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Many Names, One Mission

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One Heart, Many Names... Autumn can go by several names, most notably fall, however there are others, such as harvest season, late summer, (fall) equinox, days of long shadows, and when the weather is agreeable, Indian Summer.  Whatever name you use (aside from Indian Summer), the heart of the season remains the same.  The same is true for us PeaceWalkers.  Huh?! Yes, there are many styles and methods of protecting yourself and others. Take just martial arts for instance. The varieties are almost limitless... Krav Maga Budo Tai Jutsu Jiu Jitsu Brazilian Jiu Jitsu MMA Aikido Kung Fu Karate Tae Kwon Do Systema SPEAR Silat Kali Kuntaw It goes on and on endlessly.  In many respects it's like religion. There are many methods and denominations within each tradition... and the practitioners become very attached to their approach and linage... Sometimes fanatically so.  Each will give you the reasons why their brand is the best. Trust me, I have my preferences and opinions like the rest of
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Free vs. Formula

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  He came in and sat down to watch one of our Krav classes at the local academy.  We exchanged niceties and names. I remember him not wanting to come down to watch a class or start in our intro session. Not because he had some experience, but because he had been watching youtube videos for a long time and was very familiar with training.  "Hum... Interesting," I said. "Well, it's different watching on youtube than it is training at an academy." I say as gently and respectfully as I can muster. I barely got those words out of my mouth and he began asking me a plethora of questions about techniques.  "Why do you do the gun disarm that way? I saw so in so do it differently. Why do you recommend the way you do it?"  He went on and on... Honestly, I don't remember if he joined or not... Later that week I received an email from someone asking about the PeaceWalker Private Membership.... They asked, "Why would I pay you $39/mo, when I can watch youtu
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If You're Ever Chased by a Bear...

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  So let's say there's a bear chasing after you and your friend (could happen, especially here in Michigan). You better run, cause I don't care how good at Krav you are... You ain't going to win that fight! But remember...  In order to live through this ordeal, you don't have to be the fastest person on the planet. You don't even have to be faster than the bear. You really just have to be faster than your friend who is also running from the bear! (So much for being a protector! hahahaha! =) How is This Like Self Defense?! This is really the same basic concept that I teach when people are first learning how to protect them selves. NO, NOT the idea of 'every man for themselves...' and throwing your friend the the bears... But knowing that the criminals and assailants out in the world typically go after easy targets and if you aren't the easiest target, they'll most likely pass you by for someone else who appears to be easier.  Stage one to being a
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When Running Doesn't Work

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  Most adults do a good job at avoiding most conflict and violence... HOWEVER... If, for whatever reason, they find themselves caught up in things and can't 'get away,' most don't know how to effectively handle conflict and violence.  It goes South fast when things get real! Most violence has a verbal component to it, so if you have the skills to communicate well, you may be able to defuse it at that stage. Now-a-days most call it de-escalation. It's not always that though.  However, call it what you will.  If you know how, you can use your influence as a weapon for good (or ill). If things go beyond the point of verbal engagement, now you're getting into the realm of physical defense.   Yep, most people don't know what to do there either. That's why millions of people every year seek out some type of self defense training.  It could be martial arts (or sport)... Some buy a knife, pepper spray or just go for the whole enchilada and (if their state allows
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His Hesitation Changed History

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Is it just me or are people more hesitant to make decisions today? It seems that in our world of google, committees, and experts, no one wants to be on the hook of possibly making a wrong decision.  Everyday, countless people choose to do nothing to avoid making mistakes and being held accountable. I kind of get it! We have no shortage of 'Witch Hunts' unleashed on people who have been put in tough situations. They make a decision and do the best they can under the circumstance, but sometimes it doesn't work out like the brochure.   Cops, teachers, and other every day folks are often held liable for stepping up and trying to deal with tough overwhelming situations. Especially when it comes to conflict, things get dicey fast and there isn't always a picture perfect outcome. Unfortunately, much of our society has been conditioned from  an early age to surrender their self agency.  "You're not 'authorized' to make your own decisions... Let alone stand up 
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The Mission

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  There's a Rush song from their 1987 album, Hold Your Fire called   Mission. The song itself isn't my favorite, it's alright, but the lyrics are profound: "Hold your fire Keep it burning bright Hold the flame 'Til the dream ignites A spirit with a vision Is a dream with a mission" Prolific Mission?! In a podcast that I haven't released yet, I talk about prolific stories, namely YOUR prolific story. Well, within any prolific story lays a MISSION!  So, I ask you, what is YOUR Mission behind your prolific story? Within a lifetime you will have many missions... but that's not exactly what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the Mission that underlies Your Prolific Story.  What is THAT? Do you have one? Did you have one that you buried or put on a shelf?  Are you still searching? Or given up on it? Or, maybe you don't believe in it at all? I can't answer that for you... I CAN tell you that I have a mission and although it's sometimes
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You Ever Get a Text Like THIS?!

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  I Get a Text That Said... Hi Craig. Just wanted to say thanks. Your training helped me handle a pretty serious situation Saturday night. I'll tell you about it tomorrow... Needless to say I responded, asking if everything was alright?! His response: "Yes, except they (the police) wouldn't arrest the guy, which I don't understand or agree with..." So, What Happened? Seems that a couple Saturday's ago a man came into the restaurant ranting and raving about his takeout order.  When the hostess checked, she didn't see any order for this man. (They quickly found out that he never really order anything...) That really set this guy off, he started yelling and looked like he was going to get physically violent. The owner (Our PeaceWalker community member) heard this and went out to see what was going on. Introducing himself as the owner, he tried to calm the irate guy down.  The guy was so loud and obnoxious, people started leaving the restaurant or hiding under
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