It's Louse Time! Put your Ear Muffs and Blinders On

If you're new to my list of focused, motivated, self-starters, Welcome.

(if you're not new jump right away to today's lesson below)

Every day I communicate to you the best ways to train and the kind of mindset it takes to get results either in your physical fitness or martial art training.

Friday is always what I call: "Louse Time". Modeled after Bruce Lee's strategy in Enter the Dragon.

You know that part where he's having tea with the government agent but he's disturbed by one of his students and Bruce Lee tells the agent: It's Louse Time! The agent replies with his British accent: "yes of course".

Since I'm 6 years old that scene has always stuck with me and I'll be using that same strategy with YOU every week.

Friday is where I share with you Life Lessons and Direction given to me by my dad (and Sifu) every Friday.

Today's lesson is: Put your Ear Muffs and Blinders On.

Have you ever been in a situation where you wished you had ear muffs on?

You overhear a conversation that makes you want to puke, saps you of your productive energy, distracts you from your goal or sometimes, it's not what was said, it's what was not said. Just seeing someone's bad choices or odd behavior is enough to reach for the Blinders.

To think of all the things that are being recorded by our minds consciously or subconsciously through TV, at work, in school, on the net, in movies, makes me wonder how it affects our judgment, behavior, and choices in life.

My dad related a story of how one of his co-workers back in the day working for the army always used to wear ear muffs while working. My dad asked him why he was doing that.

He explained, So that he can be totally focused on the job at hand, his thoughts and his breath.

100% involved in his work. No Distractions. No Gossip. No Negative Influence. Just total focus.

Why are we so easily influenced?

What is refreshing about a soft drink? What's relaxing about a cigarette? What's so appealing about All You Can Eat Buffets? How is slacking off on the job productive for the company? Why trade total consciousness and awareness for total disconnect with alcohol and drugs? Why pop pills when there's a minor discomfort? Why shout divorce before trying to resolve differences?
What's up with TGIF? Why go through life not doing what you were born to do?

When you're ready to start a project, a goal, a career change, anything, put the ear muffs and blinders on, let your own intuition guide you and let no one influence your actions or decisions, only you know what's right for you.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

Orleans School Celebrating 14 Year Anniversary

Last Tuesday was a special day. My older brother Sifu Stephane was celebrating his 14th year anniversary.

Sijo, our founder with Sifu Stephane Patenaude

My oh my, does time fly by.

So many Martial Art Schools have come and gone in Orleans like Bond's Jiu-Jitsu and Sunny Tang Kung-Fu to name a few.

The Patenaude name is synonymous with Longevity. A name you can trust, a school you can count on to be there through thick and thin.

It has always been my observation that so many other instructors and martial art school owners were like the fox in the "fox and the rabbit" story which goes something like this:

A Zen master out for a walk with one of his students points out a fox chasing a rabbit. "According to an ancient fable, the rabbit will get away from the fox." says the master. "Not so" replied the student. "The fox is faster, but the rabbit will elude him" insisted the master. "Why are you so certain?" asked the student. "Because the fox is running for his dinner while the rabbit is running for his life" replied the master.

Kids Class in Orleans, On

There is a very clear difference between instructors who teach as a hobby or past-time versus instructors who do this for a living.

Sifu Patrick teaching life skills

We do this for a living. Our focus is on teaching professional martial arts and helping each student reach their goals no matter what.

Weapon training at Orleans Martial Arts

When you have nothing else to fall back on, you can rest assured that the quality of our classes, the level of commitment from our instructors and the gratitude we have for our students is second to none.



The first thing we focus on is the school environment and it doesn't get any better than the Orleans School.

A 3000 square foot facility, large training rooms so you don't feel crowded and unable to move freely, a fully matted area for your safety, a place to learn every element of martial arts: Fang Shen Do Kung-Fu, Sanshou (Chinese Kickboxing), Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Weapons, and let's not forget a very charismatic, talented, and dedicated Chief Instructor.

This is no garage, backyard, dirty, crummy martial art school.

Everything in our schools is top of the line, from the equipment to the uniforms, the striking body shields to our safety equipment. It's all set up to make sure you have the best experience for yourself and your family, which is what people have come to expect from Patenaude's Martial Arts Schools.

I know, you might of walked into one of those disorganized, dirty, out in the boonies schools, and you weren't satisfied, visit one of our schools to see the obvious difference.

I've included a few pictures from the Anniversary Kid's Class and shots from our Black Belt Training Class.

Teaching kids balance and posture

All the key people were there, Sijo, Linda, myself, Sifu Patrick, Sifu Silvain, and Sifu Joel.

Filipino stick fighting

Thank You to all students of FSD, your support is very much appreciated and we're looking forward to keep on pushing you to reach for your personal best.

What's Your Story?

Let's face it, we all have one.

When you don't feel like doing something you tell yourself this great story not to do it. Things like: "I would if I had time", "If I wasn't so busy", "When I get more education, I'll start", "I would lose weight if it wasn't for my family genes", "But I'm too old" and the list goes on and on.

So I ask again, what's your story?

What have you been telling yourself that's stopping you from starting something you really want to do?

The story usually starts with a "Yeah, but..." or a "If I..."

Learn to recognize this destructive self-talk.

If it FEELS right act on it. Trust your Instincts.

One of the biggest issues I see and hear about is starting to train and get fit.

Most people go through so much procrastination that they never get started and never reap the rewards of living an active lifestyle and none more fullfilling than through Martial Arts Training.

When is NOW a good time to start?

If I read some of your minds right now, the story might be: "After the holidays" or "As soon as January hits I'm gonna start?"

Great Story.

The holiday season is the time of the year where there is the most abuse on our bodies.

What better way to defend against over indulging of food, alcohol, and lack of sleep when you're armed with martial knowledge.

How to breathe to clean your body of toxins, how to stretch to release stress and how to train your body so your metabolism is in high gear to burn all those extra calories you're going to consume.

It couldn't be easier to start. Follow the link below, find a location, sign up for your first month free and that's it, no stories, no excuses.

* Get started here

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

A Silent Killer

You've been given a vessel, take care of it.

Do not wait until it is completely deteriorated to start maintenance on it.

Your most prized asset: Your body.

And still millions will be diagnosed with heart disease, lung cancer, and diabetes this year.

All because of mal nutrition, smoking and lack of exercise.

A real shame when you consider body weight exercises are the simplest and easiest forms of exercise.

They can be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

1 minute of exercise is better than any vitamin.

Mastering your body is the most rewarding activity of all yet very few dedicate any substantial time to it compared to how much time spent watching countless hours of useless TV.

Obesity and Inactivity is a silent killer, the worse virus to ever plague our modern society.

Information abound, latest technologies all around us but unable to control the gem that's located between our ears.

Our fitness kits are easy to use, simple, fun and challenging no matter what level you're at.

Instead of buying useless gifts this holiday season, invest in something that will extend your family member's life, so you can enjoy more quality time together.

You can pick yours up here.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

Fang Shen Do is a Living System

2 weeks ago I mentioned I'd have more pics of my dad and Bob Wall.

Here are a few more.

Bob Wall & Sijo J. Patenaude (Classic Enter the Dragon Pose)

 What does this mean to you?


I mean this is all good for us, FSD, my dad and the organization but my focus is always on the student.

What do the students of FSD gain from this?

For one, students get to see that we put our money where our mouth is.

Sijo J. Patenaude throwing the Biu Jee (Finger Jab)

We're always talking about things like: Learning is a journey, C.A.N.I (Constant And Never-Ending Improvement), For every hand there's always a faster one, Never rest on your Laurels, etc... It would be very easy for my dad to say: "I've been doing this for 35 + years, I can just lay back and sit on my success".

My dad being the Founder of FSD, it's crucial for him to lead by example. There is still and always will be, a burning desire to learn, improve and seek out new ideas to be incorporated in our system.


"Fang Shen Do is a Living System" my dad calls it. Not binded by any set ideas or rules.

Bob Wall discussing his 10 year relationship with Bruce Lee.

Meeting Bob is just another way to get feedback and insights from a man who trained with Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Gene LeBell, Joe Lewis and the list goes on.


That's what you get when you train in a school like ours, a guarantee you'll get the latest, most effective training money can buy in the areas of Self-Defense, Health/Fitness and Personal Development.


My dad's been really busy this past year spreading FSD and making key contacts.

But it's not enough.

We know we can do even better.

Knowing that our students are looking up to us for guidance, inspiration and training, it makes for extra flammable fuel driving our ambition.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

It's Louse Time! To Move is better than to Sit

If you're new to my list of focused, motivated, self- starters, Welcome.

(if you're not new jump right away to today's lesson below)

Every day I communicate to you the best ways to train and the kind of mindset it takes to get results either in your physical fitness or martial art training.

Friday is always what I call: "Louse Time". Modeled after Bruce Lee's strategy in Enter the Dragon.

You know that part where he's having tea with the government agent but he's disturbed by one of his students and Bruce Lee tells the agent: It's Louse Time! The agent replies with his British accent: "yes of course".

Since I'm 6 years old that scene has always stuck with me and I'll be using that same strategy with YOU every week.

Friday is where I share with you Life Lessons and Direction given to me by my dad (and Sifu) every Friday.

Today's lesson is: To Move is better than to Sit

No matter how you feel, tired, sore, in pain, sluggish, depressed, moody, or stressed, it's always better in the end if you decided to move and exercise instead of opting for sitting and not doing anything.

Our morning training today was a challenge. It's getting colder and we both trained extra hard this week, instead of skipping our traditional friday workout, we still did it and let me tell you I'm happy we did.

Most of the pain in my legs I felt all week is gone as well as in my shoulders. The morning sweat had a cleansing effect both on my body and mind, feeling clear and focused, determined and commited to my goals.

During my interview with Bob Wall I asked him what his secret to Longevity and Health was?

As you might already know Bob is in his 70s and showing no signs of stopping any day soon. The similarities between him and my dad are pretty identical in many respects and in the area of fitness it's no different.

Bob's fitness paradigm goes like this:

Resistance Training (self-induced or assisted)
Aerobics (sustained, high intensity workouts)
Flexibility (in all ranges of movement)

Coming from Bob, it confirms why Station Training is so effective. All of those 3 elements are combined into our strength training program. I've seen the same fast results time and again, it's simply the most efficient way of training to acquire greater strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination.

Get your strength training kit now and see what others have to say about it.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

The Last Component of Bob Wall's Success

Before finishing up where I left off yesterday about Bob Wall's 3rd factor contributing to his success, I'd like to thank every action oriented person who took advantage of my offer yesterday.

Joining the Fang Shen Do Inner Circle will keep you motivated and pleasantly challenged. It will keep you informed and up to date on the most recent nutrition guidelines, training routines, what works and most importantly what doesn't work when it comes to martial art conditioning, saving you the time and agony of finding these out on your own.

I literrally spend countless hours a week researching and updating my knowledge in all those areas so that you don't have to.

My offer still stands to the last few that are still undecided. 3 months worth of Inner Circle DVDs and Newsletters (a 120$ value) when you join the FIC today. They're loaded with unique drills and useful advice to give you an edge in your training, and helps keep health, fitness, and self-mastery at the forefront of your mind on a monthly basis.

On with the last key component of Bob's Success:

His Wife.

Celebrating this year, 40 years of marriage.

We all need our Rock. Some sort of support system that will make everything we aspire to do or become have meaning. In times of doubt, confusion, or when you just want to quit, having someone stand by you, to push you, to make you better, to challenge you, is all one needs to make it through.

With that said, choose your partners and friends wisely, their influence goes farther than you think.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

P.S. Push You? Make you Better? Challenge You? That's exactly what the FIC is all about. Become a member by signing up here.

Will to Succeed - Part 2

On last Friday's Louse Time I mentioned how, during my interview with Bob Wall, we got to talk about the Will to Succeed and what were the 3 major things he could attribute his success to.

The first one being his Fear of Failure. Most people can relate to this one, but I think an equal amount of people also share the opposite fear, the Fear of Success. Which I'll cover another time.

The second factor to his success is: His ability to Seek out Mentors.

It is of utmost importance to lead a Mentored Life. The mentor can be in the flesh, on the phone, through a book, or on a DVD.

Leading a mentored life means to be excited about learning.

"Learning is a Journey, not a Destination"

To always realize there is room for improvement, adjustment, modification, or reprogramming.

A coach pours into you years of experience and helps you avoid costly mistakes.

That's why we put together the FIC (Fang Shen Do Inner Circle), to allow students to get coached by myself and other top instructors whom are either: living too far from one of our schools, or who lives in another country. The FIC also allows you to have the most up to date training information, advanced workouts, unique equipment availability, and nutrition tips funneled directly to you each and every month.

You also get 3 mths worth of past issues free when you become a member of the FIC today.

What you'll find in these past issues:

• How to hold your leg over your head for as long as you want by learning this simple exercise
• Developing a strong neck to avoid injuries while grappling
• A Conditioning Sequence that doubles your strength, speed, endurance and skill which will leave you huffing and puffing in 60 seconds or less.
• Which foods pack on the best cancer fighting effects
• A fun drill to build tiger like finesse, flow and power
• The 2 herbs that contain 10 times the antioxidant levels, age defying nutrients found in blueberries
• and much more... register here

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

P.S. Tomorrow I'll cover the last and final point from Bob's 3 major factors to his success.
Stay tuned.

It's Louse Time! Will to Succeed

If you're new to my list of focused, motivated, self- starters, Welcome.

(if you're not new jump right away to today's lesson below)

Every day I communicate to you the best ways to train and the kind of mindset it takes to get results either in your physical fitness or martial art training.

Friday is always what I call: "Louse Time". Modeled after Bruce Lee's strategy in Enter the Dragon.

You know that part where he's having tea with the government agent but he's disturbed by one of his students and Bruce Lee tells the agent: It's Louse Time! The agent replies with his British accent: "yes of course".

Since I'm 6 years old that scene has always stuck with me and I'll be using that same strategy with YOU every week.

Friday is where I share with you Life Lessons and Direction given to me by my dad (and Sifu) every Friday.

Today's lesson is: The Will to Succeed

Last Sunday during my interview with Bob Wall we got to talk about the 3 major things he could attribute his success to.

Bob Wall with the Great Bruce Lee

Without hesitation he fired out all 3 points. Bang, Bang, Bang, just like a three punch combo.

The very first one was his Fear of Failure. He was just a skinny kid and he had to put in double the effort in all areas compared to the other more gifted kids in school.

It was that determination that landed him a wrestling scholarship when he was 15 years old. His mother was his Tower of Power as he called her and didn't want to let her down. This was the major engine driving his ambition in his early teenage years.

Failure for him, ultimately, was not getting the respect he deserved. We all have the potential to accomplish great things if we just learn to believe in ourselves. One way to get this respect was to start training in Martial Arts. One quickly realizes how developing yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and strengthening your spirit raises your self-esteem, confidence and self-image to new heights.

This in turn gives you the confidence required to even entertain the idea of reaching for your goals that seem so out of reach at first.

Once you have confidence firmly in place you can get started on Bob's second point which I'll cover tomorrow.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S. The very first level of confidence is Physical Confidence. Having trust in your body and what it is capable of. Build superior strength and endurance with our Strength Training System which we've been testing for the past 35 years to ensure maximum results, in the least time, while maintaining a steady progression to meet your fitness goals.

Interviewing a Legend

Every morning I ask myself the same questions.

"Are you using your mind to its full potential?"

This quote sums it up for me:

"The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get to the office." ~ Robert Frost

What is the office?

For some it really is an office or for others it's any activity that pulls you away from your real goals or aspirations.

A portion of my day revolves around Meditating or Actively Thinking and Planning.

One of our long time friends and equipment supplier always had this old sign close to his desk:

"Fail to Plan. Plan to Fail"

You always keep your major goals at the forefront of your mind and clearly map out how you are going to reach them. Like magic you will attract into your life what you need to make those goals happen. Once the opportunities present themselves you have to be ready to take action on them.


Through my father I had the opportunity to interview a martial art legend: Bob Wall

Bob Wall (Ohara)

Most people recognize him as Ohara in Enter the Dragon.

What a coincidence to be using "Louse Time" on Fridays from the same movie to actually talking to him and having him share stories of Bruce, Brandon, Chuck Norris, Gene Lebelle, Jean-Claude Van Damme, the Machados, and on and on he went for 3 hours. I'll be sharing some of those stories in upcoming blog posts in the coming weeks.

Like Attracts Like

Him and my dad instantly connected when they met in Germany and this is a start to a long friendship and partnership for years to come.

One of my father's strengths is using his mind to attract like a magnet what he desires. That's why I'm urging you to take time every morning to do just that. Picture what you want no matter how outrageous it may seem, Don't wait because the time will never be just right, be passionate and believe in yourself.

What if you fail?

To quote Bob: "If you're not failing, you're not learning".

I'll be posting extensive pictures of him and my dad very shortly and will let you know how to get a hold of the interview as soon as it's available.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Never rest on your laurels

Yesterday we re-connected with Nick Hewitson, World Muay Thai Champion, with over 100 fights to his credit without ever suffering a loss.

Nick Hewitson & Sibok Martin

In past blogs I had mentioned we had met him while touring in Europe earlier this year.


A very nice man and very knowledgeable in his field. What he teaches is very authentic, brutal and challenging. I realize this is not for everybody. That's why a special program will be offered in our schools for those who want to step up to that level.



Most Muay Thai schools today offer a very watered down version of the art. To quote Nick: "Alot of people today just want to wear the nice shorts and pretend they're doing Muay Thai".

I found it inspiring that even after retiring from fighting professionally, he's still training, still tough, still in shape and still passionate about the art.

Naturally we gravitated towards him since he shares some of the same beliefs about training intensity, assholes on forums who talk a big game, belly masters and the like.

Sifu Patrick holding pads

You can never rest on your laurels and that goes for you too. Always challenge yourself and seek out new ways to push yourself past certain thresholds.

Without a doubt if it wasn't for the training we regularly subject ourselves to with our Station Training we wouldn't of been able to complete the drills he asked us to perform.

Since we train to end a confrontation in 30 seconds or less, a minor adjustment had to be done to last 4 minute +
rounds.

Once again it reinforces the element I've been talking about for a while now, Conditioning First, once that is in place you can make everything else happen.


Train in as many ways possible, change it up, make sure that you're doing full body workouts, train to exhaustion, switch intervals from 1 minute through 5 minutes, and train your will to never give up.

Those are the core elements of Station Training. Everything has been laid out for you in our Strength Training Kits.

Training the way we do leaves you ready to tackle any physical activity and gives you the ability to adapt to any sport or workout.

Be careful not to do "Too much, Too soon". Station Training is the perfect way to build your endurance in such a way that is progressive, at your own pace, and already tested for you.

Maybe you don't want to step in the ring with a Muay Thai fighter but you want to make damn sure you're in the best possible shape and that you're commited to stay strong, healthy and vibrant for as long as you can.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

Asking the right questions

Every morning when I wake up I get a flash of inspiration, an idea or subject to cover during my e-mails.

Coincidence?

Not so.

Before I retire at night I ask myself the right questions and in the morning I have my answer.

My subconscious does the searching while I sleep. You too can use this technique to attract what it is you want.

You can use it to attract winning ideas, better health, more happiness, a solution to a problem, etc...

Also, asking the right questions in the morning upon arising will help start your day with a positive outlook rather than leaving it to chance. With the right outlook, the challenges you face daily will probably look more like opportunities instead of problems.

Through my dad's work with Tony Robbins, who is famous for asking the right morning questions, I've compiled some of the best ones for you to use.

1) What am I most happy about today?
2) What am I most excited about today?
3) What am I most proud of?
4) What am I most grateful for?

They are a wonderful tool in reshaping and developing a more positive attitude toward everything you do.

At night when you retire, just before falling asleep, ask yourself these 2 evening questions to seal the day and prepare for the next one:

1) What did I learn today?
2) How did I contribute today?

The evening questions are designed to recount the daily accomplishments that you might have otherwise forgotten about.

The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your life experience.

"If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one". ~Cavett Robert

Everything starts with Attitude.

You attract what you think about the most. Be careful.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

P.S. "When you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you've growled all day long." ~Author Unknown

Speaking of questions I'm finalizing my list of questions for my celebrity guest interview this weekend, will let you know how you can get a hold of it once it's done.

What makes a REAL Champion

I was listening to Boxing Legend, Sugar Ray Leonard last night talking about what makes a real champion, it's not how many fights you've won, it's not how tough you think you are, it's the ability to take what you've learned in the ring and applying it outside the ring in your personal and professional life.

Sugar Ray Leonard

This is the key and it's in perfect sync with our philosophy about training in the martial arts.

LIFE is a combat, not what you see on TV.

Every fighter out grows wanting to prove himself in a ring, cage or pit.

The smart ones have already planned their exit strategy, and have lined up alternate ways of maintaining if not exceeding their standard of living after their fighting career is over.

This is what I want for all the students of FSD. That you realize you possess a powerful tool to make every area of your life better.

Just like you seek to improve every physical aspect of martial arts like speed, power, flexibility, flow, and endurance, the same energy needs to be invested in your personal development.

Refusing to be average, facing fears head on, visualizing first - acting second, developing self-confidence, transfering the intensity you have when striking bags and targets to tackle any problem, task, project, work related issues, or new venture you might be undertaking.

It is way more satisfying to me to see a student (whether in our schools or anywhere around the world who follows what we do because of the wonders of the internet) improve on a personal level through martial arts than to see a student let's say... apply a perfect cross body arm bar.

Whatever life throws at martial artists, they will adjust, re-direct, counter, and roll with it, all the while finding a way to learn from it.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S. Through a mutual friend of my father's, I've found another man who shares the same views about using martial arts as a means to improve every aspect of your life, he is very well known, his identity I will keep secret for now until the interview is complete, he was a very close friend of Bruce Lee. More details to follow....

P.P.S. "To follow through and revel in the smallest of successes, to realize the old you is nothing but a forgotten shadow, barely remembered apart from making fun of."