Why We Do It
I have been training and teaching the Filipino martial arts since I was 13 years old. In that time, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to pursuing what many of my training partners would call the "Warrior Lifestyle". This involves not only training in martial arts, but also other fields that relate to fitness, nutrition, survival, battlefield medicine, firearms training, outdoor survival training in different climates and conditions, as well as delving into fields such as religion, history, philosophy, psychology, and even researching motivational speakers and their self-improvement methods. I would never consider myself a master or expert, but I have been pursuing knowledge of these skills for almost over 13 years now, and I don't see myself winding down anytime soon. I'm constantly seeking to improve myself as a warrior in every aspect of my life.
This often begs the question from my loved ones, family, and friends: "Why do you do this? What's the point? When will you ever have to use a blade, stick, sword? When will you ever have to learn to survive in the wilderness? Why do you carry a bag of medical gear and other tools all the time?"
I've been hearing these questions since I was a teenager, and now as an adult, I feel I have come to grips with why I, and others like me, train the way we do and do what we do. In light of this, I have come up with a list of reasons that I hope can shed light as why we do, what we do. Now, before I begin, I am not saying that I am better than anyone, or that my lifestyle is superior. This is simply a life I, and others like me, have been called to...one of discipline, desire, and the following...
1) Love: That's right. LOVE. The legendary Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee's friend and teacher in Kali, as well as THE Ambassador of Filipino Martial Arts) once said, "You train because you love people...you train because you love them so much that you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them...LOVE is the highest art." I feel this is so true. There are people in my life that I love, and I never take them or their existence for granted. I am not perfect, but I do everything possible to make sure those I love are safe and taken care of. I also show love for my teachers, my training partners, and my students. I want to ensure that my skills bring out the best in me so I can love better and serve them better. Navy SEAL Michael Jaco, in his book "The Intuitive Warrior", said: "A true warrior's mindset is one of love. You love yourself and others...I have heard of men who didn't believe in the cause they were fighting for but fought to stand by their countrymen." From my experience, I have found this to be true regardless if the warrior is a Navy SEAL, Special Forces soldier, police officer, or even they are an athlete or a normal everyday citizen...people will fight to stand by those they love.
2) Moral Duty Towards the Preservation of Innocent Life: I believe that life is the most precious gift God has given us. It isn't always pretty or fun, but in the grand scheme of everything, it's always beautiful. As a result, I believe that all innocent life needs to be protected by any means necessary. Any enemy to innocent life must be eradicated and dealt with in a straightforward way. That "enemy" comes in many forms: alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse, poverty, death as the result of overexposure or injury in a natural disaster, starvation, and of course, physical threats such as criminals, enemy combatants, and terrorists. All of the training I have has made me more aware of the value of innocent life, and it motivates me to acquire the skills, knowledge, and equipment I need to preserve and protect it. This can range from learning how to fight with weapons...to learning first aid...to eating right, limiting alcohol, avoiding drugs, and staying healthy...and avoiding people and places that may be more susceptible to bringing negativity into my life.
3) Control: Another reason I live the way I do and train the way I train is that I want to know that I have true mastery over myself, my emotions, as well as some sense of control of the environment around me. First, I wish to seek constant mastery over myself. I am not perfect. I have emotions just like anyone else, but everyday I seek to gain control of those emotions and make them serve me, as opposed to making me serve them. This means being in a constant state of self-awareness and knowing my emotions as they happen, and controlling them properly. The training I have received, particularly my training in Atienza Kali, has trained me to think past emotion and think as analytically and logically as possible regardless of the problem I am facing. Again, I'm not perfect, but when I run Bayani Warrior, I know that in order to lead a group, I need to be able to lead myself, and that's where emotional control comes in. Also, there is control over circumstances. There are far too many people who say, "Well whatever happens, happens...if a loved one or myself get attacked/sick/injured/etc. then I'll deal with it then." In my humble opinion, this is HIGHLY irresponsible and even immoral. As I said before, innocent life is precious and must be guarded. This desire to maintain control of my circumstances also impacts my professional life as well. I never say, "Well, I'm okay with making a mediocre amount of money this month. Whatever happens, happens." I never think that way! I work hard to ensure that I am financially able to pay my bills and live an honest, fulfilling life in the process. I don't care what the economy is like. I don't care what people say. God put me on this Earth not to pursue mediocrity, but to live a life of inspiration of significance...to show that circumstances don't define us, but that WE define our circumstances.
4) It's Fun: I'm a big kid. It's the truth. I still read comic books. I still eat Gummi Bears and Peanut Butter M&M's to excess. I still get excited when I hear the Superman movie theme song. I still love being in my backyard and running around in it. In light of this, I love training and acquiring these skills because it's every little boy's dream to be able to shoot guns, throw knives, survive in the woods, and possess other cool skills reminiscent of childhood memories of James Bond or Chuck Norris. Now, it's not always painless, or comfortable, or even enjoyable at the time...but after all is said and done, I'm glad I challenged myself and pushed myself to my limits. And, these fun, cool skills are not only fun, but they can help protect those I care about as well. It makes me feel confident and happy knowing that I am capable of doing things that not many other people can do, and that my skills can possibly save a life someday.
So there you have it. I'm sure there are other reasons why I do what I do, but right now, these are the best I can come up with. The fact of the matter is that we all have a warrior living within us. We all have something we are fighting everyday. The reason why I do what I do is so that the skills I acquire can help me live a better life so that I am a better son, older brother, boyfriend, friend, and teacher.
This often begs the question from my loved ones, family, and friends: "Why do you do this? What's the point? When will you ever have to use a blade, stick, sword? When will you ever have to learn to survive in the wilderness? Why do you carry a bag of medical gear and other tools all the time?"
I've been hearing these questions since I was a teenager, and now as an adult, I feel I have come to grips with why I, and others like me, train the way we do and do what we do. In light of this, I have come up with a list of reasons that I hope can shed light as why we do, what we do. Now, before I begin, I am not saying that I am better than anyone, or that my lifestyle is superior. This is simply a life I, and others like me, have been called to...one of discipline, desire, and the following...
1) Love: That's right. LOVE. The legendary Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee's friend and teacher in Kali, as well as THE Ambassador of Filipino Martial Arts) once said, "You train because you love people...you train because you love them so much that you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them...LOVE is the highest art." I feel this is so true. There are people in my life that I love, and I never take them or their existence for granted. I am not perfect, but I do everything possible to make sure those I love are safe and taken care of. I also show love for my teachers, my training partners, and my students. I want to ensure that my skills bring out the best in me so I can love better and serve them better. Navy SEAL Michael Jaco, in his book "The Intuitive Warrior", said: "A true warrior's mindset is one of love. You love yourself and others...I have heard of men who didn't believe in the cause they were fighting for but fought to stand by their countrymen." From my experience, I have found this to be true regardless if the warrior is a Navy SEAL, Special Forces soldier, police officer, or even they are an athlete or a normal everyday citizen...people will fight to stand by those they love.
2) Moral Duty Towards the Preservation of Innocent Life: I believe that life is the most precious gift God has given us. It isn't always pretty or fun, but in the grand scheme of everything, it's always beautiful. As a result, I believe that all innocent life needs to be protected by any means necessary. Any enemy to innocent life must be eradicated and dealt with in a straightforward way. That "enemy" comes in many forms: alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse, poverty, death as the result of overexposure or injury in a natural disaster, starvation, and of course, physical threats such as criminals, enemy combatants, and terrorists. All of the training I have has made me more aware of the value of innocent life, and it motivates me to acquire the skills, knowledge, and equipment I need to preserve and protect it. This can range from learning how to fight with weapons...to learning first aid...to eating right, limiting alcohol, avoiding drugs, and staying healthy...and avoiding people and places that may be more susceptible to bringing negativity into my life.
3) Control: Another reason I live the way I do and train the way I train is that I want to know that I have true mastery over myself, my emotions, as well as some sense of control of the environment around me. First, I wish to seek constant mastery over myself. I am not perfect. I have emotions just like anyone else, but everyday I seek to gain control of those emotions and make them serve me, as opposed to making me serve them. This means being in a constant state of self-awareness and knowing my emotions as they happen, and controlling them properly. The training I have received, particularly my training in Atienza Kali, has trained me to think past emotion and think as analytically and logically as possible regardless of the problem I am facing. Again, I'm not perfect, but when I run Bayani Warrior, I know that in order to lead a group, I need to be able to lead myself, and that's where emotional control comes in. Also, there is control over circumstances. There are far too many people who say, "Well whatever happens, happens...if a loved one or myself get attacked/sick/injured/etc. then I'll deal with it then." In my humble opinion, this is HIGHLY irresponsible and even immoral. As I said before, innocent life is precious and must be guarded. This desire to maintain control of my circumstances also impacts my professional life as well. I never say, "Well, I'm okay with making a mediocre amount of money this month. Whatever happens, happens." I never think that way! I work hard to ensure that I am financially able to pay my bills and live an honest, fulfilling life in the process. I don't care what the economy is like. I don't care what people say. God put me on this Earth not to pursue mediocrity, but to live a life of inspiration of significance...to show that circumstances don't define us, but that WE define our circumstances.
4) It's Fun: I'm a big kid. It's the truth. I still read comic books. I still eat Gummi Bears and Peanut Butter M&M's to excess. I still get excited when I hear the Superman movie theme song. I still love being in my backyard and running around in it. In light of this, I love training and acquiring these skills because it's every little boy's dream to be able to shoot guns, throw knives, survive in the woods, and possess other cool skills reminiscent of childhood memories of James Bond or Chuck Norris. Now, it's not always painless, or comfortable, or even enjoyable at the time...but after all is said and done, I'm glad I challenged myself and pushed myself to my limits. And, these fun, cool skills are not only fun, but they can help protect those I care about as well. It makes me feel confident and happy knowing that I am capable of doing things that not many other people can do, and that my skills can possibly save a life someday.
So there you have it. I'm sure there are other reasons why I do what I do, but right now, these are the best I can come up with. The fact of the matter is that we all have a warrior living within us. We all have something we are fighting everyday. The reason why I do what I do is so that the skills I acquire can help me live a better life so that I am a better son, older brother, boyfriend, friend, and teacher.
posted by Mike Pana at
4:46 PM
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