This is great - I didn't suspect it would grow so large and I'm very thankful it has.

In order to help get us over the hump, I want to do a giveaway. This giveaway is rather special because it is going to feature IkigaiWay T-Shirts. These are the first of their kind as IkigaiWay has never had any personal swag outside of stickers.

A custom printing company called OoShirts has been kind enough to offer three shirts for the giveaway. OoShirts is a private startup out of Berkeley California and I am happy to support them.

The Shirts

Here is a peek at the shirts you'll have a chance to win. I will gather the correct sizes after the winners have been declared and contacted.

The front of the shirt features the unique Ikigaiway tree with mitsu domoe. The site name is featured below the emblem. The back of the shirt displays kanji for the famous saying "Fall down seven, stand up eight". A quote that I feel truly embodies what the martial arts can provide in our lives.

How to Enter

Entering for this contest has two easy steps.

1. spread the word about Ikigaiway.com.

You can do this one of two ways. If you have a blog, you can make a mention of the site and link to it. The context of the mention is totally up to you.

The second is by utilizing the Facebook "share" button. Goto the Ikigaiway facebook page, and locate the share button as shown below:

(click the image to enlarge)

2. Tell me you did it.

Drop a quick comment on this blog post to let me know you shared. Be sure to include your email address when filling our your commenting name so I can reach back out to you.

That's it.

How will I know if you actually shared or not? Because you gave me your word that you did, and you are a martial artist. It's what we do and who we are. You're word is good enough for me.

End of Contest

The contest will end after we crest the 10,000 fan mark. At that time, all the participating names will be put into an electronic hat and three will be drawn randomly. Those winners will be contacted in order to get their proper size and shipping address.

Good luck, and thanks for all your support!

I'd like to extend my thanks to everyone who submitted an article. I will be making my selections over the weekend for which articles will appear. The goal will be to get a diverse selection of both experience level and topic.

See you monday!

There's no question that IkigaiWay wouldn't be where it is today without the thoughtful contributions of the community. We've all come together under the idea that it is possible to share and learn online while preserving the spirit of the martial way.

Now I'd like to open the floor and give some readers a platform to share their experiences and ideas. This will be a "Reader's Week" where every day I will feature a new and interesting article.

_

Who's Eligible to Submit an Article?

You are! As you know IkigaiWay is not style-specific, so you can bring whatever experience you have to the table. Whether you're a 30 year vet or a 2 year newbie, it doesn't matter. If you have something interesting to contribute, go for it. Since I'll be acting as your editor and assistant, you needn't be self conscious about matters such as spelling and grammar.

What Should I Write About?

The door is fairly wide open regarding your topic. However, I can give you some general guidelines that will improve your chances of getting selected:

Avoid:

• Attacks on any specific person or organization you happen to dislike
• Promotional bragging about your organization or school
• Raw training schedules about your workouts or routine
• Self aggrandizing biography

Consider:

• Weird or unique historical studies
• Important lessons learned throughout your training
• Memorable experiences with instructors
• Specific concept analysis
• Broad scope trends and goings-on in the martial arts world
• Whatever else you can dream up!

How Long Should the Submission Be?

My articles tend to vary wildly in length. However I would suggest not dipping below three paragraphs. If you start to wonder if your submission should be an ebook, you might have gone on too long.

How Do I Submit?

Submission is easy. First, create your article in a file that is friendly with Microsoft Word, Wordpad, or Notepad (if this is impossible for you, let me know. We can probably make arrangements via Google Docs). Include the text of the submission either in the body of the email you send or as a separate attachment.

Once your article is prepared, click here:

-

-

If the link above does not work, email submissions to ikigai108@gmail.com.

What Are the Benefits of Submitting?

If your submission is selected, you'll gain exposure on an internationally recognized martial arts platform. You can use that as a writing credit or resume builder.

Furthermore, I will feature a small bio snippet of you along with your article which can link back to any blog or school website you happen to be associated with.

You'll also receive an "IkigaiWay Guest Author" badge to place on your website (never before seen).

I will also send you ikigaiway stickers.

Can I Use An Old Blog Post or Previously Published Article?

Although I 'm not inflexibly opposed to older work, I prefer an original piece. In general, Google and other search engines don't care for duplicate content. DC tends to work against the reputation of both sites involved; not to mention that if IkigaiWay ranks higher than your original post, you'll lose traffic for that very same content!

That's no good, so an original article tends to best for both parties.

You retain legal rights to your article, but I ask that you do not republish the work in full anywhere on the web for a year after it appears on IkigaiWay.

What If I Have Questions?

If you have any questions about the process or the validity of your submission idea, just email me at ikigai108@gmail.com. I'll be happy to field any concerns you have.

What's the Deadline For Submission?

I'll be collecting submissions for the next two weeks. The earlier you submit, the better your chances.

Good luck, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Recently, creator Nathan Teodoro of TDA Training moved the forum to a new site, located here.  The new "COCA" utilizes ning, which is very functional, flexible, and easy to use.  Now COCA has the ability to add friends, create groups, chat, and a bunch of other cool social media stuff.

If you're a martial arts writer, it might be worth checking out. If you're a reader, you might want to stop on by and see if there are any discussions going on that interest you.

We are all at a very interesting time in martial arts history right now. Different styles are polarizing away from each other, yet other styles are being created and brought together. It's up to the masters and students of today to decide how things will proceed into the future. I intend to dive into the traditional way of training, my personal experiences as a martial artist, and the intriguing interactions of the martial arts world.

This blog will not serve as a personal diary. Instead, I intend to write legitimate articles interspersed with lighter, yet still informative, pieces.

Thanks once again for stopping by, and I hope to see you frequently!

MA