Little update on my progress. All of the push-ups and sit-ups numbers are doing well. I am on course. Issues so far? My left shoulder joint hurts a little from all the exercise. I counter that with some turmeric/ ginger capsules. The use of turmeric dates back 4000 years in India and made it through […]
War, conflict and the anxiety it causes. As I sit here and write this post, terrible things are happening in Ukraine as Russian forces continue to battle their way into taking control of this country and people who like us, the majority just want to live their lives and be free from tyranny and autocratic […]
Written by David Brezinski
1000 mile journey..some on the slopes Some may wonder what alpine (downhill) skiing may have to do with my black belt training. I think there are many relatable aspects to the experience of skiing; the physical parts, the spiritual parts and the essence of being at some level of risk but seeking to find balance […]
Written by David Brezinski
If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit – Anonymous After 5 rounds of sparring this morning with Dirk-san I feel sore & tired, but also a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I am actively working and progressing on my black-belt objectives. This past week has been an active one (like most weeks); I […]
Written by David Brezinski
Week 9 it is and the world changed. Russia attacked Ukraine in a ruthless act. Europe and the world are seeing the first war between two countries on European soil since the end of World War II. Humanity was pretty close to nuclear extinction in the last 70 years. Our younger generation (myself included) learned […]
Written by Dirk Herfurth
“Lay your plans with true measure and then perform the work according to plan, thus you pass through life. Create your plan, and then work your plan.” (Miyamoto Musashi) This piece of wisdom is from “The book of five rings” from Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest sword master and strategist that ever lived. I tend to […]
Written by Dirk Herfurth
Spring into Action! “Nothing Happens Until You Move!” Hard to believe we are only in mid-February, and yet Spring is very much upon us! I am a bit conflicted as I love snow skiing and the winter months when it rains here in the valley and snows in the mountains, but there is most certainly […]
Written by David Brezinski
We have it pretty good, you know?! We can learn and practice an art in an environment with no repercussions from anyone. We have sensei that do their best to keep us safe and healthy while teaching the art. Well, that was not always like that. A little bit more than 120 years ago karate […]
Written by Dirk Herfurth
Week 6 it is and I have finished my first book – Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams. It’s not a very long book, but it has a lot of depth. Depth and wisdom broken down in short chapters that you can apply not only to your martial arts studies but also to […]
Written by Dirk Herfurth
“Perseverance is Strength.” Japanese Proverb This past week I confronted some feelings of doubt and discouragement after one of our classes where Sensei asked for us black belt candidates to demonstrate Seisan kata and in the later weapons class, Urashi bo kata. These unannounced tests are to be expected but I was simply disappointed with […]
Written by David Brezinski