On the Seventh Day

I rested. :)

When you're training, it's important to include days where you allow your body to recover. For me, that is today. I've had a lot of fun getting reacquainted with my workout routines and sneaking in a few bonus sessions through random events and, in some cases, along with my classes.

Currently, my tally for the week stands at:

• Running (road): 18 miles (5 on Th, 4 on Sat, 4 on Mon, 5 on Wed, counting the bonus)
• Cycling (road): 16 miles (16 on Th, none since the flat. Repairs necessary.)
• Cycling (stationary): 30 miles (10 on Fri, 10 on Sun, 10 on Tues)
• Pushups: 300 (50/day since Th, 3 sets: 15/15/20)
• Crunches: 600 (100/day since Th, 4 sets of 25)
• Squats (no weights): 300 (50/day since Th, 2 sets of 25)
• Lunges (no weights): 300 (50/day since Th, 25 each side)
• Form repetitions: 30 (10x Fri, 10x Sun, 10x Tues. Each day consists of 5 traditional, 5 contemporary)
• Kicks: 1500 (500x Th, 500x Sat, 500x Mon, 500x Wed. Assorted kicking techniques.)
• Bag work: 12 rounds (60 sec rounds; 3x Th, 3x Sat, 3x Mon, 3x Wed. Assorted boxing techniques.)

This is a low number, in my opinion. It's a comfortable start, but as I begin to shed pounds and restore muscle tone, I plan to add some MA Fitness workouts, group exercise classes, and grappling training into the mix.

Good Karma

Author Paulo Coelho once wrote that when you really want something, the universe conspires to help you achieve it. In the past week, I have seen a glimpse of this 'conspiracy' in my life, and it is good.

As part of my workout plan, I thought I would start biking to work on certain days. I live close enough to work (roughly 11 miles, one way) for it to be a fun challenge. I can squeeze this in by managing my time well.

While riding home from work, I had a flat tire and needed to 'hoof it'. Result: bonus workout!

Well, yesterday my car had a flat tire too. Coincidences are funny. That's not all, though!

While waiting for roadside assistance (my car isn't equipped with a spare), I had a brief moment where I almost slipped on my diet. I had planned on a late lunch, but not that late, so when I discovered that it would be roughly an hour before the tow truck would arrive, I got out of the car and walked to the closest food establishment: a McDonald's. (insert gestures intended to ward off evil here)

I walked up, ordered myself a chicken nugget meal, and was all ready to indulge in some comfort food, when my phone rang - it was the tow truck driver, who was 30 minutes early. They're not supposed to wait, but he was really nice and I told him that I'd be right there. I took my unopened bag and ran (read as: sprinted) about a mile back to my car, achieving speeds that I haven't had since high school. (Bonus workout!)

The tow truck driver was an incredibly nice guy. As I gasped for air, I thanked him for waiting and he let me sit in the front of the truck to eat my lunch while he loaded my car onto the ramp.

I plopped myself in the front seat and opened my bag.

Inside was a Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Definitely NOT what I ordered.

I pause and resist the urge to gag.

That sandwich is, arguably, the worst thing on the menu, tastewise and healthwise. There's no way I'd eat it, even if the world ended tomorrow. Not wanting to waste food (if you can call it that), I decide to offer it to the driver instead.

Turns out that he had skipped lunch and was starving, so he accepted it gratefully. He took one look at the Filet-O-Fish, and said, "Oh, no way - I love these things! How did you know?"

Net result: two flat tires = two bonus workouts, my food habits remain intact, and one unexpected act of kindness.

Karma is AWESOME.

A Week Without Walls

In late May, I will be taking eighteen students on a camping retreat, themed around the martial arts, as part of a program at the high school called Week Without Walls (WWW). All of the teachers at the school design experiential trips in order to provide students with unique hands-on learning opportunities. Some are science-based trips, others are cultural or historical trips, some use this time to volunteer in the community, and a few are purely for enrichment. I consider mine to be a life-centered trip.

Most of the students in my group have some martial arts experience, almost all of them with me; however, while many of the lessons of the week are similar to what I say in the classroom, the impact is different because they have the opportunity to live with simplicity, develop genuine connections with each other, and think deeply about themselves and their place in the world. I believe that placing them in new surroundings facilitates this because they place themselves in a mindset of discovery, instead of routine. It opens their minds and a great deal can be accomplished during this time.

WWW also appears to be a microcosm of the year that I will be experiencing with the "Live" project. It's an interesting quasi-reversal of roles, since instead of relating to my students only as their teacher, I will be both student and teacher with them. It's a unique chance for me to lead by example, and show them not only the skills that I have mastered, but how I approach my own training, learning, victories, and setbacks.

I'll include more on this as the trip approaches, including some of their results.

Discipline and Diet, Part 1

Mealtimes are among my favorite times of the day. They are the times when I reward my senses for a job well done. At times, I indulge myself and try something new, but on most nights, there are several favorites which I never tire of sampling.

This is an area where my self-discipline is most challenged. In the past few years, I have conceded many battles and paid a heavy price (literally) for being inconsistent.

I also know that this must change.

Therefore, I intend to spend the next few months creating new food habits. I'm not going on a "diet", at least not in the mainstream sense where I make a radical adjustment for a short-term period, experience some results, and then return to my old ways. I want to implement lasting changes, achieve stellar results, and in order to accomplish this, I plan to rebuild my habits in stages.

I began the first stage of this today: better meals at work.

I am fortunate that my school provides complimentary staff meals from our food service provider, an independent company that delivers fresh-made, organic lunch items every weekday. It serves as an excellent alternative, and tastes quite good! So, I'll be standing in the lunch line more often, whenever I'm not brown bagging it.

More on this later.

Our Lives = Call to Action

Over the course of the next year or so, I will be sharing a lot about myself, but I'd like to start by giving a brief overview about what my life is like right now, because although our lives are each full of unique blessings and challenges, in some ways, my life my be like yours:

During most of my waking hours, I work as an English teacher at a small, urban charter high school which strives to give a college-prep education to traditionally underserved and/or at-risk students. When the school day ends, my work continues. Several hours are spent grading and planning. Other time is dedicated to meeting with other staff, students, and parents.

Some days are different. On certain days, I travel to meet with the school's board of trustees (of which I am a member) to listen to and discuss the direction of our organization. At other times, I have been called to visit other schools with a committee to guide them in the process of evaluating their program. On some evenings, I stay late and meet with prospective families. There are a myriad of events throughout the year, and I am present for the majority of them.

Beyond the walls of my school, more occurs. I strive to maintain positive contacts and relationships with others in the martial arts world. Sometimes that means a cup of coffee, a shared meal, or possibly a friendly e-mail. Other times it involves volunteering for tournaments or supporting other events. I also seek out ways to further myself and my knowledge, so that I can share these benefits with my students. There is also time for myself, a luxury which I insist upon, else it disappear into other priorities. Most importantly, there is time for my loved ones, whom I could write endless pages about...but I digress.

My training is interwoven into the fabric of all of these things, as are the times when I train my students at the high school. I look forward to it each day. In another lifetime, I operated a school for my master instructor, so this time comes naturally to me. His lessons have helped me to find balance amidst all of the things which I may encounter in my day.

For me, the "Live" project drives home to the heart of my life's work and expands upon it. It will be an incredible opportunity for myself and my students to transcend the "comfort zone" of our current training and push it to entirely new levels. It will also provide me with multiple opportunities to face myself and grow from the experience. There is still much for me to learn, and the prospect of doing this is exciting because I've chosen to take a new, bold step which aligns with my life's mission.

Yet, I must confess that while reading up on the program, I battled with myself (briefly) before making the commitment. There is a side of my psyche that whispers things like, "How will I make the time for this?", or "This sure seems like a lot." Fortunately, it was a short-lived conflict - and now I'm here, as a member of the "Live" 2010 team!

If you're reading this now, chances are that you've been glancing through the UBBT/Live site and learning more about the program. Some of you may even be in a similar life situation as myself: a dedicated martial artist, working professional, and a busy social being. There are some of you who were looking at this and thinking, "Wow, that looks amazing!", but you're listening to another side of your psyche - the one which talks you out of doing things which may be uncomfortable, even if they are beneficial.

To you, I would say: you are already the kind of person with this potential. Why fight the urge to do something powerful with your life, when you possess the capability to do it?

I'd love to see you with us. We may not have met, but if you're reading this, then I know you're already the kind of person that this program needs, and the kind of martial artist with the capacity to make a difference.

Let's do this together. I hope to see you soon.

Using the Right Self-Talk

"I want to live like a champion."

I like the sound of this, but it's not the affirmation that I'm looking for. Don't get me wrong - I'm telling the truth when I state that I want to live like a champion, but there's a lot of people who probably want to do this and will talk themselves out of acting on it.

Let's try another one:

"I will live like a champion."

This affirmation might work for now, since I recently joined the team. If spoken with sincere intentions, this affirmation becomes a promise; however, it can also be said with an undertone of "later", so I don't think I want to use this one either.

Take three:

"I live like a champion."

Hmm, this one might work for me, except if I said that right now, I'd be lying. I'm not there yet, at least not completely.

However, before I complete this program, those words will be true.

And they will stay that way.

A Healthy Sense of Discontent

Hi, I'm Greg Garcia.

Yesterday, I joined the 2010 "Live Like a Champion" team. This is my first entry in what will become a weekly (if not more) chronicle of my journey with the team and the students that will be joining me. It will include a variety of my thoughts and reflections which surface during my experience with the "Live" team: thoughts on what it means to be a martial artist, about my role as a teacher, my progress as a student, how martial arts can contribute to the world, and more.

I will begin with a confession: I'm not satisfied.

I think that if you want and desire real change in your life, it's important to be dissatisfied to a healthy extent. Rare is the person who enjoys rocking the boat when everything is comfortable and content. You have to be uncomfortable enough to act. Progress is born within that struggle.

Recently, I became uncomfortable enough to act on my feelings.

• I know that I can be more than what I am today, that what I am accomplishing is only a fraction of what is possible and there is more that I could be doing to achieve that.
• I know that I am not content with the current state of the martial arts world, that there are untapped possibilities waiting within the realm of potential for the spark that will inspire more.
• I know that I am not yet done growing as a teacher, friend, martial artist, human being, citizen of the world, and all of the other roles which I play.
• I believe that the "Live" project is a step in the right direction for me personally, for the entire martial arts industry, and for the world which we are all connected to.
  

It is exciting to be able to involve my students in this process, both as participants in their own development and as my personal success team which will hold me accountable for my goals. There is much for me to do, and even more to learn, but my enthusiasm is rooted in the knowledge that the benefits of my journey will be shared with many others.

Yet when all is said and done, after the milestones have been hit, the accomplishments have been earned, the celebrations have ended, and I can rest proud of my achievements, I want to be dissatisfied again so that I can grow.