Lessons from Retreat
Flowing Instead of Forcing This year’s Kung Fu retreat was all about flowing with energy rather than fighting against it. I had a few opportunities to practice and learn about this myself. On Friday night we did the drill we usually start with, a flow drill. This whole idea is to flow into and out of techniques. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to feel our partner’s energy and get out
Throwing your Hat over the Wall
What It Means to Throw Your Hat Over the Wall I heard a phrase a few years ago that I really liked. In reference to committing to something, you “throw your hat over the wall.” Imagine you’re walking across a wide open field and you reach a wall. You’d like to get to the other side, but the wall is pretty high. As you look up, you are daunted by the
Using the Right tool
A Simple Fix Last week I was trying to unscrew a Ring doorbell from next to my front door. I was using a small screwdriver and it took out 3 out of 4 screws. The fourth wasn’t budging. I put all my substantial weight and muscle behind it, leaning into the screwdriver as I twisted, but it wouldn’t grip on the screw. After trying for several minutes, I gave up and walked
Learning Martial Arts is Learning about Yourself
What Are You Learning About Yourself Through Martial Arts? Last week’s question was, “What are you learning about yourself through the practice of martial arts?” I talked about this a bit during meditation class and asked a few students their answers. Borrowing from James Clear’s newsletter (probably the 2nd best newsletter I’ve seen), we discussed the process of setting high expectations, not always meeting them, yet continuing to work hard and adapt
Embracing Change in the New Year
The Paradox of Change Humans are by nature paradoxical. For example, we both crave the excitement that change brings and resist change for the discomfort it causes. This time of year is infamous for both embracing and resistance to change. In the Dojo we usually see a rush of people signing up for martial arts classes (and this year Yoga). We also see the struggle that many of these people experience
