Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Limits

Last night, after an extended bout of work, and graphic design, The realization dawned that the training was not yet done. Spiritually, things were good. The design process left me feeling mentally fresh. However, the day's previous physical activity in the hot sun resulted in the overwhelming desire to fall asleep. The first half of the usual physical regiment, a small run, a little Taiji, followed by some Hung Ga created a nice balance for the day. When offered the chance for food, my choice was a poor one. Chicken Wings. One of my ultimate weaknesses. Afterwards, I felt like I had consumed half a chocolate cake. Generally speaking, this wasn't the case, and merely a result of food related guilt, caused by a general dislike for my own gluttony. So, of course, the only thing left to do- was to counteract that with more physically demanding labor. Kettle-bells. This tided everything over for a bit, but after working at the computer for a while, once again, the body began making demands. And mentally, somewhere in the dusty, cobwebbed area I call a brain- Things clicked. The exercises from this morning hadn't been finished! And so it began. Pushups, situps, leg lifts, and more still. About three quarters through, I began to feel dizzy.
"This is odd." I thought. And it got worse.
The sit ups were the worst. The vertigo induced nearly caused me to vomit, at one point. Call me crazy, but it was awesome. For the first time, the limit had been approached. What had before been the concept of limit, was just a land mark for the convenient stopping point. Twice, I begged myself to give up. To stop, and twice, something denied me. Finally, it was finished, and I spent about ten minutes in Savasana, (Yoga's Corpse Pose) Letting everything sink in. Admittedly, for once, I truly felt the name sake of the pose. The dizziness didn't fade until sleep came, but when it came time to wake up- the sun was shining, the body attached to my conscious was pleasantly sore, and a first sip of water indicated one thing. This, is life, and it is beautiful. This isn't to say you should train until you feel like you're going to vomit, but pushing the self beyond its comfort zone is one of the few ways one can break out of it, to experience anything beyond that limited view point. It won't be comfortable, and it will likely be something you don't even want. However- to follow and do only that which keeps you comfortable within your own limits is ultimately going to be just that. Limited.

Osu.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bullets for Everyone

The nature of conflict is one of continuation. The larger the conflict is, the more opportunities it has to carry on. For example, regarding the recent Osama Bin Laden Operation Geronimo (Seriously, did they really think that name through?) we found American streets filled with block parties and celebrations. As much as the man may have deserved to die- in what way does celebrating this bring peace? I asked a few people questions about the celebrations, and they felt that it was justified, given the parties that occurred on Afghan soil post September Eleventh.
Say what you want about who started what, but the truth of the matter is, the hatred for America goes much deeper than just 'religious freedom', and it started long before September Eleventh. If that weren't the case, they could have attacked any major nation, like oh, say- Canada. Conflict doesn't just start randomly. People don't make enemies for no reason. It is a mutual effort. Do I agree with the 'terrorists?' Heck no. I'm proud to be born an American. But the simple fact remains, terrorists, to themselves, in their eyes, are not terrorists. They are freedom fighters, and heroes. It is a matter of perception, and culture. Now take that into consideration a moment, where we just spent a full day celebrating and partying over what some (Terrorists) believe to be a hero. You are telling me, that's not going to make them angry? It is stirring a hornets nest, and these hornets know where you live. As long as we justify actions taken with 'them' and 'us', the conflict will continue on both sides, and only continue to grow. If you kill one man, his brother, his father, his sister, and his mother will want revenge. Violence begets violence folks. The more you fight and kill, the more hatred you breed. Personally, I would have liked this to have been quiet. The brave men of Seal Team Six to have done their job,  gotten out, and nobody to have known about it. Instead we have what is essentially, the proverbial shit show. Painted red white and blue for sure, but there will still be consequences. As an American, I am proud of my country and its leadership. As a martial artist, I feel sick, that we cling to death and war as we do. It will not be eradication that wins the war on terror. That is impossible. It will be an attempt at understanding, from one side or the other, and an extended hand. This is not a simple solution, nor a method of winning the war on terror. I don't believe I have all the answers. Merely pointing out that true peace is rarely built on violence. I want peace. And if desiring peace makes me a criminal, then kindly throw me in Jail.


14.