Cameron

BJJ it is! I thank you for your feedback!

Actually, I didn't ask what is "wrong" with US I asked what US is to YOU. But I guess for you that sounded like asking what is WRONG and someone like Lozen that sounded like asking what is RIGHT.

Wow..ok it will probably take me a week to actually get the time and patience to absorb all this..great feedback! Just to quickly respond to Pietro..sorry Paisono I meant no offense. I welcome all our European and Australian friends and whoever else reads The Tao Bums to open up and share the opnions/feelings about this subject. If it came off as a boorish American expression it was not intended. Cam

Looks like BJJ is ahead! I'll give it another day and then starting back either one of these arts monday night! No one who voted BJJ has anything to say?

Are you questioning Max? Did you not see the reptillian overlord photo I posted on this very site several months ago?! Open your eyes man!! Here is a top secret behind the scenes photo of the Bush Administration!! That's GW in front and Rumsfeld on right. Possibly Codeeleeza on left but unconfirmed.

Would you rank the Bay Area higher? Dennis said the same thing that the bay Area has a more open vibe or something? Maybe I'll move there someday if it's that great..

What else can we do? I seriously doubt America will ever have another depression. Where do you get this thinking from, if oil reserves run out or something? Probably we will move to alternative energy completely in next couple decades even with oil cartels support/backing. Or do you still think we're all out of here in 2012? Cam

Are you saying there is no distiniction between the action Bush administraton made and the karma of the entire country? I am not just saying American government I am saying America..the people who live here including you and me. I was complaining (just like you probably were) to customers, other students, family, whoever about invading Iraq and this administration from the beginning. Are you saying people against all these wars are responsible? I don't think so..I think the people who bombed and gave the orders are responsible. Period.

Ok, I was going to go to Tempe(land of Arizona State hotties) but remembered the Ultimate Fighter is on tonight so I will create a couple posts hopefully to open some deeper discussion about who we are and what we are doing on this planet. First one..what are your parents to you? Are they the people who biologically brought you into the world and cared for you? Are they people who perhaps were too controling and or helepd you spread your wings and fly? Do you feel you owe a debt to your parents or never want to speak with them again? For me, I love my parents but there is so much ego on a personal level since they are both more or less religious fanatics. My Mom is a die hard Catholic who basically thinks every other path is BS and my Dad is a vegan who has a superiority complex about eating the diet God intended or whatever(fruits basically, no meat). The couple times I tried to talk to them about eastern wisdom, or things like enlightenment there was so much resistance I more or less accepted it's not for them, or any of my other family members, siblings, atleast at this point in time, and I am ok with that. So where do your families relate with all of this. Do they think your a weirdo in his own world whenever you bring up things like having self intercourse(kan and li) and not manipulating your experiences but allowing what is... Or are they cool/chill and actually understand things you are into spiritually? Cam

awesome. I remember reading somewhere you know you are developing spiritually when you see your parents the way you see all other beings...

Can you imagine an Ultimate Fighter for porn stars? http://www.collegehumor.com/rrated/1686661/

No bummer at all man. Give it to me straight! Actually I know a zen teacher who said the same thing, we are a culture of consumerism..and he dropped out of the business world after he got into the Dharma since he felt it was a manipulation of other people. It's actually only lately that some commercials on TV especially aimed at children physically disguist me. Probably in part since I am realizing how manipulated I was and probably we all were. To eat bad food, to play with stupid toys of violence, to waste years of our lives in front of a tv screen playing useless games..to zone out and not challenge things and not give a shit about what our fucking government is doing since we are too busy getting high and buying new clothes and CD's.. Ok, now I am fucking bummed But I do still think we have great potential as a country..but probably even better to say we have potential(I hope) as a world and a race at this point..

What tripped me out is my Australian cousin a couple weeks ago was saying how he wanted to take like a year to travel around America with a car. Ime like..dude..I have a job.. That nomadic spirit is pretty cool though..I am more of a find a place I like and really get into the community type of person...but definetly it open your mind to travel...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! I thught it was Plato for a minute..

Good stuff. Yoda, your totally right..the shit I deal with from fam is the same shit I would deal with anywhere else they just have a somewhat more personal input into things.

Most important thing above all is to feel a connection with Sensei/Sifu/teacher(we don't really use the terms in BJJ, I always just address my teacher by his first name). Then the training atmosphere and quality of students. I wouldn't bother training under someone who isn't an expert(recognized by lineage and achievment) so it's got to be authentic..but of course the vibe has to be right .I have left dojo's with high ranking people because the vibe was fucked..basically too controlling and judgmental. I don't mind my teacher critisizing my technique or whatever but don't want another Dad .One dad is already enough

Cool. I do standing qigong every day anyway. But I keep finding a deeper level of groundedness and feel like lowly beginner again

Root: under-active (-6%) Sacral: open (13%) Navel: open (19%) Heart: open (19%) Throat: open (38%) Third Eye: open (31%) Crown: open (44 %) Shit better give my root more attention? Does that mean I need more sex or meditation? Or both?

Kyle is an awesome dad. One time I called him and all this screaming in the backround and I go "It sounds like your at the circus". He laughed about and didn't bother him at all. And my sense from hangin' with him is he would be probably very cool dad to have. None of the heavy judgmental vibe I and so many kids I knew got just loving, fun to be around person.

I was really a miserable kid so it's hard to look back objectively about childhood but I think if I had grown up in a warmer climate like arizona or california I would have done better from a younger age. Growing up in NY with cold winters and having bad asthma as a child along with a host of allergies just made me depressed most of the time. So, I would say above all else I would try to help my kids become healthy and vibrant then they could probably be more successful and passionate about whatever they want.

What do you think of Michael Winn's view that the microcosmic orbit unifies all the chakras to one harmonious flowing chakra stabilized and supported by the 3 tan tiens? I like the view that the lower tan tien is like the root of the tree and you plant the seed of health and enlightenment there and gradually it grows and cultivates and opens the higher branches(middle and upper tan tien) and subsequently harmonizes the upper tan tien accosiated with higher awareness(shen) with the lower tan tien accosiated with sexuality(jing). Cool to read your explorations into the chakra system and I know the magik traditions use the chakra system perhaps more than the Taoist system(or maybe not?) Cam

I know your not a grappler but it's FEDOR. Do what you like it's for fun anyway..

Kids need love and they need to play. They need love and they need to play. Also..kids need love and they need to play... And adults also need love and need to play.... A sense of playfullness and not taking things so seriously is I think essential in early years. Discipline and hard work can come later if they want to become the next President or brain surgeon... IMO...

So are you going to go train with Fedor or not!?

Dennis did alot of work with that stuff and he talks about it sometimes. Seems like a western system of enlightenment. For example, one thing he said to try is if you always open a door with your right hand open it with your other hand for a week. Or just do something differently. I am not strongly attracted to it and remember Bodri saying in an email how no one ever got enlightened in Guierjief system except guiejief(I must have spelled that wrong I know). I really havent studies it deeply enought tt comments though.