Fight for a Happy Life with Sensei Ando: Martial Arts for Everyday Life

Welcome to Episode #31 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Staring Down Success.”

Choosing a goal is one thing. Accomplishing a goal is another.

Life is full of distractions, complications, and obstacles. Some of them are out there… and some are inside of you!

How many times have you flinched in the face of success? How many times have you blinked when you need to stand strong? How many times have you turned away at the very moment you needed to keep marching forward?

You’re not alone!

In this episode, we explore what it takes to hold our ground, keep moving forward, and stay committed to staring down success… in the martial arts and life!

You can either:

If you enjoy the show (or not!), I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, sharing a link with a friend or leaving a quick review over at iTunes would be great. Thanks!

You should also know this podcast is based on the article, Flinching in the Face of Success.

Last thing—don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows sent to your inbox the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #31: Staring Down Success [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #30 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Ignorance and Arrogance.”

Look, I’m not the world’s smartest guy. In fact, every day offers me reminders of how much I don’t know!

But ignorance is something I can accept about myself. What I can’t accept, however, is arrogance. When I hear people passing judgments and shooting their mouths off about subjects they know very little about, I turn red.

Is it really so hard to simply say, “I don’t know?”

Is it really so hard to ask a few questions or do a little research before forming an opinion?

In this episode, I share some experiences dealing with both ignorance and arrogance. It’s a bit of a rant, but I hope you’ll still enjoy it! 🙂

You can either:

If you enjoy the show (or not!), I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, sharing a link with a friend or leaving a quick review over at iTunes would be great. Thanks!

You should also know this podcast is based on the article: Karate Is Stupid and Other Ignorant Comments.

Last thing—don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows sent to your inbox the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #30: Ignorance and Arrogance [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #29 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Meditation Tips.”

Meditation is a powerful way to change your life, but many people turn away from meditating because they think it’s too difficult, too complex, or just too weird.

I understand completely!

With so many different schools of thought about meditation out there, learning how to meditate can be intimidating and overwhelming. Over the years, I’ve given up on more styles that I can remember. But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on meditating!

In this episode, I share my experiences with meditation and offer three simple meditation tips that I believe can help beginners get on track and maybe some old pros back on track.

So, take a deep breath and join me for some meditation tips that may just change your life!

You can either:

If you enjoy the show (or not!), I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, sharing a link with a friend or leaving a quick review over at iTunes would be great. Thanks!

You should also know this podcast is available as an article: How To Meditate Without Losing Your Mind.

Last thing—don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows sent to your inbox the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #29: Meditation Tips [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #28 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Lessons from Getting Beaten Up.”

If you’re a dedicated martial artist, you know what it’s like to get battered, bruised, and beaten up. It may sound a little crazy, but that’s actually a good thing!

Here’s the honest truth—some things in life can only be learned the hard way—there is no easy way. Students looking for shortcuts and hacks in their martial arts training will never reach their full potential or discover the deepest wisdom the martial arts have to offer.

So, if you’ve ever felt like getting beaten up is just a reckless waste of time, let me share four powerful lessons that I learned while taking a beating over the years…

…make that several beatings. I’m guess I’m a slow-learner! Take a listen and let me know what you think.

You can either:

If you enjoy the show (or not!), I’d love to hear what you’re thinking. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, sharing a link with a friend or leaving a quick review over at iTunes would be great. Thanks!

You should also know this podcast is available as an article here: What I Learned from Getting Beat Up.

Last thing—don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows sent to your inbox the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #28: Lessons from Getting Beaten Up [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #27 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, featuring Part 2 of my interview with longtime martial artist and fighter, JD Mierzwa.

If you missed Part 1 of our conversation, you can find it here: “#26: JD Mierzwa – Part 1.”

Part 2 goes even deeper into the topics of violence, self-defense, training, tactics, and living a successful life. There’s a lot to think about in this one!

If you’re interested in training with JD Mierzwa, you can contact JD Fight and Fitness Systems through [email protected].

To listen to the interview, you can either:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

For a transcription of highlights from this interview, check out the article, “Interview with JD Mierzwa.”

And don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #27: JD Mierzwa – Part 2 [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #26 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, featuring Part 1 of my interview with JD Mierzwa.

JD is a former bouncer, professional kickboxer, underground street fighter, cage fighter, prison guard, and sheriff. Currently, he’s a fitness trainer and MMA coach. He also happens to be my brother!

Listen in as JD shares his advice on self-defense, martial arts, and fighting for a happy life. I think you’ll find it informative and inspiring.

Then be sure to catch Part 2 of our conversation here: “JD Mierzwa – Part 2.”

If you’re interested in connecting or training with JD Mierzwa, contact JD Fight and Fitness Systems through [email protected].

To listen to the show, you can either:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

For a transcription of highlights from this interview, check out the article, “Interview with JD Mierzwa.”

Before you go, don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #26: JD Mierzwa – Part 1 [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #25 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Secret to Staying Positive.”

We all know that positive thinking is critical for building a happy life. But being positive and staying positive in a world full of stress and strife is easier said than done!

In this show, Ando discusses how having a positive attitude not only leads to success, it might just save your life! You’ll also learn his secret for staying positive… even in the face of doom.

You can either:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

If you prefer reading, this podcast is based on the article, “Stay Positive and Stay Alive.”

And don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #25: The Secret to Staying Positive [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #24 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Facing Death.”

Facing death is a necessary requirement to be a complete martial artist. But what may surprise you is that it’s also a requirement for living a happy life!

Not sure why? Then listen in as we discuss the lessons we can all learn about living… from dying.

You can either:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

If you prefer reading, this podcast is based on the article, “Dealing with Death in Martial Arts.”

And don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #24: Facing Death [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #23 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Mind and Muscle in Self-Defense.”

With the popularity of combat sports like MMA and BJJ, it’s easy to think that every martial artist must also be an elite athlete. But that’s not true at all!

Sure, you can get into great shape through martial arts training, but is being fast and strong all it takes to be a self-defense expert? No way!

In this episode, Sensei Ando discusses the roles of both mind and muscle in martial arts training. He also explains how in the realm of self-defense, glorifying brawn over the brain might just get you killed.

You can either:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

If you prefer reading, this podcast is based on the articles, “What It Takes To Be a Self-Defense Expert,” and “Martial Arts Are For Smart People.”

And don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #23: Mind and Muscle in Self-Defense [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.

Welcome to Episode #22 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How To Be a Master.”

Many students seem to believe that just showing up to class is enough to become a master. But it’s not! The truth is even if you show up and work hard, you’re not guaranteed to become a martial arts master.

So, what does it take? In this episode, Sensei Ando shares two simple questions that will teach you how to be a master. Not just a master of martial arts, but a master of anything!

You can either watch the video summary below or:

If you enjoy the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Add a comment or send me an email at [email protected].

If you’d like to support the show, leaving a quick review over at iTunes would really help get the word out. Or share a link with a friend!

For the article version of this podcast, check out, “Two Questions To Be a Martial Arts Master.”

And don’t forget to sign up for free email updates so you can get new shows the minute they’re published.

Thanks for listening!

The post #22: How To Be a Master [Podcast] appeared first on Sensei Ando.