Education is Power

I stumbled across this video on YouTube today but I wish I had known about it two years ago when the coalition controversy was raging. It was shocking how many people were worked up over an issue that they had little understanding about. At that time fear became a major weapon in Canadian politics and its use continues today. Our collective ignorance gives fear free reign in Canada. Most of our government’s policies on crime, security, the economy, and the environment are pushed ahead by campaigns that prey upon the public’s emotions and fears rather than facts and logic.

If you want to have say, if you want to affect change, educate yourself and use the democratic system to your advantage.

“Fear always springs from ignorance.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Don't Stand Still

Sidney Crosby is rumored to be returning to play his first game in over 10 months on Monday. His injury has raised awareness about the severity and long term consequences of head injuries. Like any injury, a concussion heals but if you suffer a couple within a short period of time, recovery is more complicated. I’ve suffered a couple of concussions in my lifetime and I have been very lucky that they came years apart. I certainly wasn’t smart enough to rest and give them a chance to heal so my recovery was more blind luck than a mindful strategy.

I’ve watched one of my students struggle after suffering a concussion a couple of months ago. A kung fu lifestyle guarantees the brain bucket is going to take abuse on a regular basis and finding a balance in your training without aggravating the injury is the biggest challenge. No one wants to rest and atrophy while healing so finding alternative paths to mastery is important when recovering from any injury or setback.

Some of my greatest accomplishments have come about as a direct result of a major injury. Whenever I suffer a setback I use it as an opportunity to narrow my focus and concentrate on aspects of my training that do not aggravate my injury. The trick is to stay mindful of the healing process and push around the injury.

“A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.” - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893 - 1986)

The Rich Get Richer

Listening to random people on CBC Radio One express their support or opposition to the Occupy Wall Street movement has exposed, for me, what is fundamentally wrong with our capitalistic society and why we seem doomed to continue to stampede down this self destructive path of unsustainable consumption.

To hear someone say that while they support the movement, they feel it has gone on long enough and the tent cities should be dismantled, shows that some people do not fully understand what the protest is about. The troubled economy is the direct result of unethical and totally illogical banking and investment practices that got us into this mess but yet some of these practices continue to this day, despite the huge publicly funded bailout, in the name of free enterprise. How is anything going to change if we do not have the gumption or stamina to stand up for what is right and just?

In the meantime, the government that Canada has so recently given a majority mandate has already reneged on many of its election promises. Our Minister of Defence took a military search and rescue helicopter out of service to pick him up from his vacation at $32,000/hour while at the same time his government forced Air Canada and Canada Post workers back to work with legislation that undermined their bargaining power and justified it in the name of the troubled economy.

We need our politicians to be accountable for the promises they make and if they are going to fly the free enterprise flag, that flag must wave equally for the rich and the poor.

“Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate” - Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

Pandamonium

“I want my child to feel confident so they are not an easy target for bullies. I want my child to be a leader, not a follower.  I want my child to use their confidence and skill in a positive manner, I don’t want them to be a fighter.” — These are some of the most common statements made by parents of prospective students during our enrollment interview process.

What we do in the kwoon with our students builds the foundation of discipline and respect that empowers our students. The training gives them the power of self esteem and self confidence to resist peer pressure and discourage bullies. As with any power, it comes with responsibility. What we do outside the kwoon helps determine how our students’ empowerment is channelled. Participation in our community projects teach children empathy for others. Seeing the world through another’s eyes ensures power is handled responsibly and compassionately.

“Will we have to do any fundraising?” — This is one of the most common questions posed by parents during our enrollment interview process.

We don’t require our students to do any fundraising BUT I do not have a better tool at my disposal to teach a child empathy than have them look at the plight of others and recognize how they can make a difference. Asking me to give a student knowledge with humility AND confine the lessons to the training hall, makes that task almost impossible.

Once a year Silent River Kung Fu conducts a fundraising event called the Pandamonium. Our goal is to raise $100/student with all the money going to support charity. This year’s Pandamonium will see us donate money to Malawi Girls on the Move, the Children’s Ability Fund, the Homeless of Katmandu, the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, and the Simon Poultney Foundation. By raising funds for these initiatives, we’re also raising awareness and empathy. When our students see exactly how their fundraising efforts have changed lives, they acknowledge the positive consequences of their positive actions and recognize that they really can be the change they want to see in the world.

"Only your compassion and your loving kindness are invincible, and without limit." Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)