Blog: Martial Arts Injuries , Pain and Suffering
I just got one of the worst injuries of my life. It’s not really that bad (possibly a partial rotator cuff tear), but since I’m quite mindful, in general I avoid injuries. This one, like pretty much all my serious
Blog: What are you avoiding? How to do what needs to get done!
In this article we will explore why we avoid things and how practicing martial arts and meditation help us step up and do what needs to get done. There's a wonderful story in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones called Eating the Blame: Circumstances
Blog: You are God
This post and all others are a product of my experience and understanding gained from practicing martial arts and meditation. Please consider what I say, as always, as just that. It may challenge what you believe about god, but I
Blog: How Martial Arts Teaches us to Survive and Be Happy
Our brains aren’t designed to be happy. I read this in an article recently and my initial reaction was, “Well, that sucks.” A response which, it turns out, is explained perfectly by the article. This blog will talk about that,
Blog: Letting Go and Zen Archery
This year on retreat we did a few exercises designed to help our kung fu and tai chi students experience mushin, or a state of no-mind. One of these drills was something that we’ve never done before: zen archery. To
Blog: Stillness and Movement in Martial Arts
True power is stillness within motion. -Lao Tzu Think about getting on a surfboard. I haven’t been surfing before, but I know this is tough. When I was a kid I stood on a surfboard in a pool, and balancing was
Blog: Legends of T’ai Chi
The internal Chinese martial arts are steeped in mystery. The most widely practiced of these styles is Tai Chi (also known as Taiji or Tai Chi Chuan). Stories of the men who developed their family styles of Tai Chi have
Blog: Super Bowl Momentum Living in the Moment and Martial Arts
I’ve been a little surprised over the last few days when I ask my students at the dojo if they watched the Super Bowl. (They are also probably surprised to hear someone talk about football in a martial arts school).
Blog: Martial Arts Demonstration
Martial Arts Demonstration This Saturday morning we are having a Wushu demonstration. All of our students are invited, and all kids are especially encouraged to come. Demonstrations have been a part of martial arts for a very long time. First of all,
Blog: Action
Last week, the question of the week in the dojo was, “What is a quick decision you made that changed your life?” When I initially started thinking about this, I was trying to remember bad decisions I had made. There
