How Bad do you want it?

We all say things like "I'm really going to get into shape this year" or "I'm really gonna lose some of this weight this year". I'm guilty for sure of saying it over and over and never really doing it. I suppose it all comes down to the title of this blog. How BAD do you want it?

Really, how much effort are you willing to put into it? For years I said I was going to lose weight and never did it to any significant degree until I started using the Visalus Vi Shakes. I managed to lose 25 lbs in 90 days after already losing 10 lbs on my own little diet. So from January of 2012 to August 11th 2012, I dropped 35 lbs. I suppose I weighed about 188 to 190 in January. At my height of 5'10" and a slim frame it was too much. I lost down to 152 at my lowest weight last month. I'm back up to 156 now but holding steady.

After testing for 1st Kyu in Aikido I knew I could do better. My cardio was crap and I was totally spent. Now I've been doing Aikido for nearly 4 years and doing Combat Hapkido for over two years and I work out on a regular basis as well so I consider myself in pretty good shape but it's not good enough. I had to ask myself, "How BAD do I really want this?" So I decided the time is right to kick it up a notch or two. I found a personal trainer to workout with twice a week. I mean really WORK OUT! This guy is pushing me further than I have gone in 25 years. I have been so sore for the past week that I can hardly walk but I am pushing through it because I am excited about the potential. I have been inspired by those who like me, in the over 50 crowd who have achieved amazing results by pushing themselves beyond normal.

Now that I think about it, this is what excelling is all about. We have to push ourselves beyond what we think our normal boundaries are. Bruce Lee said: "There are no boundaries, no limits" We can set them and then exceed them. It is up to us to reach as far as we can and then go a little further. I am close to testing for my 1st Dan in Aikido. I will be achieving a life long goal the day Sensei hands me that black belt. Yet I am not limiting myself, I will be testing for 1st Dan in Combat Hapkido next year and after that I intend to go for my third black belt. I will not set limits on myself and neither should you!

How BAD do you want it?

Is it a goal in business, sports, love, whatever it is. There are NO LIMITS.

Go For IT!

Martial Arts for Health & Fitness

There is allot of buzz about Martial Arts since the MMA craze began back in the 90's. The UFC, (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has had it's own reality TV show for 10 years now and there is a new Pay-Per- View every other month for the millions of mixed martial arts fans around the world. We all remember the late, great Bruce Lee back in the 70's. Then later, Steven Segal and John Cluade Van Damme. Even more recently Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the indestructable karate champion and movie/TV icon, Chuck Norris! We also can't forget Sensei Miyagi teaching karate to Ralph Machio in Karate Kid.

However, martial arts isn't just for cage fighters, karate kids, action movie stars or self defense courses. New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that people in their 40's and 50's who regularly practice martial arts demonstrate astounding levels of physical fitness in comparison to people the same age who don't exercise at all. The study subjects who practiced martial arts had 12% less body fat, were able to do twice as many sit-ups, had enhanced flexibility and leg strength, demonstrated a stronger immune system and showed greatly improved balance. I personally can attest to this as I started my latest martial arts journey at age 47. I am now 51 and training for a black belt in two different arts. I must say I am in far better shape now than I have been since I was 25.

It's not surprising, of course: martial arts -- even mild forms like Tai Chi -- have long been known to confer tremendous anti-aging health benefits to their followers. Throughout Asia, it's not uncommon to see large groups of elderly (people in their 60's, 70's and 80's) practicing Tai Chi at sunrise in the community parks. Despite their age, these people have better aerobic conditioning, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination than many typical Americans in their 30's who are already suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cancer. People who practice Tai Chi simply don't experience those diseases with anywhere near the frequency. As a result, they live longer, healthier, happier lives. Not only that, when people excercise and have fitness goals in general, they eat better and try to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Martial Arts helps keep folks on that fitness level, striving to stay in shape or get in even better shape for the next belt rank test.
Any form of martial arts or physical discipline will produce similar results, by the way: Aikido and Combat Hapkido are my favorites, but you could also enjoy MMA, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kendo or whatever martial arts you choose, it's all good for you! No matter what you decide to do the point is get moving, excercise, stretch, stay off the couch and out from in front of the computer for hours and hours. There is a fit and healthy person inside you dying to get out, literally! Martial Arts could be the key to living a healthy life even well into your 50's and beyond...

Honey VS Sugar (Battle Royal)

Many people work to get themselves off sugar for valid reasons. Too much sugar is like poison for the human body and can lead to all types of terrible consequences. The first to come to mind is diabetes. We all know how bad it is and can lead to devestating illness, blindness and death. Milder forms of diabetes can also strike people who don't watch their excess sugar intake and cause problems too. People who drink alot of soda are prone to get diabetes from all the sugar. In fact a 12 oz Coke has about 36 grams of sugar. That's just one small example, there are many, many more.

Why Honey?

Both sweeteners contain glucose and fructose. However, for sugar, in the process of manufacturing, the organic acids, protein, nitrogen elements, enzymes and vitamins in the sugar cane are destroyed, whereas honey, a natural sweetener, when subjected only to minimal heating keeps it's natural state and provides a multitude of benefits to the body. Also, honey has certain beneficial antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which are not present in table sugar. Local honey is often the BEST!

Here are some interesting facts:


ONE

One tablespoon of table sugar or sucrose contains 46 calories, while one tablespoon of natural sweetener honey has 64 calories. Though honey may have more calories, we actually need to use less of it since it is sweeter than table sugar. As a result, you may in fact consume even less amount of calories that you would with sugar. And in the long run even though honey is more expensive, it may be more economical than table sugar. I was taken aback when I first found out how much table sugar I was consuming when I take a can of coke -- 10 teaspoons, and a 50g chocolate bar -- 7 teaspoons!

TWO

Table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two molecules bonded together. When we eat table sugar, our stomach has to use its own enzymes to separate the molecules apart before we can use the sugar's energy. Honey is quite different. The bees have added a special enzyme to the nectar that divides the sucrose into glucose and fructose -- two simple sugars for our bodies can absorb directly.

Hence, honey vs sugar, honey has a healthier Glycemic Index (GI) which measures the negative impact of a given food on the blood-glucose level. The lower the GI rating, the slower the absorption and infusion of sugars into the bloodstream and hence a more gradual and healthier digestion process.

THREE

Unlike honey, table sugar lacks minerals and vitamins (hence it's been often called empty calories), they draw upon the body's nutrients to be metabolized into the system. When these nutrients are all used up, metabolizing of undesirable cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher cholesterol and promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid on the organs and tissues. That is why it is not uncommon for fat people to suffer from malnutrition and many other health related problems. So the message is, honey vs sugar, if you are watching your weight, honey will be a smarter choice than sugar. Besides the differences in nutrition, I feel sugar can never compete with honey in taste. Though both are sweet, honey has such a unique flavour that can be very useful and superior in many foods and beverages. The range of honey floral varieties is so vast that experiencing for yourself the uniqueness of each variety and being able to appropriate each variety to exploit every possibility to complement and improve taste of different types of foods becomes a skillful art.

Finally, I have been using honey as my main sweetner (for coffee) each day for nearly 30 years. I am a very healthy 51 and attribute alot of this to my use of honey and other bee products. I also am an avid bee pollen fan. I normally take two 500 mg capsules a day. You can buy bee pollen over the net or at your local GNC or other health food store. Bee Pollen is VERY good for your body and provides you with just about every thing your body needs to stay healthy. Some say that bee pollen is as a super nutritious, perfect food, the tiny pollens contain almost all the nutrients required by the human body and are enormously rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, beneficial fatty acids, carotenoids, and bioflavonoids which are anti-viral, antibacterial and helpful in lowering cholesterol, stabilizing and strengthening capillaries.

Learn more here: ~ http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/bee-pollen.html

Learn More about Honey ~ http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-vs-sugar.html

Fitness After 50, II

Greetings Friends!

Now that I am 51 I am taking steps to get into better shape for the next two martial arts tests coming up soon. I have decided to give it my BEST and as I look into more and more fitness & holistic health ideas, I have found I have made some serious but easily correctable mistakes over the last 30 years.

First of all I have been an avid bread man all my life. I LOVE bread with butter, margarine, garlic, jelly, honey, biscuits with gravy, you name it. However, I have given up bread over the past eight months and I have lost a significant amount of weight. Now one real good benefit is since most of the fast food I used to eat was made up of sandwiches I have given up fast food too! This is a BIG plus as I was in the habit of eating at Wendy's, Chic Fil A and a few other places on a weekly basis for years. So now, no french fries, iced tea, chicken sandwiches or quarter pounders... Think of the calories I have missed out on. I have gotten used to not eating bread now and it is not as bad as I thought it would be. Less bloating and gas too!

Now I have started my day with a cup of coffee or two for the past thirty years or so. I normally do not eat any food in the morning, only coffee unless I have scheduled a breakfast meeting for some reason. Of course I have had Visalus, Vi Shakes the past 90 days for breakfast and I LOVE it! I have recently found out that the body needs water in the morning to kick start the metabolism and rehydrate. Coffee should be the second thing I consume instead of the first so I have made that change. So far it makes me feel slightly nauseous but I am sure I will get used to it. I bought some distilled water, used that up then just went to tap water.

Finally, I have doubled up on my strecthing and excercises, added many more salads and lettuce wraps to my diet and bought a lumbar support for my van. That and my "90 Day Challenge" led me to a weight loss of 25 lbs! I'm down to 153 and in better shape than I have been since my 20's! With all these new changes I am sure to be well on my way to being ready for my upcoming BB tests. So here's to looking more like Bruce Lee and less like a Sumo Wrestler....

Peace be with you

Elvis Week & Martial Arts?

Once again, it's that time of year in Memphis and that means it's nearing August 16th, the date Elvis Presley passed away back in 1977. Thousands of fans gather in Memphis Tennessee each year to celebrate the life of their hero and music ICON! Elvis was, to many folks, the King of Rock & Roll although he himself did not particular like that title. Elvis is still one of the most popular entertainers in the world even 35 years after his untimely death at his home(Graceland) which is the second most visited home in the USA next to the White House. I am a HUGE Elvis fan myself and could go on and on about Elvis and his talent. However, I will do more about him and his legacy on this blog at a later date.

Today I want to mention something that many people don't know about Elvis, that is he was a Karate Master! Yes, I said Master. He studied karate with a Korean instructer in Memhpis, Master Kang Rhee and with Ed Parker while he was in Hollywood. Ed Parker was the founder of American Kenpo karate.

Elvis was a natural at karate and began his study in the army back in 1960. Elvis was good friends with many of the karate greats including Bill Wallace. I was told by a reliable source that Elvis and Bruce Lee did meet, I have often wondered if they had a chance to train together. Elvis was awarded a 7th degree black belt in Korean Karate by Master Rhee in 1973 and was awarded an 8th degree black belt in American Kenpo karate by Ed Parker.

Elvis was working on a film project called "The New Gladiators" in the last few years of his life that was centered around martial arts. He was very passionate about the martial arts and wanted to help make it more popular in the USA.

You may remember alot of Elvis's jump suits kind of looked like karate uniforms or Gi's as we call them. He used many karate style moves in his onstage performances and in many of his films.

One last thing, Elvis recieved his first black belt in 1960 under a fellow named Hank Slamanski, this is a great story, one worth reading for any Elvis or martial arts fan.

So here's to Elivs, not only a pioneer in Rock & Roll Music, also a true pioneer in the Martial Arts world too...

Just a quick technical note for all my readers. There is a big discrepency between what you see from Internet Explorer and Google Chrome in the design & layout of the blog. I will be working on those issues over the next few days..

Also, I will be publishing some really cool short stories here starting soon. I will break them up into pieces. Mostly fictional stories, all original works of mine. Hope you enjoy them.

Have a GREAT day!

The "Hunger Games"

Woke up early again. My dog needed to go out so I decided to do a little computer work before I went back to bed. I have been thinking quite a bit about how my attitude towards hunger has changed since taking this "90 Day Challenge" with Visalus and I wanted to share this with some of you.

First of all I have come to recognize the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach as a signal not to eat but as my body telling me it needs something. Now how I respond to that feeling "Hunger Pains or Pangs" as some might describe it, is totally different than before. Six months or a year ago I would have wheeled into the nearest Bojangles or Wendy's and got myself a combo of some sort including fries and a tea. WOW! Do you realize how foreign that seems to me now?

Today when I feel that odd sensation in my stomach I look at it in a different way. I recognize my body wants something and I often respond by drinking some water ( I carry two or three bottles with me every day now) but I now see that signal as a good thing! It tells me my body needs fuel and if I don't stop and fuel up guess what? My body feeds on itself! If I have excess fat cells than that's where the body goes for fuel to create the energy needed to keep moving. It's a GREAT feeling to know that you are burning those fat cells. I drink water to sedate the feeling (no calories) and keep on going. Now if I get too hungry I pull out either a Vi shake (I carry one of those too) or a breakfast bar to get through the day and I eat later when I get home.

So to wrap it up let's just say we need to take a whole new approach to the Hunger Games we play each and every day as we go through our work week.

My tip pf the week is if you travel alot or drive for a living, always keep a cooler with bottled water, a few of your favorite breakfast bars, and a Vi Shake to get you through the day.

Peace be with you!

I've certainly made my share but it is part of who I am today...

Martial Arts, Fitness & Weight Loss

Attended a great Seminar today with Grand Master John Pellegrini in Southern Pines, NC. Master Dorton was kind enough to welcome us all to his Dojang once again for an awesome Saturday of training with GMP! My Sensei, Jeff Flagg and his son Austin Flagg both recieved their 3rd dan certificates in Combat Hapkido as did Mona Doyle.

Next year Jeff Handy and I will be getting our 1st Dan at this seminar. Looking forward to that! I stuck to my diet today and ate light, not junk. The Visalus, VI Shape Shakes sustain me through these tough all day workouts and I still have energy to excercise later when I get home. Been eating lots of lettuce wrap/turkey/tomatoe for lunch or dinner the past month to keep the weight down but I still have a weakness for kettle chips! (grin)


More later!

Just Six More!

When I am working out in the mornings I have gotten into the habit of pushing myself a little harder. At the end of my set I add six more reps whether I'm doing pushups, crunches, using the dumbell or squats, just add six more reps to push your body to grow a bit more.

I wonder how we can use this method in other parts of our lives? Could we make six more sales calls in a day or a week? Could we put six more dollars in the tithing tray at Church or leave it for a tip at a restaurant where a great server deserves a helping hand? How about six more minutes of praying or devotions?

I'd like to know your ideas on how doing just six more, can change your life!

Inspirational Quote of the Day!

Getting Your Mind Right Again!

Update! Lost 22 lbs in 8 weeks! "90 Day Challenge" coming to an end in less than two weeks...

........... Now back to "Getting Your Mind Right!"


Like me, you may have heard this phrase before. I have heard it and used it but what does it really mean?

Like many people, I have struggled with trying to get my appetite under control for years and due to my penchant for eating unhealthy snacks and gorging myself when I have a plate or two of yummy food to consume, I have suffered from all types of problems from weight gain to GERD and other gastro intestinal problems I will not go into. Making a plan and sticking to it when it comes to food is a really hard thing to do!

Well, I have still not mastered my late night cravings for ice cream, chips or pop corn completely but I have gotten closer to my goal than ever with the help of a company called Visalus. They make a delicious cream flavored shake mix that you can use as a meal replacement or supplement depending on your goals. If your goal is weight loss (like me) then use it for meal replacement.

I have been doing it for over 2 months and I have lost 22 pounds. The pounds came off quick and the funny thing is, I had been trying to lose weight since January 1st and had managed to lose 10 pounds already but it took me about three months on my own. With the help of the VI shakes (and they are very tasty I might add) I lost the next 10 in about 3 weeks. Now I am holding steady at about 156 and anticipate losing only about 5 more poundsat most! Since I am 5'10 and fairly lean already, I don't want to lose much more weight but I am now in the phase of toning and reshaping. I am preparing for two upcoming Black Belt tests in the two martial arts classes I take, both will be within a few months of each other if all goes well. The first one will be in my Tomiki Aikido class and it may happen by the end of this year. The next test will be in Combat Hapkido and should be sometime in the first quarter of 2013. Again this is if I stay injury free and all goes as planned.

Now the phrase (Get your mind right) is important here because what I am learning or have learned is that all of this stuff in regards to food, excercise, etc., is all in your head. You have to get in the right mindset to accomplish goals you have. In other words, you have to really want something bad enough to make the changes that have to be made in order to accomplish your goal, any goal.

I suppose I have finally gotten to that point. I want something bad enough to do what it takes to see it through. One thing I am excited about is that this product the (VI shakes) are the catalyst that have helped my break through a really tough barrier that was keeping me from getting my mind right. Now that I have achieved my weight loss goal, I am on to my next goal which is getting in the best shape I can be to be ready for these upcoming tests. I feel like I can accopmlish that now. The one regret I have is that it has taken me this long to get here, at 51 it seems I am a very slow starter.


In closing let me add that I am currently reading a new bookcalled "Overkill" by Steven Shrewsbury. It is about a legendary warrior who is over 700 year old! I'm not saying I would like to live that long but at least he has had plenty of time to learn and "Get His Mind Right"...

Blogging for health and wealth!

If you have read any of my previous posts you know I am involved with the "90 Day Challenge" by Visalus Sciences. Drinking VI Shakes now has become ingrained in my daily routine. I love this stuff! After losing about 22 lbs in 8 weeks I am into the home stretch of my 90 days. I am also promoting the product. I am passionate about the company and what it's products have done for me and what they can do for others. I am recommending it for many of my friends and actively trying to make a serious run at becoming an Ambassador with this company! I need your help to accomplish that goal!

If you want or need to lose some weight this is an amazing product so give it a try! You won't be sorry. But like anything else you have to comitt yourself to this and eat right when your not drinking shakes. Lay off the Pizza, soda and other stuff that will replace those calories that you lost early in the day. Don't eat late at night, drink a small shake if you get hungry. It's 10:00 PM here and I just finished a good workout and a before bed-time shake. I know losing weight is tough, I struggled with it for years but Visalus has changed that for me. I hope it can be what you are looking for as well. Visit my Visalus page @ http://pearcejd.myvi.net

Is it time for a change?

Greetings Friends!

Now that I have reached my weight loss goal of 160 lbs, it is a matter of maintaining my current weight or managing my appetite. Someone told me the other day that you "Eat to live not Live to eat!" In today's America that's so true. So many people "Live to Eat" it seems we schedule our entire lives around what we eat.

Unfortunately too many of us consume food that is not healthy and we gorge ourselves at each meal instead of eating small amounts several times a day. Don't get me wrong I will still go out and eat a great meal at the "Bonefish Grill" or "Red Rocks Cafe" one of my other favorite restaruants. I will also have a beer or two from time to time and eat deserts or ice cream but I will now only indugle that aspect of food on occaision and not very frequently.

Now it's VI Shakes

Twice a day and a sensible meal. I had a lettuce wrap sanwhich today for lunch with turkey, tomato and mayo with a little cheese sprinkled on it. Chips and a large glass of ice water. This is a typical meal for me these days and it's how I managed to drop from 187 in January to 160 today. I will have stir fried squash and zuchinni tonight with onion, celery and beef, maybe some shrimp too. I normally drink water at home or cofee.

PS ~ I have siad goodbye to fast food. Will I ever stop and enjoy a chicken sandwich with fries and a tea again? Maybe but not often. Where I used to do that at leat 4 or 5 times a week, now I am down to once or twice a month and when I do I rarely eat the bread and usually throw out some of the fries. I also feel terrible after doing it so it's pretty much over for me now. McDonalds, you are DEAD to me!

Clearly I would have never dropped the last twenty pounds without the help of the VI Shakes. I just had one a few minutes ago and always start my day with one now if I have time. The combination of 1% milk (8 ounces) a banana, two scoops of shake mix and maybe some yogurt is my standard shake. We mix it up occaisionally by adding blueberries, strawberries, low fat ice-cream, peaches or whatever we might like at the moment. Chocolate is good from time to time too!

I hope some of you will take the challenge! This is one of the greatest things I have experienced in a long time! Being my high school weight is awesome and I feel so much better! If your interested in learning more go to the website and look around. Call me if you have questions and are ready to order your first bag of VI Shakes.

http://pearcejd.myvi.net

We are all different!

Loosing weight is a battle many of us fight in our lifetimes. Some of us more than others. I'm pretty lucky I suppose as I have always been fairly thin even though I was up to 199 lbs several years ago, I manage to stay around 175 - 180 most of the time. Recently I managed to loose 10 lbs by removing bread from my deit. It took me three months to loose that 10 lbs as I like to eat sweets at night before bed.

However I recently ran across a product by Visalus Sciences that led to me dropping 15 more lbs in only 5 weeks! WOW, I was amazed and still am. I signed on and am still in the middle of my 90 Day Challenge. I know this works, will it work for you? Only time will tell, take the "90 Day Challenge" and find out!

What have you got to loose?

Getting Your Mind Right

Update! Lost 22 lbs in 8 weeks! "90 Day Challenge" coming to an end in less than two weeks...

........... Now back to "Getting Your Mind Right!"


Like me, you may have heard this phrase before. I have heard it and used it but what does it really mean?

Like many people, I have struggled with trying to get my appetite under control for years and due to my penchant for eating unhealthy snacks and gorging myself when I have a plate or two of yummy food to consume, I have suffered from all types of problems from weight gain to GERD and other gastro intestinal problems I will not go into. Making a plan and sticking to it when it comes to food is a really hard thing to do!

Well, I have still not mastered my late night cravings for ice cream, chip or pop corn completely but I have gotten closer to my goal than ever with the help of a company called Visalus. They make a delicious cream flavored shake mix that you can use as a meal replacement or supplement depending on your goals. If your goal is weight loss (like me) then use it for meal replacement.

I have been doing it for over 2 months and I have lost 22 pounds. The pounds came off quick and the funny thing is, I had been trying to lose weight since January 1st and had managed to lose 10 pounds already but it took me about three months on my own. With the help of the VI shakes (and they are very tasty I might add) I lost the next 10 in about 3 weeks. Now I am holding steady at about 156 and anticipate losing only about 5 more poundsat most! Since I am 5'10 and fairly lean already, I don't want to lose much more weight but I am now in the phase of toning and reshaping. I am preparing for two upcoming Black Belt tests in the two martial arts classes I take, both will be within a few months of each other if all goes well. The first one will be in my Tomiki Aikido class and it may happen by the end of this year. The next test will be in Combat Hapkido and should be sometime in the first quarter of 2013. Again this is if I stay injury free and all goes as planned.

Now the phrase (Get your mind right) is important here because what I am learning or have learned is that all of this stuff in regards to food, excercise, etc., is all in your head. You have to get in the right mindset to accomplish goals you have. In other words, you have to really want something bad enough to make the changes that have to be made in order to accomplish your goal, any goal.

I suppose I have finally gotten to that point. I want something bad enough to do what it takes to see it through. One thing I am excited about is that this product the (VI shakes) are the catalyst that have helped my break through a really tough barrier that was keeping me from getting my mind right. Now that I have achieved my weight loss goal, I am on to my next goal which is getting in the best shape I can be to be ready for these upcoming tests. I feel like I can accopmlish that now. The one regret I have is that it has taken me this long to get here, at 51 it seems I am a very slow starter.


In closing let me add that I am currently reading a new bookcalled "Overkill" by Steven Shrewsbury. It is about a legendary warrior who is over 700 year old! I'm not saying I would like to live that long but at least he has had plenty of time to learn and "Get His Mind Right"...

Combat Hapkido

I have been involved with this program for a couple of years now and just recieved my promotion for Brown Belt last weekend. I really enjoy this self defense system as it is bare bones, close quarter combat compared to Aikido. I currently am training for shodan in Aikido and will hopefully recieve my first dan promotion late 2012 or early 2013 depending on how things go. I have a bad shoulder that I have to set up an MRI for next week and if I have to have surgery it will set me back a few months in my training. I hope I can put off any surgery until after both my black belt tests. Some ask WHY do you do martial arts, especially at your age? Well, I love it for one and I believe in self defense.

Let me ask you, how many stories have you read lately where someone was attacked and beaten? Think about Travon Martin and George Zimmerman. If Mr. Zimmerman had known some self defense there is a good chance he could have fought of Martin and won! No shooting would have been necassary. We train to fight multiple attackers, so in the case where three or four guys attack one, I am prepared. I see it on the news all the time for example, these days it seems as if every time I open up a news site I read where blacks are attacking whites all over the country. In most cases it doesn't get reported as a national news story but it is happening more and more. If I am able to take out the first two or three attackers (black, white or any color) in a way that discourages the others from coming at me then I might be able to walk away from a life threatening situation like that with minimal damage. It is a dangerous world and we live in unprecedented times of racial and political strife. I love my black brothers and sisters just like anyone else but many of them have gone astray and have been influenced by the race baiters (Obama, Al Sharpton, Jesse jackson, etc.) who constantly stir up hatred for whites and those with money. The unemployment rate in the black community is as high as it has been in decades so there is alot of pent up frustration on thier part and it is constanly fueled by the democrats and the media who beat that class warefare drum with zeal day in and day out. This leads to violence! The new black panther party is another story. They have come out and openly called for violence against all whites. We as citizens have a right to protect ourselves. Well, I have gotten off track here so I digress.

I was blogging about martial arts not race problems. So as my journey into the world of Aikido and Combat Hapkido continues I have hit a few snags as the two systems are alike in many ways yet have some fundamental differences that can cause problems for me in both areas. I will get more into that at a later date. let me close by saying we have been doing Randori the past few classes. It is an excercise or drill for experienced Aikidoka and takes patience to learn. Sensei Tony says I have shown great progress in the short time we have been working on it and is very pleased with what he has seen. This has caused him to state that I am ready now to start working on the kata for shodan. I am glad to hear this! I like the Randori drills as it allows me to learn the art of slowing down my technique and being more fluid and able to blend better with uke/nage. In combat Hapkido it is time for going back to the beginning. Now that we have recieved Brown Belt status which is the first belt in the advanced stage of the system, my friend Jeff Handy and I intend to go back and review all belts over the next couple of months before we procede to Red Belt. This should be fun and will help us with our fundamentals.

Peace be with you!

Fitness after 50!

Greetings

I am taking steps to get into shape for next years two black belt tests. I have decided to give it an earnest attempt and as I look into more and more holistic health ideas I have found I have made some serious but easily correctable mistakes over the last 30 years.

First of all I have been an avid bread man all my life. I LOVE bread with butter, margarine, jelly, honey, you name it. However I have given up bread over the past few months and I have lost a significant amount of weight. Now one real good benefit is since most of the fast food I used to eat was made up of sandwiches I have given up fast food too! This is a BIG plus as I was in the habit of eating at Wendy's, Chic Fil A and a few other places on a weekly basis for years. So now no french fries, iced tea and chicken sandwiches or quarter pounders... Think of the calories I have missed out on. I have gotten used to not eating bread now and it is not as bad as I thought it would be. Less bloating and gas too!

Now I have started my day with a cup of coffee or two for the past thirty years or so. I normally do not eat any food in the morning, only coffee unless I have scheduled a breakfast meeting for some reason. I have recently found out that the body needs water in the morning to kick start the metabolism and rehydrate. Coffee should be the second thing I consume instead of the first so I am making that change this week. So far it makes me feel slightly nauseous but I am sure I will get used to it. I bought some distilled water today to use as my wake up drink.

To wrap it up here quickly I have doubled up on my strecthing and excercises, added many more salads to my diet and bought a lumbar support for my van. With all these new changes I am sure to be well on my way to getting in shape for the upcoming tests. So here's to looking more like Bruce Lee and less like a Sumo Wrestler....

Peace be with you!

1st Kyu

Had my test last night, it was about an hour. I won't elaborate too much for lack of time but needles to say it pushed me to my limits physically. I have been working out and dieting for a couple of months in preparation for this test and it paid off, although I was a bit disappointed for screwing up a couple of techniques. But 2 or 3 mistakes out of 100 techniques isn't so bad in the big picture I suppose. I definately need to get in better shape for my Shodan test which should be before next St. Patricks Day...

Also still working the Combat Hapkido system. I am Blue now and will be going for brown next. That Shodan test will probably come next year as well. Here's to eating many more salads and drinking fresh carrot and apple juice for another year!

Peace

These are dark, perilous times in the world today.

If you are paying attention to what's going on in Europe and the middle east it looks as though the world's oil supply is being corralled and we are on the brink of WWIII. Greece is on the verge of collapse and Egypt, Syria and many other countries in the middle east are in turmoil. Iran is threatening to shut down some of the oil supplies coming out of the Mediterranean and have refused to sell oil to the French and the British. All the while Israel is contemplating a military strike against Iran who has declared they will destroy Israel soon!

In the meantime the uber-environmental leftist in America have refused to allow us to use most of our own fossil fuel supplies, said no to the Keystone pipeline and have funneled billions of dollars into worthless shell companies, touting green energy that supplies less than 2% of our energy needs. We have not built a Nuclear plant in the US for over 30 years! Gasoline is at record highs and our leaders stand by and do nothing but grandstand. Obama himself has said energy prices in America will necessarily skyrocket under his administration and he is making that promise come true. Our fragile economy will be choked by these high fuel prices and the price of all goods and services will continue to rise while jobs will be harder to find as the price of fuel increases throughout the spring and summer. This will hamper our slow climb from the pit of recession in America.

Meanwhile President Obama has submitted a budget that will have us 47 trillion dollars in debt over the next 10 years, raising taxes and cutting next to nothing from the current budget. If this isn't enough bad news, we have a war going on at our southern border that no one in the corrupt news media is talking about. The drug cartels in Mexico are killing people by the dozens here in America and headless bodies are showing up everywhere. A rational government would have troops on the border putting a stop to this invasion but out leaders do nothing and our press barely mentions it on the evening news. Not only this but we have a Supreme Court Justice who has openly declared she would not use the US Constitution and a model if she were creating a new constitution today. Is this not the same Constitution they swore and oath to uphold? My guess is that the latest appointees would follow in her wake.

The corruption of the news media in America is criminal!!!

The majority have openly chosen sides in the ideology war and have chosen the left. My guess is the journalism classes in America's colleges have indoctrinated them to the point that when the come out of college they are proud to call themselves Marxists. They use to pretend to be neutral but now many of them openly claim their leftist credentials on the air. Their purpose is to defeat everything Conservative or Republican.

America is fiddling while Europe burns. We should be shoring up our energy supplies here and making cuts that will see us through this global crisis but we are following the Europeans down the long dark road to oblivion.

Why? Is it greed, ideology or just plain evil? Only God knows, it is beyond comprehension to understand why the leaders of America don't stand up and start fighting to keep this country safe and move us away from the downfall of Europe and the Middle East. If you are a believer, no matter what your faith you must begin to pray every day for the survival of America...