Training, Kicking Ass and Empowerment



I found this video while on Tim Ferris's www.fourhourworkweek.com blog. ki'une's video is great. The song is one that I heard years ago and was casually keeping my ear open for it with little success, so it was good to have found it after all.

Those of us who have been training a while are often asked why we do it? People will come with a gleem in their eye wanting to learn to "fight," to "defend themselves," to "kick some ass." I think that what they truly seek is very different from what they ask for. I believe that what people are really looking for is empowerment. Empowerment to live, to protect and to inspire. To live up to ones true potential and if neccessary to defend and protect themself and others. To develop the courage to do as Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss." It takes guts to do this and it helps to surround yourself with others that are on the path as well. We can all help one another to stay on track; to lift one another when we fall; to be honest with one another and to kick each others ass when needed. The wolf is only as strong and the pack and the pack is only as strong as the wolf.

As those guys in the Bujinkan always say, "Keep Going!"

~Craig

Comments

  1. David MaxamMarch 22, 2010 at 7:14 PM

    Aye, Empowerment is the real motivator behind the reasons. Quality post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Uncomfortable Situation

Image
  Funny pic (and movie) about a not so funny situation… In training as in Life, it’s better to treat people with dignity and respect. However… What does that look like in the moment? Being that I’m teaching a Women’s Assault Prevention and Response Workshop this weekend - it’s probably a good time to talk about… Uncomfortable Situations Let’s talk about training at the academy for a minute… We run open co-ed classes at the local academy. What does that mean? Men and women train together, but we don’t stop there. People of different skill levels, backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, careers, religious beliefs, political affiliations, ages, injuries, pre-existing conditions, life experience, training expectations etc. etc. train together! We ALL work together! Overall, I think it’s better this way. Of course sometimes there’s static, you know, conflicts, and misunderstanding. When something happens, most of the time it’s just that, a misunderstanding… Sometimes people simply do
Read more

The Shot Heard Around the World

Image
Even though many could see where all of this division and hatred in our country was leading to, when we witness the actual violence, realty once again floods in and has a way of shattering the comfort of our complacency, if only until the next headline. Some may find all of this shocking, others may see it simply validating their own fears. Regardless, of your political views, we have to take into account what this level of violence can do not only to the former President and his family, but what does to the state of our entire Nation. Yesterday as news broke of former President Donald Trump being shot, I can’t say that I was entirely surprised. Saddened, but not surprised. Regardless of your political stance, this act of violence is a dark reminder of the dangerous consequences of a society steeped in hate and division. Our collective heartbreak should not be about politics, but about the division and hatred that fuels this erosion of our humanity. We live in a time where traditional
Read more

Cutting Through the Static

Image
  Me and the crew at Venue 3 Two after a PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Workshop Remember in the old days when you used to listen to the radio on a road trip? No, not digital or streaming. I’m talking about old school FM radio. When you’re putting some miles on and crossing state lines. The radio stations you listen to don’t broadcast far enough for your entire trip, so you have to channel surf to find new channels as you move on down the road. You continue to push the search button until you hear a song in the genre that you want so you can lock in a desirable station for a spell. Sometimes you’re listening to a song you really like but the station is fading… The static starts feint, almost imperceptible, than grows in intensity to the degree that you can no longer ignore it. If you really like the song, you try to hang on as long as you can, listening to the tune through the white noise and times it cuts out completely, hoping to hear as much of the song as you can before the sta
Read more