Why the leaf? Well, way back in the 16th Century, pages in books were referred to as leaves. Turning over a new leaf meant that one was turning to a blank page. Each day is a new leaf.
Recent Posts
Hatha is Not the Sun and the Moon
The Japanese martial art of Aikido is made up of three words: Ai meaning harmony, Ki meaning life force, spirit and universal energy, and do meaning the way. Summed up, Aikido means The Art of Steven Seagal. What? No, Aikido is The Way of Harmony of the Spirit. It’s actually much more complicated than that. … Continue reading Hatha is Not the Sun and the Moon
The Threat of Heaven and the Promise of Hell
“So Rob, tell me; are you a God-fearing man?” Almost twenty years ago in Nashville, I was having lunch with one of my rep agencies. There were about eight of us. When my salad came, I began to eat it while conversing with the group. As their salads came, they waited for everyone to get … Continue reading The Threat of Heaven and the Promise of Hell
Stop Focusing on the Wrong Shit
What if B.B. King had to pass a written, standardized advanced mathematics exam to be legally allowed to play guitar commercially? Crazy, right? What if Eddie Van Halen had to be able to write and decipher advanced music theory, such as in the photo above, in order for him to play and make music? Well, … Continue reading Stop Focusing on the Wrong Shit
Using What We’re Good at For Good
Through a series of unfortunate events, surviving two decades in a violent, volatile, crime-ridden neighborhood and one particular incident where I had two guns pressed into my head, I realized something: what is taught and practiced in a dojo, doesn’t really translate to the street. Reality isn’t so neatly packaged. For 17 years after the … Continue reading Using What We’re Good at For Good
