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.

Brain vs. Brawn — Savvy vs. Swagger

Saturday night, 26 August 2017, witnessed the most hyped fighting event since The Rumble in the Jungle between boxing’s then Heavyweight Champion George Foreman and former Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali on 30 October 1974. Ali won that contest, regaining his World Heavyweight Championship title.

Mayweather vs. McGregor was different, sort of. Floyd Mayweather, 49-O in his stellar boxing career, was being challenged by the bad boy champion of the mixed martial arts world, Conor McGregor. It was a pugilistic clash between seasoned championship boxing savvy and MMA swagger. Boxing experience won … by a knockout.

Perfect Form - Perfect Body Knockout!

Saturday night, 19 August 2017, Terence Crawford met Julius Indongo in the boxing ring to settle it all. Both were undefeated champions. Only one would prevail as still undefeated. That one was Terence Crawford.

It was 1:34 to 1:38 left in the 3rd round when Crawford ducked an Indongo left roundhouse punch and then counter-punched Indongo with a devastating left punch to the body, a knockout punch.

One of the standard principles of the Karate Institute of America is persistence. What KIA student has never heard these powerful words from the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge.

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the world’s most memorable military and political leaders. His experience taught him that …

The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.

“Endurance of Fatigue.” Excellent food for thought. For example, what Karate Institute of America Black Belt does not understand this worthy insight? None. To get through not one but two days of grueling testing after years of arduous effort and struggle and emerge as a Kiado-Ryu Black Belt is a most notable accomplishment, to be sure. Only sixty-four of three thousand three hundred students in the KIA’s thirty-eight year history have succeeded in reaching the coveted Black Belt level. They are certainly the ones who can sincerely acknowledge Napoleon’s words: The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue.