Mike Stone's Martial Arts Instruction

Aloha Friends, Another beautiful day in paradise. We are Masters of Limitations. There is one sentence that captures the heart of this entire message:
"The challenge facing humanity is not learning how to endure. For millennia, we have become masters of limitation. The challenge is learning when to stop enduring what diminishes us and start creating what elevates us."

For years, I have found myself returning to the same questions.
Why do societies continue to tolerate corruption, dishonesty, manipulation, and abuse of power?
Why do people repeatedly say, "We must learn from this so it never happens again," only to watch history repeat itself?
Why do we continue to accept conditions that we know are harmful, unfair, or limiting?
Like many people, I initially searched for answers in politics, economics, education, and social systems. Yet no matter how many times I revisited the question, I kept arriving at the same conclusion.

The answer may not be found outside of us.
The answer may be found within us. I have found satisfactory answers to these questions by looking to the spiritual aspect of my humanity, appreciating the clarity of my life choices and experiences, and maintaining my physical health and wellness.

The Cycle That Never Seems to End
Throughout history, we have witnessed the same patterns repeatedly of Man's negative mental and emotional motivations. Corruption, greed, abuse of power, fear-based control, manipulation, and dishonesty flourish.
Every generation promises to learn from the mistakes of the past. Every generation believes it will be different. Yet somehow the cycle continues.

The times, locations, technology, methods, and people have changed, but the underlying patterns remain remarkably similar.
This raises an important question:
Why do intelligent people continue to tolerate what they know is a life lived from a fear-based reality we learned shortly after being born? We fear financial loss, loss of liberty, love, and life. We fear being alone, lonely, and abandoned. We fear heights, caves, tight spaces, the deep sea, sharks, spiders, and snakes. We fear, standing alone, being lonely, abandoned. We fear Authority, uncertainty, change, and death.

Fear influences decisions at every level of society. It encourages compliance and being obedient. Remember COVID-19? It was supposed to be a wake-up call, but most fell back to sleep.
It discourages critical thinking. It often causes people to remain silent when they know they should speak.
For a long time, I believed fear was the primary answer.
Then I began to see something deeper, a truth about human beings.

Perhaps the problem is not that human beings are weak.
Perhaps the opposite is true. Human beings are extraordinarily powerful.
We have great capacity to endure, and are resilient. We have endured mental and physical hardships for millennia.
We withstand great emotional pain and losses of all types. Self-doubt and failure have always been our closest companions. Guilt and shame stand so close that they become as familiar as family.
Many people carry these burdens for decades and continue functioning. That is not a weakness. That is power.

The ability to endure almost anything is one of humanity's greatest strengths. That is how powerful we have always been.

Love and Light
Mike Stone

Aloha Friends, It’s another beautiful day in paradise. As beautiful as life can be, one of the pitfalls of being human is the belief system we have all bought into regarding how we learn.

The most common method of learning is based on repetition. We think certain thoughts, speak certain words, and perform certain actions repeatedly until they become habits. Through repetition, we create mental programs that eventually operate almost automatically.

This is the most common method of teaching and learning. It may not always be the most effective method, but it is certainly the most efficient.
Guard Your Mind
The challenge with this process is that while repetition can help us develop positive habits, it can also reinforce negative ones. Once a habit is established, it can be difficult to break. We all know how challenging it can be to overcome negative thinking patterns, destructive behaviors, or limiting beliefs. Ideas repeated often enough eventually become habits.

This is why monitoring our thoughts is so important.
By becoming aware of our thoughts, we gain the ability to filter them rather than allowing them to control us. We become more focused, more present, and more intentional in the way we live our lives.
Throughout my life, I have witnessed the consequences of negative thinking.
Fear is often the foundation of much of the anger we create. Fear breeds anger, and negativity feeds more negativity. If we repeatedly focus on what is wrong, we can gradually pull ourselves into anxiety, hopelessness, and even depression.

This is why conscious awareness of our thoughts is essential.
Not every thought deserves our attention. Not every opinion deserves our reaction. And not every battle deserves our participation.
I believe those of us who have studied traditional martial arts possess a unique advantage.

If we were fortunate enough to learn the true values of martial arts, we were taught far more than punching and kicking. We were taught self-discipline, self-control, respect, perseverance, humility, responsibility, and courage.
These principles serve as tools to help us defend ourselves not only against physical threats but also against the negative influences that surround us every day.

The same discipline that helps us endure a difficult training session can help us endure life's hardships.
The same focus that helps us face an opponent can help us face adversity.
The same courage that helps us step onto the dojo floor can help us confront fear and uncertainty.
Life will always present challenges. That is a given. It is part of the human experience.
Stress, frustration, disappointment, and hardship are unavoidable. But we still have a choice.
We can allow external circumstances to control our lives, or we can develop the mindset, discipline, and character necessary to remain calm, focused, and resilient.

The goal is not to control the world. The goal is to control ourselves.

And when we learn to master ourselves, many of life's challenges become easier to navigate.
As martial artists, perhaps our greatest victory is not defeating an opponent.

Perhaps our greatest victory is learning to maintain peace of mind in a world that often seems determined to take it away.

What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Love and Light
Mike Stone

Aloha Friends, Another beautiful day in paradise. One of the most common questions I am asked is:
"How do you deal with all the stress, frustrations, and challenges you are facing right now?"
This question, and many similar ones, are being asked every minute of every day around the world.

Every time I leave my property and interact with people, I see it in their faces. Many are carrying invisible burdens, financial worries, health concerns, family problems, fear, uncertainty, anger, and frustration.
I would never want to oversimplify the challenges we face. Life can be difficult. However, over many years, I have discovered ways to reduce much of the unnecessary suffering we inflict on ourselves.
Today, I would like to share a few principles that have helped me navigate difficult times.

Establish Peace Before the Storm:

Clear thinking is impossible when the mind is overwhelmed by fear, anger, frustration, anxiety, worry, and doubt.
To think logically, reason, and with clarity, we must first develop inner calm.
Peace is not something we search for during a crisis.
Peace must become part of who we are.
Like physical conditioning, emotional conditioning requires daily practice.
The calm mind sees solutions.
The agitated mind sees only problems.

Accept What You Cannot Control:

One of the greatest causes of stress is trying to control things that are beyond our control.
We cannot control other people's opinions, actions, world events, and the past.
Many people spend enormous amounts of energy fighting battles they can never win.
What others think of me is not my concern.
How others choose to live their lives is their responsibility.
My responsibility is to govern my own thoughts, actions, and character.

Focus on What You Can Control:

While we cannot control everything around us, we can control our attitude, effort, response, discipline, and character.
Understanding this is empowering.
It means we are not victims of circumstances.
We always have the power to choose our response.
And often, our response determines the outcome more than the situation itself.

I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about this.

Love and Light,
Mike Stone

Aloha Friends, Another beautiful day in paradise. Today, a student asked me a question about the role the ego plays in martial arts training and how it affects our progress. It was a great question.
I don't know if there is a completely "right" or "wrong" answer, but I shared my thoughts based on my own experiences and observations over a lifetime of training, teaching, and self-reflection.
From a spiritual perspective, the ego is often viewed as a constructed identity rather than our true nature. It emerges when the mind begins to identify with a particular image of itself and then works tirelessly to protect and preserve that image.
The ego is not necessarily evil. In many ways, it is a survival mechanism.
The challenge arises when we mistake the ego for who we truly are.
I have come to believe that the mind does not create the ego out of malice or deception. It arises from fear, insecurity, and a desire to be loved, accepted, and valued.
The mind begins to construct an image it believes others will admire. It creates a personality, a reputation, and a story. Over time, it becomes attached to this image and starts defending it as if its very survival depends upon it.
What began as a mask eventually becomes an identity.
The ego's greatest fear is exposure because exposure threatens the illusion upon which it was built.
This is why growth can be so uncomfortable.
Every time we are corrected, defeated, challenged, embarrassed, or humbled, the ego feels threatened. Yet these moments are often the greatest teachers on the martial path.
Perhaps this is why genuine self-discovery is so difficult. To the ego, truth is not liberation; it is annihilation.
Its silent vow becomes: "Till death do we part." Yet what dies is not the self. What dies is only the illusion. Beneath the mask, beyond the titles, ranks, accomplishments, and stories, there exists something authentic, something real, something that never needed to pretend in order to be worthy of love.
The martial arts journey is not merely about learning techniques.
It is about peeling away the layers of illusion and discovering who we truly are beneath them.
What are your thoughts?
Have you ever caught your ego standing in the way of your growth?
Love and Light,
Mike Stone🙏

Aloha Friends, Another blessed day in paradise. Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion. These three concepts, I believe, I need to learn in this lifetime: simplicity, compassion, and patience.

I waited nearly sixty-five years to visit the country I had dreamed about and fantasized over since I was nine years old: Japan.
I decided to plan a journey to the Land of the Rising Sun. I had always been fascinated by the spirit of the samurai warrior. I thought of myself as a warrior as well, a man who never quits, never gives up, and always gives his best.

Although the journey was originally my idea, the architect who designed our ten-day pilgrimage through Japan was a good friend from Australia, Graham Slater.

When we arrived in Japan, walked through the airport, collected our luggage, and stepped outside the terminal, I realized something important: I had not truly prepared myself for the journey ahead.

I had been told I could exchange my U.S. dollars for Japanese yen before leaving the airport, but we never stopped to do so and moved on before I could handle it.

Even though I believed I was prepared for unexpected situations, which always arise whenever we step outside our comfort zone, because that is part of life, the truth was different.

I had become complacent and obedient, a member of a tour group, out of my element, not leading, following.
What I had learned by the end of this pilgrimage was that
I often advise others, “Expectation only produces disappointment and unhappiness.” Yet during the first five days of the trip, I found myself experiencing exactly that disappointment and unhappiness. What I soon realized was that my condition did not come from what actually happened, but from what I expected to happen that did not happen.

What I had learned by the end of the 10-day pilgrimage was those very same life lessons: Simplicity, patience, and compassion. They were taught each of those ten days in a wide variety of situations and circumstances. I am Blessed.

Love and Light
Mike Stone

Aloha Friends, Another awesome day in paradise. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve," I read this quote in one of many self-help books I read forty-five years ago. I believed it, and this is one of many examples throughout my life of manifesting my desired thoughts into physical reality.

The Idea:
In 1979, while creating sword-fighting choreography for Enter the Ninja and later the American Ninja films, I began exploring a new form of artistic expression. I asked myself: What would it look like if I used a pen to capture the motion of a sword technique on paper?
One evening, I placed a blank sheet of paper on my dining table, closed my eyes, visualized a sword stroke, and allowed my pen to flow. When I opened my eyes, I was amazed. The design was powerful yet graceful—natural, effortless, alive.

That was the birth of PenSword Art.
The images resemble Japanese calligraphy, but they are not. Each piece represents my spiritual intent, my focused imagination, and the sword's energy. I give each artwork a name drawn from virtues such as honor, trust, respect, persistence, drive, and determination. Each piece is signed with my handwritten signature and stamped with Japanese and Chinese seals, making them unique and authentic.

To me, PenSword Art is more than drawing; it is a meditation, a discipline, and a way of expressing the inner warrior spirit. Just as in martial arts, every stroke must be precise, balanced, and use focused attention and intent.

We are all capable of expressing who we are in unique and powerful ways. Remember this: you are created of Love and Light, and you are as powerful as you need to be to create anything you desire to experience in your life.

Love and Light.
Mike Stone.

Aloha Friends, I am always asked, " Why do you always say, ' It's another beautiful day in paradise” Simple, I have the power to decide if this day is beautiful or not.
The present moment is your power. Do not look at transformation as one giant task. Begin with simple daily reminders. When you feel tired, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed: Pause. Observe your thoughts. Ask yourself why those thoughts are present.
The present moment is the only place life truly exists. It is also the only moment where change can happen.
Your thoughts influence the reality you experience. When you consciously choose thoughts rooted in love, gratitude, awareness, joy, peace, harmony, and purpose…
You begin changing your energy and your life. Little by little. Moment by moment.
You become the highest version of yourself, not someday in the future…
…but now.
Final Reflection:
What thought can you choose today that moves you closer to the person you truly want to become? Say it, have trust, faith, and believe it is already real and true as your experience.
Love and Light,
Mike Stone,

Aloha Friends, Another awesome day in paradise. Mind: Cure or Curse One of humanity's greatest dilemmas is the mind itself.

During our transition from our spiritual creation to our birth into physical reality, the mind/body aspect of our humanity agreed to forget its creation so it could choose who it wanted to be. The mind was also responsible for shaping its identity, persona, personality, and character traits. It also was given unlimited choices; it could change its mind as often as it desired, for any reason or for no reason at all. This is power.

At birth, our minds are undeveloped and vulnerable to influence.
As we grow, our identity, beliefs, and behaviors are shaped by the world around us.

Over time, humanity discovered something dangerous:
If you can control thoughts, you can control people.
Throughout history, governments, religions, ideologies, media, and institutions have all competed for influence over the human mind.
The greatest battle in human history has not only been fought on battlefields.

It has been fought inside human consciousness.
The struggle for power often begins with influence over beliefs, emotions, fear, and perception.

Reflection:
How many of your beliefs truly came from your own thinking? Start monitoring your thoughts. When monitoring human thoughts, scientists say we have between 60 and 80 thousand thoughts a day, but may only recall 15 at the end of the day; the remaining thoughts are the same 15 repeated over and over again. This may be the reason we keep having the same negative experiences.

Love and Light,
Mike Stone

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Aloha Friends, Another awesome day in paradise. THE AGREEMENT OF SPIRIT, MIND, AND BODY.

According to this perspective, spirit, mind, and body entered life together, each with distinct roles.

The spirit agreed to observe without interfering in our choices, even when those choices create pain or suffering.

The mind agreed to forget its original connection to love and light so that life could become a real human experience filled with choice, growth, struggle, and discovery.
And the body became the vehicle through which we experience physical reality.

At birth, we receive two true gifts: Life and Free will. Everything else becomes the result of our choices and our willingness to accept responsibility for them.
Freedom is the result of discipline; this means we can change our direction at any moment by changing our thoughts and focusing our attention and intention on its results.
We are not trapped by yesterday unless we choose to remain there. Been there, done that, move forward.

Reflection:
What choices are shaping your life today? Are the results of those choices what we prefer to experience? If not, change them now; create new, different experiences that are more aligned with who you are.

So, the first question one must ask themselves is Who am I? I will assist you in finding your answer. Pay close attention to my next five posts regarding the question, "Who am I?"

Love and Light,
Mike Stone

Aloha Friends, Another beautiful day in paradise. The Agreement of the Spirit, Mind, and Body. According to this perspective, spirit, mind, and body entered life together with different roles.
The spirit agreed to observe without interfering in our choices—even when those choices create pain or suffering.
The mind agreed to forget its original connection to love and light so that life could become a real human experience filled with choice, growth, struggle, and discovery.
And the body became the vehicle through which we experience physical reality.
At birth, we receive two true gifts: Life, and Free will.
Everything else results from our choices and our willingness to accept responsibility for them.
Freedom means we can change our direction at any moment.
We are not trapped by yesterday unless we choose to remain there.
Reflection:
What choices are shaping your life today?









Love and Light,
Mike Stone