High Impact Living

Yesterday, I read a great post from Kyoshi Dave Kovar - a reminder about the impact that we have on others.  It made me think about how many wonderful teachers I've had in my life, and how many of those conversations had affected me.

And then, I opened an e-mail from a friend of mine - someone who, after looking at my students' Acts of Kindness portfolios, began asking his students to document the kindness that they perform in the world.  Suddenly, every student was offering to buy him coffee and although he didn't take up on it, he left the studio in a fantastic mood - already noticing the difference that the thoughtfulness of others can have.  Very cool!

Just a few minutes ago, I received a visit from a guest who attended a pressure point seminar that I held earlier today.  I had known him for years - my girlfriend did his initial training, I had taught a few guest classes at places where he was training, and he eventually went on and earned his black belt through West Coast World Martial Arts.  That brief visit soon became an hour as he shared how much he appreciated the role I had played in his training career: how I had given him his first belt and shared advice that hadn't left him, how he's been following my work with Epic on Facebook and loves how much the kids have grown, how much he appreciated me being there at his black belt test (I rarely miss a WC test), and now we're going to train to hike Mt. Whitney together in late 2012. 

To me, I've only shared a few hours here and there with him, but we're connected in a much more profound way because of the quality of those meetings.

I don't always stop to notice it because in my head, it's just what I do....but we are living high-impact lives.  Every day, whether we step outside of our homes or reach out through the magic of Facebook, someone else is reading, watching, learning.  They won't always say it, but they don't have to.

It's what we do.

Nobody Can Make Me Anything

Teaching kids about self-defense isn’t just teaching them how to block punches, kicks, and thwart aggressive bullies, it’s instructing them in the importance of proper attitude, perspective, and self-talk.

Tom Callos, team coach for a program called The Ultimate Black Belt Test, promotes the idea that real self-defense is far more about what a child thinks -- than it is about some technique of martial art (obviously, this goes for adults too).

“One of the 10 top self-defense skills I teach my students,” says Callos, “is the idea that nobody can make them anything. Someone else can’t make you angry, make you sad, or even make you happy. It’s not wise to give that power to anyone besides yourself. Of course, this is easy to say and far more difficult to put into practice.”

I have to concur. I do know, however, that big things, giant things, huge accomplishments (like learning to take responsibility for the way you feel), are achieved through small, consistent efforts. One incident where you (or I) don’t blame someone else for how we feel then adds up to two incidents, then three, and from there habits begin to form.

This is much the way martial arts classes work; anyone can be trained as a martial artist through small successive victories. Real self-defense isn’t just physical, it’s mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Thinking, “Nobody can make me anything,” is, in my opinion, as good or BETTER a technique of self-defense than anything I have ever learned; OK, except for The Golden Rule (Which is, of course: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But then, that's another lesson.).

My Life Is My Dojo

“Dojo” means “school” in Japanese — literally, “the place where you find the Way.” And while every country has its own name for school (it’s a different word in Korean, Chinese, etc.), the important part of this statement is that your life is your school — your LIFE is the place where you find the Way.

Should you ever decide to take martial arts lessons, of any kind, I hope that you would be lucky enough to find a teacher who understands and practices the idea of my life is my dojo.

When a student is on the mat, executing punches or kicks, rolls or break-falls, leg locks or arm bars, and/or blocks and parries, all sorts of things are learned, such as the patience required to polish the maneuvers, the control you have to exercise to do it right, the teamwork it takes to participate with a your partner and classmates, and the understanding of the return one gets on effort and consistency. What a shame it would be if we failed to take those lessons “out of the dojo and into the world.”

The real lessons in our school, the valuable ones, are the ones we practice on the mat, but fully understand that we’re practicing for the purpose of making something in our life work better, smoother, and with more mastery. We practice in our school, what we wish to see in our lives. That’s what we know to be the most valuable aspect of what we do in our school.

By the way, if you’re not a student, but you’d like to see what it’s like to be one, just mention this post, and we will give you an invitation to come in and try classes. Every great journey begins with some small movement in a new direction, yes?

And here’s a secret: I think, “My students are my dojo.”

I learn what I need to learn by helping others to do, well...all of the above.

Contact our instructor via e-mail: greg.d.garcia@gmail.com

Visit our website: Epic Martial Arts

Obvious and Not-So-Obvious Benefits of Taking Martial Arts Lessons

There are some obvious benefits that young and old alike garner from studying the martial arts. The first one is in the exercise involved. Exercise, if it’s tailored for the age and ability of the participant, is good for the body, the mind, and, yes, often good for the spirit too.

A not-so-obvious benefit of studying the martial arts is the often unspoken requirement to “be present” in the practice. “When you’re dealing with kicks, punches, and arm-bars,” says veteran martial arts teacher Tom Callos of Hilo, Hawaii, “you simply have to stay ‘in the moment’ to keep from getting socked in the nose. Awareness of what I call, ‘The here and now,” is something you can instantly take off of the mat and put to work in your everyday life.”

With exercise and mindfulness comes a third component that is not a benefit you’ll find in every martial arts school, but it’s something we are deeply involved with. It’s about food and its connection to fitness and health. The Diet Chronicles is a project where a group of martial arts teachers are starting to document, on video, what they eat and how it’s prepared – in an effort to eat more mindfully.

Some of the video journals are being posted to an on-line community based around the book Savor (www.SavorTheBook.com). Savor is co-written by Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

To see one of the Diet Chronicle videos, click this link.

“What we consume is as important and relevant to self-defense in today’s world,” says Callos, “as any kind of martial arts technique.”

For more information on using the martial arts to improve the body, mind, and diet, contact Greg Garcia of Epic Martial Arts, at greg.d.garcia@gmail.com.

Letting Go: Lightening the Load

My team and I are preparing to host a garage sale fundraiser in a couple of weeks, so I've been looking through my closet.  In preparing to contribute my fair share of items, I'm also working towards one of my own goals: eliminating 80% of my material possessions.

Even though today's project only involved my closet, it's taking longer than expected to go through everything.  I hadn't anticipated the number of things that I'd chosen to keep out of sentimental value: gifts from my father, souvenirs from memorable adventures, and the like.  Now that I'm mindfully considering each one, they're no longer just piles of unused clothes in my closet.  They also carry memories and feelings, some of them rather precious.... but also happen to be piles of unused clothes in my closet.

Maybe I don't need that Janet Jackson concert t-shirt from 1993, or that tie from goodness knows what year (How did I ever find that fashionable???  Ha!)....but it may take some time, though, to understand some of my feelings of attachment to other things, so that I can let many of them go.

Quite an interesting test: battling my own nostalgia.

Reading About Oscar

My girlfriend kindly recommended that I read Dr. David Dosa's Making Rounds With Oscar, a memoir based on the true story of Oscar the cat, a elusive and somewhat temperamental cat who resides in a nursing home, spending most of his time away from the residents.... until one of them is about to die.

Ever the skeptic, Dosa doesn't believe that Oscar's presence is a coincidence; however, over the passage of time, Oscar displays this remarkable behavior with an uncanny accuracy.  His presence relieves family members, brings comfort to those in the twilight hours of their lives, and serves as a signal for caregivers to contact family members.

Ultimately, Dosa decides that it doesn't matter how it works, but what matters is how Oscar brings a sense of reassurance to others.  It's a beautiful story which reminds us about how paying attention and being in the moment can provide us with unique insights on how and when another is in need.

Today Is A Good Day To Die

Quotes from Worf...my Trekkie side has been revealed.

Before you know it, I'll be quoting country songs too.

Someday, I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.

I lost a family friend recently.  We had known it was coming for a long time.  My heart goes out to his family, friends, and all those who knew him much better than I did, but I'm also glad that he's no longer suffering and can rest.

Our mortality reminds us of the precious gift of our lives.  Although we do not truly live to witness our own death, experiencing it through an outsider's eyes and feeling the ripples of emotion also reminds us that one day, we too will be gone, and we will also be missed.

That's also why we must do what we can today to care for the gift our our lives, and the part of others' lives that they share with you.  Each is precious because it is not only limited, but fragile as well.  Each must be handled with care and lovingkindness, for someday they will be gone.

And yet, you and I have been dying ever since we were born.

That is the perfect excuse to LIVE: to honor the gift of our life.

That is the perfect excuse to eat well:  to nourish the gift of our life.
That is the perfect excuse to train: to maintain the gift of our life.
That is the perfect excuse to learn, to share...
....and to be kind, to forgive, to serve....to bring light into the world.

Why wait?  We are dying right now.  There is no reason to wait for a doctor to bring us news before we begin to be mindful about our lives or share time with the people you care for.  Just because your 100,000 mile powertrain warranty will expire doesn't mean that you stop taking care of the car....and in our case, some parts can't be replaced, so we need to care for it now!

We do these things, right now, because our training reminds us that life is precious and worth protecting... yet, if it's worth protecting, then it's also worth caring for.

Oh, how about me?  I'm saying this all just to remind myself: Today is a good day to DIET.

What that other title's all about, I don't know. 
I do miss my friend though, and wish him a hearty Godspeed.

Less is the New More: My UBBT Goals for 2011

That's no camera flash - I'm that excited to be here!

I am proud to announce my participation in the Ultimate Black Belt Test in 2011, as a member of Team 8.  This will be my second UBBT experience and I am already on the move, as I haven't yet stopped from when I first began!

For me, the UBBT is also my test for 6th degree black belt.  As an independent instructor, I chose to embrace the UBBT as my vehicle for testing because it is HARD.  I'm realistic about the fact that I'm pretty young to be testing for such a high rank, and the world doesn't need another random 30-something martial arts master running around.  The rank isn't what drives me.  I just want to do the best job that I can, helping as many along the way as possible - and then redefine that standard repeatedly.  I have faith that when I have earned the right to be promoted from amongst this group, I will have impacted far more lives than my own.


I will be participating alongside a team of 13 students and staff members from Epic Martial Arts, my program based out of Leadership Public High School in San Jose (and recently grown outward to UC Santa Cruz!).  My work at LPS San Jose as a teacher, advisor, and coach is a large part of the way that I have chosen to contribute to the world, and I believe that if you look at the lives that my students affect, as well as the ones they are building for themselves, you will see the heart of our practice within each of them.  They are impressive young men and women who will represent our school well.  I hope that you take the time to connect with them as they reach out to you with stories of their growth, challenges, and victories during the year.

As a continuing UBBT member, some of my goals have been completed already and others are still in motion; however, after reviewing my progress, it's time for me to renew my goals - infusing new direction on top of unfinished business to outline my plans for my next personal evolution.

As part of my commitment to myself and to my team this year, I have constructed a series of personal milestones which comprise my "test", constructed from a synthesis of the UBBT general curriculum guidelines, my results with Team 7 (click here for my goals from last year - the majority of them have been completed), conversations with Coach Tom Callos and other UBBT members, and my personal lifepath.  These are things which I expect from myself for my test.  Should any of you wish to join me in them, I would be honored to share in the pursuit of any of these goals with you!


*****

In addition to completing the curriculum guidelines of the UBBT and attending the events, my personal milestones for the year are:

1.  I will lose 50 pounds and achieve a weight of 180 or lower by the end of the year.
As of December 31st, I ended 2010 weighing 230 pounds.  I picked up a few pounds over the holidays and I'm worried that I packed on a few extra ringing in the New Year.  For me, this is a second, renewed attempt to complete this goal - I set it last year when I weighed 249 and wanted to be 199.  It's time for me to step up.  To do this, I will be closely monitoring all the R.E.D. stuff (Rest, Exercise, Diet - three major pillars for me to build a strong and healthy lifestyle).

2.  I will improve in the fine art of delegation with my team in order to create and produce at least 200 videos by the end of the year.
Collectively, we will produce and publish 200 films during the year: 100 from myself, and another 100 from my team.  We have the additional support of my brother, who is a professional film editor; however, we will not be counting any of his films towards our team goal.  (We'll share them though!)

3.  I will become a certified Anger Management Educator this year.  
Last year, I was to complete a course from Dr. Tony Fiore, one of the foremost experts in the world on anger management.  I did not do this.  I will remedy this.

4.  I will earn a Certificate of Mastery in Peace Education this year.
I will enroll and complete the program offered by Teachers Without Borders.

5.  I will give away, donate, recycle, sell, or dispose of no less than 80% of my material possessions this year.
Inspired by Mark Savage's blog, Minimalist Journey, I decided last August to begin the process of reducing the clutter of my life in order to free myself to focus on what matters.  Mark gave up all except for about 3% of his possessions, so I should still be reasonably comfortable with only 20% of mine.  After completing The Compact last year and exercising enough willpower to avoid buying, my next step is to clear out what I've already purchased.

6.  I will assist in the redesign and relaunch of the Live Like a Champion Project, or a version of it.
Last year's program welcomed members from the Kahnawake Survival School in Canada, led by Coach Kanentokon Hemlock, as well as members from my program at LPS San Jose.  It was impressive to see how well young students did, even without a great deal of experience!  We're brainstorming and redeveloping the program to serve other educator/martial artists who are in a unique position to affect the lives of many young people.  Professionally trained and already placed in an environment which gives them hours of exposure and influence in the lives of children, an inspired teacher could accomplish a great deal through their students - and what a gift it would be to their lives!

7.  I will test for and earn rank in SGM Rick Alemany's system.
I began cross-training in the Alemany system last year, thanks to UBBT 7 member Kai Li, who kindly linked me up with resources and people to train with.  Much of my kata training for the year will focus on developing a high level of proficiency in his system so that I can test for and earn my 1st Dan under SGM.

8.  I will begin the process towards applying for the level of Master Teacher in my workplace this year.
LPS is piloting an extensive, in-depth portfolio process for career teachers to move up on the payscale by becoming recognized as Master Teachers, in a similar way that other educators may become National Board Certified.  I will not begin this process until after I have completed my other 2 educational goals, so my timeline for completion will extend beyond 2011; however, I am committed to beginning the process this year, most likely by seeking National Board Certification first.

9.  I will complete my second and third 100-mile bike rides this year, beating each previous time by at least 60 minutes.
In July 2010, I rode 101.66 miles over the course of 13.5 hours - an impressive distance, but a poor time.  Part of that time included 3 meal breaks, positioned at approximately 25-mile intervals.  Given that, I have no excuses for not being able to consolidate enough to shave off at least 60 minutes from my next attempt, and 60 more minutes from the following ride.  If I miss my mark, I'll just do it again.  I will accomplish this goal before the end of August of this year.

10.  I will learn conversational Spanish.
A part of me is slightly embarrassed to be a Garcia, work in a school with over 75% Latino/Hispanic students, and not be able to speak more than a handful of phrases in Spanish.  Even though I'm Filipino and there's plenty of Spanish in Tagalog, I never learned how to speak Tagalog either.  I trust that I will be surrounded by plenty of tutors to practice with through my student team. :)

*****

The overarching theme of my 2011 goals is: "less is the new more".  I have filled the majority of my adult life with too many of the wrong things, so my major objective is to free myself of those things.  Less weight, lower time, less clutter, less "one-man-show", less junk, more health, more education, more education, more education, more results. :)

One thing you'll find out about me: I don't quit anything.  Sometimes I have to adjust and/or adapt as I learn from experience, but I will be there with you all year long, my friends.  Let's rock this!

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been!

"Sometimes, the light's all shining on me.

Other times, I can barely see.

Lately, it occurs to me: what a long, strange trip it's been."

~The Grateful Dead, "Truckin"

All things that begin, end... but a new day comes after every sunset.
During the night, I reflect.  I renew.  When the dawn arrives, I begin anew.

On this night, 2010 flashes before my eyes in bits and pieces.  I'm going to capture as many of them as I can and partially mashup my UBBT journals in the process.  My membership with Team 7 began in April of 2009, so I have well over 20 months' worth of journals, and 160+ written entries to choose from, plus a couple dozen videos!  The resulting pastiche will highlight my journey and provide connections to elements of my UBBT story.

(This took a lot longer than I originally thought...kudos to masters of this craft!)


Live Like a Champion: My UBBT 7 Story in Links

2010 for me, was a call to action on a healthy sense of discontent in my life - focusing on using the right kind of self-talk and affirmation so I could go about making things right.  It was the year where a teacher became a student again, in a journey of public self-cleansing, viewed in the eyes of the world.  It was time to wake up, face the dark side of myself, overcome my atychiphobia and kakorrhaphiophobia, embrace a new paradigm, focus on ideas that matter, and take time out for what matters because the little things count most.

In the process of playing the game and raising the bar, I created my Live Like a Champion goals and then went about building my team and inspiring perspiring.  We attracted 43 members, and it definitely felt like I was training at the dojo constantly, always on the move, but every moment of it was time well spent, even the times when I barely did squat because my legs had staged a minor revolt after a morning hike.  Whenever my spicy plans backfired, I gave up a free day and replaced it with playing catchup until I hit system overload.

I had a lot of peak experiences, which I attributed in part to good karma accumulated from reaching out, rebuilding connections, and helping abroad.  After a successful make-a-blanket event, I became a video machine with the help of my brother, and future events like Coastal Cleanup Day in San Jose turned into a fun ICCD video.  We followed it up later with Coastal Cleanup Day 2010, another success!  Our environmental efforts led to a number of Earth Day updates from Team San Jose, full of great projects and everyday heroism!

In the area of healthy living, we had Defeat Diabetes come to San Jose to present at the high school, where both Dawn and I had valuable experiences learning from children.  (I owe her and many others a lot more than a quick thank you.)  Discipline and diet are areas that I still need work on.  However, some highlights: I did manage to train hard and complete my first century bike ride, bust out with a 3,017 pushup tribute, as well as build proficiency in the fine art of cow whispering!

Our biggest impact was on the school community itself, beginning with our Week Without Walls program, a signature event of the high school, but taken to a new level, thanks to the UBBT.  One year later, elements of the program have been infused into the school culture, everything from freshman orientation to free hug days on campus, and we've turned Epic's Week Without Walls into a powerful black belt journey, captured on film!  Many members of our team also graduated from high school during 2010, and I was honored to be one of the keynote speakers, together with two other faculty members who are also in the Live program.

Keeping it real here: there were plenty of moments of honor and shame alike.  I found numerous occasions where I was not prepared to practice self-defense against an overwhelming life, and I found myself feeling a disturbance in the Force, alone in a crowded room with only my internal dialogue as company as my forehead met bricks on the wall.  Numerous tales of stress eating from a chronic insomniac were a large part of my downfall - still working on improving mindfulness.  Even though I lost some stuff around my waist, it was all frosting, no cupcake - the cycle hadn't fully been broken.  Even after revisiting the cycle, I find myself at times falling into the abyss, feeling like I'm not a genuine black belt fully, because you can always do better.

Wait.  Stop.  Unplug.  Time for a gentle reminder: less QQ, more pew pew Garcia.  You must learn control.  Take the high road.  Switch to a different set of colored lenses.  It's all pennies from heaven.

I'm in love with a black belt, and the lifestyle of the arts.  My honor is my life, and I promised to see this through, in sickness and in health.  Hard work is hard, and there are no shortcuts in an ironman test.  If the lifecycle's broken, then it's time to be hitting the trails.  You will experience fear, but all things pass.

Did I complete my goals?  Not really, but I tackled so much during UBBT 7 that perhaps my plan was designed to fail, after all.  My intentions were noble, but it would seem that you will not find truth in me yet, at least not at the endgame of 2010.

No matter where the path may lead, I will be the candle that holds back the night.  I will find simplicity through embracing the minimalist journey in the coming year, and much more, through seeking verisimilitude and not hyperauthenticity.  I hope this goal (one of many) creates a case for competition of the friendly sort in UBBT 8.

For now, I'd like to recognize the members of my 2010 student team for their efforts, including those who participated in portions of the project, those who completed enough of the Live goals to be considered veterans of my UBBT student team, and those graduates of the program who performed admirably, staying to the course and holding steady throughout every storm:


San Jose Live 2010 Participants:
Gabino Alcazar, Edgar Carranza, Javier Chavez, Jocelyn Cruz, Meaghan Del Real, Edgar Diego, Kyle Donnelly, Eloy Harris, Kenny Luong, Charles Ku, Allison McCarty, Jonathan Mejia-Barrera, Mitchell Mejia-Barrera, Jessica Miranda, Richard Nino, Ana Olazava, Fernando Ortiz, Devin Ozdogu, Hope Pross, Frank Rocca, Jaci Rocca, Kaelyne Rocca, Kellsey Rocca, Adrik Tibbs, Edgar Valencia, Rafael Villa, Ranfis Villatoro.

San Jose Live 2010 Veterans:
Lynne Brady, John Caliva, Athena Diaz, Alexis Gonzalez, Emmanuel Gonzalez, Steven Han, Lucinda Maldonado, Andrew Mendez, Ashley Ornelas, Youssef Shokry, Karla Tapia, Anne Tran, Barnaby Westwood, Armond Witherspoon, Juan Zamudio

San Jose Live 2010 Graduates:
Karena Chicas, Daniel Poo, Robert Truong


Lastly, thank you to every member of UBBT Team 7, coaches and students alike.  I truly appreciate being able to share in this journey together with you.  I hope that you choose to continue your UBBT journey in whatever manner best aligns with your life's path.  If you are ever in the San Jose area, you have friends in the arts who would love to share time with you.

And with that....I proudly join my friends on Team 8, ready to rock!