Extinct is Forever

Polar bears are becoming endangered and the Inuit of Baffin Bay are opposing the government’s decision to cut the quota of polar bears that can be hunted. When you consider that the polar bear is the first species to become endangered by global warming, it is hard not to see the Inuit’s position. Cutting the hunting quota to 65 bears from 105 is going to have a negligible affect on the rate of decline of their population considering the number of polar bears that are drowning in the newly opened sea.

The same week the Nunavut Government announced the hunting quota reduction, the Alberta Government announced a new oil and gas royalty regime that will stimulate more oil exploration while making a commitment to “streamline regulator approvals for the oil and gas industry”. Read - ease environmental regulations and standards. Alberta already has the reputation of producing some of the world’s dirtiest oil and we’re going to ease our environmental standards? Is there anyone even awake out there or are we all too busy making a buck and taking care of our own?

Arctic ice is melting faster than even the most paranoid scientists could imagine, and our ecology is changing forever. Forever. That’s a long time. A heck of a lot longer than our oil reserves are going to last.

“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” - Ansel Adams (1902 -1984)

One Step Forward . . .

I missed my UBBT 6 graduation because of an opportunity I could not afford to pass up. I have had a systemic problem with massive swelling in my knees since November 16, 2008 and they can’t seem to find any reason why this is happening to me. I have been in the queue to see a pain/rehab specialist and of course my turn came up at the same time as the UBBT graduation. I am very disappointed that I couldn’t attend the graduation but I had to take the opportunity to get to the bottom of this issue that has been affecting me for my entire UBBT 6 and is following me through the Live Like a Champion Project.

The results of my appointment were a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is it is definitely not rheumatoid arthritis. This was my biggest fear as the swelling hit both knees at the exact same time overnight. That specific symptom usually points to an autoimmune issue. The bad news is that there is no obvious systemic reason why my legs are causing me so much grief. I was really hoping for a definitive answer to my problem but I will have to be satisfied knowing that my immune system has not betrayed me.

All in all I am happy with things. I am on a rehab program to try and recover some of the muscle mass I have lost in my legs over the past sixteen months and I now have the confidence that I am not going to exasperate my issues by pushing the knees a little harder in the coming months.

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” - Lance Armstrong (b. 1971)

I Ate What?

As a teacher, parents expect me to build their children’s self esteem. We all want our children to be leaders, not followers. This can be a challenge for me when parents expect leadership skills to miraculously develop exclusively through the copious amounts of kicking and punching taking place on the mats. If I am not able to utilize all the tools I have available, developing leadership skills within my students becomes a much more difficult task.

At Silent River Kung Fu commercial bottled water is not permitted within the school. The environmental and health issues associated with bottled water are well documented and in good conscience I won’t turn a blind eye while someone exasperates a serious problem. It can be frustrating when a parent challenges our policy by reducing the issue’s solution to recycling and BPA free plastic. For every person that seeks out the healthiest, least environmentally toxic bottled water available, there are dozens of people only seeing a person drinking and endorsing commercially bottled water.

There are enough problems in the world caused by the “everyman for himself” approach to life. That’s why we have greedy shareholders endorsing CEOs who collect outrageous bonuses for generating short term profits while driving their corporation into bankruptcy. If we all just worry about what we are personally doing about serious issues while ignoring our responsibility in setting an example that inspires others to follow, it is going to take forever to get everyone pulling in the same direction to implement lasting change.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848)

The Future Is Bright

Six long months of grading came to an end last night when six new Sifus entered the world. Each new black belt brings their experience and leadership to the collective and their examples of perseverance and mastery provide the leadership that inspires others to reach for new heights. I find the grading process exhaustive but when everything turns out like it did last night, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and euphoria.

I am proud of my students’ accomplishments and when I look at the community effort that went into helping these six achieve their black belts, I have no doubts about the long term future of Silent River Kung Fu. My goal has always been to make my school bigger than any one individual and last night proved that we have indeed arrived. Our school truly has its own soul that will endure well beyond the lifespan of any one individual.

What a great way to start the Year of the Tiger.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson (b. 1966)

Year of the Tiger

Today is the first day of the Year of the Tiger. As always, the new year marks a new beginning rife with opportunities and possibilities. I am not one to make resolutions but the lunar new year invariably grounds my perspective. It is a time where I become mindful of where I am and what I am doing - consequently narrowing my focus and ensuring my priorities reflect my values.

“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” - Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

What’s Right Is Right. Right?

I used to think foreign aid was pretty much unequivocal. A country needs help, you send them money and that’s that. I now realize how naive I have been. It is disappointing how the world really works.

When a western country says it is sending thirty million dollars of aid to Ethiopia, for instance, the aid rarely gets there in the form of money. We send food and equipment rather than money because by sending home grown goods we stimulate our economy and everyone wins, right? Besides, if we sent actual money we couldn’t guarantee that the money would be used in a manner in which we approve. Unfortunately our culture’s imperious meddling in foreign affairs can actually exasperate the very situation we are trying to resolve.

Case in point - Malawi. The landscape of Malawi is littered with non functioning water wells that were acquired through foreign aid. There’s water underground, there’s pumps installed to bring the water up, but unfortunately there is no money or expertise to repair the pumps when they breakdown. The idealist in me says our intentions were pure and with a few adjustments we’ll get it right the next time. The cynic in me says things are going exactly as planned. The primary motivation is not to help a foreign country in need but rather subsidize the economy at home. Busted pumps? No problem, we’ll have a bunch more off to you in a jiffy as soon as they roll off the assembly line.

At Silent River Kung Fu’s annual Chinese New Year banquet, we will be presenting thousands of dollars to the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, Malawi Girls on the Move, the Simon Poultney Foundation, the Children’s Ability Fund, and the homeless in Katmandu. We are fortunate that in every single case we have personal contact with these organizations and we understand that only they have the expertise to ensure the greatest benefit is realized by their group from our fundraising efforts.

It would be great if it were that simple at the Federal level.

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” - Chinese Proverb

Beagles Love Blueberries

I'm one month into my second consecutive Ultimate Black Belt Test and am starting to find my stride. You would think that continuing on from UBBT 6 into the Live Project would be a natural flow but the transition has been surprisingly challenging. The rhythm I maintained throughout UBBT 6 that helped me succeed is not quite what I need in to achieve my UBBT 7 goals. Once again I am expanding my comfort zone and adjusting to the situation.

There are some things I learned in UBBT 6 that are going to help me make even more personal progress in UBBT 7.

- 1000 reps of anything is a lot.
- A Canadian traveling to Alabama during winter tends to sunburn.
- 12 months is a lot shorter period of time than one thinks.
- Watching Master McNeill swat someone in the shin with a cane is infinitely more entertaining than receiving the swat yourself.
- A team is only as strong as its weakest link.
- I’m lazier than I thought.
- Nothing is for free.
- Journalling and tracking your progress is an important key that reinforces the process.
- Getting enough protein as a vegetarian takes careful planning.
- Doing anything with a group is a lot more motivating than doing it alone.
- Walking meditation with 300 strangers can be intensely intimate.
- Sitting meditation with swollen knees can be intensely painful.
- All the planning and intentions in the world are not worth a hill of beans if you do not take consistent action.
- 87 kilograms is a good fighting weight for me but 84 kilograms would be better for my knees.
- Sometimes listening can show more leadership than speaking.
- Getting and receiving feedback from your teammates strengthens the bonds of the team.
- It is never too late to apply mastery.

"Each painting has its own way of evolving. When the painting is finished, the subject reaveals itself." - William Baziotes (1912 - 1963)