living defensively

not to say that you always expect the worst from every person and situation.
but that you understand the probable risks involved in certain places and activities.

IF all of us are to go about our dailies with little effect, good but especially bad, on others,
then there will be little conflict, and most of us will get home without issue or story.
things are seldom so uncomplicated. we are all vulnerable to emotions.
and our social environment tells us how we ought to manage our emotions.
and our social environment does not always provide the best guidance.

so while i won't say it is impossible to live with zero impact on anything,
(and even if that were possible who knows if it would be good for anybody),
even if you were to do the best you could on any given day,
that doesn't mean everyone else will also.

now. WHEN another person you encounter on your dailies for some reason takes issue.
(because it will happen. and you may or may not respond according to social powers.)
HOW you respond is what dictates whether you or they or both of you get home without issue.

if you can keep your head, refuse to engage, and have a usable exit; that is a sound tactic.
if you can keep your head, engage with level words, and have a usable exit; also sound.
IF you perceive their intent to use force, or force has ALREADY been applied;
the game has or will become physical and you need to move away from or into the center.

none of this matters if your head is not kept and you succumb to emotional social violence.
responding by yelling, responding by moving towards the party with issue, NOT LEAVING, etc.
in the context of when law enforcement arrives and someone is hurt and there are witnesses,
you are either "one of the fighters", "the party who was attacked", or "the party who attacked".
who do you think has the best shot at not being handcuffed?

well, if these considerations haven't crossed your mind before, sit and digest that for a bit.

next post will discuss articulating how what you did in this DEFENSIVE situation
was not only necessary, but was also your only option.

from a plane

curved, a photo by mo yun on Flickr.

on my way back from california, i think.

from a park in the east bay

serene with layers, a photo by mo yun on Flickr.

bike stuff: blinky lights

like all bike parts and accessories,
even blinky lights can be a very preferential purchase and possession.
some people want really bright, really secure,
others want small and removeable.
some people prefer steady on all the time,
others like the blinking and patterned strobes.

there was a time when no one i knew cared for blinky lights.
no one owned them. we didn't even consider them. and we rode mostly at night!
then again we were living and riding in new york city.
there really aren't that many places here without streetlamps.

anyways when i finally purchased my first set,
they were a pair of knog frogs. i think that's what they were called.

tiny little led's housed in a silicone pod with a loop to mount.
i thought they were just fine. until i saw a friend use them,
and realized that they were about as bright as a wristwatch light.
and when they died you had to buy these not-cheap watch batteries.
that didn't last very long either. or stay on very securely.
it wasn't a great solution.

i ended up picking up a big ole cateye front torch,
(this is the newer version of what i have)

and a lamp of a rear light by planet bike.

which were and are both extremely bright and effective lights.
they last long, endure poor weather and rough terrain,
and can be used with rechargeable batteries.
they're just a teeny bit large, and the superflash requires a bolt-on mount,
while the my old cateye has a slip-through strap that can be finicky.
i also didn't always require this kind of firepower.

so one day i came across these bike guy lights.
distributed in the US by mashsf.

these lights are super.
super light, super bright, super easy to mount and remove,
and super easy to recharge via mini usb cable.
the rear light has 4 cool blink patterns.
plus they look snazzy and neat.
so unless i need a lot of lumens for night trail riding,
these are my go-to.

for urban cyclists that want small, bright, and easy to move lights,
i highly recommend these.

almost may?? quick update.

march simply disappeared.
it was the philippines trip.
and then april went by fast,
because most of it was spent healing from march.
long story short i got a gut infection that was a doozy.
it's been a slow journey to get back to %100,
but i'm nearly there despite my impatience.
the worst part is having to slow down my walking.

at least i can teach all my weekly classes again.
even if i can't train 50 hour weeks like we did in march.
but i take what i can get.

same goes for getting on the bike.
rode my mtbmx bike today.
rode my cross bike yesterday.
rode my track bike the day before that.
all rides shorter than 10 miles.
"junk" miles are better than no miles.
but i'll have to step it up if i want to race cross this year..

anyways, again this is just personal stuff.

i'm not in a place where i can compose a cohesive "body of work"
about martial arts wisdom and fighting tactics
or amazing bike adventures that i'm currently not having
for a seldom-updated, randomly-visited blog.

not that anyone is asking for that.

still.
there are reasons for stories, right?
so what should i want my stories to do for people?
maybe to provide people with some kind of inspiration?

i mean, my life isn't all that difficult.
and i know that some of the things i do keep me very happy.
i do want to be sharing that happiness, either directly,
or through encouragement to do those things that create happiness.
does that make sense?

i've introduced many people to martial arts, and to cycling.
maybe that's what my story is all about.
sharing those passions.

hmm. yea ok.

it's official

so, i never got around to part two of that style post.
which i wish i could have, because i don't want part one to affect how you read this post.

so before i tell you what is official,
i will tell you that you need to move with what you believe in.
and what you believe in has to have real value and substance.
deciding what has real value and substance is the tough part.
you have to truly understand why you give things merit.
you cannot just accept what anyone says as a truth.
if possible, research and prove it to yourself.

i think that's enough of a preface.

so i just got back from the philippines last weekend.
i spent two weeks (one on the beach in batangas, the other in metro manila)
training my arms off and trying not to sweat to death.
it was an amazing time in amazing company at amazing places.
i came away with a bunch of great experiences,
and a ranking in the system of first level instructor.
so it's official! i'm an official representative.
of a system that i believe in.
that has value and substance.
that i have been teaching and will continue to teach.
that i have been training in and will continue to train in.
it's a lifelong journey and this is just a milestone.
i'm moving forward.

oh if i haven't shared it with you yet,
let me know and i will.

the power of style. part one.

it is easy to be so enamored by a style,
that the style is the only thing you can, or want, to see.
and why not? beauty exists for us to fixate on.
all great works of life and nature are,
in the context of all noteworthy human experience,
amazing and special and deserve that recognition.

in terms of human-made art it can be easy to appreciate all kinds.
but infatuation, love, and commitment are stronger feelings;
these feelings are less likely to be shared across the field.
this is because these emotions require a better understanding,
a true and deep knowledge, of what they shall elevate on their shoulders.
you see this in every field of every kind of study: the specialists.
they have discovered in their study that very specific passion..

once a disciple is converted, they become their obsession.
they delve into that quest for knowledge and understanding.
they become representatives and advocates for the style and its virtues.
they become experts in knowledge.
hopefully they become experts in application.

all for a style.
all within context.

to be continued..