Focus and awareness

  You are a warrior so you need to train as a warrior. One very important element in your training is to learn to focus. Whether you are swinging a kettlebell, striking a target or studying a book you need to focus, to learn to tune out everything around you so that you can learn and train. With that being said you still need to be aware of your surroundings! You don't want to be at the park doing some deep reading or meditating then wham! some thug jumps you from behind.

  I have a first hand account of this happening. My buddy and I were training at a local park we always trained at in Flagstaff. As we were training we noticed this group of teens walking up to this kid who was sitting at a picnic table with his head down, probably sleeping. Without warning these teens jumped the poor kid attacking with chains and sticks. We don't know what prompted this to happen but we weren't going to let it continue that's for certain. We both shouted a 'hey' almost in unison which stopped them in their tracks. They looked at us and approached us. We did what we do best, stood their watching them waiting for them to take action. We basically stared them down while warning them off with a few words. Sometimes the most intimidating thing you can do to an opponent is stand nonchalantly in what we call natural stance (basically just standing normally with hands at your side) and then calmly but intensely staring down your opponent. First they are placed off guard as most people in confrontations are used to a war of words and body posturing before a fight. When you are standing there just waiting... it unnerves the bastards. Without us having to lift a finger these punks backed down and left our park, of course threatening to return. The kid who had been jumped, well he booked it out of there. To bad for him, he should have come to us as we could have taught him a few things.

  So, anyhow..the point is. You don't want to be caught off-guard as this poor kid was. Focus! Train! but stay aware. If you are in the flow keep a small part of yourself aware of your surroundings. Take a look at this article over at Life Hacker: Train Your Brain for Monk Like Focus which talks about focus. They have some great ideas to point you in the right direction.

Speaking of Life Hacker, it is a phenomenal site with lots of information to make your life so much easier on and offline. Well worth signing up to their newsletter.

Until next time my fellow warriors!

-Collin aka Tenguka