Cameron

Though some may see these things as contradictory I really don't . My critique of "Magik" is not really a critique so much as I don't know much about it. If we are talking about something specific like Western Occultism, Golden Dawn, Hermeticism etc there are interesting things in those traditions I have read about. I guess it boils down to what do you want to spend your time doing. Zen is very direct. As Adyashanti says spirituality is about subtraction not addition. So many of these other teachings feel like addition, adding more to the too much that is already there, to me. Perhaps this is useful in providing some kind of refernce point to experience spiritual stages . Zen just says forget the refernce point and let go of everything. But I still find shamanism and magik interesting. It's all just the stage of study for me now anyhow I havent penetrated very deeply onto any specific path. Though Adyashanti's path is the pathless pass of just trusting and letting things happen of there own accord.

Bodybuiliding muscle is mostly show every martial artist knows that. It actually hampers your progress at BJJ which is more about learning positioning and being able to flow into different techniques. Strength is useful but someone with superior techniqe and flexibility will generally be better(Aikido, Chinese internal arts it is the same). As Karl Gotch says for combat sports the number one thing is conditioning, conditioning, conditoning. For me that would be bodyweight excercises and kettlebells. But just training in MA itself is probably the best. Doing BJJ(or whichever art) for 2 hours is serious training. Even some of the Aikido classes I used to do were serious training. Some of my japanese Aikido teachers had pretty large muslces(not like bodybuilders but good) just by doing aikido.

http://www.quizgalaxy.com/quiz.php?id=47 Taoism Your ideals mostly resemble those of the Taoist faith. Spirituality is the most important thing in your life. You strive to live by all of your ideals, and live a very intellectually focused life. 60% spiritual. 20% reason-oriented

Steve Cotter has just released what is being called the most comprehensive kettlebell course. Looks like it pretty much covers everything you need to know about kettlebell training from one of the top instructors. Another one to add to the list http://www.shihan.com

I concur. He also does Qigong and BJJ.

So are you going to ellaborate on the being that appeared to you, lit up your room, and spoke out loud when you were not under the unfluence of drugs or just keep us hanging? Yes Aliester Sean it is to you whom I speak.

Cool. I like those Harry Potter movies . Maybe if my knee is better I'll hobble in to see it this week.

edited best wishes to crazy people getting better.

Pretend there are no limits. If you could be or do anything you wanted in life, what would it be? A friend of mine owns a MMA clothing company and also holds BJJ and MMA tournaments and whenever we talk I always like to get into who should fight who next in UFC, PRIDE, or BJJ/Submission wrestling. So I think one of the coolest jobs for me would to be the matchmaker for a big show like Pride or UFC. And I also think I would be really good at this. As a backup to this I would want to own my own business that gives me enough time and money to do what I like: Qigong and martial arts and whatever else I feel like. Which is sort of what I am on track to do now. Anyone have a dream job that they would love to do? What is preventing you from doing it?

Endless material. I'll see how long my rehab is going to be if longer thana couple months I'll use my former BJJ time to work on some material. Maybe even a script?

You could easily become a successful comedian if you wanted it. And this is coming from a guy(me) that has been told quite a few times I have stand up comedy potential. You have that whacky, saturday night, life is a fun ride so who cares energy. If you could somehow get the alternative or meditation angle and mix it with contemporary american issues you would be set. Just that line you have where you go "fun, fun" you could turn into a schtick. I remember almost everything I said you laughed and go ' Yeah, fun, fun". With work you could have that as the center of your act where you talk about relevant or just meaningless Jerry Seinfeld esqe observations and then follow it with nodding your head going "fuuuuuuuuuun" with that southern accent of yours. I am not shitting you if I wasn't so busy and was a talent agent or Hollywood dude I would spend time on you to shape your act. Shit..you could just talk about yourself . A close to middle aged former hippy who now sells homes but talks to cutting edge alternative liefesyle preople on the computer all day. Your selling a house and then go " Hold on, let me check my tounge". Your customers ask what for and you go " Oh it's nothing Im cutting a little piece off my tounge every week so I can get it up to lick my brain." And for other characters your all set. You could have someone play your somewhat conservative brother who is accepting of your strange ways but tries to bring some real life issues to the show(or act) Just being a married guy who talks about tantric sex with his wife and stuff(sort of using the angle that your wife is normal) is an almost endless stand up comedy supply right there. Good luck!

Yes. I talk to alot of people about it. I enjoy what I am doing now and do the MMA stuff for fun. though one of my best friends makes his living from it. If I got into the business seriously it would be down the road after I finish school.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate that. It could not have gone better. Trunk, Yoda, Sean you are all three some of the coolest people I have known in my life. Seriously sometimes I wonder why I have spent so much time on discussion boards over the years and it is people like you that make this thing work. All the best to all of you in your lives. Cam

Thanks Craig. I love this product. Just like you said it chills you out but also gives more focus and clearer thinking. One of the things I have noticed with alot of the online Taoists is they may have cultivated alot of qi but it's not stable and balanced. I usually don't just blatently reccomend any product but I think this one would be very useful for alot of people. Shen stabilization seems like something that everyone could use more of . Though 'chill you out' or relaxation would make more sense to someone not into Tao.

No effect at all? Interesting. For me it is has been amazing. It deeply relaxes and stabilizes my emotions so shen(spirit,qi) can come up without 'bumping' into things. It's major usefulness, though, is I think for those who di qigong and get emtionally charged energy from the organs come up with the increase in qi. It seems to just stabalize and anger, worry, etc and bring it back to a state of peacful, alert awareness(which is also very heart centered for me). But one size does not fit all I guess

Confused dreams Treat me like a bystander The shadow of a self appears and disappears Glorious angels Horrible demons Are all the same My mind is deep with judgements right and wrong afflict pure awareness like clouds covering the bright full moon Friend or enemy my true self remains If I could say a word to clarify things It could only make things worse The time that has passed between us Is as illusory as the distance between heaven and earth We share the same space You and I What could possibly come between us? You changed my life with a glance Your whispers penetrating through my ego shell Like a sharp arrow through a thick suit of armor Once the wall is penetrated It is only a matter of time Time and space exists only for you and I My love My eternal know nothing self

I wonder if the new Matrix video game can live up to the hype...

av madness..I am just going to have no av for awhile.. Wu Xing is not really the same as the 5 shen. I don't think Ken teaches anything about the 5 shen. Wu Xing is textbook chinese medicine stuff..5 elements and different cylces and all that.. I think I am going to start reading Honoring The Medicine finally .Ken said it's better than the qigong book and the qigong book is the best work on the subject IMO.. I was talking about aliens with a bunch of people at a party Sat night..funny how many people say they have seen UFO's flying around.

I can't control myself Lozen asked Ken what his opinion was of the five shen(as used in Michael Winn's system) and he said " What are those?" Or something.

I'l get you an update on my surgery situation. Probably we can get some green tea or something on friday.

How is sean going to len anyone WW when I saw the videos lying on Lozen's vcr?

A guy at at BJJ jump ropes for 15 minutes before class. I would sit on the mat and check him out. I would do it but would be afraid after 15 minutes of jump rope I would be gassed during class!! We are both the same age and just started at the same time and he already won a tounrament and is far better shape than me(though I can overpower him with extra weight and Qi )

Let's do some group study of the Tao Te Ching. I am referencing a translation done by this guy named Peter Merel which can be found at http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/taoism/ttcmerel.htm But if you have another version you like better include it and we can compare subtle differences of translations.

That's all well and nice but the regular rules don't apply when you decide you want to make BJJ your main hobby I suspect I will need to be very careful about my knees though since this is going to be the second knee surgery. Still, I'll get better and prefer this shit to back problems that people have.