Step on the foot! Lessons continue until they are learned

A blank screen and the mantra is: “Write to write; don’t worry if value will be provided.” A few things to begin to explore is the simple idea that lessons will be continued until they are learned. Beatings will continue until morale improves. You may ask, “Why have I not learned this lesson yet?” Because you are not ready or because you have not learned the subtlety of the lesson. That is to say often there is much more going on than what we can consciously comprehend.

“You forgot to step on the foot.”

“But I did get out of the way, and I thought that’s what we were working on.”

“Yes, you are working on slipping the punch. But you forgot to step on the foot.”

“But I did slip the punch.”

“Yes you did Ken, but step on the foot next time.”

The above is just a small sample of the endless conversations I had with my Sensei on trying to figure out the art of Ketsugo Jujutsu. The lesson will be repeated until you learn it. In boxing, slipping a punch is a good thing, and you are not supposed to step on your opponent's foot, which is for a really good reason: you can hurt them and their movement is encumbered. Boxing is a sport, and its fundamental premise is that both men (or women) leave the ring alive and in one piece. Ketsugo has a whole different philosophy. But to understand the philosophy, you need to understand the origin of the art. Ketsugo is an old samurai art. It's actually an art of desperation because when you face an opponent without having? a weapon, you have no other choice but to use your body, which in fighting is generally a bad idea. Weapons are preferable because weapons provide distance and most importantly they do not bleed nor break. If you hit someone with the wrong part of a club, it does not hurt your club, but if you hit someone in the wrong place with your fist, you can shatter your knuckles. It's better to hit people with objects. I know that sounds terrible, but it is an itsu art. Itsu arts were developed so that you survive and go home to your family. The other person or people may not be so lucky.

The reason why you step on the foot is so your opponent cannot escape. You do not slip the punch merely to avoid the hit. You slip the punch so you can get close to them. Simple stuff: You are stepping on their foot and you walk into them leading with your elbow, with your center low and with the intention that they will be thrown to the ground while you are still standing on their foot. Which could lead to their ankle, knee, or hip dislocating. What is worse is what you do with the other leg that is not stepping on their foot. You stomp your way up the leg you are standing on paying special attention to the joints and other vital areas. It's not a nice thing to do to someone, hence why it is reserved for the worst situations.

If you fail to step on the opponent's foot, you increase the probability of the battle continuing. The longer the conflict goes in time, the greater the probability that you get hurt or do not go home to your family. This is how my obsession with effectiveness over efficiency was born.

“Do it again Ken. This time step on the foot. It's not just about slipping the punch; it's really about going home to your family.”

Lessons will be repeated until lessons are learned.

What does this have to do with your practice? Sometimes we see something as minor, but in reality, it's a major.

Let's look at your appointment schedule. Do your appointments begin and end within the time you have allotted? If yes, awesome; good for you! You are stepping on the foot and being effective because you are following the order and flow of your planned day.

Or are you loosey goosey with client appointments. Do they begin when they begin and end when they end? You let the client lead the show? Cute. But how does that work for the overall harmony of your day? Disorder is a contagion. Have you noticed that? If you don't control your appointments, you do not control your day. If you do not control your day, you do not control your business. If you do not control your business… YOUR BUSINESS OWNS YOU!

If you do not step on the foot, the fight continues and so does the probability for you getting hurt.

If you do not control your appointments, your business controls you. If your business owns you: YOU WILL BURN OUT and pray for a speedy retirement or someone to buy your business someday… but who would want to buy disorder?

Lessons will continue until the lesson is learned. It is much better to train and learn in the dojo than on the street. I submit it is better to train with “Kensei” and Getting Results to learn to OWN YOUR BUSINESS than to try to figure it out yourself because you may have noticed life and business sometimes are not nice and you do not have time to lose. DM me directly or complete the assessment at gettingresultsinc.com