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 […]
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
“Don’t seek for a balanced life. Seek for a balanced day. (over and over again).” As we are now a couple weeks into 2022, I have been contemplating meaningful and purposeful areas for improvement. I have decided to strive for more balance across my time & energy allocations and output relative to family, work/career, mental […]
Written by David Brezinski
Happy New Year, everybody. First month of black belt challenge is over, just another 12 more to go. As for my personal goal I decided to go back to university and do some further education. I signed up at the University of Denver to get a certificate in Supply Chain Management. It will take roughly […]
Written by Dirk Herfurth