#bigguybudo

All too often we encounter martial artists who feel like they need to act or think a certain way to be credible. They behave as if they must follow some interpretation of the bushido code (usually their own interpretation), or they must behave as they read Funakoshi or Matsumura are alleged to have behaved.

It's pretentious, and it's often counterproductive. Stop thinking about your own appearances, work with the people around you, and consider how your actions and behaviors affect others.

Train first, and train sincerely. The rest will take care of itself.

Choki Motobu said, "It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art of someone who is too serious has no flavor." 

While martial arts training focuses on the development of specific skills, its participants are often inspired to cross-train for strength, flexibility, speed, endurance, and dexterity to improve the effectiveness of those skills. A side benefit, of course, is the improvement of the practitioner's overall health.