at the technique. He can smoothly do the skill due to LOTS OF PRACTICE. Please remind yourself of that right before you begin to drill your moves. :)

As you step on the Mats this week, remind yourself of how you should drill. Remember that SPEED AND POWER happen EASILY once your body has ALL OF THE MECHANICS of the technique MASTERED. You won't have to TRY to be FAST, you will just naturally BE FAST. Practice your skills so slow that you can't possibly screw them up! In this way, you will LEARN what do...and more importantly, WHAT NOT TO DO!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Know When to do Nothing

Greetings!


Today's topic is another concept to help you achieve Excellence in your Training! You must learn when it is important to "do nothing".

Often times in our Training, we equate "doing the right thing" to always "doing something." Sometimes in our boxing, we feel if we are not throwing punches, we are not getting the job done. This is true in Jiu Jitsu, as well. When we are in the bottom position (often in a positon where we can be attacked) we feel the need to keep moving body parts and force the escape.

The challenge here, is sometimes when you are constantly doing something, you aren't SEEING or FEELING enough of what is going on around you. You sometimes, unknowingly, walk into a trap. Therefore, it is paramount to know WHEN to chose to "do nothing". Experienced fighters in the ring normally take the beginning of the first round to "feel out" their opponent. Why is this? They need to see what their opponent knows and is capable of doing. They run through a series of movements to get reactions from their opponent to "test" what their opponent may try upon them. Once they get a good feel for their opponents skill level, they begin to open up and engage. Why then does the crowd normally boo? I feel it is because they also equate "doing something" to "doing well." They cannot see all of the sublte things the fighter is doing during that moment of "no action."

This is a very important reminder to us as we climb our way up the Martial Arts food chain. Sometimes taking a moment to assess the situation is the key to victory. If we rush into things too quicky, we risk making a big mistake that we can pay for dearly.

Can you see how our lives on the Mat reflect our lives as a whole? Are there times when it's better to do nothing in your personal life? Like when you are really, really angry? Do you make good decisions in that state of mind? Neither do I. Sometimes we need to know when to do nothing. Nothing at all. :)

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!


All the Best!
Coach

The Lab

Greetings!


Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some good reminders on how to help you get the most out of your time on the Mats. You may have heard me say, "Everyone wants to be good, but not everyone knows HOW to get good." My hope is to remind you of a few simple ideas to ensure you DO get good!

One of the keys to achieving excellence with your technique, is to view the Mats as your LABORATORY. You must learn to experiment with your moves. Just as any good scientist keeps experimenting in the Lab, so must you on the Mat. Try new things. Try new moves. Be willing to LOSE to learn how to WIN!

Learning the Martial Arts can be a complicated endeavor. It's paramount that we keep things simple and streamline our focus. Don't TRY to hard. Don't put TOO mush PRESSURE on yourself. Take the time each day to chip away at your technique...LITTLE BY LITTLE.

Sometimes, scientists try THOUSANDS of experiments to get ONE good result. Does that sound similar to our training? You might try an armbar the same amount of times to get one just right. Therefore, we MUST view our time on the Mats like being in the LAB...we have to constantly experiment. Examine what is working. Examine what is not working. Make adjustments. And most importantly, KEEP EXPERIMENTING until we get some GOOD RESULTS!

Remind yourself to Relax and ENJOY your training this week! View learning a new skill as an experiment that just needs lots of Testing in the Lab! Soon enough, you will get it right!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!


All the Best!
Coach

Mindset

Greetings!


I have been sharing some great reminders with you on how to optimize your health. I felt it paramount, this week, to share with you the true key to being healthy. Mindset.

We all say how hard it is to eat healthy, rest, and excercise. The reality is, it isn't that hard at all. Not when you truly have decided that you are going to do it. When we absolutely know we HAVE to accomplish something, we do WHATEVER is necessary to get it done.

If your boss at work said to you, "Get these tasks accomplished by 5pm or you are FIRED!", what would you do? If you care about the job you have, and it is very important for you to keep it, I'm SURE you would get those taks done...whatever it takes.

The key reminder for all of us is that we have to focus our energy on our Mindset. Each of us has to find what is going to be the driving force to get truly committed to our goal. To eat healthy and live healthy, we HAVE to find a way to create the Mindset that it is a MUST to be done.

Unfortunately for most of us, it takes a strong kick in the gut to get us moving. If we see our heatlth in jeopardy, that is a powerful motivator. When we see our lives at risk, a powerful mindset of self preservation now comes to the forefront.

My encouragement for you this week is to not wait for the kick in the gut. Decide RIGHT NOW that you are going to work at SHIFTING your Mindset. You are going to DECIDE to LIVE HEALTHY, EAT HEALTHY, AND BE HEALTHY! You can do it! Just put your Mind to it!!!

I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!

ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Nothing Tastes as Good as Healthy Feels

Greetings!

I've recently been reminded of a great phrase I picked up a long time ago from Tony Robbins. "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels."

What an amazing concept. And just like Jiu Jitsu, we can look at this concept and say, "That's common sense!" The real key is for us to truly understand the idea. To "buy in" to it's philosophy.

Early on in our martial arts training, we don't always train the right way. Our instructors give us advice on how to train better, but sometimes it takes us awhile to "buy into it."

There is no difference here. Let's collectively try to embody this concept this week. Let that momentum build into each following week. If we do, we will create a MINDSET for a healthy life!!

So remember, when you look at your next piece of junk food, say to yourself: "Nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY FEELS!!"

I truly hope you get benefit from this today!

All the Best!

Coach

90 Minute Blitz

Greetings!


During our busy lives, we struggle to maximize our time. Last week, we talked about the power of taking a nap to re-charge our body and mind. Today, I'd like to take about the power of focusing all your effort into what is called 90 minute blitzes.

The idea is simple. To ensure we work the best and accomplish the most, focus your energy 100% on your task for 90 minutes. Then, take some time to "renew". By renewing, I simply mean "relax" for a short period. Read, listen to music, excercise, get something to eat, NAP. Then, attack another task with the same focus.

If we have a cycle during our day of a few good 90 minute blitzes, mixed with good renewal time, we can get MORE work done and be MORE productive. If we try to work "straight through", we lose focus, energy, and enthusiasm. It's safe to say that as the day goes on, our productivity goes down. Why not have a strategy that when you are "working", you really are WORKING!

Keep in mind that during your 90 minute blitzes, you need to be COMPLETELY FOCUSED. To do this, you will need to avoid DISTRACTIONS. Phone calls, emails, TV, and social networking. You need to stay on task with all of your energy and drive! Maximize your time and get a lot accomplished!!

This theory is much like Jiu Jitsu...work SMARTER NOT HARDER! Don't struggle with pushing and straining yourself. Choose a strategy that is EASY and EFFECTIVE! They ALWAYS work better!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
Coach

Siesta Time!

Greeetings,


I have an assignment for you this week. I want you to try your best to find a way to fit in a 10-20 minute nap tomorrow. Sometime during the afternoon between 1-3. Assuming of course you do not work midnight
turn. :)

During my personal development studies recently, I came across this idea. It wasn't a mere suggestion. It was backed by good scientific evidence. The nuts and bolts would simply be that our bodies are "designed" to take a rest period during the hours we are awake. Think about children. They always have to take their nap. Their bodies need to lie down to re-energize. Are we no different?

The key here is, we can work long periods with low productivity...or we can work short periods with high productivity. If we take a short rest to re-charge, we can have a sustained energy level THROUGHOUT the day.

Don't look at resting as being lazy. That would be like telling an athlete not to rest his muscles after a strenous workout. We need to take the time to recoup our energy levels to get the most out of our day!

Starting tomorrow, see if you can fit in a quick nap. I can tell you, since adding this into my daily routine, I have seen tremendous results! I truly feel you will have the same outcome!

Let's all MAXIMIZE our PERFORMACE!


All the Best!
COACH

Watch What You Say

Greetings!


This week, I wanted to talk with you about the value and importance of the Vocabulary you use. What I mean by that, is not the words you speak to others...but the words you speak to yourself. The internal dialogue you have running in your mind is critical to your success. If you learn to master it, you will see massive results.

Let's talk about the words you chose to describe how you feel. For example, let's take a look at the words nevous and excited. Physiologically speaking, the chemical reactions going on in your body are the same when you are nevous and excited. It's what word you use to describe that feeling that makes the difference. Are you nervous do try something new? Or are you excited? It will take some practice, but we can chose what to call how we feel.

Let's apply this same idea to our training. When you are in a tough spot on the mat, the words you say internally are very key. If you say postive things, like "I'm okay. I can breath. I'm okay.", you may be able to pull yourself out of some trouble. On the other hand, if you say negative things like, "I'm stuck. I can't get out. I can't breath.", you will likely panic. Panic will not get you out of trouble. More than likely, it will get you in more trouble. When you learn to control your vocabulary, you can truly know you can defend yourself. If your opponent has the upper hand, remember...you can and WILL get out. Just take a second and BREATH.

The key is to work very hard on how you view how you feel. How you chose to describe a situation defines how you feel about it. If you call a situation bad, it's bad. If you call a situation a challenge or a life lesson, it's just that...a challenge and a life lesson. We can control how we view our world. If we gain more control over our prospective of things, it will lead to us being happy more often. It will also give us the abitlity to overcome challenges both on the Mat and in our daily lives.

As with everything we do, controlling your internal dialogue will take time and effort. But, you will be amazed what you can do with a just a few WORDS!

I hope you gained some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Partners, not Opponents

Greetings!

I have a Great training concept for you today! It will ensure that you will see amazing results in your training! It will ensure that all of your friends on the Mat will see the same results, as well!

I would like you to entertain the thought of being a Partner...not an Opponent. We use the phrase "Team" in class a lot, don't we? "Great job, Team!" Ever hear me say that? Doesn't the word Team indicate that EVERYONE is working TOGETHER to achieve a goal? If the goal is for EVERYONE to get in great shape and be great at Martial Arts, then don't we ALL have to work TOGETHER?

There are many skills we need to aquire that REQUIRE a partner to learn. Agree? Then isn't paramount that we learn how to be a good PARNTER? The students with the BEST partners always learn the MOST! The real key is to be a great partner for your friend, and they need to be a great partner for you. Then you BOTH become great! We all need to take Pride in helping our friends learn the Martial Arts. After all, isn't one of our goals knowing self defense? We all play a part in our friends knowing they can protect themselves. They play a part in ours. If we help each other learn, and care about each other, we all can protect ourselves and our families. Not too mention, we all have more FUN! Does anyone like training with someone who doesn't help them out? Not really. It's never fun to train with someone who's only concerned with their own skills.

This week on the Mats, I would like to encourage you to be THE BEST PARTNER on the Mat. Be the student that EVERYONE loves to workout with because you genuinely care if they are improving. Take your time, be helpful, compliment, and encourage. Chances are they will return the favor! And guess what?...EVERYONE GETS BETTER AS A TEAM!


I hope you gained some benefit from this Today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Happy...not Satisfied.

Greetings!

I hope your week is off to a Great start! As summer is upon us, I hope you are still attacking the Goals you set for yourself back in January! That being said, I would like to share an idea with you today. That idea is to ALWAYS be happy, but NEVER be satisfied.

As we work toward our goals...on the Mat, school, at work...it is easy to get frustrated. It is also equally as easy to get complacent. When we are not hitting the goals we want, we might get frustrated. When we reach a certain level of success, we might get complacent. Neither will get you to reach your full potential.

That's where our idea this week comes into play. ALWAYS be happy, just NEVER satisfied. I think it's safe to assume, as we chip away at a goal, we make progress. The challenge is, sometimes we don't take the time to recognize our progress. We focus on what we don't have instead of what we do have. Always remind yourself that you work very hard, and you ARE getting better. Remind yourself to be HAPPY.

Once we reach a goal, it is then key to keep setting NEW ones. To NEVER be Satisfied at what we have achieved. We must always strive to reach new levels of growth...personally, professionally, athletically. If you were very overweight, your first goal would be to not be obese. Once you reach a certain weight and fitness level, you can't stop there. You can't be satisfied at just reaching one goal. You need to strive to CONSTANTLY IMPROVE.

It is so important for us to keep a healthy, happy lifestyle. Not just for ourselves, but for the people we impact on a daily basis. So, remind yourself this week...I am ALWAYS HAPPY, just NEVER SATISFIED!


I hope you gained some benefit from this Today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Attract the Positive...Repel the Negative.

Greetings!

Do you consider yourself a positive person? Are you a "cup is half full" type of personality? Or are you a negative person? Do you somehow find "what's wrong" in every situation? Be honest.

My encouragement for you this week is to make it a habit to Attract the Positive and Repel the Negative. If you already have a positive outlook on life, that surely doesn't mean negativity doesn't come your way. I'd simply like to remind you that when hit with a negative, always respond with a positive. Take a few moments to breath and collect your thoughts when a challenge comes your way. As Tony Robbins says, "It's not what happens, it's what you do that makes a difference." Easier said than done to be sure, but necessary to stay focused and driven. When we have a positive outlook, we tend to think better AND do better. We take ACTIONS that lead us to our goals!

If you tend to be a negative person, you have a big challenge ahead. A crucial one. One you must face head on. Your first step would be to create the mindset of being a "good finder". Our nature as humans is to pick the things wrong with a situation FIRST. That's why it is important to CONDITION yourself to start finding good in bad situations. You can condition your mind the way you condition your muscles. You just have to keep "working" your brain muscles just like any other muscle. You have to stick with it, too! In time, if you don't work your biceps, they will atrophy and lose their tone. So will your "brain muscles"! It's key when you are hit with a negative to take a moment to THINK. Ask yourself powerful questions. Questions like, "If there was something posititve about this, what would it be?" When you ask yourself good questions, you will get good ANSWERS. When we ask ourselves negative questions like, "Why does this always happen to me?", rarely does anything good happen. You shut down the notion of using the situation to grow and improve. Again, is this difficult? Absolutely. But, what goal worth accomplishing is easy? Not many. You have to want to improve. You have to want to achieve more. If you can make a HABIT to repel negativity, you have a great chance to always MOVE FORWARD!

Repelling negativity can also mean the stimulus you chose to surround yourself. Negative people. Negative reading. Vocabulary. Situations. If you constantly work at REPELLING the negative around you, it's easier to be POSITIVE! Surround yourself with POSTIVE, GOAL ORIENTED PEOPLE! Read INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS! Listen to energizing people on your iPod! Engulf yourself in positivity! ATTRACT IT! Be a magnet for positivity...and a polar opposite of negativity.

Each day that you work on this, you will achieve more. When you are in the RIGHT STATE OF MIND, you are EXCITED to accomplish your goals! And when you are excited, things get DONE!

I hope you gained some benefit from this Today!

Be a POSITIVITY MAGNET!

ALL THE BEST,
COACH

Do You Think Ahead?

Greetings!

Here is a Great idea for you this week ON AND OFF THE MATS! Do you plan ahead, or just hope? Do you look before you leap, or do you leap before you look?

The idea today is, thinking about what you are going to do before you actually do it. On the Mat, rarely is it a good idea to try to pass your partner's guard with no plan. It's rarely a good idea to try to throw a punch without thinking about how your going to land it...or more importantly, how your not going to get hit first. As we grow as Martial Artists, we need to constantly be in search of how to execute our ideas with intelligence. Do we have ideas and strategies we can employ to raise the success rate of the techniques we attempt? Every day on the Mats we certainly hope to do just that. Learn to account for what our opponent can do to us before we begin our move. If we do that, he cannot counter us along the way. We've already taken care of his attacks in our mind. By the time we go for our move, every attempt he has to counter will surely fail.

On the battelfield, a General must prepare for the worst if he hopes to succeed. On the Mat, we must do the same. And, in our everyday life, there is no difference. If we take the time to sit down and thinks things through before we act, it is more than likely we will have better actions.

Sorry is a word that we use when we make a mistake. As none of us are perfect, it is an important word when we don't do the right thing. I believe one of our goals should be to keep our "sorries" to a minimum. That will only happen when we think things through, and not act on impulse.

In business, or whatever endeavors we have, intelligent thinking is key before action. At the end of the day, we NEVER know 100% if we are doing the RIGHT thing. I'm sure you would agree, however; that we can at least make a point to TRY to make the best decision possible.

This week, I would like to encourage you to have some "Forward Thinking". Try to account for things that can go wrong before you "go for your move". You may make some Great decisions along the way!


I hope you gained some benefit from this Today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

Are You Only Interested in a Quick Fix?

Greetings Team,


I wanted to touch on a topic today that I feel can have a great impact on your Martial Arts training, and your life off the mats. The idea is having a LONG Term outlook on your training, your fitness, your relationships, etc. If you look at the things you are trying to accomplish as "get rich quick", you'll find SHORT Term happiness, but LONG Term dissatisfaction.

Let's take a look at your Training. If your goal is to get a good as you can in 6 months at Martial Arts and then move on to other activites, the way you practice may actually hurt your goal. Sure, you may win a few "matches" by being overally competitive. But, at the end of the day, you will be only feeling short term happiness. The "wins" you are experiencing are not allowing you to truely understand the skills. Most likely you used strength, size, or speed to allow you to win. That's not Martial Arts. That's athleticsism. If, however; you have a Long term look at learning the Martial Arts, you can TAKE YOUR TIME EACH AND EVERY PRACTICE. You can pick ONE move to work on for two, three...SIX months at a time. After all, if you believe you are going to be Training A LONG TIME, how long is six months in the course of in a ten, fifteeen, TWENTY year endeavor?The point is, if you just want to be good, and never define how long it should take you, you can relax. You can be patient. And, you can ENJOY your training. More than likely, you will also be one of the BEST Martial Artists on the Mat in the process.

Isn't this true in our Personal Lives, as well? Do you always want to try the "new" diet? The "new" workout class or regimen? Ask anyone who is fit and stays fit. It takes hard work and discipline EVERYDAY. There is no quick fix. Sure, you can do an Atkins diet, or get a Gastrointestinal bipass...but that is a quick fix. Would you agree that either you or someone you know who tries "the easy road" may succeed at first, just to gain back the weight, if not more? But, if you commit that you will be healthy for life, you succumb to the fact that you will just have to work at being fit EVERYDAY. Each day working hard toward your goal. Not only will you get there, but you will be able to sustain it.

I feel this idea to be true with so many areas of our lives. Focus each day on being happy and succesful THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Not just tomorrow. Not just this Weekend. There are so many things we can do to "be happy". Alcohol make us happy....for a night. But, does that short term happiness come with long term pain? I'm sure you would agree. Why not do things for yourself that make you happy, but rarely have bad side affects? Wouldn't this help you to be happier LONG TERM?

My encouragement for you this week is to simply take a look at your perspective of things. Maybe you can do a little adjusting to look further down the road at your happiness and success. You just may see some Quick returns on your efforts!

I truely hope you gained some benefit from this Today!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

The Mousetrap

Greetings Team,


For the past few weeks we have been talking about some of the ideas and philosophies that Professor shared with us during his training visit. Today, I wanted to finish up with what I feel was the most profound idea I got from that weekend. As in so many things in Jiu Jitsu, it is such a simple concept. Yet, sometimes the most simplest of ideas elude us. We must rely on great Teachers and Coaches to help us see them. With that in mind, Team, I would like to share with you the idea of the "Mousetrap."

What does a mousetrap do? It's sits in the corner. It dangles a tasty piece of cheese. What does the mouse do? It studies the mousetrap. And more importantly...the cheese. It looks so delicious. The mouse can't help himself. And just as the mouse goes for a bite....wack!

I have been training in the Martial Arts for 24 years, Team. Over that time, never have I come across a metaphor as simple and enlightening. The BEST way to catch a guy with a techinique is to trick him. The one he doesn't see coming is the one that he will get caught with. If you invite your opponent to try a move they FEEL is going to work, they will go after full out! If you invite them, and it's a trap...they are sure to get caught.

Never FORCE your moves on the other person. It's easy to see and easy to defend. Luring them in is always a better option. So how do you learn how to do that? LOTS OF MISTAKES! :)  You just have to keep letting guys "try moves" on you, and you have to learn how to "CATCH" them. That means you're going to have to tap a lot. Get punched a lot. Get swept. Kicked. Thrown. You just have to remind yourself that the MATS ARE THE LABORATORY. Each day, each friend you train with, is an experiment. An experiment to ensure that you have AMAZING technique. After all, you want to make sure your moves REALLY work don't you?

No one said that Training in the Martial Arts was easy. But, EVERYONE says it's REWARDING. Keep plugging away, Team. Everyday, every week. And don't forget to bring plenty of delcious cheese! :)



I hope this helps your Training, Team!


ALL THE BEST!
COACH

The Fox and the Rabbit

Greetings Team,


I wanted to share with you another Metaphor that Professor shared with us during his visit a few weekends ago. This concept, Team, is such an amazing illustration of how to look at Jiu Jitsu, self defense, and fighting. The best part, Team, is that with all Metaphors in Jiu Jitsu, it can be applied as a great philosophical lesson for life.

Let's talk today about the Fox and the Rabbit. The Rabbit is the prey of the Fox. He is fighting for his life. He will do absolutely EVERYTHING he can do to escape. It's life or death. On the other hand, the Fox is the hunter. He can take his time hunting the Rabbit. If he makes a mistake and the Rabbit gets away, he need not fret. There will always be another Rabbit.

The idea here Team, is that when you are going for your technique in a fight or a ring, your opponent will do ANYTHING to survive. He is the prey. If you understand that, then you must understand that all of your techniques must be "perfect". If you make one mistake... if you leave one opening...he will get away. In a street fight, that could be very costly. Remember Team, you are the Fox. Make sure you excecute your skills to perfection. And, if he defends it, there is ALWAYS another move. Don't be impatient and force the issue. If you do, your opponent is sure to capitalize on your mistakes.

So how do we make our moves "perfect"? Focused practice day to day. Week to week. Month to month. You may have heard me say often, "Many want to be good...but, not many know how to get good." You have to take your time each day on the mats to get ALL of the mechanics of your move memorized. Each day you remember a litte bit more than the day before. No matter what the skill. Each day you chip away at the technique. Think of artists who create ice sculptures. They chip away at this huge block of ice until they see the beautiful statue they envisioned in their mind. Our process is no different. We are shown the proper technique by our instructor. Each day we chip away at it until our move resembles the one he demonstrated.

The underlying themes here Team, are PATIENCE and ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Skills that, for sure, make our lives easier and happier. The beauty of training in the martial arts is that, the mental skills we gain on the mats, we can apply to EVERY aspect of our lives.

So my encouragement for you this week, Team, is to be the Fox. Take your time. Get excellent at all the basic mechanics in the skills you are refining. Remind yourself to be patient, and to pay attention to detail. And remember....there will ALWAYS be another Rabbit. :)

I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today, Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

Get Better...One Spoonful at a Time

Greetings Team,

We had the privalegde of Training at Professor Sauer's Spring Visit this past weekend. I think it's safe to say we came away with some amazing Jiu Jitsu. But, what I want to share with you over the next few weeks, is some of the philosophy that make up Jiu Jitsu. Professor passes down some great metaphors for Jiu Jitsu...and for life. I will do my best to share what I have learned with you.

This week, Team, I want to share with you the idea of working at our goals bit by bit until they are accomplished. Let me share the metaphor Professor used to illustrate. Imagine you have just made yourself a big bowl of soup for lunch. It's hot off the stove. If you put your spoon in the middle of the soup and take a huge bite, you are sure to get burned. But, if you instead take small sips from the side, slowly but surely you will be able to eat the entire bowl. The point is Team, don't try to jump right to the middle or end of your goal. You need to take small steps each day to get there.

In your training, this is such a key concept. Especially in an art like Jiu Jitsu. 6 years into this amazing art, and I just now feel like I am starting to understand it. We just have to take small steps each day on the mat. Try to make little improvements from one day to the next. If we just focus on that, imagine how much progress we can make in a year. How about two years? 5? You see?

Our personal lives and careers are not very different, are they? Whether it's weight loss, college, relationships...we just need to get better a little bit everyday. Each day we build upon the lessons we learned the day before. If we try to jump to the end, we are sure to get burned.

My encouragement for you this week Team, is to simply remind yourself to be patient. Be patient with yourself. With your life. With your training. And soon enough, you will finish the entire bowl. :)

I truely hope you got some benefit from this today, Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

The Best Must Always Get Better

Greetings Team,


Last week we talked about setting standards for yourself. I would like to continue on with a similar idea this week, Team. That idea, is once you get good at something, maybe even great...you can AND must get better. To quote Vince Lombardi, "Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we catch excellence."

The idea, Team, is to not sit on your laurels. To "always be happy, but never be satisfied." To always aspire to be more than what you are, and not get comfortable with the level of success that you have achieved. As a martial arts athlete, we constantly have to set the bar higher for ourselves. In our diet/nutrition, cardio, and martial arts skills. We can never let complancancy be our friend...it always has to be our enemy.

I truely make this a goal of mine, Team. Each and every week on the Mats I try to provide you with Top Notch training and classes. Each week my goal is to somehow, someway make each class better than the last. It is important for me to be the best at what I do...for myself, and for you. To accomplish this you always have to take a look back in the mirror. You have to look at what you have done well, and what you can do to improve. If you do this often enough, you are sure to keep getting better.

This week I would like to encourage you to pick a time at the end of the week, and take a look back at your Victories. What did you do well? Both on AND off the Mats. Then, take a moment to jot down a couple key things you can do to improve upon next week. If you make this a weekly habit, Team, you will always make strides toward "PERFECTION". :)

What's the biggest room in the World?

The room for Improvement!!

Hope you got some benefit from this today, Team!



ALL THE BEST!

COACH

Hold Yourself Accountable

Greetings Team,

We've been talking a lot lately about getting the most out yourself. today, let's talk about the idea of holding yourself accountable. When you don't get the job, Team, you have to take responsibility.

Holding yourself accountable can apply to so many things we do in our lives. It can apply to our diet. It can apply to working out. It can apply to how hard we push ourselves during training. It can apply to being a good friend or teammate. And it certainly can apply to holding yourself to your word. When you hold yourself accountable, you don't wait around for someone to scold you. You scold yourself.

I have found that guilt can be an amazing motivator. When you don't give it your all, you should feel guilty. When you feel guilty, it's hard to sleep at night until the wrong is made right. If you have that kind of standard on doing your best in any given situation, you definately will get more accomplished. We need to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to try our best....not be the best...just try. When we don't live up to this rule, then we should feel guilty. And again, guilt is a very powerful motivator.

The key here, Team, is setting rules for yourself. Certain guidelines that you HAVE TO FOLLOW. We all have some already. Don't we? Some of us have the belief of NEVER being late. Because it's a rule, we pride ourselves on being timely. If we are late, we are furious! But, if you don't have that rule, we tend to make excuses for our tardiness. "Lots of traffic." "Got up too late." And so on.... The point is, Team, we need to create key rules for ourselves to follow that ensure we optimize our efforts. When holding yourself accountable is a rule, we will feel guilt when we don't follow through. This in turn will get us more motivated to not REPEAT the mistake.

My encouragement for you this week is to start simple. You can start by following the rule of "My word is my bond." If you say you are going to do something, do it. A very admirable trait. If you don't feel you can accomplish a task, don't verbally commit. But if you do, GET IT DONE. No matter what. And if for some reason you don't, HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE. Let the guilt motivate you to not let it happen again.

If you can apply this one method of holding yourself accountable, Team, you certainly will be able to apply to other areas of your life!

Hope you get some benefit from this today, Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

Are you Interested or Committed?

Greetings Team,

I wanted to talk to you today, Team, about the idea of being INTERESTED in or COMMITTED to achieving your goals. Once you make this distinction, it will be so much easier to have a clear path to achieving what you want. Moreover, you will take the ACTIONS necessary to getting there.

If you hear me ramble enough, I'm sure you know that I feel the vocabulary we chose is very key. Now, I don't just mean what you say aloud. I also mean the internal dialogue that we have every day. You know, the "little voices in our head." What those litte voices say is so important to the way we view things. If we can get more control over the things we say to ourselves, we can definately get more out of ourselves.

Let me give you some examples. If we are INTERESTED in achieving something, we tend to say things like: ~"I really need to work out again." "I should go back to college." "I need to start going to Jiu Jitsu more."~
The very nature of how we say these things gives us the option NOT DO THEM! If you say, "I need to get to bed earlier", that also mean you also may NOT NEED TO. As in anything, Team, if you give yourself the OPTIOIN to quit, chances are you will.

Let's change the vocabulary. If you are COMMITTED to a goal, have DECIDED that you will achieve it. You KNOW in your mind you will do what is necessary to get there. We tend to say things like:
~"I will win." "I am tired of being fat, I AM GOING TO THE GYM!" "I have to get better at kickboxing. I AM GOING to class 3 times this week."~
When we decide that we want something, we commit ourselves to the necessary ACTIONS to get there!

Team, if there is a Goal you have not made progress torward, you are not committed to it. You have not decided that you HAVE to have it. When you have that level of committment, you will do whatever is necessary to get what you want...won't you? Sure you will!

My encouragement for you this week is to DECIDE AND COMMIT yourself to a WORTHWHILE that you KNOW you want or need. Use good vocabulary and keep pushing forward! Trust me, YOU'LL MAKE IT!

Hope you get some benefit from this today Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

All Kids Learn to Walk...

Greetings Team,


I wanted to take a few moments today Team, to talk to you about the idea of never giving up. Sounds simple, I know...but please endulge me...I think it may just help you out. :)

As some of you may know, I am a big Tony Robbins fan. I bring this up with no intention of swaying your opinion on his material, but to simply state that the idea I am speaking about today, I first heard through his material. Let me share....

Infants wiggle around on their bellies for a long time. They keep trying to get to their knees, but fail. Numerous times...daily. And one day, sure enough, the get up on those knees. They begin to slide themselves along the floor. Victory!

Then as that infant becomes more a toddler, they begin to explore new horizons...literally. Crawling is no longer good enough. They grab at legdes, couches, and coffee stands. Anything to hoist themselves up with. Again, they keep failing. Miserably. Numerous times, daily. And yet again, they finally do it!

Yet somehow, that's not good enough, either. They feel the need to try to walk. So they give it shot. Timid at first to be sure, but they give it their best effort. They stumlbe, fall, and cry. They try again. Sometimes they get a few steps. Sometimes none at all. It doesn't deter them, howerver. They are relentless with their effort to master this amazing skill called walking. And bam! They get it...and never look back.

At what point would any of us as parents walk over to our child and say, "Hey! Maybe you should just give up. I just don't think this walking thing is for you"? We wouldn't, would we? We want them to succeed. And we know if they just keep at it, we KNOW they will get it. Encouraging them all the way. Picking them up each and everytime they fall. We tell them "good job", and "better luck next time." And that my friends is why our children walk. They never give up. And we help them along the way.

So I ask you Team, do you have this level of tenacity? SURE YOU DO! You walk don't you??! So my encouragement for you this week Team is to remind yourself that if you simply just DON'T GIVE UP, you WILL get what you're after. I KNOW you will.


Hope you got some benefit from this today Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

Get Addicted to Results!

Greetings Team,


I wanted to share with you today Team, another way to get the most out of yourself. As with most things, anything worth achieving requires a lot of hard work. But, if we get ADDICTED to RESULTS, we can FOCUS on the PRIZES we gain...not the HARD WORK to gain the PRIZES.

Why is it so difficult for MOST of us to have good levels of fitness? Why do we chose to be lazy? One might say, we are thinking about all the tedious tasks needed to be fit. Eating foods we don't like, working out like a dog, not being able to be a "normal" person. When we focus on all the negative things we have to do, no wonder we never begin or stick with our workouts! If, however; we focus on the body we will have from all the hard work, AND get ourselves truely EXCITED about it, we have a shot at sticking it out!

This is why training in the martial arts is a GREAT endeavor. We get addicted to learning. We get addicted to the discplined, focused person we become. We get addicted to the healthy body we are developing. When you are addicted to these results, it's safe to say you won't give up. We tend not to quit doing things that make us feel good. This is why it's hard to kick "bad" habits. Your brain may know it's bad, but unfortunately it feels good. If you learn to focus on Results, you will surely start to see that negative habits create negative results. Even if they feel good in the short run.

My encouragement for this week  Team, is to look back at some of the goals you set in January. If you didn't set any goals, DO IT NOW! Once you look at them, create a picture in your mind of the RESULTS you'll gain from all the HARD WORK. If you can truely GET ADDICTED TO RESULTS, you have an AMAZING CHANCE of actually seeing them!

Hope this helps you in some way Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

It All Starts from Within...

Greetings Team,


I wanted to spend a few moments today Team, on the the subject of Personal Development. Last week we talked a litte about the people with whom we surround ourselves. This week, I wanted remind you, that success truely starts on in the inside.

I have found over time that the more I "work" on myself, the more successful I am. I'm happier, have more energy, and I am definately more productive. There are many things that we know we should do, but without the proper mindset, we rarely DO what we should. It is very critical to constantly educate ourselves on how we "work". Our thoughts, emotions, our views of ourselves and the world around us. The more we do, it gives us a clear vision of what we want to become. That makes it easier to take  the ACTIONS necessary to bring our Vision to reality.

There are MANY books you can read, cd's you can listen to, and audio you can download, to educate yourself. The real key is to find the right information and the right messanger. Meaning, find people to read and listen to that inspire you to get yourself moving! We all need different types of motivation. Find authors and experts who energize you...that make you want to not only learn the information, but apply it! And most of all--->do it DAILY!

The real key Team, is to read or listen to things that inspire you and educate you every day. Even if you feel energized, you can ALWAYS get more fired up! When you are in a Great State of Mind, you will take GOOD ACTIONS! You won't eat that piece of cake. You'll get on the Mats and get a Great workout. You will listen to your spouse even if you don't "feel like it." You can never underestimate the power of a energized and positive mindset!

So my encouragement for you this week Team is to CONSTANTLY WORK on your PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. It truely is the key to your Success!

Hope you got some benefit from this Today Team!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

If You Lay Down with Dogs...

Greetings Team,


Have you ever heard the Phrase, "If you lay down with dogs you'll come up with fleas"? That phrase is our topic of conversation today Team. My interpretation of the phrase is simply, whomever you associtate with, you tend to emmulate. So my encouragement for you this week Team is to choose wisely the "dogs you lay with".

Teenagers are often warned to "watch the crowd they hang out with." As impressionable youth, choosing friends that provide negative peer pressure can often lead to bad actions. As adults, however; that rule still applies. If we associate with the negative people of the world, it can skew our view point. Do you know someone who ALWAYS finds the WORST in any situation? Do you know them VERY personally? :) My point is there are so many people who almost go out of there way to find out what's WRONG in a given situation. This type of attitude can be contagious in a very bad way. These are the same people who ALWAYS bitch and moan. The economy sucks. The President is terrible. Gas prices are too high. Why spend so much time and ENERGY on NEGATIVITY??

Now let's flip that. Do you know anyone that know matter what finds a SILVER LINING? They do their best when given a challenge or heart ache to turn a negative into a POSITIVE. THESE are the people you want to associate with. And if you do have a positive outlook, it is KEY to ONLY interact with other like minded individuals. Just as negative energy is contagious, so is positive energy. When you aren't feeling at your best, you can rely on the positve energy of the people around you to help get you back on track.

So you see gang, the TEAM you chose to surround yourself with is so important to becoming and staying successul and being happy. No GM of a athletic organization purposely goes out to draft players that they feel are not winners at heart. And once they find they are not, they are quickly dismissed. That's the only way to win. The most successful teams are exactly that... a TEAM. They rely on each other for strength. So, choose your team with the same discretion. Chose goal oriented, postive people to be on your Team.

Every day at our Gym we create that type of environment for OUR TEAM. Make sure that when you are off the mats, you have the same quality of players on your roster. If they aren't, they need to be dismissed.

Hope you got some benefit from this today Team!



ALL THE BEST!

COACH

The Rule of 80/20

Greetings Team,


For those of you that here me speak often, I'm sure you've heard my speech on the 80/20 rule. If you've heard it before, today will just serve as a nice reminder. For those of you who have not, I'm sure you will get some benefit from this great rule.

So often in our training Team, we get caught up in being "perfect". Being "better than the other guy." The challenge with constantly COMPETING on the mat is that you don't do enough LEARNING! We get so focused on doing or being the best that we don't relax enought to ENJOY our training. When you relax and take your time, you more often get the hang of a skill. More over, training becomes FUN! If you leave the Mat frustrated, it is more than likely because you are putting TOO MUCH PRESSURE on yourself. Take it from someone who knows. Let me share a story....

When I first began Gracie Jiu Jitsu with Mr. Tony Rinaldi I had a very big problem. EGO. You see, I owned my own school, had been doing martial arts for years, and had already had 1 Professional MMA fight. I began with Tony because I knew I needed to learn REAL Gracie Jiu Jitsu. The challenge was the way I went about learning it. I made a point to go ALL OUT anytime we would spar on the mat. I HAD to tap the other guy, and NEVER wanted to get Tapped. I spent 100% of my time COMPETING.

After a VERY long time of making this mistake, I came to the realization that I needed to just RELAX! I needed to SLOW down and just LEARN. When I did, training became VERY fun. I learned to play more games, and just TRY new moves, not matter the outcome. The more I did, the better I got. Go figure. ;)

So my encouragement for you this week Team, is to spend 80% of the month playing games and experimenting with skills. Then spend the other 20% "sparring" or "competing". It's a great method to keep training fun, but to also get GOOD. Every scientist knows they have to experiment! You must be A SCIENIST on the Mat. Play games, test them out. Play games, test them out. Just like any good scientist, come up with theories and then try to prove them. If you do this enough, you will have some SERIOUS skill down the line. And did in mention you will have FUN? :)

I hope you got some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

Simple, but Not Easy

Greetings Team,


Today Team, I wanted to talk to you about a concept I really enjoy. This concept, I believe, can help us stay motivated while avoiding frustration. The idea can be referred to as Simple, but not Easy.

You can apply this idea to so many scenarios. Let's start on the Mat. All too often in Jiu Jitsu, we have trouble executing a techinque. The challenge is, we may not know why it is not working. We know we are missing a key detail, but we don't know where to look. The best thing to do when this happens is ask your Instructor for assistance. Now here's where it gets "funny". When we ask our Instructor about what we are doing wrong, the answer quite often is "simple"! We normally respond by saying things like, "Wow, that is such common sense. Why couldn't I think of that!" Well, my friends, that's because it IS simple...just NOT easy.

This rings true in most things, doesn't it? Take diet for example. What to eat is simple. We know not to eat junk. We know to eat healthy friuts and vegetables, etc. How many of us do it? Why? Well, it's just not EASY.

Being disciplined is very tough. But, when we chose to exercise discipline, we normally get execellent results. In our a training, our fitness, and otherwise. So please remember Team, anything worth accomplishis is Simple, but rarely is it Easy. When you are having challenges, focus on the fact you need to keep excercising the discipline necessary to achieve your goals. It's not an easy road, so when you hit speed bumps and road blocks, try not to get frustrated. Frustration leads us to giving up on a worthwhile goal. That's not the trait of a Champion. Perserverance is!

I hope you got some benefit from this today!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

What are Your SUCCESS Strategies?

Greetings Team,

I wanted to talk a little bit with you today about the importance of both having and also knowing what strategies you possess. We all have strategies Team, whether we realize them or not. We have strategies for winning. We have strategies for losing. Strategies for having energy in the morning, and strategies for being fatigued all day. What I would like to encourage you to do this week Team, is to explore what stategies you have today, and how you can better utilize them to get the most out of yourself.

I want you to think of a day when everything was just "Great". Things all seemed to being going your way. Nothing could get you down.....now....do the opposite. Think of day when everything went wrong. It didn't just rain, it poured. If you take a few moments, examine your moring of both days. Examine the night before. Are they're any differences in the actions you took? Did you listen to different music? Read something or not? Get to sleep early...stay up late? I believe you see where I am heading with this Team. When we follow a certain formula or pattern, we tend to get similar results each time.  What if you went to bed early and woke up listenting inspiring music OR drank too many rootbeers and woke up with a hangover? Each set of actions will obviously affect your day.

So my encouragement for you is simply this. Think of times when you had the MOST SUCCESS. At work, with your family, on the Mats...and then jot down some key actions you took during those time periods. I'm sure you will start to see some patterns. Once you know your patterns, you can devise a STRATEGY. One you can apply when you KNOW you want to have GOOD RESULTS!

Now, here's the tough one. Do the same excercise with days you had no success, or "bad days". You also have strategies that give you poor results. The good news is, once you know them, you can detect when you might be applying a BAD STRATEGY...and HOPEFULLY CHANGE COURSE!

This is a great concept I learned some years back Team. It has given me a lot of benefit, and I hope it's given you some today!


ALL THE BEST!

COACH

The Art of Being a Round Finisher

Greetings Team,


I hope everyone is off to a Great 2011 and ATTACKING their Goals! My encouragement this week for you Team is to practice something I call the Art of Being a Round Finisher. In the Ring, it simply means to push the pace at the end of the round to secure a victory. For us as martial artists, it can take on a very deeper meaning.

Have you ever quit something? Something that is postitive for you? Did you ever quit on a worthwhile goal? Maybe just before you actually achieved it? I pose these questions to you Team to demonstrate the true power of being a Round Finisher. You hear me say often that your life off of the Mats at some point will mirror you life on the Mats. Simply meaning, the person you become in training has a direct affect on who you are at your core. If you make a point to truely make each Last Round your Best Round, you will slowly see some changes in your work ethic and attitude. If you can create scenarios in your training often where you feel like quitting and chose not to, you become a Round Finisher. Someone who will push themselves to the very edge in everything they do.

I am a firm believer that we need to train our emotional control as much as our body control. If a fighter gets hurt in a round, his abitlity to talk himself through adversity is crucial. Did you see the Frankie Edgar fight at the last UFC? He was hurt incredibly bad in Round 1 and came back to fight an amazing fight! He knows how to be a Round Finisher.

If in your training you constantly put yourself under duress, you constantly grow as a person. Every time you do more than you think you can you grow. Soon enough, your not a Round Finisher just on the Mats...your a Round Finisher in Life!

I hope you got some benefit from this today!


All the Best,

COACH

Get Fit...Stay Fit

Greetings Team,

We are 5 days into 2011...are you out of the Gate FAST & FURIOUS?!? What I mean by that Team, are you working on your Goals?! We set them, don't forget them. ;)

Some of our members have made the COMMITMENT to the 30 day Fitness Challenge. Is there a prize for the best results? Sure. But the best prize is a heathier, stronger body and mind. Whether you are doing the contest or not, I hope you ALL are working on a NEW and IMPROVED fitness level in 2011. For some of you that means losing body fat. For some, it means increasing muscle tone. And for others, it means taking yourself to an elite athletic level. Whatever category you fit in, I would like to encourage you to stay focused and driven beyond the month of January. Many of us can loose our enthusiasm as the weeks of the New Year progress. Let's work hard as a Team to encourage each other to reach NEW LEVELS this Year!!


All the Best!

COACH