Podcast Episodes

Dr Jarrod Spencer from Mind of the Athlete, LLC is an expert on emotional health and how to handle anxiety. He’s back with Tim and Steve to share more helpful tips and to talk about his exciting new series with iFIT involving workouts to strengthen your mind. A few of the things you’ll hear include:Catastrophizing — what it is and how to avoid itFind a mentor and emulate them if you like how they move, act, speak, etcMore on the "what-if" state we've been discussing and not ...

In combat sports, feinting is used often to deceive an opponent. For example: pretending to hit the body but then going for the head instead. If you react to every feint in life (as in something that will hurt you minimally or not at all) you'll live in constant fear and anxiety. It's that "What-if" state we've been discussing.Learn to build yourself up to take some of those lesser blows — so that you're not lured into a knockout blow, and so that your defenses are stronger to handle a big b...

A couple weeks ago Tim mentioned he’s noticed that more and more he’s appreciating certain things his dog does. And Steve just got a new puppy. So this episode has “gone to the dogs!”We’re joking around, but in all seriousness, there are so many things we can learn from dogs — from their behavior, personality, and resilience — to their unconditional love, loyalty, and companionship until their very last breath. There's a reason we call them “man's best friend.”

Fear of all the "what-ifs" slows you down, inhibits you, and reduces the quality of your life.This fear leads to chronic anxiety. Tim and Steve talk about eliminating these "What-Ifs" — living in the silent space of your mind (the gaps between thoughts), ignoring the unnecessary “chatter," and developing your true inner voice. Strengthen your inner self — your feelings, intuition, values, beliefs, personality, thoughts, emotions, and purpose.“Silence isn’t empty, it’s full of answers.” —...

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 LeeTime 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...

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:ConfidenceDisciplinePatienceFitness

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:IgnoranceGullibilityStubbornnessFoolishnessHe, 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." — C...

“Life is everything and nothing all at once.” — Billy CorganTim and Steve talk about seeing nothing while seeing it all, along with:AttitudeAwarenessFocus

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” — Zig ZiglarLen, 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 lifeWho does Anthony believe was mentally, physically, and spiritually evolved in a way that we, today, can not even fathomProof of how responsibility, challenge, and adversity leads to one bec...

“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 WaitleyIf 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...

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 thi...

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 n...

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 ColorosoAll 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 ...