Category: Opinion

Pain Is Not The Point

If you practice martial arts, you’re gonna get hurt! Read that first sentence again; it’s important. Martial arts isn’t designed to be gentle, although there are some gentle aspects to it. But the reality is that if you join something like karate, you need to expect that you will, at some point, get struck, bruised, experience pain, pulled muscles, potential black eyes and even bleed. After all, this is a striking art, not cross-stitch (which can still make you bleed, FYI).

The reason I bring this up is because as time goes by, people as a whole seem to have grown in their “sensitivities” and that has often translated to the dojo environment. It surprises me, blows me away, actually how so many people join a martial art then are caught off guard or are surprised when they get hurt in some way, shape or form. I can’t necessarily speak for other styles and types but karate is a striking art and you should clearly expect that a strike may connect at some point while training.

When training in karate, we develop an eye distance to help us gauge the depth of a strike and whether or not it will impact with the surface. We usually train for striking in three ways:

1. A strike that doesn’t stop when it reaches the target. This one is usually done on a mat or a cushion as to not intentionally injure a partner. The idea is to develop one’s power and accuracy and acknowledging that stopping at the surface of a target may inadvertently cause one to pull back, reducing the strike’s effectiveness;
2. A strike that touches but doesn’t cause harm. This helps to develop accuracy and control and helps a partner to acknowledge and realize when contact has been made and whether their block was effective or not.
3. Stopping on a dime, regardless of strike power. Sensei would call this “eye distance,” and it refers to being able to execute a strike at full strength but stopping right at the surface of the target without striking it. This also plays into control and accuracy and is important when learning techniques in a controlled environment.

I’m getting pretty technical and for the purposes of this post, perhaps I needn’t be. But if you read that short list again, you’ll notice that the consistent terms in all three categories are control and accuracy. One could easily argue that in a real fight scenario, all accuracy and control goes out the window. One is basically just trying to survive. While this MIGHT be true, the control and accuracy we train for in the dojo helps to develop the muscle memory that we would carry into the street, if such an unfortunate incident ever occurred.

The important thing to remember is to respect your fellow students. Regardless of belt or rank, regardless of skill level, having respect for your partner/opponent and recognizing that accidents happen and never trying to o intentionally harm them will ensure a richer learning environment for all concerned. That being said, it’s important to recognize that even the most skilled and senior of students can slip and make mistakes. If you get struck, remember that this is a striking art and all part of the overall martial arts journey.

And if you strike someone while training, apologize sincerely and carry on with the exercise (unless your partner is unable to continue). Being humble shows greater strength than puffing out one’s chest and saying something like “you should’ve blocked!” Yes, maybe I should have. But mutual respect is how we all climb the martial arts ladder. Remember this, the next time you’re icing an injury or nursing a pulled muscle. It’s all part of the journey. You want injury-free? Go join a chess club. ☯️

If Your Ego Won’t Fit Through The X-ray Machine, It Needs To Be Checked…

I’ve trained with more martial artists over the decades than I could ever possibly hope to count… Different schools, different styles and different personalities notwithstanding, not everyone views what they’re doing the same way. For example, I’ve often noticed that children and teenagers will often be quite proud of being in karate and may occasionally even brag about their skills and prowess.

But it’s important to remember that there’s a big difference between pride and ego. Ego is one’s sense of self-importance or self-esteem. It can be an important part of a person’s overall existence but becomes a problem if it inflates beyond certain healthy levels. It’s possible for one to have an inflated ego where they genuinely believe they’re better than everybody else or have greater skills than everyone else.

Honestly, there’s no room for that shit in traditional karate. I’m well aware that some school shave students like this; I’ve even TAUGHT students like this but it usually never ends well. I was reminded of this recently when I was training at. The Shotokan dojo. I’ve always been very confident in my skills, even in recent years. But I was quickly reminded that time and age are rarely kind and there will always be others who may be more skilled. Squaring off against another student who happens to be half my age and weight but skilled to the same degree was all I needed as a sobering reminder.

Another fantastic aspect that reminded me of this, is when one of the instructors came to me after class ended last week and asked me to teach him one of my Uechi Ryu katas. I was more than happy to oblige and he patiently worked through the beginnings of Sanchin, which is ironically the first and last karate that we learn. We got to discussing how, if one is willing to set aside their egos and learn, rank meant nothing and there was always something more to be gained. Especially when experienced practitioners from different styles are willing to share with one another.

It brought me to believe that I made a good choice in choosing this school as the next leg of my martial arts journey. But it also reminded me of all the times that I’ve dealt with someone who bragged they were the best and had a better style, only to get flattened when they faced me. And maybe a few times when people practicing something I thought less of, flattened ME in much the same way. There’s no room for ego.

The important detail is to go in with an open mind. Check your ego at the door and be willing to listen, learn and absorb. This is truly the only way to be successful in one’s martial arts training. As the old story goes, it’s hard to add to a cup which is already full. If you walk into a dojo with a bunch of pre-conceived notions or opinions, regardless of your rank or skill level, you’ll fail before you even begin. And THAT would be a loss to everyone concerned. Food for thought… ☯️

What’s The Price Of A Sheet Of Paper?

Education is the cornerstone of society. I’ve spent my entire life hearing those words from my father, teachers and instructors. And to a degree, they were correct. One can’t expect to get through life without learning something. The method and means behind HOW we obtain that education has changed throughout the years. For example, my grandfather never obtained a school education. He went on to fight in the Second World War and came home to make a living by working at the local paper mill and supported a full family with seven children. Not too shabby, for someone without a high school diploma.

Even my mother dropped out of school somewhere around the tenth grade and tentatively entered seminary school, dropped out and went on to work as a manager for a major retailer. Try to pull that shit off, now! I can almost promise you that trying to get through life without a minimum high school diploma is difficult at best. Not impossible, mind you but difficult. I remember some twenty years ago when I applied for a janitorial job in southern New Brunswick. I remember wondering WHY they required the applicants to hold a high school diploma for that particular position. But such is the state of the western world; education is valued as much as experience, even though you’d better have some of the latter as well.

In 1996, I enlisted in a local college with the intentions of studying computer programming. For those of you who weren’t around back then, it was a glorious world of Windows ’95, Visual Basic and Pascal… Duke Nukem 3D and Doom was our game of choice and I thought computers were all the rage. When I graduated high school, I wanted nothing more than to take a year off and work, raise some money and potentially buy a better car and determine what direction I wanted my life to take. My parents weren’t a big fan of this concept and effectively told me to enroll somewhere or move out. The former would basically cause the latter so I figured I should look into an education.

I had been working since I was 11 years old and had some money saved up but I also signed up for some student loans in order to pay tuition, buy books and pay rent. I started college with a lot of brave ideas in my head and many expectations for the future. I faced two problems; I was burned out from over a decade of schooling where I had been bullied an harassed for years AND I chose to take college in French. Although I’m fully bilingual, computer terminology that’s an inch long on paper in English is usually twice as long in French, causing major issues in my ability to comprehend what I had been studying.

I passed that first year in college having failed only one class but it was that one credit that would go on to determine the course of my life in a dramatic way. I returned home and started working while trying to take that one class, which I was failing for the second time. By the time that I had recognized that my current path wasn’t for me, I had started to climb into a management role at my job and decided to pursue education on a private level. The next few years saw me work a variety of jobs where I almost always reached management or supervisoral levels until I eventually enlisted in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and spent the next decade and a half serving the public.

Why am I telling you all this? The reason is quite simple. Many people believe the only path to a good, decent life is through education. And while it’s quite true that a good education can help one in life, the almighty piece of paper associated to it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A sheet of paper is worth between a penny to ten cents. That’s all that piece of paper is worth. It’s the knowledge, time and experience one gains from that education that holds the true value. Some people love taking courses and learning things and that’s fantastic. But eventually you need to focus on the experience and life lessons over the piece of paper. Food for thought… ☯️

Happy St. Paddy’s

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!In all honesty, I don’t believe I have Irish roots but one really never knows. My father was adopted and it’s thought that our background through his adoptive family included some Scottish and British. My father has been VERY red-headed throughout his entire life, as was I until about five or six years’ old when my hair darkened closer to my mother’s, so who knows? Without wanting to be stereotypical with the redhead thing, people get surprised by their ancestry. But I digress…

Saint Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday (obviously) held on March 17th that was originally observed to celebrate Saint Patrick, one of the foremost patron saints of Ireland, and the introduction of Christianity in Ireland, In recent times, the day is observed as a way of celebrating the Irish culture in general and usually sees people enjoying parties, festivals, parades and especially the wearing of green clothing. And for anyone who has better information on this holiday, please feel free to hit me up in my Contact Me link and educate me. I’m basically going on what I was told during my childhood and some snippets I’ve read online.

Here in Canada, we have one of the longest-running yearly festival for St. Patrick’s Day on Montreal. My home Province of New Brunswick also sees St. Patrick’s Day as a way of celebrating for an entire week. one can usually see a host of fun activities such as drinking green beer and enjoying traditional Irish meals. As you can see from the photo above, I’ve opted to observe by wearing a green tie to work. That’s about as far as my observance goes since my partying days are long behind me (and because they never existed).

Here’s to St. Patrick’s Day! If you’re out and about today and observing the holiday through some “colourful” celebrations, be safe, be reasonable and make certain you get home in one piece. ☘️

It’s All Fun And Fresh Laces…

I was sitting in my office yesterday and I got up for something, either a washroom break or my tenth coffee of the morning, when I felt my left shoe coming loose. now, if you wear dress shoes as part of your work or even often enough outside of work, you know that most dress shoes are made of leather and once you lace them tightly, the leather grips the lace and holds it in place. But for some reason, my left shoe became loose and the shoe slackened on my foot as I walked.

Upon further examination (a totally fancy way of saying “I checked it out), I realized that the lace had some damage to it. The best way I can describe it, is that it became “gloved.” To clarify, “gloving” is known in forensic circles as the effect of the outer layer of the hand’s tissue being forcefully scraped off to reveal the tissue beneath. Although gross, this is basically what happened to my shoe laces; the outer surface was stripped away, revealing a thinner, finer lace beneath. This finer lace provided no support and couldn’t hold its knot once tied.

I purchased a new set of laces and installed them and the problem was fixed. It also got me examining my shoes, which is not really something one does beyond tying them. I came to realize that I’ve had these shoes for over fifteen years. Made of sturdy, stout leather, they’ve served me well in various functions, events, jobs and activities. And although I know that most people would have likely scrapped them in favour of a newer pair by now, they’re still comfortable, usable and provide excellent support.

Before everyone jumps into my comments section and brings up the fact that I’ve been using a pair of shoes for fifteen years (FYI, my grandfather owned shoes for longer and went through worse than I have), I started thinking about how our world has grown to be a disposable one. Products and items last for shorter periods, usually requiring replacement as the cost of repairing them is usually higher and more time consuming than simply replacing it.

A good example would be computers and smart devices. The vast majority of people in the western world now own a smart device and/or home computer as part of their daily lives. Back in the 1980’s when I first set hands on a computer, they were considered a luxury and not an expected part of the household. But most computers these days last only a certain amount of time before they can no longer be “updated,” even if they still work just fine. This can be frustrating to someone who has spent a significant amount of money on one.

I’ve faced similar issues with my cell phones in recent years, where a phone can longer be updated to current software and stop supporting certain apps and programs as a result. This really sucks, since I’ve kept every previous generation of cell phone I have and they all work. So, if all I needed was an actual cell phone, it’d be fine. When you’re paying a substantial amount for a product designed to perform a bulk number of functions, you won’t be happy if those functions are no longer available.

I’m ranting just a little bit here, and some of you may be wondering where the connection is between replacing my shoe laces and talking about electronics. My point is that, much like my grandfather used to say, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to!” The result of this is that we now exist in a world where it has become easier to throw things away and replace them instead of trying to maintain them. I think it’s important to remember that something trustworthy that serves you up well should have every effort taken to be maintained. Food for thought… ☯️

Isn’t It All The Same Sun?

Today marks the start of Daylight Savings Time, which is something that always fascinated and annoyed me throughout my childhood and into my formative years. After all, this time change involves pushing clocks an hour ahead, which causes the inclusion of a 23-hour day. I’ve had all the same complaints as most people have had regarding losing an hour’s sleep on that particular day.

It wasn’t until I reached the age of adulthood that I understood the concept of maintaining the longest period of natural daylight during waking hours, hence “Daylight Savings” but a part of me failed to see the use behind this since I could work whenever, go to school whenever and what did I care when the evening started?

There is some rationale behind it, including the practicality as[ect that if the sun rises too early it can interfere with proper sleep and the start of the actual day as well as reducing the overall use of candle light during waking hours, back before electricity was a common amenity of households. Interestingly enough, a city in Ontario was the first on in the world to use Daylight Savings Time. It didn’t take long for the majority of the world to follow, with only a few exceptions.

Some places are beginning to see the minimal use in Daylight Savings time and are looking at the prospect of discontinuing it. CTV News posted an article about six months ago about how Ontario is passing legislation that could effectively end Daylight Savings Time in the Province. The very Province where it all started may be the first to end it. I live in Saskatchewan where we’re located in a time zone that isn’t affected by time change. My clocks have remained the same for the past fifteen years.

If Canada as a whole decides to end Daylight Savings Time, I know that one person who will be overjoyed will be my mother. Since she can’t be bothered to change her clocks and her watch every six months, her time pieces are usually only accurate for six months out of the year. Part of that seems like comedy; the other part feels like laziness but hey! Who am I to argue with my mother? Hope y’all didn’t have to lose an hour’s sleep, last night… ☯️

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings…

My staff and I have a particular place where we like to spend our coffee breaks. Just a little spot that takes us completely out of the office and away from it for a distance, which allows us to take a walk, get some air and let our heads cool a bit. This location also happens to be surrounded by a number of eateries, many of which I take part of when I forget or neglect to bring lunch to work. In case the description is a bit too vague, I’m describing a food court. We take our coffee breaks at a food court.

A few days ago, we were enjoying a quiet afternoon coffee and chatting about some random things, when I looked up at one of the eateries and noticed a female employee, sitting on a chair near the till. It took me a brief minute and an awkward double take for me to acknowledge that she was picking her nose with the enthusiastic ferocity normally attributed to a seizure. Her index finger was basically buried almost to the second knuckle and I don’t know what she was looking at but she seemed transfixed as she dug for nose gold with a Zen kind of enthusiasm.

I went through the many stages of morbid comedy… Surprise, laughter, judgement and disgust followed by the sudden realization that i occasionally order food there. All of this went through my mind in under a minute and I pointed out the offending party to my colleague, who shared a laugh without any of the disgust that would follow, signalling that he never eats there. I don’t like being sued, so I won’t name the eatery or its exact location but it woke me up to the fact that as pleasant as occasionally eating take out food can be, one really never knows how clean the location one orders from really is.

I don’t really have a point to today’s post. It’s just something that happened that I decided to share. We often see documentaries about cleanliness behind a counter but this was one of the few instances in my life where I actually saw something happening, firsthand. The icing on the cake was when we got up to leave and walked past and the woman in question made eye contact with me and smiled because she recognized me. Awkward. ☯️

Beds Are Still For Sleeping…

Sometimes it can be ridiculously unbelievable how easy it is to get all up inside one’s own head. This can happen a lot, especially if one has something on one’s mind. take work for example… I think we can all agree that working is one of life’s unwanted necessities. After all, a household needs income in order to provide food, clothing, amenities and shelter for the average family. For about 99% of the population, that means leaving the house and going to work in order to earn that income. If you’re lucky, you have a job that not only serves you well and provides said income but that you actually ENJOY. That can make a world of difference in the dynamic of one’s life.

Whether you enjoy your job or not, it can often be hard to keep oneself from dwelling about work at the most inappropriate times. Maybe you’re spending time with your children and your mind is focused on the project you need to complete by deadline or the files you’ll have to complete the following week. Maybe you’re dealing with a situation at work that you have no control over and it’s keeping you awake at night instead of allowing you the rest you need and deserve. This is what I mean by getting into one’s own head. It can be disruptive and damaging, especially since it keeps you from being present in the moment.

There are a lot of things one can do to get past this. Obviously, some people will tend to dwell on things more than others. There are some things that can’t be “fixed,” nor should they be as they constitute who one becomes as a person. But if you find yourself staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping because you’re dwelling on something you can’t help in the moment, that’s no good for anyone. Especially if that lack of rest will only work to damage your effectiveness at dealing with the issue that’s on your mind.

It can be difficult and it isn’t without some effort on one’s part but it IS possible to overcome this effect. Making a conscious effort to be present in the moment and focus on what you’re doing outside of the situation on your mind, is the first step. Being involved in various activities and interests during your down time is the follow-up step. For example, I’m a big fan of meditation (if you haven’t guessed). Spending time with one’s children and spouse and investing in that time, as well as getting out of the house and doing something for yourself, are all important parts in keeping focused on the better aspects of life.

It’s great to work hard, have goals and strive for them. But not at the cost of your mind being constantly wrapped around everything NOT happening in the moment. Stop. Take a breath. Do something for yourself. It’s one thing to notice the roses but their beauty is lost if you don’t stop to smell them, every once in a while. Such is the importance of life and will go a long way towards lessening the suffering in one’s life. Food for thought…☯️

When Life And Death Collide…

There’s no question that death is a part of life. One of the things that allow us to survive as people is the fact that we’re not wired to contemplate death and what comes next, on a minute to minute basis. If we did, we’d accomplish nothing in life as we’d succumb to the feeling that there’s no point. Considering everything happening in the world right now, fate occasionally reminds us that the typical come and go of life is still ongoing; including the passing of lives. I found out yesterday that my Uncle Richard passed away from cancer.

My mother was born as the second of seven children. Richard was not the oldest; in fact, he was among the youngest. Father, grandfather and husband, he was diagnosed with cancer quite some time ago. In recent decades, cancer has practically become the new “natural death,” with so many people developing one type or another. Most members of my family on my mother’s side have overcome cancer at some point, including my grandfather with prostate cancer, my mother with skin cancer and her older sibling who survived what was referred to as terminal.

You could say that the genes on my mother’s side seem to have a way of kicking cancer’s ass. That’s why it came as a surprise when my mother recently told me that Richard was on the final leg of his journey in this life, succumbing to the ravages that cancer brings. It came as a surprise for me since, last I’d heard, he was in remission and was overcoming it. Some weeks had passed before my mother phoned me yesterday afternoon to deliver the bad news. With both of my grandparents already gone, my mother is the de facto matriarch and was busy contacting all the members of the family. I don’t envy her that responsibility.

Richard’s passing has brought a strange shift in dynamic in the family. I’ve recognized for years that I’ve reached a point in my existence where life has started taking away at LEAST as much as it has given. But Richard finds himself as the first one in my family of his generation to pass; a sobering reminder that they’ve potentially reached the point in life where death has become an inevitable consideration. Don’t get me wrong; adults in general have an awareness of death and acknowledge its existence and possibility. But my mother and her siblings are now aware that death has touched them. And as the old saying suggests, the only thing one can’t avoid in life are taxes and death.

Considered to have been a bit of a rebel within the family, he’s always had a soft spot for his family and cared for all of us. I’ve tried my best since yesterday to try and find a photograph of him. No luck. Oh, I’m sure I have a photo of him in a dusty album in my barrack boxes. But nothing in recent years. This is a wake up call for me. Especially since I’ve lived in Saskatchewan for the past fifteen years and he lived in Alberta. We totally would have been in a position to see each other more. Although I make my best to live life without regrets, I can say with firm honesty that realizing I’ll never have the opportunity or took it when I had the chance, is one of them.

Hug your family close and appreciate the time you have with them. Life is short and there’s no guarantee that you’ll know them in the next life. With all the chaos currently happening in the world, more people are losing loved ones than should be. Rest in peace, Uncle Richard. I’ve known pain and sickness all my life but I’m sure yours was worse. Peace and rest are yours, now. I’m sure my brother will greet you at the door. ❤️🙏☯️

You’re Not A Rattle-Snake…

“Empty Your Mind, Be Formless, Shapeless, Like Water. Put Water Into A Cup, It Becomes The Cup. Put Water Into A Bottle, It Becomes The Bottle. Put Water Into A Teapot, it Becomes The Teapot. Water Can Flow, Or It Can Crash. Be Water, My Friend.”

– Bruce Lee

I usually take “famous” quotes with grain of salt. In these modern days of the internet and misinformation, you never know when someone may be misquoting. But the above quote from Bruce Lee is Pretty safe, considering I recently acquired his daughter’s book that basically focuses on Bruce Lee’s concepts behind being like water. It’s a pretty decent read, although i haven’t quite finished it yet. But it got me to thinking… One of the bigger obstacles one faces when practicing the martial arts, is the tension people hold in their bodies while training.

In some ways, many ways, one can’t be blamed for tensing up when training in a fighting art. Regardless of one’s experience level, knowing that someone is coming at you with a fist or a foot usually has that effect. But in order to learn properly and develop one’s technique, it’s important to remain flexible and relaxed as you learn. The dojo and/or class environment is a safe space where you can take advantage of developing that POSITIVE muscle memory in a controlled environment. This is hard to achieve when one is all tensed up and inhibiting one’s movements.

Lee’s quote is basically telling you that you need to maintain the flexibility to ensure adaptability in any situation. Issues you can face from this lack of flexibility can include a number of nasty results that you really don’t want to experience in a real-fight scenario. For example, tension may cause one to hesitate. You hesitate in a true fight, you get hit. Period. Tension will aggravate and worsen your “tells,” or your telegraphing. Lack of fluidity and flexibility will cause a hindrance to the free-flow of one’s movement. this isn’t just bad in the dojo; it can be dangerous on the street.

I guess there may be some styles that differ in this view but I haven’t encountered one yet that encourages being tight and tense when training or even fighting. Unlike the rattlesnake that tenses before striking, a karateka must remain fluid and relaxed, allowing muscle memory and skill to take control as opposed to getting into one’s own head. Food for thought… ☯️