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Have the strength to listen with an open mind and respect those that may not agree with your thoughts only then can you understand.

If you fail do not act like you have lost everything but remember that you are alive and you should act like it.  There are many kinds of lessons in life don’t over look them.

The greatest gift is life that is given to us from the Great Spirit we should not take it for granted but celebrate it everyday.

The journey of life is short but it is not wasted because everyone has a purpose no matter how great or small it may be.

Death is a part of life no matter how hard it is for us to except but the one thing that is certain it comes for all of us.

 My journey in life is like my martial arts training it is never ending till my time has come.

Sitting next to a stream all day listening to it and hearing the birds sing praise to our creator would not be a wasted day.

Life is a gift that is the greatest treasure on earth that is given to us it is worth more than anything here on earth.

We train so we don't have to fight, but if we must we will fight as we train.

If you open your heart to what is good in life then you will learn the good things in life.

Teaching is also an important part of learning never think you cannot learn from others because no matter what their experience is we can learn from them.

If your heart is open to the truth then the flow of life will never end.

As the birds sing and give praise every morning we should learn from them and give praise to our creator just as they do in the morning.  What better way to give thanks for another day here on earth.

I never want to harm a human being but I will not let a human being harm me.  But if you harm a love one of mine there is nothing in the darkness that can protect you from what I will do to you.

Having respect for others is not only important in the dojo but also just as important in our daily lives to be the example for others to follow.

Open the door to new possibilities with an open mind and learn when you need to close that door at times.

The path of life sometimes has pebbles on it that we can control and chose which ones we step on but there are times we cannot control or pick the pebbles but only except them for what they are.

Water is a very powerful substance and we have so much to learn from the way it adapts to what it encounters.

If you are taken down to the ground and you start breathing hard and tighten up your muscles you have all ready lost.

Empty your mind of all thoughts, let it relax and become one with the universe and then the possibilities will be endless.

When I run my mind is empty and when I do techniques this is the place I want my mind to be.

The only thing you have to lose in a fight if you quit is your life so why train that way?

When throwing someone you must empty your mind and relax by just using energy and ki not strength.  If you allow thoughts to control you the throw will become difficult to do.

It takes time to change the essence of a man and it takes that changed essence to become a warrior.

I remember a picture of a frog that was being attacked by a bird and the bird had the frog's head in it's mouth and the frog was chocking the bird so it could not swallow him and I ponder on the lesson from it.

I had a wonderful alarm clock this morning it was waking up to the sound of birds singing outside my bedroom window and I am so thankful for them each day.

When I wake up in the morning I give thanks for another day that I have been given never take for granted what you don't have control of.

Embrace life and enjoy it and be thankful for what you do have and your love ones.

I had a very trying night last night but when I woke up this morning all I could hear were the birds singing outside and it helps me to remember what is important in life.

When taken down to the ground and have been put in a position that is not where you want to be don't panic just relax and work towards changing it.

Character is something that comes out of a person when they are exhausted, hurt or the odds are against them that are so over whelming most would not be willing to even try that is when you find out the truth of what your character.

As O-Sensei teaches us the Art of Peace is based on Four Great Virtues: Bravery, Wisdom, Love, and Friendship, symbolized by Fire, Heaven, Earth, and Water the way life is meant to be.

Fear is nothing more than an emotion that controls your actions and abilities, release this and become one with it.

I remember when I was a young man starting out as a white belt excited about the possibilities ahead of me and now that I am old and my belt has changed colors I find myself still excited about the possibilities and loving every second of it.

As time goes in my life I find that the more I think about life it helps the end of life to come quicker.

No matter how uncertain life can be the one constant thing is when I wakeup in the morning the birds are always singing and saying good morning.

There will always be shadows in life and it will be no different in a martial arts school, the only thing is how you control them.

In the game of survival you must recognize your weaknesses before your attacker does and uses them against you.

Never concern yourself with someone’s abilities or your own.  Just do you best you can, that is all anyone can do, because the bottom line is simple no matter if your just starting out or a world champion you can only be as good as the day allows.  That is just a fact of life.

There is no place or room for uncontrollable emotions in a martial arts school or in fact your life because you are a danger to yourself and others.

Respect is something that is earned not given we all know this but we forget at times it is something that must be earned everyday by your actions.

What is more powerful a rock or water there are those that would say water is more powerful and one could say those that think this have never been hit in the head with a rock.

Relaxing is hard to do at times because we forget what is important sometimes in our life’s.  I struggle with this every day.

I train to become better so I never have to use my skills other than to practice.  This gives me peace and balance in the universe.

It is important to have balance in life both as a martial artist and a human being.  If you try to be one or the other you will find they both will suffer.

What makes a small dog fight like a big dog?  The answer is something we lack at times as human beings.

Pain helps you remember that your alive but it also helps you remember what you did wrong.

If you are attacked you must blend with it and make it part of you without thought.  The lesson is so hard to learn and you must strive every day to achieve it.

If you earn a black belt say 5 years ago and have not trained since then you are not a black belt anymore.  Because if you think you are then you never were, to keep your skill level up the journey never ends.

If you never challenge your abilities how will you improve or correct anything?

Training to fight is not worth the effort but training to live is.

I was meditating the other day and went to a place that was so peaceful I never wanted to leave.  I was at peace and relaxed with in the universe.

When we have stress in our lives we must strive for balance to bring the stress down.

No matter what you are doing if you remember to breath out the rest will workout.

When learning a new technique you have to be able to apply it and receive it to understand it.

Release your spirit and let it explore the possibilities that are before you.

When learning to apply or take a technique be true to the pain from it because the only person you are fooling if you don’t apply it correctly is yourself.

Some throws require a high impact it does not make sense for you not to learn to fall and roll correctly because the only person that is going to get hurt if you don’t is yourself.

A code of honor is not just for a dojo it is a way of life. Because without both you cannot find balance.

There are only six ways to twist a wrist some people look pretty as they do it, the best thing to do is be fast and effective don’t worry about being pretty it will get you hurt.

Time is a luxury you don’t have if you’re being attacked.

I have had people tell me sometimes I make a technique look easy to do, but in reality I work hard to perfect the technique and that’s what makes it look easy.

Take the energy from the attack and control it then redirect it without effort and then no one will ever defect you.

My spirit guide is strong in my soul it guides me through life and leads me to peace that helps control the universe.

Making sure you have proper distance from you attacker is more than just good technique it is good common sense, never give the attacker the advantage only give them the allusion that they have it.

What makes your life worth living, the answer to that question is not as important as how you treat what makes your life worth living and that is what truly makes life worth living.

If someone grabs you they will no longer be an attacker they will only be an extension of you becoming one.

Making peace with the shadows in your life is something you must strive for and never quite trying to do because if you do quite the shadows have control not you.

As we live our life’s time does not change things, it is the human being that changes things that give the elusion that time has changed.

The path of life is a journey that will require us to explore other paths along the way if we do not seek this then the path we stay on will become worn and deep.  We will go back and fourth till the links to other paths are gone not only will you lose sight of them but so will the other journeys in life lose sight of you.

Mother earth gives herself to us so no one should ever go hungry.  It saddens me to know that we as human beings are not able to except this gift from her heart.

Love is a gift you give from the heart there is nothing better in the world that brings peace to your soul knowing that the same gift is given to you.

Every morning we should give thanks for our blessings and for those we love.  Never take for granted the blessings and our love ones.

You cannot find peace in your life if you’re not ready to except it.  Only then will be able to find it.

You cannot find all the answers in life you seek here on earth.  Only when you pass to the next life will you be able to understand the answers you seek.

Being a martial artist is not just having a warrior spirit.  It is the respect and the love of life that must be celebrated.  That is the true warrior spirit.

Give life and never take life, but if you have no other option than to take life make sure you are ready to except it for the rest of your life.

If you go though life thinking you are better than others I am sad for you being lost in your journey in life.  I will pray for you to find you’re way again.

What brings us to the end result is not as important as how we get there.

The art of peace respects all that there is it is a gift and blessing that we share with each other.

The universe is so vast and we are just a small part of it but never think our part as human beings is not important because without it the universe will change, life is given and taken away to keep balance it is sometimes not wanted but we don’t control it or understand it at times.

If you meditate with an open heart your journey will be so vast as you explore what the universe has to offer you.  It is wonderful when you return and can feel the power of the path.

To live life you must accept life and give and take to enjoy life only then will you be part of life.

Always be humble a true warrior is the one that does not show he is a warrior on the outside but is always on guard on the inside.

Respect nature and mother earth it is truly the greatest gift that you can pass down to your children because it is a gift one day they will pass to their children.

I cannot allow the ones I love to be hurt in this life or the next one and it would be foolish for anyone to think that I would.

We may not always understand it but we should always respect it and work to keep it at peace.

When training with someone that is struggling remember that is their journey that they must take if you allow your thoughts to stray from frustration of their journey then you have lost your path and have forgotten what your journey is.

There is good and bad energy the hard thing at times is to understand which is good and bad, but if your heart is open the answer will be given to you when your ready to receive it.

Wisdom has no boundaries of age we all are teachers in life no matter if we see it or not and we have so much to learn no matter what our age is.

For you to learn you must be willing to except and understand with an open heart, if you’re lacking in one or the other you cheat yourself in the end.

I find that as I get older the things I thought were important as a young man are not as important to me but the things I took for granted as a young man are the things that I cherish the most in life.

What makes the birds sing in the morning as the sun starts to say good morning to the world?  It is a wonderful gift we all have and never allow yourself to lose it.

The gift of life is so precious and it saddens me to see it lost and mother earth and father sun cry when life is returned to them.

I am thankful everyday for the gifts of life I am blessed with and for those that I love and love me in return.  I pray that those that feel they have nothing realize the gifts they have no matter how small they may be because our gifts have no limits in life and are strong and true.

My journey as a martial artist and as a human being are one and the same the gift of love and compassion helps the warrior in me stay true and strong for I am bushido till my life here is gone when my spirit goes home for ever.

What is the hardest thing to remember about being a martial artist that is different for each of us but then it is the same.

If you think you have already lost and if you think in the street you may not have to worry about if you lost because you’re dead.

As we train never forget the path you started on because if you do you will lose site of it and will never be able to find it again.

I train not to fight and I wish the rest of the world would follow my example.

If you strike at me or kick at me that is a gift your giving me and it would be rude of me not to except them.

I apply techniques without thought and after all these years I still struggle with it.  But never stop trying to learn and all the possibilities that come with it.

Sometimes our journeys are not meant to be shared and they challenge us to find what is needed for us to complete them.

Compassion for your fellow human beings is something we sometimes forget, but there are also those that will take advantage of your compassion and use it for self gain.

I was given a lesson last night watching a young student struggling to do technique on the older students, with his difficulty and his willingness to work though it and over come it and I was thinking how blessed I was for his lesson.

I do not desire the things in this world that requires me to become the things that would change me.  I only seek the truth and love and I wish to train to not hurt anyone but have more respect for all life and happiness.

If you train to hurt and never change your ways then when the day comes and you have to answer for it I pray you are forgiven and can find happiness.

When the ones you love hurt it is sometimes hard to understand their pain but you must not try to judge but find it in your heart to forgive and love them in the end that is truly all that matters.

The sword cuts without thought, this is the way to train so you train as the sword and it will teach you to never use emotions.

Life’s lessons are sometimes hard to understand why they happen maybe that is a lesson in it self.

Give your heart to your belief, allow the love and joy from it teach you what is important and never allow things to distract you from your belief no matter what it is.

We are all brothers and sisters no matter what part of the world we are from and we all give thanks in different ways but we all want the same things even if we sometimes don’t understand how or way.

The hardest part of living is not living it is your willingness to cheat death that is the hardest part.

The one Great Spirit loves us all and it is us that sometimes forget we are loved no matter what happens to us in our journey.

Loving others in our journey is much easier than forgiving those that hurt us.  I find this to be true for me and I struggle with it everyday and pray the Great Spirit will forgive my shortcomings as I strive to do better.

“O Great Spirit, help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak and to remember the peace that may be found in silence.”

Without nature we lose the ability to understand our past and without our past we lose the ability to see the future that is in front of us.

The Great Spirit is in all of us and talks with us in different ways.  Never think the Great Spirit is not with you even if sometimes you feel alone.

Sometimes what keeps you from achieving your goals is not physical but a mental demon that you must over come, never allow this demon to keep control.

Control is important to have and you must learn this as you train, without it you will never achieve all your dreams as a martial artist.

Your spirit is apart of whom you are and so are the techniques you learn along the way during your journey here to take with you along the way.

What ever you do as a martial artist the most important thing is to do your best at what you decide is important to your growth.

Respecting and learning the old ways is important to understand techniques within your art because as time changes so does the need to change your techniques to survive the times as they change.  You must have a base to start with or it will be lost in the end.

There is a big difference between grappling and ground survival, we should all understand that they are different and should not be learned as the same thing or the same time as I have learned.

The strength of forgiveness is very strong but a good choke works the same for me.

Being a warrior is about life not about death, it is about both because they are one and the same.

O-Great Spirit give me the strength to do the right things in life, help me become a better human being, allow me the gift of life to share with those I love and respect those that don’t know me.

The power of redirecting energy can be so powerful the possibilities are endless.

Sometimes in life we struggle to do the right thing not because it is hard to do but because sometimes it is not easy to except.

Do not allow others to control your spirit, let your spirit guide your journey.

Keeping your spirit clear of the things of this world can be hard at times it should never be taken for granted and you should always stay on guard for them.

If I cannot control the actions of others then why should I worry about them?

Only good technique can overcome strength and strength has it’s place and it is hard at times to understand when it is the right time for it.

Conditioning is so important not just as a martial artist but also as a human being.

Our bodies are temples that we worship and treat with respect we must love ourselves before we can love others the way it is meant to be.

Respect and loyalty is earned and given they are the same and different.

You are a reflection of your students, they are how you teach and they are a lesson for you to understand.

We at times worry so much about life that we forget to live life.

When learning pain is part of the process in both giving and receiving.  There are so many lessons to learn and teach from it, to understand one must experience this.

Ground fighting is important to learn and one must keep it in perspective and realize the difference between the sport and the survival part.  That truly is a lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way.

There is no such thing as the perfect martial arts.  One must find the things that they can use and blend together then you can say you have the perfect martial art for your needs.

Training is just like breathing you have to do it everyday.

The hardest part about learning how to fall when thrown is not to think but just relax and enjoy the ride.  Practice is the key to the answers for this.

Nutrition is very important just as much as getting the right amount of sleep for your body.  If you don’t take care of your body you will pay a hard price when you’re old.

I am a teacher and a student for they are one and the same, except them for what they are and nothing more.

My desire to train is as strong as my love for those that I love it is true and unquestionable.

To truly understand how to apply a technique correctly you must not only learn how to apply it but just as important if not more, learn and feel how it is when applied to you.

Be thankful for the gifts in your life but more important the gifts that you have in your heart for they last longer than anything else.

As we are on our journeys in life walking down the paths that we choose sometimes we struggle as we work towards the summit that will bring peace to our lives.  The worth of your efforts depends on your willingness to find love and happiness.

Forgiveness is not always easy to find or give and sometimes it is not possible.

Success is being able to learn the lessons from winning and just as important from losing.  Understanding from both is success.

It is easy to learn a new technique and receive the gift from it.  But the true gift is learned when you practice it for years and explore all that it has to offer with an open mind.

If you learn with a closed mind you will never go further than that.

Show compassion for your opponent, but if you have to hurt your opponent then strike without thought or fear.

I sometimes struggle with those that have no honor or respect for life.  I find myself striving everyday to over come this and I have realized it will take a lifetime to achieve.

The Great Spirit gives us the gift of life and we should be thankful everyday for this gift.

Treat mother earth with respect and love because she will return the same gift to you.

Everyone has good and evil in them but it is your choice, which controls you.

Honor is something that is easy to say but hard to live.

As the sun rises and sets so does life, we should enjoy this great gift that we have before it is gone.

There are those that say pain is your friend I have never recalled a time when I welcomed it but I am willing to share it

If you attack I will return the energy by redirecting it back to your body.

If you are attacked or attacking and when you commit to it do it with out thought or remorse.  Doing anything other than that is a danger to you.

To reach the summit one must give completely of themselves to achieve the greatest gift it has to offer.

Life is so placid and cruel at the same time, but it is our choice how we are remembered in the end.

Strength and weaknesses come in many forms and sometimes we just don’t see them.

Learning to fight on the ground is just as important as learning to punch or kick.  Become well rounded and never just settle for anything less.

Strength and weakness work with and against each other.  You must be able to control both.

The longer I train the more I realize that I don't know.  I am so blessed with the willingness to learn as I get older.  Never lose this desire it would be so sad.

When your starting out it is sometimes hard to understand the difference between good technique and bad technique till you do it right the first time.

© 2007 - 2008   Dallas Montgomery - All Rights Reserved