0182: Midweek Debrief – What Is The Goal of An Art?

Podcast Link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/donavon-riley/episodes/0182-Midweek-Debrief—What-Is-The-Goal-of-An-Art-e2espi8

The Way of combat strategy can be likened to the craft of carpentry. Comparing samurai with carpenters is related to the subject of “houses.” We speak of noble houses, warrior houses and the “Four Houses.”  We also talk of the collapse or continuation of a house. In the arts we refer to a school or tradition as a house. It is because the label “house” is employed as such that I draw parallels with the carpenter’s Way. The word “carpenter” (dai-ku) is written with the two ideograms meaning “great” and “craft.” The Way of combat strategy is also a “great craft,” which is why I relate it to the carpenter’s endowments. Study the content of these scrolls carefully if you seek to become accomplished in the craft of war. Train assiduously, with the teacher serving as the needle and the student as the thread.

Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings 

0181: Midweek Debrief – Starting Off on The Right Foot with Miyamoto Musashi

Podcast Link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/donavon-riley/episodes/0181-Midweek-Debrief—Starting-Off-on-The-Right-Foot-with-Miyamoto-Musashi-e2eirro

“Never fail to have this attitude of mind, go forward without hurry, learn the essence of things through frequent experiences, taking advantage of every occasion. Fight against all kinds of people and be aware of their mind. Follow a road that is a thousand leagues long one step at a time. Be without haste and be convinced that all these practices are the duty of a bushi. Be victorious today over what you were yesterday; tomorrow be victorious over your clumsiness and then also over your skill. Practice in accordance with what I have written without letting your mind deviate from the way.” 
― Miyamoto Musashi, The Complete Book of Five Rings

Spotterup Article: https://spotterup.com/mastering-the-art-of-self-control/

0164: Midweek Debrief – Do Not Regret What You Have Done

Podcast Link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/donavon-riley/episodes/0164-Midweek-Debrief—Do-Not-Regret-What-You-Have-Done-e27djn8

It’s natural to have regrets, but this does not mean that you should live in a state of regret.

Many people say that you shouldn’t regret anything, but I think what they mean is that they don’t regret how things have turned out even if they had to go through some difficulty and hardship to get there. So we do not regret the outcomes.

We do not regret what we have done. This is only possible if you live intentionally and accept that mistakes happen. Learning occurs through those mistakes. Learning is how improvement happens. And how could we ever regret improving our lives. – Miyamoto Musashi, Dokkōdō

Dokkōdō Link: https://edlatimore.com/dokkodo/

0135: Midweek Debrief – Musashi on Adapting & Growing

Podcast Link: bhttps://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/episodes/0135-Midweek-Debrief—Musashi-on-Adapting–Growing-e1s8nub

Maintain a clear-sighted view of your circumstances, eschew biases and preconceived notions, and practice decisiveness. Learn to trust your intuition. When relying on only a “partial feeling,” your gut – often referred to as the “second brain” – will indicate that something is wrong.

0134: Midweek Debrief – Miyamoto Musashi’s Pillow Strategy

Podcast Link: https://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/episodes/0134-Midweek-Debrief—Miyamoto-Musashis-Pillow-Strategy-e1rtl1t

In contests of strategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about. Obviously the enemy will also be thinking of doing this, but he cannot forestall you if you do not allow him to come out. In strategy, you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; you must push down his thrust, and throw off his hold when he tries to grapple. This is the meaning of “to hold down a pillow”.  – Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

0133: Midweek Debrief – Miyamoto Musashi & The Way of Art

Podcast Link: https://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/episodes/0133-Midweek-Debrief—Miyamoto-Musashi–The-Way-of-Art-e1ri1hs

The body of the Way of Strategy from the viewpoint of my Ichi school is explained in the Ground book. It is difficult to realize the true Way just through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. – Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings, chapter one

035: Midweek Debrief – Why You Want Cops to Have a Warrior’s Mindset

Podcast link: https://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/episodes/035-Midweek-Debrief—Why-You-Want-Cops-to-Have-a-Warriors-Mindset-ekdf7f

Over the past several years, the term “warrior” has been used, labeled, demonized, idolized, and applied to all kinds of professions. These days when someone mentions the word “warrior,” typically, it is synonymous with members of the military, sports figures, MMA, UFC, and others. The term “warrior” in the law enforcement community has been a taboo title. It went as far and removing the word completely from the culture and replaced with words like “guardian” and “sheepdog.”

In the law enforcement community, when the word “warrior” was used, it was referred to as a mindset. The warrior mindset. Political correctness demonized it in the profession and associated it as part of the “militarization” of police. Across the country, that word was wiped out from any curriculum at police academies. It meant that police officers were too aggressive for modern society, it meant police officers will only use lethal force, it meant police officers will think of themselves as above their fellow man.

The warrior mindset is far from that. The core beliefs of someone adopting the warrior mindset are discipline, respect, selfless service, honor, courage, and integrity.

A warrior mindset, at a deeper level, helps individuals realize the true enemy is not external forces but the internal. Weakness, fear, jealousy, greed, ego, laziness, and many other negative traits are recognized as the enemy of the warrior mindset. Miyamoto Musashi once said, “If you wish to control others you must control yourself.” Think about it, Musashi did not mean literally “control” people, he was referring to the idea of the “self.” To have a warrior mindset is to look inward and defeat those negative traits in our hearts to be an effective officer in the community.

by Ayman Kafel

Ryan Holiday – The Obstacle Is The Way

Donavon Riley reads and discusses Ryan Holiday’s book, The Obstacle Is The Way. This episode, what does it mean to practice objectivity, and why is it so important for us to distinguish between observations and perceptions?

https://anchor.fm/donavon-riley/episodes/Ryan-Holiday—The-Obstacle-Is-The-Way-e99ht5

The Second Jiu-Jitsu Debrief

Bill Winter and Donavon Riley discuss defeat, injuries, and what can be learned from losing a fight after Donavon’s second major competition, and we catch up on Bill’s physical therapy following injury and surgery.

https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e956tb

Miyamoto Musashi – The Way of Walking Alone

 

Bill Winter and Donavon Riley read and discuss Miyamoto Musashi’s “The Way of Walking Alone.” At the end of his life, having hung up his swords and embraced pacifism, Musashi wrote down a summary of all his wisdom and experience in Dokkodo, The Way of Walking Alone. In theses 1-6, Winter and Riley discuss acceptance, desire, self-control, jealousy, and regret.

https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e911hr

https://www.historyoffighting.com/miyamoto-musashi.php