“People only see what they are prepared to see.”

 -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finally…it’s taken pretty much all year, but we have mirrors, and they are up, and they look great!  Since we left the community center at the end of 2008, we’ve been training sans mirrors, and it’s been good, really good in fact, but training with mirrors can be good too, if done correctly.  I think there are several pros and cons to using mirrors in training, but overall, the positives outweigh the negatives.  To get the most out of training with mirrors, I suggest the following:

Use the mirrors to check technique form, the overall “look” of your technique.   It’s interesting that what we think we are doing or how we believe we look when performing a technique is often different from the reality.  I liken this to a young child drawing a picture of their mom or dad; in the child’s mind, that picture is a perfect representation of their loved one, but when viewed from an objective (adult) standpoint, that paper contains just some random squiggles and maybe a few circles with lines that could loosely be interpreted as stick legs and stick arms.  Adorable?  Yes, certainly, but not quite what the little tyke was really shooting for, not quite the ideal.  So, when training, check external form first, the look of your technique; be sure stance, posture, body action and overall technique path, etc., lines up with the principles that we constantly talk about.   Also, I suggest viewing your technique from as many different angles as possible.  Take special note that as you correct your form, it is very, very important to work on cultivating the deeper feeling of correct movement—first recognize it and then work to capture it on the inside and tie it to your breath so that you can learn to use that feeling rather than having to guess or always look a mirror.

Along with checking form, I recommend slowing yourself down and critiquing the starting action and ending action for each technique.  Notice any excess motion, hip tilt, shoulder lift, head bobble, etc., and then work to minimize / eliminate those inefficiencies until the technique is smooth, flowing and powerful from start to finish.  Take your time …go slow first, and most of the time, then, once you have tuned into and can maintain the correct feeling, and tied it to your breath, pick up the speed.

Greater self-confidence is one of the side benefit of mirror training.  Just about everyone, at some point, worries about their appearance...in class and outside of class, whether they are doing karate or not.   When you can actually see yourself improve or effortlessly perform a technique with grace, speed and power, it not only makes you feel good, but it also gives you a mental and emotional boost to keep on progressing.

Of course, when it comes to mirror training, there is one more thing that needs to be addressed:  the “coolness factor”.  You know what I mean.  It’s when you see yourself execute a crisp technique and you realize just how cool you, and karate training, really are.  For some, all they have to do is walk past a mirror, any mirror, to experience this.  My only recommendation is…when you feel the coolness factor take over, don’t smile so big that you break your concentration, especially if you’re executing a deadly gyaku tsuki.

EDB

12.23.11

"Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person."

-Albert Einstein

Yes, yes, I know…it’s been a while, a long while…  I know, and I thank you for hangin’ around so long, so without further ado, let’s get on with it…

A friend in Zambia has been asking me some rather enlightening questions about the art.  She doesn’t train, but has a way of inquiring about martial things that really makes me think.  Answers to two questions that she asked back in May, when I mentioned that I was going to be training with Sensei Avi Rokah, “How is it possible to still be learning after 20 years of training,” and “When will you become a master,” seem simple at first, like I could easily respond to them with half a thought, but upon a third look, required more thought and contemplation than even she probably meant to induce. 

Let’s look at her first question: “How is it possible to still be learning after 20 years of training?”   Is it possible?  Oh heck yeah!  Let's see how to explain this....  Okay, first, there is much to learn, and part of what we learn is pure head knowledge before we assimilate it and are able to effectively make it mind/body knowledge.  Simply obtaining head knowledge is usually easier than being able to apply that knowledge all the times, every time, at will.  For instance, you probably have seen Einstein's equation that says E=MC2.  Basically, it says that matter contains a LOT of energy, crazy, unbelievable amounts of energy.  That's pretty easy to understand (head knowledge), but actually using this equation and putting it into action in real everyday life is very difficult, and impossible for the average, ordinary human, thankfully. 

Also, since part of the art involves the ever-changing individual, and as we each are different, our experiences of the basic principles will be different.  Each person is dynamic, so what we learn and what we do and who we are, really, on many levels, differs from day to day.  And since each master or instructor is different, their ability to understand, apply and convey basic and advanced principles will be different; what one master says about topic A may not resonate with me as much as how another master demonstrates or teaches or explains it. 

Finally since true karate is an art and a science, the basic principles don't change (science) but our understanding of these principles can change, does change as we morph and grow, and therefore, our application of the basic principles, how we apply them given our own mind, body, character and unique personality morphs as well—that’s the art of the art.

When she asked, “So, when will you become a master,” I froze.  Hmmm…that’s a great question…  Do I want to become a master, a true master?  Wait, what, in my mind, in my opinion, in my understanding and estimation, is a “master”?  I figured I needed to answer that for myself before I could answer her question, and it didn’t take me log to generate an answer:

To me, a “master” is a person who, through years of training, has gained a high level of skill, of control of both mind and body, and yet they are continually seeking to further improve themselves and their art.  They are adaptable in their movement, and able to “turn it on” in the blink of an eye.  They can and do teach and convey basic and advanced principles through various means and to students of varying ability.  They are genuinely humble and easy to approach, willing to teach, and still, as I just mentioned, willing to learn.   Notice, I said nothing of rank or certifications or notoriety; skill and character is all that truly matters.

Do I want this, or more appropriately, to become this?  Well, heck yeah, but in every area of my life!  And shouldn’t you, whether you train or not, want to master your own life, be great at, you know, just bein’ you and doin’ the things you do?  I hope so.

So how do I get there, how do I become a karate master and how long will it take?  I get there first and foremost, by setting the goal.  No matter what you want to achieve or become, you will not reach that objective if you never actually set the goal, paint the target.  That’s the easy part; the rest involves challenging myself, stretching and breaking my self-determined limits through hard and smart training, on my own and with top master-instructors, and other advanced practitioners and, believe it or not, lower level students as well.  It involves believing that I can, and never giving up, even when it feels like “one step forward, three steps back…” instead of “one giant leap”.  It means steady work toward the goal, steady, constant climbing, and, enjoying the journey and the view during the ascent.

Well then, how long will this take, this quest to acquire “The Glow”**? I could make estimates and educated guesses, create training charts, maps and calendars, but the real, most accurate answer is: As long as it takes.  What, you think I’m copping out, being cryptic by giving a non-answer answer?  Well, yeah, I am, ‘cause really, that’s how it is.  I don’t think one can actually say one day, even after achieving a high rank and acquiring great skill, “Now, I’m a master!” because to say this really negates the essence of being a true master.

So, how long until I become a master?  As long as it takes…but it is certainly achievable.

I hope that my friend reads this and understands it…I tend to get carried away and a little pedantic, as you can see.  I guess I could have given much simpler answers, but then, neither of us would have been satisfied. 

As always, keep learning, and keep training; train hard and train smart.

EDB

06.17.11

**If you get that reference, and how it relates to the title, you get extra points! 

The little money I have - that is my wealth, but the things I have for which I would not take money, that is my treasure.

-Robert Brault

Hey you, let’s go shoppin’ for, say, a new, ultra-thin, high definition flat-screen television.  Yep, let’s go.  So we hop in the car, and before you know it, there we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, gazing up in jaw-dropping awe at the extremely crisp and overly vivid real-life picture screens, each one overflowing with touchable colors and flooding the air with enrapturing sounds, surrounding us in deep, bone rattling bass-toned pulse beats, immersing us in the lively scenes, making us feel as if we are living our existence inside the TVs.  We stare and we salivate as we compare the boob-tubes to determine which one is the best, which one sports all the bells, banners, trinkets and whistles, and we listen for the one that speaks to us, the one that seems to call our names…  Oh, and by the way, money is no object; you can simply pick, point and take the one you want.  Which one would you choose?  The biggest, loudest, most flashy box?  Of course you do.  And that would be cool. 

Now say, you could only spend $5,000 on this high-tech wonder…how much would you spend then?  Huh?  You say, $4999.01?  Nice.  What if we gave you a choice of just three TVs and while they were all pretty evenly matched, nearly identical, two were priced at around $3,000 and the third one came in at $4999.98…which one would you buy then?  Nope, wrong; you’d still buy the most expensive one.  Yep, that’s right, even if all three were virtually identical, duplicates in just about every way, studies have shown that most people will buy the one that’s listed as most expensive, simply because cost conveys a perceived value into the mind of the buyer.  Strange as it may seem, and I’m sure all marketers know this and use it to their advantage, a good number of people will go for the most expensive option, even if a cheaper one is equal to or even better than the pricy one.  This is the “you get what you pay for” mentality.

Well, if this is true, I’m in trouble, ‘cause as dojo tuition fees go, we don’t match up with the average going rates for martial arts classes in our area.  In fact, we are way, way underpriced.  Should I jack up the prices then, in hopes that higher rates will attract more students, pulling them in by means of an inescapable gravitational force that rivals the very tug of the sun?!?  Well, that would be really cool to see, but I don’t think so.  While I am considering increasing the monthly tuition fee by $5.00 (that’s just 42¢ per session), I want to keep it reasonable for all.  My thing is, if you want to train, come train; money should never be the factor that keeps you from doing so.

I’m fairly certain that the low, reasonable fees I charge have actually turned some away.  Yeah, that’s weird.  But again, this is the “you get what you pay for” mindset.  So what do I do about the perception that our low tuition equates to an inferior product?  Well, I know the truth, and while I’m not tootin’ my own horn by any means, I’m pretty confident that the “product” presented at this dojo is among the best in the area, and if prospective students, those serious about learning a worthwhile art, come in and give it a real, effortful try, they will see it and experience this truth too. 

Yep.

Thus ends the Econ 101 lesson.  Please, when you do go out to buy that fancy new TV, invite me to come along, and I’ll make sure you get a great deal for your dough, despite the psychological manipulations of The Man!

Keep training.

EDB

02.23.11

We all desire to change something about our lives: where we are, how we are, what we are, or who we are...  But, until you are fed-up enough, low enough, broke enough, shamed and defamed enough, tired enough, lonely enough or angry and determined enough to do what you must do to break your chains and flee from your painful-comfort zone, you will remain where you are, how you are, what you are and who you are."

-EDB 09-14-10

I didn’t hear it nearly as often this January as I did last, the radio commercial that irked me to no end every single time it rang in my ears.  It annoyed me basically because it advocated the belief that you can get something for nothing.  Which commercial, you might ask, am I talkin’ about?  Well, first let me preface this by emphatically stating that I am NOT baggin’ on anyone who has a weight problem—heaven knows I’ve battled that issue myself, so I understand.  The commercial I’m referring to is the one (or the many) that says you can drop the pounds by taking a pill AND WITHOUT changing your lifestyle.  That means, you can take this pill and lose weight, while STILL eating all the craptastic stuff you want, and you can STILL be a lazy, inactive couch potato.  Something for nothing…so goes our society?  Bugs me.  Irks me. 

There can be no true change without, you know, making a change.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that change, real change, takes time, and it takes real effort.  I believe that change, whether it’s the type we desire and purposefully pursue, or the undesirable kind that is thrust upon us, is really about two things: letting go, or taking up.  Sometimes we have to “let go” of things that are no longer useful, or are maybe even harmful to us.  Sometimes if we are to grow, we have to “take up” things that are beneficial, and more often than not, it’s the combination of both letting go and taking up that propels us down a new path.

When we “let go”, and leave something behind, we change, we morph.  When I was a kid I can vividly remember thinking: “Man playin’ with toys is… GREAT!  Why don’t adults do this?  When I grow up,” I vowed, “I’m gonna still play pretend with my Star Trek stuff…”  Well, the years passed and I simply let go of the toys because they no longer interested me as they once had.  I don’t think it was a sudden thing, but a gradual letting go, so it was quite easy.  Sometimes, of course, letting go happens abruptly, again, either by choice or by circumstance, and yes, sometimes, letting go is a big fat challenge.  Several years ago, I decided to give up refined carbohydrates (white flour, high fructose corn syrup, et al) in favor of more natural and healthier alternatives (whole grains, natural sugar, etc.).  That…was…a challenge, especially since tasty junk foods like donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and ice cream are my kryptonite.  When I gave up the refined junk, I knew I HAD TO take up the fruits, veggies and less processed foods because otherwise, I would always be answering when those delicious donuts called out to me.

“Taking up” can be difficult and is rarely a gradual, easy-going, unnoticed thing, I think.  When one takes on a new habit (good or bad) one has to put some thought and energy into it at first, before it becomes easy and effortless.  For instance, back in October, I started doing 100 pushups a day.  The first day or so was easy, but the following days were crazy-hard!  After about two weeks, it became a little easier, but I still had to think about doing it and I still had to strain to finish the task.  Now, I hardly have to think about it, and the day just doesn’t feel right if I don’t do all 100 before I leave the house.  Think of a time, a New Year Resolution, perhaps, when you decided to workout more or eat better, or get more sleep…how challenging was that “take up”?  Are you still doing it?

As I stated before, I believe that most of the changes that we make or seek to make involve both letting go and taking up; you have to balance out the equation, so to say.  In order to change the way you think, you have to let go of erroneous or damaging beliefs, and take up truth and a more positive outlook.  If your goal is to save money, your spending will to decrease, and the amount that you purposefully throw into your savings account will need to increase.  When you want to stop smoking, not only must you stop buying cigarettes, you gotta start a new and healthy habit that will fill the void left by the letting go.  If you want to conquer your fears, you have to let go of irrational thoughts and take up the challenge of staring fear in the face, even when you feel like fleeing.  And yes, yes, this principle works with our training too.  In an effort to improve my basic technique, kata and kumite, I have to first determine what I want / need to let go of (dropping the eyes, for instance) and what I need to take up instead (an intense and steady gaze, for example).   For a faster, more powerful and flowing punch, I have to let go of excess mental and physical tension and take up right breathing and correct internal activation.  For a kata that comes alive, let go of rote, staccato movement and take up motion that begins at and flows from your center.

Like everything else, morphing is a process for us humans, but that’s what we do, we morph, we change.  From the instant we’re conceived, we’re in a state of flux and I believe this has to be true of our training as well, and just like any other life-form, when you stop morphing, you stop growing…   Morphing into something better, become better than you are today is definitely demanding and is hardly ever instant, and will almost always involve letting go of things that are of no use, or that weigh you down, and taking up those things that are beneficial.  Yep, you know you can’t get something for nothing, no matter what they may try to tell you. 

EDB

02.04.11

"Come to the edge, he said.  They said:  We are afraid.  Come to the edge, he said.  They came.  He pushed them, and they flew...”

-Guillaume Apollinaire

Last night, we had our final classes of 2010.  We began working on a new visual / internal concept whereby, I hope, one can tie the leg(s) more effectively to the sacrum and tailbone, and then we had what I felt to be a very fruitful question and answer session.  We’ve done A LOT this year, we’ve kicked, punched, flowed and thrown, and by the questions that were asked last night, I see that we’ve learned, for when a student asks the “right” questions, it provides a huge clue as to what’s going in their minds, in their training, and in their growth and understanding of the material I seek to transmit.

Not only have we grown in our physical martial skills and intellect, but we’ve grown in number as well.  While gobs of students is by no means my ultimate goal in teaching, there is a sweet-spot number that I hope to hit and oscillate around, and I am pleased to say we are getting closer to reaching and maintaining this objective.

So, as the year ends and we look back over the flurry of fast-moving months, I think we can agree it’s been a good year; we’ve explored a lot, learned so much, and we have much to be thankful for and, by the Grace, much to look forward to in the coming year.  Get ready for more weird, er, uh, interesting and challenging “edge” concepts, sweet seminars and training trips, and personal growth and advancing martial skillz (yes, that’s spelled right) in 2011.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all.

EDB

12.22.10

It is sweet to let the mind unbend on occasion.

~Horace

Please allow me to twist, contort and bend your mind as I get a little philosophical.  I often like to sit and think about deep things, interesting and off the wall topics, imagining the “what ifs” and the “why” and “hows” of science and existence, so, if you would, join me on a brief mental journey and let’s see where we end up…

Cognition.  I’m quite fascinated by the fact that we can think about and question our thoughts.  Think about that.  You can think about, examine, observe, and study your own thoughts, pick them apart and scrutinize them as if they were not a part of you…as if they were actual “things”.  That strikes me as odd, but important.

We hear the phrase “mind over body” all the time, but if I said to you “mind over mind”, what would that mean to you?  Does it mean to control or subdue your mind with your mind?  How is that possible?  Doesn’t it take something higher or stronger / separate to control another thing / something lesser?  So…you control your mind.  Then…that means you are higher than your mind.  And therefore…you are not your mind?  Then, what is “You”? 

Some believe the brain and mind are not equal or the same.  What are the implications of that?

Can you pre-think a thought, hold a half-thought in your mind, but not really think it? 

Can you nourish two or three thoughts simultaneously?  Can you picture one thing or event in great detail while thinking of a song and solving a math problem or making up your shopping list? 

What would happen if we were really, truly able to give one thought our full, undivided attention?  How would things be different?

For the most part, most of the time at least, the mind doesn’t act independently and you can call thoughts and images, memories and even feelings to be at will.  It’s like the mind is a computer and I’m sitting at the keyboard operating the system… Does this mean “mind” and “you / I” are separate and distinct?  If so, what am / is the “I / You”?

Why is it so difficult to keep out negative thoughts and ideas that you just don’t want hoppin’ around in your head?  Is “keep out” even the most accurate phrase to describe this, since these negative thoughts start on the inside?  And if they don’t start on the inside of “you”, your mind, where do they come from and how do they get there?

Instinct and thought are not the same.  One is better than the other, in some situations, but acting purely on one or the other can get you in trouble.

Thoughts are very complex when you are learning a complex thing (i.e. driving, calculus, a new kata).  Once you’ve reached a certain level of understanding and comfort with that thing and move by feeling instead of thought, are there still complex thoughts taking place below the surface that you aren’t even aware of?

Thoughts in the form of visual pictures and mental images affect your body, and of course, vice versa.  Thoughts affect your emotions.  Change your thoughts, you change your emotions, and you change your life.  Thoughts, ideas, these immaterial, non-corporeal generations, are extremely powerful.

Proverbs 23:7 says “…as a man thinketh, so he is…” and according to Romans 12:2, transformation comes by the renewal of the mind…

If it’s “all in your head”, shouldn’t it be easier to control since whatever “it” is, is without weight or dimension, or physical force?  Or, by that definition and description, does it make it even more difficult to control?

If we are what you eat, and we are what you think, shouldn’t we be just as, or even more concerned about what we allow into our minds as we are with what we put into our bodies?

Just what are babies and cats thinkin’ about when they look at you that way?

That’s all, I think.  You may now unbend your minds.

EDB

12.07.10

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18

Have you ever looked back and taken stock of your attitude over a period of several months, you know, done kind of an internal audit to see what’s been going on within?  For a while now, I’ve been looking within, noticing a change, a different mind-set that was…different...  There has been something unusual in the way I approached or viewed people and situations, a new / slightly skewed perspective, and while most that I interacted with probably didn’t even notice it, I felt this “difference” but couldn’t put my finger on it.  I didn’t like what I was feeling, and it was so very subtle, but at the same time, more than a little alarming.  For several reasons, it all became clear Monday morning; this difference, this attitude shift, was in fact, the ugliness of pride.  Pride is an interesting word.  To “take pride” in or be “filled with pride” in relation to your family, country, etc is a good thing, a great thing, but to be “full of pride” or “prideful”, well, that ain’t so good.

I noticed this attitude invading several aspects of my life…this pustulence has been gestating under the surface for sometime I’m afraid, but thankfully, I realized it and can do something about it, because, yeah, it’s true that pride will set you up for a big fat face-plant fall.  This pride was so subtle that I just didn’t realize what it was, but even if it remained internal for the most part, it is just as poisonous to the soul as out-and-out arrogance.  And even though I think I caught it in time, I still earned a bit of a smack-down in my monthly Monday night kumite training…  Ouch.

After the morning revelation of my pridefulness, I’d been thinking about it all day, and by the time I got to the dojo that evening, I was mentally and emotionally tired and I knew the night’s training was going to be a challenge.  And so it was.  It wasn’t physically difficult, but mentally—I just didn’t have “it”, could barely turn “it” on, and I couldn’t maintain “it”.  And it, or the lack of “it”, showed.  This felt like the opposite of the me from the previous session, and the exact reverse of what I’m working for.  Needless to say, I limped out after the class.  Humbling.  But this is good; this type of experience is essential for learning and growth, painful though it may be. 

Thomas Merton said, “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.”  If I truly desire to excel at our art, if I really want to live a real life that makes a real, positive and permanent difference, I gotta let go of pride and choose true humility, which, contrary to popular belief, is true strength.  When I was in high school I had a saying that I think it’s time to re-adopt: “Be humble, or get humbled.”  That’s so simple and so inescapably true.  It’s back to the simpler attitude for me.

EDB

11.16.10