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Time to up your game! Over the course of little more than a decade we have literally seen the face of martial arts change. With the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and other "no holds barred" competitions, martial arts have shifted from a traditional system where one specific art was studied, to a mixed martial art community. The trend shows us that in the martial art community today if you want to be able to deal with a "real fight" you better be well versed in all aspects of combat. What we now know is that no single martial art dominates these competitions and any fighter who does not have a diversified portfolio of martial skills is quickly dispatched in the ring. In fact, if a fighter limits themselves to the study of just one art, chances are when they encounter a talented mixed martial art fighter they will go down in defeat and significantly so.

Now, I don't want to start an argument about one system being better than the other. You can form your own opinion on that, and frankly I think mixed and traditional systems both have benefits and limitations that could be debated until the end of time. I'm more interested in giving you a wake up call because these new generations of martial artists are well rounded fighters and many are lacking the traditional systems teachings of honor and integrity in the application of skills. These knuckle draggers are looking for excuses to fight in order to test themselves and many of their blockhead teachers are supporting and encouraging their real world testing of their skills. Not to mention that making a name for yourself never hurts when you are chasing a reputation and/or the brass ring.

Mixed martial arts training centers are popping up like 7-11's. Young warriors, many lacking in restraint and discipline associated with traditional teachings, are training hard and getting it on in fight clubs, violent sparing matches and full contact cage matches. You see "Tap Out" and "Full Contact Fighter" stickers, tattoos and t-shirts everywhere these days. The marketing media is now hyping this sport and there are many televised fight venues that are riding this wave of popularity. As more and more people are drawn to this "blood sport" these shifts and changes we have seen will become the standard. More importantly; the bar will continue to be raised as the boundaries of the human body and training are tested and expanded. Unfortunately it's now more about who can pound the dog snot out of someone and claim bragging rights that it is about enhancing the mental, physical and spiritual essence of our nature through the study of a martial art. For better or worse, ground and pound has become glorified and it is the mantra of this new generation.

So, I want you to ask yourself how you think you would do in a fight against a 24 year old mixed martial artist who was bent on your destruction. Picture a fighter who has trained daily for years at a very high level, saturated in violence and willing to disregard pain and thrive on punishment. Now picture a person without a solid code of ethics and lacking in honor and integrity coming at you. Could you deal with such a person? Are your ready? Are you preparing for the day that life will test you?

Those of you who know me also know that I believe everyone who would travel the warrior's path should become proficient in a martial art and that we should be striving daily to improve our mental, physical and spiritual natures. It comes down to personal responsibility because no one is going to make you do it. I would recommend that you seek a martial arts training center that suits your needs. Visit every dojo in your community until you find the "right place". You will know it when you find it and while you're at it involve your family too. It can be an incredible bonding experience and some truly quality family time that will give you one more excuse to make the training happen.

Hotel Workout Part II: This is a continuation from the last newsletter where we will continue with some additional exercises. I often hear from friends who travel that the workout facilities are poor at best in most hotels and for the most part I agree. However, you don't need to let that stop you from getting in a good workout. Just do some bodyweight calisthenics and you in less than 20 minutes you can have a excellent workout that is aerobic and focused on building strength and muscular endurance (the kind of strength that is truly functional in a fight). In our last newsletter we looked at the upper body pushup routine. Now let's look at the lower body.

Squat routine: Want to build some significant lower body strength? This squat routine will work the entire lower body, from your claves right up to that squishy bottom! This one's guaranteed to get rid of that sponge cake and create some biscuits of steel;

First set: Begin by starting in a normal standing position with our feet about shoulder width apart. Flex all your leg and biscuit muscles and slowly lower yourself for 10 seconds to a parallel position. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly raise yourself for another 10 seconds back to the standing position. Immediately start the second repetition. A key point to this exercise is to keep the leg muscles flexed throughout the exercise, until failure. If you do this right, failure will come quickly.

Second set: Once you complete first set of slow squats, rest for no more than 30 seconds before you begin your second set. This is where you now do as many regular paced squats as possible, again until failure. Your form here should be smooth and steady, not rushed, but do not rest whatsoever during the exercise. Once you fail, you fail and that's it.

Third set: Once you complete your second set rest again but for no more than 30 seconds. Now finish with a set of power squats, where you squat using perfect form as quickly as possible. By this point you should fail very quickly as you legs will be very fatigued.

I guarantee if you did each set to total failure your heart will be pounding, your breathing will be labored and all those leg muscles will be pumped! Next month we will complete our hotel workout series with some truly functional abdominal and core work.

I saw a great article. It was about how e-mail has become the new snail mail. As it turns out, we have become so fast paced that we now feel as a culture that e-mail is too slow! Wow! I don't know about you, but that is a stunning testimony to how the information age is spiraling out of control. Apparently the new generation is now connected 24/7 and constantly using cell phones and text messaging to deliver information INSTANTLY. You can count me among those who are letting that train go by. I don't want any part of being that connected whatsoever. Why? Isn't it obvious?

The simple answer is that by remaining connected constantly to your circle of friends and family you feel obligated to respond to their every whim and useless thoughts. We are not talking about useful information; this is all just chatter and probably the most complete waste of your time possible. With this kind of a pace you have no down time, no chance to recuperate, reenergize and refocus. With this fast pace comes a heavy price and it is a price we are going to pay in the coming decades. We may have access to instant information more so than any time in human history, but that does not translate into wisdom. Our bodies and minds take eons to evolve, but this mass attack of information streaming at us constantly has happened only in the last 100 years, and it really took off when the internet was born. We can not change that quickly without the stress taking its toll on our bodies and minds.

So, what can you do when life demands so much of your constant attention. Turn the damn things off! No, I'm not kidding. The world will not stop if you fail to respond to a text message, or a cell phone call. I hate to tell you this, but you're just not that important! None of us are!! The world will still turn, the seasons will still change and life will go on with or without you. Your self-care and learning to just slow down for a period of time every day is far more important to the quality of your life. And, here this loud and clear - this IS something you have control over, you just have to make the choice to not let other's waste your time!

So, to prove a point, I'm going to challenge you to do something. I want you to leave all your communication tools off for one 24-hour period. By the way, if this just made you go into convulsions at the thought then you are way too connected! Once you get back on-line notice two things. First, the world is still here...thus proving my point that you are not that important! Second, look at the content of everything that piled up over the last 24 hours. Is any of it really that important, something you really needed to know? What you will find out is that the vast majority of information coming to you is useless crap that really is wasting your time. Your time, the only thing you really have control over, wasted on trivial information. Not me baby!

Take time everyday to disconnect from the world and just be. Sit outside, without distraction, and just notice the world from a place of peace. Trust me, life will still go on!

This month's mantra is...

As you repeat this mantra visualize yourself facing an opponent or difficult situation. See yourself reacting perfectly, easily and without effort as you use all your training and skills to deal with this event. Know in your mind that you already possess everything you need to win in any encounter. Believe with the essence of your being that you are a master of your mind and body.

Now, sit or lie back comfortably. Take three deep breaths, pausing after you inhale and then exhaling fully and completely. After you have taken your three breaths, just breathe normally. Close your eyes and let any tension you may be holding in your muscles just begin to melt away. After you center yourself and you feel your breath quite down, repeat the mantra; "I have all the skills I need to win!" to yourself for the next five minutes. See yourself succeeding in everything you encounter no matter what you may be facing.

As many times as you can throughout your day, stop what you are doing, take one deep breath and repeat this mantra. You can do this when the phone rings, or when you look at your watch, or anytime you feel the need to just slow down for a brief moment and focus. The power of setting a positive intention throughout your day should not be underestimated. It can literally change your life. Make this short time commitment everyday and begin on the path of empowering yourself to survive.

Well, that's all for now. Next month we will continue to take a look at last portion of the hotel workout options you can complete anywhere and I will have a full report on a new martial art system based on Russian Military training. This really may be the one martial art out there that is truly complete! You are gonna love this!

Stay trained, stay tactical, stay safe!

Rodger.