I was trying to embed these links as comments in response to Alex's last post, but it wasn't working. Here's another quick story worth looking at. Having witnessed a similar miracle occur with my wife Adrienne, and how her severely debilitating RH condition was turned around by karate practice, I'm definitely an advocate of martial arts for healing. When I look at stories like this, and consider FMK, what I find is incredible motivation. The guy in this story, Arthur, is obviously an extreme example of physical disability and illness. But really, we're all positioned somewhere on a scale of able-movement and health, and all of us can improve far beyond the place where we currently find ourselves. The key, of course, is training. And it doesn't matter if we're awkward or goofy at the moment, or can't perform something as gracefully as the next guy. Look at this Arthur, falling on his face and walking with assistance one day, balancing beautifully on his head and running the next. I'm not saying that significant development happens overnight. But without training, it won't happen at all. Moreover, without training, our health will decrease. Any one of us could easily find ourselves in Arthur's position, if we were to sit still. And this is the ultimate lesson... Do not sit still. Move.
great video. thanks for the post, very inspiring...
ReplyDeleteAfter watching these videos, I almost shed tears. He went from mediocre to awesome. He accomplish that only by believing in himself and training like you said Ryan. That is the power of Kung Fu. I do not care how old I became on this earth but I plan on retaining my fitness as long as live. Nobody will tell me otherwise. Thanks for sharing this video Ryan. It was very moving.
ReplyDeleteI've watched the Arthur videos several times over, because of how inspiring they are. I also see how they speak to the potential we have here with FMK, especially online. As commercial martial 'arts' schools turn more and more toward MMA, they are missing a fundamental truth... that martial arts are about health, wellness and the preservation of life. I don't care what the serious scholars are arguing regarding historical events, to me the martial arts begin with Bodhidharma and Zen at Shaolin Temple, where the practice was introduced as dawn exercises to help taciturn, out-of-shape, and ill-of-health monks transform themselves into legendary models of fitness. Yes, the 'martial' aspect of these arts can be combat-functional. BUT... far more importantly (from my perspective), it can and should be understood metaphorically, as both preventative and rehabilitative medicine. As I see it, those of us who are involved in FMK online have an opportunity, not unlike that of Arthur, to help ourselves in a manner that will ultimately help others
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