Preparing a Trophy Kid Generation for Real Life in a Tough World

Trophy Kids...

Times are changing.  This is 2016. Teaching discipline and respect to the current generation takes a lot of hard work. Yelling at children is wrong, spanking children is wrong, labeling a child is wrong  unless of course there is money to be made by the drug companies for the prescribed medications.

Times are different! We all know this.

The current trend in education and sports is to raise the level of self-esteem in kids (and adults) through rewarding them for participation, regardless of the effort or lack of effort involved. In some scholastic programs, kids are passed to the next grade even if they don't pass their classes, teacher's aids may even end up actually doing their homework for them.


WE ARE ALL WINNERS! But are we?

Since the mid 1990's, I have had the opportunity to teach and lead young adults and children through some of the toughest and greatest moments of their lives, providing mentorship, providing the assistance they needed to overcome their obstacles.  Throughout that time I have come to realize, and will show you, that our current Trophy Kid generation is headed for big trouble if we as parents, teachers, coaches, or mentors, continue to enable this debilitating behavior and practice.

Here are the major reasons that the Trophy Kid/Adult mentality stagnates our society.

Kids Stop Living up to their Potential

If kids know they will receive an award, trophy or martial arts belt regardless of how hard they work, or DON'T work, then what is the point of trying to do your best?

You see the same thing from adults who work for organizations that reward everyone across the board, or provide annual pay raises across the board whether you worked hard or not. Even worse is when employees see slackers get a performance rating just as high, or higher than those who are truly working their butts off.

Kid’s are Paralyzed by Failure

All day, every day, parents are snapping pictures and photos and putting them on their social media pages; however, we generally only post the most perfect of those pictures and videos. Our lives are perfect, our marriages are perfect, our kids are perfect right?

Here is how this scenario backfires. First, kids get so used to being a winner, even when they are doing something wrong, that all they care about is being a winner, being perfect. These are the types of kids who have a complete break down when they are unable to do something at school or in sports perfectly. It is not even that they are doing it bad or wrong, just not as good as some of the other kids.

They can't handle that, and you can see the frustration begin to set in. You can see their eyes glance back to their parents, coaches or teachers every couple of seconds in the hopes that their parents, teachers or coaches are not witnessing their less than perfect attempts.  The Trophy Life paralyzes kids, physically and mentally. It is unhealthy.

Fixated on Mistakes

Next, kids get so overwhelmed by their own perfectionism that they stop looking at how far they have come in school, their grades, sports, or martial arts and they constantly fixate their language and attitudes on their mistakes.  They become negative, detached, all work and no play, overly competitive, and may bully or lash out at kids who they can't outshine.

They can become the whiny, negative kid that no one wants to be around, or other parents don't want their kids around.  Why, because the kids can become a ticking fuse that can short circuit every time things don't go their way, or when mom and dad are not overly proud of their current efforts at a given activity.

No Longer Fooled by Trophies

Make no mistake, you can't fool kids for long. Kids learn 50% of everything they need to know about surviving in life by the age of 5... Again, you won't fool them for long. Eventually kids figure out that even though they are horrible at a given activity, that people will continue to give them things. i.e. recognize them, i.e. show them some attention, if they participate.

Over time, participating and coming in last place, or embarrassing moments can take their toll and a kid will not want to participate at all.  After all, "What is the point, I am going to come in last anyway" right?

Lack of Motivation

Finally, kids come to the point where they lose all motivation for an activity, or school, or you name it. They don't give their best, because they know they will get rewarded regardless, but then they want to progress because they all of their peers start progressing right past them.

They are too far behind the pack to fake it, an too under motivated to catch up. So they mentally quit, and then eventually do it physically.

HOW DO WE FIX THE PROBLEM?

Let's start the progress back to sanity by seeing what an NFL player, James Harrison, recently did:


"I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I'm not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best...cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better...not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut you up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues"


1.  Teach your kids, that life is not easy, life is often unfair, and nothing is dished out in equal portions - not singing voices, not good looks, not athletic ability, not intelligence, nothing. We all have varying levels of all of these right?


2.  Teach your kids that due to these varying levels of skill and abilities, sometimes you will not win, because you were not the best person TODAY; however, if you work hard, you can become the best person TOMORROW.


3.  Realize that participation trophies, medals, certificates and promotions can cause kids to underachieve. Underachievement shows up as a lack of motivation, and resentment for activities or people they once cared deeply about, but who are now their competitor for attention in some way.

Also, in extreme, but all too common cases, kids can start getting into trouble. Why, because they figure out that they are not, and life is not as perfect as the picture we painted as parents, teachers and coaches. They come face to face with their mistakes and shortcomings and if they can't live up to your expectations in a good way, to get attention, a trend of negative behavior can begin. In other words, "speak good of me, speak bad of me, but speak of me."


4. Tell your kids that you love them often, and that love does not mean that you will dismiss laziness, lack of motivation, or bad behavior, but that you will push them to succeed, to give their best at every turn.   Even if the current trends in our society see kids never leaving home because they are comfortable, that does not mean, we, as parents will always be there to hold their hand.  More often that not though, they will venture out into Real Life in a Tough World that does play by our family rules. We have to prepare them for this now.


TODAY IS THE DAY TO MAKE A CHANGE IN YOUR FAMILY, FOR LEGACY'S SAKE. Let kids learn the meaning of hard work again, to know the pain of failure, and the joy's of success. Without the pain of success, it is tough to break out of their cocoon and fly away with strength in their wings.


Thank you for reading, please comment below, or share with your friends and family.

Benjamin Moriniere is a martial arts expert, entrepreneur, business consultant and motivational speaker living in Okinawa, Japan. Visit www.StayHumbleKickHard.com for more information.

4 Tips that Will Stop you from Being a Quitter - Stay Humble, Kick Hard

4 Tips that Will Keep you from Being a Quitter.

In today's first world we have quit built into our lives like no other time in history. We quit when our happiness fades, we quit when we have a couple of bad days in a row, we quit because it is easy and convenient. So we think.

Here are 4 tips that I hope you will use to create a better world for you and yours. A world without a quitter's mentality.

1. Remember why you Started!

Time and daily trials quickly make us take our eyes off of why we started a new job, got married, or began a new hobby like martial arts.

Remembering why you started will help you to refocus your energies back onto your goals and dreams, on what you love and are passionate about.

2. Positive People

You have got to stop listening to negative people, and taking advice from people, especially friends and family, who don't know what they are talking about.

Hang around people that add value to you through truthful, love-filled, encouraging words.

3. Never Give Up

Never give in to the pressure. The pressure is designed to make you a stronger father, mother, fighter, employee, etc.

When you go to work, and you love your job, you do everything you can to overcome, because that is what your boss expects of you. Great leaders want you to figure it out, not make excuses why it can't be done.

Likewise, if you are going to conquer the struggles in your life, then learn to figure out ways to work through your setbacks. Learning to work through your setbacks can be a victory in itself, even without actually accompishling a grand, specific goal.

4. You Will Not Be Happy Everyday

If you think or were told marriage, your dream job, martial arts, college, or anything else you love to do would bring you happiness everyday, then you are living in a fairy tale.

You have to be able to allow yourself to have bad days, not in the sense that you allow yourself to feel defeated, but that you recognize that they are a part of life.

Now, the key to harnessing this specific tip, is to realize that you can't let bad days define the totality of a relationship, with your training, or with your job satisfaction.

Learn how to shake it off fast, and not shift so much negativity towards those around you. Don't give up on the war just because you lost a few battles. This a lifelong journey.

Thank you for reading and tuning in to this blog and video.

Stop by the main website at www.stayhumblekickhard.com and catch the video version as well https://youtu.be/lwqhU7IQfBM

Benjamin Moriniere  ''Sensei''

3 Reasons Why I Dislike CrossFit-Style Workouts and Why Cross Fit Coaches are Destroying HIIT Protocols

Here are the top 3 reasons that I dislike Crossfit workouts, and why I think fitness enthusiasts, martial artists, sports coaches and athletes should find a better workout regimen. 

Before I get into the meat of this post, I want to mention that I am not against working out hard, but I am against a philosophy that is doing more damage than good, that can leave you in a world off pain, sometimes unrecoverable, for the rest of your life. 

...and here we go!

Philosophy... The REAL One

According to the CrossFit's website, "CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity. All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more."

Sounds great right? I am sure the creator CrossFit, Greg Glassman, created the workout regimen because he knew it would change the world. It has, but somewhere in the booming, growing stages of CrossFit, something went wrong. 

People began to solely focus on getting the best time, and the most reps, and much less on a safe, sustainable workout that pays dividends to your health now and in the future. 

Back when I was a younger martial artists and trainer, I thought doing thousands of kicks a day was "the" way to to train, the way to get better. I though the pain in my hip was hard work, and never realized it was just the grinding of my hip on kicks 200 to 1,000, because kick 199 was the last kick I did with proper form.

There is a way to train hard, but safely and CrossFit has lost this aspect. When, I hear someone talk about their CrossFit workouts in passing, I glance over and the first thing I think to myself is, "I hope they don't get hurt."  Not because I am a hater, but because I actually care! I care about the fitness and martial arts journey, over a life a time, not a few lifts to get their name on the board of a CrossFit Box.

If this was a few years ago, I would have said that CrossFit needs an overhaul of its current training philosophy, but in 2016, I would say that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has rightfully replaced CrossFit. 

I would encourage you to do some research for yourself, to see how HIIT protocols have proven to provide the most gains, the most bang for the buck of any type of workout, and when that is coupled with a safe, knowledgeable instructor or coach, people can't help but improve their health, safely and over time... did I mention safely? 

Purpose

"Functional Fitness" is what CrossFit calls their workouts. Fitness, yes - functional, are you sure?  I choose the Burn With Kearns MMA Fitness HIIT protocol as my regimen to help students melt fat and have a ton of fun doing it, and guess what, we perform some of the same "CrossFit" typical exercises (gasp).  

The difference is WHY we do it, and I am speaking directly to purpose. Every exercise I give to a client or student has a functional purpose, i.e. I can communicate to them exactly what this movement or that movement translates to in "real" life, or in the MMA ring or when they are fighting a war in Afghanistan. It is a rule of those I have graduated to the level of instructor, that at every moment, they must be able to provide the WHY to any exercise.  That is true  functional fitness, and that communication, which I have never seen or or heard of being provided in a CrossFit workout, is the bridge between connecting the body to the mind. Once the mind is actively thinking its way through routines, people are able to give more to the workout, which equals better results... faster. 

To be fair though, I have to knock the majority of pure HIIT trainers as well. I see them follow in suite with CrossFit mined instructors, never providing the purpose of training, they why or "what does it all mean" to participants.

Injuries

Come on now, you know I could not talk about CrossFit in this manner, without talking about injuries. You see, both the philosophy and lack of purposed functional fitness in CrossFit lend itself to injuries.  I mentioned earlier that when I hear of someone who just started CrossFit, I think to myself, or say to them if they ask me what I think, "Be safe and don't get hurt."

With a philosophy so bent on getting the best time, doing the more reps, or just pushing your body too far causing massive shoulder, back, hip and knee injuries, no wonder smart gyms, sports teams and fitness facilities are quickly moving to HIIT style workouts. Business owners and coaches saw the rise in injuries, i.e. lost clients and athletes, i.e. lost revenue, and had to make a change. 

Even the US military, who used to be super gung-ho for CrossFit style routines, shrunk away from the force destabilizing workout regimens. Military members were becoming combat ineffective, unable to perform their duties in the war zone, because they were stuck back home completing physical therapy.  All because they wanted to do more reps, or get a better time than their battle buddy.  Once the military began to notice an alarming trend, they began to look for a better, safer solution, and found that in HIIT protocols.

HIIT protocols should be safer, theoretically. However, CrossFit coaches within the military system, who suddenly had to ditch Crossfit for HIIT, found themselves trying to instruct their same target audiences, but with a different philosophy and similar but different rules. This has been disastrous, seeing that the HIIT (or the Army's self named Extreme Condition Program, ECP) continues to have high rates of injury. 

CrossFit trainers need re-training so that they can enter into the HIIT world fully prepared to provide a much different experience; a much safer experience. They need to learn how to develop basic techniques, to modify techniques due to existing injuries, to teach people to focus on being healthy for the long term. Coaches and others need to realize that although Muhammad Ali said he didn't start counting his sit-ups until they started hurting, is not saying that he conceded to do sloppy sit-ups just so that he could meet his number for the day. Coaches also need to be able to relay the true, functional purpose of an exercise or routine, and relate it to practical movements.

Now, I know there are tons of people reading this blog that may completely disagree with what I am saying, and there are some who completely agree, but nevertheless, here is what I hope. I hope that if you do continue CrossFit, that you don't get hurt. That you find the purpose in every workout and every movement, and that you can train for the rest of your life. Here is reality though. I don't know many people who did not eventually get a major injury due to CrossFit. It may not have been when they started out, and it may not have been after a few years, but it eventually caught up to them one day.

In upcoming posts, we will talk about how you can meet the transition that is already occurring, the leap from CrossFit to HIIT protocols. There are some things that every one needs to know, both as a participant, and as a coach. STAY TUNED.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about CrossFit and HITT.

BENJAMIN MORINIERE "Sensei" 

Owner / Head Instructor / Performer / Fighter / Master Fitness Trainer (BwK Level 3)

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Muhammad Ali - 5 Awesome Quotes from a Runaway Mouth

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer. Early in his career, Ali was known for being an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and outside the boxing ring. 

No matter whether we agree with his views, beliefs or even whether he was the greatest boxer of all time, a person of his caliber definitely has something to share through words of wisdom. 

Here are a few quotes from his life that resonate with me as a martial artist and an entrepreneur! 

1. The man who views the world the same at 50, as he did when he was 20, wasted 30 years of his life.

2. Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer. 

3. It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe. 

4. I hated every minute of training, but I said to myself, Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion. 

5. I've made my share of mistakes on the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven't lived in vain.

Thank you for taking a look at my blog. Let me know your thoughts on Ali,  his spectacular career and his efforts in the community.

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

@CapoeiraOkinawa

5 Essential Workout Tools for People on the Go

You are busy, have places to go and things to do! However, getting a good workout in is a priority for you right, because we all know how missing a few workout days can truly dampen our mood, and set back our gains.

Here is the solution to your travel woes and the busy 15#.  These 5 items are affordable, compact, go anywhere tools that will help keep you on track! Be sure to follow my page, to get exclusive new exercises for each piece of equipment.

1.       Jump Rope

Ah, the tried and true jump rope. If you can only grab one item, then this is what you should grab. The benefits are endless, and you can mix in traditional, interval and even reactionary exercises to spice up your routines as needed. Speed up, slow down, get funky with it!

2.       Stability Ball w/ Pump

Amazingly, you can deflate a stability ball after it has been inflated, and pack the ball and your small pump into your suitcase. I know you have never thought of that! We tend to inflate the ball and leave it like that indefinitely, but yes, if you pack it up, it will only take 5 minutes to inflate it again, especially if you have a smaller ball. 

I recommend a smaller ball for busy travelers.  Instead of the huge 55-70cm range, I recommend something more in the 25-40cm range. These smaller stability balls give you instant access to challenging exercises that will build balance, core strength, abs, arms, legs and hips.

3.       Agility Ladder

A great tool to get the heart rate going and to work on your footwork, agility, strength, endurance and balance all at the same time. Matter of fact, you can modify the rungs on the ladder to cut down on space. Instead of a 10 rung ladder, try a five rung ladder and work on moving forward and backward, or building the directional changes into your footwork.

4.       WearBands

One the most awesome and effective breakthroughs in portable exercise equipment in a long time. Wearbands provide a go anywhere, do anything challenge in speed, agility and power. The bands keep your legs and core activated at all times i.e. there is no cheating with Wearbands on, which can increase the same workout by 25%, or cut your regular workout time by 25% for those who have busy schedules. Grab yours today at www.wearbands.com and use my code "wearbandssensei" to get a 10% discount.

5.       Bungee

A tool I use almost everyday to enhanc-ify what could seemingly be a normal workout. It packs tight and comes in various thicknesses and amounts of resistance.  I tend to like the tough bungees with around 100lbs of resistance, because I do a variety of martial arts movements. However, you will want to get the one the best suits your workout needs.

Busy people still love to work out, and through today's crazy, awesome gadgets we can all do the more efficiently. I hope you enjoyed the blog. Please leave a comment below. I would like to know what you thought about this blog, or answer any questions you may have. If you would like me to address a certain topic as well, please let me know.

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

Martial Artist and Entrepreneur in Japan

www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa

@CapoeiraOkinawa

When Hate comes to Paradise ~ Okinawa, Japan

I live on the other side of the world, literally, from where I was raised in Texas. For the last 12 years, though, I have called Okinawa, Japan my home, and I love it here!

It is a beautiful place in a beautiful country, rich with culture all around. However, there is no perfect place in the world, and our communities have their own problems too.

Okinawa is a place that was devastated during the final days of World War 2, when the Japanese military dug themselves into the mountains and caves of Okinawa and fought until the end, many of whom committed ritual suicide rather than surrender.

Unfortunately, and tragically, over a quarter of a million civilians on Okinawa also lost their lives as the US military peppered the island with artillery shells trying to uproot the Japanese Imperial Navy.

Since then the road has been anything but cordial. Well, without heartache. Every so often in our modern Okinawa, an American commits a heinous crime of hate and/or passion against a Japanese citizen and it completely devastates all of the steps the Okinawans and Americans took towards each other in the years leading up to a crime. This, coupled with the protest by Okinawans and mainland Japanese to return to lands that US bases occupy back to Okinawa, are a dark cloud always looming on the horizon, that can blow in at anytime.

Right now, for many Okinawas in the Okinawa community, the hate runs deep. I think being an African American who grew up in Texas, sometimes living in townships that were openly hostile towards African Americans, has someone what prepared me for the hate, but it does not dismiss the fact that our little island is going through some massive changes. Things will never be the same again, and maybe they should not be.

In the coming weeks, all of us will come to know who we really are, the value of human life, but I hope the power of true love for our fellow man.

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

Hard Work and Consistency Breed Success SO NEVER GIVE UP

It is simple… NEVER GIVE UP.

After training thousands of people in martial arts and fitness over the years, I can tell you there is NO substitute for hard work, and coming in a close second is attendance, i.e. consistency.

A champion in life or anything is someone that falls down but never gives up, a black belt is a white belt that never quit, a winner is a person that just won’t take losing for an answer…  Consistent hard work breeds success, period.

Here is the thing though… All successful people experience some valleys in their lives, but find a way to not only overcome doldrums, but use those down and out times or feelings to fuel self-development and progress.

I have had the honor and privilege of being a champion at many different things in life from football, to track and field, martial arts and even designing buildings.

One thing is for sure. On the way towards every single one of those life-changing moments, I ran into some horrible, terrible obstacles, failed many times and definitely lost a lot.

The only way past those obstacles though, especially when you fall flat on your face, is sheer will power, faith and a lot of stubbornness; hopefully a dash of great support through friends and mentors.

In parting let me leave you with a quick story. During my time as a logistics officer with the US Army, part of my job was to ensure that we kept our forces fueled. Sometimes the source of the fuel was a “gas station” or sometimes it was a huge oil tanker in the harbor. We would hook up extremely long hoses, or run the fuel through pipelines for miles so that the fuel could reach its destination. Sure enough there were hills, valley, rivers and mountains that pipelines had to navigate.  So, every so often we prepared a pumps station. This pump station provided an extra PUSH for the fuel, especially when the fuel pipeline was traveling up an incline. Otherwise the fuel would slow down to the point where it was too heavy and the pressure was too great for the fuel to reach its destination.

Well, friends, make up in your mind that each goal is not an end point, but a pump station in a much longer journey called life. Stay consistent, push forward and when you reach a goal, it will provide you the motivation and energy to keep reaching for the next goal.

NEVER give up, NEVER give in. NEVER quit. You CAN do it!

~ Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"

5 Ways to Harness the Power of Saying THANK YOU to Employees

Money aside, fulfillment in one’s job is the greatest factor in determining staying power for A-level (motivated, dedicated, creative and progressive) employees. In fact, job fulfillment can easily become the leading factor, as you employee may forego the lure of larger salaries or grander benefits elsewhere, because what they do makes them feel higher than a kite.

Enter the manager that does not know how to say THANK YOU, or does not even realize that they should… )=

A-level employees do a great job, not for kudos, but because they genuinely would not have it any other way; however, EVERYONE loves a pat on the back.

Don’t get into the mindset of thinking, “It’s their job, why should I say thank you,” or worse yet, “They should be happy they have a job and a paycheck.”  If you are guilty of saying or thinking something similar, then free yourself from those chains right away. It is affecting your leadership and your team, and neither you nor they will reach your maximum potential. 

1. Say Thank you Often

Say thank you for something EVERYDAY, small or large, it makes no consequence. EVERYDAY!

2. Use the employees’ names when you say THANK YOU.

It is scientifically proven that the more you use your employee’s name when you talk, the more their brain lights up. Want to see your employees keep a positive attitude for longer, then light their brains up with positive THANK YOU + NAME combo statements on a regular basis.

3. Publish your employee’s hard work and efforts to the masses.

Your employees do some great work, and they are humble, so it is your job to brag on them a little bit.

4. Encourage Others to Share in the THANK YOU Celebration.

One of the hardest things for us to do as human beings is to love seeing other people get rewarded or succeed, especially when we could have gotten the same honors, if we would have put in the same level of work. Encouraging employees to join in on the THANK YOU celebration will be a tough pill for them to swallow, but eventually it will modify their behavior. After all, who doesn’t want to be celebrated for being a rock star ever once in a while?

5. Remind employees that you are THANKFUL.

Use billboards, social media, company publications, etc. to keep an employee of the month program, quarter, year or whatever program you determine. The point is to make sure that you have one! This is a constant reminder of your team’s hard work!

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Lastly, always remember that it is a privilege and honor to lead people towards a goal and a vision. Don’t squander the opportunity, and don’t take it for granted. Take every opportunity to learn to lead better!

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Thank you for reading. Please share and also let me know if there is another point you would add to my list! (=

 

Benjamin Moriniere “Sensei” @CapoeiraOkinawa

Martial Artist || Entrepreneur || Business Consultant || Life Coach || Motivational Speaker || Veteran US Army Officer || Master Fitness Trainer

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7 Self-Defense & Awareness Tips for Women by Benjamin "Sensei" Moriniere

I believe in and teach effective, aggressive, self-defense methods for women. I don't play games, because I know that more than likely a lady will have to use what I teach them at least once in their life.

1 out of 6 women will report being assualted, sexually or otherwise, at least once in their life time. With staggering numbers like that, the time for games and shadow boxing to high energy music is over.  

I also teach practical tips for everyday living. Tips that keep us aware of our surroundings and more importantly teach us how to respond to those situations.

Here are some practical tips that can keep you a little safer out there.

1.     When you are in a large crowd, strap your purse across your body instead of slinging it on one arm… it is much harder to grab.

2.     Put your money and valuables in your bra or inside of a secret pocket. #OldSchool

3.     Never sit in your car and read your mail or check social media without first locking your doors and rolling up your windows.

4.     Don’t be afraid of offending people by changing to the other side of the street, walking the other way, or locking your door.

5.      Wear comfortable clothes when you are in a high crime area. Defending yourself and running away in certain outfits is impractical.

6.       Trust your intuition; it is right 70% of the time.

7.      Join a martial arts class. You will be more confident and learn some great moves that could save your life. 

Benjamin Moriniere

@CapoeiraOkinawa

Www.facebook.com/CapoeiraAcademyOkinawa 

4 Pillars of Success in Martial Arts Competitions

Martial arts are great for melting fat and having a great time, and then there are those that rise to the occasion and want to compete. The first thing you should know about competing, and moreover, becoming a great competitor or champion, is that it takes sacrifice. Great competitors are not born, they are built through blood, sweat and tears.  Here are a few tips that will help your become a good competitor, and if you are already good, to become a great competitor.

1. Training and Growing your Library of Techniques

At the core of being competitive is your ability to do martial arts in a pressure-full environment. You have to always keep learning, drilling and discovering ways to use your God-given tools in better and better ways. Through experimentation you will find ways to tweak movements and techniques for your, but that takes constant, efficient training time inside and outside of regularly scheduled classes.

In regard to the efficiency and effectiveness of your workout sessions, make a plan for every training session. This plan will generally come through standard curriculum,  as used by your coach,  and additionally a plan that involves doing extra work outside of your core workout regimen.

Have a balanced approach  to training that is somewhere between the two extremes of ''let's just roll'' or ''let's just spar' and the opposite side, socializing, i.e. working your jaw muscles too much during your workouts.  Preparation time is work time. You need a training partner that understands these concepts, and is just as committed to progress as you are.

Become brilliant at the basics, because when you reach the point of exhaustion, you will fall back on your basics, and usually the person who wins when two people have reached the final limits of exhaustion, is the one with better basics.   In addition to becoming brilliant at the basics, become a specialist in a few great techniques that you can do at anytime, from anywhere, just like that.

2. Strength and Conditioning

Strength and conditioning is one of the more overlooked aspects of preparation. People seem to think that if they roll or spar long enough that their cardio should be good to go. This could not be further from the truth.

The best competitors spend just as much time in their cardio and strength training sessions as they do sparring and rolling. These competitors know that a few minutes truly going all out in the ring or on the mats can be the longest moments of your life, especially when you are out of shape.

The bottom line is that when you are tired your ability will start to naturally deteriorate, which is to be expected. However, the goal is to outlast your opponent.  Never slack on cardio, and stop cutting so much weight  so fast. It is harmful to your body. Besides, no matter how much you gain back before your actual competitions, you are not fighting at 100% whatsoever.

So, the question remains, "How much cardio should I do, and when do I know I am great shape." Well, that is a great question.  Please check out my other post called "Martial Cardio = The Rule of 5."

3. Developing a Strategy 

Do you have a competition strategy, and what is it? All great warriors and generals have a strategy, a method to their madness, even if it does not look like it. Just like any other sports activity, be keen in watching film and analyzing your opponents if possible. If you don't have film, then think your way through possibilities based on the information you do know about them.  This is a process called strategy mapping, which I will cover on a later post. For now, just remember that you need a basic strategy at the least. Just like the movies, if you go flying in without a plan, either you are one of those awesome action stars that can take down a whole army by themselves without even reloading their weapon, or you might end up as part of someone's highlight film... (=

If you don't have film and you don't know their background, analyze yourself and your weaknesses through the use of your own film, your instructors and peers. Put yourself through tough, but safe, workouts with your class mates, and analyze about how long it is before your form starts to break down, your clean technique begins to fade, your punches and kicks begin to lose power, or even when your grips begin to give out, etc. Data will help you to improve, so actually track it!

Don't be lazy! Sure people like to throw out the famous quote, "everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face," and although that is a great a quote, don't let that quote cause you to lazily prepare for upcoming competitions. Weave your natural talents into your strategy. As we mentioned before, become brilliant at the basics, and then a specialist in a few great techniques that you can do at anytime, from anywhere, just like that.

4. Mental Focus

The human mind is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, literally, but it has to be harnessed. You have to push yourself beyond your limits at every turn, and in the pursuit of becoming a champion at any level, you will find that you have no limits. It is all about what you are willing to sacrifice, and yes, victory comes at a cost.

Don't defeat yourself through lack of mental preparation. Mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation.  Many factors can weigh on your mental focus in training and in the heat of competition, and that is why you have to train your mind to perform at a constant, higher level.  Stay positive and conquer your fears at the earlier stages of preparation. If you don't conquer your fears, then they will snowball up until the day you compete. Don't use doubting words, and don't hang around or train with people that have something negative to say. It is not conducive to your preparation.

You can have the newest computer on the market, but if your hardware components can't handle the stress of the of the job you want your computer to do, then your computer will slow down or crash. Mentally, your brain has short term and long term memory, and your body has muscle memory as well.  Internal and external influences can hamper your capacity to function at the high operating level required for competition.  In other words you are going to push that computing power of your to the max.  If you currently find yourself overwhelmed, or getting trapped by techniques or challenges you should have overcome by now, then your brain needs more RAM.

The only way to expand your mental capacity for martial arts competitions is to not only train, but moreover,  trace, face and erase your fears. Erase the powerful inhibitor of fear,  and you will see yourself do better in those areas, your confidence will skyrocket. You will be ready for any challenge.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Just like any smooth running machine, the human body is little parts contributing to the success of the whole. Hopefully through reading this post, you now understand some of the factors that go into becoming a great competitor, and that small or large, each component in this machine of ours has a very important job to do.

Train hard to build muscle memory and confidence in techniques. Put in hard work during cardio and strength sessions. Develop a strategy. Squash our fears.

Wishing you the best in 2016 and beyond!


Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei" is a martial arts instructor, entrepreneur, consultant and motivational speaker who currently lives in Japan. His martial arts academy, Capoeira Academy Okinawa, has grown to be one of the biggest, most recognized academy's in Japan. @CapoeiraOkinawa

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The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Martial Arts

Have a robust Emotional Vocabulary

Did you know that only 36 percent of people are able to intelligently  vocalize their emotions?. When you are unable to clearly identify your emotions and triggers, it makes it that much harder to find a way to overcome them on your own, or through your teacher's guidance. Does getting punched in the face make you angry, or does it make you frustrated, make you feel inferior, or what? These are all different situations for which you may collectively say angry. But is it truly? Getting to the true nature of your dilemma allows you to make a better strategy to overcome the dilemma.

You’re Curiosity in Everyone Around you Helps you to Learn and Grow

Be curious about everyone's techniques; how to do it, how to escape it, variations, etc. I literally learn something new from all levels of students every single class, and that is a fact.  

Embrace the New

Throughout your martial arts journey you will have to adapt. 20 years ago the world had to adapt to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and now the world is adopting to crazy Capoeira kicks.  You will have to adapt to new movements, new breakthroughs, new escapes and positions, and if you don't, those who do adapt, will surpass you.

Know your Strengths and Weaknesses

You have to KNOW what you are good at and what you are terrible at. Know what frustrates you, and don't let those things get to you, nor let your weaknesses hold you back from going 100%. 

 Develop your Ability to Read People

Social awareness, the ability to read other people, know how they think and play the chess game, is what martial arts is all about.   This will eventually make you an exceptional competitor and an excellent judge of character over time.  You will be able to strategize with the best of them. 

Make it Difficult for People to Take you Out of your Game Plan

Firmly grasp your emotions and people will find it hard to knock you off center.  This will give you the confidence to push through the hardest opponents and tough times towards your goal. 

Know How to Say No

You have to have self-control.  You will learn to delay gratification and avoid impulsive action, which is generally a trap in martial arts. Research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, shows that the more difficulty that you have saying no to yourself, the more likely you are to be stressed out.  You can get stressed out trying to win, burning out in competition too fast, and even becoming depressed enough to pull yourself out of martial arts for a while. Say NO, and stick to your game plan.  This will also keep you healthier for a lot longer, resisting the urge to go one more round, when your body said you were done 2 rounds ago. There is a difference between mentally giving up, and you body saying "that is enough for today." The latter will keep you out of a lot of injurious situations. 

Let Go of Mistakes

Don't dwell on mistakes. Take note of them and turn them into goals. Improve on those mistakes so you are not doomed to repeat them forever. However, if you dwell on your mistakes over and over, like many of us do when competitions or fights have not gone our way, then we are wasting time that could be used to improve. Dust yourself off and train, don't let a set back continually kick you while you are down.

Don't Hold Grudges

Don't hold grudges or your opponent has already won. Grudges automatically raise your stress levels and will cause you to eventually make the wrong decisions.  Just think of villians who always end up losing because of their long winded monologues. Be quiet already and whoop some butt!

Neutralize Toxic Martial Artists

High-level martial artists are able to diffuse emotional opponents with ease (which is why you don't want to be over emotional). They are able to work with the aggression, anger, depression or whatever emotion is controlling their opponent at the time, and turn it into their own favor; successfully subduing the opponent. 

Don't Seek Perfection, Perfect your Ability to Learn

Don't spend so much time seeking perfection. Rather seek to perfect your ability to listen, to watch, take notes; to learn. 

Stop Negative Self-talk

The more you ponder negative thoughts, the more powerful those thoughts become. They are just thoughts not facts. You may not see yourself growing, because it is a process. Do you watch plants grow? No, you just come back every once in a while and notice that the seed became a sprout and that sprout became a sapling; the sapling a tree. You don't always lose, you don't always win. Absolute words like always and never are defensive words, but you need to go on the offensive to overcome these mental barriers. 

Don't Let Anyone Ruin your Training Session

You will definitely encounter characters and situations along your martial arts journey, especially some crazy instructors, that may start to suck the joy out of your martial arts. Don't let it happen. If that means moving to a new training location, or speaking with the person who is ruining your training if it is a student, then so be it.  Training hard and competing is fun, so make sure nothing or no one stands in the way of your fun. 


Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei" "Instrutor Foguete"
Capoeira Academy Okinawa
Capoeira Zoador | Yudansha MMA | Caveirinha Jiujitsu | Ladies Kickboxing
www.capoeira-okinawa.com

5 Ways to Stagnate your Federal Career

Working in the Federal job sector is a calling, but whether or not it is your calling or not, here are a few tips to keep your career from eventually stagnating or taking a toxic downturn.

1. Homesteading. Maybe your military career, or life in general, moved you around from place to place so much that you are truly looking to settle in one spot for a while. However, if you want your career to continue to develop, you can either wait for everyone ahead of you to retire or move on, or you can do like most savvy professionals and move around every few years or so. Moving around, even within the federal government, is the best way to ensure you are adding all of the positions and skills necessary to land your dream job for your high-3 retirement calculation.

2. Promotion beyond your Abilities. You have been waiting a LONG time, and the job has finally come open! You take it and find out that you were completely unprepared for the level of responsibility. You used to be the golden child of your department, and now you are just waiting to get the ax; constantly looking for a new job.

Believe it or not, this happens to a LOT of people. In the federal government, you may indeed have to wait a long time for promotions because of homesteaders, but whether you personally want to go for the carrot or whether managers senior to you are goading you on, be sure you sit down and think through the pros and cons of the promotion and go through a true period of self-reflection to determine if you have the skills and motivation to be successful in that new role.

and never… ever... forgot to talk to your family about it first.

3. Leadership through Policy. John C. Maxwell, one of the greatest leadership speakers and authors of our time, goes to great length to explain his “5 Levels of Leadership.”

The first level of leadership is leading by  title only, i.e. people follow you because of your position; because they have to. At this level of leadership, especially in a very regimented society like the federal government, you can become so entangled in leading by the letter of the law, that you begin to live in the shadows of people’s disdain for your leadership by policy mentality.

Everyone around a Level 1 leader will begin to bypass that leader and reach out to leaders who understand the “spirit” behind policies, i.e. how to use those policies to develop best business practices for the organization. Coworkers, executives and customers don't want leaders that say no to everything because of this rule or that rule, but they want leaders that say "here are your options."

4. Bad Santa. No matter how great you are at anything in life, if you have a bad attitude, you just won't make it very far. Even if you do make it further than expected, you will never reach your full potential. It just won’t happen. (If the old adage is true that it success is 10% hard work and 90% attitude, then someone with a bad attitude is only going to reach 10% of their potential).

Sad to say, there is something that happens to federal employees once they pass their probationary period, and it becomes next to impossible to be fired for performance issues. Employees lose their smiles, they start to act like customers are bothering them, or may even purposefully procrastinate on paperwork and deadlines just to prove they are in charge. 

If you are a shining example of a Bad Santa within your organization, then you need to fix that frown on your face, be happy that you have customers, coworkers or a team to lead. Remember, that your talents may carry you for a while, but one day your bad attitude will make the wrong (more influential) person mad or fed up with your attitude, and they will begin to nitpick at your work so as to systematically get rid of you.

5. The Yes Man. One of the worst aspects of working within the government is its dynamic system of continuously intensifying bureaucracy. That is why working within the government is a calling; it requires people with the certain temperament that is rarely seen in the corporate and private sector. Even worse than that is the "YES" men and women who never stand up to the bureaucracy's monotony. 

If you are going to survive in the federal job sector, you have to learn to say NO. You have to learn to say NO because it is the right thing to do, to say NO because you have higher priorities that require your attention at the time, and to say NO because there is a way to do it better. 

If you are the type of person who is able to work on the small picture while looking at the big picture (organizational mission), then you will be an asset to your organization. Be the type of team member or leader that is committed to constant improvement, and not to doing the bare minimum. Moreover be a leader who knows how to keep themselves, their team and organization on track.

Working in in the federal job sector is a great opportunity to serve one's country, but remember it is a calling. I hope that you will take the points I made here to heart, and that it will help you to reflect on where you have come from, where you are now, and where you want to be in years to come.

Benjamin Moriniere is an entrepreneur, martial artists, musician, songwriter, artist and business consultant currently living in Japan. He has worked within federal HR for 8 years and is an HR leader for the top HR Office within the US Marine Corps.