Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://yourwarriorsedge.com/warrior-wisdom/confidence-thrives-honesty/

Without them it cannot live.”
Honesty has to be a heart of who we are and of our interactions with others. We have to be honest with ourselves. And we must be honest with other people. Being honest with ourselves can sometimes be the more difficult of the two, but this can help our conscious remain clear, allow us to sleep at night, and live with true ethics.
Notice this quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt embodies tenets of living with what I call the Warrior’s Edge.

Faithful protection is a notion that people who embody the spirit of living as a warrior understand completely. Those of us who served or serve in the military understand protecting our country, law enforcement understand protecting others, and all women and men who live with a warrior type personal code understand the importance of protecting not only themselves, but others also, especially family.

There’s a lot to that simple quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Perhaps it’s not so easy after all. I hope these ideas help you think about what’s really important and recognize that what counts.
And finally, the thought of unselfish performance. The word Samurai noted one who served. The value of serving other unselfishly and performing our best in that service enables us to be confident in our actions since they go beyond our own interests.
Honor has been a tenet of the warrior class for centuries, but it has to be true honor, which I’ve posted about before, not misguided notions of honour.

— Franklin D. Roosevelt
The post Confidence Thrives on Honesty appeared on .
The sacredness of obligations can be stated simply as do everything you say you will. If you are not going to do it, don’t say it. If you say it, you should mean it and do everything you can to ensure you accomplish what you say you will. It means doing the job your company pays you to do, and paying your workers fairly for the work they do for you.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://yourwarriorsedge.com/warrior-wisdom/black-white-pebbles/

He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
The were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s area. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them to the bag.

1. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt could be forgiven.
2. If she picked the white pebble, she shouldn’t marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
3. However, if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

What would you recommend that the woman to do?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

The woman ’s dilemma can’t be solved with traditional logical thinking. Consider the consequences if she chooses the aforementioned logical answers.

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And because the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

This is an old story, and I’m not certain where it originated. I found an old email where a buddy, no longer with us, delivered it to me. I’m not certain where he got it, but since I really enjoy the story and the message it teaches, I need to share it with you here.

The post The White and Black Pebbles appeared first on .
MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complicated problems do have a solution. It’s only that we don’t make an effort to think.
“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one which is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked. ”

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

Have some time to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

Many years ago, in a little village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would need to pick on pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the area. What would you have done if you were the woman? In the event that you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. The farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://yourwarriorsedge.com/warrior-wisdom/focus/

You can improve your level of effectiveness by learning how to maintain focus. To attain your goals and objectives, you must stay focused on what needs to be done. This is a critical key to successfully accomplishing those things you’ve determined important to you. Just like Danial breaking the six ice blocks, focus will allow you to achieve your goals, both in and out of your training hall. That is why I teach that the benefits from martial arts training go way beyond the physical elements of striking, kicking, throwing, and bending. Learning how to defend themselves is a goal of many beginning martial art students, but they then learn that there’s much more.

There are a number of examples in business and sports where a person was better than average in multiple avenues. However, it was not until they picked one that they became exceptional. No one can be the best at everything. It’s only with focus, intensity in one place, that greatness peaks at the maximum level.
When Daniel asked Mr. Miyagi what he was supposed to perform in Karate Kid 2, when confronted with breaking six cubes of ice, Mr. Miyagi replied, “Focus. ” It was an important lesson from the film, and it’s an important concept not only in your martial art training, but in most things you do in life.

Focus is the practice of keeping your ideas, focus, and energy entirely on the job at hand. Learning to maintain focus will allow you to achieve the most in the least amount of time. When you are focused, it has the exact same impact as a laser. With focus, you create a strong laserlike ability to accomplish things. When you become unfocused, you lose your power. When you concentrate your energy and time doing the important things, you’ll reap big rewards.

The post Focus – A Lesson in The Karate Kid 2 appeared first on .
The capability to concentrate empowers people to do amazing things. By way of example, the sun is a powerful energy source, while a laser is a weak energy source. With just a little sun screen, most people can bathe in sunlight for hours. Most lasers require a few watts of energy and focus them in a coherent flow of light, but the laser, with this focus, can drill a hole through a bead or wipe out a cancer.
Focus on those activities you do brilliantly and benefits will follow. It comes down to prioritizing. You must spend your time doing what you are best at and moves you toward your goals.
In life, you get what you focus on. This rule applies to just about anything you can consider. Focus can allow you to get a new job, build your business, win an athletic competition, and build more wealth. If this is something you want, you must focus on that objective so as to succeed and get it. Earl Nightingale’s The Strangest Secret is one of the greatest selling inspirational records of all time. Nightingale’s recordings are still sold world-wide and the company he founded with Lloyd Conant, Nightingale-Conant leads the industry generating audio success programs. Nightingale’s timeless secret is this, “You become what you think about most of the time. ” This simple principle, or secret since Nightingale called it, is nothing more than focus.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: https://selfdefensemusic.com/post/185408316748

Hopefully it’s just rumor, though many people believe it’s time to put it to pasture.

I’d like to see it be bold again.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/how-to-secure-your-home-without-an-alarm/

Smart Technology: Ring Doorbell

Situational Awareness Is Key

You also need to remove any hiding places, such as large shrubs, that can offer a burglar with pay to work unobserved from the road. Keep exterior lights after dark; fixtures with solar sensors on them make life simpler.

Option No. 1: Dogs

Always report any suspicious people. I can’t tell you how many people I have talked to throughout the years who didn’t call the police when they should have. They frequently said something like “I didn’t want to get anyone into trouble” or”Gee, I didn’t think anything of it” (“it” being the guy they saw prowling around a neighbor’s house). Let the police decide if the situation warrants a reply and if anybody deserves to be in trouble.
Until last year, my home was secured by three large, assertive dogs — our”K9 alarm system.” With them around, we knew when anyone was approaching our house, and anyone approaching our house certainly knew we had dogs. (Not one of my dogs ever attempted to bite anyone. They simply looked like they would be troublesome if someone wanted to cause harm to their loved ones.) A dog could be my recommendation instead security system.
After the last dog passed, my wife and I agreed we didn’t want the responsibility for some time. So we relied on the burglar alarm warning sign which came with the already-installed but later disabled system in our dwelling. I’ve not received a valid burglary report for a home that had alarm warning signs posted out.
Signals of Security allows people who don’t need an alarm system to dictate custom-made, owner-designed, home-security system signs. The combinations of signal design and layout are almost limitless, and they give the impression that the home has a working burglar alarm.

Basic Security: Securing Doors and Windows

Who’s to Say?

A fundamental security measure is to secure your windows and doors . Deadbolts on exterior doors are a must! In most locales, burglar bars are an unnecessary and extreme measure. Should you add burglar bars, be sure that they can be readily released from the inside. If you belong to a homeowner association, make sure they are permissible.

A majority of U.S. homeowners most likely don’t have an alarm system. People have many reasons for not installing a security system: the unwanted cost, thinking they’re too complex, no perceived need or the residence is secured by other means. A house should be secured in some manner, so let’s discuss those other ways.
If you put these suggestions into practice, word will get round the offender community that chances of success at your home are minimal.
The article How to Secure Your Home Without an Alarm appeared first on USCCA.
Recommendation No. 3 is to receive a Ring doorbell/motion-detector system. The basic system is $99.99. It permits you to view, in your smartphone and. Additionally, it lets you talk to whoever is out there without even opening the door. Plus it can link you.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://martial-arts-self-defense.blogspot.com/2015/09/is-it-legal-to-shoot-cop.html

Is it legal to shoot cops? A growing number of states are passing laws that state that yes, in reality, sometimes it’s well within a citizen’s rights to take a police officer. Other nations have already ruled in favor of taxpayers shooting poli…
http://bit.ly/1WyvrOl

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://invictaselfdefense.blogspot.com/2014/02/self-defense-and-law.html

I think any discussion about self-defense should also include a brief foray to the legalities surrounding it. Although it’s always important to defend yourself, I get the impression that there are people who are confused as to what actually constitutes”self-defense” in the legal sense of the term, and what is necessary in order to (hopefully) successfully put a self-defense plea ahead in a court of law.

Some things to Remember: 

• Claiming”self-defense” is an affirmative defense, meaning that you are agreeing with the facts of what you did. It’s important to not forget that if your plea does not work, you’ve essentially pled guilty. 
• The burden of proof is on the defense (that’s you!) . You need to show beyond a reasonable doubt your course of action was appropriate for the situation in order to safely resolve the circumstance.
• Beyond that, you might need to explain why lesser actions wouldn’t have worked, why you felt threatened, and why any reasonable person would have believed that they were in danger in case you have to go to court. 
• If you stayed when you could have left after a verbal challenge or an argument, it wasn’t self-defense.
• You must be able to articulate that this individual was a threat to you in three specific ways: 
• Intent – the Threat indicated to you (and you need to be able to explain how you knew) that he/she wanted to harm you 
• Means – he/she should have the means to carry out their intent (sometimes simply their size, their demeanour, their fists, etc. will suffice).
• Opportunity – he/she must be able to reach you with the way (if a person demonstrates intent and means, but are yelling at you from the street while you are inside your home, they do not yet likely have the opportunity to carry out their act of violence against you). 
• Once you articulate how this person was a threat, you want to have the ability to demonstrate preclusion — which you didn’t have any other viable option (you couldn’t leave, you couldn’t talk your way out, you couldn’t call for help, or help would not arrive in time). You must be able to explain why force was the one option that would safely get the job done. 
• Self-defense situations change quickly the longer they go on, which means that the intent, means and opportunity will change, too; you may no longer be defending yourself in a particular point into the scenario. The goal is to end these situations as quickly as possible, and to seek help at the first chance to do so.
• If you’re surprised, this often automatically justifies a high level of force. 
• If you’re losing, then you aren’t using enough power to resolve the situation safely for yourself. 
• At the end of the day, it is essential that you get home safely. A police officer friend of mine once said he would rather be judged by twelve than carried out by six, meaning that he’d rather face the courts for his activities than be dead and not even have the opportunity to do that for not defending himself properly. Do what you have to do in order to survive any assault against you, but the key is to make sure that your response is appropriate to the assault (i.e. someone punches you in the arm and you go shoot them in the leg – that’s not a proportionate response). 

I’m not a lawyer, and this post is not intended to give you legal advice, but it hopefully will get you thinking about self-defense and the law.

For further information and an interesting read on this subject Miller, Rory. Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected. USA: 2011, YMAA Publication Centre. 

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://invictaselfdefense.blogspot.com/2014/06/learning-how-not-to-fight-to-defend.html

Running and walking Away is tough

confrontation. In fact, it takes a lot guts, discipline and self-awareness to run or walk away from a bad situation.   For Example, walking away from a confrontation with an aggressive individual in social situation, like when in a bar with friends and when there is alcohol involved, can be hard.   A situation like this requires you to take responsibility for a situation and see the larger picture. This requires training since such a high amount of self-awareness is not always the natural response and demands some self-confidence to understand that’losing face’ in front of others isn’t the issue.  A person has to have the self-confidence and training to alter their behavior when confronted with a tricky situation, especially when their natural impulse is to respond first, think later.

Decision making is key

The stress of being confronted frequently makes people to behave irrationally or without believing and this can often lead to poor decision-making. Thinking straight in a stressful situation requires practice and training.  As an example, when walking or running out of a circumstance, you must know where to run and how to appeal to help. It isn’t always a case of just running from a situation, you have to ensure that you’re running towards an exit, toward a frequent object you can use to defend yourself or towards help.

Knowing when not to get involved

Recent research supports two-system method in the brain for making decisions: left vs. right brain.  The left brain controls systematic processing, which involves assessing all the available information before making a decision, whereas the right brain activates heuristic processing, which involves a quick,”intuitive reaction.” This is the kind of processing we use when faced with an unexpected threat.