Beyond the Mats
Life lessons on and off the mats
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Plan B
I liked Plan A I think that’s important to say right up front. For the last several months, I believed we were doing pretty well. Surgery. Radiation. Chemotherapy. Optune. Appointments. Bloodwork. Scans. There were plenty of hard days mixed in there, but there was a plan. And I trusted the plan. Then I started having…
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Don’t Wait
Truth be told, I expected to be in the middle of brain surgery as this blog was being published. Instead, here I am writing about waiting. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think God still has something He wants to teach me—and perhaps something He wants to teach through me. That led me back…
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The Owner’s Manual A few weeks ago, I found myself looking through a stack of old Chilton repair manuals. They were dusty, worn, and full of greasy fingerprints from years of use. If you’ve ever worked on an older vehicle, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Back then, if something broke, you didn’t…
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KEEPING THE FAITH
It is always easier to stay positive and keep the faith when things are going well, or at least when the positive signs are easy to see. Everything I wrote in my last blog, Perspectives, is still true. I still believe: But… I just finished a few very rough days. My third round of chemotherapy…
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Perspectives
Perspectives Over the last several months, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about perspective. As I write this, I’ve had a few difficult days. Not physically difficult in the way most people might imagine. Emotionally difficult. The kind of days where the fatigue feels heavier. The kind of days where motivation is harder to…
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
Celebrating Small Wins There’s a bell that hangs in the lobby of the Hulston Cancer Center in Springfield, MO. It’s not large. It’s not flashy. If you didn’t know what it meant, you might walk right past it without giving it a second thought. But for the people who sit in that waiting room… it…
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When the Board Doesn’t Break
What a missed board, brain surgery, and faith taught me about second chances. One of the things students quickly learn during board breaking is that they get three chances to break the board. Some students strike the board and it snaps immediately with a loud crack. The smile on their face says everything. But sometimes…
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Champions Aren’t Built by Winning Alone
As we celebrate our second year at Championship Martila arts Table Rock Lake, I have been reflecting on what teaching has taught me – and one student’s journey reminded me exactly why this school exists. When I opened Championship Martial Arts Table Rock Lake two years ago, I thought I knew what teaching would look…
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The Mirror
The Mirror By Mr. Mike, Championship Martial Arts – Table Rock Lake A Story About Gratitude, Perspective, and Being Thankful for the Chance to Be Me I was cleaning the studio the other day — just doing the usual end-of-day reset. Straightening shields, lining up paddles, turning off speakers, picking up the handful of shoes…