A long time ago, I ran a half marathon. Now, I am not going to brag and pretend my finishing time was anything even remotely good (I must’ve banished the exact number from my memory).
But something I learned from the training is that something big like that, most can do it: it just takes a little bit of effort everyday, and gradually you build up to doing more. At first, you only run a mile, then couple of miles, and then four the next weekend and then six or eight the following. Eventually, after a few months, you can actually manage all 13.1 miles.
I don’t know if I’ll ever do that again, but I like feeling like I could.
So far, been mostly doing JKD and some Muay Thai, but tried out BJJ tonight. Very physical and close but pretty interesting and tiring. Def going to explore more.
I enjoy martial arts, and I’ve been doing it about four years now. At least once a week, I train (get my ass kicked) with a tough team of right-leaning guys (led by a tough as nails ex-marine who doesn’t spare you physical punishment) to learn about Thai Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Silat and some Jiu Jitsu (less emphasis). I don’t pretend to be an expert, but the physical demands of the training feel good, and they push me. Not to mention I appreciate Jeet Kune Do as a physical art form.
Using as his basis Wing Chun, a traditional Chinese martial art that was formulated in part on the dangerous streets and in the tight spaces of Hong Kong, and having studied under Ip Man (from the film series, played by Donnie Yen), Bruce Lee synthesized this art with martial art forms he found in the States to create Jeet Kune Do. And while Jeet Kune Do is not merely a martial art form – as Bruce Lee saw it more as a philosophy of creating one’s own way that worked for one self – its energetic-economical nature (economy of motion, minimizing energy used, maximizing attack output) interests me; not to mention, the creative way in which it adapts to the movements of bodies, both attacking and defending simultaneously. JKD realizes itself most fully not just in the ring but in any space, using simple but precisely-honed movements to channel energy, respond to attacks and use the attackers’ actions and energy against them.
Even if I come home bruised and sore, the training is worth it, and I almost always look forward to it the next week.
Bearer of Pity 