wake up , find (y)our gem(s)! ... :: ask xl -- select focus ... cycle
... what is the value of yoga and martial arts in modern society? ... we live in a complex world,
where we need to work for our identity, use our imagination to deal with questions and challenges.
with serious games as my background, I look at yoga and martial arts as a transformative experience,
to develop physical and moral strength, and to some extent a liberation of our natural limitations,
and the demands of our environments, including conflict(s) with our family, children and the crowd(s)!
shorinji kempo is a martial art with a long history, suitable for all ages. It distinguishes itself from other martial arts in its emphasis on practicing together and its method of training mind and body.
19/5/2024: Yesterday, I made another post of one of my drawings on the Jordaan dojo facebook page. It took some time to be approved, but OK, that can happen. To my surprise he did not react,, whereas he usually expresses at least a like, and more often even a 'love it' red. heart tag. And, yes, I feel disappointed by such lack of attention. Surprising, is he annoyed or is there something else? OK, we are a bit competitive, but that should not be a reason to ignore me. After all, sharing a history of travel and both being considered to some extent to be dharma bums, we did -- agree to disagree -- to give form to our complementary support of the dojo. Well, we will see. If it so occurs, I will just drop kempo, and continue on my own way, however long it lasts! But, as became clear, it was just another instance of the stress of a busy life, and in anticipation of the coming celebration of the fifth year existence of the dojo, we stick to our motto: we create the dojo together, which includes an invitation to the (potential) kenshi, and, in my opinion, the best way to deal with a variety of life issues is by turning the phrase "you only fight with your friends" into a reality, and see shorinji kempo as a gift, or a tool, that is find your balance, and ... go kempo!
19/5/2024: After a former kenshi's post on facebook, the kempo Amsterdam page, about his back issues, years of being unable to move, a surgery with replacement of the bottom spinal discs I even became a bit worried about the state of my own spinal discs, in relation to the pain in my legs. My comment on his post was, a life journey, inspiring, ganbatte. I hope, however, that it will not become my own life journey. Well, whatever happens, the only reasonable advice would be, go with the flow, and take it as a therapy, in other words, don´t be stupid ... go kempo!
5/6/2024: ... about politics, monday evening, in zaal 100, the meeting with the kempo guys, which went surprisingly well, resulting in clarification of future directions, with an authorative guy, a smart guy, with a stern look on his face, both into formalizing their concerns in a worried, slightly authorative manner, meshed by a somewhat forced smile, and another one, easily annoyed, and of course the one who is shrugging his shoulders, and an expression of what do I know on his face. When I left I was called a nerd, which I took as a compliment, indicating that I payed attention to details, In effect, I remained as neutral as possible, and with some distance observed the interactions between them. However, I still felt involved, if only for the long time we have been training together and the (significant) role kempo played in my life and personal development!
After visiting Japan, for my third dan exam, where I got the assignment, as I felt it, to help guard the future of Shorinji Kempo in Amsterdam, I felt the moral responsibility to contribute to the existence of Shorinji Kempo, even after our sensei retired, and contribute to the new, more democratic and modern style, when the guys took over. At the meeting I also made a personal statement, that, with regard to my current condition and problems with my vision, I stay on the side, but wish to be involved, however with less active participation, an and as I now practice, more focus on advice and acting as a (martial) teaching guide, by explaining technical issues and correcting posture and technique. I emphasized the existential value of kempo, and the importance of supporting the individual needs of the kenshi, and their personal concerns. which for me was the primary motivation to practice kempo. Also, now that we are somehow entering a new stage of our life together, as the children grow older and more independent, the moral core of martial arts become perhaps even more important, as a way of life, and for me, not the least important, as a means to participate in a community, active to the extent my condition allows for it, but also providing focus for attention on issues of life, physical and mental development, balance, and again, a motivation for disciplined practice, as a way to guide my process of aging, and to deal with the various problems and dilemmas of life, the chaos, the institutional issues related to finance, schools and work, and the need to keep control over the resources that support our, in general, modest life. Remember, no pain no gain., and, with children, and a busy agenda, I can only say one thing, life goes on! So, anyway, take a rest and, what to do, stay at home and read a book in the corner, go out and take a walk outdoor, or rather, indeed ... go kempo!
6/9/2024: Yesterday, nobody showed up for training, so we skipped training, and instead had a ceremonial tea, and a long talk, about travelling, discipline, and, of course, kempo, how to stimulate the actual presence of people at the training sessions, that is discipline, promote trust, and how to avoid conflicts due to transgression and escalation of personal issues, either due to lack of control, direct contact or events of the past. I felt a bit like talking my way out of it, but perhaps I should accept that, as my personal strategy. At least I can talk the walk. even when, due do an aging body, now 72, and problems with my eye vision, not always being able to ..., well, anyway, I still go for it, indeed, my choice, play the game ... go kempo!
12/10/2024: ... on facebook, I wrote: warrior performance :: what do you know.eliens.net about skin therapy? ... don't ask me, ... whatever way I talk about it, these are just words, .... it is not magic, don't fall in a stupid trap, but listen to the expert, and wait -- please -- I observe, no, I do not judge, face it, life is a game of chance, so go for it, and why not, indeed ... go kempo!
13/10/2024: ... today I plan to write on facebook: fighter experience -- attack force -- life is not a joke, stand-up for your right, face reality, and fight violence if needed, in practice, however, in my opinion, or vision, the key is to connect, whether you like it or not, develop the attitude, wait, search your memory, observe, listen, smile, speak free, and take the challenge to join the party, take it as an adventure, including school, children, work, money, the modern context, and the stress of public city life, use your voice and make some noise, sing your song and find the flame that allows you to play the game, to learn the skill to drop your rage, empty your (busy) mind, have a rest and some sleep, create a plan, a habit of motion, leave your cage, exit the cave, your favorite corner in the house, and travel, go outdoor, hit the road, look at the space, listen, scratch your face, take a walk, follow the crowd, and talk, experiment, scribble a word, draw an image or write a poem, use paper or a tool, a pencil or a pen and a bit of zen to set yourself the goal, at the level of your age, to train, do exercise, improve posture and balance, get some action, guard the pain, and gain the benefits for your brain, remember, energy is a gift, just think of any scenario or image that comes to mind, it is education for life, with as a reward a sense of self value, relax body and mind, the origin of your soul, monitor and count your points, but -- please -- my advice, if I make sense, keep control and act in a slow fashion, because if you ask me why, well, you know,, don't be smart, you must go with the flow, and remember, in my opinion, twinkle, smile, indeed, why not... go kempo!
18/11/2024: Finally, my cycle project is finished. Finished in the sense that the major amount of work, re-cycling all the recorded material, so to speak has been done. Finally, I can again sit down on my corner, and read and write at leisure. All the work had a price though, in the sense that my posture of sitting behind the screen has caused me pain in the legs and an overall stiff body. My wife is now treating me for this with her acupuncture and acupressure techniques that she learned in her TCM study, which will be completed by the end of the year. Already how she is looking for opportunities for her therapeutic practice, and busy with creating her brand. For me, now writing on my new tablet, ait is time to think how to spent my time, take up my exercise again, and draw, write and scribble on my new gadget, indeed remarkable, which I must admit I own by being seduced by clever advertisement, But such creative activities have an important role, in my opinion, simply to deal with important issues in life, and to cope with the life style problems that may be a consequence of such activities, and build up resistance, there is, as I have indicated in other situations, a simple answer ... go kempo!
James H. Austin -- Zen-Brain Horizons: Toward a Living Zen (amazon)
Stuart Brown -- Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul (amazon)
Katy Butler -- Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death (amazon)
Paulo Coelho -- The Alchemist (amazon)
Joe Dispenza -- Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon (amazon)
Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga -- The Courage To Be Disliked (amazon)
Peter Matthiessen -- The Snow Leopard (amazon)
Rory Miller -- Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence (amazon) [R/blog]
George Santayana -- The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress (amazon)
Katsuki Sekida -- Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy (amazon)
Sam Sheridan -- The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game (amazon)
Jwing-Ming Yang -- The Root of Chinese Qigong: Secrets of Health, Longevity & Enlightenment (amazon)
