What is the Warrior Fitness Difference and How Does It Benefit YOU?

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Jon

Why should you chose to train Warrior Fitness Training versus any other type of fitness program out there, including making no choice and doing nothing?

Training for the Total Human

Warrior Fitness is the product of decades of training in the martial arts and the art of strength. In its simplest form Warrior Fitness is a distilled and synthesized blend of the very best training methodologies for becoming a fitness renaissance man or woman. Due to its synergistic nature, the seamless integrated whole of the system is vastly superior and greater than the sum of its parts. In short, Warrior Fitness has become a one-stop-shop for building a better human – physically stronger, tougher – resistant to failures, more enduring, flexible, mobile, and extremely capable. The warrior is mentally tough. Greater than robustness or resilience, the Warrior Fitness Training System is a portal to becoming antifragile.

The system allows the practitioner to minimize training time while maximizing the training effects, i.e. – results.

Warrior Fitness can be approached from different directions…

The Path of Strength & Conditioning

building muscle,
real world whole body strength,
nonstop endurance,
power generation,
explosive movement, etc.

The Path of Health

ancestral nutrition,
fat loss,
natural hormone optimization for women,
increased testosterone and growth hormone for men,
energy work – breathing exercises,
stress conversion,
increased energy,
recovery from injury,
increased flexibility and range of motion, etc.

The Path of Martial Art

combat conditioning,
performance enhancement,
self-defense and defending others,
real world functional strength and conditioning,
dynamic balance and stability,
internal power, etc.

No matter where you enter from – All paths ultimately lead to strength; to becoming the strongest most capable version of yourself.

Why Strength?

When ranking the hierarchy of fitness qualities, the Warrior Fitness system puts an emphasis on strength as the highest ability.

Why?

Simply because all other fitness qualities flow from strength. When one is stronger everything is easier. Greater strength enables one to be more energy efficient as tasks and challenges alike require a lesser expenditure of energy the stronger one becomes. What is endurance other than the continued ability to exert strength?

Get Stronger as You Get Older – The Over 40 Warrior

As of this writing I am 43 years old. I am stronger, much better conditioned, more resilient, and healthier now than I was at 23! Why? Because as a lifelong martial artist and physical culturist I have cracked the code on living stronger as I get older – and I want to share ALL my hard won knowledge with you!

Partial PR

How do you burn fat and build muscle at the same time?
How do you optimize testosterone levels?
How do you program workout intensity along with rest and recovery training to avoid plateaus and consistently make progress?
How do you properly fuel your body for optimal performance?
How do you recover, coordinate, and refine flexibility and range of motion?
How do you wake up with energy and vigor for attacking your day?
How do you put it all together to get maximal results in minimal time?

I firmly believe that I am in my physical prime and will continue to get stronger as I grow older. Others may believe that they are in a state of decline and getting weaker as they age… not so for the warrior.

Remember – the mind navigates the body.

What you believe to be true, is true. In fact, research tells us that people do not stop moving because they get older, they get older because they stop moving. The ability to build strength and muscle does not decline – you simply have to know how to combine correct physical training, optimal nutrition, and supplementation with the correct mental training – belief, outlook, focus, concentration, visualization, etc. to become truly limitless.

Who is Warrior Fitness for?

For the Dad who wants to be in the best shape of his life in order to play with his kids and set an example of a healthy lifestyle that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives,
for the Mom who, after a long day at work wants to de-stress with a brief, but intense workout that won’t leave her exhausted,
for the businessman who finds his waistline expanding, his health lacking, muscle sagging, and wants to do something about it,
for the performer who needs to control her breathing and nervousness before getting on stage,
for the amateur athlete or weekend warrior who realizes that the daily aches and pains are getting worse as they get older and want to be stronger, healthier, and more capable as they get older,
for the regular people who have lives and families and other hobbies and don’t want to spend all day in the gym yet are ready for something more than just an ordinary workout,
for the unconventional fitness enthusiast who doesn’t desire the globo commercial gym scene, and is looking for a low-tech/high yield approach to fitness,
for the fitness nut who’s tired of the same old treadmill and is looking for something extraordinary,
And, of course for the martial artist who wants to get back into fighting fit shape while enhancing their martial art’s effectiveness by increasing how efficiently they move…

It’s For YOU…

Men, if you picked up your FREE copy of my book, Dad Strength, you know that men, in general, are getting weaker. We can counteract that. I can fix it. YOU can become the strong, Alpha-Male warrior you were always meant to be. You CAN get stronger every day.

Find out if you are a good fit for my NEW Warrior Fitness Coaching Program for Men <<===

Women, you also must be strong which is why I have also put together a Woman Warrior Transformation Program<<====

Want to talk? Sign up HERE for a free 10-minute Turbo Coaching Call to discuss your goals and how I can help you become the strongest, most capable version of yourself.

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!

5 Ways to Improve Your Hand-Eye Coordination

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Jon

Check out this awesome guest blog post by Australian Strength Coach sensation, John Wayne Legg!

Nobody would argue that to reach your true potential in a martial art or combat sport, you need to be accurate when executing a move. Whether you are attempting an arm-bar, single leg take-down or a punch to the face, you are going to suck if you don’t connect with your target where you want to. And while much practice in your chosen sport will go a long way to building this skill, there are extra things we can do to either catch up or put the icing on the cake, so to speak. Continue reading →

3 Words I Hope to Never Utter

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jon

This year I will turn 40. Some have been saying that 40 is the new 20. Well, if that’s true then there are a lot of seriously out of shape 20 year olds running around! The more I listen to people my own age, and sadly some even younger, the more I hear the 3 words I hope to God to never utter myself. Continue reading →

Warrior Fitness Gym Open House!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Jon

Please join us on Saturday, January 7, 2012 for an open house

Warrior Fitness Gym
Hainesport Business Park
4004 Sylon Blvd.
Hainesport, NJ 08036

Free Trial Classes!
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu Demonstration!
Grand Opening Special Sign-up Savings!
Refreshments!

Schedule of Events

*Time*	*Session*
10:00 AM	Warrior Fitness Group Class
10:30 AM	Bujinkan Martial Arts Demo
11:00 AM	Little Warriors Class
11:30 AM	Bujinkan Adult Martial Arts
12:00 PM	Warrior Fitness Group Class
12:30 PM	Bujinkan Martial Arts Demo
1:00 PM	Little Warriors Class
1:30 PM	Bujinkan Adult Martial Arts

For more information about the gym including class descriptions, times, and membership options, please check our Warrior Fitness Gym page HERE.

Double Your Training Without Doubling Your Training

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Josh

In my teacher’s and my own dōjō (道場 – “martial arts training hall”) we spend a lot of time cultivating our skills as uke. An uke (受け) is a martial arts student who, during a given training session, “receives” a technique from another student acting as the tori (取り). Wikipedia defines the difference as one “who completes a successful technique [tori] rather than who initiates one [uke].” Having a good uke as a training partner is very important, but being a good uke is paramount.

The role of uke often gets a bad rap. Too many times I have seen students relegate themselves to becoming little more than an “I attack, then stand around while the other guy does something to me” participant. When it’s time to be uke, the “pause” button gets pressed and human punching bags are born. That doesn’t seem right, does it?

It certainly doesn’t feel right, at least not to me.

Continue reading →

Blind Spots

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Jon

A few years ago I traded in my 2000 Honda Civic for a 2007 Civic. The minute I sat in the seat of this streamlined, yet economical car, I knew it was the one I would own. The way it shifted, its responsiveness to the road, the look of the dash, how the seat seemed to perfectly fit my body, somehow it just felt right and even though I wasn’t planning on buying another car with a manual transmission, I knew this would be the car that I would drive home that day. Training can be very much like as well, often it just “feels right” somehow.

Although the car felt good and right to me; one of the things that I immediately noticed was that it had many blind spots that my other car didn’t have… well, wait a minute, re-thinking that, it wasn’t that my other car didn’t have any blind spots, it’s that I got used to them and I eventually learned how to see around them, so much so that I almost didn’t even know that the car had any blind spots at all. Now, that I have owned this current Civic for a few years now, I don’t notice the blind spots that were so apparent when I first bought it. It is funny to think that once these blind spots were so apparent and difficult to see around, and now my mind has trained itself to see around these dangerous short comings and it is once again giving me the illusion that those spots aren’t even really there at all!

This same concept also applies to training and life. Each method, system and person has its blind spots; things that are just taken for granted and often overlooked until something happens to change that perspective. Growth and evolution sometimes can be a smooth, natural progression and other times, it can be challenging, difficult and cause great conflict.

How a system or person approaches their training be it martial arts, military tactics, verbal communication, health and fitness, strength, conditioning, world philosophy, politics, economics, science, etc., is due to a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the environment, context, past experiences, education, conditioning, limitations, strengths, objectives, philosophy, preference, etc. There are many ways to do many things, all aren’t right, nor are all wrong; however, some ARE better than others for sure. Many believe they have the corner of the market on the “right” way to do whatever they are trying to accomplish. This attitude lends itself to stagnation, justification and conflict with self and others. It is good to be confident; however growth and progress means change and change sometimes can be tough and take you places that were never anticipated.

“1500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you knew that people were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”

~Agent K (played by Tommy Lee Jones) talking to Will Smith’s character in the movie Men in Black.

Ok, so let me rein in this article a little bit to focus on the point I am trying to impart:

Always be open to the idea that no matter how good you or your training are, there are blind spots. Things that you just don’t see, obstructions that you have been looking around for so long you no longer see them. This is why not only instructors, teachers and coaches are necessary, but also having the “beginners mind.” Like the old Zen story about the student coming to a teacher with an empty cup so to speak. We all need to be perpetual students, remain flexible, seek to improve, be curious, and keep our egos in check.

A saying I frequently use is, “Learn like you know nothing, perform like you know everything.” This means keeping an open mind when learning, but when it comes time for action, whether in life, in the sports arena, or during a real conflict, where hesitation can cost you more than a trophy; (in the moment) do what you think you need to do with confidence.

No matter if today was your first day training or you’ve been at it for forty years, whether you are training the Israeli Defense Force, for the UFC, or just for fun, here’s your homework:

What are your blind spots? (In training and in life?) Uncovering those blind spots is a process that never ends. Remember it’s a journey not a destination. Enjoy the ride!

Keep going.

~Craig Gray

www.roninempowermentgroup.com

www.rgi.co

Craig Gray is a world traveler, speaker, trainer and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for numerous law enforcement agencies as well as Nationally Syndicated Talk Radio Show Frontlines of Freedom & WZZM TV 13 Web Community. Craig is responsible for creating the MCOLES (Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards) approved Krav Maga Self Defense for Law Enforcement Training Program. Craig is one of twelve hand picked instructors with Resolution Group International a conflict resolution training organization developed for the needs of military, law enforcement and business organizations. He is an adjunct instructor for hand to hand combatives and warrior ethics at the Homeland Security and Protective Services Academy within the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps. Craig also serves as education director for Her Survival Guide an organization that teaches empowerment skills, risk management and conflict resolution skills to college bound girls and their mothers.

What is the Essence of Defense?

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Jon

What exactly is the essence of defense? Suppose you took a martial art(s) and stripped it down to its core principles and functional movements to allow it to be employable with any tool whether it be empty-hand, blunt weapon, edged weapon, long weapon, hidden weapon, or improvised weapon? What you would have is a fast, effective, no-nonsense approach to communicate years of martial arts training in a short span of time. This approach would make self defense methods immediately accessible to people who may not want, or have time, to devote decades to becoming effective at defending themselves. Suppose you want to have the confidence and ability to protect yourself and your family from sudden violence, but don’t want the trappings of tradition and the hours of perfecting forms and kata? What if the essence of defense could be extracted by 2 highly experienced martial arts practitioners, refined, distilled, and communicated not over years, but in the course of a seminar?

Principles:

Get off the line of attack
Counter-attack
Intercept/destroy the attack
Unbalance the opponent
Continuous movement
Escape
Much more….

Movement:

Positioning
Footwork – angles, distancing
Safe space
3 dimensional movement
Much more…

Tools:

Body weapons
Blunt objects
Edged weapons
Improvised weapons
Hidden weapons
Much more…

Who should attend The Essence of Defense seminar?

Military
Law Enforcement Officers
Anyone who wants a working knowledge of practical martial arts principles that allows them to create their own techniques in response to a specific threat of violence.

When: Saturday, September 8th from 11 AM to 4 PM

Where: Redemption Kettlebell Gym in Robbinsville, NJ

Cost: $65

Who: Eric Chasko is a fully licensed instructor in Jeet Kune Do/Filipino Martial Arts with over 15 years experience.

Jon Haas is a 9th dan in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu with over 30 years experience.

For more information and to sign up, please go to http://www.iwantredemption.com/

See you there!!

Battling Demons

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Jon

To get good at any discipline, you must practice every day. To become great, you must practice all the time. The problem is, with so many pressures, responsibilities, and draws on our time in daily life, how does one manage to train every day?

For me, it’s a daily battle with my demons. These are the insidious little creatures that lurk in the dark recesses of my mind. Their sole purpose being to distract me from becoming the person I want to be. They rationalize and cajole to pull me off the path of self improvement. The path of training. For others, the path may be their daily struggle to make good food choices and lose weight, or it may be the daily battle to study at night while working a full-time job in order to earn that MBA. The path is personal. The demons are universal.

Currently I train for a few minutes every morning which provides the dual function of waking me up and setting me on the right path for the day. It primes my muscles, movements, and nervous system for the more involved training I will perform later that night. Additionally, I will train during the day at odd intervals when I have a few minutes of down time. These little periods provide the consistency I need to help me keep going. But, as I stated above, the bulk of my training is done at night after putting the kids to bed. Usually around 9 pm or so I head down the basement to my home gym. This is my dedicated training spot. For me, it helps to focus my efforts since the only thing I do there is train. It’s minimalist with very few distractions. Perfect for doing the work. For the most part, I beat the demons by just getting downstairs and setting foot in the gym. Getting there is the most difficult part, but once there, the demons are beat and the daily training progresses.

Sometimes, like last night, the battle isn’t won by just getting to the gym. Last night was different. I was tired. I was comfortable sitting on the couch watching TV with my wife. The kids were asleep. The house was quiet. Peaceful. I thought that the demons hadn’t even shown up to fight because getting down there was so easy. Once I was in the gym though, they attacked. It was a sudden, violent onslaught that took me by surprise! “You’re tired,” they told me.

“You don’t need to train anymore today…”,

“You did enough over the weekend. Relax. Take it easy.”,

“Why don’t you just go to bed early for a change? You need your rest!”

On and on it went, not just verbal but real feelings of being sleepy. Feeling like I should go upstairs and go to sleep. I almost gave in. Almost succumbed. Almost quit.

But mental fortitude kicked in. Training kicked in. The battle was on! I heard myself talking to one of my training buddies saying – “you have to train every day. You have to want it bad enough. How do I do it? Well, it’s like brushing your teeth, Dude. You just do it every day (usually twice!) no matter what.” This began the rally. But it was far from won. What won the battle once and for all (at least for last night) was the fact that I just started doing my solo conditioning exercises. I was in the right place. My mindset was returning. But the way to win the battle is to simply begin doing the work. Understand that your training is a necessary part of becoming who you want to be. Understand that daily training is a necessary part of that process. And get it done.

Knowing is Not Enough!

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Jon

With the proliferation of the Internet and the incredible wealth of resources available in book, DVD, and digital formats, many of us already know more than enough to be martial arts masters! Yep. You heard me right – you know more than enough right now to be a master martial artist. Cool, eh? Heck, some of us even have more disposable information on budo history, lineage, techniques, kata, and principles at our fingertips than all of the past generations of Bujinkan Soke combined! Think about that for a second. Now, at this time in history, the sheer amount of knowledge in the form of information available to us is greater than at any other time, and it’s only going to continue. Yet, with all of this knowledge, why aren’t we all amazingly skilled? Why do the legendary feats of past budoka seem so remote and unachievable to us today? Why are there so few with real skill among the millions of people practicing martial arts worldwide? Because knowing is not enough, that’s why! Hatsumi Sensei has emphatically stated on many occasions, that “budo is not an academic subject.” Why then do we continue to view it as such? There has only ever been one way to become as highly skilled at a craft as to be called a master. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do.”

Is Your Cup Already Full?

Another way we limit ourselves is by equating knowing with being able to do. For example, when your teacher demonstrates a fundamental principle of movement for the hundredth, or maybe hundred thousandth time, do you smile smugly to yourself and think, “I know that already”? Maybe you have. I know I have. I admit it. But this type of attitude makes us lazy. It lowers our skill level because it allows us to hold fast to the superficial without the hard work of plumbing the depths. It lets us check those basic movement(s) or principles of movement off our mental list and move on to something more advanced; more worthy of our time (we may think)… big mistake. If we were truly honest with ourselves, we’d be asking a different question. The better, more appropriate question to be asking ourselves is -”how well can I do that?” or “How well do I truly understand those movement(s) bodily, not intellectually?” This is hard though because most often the most authentic answer we can give ourselves is, not well enough. Watch your teacher closely. Look deeper. Pay attention because there’s always more. Be careful. Practice. Practice. Practice!

Warrior Fitness

Old School Training for the Modern Warrior

Tag Archives: Martial Arts