Random thoughts while on the road

Drove a lot over the summer – through Okanagans & Mount Robson to Jasper Alberta and then up north to Fort St John. On a separate trip, out west to Tofino and the long beach. Finally get to experience the different terrains and life styles within BC.

As I was driving, my mind wander at times. Here are some of my random thoughts during the trip:

• Long sections of the highways look almost the same. Without maps, compass, GPS or road signs, you are simply speeding along trusting that you are on the right track and heading the right way. In martial arts training or in our daily routines, we can keep ourself very busy, but it is very important to keep a vision of where you want to go. Failing to do so means that you can be exiting too early, going around in circles and may never reach your destination.
• Even if you are on the right track (correct highway and direction), it still takes time to get there. You cannot expect to reduce the time from 15 hours to 5 minutes. Perseverence is needed in everything we do. However, pure ‘perseverence’ without questioning is like driving without any navigation tools – you may not be going anywhere!
• There is a huge difference between driving through the highway versus the ‘scenic’ route. Fast is not always better – it depends on your goals. You need the highways to get from one city to the next fast. However, the fun part of a holiday is not really in the driving itself, it is the hikes, the time you spend interacting with nature, etc.. Heavy bag training, weight training, endurance training are needed and yield quick and measureable results. However, if you get obsessed with just one aspect, you may be missing other aspects. Have a sanity check every now to see if your training (or life) is balanced.
• To measure how far you went, you have to compare to a static point. It may sound ridiculous to measure how far you travelled by comparing it to another moving car. However, I heard too often that people set goals based on a moving target – for example, I want to beat so-and-so.
• Classic internal martial arts often fall in the trap of “just trust me” or trying to explain everything with the magic word “Qi” instead of clear biomechanics. To me, that is the same as showing you photos of the end-destination, shove you into a car and just say “Trust me, you will get there some day”. I am the first to admit that even though our program has made great strides in explaining the ‘unexplainables’, we still have a long way to go. You are part of the team of explorers looking to chart the course as well as to improve on ways to get there.
• When you travel, you have to be flexible. There are roadworks and especially for this summer, forest fires along the way. You body may be complaining and you may be getting drozy after a long drive. Don’t just push hard, you do need rest stops.
• It is important to remember that the fun of travel is less about just the end destination and more about the journey and the people around you. Notice things on the side of the road, make spontaneous stops and enjoy the total experience. In training, I want you to treasure your teammates and each and every class. It may not always seem like you are making huge progress but with each and every class, you are ‘touched’ and therefore ‘changed’ in one way or another.

There are indeed days when I wonder if the city purposely rip the roads apart just so that we can appreciate the roads even with its pot holes.

Exercise
Which point from the above clicked more with you. Explain.