Virtue Kempo Karate System

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."

A big shout out to the fighters at The Warrior's Temple - Torres MMA Sport. They fought hard Saturday night and showed everyone what true Warrior Spirit is all about. I was proud of each and every one of you. ~Sifu Paul Peretic~

Remember, you cannot train for someone else. You can only train for yourself.

Every now and then we forget why we are training. We get caught up in the idea of where we should be instead of how far we have come. We look at others and attempt to measure our success by theirs.

Everyone has their own journey. Some paths are more difficult than others. The key is to continue moving forward. That is called progress. Train only for you and not for anyone else. Your journey will be far more rewarding.

~Sifu Paul Peretic~

"Knowledge does not grow like a tree where you dig a hole, plant your feet, cover them with dirt, and pour water on them daily. Knowledge grows with time, work, and dedicated effort. It cannot come by any other means."

~ Ed Parker

Sometimes we lose track of just what martial arts means. We practice so as to not have to use our arts, but we forget that martial arts in their very essence were designed for war. While we may not be in the military and not serving in a combat environment, we are still warriors. We have chosen to follow the path of Bushido, The Way of the Warrior. All the time, effort, and sweat dedicated to martial arts has become a way of life. It is a choice we have consciously made. It's not easy, but then that is why not everyone does the martial arts. Not everyone can be a warrior.

At some point in our lives, inevitably one will have to use their arts to defend themselves or their loved ones. At that moment, all the time spent training becomes more important than ever. Your actions may be the difference between life and death. You must act as a warrior would.

I say this because I recently spoke to a friend of mine who had to defend himself and his wife from an individual who planned on doing them harm. Things didn't turn out to well for the would be attacker, but my friend and his wife went home safely. He was filled with mixed emotions, having had to use his art to cause serious injury to another. He asked for my thoughts on the situation. My reply?

"You did what you had to do. What you have trained your whole life for. At the end of the day, you and your wife went home safely. That is what a warrior does".

The path of Bushido is not an easy one to follow, but it is the one we have chosen. While it may be wrong to initiate violence, allowing others to cause harm to you or your loved ones is worse. Keep peace in your heart, but never stray from the path of Bushido.

~Sifu Paul~