Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise viol ence.

~ Mohandas Gandhi The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards. ~ William Francis Butler He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. ~ Ben Jonson The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire. ~ Mark Twain Courage first; power second; technique third. ~ Author unknown Joe Lewis Joe Lewis Everyone has a plan until they ve been hit. ~ Joe Lewis Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought. ~ Matsu Basho Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. ~ Napoleon Bonaparte Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe. ~ John Milton That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. ~ Henry David Thoreau Of old the expert in battle would first make himself invincible and then wait fo r his enemy to expose his vulnerability. ~ Sun Tzu I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who h as practiced one kick 10,000 times. ~ Bruce Lee Plato (left) and Aristotle (right) Plato and Aristotle We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle A warrior may choose pacifism; others are condemned to it. ~ Author unknown I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. There fore, there are times when I will not avoid danger. ~ Mencius Don t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softl y. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat. ~ Hakuin Cry in the dojo. Laugh on the battlefield. ~ Author unknown In times of peace, the warlike man attacks himself. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche There are two rules for being successful in martial arts. Rule 1: Never tell oth ers everything you know. ~ Author unspecified

--Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is every thing else we do. ~ Donald Knuth strike first strike hard and never stop. there is always a weakness just make sure you can find it when it appears. --The heart of the study of boxing is to have natural instinct resemble the dragon. Wang Xiang Zhai Begin at the beginning, then stop. Lewis Carroll the King said, gravely, and go on till you come to the end:

This present continuous practice is nothing other than just that, just committing oneself to continuous practice for no other reason than to practice continuousl y. -Dogen in Continuous Practice (Translation by Francis Dojun Cook in the book How To Raise an Ox ) Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a rag ing waterfall. Follow the stream in its course. It will go its own way, meanderi ng here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Ju st follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you. Sheng-yen Fish traps are for catching fish. When you ve caught the fish, you can forget abou t the fish trap. Rabbit snares are for catching rabbits. When you ve caught the ra bbit, you can forget about the snare. Words are for catching ideas. When you ve ca ught the idea, you can forget about the words. ZhuangZi Chapter 26 Philosophy practiced is the goal of learning. Thoreau Keep a Quiet Heart, Sit Like a Tortoise, Sleep Like a Dog, ife. --The best part of falling is getting back up again. Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. His Advice for a Long L

-David Belle

One is a matter of quality; the other a matter of time. Don t ask for it; go win it on your own. Do that and you ll succeed. There is no superiority or inferiority of style, only the distinctions between th e practitioners. Every boxer fights to his own music, it provides him with the rhythm for his foot work. Control yourself, let others do what they will. This does not mean you are weak. Control your heart, obey the principles of life. This does not mean others are stronger. -Southern Dragon Style Motto Me: It s just stir fry. KDG: Ah, Thomas s approach to life. Me: Just toss in what you ve got and hope for the best. ------The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men. -The Dhammapada There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy . -Niccolo Machiavelli The greatest enemy will always hide in the last place you would ever look. Ceasar -Julius

When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when ther e is an opportunity I do not hit [raises his fist] it hits all by itself. -Bruce Le e I shall give you a brief taste of death, so that you may recognize it when it com es again. -unknown Pain is not judgmental, people are. -me -Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Stamp quickly and pass through a wall of iron

There are few people who will make mistakes with fire after having once been burn ed. -Yamamoto Tsunetomo If you change the rules on what controls you can control. -Guy Ritchie --You ve got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And th en, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wai l. -Charlie Parker I originally heard it as something like: play. --Be soft on the outside, but hard on the inside that is the Way of Budo First master your instrument, than just you will change the rules on what you

-Embrace the pain, and you will win this game. -Guy Ritchie The Blind seem weak, until fought in the dark -me War does not determine who is right; it determines who is left -Author unknown Either war is obsolete or men are - R. Buckminster Fuller Philosophies of war are useless when under fire -Unknown Author When you accept pain, never forget to also give it out -me ---When you feel pain, you know that you are still alive. -Bruce Lee First you have to be hit to know how to defend. -unknown Pain is your friend. It shows you that you made a mistake. -me Patience is your great friend. It helps you to accomplish what you want. -me Train hard to fight soft. -me Using no way as way, having no limitations as limitation. -Bruce Lee Warn your opponent with look and then with fist. -me Difference between man who can see and hear and smell and man who is blind is tha t blind man sees, hears, smells and feels. -me Those who strive to learn quick will be those who will learn last. -me Honour is something that can be taken or lost and never regained -me When you take life to your opponent, you become a criminal. When you humiliate yo ur opponent with winning over him, you gave such a blow that can not be compared to punch or kick. -me There is no great fighter.You build your own. -me Do not learn one thing.Learn many to know what to use in certain situations. -me Fearful will hide. Fearless will fight. -me When you are young, fight power with power. When you are old, fight power with en ergy. -me Training is your life.Lazines is your enemy. -me Faith and hope will drive you to rise up. -me ---pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living - unknown Be more afraid of a army of sheep led by a wolf, then a army of wolves led by a sheep even though you hold a sword over my heart, i will not give up . everyone lies, even me when the student is ready, the master appears - Buddhist proverb

A good sword is left in its scabbard The use of a weapon Guarantees wear, tear and rust that s a real waste never give a sword to a man that can t dance Fighting is always last answer to problem ----An injury in martial arts is much like wrecking on a bicycle as a child. You slo wly build up the courage and ride better than before, or you never ride again. The body does as the mind says When your arms get sore from pushups, think of the arms as bones, bones dont bec ome sore. What is power without the knowledge to use it. Pain is weakness leaving your body. One becomes a beginner after 1000 days of training. One becomes a master after 10 ,000 days of practice. -Master Mas OyamaA Black Belt is a white belt that never gave up. -Sa bam Nim Justin Taylor Moving heaven and earth without putting forth effort is simply a matter of concen tration. -Hagakure HE WHO KEEPETH HIS LIPS KEEPETH HIS LIFE HE WHO OPENS HIS LIPS TOO WIDE BREEDS H IS OWN DESTRUCTION. HE GUARDS HIS MOUTH AND HIS TONGUE KEEPETH HIMSELF FROM CALAMITY. -KING DAVIDHE WHO SPEAKS DOES NOT KNOW, HE WHO KNOWS DOES NOT SPEAK. -FRIEND OF MINE (B.L.) ever noticed, how you come across somebody once in a while, that you shouldn t have fucked with? ..thats me Clint Eastwood It is because he does not contend that no one in the empire is in a position to c ontend with him. -Tao Te Ching A black belt is just a dirty, over used white belt. unknown Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who did not. ~Anonymous Always two there are, no more, no less: a master and an apprentice. Yoda A true martial artist always has his/her head held high and looking anyone and e veryone in their faces no matter who it is. Also, their body language says, This is me. And everyday, they strive to do better at whatever it is that they study. (Basicly my attitude) A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults Mr miyagi

Mario Puzo (The Godfather) Take aggressive measures not to bleed! Noah Pinto

In Bushido, if a warrior goes into battle with the knowledge that he will die then he will not. If he is unsure he will surely die Japanese proverb To know oneself, one should assert oneself. - Albert Camus It s not about winning or losing Gavish: it s about winning! Krav Maga teacher in NYC Matan

There is no avoiding war. War can only be postponed to the advantage of your oppo nent. ~Niccol Machiavelli Bertrand Russell is to be credited for the quote ght only who is left. War does not determine who is ri

All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns. ~Bruce Lee I am the weapon. Everything else is accessories. Unknown Unknown

Pain creates a distraction and a distraction creates an opportunity. De-fang the snake. Unknown

It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

Unknown

All to many Martial Art schools try to follow a path. Try to be like the wave ins tead: Expand in all directions, and if you ever hit a wall, there are still bill ions of other places you are going to the same time. -me Living for perfection may consume you, if you don t watch out. Instead try to break the limitations, set for you. If you have, break the new limitations that arise . Perfection will come by itself. -me Seek Wisdom from many sources -author unknown If you are hit, do not let the force shatter you, make the force your own and tur n! -me (principle of TaiBeigomaWaza) If you are not strong enough to break your oponent, augment your power first and then release it me (principle of BaneWaza) If you are not strong enough to break your oponent, use his power instead me

The human body is the most powerful tool you will ever posess. Cherrish it, maste r it. If you use other tools, make them part of that body instead of seeing them as seperate parts. -me (the Idea is from a Budo teacher I had a long conversatio n with though) He who enters a fight to fight loses, He who lives the fight moves fourth rati its not about physical strength but mental strength. Win or Lose it makes no difference, everybody has their fight derived from the mo Gokan He

vie Never back Down sometimes you have to fight, backing off is a cowardly act. climbing The wall now is not important, its about the journey learning how steady it is Gokan Herati Patience is a virtue. and knowing who we are is a very special experience. Try Harder Unknown

He who enters a battle wishing only to survive will surely die; he who enters a b attle seeking death will surely live Samurai proverb The man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the man who is doing it. No Pressure, No Diamond. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

I have not failed 700 times, I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work , I will find the way that will work When a fear becomes strong enough it is like another being within you who fights to stay alive. It is not you who will die, it is your fear. -Kwai Chang Caine It is better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees. There are old sailors, and there are bold sailors, but there are no old bold sail ors. If you re going through hell, keep going. - Winston Churchill I dont drink or smoke but I do chew gum becaus Fu Man Chu Learn All, but master the Few -my father What works for one, may not work for all, what works for all, may not work for on e. -old master i trained with Simple is always more reliable than the complex. complex has to many movements wh ich in-turn has more chances to fail. -current instructor. There are no rules in a fight, only a survivor and the defeated. -me 10 times to memorize, 100 times to learn, 1000 times to understand, and 10,000 ti mes to master. Only way to do it - my father Only by learning to take a hit can one learn to give a hit. -not sure To learn, one must listen. To master, one must experience. -current instructor. In stillness like the mountain; in motion like the river -Wang Zong Yue - A master may open a door, but only the student can enter - A Black Belt is a state of mind and attitude, not just a belt that goes round

your waist - A Black Belt is just a white belt that never gave up - Martial arts are not about hitting first, martial arts are a way of life for d ifferent peoples styles. At the minimum, martial arts should teach students, awa reness, confidence, honestly, loyalty and perseverance Me Boards don t hit back , Bruce Lee -The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be. Protect Yourself At All Times! Don t wish it were easier, wish you were better is by Jim Rohn

I never wanted to be the next Bruce Lee. I just wanted to be the first Jackie Cha n. You don t reach up to kick a man in the head, for the same reason you don t reach do wn to punch him in the foot. A black belt only covers 2 inches of your ass you have to cover the rest-Royce G racie Lets kill them all and make this place a brotherl , a bit different, but from the f ab film Kung Fu Hustle Kata is like an act, you re putting on a show. My instructor

Unless you have mind, unless you have heart, unless you have skill and technique s trength is nothing. A little guy with a lot of skill and technique will easily take down a big stron g guy with nothing but cockiness. Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig. rt Heinlein Masakatsu Agatsu (the only victory is victory over the self, Morihei Ueshiba, fo under of aikido) Students make mistakes; teachers make variations. Only the weak believe that what they do in battle is who they are as men (from the film Ironclad) As with all quotes, take the meaning as you see it, for me it means: in a battle there are no rules to follow, let them do their black belt/boxing/wrestling mov es, go for weak spots, groin, eyes, windpipe, joints; fight dirty . There is no fai rness in any fight, so don t try and be fair , it does not reflect badly on you as a person to win a battle however you go about it . Those who talk little actually train a lot, those who talk a lot, actually train little. Meaning It is the silent fellow that you should be wary of. The ones who talk a lot spend their time talking, BShitting and criticizing others training and effor t instead of training themselves. Robe

That which does not kill us, must have missed us. - Miowara Tomokata I read this in some book long ago and otherwise forgotten. For me it embodies al l that I have learned in the martial arts. The master who asked the question in the form of a koan is about to attack another master who did not want to fight. The answer, which comes from the second master directly after the attack, speaks for itself: and what is the color of thunder? Behold.