In my previous post 10 Lessons Learned Testing for Rank, I feel I left a few important points out so I am continuing where I left off with that list of 12.

13. Prepare for the Unexpected: Give yourself plenty of time to get there early. Sure enough the day of my test the road was blocked. Had I not given myself a spare 20 minutes to get there I would have been late and super frazzled. Not a good impression to make!

14. Avoiding Sudden Bouts of Amnesia: Know all current as well as previous material like the back of your hand! I can’t stress enough that when you are tired and/or nervous or a combination of both it is amazing how you can forget something you know. Any little doubt that creeps into your mind while performing something can suddenly become full blown amnesia! If you really know your stuff going into the test, even if you momentarily forget, you should be able to gather yourself enough and take some deep breaths to be able to remember. A tip: Forget your brain and let your body remember. If you have done it enough, you should be able to work your way through it.

15. Cramming Doesn’t Cut it-  You can’t cram for a martial arts test. Trying to cram just doesn’t work. Put in the time and effort before you are asked to test so when you go to prepare for your next promotion it is more of a review and refinement of what you already have learned.

16. Endurance Training - It is not enough to be able to execute techniques and forms when well rested. It is a whole different ball game trying to do these things when you are exhausted. Endurance training is critical but very hard for working folks to fit in.  When possible try training for 2-3 hour clips with short breaks to show your body you can go for longer periods.

Hopefully some of these will help some of you prepare for your next test or promotion in the martial arts. No doubt, there are countless other great tips out there.  Feel free to share yours!

The other day I was practicing in my town at a big football field near my house.  Generally speaking if I choose to practice there I am doing things that may look a bit peculiar at first but if someone watches for a bit they likely begin to realize I am practicing martial arts. Well, on this particular day, I brought a pole with me and I was circle walking doing 8 animals.  I was very focused on what I was doing and though part of me heard a man yelling, I completely ignored it and continued to practice.  It was only after the 3rd time of repeating what he said in an increasingly louder and angrier voice did it occur to me he was yelling profanities at me. Now, I won’t quite repeat what was being screamed at me but let’s just say it went something like “You f#@$% freak!” Now, this surprised me yet I had to laugh a bit to myself as I realized the poses I was in must have looked very odd.  I also at this point noticed that this “man” was probably late teens and was accompanied by several companions in his car which he apparently pulled over especially for me.  Wow, how flattering.

Honestly, I was ok with it as long as no one decided to get out of the car and get any closer.(I had quickly formulated a bit of a plan though just in case they did - but luckily they gave up on me and left after a bit).  Surely, my complete disregard to his obvious ire just riled him up some more but really! As I thought some more about what happened as I walked back to my car I was incredulous, not because he thought what I was doing was so strange (it does look odd and may have even mistook it for some form of worship) but regardless what should he care? Why so little tolerance of others?

We fear what we don’t understand I suppose. But that shouldn’t stop me. I’ll continue to go there and practice whenever I like. People need to become more tolerant of the differences between us.  Hiding what I love to do and need to practice won’t help that. Maybe, if my friend decides to stop by again in the future, and I am done practicing, I will walk over and try to have a civil conversation. Maybe at the end of it he will come to realize I was doing no harm and that his anger was misplaced. Maybe not….but without trying nothing changes.

Just recently I went on my 2nd Chi Kung, Meditation and Kung Fu retreat. Basically we packed lots of warm clothes and headed up to the Pocono mountains for a weekend.  Once there, we kept busy training, meditating, journaling and sitting in the woods to reconnect with nature.

Retreat View

There were points when we would spend time with others walking or sitting in meditation outside in complete silence. If you think about it, how often do people spend time together as a group without having the need to constantly be saying something. I found those moments to be a rare pleasure.

Knowing you are all there for a common purpose, sharing an experience without exchanging any words is a refreshing change from every day life. It was in those quiet moments when it felt like it was a true retreat experience for me – a chance to recharge. The unhurried pace, the utter lack of the usual demands and pressures. Even being told when to move on to the next thing meant leaving the worry about time and schedules to someone else. I got to just ‘be”. That was a gift.

Fully engaged with a heightened awareness is the only way to describe one particular experience I had on that retreat. I can’t get into the details unfortunately, but suffice it it say that it was an eye opening experience.

Happy Trails.

Recently I was having a conversation with someone who commented on how Mr. SoNSo consistently makes racist remarks at gatherings. I asked, “Well, what do you do when that happens?”. He responded that he usually says something like “Oh, you’re terrible”.  I pointed out that I think that reaction could be construed as “Oh, I think what you said is funny even though I wouldn’t say it myself.” He agreed it could be interpreted this way and was disturbed by the idea. I then asked him if he would have reacted the same way if a couple of his friends from work who were of a different race were standing there as well if he would have responded differently. He said, yes he would have.  Why? Because he didn’t think what was said was “right” or “just”.  “Well then” I asked, “Don’t you think it stands to reason that your behavior should be consistent with how you would react if your friend was standing there looking over our shoulder and listening?” He agreed that this made sense. Now just as a little background, this was a social occasion at someone’s house and the person making racial remarks was the father of the host.

Taking this to more general philosophical level for a moment here,  I tend to subscribe the philosophy that  “the easy way is the hard way and the hard way is the easy way”.  Yet while I gave this more thought I also thought about general statements I hear my martial arts teacher such as “What is wrong with everyone having their own opinion?” And , inwardly I quickly agree. Yet, in this situation I can’t help but think sometimes you need to take the more difficult road. If I am really being my “true self”, then that self is not the type of person who lets remarks like this pass in silent consent. Now I’m not saying I start any sort of argument. I simply let it be known that I do not agree with this way of thinking.

Is this a social faux pas or is it an opportunity to introduce another way of thinking? How does positive change ever take place in society if we all just stand mute by due to concern over social niceties? Now, I don’t actually care to debate the point with people like this because my experience is they will not change their minds on their way of thinking any more likely than I am to come around to their way of thinking. Also,  I do indeed subscribe the philosophy that you can’t change others…only your reactions to them. Yet, with a little negative social push back, perhaps people such as this might think twice before uttering these racial slurs in my presence or others. Perhaps with a firmly stated “I couldn’t disagree with you more” statement others might even chime in “me either”.

Now, I have to tell you. That is the nice version of what I’d really like to say to such people. What I really want to ask of this regular church goer is where in the scriptures does it say “love all mankind… unless his race, religion or creed differs from yours then by all means feel free to hate and spead that hate around!”.  Nope, pretty sure it doesn’t say that anywhere.

And so perhaps I will be stuck with a reputation of being a bit difficult at family gatherings. Yet, what I really want is to utter something that triggers just a glimmer of enlightenment. Plant the smallest of seeds that if we are all indeed one and to hate another is to hate yourself. After all, change doesn’t happen over night. Step by step.

What would you do in that situation? What is your own personal philosophy towards predjudice of any kind? Speak or hold your tongue? Please leave me your thoughts.