Bohdi Sanders's Blog, page 26

Reputation often spills less blood ~ Samurai Maxim

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Reputation often spills less blood.

Samurai Maxim

This samurai maxim appears to be in direct opposition to the teaching that you should conceal your weapons and your abilities, but it contains truth nonetheless. There is a time and a place for everything. There are times when concealing your skills is the wise thing to do, and yet at other times it may be wise to put your reputation to use, if you have a reputation as the samurai did.
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The samurai had a reputation of being great warriors who could be fierce and deadly if the situation called for it. They were known as expert swordsmen. This reputation probably saved the lives of many men during the time of the samurai. Men who may have challenged an ordinary man over some trivial offense wouldn’t consider challenging a samurai over the same transgression. Therefore, the samurai’s reputation saved these men’s lives, considering if they had challenged the samurai, they would have probably been killed.
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The same notion can be true today, but you have to be very careful when it comes to counting on your reputation. Your reputation can help you resolve escalating conflicts, but having a reputation can also backfire on you. Your enemy may be so intimidated by your reputation that he is tempted to go to extremes in order to defeat you. We live in a different world than the samurai. Today someone may take a shot at you from across the street instead of confronting you face to face. In whatever situation you may find yourself, judgment is vital. Think before you speak or act.
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Bohdi Sanders, PhD ~ excerpt from the book,

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood
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WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood is available, in both paperback and on Kindle, from Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELWCALA.
Signed copies and package book deals are available on: http://thewisdomwarrior.com/books-by-bohdi-sanders/.

True Character

Many people would be scared

if they saw in the mirror,

not their face,

but their character.

Most people go out of their way to make sure they look good on the outside. They pay other people to make their hair look good, they pay for products to make their skin look nice, and they buy clothes that they think will flatter them. They are concerned about the external appearance that they show to the world and are careful to take care of how they present themselves.

At the same time, very few seem to spend anytime at all taking care of their character. They are only concerned with what they see in the mirror, not the things the mirror can’t detect.

What a different world this would be if we had the ability to see into a person’s soul and character, instead of simply seeing their looks, which have been carefully put together to impress you.

What if you had the power to see people’s true spirit, instead of their external looks, like Hal did in the movie, Shallow Hal? How would you truly look in the mirror? How would your friends truly look?

By all means take care of your body and your appearance. But, do not neglect to work on perfecting your character. And when you look at other people, don’t be deceived by their appearance, but rather look deeper and discern who and what they truly are, no matter what they look like on the outside.  Bohdi Sanders ~ author of the award-winning bestseller, Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence

Modern Bushido has been in the TOP 10 EVERY WEEK FOR 82 WEEKS on Amazon.com’s Best Sellers List and has hit #1 six times during that period! That is 2 YEARS as one of the top martial arts books available!!

This multiple award-winning book was recognized by the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame for it contribution to the martial arts and won a 1st Place Award in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards. It is recognized as one of the TOP 7 books on excellence by BestCollegesOnline.com, and now has won a 1st PLACE BOOK AWARD in the USA NATIONAL BEST BOOK AWARDS!!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can get it immediately with no waiting on KINDLE at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008S26INK. It is also available in paperback! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: http://thewisdomwarrior.com/books-by-....

A Calm Warrior is a Mindful Warrior

A calm warrior is a mindful warrior,
and a mindful warrior is a rational warrior.

Bohdi Sanders, Ph.D.


The word “peace” has several meanings. It does mean freedom from war, but for the warrior, a better definition is “mental calm.” Peace is a state of mental calm and serenity, with no anxiety. It is a state of harmony. You can have a feeling of peace no matter what situation you find yourself in. But it takes self-discipline and constant thought control. Just as you train your body to react in certain ways, you have to train your mind to be peaceful.

Peace is not the lack of war, but an inner virtue which has its source in the courage of the soul. Baruch Spinoza

Much of this book has been concerned with having a disciplined mind. The mind plays such a huge part in the life of the warrior. I have said several times that you have to have a disciplined mind, but how do you discipline your mind? The best way to discipline your mind is through meditation. Learn to meditate. A calm warrior is a mindful warrior, and a mindful warrior is a rational warrior.

The art of meditation is simple, but it does take practice to perfect. Start slow and learn to quiet your mind for several minutes. This is harder than it sounds. Thoughts will continue to disturb the silence, but with practice you will soon find that you can quiet your mind for longer periods of time. The practice of meditation is essential to your quest for warriorship. Bohdi Sanders ~ excerpt from award-winning book, WARRIOR WISDOM: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

WARRIOR WISDOM: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior is available from Amazon.com, in both paperback and on Kindle, at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F27CQY.

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: http://thewisdomwarrior.com/books-by-bohdi-sanders/.

Also, be sure to check out the award-winning, best seller, Modern Bushido. Modern Bushido has been in the TOP 10 EVERY WEEK FOR 79 WEEKS on Amazon.com’s Best Sellers List and has hit #1 six times during that period! That is 2 YEARS as one of the top martial arts books available!!

This multiple award-winning book was recognized by the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame for it contribution to the martial arts and won a 1st Place Award in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards. It is recognized as one of the TOP 7 books on excellence by BestCollegesOnline.com, and now has won a 1st PLACE BOOK AWARD in the USA NATIONAL BEST BOOK AWARDS!!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can get it immediately with no waiting on KINDLE at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008S26INK. It is also available in paperback! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: http://thewisdomwarrior.com/books-by-bohdi-sanders/.

Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement.

Self-knowledge is the

beginning of self-improvement.

Spanish Proverb

If you do not know what the problem is, how can you possibly fix it? You must understand something before you can even think about beginning to improve it, this is just common sense. This principle applies to everything whether it is taking care of your lawn or making needed changes in your life to improve your character on the path of the warrior. If you don’t have some knowledge about a topic to begin with, what makes you think that you have the knowledge to make it better?

Because of this fact, it is imperative that the warrior take the time to really know who he is, what he believes, and how he thinks. He has to know his weak points and his strong point. He must know if he has a problem with his anger or controlling his temper before he can actually address that problem and learn to take control of his emotions. This is the first step in self-improvement. Take time to get to know yourself and find out what areas of your life need some work.

There are many ways that you can do this. Meditate on what your weak spots are, whether they are mental, physical or emotional, and then focus on strengthening those areas. I have a book out called Secrets of the Soul, which is specifically for the purpose of discovering exactly what you believe, how you think, and why you believe what you believe. Reading books that prompt you to examine your life is a good way to learn who you truly are and can give you insight into areas which may be out of sync with the warrior lifestyle. Take the time to know yourself.

Bohdi Sanders ~ excerpt from the book,

The Warrior Lifestyle: Making Your Life Extraordinary

The Warrior Lifestyle: Making Your Life Extraordinary is available in both paperback and on Kindle from Amazon.com at: GET THE WARRIOR LIFESTYLE NOW.

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: The Wisdom Warrior Bookstore.

Is Karma Real?

Is Karma Real?

I get A LOT of wonderful emails, and several nice, meaningful gifts, from my many fans and readers, but one really blew me away. Out of the blue on day, I received an email from a reader in Texas named Daryl Kyle, and it read,

“Hey I was brought to you by a friend. I make real, battle-worthy Swords using official highland swords, all originally used in films and shows, my offer is true to make you sword. A $1,000 dollar sword…my treat! You obviously inspire a lot of people and bring hope and encouragement to them. So this is karma bringing you what you don’t expect.”

Now, understand, I get A LOT of emails, from around the world, that offer me everything you can imagine. Many of them are fake or want money from me, etc. So, when I was approached out of the blue and offered a custom, handmade sword from someone I didn’t know, I did have my doubts about whether or not this guy was for real – HE WAS!

A couple of months later, I received a REAL handmade sword that was modeled after the original sword from the Highlander series. Not only that, but this sword was top of the line! The blade is full tang and ready for use; this wasn’t a replica that is meant to merely set on the mantle as decoration.

The hand guard is made out of solid brass. The handle made from kevlar, and the carving on it is simply amazing. The blade is sharp enough to shave my arm (not that I make a practice of shaving my arm, but loving knives and swords as I do, I always end up testing the blade against my arm hair). Daryl also included a handmade bag for my sword. This amazing gift now hangs proudly in my living room.

Thank you so much Daryl! I am honored beyond words. The sword is one amazing gift. May your karma come back to you 10 fold my friend.

I will be posting a photo of me with my new, unexpected treasure as soon as I can get my wife to slow down and take a picture of me with it, but I did want to go ahead and gets some shots of it posted. If you are looking for a place to make you a custom, handmade sword, I can highly recommend Daryl and his company, Texas Steel Props & Replicas! He will do you right.

Shawn Rhodes interviews Dr. Bohdi Sanders on Awaken the Inner Warrior.

Shawn Rhodes interviews Dr. Bohdi Sanders

on Awaken the Inner Warrior.

From Shawn Rhodes… “Dr. Bohdi Sanders granted me an interview too good to keep to myself. If you’re interested in hearing his thoughts on what it takes to be a modern warrior and live this lifestyle, check out the podcast preview below and click through for the full interview. I’ve also posted them over at Awaken The Inner Warrior!”

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH DR. BOHDI SANDERS HERE!

It is better to be a tiger for one day than a sheep for a thousand years. Tibetan Maxim

It is better to be a tiger for one day

than a sheep for a thousand years.

Tibetan Maxim

This is an interesting maxim from Tibet. It is better to be a tiger for one day than a sheep for a thousand years. Most people today are sheep. This is not a derogatory statement, but rather a statement of fact. Sheep go through life pretty much oblivious to what is happening around them. They eat, drink, sleep, and follow their shepherd wherever he desires to lead them. A sheep is a peaceful animal and presents no threat to other animals; it just kind of goes through life on auto-pilot.

The tiger, on the other hand, roams the jungle with confidence and awareness. Tigers have no shepherd to protect them or guide them to food and water. A tiger is a self-sufficient animal capable of not only providing its own food, but of also defending itself against pretty much any threat. Tigers are proficient killing machines when they have to be. Their confidence shows in their unflinching gaze. They set their own law in the jungle.

The Tibetan maxim above tells us that it is better to live like a tiger, even if it is only for a short time, than it is to live many years as a sheep. The warrior has much more in common with the tiger than he does with the sheep. He is confident and independent. He is self-sufficient and fierce. Warriors roam the streets of the jungle knowing that they can handle most anything that comes their way. It is better to be a warrior for a year than a sheep for 100 years.

Bohdi Sanders

excerpt from the book

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood HITS #3 on Amazon.com’s Best Seller List!

This is the highest WARRIOR has ever been ranked!

I want to thank you all very much for supporting my work!

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#3 in Kindle eBooks > Sports > Individual Sports > Martial Arts

#7 in Books > Sports > Individual Sports > Martial Arts

#93 in Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Self-Help > Motivational

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood is available in

BOTH paperback and on KINDLE on Amazon.com at:

BUY WARRIOR ON AMAZON.com.

Signed copies are available on my website

THE WISDOM WARRIOR BOOKSTORE.

Self-Improvement: The Cornerstone of Warriorhood

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You can’t improve anything if you don’t

first know what needs to be improved.

Bohdi Sanders

Once you know what needs to be improved or fixed, you can then begin the process of finding out how to make the needed improvements. Making improvements in your life is like a mechanic working on a car. He first has to figure out what is wrong with your car before he can work on it and make it run better.

No mechanic would simply start replacing parts, rewiring the electrical system, etc. without first doing some investigating and finding out what is working and what is not working. The same principle goes for you in your quest to live the warrior lifestyle. You have to find out what strengths you already have and what areas need some work. Then you can work to make your strengths even stronger, and to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

It takes quite a bit of introspection to really understand yourself and know what you believe in and what you truly stand for – to understand your principles and to develop your own code of life. Carl Jung taught that, “We should know what our convictions are, and stand for them…Therefore it is wise to be as clear as possible about one’s subjective principles.” Socrates stated, “One of the most important precepts of wisdom is to know oneself.”

A thorough understanding of oneself is not optional for the true warrior. It is absolutely necessary. This should be a top priority for you throughout your journey. It is self-knowledge that allows you to live a life of excellence; without it, you cannot possibly develop your life to the fullest. Socrates even went as far as to say, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This is a pretty strong endorsement of self-knowledge!

Bohdi Sanders

excerpt from the award-winning book

Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence

Modern Bushido has been in the TOP 10 for 58 weeks on Amazon.com’s Best Sellers List and has hit #1 6 times during that period! This multiple award-winning book was recognized by the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame for it contribution to the martial arts and won a 1st Place Award in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can get it immediately with no waiting on KINDLE at: GET MODERN BUSHIDO NOW. It is also available in paperback! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: THE WISDOM WARRIOR BOOKSTORE.

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MODERN BUSHIDO 58 Weeks in the TOP 10!

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MODERN BUSHIDO

58 Weeks in the TOP 10!

Modern Bushido has been in the TOP 10 for 58 weeks on Amazon.com’s Best Sellers List and has hit #1 6 times during that period! This multiple award-winning book was recognized by the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame for it contribution to the martial arts and won a 1st Place Award in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can get it immediately with no waiting on KINDLE at: BUY MODERN BUSHIDO NOW . It is also available in paperback! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Signed copies and package book deals are available on: THE WISDOM WARRIOR BOOKSTORE.

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Warrior Preparedness

Remember how lucky you are to live in a

time of peace and plenty, but prepare for worse times.

Code of the Samurai

Most of us live a peaceful life. In our society today, unless you are in the military or work in law enforcement, you most likely live in peace and plenty. Even those in our country who are on the bottom of the economic pecking order live a life of plenty when compared to people in many third world countries. We live in a time of peace and abundance in the United States today, but there is no guarantee that things will always remain as they are today.

The Code of the Samurai points this out to us. The samurai saw both times of peace and prosperity and times of war which ravished their country. They knew from experience that things can change, and change quickly. Times of peace and plenty can turn into times of chaos and anarchy in the blink of an eye. It is wise to be prepared for the possibility of a time when things will not be so peaceful and when prosperity turns to scarcity.

You lose nothing by preparing for bad times during the good times. When things are good and you are surrounded by blessings, it is time to think of defending yourself against the change of tide. Be disciplined enough to save some of your wealth for a rainy day. Keep yourself physically fit and your martial arts skills sharp. Be wise enough to realize that nothing lasts forever, good or bad. Enjoy the good times while they last, but at the same time prepare for the bad times just in case your fortune changes.

Bohdi Sanders

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood

WARRIOR: The Way of Warriorhood is NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE, as well as in paperback, from Amazon.com at: GET WARRIOR NOW. Package deals are also available from TheWisdomWarrior.com at: BOOKSTORE.

Also, be sure to check out MODERN BUSHIDO. Modern Bushido is going into its 57 WEEK IN THE TOP 10 on Amazon.com! If you haven’t read it yet, you can get it immediately with no waiting on KINDLE at: GET MODERN BUSHIDO NOW. It is also available in paperback!

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