Utilizing down time

Nobody likes to have to take time out for sickness or injuries. I happen to love it in a way. This gives me time to sharpen up on the theoretical end of Kung Fu and educate myself on natural healing methods, foods, and read up on so much information from other martial artists and health and fitness guru's, if you will. I read a massive amount of the life long benefits of Qigong and how it will be part of my training from this point on. I learnt some really cool stretching techniques, more about diet while training, and it's cool to learn from the pioneers and some of the modern martial artists. I like to watch old school footage of martial artists sparring with no equipment and marvel on they're pain threshold. Let alone the amount of bones they used to break back then, wow. Old interviews with the likes of Bruce Lee, Joe Lewis, Ed Parker, Chuck Norris, and so many more, way too many too mention. I read about quotes and interviews from all kinds of Masters and Black Belts from so many schools and disciplines. I have also been watching some pretty cool movies, like the Ip Man trilogy. Ya I know they're movies but I also looked into every thing about him in real life. Pretty wild story and very cool artist.  It also gives me time to really dissect some of our techniques and why we train the way we do. For example, most of us have done the 15 rep push up on our finger tips. Once you reach five you lift a finger and do four more on four finger tips, then three and so on until you do the last single push up on your thumb. What's the point of this? We should just call this the " show off set ". I could be deemed to have a serious glue sniffing problem, but this is my perspective and how I apply it to my Kung Fu. If you think of all those fancy hand techniques and strikes we are taught this might make sense. In order to successfully utilize hand techniques, you need strong hands. If you have wimpy, soggy hands, you will hurt yourself more than an attacker. So when I think of the first five fingertip push ups, I think of strengthening the tiger claw. With the four, I think of strengthening the cranes beak or our grabs when doing joint locks. Without the thumb of course. With the three I think of strengthening the eagles talon. With two I think of the fish hook, with the thumb I think of the iron thumb, because it makes your thumb, well iron. I sure this benefits more than the techniques mentioned but this is what came to my mind. I guess the point of this blog is the engagement and your training will only stop when your down if you let it. So use the time to learn and plan. Educate yourself, that way when your healed and ready to go back, you're already that much better and that much more prepared for whatever comes at you. You know how to heal better and learn proper martial artist maintenance.

Animals and Earth

I love animals of all sorts. Maybe perhaps cold, but in some cases I would help an animal over some human beings that inhabit the earth, especially now a days. Growing up on a farm and growing up in a farming community offered ample amounts of exposure to all sorts of creatures. From having to feed and herd the cattle to past year during the summer, and back home in the fall, believe me I put on some miles at a young age. We had sheep, chickens of various types, geese, and rabbits. The presence of a dog was always there and many friendships. We also ate most of these animals. This is also something else I was exposed to at an early age. One thing about it though, my father made it very clear about the respect that must be given to animals. They must never suffer. They must be handled with care. They must be watered and fed, period. There was also necessary measures that were taken to insure they're place of residence was kept neat and orderly. When they were sick, a veterinarian was dispatched and they were taken care of. If it was too bad and there was no hope, we shot them. No suffering. When the cattle were being shipped out on the cattle liners, my father and his brothers would load the cattle. I remember my Dad used to always keep the cattle calm when they were being loaded. They used whips yes, but not much. He seemed to understand the cattle's fear. He also absolutely detested the electric cattle prod. I seen him once come unglued on a truck driver that thought he was going to get cute and use it. I think perhaps if his kids weren't present, he probably would've used it on the driver to "help" him back in his truck. Personally I would have used it on him until he pissed himself. That's just me.

The point of all of this is, I think I have finally watched enough documentaries and read enough facts about how damaging the whole food industry is to the animals and the earth, and to probably the most stupidest creatures on earth. Us. But we're right in the mix. As consumers of meat. The abuse and cruelty of animals is sickening, I won't go into details on this, but I will say we should be ashamed of ourselves. From killing 70% of the rain forest to accommodate livestock, to now dragging a net right on the ocean floor. A 50 acre swath is pulling out everything, from plants to sea life that we don't even eat, leaving nothing behind but a marine waste land. Pulled up to a floating processing factory that just discards life after separation that takes many years to replace. Can you imagine being so stupid and selfish. Like over fishing wasn't enough. The amount of chemicals in our food now is insane. From food giants actually trying to patent vegetables and refusing to stop modifying our foods, let alone tell us what the hells in it. Lagoons containing animal waste is being sprayed on crops and the run off is going into our own water system. Anyone notice the increase of Ecoli presence.

So I thought, what am I going to do. We have to eat. I can't take on the food company's. As much as I would love to take some idiot running one and throw him on an island made of his money and nothing else. Then throw him his wife and kids and tell him, " Here you go, lets see how your money is going to keep you alive now" I think the only way to make a difference, is to stop contributing to this. I think the only way to make a difference, although a small one, is to become a vegetarian for starters. I admit the thought did make me shudder, I've eaten meat all my life. It also made me feel like I am giving up something. Then I looked at my daughter and the decision became obvious. What have we done. What have we let happen. Why am I feeding her this shit and leaving nothing but a polluted planet behind for her and her family. Her generation. She has to know at least her parents tried to make a difference for the better. That her parents took a stand and stopped contributing to this madness. Although in one way or another, we're trapped into this agenda. I just have to focus on my own agenda to keep the awareness sharp and do what I can to reduce my participation and raise as much awareness as I can. You never know unless you try. The thing that bothers me the most is how we all sit back like sheep and let it all happen. How we are gagged and put in a position of helplessness because our governments do nothing and the most powerful and influential people are the most pathetic. Powered by a piece of paper with some dead persons face on it and getting away with murder on the largest scale. The whole planet and everything on it. I just don't know.