| What do you do when, you want to pursue the | | | | from seminar training only? I know it's worked for |
| study of the martial arts or learn real-world | | | | me and many of the most proficient experts that I'm |
| self-defense and there are no schools near where | | | | associated with. In fact, most of my training career, |
| you live? What do you do even if there are martial | | | | at least in the early days, was during a time when I |
| arts schools or self-defense classes being offered in | | | | was serving with the US Army and stationed in |
| your local area but... | | | | places like Korea and, what was then, West |
| ...they're just not up to par with what you want or | | | | Germany. |
| need. | | | | Were there martial arts clubs and groups close-by? |
| How can you get what you know you need without | | | | Absolutely. |
| compromising quality and settling for what's available | | | | But, I had a desire to not only train in the martial arts |
| or, even worse... | | | | but, to train with the best. And so... |
| ...not pursuing your goal at all? | | | | ...I had no choice. I HAD to travel to get what I |
| Well, you have two choices, really... | | | | wanted and needed in the way of quality. |
| ...you can accept defeat or the fact that maybe your | | | | What I found was that I learned more during each |
| standards are too high and settle for what's available, | | | | training event because there was MORE TO learn. |
| or... | | | | That was perfect for me because it gave me more |
| ...you can do what scores of very skilled practitioners | | | | than enough to work on in-between the martial arts |
| have done before you. You can take advantage of | | | | seminars and Ninja Camps that I WAS able to attend. |
| the benefits of seminars and camps to get the | | | | And, it also caused me to focus much more than the |
| knowledge you need from the best teachers there | | | | local students who were there. |
| are. | | | | Why? |
| Instead of "settling" and approaching your training | | | | I think it was because... |
| with what amounts to a "victim's mentality," you can | | | | ...they took their training for granted. Whereas I did |
| take control of the situation. Instead of whining, | | | | not. Since I went through more in the way of time, |
| complaining, and making excuses - you can take | | | | effort and money to be there, I refused to let any |
| action - one of the main traits of a warrior. | | | | of it slip by. As a result, I, and many of my friends |
| With all of the power and rich information pool of the | | | | who also traveled for training, developed our |
| internet today, it is impossible to NOT find what | | | | self-defense abilities much more fully - learning our |
| you're looking for in the way of martial arts training. | | | | martial art with much greater depth than many who |
| There are literally hundreds of seminars, from | | | | had access to their teacher practically everyday. |
| half-day workshops to full weekend events, and | | | | Funny, really. Because it wasn't until I became much |
| from one and two-day intensives to full-blown ninja | | | | more interested in the lives of warriors-past, that I |
| training camps; and they're all there for the students | | | | realized that this method of training - traveling to |
| who are willing to plan a little more, focus a little | | | | one's teacher to spend short, but intense, visits to |
| more, and be ready to travel a little farther than | | | | gain the lessons for mastery, is exactly the same |
| everyone else who HAS "settled." | | | | way many of the most famous warriors in history... |
| Can you really learn martial arts and self-defense | | | | ...became Legends! |