Podcast Episodes

Tim has noticed that he’s become more ritualistic the older he gets. He’s realized to get the things he wants, to feel the way he wants to feel, and to have a happy life — the importance of consistency and rituals cannot be understated. Tim Hawk is also on this episode, reminding us to make rituals “our own.”

"If you love life, don't waste time — for time is what life is made up of.” — Bruce Lee Time is the most valuable commodity. To get ahead in life, we must not waste time . Choose wisely who and what you spend your time on . In the 70s, when the song “22,000 Days” by The Moody Blues was written, it represented the average life expectancy of a person — around 60 years. In recent years, that has increased to about 75 — which brings it to roughly 27,000 days. Regardless, the song’s not about numbers...

A couple weeks ago when Master Tim Hawk joined Tim Hoover and Steve Mittman he talked about the benefits he’s experienced from training in the martial arts for 60 years — including confidence, discipline, patience, and fitness. Continuing where he left off, he discusses what he’s gained mentally and spiritually.

Can you have too much discipline? What about confidence? Can it get out of control? Speaking of control — can one have too much self-control? Or how about being so aware of everything that you become paranoid. Life is all about having a perfect balance. It’s the ancient philosophy of yin and yang . “I hold this as a rule of life: too much of anything is bad.” — Terence

After training for 60 years, Master Tim Hawk has learned a thing or two that have carried over to everyday life. He shares his observations with us on these things and more: Confidence Discipline Patience Fitness

Soon-to-be Doctor Cyrus Sholevar joins Tim and Steve to discuss how the martial arts have impacted his life. He attributes self-discipline to being able to focus on reaching goals, achieving difficult tasks, and overcoming discomfort — while pushing himself to new heights.

Getting back to basics is the simplest way to find calm in this chaos. Forget biohacking or looking for the next healthy fad, let’s stick with straightforward, commonsense health basics. “There is absolutely nothing more important than meeting our basic human needs.” — Abraham Maslow “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful.” — Eric Thomas

Bernie shares his version of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which he views as: Ignorance Gullibility Stubbornness Foolishness He, Tim, and Steve also talk about fear — how some use it for control to make you do or say things you might not otherwise. Focus and awareness are good — and both are necessary — but too much focus (and not on the right things) can lessen your overall awareness. "Listen to the whispers, and you won't have to hear the screams." — Cherokee proverb "Two things are inf...

“Life is everything and nothing all at once.” — Billy Corgan Tim and Steve talk about seeing nothing while seeing it all, along with: Attitude Awareness Focus

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” — Zig Ziglar Len, Tim, and Steve talk about faith, family, friends, and fellowship. If you have something positive to share, it's important to do so, because you can never underestimate the effect you may have on others. After listening to our podcast episode, watch this video with Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly:

As we talked about before , the flagship school of Hoover Karate Academy has been sold. Many memories live on, and so does HKA's Allentown location. Tim, Frank, and Steve have one last conversation inside the old dojo — about the reality of truth and other lessons learned. “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” — Arthur Conan Doyle

Exactly two years ago, long before the pandemic, we had Anthony Droz on the show. Now, with the pandemic upon us, so much of what we talked about is more important than ever: How and why you must maintain the warrior ethos , otherwise you lose it — as the case with anything important in life Who does Anthony believe was mentally, physically, and spiritually evolved in a way that we, today, can not even fathom Proof of how responsibility, challenge, and adversity leads to one becoming stronger me...

“Any change, even a change for the better is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” — Arnold Bennett ”If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” — Maya Angelou ”You must welcome change as the rule, but not as your ruler.” — Denis Waitley If you have a favorite memory from the iconic Hoover Karate Academy (American Karate Studio back in the ‘80s) dojo at Eagle Point in Whitehall, PA please tell us in the comments.

Chelsea from Fuel for Thought Nutrition explains which foods to eat — not just for our bodies to be healthy — but for our minds and emotional health also.

This brief episode prompted Steve Mittman to question if the length of the show really matters as long as there is something inspiring, thought provoking, energizing, or informative. In other words: quantity vs quality — what is more important for you? Do you need both? He suggests it depends on what your priorities are — and just another reason to determine goals and priorities in the first place. Do you agree with Steve’s thoughts? Or do you have a different take on quantity vs quality? Let us...

Last week, Tim Hawk talked about some of the amazing benefits of meditating . In this episode, he takes us through a very simple guided breath meditation that anyone can do — anywhere, anytime.

You don't need to be a Buddhist monk sitting for hours in lotus position to meditate. A simple breathing meditation is something you can do — anywhere, anytime — and it’s free! It's scientifically proven to reduce stress, control anxiety , promote emotional and physical health, lengthen one's attention span, reduce memory loss, generate kindness and compassion, fight addictions, improve sleep , control pain, lower blood pressure, enhance self-awareness, and so many other great things. In this ep...

If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted — you’re not alone. Symptoms associated with emotional exhaustion include: irritability, frustration, difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation, lack of focus, brain fog, and feeling disconnected from others. And those are just some signs! Actual physical issues include: headaches, muscle aches and tension, stomach pain, sleep problems, and more. So what do you do? Tim and Steve share a few suggestions on this episode, and will continue over the next fe...

Last year in January, we suggested letting go of the new year’s resolution mentality . A few months ago, we recommended finding accountability partners to help achieve goals, identify weaknesses, and capitalize on strengths. In this episode, Steve Mittman talks about using an external force to get you where you want to be, and how it’s actually a Law of Nature:

“There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. Eating together, breaking bread together, is one of the oldest and most fundamentally unifying of human experiences.” — Barbara Coloroso All of us at the Attack Life, Not Others podcast and Hoover Karate Academy wish you and yours a Happy and Healthy New Year! If you’re a regular listener of our show, you’ll know we are big proponents of positive rituals and traditions . Sharing a meal is a tradition that builds relationships. It br...

When it comes to mind, body, and spirit, some find it hardest to strengthen and maintain their spirit (especially now). Chris Butynskyi suggests ways to build spirituality. He explains why faith doesn’t have to compete with intellect, nor does it need to clash with reason or science. “To philosophize is to learn to die.” — Michel de Montaigne

Master Tim Hawk joins Sensei Tim Hoover and Steve Mittman. For every action there is a reaction — the ripple effect as we’ve been saying. It’s the description of karma. In a very profound way, Tim Hawk shares his insightful explanation of karma with us. Karma /ˈkärmə/ noun — destiny or fate, following as effect from cause “Realize that everything connects to everything else.” — Leonardo Da Vinci Whether we describe it through physics, or refer to it as the Golden Rule from the Bible, karma is a ...

Next week we have Master Tim Hawk on the show. Tim Hoover and Steve Mittman explain who he is, their relationship, why he'll be on our podcast, how it came to be, and what you'll get by listening to him. Also on this episode: Freezing is fight-or-flight on hold. You’re neither fighting nor fleeing. Realize you’re not necessarily safe, you’re just prolonging what needs to be done. And by not acting or deciding (freezing), circumstances may be chosen for you — because time does not stand still. As...

Our special guest on this show is Tony Grigoli . A few episodes ago we talked about how if you don't like the results you're getting — the “ripple” so to speak — that you might consider jumping into a different pond . In Tony's situation, he literally crossed the pond to the United States to create a better life for his family. Listen to Tony's story. No matter how bad things may appear with COVID, politics, and social unrest, Americans still live in the greatest country on earth. There’s a reas...