A New Paradigm

I'm always really pumped about my work after having a phone chat with Master Callos. As much as I know I've progressed personally and professionally, it's awesome to have it validated by another. Thank you, sir!

One thing that excites me about this process is the opportunity to synergize my efforts with a larger community, not solely within the realm of exercise, but in expanding the dialogue of self-defense within our industry. The kinds of battles that most of us fight on a daily basis are not of the punch-kick-throw-choke variety. There are other things which cause us far more harm, and if we're not aware of these things, they will defeat us more decisively than any opponent ever will.

Self-defense, in this new paradigm, is not solely about fighting. It's still about protecting ourselves from harm - that hasn't changed. However, we need to expand our mindset and connect our practice to begin to address a wider awareness of the things which cause us harm in our lives.

More on this later.

You Will Not Find Truth In Me

"Everything I tell you is a lie.
Every question I ask is a trick.
You will find no truth in me."
-Vergere, from SW-NJO: Traitor, by Matthew Stover

I hold a master's rank and title, but I do not claim to have mastered anything. Some might suggest that this quasi-Socratic approach to training makes me wise.

I just think it makes me honest.

If anything, I am still a student, with much to learn. Sure, I have invested a great deal of time and effort collecting and organizing my knowledge into a personal system; however, I acknowledge that whatever I have gleaned from my teachers is incomplete, and that part of my role as a mentor to my students is to pass down my unfinished work so that they may one day fill in the gaps with their own answers.

I hope that they choose not to accept my teachings dogmatically. I have no interest in seeing a shrine of my knowledge preserved for eternity. What I pass down has, and always will be, a living system, assembled with both passion and reason as my guides. I hope that my students will try to internalize my teachings to the best of their ability, then analyze it against the backdrop of reality in order to preserve what is useful, celebrate what is beautiful, study what is interesting, and discard the rest while applying the same process to their own process of exploration, with reason to temper passion, and passion to give purpose.

Nothing I say should be accepted as blind truth. It is, to the best of my knowledge and ability, as complete as possible, but it is also incomplete, and therefore not entirely the truth. To this extent, I suggest that it can be a healthy approach as a student to consider the possibility that everything I say is a lie. I say this not because I am untrustworthy, but so that students might subject my passion and ideas to the crucibles of reason and reality in order to discern the truth for themselves.

It is entirely possible that some of what I say might contain some truth. If so, I take no credit for it. Those words were borrowed from another wiser teacher, and should be passed on just as easily as they were given.

Then again, if none of it turns out to be true, then at least I was honest when I told you that everything I said is a lie.

Endgame: A Review

I've been slowly reading through Derrick Jensen's two-volume work, Endgame, for the past couple of months.

I usually don't peruse books this thoroughly; most of the time I scan books in a matter of minutes in the local bookstore and return them to the shelf. If something about the book catches my eye enough to warrant a second or third reading, I'll buy it and then revisit the same scanning process at home.

Endgame isn't like this. This book makes me slow down.

I don't slow down because the book is tiresome, uninteresting, or difficult to comprehend. I slow down because in between Jensen's anecdotes about coffee conversations with friends about the state of our world, he drives home polemic spears which sink deeply into my naive perceptions about the damage that humans are doing to the world. I slow down because I need to reevaluate my thoughts and actions more critically after reading what Jensen has to say.

There has never been a greater need for environmental self-defense in our history. I confess that I'm merely a newbie when it comes to thinking green, but after reading this book, I'm willing to learn. I'm not certain that I'm ready for the kind of revolutionary action which is suggested by some of the book's anecdotes, but I'm feeling the stirrings of global thought.

Taking the High Road

Despite my generally amiable nature, I have numerous pet peeves which irritate me. One of them is when people engage in feeble, mocking attempts at respectful behavior, and ultimately end up just failing to conceal their disdain. You know, like that oh-so-obligatory handshake which is simply given because it's a custom and not because it's genuine? Or those people who smile and speak calmly while they issue insults, attempting to hide an obvious lack of tact by giving the impression that they're being constructive? It drives me batty, and I find it hard to avoid the temptation to fire off a snappy remark to chop their ego down to size (of which I have several). Still, I manage to do so most of the time.

Sometimes I get that feeling from old-generation martial artists (of all levels). They see a young and idealistic master (or someone who they think makes such claims), and then I am suddenly placed in positions where I am tested on my knowledge of the esoteric hidden teachings of ancient warrior cultures. Other times, I am asked questions about my style and watch their frustration when their attempts to categorize me into martial stereotypes fail (I have abandoned most notions of style and system, other than to respect and pay homage to those which are part of my lineage and those who value such things...more on that another time). Once, I was even challenged by someone who interrupted my class to request a match - and he was serious. (Didn't such nonsense end long before chop-saki B-grade kung fu films depicted them as another day in the life of an action star?)

It's very strange when this happens. It reminds me of KJN Tom's open letter to the martial arts world (see his 5/4/09 entry on his blog), asking them to grow up. I find such treatment to be childish and ego-based. It is a form of treatment which I find discriminatory, since most of these so-called experts would have never been this disrespectful to their own masters - had they received any training worth mentioning. Instead, they hold the standards of their teacher up as a lens by which to judge me negatively, based on my 'inadequacies' (read as: differences between what we do).

Nonetheless, I bear the offenses with dignity. It is their misunderstanding, and does not have to become my offense unless I choose to take them. Also, it's possible that I'm just offended due to my own misunderstanding, so I'd rather not overreact to something which may simply be an error. Instead, I feel reinforced in my obligation to lead by example - to display qualities of mastery without giving in to the pinpricks to my ego.

When faced with rudeness, I am polite at first, gentle when appropriate, and firm when necessary.

When faced with know-it-alls, I become a student at first, a conversationalist when appropriate, and a professor when necessary.

When faced with harsh criticism, I listen and reflect, letting go when it is appropriate, and taking action when it is appropriate.

When faced with hecklers, I succeed in order to help them believe. I cannot force them to believe, but I can focus and not allow their disbelief to become my own.

Regardless of their treatment, I will not allow such people to reduce me to their level simply because I choose not to be "one of them". I can be more, and I can always improve...but such things come on my terms, not anyone else's.

Week Without Walls, Day 3

There are so many success stories to share from this week. I'm way beyond proud right now. Sure, it's mid-week and the fatigue is beginning to eat at their focus a little bit (read as: lots), but they are still making phenomenal progress.

In 3 days' time, they've managed to train as much as most new students train in their first 2 months. Complete strangers are becoming friends. I'm watching a girl with asthma complete 150-yard sprints on the beach without stopping, and without needing to reach for the inhaler in her pocket because she's learning to differentiate between an asthma attack and a good cardio workout. I'm hearing people cheer and support each other as if they were longtime teammates. I'm sensing a sense of camaraderie which I don't often see after 3 days.

Welcome to the NEW old-school, folks.

Longtime martial artists often romanticize about the 'old school' ways of training: how it produced hardcore black belts who were tough-as-nails, how champions from that era became legends, and how people would be hard-pressed to match their caliber of skill. That's also because the training methods also eliminated almost everyone except for the strongest. The practical result of this was a collection of legendary champions, many of whom with injuries that would cripple lesser mortals, and a legion of former martial artists who can claim to have worked out with them.

Then came the 'new school' of the late 80's and 90's (my era): the days when The Karate Kid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turned the martial arts into mainstream fare, and schools had to evolve out of the 'dungeon dojo' days in order to retain their latest crop of child prodigies. Often, training was sacrificed in lieu of retention gimmicks, and while martial arts blossomed more than ever before, I'd dare to say that it also resulted in the all-time largest drop in overall quality for the martial arts in general. When I say this, I don't mean that schools weren't producing champions or self-defense experts or people with phenomenal attitudes or community centerpieces....I mean that schools became experts in the art of Take-Yer-Dough more than any other art, and it showed.

Here's the deal: people want authentic training. They want real confidence. They want to know that they're making real progress and not just earning a piece of tape, a new patch, a fancy uniform, an unpronouncable title, or the latest tie-dye glow-in-the-dark belt. Not that those things are bad, but given time, people will resent your program if there is no depth beyond them. We can't offer a bait-and-switch personal development program with a martial arts skin. We need to offer a genuine martial arts program with a world-class personal development program included with the package, free of charge. (Now that's value!)

Training must empower our students, much as our own training empowered us. In the new 'old school', we have the opportunity to use our experience to construct a superior training program which honors the old ways, yet implements the next evolution. Through this, we can reach out to more people, improving our communities one person at a time...and paying it forward.

Someday, they will romanticize about this week in their training: a time when they exceeded everyone's expectations, reached beyond themselves, and achieved greatness.

Time to practice stances in the ocean. Try it sometime - it's fun!

All Things Pass

We had two fights at school today. The streak is over, but it was a good 15 months!

I had to catch myself after hearing the news. It saddened me and dampened my spirits slightly. Left unchecked, I would've allowed my mind to slide down a slippery slope and become frustrated, possibly even angry. Instead, I invested a few minutes and cleared my head by remembering a few ideas and focusing on what's important:

• All things pass in time. Impermanence is part of the natural way of things; therefore, I cannot allow myself to let a single day's incident cast a shadow over 15 months of success.
  
• To feel angry would be an empty and selfish emotion. The students who fought did not do so in order to ruin my day, nor did they do it to ruin the school's streak. They acted out of frustration and an inability (or unwillingness) to resolve their conflicts in a nonviolent manner. I can be disappointed about their choices without taking it personally, or even professionally.
• The fact that fights occurred is not a failure of the staff with regards to maintaining a safe environment; if anything, their professionalism in handling the events and their aftermath is a testament to their abilities!
  

My meditations on impermanence also brought me back to thoughts about my training. Without sincere effort, intentions remain intentions. Once acquired, I need to maintain and retain all of the positives of my journey!

Time to eat some dinner, cut some boards, choreograph some demonstrations, and then hit the gym. I'll post up my workout results for the week tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Facing the Dark Side

"A truly accomplished warrior may renounce violence -
but only his or her mastery of violence makes this possible."
-Phil Elmore, founder of The Martialist

There is much insight in Elmore's words; however, I would expand upon Elmore's words and replace "violence" with "darkness". Perhaps it's the Star Wars fan in me, but I also believe that violence is often a physical projection of dark thoughts and beliefs that we allow to manifest in our consciousness, and then bring forth into the world. If we are to overcome violent tendencies, we must confront our darker nature and take control of it, lest it control us.

If you glance at a yin-yang symbol, there are many lessons represented within the simple pattern which resonate with the martial artist's path towards overcoming their dark side.

The first concept is called the duality of opposites: the idea that there are qualities which exist in opposition to each other within a given phenomena. We cannot speak of one without referring to the other. In the quest towards achieving peace, the martial artist must acknowledge and accept that they carry both positive and negative qualities. To borrow from a Cherokee parable, the side which triumphs is the one you feed.

The second concept relates to the common root of yin and yang. Both concepts are bound together as a mutual whole, which in our case, is ourselves. Our emotions, positive and negative, spring forth from the same place.

The third concept can be seen in the wavelike shape of the yin-yang, as well as the circle contained within each 'head' of the 'fish': the yin-yang represents transformative duality. Both sides contain the potential to transform each other into their opposites. As such, we must be cautious of dogmatic tendencies. As Elmore would warn in his critique of pacifism, an extreme adherence to peace-loving can potentially become a disregard for life, if we place the value of peace over that of life. Some things are worth fighting for. Conversely, some of the major social movements in our world have taken place following some of the darkest chapters of our history: a sort of light which shines forth from the darkness.

The fourth concept is dynamic equilibrium. Yin and yang exist in balance and harmony. When one disappears, so does the other. We cannot discard our negative emotions. Training or no training, they remain a part of us. Instead, we learn to resolve them, and in doing so, we achieve balance. Ideally, this is a milestone of a martial artist's philosophical development.

It doesn't take fancy academic terminology to understand yin and yang, especially as it pertains to confronting our darker selves. Ultimately, it boils down to recognizing, coming to terms with, and handling our own potential for wrongdoings in thoughts, speech, and action.