Karate Institute of America Orange Belt Aidan “Smasher” Ligtvoet is expanding his wide interests to include horsemanship and settling in to the cowboy lifestyle. Here he is at the rail with his new equine buddy while he’s all duded up in boots, jeans, kerchief and riding helmet. Dig those glasses, too. Looking cool, man!

Catching a rear side look at a young man and his horse. Smasher is extremely smart, loves horses, and will make a great equestrian. He’s attentive to every little detail and has done a lot of reading and research into horses and how to care for them.

One of the proverbial questions asked in martial arts is, “Who can punch harder, muscle guys or skinny guys?” The answer may surprise you. As in all cases, the answer rests in technique and speed. Which would you prefer to get hit with, a medicine ball or a bullet fired from a .45 caliber pistol?

On the Fight Science YouTube channel their answer is:

In reality the issue of whether bigger guys can punch harder relates more to the ability to move your body mass quickly over short distance.

Spartan women expected their husbands and sons to be brave in war. Hence the phrase, With your shield or on it. In other words: if victorious in battle, come back with your shield; if dead, be carried back home on your shield, but don’t come back having turned your back on the enemy, thus retreating as a coward.

How many men and boys today would be benefited if their mothers had the same convictions and strength as Spartan women? Such women do exist today, of course, and the Karate Institute of America applauds their strength, courage and ability in turning young boys into strong, courageous, fearless men who would rather die with honor than slink away in cowardice.

If you saw the movie Robin Hood (2010) featuring Russel Crowe and Cate Blanchett, you are quite familiar with the core message of the film, a message applicable to every human being in every age regardless of gender, culture, race, religion, language or nationality.

That message, encrypted on the hilt of Robin Hood’s sword, is: RISE & RISE AGAIN UNTIL LAMBS BECOME LIONS.

Such a message reminds us to never quit, never give up, ever, and if we fall down to get back up and keep going until we succeed. It is the natural order of success in any endeavor. It is a universal truth reminding us of its simple but powerful life lesson: Rise & Rise Again Until Lambs Become Lions, until we become lions. This potent life principle is the one common trait of all Karate Institute of America Black Belts. Every one of these current 64 distinguished individuals never quit. They endured the heat, pressure and time of the journey until they succeeded and in so doing became the foundational legacy of the Kiado-Ryu; truly, an inspirational group of souls who, through their own sweat, toil and desire to succeed, blazed a path for others to follow.

Hannibal Barca of Carthage was one of the greatest military commanders in history. Hannibal is famous for marching his army of men and war elephants over the Pyrenees and the Alps in an effort to conquer Rome. He won three distinct battles in Italy—Trebia, Lake Trasimene and Cannae—before being defeated by the Roman general Scipio Africanus, himself an historic general of immense stature, at the Battle of Zama.

Hannibal’s famous quote, I will either find a way or make one, is a powerful declaration of positive determination containing a lesson for us all as we struggle through the ups and downs of our destinies.

From The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master.

Learn this from the waters: in mountain clefts and chasms loud gush the streamlets, but great rivers run silently.

Things that are empty make a noise; the full is always quiet.

This is a very simple truth which needs no great explanation. If we are truly powerful, our power will flow from us as easily as water down a mountain. It will not be forced. It need not be announced. It will just flow and it will flow silently as great rivers flow silently.