Martial Arts
I became interested in Martial Arts probably since I watched my first Bruce Lee movie. I since have gotten past the initial urge to want to be that fantastic figure, and realized the true nature of Martial Arts is knowing yourself and interacting with the world around you in a kind of harmony and gracefulness that only you can express. I've studied Tae Kwon Do for a few years, and have taken lessons from a school that mixed several martial arts together. I read as many books on the fighting arts as I could, trying to find the style that I liked. I actually only made it to yellow belt in the Tae Kwon Do classes, which would only be one stage above beginner. I feel as though I've been doing it all my life, it just seemed so natural. I have a bunch of training equipment that I still beat the crap out of from time to time. If nothing else, I recommend it just as a way to vent after a long mind numbing day of work. I also have a love for the weapons training too. I have escrima sticks, nunchuku, swords of various makes, tonfa, bamboo practice swords, and butterfly knives. My favorite is probably the escrima and the butterfly swords I have. I just like the idea of two hand weapons like those, makes for exciting possibilities in combo movements.
After searching fighting styles, I began researching the philosophies behind the art. I fell in love with the ideas given within martial arts and comparisons to our living environment. Bruce Lee is one figure that I've followed closely in his teachings. Bruce Lee's ideas and thoughts in "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" I found are very interesting and make sense to me. I also really love the stories of the Samurai and the warrior code they lived by. Sometimes I feel as though I was born in the wrong age. I have a very out dated look to life I suppose, but can't change what's in my heart. God and family are the main focus in my life, all else is just to better my focus. As I walk through this world, I only hope that my actions hold true to my focus.
I've been brought up with a very outdoors kind of attitude, thanks to Dad, wherein lies my connection with many eastern philosophies I think. I feel nature has very much to teach us if we can lose that "world revolves around us" kind of mindset. We get so wrapped up in our every day lives that we fail to see these ancient connections to the land we walk upon. The elements seem to play a vital role in everything on the planet so why shouldn't they affect us as well?
Water adapts to its surroundings amazingly and we can learn a valuable lesson in tolerance and bounce back even stronger from obstacles in our path if we imagine the fluid give and take of this element. Another example of this passive/aggressive comparison is made in viewing two kind of trees battling a wind storm. An oak is extremely strong and stands stiff, never giving an inch, whereas the willow tree bends with the strong gusts of wind. The idea of course is that the willow will strengthen through out its trials and the oak with all its strength will eventually break. I believe that we all get these same traits, some get more of one than others, but both are important to remember. It's what makes the world keep spinning. God made an amazing place where everything works together as well as opposite each other. This complex yet sometimes so simple idea will outlast any of us I have a feeling.
So I guess I believe that we don't have the enormous sway over our world some would have you believe. I think this place we make our home can take care of itself just fine, however, that's not to say that if we refuse to listen to our world that we may indeed lose our place in it. 'Course, that could just be my predominate passive side talking, feeling the need to be humbled in light of the big picture. :)
