In a world of slippery, empty titles,
this truth to God we thank:
Rank Does Not Make The Man,
The Man Makes The Rank.
Ranks of this world will not be recognized in the next.
High rank and soft manners may not always belong to a true heart.
It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.
We live in an age with effort waning,
with riches expected sans work;
but in all reality and actuality
There Can Be No Excellence Without Effort.
Much effort, much prosperity.
Success is dependent on effort.
The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.
I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
It is, arguably, the most difficult thing in life. Any guesses what that might be? How about the loss of a loved one, especially your spouse whom you’ve loved and lived with for your entire adult life?
It was November 04, 2024 that our KIA feature was, sadly, R.I.P. Liz “Quasar” Avram, Kiado-Ryu Black Belt #46. Today, August 04, 2025, Dean Avram, Quasar’s husband, gives an update on Quasar’s passing back on 27 October 2024.
With any project you undertake,
to limit stress and insure progress,
the cardinal rule is simply this:
Preparation Is The Key To Success.
To be prepared is half the victory.
Luck favors the mind that is prepared.
Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success.
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.
In finding the mark and hitting it,
as we our goals pursue,
the key to raising the Cup is
Not To But Through.
I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through - then follow through.
In martial arts, one of the keys to generating devastating power is penetrating the target, i.e., not focusing to the target but rather through the target. When we strike at the front of a target, even though we may hit it, our strike will have little effect because of its lack of depth. However, if rather than merely hitting the target, we project and strike through it, our effective power will be greatly enhanced.
The meanings of strength are many,
but one thing is for sure,
in the struggle-strewn strife of life
Strength Is The Ability To Endure.
You only have to endure to conquer.
What does not kill me makes me stronger.
The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.