Pankratos

'lt is the mark of a great fighter when he has character, plus skill, because a fighter with character and skill will often rise and beat a better fighter because of this. Character is that quality upon which you can depend on under presure.'

- Cus D'Amato

Closing doors: Very often in grappling scenarios it is quite obvious what the space an opponent has to move through in order to get to what he wants is. In such cases it’s often a good idea to put roadblocks in the path of that possible movement ahead of time. If he is naive and tries to blast through anyway - he will come right into your defenses and you’ll get a great opportunity to not only stop him, but also to counterattack during a moment of weakness. If he tries to find an alternative route it will usually be less favorable and quite predictable since the remaining options are typically small in number. Either way, putting your own traffic in the path of oncoming traffic is a great way to slow things down and create control over movement and decision making - and that’s a big part of what control is in this game.

"Вы не должны сравнивать себя с другими, и если природа создала вас летучей мышью, вы не должны пытаться стать птицей страусом. Вы иногда считаете себя странным, вы корите себя за то, что идёте иными путями, чем большинство. От этого вам следует отучиться. Смотрите на огонь, смотрите на облака, и когда у вас возникнут видения и в вашей душе заговорят голоса, положитесь на них и не спрашивайте, угодно ли, понравится ли это господину учителю, или господину папе, или какому-нибудь боженьке! Так губят себя. Так сливаются с толпой и становятся окаменелостью."

Каждый миг неостановим, он есть врата, в них нельзя задержаться...

А. Р. Басов, Самурай. Легенда

Жизнь обычного человека - не более чем песчинка перед лицом Вечности. Самураи умели распоряжаться каждым днём и часом своего земного существования, не тратя драгоценного времени попусту, наслаждаясь текущим моментом и испытывая глубокое эмоциональное удовлетворение от осознания того, что ничто в этом мире не повторяется дважды. Как раз это и наделяло их жизнь особым смыслом и дарило ей непередаваемое словами очарование мимолётности бытия.
В многовековых традициях Страны восходящего солнца синтоистские врата Тории стали олицетворением кратковременности всего сущего и живым напоминанием того, что каждый миг своей скоротечной жизни человек стоит на пороге Вечности и в любой момент может оказаться по другую сторону мироздания, перейдя из суетного и эфемерного мира живых в бесконечный мир ками.
В течение жизни мы проходим одни Врата за другими в нашем сакральном путешествии к Небу... Картина, выполненная тушью и акварелью, призывает нас всегда помнить об этом и устремляться только вперед.

Struggle builds character.
Don't try to skip it.

The Roman legion was one of the most effective military institutions ever created.

While many ancient armies relied on seasonal levies, tribal loyalties, or temporary alliances, Rome built something far more dangerous: a professional fighting machine. Every legionary was trained, equipped, and organized according to the same standards, allowing thousands of men from different regions to operate as a single force.

A Roman soldier was expected to do far more than fight.

He marched long distances carrying weapons, armor, tools, food, and construction equipment. At the end of a day's march, the legion did not simply rest. Soldiers dug ditches, raised earthworks, and constructed fortified camps, creating secure positions wherever they stopped. Roman armies often built entire miniature cities overnight.

Their discipline became legendary.

Officers enforced strict standards, and every soldier knew his place in battle. Formations could advance, retreat, rotate, and maneuver with remarkable precision. The famous testudo, or "tortoise" formation, allowed soldiers to lock shields together overhead and on all sides, creating protection against arrows and missiles during sieges.

Yet Rome's greatest strength was adaptability.

The Romans constantly studied their enemies and borrowed useful ideas. They adopted weapons, tactics, armor designs, and engineering techniques from cultures they encountered. Defeat was rarely accepted as permanent. Instead, it became a lesson for the next campaign.

The legions were also supported by a vast logistical network. Roads connected distant provinces, supply depots fed armies hundreds of miles from home, and engineers built bridges, siege engines, and fortifications wherever needed. Rome understood a truth many rivals ignored: battles win wars, but logistics sustain empires.

This combination of discipline, engineering, training, and organization allowed Rome to expand from a small city-state on the Tiber River into a Mediterranean superpower controlling territory from Britain to the Middle East.

For nearly five centuries, Roman legions stood at the center of that achievement.

Many empires possessed brave warriors.

Rome built something rarer.

It built a system.

'l really haven't any 'fighting face.' l've seen pictures of boxers that were evidently intended to frighten opponents but l don't think l ever looked mad or even mean-looking in the ring. Why should l? Boxing is a clean and fair sport where a man should be able to take a punch without showing resentment. l've stopped many a wallop and never got mad and furthermore l am not going to.'

- Harry Greb