Live like a black belt without ever throwing a punch! In the hours spent perfecting their skills in the dojo, or training hall, martial artists practice much more than how to master a punch. They also learn essential lessons that help them become stronger, calmer, and more courageous people-and enhance their lives. In Dojo Wisdom, Jennifer Lawler, a writer, martial arts teacher, and second-degree black belt, shares 100 of these life lessons from the martial arts to help anyone find his or her inner warrior. Each lesson begins with a description and explanation, then offers a short exercise to illustrate how to apply the teaching to everyday situations. Dojo Wisdom will show you how to: Develop your perseverance and patience Strengthen your endurance Center yourself during moments of stress And much more! This accessible, encouraging, and inspiring book can show you-whether or not you ever step onto the mat-how to tap into a power you never knew you had. "In this inspiring book, Jennifer Lawler helps us cultivate the much needed and often neglected qualities of discipline, commitment and focus. very useful!"-Marilyn Paul, author of It's Hard to Make a Difference When You can't Find Your Keys "Jennifer Lawler proves that the wisdom of the marital arts can truly be incorporated into our daily lives to make us stronger and more courageous. The 100 lessons in this book will awaken the warrior in all of us!"-Charlotte Kasl, author of If the Buddha Dated and If the Buddha Married

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 "if you know theart of breathing, you have the strength, wisdom and courage of ten tigers." 2 A punch is just a punch 3 Revel in your awkwardness as much as in your mastery 4 Use your attacker's momentum against him or her 5 Know the vital points, strike to the vital points 6 You are worth defending 7 Locate and summon your Chi 8 The sound of your shout gives you power 9 Strike through the target 10 You cannot spar from five feet away 11 Accept criticism and correcton 12 Hone your tools through continual sharpening 13 Do not push when you mean to strike 14 Learn to bow and you will stand tall 15 Love your teacher 16 Bring only what you can carry 17 Listen to wise people; remember, not all wise people sit atop mountains in Tibet 18 Discipline is not punishment 19 "Useless" knowledge may have hidden uses 20 you owe your teacher more than tuition 21 Chamber your kick high even when your target is low 22 Practice eight directional awareness 23 Never lose sight of the blade 24 Perform all aspects of formal courtesy 25 See the blow coming without fear 26 Strike without fear 27 The angry mind forgets skill and discipline 28 Never cease to study 29 Self-consciousness prevents physical action 30 Keep your guard up and your elbows in 31 Know where your oppoonent will be when the strike lands 32 Finish the technique 33 Your competitor can be your partner 34 Your oppoonent is our teacher 35 Never assume a woman is not as strong as a man 36 Train becaues you are a warrior 37 Strategy and tactics flow from your beliefs 38 Develop aiki, or impassive mind 39 Persist and you will find indomitable spirit 40 When you get fatigued, increase the pace 41 Act directly from will 42 A physical attack should never surprise you 43 Strive to be the physical expression of the Way 44 Hope for nothng, fear for nothing 45 If I am humble, I can never be overcome 46 You must learn the jump spinning wheel kick 47 Meditate through physical action 48 The centered Self reacts to few distractons 49 Play 50 Know what to do next 51 Be a master of the moment 52 Speed is power 53 Accept te cycle of yin-yang 54 The master of the tea is a warrior, too 55 Train to use more than one weapon, then use the unexpected weapon 56 Accept hard training 57 Physical effort transforms the mind and spirit 58 Do not let the attacker set the rules of engagement 59 Don't always keep score 60 Losing teaches more than winning 61 No one fails who keeps trying 62 If you think you don't have enough, you will never have enough 63 We're all teachers and we're all students 64 A kick must be repeated 10,000 times before o know how to do it 65 If yu don't fall down now and then, you're not tring hard enough 66 To jump, both feet must leave the ground 67 Anticipate your opponents moves 68 Don't telegraph your moves 69 Keep your eye on the Way, not the destination 70 Patience 71 Self-understanding requires self-acceptance 72 Intensity overcomes obstacles 73 The Way is different for everyone 74 Disharmony shatters focus 75 Acting with integrity brings freedom 76 Clear mind, correct action 77 The unverse wants to be in rhythm with you 78 Don't show your power to anyone 79 Sometimes you yield, sometimes you stand your ground 80 Train outside the dojo 81 Don't resist your potential 82 Pace yourself in training and you'll never exceed your limits 83 Breakthroughs happen as the result of sustained effort 84 Embrace the dragon 85 Someone else's win is not always our loss 86 If you act with integrity, everything you do will be powerful 87 The Path is sometimes straight and sometimes circular 88 The nature of the scorpon is to sting 89 Frequent encounters with fear make you strong 90 A thousand risks are not too many 91 Your relationship with your opponent teaches you about yourself 92 Protect and nurture the beginner 93 Being a warrior is not about fighting, it is about finding the Truth 94 The master does what is right without speaking 95 Strive to be impervious to darkness and to fear 96 Do not look back once the Path is chosen 97 The warrior must be single-minded 98 You are the kata, and the kata is beautiful 99 Consult your intuition before taking action 100 Triumph