Category: Motivation

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey

As usual, I’ve been reserving my Sunday posts for people that have inspired me or motivated me in some way. While going through my Kobo with my wife, we came upon the autobiography of Ronda Rousey, entitled “My Fight/Your Fight.” I started talking about the autobiography and about everything Rousey has been through in her life (up to that point) to get to where she is today. My wife suggested that I seemed pretty inspired by Rousey and that perhaps I should write about her. And here we are…

Many people in martial arts circles and non-fitness circles alike have expressed a love/hate relationship with Rousey. Some believing her to be more of a passing fad than a genuine athlete, some idolizing her as a true martial artist and pioneer in the women’s division of one of the most male-dominated forms of sport entertainment currently in existence. But the truth of it is she’s accomplished many great things. Most of which were accomplished through sheer force of will and has beaten odds that would have crushed a lesser person.

Rousey was born in California in the late 80’s and was born with a condition known as apraxia, which is a particular childhood speech disorder that made it difficult for Rousey to speak in a coherent manner for the first years of her life. This would be one of the first obstacles she’d overcome as she would eventually go on to speak normally, as anyone who has heard her speak in recent years could attest.

Rousey suffered tragedy early in her life as her father broke his back while sledding with Rousey and her sisters. Rousey’s father became a paraplegic as a result and took his own life in 1995. Years later, Rousey would begin training in the martial art of Judo, as her mother had been an accomplished athlete in Judo, having been the first American to win the World Judo Championship in 1984.

Rousey progressed, promoted and moved up the ranks in Judo and won more medals and trophies than I could possibly list here (you should read her biography for deeper details) and never gave up along the way. She faced personal difficulties at home, which saw her leave her family to train elsewhere and injuries that made continued training and development difficult. But along the way, she never stopped fighting, in the physical and metaphorical sense. Rousey became an Olympian by winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic games, becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s Judo since its creation.

After winning an Olympic medal, Rousey retired from Judo professionally, and sought some direction in her life. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of it, my impression was that she slipped off the rails a bit when she failed to find that direction in her own life. I can definitely relate to that, on a number of levels.

Rousey fell into the world of Mixed Martial Arts in 2010 as an amateur, a term that wouldn’t apply to her for very long. She trained with the same passion and fervour in MMA and she had in Judo, and quickly came to make her mark on the sport and ultimately, the world. Her signature move was submission by armbar, and it seemed that no opponent could best her.

Rousey stepped into professional MMA in the following year and became Strikeforce’s Women’s Bantamweight Champion in 2012. Rousey would go on to be the first female signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, after a great deal of debate whether women would ever be in the UFC. Once part of UFC, Rousey was named the UFC’s first Women’s Bantamweight Champion, a title she defended over and over until her loss to another fighter in 2015.

Rousey was away from MMA for about a year before she returned to reclaim her title. She ultimately suffered another loss and unofficially retired from the UFC in late 2016. She was, however, inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. Rousey has since moved on to professional wrestling, and has continued to make an impact there, as well.

The thing about Ronda Rousey is that despite the obstacles, difficulties and losses she’s faced in life and career, she never stopped fighting. Even at her lowest, when she felt she had nothing more she could lose, she found ways to rise up and pick herself up like a proverbial phoenix. Rousey has gone on to author books, star in action films accomplish inspirational things despite said obstacles.

If you want to learn about Ronda Rousey the person, I would definitely recommend picking up her autobiography, My Fight/Your Fight. You can get it from your local bookstore or you can get it as an e-book for your Kobo, which is what I did. It’s definitely worth the read and will give you insight on her character and her development as a person, as opposed to an entertainer and athlete. But, what an athlete! If you need some proof, just Google her fight record… From Judo to MMA to professional wrestling, the scales definitely tip in her favour.

As most of you know, I’ve never been a great fan of MMA. To a traditional martial artist, the term “mixed martial arts” doesn’t ring true under any circumstance. So, for me to be inspired and motivated by an MMA athlete is a bit of a step out of my comfort zone. That being said, holding a 6th degree black belt in Judo definitely helps. She’s a good combination of traditional and modern, with a warrior spirit to back it up. ☯

Peace Is A Habit, Not An Accident

Although frequently misquoted, Bruce Lee continues to be a source of knowledge and inspiration to many people, martial artists or not. In my opinion, one of the best quotes he’s ever come up with is, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” The lesson there is pretty simple; life isn’t MEANT to be easy. Humans, as a species, would not have evolved if life was all comfort and ease.

Finding your inner peace in the midst of modern life isn’t easy. It’s made all the more difficult through recent developments that see most families isolated inside their homes together for extended periods of time. It probably SHOULDN’T be like that, but the reality is that everyone needs a bot of time alone, sometimes. Letting your head cool and finding time to be alone and to mediate can be challenging, even frustrating. This leads to an endless cycle of frustration feeds lack of peace, lack of peace increases frustration and so on and so forth…

I’m sure you’ve heard people say that life is what you make of it. And while this is true, you need to acknowledge that your life is YOUR life and that one often needs to adapt in order to find that inner peace that is so needed to make life work. That’s why there should always be a bit of time in every day that you take for yourself. It doesn’t have to be long or measured in hours, but every member of the household should be able to enjoy a bit of solitude in order to centre themselves.

For my 5-year old son, this means sprawling in his bed with his iPad and watching Paw Patrol or Hello Ninja on repeat until he decides to go outside and try to reenact what he sees on screen. For my wife, it involves doing digital puzzles. For me, it involves finding time/space to meditate or go out on a bike ride. The bike rides have won over the most in recent weeks, especially since I’m trying to build my tolerance for long distances.

Wayne Dyer once said, “Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than what you think it should be.” If you wait until life is exactly how you want it in order to find peace, you may be surprised at how empty and shorter your life will be. Accept what is and make a point to find your own peace within your daily life. You and the people in your environment will be all the better for it. ☯

Your Way Of Living Can Be THE Way Of Living…

I’ve often seen some of these so-called “life coaches” and motivational speakers go on about the “right way to live” or the right steps to take in order to be successful. Although I will agree that some motivational speakers have got some decent advice and can sometimes provide some inspiration, an individual’s specific success is dependent on, well… the individual!

Each person is customized and grows according to their own specific circumstances and lifestyle. So it stands to reason that finding the right way to live for you can be as individualized and specific as certain medical treatments working for one individual but not the other. Makes sense, right?

As deep-rooted as this way of thinking is for me, I occasionally find things that resonate with me and I would be remiss if I didn’t share them. And here we are! I found this list while I was busy wandering down the ol’ internet rabbit hole one night, and I was surprised to find that I agreed with everything on it, which again is a rarity for me. So here’s the list for a simple formula for living:

  1. Live beneath your means;
  2. Return everything you borrow;
  3. Stop blaming other people;
  4. Admit it when you make a mistake;
  5. Give your unworn clothes to charity;
  6. Do something nice whether others see you do it or not;
  7. Listen more, talk less;
  8. Take a 30 minute walk every day;
  9. Strive for excellence, not perfection;
  10. Be on time. Don’t make excuses;
  11. Don’t argue, get organized;
  12. Be kind to unkind people;
  13. Let someone cut ahead of you in line;
  14. Take time to be alone;
  15. Cultivate good manners;
  16. Be humble;
  17. Realize and accept that life isn’t fair;
  18. Know when to keep your mouth shut;
  19. Go an entire day without criticizing anyone;
  20. Learn from the past and plan for the future; but
  21. Live in the present;
  22. Don’t sweat the small stuff;
  23. It’s all small stuff.

These are all excellent practices to develop, and I’ll admit that #12 is likely the one I have the biggest difficulty with, as demonstrated in a post I wrote entitled Let The Hate Flow Through You… I have an unfortunate intolerance for other people being unkind to me or my family, and my very capable mouth has a tendency of responding accordingly.

Find the daily practices that are important to you and fit with your values. There’s nothing wrong with finding inspiration for this from other sources, but be sure that they work for you. What fits well in one person’s life may not fit in yours. And ultimately we are only responsible for our own happiness, nobody else’s. ☯

Bill “Superfoot” Wallace

You may have noticed that I’ve started taking the habit of writing about someone influential every Sunday. Influential to me, obviously, but hopefully somewhat influential to others once they read about them and learn bit about their accomplishments. This week, I thought I would write about an accomplished martial artist whom I’ve been reading about since my childhood: Bill “Superfoot” Wallace…

Wallace was born in 1945 in the United States and started to dip into the fighting arts through high school when he joined the wrestling team. He later went on to include Judo and had studied this for a number of years as well, but an injury to his right knee forced him to quit the art before he could pursue it to any extend. In 1967, Wallace served in the united States Air Force and it was there that he began studying the Okinawan karate style of Shorin-Ryu, which is a sister style to my own style of Uechi-Ryu.

I remember reading about Wallace as a child, in Black Belt Magazine. I was fascinated by the speed and accuracy of his kicks, and just a little bit jealous of the fact that I could never kick quite as high as he could. My constant practice and development of my roundhouse kick is a result of watching him in action.

Wallace spent many years in the karate tournament circuit, winning the Professional Karate Association’s middleweight full-contact karate championship and retired undefeated. Wallace eventually moved on to kickboxing tournaments, since these tournaments allowed for kicking while the PKA’s karate tournaments did not.

“Have A Blast. Have An Absolute Ball. Because It’s Something You Can Do Absolutely Forever, Your Entire Life. And It’s Just Fun… So Do It.”

– Bill “Superfoot” Wallace

Wallace became known for his fast and devastating kicks, which earned him the name of “Superfoot.” Wallace normally focused his kicks on his left foot, since the injury to his right knee that occurred during his time in Judo made kicking with the right foot more difficult (although not impossible, if you’ve watched any footage of him). This certainly didn’t slow him down in any respect.

Although most people tend to focus on the popular aspect of a person, which in this case is karate, Wallace holds a bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology. Wallace has written many books and has taught karate and coached many others, notably Elvis Presley and John Belushi.

What inspires me the most about Wallace is his undying dedication to the art and to his own self-development. He’s been known to say that no matter how fast or strong his kick may be, he’d continue to work it and develop it in order to improve himself. Having injured himself early on in his martial arts career, most people in his position would throw in the towel and take it easy. Not this man. He stuck to his goals and ambitions and to this day continues to speak and give seminars. ☯

The Million Dollar Question

What would you do, if you won the lottery tomorrow? Would you continue to work? Would you retire early and settle down somewhere and enjoy a quiet life? Or would you donate some of it or take up some philanthropic projects? The answer depends on one’s ambitions and goals, but each person’s individual answer can be surprising.

Most people I’ve asked have indicated they would quit their jobs, perhaps take an extended trip or vacation somewhere. Although all of that sounds nice, it might only take a very short period of time before that becomes tedious. You know how everyone says that money can’t buy happiness? Boredom is an even bigger hindrance to true happiness, making it all the more important to have firm goals in mind, even if you were to suddenly find yourself coming into a large amount of money.

Can money buy happiness? Perhaps not. To be honest, I’d prefer to find out for myself rather than take someone else’s word for it. But I can guarantee that money can obtain/buy many of the things that can BRING happiness. Becoming debt free, ensuring your children’s future and being able to have a financially stress-free vacation every year would go a long way towards helping one’s happiness.

And that’s the takeaway for myself, I think. I would be unable to stop working. I feel that it’s more than I could handle. Nothing saying I wouldn’t work much less, but I would have the benefit of knowing that whatever work I did was for the greater good without worrying about having to earn a salary in the process. Damn responsibilities, am I right?

Personally, I have a strong dislike of money. I don’t like the fact that it’s required for just about everything in today’s modern world. But if I had enough to be considered independently wealthy, I would continue to work in my current industry, provide and/or share some of my wealth with family and repair and upgrade my home. Maybe I’d arrange to have a small cabin on a lakeside somewhere where I can spend sunny afternoons reading and doing martial arts.

What would you do? A little dreaming never hurt anyone. Feel free to share your thoughts, or simply use this as food for personal thought. ☯

The Pain Came First…

Imagine having to go through a surgery… Doesn’t matter for what; just a necessary surgery that will require an incision, perhaps the removal of something inside, closing, stitching and healing. Now, just imagine having to go through that WITHOUT any anesthesia. Despite being necessary, are you suddenly a bit more hesitant? You probably should be. Hell, most of us are leery of getting something BASIC done without some form of local anaesthetic, let alone major surgery.

But prior to the invention of general anesthesia in 1846, this was the reality you faced. Just imagine needing to have your appendix removed and the only way to do it was to have a bunch of medical personnel hold you down while the doctor laboured to ignore your screams of pain as he cut into you to remove the inflamed appendage. Sounds like something out of a bad Eli Roth horror movie, right? What if I told you that in some respects, life is very much the same?

Life will throw more than its fair share of painful moments at you, and I can guarantee that it does nothing to numb or soften the blow when it does. An uncle of mine always jokes that there are only two guarantees in this life, death and taxes! He stole that from Benjamin Franklin, of course (granted, I don’t think HE knows that). But on our way to the great beyond (or the next life, depending on what you ascribe to), we’ll face a number of unknowns, including how life will play out, what tragedies we’ll face and what pains will befall us. How we face those obstacles is what molds us into the people that we are.

Although it’s sometimes easy to blame others for our misfortune, and it’s quite accurate that many have a role to play in that arena, recognizing and admitting our faults is an important part of growth. I once wrote that when something bad happens in one’s life, the responsibility can be divided into three equal parts: part of it is someone else’s fault, some of it is fate, which is out of your hands. But one needs to recognize the fact that some of the responsibility will always be yours. Through words, deeds and/or actions, intentional or not, some of the fault lies with you.

To quote William Ernest Henley, you are the master of your fate. How things will play out is up to you. There are an unfortunate number of people in this world who enjoy watching it burn. They’ll do things that bring you harm, even if there is no cause or reason to do so (not that there is ever reason to intentionally do harm to others) But to continue on, to charge forward, to motivate yourself and find reason to keep going is the best damned revenge you could ever hope to bring against those who seek to harm you. And the best part is, you don’t even need to do it FOR revenge. When you are unrestrained by the harm others bring to you, that part takes care of itself!

☯

Think About Why…🤔

In speaking with some associates lately, I was asked why I push so hard physically. At first, I didn’t understand the question. I’ve been Type-1 Diabetic since the age of 4. As a result of that, I’ve been physically active to the best of my ability since then. I’ve never really felt that I had a choice. I’ve taken my own health in hand for longer than I can remember. Being physically active is really all I’ve ever known. Much like being Type-1 Diabetic is all I’ve ever known…

In your own life, if you take the time to ask yourself why, you might be surprised at the answer you get. There really isn’t a “bad” answer; whether you choose to do it to get in shape, get healthier, lose weight or even to associate with others. Your reasons are your own and no one can tell you any different. But if you have Diabetes, the reasons can hit a little closer to home than working on your summer body, which thanks to 2020, my beach body has called in sick for the remainder of the year. But I digress…

I think it’s important, at least at SOME point on one’s journey, to ask yourself… why? Why do you push yourself, physically, emotionally, perhaps even spiritually, towards fitness goals that you may otherwise not be pursuing? Well, in my case the answer is pretty damn simple: I push so hard because I enjoy staying alive.

It’s a documented fact that people with Type-1 Diabetes have a shortened life expectancy of about 20 years. I’m not a great fan of those numbers. Being part of a family where the men live into their late 90’s, I can’t say that I’m pleased with the thought of that being shaved down to my 70’s, considering I’m more than halfway there! For that reason, if none other, I try to stay as physically active and fit as possible.

I think the prospect of staying alive is a pretty good reason to stay in good shape. I’ve enjoyed the benefit of having loads of fun, learning martial arts and meeting tons of people along the way. But staving off the effects of Diabetes is certainly the top priority. It’s always a bit morbid to think about one’s mortality, but for anyone who has dealt with Diabetes their entire life, I guarantee it’s always itching at the back of our minds. ☯

“Get Me A Beer, Son…”

The summer season is quickly descending upon us, and with it comes many of the activities that just feel significantly more fun during the summer. For example, I don’t know too many people who spend time sipping a beer on their back deck in January. The cold just tends to make it unpleasant, granted your beer would stay cold for longer periods… But I digress…

Friday afternoon, I stepped outside and did some work on the new bike. I inflated the tires (properly) after the lack of pressure from when I purchased it, then attached the remaining accessories that I hadn’t included before the maiden voyage on Thursday. Following that, I set up padded chairs and a coffee table in my garage in order to have a place to lounge and read.

Once I did a few errands around the yard (picked up some litter, cleaned some messes and retrieved umpteen summer toys from the roofs and gutters), I sat down to a cold beer and a Jack Reacher book. If you haven’t read any of Lee Child’s books about the retired US Military Policeman, Jack Reacher, you seriously need top pick one up and give it a read.

There are currently 24 books in the series and I’ve read nearly all of them. None of them are bad! Do you understand the significance of that? NONE OF THEM ARE BAD!!! I usually have difficulty enjoying every book in a ten-book series, but Lee Child hits it on the nose with every story. Anyway…

Nathan seemed concerned after a while, that my beer was nearly empty. So I did what every father has done since the dawn of time (okay, maybe not THAT long ago). I asked him to grab me another beer. I have to admit, he was smart about it; he asked what colour can and where it was. he should have known that it would be in my downstairs fridge, but otherwise I told him to grab the brown and white can.

It took almost ten minutes and I began o think he wasn’t coming back, which would have been fine as I was perfectly content to simply read and I didn’t NEED another beer. Then he strolls out of the side entrance and walks towards me. What is carrying, you ask? A full, unopened bottle of red wine… Yeah, no… Just, no!

I told him I couldn’t drink a bottle of wine and that I had wanted another beer. He tells me, “Oh well, just drink this now that it’s out, Daddy. I can’t go back inside…” I’m not sure if my sone was trying to get me day drunk, or if he was just lazy. The little voice inside my head tells me he’s just lazy.

I ask him if he knows what the colour brown is. He says yes. I ask him to show me the colour brown. He posts to our garbage bin, which is in fact brown. I tell him that what I needed is a small can that is the same colour as the garbage bin and that the wine needs to go back to the fridge. He complied and brought back the correct can, followed by a seemingly strong urge to watch me drink it.

That’s it! No intense philosophical lesson today! Just a brief, funny story about a guy and his goofy five-year old son grabbing him a beer to enjoy on the deck. Hopefully, you’re doing something to garner some peace and enjoyment in these uncertain times. ☯

Terry Fox

Last week, I decided to touch on certain role models that I’ve had over the years. I showcased Michele “The Mouse” Krasnoo last week, as she has a been a source of inspiration and martial arts brilliance for me for as long a I can remember. But this week, I decided to touch on someone who may not be a martial artists, but has been a source of inspiration for me since I was a young child. Terry Fox.

Terry Fox (and I’m quoting directly from Wikipedia here, since I lack some of the specific details) was a Canadian who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 1977 and ultimately had his right leg amputated in 1977. Despite his amputation, Fox continued to run using a prosthetic leg and even played basketball and various other activities.

Terry Fox was a self-driven warrior. No act of God or man could keep him from his goals, and he hated losing so much that he continued to push until he succeeded, no matter what it involved.

“I Believe In Miracles. I Have To.”

– Terry Fox

Fox started on the Marathon of Hope in 1980, dipping his foot into the Atlantic ocean and carrying samples of ocean water with him with the intention of pouring it into the Pacific ocean once he completed his cross-country trek. He made it as far as Thunder Bay, Ontario before, despite his will and recuperative capacity, he had to stop after suffering coughing fits and chest pain. The cancer that had taken his leg had spread to his lungs and ultimately ended his journey.

On June 19, 1981 Terry Fox passed away after succumbing to complications from pneumonia. His death rocked the entire country, even going as far as having the country lower flags to half mast, which was a practice normally reserved for statesmen.

The Terry Fox Run and the Marathon of Hope continue to be inspirations for Canadians. Fox set out to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and damn if he didn’t make his mark on the world. We should all be so lucky. But the important lesson is that no matter what the debilitation, you can reach your goals and make an impression no matter what the condition you face. ☯

Bolt Out Of The Blue ⚡️

So, yesterday I wrote about a project I’m working on, where I will be trying to cycle longer and longer distances over the summer months. At the beginning of the warmer season, I started by hitting 10-kilometre and 20-kilometre milestones, and I’ve been increasing ever since. The details of how I intend to use this training are explained in yesterday’s post (I’ve Got A Plan…), so I won’t get into THAT again.

The truth is, that 40-kilometre trek was accomplished LAST Saturday, with the majority of my treks coming in at the 20 and 30-kilometre totals. The good news is that I’ve already broken a pretty decent milestone for this season, that which is to have cycled for over 500 kilometres!

I’m trying not to be TOO overexcited about this, since it really only takes a little over a dozen outings at 30k to reach this number, but I’ve never really tracked total mileage before and have certainly never pushed myself cardio-wise, as I’ve been doing lately.

But as fate would have it, life rarely cares about one’s plans. Last Tuesday, I left the house fully motivated and fully caffeinated, with the intentions of pushing to reach 50 kilometres. This only made sense as it would be the next milestone for me in my insane summer plans. I left the house early in the afternoon, and set out to get as lost as I could, considering I’m being tracked through GPS.

When I reached about 20 kilometres, I started feeling a consistent thumping, coming from the rear tire. I chanced running whatever may have been ahead of me long enough to watch the rear tire for a moment and noticed it was significantly below pressure. The thump I felt was the valve stem being pushed against the inner surface of the wheel due to low pressure.

I texted my wife to let her know what happened and walked the bicycle for about half a kilometre to local gas station in the hopes of re-inflating my tire. When I got there, I was dismayed to learn the the air compressor required money to activate. Did y’all know you had to pay for air? Because I sure as hell didn’t, and I had no cash on me.

I was lucky enough that one of the employees was kind enough to loan me a dollar so I wouldn’t be stranded. I re-inflated the rear tire and it seemed to be holding, so I continued on. I lost air pressure once again about two kilometres further from home. I had reached 22.24 kilometres. I threw in the towel and asked my wife to come pick me up, which required handling and loading two small children. My wife puts up with a lot of my shit…

I was pretty pissed off as this was the second time I had flattened a tire in recent months. But since it was the rear tire and has all the gears and parts included, I didn’t trust myself to remove it to replace the tube (especially since I royally f$&ked the brakes on my last bike doing it on the front tire). So it was decided that considering the various terrain I cycle on, I should go purchase a new mountain bike.

You wouldn’t think that buying a bike would be difficult, but finding one that wasn’t ridiculously high-priced and suited my size and needs proved to be more difficult than anticipated. I spent all day, last Wednesday, wandering among five different retail locations, with no luck. Yes, you read that right: FIVE! Some locations were out of stock, which it almost seems as though Regina is suddenly ga-ga for bikes, or some didn’t have a frame size to accommodate my height, or the cost was simply too high. A certain popular retail chain that uses a blue and yellow colour scheme only carried bikes that were $798, of all things! And their prices are usually better than most! Yes, I’m cheap!

I had a few more locations that I was able to check last Thursday, and thank the Light I was able to find one at a SportChek location, here in Regina. It had everything I was looking for: mountain bike, proper frame and wheel size, mountings for a water bottle and tire pump and the price was reasonable. Done deal! The staff helped by performing a pre-purchase checklist to ensure the gears, brake and tire inflation were all up to standard before I left the store.

The new ride, still naked without all the accessories.

So, having picked up this bike last Thursday, I strapped on my water bottle holder and travel bags and took a spin. The north-bound wind was strong enough that I almost turned back after 3 kilometres, but I stuck it out. Plus, the staff may have SAID they properly inflated the tires but they were slightly under pressure, which caused some drag and made the trek difficult. I had to stop at 30k, but I at least I broke her in!

So there you have it: the new beast I’ll use to kill myself slowly through long-distance cycling! I’ll admit that all the cycling I’ve been doing has made my legs feel better (an important aspect when you have Diabetes), have improved my blood sugars and make me tired enough to actually get SOME sleep at night, despite my current work situation. I’m looking forward to tweeting my ride further, and increasing the distance I travel in the weeks to come. Hopefully with less strong winds pushing against me. ☯