Last night at the dojo (the Boston Martial Arts Center), one of the junior students asked me if they could have a copy of my class notes. I declined as usual, and when asked why, I explained. My class notes, the stuff that I take notes on, is more than anything a compendium of wrong…
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to hold a polearm like this halberd, you know they’re not light weapons, often in the 5-10 pound range. To swing a halberd in battle, you have to be reasonably sure of your target, because if you miss, you leave yourself open to counterattacks while you reposition it. Even…
Last night at the Boston Martial Arts dojo, I was discussing an interesting aspect of training as I watched the students in the green belt class working on their ground-hitting skills. One of the greatest traps we fall into as both martial artists and marketers is the belief that we need something new. A new…
My teacher’s teacher, An-Shu Stephen K. Hayes talks about life as a ninja and the wisdom of play at TEDxBloomington. Watch this and see what lessons you get out of it. I won’t say any more than that – watch, listen, and see what you learn.
Social media expert? Marketing guru? PR wizard? One of the most common questions asked in the discussion about personal titles and marketing superlatives is, if we shouldn’t call ourselves experts or gurus or ninja, what should we call ourselves? In the martial arts, there’s one title that exists at the top of the hierarchy that…
In the martial arts, there are series of exercises called kata (in Japanese), or forms. These are single or multi-person exercises that follow a pre-arranged sequence of techniques that are performed almost like a dance. An astonishing number of martial artists no longer see the value in kata. To them, they are outdated, outmoded relics…
As Facebook says it’s his social media birthday, I thought it’d be fun to share one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced in my life, thanks to my teacher, Sensei Mark Davis. Each fall, there’s an event called New England Warrior Camp (which predates PodCamp and BarCamp and other camps by quite a…
Every year since 2006, friends of Chris Brogan put together our three words for the coming year that define what we’re focusing on in the coming year. They’re not goals, but more like rails or guides that help keep us moving in the general correct direction. Here are mine for 2012. Story When I look…
There is such a thing as a foolproof way to win. There is no easy button for it. It requires you to act bravely, egolessly, and boldly. The foolproof way to win is to help everyone involved win. Here’s an example from earlier today. I was having a discussion with a friend about an intellectual…
How many of you remember the classic martial arts movie The Karate Kid? If you’ve never watched it, go find it on the movie rental service of your choice. Remember how Ralph Macchio’s character Daniel was put through a series of seemingly pointless exercises by his teacher Mr. Miyagi, the most famously quoted being “wax…
