Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States from 1901-1909. He was also the youngest becoming president at 42 yrs old.
TR was a sickly child and had asthma. As an adult he was told by his doctor that he had a bad heart and that he should live a quiet life. Teddy rejected this advice and was very active.
After getting pushed around by his fellow hikers while on an outdoor adventure, he took up boxing for self defense. He loved boxing and boxed for many years, including weekly sparring sessions while governor of New York and even as president, until he was hit in the eye and became blind in one eye due to a detached retina. He switched to Jiu Jitsu after that.
TR also liked to skinny dip in the Potomac River during the winter. In addition to boxing and Jiu Jitsu he was also active in hiking, tennis, rowing, horseback riding and polo.
The “Strenuous Life” was a speech he gave in 1899. In the speech TR made the point that you should challenge yourself and you will know the feeling of true achievement and your life will have meaning.
TR also connected this philosophy of life to the United States as a country. At the time the US was a minor regional power in the world and Roosevelt thought we should have a large military and use our power to influence world events for our benefit.
Roosevelt tied the actions of the individual to the nation. The health and wellness of the nation comes from the health and wellness of its citizens.
How we live affects our family and friends and the communities we live in. Our nation is the sum of its parts and we all contribute either positively or negatively.
We are strongly influenced by the thoughts and actions of the people around us. Illness or tough times make it very hard to turn your life around and build a positive and productive lifestyle. The Strenuous Life is a blueprint to success.
Martial arts training is a great way for individuals of all ages to challenge themselves. By effort and dedication students can achieve their goals and build self confidence.
Self confidence opens up a world of possibilities. It is one of the most important benefits of training in martial arts. It helps keep you safe by making you an unattractive target to criminals. It enables you to take on new challenges and succeed in reaching your goals.
If you train or compete in martial arts or any challenging sport or activity you enjoy, you can achieve anything you want in life, just like Teddy Roosevelt.
I’m Bart Axelrod, Krav Maga instructor at EP Martial Arts in East Providence RI and a paramedic in the Boston area.
If you have any questions or comments or if you would like me to write about a quote, you can contact me at Bart@kravmagaprovidence
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