Five Traits of a Martial Artist: Honesty and Integrity

When I was a child I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle. I loved the show and still have my action figures. I saw all the movies in the theater, had all the TV show on VHS tapes. I wanted to be Donetello, he was smart, he created things that were just awesome to use, and he used a bo which I thought was a great weapon. (As I write that, it really dates me and to think some kids won't even know what a VHS tape is.) So when I became old enough, my mom got me karate lessons for Christmas, which is still one of the best presents I have ever received. Right after Christmas I started.

I quickly went up in the ranks, partly because me being the curious boy I still am, wanted to know exactly how the things worked. Soon I found myself wanting to be any kind of Ninja. I was physically good at it and made myself technically good as well. I went as far as my first degree black belt before I began to tire of it. Now I no longer go, but there is a large part of me that would not be me if it were not for the teachers, students, and the overall discipline of martial arts. I am very much still, in my heart, a Ninja and a martial artist. (Just out of shape. Retired if you will.)

Among the techniques and kata that we learned, we were also taught how to be a better person. One of the things that stuck with me all my life are five traits of a martial artist. Honest, Integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. Little did I know, what I was learning in karate, was also preparing me to be a better Christian in life.

Honesty has always been rather easy for me. I would blame it on my mom for making me be an honest person. She told us from a young age, that we should tell the truth, lying will only make it worse. Our punishments were always less if we admitted what we did that when we lied and tried to cover it up. The same was also true in the karate world.

Many moons ago, at a national weekend held by my karate school, I was in a hotel and was playing a practical joke on someone. I’m not normally a practical joker but I do them sometimes. Some of those times they are great, while others are not. This is a case of the not.

At the time, I was a blue belt in karate. I was getting ready for my purple belt test the following week. I don’t really remember, or if I ever knew, what belt the other kid was. I was playing a joke on one of my friends, Eric McMillan. He was a brown belt at the time I think. He might have been a purple belt but over the years certain details have turned rather gray. We were pretty good friends. We played video games together on occasions and went to the same school, though he was a grade above me.

Two other kids and I decided to pick a girl in the room, and give her a letter telling her how much Eric liked her. It wasn't true to my knowledge. We looked out over the room for a few minutes when we found someone that would do very nicely. Her name was Rebecca. She was very beautiful. She had long red hair, and long I mean it was down to the top of her posterior or close to it. She was wearing a black dress that showed her rather fine figure. I know I thought she was good looking.

We watched for a bit after we had the letter written. We saw she had her things under a chair on the side of the room. While she was out dancing on the floor, we left the letter under her chair. Some how, I still don’t know how, a kid, who, by some crazy random happenstance, was also named Eric found out about it. He thought it was about him. Being that he was from the same school as she was, I don’t think he liked the idea of people writing things about him to someone.

After the note was placed, my friends and I went laughing to my room. Little did I know, Eric from Michigan somehow found where my room was. We spent a bit of time in there laughing and joking about what we did. And talked about what young kids in karate talk about. Truthfully, I couldn’t even tell you a single thing we talked about. That part of the night seemed to blur.

We finished our talks and decided to go back down to the banquet hall. I walked out of my room, and looked around. The hall was clear. We turned toward the elevator when I heard the stairs door close behind me. I looked back and saw Eric from Michigan running toward me. He might have yelled something or might of just ran silently, I’m not sure. As he neared us, I threw a sidekick and hit him in the hip. It turned him around and giving me a chance to grab him. I put him in a choke hold and told him something along the lines of “Don’t mess with me.”

I pushed him off me and we stood there for a few seconds, which felt a lot longer at the time, just looking at each other. He then turned and I watched as he walked back toward the stairs. I was shaken up a bit, I could feel the adrenaline running through my veins. We went into my room and sat there till I calmed down.

Fear gripped me then. I knew by then that everyone down stairs would know what just happened. I didn't know what to do. I do not remember what we said, but we soon split up. After awhile I also left the room and walked around the upper floors for a bit before I decided to hide under the stairs. I hid there for a while half crying half worrying what I was going to do and scared to death what my Sensei would do if he found out that I got in a fight at the National Weekend.

After a lot of introspection, I finally got up the courage to face the problem I had created. So the first thing I did was go talk to my mom. She is also in karate with me. I knew she was looking for me. Looking back I’m pretty sure that others were too. She and I went to find our Sensei. Fear had me tightly in its hands as I went up to him and related my half of the story. They understood and told me to talk to the other kid.

I gathered strength and went down to the banquet hall where the party was being held. The karate parties were always long and great. I saw the other kid standing on the opposite side of the room. I swallowed hard and walked over to him with millions of butterflies in my stomach all of which wanted to get out in a bad way. I told him I was sorry. I told him that it was not meant to cause any problems with anyone. I was just trying to play a joke on my friend. At that time, it seemed as if we were the only two in the whole hotel. We talked and he accepted my sincere apology. Done, I turned to leave the room.

It was then, that the girl came up to me and told me she saw what I did. Since I was a very shy person, and I liked her, I felt like my insides were about to push their way out of me and run somewhere I wasn't. She told me that she thought it was a brave thing to do. I said thanks and tried to get out of the room. All I wanted was to go back to my room and hide. I had way too much attention for at least a month that one night. Then she surprised me, she asked me to dance. I was very reluctant to do so. I had a few problems, one, I liked her and thought she was beautiful. Two, I didn't know how to dance, and three I was out on the floor with a attractive girl where other people could see me. This was not a night for my shyness. I mustered up all the courage I could find and I agreed. All I remember was holding her close and dancing.

She was the other part of the joke and somehow the joke seemed to turn around on me. Over all I regret the whole night. C'est la vie or so they say. Sure there were a few good things that happened to me. My first dance that happened to be with a girl I happened to actually like… well actually that’s the only good thing that happened to me.

The next week my Sensei took me into his office and closed the door. We talked about what had happened over the weekend. I like to think that he told me that he was proud that I went back and apologized to Eric from Michigan but I still was wrong on what I did, but I really have no clue anymore. But I do know that as a punishment I was not allowed to test the following weekend for my belt. It meant I had to wait for three more months to get my belt. I was sad that I could not test but it was a good thing.

I learned that no matter what happens, whether good or bad, life goes on. I also learned that one should stand up and not cower. Take responsibility for you actions. Therefore, with that in mind, I try my best at everything. Even if I hurt someone, it’s my responsibility. Even today, I take responsibility for what I do and always strive to be better.

My honesty and integrity were both put to the test this night. I am sure I could have lied my way through all it, maybe even been able to test for my belt when I wanted to, but would I have been a better person for it? No I do not believe so. I do believe that it was my honesty and integrity that made the punishment much more bearable than it could have been. And any faults there were then, have been beaten back some and I am a better person, and such, a better Christian because God lined everything up for me to use this as an example in the future. 

Honesty, integrity, they are steps to becoming the way God designed you. The two compliment each other, enhance each other, and promote a better you. The more you work them, the better they are to you. We will explore a few more steps to becoming a better you through Martial Arts.

Of Human Nature and Preservation

We recently went to the Akron Zoo. Though very different than the Cleveland Zoo, it was a great experience and a wonderful zoo to visit. One thing I really liked about it was the fact that the zoo was very linearly built. Following the path, you will see just about everything the zoo has to offer. If there is a offshoot for something, it usually wrapped around to almost where it started. This is also my only complaint with the zoo. Not a whole lot of reasons to go back multiple times a year since you can see it all on a 4 hour trip through the zoo.

This is opposed to the Cleveland zoo that has a lot more land and is a lot more spread out, if you want to see it all, you almost have to go two days. This does make it a more worthwhile to visit the zoo several times throughout the year. I really feel both Zoos are wonderful to go spend and afternoon with your family, regardless of anyone's age.

Another nice feature of the Akron Zoo, that could totally be worth going several times a week is at random points on the trail, there are workout like activities you can do. From push-ups to step-ups and arm rotations. They are spaced nicely apart that you could walk, visit animals, and stop for a brief moment of workout then keep moving. If I lived near by, I would get a season pass and, with a few friends, go and do the zoo workout challenge couple times a week.

While we were talking and watching the Bald Eagles sitting around, I overheard a woman talking to one of the zoo workers. He told her how these eagles have it made, no competition for food, and are able to live happy and long lives in their care. She then admitted that she once thought zoos were bad for keeping animals locked up in small cages. This is something that is often an argument against zoos. But as he pointed out, Zoos keep animals safe that would otherwise be hunted down to extinction as is the case with the Red Wolves.

Red Wolves are rather small and, in my honest opinion, rather ugly wolves. They used to roam the wilds from Florida to the Virginia's, from the coast to the plains. It was a huge range, but thanks to hunters, trappers, and urban growth, they are now down to a small spot around North Carolina. In the mid 1900's, the Red Wolf was officially considered extinct. Thanks to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in the 70's and 80's, the wolf has made a comeback and now are only considered Critically Endangered. This is the power that zoos have.

This all leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, how cruel and horrible man is that we must hunt and kill things to extinction because we are either afraid of, mislead about, or foolishly feel a need to hunt. I am not saying hunting, trapping is bad in anyway, I rather love deer meat, and think hunting is a great thing if you are actually doing it for food. If you are killing them just because you can, and use nothing of the animal, you are a killer and wasting one of God's critters.

We kill animals to extinction all the time, and countless are dying everyday in the rain forests that we are cutting down for 'progress.' There are ways we can get what we need without the mass destruction of things. This leads me down a path of thought and to the idea of how the nature of mankind  has no good in it, and can be summed up as disastrous. We as humans are evil and destructive, we love misery and suffering. People who say that human nature is good and kind are only fooling themselves and leading weak-minded people off on the wrong path of thinking.

I realize I sound kinda mean here, I am not trying to be mean to anyone but take a look at humans and tell me where in our history is there a nature of goodness? All of our history you have a few years of people working together until greed gets its hooks in and civilization begins to crumble. The rest of it is plagued with wars, murders, and any other destructive selfish desires you can think of.

Yet though we are hateful, evil and selfish people, we have a God who loves us faithfully. While we kill his creation, he wants to give us everything we could ever want, though we try to deny his existence, he wants to shower us with every blessing he can. All we have to do is believe, accept and glorify him. This is the crazy part of the love of God. Despite everything we are, despite our nature, He wants to be with us. It is this reason that He sent his son Jesus to the earth, to become sin so that we could be cleansed of our sin.

Man has shown over and over we do not deserve anything from God, not his love, not his son, we don't even deserve to exist. We constantly kill each other, the animals God made for us, and destroy the world he made for our home. Yet he still loves us. The only thing we do deserve is death, yet God still is willing to give us life.

I recently had to kill a raccoon that was eating our chickens. This was hard for me since he was not doing anything bad. Well, not to him he wasn't. He was being how God created him to be, which was in conflict with how we choose to live. I admit that I felt terrible about it, so I prayed that God would tell the raccoon sorry for me, that it was something that had to be done, and asked God if he would hold that raccoon for me and when I get there, I will play with him.

Killing animals is not a horrible thing in its own right, As I've said before, I love meat as a whole, steaks, burgers, bacon, these are foods I cannot live without, I love the taste, the smell, how they fill me up so very much, but it is how we treat the animals that gave us the food. That is where you can see our cruel and evil nature of man shine its dark light. We abuse and torture these animals. Yet God still loves us. It is so messed up that a perfect and holy God can love someone so evil as us, but he does.

We Christians should be among the first of the people out there fighting for better animal rights, fighting to stop the destruction of our forests and our world. With the very same love that God gives us, we should be giving to the animals and planet. This is our only home, the animals, and the planet are the the very first thing God told us to take care of. His very first command was to us was to rule over the fish, the birds and the animals. Ok, actually it was the second thing he told us to do, first being to go and be fruitful and multiply. Good rulers do not kill off everything under their rule, but build them stronger and keep them safe.

Let's start protecting and treasuring the world and all of its creatures. Since we are to go and make disciples of all nations, let us go and protect the land and animals of those nations from human nature. Everything God has in mind for us is against our very nature, and for that I am very thankful.

Love of "christians"

I wish the self-righteous, hateful people who call themselves 'christians' would shut up. They spout off everything that really is against what Christ is all about, all the while being exactly what they should be fighting against. Here is the thing, I do believe homosexuality is a sin, but so is my use of bad language, so is the lust that I think about when I see a  beautiful woman. I am a sinner, we all are, but Jesus did not do what he did, did not give up everything he had, all his glory, power and majesty for people to picket people who they disagree with, hate on people of other beliefs, sexual tendencies, or skin color. Jesus did NOT come to condemn anyone. He came to show them the eternal LOVE of God.

Take a look at John 3:16-17:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

So if Jesus came to save the world not condemn it, where do these 'christians' get off condemning all of these people they disagree with? This really gets me angry when they claim to follow Jesus but show nothing of love, kindness, mercy, of anyone other than themselves. What did Jesus do when a woman, who was CAUGHT in the act of adultery, was brought before him. The leaders of the day were calling for her to be dealt with.

7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

So, now that you read that, what did Jesus do? He ignored them and went on with his teaching. After being bugged more about it, he told them, if they are sinless, then they can stone her. Of course no one was sinless, so they left, the mob defeated by love. Jesus said straight up to her, "I do not condemn you, now go and don't do it again." I paraphrase of course, but still, Jesus showed to her the love of God, and the forgiveness God has for our sin.

So if Jesus can forgive a woman like that, why can't his 'followers?' I put quotations around these words because from how people act, it is fairly clear they are not Christians at all. That is a rather bold claim and maybe even a rude one, but anyone who berates and demeans another human being and still somehow tries to claim the name of the Lord, knows very little of the Lord and what love is.

Jesus never talked about how bad the sinners were, most often he would tell them they are forgiven and to go and sin no more. What he frequently spoke out against was the leaders of the church, like the pharisees and other leaders of the community.  And like some 'churches' out there now, Jesus would have actively gone after them because they are worse than the average sinner, they are the ones who are leading people away from Jesus and his holy love.

We need to get out there and let these people, who are crushing people because they are so full of hate, know that we as Christians will no longer accept what they are doing. We need to get in there and show them how wrong they are, how hate is never the way, nor should ever even be a choice. We need to get back in there and show them the love Jesus had for sinners, and the world.

Let us raise our voices louder and stronger than the horrible people who still call themselves christians, and show the world who real Christians are. Show them that you and me are different because of our love. We will fight the false teachers because we must. Jesus is our King, we are at war against sin, and though I do not believe any one sin is worse than another, but there are some that are louder than others, and hate and intolerance of any person that is different than you is the loudest. So, my friends, let's go silence the loud-mouthed folks and show the world real, compassionate, God filled love!