Welcome Bag and a Small World

I'm slowly catching up with my life now. It's cool, because that means that this story is only two weeks old (OK, two and a half). But seeing as my story about the Black Belt graduation was two months, I figure that it's progress.

I had a chance to sit down with another new member of the Ann Arbor Chamber a couple of weeks ago. Bill MacConnel of Next24, Inc was a lot of fun to chat with. He has a boundless energy and positive outlook about him that just couldn't help but lift your spirits.

Bill had started his company only days before we met, but I could tell that, with the kind of enthusiasm and "dive in" spirit he has, that the customers of his advertising media firm will undoubtedly be very happy they decided to go with him. Of course, Bill has actually been in the ad business for many years, but finally decided that he was ready to commit to the next chapter in his life. Hmm. Sounds familiar.

Ironically, when we were talking we hit on the subject of the martial arts. It turns out that his son is taking Judo classes from Nick Suino down at the Japanese Martial Arts Center. Nick was the same guy who helped me prepare for one of my black belt tests. Nick also happens to be a lawyer who specializes in the needs of small business and who will be helping me with some aspects of Cyber Data Solutions, LLC.

But, back to Bill. If you do happen to run into him at one of the Chamber events, be sure to say hello. I guarantee that if you catch even the smallest amount of his energy you'll be ready to climb mountains!

So, whom have you met recently that re-energized you just by setting a great example?

It Was Spectacular .. And Then What?

In amongst all of the craziness of the holiday season and of coping with a new baby around the house, I did manage to "walk the stage" and earn my third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

December 1 was the big day. We showed up early at Huron High School, where we always have the graduation show, the "Black Belt Spectacular". We rehearsed the show once on stage, and then the big show was upon us. It's always a blur, but the moment that one of the instructors ties on your new belt inevitably sears itself onto your brain. It's a wonderful feeling of achievement, surrounded by the people with whom you've trained for three or seven or ten years.

And then it's over. Come Monday I was back in my regular classes. The only thing that had really changed was that I had one more stripe on my belt.

It's a lot like setting up a website. No, bear with me here...

Peter Gluck and I,
after the show

You spend a lot of time working toward that big day when the site is going to go live. You and your developer pick colors, design graphics, craft text. You put all of that effort into it and then it goes live.

And then the next day you have to go right back to working on it -- perhaps at a lower intensity level -- but if you don't keep that content updated, then none of your visitors has any reason to come back.

Of course, a lot of people choose to let the site go. After all, it will look good for many months and even years to come. Just like the Black Belt recipient who never trains again, however, the site will begin to lose its edge.

Thanks to my good friends Kimber Householder and Norm Roller for the photos from the day.

So, when was the last time you "finished" your training and let things ride? What happened then?

Viewing a Bigger Picture

I'm nearing the end of the training process for my next Black Belt. As a part of that process, I've had to complete weekly homework assignments. Most of the requirements were about putting in a certain amount of time in practice, but there were one or two assignments which were written or artistic in nature.

This week I have to write an essay about "Why I deserve my black belt."

Our instructor, Master Jason, has assured us that the reason for the assignment is not that he requires convincing. The real reason is that those of us going through this intensive training are in danger, at times, of focusing on the process and losing site of the underlying reasons we are going through it.

I think there's a similar situation when someone wants to build or renew her business's website. She hires a professional web design team, works with them for weeks or months to design the "perfect" look, helps write content for the site (or hires a professional writer like my friend Deb Merion of SPARK Communications), and finally launches the site. The process can take so much time and focus that the business owner forgets that the site is not the end product, but rather simply a tool in the effort to maintain better communications with her customer.

This is also how many sites run into trouble. The business owner, focused so much on the process, tries to make the site appeal to her as opposed to her client. Often a professional designer can help steer her clear of this, but if she won't listen to the designer's advice, then the site often fails to deliver (or at best delivers poorly) on its specified goal.

So, has it ever happened to you that the client insisted that he new your job better than you? How to you guard against that?

Going Past the Surface

Today was yet another test on my path to my third degree black belt. It seems like this has been going on forever, but I've only been in this frequent testing mode for the last eight months.

I'll be glad when it's done.

Part of today's test was a board-breaking. I had to perform a spinning side-kick off my left leg and break two boards at once. Not impossible, but certainly not easy.

Once you get past the actual technique you are using (chop, kick, elbow, whatever) a board-breaking comes down to two things (and please don't try this at home):

1. Hit the board really, really hard.

2. Strike through the board.

The second one is what causes most people to fail their breaks. They hit that board as hard as they can and then stop as soon as they come in contact with its surface.

In the web world this is a lot like a company setting up their website -- putting in all that work to design a great-looking site, using all of the latest technologies to make it fresh and exciting -- and then as soon as they launch it, they think that they're done and that they never need to look at it again. Weeks, months, and even years pass by with no changes made and fewer and fewer visitors. Here's the thing: The failure wasn't in the site itself.

It was in the lack of focus beyond the launch.

So, in your business what failures are caused by focusing on the surface?

More Karate Fun

Last weekend I had what was either my last or next-to-last Karate demonstration/test for my third-degree black belt. I'll find out on Monday if I'm going to have one more in November. Assuming all goes as planned, I should be receiving my new belt on December 1st.

Of course, since our baby's due date is November 28th, there is some question as to whether I'll actually be up on stage to receive my belt!

Anyway, here's the video of the three of us performing Old Koryo, a form our school hasn't used since before the mid 70's. To my right is Peter Gluck, my partner for the last eight months and to my left is my young friend Darcy Christian who will be receiving her third degree in May of next year. She's just started her monthly testing.



Oh, and just in case you think this has nothing to do with business: Working on preparing for this performance is a lot like some of the projects I've worked on in my business. In both cases, working with skilled professionals who have a ton of experience under their belts (so to speak) makes the whole thing a lot easier and a heck of a lot more fun.

After learning the form, it took us almost no time to get it synchronized. All three of us have had to do that so many times that it's almost second nature. The same holds true with my programming projects. When I'm working with experienced professionals, the project is almost inevitably effortless.

What was the last project you worked on with someone else? Where they "skilled practitioners"? Did it make a difference?

Catching the Moments

Today I'll be working on my most recent requirement for my Black Belt. This time we had to research a form (or kata) that hasn't been used in our style for over 30 years. Fortunately, we did find someone who knew it and was able to teach it to us.

Now that we know it, our teacher, Professor Hafner, wants us to make a DVD of it.

Thinking of doing this kind of makes me chuckle. I've been around long enough to remember back when CD players cost hundreds of dollars (heck, I remember when they didn't exist). To create a CD required equipment which cost thousands. DVD's weren't even a twinkle in someones eye.

Now we don't think twice about burning our precious memories onto these fragile plastic discs.

My wife and I are expecting a baby girl in November. I wonder what new technologies will be on our desks when she's getting her black belt?

So, what precious memories have you saved to DVD?

15 Minutes

I haven't been writing much recently. I think part of the problem is that I can't seem to write a short entry. I end up writing paragraph upon paragraph and searching for just the write graphic. Before I know it, I've invested an hour or two into writing a single post.

So, I think this has to change. I'm going to try to write a few posts in only 15 minutes. I'm hoping that they will be short, to the point, and will encourage me to tighten up my writing.

For tonight, I'm just going to include a video of my most recent Black Belt exam. This one was a tonfa form (think of a police night stick).



In the martial arts, as with most human pursuits, a practitioner has a variety of specializations upon which he can focus. To be truly memorable, though, he must choose one upon which he will lavish his attention. Many years ago, I started my training in martial art weapons (Kobudo). As a result of that focus, I'm now the primary weapons instructor at the school I attend.

Similarly, I've had to focus my business. I could have tried to become an "everything for everyone" web development business, but I've found that I am happier and more memorable as a back end web programmer.

So, how do you specialize?

On Articles and Weapons

Today I taught my first martial arts weapons class. Our Karate school recently implemented a program where black belts are to declare a "major". Once a month they attend a class focusing on that subject. I'm in charge of the weapons classes.

I also recently uploaded a new article to EzineArticles.com. My goal is to upload at least one new article a week. This one was about using creativity to renew your enthusiasm for networking. According to the response message I got, my new Platinum status should mean that the article will be reviewed and available to the public within two business days.

So, what to the two situations have to do with each other?

Really, it comes down to the benefits of sharing. In both cases the immediate goal is to help others by conveying information and/or ideas. The indirect benefit, though, is that my own skills improve as a result of the sharing. In the case of teaching about martial arts weapons, my students ask questions which I wouldn't have considered previously. With writing the article, the very act of putting my ideas down on paper made me think them through and examine them a little more closely to make sure that they held water.

So, the next time you go out to share with others, just remember that you'll be getting an awful lot in return.

So, what was the best return you've ever received on a "teaching investment"?

Karate Video: Bo Form

I've been meaning to post this for some time now, but haven't had a chance to do the little bit of editing required to get it ready for public consumption. Back on August 18th I had yet another of my monthly tests for my third degree black belt. This time we were allowed to present a demonstration of our own choosing. Since I've been training in traditional weapon styles for a few years now, my choice was an easy one.

Lisa shot the video and I used the Microsoft Movie Maker software to create the titles and prepare it for upload to YouTube. I hope you enjoy it!



So, have you uploaded any videos to YouTube?

Tegner Track Down

Bruce Tegner

From the "Technology Brings Us Closer Together" file:

I mentioned in the July 17 issue of my ezine that I was working on a documentary of Bruce Tegner, one of the first people to de-mystify the martial arts and bring them to the attention of the rest of the world. I talked about some of the tools that I would be using, especially those with online sharing capability so my partner, Peter, and I could collaborate without being co-located.

I was looking for more information about Tegner using Google search. Through it, I found a series of forums where two or three of his former students posted about their memories of him. I dropped a line to each of them asking if they would be interested in contributing a phone interview and maybe a scanned picture or two to the effort.

Today I got my first response.

Chuck Arnold trained with Tegner when he was in college. When he sent a response to my request, he included a full page and a half of reflections on his experiences and his impressions of Bruce as a person and a teacher. He also told me that he would be happy to provide me with some pictures (if he could find them) and a phone interview.

Now, I've been around the Internet since the days of the dinosaurs. I'm continually amazed by how easy it is to come in contact with interesting folks whom I would never have a chance to meet otherwise. Whether it's exchanging emails with my buddy Scott Ginsberg (the Approachability Guy), dropping a line to Jesse Bernstein (our Chamber President), or contacting a brand-new friend like Chuck, the Internet, contrary to the doom-sayers of the world, has actually made the world a smaller place and brought us all a little closer.

So, who have you met through the Internet that you might never otherwise have known?

New Karate Video

My training partner, Peter, and I had our most recent test for our 3rd degree Black Belts on the 14th. As usual, I dragooned a friend into shooting some video. This time it was Ed Hood, an attorney whom we had met through the auspices of our church bulletin. I think he did a great job catching the action (what their was).

Once again, I used the Microsoft Movie Maker to edit the video and do the titles and such. This time I added some subtitles. We were demonstrating some basic Judo moves which we had learned and I thought it would be good to give some indication what moves we were doing and the corresponding Japanese names.

I've embedded the video below, but you can also see it (and my other videos) on YouTube, where you can comment on what you've seen and even give it a rating.


So, what videos have you seen recently on YouTube?

More Karate Video

I finally got a chance to upload the video from my most recent test for my third degree black belt. This was a self-defense demonstration with examples of defense against both armed and unarmed attacks. Just a warning: I don't think this is nearly as exciting as the previous month's board-breaking demonstration.

It's actually kind of funny to me to watch myself doing these moves. What seemed pretty exciting to be in the middle of looks kind of tame from the outside. Actually, if you think about it, that's the way it probably looks with a lot of things. I guess this is why we have focus groups and user testing. Those of us who are in the middle of the creation, whether it be programming software, putting in a garden bed, or creating a logo, are caught up in the act of creation itself, which makes it much more difficult to see it with an untainted eye.

Anyway, here's the video.

So, how do you look at your creations with an untainted eye?

Another Step to the Third Degree

Of course, in this case, the "Third Degree" to which I'm referring is my next Black Belt. Conceivably, this Fall I will be earning my third degree (or third dan) from Keith Hafner's Karate. To prepare for this, my teacher, Professor Hafner, has started training and testing us (my friend Peter Gluck and I are both eligible). Each month we are to perform in front of the school a demonstration of the Professor's choosing.

The first month we had to show two of our advanced forms (or kata). I don't mind doing this at all. I'm kind of a big ham, so performing in front of a group is fun for me and it gets me pretty juiced up.

This month was more of a challenge.

This test was to perform a "multiple break". This means that we have to break five single boards in succession using different moves on each one. The challenge isn't so much the act of breaking a board, but rather maintaining the mental focus necessary to aim the techniques accurately. Ordinarily in a break you take one or two practice swings to make sure that your aim is good before you put your full strength into actually striking the target. With the multiple break, you only get that opportunity on the first board. After that it is all about targeting on the fly and maintaining your focus.

The fact that Lisa and I didn't have to visit the emergency room afterward should tell you that the break was a success. The funny thing is, from the moment my foot left the floor for the first kick, the process blurred entirely. Watching the video, I know the crowd was cheering, but I didn't hear a thing.

Every time I do a break, I experience much the same thing. The focus is so complete that I don't even notice the passage of time. Of course, now that I know that I have such an ability within me, I want to discover how I can apply that to my everyday life.

Maybe that will be one of my future tests!

So, have you ever made a break? If so, what was your experience like?

Releasing the Inner Tiger

This one is a bit more personal than usual, so feel free to skip it if it makes you uncomfortable.

Today I was reading Pamela Slim's blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation. In the article I was reading, "Is your inner tiger choking on a short leash?", she was talking about how many people suppress their inner passions and end up suffering for it. She struck a chord in me when she wrote about watching a child, who others perceived as quiet and almost emotionally stunted, suddenly came alive when offered an opportunity to participate in martial arts.

Why should this touch me? After all, everyone who knows me, knows that I am a rampant extrovert who loves to show off in front of a group. I travel all over the world. I started my own business. How could I identify with a withdrawn child? In fact, I always get a laugh when I tell people that I'm working on getting over my shyness.

The funny thing is, for the longest time I was the quiet one. I always played it safe. I never stepped outside my comfort zone. I dreamed of being an adventurer, but somehow that always seemed to be sometime in the future.

Then, on my 30th birthday, even though it wasn't my idea, I joined Keith Hafners Karate. I'd love to say that a miracle occurred and suddenly I was ready to sky dive and bungee jump, but that wasn't the case. I still pretty much played it safe, but something was changing inside me, almost from that first class.

One night, about a year after I had started, I was preparing for my promotion to Green Belt. As a part of our promotions, we had to do a "line drill" -- a series of free-style moves (punches, kicks, etc) moving in a line across the floor. In the past I had always practiced my series of moves over and over and always made sure that they were moves that stayed well within my capabilities. I wasn't worried about hurting myself. I was just afraid I might fall on my face -- figuratively.

Suddenly, as if a door had opened, I realized that I didn't have to play it safe. If I tried something a little more challenging, I would still have my audience's respect, even if I failed. No one would laugh, but I knew they would cheer. So I tried something a little harder. And you know what?

I succeeded.

And with that one success, I was able to fuel larger attempts. Soon, I overcame my fear of needles and now I give blood regularly. I, who used to stay home, rather than deal with the uncertainty of going someplace new, have traveled to the Cascades in Oregon, hiked the Cinqua Terra in Italy, and visited the Buddhist temples in Kyoto, Japan.

And, of course, most recently, I've given up my stable job at the University of Michigan to pursue my dream of having my own business.

So, what's my take-away from all of this? I guess I'm not sure. Maybe part of it is that you can have all the desire in the world, but if you don't take that one step, you are worse off than if you had never had the desire in the first place. Passion is not enough. You need action to make it come alive.

I think the other part is that in order to be successful, we have to build our muscles slowly (whether they be physical, mental or emotional). If, instead of just trying a tricky Karate move, I had instead tried my hand at Formula One racing, my resulting "crash and burn" would have been more than just physical.

And likely I would have written off the whole "try new things" idea as a Bad Plan.

So, what do you think stops you from pursuing your passions?

The Black Jacket Club

I've been training at Keith Hafners Karate for almost ten years now. In that time, I've earned a belt or two, I've picked up a smattering of skills in the martial arts, and I've even taught a few classes along the way. I've learned from and enjoyed almost every aspect. OK, I'll admit that I probably could have skipped the various minor injuries and been just as happy, but in general it was all worthwhile.

This past weekend I received a "lifetime" achievement award down at the school. Professor Hafner occasionally singles out one or two (or in this case four) students who, in addition to their efforts to become better martial artists, have devoted time and energy to help the school as a community.

The physical manifestation of the award was a beautiful wool and leather "letterman" jacket. Not including Professor Hafner himself, only twenty people have one of these coats. For the most part, they are Masters and other former and current instructors. Needless to say, I'm pleased to be a part of such an august company.

The ironic thing is, though, that every accomplishment in the martial arts is really only a milepost. I still have so much to learn that I will probably be training for the rest of my life. The road goes ever onward.

So, let's hear some horntooting from you. What awards or recognition have you received recently?

Breaking Through

Our Karate school had a board breaking event today. Professor Hafner called it the "Smash All Fears" Fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Homeless Shelter. Basically, participants made a donation and, in return got the chance to break a board (or a slab of concrete). The idea was to make the board represent some limiting fear or belief in your life.

Before I go any further, one warning: Please do not try board breaking unless you are with an experienced coach. Doing things incorrectly will very likely lead to injury. Imagine willingly slamming your hand into a brick wall with all your strength and you'll get some idea of the possible results.

Some of the people who participated were doing this for the first time. Heck, some of them weren't even in the martial arts! We had several moms and dads, sometimes at the urging of their children, getting out on the floor and giving it a whack. I'll tell you, there is something truly amazing about watching someone's face the first time they break. I saw it today on five-year-old children and 60-year-old grandmothers. They suddenly realize that, despite their fears -- of failure or pain or disaster -- they did this thing which seemed impossible. That look of personal power shone through in their eyes and, as one of the coaches for the event, I felt a tremendous rush just to be a part of that moment.

I've broken many times in the past myself, the most recent was last year, when my Karate Master, Professor Hafner, had me break five 1-inch concrete slabs. The amazing thing I learned in that moment was that I have the power of focus, to such an extent that, for me, the obstacle ceases to exist. To me, breaking through those slabs was no more difficult than pushing my hand through the air. My challenge, and my excitement, is to apply that same focus to my goals in the rest of my life. What could I achieve??

One of my favorite quotes is by Marianne Williamson and it begins:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

On a day like today I understand that fear, and I am ready to push beyond it.

So, what experience have you had which uncovered your fear that you are "powerful beyond measure"?

16 days.