Frontline Martial Arts and Wellness

​ Hey guys,  I hope everyone is happy and healthy. I am good. My social media break is going great. I am really clearing my head and focusing on what I need, want and what doesn’t serve me anymore.  Today we are having an eclipse. In ancient times eclipses were symbolic of death and rebirth or letting go of old baggage to clear the way for better days. I am taking time today to reflect on what no longer serves me and what I want to focus on in the future. It is a good practice to take stock of ourselves and see if we are living the life we want. Be well, Sensei Mike 

​ Hey guys,  I hope everyone is happy and healthy. Have any of you ever not known what to say? When you have ideas a plenty but no juice to make them reality.  I feel like that, tired and strung out. It happens to everyone. That’s the time to rest. Shut some of the extra noise down and focus on your basics. To be honest, I am not actually going camping. Shame I know. But, what I am doing is focusing on my basic responsibilities. From now until Tuesday I am taking a social media break. I want to enjoy the eclipse with a clear mind, ready to receive the beauty and lessons of Nature. See you Wednesday. Stay positive. Be well, Sensei Mike

​ Hey guys, I hope everyone is happy and healthy. This picture is brought to you by PEACEFUL WARRIOR BLACK BELT CLUB.  I find, after trying to write this for what seems like an hour, that I have nothing to say. My mind is still scrambled from yesterday’s news. None of us knew how hard he must have been fighting to do his daily thing. Who knew how hard he had to fight to be the good person we remember. I don’t know. I also don’t know how hard you have to fight just to present as you are.  I only know how hard I have to fight to keep my head while I feel anger. How hard I have to fight lashing out at perceived threats when I am scared. How hard I have to fight to stick around when I feel vulnerable and alone. If you need help over the news yesterday. Reach out to a therapist, community hotlines, and/or people you trust. Reach out to me if you need to, however, I am not a licensed psychotherapist, I am only hear to listen, not diagnose. Be well, Sensei Mike

​ Hey guys, I hope everyone is happy and healthy. Also I hope you are enjoying your loved ones on this special day, be it religious or a holiday for you. Ontario Corrections lost another to suicide today. I feel sad and angry. We lose to many good people to the darkness.  The darkness being the trauma, the pain, and the anger we carry from our service.  People try to fight it and/or deny it. You can’t! It is a part of us, wether we like it or not. The best solution I see and experienced is acceptance and taking steps towards healing.  Rest in peace Officer. Be well, Sensei Mike

​ Hey guys, I hope everyone is happy and healthy. I had a difficult meeting this morning. The person I was dealing with was untrustworthy and constantly attempted to pull the wool over my eyes. Behaving in a way that is hard to respect because it lacked basic respect for myself and my intelligence. However, this was not a worry though. I knew my goals going into the meeting and how it fit into my overall plan. If you have a clear heart you know what your goal is. If you have a clear mind you can make a sound plan and see it through the ups and downs of life. This gives you a will as strong as the forces of nature. Use your weapon wisely. Be well, Sensei Mike

​ Hey guys, I hope everyone is happy and healthy.  Still working to find a go between for my camcorder and my computer. I used to do it before but the equipment needed can’t be found. It is getting frustrating and I am feeling angry. Do you get like that when you have a problem you’re helpless to solve?  I bet most people do. What I try to remember is my Stoicism. I cannot attain the solution right now. The only thing I can do is focus on and work towards a solution. When I get angry I lose focus. Therefore becoming angry is counterproductive. Be well, Sensei Mike

​ Hey guys, I hope everyone is happy and healthy.  Still having technical difficulties with regards to producing videos. The live action ones I put out from my cellphone lack the quality I want. The odyssey continues. As for the picture. That is my pintail skateboard/balance trainer. Part of my healing has brought me back to activities I used to enjoy, i.e. bicycling and skateboarding. Also working the skateboard has been a good low intensity treatment and strengthening exercise for my injury. Pintail skateboards are in the category of longboard/cruiser. The  bushings are soft to accommodate for carving/slalom movement and inertia generation. These soft bushings make for a tippy skateboard, perfect for balancing exercise. I practiced pushing, transitioning, and balancing on both sides/regular and fakie. I was practicing on the padded dojo floor which lessened the rolling factor by a lot. So I also forced the wheels to turn to work lateral movement. I felt my muscles from my lo...