Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed the Streetwise Child Protection program Mary
put together yesterday. A special thanks to all those that helped put
this event together including the Fire Department, El Paso County
Sheriff's Office and Colorado Springs Police Department.

Please check the board when you come to the dojo for upcoming events.
Belt test is usually the first Saturday of every month and this month
we are having our in-house tournament. I also hear there is going to
be an awesome Halloween party at the dojo this month.

Lesson of the Week


Attitude – Shisei

In defining what is the most important element to success, in any
endeavor, you would be hard pressed to find anything more important
than attitude. This week we will discuss the basic principles of
developing, maintaining, and demonstrating the proper attitude in
order to shorten the process of goal attainment.

In Japanese, the word for attitude is "Shisei" which is made up of
two kanji meaning shape, forces. In other words it is the attitude
that shapes the forces in our lives. Modern success coaches state the
same thing when they explain that whatever you believe in, with
conviction, will become your reality. It is this process, in which
the karate-ka learns the proper attitude in dealing with conflict and
begins to learn how to display Tamashi or an indomitable spirit. In
reality, it is this attitude that may be more important in victory on
the battlefield, than specific tactics or strategies employed.

At the foundation of proper attitude is the belief that you are
guaranteed victory as long as you do not quit. The classic
saying "nana korobi ya oki" or "fall seven times – get up eight",
represents this indomitable spirit or winning attitude. As a student
develops confidence through his martial arts training, he begins to
demonstrate this winning attitude in a variety of ways, including
speech, posture and deeds. The dojo is filled with the sounds of the
karate kiai. The kanji for kiai translates as energy, join or in
other words, "come meet my energy." The student learns how to
overcome temporary discomforts on their path towards victory. He
understands that all worthwhile accomplishments come through hard
work and perseverance, and a warrior is the epitome of those
qualities. After all, if it was easy, everyone would do it, and then
it would lose its value. Indeed the warrior attitude is priceless and
cannot be bought. It is only earned through hard work and
discipline.

The senior karate-ka learns that all actions have consequences and
through this process he or she learns to predict the actions of
others, simply through the kamae or postures that we maintain. In
combat, one never shows a weakness in his abilities, unless of
course, it is a ploy used to pull in an unexpected opponent into an
ambush. On a day-to-day basis, the modern Streetwise warrior uses
this same tactic of total confidence in every action. You notice it
as they walk across the floor or talk to others. There is a sense of
total confidence and security, hard to describe, but felt
nonetheless. Add to that elegance in action or shibumi, and you begin
to see the proper attitude of the modern warrior.

Most modern self defense coaches understand that criminal acts are
more prone to those that demonstrate a lack of confidence through
their nonverbal communication and therefore train their students that
by working on their posture and walking with a sense of purpose they
can actually diminish the possibility they may be attacked in the
first place. In some cultures, it is believed that if you learn
proper posture that your confidence and attitude will improve. Some
believe that if your self-confidence grows your posture improves.
Whichever school you come from, there is a direct correlation between
attitude and posture. Remember that the next time your Sensei adjusts
you body alignment during kata training.

The way you dress, move, talk and even think all define your
attitude. I recently saw a report that several companies, were doing
away with their dress casual policies and were asking their employees
to go back to suit and ties. It is amazing to see that during slow
times, a getting back to basics and understanding that posture has a
direct impact on the bottom line in the business world. I can assure
you it is equally important in your own personal world as well.

Having a proper attitude is not a coincidence. A winning attitude is
the result of doing the right things that produce this result. Like
karate, attitude cannot be learned for a book or from watching a
video. You must find people that have this attitude and surround
yourself with them. Attitude is very contagious and if you hang
around people with weak spirits, it will soon drag you down. On the
other hand, if you surround yourself with people with warrior
attitudes, you will share in the process of easier victories in goal
attainment. Having the right attitude is not a specific goal; it is a
process that we work on everyday. You must be diligent in what you
read, what you think, who you spend time with and what you do on a
daily basis.

A proper attitude increases a person's self-esteem and self-
confidence, allowing a person to overcome his fears and set higher
expectations for themselves. For centuries, warriors have understood
that if you show no fear then your odds of winning in combat go up
considerably. A few understand that having no fear is even better.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan