“A strong body cannot exist without a strong mind. A flexible body cannot exist without a flexible mind. A relaxed body cannot exist without a relaxed mind.” ~ Jesse Enkamp, Karate by Jesse
“The real and most dangerous opponents we face are fear, anger, confusion, doubt, and despair. If we overcome those enemies that attack us from within, we can attain a true victory over any attack from without.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba, Budo Secrets
“In true budo, there are no opponents. In true budo we seek to be one with all things, to return to the heart of creation. In real budo, there are no enemies. Real budo is a function of love. The way of a Warrior is not to destroy and kill but to foster life, to continually create. Love is the divinity that can really protect us.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba, Budo Secrets
“Everyone thinks only of him- or herself, and that is why there is so much contention and discord in our world. If we could just keep our hearts pure, everything would be fine. Do not think that the divine exists high above us in heaven. The divine is right here, within and around us.” ~ Morihei Ueshiba, Budo Secrets
“It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior’s life.” ~ Telamon of Arcadia, via The War of Art
The 10 Universal Laws of the Warrior Code by Dawn Callen
1. Pay Attention. Stay in the present. It’s the only place anything real is happening.
2. Take Responsibility. This is your life, take it back. Either you get to own it or you get to blame someone or something else for it. Choose.
3. No Kvetching (to complain persistently). No whining, no sniveling – it takes you out of the present and lets you abdicate responsibility.
4. Don’t Take Any Abuse. It’s very bad for ones self esteem to take any abuse. Stand up to your tyrants, both internal and external. The cost is too great not to.
5. Do It Anyway. Hard choices temper our strength and our integrity; they make the difference between a life of excellence and a life of mediocrity.
6. Don’t Quit. Look at what stops you, at where you give the effort up. That is the edge between becoming a victim or a warrior.
7. Keep Your Agreements. A warrior is only as good as his or her word. The way we build self-trust and trust in others is by making and keeping agreements.
8. Keep Your Sense of Humor. Otherwise what’s the point? Humor helps us to stretch beyond our own limits and ourselves.
9. Love One Another. Otherwise where’s the meaning? It’s the way we remember we’re not alone in the universe.
10. Honor Your Connection To The Source. There is a force in the universe, greater than ourselves that creates us, provides for us, cares for us, guides us, and loves us. It speaks to us from within. Trust it.
