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.

Trial by Fire

Trial by fire or ordeal
is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting him to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience.
 Classically, the test is one of life or death and the proof of innocence is survival.
 The accused is considered innocent by escaping injury or if his injuries heal.

'Ordeal by Red Hot Iron'

According to modern evolutionary theory, 
different emotions evolved at different times.
 Primal emotions or fears are associated with ancient parts of the brain.

They evolved among our pre mammal ancestors.

If you always put limits on everything you do,
physical or anything else.
 It will spread into your work and into your life.
 There are no limits.
 There are only plateaus,
 and you must not stay there,
 you must go beyond them.
-Bruce Lee-

It's said that failure to act or laziness is a sin...............

Sloth...... is defined as physical laziness or spiritual laziness.
Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do.
 In Christian faith the definition is evil exists when good men fail to act.

In martial arts the trial by fire is the Black Belt test.
  Joe Lewis told us that for 11 minutes he wanted us to give him all of our heart.
This was probably one of the most pivotal moments in my life .
Did I experience fear....yup ...............Pain ....Hell Yea !

When I was experiencing intense pain,
 just on the other side of the suffering was an intense connection with life.
 and with being embodied, having a body and feeling sensations.
 It’s almost as if the pure experience of it was all that mattered.

I recently had the honor of watching two of my students 'trial by fire',
The pre-test for Black belt.

I know intimately the commitment and sacrifice they've made.
And
I am blessed to have shared this experience with them.

In what ways might you be avoiding the pains of daily life? 
How can you engage on your lifes' journey while saying “No” to the parts that feel difficult?

We numb ourselves by constantly pursuing achievement and in doing so, 
we miss out on the true joy that comes from actualizing our truest and deepest desires.

Fire is the origin of stone.
By working the stone with heat,
I am returning it to it's source.

-Andy Goldsworthy-