Warrior Flow State

The move towards sport martial arts has caused many to abandon the underlying personal development aspects of the martial arts. Many have abandoned “The Way” and as a result, their schools no longer provide the type of common sense training necessary to develop the Warrior Flow State so prized by both ancient and modern warriors alike.

Simple things such as adhering to a warriors creed make a huge difference in the development of the warrior mindset necessary to achieve the Flow State. Additionally, “character” is king and is essential to developing physical skill, leadership and reinforcing the mental fortitude to overcome fear.

Thucydides stated in the History of the Peloponnesian War, the war between Sparta and Athens that,

“All men are basically the same and he who is best is trained in the severest of schools.”

 What was true then is still true today…

You’re either trained or you’re not, it’s really that simple and the sage words of Thucydides ring as true today as they did in 5th century BC.

In his day being a warrior was the highest level of attainment that an Athenian could achieve for no one was nobler and admired than the man who could stand in the breach and protect his family, his nation, “Athens”. In some accounts of Greek Mythology, even the lineage of the warrior was one covered with honor for example,

“A god and a human produced a demigod, a demigod and a human produced a warrior, a warrior, and a human produced a man…”

Even today with the resurgence of the warrior ethos you see a return a “yearning” for this way of thinking because in the way of the warrior are imbued all of the traits that are most admired. Courage, faith, loyalty, selflessness, sacrifice.

This resurgence has led to the explosion of programs like CrossFit, Tough Mudder and Spartan Run and a whole host of warrior-like challenges and exercise programs. All good stuff. Heck, there’s even an entertainment show that explores this called “Ninja Warrior” and the list goes on. This desire to endure challenges, hardships, to have our metal tested, to stand for something greater than ourselves should not be underestimated.

But there is something else that people have also deduced for themselves that the traits of the warrior also enable one to perform at a level that seems to exceed what we think we are capable of. That there is a mindset, a thought process that transcends what our physical bodies seem to be able to accomplish, that thing that separates two people of relative equal physical ability yet their performance is literally as far apart as Heaven is to Hell.

This Thing Called "Flow"

In the martial arts above all the most lusted after application of skill that people seek is this thing referred to by many names such as Mushin Mind, Za Zen in sports it’s called The Zone, Mindfulness or the “Flow State”. This elusive quality that seems to transcend all technique and known boundaries of physical ability.

The ability to know without knowing, to think without thought. The whole concept is at the root of the legendary tales of invincible masters who were believed to be imbued with the power of the gods.

 “No one is so brave that they are not startled by the unexpected.”

-- Julius Caesar

Even in the military with all of our training “Flow” is a much sought to after quality for it allows us to perform in a way that helps us conquer or at least push past our greatest enemy, “Irrational Fear”.

As a former Marine, a Combat Veteran, and Martial Artist. One thing that I have discovered having been engaged in the warrior arts since I was young. I can attest that irrational fear is the number one obstacle to attaining the Flow State.

How Fear Inhibits Development of Flow

Controlling fear is a huge thing for all of us. We don’t like it because of the way it makes us feel for fear makes us feel as if we are out of control of our world and our bodies. We don’t like to feel powerless so we seek out those things that provide us with a level of certainty or control. The Flow State seems to focus us in ways where for those who have experienced it fear seems to for the most part disappear.

When in flow you feel as if you are watching yourself perform outside of your body as if in the third person. Or as if the world seems to slow down as if everything is effortless, your body in flow feels completely different as if floating, powerful yet light, your mind focused, your vision while narrowed to what you are doing everything appears more vivid. It is a way cool sensation and one that I can see why people have gone to extremes to tap into.

"Flow" you see has been around since the Greeks with their concept of “ecstasis” yet while many books have written on it where people have identified the problem of achieving it. Few (virtually none) really offer a method of attaining it.

So, while the warrior arts are a natural extension toward achieving flow one thing I have noticed is that most people only achieve it by accident. I believe this is because not only do they have the wrong training modality but they start at the wrong end with their training.

Fear Resides in The Body As Well As The Mind

You see much of what we call fear or as I like to refer to it as “irrational fear”, doesn’t just reside in our minds but probably more so “in our bodies”. It is this lack of understanding and lack of focus on developing the body through a proper modality of training in a logically progressive manner that inhibits the development of flow. 

Without changing how the body responds to fear and stress I believe (I know) it is impossible to achieve flow. This is why it seems outside of the military that the only people who experience this on a consistent basis are those who participate in extreme or high precision sports or contact sports.

Warrior Flow is different, the program utilizes the martial arts through a series of progressive exercises and drills to develop what I call the “Warrior Flow State” or “Warrior Flow”. That optimum state of performance that everyone in every endeavor whether in sport or under duress seek to obtain, to harness, to own. To enter into “seemingly” without thought. To perform in a way where all under Heaven falls to your will.

Nowhere is the ability to enter into the Warrior Flow State more critical than when faced with your own mortality or that of your loved ones. Very few things in life are more stressful than that. Warriors and those who have been in harm’s way understand this because they have lived it.

However, the way of the warrior and attaining the skills of the warrior and more importantly the Warrior Flow State is available to anyone who is willing to pay the price. To develop the ability to achieve above what they think they are capable of in the body they already have through proper body movement dynamics, and learn to fundamentally “re-pattern” their body. To become better in both movement and thought and their “perceptions” of what is the art of the possible.

Flow Is Available to Anyone... Not Just Elite Athletes or the Military

Understand that the military does not have a monopoly on the warrior arts nor the truth. We are all human and even those like myself who have served in the military at one time in our lives we were not Marines or Soldiers, we learned and became those things. And just as we learned so can you.

Now, I want you to imagine for yourself that idealized self the person you not only want to be but were born to be. Imagine, seeing in your mind just for a moment standing in that space at a point in the future looking back from where you were. Already, feeling yourself occupying that space, stronger more capable than before, “better”.

When you are trained to possess the “moral certainty”, “mindfulness” and “perfect clarity” to see the world as it is. Having experienced in the body what it’s like to push past fear you not only know what to do but are able and willing to do something about it.

The Warrior Flow State is all about this.

Warrior Flow State or Warrior Flow is uniquely designed to create a “shift” in your thought process, to help you see in your mind that which is possible. But in order to do this, you must first be able to feel and know it in the body. In Warrior Flow we have a philosophy: proficiency fosters competence, which enables you to stand in that space between courage and fear called “confidence”.

Culminating in a nearly forty-years of experience both in and out of the military too include training people in the military, law enforcement and people who provide VIP protection on five continents. This program is specifically designed to achieve a level of “presence” to stand in that space where they choose to position themselves both in their personal life and in the world.

Now, what if I told you that most of what is taught in most self-protection programs, including the context in which it is presented, is just flat out wrong?

What if I told you that most of what we learned about body movement dynamics in general but specifically for fighting were all wrong?

And more importantly what if I told you that the vast majority of those programs only serve to reinforce fear and not how to overcome it?

You’ll probably say, “Well, of course, you’re saying that because you’re trying to push your product.”

You might even say, “Well with the popularity of MMA and similar sports that makes sense.”

But the truth is while a violent sport MMA is not self-protection but a “sport” or a collection of sports techniques fused together that people have mischaracterized as self-protection. To be frank, if you think sport fighting is the same as real fighting (i.e., possibly fighting for your life) I have bad news for you, they are not. Now, if you still believe that then I’m here to tell you that we are not even talking about the same thing. So there is a limit to how far you can take them in order to develop the type of movement that creates the change in thought necessary to achieve “Flow”.

Sure all systems of fighting teach some form of striking or some form of controlling techniques and I’m not knocking that stuff. As a matter of fact, you can’t have a self-protection system without them. No my friend what I’m talking about here is the fact that the vast majority of martial arts systems do not work simply because while they teach a lot of good things they lack the proper “physical mechanisms” as well as the right “mindset” to make their arts work and you can’t get to the right mindset until you develop it in the body.

Life is Short

“Life’s short”, we’ve all heard this but no really “life is short”, and every moment of every day you’re burning time off of your existence that you don’t get back.  We’re born and we die, what we do with that time in between and how we fill it is up to us. The meter is running…

As we mature, grow, develop or whatever, we have to decide what space we choose to stand in. Who we’re going to be in the world, not who society says we are or perceives us as but who “we” choose to be.  For some it’s fame and money, for others it’s the pursuit of knowledge, and for others, they just want to go to work and come home and be left the Hell alone. I’m not judging any of those things and I find nothing wrong with any of them. For me it was the pursuit of the warrior arts and the development of myself both morally and physically and all of the things that go with that. It’s just the space I choose to stand in.

But you know what, I think for many people “especially men”, there is an intuitive desire or biological drive to pursue the intangible qualities of inner strength, tenacity, confidence, and courage. The ability to control fear and not be controlled by it. To focus anger and aggression in positive ways and to develop the moral certainty and ability to see our world even if for brief moments with “perfect clarity”.

What man doesn’t want to be a hero to his kids, his wife, his girlfriend, etc.?

What man doesn’t want to be able to take action if and when the time requires it?

So we seek things that provide us with that experience even if only for brief periods of time or when required.

Even if you’re not a martial artist and you’re just a person wanting to do something different, something that can give you a different perspective on life, on yourself. To take you to the next level, that gives you that confidence boost or to just not feel overly fearful. There is something about martial development that regardless of background seems to transform people in ways that even money can’t offer. As a matter of fact, I find that people offer me money just to be able to get to that place, to “stand in that space”.

The confidence that I have seen people develop over the years as they have trained with me and the difference it has made not only in their personal life but in business as well cannot be underestimated. The peace of mind and calmness of spirit that people derive, the focus and clarity of purpose is an amazing thing. I’ve personally witnessed too many times and know it is a very real phenomenon. 

We all face lots of questions in our lives and no matter how we define success at some point we feel “stuck” and realize that something is missing. Or we feel we’re not doing enough we’re not focused on what is really important. It’s one of the greatest challenges we face today, balancing work with marriage with kids with life with health... and beyond. At some point, you may feel bored. You've burned out. Or you're broken down. Like you, I get it…

Unifying your life is a struggle, never quite being able to put it all together, juggling the chaos. You want a change, a challenge maybe to rejuvenate, or recapture some of your spirit for adventure. Well, you’re not alone, you see I believe for many of us there is something inside, something that yearns for more, to become better. And I believe the path to that is to become a Warrior!

Warrior Flow - How It's Structured

This program is broken down into several parts designed to take you down that path the place where you develop a level of mindfulness that I call the Warrior Flow State.

I will describe the Flow State and what it is because there are some misconceptions out there all created by people who don’t know what they’re talking about and provide you with a "correct understanding" of Fear and the differences between what I call "Rational Fear" and destructive or "Irrational Fear" because they are not the same and how to understand and overcome Irrational Fear.

Finally, I’m going to provide you with some tools both physical and mental that you can practice on your own to help you develop and hone the Warrior Flow State. 

At some point in your life, I don’t care who you are you have to choose whether to stand on that bridge and “own it”.

Warrior Flow State training is dedicated to helping individuals both mentally and physically achieve a level of “gravitas” they never thought possible.

If you believe you are ready for the next step in your development, let this book be your starting point and take the leap of faith.

Sounds good?

Final thoughts on this.

Imagine being able to enter not into just any mental state but the Warrior Flow State at will?

Imagine having the moral certainty and near perfect clarity of a Warrior?

Imagine having the focus, the single-mindedness of purpose, and steely resolve of the Warrior?

This is what I’m talking about! This is the Warrior Flow State!

I promise you the change is forever… 

     Al Ridenhour

     CEO, Creator Warrior Flow State™

Al Ridenhour is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marine Corps with 28-years of service active and reserve with multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also served as a Law Enforcement consultant to the NJ State Police Special Operations Section, NJ Transit Police Operations Section, The NJ Regional Operations and Intelligence Center, the FBI Philadelphia Bomb Section, and subject matter expert to the US Department of Homeland Security's, Explosives Division. With nearly 40-years of Combative Arts experience, he is recognized as a self-defense expert worldwide and is highly sought out for seminars, workshops, lectures, and special individualized training.  He is the author of "Warrior Flow Mind" (2019), Co-Author of "Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guided in Personal Protection (Human Kinetics, 2010) and the Co-Author of "How to Fight for Your Life" (June 2010).

For more go to https://protectyourself.mykajabi.com/

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