PeaceWalker Blog

USMC  Lt. Col. (Ret) Joe Shusko Instructing Camden NJ PD  RGI Mentoring Course 2015  "Good artists copy. Great artists steal." ~Pablo Picasso Some things in life cannot be given, they can only be "stolen." You may be thinking, "What the heck is Gray talking about now?!" Well, let me explain. I'm not talking about ripping someone off, plagiarizing or pirating the next Star Wars movie before it's released. I'm talking about learning, applying and succeeding at something.  I have heard this "stealing" idea from many of my martial arts instructors regarding training. However the same idea pertains to other things in life as well. My interpretation of this "stealing it" concept can mean many things. I wanted to explore a few ideas. First, you have to want it. It seems that we are used to being spoon fed now a days. As a result many people often give up too soon, feeling that the path should be easier an...

It was a hot summer day running the hill during one of our Krav Maga Outdoor Bootcamps. Along with working on defensive tactics, the training consists of four rounds of physical conditioning: Two short trail runs, a half mile circuit training course where you walk, jog or crawl to each station to do push ups, squats, mountain climbers and crunches followed by a (quick?) sprint down and back up an 1/8 mile steep grassy hill, we finish out our day by breaking up into teams where all of the exercises are done with one or more of our team mates. We were just finishing up the second round of PT (Physical Training) on the hill and there were a couple of the guys that fell behind the pack a bit. When we the main group was done, rather than just sitting down to rest while the others finished, one of the guys got up and jogged over to complete the course with the two people who were still finishing. It only took one person to step up to inspire over half of the group to join in to finish...

Azadi Tower - Tehran, Iran I have been doing a fair amount of travel lately. I have developed a tradition of picking up a few of the cool trendy magazines when I am at airports. They range from surfing mags, fitness, technology, business, psychology and of course travel. My attention is drawn to the beautiful pictures of exotic and far away lands. I love traveling for business and pleasure (not TOO much travel though, it has to be in balance. I'm still working on that part.). Last week while in-route from New Jersey I picked up a travel Magazine called AFAR. It has gorgeous pictures and some good articles. The moment I read the Founder's Note, I thought, "I need to meet this Greg Sullivan guy sometime. It would be interesting sharing a few beers and stories with him." Here is his Founder's Note that inspired me: I'm in Tehran, on the back of a motorcycle being driven by a random guy off the street who speaks no English. We are in a dedicated bus la...

"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body and polish the spirit." ~Morihei  Ueshiba I get a fair amount of people asking questions about how long it will take to defend themselves. People want to know:  How long will it take to get my black belt or my next rank?  What should my short and long term goals be? Where should I be in 1, 2 or 5 years? What should I be working on? What should I get out of my training? etc. etc.  First off, I don't view training (martial arts) like this. Secondly, only you can really determine what you want out of your training and how you choose to fit it in your life. My approach to training is an ongoing practice, a lifestyle; like working out, going to church or taking yoga, it never really ends. It's something that grows and breathes with me helping me to Live, Protect  & Inspire. Next month will mark my 40th year training. It started with me and my dad working out in the...

OK, now that I have your attention! My seemingly controversial post title "Rich Black" probably isn't what you were thinking. You see, I have a background in printing and there is an ink color that is called "rich black." Rich black in printing, is an ink mixture of solid black over one or more of the other CMYK: (C)yan, (M)agenta, (Y)ellow and Blac(K) colors, resulting in a deeper, darker, more rich tone than black ink alone generates in a printing process. This idea of "Rich Black" is true for everything that we do. It is a combination of perspective, skill and execution. How you do what you do and why you are doing it makes all the difference. Take music for example. A novice can play a note, cord or song and even when it is correct, it may lack feel and soul. It doesn't breathe. It doesn't live. Here is a short but very interesting conversation with Rush's drummer Neil Peart and jazz drummer Freddie Gruber about this concept: ...

  When I run I like to stay off the main roads. I prefer trails. The course I go takes me through a couple of cemeteries. I don't find it morbid or scary or anything like that, rather, I see it as beautiful. The grounds are typically well kept and more to the point, the people who rest there inspire me. The lives they lived and the place of their current state acts as a reminder to use my time wisely. Sooner than later, I will join them. So the other day I was cutting through one of the cemeteries when a car drove by with its windows down. The lady driving took offense at my course. She thought that it was disrespectful of me to be running through the grave sites. So, she yelled out her window to me, "You should be ashamed of yourself running on those graves, don't cut through there!" My quick response surprised even myself. "Miss, I'm not running on the graves, I'm walking among them."  My statement completely took her off guard. A strang...

  I run about 4x a week, but I really don't consider myself a runner, rather just a guy who runs. I typically don't run far, typically 3 to 5 miles. Sometimes less. I can't say that I love to run. I like it. I like the cardio workout. I like running on trails, in the woods or on the beach. I like being outside and the feeling of the fresh air. Most of all I like it when my run is done! The feeling of "Yeah! I did it! It's done!" Some days the thought of just finishing is the only thing that keeps me going. Other days I actually enjoy the experience of running. On the days that I struggle it is good practice to be present, to be in each breath, each foot step, each pumping motion of my arms. Sometimes too big of a picture doesn't motivate it annihilates. On those days I just think, one more step, one more breath, I can do just one more, just keep going! On those days I only think about this moment and doing that one more time without giving up. When ...