I’ve been all aflutter this last week in anticipation of today. Some nerves but mostly excitement! So when I woke up this morning, I was surprised. My thoughts did not mimic the excitement, the thrill of the challenge. No. I very negatively thought, *Oh, now I have to do ____.* My first test of motivation. Whenever I had trouble with …

Woke up on day one of the UBBT journey and first changed my son’s diaper.Once that was completed onto 15 minutes of breathing and meditation. Did 3 reps of 25 pushups and then 50 crunches followed by 25 more. Once home tonight I will go on my 3 mile run around Burberry park by my house. Then 3 sets of …

A few weeks ago Lisa S. wrote a journal entry about establishing a baseline. It motivated me. I’ve been an athlete for… ever, basically. Still, never occured to me to establish a baseline, a starting point for each new goal. So I started experimenting for what my baseline around the UBBT challenge might be. My biggest concern was around time …

Some of you have wondered how in the world I plan to achieve all of the goals that I laid out for myself for the coming year. 50,000 push-ups and sit ups? Run a 1,000 miles? Run every kata 1,000 times? I do it the same way we do everything. One day at a time. Here’s how my day looks …

Hello, I’m Tom Callos –and I think it’s fair to say that I am a “part of the village” that helps your teacher, Sensei Mike Oliver, do what he does…better. I live in Hilo, Hawaii, but my work and my interests reside in just about every place where people practice the martial arts. I created the idea that is “The …

I sent this letter out today to my family and friends–everyone that I want to include in my test (the world!). This is an example of what you might use if you are on this years UBBT team as a public declaration of your goals. Post it here, e-mail it, share it on Facebook. Get the word out to as …

I must have spoken some words, taken some steps, to sign on for the Ultimate Black Belt Test. How did that happen? I just got here! The short answer is that I am intrigued by the physical, mental, and spiritual challenge it presents and the potential transformation. On one level it is the least likely thing that I would do–make …

The closer December first gets, the more overwhelmed I feel. What did I commit to?! Can I really do this?! The real question is why should I do this. What first attracted me to the challenge is the intensity. Lately I’ve felt unbalanced in my own body. The weight I carry is heavy on my thin bones so it is …

I sent this out today the the students, parents, and affiliates of our school that have already committed to being on this year’s team. I know that some others of you have expressed interest in taking on this challenge but are still on the fence. That’s ok. We only have 4 spots open (I’m only allowed to include 10 people …

The Ultimate Black Belt Challenge is some strenuous requirements: 50,000 push-ups 50,000 sit-ups 1,000 miles via running/walking/biking/swimming 1,000 kata repetitions 1,000 Acts of Kindness 15 minutes of daily meditation 10 short films 10 books focused on personal development or martial arts 3 Personal Goals 1 weekly online journal 1 Community Service Project Wow oh wow! Crazy as those are, I …