You don’t need to be a black belt to be a sensei. You don’t even need to know karate. The fact is everyone we meet can be a teacher. For more on that, check out, “The World Is Your Dojo.” To prove my point, let me tell you about a lesson I just learned from…
Author: Ando Mierzwa
Ando Mierzwa is a martial arts teacher living in Los Angeles, CA.
How Bad Communication Got Me Punched!
I’m going to tell you a story—a ridiculous story—that demonstrates the dangers of bad communication. Back in high school, I had a classmate whom I shall call Martin. At some point, Martin decided to jump up a notch on the “cool scale” by doing something to impress his buddies. What did he decide to do?…
#17: The Language of Success [Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #17 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, The Language of Success. Most of us take how we communicate with the world for granted…which can lead us to failure or even put us in danger! Join Sensei Ando for a discussion on how to avoid being misunderstood and for easy ways…
Mister Rogers and Martial Arts
Most people think of Mister Rogers as being a kind and gentle soul. But to my mind, he was also a warrior. When Fred Rogers first saw television, he hated it. “I got into television because I saw people throwing pies at each other’s faces. And if there’s anything that bothers me, it’s one person…
Make Yourself Comfortable–It’s a Matter of Life and Death!
Stop! Before you read this, make yourself comfortable. Straighten your back. Relax your shoulders. Take a deep breath. Here’s why– When you make yourself comfortable, you’re smarter, safer, happier, and more efficient. As an animal, it’s natural to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Yet, how often do we find ourselves, or put ourselves, into situations…
Finish Strong: How To Get Things Done
I admit it–martial artists can be a wacky bunch. Allow me to share an example… One night, during an Aikido class, my teacher demonstrated how to defend against a knife attack. She called up a student and handed him a wooden knife, then gave the cue to attack… The student stuck out his arm, thrusting…
#16: How to Get Things Done [Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #16 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, How to Get Things Done! Setting goals is one thing…finishing them is another! What keeps us from accomplishing everything we set out to do? No more stalling! No more procrastinating! Listen in as we talk about how to finish strong and how to…