Do You Have Fitness ADD?

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Jon

I have to say it. Fitness ADD is running rampant. And, no I don’t mean math skills, I mean Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)! The misinformed, and some who should know better, running from program to program looking for, but never finding, the holy grail of fitness training. They never stay with a program long enough to actualize the real results inherent within it. Exercises are changed up on a daily basis to stave off boredom or keep it interesting or to never plateau or to confuse the muscles, or whatever nonsense people tell themselves. But really it’s a problem of commitment; actually sticking to a program to reap all the promised results from it. Continue reading →

What Have You Done (to yourself)?

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Jon

Do you people watch? I do. Traveling a few weekends in a row earlier this month gave me ample opportunity. The people watching was especially entertaining at the various rest stops along the highways, turnpikes, and parkways the length of the northeastern corridor from NJ up to MA, and out through PA on the way to OH.

In all my recent people watching adventures I’ve notice something pretty sad. On the whole, in general, there are many, many people out there in very poor shape. Actually, horribly pathetic shape is a more apt description. Now I know this is not a revelation to you, my dear readers, nor is it one to me either. It’s just that in crowded spots where people are traveling from all over are congregated, it becomes very noticeable.

Formula for Failure

The question I kept coming back to, as I looked around at these horribly out of shape people from all walks of life and all ages, was WHY? Why are people so enormously overweight? Why is their physical condition so screwed up? Why do they struggle for breath just standing up or sitting down? What happened along the way to get them in such a state? Surely no one started out wanting to be fat, out of shape, and de-conditioned. Surely no one wanted to feel so devoid of energy and vitality. Surely it was a slow, slow decline. Surely it was an insidious series of small errors over the course of a long, long time that brought them to this, right?

Formula for Failure

“A few errors in judgment repeated every day.” – Jim Rohn

What does it matter when you decide not to exercise?
What does it matter when you have that extra dessert?
What does it matter when you sit all day?
What does it matter when you skip your mobility practice?
What does it matter when you don’t breathe fresh air and walk in the sunshine?
What does it matter when you smoke that pack of cigarettes?
What does it matter when you watch TV for hours at a time?
What does it matter when you KNOW the right thing, but don’t DO it?
What does it matter when you don’t eat your vegetables?
What does it matter when you add 4 sugars to your coffee?
What does it matter if you don’t get enough sleep a night?
What does it matter when you consistently eat too many carbs?

The truth is, it does matter. The little things you do, or don’t do, on a daily basis matter very much in the long run.

The only one ultimately responsible for your health and well-being is you. Not your doctor. Not your spouse. Not your friends. Not the government. You. You alone. Make the right choices.

Settling for Imperfection

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Jon

I’ve got some news for you. You will never be perfect at anything. Not your strength, not your conditioning, not your martial art, not your job, not your relationships, nothing. You will never even be able to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nope. Not ever.

So what does that mean?

Should you simply stop trying right now? I mean, since you’ll never be perfect at anything, what’s the point, right? Why bother? Why struggle and make the effort? Well, I think the struggle is the point. It’s the process, not the goal. It’s what struggling and reaching and trying make of you that is the important thing. The journey itself, not so much the destination. In any worthwhile pursuit, like budo (martial arts to you non-budo people) for example, there is no end to the learning. The study is so vast and so deep you could pursue it for several lifetimes and still not reach the end.

The late, great Brandon Lee once said, “With what level of imperfection will you settle?” I think this is what he was talking about.

How content are you with your current level of skill in your martial arts practice? How satisfied are you with your current level of strength and conditioning at the gym? How happy are you with your current job, status, level of wealth, or relationship(s)?

Are you willing to settle for where you are right now in one or all of those categories, or do you want more?

The question you need to ask yourself in each of those areas is Brandon’s – with what level of imperfection will you settle? Where will you stop growing, pushing, struggling, changing, expanding your capacity, living up to your potential? When will you stop?

Or will you ever stop?

Keep Going!

The Difference Between External Strength & Internal Power

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Jon

For as long as I can remember, I have always believed that the body is meant to be used as a fully actualized, integrated unit – nothing can (or should!) exist in isolation. By this I mean that muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone are all equally important and must all be unified in producing amazing degrees of strength and skill for fitness, martial arts, sports, or life. And, in most cases this is completely true. Continue reading →

3 Months to Live

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Jon

I had a very interesting conversation the other day with an elderly Chinese gentleman. At 74 years young he still works part-time as a medical doctor and is in excellent health. He told me that back in 1982 in China he was diagnosed with a very severe lung problem, which was slowly reducing his breathing capacity. The doctor at the time gave him only 3 months to live!! I looked at him in amazement and said- “Well, obviously you are still alive and in good health, so what happened?” Continue reading →

Are You a Martial Artist or Martial Hobbyist?

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Jon

Sometimes the lines between martial artist and martial hobbyist get blurred. How do you determine whether you are a true martial artist or just a martial hobbyist? Here is a quick and easy way to find out…

Martial Hobbyist Quiz

Do you train only when it is convenient?
Do you train only when you feel good?
Do you train only when you have nothing better to do?
Do you train as a way to get out of the house?
Do you train to socialize?
Do you train only when it’s fun?
Do you only train when you are in class?
Do you only train when someone is watching?

If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, then congratulations, you are a Martial Hobbyist. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Martial Artist Quiz

Do you train regardless of whether you feel like it or not?
Do you train when you have a headache?
Do you train when other people are relaxing?
Do you train when it’s raining outside?
Do you train even when there is a new episode of Big Bang Theory on TV?
Do you train every day no matter what?
Do you train for life?
Do you train even when there are better things to do?
Do you train when it’s boring, repetitive, and dull?
Do you train on your own without supervision?
Do you constantly strive to get better each time you train?
Do you define yourself through your martial practice?
Do you look at everything else in life through the lens of your martial training?

If you answered YES to 3 or more of these questions, then congratulations, you are a Martial Artist.

This post was inspired by reading about a dedicated yoga practice earlier this morning and what it takes to achieve a committed, dedicated practice. Hopefully no egos were bruised in the reading of this post!

By the way, if you want to move from hobbyist status to artist status, here is great article on How to Train More Every Day. Enjoy!

Coulda Killed Ya (A.I.F)

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Jon

I have a confession to make. And after my last post on the 13 Deadly Sins of Fitness this seems to be becoming a theme!

Here goes… sometimes I let my situational awareness slip and find myself in a position where a person with bad intentions could take advantage. Ever happen to you?

Let me back up a little bit and tell you what brought this confession about. This morning as I sat in my car beside the pump at a busy gas station waiting for the attendant to come over and fill up the tank (yes, there is no self-service in NJ!), I sort of drifted. It seemed to take forever for the guy to come over to the car so I let my attention wander while I was waiting. As I was lost in my thoughts about the million and a half things going on in my life, I was suddenly startled out of my reverie by the attendant at the window asking if he could help me. I flinched slightly (think I covered it up pretty well), and then told him to please fill up the tank with regular.

As he walked away to gas up my car, it occurred to me – he coulda killed me! I was completely not paying attention and did not even notice him amble up to my car window. Had he been a bad guy (insert your own bad guy of choice here), I would have been in serious doo-doo (yes, that’s a technical term).

Not only was I embarrassed that he startled me, but I was pissed at my own lack of vigilance . I usually pride myself on my awareness skills and rarely, if ever, do people sneak up on me. But rather than chalking it up as just “one of those things” I figured I would write about it as a lesson, not just for you guys, but for me as well.

So what is the moral of the story? As I tell all my martial arts students and the women in my Women’s Self Defense workshops….

A.I.F!

Awareness is Fundamental. This is the basic requirement to keep yourself and those around you safe from harm. Yes, I probably could have beaten up the gas station attendant had he attacked me, but that’s not the point. The best way to stay safe is to be aware enough to avoid a potentially bad situation to begin with. So, here’s your homework (and mine!):

When you are out in public, whether it’s at work, at school, in a mall, walking in a park or down a busy street, or – GASP – at a gas station waiting at the pump, you must keep your awareness up.

How do you do this?

1) Look around! Keep your head and eyes scanning the environment. Use wide angle vision.

2) Do not fixate all your attention on one task, especially if it takes your eyes off the environment around you. Look up every once in a while and note the position of people in your general vicinity. As I am writing this post I am sitting in a Panera nursing a delicious cup of dark roast coffee. My eyes are on the computer screen and keyboard, but also scanning around me.

3) Keep your ears open! Rather than blasting music in your ears with your ipod as you walk, run, or sit in public, keep your ears open and listening around you.

4) Listen to your gut! If something feels wrong, it probably is. Do not ignore the hair raising on the back of your neck or the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is off. Ever feel like someone is staring at you and when you turn around, they are? You have the primal ability to know when you are in danger. Do not disregard this sense, it can save your life!

The 13 Deadly Sins of Fitness

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Jon

Bless me Coach for I have sinned. It’s been a while since my last fitness confession. These are my top 13 most deadly fitness sins… (Yes, I know there are only 7 deadly sins but I just couldn’t stop at 7…)

I did not make the time to work out consistently.
I was too lazy and did not train.
I have not supported my training with the proper nutritional strategies. Remedy that with my free Ninja Nutrition Program!
I allowed myself to be tempted by the latest, sexiest, “flavor of the week” training program in some crappy fitness magazine.
I ignored my coach’s advice and did not perform a proper warm-up thus increasing my chances for injury.
I further ignored my coach’s advice and did not follow the correct cool down protocol thus increasing my odds of soreness and residual tension.
I did not seek out a knowledgeable coach to help me program my workouts and get me to my fitness goals thus leaving myself floundering in a fitness limbo of getting nowhere fast.
I fell prey to becoming complacent in my workouts and never vary my routine thus insuring I stay stranded on this damn plateau.
I fell prey to my fitness ADD and constantly change up my workouts to “confuse” my muscles thereby insuring my results are as random as my training
I placed other “important” tasks before my training while knowing that my training is the one thing that allows me to be my best and support ALL my other tasks and activities.
I allowed myself to get drawn into “paralysis by analysis” and become overwhelmed with all the information out there and thus I do nothing.
I coveted my friend’s training program and did not stick to my own.
I am weak and in poor condition but I voluntarily choose to sit on my ass and watch TV rather than getting up and doing something about it.

Need to do penance? Or do you need guidance on your physical, mental, and spiritual journey? The scriptures of Warrior Fitness can be found HERE. Use these resources!!

11 Self Defense Tips for Women

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Jon

1) Know Your Outcome

You must have it in your mind that no matter what, you will fight and you will survive. You will get home safe. This is your ultimate goal. Additionally, you must also know in advance what you are willing to do, how far you are willing to go, in order to protect yourself.

2) Action First

Do not allow yourself to get pulled into “paralysis by analysis”. It doesn’t matter (right now) why this is happening to you, only that it IS happening and you must take action NOW. You can analyze and Monday Morning Quarterback yourself when you are home safe.

3) Do the Math!

If you are attacked by only one opponent, but you doubt yourself, you are outnumbered!

4) Breathe and Move

Intense stress wreaks havoc on the body. Heart rate and blood pressure elevate. Vision narrows. Blood roars in your ears. Your breathing gets faster and higher in your chest, or you may even hold your breath as your heart pounds. You freeze. The way to break this cycle of destruction is to sharply exhale and MOVE!

5) Keep Your S.A.

S.A. stands for situational awareness. Do not walk in public with you head down buried in your cell phone. Do not run with headphones on oblivious to your surroundings. Do not walk to your car alone at night without knowing where your keys are!

6) Stand Tall

This is a corollary to the one above. Stand up straight and walk with confidence. Keep your eyes scanning around you and look like you are aware. This signals to a potential attacker that maybe you are not a good target and they will move on to someone else less likely to notice them.

7) C.W.C.T

This stands for Closest Weapon Closest Target. Do not fixate and focus on a particular target. Do not over analyze where you should strike your attacker. Just strike fast, hard, and often. Hit the closest thing on him with the nearest weapon you have whether that is your fist, foot, knee, elbow, purse, keys, etc. Also, ladies, please note that the groin is not always the best target. Yes, it hurts, but guys are trained from birth to protect that area. Make sure you have more in your bag of tricks than just a groin shot.

8) Get Away!

Remember your outcome in #1. Your job is not to subdue your attacker and hold him for a citizen’s arrest. Your job is also not to beat him to a pulp. Your one and only job (assuming you are by yourself) is to get away as soon as possible, as fast as possible and to a safe location.

9) Be the Momma Bear

Remember that you are powerful. When you see a bear in the woods, are you scared? Yes, of course. When you see a Momma Bear with 2 cubs in the woods, are you more scared or less scared? MORE!

10) Who Do You Love?

Building on the Momma Bear concept above – even if you are alone, you still must fight and survive for your your kids, your family, your loved ones. If you don’t fight, who will protect and nurture them when you are gone? Get it into your head to fight. Always.

11) Beware of Normalcy Bias

I owe this one to my good friend, Josh Sager of the New Jersey Personal Defense Academy. From Josh’s article on Normalcy Bias:

“In layman’s terms, normalcy bias is the condition where a person’s fear manifests itself so acutely that they cannot process a traumatic event and, essentially, blocks it out of their mind. ” I highly suggest you read the entire article HERE.

As the father of 2 young girls, women’s self defense is a subject very near and dear to my heart. Over the past 15 years I have taught women’s self defense workshops to schools, clubs, companies, MOMs groups, church groups, and women from all walks of life who simply want to know more, be more confident, and learn the mindset, psychology, and skills that will help them survive in the event they are attacked.

To book a Women’s Self Defense Workshop for your organization, please contact me HERE.

Jon Haas, “The Warrior Coach” has been training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for more than 25 years and is currently ranked as a Kudan (9th degree black belt) under Jack Hoban Shidoshi. He has also trained in Okinawan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Russian Systema, BJJ, Krav Maga, as well as Internal Martial Arts of Yiquan and Aiki.He is also a certified Underground Strength Coach-Level 2, an ACE and FMS certified Personal Trainer and the founder of Warrior Fitness Training Systems. In 2008, Jon wrote the book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts, and since then has created numerous other online training and coaching programs helping people around the world become the strongest, most capable versions of themselves!

Warrior Fitness

Old School Training for the Modern Warrior

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