The Hickory Academy Leadership Podcast

In life, in competition you will inevitably copy someone as you grow, and possibly not even consciously. I think this is a normal part of development, and as you grow you become more you……however you will see people who don't emulate, assimilate, or ''facsimilate'' others…..they just plain steal. You see this in China, with questionable manufacturing practices, even in politics with speeches, in writing it's called plagiarism.  In fact it even happens in the martial arts. I purposely don't look at what other schools do in my area….one because it takes focus off what I'm doing, two because I don't want to be influenced by it, and honestly three because I just don't care. My Wife brought something to my attention the other day, another school owner copied pretty much, word for word a video I did, and btw their website is mysteriously similar, they have a logo of an award we won on some of their ads….I'm sure the list goes on. This particular person actually came to my school and took notes before they opened their own school. It's not a secret, it's not hard to see that's not being influenced….its a copy (and not a great one). She was hot, not happy, and I get it….ironically She also gave me the best advice about this type of situation years ago. She said “it doesn't matter how much they copy you….they can't be you.” Truer words have never been spoken, it took me 48 years to become this version of me, it took triumphs, tragedies, and a mountain of effort. It took sweat, stitches, surgery, broken bones, and late nights. It took mistakes, and shortfalls, broken relationships, and misunderstandings. It took, getting back up, trying to be better, to be more, and doing it all over again, and again to find out who I am and what impact I want to have on the world. Becoming me is more than copying my words, its waking up at 5am, its going to the gym every week, going to yoga every week, reading and studying every week, putting on the blackbelt and not just talking about martial arts but training martial arts, getting kicked and punched, by amazing fighters I trained, to grappling with smart, strong grapplers I trained. Its being transparent about my fight and recovery with Anorexia so other people can start, continue, or win their fight with it, or any fight they find themselves in, its investing in my staff every day, giving 100 percent of me to my students when I'm on the mat whether I'm happy, sad, broken, motivated, injured, hurting, hobbling, or feeling like im in my prime. Its impossible to be me, one because I am just simply committed or crazy enough to dedicate my life to what I do, and more so because even a perfect copy is just a shadow of who I was yesterday….and today Im better, evolving, and improving. My superpower, your superpower, our superpower is finding out, and living into who we are. Of the astronomical and unknown number of people who have lived, or are alive now, and even who will be born long after we are gone….there will only be one you. Only one person with your set of skills, abilities, talents and blessings. It's up to you to find out who that person is, to share that uniqueness with the world, because no one else can. We need you to be you…..almost as much as you need you to be you. 

The answers you were looking for are in the silence you're avoiding. We live in a world of constant noise. Online, on screens, in stores, in airpods, glasses, everywhere you turn. In fact, now when you are getting gas for your car….you are subjected to ads! Noise reduces discomfort, distracts us, and soothes the anxieties of life. The question is not am I surrounded, inundated, drowning in noise….because we are. The question is how can we reduce the noise around us? How can we remove the unneeded? How can we be quiet enough to know what our own voice sounds like? How do we know what we really want, when we are constantly being marketed to? How can we know what we really want if our algorithm is being curated for us? How can we break away from the well meaning, self serving, snake oil, propagandized, agenda driven, sales driven, self bias confirming, dopamine pumping, downpour of noise? I ask, not because I have a six step method to sell you, or asking for a friend, because I'm struggling with it just like you….and just like you I'd like to enjoy some peace of quiet….without the pain of boredom or the existential dread that comes along with it…….Except I don't think that is part of the deal. It's not boredom that we are avoiding ... .its our own thoughts. The nagging ones, the bad ones, the ones on repeat, the ones that true are false we avoid like the plague with a constant barrage of distractions. That's what's standing in our way of growth, of comfortability in our own heads, and activating the massive potential we have put on pause. How do we get from behind the screen and into full view of life right now?  1. I'm biased but martial arts is a great place to start. We are forced to be present, in community, engaged and actively listening, learning, and thinking. We are engaged in problem solving….and not problem avoidance.  2. Being outside vs being online.You don't have to take a picture every time you are outside….in fact you should leave your phone behind. We so rarely just walk, no noise, no phone, no agenda, just walking mindfully and enjoying the present moment. 3. Sleeping away from the phone. For me personally this is the toughest! But the light, the noise, the distraction ruins our sleep, our chance to get good rest and a chance for us to recall the day, it lessons, and the chance for gratitude. The quote that I cannot escape, and maybe you will get some value from it too is this: “The answers you are looking for are in the silence you are avoiding”And this one from ram dass: “the quieter you become the more you can hear.”What answers are you avoiding, what could you accomplish with a life off pause, what is hiding from you behind the noise and is waiting for you to be quiet enough to hear it? However busy your day is, whatever is going on ....I hope you take, make, or steal a moment for silence, for reflection, or simply just to breathe. There is a power in stillness that motion cannot replicate.  

#1) Be consistent. That means training two to three classes a week. Your house does not count, coming in and assistant instructing does not count. You should be on the mat training twice a week if your intention is to get a black belt. If not….you can still get an enormous benefit of training once a week, or twice a week every other week, etc…..you just aren't going to earn a black belt until you get serious about your attendance. Just like you can get very knowledgeable about medicine and surgery at the library and attending some classes at college…..but until you commit to medical school and graduate….you will not be a doctor. #2) Train Hard, Train Smart. You can come in and give a halfhearted effort, you can come in and train like every fight is personal…..neither will earn you a black belt. The lukewarm person will not gain the real skills to pass, and definitely not survive the test, the overzealous person will end up hurting themselves or getting too injured to train frequently enough to test, or have the finesse required to become a black belt. #3) Know the Curriculum.  We have had many world champions and amazing athletes at the Academy, all of them that received black belts know the curriculum and are able to teach it. You don't have to love all of it, and in fact most gravitate to one of the big four: Fighting, Forms, Self Defense, or Pad Work…but you have to know it all and be able to demonstrate it. #4) Be a Good Ambassador. In some fields your talent can make up for your personality, in martial arts it cannot. You have to be a good role model….not a perfect person, but a person in pursuit of perfection. #5) Be in Shape. You do not have to be an Olympian, D1 athlete or on the cover of Muscle and Fitness….but you should be in good cardiovascular shape, be strong, and have healthy habits. That means making sacrifices outside of the Dojo for your health and fitness and should reflect a life long goal of longevity and good overall health. #6) Be Motivated. You should come to class ready to learn and your passion for training and improving should be evident. Everyone has tough days and we are here to support your through those….but not every day. You are responsible for being passionate about growth, getting better, and being the best version of you! #7) Be Positive. Very similar to number 6, and maybe even more important. “Where attention goes, energy flows.” especially when we are talking about having a positive or negative mindset. What to find the good in your life…start looking for it, what to find the bad…..start looking for it. Find the good in martial arts, and training hard! #8) Be ok with walking alone. Walking with friends is always more fun, it just is. Training with friends is too. Understand however some of your training partners are going to break your heart. Everyone does not make it to black belt, and even some of the ones that do will quit. They are really quitting on themselves….but it feels like they are quitting on you and the Academy. That's difficult to deal with, but it's a part of high level success at anything. Sometimes we have to be ok with walking alone. #9) Bring Someone with you. The antidote for #8! Invite people to train, encourage them to stay, invest in their success and watch your success skyrocket. #10) Have a White Belt Attitude, with a Black belt Brain. White belts are so excited and grateful to train, they give it 100 percent and desperately want to improve…..their only hindrance is the lack of repetition and knowledge. As people increase in rank that fire can diminish. The saddest thing I see is a Green/Brown belt that has gone lukewarm, cynical, or thinks they know everything. Have a white belt mentality, upgraded with the reps and knowledge of a black belt. It truly is the best of both worlds. 

Breakdown of Today's Episode! ____We had our annual turkey trot this weekend….and it was amazing. Our team had 55 runners this year. A record turn out for us and our “sensei's run club”. The biggest question after the race is….”what was your time.” ___Measuring your progress is vital and necessary for growth…..until it's not! ___Sometimes the best metrics are the ones you don't track, especially someone else's stats! EX: If you are lifting weights and trying to get stronger, tracking or chasing weight loss is counter intuitive. Or If you are a 30 something natural athlete, comparing yourself to a 20 something year old fitness influencer or enough steroids to make a race horse blush….you are definitely not focused on what progress looks like to you. ___The most vital stat is attendance. So the QUESTION IS….How are you showing up for yourself daily? Are you going to workout when it's not convenient? When you do not feel like it? When nobody is watching, how are you showing up for yourself TODAY? ___I have a good friend I was talking to, and he, like all of us, is having some trouble with consistency. He gets a few weeks of consistent training and then fizzles out….and the cycle starts again and again. SOUND FAMILIAR? With that in mind here are a few ideas to get on, and stay on track.  Make a covenant with yourself, instead of a lukewarm goal…or wish journal. Write down what you are going to do, pledge to do it, and be serious about this commitment.  Go Slow to go farther. The best way to ruin consistency is with intensity…..especially in the beginning. A one mile walk a day eclipses a 10 mile run that you only do quarterly. The power of 2. 2 consistent days is better than five in a row every four weeks. Go anyway mentality: Sore, tired, sad, mad, complacent, burntout, or just plain lazy. Go Anyway. Getting started is by far the hardest part, each step after a little less. Some of your best sessions will come from the toughest beginnings. Be Accountable: the power of a workout partner, coach, mentor, personal trainer is in accountability. Don't do it for you: Having trouble investing in yourself, or don't think you are worth the effort….you are wrong….but definitely not alone. Remember you are becoming a better version of you so you can give, do, and be more for the people you love. The quote I heard this week was “imagine someone you love switches bodies with you for 60 days. How would you treat their body, so when you give it back they would be healthy? Now do that for yourself. It's a holiday week, you don't have to be perfect. Enjoy life, enjoy family, and get the work in when you can, a walk a bike ride or just time connected to loved ones will do wonders for your health. REMEMBER this is the only Thanksgiving 2025 Holiday you will ever have. Next year, number one, is not guaranteed, and next year will be vastly different, and so will you….enjoy the present moment at the expense of your distractions, instead of indulging in your distractions at the expense of your joy! Need help with your goals, getting back on track, or staying on track? Message us GET MOVING for our goal setting guide! 

"Jobs not Done" AKA having a longevity mindset. TIRED of making a little progress, and then seeing it slip away?If so THIS EPISODE is definitely for you. Enjoy, like, and SHARE with a friend who might enjoy it too!

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This episode covers 7 Ways ways to become a better version of you, and improve as a leader today! Here are the notes from today's episode: Everyone is a leaderLeadership is all about what you do not what you say Being a leader doesn't mean you have to be perfect, but you do have to be accountable Leaders make time for self development dailyLeaders show the power of consistency Being a leader is recognizing that you aren't working above the people you lead, but working with the people you a leading. You can't push a rope. Your patience as a leader is a direct reflection on how much you value that person. Leaders always have time. Leaders care enough to hold people accountable and raise the bar for themselves and others.Make sure to like and subscribe for more content!

In this episode we talk about: How to make the most out of difficult situations. How to lead with patience and "recruit" people into your mission. How to plan long term for success, and re-frame failures. Get up, get out, get moving! www.hickorykarate.com

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10 Steps to deal with being frustrated in training. Especially when sparing or grappling! Like and Subscribe for more content!

What to say to yourself, or your child when they say: "I don't want to go to class today!" How to practice persistence, overcome resistance, and avoid becoming a serial quitter! Subscribe for more Martial Arts, Leadership, and Personal Development Content! www.hickorykarate.com

What to Avoid as you become an advanced student. How to raise the bar for yourself and others, and keep training exciting!

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Develop your “Superpowers” for 2025 and grow a more successful year, healthier you, and happier life!

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5 questions to ask yourself before heading into 2025. Success is never an accident, it is the result of hard work, of planning, and perseverance. Start implementing today, start creating habits worth having, and making memories you will be grateful for today, tomorrow and 20 years from now!

How to shift your focus from what happened to what happens next to become more successful on the mat, and in your life! www.hickorykarate.com

How to cultivate discipline, grow new habits, and find time for success in your life! Like, Subscribe, and let us know what we should talk about next! Come train: www.hickorykarate.com

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How to choose the best martial arts style, how to choose the best workout routine, and how to be your best!!!

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Quick talk on change, on starting a journey of transformation, and letting go of who you were to become who you were meant to be.

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10 Things you can do to get out of a rut, improve your mood, and to get through a tough time!

Quick episode to help you find balance off the mat and in life!

This episode gives 8 ways to learn from, deal with, and bounce back from a failure, loss, or mistake. From the ring to your life off the mat, take your failures and use them for a foundation for future success!

This episode is about some simple strategies to deal with anxiety or stress about belt testing, or any test…..and about how to develop patience, focus, and clarity when we are not testing.

10 Qualities that every blackbelt and everyone working to become a blackbelt should possess. How to develop those skills on and off the mat, and how to use them to develop yourself and the people around you. Grab a pen and paper and improve and listen up. Get moving!