Attack Life Not Others

As we've discussed before , in addition to Hoover Karate Academy , Sensei Hoover owns and operates a private detective agency  — Confidential Investigations, Inc. He shares a recent occurrence where the situation could have ended much differently. It's a perfect example of our CEE principle in action. You might not be a private investigator, but it's safe to say you could find many things in your...

"Never forget where you came from — but don't let that stop you from where you're going."  Hear a story that was told to Sensei Hoover by one of his instructors decades ago. You'll see how profound it is and why it has stuck with him all these years. Sensei Hoover also talks about some memories from one of his belt tests as he was ranking up to eventually become a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. If for...

A couple guests — Frank and Jim — share a story and how they've learned to deal with altercations that have the potential to escalate. Like what you hear? Rate and review by  clicking here , then "View in iTunes" and go to Ratings and Reviews

Here is the final part in our series about the law and self-protection. Sensei Hoover continues the discussion with Judge Steinberg, as they go into more specifics with the castle doctrine, also known as a castle law. In the midst of this very serious topic there's a rather funny story thrown in as well; we think you'll enjoy it. If you missed Part 1 of the conversation with Judge Steinberg , make...

Our discussion about self-protection and the law continues in this episode, part 2 in a series of 3. Last week we set the stage , and now Judge Steinberg of Lehigh County, PA joins us. Self-defense is defined as the right to prevent suffering force or violence through the use of a sufficient level of counteracting force or violence. This definition seems pretty straightforward, however, very rarel...

We reveal CEE — Commit, Execute, and Evaluate. CEE is another principle Sensei Hoover has developed as a reminder how to go about handling anything that is valued. Obviously, defending one's life is of great importance and value — so is getting that job, improving that relationship, making more money, and getting healthier. These are just a few examples of things we value. Although just because we...

The best defense when being attacked, is going on the offense as quickly as possible. That could mean going on the offense with violence greater than the attacker's, or actively and purposefully removing yourself from the situation. Either way, you are taking charge of the situation at hand. Sensei Hoover and Steve Mittman discuss ring generalship in boxing — the ability of a boxer to dictate the...

As you know by now, martial arts are the foundation of this podcast. But we take the principles, concepts, and philosophies and try to make them relatable to everyday life and everyone — even non-martial artists. Once again, that is what Sensei Hoover does in this episode as he discusses 3 fundamentals of his style with Steve Mittman. Those 3 principles that can be applied to most of our daily liv...

Hear about the two different "worlds" Sensei Hoover is involved in, and how even though they are opposites, they feed off each other to coexist and create balance. His martial arts schools are positive and they build character. They're a celebration of success. His private detective agency can be negative. It deals with the dark side, and often is needed to patch wounds in society. This is a perfe...

Last episode Sensei Hoover and Steve Mittman talked about texting and how we need more face-to-face interaction to become aware of ourselves, along with picking up on nonverbal communication. This episode we talk about verbal communication. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Sometimes by saying things slightly different, the meaning changes. Sensei Hoover points that out with an example of...

As technology continues to progress, we have more ways than ever before to communicate with others. However, we think most would agree we are actually more out of touch than ever before. Not only are we out of touch with others — not knowing there true intentions, wishes, needs, even personalities — but we are also growing more out of touch with ourselves. How can one begin to know others when the...

After recording last week's episode , we got to talking with Brian Billig more about fundamentals, and how important they are. Fundamentals played a crucial part in his football coaching. He still focuses on the basics in everything — from parenting, to relationships, to his career, and more. Mastering the basics will serve you well in the martial arts, and life in general. "Success is neither mag...

Senseis Aurora Brunovsky and 11-year-old Brian Billig (who recently earned his black belt) along with Brian's dad join us on this episode. We discuss how baseline experimentation can be used in all aspects of life to always improve. You'll also hear about Aurora's upcoming fundraiser —  The Give Back Softball Tournament Like what you hear? Rate and review by  clicking here , then "View in iTunes"...

The day this episode was recorded, it happened to be "What You Think Grows Upon You Day." Sensei Hoover and Steve Mittman talk about focusing thoughts and manifesting things into existence. This, in fact, is how the Journey Field at HKA came about. Life is a journey. Enjoy the journey. The journey field represents that. It's important to control your thoughts, because whatever you focus on — good...

At HKA there is what we call the 6 "Selfs" — the most important one being Self-Discipline. Without self-discipline none of the other selfs are possible. Often self-discipline comes down to having an argument with yourself, not others. Fight the voices inside, so you don't have conflict on the outside. Like what you hear? Rate and review by  clicking here , then "View in iTunes" and go to Ratings a...

The Ready Stance and Relaxed Position are some of the first things one learns when training in the martial arts. Additionally, while other elements of training constantly evolve with the times, these positions have remained unchanged. As simple as these positions are, their value should not be underestimated. Not just in the martial arts but with life in general, it's so important to "be on" when...

There are very few things you can practice that collectively improve your mind, body, and spirit all together. Training in the martial arts is one of them. In previous episodes, we talked about strengthening your mind , your body , and now your spirit. When you build your spirit, you become comfortable in your own skin — not something a lot of people ever achieve. There's nothing mystical involved...

As we said before , most people when they train typically see changes occurring physically first, then mentally, and spiritually last. In the last episode , we talked about some of those physical changes — getting stronger, faster, more flexible, more agile, etc. This episode, Sensei Hoover talks about remapping, or in a sense rewiring your brain and the way you think through movement, motion, new...

Continuing where he left off last episode , Sensei Hoover shares what he has experienced in the progressive development of his own mind, body, and spirit. The essence of this podcast — Attack Life, Not Others — is realizing we all have an enemy within ourselves that needs to be defeated. As part of a Native American Prayer says, "I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my...

In this brief episode, you'll hear these main points: There's a reason we say martial arts, and not martial sports Martial arts seem to have some level of mysticism attached, however, everything still needs to be (or at least should be) tested with experimentation and validation, or in other words, trial and error When training you should see differences in yourself — typically with your body firs...

We all face fear and anxiety at one point or another. Faith, family, and friends are what pull you through. This episode was recorded LIVE from the fundraising event to honor the Florida HS victims we talked about in  Ep 004 . Thanks to some of the young students of HKA — being the leaders they are — $5,000 was raised to benefit the following 3 charities. These 3 were chosen because victims of the...

There's nothing wrong with being a gamer, but it's important to get out, get involved, and see the physical world. Look for a bigger and brighter world. If you enjoy Attack Life, Not Others we'd greatly appreciate you leaving a Rating and Review on iTunes by  clicking here  (then "View in iTunes" and go to Ratings and Reviews). It will directly help the show's ranking in the iTunes directory — and...

Last episode Chelsea Hoover from  Fuel for Thought Nutrition  talked about the best way to fuel your body before you work out, no matter what your workout is. This time you'll hear exactly what — and when — to eat after you train to get the most benefit. Those that trained with Sensei Hoover 25+ years ago, you'll appreciate the trip down memory lane with the "Pork Line" throwback. Because, after a...

Chelsea Hoover, MS, RD, LDN joins us to talk about the best way to fuel your body and get the most out of whatever you're doing — whether it's martial arts, running, strength training, or any other workout. If you enjoy Attack Life, Not Others we'd greatly appreciate you leaving a Rating and Review on iTunes by  clicking here  (then "View in iTunes" and go to Ratings and Reviews). It will directly...

In a reality-based martial arts system, there are no rules. Or are there? When one immerses him or herself in a RBMA, it filters through and translates to everything in their life. There are no rules in the context of competition or combat — however, everything matters . From the way you eat, to how you sleep, to how you conduct your life in general — everything matters. So in reality, there are r...