Dear Students, Teachers and Friends,

Elite Training weekend is just around the corner and we need
everyone to register as soon as they can so we can plan on the
meals. Please go to our web site and see the current schedule and
register right away. If you are coming in from out of town, please
call in your reservations now, as there are other events going on
that weekend and things are filling up quick. To get your free
breakfast and the $69 a night rate call (719) 598-5770 and tell them
you are with the American Black Belt Academy event. We have limited
space available so please go ahead and register on-line to insure
you will have a place, Go to our web site at
www.americanblackbeltacademy.com and look in the special events
section on the front page.


Quotes of the Week

THOMAS JEFFERSON:
I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more
I have of it.
"Give the American people a good cause, and there's nothing they
can't lick."

– John Wayne

DALE CARNEGIE:
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by
people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at
all.

Lesson of the Week
18 Postures – The Snake

The 18 postures have been handed down for over 1500 years and are
based on the process of trying to understand the world by observing
nature. This week we will talk briefly about the snake.

The Snake

The snake is known for its innate ability to judge distance and has
impeccable timing. Raised up and ready to strike, she knows that if
she misses her target, she will be vulnerable for a counter-attack
and therefore waits till the opponent is within range and then
delivers her quick and precise strike. In ancient Chinese thought,
the snake was used to develop strong chi or internal energy. The
snake style is known for its quick precise strikes to pressure
points on their opponents and yet retains the ability to stay on
task until completion, no matter how long it takes.

The snake tactics can be applied in ones personal life as well to
increase productivity and successes in every area of their lives.
Perhaps the most outwardly identifiable quality of a high performing
snake stylist is "action orientation".

Highly productive snake stylists take the time to think, plan and
set priorities. They then launch quickly and strongly toward their
goals and objectives. They work steadily, smoothly and continuously
and seem to go through enormous amounts of work in the same time
period that the average person spends socializing, wasting time and
working on low value activities. The precision of the snake helps
one understand the precise thing to be working on at any one time.
When you work on high value tasks at a high and continuous level of
activity, you can actually enter into an amazing mental state
called "flow." Almost everyone has experienced this at some time.
Really successful people are those who get themselves into this
state far more often than the average.


Respectfully,
Terry Bryan