Tag: martial arts

The Reluctant Ninja Strikes Again!

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

This March marks the 4th year anniversary of the release of my second book, “The Reluctant Ninja: How a Middle-Aged Princess Became a Warrior Queen.” Being an author is exciting, rewarding, and terrifying. Putting yourself out there for all the world to read (and judge) your work is incredibly intimidating, and vulnerable. Sometimes you wonder if it was worth all the hard work and effort. Or if anyone is even paying attention. And then you get an email like this: Hello Cheryl, Our community gathers twice a year for The Book Feast, yet the real momentum builds beforehand through live reader conversations, podcast features, and coordinated engagement around selected titles. When I came across The Reluctant Ninja, it immediately stood out as a story that blends discipline, humor,...

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We All Fall Down…..

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Health Tips.

“Ring around the rosy, pockets full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” Who doesn’t remember playing “ring around the rosy” as a kid? It was fun, silly, and we could play it for hours on end. After all, when we were kids, who didn’t enjoy a good tumble to the ground? Fast forward to our adult years. We don’t paly, we don’t dance in circles, and we sure as heck don’t fall down. We don’t get down on the floor, crawl, or roll. Unfortunately, if we don’t do it, we won’t do it, and eventually we can’t do it. And then we develop a fear of falling. And now it’s winter. It’s cold, snowy, and icy outside, which means that there is a higher risk of slipping on the ice and falling. Uh-oh. Nobody likes...

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An Author’s Life and Receiving Reviews

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Nothing puts an author’s teeth on edge quite like waiting for the editorial reviews to start coming in when their book is finally published. These are reviews by unbiased readers giving their honest opinion of the author’s work. I think it’s only fair to share all of my reviews, not just the good ones. So, in the spirit of full transparency, here is the first review the book received last March, just a few weeks after it was released. Reviewed by A. S. for Readers’ Favorite: “I struggled to become engrossed in the book all the way through and was frequently met with reader fatigue. I’m going to leave the first few chapters out of this because they are profoundly raw, honest and, even through the pain expressed, they are beautifully written. However, halfway...

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The Pilgrimage

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I stood quietly in the middle of the dojo floor and listened respectfully while Sensei yelled at me.  He had progressed from yelling to screaming, and by now he had been screaming non-stop for thirty minutes. I was keeping track of the time by sneaking peeks at the clock on the wall at the end of the dojo. It was quite impressive to witness Sensei’s ability to find new things to yell about, as well as his stamina for screaming. He certainly was a creative screamer, and apparently, I was giving him plenty of reasons to scream at me. I didn’t know where he was getting his energy from, but at least one of us had some staying power. Personally, I was exhausted, but knew better than to admit it. Over the past half hour, we had established a predictable rhythm. My partner would attack me, I would...

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The Reluctant Ninja

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I am beyond excited to announce that the manuscript for my next book, The Reluctant Ninja, has just been turned over to my fantastic editor, Donna Mazzittelli of Merry Dissonance Press. Here is a sneak peek. PREFACE I unlocked the door to the dojo and stepped across the threshold. I removed my shoes, respectfully bowed to the Kamidana and walked across the mat toward the dressing rooms. My stocking feet whispered softly across the padded floor, barely making a sound as I crossed the length of the mat. At the end of the mat, I turned, bowed again, and made my way to the ladies dressing room. My gi was hanging neatly on the hanger with my belt draped across its shoulders, exactly where I left it one year earlier. The only change was the thick layer of dojo dust that covered my uniform. It...

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Patience, Perseverance, and Number #1 Best Seller

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Patience and perseverance are two valuable principles I learned in my martial arts training. It means that our focus is on the journey, rather than the end result. And it explains why the students that come to our dojo with their primary goal of becoming a black belt are usually gone in just a few months. Because everything takes time and effort. The same applies to every aspect of life. Focus on the journey, put in the time, the effort, and see what unfolds. That’s exactly what happened when I published my first book. I just focused on the journey, even though it was incredibly labor intensive. When I heard that the “real work” in writing a book begins after it’s published, I found it hard to believe. After all, it took me two and a half years to write it. In reality,...

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Episode #43: The Magic Of The Fourth Stripe

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Femininja Podcast.

Captain Mark Hardcastle returns to The FemiNinja Project to share his insights of the magic of the fourth stripe, including how to be the captain of your own life. He describes how we can steer the direction of our life by how we choose to engage in it and how we interact with other people. Mark explains that we are all in a position in life to touch each other in a positive way through very simple gestures of kindness. Mark also shares the secrets to conquering our fears, exercising our courage muscle, and how each one of our lives are extraordinary. He concludes with a dark and stormy night, but we will save that story for another time. Download this episode for uplifting and motivating information, and learn how to release the magic of your own fourth stripe. Listen to Mark’s previous...

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How To Get Out Of Your Own Way

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

Sometimes you just have to get out of your own way. Or, more specifically, out of your mind. As someone who has been out of my mind more often than I care to admit, I understand how sometimes your mind can mess with your head. And your goals. And especially your dreams. One of the things I learned as a brand new martial arts student was how to get out of the way of an attack. And I was really, really good at it. My technique of choice was to cover my head with my gi top and run off the mat screaming, “Don’t touch me!” Ah, yes. Those were the good old days. Eventually I was able to get out of my head and into my body to stay engaged with my attacker and gracefully step out of the way. Soon after that, I was able to step back into my attacker and take him down. It was a slow...

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Episode #13: Everything’s A Weapon

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Femininja Podcast.

Here’s a fun-filled ninja secret which I learned even before I began my martial arts training. It was my teacher’s favorite subject, which was, “Everything’s a weapon.” I thought he was insane. Until I finally began training with him and realized he was right. The reality is that we do need tools to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, another reality is that a weapon can easily be taken away from us by an attacker and used against us. So, what’s a person to do? The answer is in this episode. Download this episode to discover the one secret weapon that every woman needs in her arsenal. It’s safe, practical, and extremely effective. It rocked my world, and it can rock yours, too!

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Episode 11: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in The FemiNinja Project.

The ability to change our mind is our God-given right. But happens when you change your mind, or more specifically, your mindset? The results can be miraculous, and this miracle of nature is in each and every one of us. It is called neuroplasticity, which simply means that our brain, body, and nervous system can change during the course of our entire lifetime. We are capable of interrupting habits and patterns which may not be serving us well, and causing pain or dysfunction. We can actually change the way we move, think, feel, and sense. Which sounds like a no-brainer (pun intended). However, as recently as twenty-five years ago, conventional wisdom was that this neuroplasticity disappeared around the age of fourteen. Which is really crazy when you think about it. Because there are many...

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