Pleasure and Pain

Part II

 

Once upon a midnight dreary, 
while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

    While I nodded, nearly napping,

 suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered,
 “tapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.

The Raven

-Edgar Allen Poe-

Since my experiment regarding the validity of the 'tap tap' use of Kyusho in self defense
was 'so rudely interrupted'  by the holidays, this segment has been delayed...

What we do know about the use of this style of defense is that it's effectiveness
is minimized, if not eliminated by body conditioning (iron shirt ect.)
If we throw  a conditioned mind into the mix, it's unlikely it's of any use at all.

When combined with Uechi Ryu as a foundation (delivery system); as demonstrated
 by Jim Maloney, Art Rabesa, Ed Hulse, Van Canna  and others 'in the know',
Kyusho acts like a kind of  'GPS'  for the Lamborgini of infighting styles.

My friend Denise is a blogger 'of the heart', she would say,

In life we either make good or bad choices.

 The bad ones bring pleasure for a little while but the pain always follows.

 The good choices may cause pain but our heart tells us it's right.
  Our way is not always the best way but,
 doing something right when no one is watching
Is a signature of our personal truth, our essence.

 The resulting 'feel good, feeling' empowers us for the next 'fight'. 

I find it somewhat empowering to believe that I have a functional 'GPS'
onboard when it's 'go time' but there is no substitute for 
old fashioned training and conditioning.

The Walk of Shame

In music they call it a 'one hit wonder'.
Like Soft Cells'  Tainted Love.

Buster Douglas is a great example in the 'fight game'.

A 42/1 underdog handed Tyson his first professional defeat in 1990.
or 
Leon Spinks defeat of Mohammad Ali in 1978
Spinks career record 26 wins 17 losses making the Ali victory
a kinda one hit wonder....

As far as life and love goes, we all know our share of 'walking travesties'.
We see them out at the local pub or hear their whispered stories
on the mat at the gym or by the water cooler, their lives a succession of 
'Walks of shame'.

As always in my musings I avoid the obvious, I leave it to you the reader to imply it.

One of my early karate teachers discouraged me from going to tournaments.
He told me that the rules were designed to eliminate the strengths 
of our style...specifically 'the grab'.

Joe Lewis encouraged what he called 'limitation sparring'.
A drill where you would eliminate one or more of your 'Aces'.
The idea was to enhance tactical efficacy in the event of injury or 'bad rules'.

Arthur Rabesa has such drills both on you tube, and his website.

I took 'the walk of shame' from many early tournaments.

I believed 'the master'....

I left those tournaments feeling weak and used after successive defeats.
I lost so many times my friend Tom didn't wanna go any more haha !

Roosevelt said,
It's far better to dare mighty things, 
To win glorious triumphs,
even though checkered by failure.....

Something had to change.
Joe lewis had always told me that he didn't have much respect for fighters
that were under 200 pounds. I was only 170 !!
A slow middleweight .... but I'd be a fast heavyweight.

After a tournament in my hometown of Pittsfield , MA
a referee came to me and said your gonna have to really hit your opponent
if you want to get the win. They are watching they're guys NOT YOU.

Lesson Learned !

With the help of a friend Dave Sinopoli (weight training advice)
 and boxing coach Dickie Eklund (footwork).

 I Lifted & 'Danced' (footwork drills), my way to 208 pounds
 Now I could hit like a heavyweight move like a lightweight !


Let me be strong enough to know when I am weak,
and brave enough to face myself when I am afraid,
Let me be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
 and humble and gentle in victory.

-Robb Buckland-

Rotting on the Vine

Time you enjoy wasting, is not time wasted.
Iv'e been through 2 legal pads of notes trying to make this damn thing perfect.

At least I'm laughing at myself and my 'OCD shotgun' approach to this. 

I feel like a day spent without laughing would really be a wasted one.
At least I'm doing that !!!

Trying to live with a sense of urgency often makes things seem overwhelming.
Sometimes it's better when things aren't perfect.
At least that way you know 'it's' real.
Creativity, is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art, is knowing which ones to keep.

I'm working on a DVD project with one of my mentors, Art Rabesa.
We are highlighting Arts' encyclopedic knowledge of Power In-Fighting and training methodologies with an R.M.A. twist ......FEARS style !!!

Excellence is attainable, but perfection ?
In our profession, precision and perfection are not dispensable luxuries,
 they're necessary attributes.

I was doing my weighted walk through the cemetery today.
Leaves were blowing everywhere, Summer's death has completely given way
 to the decay of Fall: now too soon replaced by Winters frosty grip.

It reminded me of how we all hope for breakthrough rebirth moments.
My training went through a renaissance after experiencing the power of Art Rabesa.

Art said something interesting during a recent phone conversation.
He said, "I don't need to hurt anyone for them to learn this 'stuff'. "

O.K. but I sure remember pain......
I think we gain wisdom from mentors and pain and Art Rabesa provides both.
I'm sure thankful for it too because the experience changed 'my martial art' forever.

In Martial Arts, Fitness, Life and Love were are searching for
someone or something whose 'demons' will play well with ours. 

Arts' 'demons' play well with mine

A Matter of Intent

Here's to bad judgment, questionable morals and a brutal hangover

that'll result from yet another night spent trying to create memories 

we'll be to drunk to recall.

I've spent years attending every martial arts confrence and seminar

 I had enough gas money to get to.

Slept in cars to save on hotels...whatever it took.

It was my avenue to overcoming low self esteem.

now when I look back on the past,

I smile and say to myself,

"I never thought I could do it, but I did.

I overcame all the people who tried to bring me down"

There will always be a reason why you meet people,

either you need them to change your life,

or your the one that will change theirs.

The journey is not easy, it is wrought with pain and disapointment.

 if you are a slave to your emotions.

Emotions are the slaves to your thoughts,

and you are the slave to your emotions.

Bruce lee would talk about emotional content.

Joe Lewis, about having an attitude technique.

I tell my people to 'Act as if'......

and 

'Move with authority'

On the sales floor I am a master manipulator.

a ruthless wordsmith with a bottomless 'toolbox' 

and the tenacity of a rabid dog.

The intent though is not merely to create revenue for my company,

but to bring a lifetime of great memories to my customers and their families.

In the end all any of us has is our memories.

In Life, Love, Martial Arts and Business whats important is intent not illusion.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

Create REAL memories, cherish the time with friends and family,

train till you puke ....then train more

A plant doesn't grow from ambition

 or to satisfy good intentions

 They thrive because someone expended effort on them.

The Periphery of Greatness

The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

And you have burned so very, very brightly.

-Blade runner (1982)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_saUN4j7Gw

 Benaiah  was a valiant fighter who performed great exploits.

 He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors.

 He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

  He struck down a huge Egyptian

 who had a spear in his hand, with a club.

 He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.

Be a Lion Chaser !!

It's not the compromise of the cautious....
 but the blood of martyrs that is the seed of greatness.
History doesn't say  Benaiah was a prudent warrior it says he was a valiant one.
A normal person would run away, not a lion chaser !
We don't see 500 pound problems, we see giant opportunities.

We grab life by the mane......
A lion chaser doesn't try to avoid situations where the odds are against them.
A lion chaser knows that going against the odds
 sets the stage for unparalleled results.

Those are the experiences that make life worth living.
Those are the experiences worth telling stories about.

Black belt Candidate Robbie 'Bic' Thompson leading Grand Master Buz Durkin

Joe Lewis earned a reputation as a gifted athlete and was obsessed with training.
If he worked late,
 he would sneak into a storage closet to get his workouts in while his platoon slept.
He earned his first black belt in just three months time, the second in seven.
 He worked out between 3 and 5 hours per day.

You'll never know history's opinion of your story,

'The Animals of Uechi Ryu'

 

 Focus on doing the right thing, and not on other people’s opinion!

I take it personally when a student 'loses their way'.......
But I've learned that I can only show them the path; not walk it for them.

 Direct your children onto the right path,

and when they are older, they will not leave it.

 

Proverbs 22:6