There is a certain code that warriors live by. Living this code is certainly a challenge, but not without reward, and the reward is extreme. For many warriors it is an unwritten code that is a natural product of their being. Though this code may not have been specifically taught to all by some almighty warrior sensei, much of the code is passed from father to son through generations of rearing him to become a person that is a stronger, better version of the father himself. I remember the many lessons of my father, and they will stay with me forever. Much of the code comes from what makes the warrior in the first place; it is an innate product of the warrior, and it is very much the content of his character. Much like the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament that dictate how mankind shall live his life, the Ten Commandments of the warrior code is how the warrior lives, thinks, trains, and wins. The following are words to live by, literally.

This is a very broad and significant category. In order to be focused, one must be paying attention. All of our training will mean little if we do not perceive the things that are happening around us. It would be little comfort to know that I am a great shot as I lay in the pool of my own blood… if I had just been paying more attention I would have had the opportunity to do something. Referring to Jeff Copper color codes we must spend our days in yellow at a minimum. There is no room in today’s world for color code white, particularly as a warrior, so pay attention, remain in the present, live in the now. It’s the only place that anything is really happening. Focus is determination as well as composure. Sheer grit determination can carry us far and give us the winning edge; At the same time we must remain composed. We are expected to control the situation but we must first control ourselves. We must keep our emotions such as anger and fear, in check. The ability to win is 99 per-cent mental, the fight is 99 per-cent mental. Your brain will allow you to win or cause you to lose…You choose.

Have a plan. Know what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and of course why. Think ahead, think of the "what ifs". Think about what you will do if the "what if" takes place. It’s difficult to put a plan into action when you do not have a plan to begin with. It should be noted that we are under no obligation to wait for the "what if" to happen before we act. It could be a situation that if we wait to see if it happens…its too late. We are allowed to act before the "what if" takes place as long as we act reasonably, and of course do not violate civil rights. We must be thinking "why" because it is our justification and we will be required to articulate that very point to the world. So as we stay focused…Think ahead.

Take your lumps without whining. Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody cares. Whining makes you appear weak and if you do it enough you will start believing that you are weak. So don’t do it! It’s ugly, it’s shameful, it will earn you no respect.

We and we only are responsible for our actions. Just as we are responsible for every bullet that leaves the muzzle of our weapon. We are responsible for everything we say and every thing that we do. We are responsible for our own success or failure. Making excuses is kin to whining so take responsibility. It’s your life, own it! Or blame someone else for it…You choose again.

Stand up to your foes. External foes are others who attempt to abuse us in one way or another, don’t let it happen. Foes who abuse or attack us physically are easy for the warrior to defeat. It is the sly dogs that attempt to abuse us mentally, beat us down a little at a time, that we must be aware of and defeat. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Even tougher, don’t take any abuse from your internal foes. What are they? They are the demons within us that prey on our being and try to make us under achievers, hold us down, and perhaps…destroy us. The lazy Demon will keep you from reaching your true potential. The Comfort Demon can prevent you from taking a risk that needs taking. Ego can make you take risks not worth taking. Satisfaction can impede your progress. Blind trust can get you stabbed in the back. Fear can make you freeze when you’re being counted on. Lack of fear can make you jump off a roof. Whoever or whatever your foes may be, whether external or internal, stand up to them…the cost is too great not to.

Hard choices temper our strength and our integrity; they make the difference between a life of mediocrity and a life of excellence. Choose the arena; don’t fear it. You know what is right, choose it and do it. It’s the right thing.

A warrior is only as good as his or her word. We build self-trust and trust in others by keeping our word. We earn respect and honor by keeping our word. If we say it, it’s as good as done. You could lose everything, but your word may never be taken from you. It is the one thing you cannot afford to lose…Keep it!

Smell the roses along the way, have a good time in life. Be goal oriented, bust your butt to get there, but enjoy the road along the way. A sense of humor shows confidence and relieves stress for you and others. It makes the world go around just a little bit better.

You may be a member of a full-time tactical team that trains daily or Competitive club that meets regularly. Whatever your situation is you must train to win. We must give it all we’ve got each and every time we train. We operate as we train, therefore; if we train with less than one hundred percent; we operate and fight, at less than one hundred percent. Why give the edge to the bad guy? We must train the way we fight because we will fight like we train. Give it your best effort and do not practice improper technique. It takes hundreds upon thousands of repetitions to make a technique reflexive, then it must be maintained, or it will go away. Most skills will perish without practice. We know when we train physically we must train hard to make gains. When training physically or mentally; train proper, train hard, train to win, and train some more.

A warrior is not afraid of discipline. A warrior is made of discipline. We must eat, think, sleep, speak, study, train, and act with discipline. As warriors we live a life of discipline. Let’s face it…without discipline, we are just a poor dumb slob swimming in that sea of mediocrity, and mediocrity is a dead end…it gets us no-where fast. Discipline will make all the right things happen.

Give it your all. Set your path, enjoy the scenery along the way, but if your path is crossed with the fight, fight with a vengeance. Losing is not an option. You only live once. Give it all you’ve got, nothing less, and make your mark. No regrets! You will sleep well at night.

No matter how tough. No matter how painful. Never, ever quit!

I have spoken of the lessons of my father and how this code is passed from generation to generation. I do not have a son to pass these lessons to, but my two daughters are tough, strong, smart, and quite prepared to conquer their own world. The world of warriors is not restricted to men. Woman have more barriers to hurdle but it must be done. Today’s soccer moms must be tomorrow’s warriors. As mothers become warriors they in turn pass it on to their children. I know my girls, in time, will pass much of what I taught them to their children. The lessons of a father to his children are a valued and treasured gift. The last lesson of my father I learned during his recent death. As he lay on his deathbed after a valiant and courageous fight against the unbeatable leukemia that eventually consumed his body he continued to show grit and determination. He refused to show pain or complain about his life’s end. He was concerned only of his family and determined to comfort us all. I learned so much from my father much of which is relayed through my training program. Perhaps the greatest gift my father gave me was the strength and perseverance he had his entire life and the dignity with which he died. Even in death my father was remarkable. Dad, you will forever inspire me to live the code of the warrior, thank you.

The code of the warrior is the content of your character. If you have practiced these Ten Warrior Codes most of your life than you probably have noticed that you are a bit different than most folks. It is OK to be different, not average, not treading water in the sea of mediocrity. It is good to be above the rest. That is why you are a warrior in the position that you are. You are the sheepdog not the sheep. The sheep will ridicule the sheep dog behind his or her back. But when the wolf is at the door the sheep flock to the sheepdog lest they bow to the mercy of the wolf and become wolf feed. So when they ridicule, when they criticize, just smile, and know, that you…the sheepdog, the warrior, can tear off the head of that wolf, whomever he may be, and spit down his neck, if need be.

Warriors, as you live your life, you will be a role model to many. Your children will respect you and aspire to be more like you as they mature. Your legacy will become theirs as they pass it on to their children. One hundred years from now no one will remember the car that you drove, the clothes you wore, or the house that you lived in, but if you had an impact on just one person, one life…then your life was worth it. Give it all you’ve got, live the code of the warrior.

"Don’t just dream of success… wake up and bust your ass to achieve it!"