Category: Philosophy

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…

― Theodore Roosevelt

I started my Hapkido journey to black belt with my sons Andrew and Stephen. For 5 years we trained for several nights a week with each lesson lasting for 2 hours. We also attended almost all the seminars that were available to us during this period and trained at open sessions held in our local martial arts club. On top of this we would practice at home. In short it was much more than a hobby it was a way of life.  Continue reading “A JOURNEY TO BLACK BELT”

Argue for your limitations and sure enough they’re yours (Richard Bach)

Have you ever thought?  “I wish I’d taken up martial arts when I was younger”

Have you ever thought?  “It’s too late for me to start now”

In my classes I’ve had people in their early 20’s tell me that they wish they’d started at an earlier age. To me that’s a very young age but I understand what they mean.

To be a top competitor or elite athlete it’s generally accepted that you must start at an early age. Although this is true in most cases there are many exceptions and a lot of late starters have made it to the top. Continue reading “ARE YOU TOO OLD FOR MARTIAL ARTS?”

A lot of people quit martial arts because they claim it’s too hard.

Martial arts is one of the few things left in life that doesn’t try to become easier. Software designers strive to make their programs easier to use. Car designers constantly make their cars easier to drive. TV designers aim to make their sets easier to control. We’ve all seen the adverts, “Lose weight with our five minute routine.” The golden rule seems to be maximum results for minimal effort. Everyone seems to want life to be easy and simple. Continue reading “Good Timber Does Not Grow With Ease”