Pajama Lessons: Living an Eastern Discipline in a Western World

By Rodney Robertson

When one sees the title of this book, the first questions that might come to mind is what kind of title is that? And what is so challenging about pajamas?

The answer is that while pajamas are comfortable clothes that we put on for comfort, there is much they can teach us. Using the analogy of pajamas to martial arts uniforms, the book Pajama Lessons: Living an Eastern Discipline in a Western World shows readers that if they can learn to appreciate both the simplicity and complexity of their pajamas and sashes. They can apply the martial arts lessons learned in those pajamas and from those pajamas to their daily lives. By learning to look at something relatively mundane from another perspective, the reader can gain understanding of how martial arts pajamas and the lessons learned while wearing them can increase strength, both physical and mental, and ignite a passion for whatever the reader attempts to accomplish.

Pajama Lessons is a thought-provoking book that encourages readers to truly observe the ordinary things they do, wear, and sometimes take for granted, to glean knowledge from them to better live their lives, both in and out of the dojo.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514477922

Rodney Robertson

Rodney Robertson has been practicing martial arts for over three decades. He is the author of many books available to anyone who is inspired to improve themselves. He has authored the following: “The Dictionary for Life” “Stop the Bully, It Starts with You” “Flex Your Yes Muscle” “The Measure of a Martial Artist” “Victor over Victims Self-Defense Guide” “The Elements of Nature” “Spiritual Ears” “Flex Yourself” “When I Change Diapers” “The Virtues of a Martial Artist” “Picture Perfect” “S.P.A.R.R.I.N.G.” “Self-Offense “ “Fall Down, Fail Forward” Master Robertson can be emailed at [e-mail]. You can personally ask him any question about martial arts or self-improvement, and he will respond.

Book preview

PAJAMA

LESSONS

LIVING AN EASTERN

DISCIPLINE IN A

WESTERN WORLD

RODNEY ROBERTSON

Copyright © 2016 by Rodney Robertson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/29/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

738752

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

The Identity Of A Uniform

Chapter 1    Basic Pajamas

Chapter 2    Tough Material Uniform

Chapter 3    V-Neck Pajamas

Chapter 4    Soft Pajamas

Chapter 5    Aikido Pants Pajamas

Chapter 6    Flashy Pajamas

Chapter 7    Samurai Battle Pajamas

Chapter 8    Ninja Pajamas

Chapter 9    Belts and Sashes

Chapter 10    White Belt Meaning

Chapter 11    Yellow / Orange Meaning

Chapter 12    Green Belt Meaning

Chapter 13    Purple Belt Meaning

Chapter 14    Blue Belt Meaning

Chapter 15    Brown Belt Meaning

Chapter 16    Meaning of Red Belt

Chapter 17    Jr. Black Belt and Black Belt Meaning

Chapter 18    Inside the Pajamas

Chapter 19    The Mind

Chapter 20    The Body

Chapter 21    The Heart

Chapter 22    Yin-Yang

Chapter 23    Unsuccessful Qualities

Chapter 24    Successful Qualities

Chapter 25    Lessons From the Curriculum

Chapter 26    Fusion

Chapter 27    Evolution

FOREWORD

When I was asked to write the foreword for this book, Pajama Lessons, Living an Eastern Discipline in a Western World, a few questions came to mind. Why would I be asked to write the foreword, when there were so many others with far more experience and knowledge than I? What could I possibly write about pajamas, and what kind of title is that anyway?

I’ve been training for well over 10 years in martial arts, and one of the many philosophies we are taught is mental fitness. While the term does pertain to intelligence, mental fitness is not just about being sharp. Mental fitness is not just knowing your curriculum, it is about seeing beyond what you see physically, and using your third eye, your inner vision, to look beyond the surface and visualize what else there may be. And so, in reading this book, even with over 10 years of training, I blush to say that I’ve been somewhat blind to my pajamas. Every evening we put on our pajamas, but what we do not realize is that every day we put on our pajamas as well. After a while, the wearing of the pajamas becomes routine. Putting them on and taking them off so routinely causes us to overlook their uniqueness, and, as a result, we miss the greatest lessons that our pajamas can teach us.

So, what is so challenging about pajamas? They are comfortable clothes that we settle into and get comfortable in, so much so that we no longer think about them. So why is this a challenge? To answer this question, we will talk about challenge.

I myself am challenged every day. My challenge comes with sharing my perseverance with others, to inspire them, to provide a deeper value to the statement Yes I can, so that they are more confident and determined to work toward their goal. I myself have also been physically challenged by an inflammatory disease of the muscles called polymyositis. In short, muscle weakness is my adversary. Unfortunately for this adversary, I have, as we all do, a dual nature, and I have chosen to feed the stronger side of myself to overcome this adversary. And now, with my aikido pajamas, I have the ability within me to advance and strike when my adversary least expects it.

The book Pajama Lessons, Living an Eastern Discipline in a Western World shows us that if we can learn to appreciate both the simplicity and complexity of our pajamas and our sashes and all of the threads that make them what they are, we could have a deeper appreciation for whatever we attempt to do. When we come to understand how our pajamas lend to our strengths and improve our perceptions, and how a simple piece of cloth, such as a sash, can teach us a respect of then and now, we can maintain or reignite our passion for whatever we attempt to accomplish.

Pajama Lessons is a thought-provoking book that encourages readers to truly observe the smaller things they do, and wear, and sometimes take for granted, and how the concealed knowledge of those things can help you, the reader, to be the best YOU that you can ever be.

Karen Black, third dan black belt, certified instructor

Martial Arts World, Tuskawilla

Student of Master Rodney Robertson, sixth dan black belt, author, motivator and inspirational teacher of all who he encounters

Always and respectfully, your student,

(Full bow) mudo! and thank you sir

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INTRODUCTION

I began the concept of writing this book years ago, but I decided to put it into ink on the eve of my 40th birthday. I have been, since the age of nine, active in the study of the martial arts. My specialty has been the attention to the hard arts: years of Korean taekwondo, kickboxing, Japanese Shotokan and Praying Mantis kung fu, which is one of the harder styles of Chinese training. I later developed a patience and love for tai chi to complete my sense of inner balance. So many disciplines and so many years of Living an Eastern discipline in a Western World. I have felt the growth and the clash of the titans I call the yin-yang, or eastern and western. A life of learning, studying, and researching the martial arts and their pure identity within me is the gift I give to myself. To teach and write is my gift to all I encounter, to release much of what I have learned to make sense of my mind, body and heart. The martial arts have now been part of my life since the age of nine. The study of martial arts has been my companion. It has traveled with me throughout my teens, my twenties, my thirties, and now my forties. My guess is that if God is willing and the universe is driven, my study of martial arts will carry me the rest of my life, as it breaks records in being my longest running relationship.

This book is uniquely titled Pajama Lessons, since I have spent such a huge part of my life dressed in them. While the lessons in this book may appear comfortable like pajamas, they are nothing to sleep on. Truly the lessons in this book, the lessons I have learned from my martial arts training, both physical and mental, are priceless from year to year and uniform to uniform. The uniforms may have changed here and there, but never did they waver in adding teachings most valuable to my life. These teachings govern a huge part of who