Does it Pay More to Have a Bad Attitude in the World of Combat Sports?

Does it pay more to be bad in combat sports; to be a jerk, a heel, to curse like a sailor? What about to rant and rave, have tantrums, or pop hot for enhancement drugs?

You know nowadays you have to realize that no matter if you are watching wrestling entertainment or watching Bellator, UFC or even Tiger Woods golfing, it is ALL about show business. Unvariably the people and athletes in the world that have truly honed and owned their stage presence are the ones that will stand out from their peers. They don't even have to be the greatest at what they do, they just have to sell themselves.

I remember growing up as a kid and watching the old WCW and WWF stars as some played the good guy, the All American, etc. and some played the heel, or the bad guy. The dramatic stories sold so many tickets, even though we all knew it was fake. Sure they are professional athletes and a lot of them were hurt and some even died. For the most part though, we just loved the entertainment.

In today's combat sports it is no different. There are so many "characters" and roles that people play today. What we have to realize though is that some people are doing this because they are just great at dramatic theatrics. Others, not so much. You would be surprised how hiring a marketing firm can really change the dynamics of a career. I mean, after all, that's why people hire marketing firms right?

In the case of Ronda Rousey, well... She is really good. She knows it, we all know it. Right now she is at a place in her career where she really does not have to prove anything else to anyone. Like a younger Anderson Silva unmatched in skill, she is just judo tossing contender after contender.  So, my point is, with nothing else to prove, why not switch your role and become a good girl?

When it comes to legacy and long lasting stardom, being a person who made a positive influence in people's lives is what will make the difference. Having up and coming ladies and kids wanting to be and act just like you, or any other females that fire back in like manner, is absolutely shortening your staying power. Once you are no longer the baddest thing walking around, no one will remember you. From there, just like most stars that want to keep shining bright after their heyday, stars will have to resort to pulling crazy stunts, or publishing crazing announcements, interrupting award shows, or marching for every kind of organization there is... just to stay in the news.

If that is what you we have resorted to, being bad, to seek fame and fortune, I would remind you of something that Henry Ford said, "If you chase after wealth and fame, you won't find it. Wealth and fame comes from providing useful service." I don't know of a bigger or longer lasting useful service than SERVICE to your fellow man. So in essence, your staying power revolves around the useful service, in this case to mankind, that you provide.

Use star power to connect and change the world in a positive manner. When anyone reaches the pinnacle of their careers, when they are at the height of their influence and power, make a difference, don't just make a buck. Making a difference is fulfilling and leads you to want to do it more. Just like buying an expensive Christmas gift that you know a  kid is going to play with for a day and forget, you don't give it to them but for one reason, the few moments when you can share a smile.

As a star, with star power, start working on making everyone around you smile. That is what will last well past your star power days and give you a distinguished place in history.

You Might Live in Japan IF...

1. All of your friends and their kids pull their pants up pass their belly button because they don't want to catch a cold.

2. If you give your friend a gift wrapped present instead of tearing it open, they carefully take it apart and fold the paper into origami.

3. If you can't change any condiments on any order at any restaurant. "Can I have mustard instead of Big Mac sauce?"    "No, I am sorry we cannot do that, it is a set."

4. If your dream home is the size of your college dorm.

5. If you are trying to choose something off of the shelf at a store and you realize the person behind you has been patiently waiting for you to move for like 5 minutes, but they never said excuse me.

6. If speeding on the expressway means that you were travelling in excess of 45mph...

7. Your soda machine has hot and cold drinks, and ice cream bars too.

8. Your cell phone from 10 years ago did everything and more that American phones are just now marketing as new services and features...

9. You now consider fermented beans to be delicious...

10. You just got served a slice of cold meat, and it has taken you five minutes to decide if it is safe enough to eat.

11. You try to explain something in Japanese with your translator or even a friend who speaks Japanese to help, only to find out months later when you run into them again, that the person spoke perfect English in the first place.

12. You have ever did a double take and thought about going to the FREE market! (In Japanese, the L and R sounds are the same).

13. The only time you stop trying to speak in Japanese is when you realize it is solicitor calling...  "um, um... chotto wakarimasen... go... gomen... gomenesai."

14. You got mad because you were at a drive in restaurant and when you tried to order in Japanese, they started talking back to you in English...

15. Having a good customer service voice means trying to make your voice sound like a 10 year old, no matter what age you are.

16. Your friend gives all of his money to his wife and he only gets an allowance...  "HUSBAND: So I need some money to go pay bills. WIFE: When do you need it? HUSBAND: Friday WIFE: Well, I will give it to you on Friday."

17. The large drink you just ordered is the size of a baby's sippy cup.

18. You asked for no ice with your drink, thinking you would get more to drink, but instead your cup was only filled up half way.

19. It takes you 20 minutes to walk to your destination, 10 minutes to jog or 2 HOURS by car.

20. All the ladies are enjoying the beach in high heel or platform shoes.

21. Your toilet has as much computing power as your smart phone...
22. Guys are pretending to be Jamaican by buying music, flags, car stickers, etc. just to pick up girls.

23. The most popular singing groups are still color coded, 80's boy bands.

24. The ladies are wearing designer tank tops, daisy dukes and high heels when there is snow on the ground.

25. People are trying to find a good angle to sneak you into the background of their photo without you knowing. (They like to take pictures of foreigners).

26. Random adults and kids are touching your kid's hair.

27. Your first grader is wearing a $400 bookbag.

28. Bills don't come at the first of every month, they break the monthly bill up into like 10 seperate bills and send them to you every three days!

29. If your drive to work includes avoiding multiple, insane, hell's angels sized moped groups...you just might live in Japan! - Joshua Aldrige

30. If the online company you are ordering from actually takes Cash on Delivery (COD)...

31. If you are completey mesmerized by watching 600 pound guys wrestle in Conan the Barbarian loin cloth.

32. If a melon the size of a soft ball costs you $8.00. - Tremain Bowman

33. If no one ever takes the last piece of candy or food, because it is the "lucky" one.

34. If mini-skirts are popular with two age groups... under 20 and over 50.

35. If you drive a 10 passenger family van with a 3-cylinder motor cycle engine.

36. If your pain prescription is Motrin or really hot and spicy ramen...

37. If you can buy the biggest Hollywood Box Office movie in a little DVD box by the time it hits your local Japanese theater... .

38. If the way to the prettiest girl's heart is gaining as much weight as possible and wrestling with another guy while wearing loin cloth.

39. If the TV you got for free costs $70 dollars to throw away. ~ Roxanne Modeferi
40. If you see your dream car at a sales lot for more than $6,000 and you are like "Whoa that is way too much."

41. When the maintenance man is sleeping on the ground in your driveway during his lunch break - Christina Brown

42. If stores put up their Christmas decorations and start playing "Here comes Santa Clause" the day after Halloween.

43. You are so lucky that you always get an entire row to yourself on the airplane.

44. You have been waiting to get a parking spot at the local mall, but all the spots have been taken by people who have been just sitting in the parking lot for hours.




Thank you for coming by, leave your "You might be living in Japan comment and I will add it to this growing list."




Benjamin "Sensei" Moriniere
Okinawa, Japan
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5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Motivated in Martial Arts

5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Motivated in Martial Arts

1. Consistent Attendance in Class

First, make sure your kids are attending classes regularly. If not, you are setting them up for failure. Sporadically going to class will cause your child to lose interest in classes very quickly. If you don't care about keeping them consistently in class, they know it is not important to you, so why should it be important to them? Second, they will see all of their friends getting better, especially the ones that started about the same time as them, while they basically stay the same or deteriorate. That can be one of the toughest blows to motivation; seeing all of your friends, one after the other, promoted. The reason why is mostly because they come to class more, and have retained more information. That's it.

2. Rewards for Excellence

Take the time to reward your kids for excellence. Some parents don't like giving kids "carrots" for performance so to speak, but isn't that the way most things in life work? On our adult jobs we have carrots too, they are called promotions, pay raises, vacation time and even rewards. Think about it. Give you kids realistic goals and realistic rewards and you will see a change in their work ethic for the better.

3. Watching Inspirational Videos

You want to see a kid get super motivated then show them some awesome, kid friendly videos on YouTube!  Every time they watch a motivational video about their martial arts style, you will see their little eyes light up with imagination and possibilities! That is what it is all about! Great times to show them videos are when they are taking a long break from training due to vacation or injury, when you see their motivation waxing low, or even right before a tournament, etc.

4. Bored before Fun

One of the biggest mistakes parents make is putting super fun activities before class. What kid wants to go to class when they have been watching their favorite TV show, or playing video games before class?  I should also mention that this includes sleeping as well. Who wants to wake up from the most fun ever, taking a nap, to go and drill and kick. Do your best to keep kids from having too much fun right before class, and definitely try to keep them from napping. They will be hard to motivate to go to class and even if you do get them there, they will have a rough start, if they really get into class at all.

So, what should you put before class? The most horrible, tedious tasks ever; homework or chores. Yes, I know some kids love these as well, but they love to get done with them and move on to something more fun right?  They will finish their homework and chores like a champ so they can go to class. Hold them to it!

5. Proper Diet

Just like adults, kids need proper dieting and nutrition. Don't load you kids up on sugar all day and then think they can have a great class. Don't miss a meal on the way to class and have them try to race a car on an empty gas tank. Either of these cases will cause kids to crash mentally and physically, ruining a potentially great workout.  Proper eating, and bringing healthy snacks is a win-win situation for your little warrior!

So, don't give up on your child, they have life issues just like the bigger versions of themselves, us. Find a way to work through the issues and you will see your kids maintain the motivation to build the physical, mental and spiritual fortitude of champions. With these simple tips and steps, you will help them stay on a path that builds character traits that will last a lifetime.

v/r 

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

Sensei's Secret to Losing Weight any Time you Want to.

The secret to losing weight is very, very simple. Find your MOTIVATION!

As a professional martial artist, instructor and fighter living a lifestyle that promotes fitness, I can tell you MOTIVATION is the key.  No matter the diet, no matter the plan, the only way you will see it to the finish is through sincere MOTIVATION.

So, you may say, I really don't have any motivation to do it. However, I would tell you there is ample motivation every day. My MOTIVATION for staying fit changes from time to time. When I am preparing for a fight or competition, it is very easy to lose weight and stay disciplined when you think about hopping in the ring. Being out of shape will turn your fight into the longest few minutes of your life.

However, in normal circumstances, for just people who need MOTIVATION. Let's think about a few things:

DO IT FOR YOUR HEALTH

The only thing worse than spending your retirement years broke, living from fixed income due to irresponsible spending and saving, would be living your years of retirement in perpetual hospital visits due to self-induced, poor health.

Why endure so many years of stress trying to get ahead on the job, trying to properly rear up kids and taking care of everyone around you, and then lose the battle for your own health and welfare? 

Enjoy the fruits of your labor in retirement. Live a healthy lifestyle so that when you get to retirement years, you can enjoy it in good health. You earned your retirement health every single day.

DO IT FOR PRODUCTIVITY

Did you know the energy levels in your body critically depend on your diet. If you feel drowsy, down, or lacking energy you can probably look at your diet as the first thing to whip into shape.

With proper exercise and nutrition your energy and metabolism will sky rocket. You will have energy in reserves. Wouldn't that be awesome!

DO IT FOR YOUR SPOUSE

We all know that no matter how much we love our spouses, and we accept them as they are, we have all heard from them... "your butt is getting bigger." or "Why don't you take some fitness classes." 

We love our spouses and at the same time we want them to be as healthy as possible. We want a happy, healthy marital team. There is nothing wrong with that, and actually it is quite UNselfish in a sense. As a married couple, you have become one, and so their health is your health, and you WILL go through health issues together.

Find MOTIVATION through wanting to please your spouse; to be a healthier and sexier you, for your spouse.

AND yes I did say sexier! The better you feel about your body, and the better you both feel about your bodies, the better and more enjoyable time you will have with each other!

DO IT FOR YOUR KIDS

One thing we know about kids is that they love to get out there and play, run around, jump around, and express themselves in dynamic and diverse ways.  As parents we all want to get out there and have a great time with our kids. We need to be fit and energetic through working out and proper dieting to keep up though!

Lastly, your kids, the next generation, will tend to inherit our positive and negative habits. Over 70% of learning is done by observing, and some believe 50% of everything we will ever learn is by the age of 5.  Well, starting kids out as youngsters on a healthy path is something that they will hopefully be more inclined to stick with as adults.  Kids need proper nutrition just like we do. They are just little us' right?

LOSING weight and staying in shape is so easy to do when you find the right MOTIVATION. Whatever your MOTIVATION is, keep a hold of it, cherish it, and let it keep you focused as your reach towards your goals!


Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa
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7 Quotes That Will Make You A Better Capoeirista!

1.  He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. ~ Ben Jonson

 

2.  Capoeirista is an athlete, an artist, a player and a poet "O Capoeira é um atleta, um artista, um jogador e um poeta. ~ Jorge Amado, Brazilian writer

 

3.  Play in a way that makes even new students look good. ~ Mestre Sucuri

 

4.  Play closer, you will learn more. ~ Mestre Bimba

 

5.  When you play the berimbau, everyone should have goosebumps. ~ Professor Linquica

 

6.   The impossibility of one person completely capturing capoeira, yet its potential to be touched by anyone are part of the balance of power and beauty of this magical art. ~ Mestre Accordeon

 

7 . Eu sou mestre que aprende, [I am a master that learns,] Disciplo que da licão. [And a student who teaches.]  ~ Old capoeira song

I hope that at least one of these quotes inspire you to take you Capoeira training to the next level.

Thank you for reading, leaving your comments and sharing!

Benjamin "Foguete" Moriniere
Capoeira Academy Okinawa
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/capoeiraacademyokinawa
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What Crashing a Remote Control Helicopter into your Wife's Head Can Teach you about Life and Success

Recently I bought a toy helicopter for $20 bucks and it is the most fascinating time waster I have had in a long time. I can't wait to fly it all around the house. It is only the size of my palm, but it is fully functional and just super fun!

As I fly it around the house, I usually keep it pretty low to the ground, realizing that the higher I go the longer the fall if I fail as a pilot. As I get the hang of it though, I definitely fly a bit higher now and then. I have had a few crashes but nothing too bad. My wife even saved the helicopter once by using the hair on her head as a soft landing. (Actually I crashed it into her head).

So, this little toy really got me thinking about life, I know it is hard to imagine, but it did. How many times in life are we scared to fly higher than we are right now? We have such a fear of the fall from greater heights.  I think the key to it all, is learning to pilot at the lower levels, and once we take our lives to a higher level, we are much more confident in our abilities. Why rush and just take the helicopter, our lives, as high as we can in an instant without learning to navigate first? 

Truly if there is any downfall for successful people, it is the quick rise to the top, or being promoted beyond one’s abilities. Make the choice to maximize at your current level, and a mentor or leader, or even life’s situations will pull you to higher grounds.

Thank you for reading and please share with anyone you think could apply this to their life, or may have had a similiar life altering event (crashing a helicopter into your spouse).

~ Benjamin "Sensei"  Moriniere
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
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10 Quotes that Will Make You a Better Martial Artist!

Here are 10 quotes that will make you a better martial artist. Please share this post and at the bottom of the post add your thoughts if you like on what each one of these means to you.

1.     He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. ~ Ben Jonson

2.     The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire. ~ Mark Twain

3.     Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit. ~ Joe Lewis

4.     I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. ~ Bruce Lee

5.     We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

6.     Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly.
~ Theodore Roosevelt

7.     Turn the other cheek, but after the second cheek I am going to knock you out. ~ Anonymous

8.     There are two rules for being successful in martial arts. Rule 1: Never tell others everything you know. ~ Author unspecified

9.     When your strength is strong, defend; when your strength is great, attack. ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War

10. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. ~ Winston Churchill

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei" @CapoeiraOkinawa

Please share this post and your thoughts below. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Zach The Hitman Hayden Yudansha Black Belt Test

Presenting the newest Yudansha Black Belt, Zach The Hitman Hayden. Today all of the students had a chance to ask questions about techniques anywhere on the curriculum whether Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Kickboxing, or Arnis.  Then after another grueling hour of thrashing, errh, practical application, Zach was still standing and ready to tell the Yudansha Family Worldwide that he can handle such a heavy responsibility. Welcome to the League of Extraordinary Martial Artist well-rounded in a variety of combat arts. OSU.

WE ROLLED HARD at King of the Island BJJ Tournament, April 13 - 14, 2013

We had a great tournament this weekend here on Okinawa, Japan. King of the Island saw our kids go to war on Saturday with the adults diving in on Sunday. We came away with quite a few medals for the kids and two medals by two guys in the adult divisions.

We ended up as a team in 3rd place.

I rolled with Ivan for a grueling 10 minute round. It was a great experience though, especially since it was the first time we ever rolled together.

Then Nick Lipton and Jared Bland would both take 2nd in their tough divisions.

For the youth we had Dylan take first, ousting Troy, who got second place. Dylan fought some tough matches, especially against Troy, who has not lost for 3 years. Then we had Colin take 2nd place in his division as well for the kids. 

Coley took 2nd place in his division with a tough fought match. Then Julian took gold in his divison with Jace taking 3rd in the same division. Great job!

Super Kai would take 3rd in his division and Lady Jade and Kevin would tie for 3rd in their division.

The Rooster, little Isaiah, took Gold in his division.

Way to go to all of the competitors. Looking forward to the next tournament. Let's do it!

Japan vs USA: Do Japanese Competitors Really Train that Hard?

The work ethic in Japan is world famous. From the shiny cobble stones at Tokyo Disney to flower arranging, to praticing martial arts, most Japanese people are focused, perfectionist. It is a part of their society.

Here in Japan the martial arts training is second to none. Kids, even grade school level, train for 3 or 4 hours a day whether Karate, Judo, Ken-do, etc. It is an amazing feat to watch and the coaches show no mercy in dealing out time-honed techniques.

The Japanese martial artist follow the saying, train a move 20,000 times so that you can get it right once when it counts. When you train that much and that hard it tends to lend itself to winning A LOT. They train so hard and win so much in fact, and not just in martial arts, but every other sport too, that the American teams on the military bases don't even invite the Japanese teams anymore. Why, because they take every medal in every division, or completely shut down the American team in group sports.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Japanese work ethic is that the coach or sensei can give the kids a workout and then leave for a few minutes or an hour and the kids, without a coach, will give 110%. They will put in maximum effort continuously and perpetually.  This is the essence of the warrior spirit in Japan.

Pictured here is my little brother in law on his 17th birthday. He is one of the top 10 Judo youth in Japan. He is about 220lbs solid muscle. He has a scholarship to the most prestigious high school in Okinawa, Japan where they train 2 or 3 times a day. They train in the morning, the afternoon, and sometimes at night if their coach is mad at them. They kids stay in the Judo dorm at the high school and only return home to their families on the weekends.

The only bad thing about the how hard the Japanese train is burnout. They win a lot, but I think the over the top training leads to a lot of would be world renown athletes from Japan calling it quits too early.

In America, martial arts train hard no doubt, and we have a lot of the best athletes coming out of the US. At the youth level, the US training regime for most sports does not even compare to the Japanese system, because our 45 minute to an 1.5 hour classes 2 or 3 times a week does not compare to their 4 hours a day 6 days a week. I think the same goes for competitors through high school. Collegiate athletes train a bit harder than their younger counterparts and then at the professional level anything is possible. All athletes are training at peek performance and pretty much 5-7 days a week month after month, year after year.  Moreover, the Japanese tend to find the sport they like by junior high school and stick with that only sport indefinitely. Most American kids jump from one sport to another year round, usually never reaching their full potential in one, unless they find the sport they truly excel at and then focus on that singular sport more.

I can honestly say, after living in Japan for almost a decade, my view of what training is and what training is not has significantly changed. I encourage every martial artist to visit Japan at least once, and visit a few martial arts classes. You will not only change your view of training, but you will remain inspired for the rest of your life.

Please comment below, I would love to hear your take and please share with your fellow martial artists.

Guide to Practicing Martial Arts at Home Alone or with your Child

Sometimes you miss your training at the dojo, gym or academy due to work, emergencies or a busy life. So what do you do on those days when you really want to get a workout in no matter what? Here is a short guide to training at home!

Suggested Equipment

Fortunately, you don't need much equipment to get a great workout at home. A couple of kicking pads or a heavy bag will do the trick. Then you just need a couple items like a jump rope, some dumbbell sets up to 30 pounds, maybe an AirFit, a BOSU ball, 10lbs medicine ball, stability ball and a long, thick resistance band. With just a great imagination you can literally have millions of combinations of workouts for any martial art or sport.

What to Train

When you are training at home the first thing to realize is that you want to train the techniques you actually know. It would be counterproductive to train a move on your 10,000 times just to find out it is completely wrong. Please don't spend hours on youtube trying to become a master. There are a lot of nuisances to training which an instructor can share with you in class, that they won't and usually can't through a video. Also, an instructor can make on the spot corrections to help you progress faster. As a teacher I encounter a lot of people who do improper home training, so they spend the a lot of time unlearning bad habits once they join our academy.

How Long to Train

One of the most common misconceptions about training time and frequency is that you have to train for a very long time... well that is correct. Actually the misonception is that you have to give 100% muscular and cardio effort to get a great workout. Well, let me tell you, not only do you not need to train all day 7 days a week, but you do not have to try to kill yourself every session.  I work out pretty hard, but I also take breaks in my routines, proportionate to that effort. Futhermore, the difference is training with 100% mental focus. There are so many skills, drills and techniques you can work on with a partner or by yourself. You have to make up in your mind that you want to get better no matter what and train with what equipment and surroundings you have available.


Don't Overdue It


The worst thing that pro athletes do is overtrain. The worst thing that those wishing to be a higher level athlete do is over train. Think of it like a train, since that is the root word for over training. You can load a train up and take it to a destination sure enough. However there will be times along a long voyage where the train worker may have to take a minute to grab more fuel from storage or maybe the Conductor will need to rest and let the Assistant Conductor take over the nexf shift. All I am alluding to is that we all need breaks to refuel and rest our bodies.

I hope I addressed some of the concerns you had about how to train when you absolutely can't make it to class. Remember as well, martial arts is about discipline and the most important part of this is being disciplined in showing up to class when at all possible.

vr/

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

3 Reasons Women SHOULD Do MMA

Yudansha MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is comprised of training in Jiu-jitsu, Judo, Kickboxing and Arnis (Filipino Knife and Blade). It is a well-rounded approach to martial arts, a holistic view if you would. No one style do we call better, but we know that we should strive to become the best we can at each phase of martial combat, e.g. striking, clinching and grappling.

For women, MMA and Jiu-jitsu have not been very popular sports. While there are plenty of women doing the sports, there are far more who shy away from all the bodily contact, the machismo attitudes and the ruffians who don't know their own strength and beat all the would-be, dedicated female students to shreds.

The first thing that women should realize, and teachers for that matter, is that people train for different reasons. Most women train for self defense and only a few train for competition. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion to your instructor, and instructors don't hesitate to ask these important questions. Not everyone determines a great class by how many bruises they have on their body.

Most people want to learn in a safe, de-pressurized environment where they can excel at a steady pace without being thrown to the wolves in any aspect of their training.

So, now that we have prepared the foundation of information, here are the 3 Reasons Why Women SHOULD Do Yudansha MMA.

1. Practical Self Defense

People are crazy out there nowadays. You never know when an emergency might arise and what you will need to do in that situation. Survival mode will kick in and you just hope that all of your preparation will help you and your family members, friends or whomever is involved survive. Yudansha MMA will teach each women practical self defense movements for offense and defense to be used against smaller or larger opponents, and even how to properly wield and defend against weapons.

2. Confidence

Every single woman that I have trained has gotten stronger and stronger every week, every month. Looking back at videos of when they began is like night and day. Confidence and skill come through repetition and constant improvement. Most importantly though, students must have a focused resolve.

3. Stronger Body, Stronger Mind

Yudansha MMA will build supreme levels of muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Keeping your body in tip top shape not only means you may live a happier and healthier life, but your mind will become just as quick and sensitive to danger as your body.  Tough training mixed with a healthy diet and living can make you a well tuned, howbeit lady like,  machine.

Thank you for tuning in and if you have any questions about training, or if you are an instructor with any questions please leave a comment.

v/r
Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa 
www.twitter.com/CapoeiraOkinawa

No Day Off from Leadership

Leadership is a way of life. Even though 97% of us are content to be followers, at some times in our lives we will take on leadership roles. Then others will continuously be business or community leaders their whole lives in one way or another.

The driving quality a leader will and must have is influence. As one of the greatest Leadership speakers put it, "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." - John C. Maxwell.   The influence that we have with our families, students, neighbors, friends and business partners comes through trust built over time.

Everyone is watching us, because they want to believe and hope in something positive and good that they can support. So, there is no Day Off from Leadership. Leadership is a constant state of leadING. We are not only leading on the mat but off the mat. We are leading when we are sitting at the diner having an ice cream cone. We are leading at a PTA meeting with our kids.

We are always leading, and we should always be growing and cognizant of the fact that whether you like it or not... people look up to you. Some will tell you they do, most will not, but many you will find out years from now when you need the encouragement the most.

v/r
Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

Surround Yourself with Amazing People

As sure as their are dreamers and visionary people in this world there are people who like to rain on your parade. Mentor relationships are almost a thing of the past when it comes to rearing us to a life of character and integrity, barely even occurring from father to son or mother to daughter in our post modern, technologically advanced world. Thus hardwork and perseverance are not something that many of the younger generation look to. The older generation understood and took joy in hardwork, because they knew that is the only way to become experience true success.

So, when you set out to doing something great or out of the ordinary, as the old proverb says, "Those who would be wise, should walk with the wise."  I have found that when I lose my way in the grand scheme of things, or find myself surrounded by obstacles and hardships in life or in business, I have to connect or reconnect with Amazing People.

Amazing people are those in your life who make the room brighter by walking in. They are successful in areas in many areas of life that you would like to be, and they always have words of encouragement. Amazing people have a way of walkin you back to your path to success with a new motivation. These are the type of people that you want to surround yourself with. Negative people are looking for any trashcan to throw their trash in, but as a leader, avoid getting caught in their web of destruction. You don't have time for people say it can't be done, when you are already doing it!

v/r

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

Locked on Vale Tudo Fights, Feb 23, 2013 with Yudansha MMA at Capoeira Academy Okinawa in Japan

What and awesome time we had at Locked On: Vale Tudo and Kickboxing Fights. Nicholas Lipton, came out a like a Lion and destroyed the Japanese Judoka in a swift and fierce fashion. From the bell and the touching of the gloves, Nick swarmed him and destroyed him through shear strength of heart. Nick ended up  taking him out with a Read Naked Choke, as they guy tried to escape for dear life. What a well deserved victory! 

Benjamin "Foguete (The Rocket)" Moriniere, came out guns blazing with speed and accuracy delivering a flashy array of Capoeira style kicks. He kept his opponent at bay, a Japanese Judo and Jiu-jitsu expert, with his long reach and tricky bobbing and weaving. Sensei through in handful of Judo take downs as well. The fight went the distance and ended in a draw. Unfortunately  the promotion no longer gives points for take downs in a match, but only for striking and submission attempts. 

As always, we want to say THANK YOU to all of the parents and students who came out to support the event. We do it for you, and we could not do it without your support. We love you, God bless you and yours and see you in class!

Don't Set Out to Make Money, Set Out to Make a Difference

As a business entrepreneur you will be faced with many challenges, especially if teaching martial arts professionally is your calling. Just like any start up you will have to make many decisions, and some of those will require you to choose between a slow and steady path or a get rich quick mentality. When you are new in business you tend to think everyone will want to come to your school and you will have so many students right away. Sure that could happen, but the pace generally follows a steady growth rate through hard work. You will find that in any business your passion for what you do will draw the resources to you like a magnet. Here are some quick points.

Don't Focus on Money

Focus on Making a Difference. When you start to make a difference in people's lives and in the community that is when your students and community will rally to your business. As you help others reach their goals yours will come to fruition. As your business continues to build momentum many things will begin to seemingly fall into place with a lot less struggle. When you need something, or when you have a big project to tackle, visionary people and resources will find their way to you.

Don't Focus on Making a Bigger School

A giant school does not necessarily mean success, giant students do. In other words, don't worry about trying to get as many students as you can, but on building leadership and motivation throughout your team. If you have never heard of the 5 Levels of Leadership, I suggest doing a quick study. You will find that the higher level of leadership you develop in your staff and student body, the more exponential growth will occur. Futhermore, growing too fast could have a horrible effect on your ability to be a manager. You don't want your business to grow past your level of leadership. It is a terrible tragedy that happens to many business owners.

Don't Focus on a Bigger Curriculum

Curriculum programs are another classic mistake of martial arts business owners. What I mean is that you try to pack all the latest and greatest into your training trying to appease the MMA and Capoeira superstar, Gracie wannabees that watch too many Youtube videos but don't understand hard work and the process of time. You can teach a person a new move everyday, or some flashy sequence and guess what, it will never work when they need it. Don't focus on a bigger and "cooler" curriculum, but on the progression of your students. Steady growth is what you want to see, and you should share that with new students up front. Those who want to have a great martial journey will stay, those who are looking to be flashy superstars... well, the students that stay on board will tap them out or KO them at a future event. Martial arts is a lifelong journey, not a sprint.

So, as you continue to build your martial arts business. Focus on these three points. Do it because you believe in what you do, because you believe in helping other people and lastly because you are interested in seeing them progress through a quality program.


v/r

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
Capoeira Academy Okinawa & Yudansha MMA Okinawa
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

Yudansha Fighting System MMA Rashguards

Yudansha Fighting System MMA, founded in 1988 by O Sensei Mike Veros, is a complete martial arts system with its roots in Danzan Ryu Jiu-jitsu. This awe inspiring system was modern MMA back in the old days. No forms or kata, just realistic training in Jiu-jitsu, Judo, Kickboxing and Arnis.

After months and months of work and redesign the Yudansha rashguard has finally arrived. Made by Tatami, the worldwide provider of jiu-jitsu training great and clothing, they are printed with the finest inks and completely sublimated. This means that it is not going to rub off like cheaper brands or Mom and Pop printers. We look forward to continously spreading the word about Yudansha (black belt or above) around the world through these beautifully designed rashguard. (More clothing to come).

We hope that you like the design and if you would like to get one they will be available on our website for purchase, while supplies last.  www.capoeira-okinawa.com

v/r

Benjamin Moiniere "Sensei"
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

Wrestling Dropped From The Olympics

It is official... wrestling has been dropped from the Olympic Games.  After thousands of years, the ancient sport has taken to the sidelines, and it is a very sad day indeed.

We all know that the Olmpics are about the spirit of competition, but even more so they are abut big money sponsors getting their names pubslished worldwide. The Olmpics have always been like the world superbowl that occurs every 4 years, and as such they are always looking for each event to be something magical in its own right. The more magic the event, the more sponsors support it, and the more of the viewing population buy into world fads.

Apparently, the sport of wrestling is no longer drawing in the fans it once did. I don't think it is because people enjoy wrestling anymore, or enjoy the more entertaining versions more, but I do think a lot of the wrestling world has moved on to either Submission Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.

It will be strange to see what happens in the next few years with this decision. I also wonder what sports will be added, maybe BJJ will finally make its way into the Olympics?

The 4 Dangers of Under Training

In the martial arts, and definitely in the sports world, you will hear all about the Dangers of Over Training. Everyone will tell you how your body needs rest or maybe the difference between being hurt and being injured. I always laughed at the last one as a young man, but now I say that to my students all the time. 

Well, let's look at it in reverse, because the problem with most of us is not that we over-do something, but rather we don't give our 100% effort in the first place!  The funniest part about improving or wanting to be successful at something is that we don't give 100% but we expect 100% success, or 100% Return on Investment. Crazy Right? I am sure we can all agree that, that does not pass the common sense test.

So, now I present to you the Dangers of Under Training....

1. You Fall Behind Your Peers

The students that over train represent a very small percentage of students. Again, most students, when they miss training, are doing absolutely nothing at all. Every time you come to class and you don't give your 100% to training, or you frequently miss a day here, or two days there, you will notice your peers start to distance themselves from you in skill. Even if you are a "natural," that only accounts for so much when your peer is someone who is truly training their hardest every class AND has great attendance.

2. You Lose Confidence

Now that all the folks you started with, or even the beginner's coming up are making you look bad, or have learned a lot of new things, you start losing confidence. Hopefully this sparks a fervor to train harder, but sometimes it does not and the downward spiral of under training continues.

3. You Quit Training

You have had enough at this point. You are tired of everyone beating you, or not being able to understand why you can't "Get It." You are tired of yelling at yourself to get better. Now, you either stop doing martial arts through making some sort of excuse that you know is not true before you thought of it, or you move from team to team, from fitness program to program, or diet to diet going through the same web of dangerous destruction. While moving around you fail to realize that if you move around and get the same results, it is not the programs... it is you. 

If you were training hard side by side with your peers you would grow together and would not be able to readily notice how far they may have passed you up. But like leaving a plant to grow, if you plant the seed today and come back in a few weeks you are going to see a big sprout coming up very quickly. Students are growing everyday, or falling behind everyday. Which one do you want to be?

4. Inneffective When Needed

Maybe the saddest part about under training is that when you actually need to use it one day it doesn't work! Years of training at 99%, don't account for real life sitations that require not %100, but  %110 of your mental and physical efforts. I talked to a man the other day who is a bouncer at a military club, and I invited him out to the gym to learn more in our Yudansha MMA program. The first thing he said back to me was, "I fought an MMA guy one time, and he could not do anything. He was pitiful and subpar, like he didn't even know how to fight." I assured him that it is definitely the way the person trained, and that at our gym we Train Hard and Train Often.

The best advice I can give anyone, is to keep up your attendance and give all you can each class. You will continue to see steady growth and instead of thinking that everything in life and training comes easy, you will put yourself into a class all by yourself, and become a TRUE martial artist. It is so much better for your instructor to tell you to "Slow down and pace yourself," than "You need to train harder."

v/r

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

TEL 098-936-8883

www.capoeira-okinawa.com

www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

Pillow Talk - A Remedy for Aching Back Muscles

One of the most common injuries for martial artists, or any active person for that matter, are injured or inflamed muscles in the back. All of the twisting, bending and even over training in Capoeira, Jiu-jitsu, Kickboxing, Judo, etc. can really tweak your back and ruin a great day or  make your think twice about an upcoming performance or competition.

Did you know that one of the major problems for getting your back to heal faster is a SLEEPING problem? When we sleep our bodies can truly go to work healing us up, but the way we sleep can keep the healing process moving backwards.  For the most part, our neck and back alignment causes undue stress on the back muscles, which in turn does not allow them to heal as fast as they could. The body spends most of its time compensating for unnatural sleeping postures instead of healing.

  

Well, here comes your pillow to the rescue. Here are a couple of quick tips to use your pillow for a better nights rest while your back is recovering. Hope this helps.

Sleeping On Your Back

When sleeping on your back. Place your pillow under your thighs closer to your knees than your buttocks. This will elevate your legs slightly and cause your spine to align to a more natural curve.

Sleeping on Your Side

If you like to sleep on your side, take your pillow and place it between your thighs. This will cause your hips to align with your spine for a more natural curve.

Sleeping on Your Stomach

For those who like to sleep on your stomach, place the pillow right under you hips, or the lower part of your abs. This will cause your spine to align to a more natural curve.

I hope this helps you get better sleep at night. Most of all remember that this is for minor injuries. If there is something serious going on with your back, e.g. persistent pain for a few days, you really should consult a licensed physician. Everything contained in this blog should be used at your own risk and liability.

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

Capoeira Academy Okinawa | Yudansha MMA Okinawa | Girl World Ladies Kickboxing

TEL 098-936-8883

www.capoeira-okinawa.com

www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa



11 Ways to Improve your Capoeira for MMA

Capoeira, the Brazilian martial arts characterized by fluid, powerful movements and acrobatics set to music, is definitely on a rise in today's MMA world. Lots of well trained fighters who have a base style of Capoeira are making headlines on a worldwide scale, mostly due to their exciting knockouts and agility in the ring. Oh... and definitely the celebratory victory dances.

For many years though, Capoeira was never taken seriously in the ring or in the martial arts world as an effective martial art. Times are changing so let's cover a few points of how the "Capoeira Fighter" has developed over the last few years. Now, don't confuse the martial artist with a fighter. Both disciplines call for a certain level of specific training.

Typically when you see pure Capoeira training you may see passive or aggressive training or even crazy and awe inspiring demonstrations.  Realize though, that the nice demonstrations or classes you have seen are only one side of Capoeira; the fun and playful side. This is why Capoeira is referred to as a game between to players. On the other side of the coin you have a very brutal Capoeira likened to Muay Thai with elbows, knees, headbutt, razor blades and very tricky movements, most of which can cause a traumatic damage or KO an opponent. Moreover, 90% of these movements come from completely unpredictable, crazy angles.

One of the saddest commentaries for years, has been the Capoeira fighters who are really not fighters (or who don't fight very well) who try to fight using Capoeira in MMA or sparring competitons. They dance around and get quickly subdued and the video goes viral. Luckily for the Capoeira world, the crazy Capoeira KO's go viral as well.

Now let's get to the heart of the matter and address a few ways that will take your Capoeira, for MMA specifically, to the next level.

11 Ways to Improve your Capoeira for MMA

1. Remember Capoeira is a martial art, MMA is a sport. This realization calls for a completely different mindset.

2. Train like a Fighter, not a Capoerista. You have to become a fighter in your mind, not just a Capoeirista.

3. Find a professional strength and conditioning coach, because you are going to need it. In Capoeira class you may be used to performing high velocity movements for 15 - 30 second bursts when you buy into a Capoeira game, but in the ring it is going to be a couple of high intensity rounds with someone intent on taking your head off by any means necessary.

4. Find a professional fight coach. Unless your Capoeira professor is also a fighter or coach, you will need to find someone who can prepare you for the ring. This may call for training across several disciplines like jiu-jitsu, judo and kickboxing as well.

5. Spar Often with everyone you can. With Capoeiristas, with kickboxers, MMA, judo and jiu-jitsu fighters. Anybody and everybody.

6. Video tape your sparring sessions and improve your Capoeira for MMA.

7. Learn to recover after missing the "big" move. So many Capoeiristas miss the mark with this one. They throw a big move, then they look like a deer in the headlights when they miss. Did you expect the other person to just stand there? No right? Well learn to recover so you aren't caught wide open when you miss a big move.

8. Learn how different styled fighters react to the same moves or setups. During your sparring make sure you take note of how people from each base style of martial arts respond to your movements, feints, attacks and defense.

9. Learn the common counters for your movements from different styled fighters, then practice your attacks  in 2/3 movement sequencias to train your muscle memory. For instance, if your do a Meia Lua de Compasso and your opponent always hits you with a bencao type movement or tackles you at the end, you will need to adjust your movement, etc.

10. Don't do wild and useless attacks trying to get a big KO. Ahh yes, some people just get so excited that they throw wild and crazy Capoeira moves. These moves would be effective if they just took their time and let the fight develop. Openings for attacks are opportunities that are discovered in the moment as someone reacts or responds to you.

11. Train Hard, SPAR Often.

Benjamin Moriniere
www.capoeira-okinawa.com
www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa