Readers of the Rhetorical Roundhouse blog will know that I have a special affection for the Rocky movies and I sincerely believe there's some wisdom we can all learn from Sly Stallone. For the past couple weeks I've been writing about the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do and how these can help us navigate the troubling waters of being an adult in 2020. When it comes to advice for when you're feeling beaten down by life, I don't think there's much that compares with Rocky's speech to his son in Rocky Balboa.
Why am I thinking about Rocky? Well, partly because I found myself doing some boxing workouts this week in my effort to diversify my striking arsenal, and partly because of a lightbulb moment I had during training. If you follow Rhetorical Roundhouse on Instagram, you may have seen this post from a couple days ago:
In a nutshell, I realized I had a LOT of nervous energy built up--as many of us do these days. I decided that I needed to do some training and clear my mind--which is a good thing. But then I realized I was bordering on over-training--pushing myself past exhaustion just so I didn't really have to face what was bothering me.
This is not OK.
Training in this way can become an addiction like anything else, a way to escape the world and your own issues without facing them or working toward self-improvement. Performing critically reflective martial arts training means using your art to enter into a meditative state, one that helps you address your own concerns and anxieties instead of dismissing them.
So, thanks Rocky for reminding me that. If you're not sure the scene I'm referring to, check out this clip from Creed
For those of you looking for something to add to your training, check out this beginner's guide to kickboxing. These techniques might be basic, but combining the fundamentals of kicking and punching is often easier said than done.
In other news, I want to remind you all that we are still raising money to support Pil Seung Martial Arts in Blacksburg, VA during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you donate at least $10 I will donate my time and service to the charity of your choice! If you'd prefer, I can also donate my time to teach martial arts lessons to community organizations or to you! If you've never tried Tae Kwon Do, now is the perfect time to give it a shot.
Please donate and share widely!
And of course, I have a new episode of Good Black Friday to share with you! This week was a bit of a train wreck due to weather and some issues with the trivia question, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless :)
That's going to do it for today--tune in again next week for more exciting, silly, reflective gobbledygook from yours truly.
Until then, thanks for stopping by.
Kamsahamnida!