Beware of the Dream Killers

I recently sat down to catch up with a long time mentor and friend of mine, who asked about some of the things I've been working on. Particularly, he asked about my dojo, and about my plans to expand it by growing our membership and moving into a larger, more expensive training space.

My friend was sincerely curious; He has always given me sound advice. I rely on him because I know he's always got my best interests in mind. But during our conversation, I got the uncomfortable sense that he was hoping that I'd back off just a bit from my ambitious goals. He didn't say these words, but during our conversation I could hear, "Come on, man. Be reasonable. The risk is big, the payoff uncertain, and you've got your career and family to think about... Why don't you just play it safe?"

My dear friend, I hear you. Thank you for your genuine concerns.

My dear friend, I hear you. I promise that I won't do anything (too) rash. I'll develop reasonable plans and strategies as I move forward. I'll be careful, but I can't play it safe. I know there are no guarantees. But I also know that this is something I have to do. It's a calling. I don't expect you to understand.

Move forward I will. Becuase to not move forward would be to deny my own heart. To not move forward would crush my spirit. (Just imagine asking DaVinci not to create!)

My dear friend, I hear you. But I'm listening to my heart today, and not (entirely) to you. Today, I'm playing "all out."

So please, I ask, with all the love I can muster: Get behind me, or get out of the way.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words...

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how much is ACTION worth?


Out of the Dojo from Speaking of Faith on Vimeo.

I believe that the martial arts have the power to transform us.

This particular video really resonates with me — it's from Mr. Tom Callos, my mentor and UBBT coach. Like Tom, I believe that the martial arts are more than just knife hand chops. (Don't they need to be?)

But, as I said in my last post, this is only true if we make it so through our words, thinking, and acting. The martial arts have the power to transform us, but only if we're actively — and constantly — looking for the "other" lessons in every class, every repetition, every kata, every bow, every injury, and every sparring match.

And I'll go even further here: if we don't FIND the powerful life lessons inherent in our martial arts training, then might we dare have the courage to CREATE new, original, and meaningful lessons and experiences by taking the essence of our martial arts training and applying it in our daily lives?

Wow, if we could do that, then we really would be "martial ARTISTS," wouldn't we? That's what I think Sensei Richard Kim meant when he talked about becoming an "Artist of Life."

This is becoming the focus of my martial arts training and — for whatever it may be worth — my martial arts teaching, too.