BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS

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AS MY TEACHER PETER URBAN ALWAYS SAYS, “WORK ENDS IN THE GRAVE.”

WHEN I SAY MY TEACHER, I AM USUALLY REFERRING TO SENSEI PETER URBAN, AS I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HIM AND WE SPENT MANY, HOURS, DAYS, MONTHS AND YEARS TOGETHER IN TH DOJO AND OUTSIDE OF IT. I WAS ALSO ONE OF HIS TOP STUDENTS, CLOSEST CONFIDANT, TRUSTED AID, PERSONAL BODYGUARD AND LIVE IN STUDENT, AMONG OTHERS. 

HOWEVER, SENSEI URBAN WAS NOT MY ONLY GREAT TEACHER. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE MANY UNBELIEVABLE MENTORS AND PROFESSORS TO HELP SHOW ME THE WAY.  ALL OF THESE EXEMPLARY EXAMPLES OF HUMAN BEINGS ALSO  IMPARTED GREAT WISDOM & KNOWLEDGE AS WELL AS TALES OF THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEY ALSO INFLUENCED MY THOUGHTS AND MY ACTIONS AS WELL.

SENSEI PETER URBAN AND SENSEI “EDWARD VERYCKEN” HOWEVER WERE TWO OF MY GREATEST INFLUENCES, AS I WAS IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO HAVE BEEN GO BETWEEN FOR BOTH AND UCHI-DESHI (LIVE IN  STUDENT APPRENTICE) TO BOTH OF THEM FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, MANY YEARS, UPON YEARS.

THE DOJO IS A PLACE TO CONQUER ONE'S FEAR, TO LEARN TO BE ONESELF AND THEN AS BRUCE LEE SAID. "TO EXPRESS ONESELF HONESTLY."

AT THE DOJO, "WORK" IS THE "NAME OF THE GAME," AND THE "PRIMARY OBJECTIVE." 

DISCIPLINE, CONFIDENCE, STRATEGY, COURAGE, LOYALTY, RESPECT, HONOR, AND MANY MORE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES WERE PAR FOR THE COURSE AND THINGS ONE WOULD RESOLVE TO WORK ON FOR LIFE. THIS ONLY FOR THOSE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO STICK IT OUT FOR ANY SERIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME. THOSE WHO COULD NOT ACCEPT THEY HEAVY LOAD WERE ALLOWED TO BOW OUT OF THE "GAME" (PRACTICE).

IN THE DOJO, YOU LEARN TO HIT AND TO GET HIT. HOW TO GET HURT AND SHRUG IT OFF AND THEN HOW TO KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT. THEN WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, ONE MUST LEARN AND PRACTICE HEALING YOURSELF AND/OR THOSE AROUND THEM INJURED. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY I GAVE 25 YEARS OF MY LIFE TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AS A VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTOR IN FIRST AID, CPR & AED.

THE "PRIMARY GOAL," IS FIRST TO LEARN, THEN TO PRACTICE WHAT ONE LEARNS.

“SECONDARY GOAL,” IS TO EVOLVE INTO A GREATER, MORE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING AND TO DEVELOP INTO A HIGHER STATE OF BEING AND TO SURVIVE NOT ONLY WITHOUT HURTING OTHERS, BUT ALSO BY HELPING THOSE WHO COME ACROSS YOUR PATH.

“THIRD GOAL,” IS TO BE IN HARMONY, TO BECOME ONE THE SELF AND THEREFORE BECOME ONE WITH ALL: IN MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT

AND DON’T FORGET THERE IS ALWAYS A GREAT DEAL OF "BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS" AND LOTS OF PAIN TO GO AROUND IN MANY FORMS AND DEGREES. THE TRAINING LIKE MILITARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT FOR THE WEEK AT HEART

THIS PERIOD OF TIME WHERE ONE IS LEARNING AND TRAINING IS WHERE MOST STUDENTS GET THEIR BATTLE SCARS, THEIR EXPERIENCE AND MEMORIES AND DON’T FORGET BRAGGING RIGHTS. 

JUST TRY TO AVOID THE MOST SERIOUS INJURIES, WHICH IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR ARE THE LONG-TERM INJURIES THAT START SHOWING UP IN YOUR MID 40’S, MAKE THE SPOTLIGHT AND INTENSIFY IN THE 50’S AND BEGIN A SERIES OF EXCRUCIATING, CONSTANT, IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE WHEN YOUR YOUNG, CRIPPLING EPISODES OF PAIN THAT  DRIVE YOU CRAZY WHEN YOUR IN YOUR 60’S, 70'S, 80'S, 90'S,  AND STAY WITH YOU UNTIL THE END.

MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE GOOD INSURANCE AND TRY TO MINIMIZE THE HARD INJURIES IN YOUR YOUTH. 

THIS HOWEVER DOESN’T REALLY WORKOUT TO WELL WHEN YOU BEGIN AT 7 YEARS OLD AND MAKE A CAREER OUT OF SOMETHING LIKE MARTIAL ART SCIENCE.

I MUST ADMIT I NEVER HAD A MAJOR INJURY OF ANY KIND IN ANYTHING I'VE DONE EITHER MILITARY, MARTIAL ART SCIENCE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT. HOWEVER, YOU DO WARE-OUT THE BODY FASTER THAN THE MIND AND CERTAINLY FASTER THEN THE SPIRIT. I HAVE ACCUMULATED A MULTITUDE OF SMALL INJURIES FROM MY TRAINING AND PROFESSIONS OVER THE PAST 55 YEARS OF PRACTICE, BATTLE, ETC. 

 AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF CONSTANT PRACTICE TO BE THE BEST THAT I COULD BE, I HAVE JUST WORN DOWN AND WORN OUT MY BODY FROM MY YOUTH WITHOUT REALIZING OR UNDERSTANDING THE LONG TERM EFFECT OF MY KIND OF TRAINING AND FIGHTING. THIS OVER AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG CAREER IN MARTIAL ART SCIENCE, WHICH INCLUDES MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY INDUSTRY.

BEWARE, “THIS SIDE EFFECT OF TRAINING,' IS THE ONLY REAL DOWNSIDE WORTH MENTIONING THAT I HAVE EVER KNOWN OR EXPERIENCED IN MY FIELD AND CHOSEN PROFESSION.