U.S.C.A. Award for Best Martial Arts School in Flagstaff
"Water Mountain... is a very supportive place to train. The instructors really understand how to work with you to achieve success, and to continually build upon and reinforce your successes. Everyone, students and instructors, work together to form an extremely positive environment. When I walked into the studio for the first time, I immediately felt at ease--sometimes I come in early just to relax in the calming environment. I feel sincerely respected by everyone I've met here. WMMS is like a supportive family, always encouraging me to new levels...."
--Alan Kaufmann, East Flag
"Water Mountain has improved my health so much-sometimes I can hardly believe it! When I first started coming here I was having so much pain, I was just about disabled. Now I'm energetic, feel younger, and I'm nearly pain free. Water Mountain has changed my life for the better....You can come here to handle stress, have a more balanced life and receive lots of positive support both from the staff and from all the friends you make here."
--Maureen White, West Flag
"Water Mountain Martial Arts has been a huge asset for my sons now ages 11 and 13. They not only benefit from the strength and skill building, but also are learning self-defense and discipline. They have learned that it takes a lot of hard work to accomplish some goals in life, but also that it is worth it all in the end."
--Judy Stratton, Upper Greenlaw
"Master Steenrod, I am writing you this letter to thank you and Water Mountain Martial Society for providing martial and lifestyle programs that have been part of my life for several years now. WMMS allowed me to achieve success, and continually build upon my successes, by reinforcing my positive frame of mind, and by cultivating the processes that move students toward imminent objectives using a clear agenda."
--Josh Edwards, East Flagstaff
"Water Mountain Martial Society is a great place to train. Besides the beautiful facility, every instructor is professional, respectful, easy to get along with, and concerned with your progress. The lessons are always very useful and practical, and techniques are demonstrated in a way that makes them quite easy to learn and do, often with surprising results.
A question I've often found myself asking after a class is: "Was I really just able to do that?".
Training at Water Mountain has also improved my health in a long-term and lasting way, both physically and mentally. After training there I find myself with much less stress, as well as an increased drive to do well in life, with the skills and confidence I need to do so.
I would encourage anyone interested in training to try it out. You won't be sorry!"
--James "Bolt Cutter" Patton, West Flagstaff
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The Hidden, Unspoken Truth
Most of the questions I get asked about qi gong or martial arts are actually questions that boil down to, “How can I be more successful in doing XYZ?” The expected answer is usually a technique or special training drill. That’s a good expectation. There are small modifications in technique or a training drill that can often be introduced into a personal training routine that can dramatically improve it. The real answer, for the vast majority of people, is to learn how to become motivated. No matter what you know in your head, if you haven’t learned to be motivated, all you have is material for a book.
Motivation is Simple
Simple definition: Enthusiastic repetition. That’s motivation. Anything difficult is going to require repeated attempts to develop skill or reach success. Now, let’s be honest, we’ve all made repeated attempts at something, but didn’t commit desire and enthusiasm to those attempts. As a result, the task was hateful, and you had to struggle against yourself to complete it. It also wasn’t done very well. Enthusiasm is the determining factor as to whether or not those reps mean anything. The resources of the body and the heart have to be rallied and directed. On the flip side, if you have enthusiasm without repetition, what do you have? A fan. Put on your cap, get liquored up. Games on!
Are you waiting for the magic wand?
Put on your pointy wizard hat and wave around that stick around. “Rizzma Sel Um!” Bing! You’re motivated, Harry Cotter!
Motivation comes ultimately from the choice to be motivated. It doesn’t come from the outside. It is a behavior that has to be willfully engaged. Meaning you have to choose to be enthusiastic. It is not a magic that comes from something else. You don’t get motivated because something is your hidden heart’s desire. That’s the almost universal language of lazy, unsuccessful people. You find your heart’s desire because you’re motivated!
I, and any Water
Mountain trained instructor, can open up a person’s ability to be motivated. I can refine it. I can build it. Just like I can refine a strike with a weapon, a posture of healing, or a blow of the fist. However, I can’t make the person actually do any of those things. That is only in your power!
How do you learn weakness?
Weakness comes from your society and family. We would like to think that motivation is encouraged by our social institutions. That the school system wants you to be motivated. That the workplace wants you to be motivated. That the health and fitness system wants you to be motivated. It’s also nice to think that family and friends are motivators.
They don’t want it and they’re not.
Let’s start off with childhood. Let’s say I, as a fictional parent, give my offspring a task that he doesn’t want to do. The child does it, but grudgingly. He moves like a snail. He barely makes any effort. He complains non-stop. Pretty soon, I don’t want to supervise him, because it’s a drag on me and because the presence of a negative, de-motivated person, regardless of him being my son, makes the task hard for me to complete. So, I let him do something else that he wants to do. It’s harmless isn’t it? He’s just a kid!
He’s a kid that has gotten a reward for a lack of enthusiasm. He has learned that a negative attitude will release him from repetition. He will, in time, use this to address other more serious problems, quite ineffectively and reaping unhappiness.
Every single one of us has done this, even as adults, because we know it works. We use it to beg off of events. We use it to get work loads shifted. Every single time, we give a way part of our strength.
Social institutions don’t correct this behavior, because motivated people are initially feared. They’re feared because they’re the people that end up being leaders, if they stay motivated long enough. You see, people want to be motivated. And motivated people are motivating! They’re nice to be around. Their enthusiasm is infectious. So people are drawn to and want to be lead by motivated people. That threatens the status quo of negativity, and it can also threaten people that are currently in charge.
The Reward
You become a performer, able to achieve goals that bring you personal happiness. The doors to martial arts and qi gong open wide to you. You become a leader rather than a follower. The life of the party is always the person that is motivated to be there, and that person draws the adoration and support of others.
Getting out of the cycle of de-motivation is not easy and often requires the intrusion of a coach, someone from the outside, who can objectively put you back on the motivated path, and fire up the motivational coals. It, of course, also requires not rewarding de-motivating behavior.
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