Never Enough

We are celebrating our second Christmas season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many had assumed and predicted that the pandemic would launch a reset to our untethered drive to accumulate more and more but it is difficult to maintain a proper perspective when it comes to conspicuous consumption. We are constantly bombarded with advertising telling us that we need this product or that and we are conditioned to think that what we have is never enough.

Christmas or not, my daily gratitude practice provides me with a constant reminder that I have everything I need and everything I want. Life is good.

“In eastern traditions, such as Buddhism, the belief is to withhold judgement towards yourself. “You have what you have.” Acceptance of that truth is what allows you to set yourself free from the suffering of never being enough, or never having enough. Being content with who you are and what you have in the present moment can be your key to shutting down that empty feeling. You already hold the key to fulfillment, and that key is acceptance of yourself.” - Chase Jarvis (b. 1971)

Strength and Energy

Kung fu, while being a great way to get get into shape, is so much more than a physical activity. Of course there is all the character development that comes from learning discipline and respect, and there is the obvious self-esteem benefits: followers become leaders and angry people become calm and compassionate. The less obvious benefits from practicing the art, at least for those who never achieve the higher ranks, comes in the form of cultivating your chi, your internal energy.

Energy. Everyone has it but not everyone can use it. It takes years to develop your awareness of your chi and decades longer before you can control and use it. Using chi comes from mindfully practicing the six harmonies or more specifically, practice the three internal harmonies: sprit with intent, intent with chi, chi with strength.

From my experience, the biggest thing in the way of a person mastering those three internal harmonies is their attitude. When I say attitude, I mean the intent behind their actions — what is the thought process behind what they are doing?

Physical output requires engagement. Engagement of the muscles, and the alignment of the skeleton. Internal output (energy) requires letting go and releasing. Yes, a very abstract concept but nevertheless an important concept.

“The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.” - Edsger W. Dijkstra (1930 - 2002)

Effort and Right Effort

Mastering anything requires effort. The great thing about effort is that it is never wasted. The discipline you develop from applying yourself, even if you are unable to attain your goal, has value. The great thing about discipline is that it is transferable to all aspects of your life. 

There is effort and then there is right effort. Again - no effort is wasted BUT if you are not mindful in your effort, there is a risk that you may confuse effort with progress. For sure effort is needed if you want to progress but like an engine running at 10,000 rpms, effort does not always mean you are getting traction and making progress toward your goals.

Right effort is mindful effort. You are not just actively working but you are mindfully working to maximize the benefits of your effort. This is where a mentor can be priceless. A mentor can help you refine your efforts and fine tune them to help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently.

I have been blessed with many great mentors in my life. I have learned that having a good mentor is like having a good tool. It is has value if you use it. Put in the effort and use your mentors to help you direct it correctly.

“We all carry the seeds of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout.” – Epictetus (50 - 135)

Connections

The pandemic has lasted longer than anyone expected and I think everyone is suffering from the relentlessness of the situation. As we approach another lunar new year without the likelihood of being able to celebrate together for the second year in a row, I am becoming more aware of how much I rely upon special events to maintain and reconnect with my friends and mentors. 

Yesterday the Canadian Ging Wu celebrated the grand opening of their new location. I had no idea how much I missed connecting with my peers and mentors right up until I arrived at the event. Seeing Sifu Bok Koh, Sifu Ben Mah, Sifu Bill Gee, Sifu Dale Lee, Sifu Michael Yong, and Sifu Brendan Lee reminded me of how important they all are in my life. At a minimum we tend to reconnect at Chinese New Year events every year but it has been two years since any such event has been possible so yesterday’s event really nurtured my soul.

Kung fu has made me who I am and I owe everything in my life to the art. Nothing though is more valuable to me than the connections I have made on this journey.

“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.” - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

Poverty

I have been meeting with other members of our community to discuss poverty reduction strategies. Today we discussed the resiliency aspect of the topic and I found myself handcuffed by my thoughts. 

If we're working within the existing parameters that have created the issues that presently exist, how can resiliency be addressed? 

Treating symptoms is not the same as solving problems. A municipality committed to eliminating poverty is not going to make a lot of headway unless we have a provincial government with the same level of commitment. 

One step at a time. 

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion about the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it." - Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)

Time to Heal

The past two weeks have been a challenge to train, teach, and engage. I have significant inflammation in one of my knees that is conspiring to keep me off the mats. 



I usually try to push through and around these issues when they flare up but this time seems to be different. Any type of activity is exasperating and prolonging the situation.



As what tends to happen in these situations, life has presented me with an opportunity. A focus group I am part of has a few meetings coming up that are going to interfere with my teaching. Hopefully by taking some time off the mats to attend these meetings, my knee will get a chance to recover enough to allow me to get back to training and teaching the way I am used to within a couple of weeks. 


Always one step forward, no matter what. 

"Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Intent in Hindsight

A fundamental tenet of mindfulness is aligning our actions with our intent. This is why intent plays such a crucial role in the six harmonies of kung fu. Yet what is often missing in a person’s approach is an awareness of realtime intent.

We all can identify instances and situations where we are embroiled in a pursuit that we used to have a deep passion for but now we just seem to go through the motions. What used to stimulate us has just become white noise. What we used to do for pleasure and benefit is now an inconvenient responsibility. What used to be a career is now only a job.

Even though they seem to be polar opposites, the difference between mastery and mediocrity is surprisingly small. That small difference can be found primarily in your intent. Completing the exact same actions with two different attitudes will generate two different results.

If I am completing a task as if it is a hoop to jump through as opposed to it being tool to help me improve myself, the outcome I experience from completing that task can be vastly different. Maintaining a positive intent in our actions is crucial for mastery.

Positive intent cannot be in hindsight, it must be present when we take action. This is where many people fail. They complete their task and reflect after the fact on the benefit of doing such a task. If the awareness of the benefit arrives only after the task is completed, the proper attitude at the time of action was not in place.

Differentiating between a hoop and a tool cannot be an analysis that takes place after action. Your action is what is important so what you are thinking at the time of the actions is just as important. Therefore hindsight is not helpful when analyzing whether or not you did something because it was a hoop or a tool.

Intent must be maintained in realtime, not hindsight.

“How you look at it is pretty much how you’ll see it.” - Rasheed Ogunlaru (b. 1970)

Evolutionary Growth

We tend to, and have been conditioned to, expect instant and obvious results when we apply ourselves to accomplishing a specific goal. A person only needs to checkout the average gym in January every year and then compare the energy and crowds to what you see a couple of months later. All the potential and intent the new year brought has been mostly burned up by March.

What is missing for most people is the understanding of the importance of incremental progression. Lao Tzu has said that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” On an intellectual level, we all understand that. On a practical level, very few accept this.

Approaching our progression and growth as an evolutionary process changes everything. Setbacks become gifts, hoops become ladders, and destinations become journeys. Our perspective and understanding can open doors of opportunity or it can slam them shut. It is either the biggest limitation to our success or the strongest catalyst in our personal growth.

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." - Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1970)

Hoops and Tools

Every certification credential comes with qualifications and requirements to achieve the credential. 

Are those requirements hoops that you must jump through or are they tools to help you acquire the skills to qualify for the credential?

The answer to that question is yes. It will be what you decide it will be. The difference between a hoop and a tool is found in your perspective. 

Every experience, good or bad, brings with it the opportunity for growth. If you think you are being forced to jump through hoops, either it is time to question the value of the credential you are seeking or it is time to fix your attitude of approach to earning that credential.  Either way, you are in control.

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” - Hans Selye (1907 - 1982)

Trajectory and Sustainability

I’ve said it before - mastery is a journey, it is not a destination. While it is an easy concept to understand and agree with, it tends to be a difficult concept to accept. I think our big issue with acceptance is because the average person tends to not accept change. Our bodies and our minds are in constant flux. We are constantly evolving as we continue on our path toward our death. We literally begin our death journey the moment we are conceived. From that point on it is in our nature to grow old, it is in our nature to get sick, and it is in our nature to die. 

Ultimately, mastery is a moving target. There is so much of ourselves that changes day to day, our mastery journey is always adapting to our new situation. Knees wear out, injuries pile up, and our mentors pass on while new ones take their place. Change is inevitable and unstoppable. Change is not good and it is not bad. It is just change. It is what we do with the change that determines if it is good or bad and that ultimately determines our mastery journey’s trajectory. 

Once mastery is recognized as a never ending journey, the trajectory and sustainability  of our journey will become our focus. 

“What you choose today will determine who you are tomorrow.” - Tim Fargo

Obstacle and Ladders

Every limitation and every challenge I have ever had to deal with in my life started out as an obstacle. Torn cartilage in my knee limited my hockey career and continues to impact my kung fu. Coming from a poor family limited my opportunities and created barriers not being experienced by other children. There is not doubt that on the playing field of life, all things are not equal.

When I started kung fu, I was known for my fast, flexible kicks. Even my instructors had to be careful when they sparred with me. My kicks were quick and my most powerful weapons. Then, somewhere between yellow belt and orange belt, reconstruction of my right knee was required to repair a massive tear and subsequent joint damage. I went from the guy who almost exclusively could rely upon his kicks to defeat any opponent to a guy who could not kick meaningfully again for almost eighteen months. Through the eyes of resentment, my kung fu had been completely wiped out. My best weapon was taken away from me and I was set adrift. Today, over thirty years and four more knee surgeries and another reconstruction later, I only see the injury through the eyes of gratitude. 

The path I was on and unwilling to venture off of, was the path of a one-dimensional martial artist. Who needs to work on his hand techniques when his leg techniques are easily taking care of business? Well the guy who just had his legs taken away from him for the next year and a half, that’s who. In those eighteen kickless months I worked hard on my forms and I worked hard on my hands. When I emerged from the other end of that first reconstruction, I was a more complete and well-rounded martial artist. Yes I lost something but I also gained something.  Something wonderful. Something that changed my life. 



Today I am reaping in the benefits of my wonky knees. I earned my black belt because of my bad knees. I met my wife because of my bad knees. Everything I have can be traced and tied to my bad knees. One could argue that I might have been able to earn my black belt without having bad knees but that is not something I even think about. I like where I am and I like who I am. I am the sum of all my experiences and decisions. Changing anything in my past would put everything I currently have in jeopardy. I have nothing but gratitude for my knees and their limitations. For without them, I would not be who I am today. 



Nothing in life is for free. Everything we are and everything we achieve is because of the decisions we make and the actions we take. I can choose to take the path of resentment or I can choose to boldly proceed forward. The bottom line is, I always have a choice. 

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” - Wayne Dyer (1940 - 2015) 

Thanksgiving

As gratitude becomes more entrenched within my daily life, Thanksgiving Day itself subsequently becomes less poignant for me. In fact, every moment of every day is a moment of thanksgiving.

Making gratitude a part of my daily meditation practice has brought a lot of positivity and happiness into my life. Every day is a positive mindful experience helping me improve myself and eliminate stress. Whether it is improving and repairing relationships that are important to me or eliminating relationships that are toxic for me, each day I spend in mindfulness improves my situation and my outlook.

Today is the first Thanksgiving that I have experienced in a world of which my dad is no longer a part. I am grateful that despite my fears, my greatest memories of my father are of how he lived and not of his final years and how he died.

Family, friends, conflicts, mistakes, successes, and failures all have conspired together to bring me to where I am right here and right now. This present moment is filled with gratitude. Thanksgiving.

 

“Because you are alive, everything is possible.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

Intelligent Curriculum

Our annual break-a-thon is an important part of our intelligent curriculum. By seeing the world through another’s eyes, we are developing empathy and compassion which support our ideal of knowledge with humility.

The break-a-thon culminates with each student breaking ten boards to help raise money for charity. But the value of the project is found in what our students learn from the process leading up to the board breaks. Becoming aware of what charities we support and then taking steps to understand why we support them is really what this project is about.

We will be supporting three charities this year. Second Chance Animal Rescue Society has been one of our supported charities for many years now. What better way to develop empathy and compassion than taking the time to help out an animal in need?

The Northern Lights Wolf Centre is another charity we have supported for a few years. Learning how a keystone species like wolves can make or break an ecosystem goes a long way in helping us understand how much power each of us have when it comes to changing the world.

Rahul Bharti has been helping the homeless of Kathmandu for a very long time. In times of COVID the homeless are even more effected than the rest of us in that employment opportunities have completely disappeared and many are facing starvation. Rahul is on the front lines providing food, masks, and hand sanitizer for Katmandu’s homeless. The money we raise is going directly to people who are desperately in need.

“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.” - Barack Obama (b. 1961)

Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th marks the first National Day forTruth and Reconciliation in Canada. I believe this is an important initiative to help bring awareness and understanding of what our indigenous citizens have unjustly endured by the hands of our nation.

Racism and bigotry prevails in our society and in recent years it has even become more socially acceptable to publicly support and spread bigoted ideas and actions. September 30th is an opportunity to reverse this trend. It is an important day for reflection and, hopefully, reconciliation.

I am someone who believes that one of our greatest strengths as a nation is our diversity. Our diversity brings creativity and opportunity to every problem and situation. Pre-conceived ideas and beliefs only limit what we are capable of achieving.

Silent River Kung Fu is observing Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30th and will not be conducting any formal classes on this day. Our students are all encouraged to reflect upon the legacy of residential schools and the systemic racism that still infects our society. In light of the current healthcare crisis in this province, we will not be officially participating in any public events and we are encouraging our students to remain isolated and safe.

“We have been investing in our collective ignorance, and we have to stop." — Marie Wilson

Divsions

Politicians have used fear as a tool to divide the population in an effort to support their political ambitions. It has been a long time since a political leader actually lead by doing what is right for their constituents over what serves their quest for power. There is a vast difference between being a politician and being a leader. Alberta’s current government is an excellent example of what happens when politicians fail to lead.

Leadership must be more than just having power. Leadership should be serve as opposed to expect to be served. Proper leadership inspires everyone to pull together for a common goal, not divides everyone in an attempt to hold on to power.

At the end of the day we end up with the leaders we deserve. If we do not like what we are getting, we can change things by demanding leadership instead of supporting politicians.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” - Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

Incremental Progression & Sustainable Training

I talk a lot about the value of incremental progression. The idea is that a bunch of small acts of mastery will add up to significant improvement. There is a lot of common sense in this approach and the idea is easily understood by most.

An aspect of incremental progression that people do not always appreciate is the idea of sustainable training. Sustainable training is an important aspect of mastery that addresses the fact that whatever you do to attain mastery must be continued if you wish to maintain mastery. Binge training to achieve a short term goal does not always serve long term mastery ambitions. If mastery over your lifetime is the goal, your training regime must be sustainable over your lifetime.

This time of year is when I find myself thinking about sustainable training, incremental progression, and mastery a lot. Of course my thoughts are drawn this direction because this is the time of year my black belt candidates are finalizing their preparations for their black belt grading.

It is difficult to maintain a clear perspective on mastery when a deadline, such as a black belt grading date, is added to the mix. The second a due date is put in front of you, it becomes almost impossible to not panic as you notice the gaping holes in your knowledge and skill. It is important at this time to remind yourself that mastery is an infinite journey, not a final destination.

Approaching your training as a continuous journey will reinforce the ideas of incremental progression and sustainable training. If your goal is to earn a black belt, keep moving forward and you will eventually amass the skill and knowledge necessary to earn the rank. Training in an unsustainable way may help you earn your black belt but that approach will not help you maintain the knowledge and skill after you earn the rank.

The priceless value of mastery is yours if you embrace mastery’s process and not just the accolades that come with it.

“Accolades are there to congratulate you but also to make you understand that it's not over. You now have to continue trying to improve the craft and keep going. It's not something to rest on.” - Joe Morton (b. 1947)

Another Election

We are headed to another federal election this month and the country seems more divided than ever. I had a campaign volunteer for one of the major political parties come to my door this week and the second he was aware that I was not going to vote for his candidate, he became very confrontational and combative. No political discourse, no listening to another’s point of view, just immediate aggression.

Our country has changed a lot since 2006. Gone are the days when our MPs were to vote according to their constituents’ wishes. It is all about the political party and supporting the party leader, not the people who voted for you. It is no wonder that most Canadians ignore who their riding MP is and cast their vote for who they would prefer to be Prime Minister.

Divisive politics used to be the domain of a particular federal political party. Now those tactics are starting to be used by another political party. We no longer have positive campaigns that outline a party’s agenda. Our election campaigns are nothing but misinformation and finger pointing. We are expected to vote for who will do the least amount of damage. It now appears that expecting our elected government to improve the quality of our lives is not considered reasonable or even doable.

Clearly there is more to quality of life in Canada than the quantity of money in my bank account. So how should I cast my vote? Should I vote for the party that best represents my values or should I strategically vote for the party that has the best chance of defeating the party that I feel is going to do the most amount of damage?

“A politician divides mankind into two classes: tools and enemies.” - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

Unknown

It has been a good week getting together with my students and sprucing up our training hall. New paint, new bulkhead, and new connections. 

Taking ownership of your training space has a profound impact on your training. We are blessed to have a space such as ours to train in. By participating in the care and nurturing of that space, our gratitude for what we have is also nurtured. 

It is a difficult time to be an Albertan because of the uncertainty of our situation. Outside of an election, we cannot control our leadership and lack thereof. With our Premier, Health Minister, and Chief Medical Officer all avoiding updating us on the situation, we can be thankful that other professionals are stepping up and trying to fill the void. The best thing the rest of us can do to help control our situation is set strong examples of common sense, compassion, and empathy.

“Be safe, be smart, be kind.” - Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus 

Status

Our front line healthcare workers have been overworked for almost two years now and despite this the provincial government is attacking them through funding cutbacks, wage rollbacks, and broken agreements. While all of this is going on the government continues to spend billions on a fading oil industry while destroying any economic diversification initiated by previous governments. 

Our premier had declared that the pandemic was over. He opened the province up completely and partied at the Calgary Stampede and any other event he could get to. Presently, Alberta Health Services has had to implement emergency provisions to redeploy staff, mandate overtime, and cancel vacations as the fourth wave of infections continue to rise on a daily basis.

So where is our premier while all of this is going down? He is currently on vacation and cannot be reached. 

“I know many people are looking forward to a time without restrictions, without masks, and without the stresses of the pandemic weighing on all of us, I am one of those people. But I am concerned about the pace of this reopening plan, given that we had the highest rate of infection of anywhere in Canada or the U.S. earlier this very month. I have questions about how the premier decided on this pace, and whether it was informed by science, or simply by working backwards from the first day of the Calgary Stampede.” - Rachel Notley (b. 1964)

Valentino Rossi

Last week the greatest MotoGP racer on the planet announced that the current racing season would be his last. Nine world titles with seven of them in the highest motorcycle racing class in the world would be enough for him to be considered one of the greatest of all time but there is so much more behind the respect I have for him.

Valentino Rossi approaches his craft as an artist. His creativity and dedication are always on display. The attack lines he utilizes in a race are only slightly different than the lines his rivals’ use but those little differences reflect the gap between finishing first and finishing second.

Valentino Rossi’s mastery of the motorcycle is a major inspiration behind my pursuit of mastery in kung fu. His relentless pursuit of the perfect racing line is a constant reminder for me to keep learning and adapting as I evolve. Just because something is working great for me right now does not mean there is not a better approach that is just a couple of degrees to the left or right from where I currently am.

I am grateful to have been able to follow Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP career for over twenty years. He may be retiring from racing at the end of this season but his inspiration will continue to fuel my training until my days here are over.

“The great fights with your strongest rivals are always the biggest motivation. When you win easily it's not the same taste.” - Valentino Rossi (b. 1979)

SRKF COVID Protocols In a Province That Has None

As common sense already predicted, we are seeing a significant increase in COVID cases since the Calgary Stampede last month. Despite the alarming rise in cases, the provincial government is going ahead with their plan to remove all restrictions by August 16. To be clear, this means that people who test positive for COVID will no longer be required to isolate themselves. We are now in this unpredictable situation where our COVID numbers are rising alarmingly fast while we are simultaneously removing all restrictions that have been helping keep the numbers down. It is not easy to keep a kung fu school financially viable while keeping our students safe in a province with no COVID protocols. 

Strong leadership is often more about optics than the logical specifics of a situation. Setting a public example of common sense and awareness will go a long way to help inspire our community to work together so that everyone can function within the reality of the pandemic as safely as possible. 

Ignoring what needs to be done to address a crisis only adds more fuel for the crisis to continue. We need leadership that looks out for the welfare of our population over the long term rather than only looking out for their own short term lust for power and money. 

“Nothing is sweeter and addictive than power, the unlucky soul this demon possesses, if he is not sacrificed on its altar will sacrifice others himself to get it”  ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

Simplicity

A friend queried me this week concerning my ongoing goal to reduce the number of my possessions to one hundred. He pointed out that I first publicly declared this goal back in 2013 and as he had predicted, I had failed. Nothing could be further from the truth. While after eight years I still have not achieved my goal but that does not mean the quest does not continue.

Minimalistic living is a choice and it is a process. Like mastery, it is not a destination. It is not about the actual number of possessions I own, it is about living mindfully and not consuming thoughtlessly. I continue to reduce my possessions but even more importantly, I no longer recklessly accumulate.

The books I read are either borrowed from the library or they are electronic. The music I listen to is streamed. My money goes toward experiences, not things. Yes my garage still has two motorcycles in it but it stores less and less every year.

Living simply allows me to simply live. I do not have to work to pay off debt. I do not have to work to earn money to support and maintain my trinkets. Each day is about maximizing my awareness of the present moment and understanding that the source of my happiness is in how I spend my time, not how I spend my money.

“The best things in life are not things.” - Unkown

Seeing the Connection

So many decisions we make are emotional decisions. They are not necessarily well-thought out, nor do they always accurately reflect our needs. Wanting a black belt is not the same as wanting to be a black belt. It is very difficult to resolve the difference if you do not fully understand what a black belt is.

Earning a black belt has to be about mastering kung fu. Mastering kung fu is about sustainable training and mindful application of everything you learn in the process. Earning a black belt is a process, it is not a destination.

Do the work. Recognize the benefits. Practice gratitude.

“In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued”. – Bruce Lee (1940 - 1973)

The Process

Take consistent action. This is a vital and integral component of the Black Belt Success Cycle. The logic of this is easy to follow and understand. If you breakdown your goals into bite-sized achievable actions, taking consistent action is also a relatively easy habit to achieve. Yet many struggle with following through with their commitment to consistency, making mastery a difficult process to perfect and implement.

The word consistency conveys an important distinction that can be easily overlooked. Defining and then adopting a daily routine that reflects your achieving your long-term goals is a simple, first step. The reason why people fade away and fail to follow up that first step consistently is because habitual action without mindfulness is an obvious foothold for mediocrity. It is easy to become complacent if you forget that mastery is a process and not a destination. The second you think you have achieved mastery in anything, you let your guard down.

Mastery is all about taking mindful consistent action. Three degrees to the left of mastery is consistent action without mindfulness - the friend of mediocrity.

“Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” - Dwayne Johnson (b. 1972)

Space, Our Salvation?

Richard Branson completed his first flight into space today. Of course this flight is controversial and accompanied by much negativity concerning a billionaire spending his money on something like that. There is a lot of social benefit that could come from spending money on other things than space exploration. Of course this flight takes place while most of the western portion of the North American continent is enduring an unprecedented heat wave and wildfires.

Mankind is truly a unique species. Only we knowingly and willingly destroy the very planet that gives us life when it means more money in our pockets. We are quick to point fingers at people like Richard Branson as if a billionaire investing money in social programs is going to solve our greed focused societal problems that get ignored by the politicians we perpetually put in charge of our welfare.

Bill Nye the Science Guy changed my mind about space exploration. I used to disagree with the resources that were being expended to explore outer space while things were falling apart on our planet. Bill Nye’s opinion on the situation makes a lot of sense to me. He sees the biggest problem we face on earth is the abstract perspective that we are alone in the universe. Religious dogma and blind faith encourage many people to ignore their responsibilities as citizens of this planet and justify their conspicuous consumption of finite resources. Bill Nye believes that the massive paradigm shift that is going to be required to get people to prioritize the health of our environment over the economy will only be initiated by changing everyone’s world view. Finding intelligent life outside of planet earth could be the catalyst we need if we are going to save ourselves from the self-destructive path we are on.

“When we explore the cosmos, we come to believe and prove that we can solve problems that have never been solved. It brings out the best in us. Space exploration imbues everyone with an optimistic view of the future.” - Bill Nye (b. 1955)

Self Aware

Everyone has goals and ambition but without self-awareness, progress can be elusive. This is why many fail to recognize the difference between activity and progress. Activity is RPMs and progress is km/H. Both require a lot of work but only one gets you to where you want to go. 


With kung fu, like anything one wishes to master, success is all about taking consistent, meaningful action. I usually only mention the consistent action but the meaningful aspect is assumed. If you recognize that you need more flexibility in your hamstrings to improve your kung fu, spending all your training time focused on pushups is not going to get you to where you want to be, no matter how hard you work. 

We all want certain things. Unfortunately we’re not always willing to do what needs to be done to earn what we want. If that is the case we need to retool our attitude or change our goals. 

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” - Zig Ziglar  (1926 - 2012)

Sustainability

With us reaching record high temperatures this week, it is impossible to not think about how our actions are impacting the earth’s climate. We all agree that climate change is real but we tend to argue over what is causing it. What is not deniable is that our actions, as a society, are not helping the situation.

Our economic models are based upon infinite growth. Stock prices of companies are based upon market growth, not sustainability. Investment is made on the assumption of growth, not just profitability. This brings us to a system where CEOs are rewarded for increasing the dividends of shareholders, not for strengthening the company they lead and thus. Constant and infinite expansion of the economy is impossible on a planet with finite resources yet our economic model is based upon that exact impossibility.

Doughnut Economics - a viable strategy that acknowledges the unsustainable nature and inevitably catastrophic outcome of our current economic model. Judging by how a large portion of us put the economy over the lives of our most vulnerable citizens during the pandemic, we have a long way to go before a model like this has a chance of catching on.

“Here’s the conundrum: No country has ever ended human deprivation without a growing economy. And no country has ever ended ecological degradation with one.” ― Kate Raworth (b. 1970)

Why

Why do we do anything? Have we forgotten? We have been conditioned to commodify everything so much that we forget why we did it in the first place. We work hard to earn money to improve the quality of our lives. Yet more often than not we forget about the quality of life we were striving for and only focus on acquiring more and more money, even sacrificing the quality of our life to to earn more than we need.

If we do not consistently remind ourselves of why we are doing what we are doing, our attitude will no longer align with our goals. Education becomes commodified to become about the degree instead of the knowledge that the degree represents. In kung fu, forms practice devolves into a hoop to jump through in order to earn another promotion as opposed to being about personal mastery.

Where am I? What am I doing? Two important questions that cut through the haze of distraction and remind us of why we do what we do.

“Fact: If standard of living is your number one objective, quality of life almost never improves. But if quality of life is your number one objective, standard of living invariably improves.” - Zig Ziglar (1926 - 2012)

Sifu Max Hayes

I think Max Hayes originally became my student because he was investing in his daughters’ kung fu training. He began kung fu with his three daughters, setting an example of excellence that inspired all three of them to earn their own black belts.

His daughters are no longer at home training at SRKF but that has not deterred Max from leading and inspiring other students to earn their black belts. Max sets an example by incorporating mastery into every facet of his life. When he is not actively training or teaching on the mats, he is applying himself at a level ten in everything else he chooses to do. The inspiration he provides is an integral part of my success.

Max Hayes has been part of my life for almost thirty years. First as a student, then a fellow black belt, and now as a trusted friend. Needless to say, his character and leadership are imprinted all over Silent River Kung Fu and for that I am eternally grateful.

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lau Tzu 

Wants and Needs

My province is getting ready to move into the next phase of our reopening. There have been so many phases of relaunch that we have passed through - both forward and backward that I don’t even keep track of what each phase means.  There has not been much logic behind our province’s decisions. Our relaunch phases always come too soon and our shutdown phases always come too late. While I am an advocate of putting the greater good of the public’s health first, I have to acknowledge that how our provincial government is handling things has made a lot of the public health measures in place ineffective. 

Like everyone else in a democracy,  I am subject to the will of the majority. Yes, our Premier publicly lied and cheated to win his party’s leadership but the majority of my fellow citizens wanted him to lead our province and so I accept that. That is how a democracy works. I may have not voted for him but he is my Premier and I am going to participate in my community by providing leadership and support where it is needed. 

The problem that I see us facing as a community is our inability to distinguish between wants and needs. We all want to make our mortgage payments while some of us need a ventilator. When our hospitals are full and we are running out of ventilators to help deal with the impact of the pandemic, the ability to logically differentiate between wants and needs is paramount. While it is not ideal to have a bank foreclose on my house, it is infinitely better than having my neighbour’s child die because he succumbed to COVID-19. 

The good of the whole has to be the priority of a community. Everyone understands that. Unfortunately we have all been conditioned to confuse wants and needs when it comes to the economy. Our economic policies have never been socially or environmentally sustainable yet we continue to support this self-destructive trajectory. As we fight with each other and continue to prolong this pandemic through our actions, this has never been as clearly highlighted as it is now.

“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.” - Aberjhani (b. 1957)  

Qualities of a Black Belt

Intensity is probably the most difficult quality to develop in a prospective black belt. It is one of the qualitative qualities that tends to be more of an abstraction for most people than something they can specifically define. More people have failed to pass their black belt grading because of a lack of intensity than for any other reason.

Intensity is not about what you do. In fact, what you are doing is completely irrelevant. Intensity is about how you do whatever you are doing. It is about your focus and your effort. Intensity can be taught on the mats but it has to be developed off the mats so that it permeates itself into all aspects of your life. If you want to earn a black belt, intensity has to be present in everything you do, not just your training.

If you are withdrawing and not engaging, you are extinguishing intensity. It is difficult to stimulate intensity if you never venture outside of your comfort zone. Staying in the present moment and proceeding boldly is the kindling that fuels intensity. Always be aware of where you are and what you are doing.

“The best training program in the world is absolutely worthless without the will to execute it properly, consistently, and with intensity.” - John Romaniello (b. 1982)

Positive Action

A lot of people are struggling with motivation right now. Yes the pandemic has intensified a lot of issues for a lot of people, but these motivational issues have always been here and will always be here until they are dealt with.

Motivation is a chicken or egg proposition. It is a matter of changing your attitude so that you can take action to change your situation. Sometimes though, taking action will initiate the change in attitude that you are looking for. This is why I tell my students that if they do not feel like training, they need to train. This strategy is foolproof and it always works IF it is applied consistently. Always apply the strategy and it will always work. Only apply the strategy some of the time and it will only work some of the time.

Practice breeds competence and competence breeds confidence. Nothing changes a negative attitude faster than confidence. Never underestimate the power of positive action.

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

Acts of Discipline

One of my students introduced a “No Added Sugar Challenge” for the month of April so I spent the entire month avoiding eating anything with added sugar. I did not go out of my way to analyze the ingredients of everything I consumed, but I stayed aware of my commitment and was true to the spirit of the challenge.

I like taking on acts of discipline challenges throughout the year to keep me focused on mastery. The no added sugar challenge did not disappoint me. I found my focus on staying engaged in the challenge permeated into other areas of my life. April turned out to be a banner month of accomplishments for me.

No matter the magnitude, an act of discipline is never wasted.

“In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first.” - Harry S. Truman (1884 - 1972)

Two Weeks

Tomorrow my dad will have been gone two weeks. It definitely is not getting easier, in fact it still has not totally sunk in that I will not see him again. The one positive thing is that my mind is filled with mostly happy memories of him. I was scared that my only memories would be of his final years fighting COPD, dementia, and then him dying alone.  Small blessings I guess. 

My dad did die alone though, as are a lot of other people during this pandemic. Listening to people talk about being judged about their personal decisions or hearing people put a spin on the situation by trying to make what they are doing to be about freedom and censorship boggles my mind. Just because people do not agree with you does not mean they are not listening to you. However, you cannot demand that someone respect your decision or your point of view. Respect must be earned. Your personal opinions do not trump science and proven facts. 

My dad died alone and he did not have to die alone. He died alone because this province cannot do what needs to be done to control this pandemic. We are blessed to live in a free society. Those freedoms come with a price. That price is responsibility. Look out for everyone else and everyone else should be looking out for you. We are in this together. Inconvenience for the good of your community is not the suppression of your rights. Surely we all understand this simple concept. 

We need to get it together and start doing what is right. People are dying unnecessarily. People, like my dad, are dying alone. 

“When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.” — Edith Hamilton (1867 - 1963)

A New World

This past week has been a week filled with change. This week is the first week the world, for me, has existed without my dad in it. I have been preparing for this inevitability for a long time yet somehow I was not prepared when the time came. It is even more difficult today than it was when he died a week ago. 

My dad spent his final year mostly alone. The timing of the pandemic could not have been worse. It is frustrating that a man who spent his entire life in service of others was forced to end his days isolated because so many of us cannot wrap our minds around the concept that freedom comes with responsibility. I am gobsmacked at the irony of him dying alone while others are out enjoying themselves at an illegal rodeo the very same week.

“My father said there were two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.” — Marlo Thomas (b. 1937)

Together

We’re well over a year into a pandemic that probably has another year to go before it is behind us. Who knows, it could be longer. Some countries like New Zealand have already put most of this pandemic behind them but we’re still pushing toward a peak. I don’t understand the reluctance that people have with complying with health orders, especially those who are so concerned about the economy. As New Zealand has proven, following common sense, and enforcing that common sense when needed, gets the economy back on track a lot sooner than our everyman for himself approach that is killing most business in this province through a death of a thousand cuts. 

I get the argument about civil rights and freedoms but some of us are sounding like spoiled teenagers. Freedom comes with responsibility. It has never been about doing whatever you want when you want. It is about earning the freedom we have by contributing to your community and accepting the responsibility that comes with all those freedoms you hold dear. Nothing is for free, everything is earned. 

Yes, we have incompetent politicians making stupid mistakes that is costing us lives and livelihoods. We put those politicians into power and so rather than fighting them, it would be infinitely better if we tried to help them. Pulling together is still the best way to overcome any adversity. We can fight any problem better when we are not always fighting ourselves. 

“I think the best of us comes when we are working together collectively. And it doesn't mean that we can't disagree. We've got to learn, as Dad taught us, to disagree without being disagreeable.” - Martin Luther King III (b. 1957) 

Needs and Wants

As I age I can recognize the difference between needs and wants. When I was younger and chasing my nest egg, I thought that was a need. I recognize now it was a want. Needs make me happy. Wants make me think they will make me happy.

I know I would be much more happy today if I would have understood the difference between my needs and my wants at an earlier age. It is amazing how time and experience gives one clarity.

I do not need much. This is reflected by how I choose to live my life. I am not accumulating a lot of stuff. In fact, I continue to reduce my possessions every year. Simply living is a matter of living simply. I no longer chase, I experience.

“While they have not got their aims, their anxiety is how to get them. When they have got them, their anxiety is lest they should lose them.” - Confucius (551 - 479 BC)

Doomed

When this pandemic hit us over a year ago, despite having many months to prepare for the inevitable, our provincial leadership was scrambling to adopt measures and protocols to limit the spread of the virus. After floundering for weeks while we watched the virus spread, the government finally acted. Hospital visitation was curtailed, senior care facilities were locked down, and schools were closed along with non-essential businesses.

Fast forward a year. 

Today, while we battle the third and most intense wave of the pandemic, hospital visitation is curtailed, senior care facilities are locked down, but schools are wide open along with most non-essential businesses. Despite our healthcare system being stressed to the max and the pandemic raging worse than ever, feel free to get your tattoos finished and your hair styled, but don’t even think about trying to get your 90 year old father’s 85 year old sister in for a visit with him one more time before his dementia robs him of his final memories of her.

Priorities. We sure have them straight. If it is not about my wallet, it does not rate in this province.

 

“We shall be better prepared for the future if we see how terrible, how doomed the present is.” — Iris Murdoch (1919 - 1999)

Milestones

My dad turned 90 years old this past week. It seems a little surreal, especially since he has been battling COPD for seven years. Dad was diagnosed the same time that Leonard Nimoy was and Leonard passed away in 2015 a year after his diagnosis. 

Continuing on a Star Trek theme, I found out that William Shatner turned 90 the week before my dad. William Shatner is in a lot better shape than my dad but William Shatner does not suffer from COPD. It does seem weird that Keith Richards seems to just get stronger as the years go by even though he smokes like a chimney. I have always believed my dad would pretty much have lived forever if he hadn’t smoked. I think they were talking about my dad when they came up with the quote: “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” I don’t know if Keith Richards will outlast my dad but it does seem likely at this point. Heck between Keith Richards and Chuck Norris, the smart money is on Keith Richards.

I haven’t seen my dad in person since last summer. COVID restrictions and the health of my daughter have made it almost impossible to make visitation a reality. We talk on the phone but that is not the same. I would be lying if I said the anti-maskers did not annoy me. If people were to respect the health guidelines set by the medical experts, the pandemic would be behind us and visitor restrictions would be lifted for my dad.

I am thinking this is the last Easter my dad will be alive for. Then again, I have been saying that for five years now so who knows. I just hope I am able to see him in person at least one more time before he moves on.

“Every new beginning comes from another beginning’s end.” - Seneca (54 BC - 39 BC)

Dedication

Over the years I know a few of my friends have made comments about how much of my life I dedicate to kung fu. For the longest time I did not even think about what they were saying nor did I delve for any deeper insight. I think, at those particular times, I agreed with them and left things at that. Kung fu has always been an investment and, like any investment, a return is expected. If the return justifies the investment the decision is a no-brainer.

Now older and wiser, I realize how far off the mark those comments are. In fact they are 180 degrees out of phase with my reality. I do not dedicate my life to my kung fu, I dedicate my kung fu to my life. Everything I do and everything I have — I can see kung fu’s influence.

I may encourage my students to take their kung fu out of the kwoon and into the world but inevitably it goes beyond that. My life is my kwoon.

“Our teachers did not give us a clear explanation of the kata from old times. I must find the features and meaning of each form by my own study and effort, by repeating the exercises of form through training.” – Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898 - 1984)

It's Now

My mindfulness practice has me in a consistent cycle of evaluation and simplification. Without my practice, mediocrity has a way of permeating into my life unnoticed; covertly complicating what should be simple.  Without habitual reflection, my reflex becomes reaction. 

Life is simple, or at least it should be simple. Things get complicated when I forget what is important. Where I live is not important; how I live is.  What I want is not important; why I want it is. My future is affected by what I do today but tomorrow is not guaranteed. The only real commodity is time and the only time I have, or will ever have, is right now. 

“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926) 

Life Meditation

The more you apply yourself to meditating/thinking/praying about the unavoidable fact of death, the easier it is to embrace it.

The yin yang is a wonderful tool that I use in every difficult situation. There is no life without death. By accepting life, you MUST accept death. Through our reluctance to accept death, we are not accepting life to its fullest.

Everyone has a different approach to coping with the concept of death. Some gravitate to the concept of eternal life after death in one form or another. What most do not realize though is that their strategy may help them put the concept of death into a format that allows them to ignore it, but sometimes it does not help them to truly appreciate and experience the life they have left.

For me mindfulness is the best way for me to accept the realities of death and therefore maximize the life I have remaining available to me. Living in the present moment is the only way to truly experience life. Accepting death allows me to appreciate life and motivates me to stay mindful of what I am experiencing and how I choose to experience it. I am not locked in my mind worrying about something that I cannot control, nor am I agonizing about missed opportunities or mistakes of my past. There is just now and I do my best to celebrate every moment with gratitude.


“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” — Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Death Meditation

From the moment I was conceived, I have been on the path of death. The inevitability of age, sickness, and death are guaranteed for everyone. It matters not what your income is. These certainties are independent of your religion, your race, or your status. There is peace to be found in this truth yet we spend a large portion of the finite time we have in this life running from this reality.

It is in my nature to grow old. It is in my nature to get sick. It is in my nature to die. Nothing is as liberating as acknowledging my unavoidable nature. By embracing death, I am embracing life to the fullest. Perhaps that is why I am so at peace when I ride a motorcycle. I am keenly aware of the danger and risk associated with the activity so I am equally more aware of living and being alive — here and now.

“I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived.” - Willa Cather (1873 - 1947) 

Now What?

The provincial government has announced phase 2 of our second reopening. As with every other announcement coming from this government concerning this pandemic, it will take a while to decipher the intent behind their announcement. It always takes a day or two to confirm whether or not we are affected and how.

From what I have been able to discern so far, we can open up as long as we do not have high intensity workouts, everyone wears a mask, and we maintain 3 metres distance from each other. This is only a small step up from allowing private one on one lessons.

To be clear, I am not an advocate for a partial reopening. The economy, or anyone’s house for that matter, is not worth a single life. Our premier has proven that poor leadership prolongs the effects of a pandemic. Businesses like mine are experiencing death by 1000 cuts. We were the first to be shutdown and we will be the last to open up. If we all worked together and handled this decisively, this pandemic could be behind us.

“Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.” - Brian Tracy (b. 1944)

Ego

“To the untrained eye ego-climbing and selfless climbing may appear identical. Both kinds of climbers place one foot in front of the other. Both breathe in and out at the same rate. Both stop when tired. Both go forward when rested. But what a difference! The ego-climber is like an instrument that’s out of adjustment. He puts his foot down an instant too soon or too late. He’s likely to miss a beautiful passage of sunlight through the trees. He goes on when the sloppiness of his step shows he’s tired. He rests at odd times. He looks up the trail trying to see what’s ahead even when he knows what’s ahead because he just looked a second before. He goes too fast or too slow for the conditions and when he talks his talk is forever about somewhere else, something else. He’s here but he’s not here. He rejects the here, he’s unhappy with it, wants to be farther up the trail but when he gets there will be just as unhappy because then it will be “here”. What he’s looking for, what he wants, is all around him, but he doesn’t want that because it is all around him. Every step’s an effort, both physically and spiritually, because he imagines his goal to be external and distant.” - Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

When I look at any problem or mental limitation that I have, I see the presence of my ego interfering with my best intentions. This is even more true when it comes to resisting change. It is not as if I don’t spend a lot of time meditating about this concept. I know that change is inevitable. Despite this I still see my ego darting around with cunning and vigor, contaminating my thoughts and limiting my growth.

Aging is not an easy concept to banish one’s ego from weighing in. Cosmetic surgery, hair colouring, Botox — heck even the clothes we wear strongly indicate that our ego is alive and well. What we don’t always recognize is how much our ego can undermine our confidence and sabotage opportunities. Sometimes we are trying so hard to hold on to who we used to be that we cannot become all we could be.

Life is short. Proceed boldly.

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” - Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Black Belt

Every Chinese New Year I promote students who have earned their black belt. Their grading is, at a minimum, a year-long process and culminates with the promotion of the successful candidates at our annual Chinese New Year Banquet. The pandemic has forced this year’s banquet to the virtual realm but it has not prevented progress and success. I am proud to be promoting four students who have earned the rank of black belt.

What is a black belt? It is not the physical fabric that you tie around your waist. It represents so much more. Everyone who has earned the rank has had a hand in defining it. Earning a black belt is not only an honour, it is a responsibility.

Grand Master Olaf Simon, Grand Master Stan Lee, Grand Master Margitte Hilbig, Grand Master Mark Chan, Master Richard Shergold, Master Brian Macdonald,

Soke Dave McNeill, Master Tom Callos, Master Benjamin Ma — the list of people who have defined the black belt for me is endless. Each one has inspired me on my mastery journey.

I am responsible for endorsing four new people as black belts this year who will now have a hand in defining the black belt from this point on. I trust they will make all of my mentors proud.

“Life is not a brief candle. It is a splendid torch that must be made to burn as brightly as possible before it is handed on to the next generation.” - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)