Summary:

In Episode #215 Ari interviews [Rodney King](http://coachrodneyking.com/), creator of [Crazy Monkey Defense](http://www.crazymonkeydefense.com/) – a modern system of self-defense and mindful living.

The personal skills and attitudes Rodney learned from martial arts took him from the streets of Johannesburg to success.

Listen as Ari and Rodney discuss mindfulness on the mat, and how the lessons of fortitude, resilience, and non-aggression can create success in business.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

– 13:53 – Welcoming Rodney to the show

– 14:21 – Crazy Monkey Defense is a modern self-defense lifestyle brand

– 14:55 – Designed to help people to take on the martial arts of everyday life

– 15:40 – Incorporates elements from multiple systems and Rodney’s own experience

– 17:10 – Teaches de-escalation as well as effective self-defense

– 18:22 – De-escalation through body language

– 20:00 – “Nobody wants to get into a fight”

– 21:00 – A hyper-aggressive approach to self-defense is dangerous – it’s best to get out

– 21:50 – “Martial arts is about restraint”

– 22:30 – “Knowing when to stop is important in every part of your life”

– 23:00 – “Killer instinct is unhelpful both in martial arts and in the business world”

– 24:10 – It’s important to have a Zen mind – to be calm instead of emotional

– 25:10 – Accept how you are feeling, put it aside, and move toward your goals

– 25:55 – Rodney grew up in the south of Johannesburg

– 26:30 – Was kicked out of his house at the age of 17

– 27:05 – “I’ve always been pretty self-aware…I decided to choose my path and choose my attitude”

– 28:00 – Martial arts training developed resilience and fortitude for Rodney

– 28:45 – Decided to teach people how to bring the internal skills from martial arts into their leadership and their life

– 30:20– _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– Your story is what holds you back: change the story you tell yourself – Practise mindfulness

– Just because you feel or think a certain way, doesn’t define the outcome – Visit [Rodney’s website](http://www.coachrodneyking.com) or [Full Contact Living](http://www.fullcontactliving.org/) for more information

Key Points:

– Accept how you’re feeling. There are no negative emotions – every emotion has a role. Accept what’s happening inside you, remain calm, and keep moving towards your goals.

– Be mindful of the story you’re telling yourself. Change the story and you’ll change your outcomes.

– You are always free to choose your attitude and your reaction to a situation. Exercise that freedom.

– Practice restraint. Don’t be controlled by aggression, either in martial arts or in business. Resources Mentioned: – [Scatter Dot](https://scatterdot.com/add_to_slack?ref=producthunt)

– Share an image in Slack and point to it synchronously or asynchronously – [Notarize](http://www.notarize.com)

– Visit a notary digitally – [How To Tell If Someone Is Lying](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying/) – [PaperJet](https://www.paperjet.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Automatically creates fillable forms from PDF documents – [SkipLino](http://skiplino.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Skip the line at restaurants and venues – [Halo Neuro](https://www.haloneuro.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Increase athletic performance by rewiring your brain – [Nexar](https://www.getnexar.com/?ref=producthunt)

– A dashcam app that records events Sponsored By: [EarthClassMail](https://www.earthclassmail.com/)

– Earth Class Mail helps you move your snail mail to the cloud. Visit [www.LessDoing.com/postal](http://www.lessdoing.com/postal) to get signed up now! Text DOLESS to 33733 to sign up for the Less Doing Newsletter Credits

– Original Music provided by [Felix Bird](http://2014.felixbird.com/)

– Audio Production by [Chris Mottram](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-mottram/96/b12/708)

– Show Notes provided by [Mallard Creatives](http://www.mallardcreatives.com/Testimonials) ——- [Ge — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message