Today

Today I am grateful for the people who have taken the time to teach me the lessons I hold so dear. You took me under your wing and you trusted me to take your lessons and pass them on.

Grand Master Lee, last night it was my fortunate opportunity to attend the Ging Wu Chinese New Year Banquet with my friends and students. I have not forgotten that for the past couple of decades I have had two tables to share for this event because of your generosity. It speaks to your humility that it took years before I found out that my second table was the result of your anonymous generosity and sacrifice.

You were part of my life for such a brief moment but I continue to learn and benefit from what you have taught me. There isn’t a day that goes by that I do not think of you and what you have done for me. Thank you. You made the world a better place.

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie (b.1948)

Injuries

I don’t think it is reasonable to expect to train in something like kung fu and not get injured. In fact, I can’t even recall a time when I haven’t been afflicted with one kind of injury or another. I’ve always looked at injuries as the inevitable consequence of pushing myself beyond my arbitrary limits.

Ideally, training intelligently helps prevent injury. Proper warmup, proper nutrition, and proper rest go a long way to prepare the body for the rigours of the art. What makes injury inevitable is change. My body is continuously changing. As I age, my body’s needs change and I need to adapt to that change. Injuries themselves can forever change the way I approach my training.

I have had my share of injuries, most come with no regrets. Every knee surgery came with a more balanced approach to my fighting and applications. Every separated shoulder came with a better understanding of repetitive strain and a better approach to training that is going to allow me to continue to train hard for the rest of my life. Some injuries do come with regrets. Bone spurs in my knuckles tell me that no injury, no matter its magnitude, comes without consequence. The ego boost that came from breaking bricks and punching concrete turned out not to be worth it.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

A couple of months ago I caught the end of an interview of Mitch Albom on CBC radio. He was promoting his new novel, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. I had not heard of Mitch Albom before this interview but everything he described about his latest novel fascinated me. I looked forward to reading it and it did not disappoint me.

Narrated by voice of Music, the novel follows the life of a fictional musician who’s life crosses paths with some of modern history’s real-life musical legends. What speaks to me is how the story highlights the power of engagement. The people we meet and the connections we make create opportunities that can be priceless. Reading the book I was constantly reminded of one of my favourite Thich Nhat Hanh quotes - “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize."

For me reading is one of the best ways to educate myself and cultivate my thinking. I don’t find the time to read as much as I would like so I am always pleased when I find a gem like this novel.

“Everyone joins a band in his life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world.” - Mitch Albom (b. 1958), The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto 

Us and Them

It has been my practice since 2007 to perform and document 1000 acts of kindness each year. The kind acts are the easy part of the challenge and as with most things in life, the greatest value comes from the difficult part — documenting my efforts. I am, I believe, a naturally kind person. What I have learned over the last nine years is that there is a difference between being a kind person and being a mindfully kind person. The distinction between the two is what helps a kind person become a kinder person who is more engaged, more empathic, and significantly more compassionate. It is that same distinction that allows me to understand that a real value of my kindness is how it serves my soul.

Throughout the refugee crisis, people have polarized around their values and, more so, their fears. We are becoming a society of us and them. Ironically most of the fears dividing us are about protecting ‘our’ way of life. Yet the most common response to that fear tends to be a willingness to give up the very values we say we hold dear, all in the name of security. I believe my value to society and the planet is found in my actions, not my birthright. Many people are being denied the peace and freedom that I take for granted only because they were born on the other side of an imaginary line. In our world the difference between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ is quite literally, a matter of being born a centimetre to the left or to the right.

Kindness changes everything. Kindness ignores species, race, nationality, religion, and gender. Kindness only sees a life in need.

“The world is getting too small for both an Us and a Them. Us and Them have become codependent, intertwined, fixed to one another. We have no separate fates, but are bound together in one. And our fear of one another is the only thing capable of our undoing.” - Sam Killermann

Beginning Anew

It is easy to fall into the societal norm of waiting for the start of the year to initiate positive change. I’m not sure what the statistics are on when the typical person falls off the new year resolution bandwagon but I suspect the majority break their resolutions within a few weeks of the start of the year. Change, lasting change, is best accomplished by relentless incremental progress. Best intentions and ambition do not guarantee success. Without discipline and follow through, it is almost impossible to make meaningful headway on any goal.

I began 2016 like I have begun every year since 2007, by completing 1000 pushups and consuming less than 1000 calories on January 1st. Neither endeavours were to initiate a lifestyle change. Since 2007, I have completed over 400,000 pushups and mindful eating has been my practice for decades. Grounding myself by beginning the year with acts of discipline and empathy reminds me to not take my past successes for granted. Most of my successes were made possible by a foundation of discipline. That foundation, no matter how solid, is always in a precarious state. It only takes a few things to go wrong in a relatively short time frame to wipe out the benefits I have enjoyed from the daily structure I have built into my life.

The soreness in my muscles these past two days is the only reminder that I need to stay the course. Mediocrity may only be one bad decision away.

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

Why Kung Fu

With the year coming to a close, many will be planning to start 2016 with a list of resolutions. Some of these resolutions will have people seeking out a martial arts school to begin training. Everyone has their own reasons that pull them toward the martial arts lifestyle but, for most, the reasons for sticking with the training tend to be different than the reasons for beginning the training.

I, like most, began my training because of an inspiration. Yes, Bruce Lee has always been a hero of mine but the incentive driving me to my first class was not visions of the Little Dragon but rather a phone call from my best friend telling me he had just enrolled in a kung fu class. Before kung fu I was not a ‘join the club’ sort of guy, I did not have much follow through, and I definitely was not a person who easily ventured outside my comfort zone.

I began my training for purely egotistical reasons. Being athletic I have pretty much excelled in any physical activity I have pursued and kung fu was no different. It did not take long before I noticed the physical benefits of the training but I could also sense something more. Something my young self could not quite put a finger on. Something just a little out of focus and only in my peripheral vision. It was not quite tangible but it was there nevertheless. Thirty-two years later it is now in the direct focus of my older self. Time, and the clarity that comes with experience, have given me appreciation and understanding for the more valuable abstract aspects of kung fu.

I am who I am today because of kung fu. I have met amazing people, witnessed miracles, and I have experienced an awakening. I no longer avoid the unknown, I embrace it. I no longer accept mediocrity, I pursue mastery. I have replaced insecurity and anger with compassion. I reject conspicuous consumption and I live simply. I have eliminated my regrets of the past and I no longer worry about the future. I understand the miracle found in every moment of every day and I know that the only guarantee in life is change. It is in my nature to grow old, it is in my nature to become sick, and it is in my nature to die.

Kung fu is so much more than kicking and punching. It has given me the clarity to understand what it means to be free.

“The challenge isn’t to be a great martial artist, the hardest work is to be a connected, compassionate, engaged, forgiving, participative human being. You learn the martial arts so that you may take what you practice so diligently on the mats –and then apply it to things that genuinely matter in the world.” - Tom Callos (b. 1959)

To My I Ho Chuan Team

2015 has been one of the most tumultuous years I have ever experienced. Personally and professionally, there hasn’t quite been a year like the present one that is coming to an end. While it has been interesting, I am looking forward to having all that drama and stress behind me and turning over a new page.

Despite everything that has happened, my training and personal growth have both experienced a stellar year. Beyond my chronic tailbone issues, I’ve enjoyed a year with minimal injury downtime. In the past I have equated my lack of pain or injury with lack of intensity. If I am not hurt, I haven’t been pushing myself. This year is different. If I did not have the focus and intensity , I would not have accomplished as much as I did this year. I’ve met most of my personal goals, I’ve been way outside my comfort zone, and I am at mental peace. My journey to mastery progresses, and continues.

I owe a lot to my I Ho Chuan team. The Year of the Sheep Team will forever be the team that showed what happens when you have a bunch of like-minded individuals pulling together on a quest for something better. Obstacles and setbacks were aplenty yet everyone pushed forward together and positively. Guys, it has been a privilege to share this year with you. Thank you for the inspiration.

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” - Joyce Meyer (b. 1943)