Why happy Father's Day folks. How's it going? I'm great. My kids got me the awesome Macho Man Randy Savage shirt. Awesome!! Eventually I will have only a wardrobe of wrestling shirts! Well, it's all that wear as it is, so, I guess just expand on the wardrobe.
Anyhow, well, to been a while. Lots has happened and transpired. Getting out to different groups and meeting some different folks. One person in particular, after we are all done for the night, really liked what I had to say that night and we have been talking almost every day since then. At first I was a little reluctant to help out. I have learnt a hand and aid before, with it only to blow up in my face. That person went back out and I haven't seen them since. Believe it or not, when you're helping someone, literally change their entire lives, thought process and all, and they pull back into their shells and go back to how they used to live, it's really hard on me. I took it pe.rsonal, and had a rough time with it. Anyhow, we have talked about a lot. And at this time of the year, is pretty close to when I lost my cousin this disease, so many face. And so, I spoke with my buddy about my cousin. I explained to him, that, I could stay depressed about the whole situation. I could be sad that the only friend I had, at that time in my life, is now gone forever, and the impact that had on me. Or, I can continue to use his ultimate sacrifice as a lesson as to what will happen when I try to run the show. And that's what I do. When I feel like having a drink, I think back to my cousin, you know, being dead as to exactly what's going to happen. I love my cousin, he was this beautiful person, who just wanted people to be happy. And he tried to make people laugh so bad. I think robin williams said it best when he said, comedians and entertainers are some of the saddest people in the world. They try so hard to make others laugh, and they never laugh themselves. That's not word for word, but it's pretty close.
I think too, if not for people like my cousin, and others who never "got it" who showed the extreme example of drug and alcohol abuse, then the rest of us, would never know, just how good we got it. You think you're stressed out with your job? At least your not completely consumed with the thoughts of when your next drink is going to be. At least your not prostituting yourself to feed a fix of crack. Your kids are being shit heads, at least, your kids are still in your lives, being shitheads. I know a lot of people, like me, who aren't given the opportunity to try again with families and kids of yesterday's. And if that opportunity does come forward, it's full of fears and resentments and rules and regulations, and hoops people expect you to jump through, to try prove something to them. And it's never enough. The people who gave the ultimate sacrifice in this war against addictions and isms, I give full love and respect to. Yes, I have managed, with the grace of god, to stay sober. But only because, I truly didn't want to die. And I watched in fear what will happen if I go back out. So thanks Chad. Thank you for your example. Thank you for your sacrifice, so I can flourish. Gone but never forgotten.
Sorry, just had to pay tribute to a fallen soldier. And I not really that sorry, this is my blog, I'll write whatever the fuck I feel like writing. Hahaha.
Let's get back to Kung fu. So, I have been working on kempo III a lot lately. Extra practice before and after class, getting lots of feedback. And feedback from a lot of different people and levels too. Not just higher ranks. A young white bely asked if my foot should be turned just that little bit. Honestly, I didn't notice, but, he quietly brought it up, and I thanked him. I do have to work on that. Good eye. I guess, just because he's not the same level as I, doesn't mean, he doesn't know what he's talking about, he's just not as educated in his lessons. So, this young fella and I train together a lot, as much as I can. I'm pulled in all sorts of directions in the spring and summer. But, because I'm not around that much, it doesn't mean, I can slack off. My Sifu still asks that I train hard. And I have to train a touch harder because I'm in class on,y once a week. I have to ask more questions in a shorter period of time and produce solid forms when asked to. And my forms have to be as good as I can produce, so, Sifu can see where I need to work on. Becaus, it's a newer form, I might have missed a step and train unknowingly without that step. Only someone who has studied this form before me, would know of the missed techniques. So, as much as I need to train and push at home, I have to get to class, so Sifu can help straighten out my mistakes. Nothing worse than unlearning a technique just to learn the same techniques, just properly. That's frustration. Especially, if you think that it needs to be one way not the other.
I have been playing a lot with weapons again. I'm leaning on the stick and single escrimas lately. The single escrimas is a lot of fun because, now you can incorporate a lot of open palmed techniques with this vicious little weapon. I have found, that, single stick escrimas is far more fun than double sticks. I mean both are a good time, but, I really like only one. I think there's a lot more capabilities with one open hand and one small weapon. Arm bar, butt end to the face, andreally my feet don't move. Adjustments yes, but movements, not really. I have been having a lot of fun with weapons again. One hand to the other hand is becoming a fun little game to play. How fast I can transition from one stance to the next while keeping that weapon moving. It's really not that different from a stick, the escrimas are just smaller that simply it.
I remember someone saying the footwork was too complicated, when working the escrimas. And after studying these weapons for over a year now, it's not the footwork that's complicated, it was their thinking. We know how to move in Kung fu. This is one of the first things you learn. Stances and slide stepping. So I was puzzle d with that statement, and it just went on and on. After really spending time with these weapons and looking exclusively at the footwork, I have come to this conclusion. Like we have heard over and over, a weapon is merely an extension of our hand, therefore, everything else stays similar to our open handed techniques. If you are staying true to your traditional form, why would the feet movements have to get all weird and different? Never made sense. A jab and a strike with the escrimas are not that similar, but a knife hand and an escrimas strike are extremely similar. So with a knife hand, I still draw from the earth, through the hips into the shoulder and out the edge of my hand. Drawing that energy through the earth and out my extremities. I still targeting the same. I'm still looking at my target. The exact same motion for the escrimas. Draw through the earth and out my extremities. Minus the extra reach you have. Nothing really changes. I'm sure if I went to an Arnis school, I would learn different foot and body movements, but I'm not. One thing at a time. Like one of my biggest mentors told me, it doesn't matter what art form you are in. All martial arts are similar and different. But, in this school, we do things like this. In that school, they do things like that. Learn one art form, black belt it, then start dabbling in others. Nothing wrong with experimenting and learning, but how can you truly focus on one art form, when you are confusing yourself with techniques of another? It happens a lot. i see it a lot.
And I just wonder, is this hindering or helping the traditional school I'm involved with. If we are learning more than Kempo Kung fu, then why not just study at a MMA school where learning a little from every discipline is pushed more than focusing on the traditions and techniques of a single entity. I mean considering a lot of mma guys train to win and inflict mass damage quickly. That's not what a traditional school teaches. Nothing wrong with mma, it's just not a traditional art form. We all know traditional schools and art forms are far more than breaking someone's face, but mma schools aren't much more than that. I mean, let's keep it honest here.
So, I think today's lessons can be chalked up to, being aware of who you are learning from. Some people are great teachers and terrible students and vice versa and every other combination that out there. But, it's truly up to the student, to try to understand what and why they train.
"Snap into a slim Jim! Ohhhh Yeah!"
Mach Man Randy Savage 1952-2011
Anyways, the mini donughts are calling and I have a sweet Macho Man tee shirt to flaunt around town. Talk at you later
Mr.Duncan
