The Karate Myth – 3 Common Myths About Martial Arts Training That Can Get You Killed on the Street!
Did you know that most adults quit martial arts training during their first 100 days? When asked why they quit, the number 1 answer was, “the lack of realistic self defense training!”But, how is this possible? After all, isn’t the reason you learn a martial art is so you can defend and survive against an attack in a real self defense situation?In this article, I want to talk about some of the myths and false-beliefs that make up what I call, “The Karate-Myth.” Because, it is these beliefs, assumptions, and illusions about the martial arts – and the people who teach them – that can put you in even more danger!Myth #1 – A Black Belt means you can defend yourself. Just like a college degree, this false belief focuses on the symbol of knowledge, rather than the ability to produce results. A black belt, or whatever belt, sash, patch or certificate is being used to measure rank and progress in a particular system, is just that – a symbol of progress through a syllabus of skills and training material.In the case of my own Warrior Concepts Mastery System, any particular rank, just as with a college degree, says that the student has the necessary tools and knowledge. However, it will be up to that person to be able to put that knowledge and those skills to proper use in a real-world situation – it is the student’s responsibility to “make it work.”As a side note, please remember that it is easy for anyone to go online, or into a martial arts supply store, and purchase a black belt. The point here is that the ability is not contained in some magical “black belt.” Ability is reflected in the thought, words, and actions of the person who possesses them – regardless of whether or not a belt is ever worn!Myth #2 – All martial arts were designed for self defense. Again, here is another false-belief that is born of assumption, not research. There are many schools of martial arts that have absolutely nothing to do with combat.In fact, the martial arts action star, Jackie Chan, attained his skills in just such a school. In his autobiography, he tells of how his father took him to this school, which focused on producing martial arts actors and stunt men.And, even if a particular martial art was initially developed for combat, there is no guarantee that it was not “watered-down” over time and converted into a system for meditation, fitness, or any of a dozen other non-combative purposes.Myth #3 – All martial arts instructors can teach you how to defend yourself. This is probably THE most dangerous assumption of them all. Because, even if the person has achieved the rank of black belt (see my comment about buying one above), and he or she studied a combat-oriented system of martial arts……this is still no guarantee that this person knows what it’s like in a real attack situation.There is a belief that trophies and tournament fighting is the best way to test your self defense skills. I completely disagree. In fact, the very system of rules and “fairness” that exists in any sport, including boxing, mixed martial arts and UFC fights, and martial arts tournaments, runs contrary to the reality of “no-rules” on the street!The black belt around a martial arts instructor’s waist is a sign of his progress and rank – the amount of information he or she possess and can share with you. It does not represent the experience – the real-world knowledge they earned in the “school of hard-knocks.”While it is true that there are charlatans out there who are misrepresenting themselves. And, there are countless schools of martial arts advertising “self-defense” in their ads and store-fronts.But, it can be our own misconceptions and self-imposed assumptions that prevent us from checking them out and insuring that what you are learning is indeed what you will need to win!
Corporate Entertainment as a Way to Corporate Success
Corporate communication, corporate culture, corporate event, corporate governance – the word ‘corporate’ is often used to refer to something ‘relating to a corporation’; but it also has another, an older meaning – ‘united or combined into one body’. When speaking about organizations, the image of the body perfectly reveals the principles of their operation: each person in the group has their function, there is a strong coherence between the members, and everyone is working as one. This is precisely what corporate entertainment is for; namely, creating bonds and enhancing relationships to make individuals work as one body.An entertaining event, be it outdoor activities, travel or a party, not only makes people get together, but also creates the sense of unity. Entertaining activities encourage communication between colleagues, team members, subordinates and superiors. People have the chance to get to know each other better. Contrary to work environment, relaxing activities extend relationships into more than job-related conversations.Entertainment incorporates the human element into relationships both within and outside the company (depending on the audience) which is equally and sometimes even more important in building or improving relationships.In the ever more demanding work environment it is easy to slip into tensions, misunderstandings, and conflict, which do no good for the corporation. Changing the environment and a bit relaxation while taking part in entertaining events helps the participants get rid of everyday stress and enjoy each other’s company. Thus relationships between team members, business associates, companies and their clients are being based on positive emotions, which have a great impact on people’s behaviour in their social environment and performance at work.
One of the forms of corporate entertainment where shaping relationships is practically the aim is team building events. Through entertaining activities that require the contribution of each member and a common decision, the group receives a dose of positive emotions and learns basic teamwork skills at the same time.In a corporation, corporate entertainment may enhance interpersonal relationships in a number of ways: it inspires communication, helps to sketch relationships on a positive-emotion background, provides relaxation, reduces psychological tensions, and instils the spirit of team in the participants.
Drug Rehab Really Does Work If It Is Done Right
With all the media coverage about celebrities “returning” for more drug rehab, some of them for the third or fourth time, many people are getting the idea that rehab doesn’t really work. Some people are beginning to think that public funding for drug rehab programs is a waste of tax dollars. The fact is, lifelong recovery from alcohol and drug addiction is almost a certainty when drug rehab is done right.The public’s lack of trust in drug rehab programs is leading to some dangerously bad ideas, such as putting people addicted to alcohol or drugs on some other drug, or worse, legalizing drugs. These are not solutions, they are problems masquerading as solutions. The call for legalization of drugs is the most compelling evidence that drug rehab is basically a hit-or-miss failure in many, if not most, settings. This is total surrender, a complete capitulation to the power of drugs. It says, “Okay, drugs. You win. Come on in and rule our lives because there’s nothing we can do about you.”Putting heroin addicts on methadone is another testament to the failure of most approaches to rehab. Methadone “replacement therapy” is entrenched across the country and around the world. Addicts remain addicted to a “legal” drug instead of an illegal one. The idea of getting free of drugs has simply been abandoned. The thought process that leads to this non-solution is, “Drug rehab probably won’t work, and it’s going to be too much trouble to try to save this person anyway. At least they won’t share contaminated needles and they might get some of their life back. Of course, they’re addicted to this drug now, but what else can we do about it?”Another example of “replacement therapy” is putting drug addicts, and especially alcoholics, on addiction-blocking drugs such as naltrexone. This drug prevents the brain’s receptors from responding to opiate drugs and alcohol, and actually works for a while to reduce the craving for the substance. Sounds good, right? The problem is, naltrexone blocks all pleasure responses. Life just turns gray and isn’t really worth living. And worse, it can increase the possibility of an opiate overdose, which can be fatal.In any of these kinds of situations, we are simply trading one drug (and often a new addiction) for another. This makes the pharmaceutical companies happy, but it does not achieve any kind of rehabilitation for the addicted persons. So why are we not putting unfortunate drug-dependent people through drug rehab programs? The answer is clear – many programs have abysmal success rates. They don’t have all the elements in place that can make drug rehab successful.The drug rehab program you choose should empower you, so that you accomplish life long freedom from drug use. It should take you through detox and withdrawal and ensure that you repair the damage drugs have done to your life. It puts you back in control and functioning in society again – enjoying good family relationships, holding down a job and living a successful drug-free life.All drug rehab programs are not created equal. There are drug rehab centers that successfully address all the issues. If you or someone you care about needs help with alcohol or drug addiction, contact a drug rehab program counselor who knows what works and can help you find a successful drug rehab program.