The Master Locksmith

The Master Locksmith

Meditation is the key, but it difficult for people to learn about meditation, because essentially 99% of the people don’t know what it is.  You can’t teach what you don’t know.  Once you learn it, you can use it towards the good or you can become a very dangerous person.  It is like becoming a master at picking locks.  Now you can use it to help people like a locksmith or you can use it to take advantage of others by picking locks to steal from people.  If you come to a master locksmith to learn the art with a long criminal history, obviously you are not the one to teach.  That is like the fighter who comes to a Martial Art Master to sharpen up his skills, obviously he is not the one to teach.  A person who finds joy in being a bully, should not be taught ways in which to become a greater bully. 

Training Does Not End

Training Does Not End

“Pains and difficulties there are and will continue to be; because any attainment without trouble is almost useless.  Without traveling you can never reach your destination; you are bound to wander.  You will only appreciate and care for that which you acquire with difficulty.  Besides, if you are out to attain the ultimate truth you will have to make some sacrifice!” – Osho “The True Name” pg. 85

Do not expect for this path that I have developed to be easy.  If you did not choose this path, there would be little to no expectations.  Just simply enjoy your training and be happy.  But this path for key members is a path where you will be pushed, it will be difficult, it will be so difficult to the point that there will be no destination, the only destination is death, you will be training hard and representing till death.  The training does not end, like breathing, everywhere you go, you breathe.  Only when you stop breathing will you stop training.  Everyday is training, your life is training, every thing you do is training.  This is the way of the Martial Arts.   

Real Street Violence

Real Street Violence

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=275446419268929

This video shows the reality of violence on the streets, in this video, there are no firearms, but with firearms, it is even more deadly.  Violence is never good; it is something that should not be glamorized.  In this video you see women being severely beaten by men.  You see men getting beaten by multiple attackers.  You see weapons being used.  You see people being spontaneously attacked.  You see people being beaten on the ground while they have gone unconscious.  In all cases the police will never be there to help you.  In all cases, there will never be a referee there to stop the fight.  In call cases, there is no respect for ridiculous rules that you find in combat sport.  In all cases, there is no mercy. 

A woman should never assume that a man will not beat her to death or rape her.  A man should never assume that a larger man will never violently attack a smaller man out of respect for “weight classes.”  A man should never assume that a fight on the streets will be a one on one fight.  A man should never assume that another man will never use a weapon to put him in great bodily harm.  A man should never assume that there are not violent people out there that are willing to hurt you for no reason at all.  A man should never assume that a fight on the streets is going to be the same kind of fights that you find in entertainment media.

Real violence is serious business.  Imagine walking with your girlfriend or wife, while 4 men approach you, beat you to near death while keeping you alive just enough to have you witness them raping your girlfriend or wife and then killing her in front of your eyes.  Imagine walking with your child and then being approached by 4 men who beat you and your child to near death.  In these types of street situations, what would you do?  Calling the police is not the right answer, by the time you reach for your phone; you will already be knocked down, by the time the police show up, you will already be dead. 

You need to be prepared for any situation on the streets, many times that may mean that you will have to carry a weapon with you to increase your chances of survival in these deadly situations.  To increase your chances of survival you will also have to train day in and day out.  You will need to be in top physical shape, you will need to train in self-defense with and without weapons to keep you ready and prepared for anything that could happen.  You will need to train your spirit to maintain your inner peace and composure to decrease this sort of negative energy from being attracted to you.  Real Martial Arts training helps prepare you to survive these sort of deadly encounters. 

Just buying a gun is not good enough; you need to learn how to use the gun properly and safely.  You need to learn when to use it and when not to.  You need to learn the law and keep yourself away from trouble with the law when you carry the firearm with you.  You need to be attentive and aware at all times while you are armed.  You need to master your emotions so that you will never kill others or yourself out of anger or depression.  You will need to be very responsible so that others or yourself are not harmed by your negligence.  Carrying a firearm for your safety requires an immense amount of responsibility and training.  

A firearm allows you to handle very deadly encounters, unarmed training allows you to handle threatening situations that are serious but not life threatening.  When you are properly trained, you will handle each situation accordingly.  Very serious encounters you will draw the firearm, not so serious, you will handle with your unarmed techniques of combat.  If the attacker breaks the rules and fights unfairly, then you will also break the rules and fight unfairly.  As a Martial Artist, you will always put yourself in a situation where you will be one up on the opponent. 

If one person attacks you, you handle the situation with your bare hands.  If multiple people attack you, you will draw your weapon.  If you need to run to survive, you will run to survive.  If an armed person asks for your wallet, you will give your wallet.  If you witness a woman being raped, you will tactically handle the situation.  Carrying weapons as a way of self-defense greatly enhances your opportunities of survival.  Being in the best shape of your life will greatly enhance your opportunities of survival.  Having a strong spirit will ensure that you will make the best decisions in your life that will attract positivity your way. 

If you decide to stop drinking alcohol, how can you ever get in a bar fight if you are never in the bar?  If you surround yourself with positive people, positive things are more likely to happen around you.  If you surround yourself with criminals, be ready for danger.  If you have many friends that love to drink alcohol, don’t be surprised if one day there is serious car accident due to a DUI.  If you go to the clubs late at night every weekend, don’t be surprised if a fight breaks out.  If you surround yourself with people who never exercise, don’t be surprised to see a lot of your friends dying from heart attacks. 

If you sleep around with a lot of women, don’t be surprised if you catch an STD.  Having a strong spirit means you will make your own decisions in your life.  You will not just follow the masses around you; you will follow your own path.  You will follow the path towards ultimate health body, mind, and spirit.  When you follow the true path, there will be a much less likely chance of violence coming your way.  But this will not shield all violence away from you; it will greatly decrease violence and negativity being a part of your life. 

But as you keep training hard every day to prepare against real violence, it will give you a much greater chance of survival.  Just like eating healthy every day will not guarantee a longer life but it will greatly increase the chances of you living longer.  Training to be fit, training to defend yourself with and without weapons, and training for a strong spirit is very important.  That is what real Martial Arts is all about. 

Exploitation of Eastern Labels and Corrupted Martial Arts

Exploitation of Eastern Labels and Corrupted Martial Arts

What got me to think of this is when Steve emailed me to ask if it would be ok if he used the Yin/Yang label to title his musical piece.  I did not expect this at all.  I guess the posts I have made have gotten him and some others to reevaluate the use of the labels that we use in our everyday lives.  For him to send an email to ask in that way, I see as a great sign of respect for the Chinese culture and language.  But in the same token, am I in a position to give others permission on what labels can and cannot be used?  I guess in a way I am because I am trying my hardest to share the beauties of the Chinese culture and way of life or more broadly, the Eastern cultures and way of life. 

I know that Steve speaks French very fluently, more fluently than he speaks English, whereas for myself, I know nothing of the language or culture, I would not ever think of using French labels in my language, but if I did, I see him to be someone to have as a source of reference. 

I see that some or many of us are so lost in the understanding of where our roots come from.  There is no way that we can speak every language available in the world.  And some of us may speak multiple languages, but it always boils down to which language is our foundational language?  Which is our primary language and which is our secondary language? 

By blood, my natural language is Chinese, but by circumstances, my primary language is the English language.  I am one of the few who has been truly caught in between 2 cultures.  The East and the West.  By nature, I understand the ways of the East but due to circumstances, I have been forced to adapt to the ways of the West. 

There are certain labels of which I feel comfortable using and expressing. Through study and life experiences, I have gained a greater understanding of certain labels that others have yet to understand or experience themselves.  When people freely use labels of which they do not truly understand, that is how miscommunication occurs. 

A person who speaks English as their only language and has not done any study or had any experiences with cultures of the East can very easily misuse labels in which to create confusion, misunderstanding, or even willfully exploit certain labels for profit. 

For example, an American, rather than saying that he enjoys stretching for fitness, can tell everybody that he practices Yoga, but does he truly understand what Yoga is?  An American, rather than saying that he enjoys practicing a light exercise, can tell everybody that he practices Tai Chi, but does he truly understand what Tai Chi is?  An American, rather than saying that he enjoys intimacy with his partner, can tell everybody that he practices the Kama Sutra, but does he truly understand what the Kama Sutra is?  An American, rather than saying that he enjoys practicing Martial Arts, can tell everybody that he practices Wushu, but does he truly understand what Wushu is? 

It just doesn’t really make sense if a person is speaking English every single day to all of a sudden throw in a foreign label to somehow give themselves a certain kind of feeling of prestige or recognition.  Rather than saying they practice Martial Arts, they want to say they practice “Karate” “Wushu” “Tai Chi” or “Tae Kwon Do.” 

You can speak English the entire day but then when you feel a need to sit down, rather than saying to your friend “I need to sit down.”  You end up saying “I need to sit ‘diye’”  You’re friend will be like, “what are you talking about?”  Then you explain that ‘diye’ means “down” in Chinese.  Well what was the use of saying ‘diye’ when you could have very easily said “down?”

I see that a lot of these Eastern labels are being exploited and taken advantage of, used as a way to profit, without giving respect to the cultures of where they have originated from.  I see that only a Japanese person can give you the permission to use the word “Karate.”  Or a Chinese person to use the word “Wushu” or “Tai Chi”.  And a Korean person to use the word “Tae Kwon Do.”  If you do not have permission from the person of that culture, then you should use the language of your own culture, the language of which you truly understand, not to borrow labels from other cultures of which you really know nothing about. 

But I see a lot of times labels from the East are stolen and exploited for profit.  I see a big problem with these big commercial gyms gathering up a bunch of people in a sweaty room to stretch and then just say that everybody is practicing “Yoga” just because they happen to be inside of that room.  Then you have thousands of people who know absolutely nothing about the Indian culture claiming that they practice Yoga. 

That is like walking on the campus of Purdue University and then all of a sudden telling everybody that you study at Purdue University.  You do not study at Purdue University just because you took a step onto their campus. 

You have all these white Americans that claim themselves as a “Sensei.”  But my question is, where is the Japanese Sensei that gave you permission to use this label “Sensei?”  And also, is this Japanese person truly a “Sensei” himself, because if this Japanese person is a false “Sensei”, even if he gave you permission to use the title “Sensei”, then you are false yourself and everybody of whom you certify to be “Sensei’s” are false, because the foundation is false.  It is like a fake online University giving away bachelor degrees for profit, all based on a lie.  Every certificate that is issued is false. 

If you have not received permission from an authentic Japanese “Sensei” to use that title, then you should not be using that title, you should use your own title, may it be “Mr.” “Instructor”, or even “Master.”  I see that to be the only right way to do it. 

In America, you can’t just go around telling people you are a Professor, when you are not really a Professor, that label is protected by law.  You can’t just around telling people you are a Doctor, Dentist, Lawyer, when you are not properly certified, that label is protected by law.  You can’t just go around telling people you are a Police Officer, that label is protected by law. 

But people want the label of Professor without putting in the work to earn that title.  So what they do, is they want to steal titles from the East and use them for profit purposes, so you will see thousands of Americans who are claiming themselves as “Sensei’s.”  I disagree with all of this.  Labels and titles from the East should not be exploited for profit.  I see this as wrong.  If there is a real Japanese person who claims himself to be a “Sensei,” then I see this to be the right way to use this title.  It is like a real college Professor from Harvard, he really is a Professor at Harvard, no lying, no deceit. 

Finding a real Japanese person in America is already hard, to find a real Japanese “Sensei” is even harder.  Finding a real Indian person in America is already hard, to find a real Indian Yoga Master is even harder.  Why is it that in all the Yoga places in America, almost none of them have Indian teachers, when Yoga originated from India?  So many Yoga studios in America are controlled by non Indians.  Why is it that in so many Karate schools in America, almost none of them are run by Japanese teachers, when Karate originated in Japan?  So many Karate places in America are controlled by non Japanese persons.

It’s like stepping into a Chinatown in Chicago where all the business owners and workers are all people who are non-Chinese.  How the heck can this be considered a Chinatown when there are no Chinese people around?  That is how I feel about the Martial Arts, it is all being controlled and dictated by non-Asians.  When the Martial Arts belongs to the Asians, not the Caucasians, but the Asians.  The Caucasians need to learn from the Asians when it comes to the Martial Arts, not the other way around. 

But Americans think they can master something in 1 year when it really should take over 20 years of study and experience.  They want to study for 1 year and then start making money right away.  They want to start making money right away by promoting a lie.  “Turn me into a Sensei in one year and I will promise you that your business with succeed!”  Once you turn this non Asian American into a “Sensei,” now he wants to turn all his buddies and friends into Sensei’s as well in not just 1 year but now in 6 months!  Now before you know it, everybody thinks they are Sensei’s, or Masters of the Martial Arts.  All of this is a based on a lie; all of it is an extreme exploitation of the Martial Arts.  Other than the Police Departments, there is probably nothing more corrupted in America than the so-called “Martial Arts” industry.