The Fellowship of Uncommon Men

In these articles, I'm going to be putting forth a lot of information, tons of techniques, tips, historical facts, life lessons, philosophies, and describing a variety of skills. Some of the information may be frivolous, some historical or philosophical and some of it may be deadly serious, but it will all be good for your soul. In the words of Bruce Lee, “Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own.”

You might then be thinking, “Hey, I'm not a Navy Seal, a police officer, or anyone special. How am I ever going to be able to use these things? I'm just an average Joe or Jane. (I'm on the two gender side of that argument).

Well, the first step is this. You're not average. If you've read any of my books or articles and have stuck with me this far, then you are definitely not average. You've already separated yourself from the herd. Average people rely on others to do the hard work, the dirty jobs. They wait for and assume that someone else will come to the rescue in their time of need, and help may arrive in due time. But, let me tell you, when SHTF, the one thing you don't have is time.

The difference between having dinner with your family and taking the long nap on a cold slab in a city morgue can be a matter of milliseconds – the blink of an eye, but because you are not that “average” person, you have decided to take responsibility for your own safety and welfare. That is our way. You have chosen to walk the path of self-reliance, hard work, and responsibility. You are the Uncommon Man.

So, from the very second that danger or adversity rears its ugly head, you are the one who has chosen to step up, step forward, and face that evil, or that daunting task, head on and face to face.

Back to the question, how can I learn all of these things? Everyone seems so much better at this stuff than me. They must be “special” or gifted, a natural. Well, let me be the first to tell you. There is no natural – the natural athlete is a myth. It is an excuse for all the average men to quit or to give up trying. Anyone with a superior skillset in any endeavor will tell you that their level of performance is the result of these things; education, hard work, determination and sacrifice.

I have always known that I have learned more from my losses or failures than from my victories. Please note that I did not use the word defeats as this word implies that I am vanquished or crushed in spirit. That can never be the case. Every time I failed, and that was probably a majority of the time, I would regroup, analyze my efforts, and figure out where my deficits lay. Was it my lack of knowledge, poor preparation (inadequate training, or study), insufficient skills, lack of resolve or confidence, or was is that my opponent was just better skilled or prepared than I was?

Whatever it was, that was the place where I had to go to work. But this requires personal honesty – real objective self-evaluation. Almost every time I lost it was because of something I did or did not do. It wasn't because of anyone else or any other external factors. Those I would soon find out are just excuses – it was me. It is not a pleasant exercise to do this because to be truly honest about yourself is to go to a place where most never want to go. It is a place where all the demons lurk, your inadequacies, your self-doubts, your fears and your real self. But it is the only place where you can bring about real fundamental changes in your behavior, your attitude, and transform the real you into a better man.

I hope you can see that I'm not just addressing fighting or training, but a process or a goal to give you the tools to succeed in any endeavor. Whether it's in business, family, personal relationships, or yes, in designing a personal system of self-protection. This formula does not care where it is applied. It just works.

Personal evaluation is not possible without personal honesty. People are often told in order to succeed, that they must double down on their strengths, no. You need to triple down on your weaknesses and make them your strengths. That is the key to impeccability and the realizing of your true potential. That is what makes you an Uncommon Man.

Here is where you must start. I'm going to give you two fundamental principles that all levels of expertise are based on. One cannot exist without the other, and they are the foundation for everything we know.

Principle number 1; every skill that any individual possesses is a skill that has been learned.

Principle number 2; any skill that can be learned is a skill that can be taught – find a teacher.

Mozart was not born knowing how to play an instrument. Einstein wasn't born knowing physics. Babe Ruth wasn't born knowing how to hit a baseball. All of them learned how to do these things. They all had teachers and they all made the choices to do what they did. They took control of their destiny. They were all “Uncommon Men”. You need to believe that you can learn these skills or any skills for that matter if you decide to do so. These individuals were all average men when they started their journeys, just like you and me.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Your skills are no different than the secret commandos of Seal Team 6. The only difference is that they've learned to use their skills much faster and with more precision that the rest of us. How did they do that? Through education, hard work, determination, and sacrifice.

You've already shown me, by reading this far that you want to be an Uncommon Man. I have given you the two first premises to begin the learning process. Now let us begin the journey towards that goal. And, as stated, so elegantly, but simply by one who is a truly inspirational individual, Navy SEAL, David Goggins, (google him) “Your ultimate goal should always be to become an Uncommon Man among Uncommon Men”. This is the sign on the doorway that leads to becoming a warrior.

If you enter, then welcome to the Fellowship of Uncommon Men

Be The Uncommon Man   – Ernest Emerson

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