The re - broken cup, a parable 'redux'

  Several years ago a Kyoshi saw pieces of a broken cup scattered on the floor. He walked by them many times until one day as if the beautiful broken pieces of lacquer mixed with silver and gold called to him. He believed when something is broken and has suffered damage it has a history,
 a story, and becomes even more beautiful.

  He carefully reassembled the fragments and as he did the light from the cup began to warm his heart.t. He specialized in the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery so this task was not new, but this time some how more significant than others. He poured his heart and soul into the fractured vessel like ‘water’ and there were tears that both cleared his eyes and cleansed his soul. He so loved the cup he wrapped it in silk to protect it from possibly falling again.

.

  One day after a rigorous day of training the Kyoshi poured tea in the cup as he did after each workout and it nearly fell from his hand. He felt a knot rise in his stomach, for if he’d dropped his precious cup it might have broken on the hard stone floor and that would have been terrible.

And then the Kyoshi smiled .He changed his mind or default 'settings'

Held out his hand and deliberately dropped the cup and it shattered on the floor.

Why?

He’d realized that the things you possess actually possess you and being attached to objects or negative behaviors is a barrier to the spirit.

And so he let his beloved tea cup go and gained freedom from it.

  Don't be a imprisoned by your goals, be empowered by them. Portioning, cleansing, regular training are a habit. Change your 'default settings'.....it'll change your life.

Life is like Sanchin ;
We draw our breath down from heaven and up from the earth grasping and releasing and grasping again hoping to find balance at our center, a balance of the warrior, the monk and the scholar - ’Mushin’

Join our journey learn the difference  https://fearlessfamilymartialarts.com/

Happy Holiday Depression

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tg49PhBhTI

If depression is creeping up and must be faced,

 learn something about the nature of the beast: 

You may escape without a mauling.

This time of year emotions are very close to the surface.
Leave' yesteryear' in the past and look toward the future.
Life brings changes.
Don't set yourself up by comparing today with 'the good ole days'.

I find anger and depression is usually conjoined with emotional investment.
Change takes time, and allowing change takes patience.
Music can change perspective,
 to see things differently,
to see things like hope

Don't confuse a winning move with a winning game.
In the game of life, the skill one must have above all else is patience.

The art of the 'game' is knowing what is most valuable
 and then being willing to sacrifice it.

In the vacuum that is created by the loss of what is most precious,
 opportunity abounds, influence is maximised and desire becomes destiny.  

We all have the most extraordinary gifts,
 the only one we were denied is knowing it.

Merry Christmas  !!

The Vision

When we come close to those things that break us down,
we touch those things that also break us open.
In that breaking open, we uncover our true nature.

-Wayne Muller-

I'm American. I'm eclectic. I'm going to follow my passions.
 If people don't like it, and it hurts my legacy, I'm not going to worry about that.
We can never die as long as someone still speaks our name.

 We have given up on the family dojo.
We train fighters/instructors.
It is individually paced.
I only tone it down for groups that include other kinds of students.

 

We are about undoing learned helplessness.

A student must overcome their fear in order to truly become what they desire.
I think this covers all categories that they enter into training for.
Inclusive of their preconceived notions.......
 as a foundation to work with and develop from.

 Robb Buckland / Ian Marshall

  There are still many levels of wolves (or Gorillas).
Some will be ferocious and able to protect the pack (troop),
others will be strong/clever/skilled enough to be part of the team.

We will provide opportunity for all but exceptions for none.

  

A wreath in Loving Memory of our friend & mentor Joe Lewis

In a recent conversation with Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace, Danny Dring,
Terry Dow and Anthony Albanese;
 we dicussed necessary adjustments that would enhance
students skill sets...............

 The lay of the land is fluid, moving, changing.
 Stop trying to dam the river,
  you could use its tremendous power to deliver you downstream.

Efficiency isn’t about wrestling the world to its knees by domination and control;
 it is about being exactly, precisely who you are.
 The straightest paths will then arise.
 You won’t have to choose them for they will choose you.

Life and nature have their own paths
From our viewpoint they might be taking the long way,
but we don’t see everything.

It’s a serious error to think that our perspective is “the truth.”

 

Who are you when im not looking ?

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
 - Dr. Seuss -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xXD9-1mLBY

  On the inside I know what I really want.

 I know what my values are.

 My ambition must not get in in the way.
Around me, things are falling apart;
 within me,
 they're falling together.

I've learned when you don’t understand your emotions;
you have only a limited capacity for self-respect,
 and you don’t have healthy relationships with people.

It's interesting the stories that we make up about who we are,
what we’re capable of, and what’s achievable or not.

The big question then becomes,
 how can we change our state of mind when not maximizing our true potential?

Tony Robbins poses an interesting question......
The toughest thing about chasing your dreams is managing the disciplines of persistent action and hopeful patience that are required to ultimately see the vision come to be.
This is an area of huge tension.
 How do dream chasers manage that tension and thrive?

After an exhausting weekend with the former Mikki Buckland,
 it is definitely time to move on.
In a book I read called The Energy Bus it talks about people like Mikki.
They're called Energy Vampires !!!

As human "beings" we all make mistakes...

We'd all do things differently......

 had we known then what we know now.

 What matters now is what you do now.

Let go of guilt. Let go of shame. Let go of blame.

This is "being" in the moment.

This is an empowered human being—the empowered YOU.

-Mike Klinger-