Conformity vs. Creativity in the Martial Arts

 

Why do you think it is that 'martial arts' in today's society remain so impoverished of actual artistic expression? Why is artistic expression so discouraged? At what point in any typical martial arts school is artistry encouraged? How can we change that?

To answer your questions.  It is because of business, huge profits are generated when you encourage people to be false.  If you are completely self-sufficient, you will not stimulate the economy.  The economy functions by you being guided by your desires to enhance your ego.  When you are a slave to your ego, the businesses will profit, when you are a Master of your ego, the businesses suffer.  Every University wants you to join their University; they don't want you to create your own. 

Most of every Martial Arts school will want you to pass on their lineage, they don't want you to start your own because then their school may not pass onto the next generation, it is an ego trip.  The mind becomes identified to your name, & then you want to pass that name onto the next generation, but in actuality, we are all born with no name, names are just used as a utility for us to communicate & identify, but it is not truth.  Truth cannot be labeled, but the ego will still try to label, & through labeling it will continually seek to survive.  

A Martial Artist will encourage artistry when he has decided to surrender his ego.  When you surrender your ego, you are no longer seeking to enhance it by having others carry on your name.  This is against business & this is certainly against all corporations.  If you are making a living from a profession outside of the Martial Arts, it may allow you the freedom to encourage all to be creative & not to follow.  But if your way of survival is dependent on the income generated by your students, it may be hard to encourage your students to be creative, as then you are promoting against your own business. 

When you enter a gym, the gym owner is not overlooking you & preventing your creativity within that gym.  You are free to train the way you wish to train based on the tools available in that gym.  But a Martial Arts school owner will seek to control your development as a Martial Artist.  If you give him permission, he will take control.  If he is not awakened, he will seek to control you until the very end, he will seek to turn you into a machine & discourage you from being creative.  If he is awakened, he will give you the tools that are required in order to be creative when the time is right. 

And the question is, when is the right time?  He may set the standard to be the black belt, the black sash, the gold shield, the Sifu title, etc.  In society you are not considered an adult by law until you are 18.  You are considered a child until you are 18.  According to law, you need to have experienced life for 18 years in order to gain more freedom.  With this greater freedom, you are expected to be more responsible.  Now your parents are no longer responsible for you, you are responsible for yourself. 

In the Martial Arts, your Sifu will give you the freedom to be creative when you are responsible & ready.  And when will you be responsible & ready?  Time will tell, the Sifu will see how responsible you are inside & outside of class.  If you do not continually demonstrate responsibility, you are not ready to be creative, it is safer to follow.  Not all will take the step forward to be self-sufficient & creative, most would rather choose to be dependent, it is easier to be dependent.  Those who are dependent are the ones who fund the school, the Sifu then must be able to provide a path of dependency & the path of independency.  The path of independency is the path of being self-expressive & creative, the path of dependency is the path of conformity & structure. 

The path of dependency is the path of business & corporations.  The path of independency is the path of the Artist.  The society promotes conformity & business; it does not promote independency & creativity.  The Sifu must be able to adapt to the masses in order to have the kwoon survive.  If the Sifu cannot adapt, the kwoon will shut down.  The Sifu’s artistic individual self-expression will stay alive as long as he is living, but the kwoon will shut down without the proper business structure that promotes conformity. 

The Sifu is caught between a double edged sword.  If he promotes independency, he is going against the business structure.  If he promotes dependency, he is going against the core values of what it means to be an Artist.  If the Sifu is able to find a way to generate income without the need of profiting from the Martial Arts, his teachings can remain pure & uncorrupted. 

The way this can be changed is if Martial Artists can come together to contribute towards a real expression.  But because there are so many egos involved in the Martial Arts, it is very difficult to bring together Martial Artists who will have the openness to work with one another.  If 50 Martial Artists came together and contributed $100/month, that would generate $5000/month towards the promotion of something real.  Then there would be no school owner that would have to result in corrupting the Martial Arts in order to profit. 

The money to run the school is already available; it would make no sense for the school owner to corrupt the Martial Arts in order to survive.  Through the support of the Martial Artist community, the power in the schools expression stays in the hands of the Martial Artists, not in the mass of society whom do not have any understanding of the Martial Arts.  With this Martial Arts community, they can slowly train the masses to understand the meaning of real Martial Arts; they can slowly work together towards educating the public on real Martial Arts.  The public will never gain power over the school because the school is entirely self-sufficient, even if there is not one student, the school still survives from the Martial Artists within the school who are contributing towards its survival. 

The Martial Artists within the school are all Teachers & Students.  The title of Shi zu or Sifu is just used as a utility to keep an organized structure in the governing of all those involved.  It is like an owner of a gym, he is there but he is not there.  He is there when he is needed, but for the most part, the gym will operate in efficiency without his presence.  His presence is only needed in major decisions in regards to the advancement of the gym.  May it be to build & expand, to add or subtract services that are offered, & things related to the overall management of the gym.  Those who participate in the gym by paying their gym membership, need not overly worry about any of this, they simply enjoy the experience of exercise within the gym. 

The Sifu is like the gym owner, he does not step in & tell the people how to exercise & how not to, unless of course the people ask for him to do so.  He allows them the freedom to exercise as they please as long as they follow the ground rules of the gym.  The Sifu determines the ground rules for the kwoon, those who do not follow the ground rules will be expelled.  Those who do not follow the ground rules for the gym will also be asked to leave.  But because a kwoon incorporates techniques that can potentially be lethal, more serious rules are established within the kwoon than in the gym.  It is like comparing the responsibility required between a security guard who is unarmed and a Police Officer.  A Sifu must be much more responsible with the operation of his kwoon than compared to a gym owner. 

What is Fake?

What is fake?

When you speak about the Martial Arts, it is an Art, in order to understand what is fake & what is not fake in the realm of Art, you must have an understanding of what Art is.  Art is creative self-expression.  2pac was an Artist, Bob Marley was an Artist, they create something original.  If you copy them, you are a fake.  If you are not original, you are a fake.  If you follow any system in the Martial Art & you are not self-expressive, you are a fake.  If you plagiarize, you are a fake. 

If you develop your own from your inner heart, you are real.  Being fake is any expression that is not your expression.  There are very few that are real, that is why the real stand out from all the rest.  In Art, being real has nothing to do with certifications.  Vincent Van Gogh may have painted something original, somebody that creates a carbon copy of his painting, is a fake.  There is fake jewelry & there is real jewelry, an experienced jeweler will know the difference. 

In order to determine the difference between fake Martial Arts & real Martial Arts, you must know what real Martial Arts is, if you do not know what real Martial Arts is, you will not know what is real & what is fake, what you deem as real may actually be fake.  The stunts and “Martial Art” actors in the movie “Matrix” are fake, they do not live the Martial Way, they are practicing it for the time being for entertainment purposes.  Bruce Lee & Jet Li are two individuals who lived & breathed the Martial Arts, it is their way of life.

All “Martial Arts” that do not involve the integration of the “Spirit” is fake.  A certified Police Officer who is corrupted, is fake.  He may have the badge, the gun, the vest, the car, & his police buddies backing him up, but he is still fake.  All corruption of the pure is fake. 

A real human being is hard to come by, most of what we deem as real, is actually fake.  Most human beings are carbon copies, they are machines, they are not real, they are fake.  If you are a fake human being, you cannot practice real Martial Arts.  You can only practice real Martial Arts if you are a real human being.  Being a real human being is not easy in modern society.  The school will turn you into a fake.  Your friends will turn you into a fake.  Your girlfriend will turn you into a fake.  Your employer will turn you into a fake. 

You are afraid to express yourself, you are afraid to be yourself because you seek the approval of others, anytime you seek the approval of others, you are being fake.  Being real, is just expressing yourself truthfully from within as is.  Few people in this world will ever have the courage to express themselves truthfully.  For the most part, when they do, they will be attacked by the society, because the society in itself is fake, all the fakes will greatly despise those who are real, they will seek to kill the real. 

That is why Jesus, Socrates, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, 2pac, Bruce Lee, Gandhi, John Lennon, JFK, etc. were killed.  The society hates the real, they want to kill the real, they want to turn everybody into fakes, & that is why you will rarely ever encounter a real Martial Artist, most of all of them will be fake. 

 

Duck-Walk Lawn Mowing

We took 'Labor Day' literally here at my house, and spent the morning harvesting from our garden and doing other work around the house. Have a lawn that needs mowing? Have legs that need strength training? Here's your answer...

The Path of No Rank

 

I have done much thinking about how I am to offer different paths within FMK, the path of rank & the path of no rank.  The path of rank has been established.  I do not encourage Todai’s towards rank & I do not encourage Todai’s towards no rank.  It is your decision, not mine.  I am here to have both paths available.  What I value is a good heart within & loyalty & commitment to this kwoon.  How talented & skilled you are athletically & combatively will be of no benefit to the kwoon without those components.

All practitioners of ZMA within FMK are Todai’s of this school.  The labels of Sidai & Sihing are simply used as tools to show a progression towards the label of Sifu.  But either way, all Sidai’s, Sihing’s, & Sifu’s are Todai’s of FMK. 

Those who choose the path of no rank will just be addressed as Todai “Chinese name.”  Through the advancement of the FMK website, it has allowed for better promotion & enhanced motivational factors, just as the Blog has done. 

All Todai’s that train in FMK are seen to have a good heart or are working towards developing greater peace, love, & compassion.  What is left for evaluation is loyalty & commitment towards the kwoon regardless of athletic or combative abilities. 

I have decided that public profiles on the FMK website under the tab of “Todai’s” will be used as a tool to decipher those who have shown greater loyalty & commitment towards the kwoon.  Regardless of whether or not you choose to go on the path of rank or no rank, you have the choice of participating on having your own personal FMK public profile page set up on the FMK website.  This profile page can contain anything you deem relevant to your development.  This profile page can consist of the expression of your way in the Martial Arts, it can contain pictures, videos, writings, links, etc.  It is your creative self-expression to all those within FMK & to the world at large, to learn about your way.  You can create your own YouTube channel with all your creative works & have the website link up to your own YouTube channel that you manage yourself. 

The profile page will cost $100 to establish.  This money will help separate those who really are interested in this public expression from those who are not, & it will signify greater commitment towards the promotion of the kwoon, similar to the FMK apparel & badge.  The $100 will cover the basic management of the profile page.  The profile page will stay active as long as you remain active within the kwoon communicating via email, blog, or phone.  The communication is essential to signify your close connections to the kwoon. 

These profile pages will allow Todai’s that choose the path of rank or the path of no rank to have the same benefits of online promotion through public profiles as an extra motivational factor. 

Todai’s who choose the path of no rank will be allowed to wear FMK apparel of any color other than Red, Blue, & Black.  Todai’s can purchase apparel in white, green, purple, pink, grey, orange, etc.  The colors of Red, Blue, & Black for FMK apparel will be specifically saved for Todai’s that choose the path of rank.  Those who wish to receive an FMK badge will be required to fulfill the basic fitness standards of the red rank.  Once the red rank has been obtained, the Todai is not expected or obligated to progress towards the Blue but can simply stay on the path of no rank & continue to express their own creativities & has the option of being addressed as Sidai or to remain being addressed as Todai, they also will have the option of wearing Red colored FMK apparel if they so choose. 

2012 Fitness Baseline

So after having suffered enough self-induced over-analyzing for one week, and thanks to Sifu’s patience and Michael’s wise advisements, and under the positive influence of my wife Adrienne (who thinks it’s just fantastic that all FMK ranking requires annual demonstrations of fitness maintenance), I decided this morning to go ahead and take a baseline measurement of where I’m at. Seemed an auspicious day to do it: September 1^st is easy to remember for the future, and it’s the full moon of Pakkii’pistsi Otsitai’tsspi (When Chokecherries Ripen) by our calendar. The run was pretty slow, but I’m generally happy with everything else, and I know there will be significant improvements next time around. Here are my stats and video…

Age: 40

Height: 5’ 11”

Weight: 174

Jump Rope: 8 minutes

Middle Splits: 15” from ground

Behind Back Straight-Arm Stretch: 8 o’clock

Behind Back Prayer Stretch: palms touching, fingertips at shoulderblade

Over Shoulder Grasp Stretch: all fingers grasp with right arm up, two fingers grasp with left arm up

Bent Over Reach: five fingers touch ground

1 Min Sit-Up: 41

1 Min Push-Up: 52

1 Min Squat: 48

Low Squat To Front Kick: 30

Front Kick Hold: 20 sec each leg

Side Kick Hold: 20 sec each leg

Handstand Push-Ups (Tree Assisted): 14

Pull-Over (Mountain Climber): 3

L-Hold: 19 sec

1 Arm Push-Ups: 12 each arm

Regular Pull-Ups: 16

L-Hold Close-Hand Pull-Ups: 6

Dips: 22

Inverted Sit-Ups: 15

Decline Push-Ups: 20

3.25 Km (2 mile) Run: 17 min 48 sec

I Eat Roadkill

On my drive to work this morning, I listened to the videos that went up on the FMK YouTube channel the other day about Kosher foods, and the dilemma of whether or not to eat other animals and, if we do eat other animals, how that might be approached most ethically. This is all something that I have dedicated a huge amount of consideration toward. I personally think that the disengagement with our food sources, made possible by our industrialized cultures, is perhaps the worst thing that's ever happened to our species, and that if we want to deal at all with the environmental destruction that we're engaged in, it has to come through renewing our relationship with the physical sources of our life. So this evening, I rather quickly threw together a video to share some of my perspectives on the ethical food matter. In this video, I do deal in part with death and killing, so it might be disturbing for some people. Just wanted to put that out there as a forewarning. There's more that I have to say on the matter, but I thought I'd post a few perspectives up here quickly, while it's fresh in my mind...

Regarding My Donations, The No-Rank Experiment, Video Lessons, Attire, Benefits To The Kwoon, And The Bodhisattva Path

Oki Sifu and fellow Todai... This is my response to the video posted on the FMK YouTube channel a couple days ago, pertaining to my monetary donations, training interests, and how my participation might best assist in strengthening and developing the kwoon. Sifu, your video covered a lot of ground in a relatively short time, and you've presented me with a number of good questions. What I really appreciate about your video is that it shows the amount of thought and effort that you are investing in trying to accommodate different students, rather than imposing a strict single path, and for me it's a confirmation that my non-physical efforts are succeeding in prompting dialog that can potentially lead to important learning and growth. Certainly I am being enriched by this experience, and I hope it is helping others as well. My only concern is that I don’t want any dialog I prompt to become a nuisance or energy drain, but rather a potential source of enrichment for all.

With that said, unfortunately, as I sat down to write this response, I realized that I couldn't do justice to the process in just a few words. I feel like it's important for me to communicate in-depth what I'm about, in order that everyone better understands the kind of approaches I've been taking and/or proposing within FMK, and this quality of explanation takes a little more time. So... my response is a bit lengthy. I have pasted it below, separated into twelve comments, so as not to take up too much space on the main page of this blog and detract from its aesthetics. The first part (Comments 1-5) is autobiographical, to help contextualize the second part (Comments 6-12), which gets directly to my responses to the questions posed. Sifu, if you only have time to read part of this, read from Comment 6 through 12. I would be happy, though, if my recent donation was utilized to reimburse you for taking the time to read all of my response, because I think it will help us work together for the benefit of this kwoon long-term if you know more about me.

Power Twister Attempt & B-Day Pictures

Hello Everyone!

If you've been keeping with YouTube lately, Sifu's been having all the guys do videos on their reps of the power twister. I must say...not as easy as it looks! Todai Ling and I were bored the other day and decided to visit the family; while playing with the kids as you can see in the background, we attempted the challenge our selves. I knew it was hard, but was still surprised at the ability I had to bend the power twister, even if was for a second. haha Weeks before then I remember not being able to bend it all!, but that being my weakness is my upper body strength. Regardless, it's still progress and and we're excited to one day finally do it!

Thanks for watching!

Also, thought I'd share a few pictures from last weekend. Sifu's older son Brandon and I have the same birthday August 24, and Shi Lao was so kind as to surprise us with a mango cake from her restaurant after training! Enjoy!

 

Sidai Wei, Todai Ai, Todai Ling (who recently just joined 'yay!,' and one of my closest friends since the 3rd grade!)

 Mango cake from "Jenny's Gourmet Restaurant"

 Blowing out the candles with all the kids (From Left to Right: Jet, Angelina, Todai Ai, Brandon, Keo)

-Todai Ai

Re: Dragon Tattoo Video

Questions:

"Can I ask you where you got your tattoo done? Was it done by a traditional tattoo artist that used ancient techniques to create it or was it done at a regular tattoo shop? Also, why did you decide to have 4 kids? Also, are you children names significant? How did you decide what to name them?

What type of business was your business the coon?"

Answer:

I got my tattoo done at "George Papas Tattoo" http://www.georgepapastattoo.com/
Visit the website to find out more information about George Papas, the owner of the shop who did my tattoo. 

I wanted 4 kids so that each child would know how it felt to have one brother & one sister, I wanted 2 girls & 2 boys, but we ended up getting 3 boys & one girl, & now another boy!

The names are:
Brandon Zen Lee
Jet Zen Lee
Angelina Tao Lee
Keo Zen Lee

The middle names hold tremendous significance in meaning.  The first names were chosen b/c we liked them. Brandon, was chosen as a connection to Bruce, Jet was chosen as a connection to "Jet Li".  Angelina was chosen b/c I liked the way it sounded, with "Angelina Jolie" in mind.  Keo was chosen b/c Jenny had a friend with that name & she liked it, I like it b/c it is unique & different.  The 5th child will be "Ken Zen Lee". 

The Kwoon is the "Martial Arts school."  The business is in Personal Training & Self-Defense.  The family aspect of the kwoon is "Zen Martial Arts." 

RE:Movie Review: "Ted" - Philosia

I haven't seen Ted, but I could tell right off that it was going to be stupid. There are some movies that after you watch it you come away inspired. Have you ever seen the Shawshank Redemption? It was probably one of the greatest movies I've ever seen.

The message I think behind the movie is you can never give up on your dreams, and in a way I think that in a way it is synonymous with the story of America, back in 1776 the world was ruled by the whim of Kings and Queens. Great Britain was the most powerful country on the planet and we chose to defy the king and say "we are free, you have no power over us anymore." And there was a point during the American revolution where it looked like we might lose the war, but we didn't and because of that we are one of the most powerful country's in the world. I think that movie speaks to the American spirit, that's what America is about and I think that was a great message. 

 Another movie that follows that theme is the lord of the ring, I liked this also because of the detail that the director put in to creating a world that seemed so real. You almost got the sense that this was a world that actually existed ten's of thousands of years ago.

Most movies I think that are being put out are garbage right now. I actually prefer watching documentaries, the latest one I have watched is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire

I never heard about it before I saw this documentary, and I found out from watching this show that because of what happened here it led to the formations of unions to stand up for workers rights which led to the creation of the New Deal by Franklin D. Roosevelt which led to social security which made many peoples lives better then before the fire happened.

Just Warming Up

Whether warming up or cooling down, working the trees is always enjoyable. Over the past four or five days, I’ve been hitting them for the first twenty minutes or so of my dawn workout, before stretching and moving on to more serious stuff, just to get the muscles loose and the blood flowing. When starting off this way, I like to dance a bit more than usual, and throw a couple rounds of push-ups and sit-ups etc. in there. So here’s what that all looked like this morning

Our days are getting shorter all the time, and night temperatures dropping. Won’t be more than a month or two here in Alberta before we start seeing snow and ice, and soon after that, the rivers and ponds will be completely frozen over. I’m actually looking forward to the challenges of working out in our winter weather again. I want to play with hitting panels of ice for power generation and further strengthening of the hands, arms, possibly shins (ouch). Ice is something I can easily access or produce here all winter, and it’s not a waste to smash it. I’ve also got a few different kinds of training dummies I’d like to build before the cold comes, for practicing drills when the nights are long

Rank Information Update

Rank Information Update

I have thought long & hard on developing different paths within FMK to accommodate for a larger majority of the public.  There is a delicate balance between informal & formal training & between structure & creativity.  After much reflection, I have discovered a practical way for the kwoon towards this balance. 

Todai’s of FMK are those who choose to participate in practicing Zen Martial Arts.  As a Todai, you have the option of striving towards rank within FMK (meeting my expectations) or creating your own path in the Martial Arts (setting your own goals).  No uniform purchase is required, all uniforms are optional.  Todai’s with unique talents & skills may be asked to participate in FMK promotional videos. 

FMK rank tank tops & badges are designed to identify Todai’s who have reached certain basic rank standards within the kwoon.  The investment towards FMK rank tank tops & badges signify a greater commitment from the Todai towards the kwoon than the Todai who fulfills the rank standards but does not invest towards any FMK apparel or accessories. 

Todai’s who fulfill the basic rank standards within the kwoon may be asked to participate in FMK promotional videos.  Todai’s who invest towards rank badges will have a FMK ranked Todai informational page developed on the FMK website & a YouTube page signifying that they are official & currently ranked within FMK.  Todai’s who invest towards rank badges will be required to retest in the basic fitness standards for their rank every year in order to keep their badges. 

Online Todai’s & Todai’s who relocate to other States & countries can still remain connected to the kwoon via internet & stay current with their rank via video submission.  All badges & FMK rank apparel are expected to be returned if Todai’s decide to discontinue their training with the kwoon.  Monies collected from the badges & rank apparel are not refundable as the monies paid only cover the cost of the items & any excess monies goes towards the time required to create & maintain public rank notifications via the FMK website & FMK YouTube.

Getting Stronger

It was another full day visiting and touring with my parents. Before we headed out this morning, I practiced as usual in our local park, and toward the end stopped by the playground to run through some of the exercises I've been working on there. Definitely making some progress. Today I was able to do three clean pull-overs as compared to just one last week. I can now do twenty dips, rather than the fourteen of a month ago. Same thing with inverted sit-ups, sixteen up from ten. With regular pull-ups, I'm doing about fourteen to sixteen on average. Wish I could still knock out the thirty-two straight I used to do, but I'll get there again. Meantime, I've started doing some of my pull-ups with simultaneous L-raised legs, which I find to be much more difficult, cutting my abilities exactly in half. Still, I bet if I'd tried to do these a month ago, I'd have maybe only been able to get two or three accomplished before my legs fell. Moral of this story... the playground is an excellent place to build strength. It seems to be working for me, anyway

Blue rider

Hey it's me Alex, just changed the profile name though... I had an interesting discovery few days ago, not so much concerning the martial arts directly but I wanted to share this with you...

I was never really interested in art... Especially in paintings. I thought it was stupid, and that ''real men'' do not do that. But by chance I got some information that made me think about it. I heard a story about a russian painter named Wassily Kandinsky and I got intrigued.
Actually the thing that got me thinking was one point in Kandinsky's life when he formed a group called the Blue rider. It was formed after one his paintings was rejected from an exhibition. He teamed up with other fellow artists who shared his views and they started expressing their spiritual beliefs through art. It wasn't a cult or anything, Blue rider group had the idea that together they can achieve much more than as individuals. As I read more about Kandinsky, he seems as a very wise and knowledgeable person, not just a simple painter.

Anyway, it think that something similar needs to be done in the martial arts a swell. In modern society martial arts became so corrupted, and only rare individuals practice the right way. But as individuals we cannot change anything, and as the time goes on many of our fellow martial artist lose faith, and some go on into exploitation called mma, k1 or whatever. But united around an idea... Now that's a different story. That's the main reason why I started posting on this blog. It is not much but it is something. It's a start. It sounds idealistic but isn't martial arts all about fighting for higher ideals? Think about it....

Ancient North American Animal Styles

Oki All… Thought I’d give an update, since I hadn’t in a few days. I’d really like to hear more from other todai, by the way, what you’re working on, progressions and such, even the seemingly minor achievements. Feels a bit awkward posting so frequently here, when few others are doing so, and I hope it’s not getting tedious. But I find reporting in the blog to be a good tool for maintaining momentum and connection, and the dialogs that sometimes come from it as inspirational in ways that aren’t always predictable. Perhaps this is especially a benefit for an online member of the kwoon. I’d probably be less motivated to post if I was working with the Chicago group physically

Anyway… My parents drove up to visit from Oregon a few days ago. Haven’t seen them in over a year, so I took a few days leave from work to spend time with them. Today, we traveled to Nanton, Alberta, which is well-known for its many antique stores. My mom, wife, and daughter went shopping. Meanwhile, I brought my dad and son-in-law out to climb sandstone cliffs in a nearby canyon, and show them some very old pictographs hidden under a couple of the more sheltered outcrops. I wanted to post an image of one of these panels here. What you are seeing in this image are very ancient depictions of Blackfoot warriors. The round bodies are what we call 'ssokowo'taan' (heavy-shields), the pre-horse style shield that went from shoulder to knee and were made from the thickest hide of the buffalo hump. What I want to point out here is that each warrior depicted has a shield design and headdress symbolizing the animal that gave them their fighting power. From right to left there is elk, grizzly, eagle, bison, and rattlesnake. This is not the extent of animal-influence fighting styles that have been known to Blackfoot people, by far. Part of what I am interested in renewing, in my lifetime, and at least with myself (though hopefully influencing others), are martial approaches and techniques learned from local animals. There is an extensive lore about this, which I don’t really have the time at the moment to write in-depth upon here. But I will say that many of the remnants remain still today, in ceremony, song, dance, and medicine. Even some of the core body training is still well-remembered, like running every morning down to the river (even in winter), dunking oneself, then running back up the coulee carrying a heavy rock. It is the martial applications themselves that have been… not really forgotten, but… too long neglected. A lot of the core stuff, I've been told by elders, consists of wrestling techniques. But at this point, I'm not confident that the martial component could be renewed in its old form. The animals are still here though, and I’m certain they could reacquaint me from scratch

19Aug12 Experimentations CLF & Stick

So today's training was all pretty much experimentation. Started the morning taking some of Sifu's CLF set, and playing with ways to mix it up, or blend other techniques into it, etc. Just basically feeling around different transitions and such, and I want to continue doing so, to make sure I don't get stuck in the routine of the set. Later, going toward afternoon, I walked around the pond for a bit to see what was new with the plants and animals. During this visit, I stopped in an area I call the Owl Wood (near a great-horned nest) to practice moving my stick... hmmm, that has a funny sound to it. Anyway, I'm going to approach the stick in the manner of letting the weapon itself teach me, and see where it leads. I've made the video short enough to demonstrate what both of the above approaches are looking like at present, but not so lengthy (hopefully) to discourage viewing. I even included some backyard punch, punch in there for The Doc! HaHa! Enjoy!

By the way, Sifu... I listened to your philosia video on "Being Original" this evening, and I don't think that the direction you're taking FMK is going to hinder your business at all. It might feel a little risky, because it's not what most kwoons promote. But on the other hand, that is what will make it all the more unique and attractive. I don't suspect anyone starts off in martial arts with the intention of mimicking someone else's practice forever. Unfortunately, that's just the typical system they encounter once invested. For you to offer something different - the alphabets of a few existent systems, followed by strong encouragement to become liberated, to be creative, to develop their own - to me that strengthens the appeal of this kwoon immensely. That is what's going to promote modern kung fu

PRACTICE...PRACTICE...PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH....UNTIL THE CORRECT MUSCLES ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE BRAIN'S MOTOR SKILL AREA.

MY FAVORITE STUDENT:



OH YEAH!
ME TOOOO!!!!!!!

It's all just a dance

I've read Ryan's question concerning training, and his dilemma about setting goals. Does it help you or does it box you in? I had pretty much the same problem, as all westerners do, so this is the way I've dealt with it.

It all comes down to one word... Zen.
Stay in the moment. No yesterday, no tomorrow, just now. I don't plan to elaborate the zen doctrine, I'll just give you an example how I put it in works.
Modern society tends to make us robots in a sense that you have to mindlessly follow the instructions it gives you. Basic formula goes something like: go to school then college, get a job, then go after promotion and a bigger paycheck, get your pension and die. Just another rat in a rat race.

My epiphany of some sorts came when I realized that time actually does not exist. It was created by humans who were afraid of the infinity of the universe. If you notice all the different time zones across the globe or how almost every ancient civilization had a different calendar. So giving your training a time limit is pointless.
Like everybody else, I usually had these statements: I'll start on Monday, or on the first day of the upcoming month; by that date I'll be able to do this and that or something like that. It was wrong.
Remember the quote from the Kung fu panda movie? ''Past is history, future is a mystery and today is a gift; that's why it's called present.''

I started training alone without any goals except because I like it and my desire to better myself.
I heard also a great analogy: Imagine you want to build a brick wall. Don't be consumed by the result just concentrate on each brick at the time. Lay each brick as perfectly you can. In the end you will have a perfect wall. It is very difficult for a westerner to understand this because our society forces us to chase for fast and instant results. Every day is a New year's resolution, this moment is all we have and what we can control.

The same goes for training... Let's say you can do 10 push ups. That's it, just do 10. Next day 11 then 12 and so on... If one day you are able to do 150 push ups, does it mean you are finished with you progress? Of course not. It is all about the journey not destination. Sure you should keep track of your improvement, but do not be bound by it.

Just  like dancing, move for the sake of moving. You are not going anywhere, just enjoying yourself. You don't ''have to'' do anything.

Alan Watts is a big inspiration for me, you might name him my spiritual guide. This is a short you tube clip of  him explaining it all.
Hope it helps!

Question concerning Training for Martial Arts

 Hello,

my name is Marcel. I live in Germany and have recently started to learn Wing Chun in a martial art school. I wrote Sifu Lee an E-mail with the following question/request:

"I am looking for a guide line to train my body in order to get more out of my martial art training but most importantly maintain a good health and flexibility. My teacher recommended the following books to me: Infinite Intensity and Never Gymless on the following website: http://www.rosstraining.com/products.html However these books are not available in Germany and as I am a student the costs to ship them overseas exceed my budget.

Before I started learning Martial Arts I exercised in a gym according to bodybuilding procedures (I was instru cted in the gym), but I feel that the results are not salutary, neither for a martial art nor for the body. I wanted to know if you happen to be familiar with these books or if you have other suggestions on low tech martial arts training. I just wanted to hear another teacher's recommendation in order to gain a broader perspective on this matter. I believe one can always learn from one another, no matter which style one is practicing.

It would be very kind of you if you could reply to my question."


Firstly I want to thank Sifu Lee for inviting me to this blog. I also would like to invite everyone who reads this post to recommend guide lines for a  low-tech workout for martial arts. Thank you in advance!

I would like to close my post with a quote from Aristotle which I always keep in mind when I train and during all my activites: "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

Question On Goals

Sifu, I listened to your response/ dialog video entitled ‘Imitation' last night. I thought I would just write a brief note here in the blog, something that can be quickly read to let you know that I wholeheartedly agree with many of the points you've raised, including especially the importance of being rather than following, and your reluctance to push knowledge on people who have not requested it. 

After listening carefully, it seems to me that the kwoon is currently functioning in at least two key services... First, as you conclude in your video, it is providing some todai with an introduction to martial arts, starting them on the path. Secondarily, as in your university analogy, it is drawing together people who share certain positive energies, some of whom may have been exploring the path for a while now, and who can potentially benefit in mutual ways from engaging with one another in this environment.

Although these two services are not in any drastic sense exclusive, I believe they could in some manner be synergized to greater benefit to both society and the kwoon (including of course its business aspect). This untapped potentiality, at least in my mind at the moment, seems to reside in the geographic distribution of the todai. There will be more and more todai joining from different locations around the globe, and often training (like myself) in isolation. If these people can be groomed as both artists/ creators in their own rights, and yet to a standard of body-mind-spirit development appropriate to represent this kwoon, why not take advantage of our geographic distribution to reach far more people? I offer one example of how this might be done in my video, on the last slide. But I'm sure it could be done in many other ways as well. That's my main feedback.

Now... I want to ask you a question, on a totally different topic. Yesterday, I began setting some goals for the winter to come. Today, my inner voice started asking me, "Why are you setting goals? Why do you need them? Why don't you just train every day in what you want to do that day, and quit trying to box yourself in? You know that scheduling is not the way... Stick to response"

What are your thoughts on shouldering such projects? At what point to goals define your limitations?

Congratulations to Sidai Ping!

Congratulations to Sidai Ping for being promoted to the red rank. 

Confessions of a mma fighter

Hello everyone,
                       my name is Alex and I come from Serbia, a small country in Europe. English is not my first language so I apologize for my grammar mistakes. Firstly I would like to thank sifu Lee for this opportunity to express my stance on martial arts. I've been watching his FMK videos for a while now and decided to send him an email to encourage his good work. Recently I've received an invitation from sifu Lee to contribute to this blog, so I grabbed this chance. My belief is that people who practice and encourage real martial arts should unite in some way and this blog is a great thing to do so.

I started doing martial arts in a mma gym. At first, it was unbelievable. The techniques, strength I gained, confidence... It was mind blowing. Especially because I grew up without a father and this gave me the necessary discipline and toughness that I was deprived of. As the time went on, I started noticing things.
I don't want to sound arrogant or anything but I was pretty good, so the pressure came for me to start fighting as a professional. I never really wanted that. My goal was, and still is, to train and improve just because I enjoy it. Nothing more , nothing less. Because I was young and pretty impressionable, I accepted the idea but always postponed it, I'm still at law school so the exams were my usual excuse. Guess on the subconscious level I never wanted to fight so college came as a good shield for me. I fought at amateur level and that was enough for me. As I said, then I started noticing things...

MMA is advertised throughout the world as a next step in the evolution in the martial arts. And that two blockheads that are bashing their heads in the cage are the new samurai or spartan warriors. The fact is mma is all about destruction. There is no soul, no philosophy behind it, no humanity whatsoever. If you look back, the first UFC was just a marketing ploy of the Gracie family to promote their art. Later it was bought by the Zuffa, company owned by italian-american businessmen from Las Vegas. Now they are expanding as huge corporation, promoting violence all around the world. And they are getting bigger everyday...

As far as my experience goes, I began to realize what was going on. Only the aggressive ones, the violent ones, men that have destructive intentions ''improve'', and go on to fight as circus freaks. I hated that. Being a mma fighter makes you nothing more than a gladiator, fighting and hurting another human being only to please a roaring crowd. Gladiators, if you recall, were slaves. Men forced to participate in bloody festivals, deprived of their freedom. And modern sport fighters are just that... Slaves, but they just think they're free...
Expansion of mma is a part of agenda to manipulate the masses, same as ancient Romans did. I didn't want to be part of that. I quit...
Then I started going from gym to gym trying to find a teacher that will help me on my martial way. But with no results. I thought that I was crazy, like that my way of martial arts is wrong and all the others were right with their perversion of martial arts.
One day I saw a documentary about Radomir Kovacevic, my countrymen, on youtube. It was so inspired that I planned to go to US so I could train with him.
Sadly, Radomir had died few years prior, and yet again I felt alone and depression started taking over me.
Then I saw FMK videos. At first, coming from mma background, I was a bit skeptic. But as the time went by I soon came to a conclusion that sifu Lee and I share the same views on martial arts. Now his videos serve as an inspiration for me on my martial arts journey. I train alone now. No teacher, just me going to martial art schools absorbing as much knowledge as I can.

So here I am... Sharing my thoughts, views philosophy... Just expressing myself.
I hope that we will find a way for the true martial artists spread across the globe to unite. And together we could better ourselves, each other, and make our own contribution in making the world a better place.
This blog is a good place to start. Thank you sifu Lee for this chance.
P.S.

Check out documentary about Radomir Kovacevic, it's a must see...

One Clean Pullover

For the last couple Thursdays, I’ve had the opportunity to go all out with my training… working in the park during the morning, moving into the coulees for the afternoon, then heading to the dojo for the evening. Not so today. I have meetings in the afternoon, so am forced to cut the coulees out of my routine, though I’ll probably make up for it on the weekend

Anyway… our nights are getting longer and colder in Alberta. Woke up to a decent chill this morning. We’re entering into the second to last lunar cycle of our summer season, and I’m very conscious of the approaching winter. There are some things I’d like to accomplish over that cold seven moons. This morning I started taking some baseline measurements to assess where I’m at with several physical abilities, so I could set some goals to achieve over the winter. So far, this is what I have in mind:

Quit Smoking Cigarettes (a no-brainer)

Be Able To Do A Set Of Ten, Clean One-Legged Squats On Alternate Legs While Holding A Front Kick

Be Able To Throw A Side Kick Slowly And Cleanly Above The Ninety-Degree Angle And Hold It There For Thirty Seconds

Make Serious Progress On The Splits

Be Able To Do A Set Of Ten, Clean Pull-Overs

Be Able To Perform The Human Flag

Create At Least One Excellent Playground Workout Routine Of Between Forty Minutes To An Hour That Includes A Harmonious Weave Of Stretching And Muscle Work, And Perhaps One Or Two Amazing Feats

Create At Least One Excellent Standing Zen Fitness Routine Of Between Forty Minutes To An Hour That Includes A Harmonious Weave Of Stretching And Muscle Work, And Perhaps One Or Two Amazing Feats

Create A Bo/Jo/Cudgel/Cane (i.e. Long Stick) Form