In this issue of the Academy E-News, we will explore four of the eight principles of the true martial artist— perseverance, integrity, modesty, self-control, gratitude, compassion, courtesy and indomitable spirit.

PERSEVERANCE. Have you heard the tale about the crow who was dying of thirst? He came upon a pitcher with very little water at the bottom, and he could neither move this pitcher, nor make his beak reach the base. So, what do you think he did? Did he give up in despair? No! He looked around him and realized that there were pebbles lying nearby. He picked these up with his beak and began dropping them one by one into the pitcher. This seemed to take the longest time, but he kept at it until the level of the water rose, and he was at last able to get a good drink.

So, you too must learn to be patient and determined. Don’t forget to drop pebbles into all your pitchers every day, including your work, school, personal relationships, and your martial arts pitcher! You will see one day that the level of the water has risen and you can at last take that long drink.

MODESTY. Henry Fielding wrote in The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great, “Thy modesty’s a candle to thy merit.” This means that all your good qualities will shine even brighter if you are not arrogant about them. You will also find that when you are modest, people around you will like you more. And the opposite is also true. It is very hard for people to like someone who blows his own horn.

INTEGRITY. There is an ancient Chinese saying: “To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.” In other words, you cannot be blamed if you’ve done something wrong without knowing it was wrong. However, when you knowingly do wrong, others will conclude that you lack integrity, since, despite knowing the difference between right and wrong, you haven’t been able to stick to what is right. But if you are able to do what is right all the time, you will never be ashamed and people will look up to you.
SELF-CONTROL. This is the ability to control your own behavior. When someone is nasty to you, do you fly into a rage without pausing to think? Or are you able to stop yourself from reacting quickly? Are you able to think calmly about what your response should be? If you have self-control, you will rarely do something that you will regret later. But remember, self-control takes discipline and practice, and you must work at it all the time. The great thing about these principles are that they will help you be a better martial artist, and as you become a better martial artist, you will see that sticking to these principles becomes easier and easier! Isn’t that amazing?

Being Involved

Showing your child that you care about his progress in the martial arts can be of great benefit to him. This may be the emotional support he needs. Even if you cannot attend all martial arts classes with him, being there whenever possible will show him how much you care. Ask him to perform what he has learned. Team up with your child’s instructor to learn what progress is taking place. Praise your child when there's evidence of self-discpline and good conduct.

One of the most unique characteristics of the Gracie Diet is that it isn't geared towards what foods you consume, as much as it is towards what foods you combine with one another. A clear example of this is the combination of sweet foods (Group C) and cooked foods (Group A).

Although fruits are very nutritious, when improperly combined, they can do more harm than good. Many people assume that because fruits have a high nutritional value they are always healthy to eat, and this is incorrect.
No fruits or any other sweet foods, such as deserts (Group C), should ever be combined with a "cooked" (Group A) food or meal. Fruits and other Group C foods combine okay with each other and with one starch from Group B. Here is something to keep in mind:

•Avoid eating fruits or or any other type of sweet deserts after cooked meals. Group C foods like fruits should never be combined with Group A foods.