So you can teach an old dog new tricks!

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Aren't You Supposed to Be Somewhere?

I'm no New York City exec, but I've noticed lately that the pace of modern living that I've been keeping these days hasn't left me much room for doing NOTHING. My days have been crammed with "doing" from sunrise to bedtime. I heard somewhere the reminder that we are not meant to be "humans doing." Rather, we are supposed to be "humans being." So today, I'm in outright revolt, and I encourage you to do the same.

Do yourself a favor: stop and smell the roses today.




Dare yourself to listen to a bird chirp, or even to notice the symphony of a dripping faucet. Don't just drink your coffee — TASTE IT. Read something that has nothing to do with your job, your to-do list, or your life goals. Spend 10 minutes looking at a painting and just FEEL SOMETHING.

Go to a place where you can actually see the horizon.

Go on, I dare you.

I promise it won't hurt.

Training On The Edge of Madness

There's a fine line between pushing the envelope and sheer madness. I think I may have crossed over it this week. We've been training hard in the dojo — really hard — and since I teach the majority of classes, I've had to, on a number of recent occasions, run some pretty hard-core training sessions back-to-back-to-back.

I've had a cold over the last two weeks. Nothing serious enough to truly sideline me or keep me home from work, but more than enough to make me feel like I could use a day in bed — which of course, I have not taken. And I'm cranky, too: I wasn't well enough yesterday to donate in the blood drive that I helped to organize!

One of my students just landed herself in the hospital from a bad cold. Taking this as a warning sign, I finally called the doc today. He thinks I have a viral infection, not a bacterial one, so his recommendation is for me to wait things out for another couple of days before starting on any antibiotics. (My student has a viral infection, too, and she's down for the count.)

And I've had a little inflammation in my left knee, too. There's no doubt that it's from all of the hard training, but I haven't given that any rest, either. I'm a long way from walking with a limp, but kneeling in seiza is uncomfortable, and I guess it would be nice to not feel that dull ache every time I go down a set of stairs…

OK, so I'm beginning to show some signs that I actually might not be bullet-proof. So perhaps some rest might be in order. It's Wednesday today, and I'm not slated to teach another class until Saturday morning — that gives me 3 days of rest, if I cut back on my own personal training for a couple of days. I hate to back off now, especially since I've made a lot of progress fitness-wise over the past 6 weeks, but I'm probably doing the right thing.

There's something to be said for training on the edge. But, I'm no Superman, and there are more important things in life than pushups.

My Reading List — This Week

Reading for self-education, reading for personal development, reading out of curiosity, reading as a means of escapism — call it whatever you will. This week, I thought I'd take a moment to share the list of books that I'm currently working through. I don't have a lot of spare time to read, so I peck away at these one chapter — and sometimes one page — at a time: before bed, over lunch at my desk, in the mornings while everyone else is still sleeping.

Without large chunks of time do devote to reading, I find it hard to concentrate on a single topic, so I've got several books going at once. Some are light and fluffy, some are dense and erudite. Some, of course, are about martial arts. Others are way out in left field. But I think there's a unifying theme here, somewhere.

Then again, maybe not. But the list does give a little insight into the inner workings of my mind. So, while you're in here, please grab a broom and sweep away my cobwebs. And, feel free to recommend some titles of your own.


Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence

The Seeker's Guide: Making Your Life A Spiritual Adventure

The Karate Way: Discovering the Spirit of Practice

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course On How To Meditate

Crunch Point: The 21 Secrets to Succeeding When It Matters Most

More Contradictions

I recently found an interesting article online: A letter from Deepak Chopra inviting readers to take a vow of non-violence. I took a few moments to ponder the implications here: Could I — a lifelong martial artist and former Marine — really and honestly take (and keep) such a vow without immediately bursting into flame?

Even though I've spent a lifetime studying fighting arts, combat strategy, anatomy, and weaponry, at heart, I'm a very peaceful guy. At least I like to think so. Despite all of my martial experience, I still encourage — and require — my students to study nonviolence, and to increase their skills at anger management and peaceful conflict resolution. I even try to meditate every day.

The truth is, I wouldn't hurt a fly. Okay, maybe the mice in the house are an exception here. Mosquitoes, too. And I'm not a vegetarian, either. And while I'll do everything I can to avoid a physical confrontation, I'm more than ready to enter into one if I really need to.

Ugh. This is hard! I AM committed to bringing about a world of peace, harmony, laughter, and love. And yet at the same time, I am who I am.

It's kind of messy, really.

For example, I'm currently reading two books: One explores the nature of violent physical encounters, and the other teaches meditation practices for inner peace. If I don't burst into flame, I'm pretty sure my head will, at some point, actually explode.

I wonder, how might I continue to engage in violent actions (practice martial arts), but without violent intent? Can I be peaceful, but not wimpy? How can I reconcile my desire for peace with my passion for my chosen art?