Take Your Training Seriously

You must be deadly serious in your training. Gichin Funakoshi

If you are not taking your training seriously, you may have a very unpleasant surprise should you ever have to use your training in a real life-or-death situation. There are A LOT of really tough, bad people out there, and trust me, they are not incompetent when it comes to getting physical.

If you doubt me, all you have to do is watch one of the television programs about our prisons. What you see will be eye-opening for you. You won’t see nice, orderly inmates walking single file from one place to the other. You won’t see spindly, frail old men shuffling along, pathetically doing their time. If that is your image of prison, you have a shock coming.

What you will see is thugs, ripped like bodybuilders, training for their next vicious fight. And by training, I don’t mean punching a bag or doing a few pushups. They are as well trained for fighting in the streets as our military is for military duty. These thugs know exactly how to hurt you and disable you. They know exactly how and where to cut you to do the most damage. They are hard, strong, tough, and have basically no sense of mercy.

And, the majority of them are not in prison permanently. That’s right, these thugs will be back on the street, and contrary to popular opinion, they are not being reformed in prison. On top of all this, there are just as many of these people walking free in every part of our country, even as you read this.

If you need motivation to take your training deadly seriously, this should provide it for you. These people are not like you and me. They do not think the same or have the same values. They do  not value life and many have chips on their shoulders, especially the ones who have had to deal with our justice system, which is turning many young men, who were not dangerous thugs, into these dangerous monsters, but that is another topic.

The point is there are very dangerous, warped people out there, and you have to be prepared just in case you cross paths with one of these people.

To the warrior, self-defense and martial arts training is serious. It is not merely a game or good exercise. While there is nothing inherently wrong with either of those, the warrior trains in order to protect himself and others. And, he has to be deadly seriously about his training. He doesn’t want to find himself unprepared on the day of reckoning.

As I said, these people have very little, if any, mercy. While you very well may never have to deal with one of these people, you never know. It happens to people every single day. If it does happen, you may only get one chance to save your life or the lives of your family. Will you be able to do this if you have been merely playing around with your training? Maybe, but you would be very lucky.

It is best to take your training serious. Be prepared. How prepared you are to meet these kinds of challenges depends totally on you and your training. You don’t want to find yourself regretting the fact that you were unprepared. Train hard – train smart!

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

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and other subjects of the warrior lifestyle,
check out my book…

The Fundamental Wisdom of the Warrior

One who is good at being a warrior does not appear formidable.
Lao Tzu

Although many actions of the warrior may appear the same as the ordinary actions of everyone else, they are as different as night and day. There is purpose behind each and every action that the warrior performs. The warrior does nothing without a reason. Do not mistake his silence for ignorance, his calmness for acceptance, or his kindness for weakness. These misconceptions are all far from the truth.

His silence on a subject does not indicate he is ignorant on that subject, but rather that he he knows it is wiser to listen and gain knowledge than to share his knowledge for no reason. You always learn more from listening silently and observing, than by talking with no specific purpose. Warriors take their words more serious than the average person, thus they are prone to be quieter. They speak when they have something to say and a purpose for saying it.

Likewise, the warrior’s calm disposition should not be mistaken for acceptance of what is being said or what is being done at the moment. His calmness during stressful situations does not signify that he is resigned to allow things to be as they are, but that he knows it is better to stay calm, think rationally, and take action on his own time. Staying calm and thinking rationally are both traits of the warrior, and should not be looked at as acceptance or malaise.

In the same way, his kindness should not be seen as a weakness. His kindness stems from his duty to be benevolent, not some weakness which others may mistakenly imagine. True warriors are by nature kind at heart. It is not the true warrior, but the pretender who uses his skills to intimidate those who may be weaker than him.

There are many other traits of the true warrior which people can confuse at first to be something other than what they truly are. But what should be kept in mind, where the warrior is concerned, is that the warrior lives his life differently from the average person. Thus, the measure which is used to size up the ordinary person is not accurate when applied to the warrior. The warrior holds himself to a much higher standard than the average person, while at the same time not seeking to outwardly impress those around him.

Ordinary is not an adjective which can be used to describe the true warrior; and because of this, the ordinary ways that one may interpret someone’s actions do not apply to the true warrior, at least in most cases.

For example, the warrior may be having a drink at a local pub, side by side with many other people who may be simpletons or average guys numbing themselves because of their unhappy lives. Although to the naked eye, you may not be able to see a difference between the warrior and the guy sitting at the bar next to him, there is a huge difference.

They both may be drinking a beer. They both may be minding there own business or even chatting pleasantly with each other. They both may be dressed in similar fashion. But inside they are as different as night and day. It is the inside character which makes the true warrior stand above the crowd, and this is not automatically evident to those around him.

The true warrior is not the same as the average guy on the street, and it is an error in thinking to misinterpret his external mannerisms to be without purpose. Do not mistake his silence for ignorance, his calmness for acceptance, or his kindness for weakness. Always take into account that every action of the true warrior has a purpose.

Each action of the warrior is performed from a place of fundamental wisdom…
it is completely different from the ordinary behavior of a fool.
Even if it looks the same, it is different on the inside.
Takuan Soho

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Be sure to check out my new book, Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence. It is receiving wonderful reviews across the board and has been called my best book yet. It is available now on Amazon.com and in my BOOKSTORE.

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

In whatever position you find yourself determine first your objective.
Marshall Ferdinand Foch

We hear the phrase that honesty is the best policy over and over again throughout our lives. But it is completely true? Is honesty always the best policy? Do we destroy our honor, character, and integrity by telling a lie? Does the true warrior, or the man or woman of character, go against his conscience every time he lies? Is being an honest person a black and white issue, or is there much more to it than always telling the truth, no matter what?

From an early age, most of us have been taught that it is not right to lie, that we should tell the truth. Whenever we were caught in a lie and things fell apart for us, we were told, always remember, honesty is the best policy, as if that was going to make us feel better about the mess that we made for ourselves. We were taught this reverently, and by the same people and culture that taught us about Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny.

Once we got older, we realized that the very same people, who drilled honesty into our conscience mind, lied to us on a frequent basis. Sure, most of these were “little, white lies,” but they obviously weren’t following the, “honesty is the best policy” tenet. There were lies to make us feel better, lies to surprise us, lies about life circumstances, this list could go on and on.

If you think back, you can probably remember many lies which you were told. These were not meant in any sort of malicious way, but were just part of life for most people. But still, we were taught that honesty is the best policy. Either honesty is the best policy or it is not. The question is whether or not honesty is in fact, the best policy. And, the answer is, “it depends.”

I can feel my readers cringe even as I write this. I bet many of you are thinking, “How can Bohdi say that when he writes books on honor, character, integrity, and honesty?” To answer your question, I can say that because it is the truth, and we are trying to be honest here, right?

Honesty is not always the best policy; it depends on your objective. There are times when honesty is not only not the best policy, but when it is also just plain stupid and selfish. Yikes! I can feel another universal shutter of disgust, right through my keyboard! But stay with me for a few minutes.

While I have heard many preachers preach over and over that honesty is always the best policy and there is never any reason for lying, this is really nothing more than a generalization. Even the people who preach this message don’t truly believe what they are saying. Would these very same people not lie to a murderer in order to save their wife or kids? If they wouldn’t, I wouldn’t recommend listening to anything that they say anyway.

To generalize is to be an idiot.
William Blake

Let’s look at an example that will clarify my point. Pretend you were a German living in Nazi Germany during World War II, and that you were hiding a young Jewish girl from the Nazi’s. If a group of Nazi soldiers came to your door and asked you if you had seen or knew of the whereabouts of a young Jewish girl, would it be the best policy to be honest with them? Not if your objective is to save the life of this young girl, it wouldn’t be.

You see, honesty is not always the best policy. That is living by a rigid, black and white rule which leaves no room to make needed adjustments when they are needed to achieve your objectives. No, I am not saying that you should say whatever you please in order to get your way.

I am saying that, as a true warrior, you have to base your actions on what is right and wrong, not on some rigid set of rules. While this may sound like the same thing at first, it isn’t. There is a big difference between basing all of your actions according to what you feel is right and wrong, and basing your decisions on some rigid set of rules that you never break, no matter what.

The true warrior or person of character does not lower his standards simply because he tells a lie. It depends on the circumstances and the intention behind that lie. In the example above, it would obviously be dishonorable for you to tell the truth and hand over the girl to those butchers. You definitely would not have lowered your standards because you were dishonest with those soldiers.

You did what the circumstances required of you to do in order to achieve your noble objective – saving this girl’s life. In this situation, lying is completely honorable, and honesty would definitely not have been the best policy. I can give you many examples that back up this truth, but you get the point.

Honor and integrity do not exist in a nice, neat box. They aren’t composed of specific rules that are carved in stone. They are much more involved and complex than that.  They originate from the heart, the mind, and the intentions behind your actions.

Hard and fast rules are made for people who cannot be depended on to think for themselves and do the right thing. This is why we have laws. If everyone lived their life according to what is right, and with good intentions, there would be no need for laws, but we all know that is not the case.

The true warrior, on the other hand, should live according to what is right. He should continually search his intentions to ensure that his heart, mind, and spirit are right. Honor comes from the inside. If things are not right on the inside, they cannot be right on the outside, no matter how they may appear to those around you. Others may not be able to tell the difference, but you know whether or not you are honorable.

Honesty is only the best policy when it is the best choice to achieve your honorable objectives. The catch is, your objectives must be honorable. Dishonesty is never an acceptable option for achieving selfish, personal goals like closing a business deal or just plain trying to get your own way.

The key is basing all of your actions and your speech on what is right, not what is right for you, but what is right, as in what is just. There is a big difference between what may be best for you personally and what is just. Focus on what is right (just) in every situation, and you will not have to worry about whether or not to lie. Let righteousness be your guide.

Honesty is not always the best policy; right intention combined with right action is always the best policy.

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
Henry Ward Beecher

Bohdi Sanders

Author of:
Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence
and
The Secrets of Worldly Wisdom: Your Key to Success

CLICK HERE TO SEE BOOKS BY BOHDI SANDERS

Spiritual Power and Human Perception

Ponder all things, and establish high your mind.
Pythagoras

The majority of people tend to be overly sure about how things on this earth are. They are willing to fight over their opinions, even if their opinions are unfounded. They will confidently tell you how the world works, what is possible and impossible, and what should and should not be done, all according to their own personal understanding of the world.

Of course their understanding of the world is based only on what they have seen, heard, experienced, or read. With most people, this is merely a miniscule fraction of the knowledge that mankind has, and the knowledge that mankind actually has is a drop in the bucket compared to what we do not know.

On top of that, each person tends to see things through a set of filters, filters which have many complex layers. Your experiences affect how you perceive things, what you believe, and basically what you think about the world in general.

People should not be so sure of what is and what is not possible, or about how the world really is. The fact is, when it really comes down to it, they do not know. When you base your opinions on only what you personally see, hear or feel, it is easy to feel that you are correct because you believe that you have experienced something personally and therefore “you know.”

But that is not always the case. For example, you have all seen sand. There is probably no one reading this that has not played in sand or walked in sand at one time or another. If I asked you if you know what sand looks like, your answer would be, “Of course I do!” You would say this with complete confidence and no doubts.

But do you really know what sand truly looks like? Probably not. Oh, of course you know what sand looks like to you, but do you know what sand actually looks like in reality?  I mean, what it looks like to God. The link below shows you the reality that you cannot perceive with your physical eyes, at least not without some help.

A CLOSER LOOK AT SAND ~ THIS WILL AMAZE YOU!

Hummmmm… Has your perception of sand changed some, now that you have seen sand from another side? I bet it has. This same reality can be applied to most things in life.

Do you really understand who and what you are? Most people will quickly answer, “Of course I do.” But take a minute and ponder whether you truly know who and what you are. Do you really know who and what you are or do you merely know what you can perceive with your physical senses and the limited ability of your mind?

Maybe there is more to you than meets the eye. Maybe if you could see yourself through the eyes of God, you would see something much more beautiful, exquisite, and powerful than your mind can even imagine.

If an ordinary grain of sand looks so beautiful and amazing when seen as it truly is, imagine how you must look through the eyes of God. What does the part of you, which is unseen to the human eye, truly look like? What could you actually do if you used all of the power available to you?

Imagine the spiritual and mental power that you have, which you are unaware of simply because you have never seen it or used it. Is there much more power available to you than you thought there was? Do you have abilities that you have never even imagined?

Just like there is much more to a “common” grain of sand than meets the eye, there is much more to you than you know. Maybe it is time for you to tap into the unseen and see yourself as you truly are, and start using the power that you truly have to change things in your life and in your world. Don’t sell yourself short. You don’t have to see yourself through ordinary eyes. Be brave enough to take a much closer look and you may find that what you thought you knew, only scratched the surface of reality.

The landscape lies far and fair within, and the deepest thinker is the farthest traveled.
Thoreau

Bohdi Sanders

author of:

Secrets of the Soul: Your Guide to Uncovering Your Hidden Beliefs

and Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence.

Click here to see books by Bohdi Sanders

What Makes A True Warrior?

Warriors are not what you think of as warriors.
The warrior is not someone who fights.
Chief Sitting Bull

There are a group of so-called “experts” (self-proclaimed experts I might add) in the world of martial arts/self-defense who constantly opine that being a warrior is nothing more than being paid to engage in war. This is such an ignorant point of view that one would think no one would take them seriously, but in fact, they have quite a large following. These “experts” publish books which proclaim their “expertise” in everything to do with violence and “real” self-defense. They slam traditional martial arts as outdated and useless on the streets. They mock the fact that honor, character and integrity play a major part in being a true warrior, and instead, insist that being a warrior is nothing more than taking orders on the battlefield.

While everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, no matter how asinine it may be, when someone has young, impressionable people reading and hanging on every word that he writes or speaks, he has a responsibility to the truth. The truth of the matter is that this definition of a warrior is shallow, opinionated, narrow, and, well, simply untrue. I know that this may offend many people, but the unvarnished truth usually does.

A master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

The truth is that what these people declare to be a warrior is one of three things: a soldier, a mercenary, or just plain a thug. A soldier takes orders and does exactly what he is told. That is his job. This does not make him or her a warrior. Don’t get me wrong, there are many true warriors who are soldiers. The military is packed full of true warriors, but this doesn’t mean that everyone in the military or who has been to war is a true warrior. I can show you of many examples of soldiers, who have gone to war and who are not true warriors.

Mercenaries are involved in war, killing, and battles of many kinds, but that doesn’t make them true warriors. In fact, I would argue that most mercenaries are far from being true warriors. They value money over life, and most will do whatever they are paid to do, as long as the money is right.

Is this the attitude of a true warrior? Not in my book, and not according to many people throughout history who were both involved in war and were also true warriors. Killing someone does not make you a warrior, it simply makes you someone who has killed another human being – period. These people have little if any honor or principles, both which are required to be a true warrior.

The man of principle never forgets what he is, because of what others are.
Baltasar Gracian

There are also many trained thugs out there. Some are on the battlefield, some are in the police departments, some are on the streets robbing people, and some are found in martial arts dojos. Just because someone is trained to fight, to use firearms, or to go to war, doesn’t make them a true warrior.

The people who write and teach the philosophy that a warrior is merely someone who engages in war, merely teach this train of thought because they can’t measure up to the real requirements which make someone a true warrior. Their character falls short, so they downplay the importance of such traits as honor and integrity.

Keep your distance from unvirtuous people.
Takuan Soho

If you study what true warriors have said on this issue throughout history, you will find that the men and women that commanded men and women on battlefields agree, being a true warrior requires much more than simply being involved in war. In fact, the vast majority of them will state that war has nothing to do with being a true warrior.

So what does make someone a true warrior? The answer lies much deeper than any battlefield. At the core of every true warrior you will find the traits of honor, integrity and justice. Yes, I know that the people that I described above will laugh and state that “being a warrior has nothing to do with character or honor.” They will shout that these traits have nothing to do with war or with the warrior, and will do so with the same enthusiasm that you hear in their voices when they pat themselves on the back for being so tough. But, they are wrong – period.

While it is true that the word did originate from the term “war,” and can mean someone who takes part or is experienced in warfare. This definition is not the one that should be used to define the true warrior, and is not an accurate definition for the warrior lifestyle. A better definition for a warrior is, “Somebody who takes part in a struggle or conflict.” No, this is not my definition; it actually comes from Webster’s dictionary.

The true warrior is engaged in a struggle and it is a daily fight. His battle is not necessarily on the battlefield, but rather a personal battle to perfect his character and to become a man of excellence in every area of his life. And, according to those who have “been there and done that,” being on the battlefield doesn’t make one a warrior. For someone to be a true warrior, he has to have honor and character. Without those traits, as well as others, he is simply a trained thug.

The true warrior is not a programmed killing machine, although he has the ability and the knowledge to render lethal applications of his skills if his duty requires such extreme actions. Though he is capable of rendering devastating injury to others, he never desires to do so. He is a man of peace and benevolence.

His training in the martial arts is strictly for defense. The warrior pursues knowledge in the art of self-defense and martial arts in order to keep himself and those around him safe, not for personal egotistical reasons.

Honor is central to warriorship.
Forrest E. Morgan

The great Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, once stated that, “Warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights…” He goes on to explain himself saying, “The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity.”

This is what he was doing at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, fighting for those who needed his protection, and this is also a very good description of the true warrior and the warrior lifestyle. This takes much more than martial arts or military training. This takes character and honor, the exact things which some well-known authors proclaim have nothing to do with warriorship.

Character and honor are only two of the traits which are essential to the true warrior; there are many more. I will not list them all in this short article for the sake of space. The point is, being a true warrior is much more involved than these self-proclaimed experts would have people think.

Don’t believe the macho, “I’m tougher than you” BS that these authors, “experts” and lecturers assault people’s intelligence with on a regular basis. It is not true. Being a true warrior is a lifestyle choice, not a profession.

Hear all sides and you will be enlightened.
Hear one side, and you will be in the dark.
Wei Zheng

Bohdi Sanders
author of: The Warrior Wisdom Series and Modern Bushido

Balancing the Warrior Ethic with Peace and Love

To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.
George Washington

The true warrior trains in many different areas in his quest to perfect his character. One of these areas obviously is the art of self-defense and martial arts. This of course includes ways to severely injure, and even destroy, the human body. The trained warrior knows how to end a conflict quickly, and permanently, if the situation requires him to do so. And, not only is the true warrior trained and capable of inflicting severe pain and destruction on someone, he is also very willing to do this if he is forced to.

This causes many people to have a false impression of the warrior lifestyle. Many people wrongly see those who train in these ways as violent brutes who live to fight. They have the false impression that the warrior is basically a time bomb just waiting to explode on someone who crosses him. The general public doesn’t understand why anyone would train to obtain skills that would enable him to easily take a life or permanently injure someone else. The very idea that the true warrior is a man of peace and love is so foreign to them that they can’t even wrap their minds around this fact.

Each action of the warrior is performed from a place of fundamental wisdom…it is completely different from the ordinary behavior of a fool. Even if it looks the same, it is different on the inside.
Takuan Soho

How could a man trained in martial arts, self-defense, weapons, and the art of death, be a man of peace and love. This seems like the ultimate paradox. Why would a man of peace and love train to develop skills to hurt or kill another human being? Shouldn’t he be spending his days chanting in a cave or meditating on loving his fellow men? Well, let’s take a look at that theory.

Is the recluse who walks away from society, hides in a sanctuary, and spends all his time maintaining a peaceful spirit, really one who loves his fellow man or his he actually being a bit selfish, only concerning himself with his own well-being and peace? What is he actually doing for his fellow men? Not much. On the other hand, the true warrior serves his fellow men, even at the risk of his own peaceful existence. He is not only trained to handle himself in violent situations, but is willing to step into such situations to help others, even at the risk of his own well-being.

Peace is not the lack of war, but an inner virtue which has its source in the courage of the soul.
Baruch Spinoza

The irony is that the general public sees the reclusive monk as a man of peace, only concerned with love, while they see the warrior as a brute and someone to be feared. After all, the monk trains daily to keep a peaceful mind, while the warrior trains in the art of physical conflict. To the average citizen, the monk is a man of peace and the warrior is a man of war. But this is only partially true.

True warriors are men of peace and love. They do everything in their power to avoid having to fight and hurt another human being. They train to hone their martial art skills because there is a need in this world to protect themselves, their families, and other people against the predators in this world who live to prey on the weak, the unsuspecting, and the helpless. If we didn’t have those willing to stand against such people, the predators would have a field day, taking advantage of their hapless victims. The true warrior is there to ensure this doesn’t happen to his friends, his family, or anyone for which it is in his power to protect.

This bring me back to the question of how the true warrior balances his ability to rip some thug apart, with his peaceful, loving nature. How can one maintain a peaceful spirit full of love, and at the same time, severely injure or kill another human being? The answer boils down to his intention. The warrior doesn’t go out and look for chances to pound some thug into the pavement. He doesn’t want to have to fight. In fact, he does everything in his power to avoid fighting or getting physical with someone. De-escalation techniques are (should be) a major part of his training.

To subdue an enemy without fighting is the greatest of skills.
Sun Tzu

The true warrior should be an expert at the art of de-escalation. He should learn how to end a fight or conflict before it ever gets to the point of becoming physical. Of course, this is not always possible, but he will always exhaust every attempt to settle conflicts peaceably, only resorting to violence if he has no other choice. And, if he is forced to resort to getting physical, this is not something that he is happy or boastful about later; if anything, he will feel sad that he had to hurt someone, no matter how much the other person deserved or brought the pain on himself.

This doesn’t mean that he will regret his actions. Quite the contrary. If he had no other choice, and exhausted all other possibilities, he is at peace with his actions, knowing that he did the best he could to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner, but was forced to do as he did to protect himself and others. There is a big difference between wanting to kick someone’s ass, and being forced to hurt someone because you have no other choice.

We make war that we may live in peace.
Aristotle

It is this intent never to use force, if he can avoid it, that sets the true warrior apart. Of course there are many qualities which sets the true warrior apart from the average person; this is only one of the traits that make him a man of excellence. His spirit remains at peace, even after he has thrashed some thug, because his actions were done with the right intention – to protect, not to attack. While this may seem like a minor detail or simply semantics, it makes all the difference. The warrior’s intention to avoid physical conflicts if he can, but to be willing to step up if he can’t avoid getting physical, helps him maintain peace in his spirit. He knows his actions are just, thus he is at peace with what he does.

The true warrior is a man of peace and love, even if others can’t understand this fact. He maintains the balance between his warrior ideals, his martial arts training, and his spirit of peace and love, by striving to make sure that all of his actions are just. In fact, peace, love, and martial arts are all part of his warrior ideals; they are all a part of the whole. He simply strives to make his actions right.

The superior man seeks what is right.
Confucius

If a man’s actions are right and just, he has no reason to be troubled in his spirit. It doesn’t matter how other people perceive his actions, as far as his own personal peace is concerned. When you know in your heart that your actions are 100% right, you don’t feel guilty over what you do. And, when you don’t feel guilty over your actions, you are able to maintain peace in your mind and spirit.

The Bible points out that no man has greater love than the man who is willing to lay down his life for others. Every time the warrior steps into a physical conflict to protect someone else, he is possibly putting his life on the line. Those who say that the warrior is not a man of peace and love should consider this fact. If the warrior wasn’t a man of love, he wouldn’t risk his life or the possibility of an injury to help someone else. The true warrior never wants to fight. He always wants to settle things peaceably. At the same time, he is willing to do what is necessary to protect himself, his family, his friends, and those around him, if he can.

No one in his right mind would rather go out and get into a fight, risking injury or worse, instead of going about his own business, having fun, and enjoying his free time. Most people won’t step up when a conflict erupts; they timidly slip away, hoping that someone else will step in to help the innocent victim. It takes a special person to intervene to help a stranger or a friend who is in trouble. It takes someone with a heart of love and a sense of responsibility to others. The true warrior is this person. This is why he trains in martial arts and self-defense, and this is why he is able to maintain an attitude of peace and love in the midst of a violent encounter.

Let him who desires peace prepare for war.
Vegetius

In actuality, the true warrior does not have to balance his warrior ethics with the attitude peace and love because peace and love are a part of his warrior ethics. The warrior lifestyle encompasses peace, love, justice, integrity, honor, and martial arts training (and many other traits). The true warrior understands this and is at peace with his decisions as long as he strives to do what is right, in the right way, with the right intention. The attitude of peace and love are as much a part of the true warrior’s lifestyle as is his martial arts training – different parts of the whole. There lies the balance between a heart of love and peace and the physical skills of the warrior.

Everything in life has to do with maintaining balance. There are many parts of the warrior lifestyle, and balance must be maintained between each part. Your life can get unbalanced even when it comes to things such as love and peace. Too much time spent on any one area leaves another area lacking attention. If the warrior refuses to train his physical skills because he is 100% focused on peace, then his life is out of balance and there will come a time when he will regret neglecting that part of his life. The warrior lifestyle is a lifestyle of balance. There are many parts of the warrior’s life which have to be kept in balance. The warrior ethic consists of multiple parts – peace and love being two of them.

Think, feel, and act like a warrior. Set yourself apart from the rest of society by your personal excellence.
Forrest E. Morgan

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

The Man in the Mirror

Who is the man in the mirror? What do you see when you look into the mirror? Are you happy with what and who you see? I’m not simply talking about how you look, but who and what you truly are as a person. Do you see a man or woman of character, integrity and honor, or do you see someone who has compromised where these essential traits are concerned? These are important questions to consider.

There is a Native American tale, which I have written about before, called the Tales of Two Wolves. Essentially it states that inside of each person is two wolves – one good and one bad. These two wolves are at war with each other for control over your mind and your actions. The Cherokee elder explains, in this story, that the wolf that you feed becomes strong, and eventually wins the battle and takes over. This battle is unseen to other people, but you know it is there, and you know which wolf is winning. In the end, it is up to you which wolf wins.

There is an eternal struggle raging in man’s breast
between the powers of darkness and light.
Gandhi

When it comes down to it, you are the only person who can truly determine what lies below the surface – who the person is staring back at you in the mirror. Oh sure, others may have an idea, depending on how you present yourself in public, but ultimately, only you know what truly resides in your inner most core, essentially which wolf is being fed and growing stronger. You can hide who you truly are where others are concerned. You can successfully pull the wool over other people’s eyes and live a life of deception in order to get what you want or to present a specific image to others. Con men do it every day, as do many ordinary people that you run into on the street.

Sincerity is openness of heart. It is found in very few,
and what is usually seen is subtle dissimulation
designed to draw the confidence of others.
La Rochefoucauld

The vast majority of people will display a certain image in public in order to better sell themselves in the eyes of other people. People are gullible and easy to manipulate, but it is much harder to fool yourself. When you look into those eyes staring back at you in the mirror, you know whether or not you are really who and what you seem to be to be. They may not know what’s going on inside you, but I can assure you, you will know without a doubt which wolf is winning the war.

When you look into the mirror, do you see a sincere person who is living up to the principles that you espouse, or do you see someone merely pretending to be a person of character and honor? Be honest! There is never any advantage to deceiving to yourself. The true warrior has to honestly evaluate himself daily to make sure that he is living according to the principles by which he has decided to live his life. This internal battle between good and evil is not a battle which you watch passively to see who wins; you are the deciding factor in who wins this battle.

To every man there opens a high way and a low way,
and every man decides the way his soul will go.
John Oxenham

Making a decision to live your life in a specific manner is only the first step; that is the easy part. The hard part is making sure that you actually live according your principles and don’t compromise who you truly are. Every little compromise, where your principles are concerned, allows the evil wolf, residing inside of you, more power, and weakens to good wolf. Being able to compromise is a good thing, but not when it comes to your principles and core beliefs.

This battle is a major part of the warrior lifestyle. Living according the the character traits of the warrior lifestyle is not an easy thing to do, but it pays big dividends to those who consistently mold their life according to the principles of honor and character. Those who give attention to this internal battle, and who consistently feed the good wolf, and starve the evil wolf, will see more and more results, until the war is eventually won. While the forces of the evil wolf may never be completely annihilated, they will be subjugated to a point where they are no longer a powerful enemy.

Look deeply at the man in the mirror until you see into your soul, into the battle ground between the two wolves, and determine how the battle is going. Gaze into your heart and into your spirit, and honestly answer the question, “Who is the man in the mirror.” Then, if you find that you don’t like the answer, take steps to change what you see. Actively get involved in that internal battle, instead of simply standing by passively. In the end, who wins the battle is up to you. If you stand by like a neutral observer, the evil wolf will take control and eventually dominate your decisions and your actions. You have to stand on the side of right and be willing to step into the battle and fight the evil wolf, not sit on the sideline and hope the good wolf somehow wins.

Unless the seed of evil is destroyed it will grow up to destroy us.
Aesop

Take some time to do some soul searching and determine which wolf you have been feeding. Determine which wolf appears to be the strongest at the present moment. This is not a battle you can afford to stay out of; no one can stay out of this battle and walk away unscathed. You will either be an active warrior in this conflict or a voluntary slave to the evil wolf. The choice is yours. What do you see when you look into the mirror? Think about it…

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmond Burke

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Pick You Battles

If a battle cannot be won, do not fight it.
Sun Tzu

You have to pick your battles wisely. Not every conflict is worth turning
into a major battle. There are certain battles which simply cannot be won no
matter how much effort you put into them or what strategies you use. They
are simply losing causes and fighting such battles does little to help you
accomplish your ultimate objectives. The wise man will not let his pride get
in the way of obtaining his goals, and fighting a battle which cannot be won
is a prime example of allowing your pride to cloud your thinking.

What lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.
Aristotle

It is important to keep in mind that retreating from an individual battle
does not mean that you are surrendering or declaring defeat in the war. A
battle is no more than that – one battle. To continue with the battlefield/war
analogy, a battle is simply one skirmish; your ultimate objective is to win the
war. Many a pawn has to be sacrificed in a chess match in order to capture
your opponent’s king, which is ultimately all that matters in the overall scheme
of things.

Always keep your ultimate objective in mind. Don’t let your pride or anger
interfere with your overall victory. I know that this is easier said than done at
times, but it is a very important part of the game, and one that takes some
self-discipline and practice to perfect. Have an overall plan for victory. Be
willing to sacrifice a battle here and there in order to win the war in the end,
and don’t expend energy fighting a battle which cannot be won at any cost.
Be rational and deliberate.

Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.
Montaigne

Many people feel the need to fight a losing battle just to prove to themselves or
others that they are committed to their cause. This is not someone who is
ultimately concerned with their final objective, but rather someone who is
concerned with impressing those around them. This kind of action has more to
do with pride than it does with strategy or common sense. Don’t get wrapped up
in what other people think about your actions. Stay focused on your ultimate
objective.

The secret of success is before attempting anything, be very clear about why you
are doing it.
Guan Yin Tzu

There is wisdom behind Sun Tzu’s teaching. Fighting a battle that cannot be won
is simply wasting your time, energy and resources. It is not the act of staying
busy that makes you successful; it is what you are busy doing that matters in the
end. Don’t do something merely for the sake of doing something. Have a purpose
and strategy behind everything that you do. Sometimes it is wiser to do nothing,
at least what looks like nothing to the outside world, than it is to do something
just because you think you need to be active.

The act of waiting for the ideal moment or simply patiently mulling over the
situation, is not the same thing as doing nothing. What may seem like doing
nothing to other people, may actually be good strategy on your part. Do not
act because of your concern about what other people may think; their thoughts
should not influence your actions. Take time to meditate on each situation and
you will know what you have to do.

You must carefully consider the merits of any action.
Takuan Soho

Don’t fight losing battles. Move with wisdom, not emotion. Let strategy guide
your actions, not pride or anger. Always focus on your ultimate goal. Pick your
battles wisely and strategically in order to accomplish your end goal. It is not
the battle that counts, but rather winning the war. Always think rationally. If
you will do this, you will not fight the battles that you cannot win; instead you
will carefully select your battles to accomplish your ultimate goal.

In whatever position you find yourself, determine first your objective.
Marshall Ferdinand Foch

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Joe Bad Ass:
The Psychology of Intimidation

The psychology of intimidation can be a tricky thing. I have friends who are ex-lawmen or long-time martial artists who have asked me about the fact that people they meet seem to be intimidated by them, and I have experienced the same thing when I meet someone new or at the beginning of school when I have all new students who do not know me. Students seem to think that I am a mean, no-nonsense kind of guy, even before I open my mouth for the first time. What is it about certain people that intimidates others?

One of my favorite authors, Forrest Morgan addresses this in his book, Living the Martial Way. Morgan states, and I paraphrase, that after a certain amount of time training in the martial way, warriors develop a certain energy that other people can sense. This energy, you can call it chi or ki or whatever you like, emits a certain feeling that other people can sense. They really do not know exactly what it is that they are feeling or sensing, but they just get the feeling that you are someone that should not be crossed.

The warrior is not consciously trying to intimidate those around him at all. In fact, it can be quite frustrating to give off this energy which seems to intimidate those around you instead of endearing them to you, as those of you who have experienced this can attest to. Mind you, this unseen energy is very useful when dealing with some thug or predator, but most of us prefer not to be seen as intimidating to our everyday acquaintances or the people whom we meet at our friends’ parties.

This unseen energy develops naturally as you continue to hone your skills in martial arts or self-defense. Some sense it as a strong self-confidence and other can sense it as simply someone who is standoffish or dangerous, but I can assure you that people can sense something different about true warriors. Many of you reading this know exactly what I am talking about – there is just something different about the warrior and people can sense it.

Although the true warrior appears to be intimidating to many people, it is truly not his intention (unless he is controlling and directing this energy intentionally in a dangerous situation). Predators and ruffians, on the other hand, intentionally use intimidation as a tool to achieve their dishonorable goals. The tools that they use to breed fear and intimidation can range from how they dress and look, to how they speak and present themselves. For example, take a look at the following group of photographs…

Imagine that you are walking down a dark street on your way home from having a couple of drinks with your co-workers. Which of these guys would you find the most intimidating? Which would you find not intimidating at all? Why? As you have probably already figured out, all of these photographs are of the same person, David Beckham, but even knowing this fact, some of these shots appear much more intimidating than others. Why is that? What makes him appear much tougher or more dangerous at one time than he does at some other time?

Is it the scowl on his face in some pictures? What about the tattoos or the hair style? Maybe it is the clothes he is wearing. Is someone more dangerous or deadly because he is unshaven and wearing jeans and a torn tee-shirt, than he is if he is wearing a polo shirt or a suit and tie? Under all of his different hair styles, tattoos, scowls, and poses, he is the same man. None of the external appearances make him any tougher or more dangerous. So why do we find different appearances to be so intimidating?

This is something that every true warrior needs to think about. You cannot allow your mind to dwell on the external appearance of your enemy (by enemy, I mean anyone who is a danger to you or your loved ones). Intimidation has to do with your mind, not the other person. Whether or not someone intimidates you is totally up to you. You have to realize that all of those external appearances mean very little. If things degenerate into a physical confrontation, you will not be fighting his weird hair, the ink spots on his body, or his raggedy looking clothes; you will be fighting a human being (I use the term loosely in this case).

Your path may cross with some tough
looking thug covered from head to toe with tattoos, with long, greasy
hair, and the meanest face you have ever seen, but does any of this make
this guy tougher or more of a threat than the clean cut guy you see at
the movie theater? All humans have pretty much the same anatomy – the same joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. No matter how scary some thug may look, his joints and bones can be attacked and destroyed just like the average Joe in the corner office, and just like your own.

Speech and threats are other forms of intimidation. It can be very intimidating when someone is yelling in your face or making overt threats to your well-being. This can make anyone uncomfortable, but remember, just as the tattoos, mean looking face, and rough exterior are not a sign of physical strength, neither is loud, boisterous speech. Many times yelling and threatening signify someone who is not capable of following through with his threats, but is merely trying to bluff and intimidate you into getting his way. It is the silent predator, who acts with no warning that is the most dangerous.

Do not allow someone to intimidate you by the way he looks or the way he talks. The intimidation factor is merely another weapon in his arsenal; it is his crude form of mental warfare. Protecting yourself from being intimidated in high-stress situations involves training for such a situation in advance. This is one of the purposes of realistic scenario training. Being confident in the face of an imposing, intimidating threat is something that you have to develop. It does not come naturally for most people.

If you lose the battle in your mind, your body will also fall to defeat. You have to develop your mind as well as your body. Self-defense involves much, much more than learning physical fighting techniques. Allowing fear and intimidation to cloud your mind puts you at a severe disadvantage. This fact has been well-known for centuries, thus the reason that even ancient war strategies included intimidation techniques. There can be no holes in your self-defense. This means that you have to keep your best weapon, your mind, prepared to defend against the intimidation factor.

Adapt or Die

The wise man adapts himself to the circumstances.
Confucius

The warrior lives by a certain set of
standards, a code of honor if you will. There are certain things that he will
not do because those things go against his beliefs and the standards which he
has set for himself. Many of his principles are not open to compromise; they
are set in stone and he refuses to bend where they are concerned, but this does
not mean that he is inflexible. Although the warrior is not willing to bend
where his principles are concerned, he must be flexible in his strategy.

First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

Warriors have to be able to adapt to the
changing circumstances. The willow bends and adapts during the storm and is not
broken, where the mighty oak does not bend and will break during the storm. The
warrior must be able to change tactics as the
situation changes. He will adapt his methods to that which the present circumstance requires. Not to do so would be foolish and costly.

This is not to say that the warrior should
lower his standards or set aside his ethics as he sees fit.
There is a difference in changing your strategy to fit the circumstances and in
changing your ethics to suit the situation. This is where
time spent meditating on your code of ethics and honor comes into play. You
must be clear about what you believe and why you hold those beliefs. Change
your methods to accomplish your goal; don’t compromise your ethics to serve
your methods. This may seem like a subtle distinction,
but it is an important one, especially for the warrior.

The secret of success is before attempting anything,
be very clear about why you are doing it.
Guan Yin Tzu

In today’s society, our culture is changing rapidly. This means that the warrior will have to adapt his strategies and methods to be successful in today’s political climate. While being straight forward is to be commended, you do have to carefully consider both your actions and your words, especially in a politically correct, litigation crazy culture. Trying to handle situations the same way as warriors might have even 50 years ago can get you into big trouble.

For example, 50 years ago, if some jerk was using file language or being crude and obnoxious at a public gathering, in front of ladies, chances are there would be a man there who would shut his mouth for him, and not in a peaceful way. On top of that, those around him who have most likely been appreciative of his actions, and if by chance law enforcement was called, they would have probably hauled the obnoxious jerk off to jail instead of the guy who punched this bum in the mouth. Times have changed…

Today, if the same thing happened, it is pretty much considered commonplace. Everyone would basically go about their own business and the jerk would not be called out concerning his behavior. And, if by chance someone did address his behavior and punched him in the mouth, guess who will end up going to the jail house? Not the file-mouthed jerk, oh no, he was innocently assaulted by some macho brute. This is just one example, but you get the point.

Do that which will not afflict you afterward,
nor oblige you to repent.
Pythagoras

The warrior has to adapt and change his strategies for handling situations like the one described above. Not to do so is simply unwise. This doesn’t mean that you have to allow things such as I described above go unaddressed; it simply mean that you have to be smart and determine a better (more acceptable) way of addressing inappropriate behavior.

Emerson stated, “If one method fails, try another, and suit your methods to the characters you have to deal with.” Today’s warrior has to deal with a totally different breed of characters. It is to your advantage to adapt your methods and strategies to fit the culture and the people that you have to deal with in today’s society. Adhere to the virtues of old, but make sure that you adapt your actions to the times. Change your strategies and methods – not your standards or your ethics.

Each is responsible for his own actions.
H. L. Hunt

(Edited from Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior’s Path)

Bohdi

Warrior Wisdom

The Noble Eightfold Path of the Warrior

1 – Right Understanding

Right understanding is essential to the warrior. It is not good enough to just memorize your martial arts techniques or to memorize some wise sayings. You have to go past rote memorization and get to the point of having a thorough understanding of the underlying principles behind your art and your values. Simply scratching the surface doesn’t cut it. In whatever you do, pursue understanding…correct understanding.

Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of an ass.
Japanese Proverb

2 – Right Thought

Science has proven that our thoughts are actually energy and have an effect on exterior things. No, I’m not just talking about the information such as the theories contained in the book The Secret. Our thoughts have a powerful influence on both our emotions and our body chemistry. Sad/depressed thoughts will cause the body to produce different hormones, enzymes, etc. than happy/excited thoughts do. This can even be measured in the composition of someone’s tears. Tears of joy have a different chemical make-up than tears of pain or tears of sadness.

In addition, your thoughts control your emotions and it is very important, especially for the warrior, to keep your emotions in check. If you doubt that your thoughts control your emotions, sit and meditate on something very sad for a while and see what affect it has on you, or put on some great music that you love and see if your thought pattern and your emotions don’t get a boost. Thoughts matter…

It is the mind which makes a man, or mares him.
Sai Baba

3 – Right Speech

This is a biggie! The person walking the path of the warrior has to watch his speech. It is so easy to say the wrong thing, especially if you are out of sorts. Be even more careful to watch what you say if you are angry or upset with someone. You can say something in a split second, which will cost you dearly for days, months, or even years to come. Right speech is a form of self-discipline. Simply put, it is self-control. Control your emotions and your speech, instead of letting your emotions control you or your speech. If you want the respect of others, watch what you say.

Don’t talk too much – your ignorance exceeds your knowledge.
Spanish Proverb

4 – Right Action

A man’s action is evidence of his creed. Every action that you take, everything you think, say or do, either brings you closer to your goals, or takes you further away from your goals, on the journey through the warrior lifestyle. Your actions matter. Make your actions right. Listen to your spirit and follow your intuition. Let your personal code of ethics and honor guide your every decision. Do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way.

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard
than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
Henry Ward Beecher

5 – Right Livelihood

There is nothing more draining for a warrior than going to a thankless job, which he absolutely hates, every single day. This sucks the life from your spirit, the energy from muscles, and the vitality from your mind. Nevertheless, the warrior will continue to do his job to the best of his abilities until the right livelihood comes along. Finding the right livelihood makes life so much better, especially if it is one in which the warrior can feel he is fulfilling a higher purpose with his life. When you do find the right livelihood you will know it because work will no longer be work, but rather a passion for you.

The talent of success is nothing more than doing
what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

6 – Right Effort

Buddha said that whatever you do, you should put your whole heart into your task, being diligent and energetic. Put forth your best effort. If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. If the task is only worthy of a partial effort, why even bother with it. The warrior aims for excellence in all that he does; there is no room for half-hearted effort in the warrior’s world. If the mind and heart are right, the effort will be right.

Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret to success.
Swami Sivananda

7 – Right Mindfulness

Right mindfulness is very close to right thought. Right mindfulness is what you keep your mind focused on throughout the day. Are you focusing on your goals, your training, and becoming the best person that you can be, or are you simply daydreaming your time away? It is important to keep your mind focused in the now. If you continue to focus on what is happening at this very moment, you will not find yourself regretting the past or worrying about the future. Stay in the moment.

It is the mind that leads a man to power, not strength of body.
Crow Maxim

8 – Right Concentration

According to Hsun Tzu, the superior man is committed to focus. Learn to concentrate on what you are doing, and do only one thing at a time. Today, we are all too prone to multi-tasking, doing several things at once. The sages taught that to do two things at once is to do neither. In order to perform at our best, we have to give our total attention to the task at hand. Take care of one thing and then move on to the next. Concentrate all your thoughts on the work at hand. Concentration is key to proper martial arts techniques. Without concentration your technique will lack energy.

A concentrated mind will pierce a rock.
Japanese Proverb

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Live the Lifestyle, Not the Fantasy

Being a warrior is an ongoing lifestyle.  It is not a goal that once you achieve the status of a warrior, you can then relax because you now have all the weapons and training that you could ever need.  You don’t all of a sudden achieve the perfection of character that you have been struggling to attain, and now you can kick back and relax.

Some people believe that they have made it to that point, after all, they have a black belt that they earned (15 years ago when they were actively training), how could anybody ever stand up to them in hand to hand combat?  They’re a BLACK BELT!  Don’t you know that this means they have “made it?”  Once a black belt, always a black belt…  Nobody in their right mind would ever attempt to attack someone who has obtained such a level of mastery, right?

Too many people believe that they are prepared to defend themselves or others because of their past training.  Martial arts training is like paddling your boat up a river; as soon as you stop paddling, you began to go float backwards.  The longer you sit there without paddling, the further you float backwards.  The longer you neglect your training, the more your skills began to fade, the less flexible you become, and the more muscle strength you lose.  Don’t believe it, stop stretching for several months and see what happens.  This is especially true if you are in the position that I am in, where your son describes you as “old.”

The way is in training.
Miyamoto Musashi

Victory is not gained through idleness.
German Proverb

If you have ever developed your martial arts skills to a level where you felt you could easily defend yourself, it is hard to imagine that your skills have dissipated and you are no longer at the same level.  If you stop lifting weights for several months, you will find that when you start back you can’t lift the same amount as you were lifting when you quit.   But when it comes to self-defense, people seem to think that they can still match up with the toughest of the tough, even if they haven’t been active for quite some time.  In your mind you still see yourself as a force to be reckoned with, even if it has been years since you actually practiced your art.

Your mind still knows what to do and how you should react to certain situations, but it doesn’t mean your body is still up to the task if you haven’t kept up your training.  I once was a very good football player, and my mind still knows what should be done on the football field.  But I would hate to know that I would have to strap on the pads now.  Don’t confuse where you used to be with where you are not.  A black belt who is no longer active has a nice souvenir, but I wouldn’t want to stake my life on his fighting skills.

Tomorrow’s battle is won during today’s practice.
Samurai Maxim

He who is an ass and takes himself to be a stag,
finds his mistake when he comes to leap the ditch.
Italian Proverb

It is foolish to try to survive on your past experiences and accomplishments.  This can be a very dangerous illusion.  See things as they really are, not as you want them to be.  Be realistic.  Don’t let yourself or others down…continue to train and stay in shape.  It is your duty, as a warrior, to be able to defend yourself and others.  Don’t neglect your training.   Live the lifestyle, not the fantasy.

It is a very dangerous, if not fate habit,
to judge ourselves to be safe because of
something that we felt or did twenty years ago.
Charles Spurgeon

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Warrior’s Path

The path of the warrior is lifelong, and
mastery is often simply staying on the path.
Richard Strozzi Heckler

The warrior lifestyle is a journey, not a destination. It is a lifelong approach to living your life, day by day, by the standards and code of ethics that you have set for yourself. To stay on this path you have to follow to certain directions, just as you would follow a road map or signs to make sure that you remain on the right highway when you are traveling. You can’t just aimlessly go through life with no direction.

Remember this: whoever lives a life of chance
Will in the end find himself a victim of chance.
Francesco Guicciardini

Character training is the road map to the path of the warrior. You must study the qualities that make up the character of the warrior. Meditate on these character traits until they become a part of your spirit; until they become who you truly are deep inside. No one is born with all of the character traits which make the warrior the extraordinary human that he truly is. These traits have to be developed through study, training, meditation, and learning from our mistakes.

He who plants trees in the morning
does not saw planks in the afternoon.
Chinese Proverb

I was not born knowing what I teach you.
Being fond of the past, I sought it through diligence.
Confucius

Yes, the warrior makes mistakes.  No one is perfect. The difference in the ordinary man and the warrior is when the warrior makes a mistake he learns from his error and makes the necessary changes that will help him make better decisions next time. He is constantly trying to improve his character. His mistakes do not mean defeat unless he allows them to cause him to give up the path of the warrior. Mastery will come if you simply stay on the path and continue to learn and improve your character every day. Don’t get frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in your journey. Remember, this is a journey, not a destination.

Though the wind blows, the mountain does not move.
Japanese Proverb

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

To Die For

Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus

There are not a lot of things in life that people are willing to die for. Not much is as important to someone as his or her own life. Actually, it is rare to find someone who is willing to lay down his life for anything or anyone else. As Jesus said, no man has greater love than when he lays down his life for someone else. It really takes someone with a special spirit to even consider laying down his own life for someone else. The true warrior is just this type of person.

The warrior knows that there are times which may require him to put his life on the line to protect those he loves. This doesn’t mean that he has a death wish or that he doesn’t value his life just as much as the next man, but rather that he knows that some risks are worth taking and some people are worth defending, even if it means putting your own life on the line. This begs to question, who is worth defending with your life and why?

The secret of success is before attempting anything,
be very clear about why you are doing so.
Guan Yin Tzu

Many people say that they “would die for” their spouse or their children, but would they really? When the hammer is cocked, would they really take the bullet, or is this some chivalric fantasy that they have in their mind? Are they living in their own little fantasy world where they are the hero or do they really have the courage and character to put their life on the line for those that they love?

Let’s make this even more personal; do you have the intestinal fortitude to lay down your life for those you love if it came down to that? How do you know? This is something that most of us have never experienced before, so how can you be sure that you would not fold under pressure? Is there even anyone in your life that you would be willing to put your life on the line for? Who? Why? These are essential questions for the warrior to ask himself before he finds his back against the wall.

First say to yourself what you would be;
then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

Most people never stop to think about these questions because it is not really a jovial exercise to imagine yourself dying, for any reason. Nobody likes to focus on their own mortality. To the average person this seems like an exercise in depression, but to the warrior, this is an essential practice. The knights of old did this. The samurai did this. These warriors did not partake in this mental visualization out of a morbid death wish, but rather as a preparation in case they ever found themselves in such a circumstance.

This is the same reason that you should give some thought and even visualization to this subject – to be prepared for such an event, even if it never comes. Being prepared never hurt anyone. Don’t plan on losing. Don’t plan on dying. Never visualize yourself losing, but at the same time you need to know when and why you would be willing to put your life on the line.

A man’s action is only a picture book of his creed.
Emerson

Who is worth this much to you? Why? How far would you go to protect those you love? Reflect on these questions and then prepare so that if you do find yourself in a situation where you do have to place your life in danger to protect others, you will ultimately come out victorious. Being victorious is never guaranteed, but preparation always increases your odds of succeeding. Don’t fold when your loved-ones need you most.

Courage is grace under pressure.
Hemingway

Cowards die many times before their deaths,
the valiant never taste of death but once.
Shakespeare

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Jaded Trust

Except for those whom you know to be good
from experience or from a completely trustworthy source,
it is wise to deal with all people with your eyes wide open…
the important point is:
don’t trust anyone unless you are sure you can.
Francesco Guicciardini

Trust is a small word, but can have some major implications. Trust in its definitive essence, is a confidence or reliance in the good qualities of others. To trust someone means that you are counting on that person’s adherence to his sense of fairness, truth, and honor – traits which seem to be in short supply in today’s world. That may sound like a negative and pessimistic view of our world today, but actually that is not a new observation concerning the character of humans.

Sages and wise men throughout the ages have held the opinion that the majority of men are not men of good character, and therefore it stands, not men to be trusted, at least not in matters of importance. Wise men such as Gracian, Voltaire, Goethe, La Rochefoucauld, Lord Chesterfield, and Guicciardini, all espoused this viewpoint of men in general. They all admonished us to be careful of trusting others, especially in matters that are important to your well-being.

I would advise you not to trust either [men or women],
more than is absolutely necessary.
Lord Chesterfield

It is hazardous to trust others,
for he who trusts others will be controlled by them.
Han Fei Tzu

I did not acquire this distrust of men from reading the writings of these men, although their writings have reinforced my suspicious nature. After all, you can’t be too far off target if you agree with men such as these. Time and time again, I have found that my philosophy of expecting men in general (I use the word men as in human beings, females are just as untrustworthy as males) to be dishonest and untrustworthy, has proved to be accurate.

For of men it may generally be affirmed that they are
thankless, fickle,false, studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain,
devoted to you while you are able to confer benefits upon them,
and ready, as I said before, while danger is distant,
to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property,
their lives, and their children for you;
but in the hour of need they turn against you.
Niccolo Machiavelli

I realize that there are some who would say that I am simply manifesting what I expect from those I meet. I highly doubt that, but hey, I could be wrong. I prefer to approach the world with my eyes wide open. I have been conned too many times. Instead of seeing myself as a pessimist or a negative nail, I prefer to think of myself as vigilant in assessing the character of others. People in general don’t seem to put what is right or honorable above what is profitable or comfortable.

Generally men have higher respect
for their interest than their duty.
Francesco Guicciardini

This way of life does have some drawbacks though. I tend to be a little less open and much more suspicious of others than those who prefer to trust everyone until they give them a reason not to trust them. These people go through life with a rosier outlook towards people in general, but tend to get taken for a ride much more often as a result of their trusting personality. I have heard them make statements such as, “It is better to trust people and get screwed, than to go through life distrustful.”

Maybe it is. I don’t know. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I am definitely not perfect or infallible. I don’t have all the answers. I do know that trusting the wrong person, at the wrong time can totally change the course of your life, and not in a good way. The warrior has a responsibility to those who depend on him to be watchful and, to a certain point, distrustful of those who cross his path. He has a duty to protect those whom he loves.

Men are so false, so insidious,
so deceitful and cunning in their wiles,
so avid in their own interest, and
so oblivious to other’s interest,
that you cannot go wrong if you
believe little and trust less.
Francesco Guicciardini

Is this the most comfortable, happy-go-lucky way to go through life? No, its not. Is it the safest way to go through life? I think so. As with most everything, it is balance that truly matters. There is a time to trust others and a time to be distrustful. Always listen to your intuition. It will rarely steer you wrong. As I said, I don’t have all the answers, but I do learn from experience, and experience has taught me that the sages and the words of the wise should be listened to. It has also taught me that people are not to be trusted…but every now and then you have to take the risk to trust that you aren’t the only person in this world who is a true human being – a true warrior.

Trust the instinct to the end,
though you can render no reason.
Emerson

Experience is a good school,
but the fees are high.
Heinrich Heine

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Source

With men of understanding,
wisdom counts for everything.
Baltasar Gracian

Where does wisdom come from? Is universal wisdom useful across the board or does it matter who the person is who is imparting that wisdom? I guess there is some controversy where this is concerned. A well-known martial artist, brought this very issue up concerning my third book, Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior’s Path, this week. He felt that some of the people who I  quoted were not quality people and therefore should not have been quoted in my book.

Knowledge of the world is only to be
acquired in the world and not in a closet.
Lord Chesterfield

Any experience can be transformed
into something of value.
Vash Young

This begs the question, is wisdom wisdom no matter where it comes from or does the person, who has an insightful thought, also have to have to good reputation and a flawless character in order for that wisdom to be authenticated as true wisdom? Can a wino on a street corner have an insightful thought, and if he does should we discard it because of his shortcomings in life? This was the debate that my friend and I had concerning my third book…and we agreed to disagree and he refused to endorse my book because of this outlook.

A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.
Aristophanes

His last statement on the matter was that he didn’t think that “readers would be ready for Bohdi Sanders takes the words of sages and scoundrels and explains them in a way that might be useful.” We left it at that. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t purposely quote scumbags and give them credit for being wise men of strong character. No way! But at the same time, there are no perfect people. Being a history teacher, I could delve into the lives of our most beloved men, men who we consider top drawer, and find serious faults in their lives.

Arrogance diminishes wisdom.
Arabian Proverb

For example, the Apostle Paul had many Christians put to death before his conversion to Christianity. King David, who is accepted as the author of the Book of Psalms, arranged for the death of a man because he was infatuated with that man’s wife. I could cite example after example of dishonorable acts of men whom most of us have respect for, and whose writings we enjoy as words of wisdom. Do their actions take away from their words of wisdom or are their writings teaching us what they have learned from their mistakes?

It is quite possible to be a good man
without anyone realizing it.
Marcus Aurelius

I believe that the warrior should use wisdom wherever he finds it. Wisdom can come from various and unpredictable sources. Whether it is a five year old child or a wino on a street corner, anyone can have a profound and insightful thought. If we simply waited for that wisdom to come from someone with no faults, we would have a long wait. Instead of judging the person who imparts that insightful thought, wouldn’t it be better to judge the content of the thought itself? I think so…

Instead of searching for the faults of others, examine
yourself for personal faults that need to be corrected.
Sai Baba

True wisdom is universal. Should we discard an enlightened thought simply because we are not impressed with the person who is used to communicate that thought to us? To the warrior, the purpose of wisdom is to improve his life and his character. Even if that wisdom comes from  a five years old child, he is not too proud to take what is said and meditate on it and apply it to his life. The warrior is an independent spirit who thinks for himself and is not influenced by political correctness or the mind games that many people play.

What I must do is all that concerns me,
not what the people think.
Emerson

Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
Emerson

Our currency all comes from government sanctioned mints and has value no matter whose pocket it happens to be in at any given moment. In the same way, universal wisdom all comes from One Source and is useful in guiding the warrior on the warrior’s path. It does not matter who the carrier of that wisdom may be, universal wisdom does not lose its value. The warrior knows this and uses his spirit as a guide to the truthfulness and validity of the thoughts of others. He uses what he finds useful and discards what strikes him as “not quite right.” I am concerned with what is being said, not who said it.

Test everything.
Hold on to the good.
The Apostle Paul

A precious stone does not lose its value
simply because it has been dropped in a cesspool.
Japanese Proverb

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Good & Evil

There are always two forces
warring against each other within us.
Paramahansa Yogananda

What does it mean to be a good person? What does it mean to be an evil person? We hear these terms thrown around often, “He is a good guy.” or “That man is evil.” But what do these things really mean? Are we even in a position to judge whether someone is good or evil? These are questions which seem simple to answer, that is until you start to truly examine them closer.

Moral philosophy is nothing else
but the science of good and evil.
Thomas Hobbes

While it is pretty obvious when someone is truly evil down to his core, it is a little trickier to know whether or not someone is really a good person. We know that some people are purely evil. People such as serial killers, ruthless dictators who kill thousands of innocent people, and politicians (I had to throw that in there!).  hahaha  The evil man is fairly obvious to recognize after his actions have been brought to light, but what about the good man?

How do you recognize a good man? Is it by his words? Is it the fact that he doesn’t kill or rob other people? Does his actions prove that he is a good man? What are the characteristics of a good man? People say all sorts of things, and have been known to lie… Many people refrain from breaking the law out of fear of punishment, not because they are good people… A man’s actions can be only for show…

Things do not pass for what they are,
but for what they seem…
Things are judged by how they look,
even though most things are far
different from what they appear.
Baltasar Gracian

Are you starting to get the point? It is much harder to truly know if someone is honestly a good person. The reason for this is that in order to know if someone is truly a good person, you have to have some insight into their spirit, their heart, and their mind. The truly good person is good on the inside. It has to get right on the inside before it can ever be right on the outside. This is where is gets tricky.

Good means not merely not to do wrong,
but rather not to desire to do wrong.
Democritus

How can you really know what is inside someone’s mind. What are his intentions. When you get down to it, it is a person’s underlying intentions which make him a good person or a bad person. Things are never as black and white as they seem on the surface. John Wayne said, “There’s right and there’s wrong.” This is true. Right and wrong are black and white, but being able to distinguish between the two is not so clean-cut. This is why you should be very careful about judging others.

A door must either be open or shut.
French Proverb

To every man there opens a high way and a low way,
every man decides the way his soul will go.
John Oxenham

We have to be careful about judging others simply because we don’t have access to all the information that we need to make a clear judgment. We can’t see what is in someone’s mind. We don’t know their intentions. Many people act in a certain way simply to maintain their cleverly constructed reputation, but this may or may not be who they truly are. It takes time and close association to really know someone.

The most exhausting thing in life,
I have discovered, is being insincere.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The good man is good inside and out. His actions mirror his thoughts. His intentions are pure, although many times the results of his actions may not go as he had planned. His heart is cleansed of malice. Whether or not someone is a good person depends on much more than whether he obeys the law or goes to church. Too many people judge people on these external traits without considering what is on the inside.

With sincerity, there is virtue.
Shinto Maxim

The first duty is to behave with purity of intention.
Sheikh Muzaffer

Don’t be too quick to judge someone or to label them as either a good person or a bad person. Just like every other decision, it is foolish to jump to a conclusion without knowing all the facts. Next time you are tempted to make a judgment or take someone’s word concerning someone’s character, ask yourself if you have all of the information that you need to make an intelligent decision about this person. Good and evil are black and white, but your ability to discern each is a giant gray area.

Appear as you are; be as you appear.
Rumi

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Rose Colored Glasses

The sky is not less blue because
the blind man does not see it.
Danish Proverb

Everyone is the same… People are people… I have tons of friends… That kind of thing only happens to other people… These are all comments which I hear from people who “wear rose colored glasses.”  They see the world as they believe it to be or as they want it to be, not as it actually is. These people live in their own little fantasy world where everything is colored according to their viewpoint.

Is not the truth the truth?
Shakespeare

While it is true that we all see things from a certain point of view which is colored by our own biases or prejudices, we should make an effort to see things as they actually are. You may argue, what does it hurt if someone sees the world in a certain way, as long as they aren’t bothering anyone else? Well, in actuality it may not hurt them at all. They may live their whole life without their distorted beliefs affecting them. Then again, they may not.

Someone may see rattlesnakes as a loving, misunderstood creature. They may truly believe that rattlesnakes are not dangerous or poisonous. This belief, although it is untrue, may make them feel all warm, loving and one with the earth. It may make this person feel safe when he goes out hiking in the hills…and this belief may never have any adverse affect on this person at all, that is as long as he never find himself face to face with a rattlesnake or steps over a bush and is bitten by a rattlesnake. His thoughts do not change reality…

A light is still a light, even though
the blind man cannot see it.
Austrian Proverb

Likewise, this person may love to wear his rose colored glasses outside in his backyard and his white shed may look rosy to him. He may enjoy his perception of the nice rosy color of his shed. It may make him feel peaceful and relaxed or meditative and reflective…but none of this changes the fact that his shed is white. If he wants to think of it as rose colored, that is his choice, but he is making a decision to deceive himself.

Truth is exact correspondence with reality.
Paramahansa Yogananda

The same principle goes for other believes such as the ones which I listed at the beginning of this blog post. “Everyone is the same.” No, they are not. “People are people.” Wrong again. Different people have different moral values and many people do not value life as you or I do. “I have lots of friends.” No you don’t. “Those kinds of things always happen to other people.” Not hardly…

These kinds of thoughts may make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They may be socially acceptable or politically correct, but that does not make them true. And the same principle applies to these thoughts as it does to the guy’s thoughts about the rattlesnake…you may go all of your life without these “rose colored thoughts” affecting you, unless you run into someone who proves to you that your thoughts are bogus.

Truth doesn’t change because it is, or is not,
believed by a majority of the people.
Giordano Bruno

If however, this person runs into the stark reality of a gruff, scarred hand that reaches up an grabs those rose colored glasses from his face, he will be shocked to face the actual reality of the way things truly are. He will find out the hard way that his thoughts are flawed. This can be a rude awakening…

Facts do not cease to exist
because they are ignored.
Aldous Huxley

There really is no benefit in deceiving yourself. Isn’t is better to see things as they truly are? The truth doesn’t change simply because we refuse to see it or want it to be different. The truth simply is the truth. Things are as they are. You have the choice to see things as you will, but I highly recommend taking off those rose colored glasses, at least sometimes…

Truth will always be truth, regardless of
lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
W. Clement Stone

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Warrior Wisdom Book: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

Listen to Your Spirit

Don’t follow the advice of others; rather,
learn to listen to the voice within yourself.
Dogen

This quote by Dogen, the famous 13^th century Zen master, is a little misleading at first. When you first read it, it seems as though Dogen is telling us not to follow the advice of others. What he is actually telling us is not to blindly follow the advice of other, but rather to listen to the advice of others, while at the same time listening to your inner spirit. It is wise to listen to the advice and opinions of others, but always think for yourself. Don’t act on the advice of others until you feel, deep in your spirit, that their advice is right.

Trust your instinct to the end,
though you can render no reason.
Emerson

Trust your heart…
for it is never untrue to itself.
Baltasar Gracian

This is what is meant by listening to the voice within yourself. Always trust your internal voice, whether you call it your “small quiet voice,” or your intuition, it will not lead you astray if you will learn to listen to what it is trying to tell you. How do you know what it is trying to tell you? You listen. You have to spend some quiet time alone, just you and your spirit. For many this is hard to do. We are so used to having some external stimuli constantly bombarding us today that silence actually can feel awkward.

Close both eyes to see with the other eye.
Rumi

This is a skill that has to be developed just like your roundhouse kick or your side kick. Can you remember when you were first beginning martial arts, how awkward some of the kicks and techniques were? Nothing that is completely new is comfortable at first. You have to practice new skills and techniques until you become comfortable with them and you develop a certain level of skill with them. The same thing goes for listening to your intuition or your spirit. As Hui Neng taught, “Look within…The secret is in you.”

The truth of a thing is the feel of it,
not the think of it.
Stanley Kubrick

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Enemy’s Strategy

What is of supreme importance in war
is to attack the enemy’s strategy.
Sun Tzu

Whether you are referring to war or business, if you want to win, you need to be able to counter your enemy’s strategy. You first need to know exactly what your enemy’s strategy is, in order to attack his strategy. Don’t just shoot in the dark. You need factual knowledge concerning what he plans to do. Take the time to do a little research and find out who your enemy is and what makes him tick. You must know your enemy. Know his weaknesses and his strengths. Know what his goals are and what he wants to achieve and why. Gather as much information on him as possible.

Method is more important than strength,
when you wish to control your enemies.
Nagarjuna

Once you know your enemy well, you are ready to start thinking of ways to disrupt his strategy. Only after you understand your enemy, can you begin to devise a plan to attack his strategy. Attacking your enemy’s strategy without doing your homework can backfire on you. You must be able to understand what is going on in your enemy’s mind in order to plan your own strategy. You must know who he is and how he thinks in order to predict how he will react and what his next move will be.

Our friends show us what we can do,
our enemies teach us what we must do.
Goethe

Things are not always as they appear to be on the surface. In fact, they are seldom what they appear to be. You must work hard to get through all the layers and find out what your enemy’s true purpose is. Don’t just discover his strategy, but look deeper and find out why he has developed this strategy. What is his ultimate motivation? What is his ultimate objective? Once you know what his motivation is and what his objectives are, you ready to develop a plan to counter your enemy’s strategy. Knowledge is power.

Do not be the victim of first impressions.
Baltasar Gracian

In planning, never a useless move;
in strategy, no step taken in vain.
Sun Tzu

(Taken from Warrior Wisdom II: The Heart and Soul of Bushido)

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

What Women Want

The wise focus their
attention inside.
Lao Tzu

I get a lot of emails, and many of them come from women who read my blogs or have read my book. One of the common topics that I hear repeated, not only in the emails that I received, but also in listening to conversations throughout my everyday travels, concerns what women actually want from a man. A lot of the emails that I receive are from female readers who say, “YES! The warrior is the kind of man that every woman wants! Where are men like this today?”

Let them know a real man,
who lives as he was meant to live.
Marcus Aurelius

It seems that no matter how hard ….Hollywood…., celebrities, feminists, etc. try to push the image of the metro-sexual male or the feminist man who has to depend on the wife to take care of things because he is a spineless, witless, buffoon, deep inside most women still love the stereotypical warrior which I write about in my book and blogs. They want a man who has character, integrity and honor. They want a man who has courage and who is willing to take care of them, provide for them, and protect them.

Now, I’m not saying that women want someone who simply wants to keep them pregnant and barefoot. That is not how the warrior looks at his wife or his girlfriend at all. If you have read much of my writing, you already know that. The warrior has the utmost respect for his wife and family. He spends time with them. They are the most important thing in the world to him, which is why he is willing to provide for them and protect them, even unto the death. No matter what other duties the warrior has, his wife and family always come first, if he is truly walking the path of the warrior. And this is something that every woman wants.

If you would be wise, provide for your house,
and love your wife in your arms. Fill her stomach,
clothe her back; oil is the remedy for her limbs.
Gladden her heart during your lifetime,
for she is an estate profitable to his lord.
Do not be harsh, for gentleness
masters her more than strength.
Give to her that for which she sighs
and that toward which her eye looks.
Ptah-Hotep

I realize that many of my readers will disagree with me on this point. They will want to argue that their duty to their country or their fellow soldiers comes first, or that their duty as a cop or a fireman comes first. To this I say hogwash! As a warrior, your first and foremost duty is to your wife and family, not your job or your profession. It is one thing to put other things first when you do not have a wife or family, but once you make that commitment, your priorities have to change. And this is what most women that have either written me or talked with me, seem to want – a man who is willing to put her first, a man that she can always count on to be there for her.

I can hear the feathers ruffling as I type, “What do you mean Bohdi?? Are you saying that I should neglect my duty??” Not at all, that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that your wife and family have to come first. We all still have to work and do our job, and many times we had rather be at home with our family instead of working, but that’s life. This doesn’t mean that you don’t put your family first. Working is providing for your family, and is a necessity in life, but you had better have the pecking order straight in your mind. If you don’t put your family first, who will?

What I am saying is that the warrior walks by his own set of rules and values, his own code if you will. He has the courage to live by his own law. He isn’t a sheep. No one else controls him or tells him what does or does not come first in his life. He sets the rules and sometimes they may not jive with the norm of society. So what? He is not concerned with society’s political correctness or the way things have always been done. He is concerned with his personal duty, and he decides the hierarchy of his duties.

Highly evolved people have
their own conscience as pure law.
Lao Tzu

What I must do is all that concerns me,
not what the people think.
Emerson

The women that I have talked to want a man who is strong enough to decide what he believes in and who will stand for those beliefs. They want a man with backbone and character. They want someone who they can trust with their life, who they can depend on without question. Women want a man who they know is honest, sincere, and who will put their family first. A man who will honor and respect them is at the top of their list. No matter how much our “advanced” society pushes the image of the lovable buffoon as the image of the nice, desirable husband, this is not the feedback that women are giving me.

Do the character traits above sound familiar? Well, they do if you have spent much time reading my blog or have read Warrior Wisdom, they describe the warrior. The warrior is a man of honor, character, and integrity. He has a strong sense of filial duty and duty to his family. He is honest, trustworthy and sincere. He is a man of courage and has both the will and ability to back up his ideals. The warrior understands respect and honor, and they are a synergistic part of his life. The true warrior is truly the man that women describe to me as their perfect man.

The master warrior is
a man of character,
a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

Many women seem to go for the bad boy. Maybe this is because they really want someone who is a warrior, but their image of what the warrior really is, is skewed by movies and television. They consider a man who is rugged and tough to be the image of the warrior, but soon they find that this bad boy, is not a true warrior, but rather a thug. He lacks the character and principles of the true warrior, which is truly what women are looking for in a man. Soon they trade the bad boy for the nice guy, which although he may not be a warrior, he is at least not a thug and will provide a home for her.

Look for benefits that last.
Ten Bears

It is not enough to make something look good.
The underlying principle must be good.
Joyce Sequichie Hifler

What women are truly looking for is the perfect combination of the bad boy and the provider. The man who has principles, character, and is rugged and tough enough to protect her if the occasion arises. This is the picture that has been painted for me from the many emails that I have received, and it is the image of the true warrior – the man of excellence. Balance is important in everything, and I think that it is also important when it comes to what women what from men.

Stop talking about what the
good man is like, and just be one.
Marcus Aurelius

The superior man demands it of himself;
the inferior man demands it of others.
Confucius

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Behind the Veil:
The Eye of the Warrior

Truth is Power.
Lakota Maxim

Is anything really as it appears? Unless you have first-hand knowledge concerning certain information, someone’s actions, specific plans, or strategies, do you really think that you know what the honest to goodness truth is? Most likely you don’t, even if you feel that you do. Unless you are actually privileged to the inside information, you are simply going on theory, hearsay, or worse yet, what the media spoon feeds the sheep.

Things are not always what they seem;
the first appearance deceives many:
the intelligence of a few perceives
what has been carefully hidden.
Phaedrus

There is a facade purposely put up to veil the truth from you. The warrior has to see this and take pains to the best of his ability to find out what the truth behind the veil actually is, especially if he is planning to act with conviction concerning some matter. Never act on half truths or after hearing only one side. This is a trait of the simple-minded and can come back to haunt you. You have to be careful about what you believe in these times of information overload. It can be hard to decipher the truth from distorted spin.

Instead of thinking how things may be,
see them as they are.
Samuel Johnson

Don’t rely on the label on the bag.
French Proverb

Things are not as they seem. Most everything that you read or hear has been carefully scripted and manipulated in order to accomplish certain goals. I have sucked into believing things which were emailed to me by trusted sources several times, only to find out later that the information was bogus. This can hurt your reputation as a reputable person. While it is true that most of us don’t have the time to do research and peal back the layers of falsehoods to get to the truth of the matter, it is a necessity if you are going to put your reputation on the line.

Things do not pass for what they are,
but for what they seem…
things are judged by what they look,
even though most things are far
different from what they appear.
Baltasar Gracian

This is yet another reason why the warrior is a man (person) of few words. You don’t have to give your opinion on every little thing that comes up in conversation. Nobody knows everything about everything, and it is folly to try to sound intelligent and bluff your way through a conversation in which you don’t have all the facts. It is better to be quiet and watch others through the eye of the warrior – the eye of the warrior can see BS from a mile away. Most people simply ramble on without knowing what they are talking about, and those in the know see them as fools.

At all times, look at the thing itself –
the thing behind the appearance.
Marcus Aurelius

Strive to get clear notions about all.
Seneca

It is much better to be objective – to hear both sides of everything, and then do a little research before you give your opinion, if you give your opinion at all. Don’t be swept up into the tide of popular opinion. Just because the majority believes something, does not make it true. Most of the time, the majority are in the wrong. Political correctness is not a sign of intelligence, but rather a sign of someone who is easily led and wants to be thought of as intelligent. Be a maverick and see through the eye of the warrior; slip behind the veil. The substance is always found behind the shadow.

Be not deceived with the first appearance of things,
for show is not substance.
English Proverb

Beware that you do not lose the substance
by grasping at the shadow.
Aesop

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Opinions Vary

Fear not the reproach of men,
nor be afraid of their revilings.
Isaiah

People are fickle. They will sing your praises one day, and they will turn on you like a pack of wolves the next day. Throughout history, people have shown this same erratic behavior, and sages have always taught us, just as Chuang Tzu taught, to be indifferent to the praise or blame of the masses. Let their praise and blame roll of your back just as rain beads up and rolls off of a newly waxed car.

The wise live among people,
but are indifferent to their praise or blame.
Chuang Tzu

This advice sounds easy enough to do. After all, it doesn’t take much effort to ignore what other people say, right? Well, this is another piece of wisdom that is easier said than done. It is very enjoyable and ego-boosting to have people praising your work and patting you on the back. It is a pleasurable experience for people to tell you how great you are or how smart you are.

Likewise, it is a very uncomfortable feeling to have people attacking you and blaming you for this or that. It can be very stressful to have people harass you verbally. Being indifferent to the public’s opinions, either positive or negative, is something which has to be learning and perfected. It doesn’t come naturally.

I do what is mine to do;
the rest doesn’t disturb me.
Marcus Aurelius

Just remember that the same people who cheer for you today, would cheer just as loudly if you were about to be hanged. Don’t seek the approval of the public. Seek the approval of men of wisdom and honor. These are men whose opinions actually have substance. Above all, seek to live according to your own principles. Only you truly know if you are worthy of praise or blame.

A noble spirit will seek the reward of virtue
in the consciousness of it, rather than in popular opinion.
Pliny the Younger

Bohdi Sanders

Warrior Wisdom

Does Everyone “Deserve” Respect?

Dignity is not circumstantial.
Kotoda Yahei Toshisada

Have you ever noticed how, if a football team develops into a dynasty, everyone wants to see them get beat? This is because nobody likes to feel inferior to anyone else, and a team who has practiced, worked, and grabbed hold of excellence, makes those who have not, feel inferior. The same principle applies to individuals. Those who have developed their lives to the point of excellence, make others who have not, feel inferior, unless they are very careful about how they carry themselves.

Noblemen discipline themselves to be dignified at all times.
Matsura Seizen

The warrior should develop his life to the point of excellence, while at the same time living in such a way as to not make those who haven’t feel inferior. Yes, this is a tall order on both accounts. It is hard enough to live the life of the superior man who has worked to develop his character through many hours of discipline and training, but once you start to feel that you are making progress, it can be even harder not to make others feel inferior. You have to watch what you say and how you treat those who are less inclined to live a life of honor.

People hate those who make them feel their own inferiority.
Lord Chesterfield

Those who do not live by a code of honor or revere integrity and character, many times look down on those who do. They will ridicule you for your strong beliefs in the warrior lifestyle. The warrior lifestyle simply does not make any sense to them. When they hear you discuss things such as honor, respect, your code of ethics, doing right, etc., they feel as if you are talking down to them or that you feel like you are better than them. Nobody likes to feel inferior, and they despise those who make them feel that they are not living their life to their full potential.

You cannot talk to a frog in a well about the vast sea;
He is limited to his area of space.
A summer insect has no knowledge of snow;
It knows nothing beyond its own season.
Chiu Shu

How do you live a life of excellence and honor without making others feel inferior? The answer lies in respect. You have to treat them with respect, even if you don’t really respect their lifestyle choices or their actions. This is not being hypocritical. It is simply treating others as you would have them treat you. Inside, you may know that men of honor, who live the warrior lifestyle, deserve more respect and reverence than those who don’t, but this fact doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat others with respect as well. Treat everyone with a certain degree of respect.

Each action [of the warrior] is performed from a place of fundamental wisdom…
It is completely different from the ordinary behavior of a fool.
Even if it looks the same, it is different on the inside.
Takuan Soho

Moreover, you don’t have to actually respect someone in order to treat that person with respect. This is a fact that takes a little getting used to for most people. You can have very little or no respect at all for someone, and yet still treat them with respect. No, this is not being hypocritical. This is simply living according to your own standards, standards which require you to treat people in a certain way, whether they are your enemy or your best friend. You live your life by certain decorum regardless of how other people live.

The man of principle never forgets what he is, because of what others are.
Baltasar Gracian

Treating others with a certain amount of respect and manners has nothing to do with their actions; it has to do with how you have decided to live your life. Does everyone deserve respect and honor? No, not in my opinion. Should everyone be treated with respect and good manners? Absolutely. There is a difference in what someone deserves and in how the warrior should treat them. Treating someone with respect and manners says something about you, not about what they deserve. What do you want your actions to say about you?

The warrior acts first according to his heart and his sense of righteousness.
Kensho Furuya

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Love & Annihilation: The Infinite Warrior Cycle

To do a great right, do a little wrong.
Shakespeare

I have often thought about whether or not it is possible to integrate the peaceful teachings of the sages with the total destruction that a skilled warrior can render on his enemy. How does the warrior balance the destructive, martial side of his life, with the calm, peace-loving, side which is taught by masters such as Lao Tzu and Jesus? As I have said many times, the warrior is a peace-loving individual. I totally enjoy the wisdom of the elders and try to live according to the teachings of the sages such as Lao Tzu, but how does one integrate teachings such as those found in the Tao Te Ching with what must be done to protect himself and those he loves in times of crisis?

This is a balancing act for the warrior, and one which requires time spent in meditation and deep thought concerning his personal code of ethics. He has to figure out exactly how far he is willing to go before he finds himself in a life-or-death situation. He has to determine what he must do to balance the teachings that are a part of his life, with the things which, at times, must be done in order to fulfill his duties as a warrior. This is a tall order and takes time spent in quiet contemplation for the warrior to fully come to grips with how to balance these two parts of his life.

For when moral value is considered,
the concern is not the actions, which are seen,
but rather with their inner principles, which are not seen.
Kant

Most things can be perceived in more than one way, just as the glass can be viewed as half full or half empty. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to get physical with someone, think of the reasons you must fight, not how sad you feel at the prospect of having to do damage to your enemy. Think of the duty that you have to protect those around you, not of your desire for things to be different. Think of what you fight for, not what you fight against. What you fight for determines whether your fight is just or unjust.

It is circumstance and proper measure that give an action its character,
and make it either good or bad.
Plutarch

Can this be done with love? Can a warrior walk in love as Lao Tzu, Jesus, Buddha, and others taught, while at the same time destroying his enemy? He can if his perception is right. When you must fight, think of fighting for those you love. This is the flip side of fighting against those you hate. Must you hate your enemy in order to stand for what you know is just and defeat him? I don’t think so. You do not have to allow your emotions to drift into anger and hate in order to use your martial arts skills. In fact, getting emotional can cloud your thinking and hinder your success.

The angry man will defeat himself in battle as well as in life.
Samurai Maxim

Remember to preserve a calm soul amid difficulties.
Horace

Control your emotions and your thoughts. This is the key to finding balance between the spiritual side of the warrior which tries to live according to the wisdom of the sages, and the physical side of the warrior which has the power to destroy. You have to know that your actions are just. A guilty conscience can be dangerous for the warrior. If he feels deep inside that his enemy’s anger against him is just, he will have a hard time going against this enemy. The warrior must stand on the side of justice, and when he is in the wrong, he must own up to the error of his ways, not continue to maintain a position which he knows is not right.

In critical times, one must be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.
Gichin Funakoshi

So, can the warrior balance the spiritual and physical duties of the warrior lifestyle? The answer is absolutely, but as with so much of the warrior lifestyle, it takes work. The warrior lifestyle is a lifestyle of excellence, and a life of excellence takes effort. It doesn’t just happen naturally while you are sitting on the couch watching television. You have to work for it. You have to take the time to develop yourself – spirit, mind, and body. It is up to you, nobody is going to do it for you. When it comes right down to it, nobody else cares. It is extremely rare to find anyone else who really cares about the truly important parts of your life. You’re basically on your own in this arena, as you are in most others.

Each individual is responsible for his own evolution.
Lao Tzu

Prepare yourself for you must travel alone.
Book of the Golden Precepts

If you are not willing to slow down and spend some time in quiet meditation and contemplation, you will never have a deep understanding of this essential balance. Exercise your mind, and think for yourself. This sounds so simple, but it actually takes more effort and discipline than your physical training. The mind can be hard to control. Control it nonetheless! Be the master of your thoughts, not mastered by your thoughts. Determine your code of ethics and find balance today.

One should know what our convictions are, and stand for them…
therefore it is wise to be as clear as possible about one’s subjective principles.
Carl Yung

Perfection is attained by slow degrees;
She requires the hand of time.
Voltaire

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Root of the Warrior Lifestyle

The superior man is watchful over himself
even when he is alone.
Chung Yung

Continual self-improvement is at the root of the warrior lifestyle. The warrior must be constantly improving himself in every area of his life. In Japan, this concept is called kaizen which literally means constant, never-ending improvement. Constant, never-ending improvement is exactly what the warrior lifestyle is all about. Warriors must strive to improve themselves spiritually, mentally, and physically daily.

One should be careful to improve himself continually.
Shu Ching

Many of the warriors from throughout history attempted to do just this in the lives. They took their spiritual beliefs seriously and spent time daily reflecting and meditating on those beliefs. They knew what they believed and why they believed it. Warriors made attempts to improve their minds through studying and learning during times of peace. Keeping their bodies fit and prepared for battle was a top priority, as was keeping their marital arts skills ready for when they might be called on to use them.

Return to the root and you will find the meaning.
Senstan

The same should apply to modern day warriors. Strive to be well rounded. Know what you believe in spiritually and make time for that part of your life. Do all that you can to educate yourself. Read and learn about a variety of subjects. Study books on wisdom and apply it to your life. Keep yourself in shape and make sure that you continually add to your martial arts skills and that they are sharp and ready to be used when needed. This is the warrior lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of excellence, not complacency.

Live rather than avoid death.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Everybody who lives dies.
But not everybody who dies has lived.
Dhaggi Ramanashi

It is all too easy to become complacent with your life. The demands and stress of daily life can zap your energy and cause you to just want to veg out. Our society offers multiple forms of escapism, from the computer to the television. It is so easy to just sit and stare at a box today instead of get up, dig deep, and find the will to work on the many areas of your life which need to be cultivated. It takes effort and it takes discipline, but it is worth it.

I am the master of my fate: I am the master of my soul.
William Henley

Next time you feel the effects of stress setting in deep inside your mind, draining your energy and your spirit, take control and remind yourself that your time is much too valuable to allow anything to steal it from you. No matter what your situation or circumstances may currently be, don’t allow depression to rob you of your precious time. Yes, this can be hard to do, but nobody ever said that the warrior lifestyle is easy. Failure is easy, but it takes work to live a life of excellence.

Take a deep breath of life and consider how it should be lived.
Don Quixote’s Creed

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Hunted

The hunter can make many mistakes, the hunted, only one.
Native American Maxim

Most criminals are predators. They “hunt” for the weak, the unaware, and the unprepared. They can afford to make some mistakes and still survive to “hunt” another day. It may take several “hunts” for the criminal to bag his prey, but he learns from his mistakes and continues to hunt, perfecting his skills as a predator.

The “hunted” on the other hand, cannot afford to make a mistake. He may not get a chance to learn from his mistake. The “hunted” has to remain alert at all times, being aware of his surroundings, constantly watching for the predators who seek to prey on him. One mistake may cost him his life. Taking the day off and relaxing could be a very costly mistake – one that he may never recover from.

Remember this: whoever lives a life of chance
will in the end find himself a victim of chance.
Francesco Guicciardini

This fact actually makes it more important for the warrior to have sharp self-defense skills. You don’t have the luxury of learning from your mistakes on the street. Those mistakes could be a permanent lesson. The warrior has to be ready for the attack. Even if the predator makes a mistake and fails in his quest, he can still do some serious damage to his prey, if his prey is unprepared. Many attacks can leave permanent damage without being fatal.

Don’t rely completely on any other human being, however dear.
We meet all life’s greatest tests alone.
Agnes Macphail

More satisfying far, that many depend upon you,
than that you depend upon anybody.
Baltasar Gracian

Trust God, but tie up your camel.
Hadith

The warrior has to be alert and aware of his surroundings at all times. He cannot afford to let down his guard. Why does the warrior need to be alert and aware at all times? The answer is because the hunter can make many mistakes, the hunted, only one. Will you be ready when you cross paths with the hunter?

I am the maker of my own fortune.
Tecumseh

(Reprinted from Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior)

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

True Warriors

If you understand, things are just as they are.
If you do not understand, things are just as they are.
Zen Maxim

My friend Kevin, who is now serving in Afghanistan, once asked me what my ultimate definition of a warrior is. I understand that my definition differs from Mr. Webster’s definition, and it also differs from the definition that many people use today. I constantly get letters and emails from people telling me, in no uncertain terms, that I don’t know what I am talking about and have no business talking about what a real warrior is, after all, I am just some peon martial artist, not a soldier or a cop…what do I know about being a warrior! Well, if you define the term “warrior” as someone who is experienced in military combat, I guess that counts a lot of people out.

“Ohhh! Great warrior!
[laughs and shakes his head]
Wars not make one great!”
Yoda

My definition of a warrior, and the definition that I have deduced from the many, many writings passed down throughout the ages, both from military and martial arts sources, doesn’t define a warrior in those terms. My ultimate definition of the term “warrior” is someone who has the ability and will to fight to protect himself, his friends, his family, and his ideals, and at the same time, seeks the perfection of his own character through a life lived with honor, integrity, and an unflinching dedication to what is right according to his own code of honor which has been refined from intensive study and meditation. That is a lengthy sentence, but I wanted to have a one sentence definition of the warrior. In my opinion, this is a better definition of the true warrior.

A thing does not therefore cease to be true
because it is not accepted by many.
Benedict Spinoza

All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Warriors should exhibit the best qualities among men. The true warrior makes a firm decision to try to perfect his character and to live by a strict code of ethics. His word is his honor. His duty stays fresh on his mind. He lives life a little more seriously than most, but at the same time lives life to its fullest. He sees through the veil of appearances covering most parts of this world, but does so without looking down on those who are less perceptive.

Family and friends are important to him, and they know that they can always count on him for protection and help in their times of need. He bases his decisions on his code of ethics, and instinctively knows right from wrong, and chooses right. He knows that, at times there is a difference between what is right and what is legal. He is able to hold his head high with honor because he knows that he lives his life to the best of his ability, with honor and integrity. His code is ingrained in his spirit and is a part of his being. The warrior is a man who shoots for excellence in everything that he does.

The master warrior is a man of character,
a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

If you notice, the definition of the warrior, that is taken from description of the warrior’s character from throughout the ages, doesn’t require one to be engaged in military duty or law enforcement. Being a soldier or a cop doesn’t automatically make you a warrior any more than knowing how to throw a football makes you John Elway or Joe Montana. I know many cops and military people who I have absolutely no respect for…they are scum, pure and simple. Their job doesn’t change their character. I also know military guys and cops for which I have the utmost respect for. They are warriors in every sense of the word. It is not the job which determines whether or not you are a warrior.

You can be a warrior without being in a profession that requires you to enter into combat, and you can find your butt in the middle of a fire fight and be no more of a warrior than someone who finds themselves caught in a drive by shooting. I know that many of you will disagree on this…opinions differ. But let’s take a look at Webster’s definition of a warrior once more. By the strict definition both Nazis and Islamic terrorists would be classified as warriors. I know that many of you think that they should be. I know this from many of the attacking emails that I receive. I have had many people tell me that they absolutely are warriors, but that is asinine.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held
is no evidence that it is not utterly absurd;
indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind,
a widespread belief is more often likely to be foolish than sensible.
Bertrand Russell

Nazis were not warriors. Sure they were soldiers. They were trained to fight. They may have justified their actions by saying that they fought for their country, etc. But were they really warriors? A warrior puts what is right above all else. He puts what is right above his marching orders. He thinks for himself. If his commander orders him to gas innocent women and children, or to murder defenseless, starving people, does he comply with those orders? If he does comply with those orders, is he so dense that he considers that to be morally right and an honorable act?

To avoid action when justice is at stake
demonstrates a lack of courage.
Gichin Funakoshi

Some have been thought brave,
because they were afraid to run away.
English Proverb

Are Islamic terrorists warriors? Many have argued with me that yes they are…after all, they fight for what they think is right. OH REALLY?!?! They think murdering innocent women and children is right? Well they may think that my stove is not hot, but you won’t see them sitting on the burner for an hour while they watch Bin Laden’s new propaganda speech. Just because someone thinks something is right or wrong, doesn’t change the truth. The truth is the truth irregardless of your perspective. These people also feel it is “right” to kill women if they dress or act in a way that they disagree with; just because they feel it is right, doesn’t make it right.

Truth doesn’t change because it is, or is not,
believed by a majority of the people.
Giordano Bruno

No, Nazis were not warriors. Islamic terrorists are not warriors. Just because they run around with weapons and know how to kill people, and claim they are just, doesn’t make them warriors. Soldiers? Maybe. Murderers? absolutely. Warriors? Not on your life. Anyone can take a gun and kill someone else. That doesn’t make them a warrior. A warrior entails much more than combat and killing. The warrior lifestyle goes much deeper than training. As I have said before, dogs and rooster can be trained to fight, but that doesn’t make them warriors.

The sky is not less blue because the blind man does not see it.
Danish Proverb

Truth will always be truth,
regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
W. Clement Stone

There is a difference in being a soldier and a warrior. There is a difference in being a fighter and a warrior. There is a difference in being a cop and a warrior. You can be a soldier, a fighter, a cop, a martial artist, a cowboy, a teacher, or anything else that you want to list, without being a warrior. At the same time, you can be a warrior while being any of the above. You make the decision about whether or not you are going to be a warrior and live the warrior lifestyle, not your profession, not your training, and not your bloviating, opinionated friend who thinks that he is the ultimate authority on the subject because of his past experiences.

My friend Kevin is a true warrior, not because he is in Afghanistan fighting, but he is a true warrior who is in Afghanistan fighting. There is a difference. Would Kevin be less of a warrior if he were back at home driving a tractor or teaching in his local high school? Would that all of a sudden change his abilities, his character or his code of honor? A warrior is a warrior, no matter where he is or what he may be doing. That is just who he is. Moreover, a man who is not a warrior is not a warrior, even if he finds himself on the front lines. Things are not as black and white as most people would like to think…

A change in scenery does not change one’s character.
Aesop

We never fully grasp the importance
of any true statement until we have a clear notion
of what the opposite untrue statement would be.
William James

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Inferior Man
(aka the Fool)

I write a lot about the characteristics of the warrior and how the true warrior should think and act. There are specific traits that are common to the warrior. These traits are found in most warrior societies throughout the ages and are based on character, honor, integrity, filial duty, courage, self-discipline, and service to others. Although I realize that not everyone agrees with me concerning what makes one a warrior, I think that we can all pretty much agree that these traits are beneficial for people as a whole.

Just as there are specific traits that are found in the true warrior or the “true” human being, there are specific traits which are found in the antithesis of the warrior. In this case, I will simply call the antithesis of the warrior “the fool.” I think that even if we disagree as to what makes someone a true warrior, we can agree that the fool is pretty much the opposite of what we would look for in the warrior.

Sages in every era have discussed the characteristics of the fool. Different teachers have had different terms to refer to this less than noble creature, but throughout the ages, their descriptions of the fool have had a lot of commonalities. So instead of discussing more of the principles and characteristics of the true warrior, I thought it might be interesting to look at the subject from the other side of the coin, that of the fool. So, what are the characteristics of the fool? I’m so glad you asked…

The wise pursue understanding;
fools follow the reports of others.
Tibetan Proverb

Fools rejoice at promises.
Russian Proverb

A fool believes everything.
English Proverb

One wise man can feed a thousand fools;
one fool can scarcely feed himself.
Chinese Proverb

A fool will soon use up his money.
Japanese Proverb

Prejudice is the reason of fools.
Voltaire

Fools die fore the lack of judgment.
Proverbs

A fool spurns his father’s discipline.
Proverbs

A fool is busy in everyone’s business but his own.
English Proverb

A wise man changes his mind; a fool, never.
Spanish Proverb

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others
and to forget his own.
Cicero

A fool is pleased by beauty alone.
Russian Proverb

A fool becomes full of evil even if one gathers it little by little.
The Dhammapada

Pride, the never-failing vice of fools.
Alexander Pope

Haste is the passion of fools.
Baltasar Gracian

The burnt fool’s bandaged finger goes wobbling back to the fire.
Rudyard Kipling

A fool, indeed, has great need of a title; it teaches men to call him count or duke,
and thus forget his proper name of fool.
John Crowne

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
William Blake

The inferior man is proud but not dignified.
Confucius

The first chapter of fools is to esteem themselves wise.
English Proverb

Learned fools are the greatest fools.
German Proverb

Every fool stands convinced; and everyone convinced is a fool;
and the faultier a man’s judgment, the firmer his convictions.
Baltasar Gracian

Wise men don’t need advice. Fools don’t take advice.
Benjamin Franklin

Counsel given to fools excites but does not pacify.
He who pours milk for a snake is only increasing its venom.
Nagarjuna

What is respected by the great is condemned by the lowly.
Sakya Pandit

The man who quarrels with facts is a fool.
Frank Garbutt

Most fools think they are only ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin

The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance.
James Oppenheim

To be like the parakeet, that says what he knows
but doesn’t know what he says.
Spanish Proverb

At a feast the fool chatters or he stares and stammers.
Just as soon as his jug is full, ale unveils his mind.
The Havamal

A fool is hotheaded and reckless.
Proverbs

To generalize is to be an idiot.
William Blake

Shallow men believe in luck.
Emerson

A fool has not enough in him to make a good man.
La Rochefoucauld

Hypocrisy, arrogance, vanity, anger, harshness, ignorance;
these characterize a man with foolish traits.
The Bhagavad Gita

Outside noisy, inside empty.
Chinese Proverb

Wise men talk because they have something to say;
Fools because they have to say something.
Plato

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.
Aesop

Every fool wants to give advice.
Italian Proverb

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions.
Proverbs

A fool exposes his folly.
Proverbs

Change of weather is the discourse of fools.
Thomas Fuller

A wise man doesn’t know everything – only a fool does.
African Proverb

Fools regard themselves as already awake.
Chuang Tzu

The superior man stands in awe of the words of the sages.
The inferior man does not stand in awe of them;
He is disrespectful to important people;
He mocks the words of the sages.
Confucius

A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back.
Proverbs

Sweet words please fools.
Japanese Proverb

What is the purpose of all these quotes? Since the fool is the antithesis of the warrior, do the opposite of what the fool does. You don’t want to be like the fool, so when you see that something is a characteristic of the fool, work to remove that trait from your life. There are always consequences for every action. Dr. Frank Crane said it perfectly in the paragraph below:

“Every generation a new crop of fools comes on. They think they can beat the orderly universe. They conceive themselves to be more clever than the eternal laws. They snatch goods from Nature’s store, and run…And one by one they all come back to Nature’s counter, and pay – pay in tears, in agony, in despair; pay as fools before them have paid…Nature keeps books pitilessly. Your credit with her is good, but she collects; there is no land you can flee to and escape her bailiffs…She never forgets; she sees to it that you pay her every cent you owe, with interest.”

Fools have been and always will be the majority of mankind.
Denis Diderot

There is always a majority of fools.
Heraclitus

This is why the true warrior is such a rare man -
always has been…always will be

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

Prejudice – A Warrior’s Duty

There is very little difference between one man and another;
But what little difference there is, is very important.
This distinction seems to me to go to the root of the matter.
William James

Prejudice means an opinion which is formed beforehand given certain information. This is usually an unfavorable opinion. Most people, when they hear the word prejudice, think of the other definitions of prejudice, which is holding an ill-informed opinion or having an irrational dislike of somebody based on religion, ethnicity, nationality, etc. The word is also frequently used as a synonym for the word racist. As used in this blog post, prejudice means an opinion formed beforehand based on rational information.

Forming opinions from the information that you know to be correct is a must for the warrior. You have to be able to read people and to discertain certain traits about someone’s character. This is part of the warrior’s duty. It is part of protecting your friends, family, and those around you. Warriors have to be aware of people’s characters in order to avoid trouble or to be prepared for trouble in advance.

The superior man will prudently pick the community he will live within,
and will choose the proper people to associate with.
Confucius

At one school that I taught in, I had a student who went to the principal and accused me of being prejudice. The principal called me in and “look into the situation.” He explained that this student had accused me of being prejudiced and he had to “take any such claim seriously.” After he got tired of hearing his own remarkable lack of intelligence on the subject, he went on to ask me what I had to say about it.

His jaw nearly hit the floor when I told him that “yeah, I am prejudiced.” The assistant principal, a man with a little more intelligence than our inept principal, was also in the room. He quickly jumped to my defense, thinking that I had just sealed my fate. He said, “Your not prejudiced Bohdi, you have done more than anyone else to help our Hispanic students!” In response, I said that I said I am prejudiced, not racist…there is a difference, at least by the definition that I am using for this discussion.

Confused, they asked me to explain. I went on to tell them that, yes, I am in fact prejudiced. I am prejudiced against gang members and drug dealers. I am prejudiced against rapists and murderers. I am prejudiced against child molesters and men who abuse their wives and kids. And yes, I am prejudiced against Juan, at least as long as he is dealing drugs and threatening my other students. I went on to say that my prejudice against this student’s actions has never affected his grades or schoolwork. I never heard another word about that incident from the principal, although when I left that school, the assistant principal wrote in his recommendation that I was the best teacher that they had in the school.

The point is that everyone is prejudice or at least you should be. The wise person will always want to form some opinion about certain other people before you allow them in your house or around your loved-ones. Don’t believe you are prejudiced? Okay, would you invited Charles Manson over to your house for dinner and give him a bed for the night? No?? Why not? You might answer because he is a psychotic killer and that would be stupid, and you would be right. But you have just shown me that you are prejudiced against psychotic killers. Everyone has some prejudice, in one form or another. Just make sure yours is just.

By nature, men are nearly alike;
By practice, they get to be wide apart.
Confucius

You see, being prejudiced is not necessarily a bad thing. I am prejudiced against people of low character. I prefer not to associate with them. Drug dealers, pimps, gang members, criminals, and the like are not people that I care to associate with. Yes, this is being prejudiced, but my opinion is formed from information gathered from these people’s lifestyle and their actions…and it is a just and accurate judgment. Not only is my opinion just, but it is necessary to keep my family safe.

All men who live are alike at birth.
Diverse actions define their distinction and distinctiveness.
Tiruvalluvar

You should be selective about who you associate with on your journey. Associate with people of quality. This may sound elitist or snobby, but the fact is that the people whom you associate with play a huge part in your development in becoming the person you want to become. Also note that just because a person is someone who you don’t want to associate with, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t treat them with respect and manners. Be civil, be nice, be respectful, but also see someone’s character as it really is.

He who is wise never consorts with fools.
Baltasar Gracian

Ever associate with the good.
Associate not with the wicked man.
The Talmud

When I explained this philosophy to a friend of mine, she said, “Oh Bohdi, you’re not prejudiced, you’re just idiot intolerant.” LOL Well, I guess it is kind of the same thing. The bottom line here is that NOBODY should be judged according to the color of his skin or the origin of his birth, but by his character. Always look at a person’s character and form your opinions from that. The main way to discern someone’s character is by their actions. An apple tree does not produce cherries, and a man of character will not participate in dishonorable actions.

Behavior is the perpetual revealing of us.
What a man does, tells us what he is.
F.D. Huntington

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Higher Law

Highly evolved people have their own conscience as pure law.
Lao Tzu

We have a lot of laws that we are supposed to adhere to in today’s society. Our “lawmakers” seem to think that it is their job to make more laws for us to follow each year. After all, if they aren’t making new laws, debating over them and voting on them, how would they justify their salaries which the tax payers pay them or the raises which they so generously give themselves? They have to do something to justify putting their hands in the till. But what gives these people the right to make our laws?

Okay, sure we give them the right by voting them into office, that’s a given. But let’s look a little deeper at this issue. Are these people wiser or more honorable? Are they more knowledgeable about what is good for you and me than we are ourselves? Is it that they have more integrity and therefore they know how we should all live our lives? Well, speaking as someone who has worked in one of our “esteemed” legislative bodies, I can tell you without any doubt, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO!

Government has no rights; it is a delegation
from several individuals for the purpose of securing their own.
Percy Bysshe Shelley

Power must never be trusted without a check.
John Adams

These people are not wiser or more intelligent. They are certainly not men of true honor, at least the majority of them aren’t. They definitely do not have the integrity of a warrior. I have rubbed elbows with governors, senators, representatives and the like, and I have been privileged to see first hand what happens behind the scenes when the sessions are out and the reporters are gone. These are not men of honor…far from it. So why then do we feel that the limits which these men give us are close to sacred? Wow, they passed another “law” and we must obey the law…no matter how asinine the law may be.

The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws;
’tis the mystic foundation of their authority…
They are often made by fools;
still oftener by men who, out of hatred to equality, fail in equity;
but always by men, vain and irresolute authors.
Montaigne

The more corrupt the State the more numerous the laws.
Tacitus

These “laws” are not sacred, people. They are made by men with questionable honor and integrity. Many times they are made with hidden agendas which you and I will never be privy to. I happen to set in on several “meetings” between a railroad lobby and state representatives in which secret deals were made under the table. Money changed hands, all by “legal” means of course, in exchange for specific votes on specific laws. Were these laws for the good of the people? What do you think…

Government is an association of men
who do violence to the rest of us.
Tolstoy

You are probably thinking about now, what does any of this have to do with the warrior lifestyle? Well, I’m glad you asked. As a warrior, you have to consider what is right in all your actions. Legal does not necessarily equal right, and illegal does not necessarily equal wrong. There may be times when the warrior has to decide between what is right and what is legal. Yes, sometimes the warrior has to do things which may be against the law. Conversely, there are many things which are considered legal according to our laws, which the warrior will consider dishonorable according to the code he lives by.

Government is essentially immoral.
Herbert Spencer

This may sound strange to many of you, but it is reality for the warrior. An example that many people can relate to would be the issue of abortion. (Please don’t turn this blog into a debate over abortion, this is just an example.) Abortion is legal in this country, but there are millions of Christians in our country who would not consider abortion an ethical option for themselves. It goes against their principles. In the same way, there are many things which are legal which go against the principles which the warrior lives by.

Never do anything against conscience
even if the state demands it.
Einstein

Moreover, the warrior must do things which are illegal at times in order to hold fast to his integrity and honor. For example, did you know that it is illegal in Colorado to give aid to a runaway? I once had a student who ran away from home because she was being sexually abused. She called me, as her teacher, in the middle of the night, cold and hungry, and asked for help. I helped her and gave her food and shelter, even though it was against the law. Having worked with the local social service office, I knew better than to call them right away, I had to think about what was best for this student.

Later, it was discovered that I gave her food and shelter for a couple of days until I decided what I should have her do. Social services, the local police, her parents, and the school administration all turned on me like a pack of wolves. They wanted me jailed. Charges mysteriously went away though when I contacted her well known parents and told them I knew what was happening in the home. Hummmmm imagine that…a discretionary law dropped because of an inconvenient truth. These “sacred” laws are very flexible for the right people, as we see over and over in our country.

Don’t oppose forces, use them.
R. Buckminster Fuller

There are many examples where the code of the warrior and the law of the land do not mesh. What is important to the warrior is not necessarily these “laws” but rather the issue of right and wrong. The warrior lives by his own code of ethics. He determines what is permissible and not permissible for himself. This code of honor is the highest law of the land for the warrior. He must live by his code of honor regardless of what the politicians say. At the same time, the warrior must be careful when the time comes that he has to break the law…self defense includes all areas, even defense against prosecution.

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Voltaire

The warrior sets his own laws. Now, I am not saying that we should totally disregard our laws and do whatever we wish, although if everyone lived the warrior lifestyle, laws would not be needed. But as we all know, very few people live the lifestyle of the warrior and therefore we have to have laws for people who refuse to govern themselves. Why is the warrior different? Because the warrior holds himself to a higher standard than anyone else could possibly expect from him.

Wise people, even though all laws were abolished,
would still lead the same life.
Aristophanes

The superior man is governed by decorum;
The inferior man is ruled by law.
Chinese Proverb

The warrior doesn’t need laws to keep him in line. His own sense of right and wrong, and his sense of honor and integrity keep a tighter reign on his actions than any outside law. Even if there were no laws at all, the warrior would still do the right thing. Yes, the warrior still obeys the laws of the land…until they go crosswise to the laws of his spirit. Then his code of honor trumps the law of the land. His code of honor is the “higher law.” Be your own law; be a man of character, honor and integrity. Live by the Higher Law.

Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
Emerson

The just man is himself his own law.
Catacombs Inscription

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Highlander Wisdom

One of my all time favorite television shows is Highlander…There is a lot to be learned from good, well written fantasy. We better hope so anyway, because unfortunately most of the younger generation are learning their values from movies and television.

Although not perfect, Highlander does offer many of truisms concerning honor and integrity. They are there if you look for them. Fortunately for my readers, I did look for them. Here are twenty quotes from Highlander that you should ponder…enjoy!!

* If you go hunting tigers be sure you are prepared to find one.

* The most important lesson:
Anger doesn’t give you an edge, it blunts you.
Make your adversary angry.
The madder he gets, the more chances
you have he will make a mistake.

* Don’t let your opponent see all your skills.

* Sometimes life doesn’t give you a choice.

* Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it.

* Believing and proving are two different things.

* Focus conquers a superior adversary.

* A man has to do what a man has to do.

* The age old rule…divide and conquer.

* Sometimes, when you believe in something that can’t be proved now…
it doesn’t mean it will never be proved.

* Knowing what you don’t know is almost
as important as knowing what you do know.

* The truth doesn’t always jump up into your arms.
Sometimes you have to sneak up and ambush it.

* The main difference between a wise man and a fool
is that the fool’s mistakes never teach him anything.

* Some things will never change…some will.

* The truth is the truth, no matter what you think about it.

* Time does not weaken a vow.

* Fear – it can take your soul…your heart.

* There are critical moments in everybody’s life -
when it can go one way or another.
Who you are can depend on who you meet.

* If you don’t like what you are, you can change it.

* A man of honor lives with what he does.

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

The Man in the Right

Not to long ago I was contacted by one of my blog readers, who has also become a good friend of mine. She informed me that her dad, who had also started reading my blog, was coming to CO for a visit and would like to take me out for a beer and meet me. Her dad, Don, was a gracious man whose face showed the years of service as a lawman on the border. Both his look and his demeanor, not to mention his cowboy hat and boots, reminded me of an old west sheriff. Don had many colorful stories of his adventures as a lawman on a large border town, but I found the following one the most interesting.

Don had been called to this bar late one night, as lawmen often are, to take care of a bit of business with a troublemaker. Business concluded, he was on his way out the door, headed home, when a huge guy in a cowboy hat and boots, blocked his path with his leg. This guy looked at Don with a cold stare and said, “Tonight, I’m going to kick your ass…bad.” Don said that by the look of this man, he knew that he meant it, and he also knew that he could get the job done.

The anger of a prudent man never shows.
Burmese Proverb

The wise conquer by strength, rather than anger.
The malevolent fail by their own rage.
Nagarjuna

Don took another drink of his cold beer, put his hand on my should, and then told me what happened next. He said, Bohdi, I that is as scared as I had ever been during my time as a lawman. This guy meant serious business…to this day, I still don’t know where the words came from, but this is what I told him. I looked him straight in the eye and said…You may kick my ass tonight, but tomorrow night I will be back with a deputy. And you may be able to kick both of our asses tomorrow night, but if we can’t set things right, I will be back the next night with two more deputies.

We have 465 lawmen in this county, and I will come back as many nights as it takes to make things right. Make no doubt about it, I will set things straight. We will severely kick you ass sooner or later, and then, on top of that, you will be going to jail after it is all over. Don said the man just looked at him and silently, he simply removed his leg and let Don pass.

Then Don told me, you know Bohdi, the Creed of the Texas Ranger is what I believe in, “No man in the wrong can beat a man in the right that just keeps coming.” If you are in the right, sooner or later you will win. Don then took another drink of his beer and asked his beautiful daughter if she would dance with an old cowboy.

No man in the wrong can beat a man
in the right that just keeps coming.
The Creed of the Texas Ranger

Nothing is over until it is completely over; you can’t be defeated until you declare defeat. Defeat is a state of mind. Losing one battle does not equal a lost war. You decide when to declare victory or defeat. Don’t declare victory too soon, and don’t declare defeat at all. Remember the Creed of the Texas Ranger…

Defeat is a state of mind;
no one is ever defeated until
defeat has been accepted as a reality.
Bruce Lee

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Justice Demands Action

A story related to me by my friend Clint in my last blog reminded me of this. As warriors, we never want to hurt someone. Well, maybe at times we would like to, but we refrain from doing so unless it is absolutely necessary. But there are times when it is necessary. Certain behaviors demand that action be taken, especially when the protection of others is involved.

To spare the ravening leopard
is an act of injustice to the sheep.
Persian Proverb

As a teacher I have had to deal with several menacing students over the years. I had one student who was constantly disruptive, threatening and abusive to both teachers and students. Other students and some teachers were afraid of him. He disrupted the education of students who actually wanted to learn and to make something of their lives. This student made threats to teachers and students alike. With all of this going on for months, the administration refused to expel this student because they wanted to be “compassionate.”

As warriors, we should be compassionate, but there is a flip side to compassion. The other side of the coin is that their compassion for this student was actually an act of injustice to all of the other students and teachers. By letting this student stay in school, the administration was interfering with the education of the good students who were doing what they should be doing. You can’t have it both ways. You have to make a decision.

Pardoning the bad, is injuring the good.
Benjamin Franklin

You can also commit injustice by doing nothing.
Marcus Aurelius

The same thing goes for our justice system. When our justice system has mercy on the violent criminal and gives him a light sentence or probation, it is really an injustice to the next person this criminal assaults. It just reinforces in his mind that there are no real consequences to his actions and that what he is doing is worth the minuscule risk that he has to take.

Who does not punish evil, invites it.
German Proverb

Warriors are by nature compassionate people, but there are limits to their compassion. When a wolf is killing your sheep, is it your duty to be compassionate to the wolf or to the sheep? A decision has to be made. Do you spare the wolf or protect the sheep? You can’t do both. The warrior should always stand on the side of justice.

When you are just you use your character as law.
Menander

Bohdi
Warrior Wisdom

The Warrior

Warriors should exhibit the best qualities among men. The true warrior makes a firm decision to try to perfect his character and to live by a strict code of ethics. His word is his honor. His duty stays fresh on his mind. He lives life a little more seriously than most, but at the same time lives life to its fullest.

He sees through the veil of appearances covering most parts of this world, but does so without looking down on those who are less perceptive. Family and friends are important to him, and they know that they can always count on him for protection and help in their times of need.

He bases his decisions on his code of ethics, and instinctively knows right from wrong, and chooses right. He knows that, at times there is a difference between what is right and what is legal. The warrior assesses each man by his intentions and actions, rather than his appearances and words.

He is able to hold his head high with honor because he knows that he lives his life to the best of his ability, with honor and integrity. He lives the code that he professes. The warrior truly is the best among men.

The cherry blossom among flowers, the warrior among men.
Japanese Maxim

Bohdi Sanders
Warrior Wisdom

Live the Lifestyle, Not the Fantasy

Being a warrior is an ongoing lifestyle. It is not a goal that once you achieve the status of a warrior, you can then relax because you now have all the weapons and training that you could ever need. You don’t all of a sudden achieve the perfection of character that you have been struggling to attain, and now you can kick back and relax.

Some people believe that they have made it to that point, after all, they have a black belt that they earned (15 years ago when they were actively training), how could anybody ever stand up to them in hand to hand combat? They’re a BLACK BELT! Don’t you know that this means they have “made it?” Once a black belt, always a black belt… Nobody in their right mind would ever attempt to attack someone who has obtained such a level of mastery, right?

Too many people believe that they are prepared to defend themselves or others because of their past training. Martial arts training is like paddling your boat up a river; as soon as you stop paddling, you began to go float backwards. The longer you sit there without paddling, the further you float backwards. The longer you neglect your training, the more your skills began to fade, the less flexible you become, and the more muscle strength you lose. Don’t believe it, stop stretching for several months and see what happens. This is especially true if you are in the position that I am in, where your son describes you as “old.”

The way is in training.
Miyamoto Musashi

Victory is not gained through idleness.
German Proverb

If you have ever developed your martial arts skills to a level where you felt you could easily defend yourself, it is hard to imagine that your skills have dissipated and you are no longer at the same level. If you stop lifting weights for several months, you will find that when you start back you can’t lift the same amount as you were lifting when you quit. But when it comes to self-defense, people seem to think that they can still match up with the toughest of the tough, even if they haven’t been active for quite some time. In your mind you still see yourself as a force to be reckoned with, even if it has been years since you actually practiced your art.

Your mind still knows what to do and how you should react to certain situations, but it doesn’t mean your body is still up to the task if you haven’t kept up your training. I once was a very good football player, and my mind still knows what should be done on the football field. But I would hate to know that I would have to strap on the pads now. Don’t confuse where you used to be with where you are not. A black belt who is no longer active has a nice souvenir, but I wouldn’t want to stake my life on his fighting skills.

Tomorrow’s battle is won during today’s practice.
Samurai Maxim

He who is an ass and takes himself to be a stag,
finds his mistake when he comes to leap the ditch.
Italian Proverb

It is foolish to try to survive on your past experiences and accomplishments. This can be a very dangerous illusion. See things as they really are, not as you want them to be. Be realistic. Don’t let yourself or others down…continue to train and stay in shape. It is your duty, as a warrior, to be able to defend yourself and others. Don’t neglect your training. Live the lifestyle, not the fantasy.

It is a very dangerous, if not fate habit,
to judge ourselves to be safe because of
something that we felt or did twenty years ago.
Charles Spurgeon

Bohdi Sanders

Warrior Wisdom

The Biggest, The Best, The Strongest…They All Go Down

No one is undefeatable. Everyone is human, and as a human being, everyone has the same vulnerable targets. Even the biggest, strongest, toughest thug that you can imagine running into on the street has his weaknesses. David killed Goliath, not by being in better shape or by being better trained, but by keeping his cool and using his mind. Sure he was proficient with his slingshot, but had he panicked at the sight of this giant warrior, he probably would not have had the accuracy needed to defeat his enemy. We are talking about a young boy, killing a seasoned warrior who was supposed to be undefeatable.

In any physical confrontation there are many variables which can totally alter the outcome of the fight. There are an unlimited number of mistakes that can be made, many of which could end the confrontation if the warrior keeps his cool and is able to see the opening. The trick is to always maintain a calm, rational mind-set. Let your training and your spirit guide you. Don’t think too much.

Anyone, at any given time,
given the right set of circumstances,
can defeat anyone else.
Shawn Kovacich

Essentially, allow yourself to enter what is known as mushin. Mushin literally means mind-no-mind. You mind is calm and sharp, but at the same time you are not actively “thinking” about what you should do or what you should not do; your spirit is in control, not your mind. In mushin, all of the training and techniques that you have worked on day after day will flow automatically. The warrior can’t allow himself to be psyched-out by the illusion that his opponent is indestructible. Nobody is undefeatable.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

Right is Right…Wrong is Wrong

The warrior does what is right. He does what is just. Justice is foremost on his mind. It doesn’t matter if no one else stands for justice or not. If no one else stands for justice, the warrior is willing to stand alone. He is not influenced or swayed by the majority’s opinion of right and wrong. The warrior knows in his spirit what is right and what is wrong, and it is his own standards that he follows, not the morals of the day.

This is one of the main things that sets the warrior apart from the rest of society. He lives by his own code of honor, not society’s politically correct idea of right and wrong. He sees things as they really are, and is able to look past the façade. A warrior must be clear about the code that he lives by. He must know what he believes and why he believes it, in order to have the conviction that it takes to stand alone for justice.

Right is right, even if nobody does it.
Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong about it.
G. K. Chesterson

How can you be motivated enough to stand alone against injustice if you aren’t 100% sure about what is right and what is wrong? You must be able to recognize injustice when you see it in order to stand for justice. Always do what is right, even if nobody else does. You will find that it will give you much more satisfaction than you could ever get by following the crowd. Be independent of everyone else and make your own decisions. Many times the warrior has to walk alone.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

What is a Real Warrior?

What makes someone a warrior? Is it the job that he has? Is someone automatically a warrior because he works as a policeman or is in the military? Is someone less of a warrior if they are a school teacher, rather than a policeman? These are all questions which should be considered. We hear a lot about the warrior professions and about how this group or that group are true warriors, but being a warrior has nothing to do with with your profession or which group you may or may not belong to. It has to do with who you really are as a person.

You can be a policeman or be part of the military and not be a warrior. There are countless examples which testify to this fact, many of which have been in the news lately. A person can work as a cop or make a career of the military without ever coming close to being a real warrior. This has always been the case and probably always will be the case. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing cops or the military. These are both honorable professions. But there are many honorable professions in this world.

Often man is preoccupied with human rules and forgets the inner law.
Antoine the Healer

There always have been and always will be warriors who have nothing to do with the “warrior professions.” Was Bruce Lee less of a warrior because he was a teacher and an actor? Or was Ginchin Funokoshi less of a warrior because he chose to be a teacher instead of a policeman? Is the crooked cop a warrior just because he happens to be a cop? I don’t think so. Warriors can be found throughout our society, in different positions and at different levels. You don’t become a warrior just because you get a certain job.

Honor cannot be bought.
Philippine Proverb

Being a warrior goes much, much deeper than how you happen to make your living. It goes to the core of who you are. Being a warrior is a lifestyle, not a profession. I know some cops who are truly warriors and I also know some cops who are as much of a criminal as the people who they arrest. Your profession doesn’t matter, as long as it is not dishonorable. What matters is what is in your spirit. Are you really a warrior or do you merely want to be thought of as a warrior?

One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.
Miyamoto Musashi

The definition of a warrior is someone who takes part in war or who is experienced in warfare, but I think that the true definition of a warrior goes much deeper than that. A real warrior is more than someone who takes part in warfare. He is someone who lives by a set of principles or a code of ethics. There are many people around the world who have taken part in warfare, to some degree, who I doubt anyone would consider a real warrior. The real warrior is concerned with character, integrity and honor, as well as martial arts skills and training. He takes the lifestyle of the warrior seriously. He has respect for others and for life. He is not a pretender, but the real deal.

The master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight.
Forrest E. Morgan

The best book that I have read pertaining to the lifestyle of the warrior is Living the Martial Way by Forrest E. Morgan. If you haven’t read this book, you should get a copy. It is great. There are some other good books on the subject, but this is my favorite. Whether you are a police officer, a martial artist, a teacher, a lawyer, or in the military, you should do your best to live the lifestyle of the real warrior. It is not something that you do, it is something that you are. The lifestyle of the warrior is not something that everyone can live up to, this is why the true warrior is an uncommon find in today’s society. Strive to be different. Strive to be a real warrior.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Kajukenbo – Training the Warrior Way

Is the point of martial arts training to learn everything about your particular style of martial art or is it to provide you with the best skills possible to survive an encounter, whatever those skills may be? There are different many different goals associated with martial arts training, but for the warrior the goal is to hone his survival skills and to keep them as sharp as possible. He is concerned with obtaining the skills necessary to survive a violent encounter. The warrior is not as interested in the “art” aspect of the martial arts, as he is the down and dirty techniques which he can add to his arsenal. This isn’t to say that he may not be interested in the “art” aspect, but first and foremost, he knows he has to have the skills he needs to perform his duty as a warrior when the time comes.

This is where Kajukenbo comes into play. Kajukenbo was developed by five martial artists in the 1940′s as a perfect martial arts system for survival in any streetfight situation. It is a highly effective combat system which derives its name from the first letters of the different style which it comes from. Kajukenbo is derived from karate, judo/jujiotsu, kenpo, and Chinese boxing/kung fu. Basically, it took the best, most useful parts of these arts and combined them into what many call “the perfected art of dirty street fighting.” This term though is not really accurate. There is no such thing as dirty street fighting. Street fighting is street fighting…anything goes in a real life-or-death street fight. There is no such thing as a fair fight; there is only survival.

The first law of war is to preserve ourselves and destroy the enemy.
Mao Tse-Tung

The philosophy of Kajukenpo is tow part: to survive in a real street fight situtation, and to take whatever is useful from any martial art and make it your own. This martial art combines the best, most useful of all the arts…the parts which really work when you need them to. Kajukenpo combines these techniques with the knowledge of vital striking targets, how to attack these targets with concentrated power, and the proper mental attitude needed to survive a street fight. With Kajukenbo, whatever techniques work and keep you safe, are an acceptable part of the art. There is no debating over whether this or that technique is part of Kajukenbo; if it works, it is assimilated. This is what the warrior needs instead of an art which requires that you have to learn all its techniques, whether they are useful or not.

In a street fight or a life-or-death situation, the warrior should take the fighter’s axiom to heart: “Take the opponent out, and go home.” The warrior’s objective in a street fight is to survive, to protect those who need his protection, and to destroy his enemy to the point that they can no longer harm the warrior or those around him. In a street fight, anything goes; there is no such thing as a fair fight. You do what it takes to win, and use what you have to use to get the job done. Strike hard and fast and end the threat as soon as possible.

Focus on your one purpose.
Japanese Maxim

Don’t underestimate your opponent in the street. Many thugs street fight on a weekly basis and are experts at their trade. Remember, they will not play by any rules except to beat you. You better play the same way. Use surprise to your advantage. Target the most vulnerable targets first and get this thing over with fast. Go for the eyes, the throat, the joints, the groin; break bones and take out the knees. This sounds brutal, but street fighting is brutal. If it is not serious enough to target these spots, then you have no business fighting. Either it is deadly serious and you have no other choice, or you should find another way to deal with the problem.

In cases of defense tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems.
Shakespeare

He is victorious who knows when and when not to fight.
Sun Tzu

Kajukenbo uses what works in the street. It is made for real life situations, not for sparring and points. This is a martial art for the real warrior, not the sports enthusiasts. If you want to learn the art of survival, check this art out for yourself. Use what works and keep yourself and those who depend on you safe. And, as always, train with deadly seriousness.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

Beware of the Crocodiles

The majority of people today live a fairly peaceful life. Most of us do not have to defend our lives weekly, monthly, or even yearly. With the exception of law enforcement officers and military men and women, most of us do not have to deal with dangerous criminals or life threatening situations on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of people today will live their entire life without ever encountering a kill-or-be-killed situation. This being the case, you may ask why you should train to be a warrior when the odds are that you will never have to use the skills that you are working so hard to obtain. The answer is found in this Malaysian proverb:

Do not be tricked into thinking that there are
no crocodiles just because the water is still.
Malaysian Proverb

If you have ever watched one of the wildlife shows on television, you have probably seen how crocodiles attack. An unsuspecting animal, going about his business, stops at a peaceful waterhole for a drink, and out of nowhere the crocodile explodes from the water and ambushes the unsuspecting animal taking his life. There is no mercy. There are no regrets…simply cold, calculating, vicious, and merciless death for the unsuspecting, unprepared victim.

Don’t become complacent with your life or your training. Just because your life seems to be normal and peaceful, doesn’t mean that the bad guys are not out there. Don’t make the mistake of believing that “those kinds of things never happen to me.” The very minute you let your guard down, is the opportunity that the crocodile has been waiting for all day.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior

The Warrior Creed
Robert L. Humphey

Wherever I go,
everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.

Wherever I am,
anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I return home,
everyone is happy I am there.

Training is Essential

Training is an essential part of being a warrior. You have to keep your skills sharp. As the old saying goes, even in the sheath, the knife still has to be sharp and be ready to be used when needed. It is very easy in today’s society it allow other things to interfere with your training. Everyone is too busy and stressed. This is another thing which sets the warrior apart from everyone else; he refuses to allow “things” to constantly stop him from training. He knows how important it is for him to keep his skills sharp. He knows that if he doesn’t, one day it may cost him dearly.

Remember, someone else out there is training on the days that you just don’t feel like training. The thugs are busily braining storming ways to rob you, or worse. Can you really afford to disregard your training or only train when you are in the mood to train? Always remember that no matter how far up the river you paddle, when you quit paddling, you will go back down the river, and you will go back much faster than than you moved forward. It is easy to take a day, a week, a month off from your training, and just relax and gradually float back down the river. Stay motivated and continue to move forward. Keep you knife sharp so it is ready to use when you need it.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

The Dichotomy of the Warrior

The warrior is a special breed. Most people can’t really comprehend who or what he really is. To the average person, the warrior appears to be a contradiction. On one hand he prepares for the violent confrontation. He knows how to destroy the human body in a very efficient fashion. On the other hand, he loves peace and quiet. He is meditative and introverted, seeking to understand himself and the world which he lives in. This is the dichotomy of the warrior which many people have a problem understanding.

How could someone who prepares and trains to dismantle someone else’s body, be a benevolent, peace-loving human being? Most people just can’t understand this, but it is the way of the warrior. The warrior, although he knows how to fight and is good at fighting, doesn’t want to have to fight. He trains in order to be prepared in case the circumstance arises in which he has no other choice but to fight to protect himself, his family, or you. If he had a choice, he would choose to live in peace with his family for his entire life, but there are times in life when you don’t have a choice. It is for those times that he trains.

The warrior may be found in peaceful meditation just as he may be found in martial arts training. He enjoys a lifestyle of peace. Peace and war are just two sides of the same coin for the warrior. Together they make up the dichotomy of the lifestyle of the warrior. The warrior knows that in times of peace he should not forget war, and in times of war he should not forget peace.

In peace do not forget war. Japanese Proverb
Let him who desires peace prepare for war.
Vegetius

He has to balance the two in his life. Protesters frequently protest the warrior, calling him vile names in their quest for peace and love, not realizing that it is only the warrior that stands between them and their destruction. It is the warrior who protects them even as they attack his unassailable character.Just as the sheep do not like the sheepdog and fear what he could do to them with his violent skills, these “peace-loving people” do not like the warrior. The sheep do not realize that it is only the sheepdog who stands between them and the wolf, and without the sheepdog that they dislike so, the predators would have them for dinner. They are never really able to comprehend how lucky they are to have the sheepdog around.

You cannot talk to a frog in a well about the vast sea; he is limited to his area of space.
A summer insect has no knowledge of snow; it knows nothing beyond its own season.
Chiu Shu

The same goes for the people who are against the warrior. They do not understand the dichotomy of the warrior lifestyle…but the warrior does not change who he is because of what others are. He just continues the journey of the warrior; a journey of the art of peace and of the art of war.

Bohdi Sanders
The Wisdom Warrior

The Warrior Walk

Being a warrior is a huge responsibility. Walking the path of the warrior is not something that you can decide to do for a couple of months then take a few days off and come back to it later. To be a true warrior, you have to commit to this lifestyle. The warrior is a warrior, period. He does not pretend to be a warrior, try to be a warrior, want to be a warrior; he is a warrior. Therefore, the warrior walk must be his everyday walk, there is no other way. There is no such thing as the “weekend warrior.” Either you are a warrior or you are not a warrior.

One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.
Miyamoto Musashi

This does not mean that a warrior has to be in training every minute of every day. In today’s world this is an impossibility for most people. What this does mean is that every day the warrior is living up to the ideals that a warrior should live by, whether he is at work, on vacation, or just relaxing at home. The warrior makes these ideals a permanent part of his character, daily. He lives by his code of honor.

From Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
by Bohdi Sanders, PhD

The Wisdom Warrior