Sometimes we just need a little bit of traction to realize that we can accomplish anything. Making progress on something that is difficult is one of the greatest feelings in the world. There is great satisfaction to be found in overcoming a personal struggle. Just how we go about doing this is a subject of…
Author: Robert Van Valkenburgh
Co-Founder of Kogen Dojo of Severna Park and Taikyoku Mind & Body
Do for Others and Yourself
Help others bring their dreams to life, but don’t forget to work on yours as well. Unless you are independently wealthy, you probably need a day-job and this most likely means working for someone else. Most of us earn a living this way, by helping to build and grow someone else’s dream. There is nothing…
Do More For Your Own Dream
Dreams do not become reality during normal working hours. If you truly want to get ahead, you will need to do more. You will need to do more than is expected. You will need to do more than is required. You will need to do more than the person next to you. You will need…
John Danaher on the Importance of Training in a Gi for Beginners in BJJ
Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor John Danaher on teaching BJJ to beginners (excerpted and transcribed from the UFC Unfiltered podcast with Matt Serra and Jim Norton, episode 40): “I would run all beginner’s classes in a gi. Let’s break down what changes when you put a gi on and you take one off. Really, only a few…
John Danaher on Teaching Positional Dominance and Strangles Before Joint Locks in BJJ
Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor John Danaher on teaching BJJ to beginners (excerpted and transcribed from the UFC Unfiltered podcast with Matt Serra and Jim Norton, episode 40): “If I ran a beginners class, I would not only disallow leglock activities for the first year of training, I would probably even disallow arm locks. I would have…