Circumstances

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

George Bernard Shaw

Seminar Picture

Here is a pic of the guys after a great seminar last Saturday..the 26th

The Will

"Nothing can resist the human will that will stake even its existence on its stated purpose"
Benjamin Disraeli

Great Session last night..

Last nights clinch class was great, we had a visitor from the St. Louis area who was a great addition to the class. Dwayne from Andre's MMA Academy trained participated in the class, he is a great guy and definitely has a great attitude.

Here is the link to Andre's MMA Academy in St. Louis

My first day of throwing..

Or should I say attempt at throwing...lol... I had a blast with James Lee and Dan throwing the implements today. It was so much fun, I have alot to learn and then some but I love it so far.

Here is a couple of pics after practice..

Here is one of James Lee and I...
Here is one of Dan and James Lee
And this is of Dan and Myself...

Wisdom from Dave Tate

Here are some excerpts from Dave Tate's article Shut The Hell Up and Listen.

“Lock yourself onto your destination and eliminate any possibility of not getting there. Make your goal the core essence of your existence. Fix your focus 100% onto your desired outcome and the process of achieving it.”

“Let nothing stop you from training toward your goal, short of a crippling injury or major life trauma. And as you'll see below, not even that is enough to stop some highly motivated individuals.”

“For those few, however, who do aspire to the highest level of sport, you need to understand that greatness comes at a high price. The price is the time and energy that you can't devote to the other aspects of your life.”

“We all have the same 24 hours, and the choice of where to focus our attention. There's no way you can focus on your work, family, church, personal development, friends, and on your training.”

“Yes you can achieve balance, and as I said, this isn't a bad goal. All I'm saying is that you can either be balanced, or you can be great. You shouldn't expect both at the same time.”

“To be in the top 10% of anything requires a selfish, fanatical drive that most people will never understand, let alone possess. Maybe there's someone somewhere who can be great at everything, but I haven't seen it.”

“People always ask me, "knowing what you know now, would you have changed anything about your training or diet from years ago?" My answer is always the same: no. You can't turn back the clock and change the past. You can only do what you can do today. I see no reason to answer what I can't do anything about. Do I offer people different advice now based on what I feel were my mistakes of the past? Yes, of course. I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.”

Did the warm up

I am in Wichita and I found a YMCA to workout at this morning....once I found it I felt like I was going to toys r us.....lol.... I love to train, I had a great workout and I did the Ultimate Shoulder Warm Up from the Diesel Crew...It was awesome, made my shoulder feel much better prepared for the torture I was going to put it through.

Shoulder Warm Up

I have been training for a very long time and the biggest issue I have had over the years is my right shoulder. There are times it feels perfect and times it aches and hurts.

The following video is a shoulder warm up I am going to add to my training routine immediately...

Our YouTube Channel...

Here is the link for the YouTube Channel...

http://www.youtube.com/user/Taolyn

An afternoon with a Legend...

I spent 4 and a half hours with Dan yesterday. It was one of the most in depth conversations I have ever had with anyone. It was a great afternoon. I think I have officially decided to do some Scottish Games training and possibly compete a few times. I have never seriously competed in a strength sport and I think it would be a blast.

Current MMA Schedule

MMA Schedule

Monday

• 11am
• 6pm
• 9pm

Tuesday

• 9pm

Wednesday

• 11am
• 6pm
• 9pm

Thursday

• 9pm

Friday

• 11am
• 6pm

A conversation...

Got to the Powerhouse Gym this morning at about 9am and I had another fantastic conversation with Dan. That man is truly wise beyond words....some of the things we discuss almost give me a headache because its on a whole different level of conversation. We discuss philosophy, training, life lessons, spirituality..and other things. It is very humbling to speak with him. Each and every time I see Dan I always learn something. I most definitely feel like he is a "Mentor" to me in many different ways.

I have had a fantastic training day so far...I worked out for 5 hours so far today...Can't wait to teach later...

The Conclusion of Hell Week...

Yesterday was the conclusion of Hell Week. Thank you to all of the students that pushed themselves to the next level.

By the way Zach your birthday of hell will be soon.........Lets play a game......

I can't wait for the next Hell Week.....

Preparation...

It's not the will to win that matters...everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.—Paul "Bear" Bryant

Just found this...

"Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit. Give everything you've got. -- Unknown"

As simple as I can make it...

If I had to sum up my philosophy of fighting it would be this...

"The rules of fighting are very simple. If he moves, hit him. If he doesn't move, hit him first, hard, and until he can’t move"

I wrote the above quote nearly 10 years ago....and I believe it more than ever now.

Quotes to ponder...

Here are some more of my favorite quotes...

Each, in his appropriate sphere, will lead in person. Any commander who fails to obtain his objective and who is not dead or severely wounded, has not done his full duty. General George S. Patton, Jr

"A man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt a man doing it!" Chinese Proverb

"Are you going to do something or just stand there and bleed?"
Wyatt Earp in "Tombstone"

It has Begun....

Last night was a truly amazing Monday night training session. We kicked off Hell Week with a bang....14 warriors showed up for one of the most grueling conditioning sessions ever. Their mind, body, and will were tested to the max and beyond.

It was an honor to see these guys lay it all on the line and give it their all. I am proud of all of you!

Hell Week Day 2 is upon us.....

My Personal Philosophy..

The following quote is something that is also apart of my training philosophy as well as apart of my overall personal philosophy. I wrote it nearly ten years ago and still think about it daily.

"The Physical is a result of the Psychological"

I will elaborate on it in the next day or so.

For those of you that will be at class tonight....prepare your mind for battle because Hell Week is upon us...

Confront your reasons for training...

There is a particular philosophy behind the way I teach and train.

"Training should be so demanding that it forces you to constantly confront and evaluate the reasons you train"

It takes a certain type of individual to willingly subject themselves to the type of training that is required to be the Elite of any sport. I have subjected myself to many forms of training over the years and I completely believe that training to be an Elite fighter is the most demanding and beneficial form of training. High level fighters are the best conditioned athletes in the world because fighting requires every form of endurance and strength. Every energy system must be developed to a high level. It is very important to train to the very best of your abilities every single time you train. Everyone has off days, is sick, injured and so on at some point during training however you should train to your maximal capacity on any given day.

Walking the Path and Living

Over the years I have come across those that walk the path of the warrior and those rare few that live the life of the warrior.

Let me clarify for a moment... By walking the path I mean those that simply dabble in being and training as a warrior when it suits them and they feel like it. Living the life of the warrior is a committed daily experience in every way. Living the life of the warrior is not just about training the body and mind for combat but also about being a great husband, father, brother, and human being in general. I was told a long time ago that being a warrior is an elite calling that you must chose to take upon yourself, it is not something that can be a hobby or past time.

I have been blessed to have been taught by and known some great warriors during my life.

I am also blessed to have students that are taking the elite calling of the warrior upon themselves and living it daily.

Words to think about....

I have decided to post quotes every so often, I enjoy reading things that make me think and ponder about various things.

"Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves."—Joseph P. Thompson