Merry Christmas, is Humanity failing? Oh, and happy holidays….

With all the growing segregations and segregations within even more segregations, labels, factions, borders causing larger and larger gaps amongst people, rich and poor, races, men and women, religions, and even sexual orientations and with the ever growing selfishness, greed and individualistic lifestyles promoted and marketed worldwide…. Are we not indeed failing ourselves? Our future generations?

Future generations… this is a term that eludes so many as most live as if there will be no tomorrows to come with the mindset that the next generation will fix and repair the damage we’ve continuously caused to both ourselves and the very planet we live upon.

Fear of change coupled with selfishness, greed and laziness breeds indifference and indifference is what is hurting us all.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy new year, may God be with you, hope this year brings you the best, the purchase of gifts for loved ones and the purchase of gifts out of necessity for those that may get offended if they don’t receive, yet you really wouldn’t have gotten them a thing were it strictly up to you…

These are mere gestures we act out like a bunch of puppets on a string due to a national or international holiday based on fables and stories repeated from generation to generation, father to son, mother to daughter depending of course on where one was brought up. And these fables are only acted upon in certain times of the year, when guilt overrides an individual… we go to churches on Sundays only to forget everything we prayed for and promised the very following day as we walk by a homeless man or another in dire need.

We go to Mosques and synagogues and other temples to release and purge ourselves of our ‘sins’ and to pray to the very same God/universe that made each and every one of us; yet we hate, judge and condemn those that do not pray like us, look like us.

What is eluding most of us, is that all these fables were constructed by man in the hopes of unifying masses but in the end, create more hatred, segregation, war and death than any other entity or cause combined. War, hatred, death, racism, segregation, poverty…. All in the name of God.

And so the Christmas season is upon us again… and what have we done indeed? What are we doing? Christ preached love, peace and unity. He said it is better to give than to receive and though there are many that do and this isn’t about them, it is about all those that wear their crosses, go to church and pray every night who receive much, much more than they ever give or gave. It is about those that walk around wearing clothes totalling well over the 5 thousand dollar mark, wearing $4 thousand + watches driving in their 75 thousand + cars driving by and literally walking over homeless people on their way to and from work, dropping an occasional $20 or more in their cups to appease their underlying guilt that is mostly suffocated by their very own greed and need to fulfill their voids…

This is not judgement, this is fact. This can be seen much more often than not in all countries of this planet we live in, all cities, 3rd or 1st world alike.

One needs to as the picture states, define necessity. Where I live today, I see this on a daily basis… people driving by others in starvation in their multi thousand dollar vehicles. Day in and day I out I struggle with these issues for I do give and give allot on as many possible levels without allowing myself to reach the very own state of poverty I am trying to combat.

And some will argue that they do also give, and they do indeed give and do a lot of good for a lot of people who otherwise would have not received anything at all… but this isn’t about them. Though, to play devil’s advocate, yes, it is indeed about them as well because more can be done. Some of these ‘givers’ drive multi thousand dollar vehicles and live in extreme luxury. I however do not and am relying mainly on friends, family and cabs at this stage.

Rather than drive $75.000+ automobiles that consumes more oil and fuel than necessary and in turn depleting the earth of it’s vital resources, when there are entire cities and villages that don’t even have enough water to drink or bathe in, these people could be instead driving equally reliable cars for $25,000 or less and use the extra $50 grand + what is saved on fuel, insurance, etc. to build shelters for the needy. And if 50 people who own $75G+ cars pooled together and did that, then more villages can be saved, more of humanity can have their daily bread with a roof over their heads.

Too much to ask? “They deserve their riches because they worked hard for them??? How about all of the exploited children who work 21 hour days for less than pennies a day to make some of the very clothes these hard working rich folk deserve? Do they not count because they are out of sight and out of mind?

Does the following picture mean nothing to anyone?

Will you just look at it, say how horrible, click on the next page of your computer and forget it even existed? Will you deny that it is every single one of our responsibilities, perhaps even argue that fact? Will you go and hug your own child and say “Thank God?” but then, what kind of God do you pray too that you believe would allow you to be bestowed with the great gift of a precious child and the means to support that beautiful child yet deny and spit on others? Are we not all God’s children? Does the same energy that runs through you not run through every living thing, plant, animal and human combined?

Do we need luxury when half of us don’t eat for days or weeks? Is it fair in our hearts to vacation in 5 star hotels when half of us live daily in cardboard boxes? Is it not each and every one of us responsibilities? Is it enough to just give our $35.95 a month that gets taken off our credit cards to supposedly feed a hungry child half way across the planet? A child most will never meet? But that $35.95 allows us to perhaps sleep better at night, appease that continuously nagging feeling that we just can’t pinpoint deep in the corner of our souls… leaving us wanting more and more and more….

And so, if desired, if any of this made any sense to you, if you resonated at all with any of it then there is something everyone can do regardless of our positions in life.

It begins with ego. And that is the most difficult part because being human myself and as I am typing this right now, I am battling mine fiercely but I have been making this change step by step, little by little and I and my love Tania are well on our way… Tania Garby, my very first girlfriend back in 1986 which I reconnected 23 years later in late July of 2009 is one of those human beings who gives so much more than she receives, for reference of an amazing and inspirational story of selflessness and helping the less fortunate, please refer to our past blog article “The True Ripple Effects of Love and Selflessness” http://senshidointernational.blogspot.com/2009/08/true-ripple-effects-of-love.html

And so self defense truly does begin with the self… it begins with dealing with our very own personal demons, tackling our arch enemy, the ego… and fundamentally understanding at the deepest of all levels that we are all one. There is no greater gift than changing a human life for the better, than improving and providing another with the tools to excel, survive and thrive and I am not talking about street fighting or personal protection here, I am talking about sharing ones love with a stranger in need.

And so this holiday season, and all seasons, make an effort and lend a helping hand, a friendly ear, to someone in need, don’t just give a homeless man money to eat, take him out for a meal, sit with him and break bread with him. Sell your 500 thousand dollar home, purchase a $200 thousand dollar home and use the extra $300 thousand to build a shelter or provide education to those who lack it, instead of watching TV for 4 hours a night every night after work, volunteer somewhere you can make a difference in someone’s life, raise money for the needy and take the time yourself to go out there and help them make the best of it because simply giving to organizations such as the Red Cross or others doesn’t ever guarantee the needy receive the money as for the most part, they do not, case in point, Thailand, after the Tsunami hit, thousands donated to the Red Cross for the survivors, the survivors received nothing… the government kept it all….

Do not count on the powers that be, they too are human, count on yourselves, make the differences with your hands, see it with your own eyes, I can promise you that nothing is more enriching than saving another human life because I have done it and continue on doing it every single day. There is nothing more rewarding than that… and if this does not resonate with you, if none of this sounds right… then keep doing what you’re doing…

Once again, I leave you with the good Mother Theresa’s words:

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centred;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

And with that said, have yourselves a very merry Christmas, joyful and peaceful holidays and a fantastic new year and remember;

Peace is a state best always kept and not just during holiday season; may one and all achieve and maintain peace in your hearts and souls for all time...

Sincerely,

Rich, Tania & the Senshido International Team

Christmas and Holiday Specials!

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Thank you and a merry Christmas and happy holidays to one and all.

Peace.

Calm. Reduced fear. Managed the situation.

Some time back, I had a guy who became interested in Senshido so I started training with him, giving him private instruction. He had already seen and heard of what we teach prior to training with me. But as I tell people to see it and actually do it are two different things. He was blown away with the efficiency of the physical as well as behavioral, emotional and psychological training. After a few sessions he asked if he could talk with me about something that was on his mind.

Sure, I say. . . What’s up?

He asks me if I can train his sister. Sure, I say.

He goes onto telling me that her confidence is so low and she doesn’t know what to do as she is in an abusive relationship with her husband. I asked him if there was physical abuse to which he replied no. He said it was all mental – telling her she is stupid and she is not worth anything (not the exact wording he used) and things of that nature. I understand that sometimes the deepest cutting blows are not the physical – they are often the psychological. The mental beat down those words can do often leave lasting bruises and scars long after the physical injuries heal. I was very concerned about her. She was concerned because she thought it might get eventually get physical. This is always a concern in these types of situations however I thought she needed strengthing in the psychological and emotional areas of training.

I had a seminar coming up and I told he needs to have her there. When I met her at the workshop which her brother also participated in, I could tell her spirit was broken and she needed that area to be addressed. In that workshop we worked on the psychological, physical behavioral and emotional aspects of personal protection. In less than 3 hours, I could see the transformation take place. Her confidence was up and her desire to intelligently handle confrontations appeared to have increased. At the end of the day I told her I wanted to check in on her from time to time and if she needed me to call, regardless of the day or time. So, after about a month I sent her an email to see how she was doing. Although she the workshop she participated in was an introduction to personal protection this is what she said:

“I had an ugly scene (with the estranged husband) a few weeks ago. Things never got physical, but I believe with the knowledge I gained from your seminar that I would be able to handle it if things did get physical helped me stay calm and manage the situation. For me, the hands-on, realistic combat situations were more helpful than the contrived settings I have experienced in other training. I really feel that just the single seminar with you drastically reduced my fear of physical conflict.”

I told her I was glad that what she learned helped her avoid any harm situations and to please keep in touch.

Calm. Reduced fear. Managed the situation. Realistic combat situations. She stayed calm so she could manage the situation and her fear and if it became physical, she had realistic training that she could count on too.

Additionally, her fear was reduced to the point that she eventually moved out and is living a much more happy and prosperous life. Not a Shred or a blow exchanged. She side stepped the physical by using other tools and realized her strength as a human being was not rooted in Shredding her husband.

Hey, can you see me smiling through the Internet?

Glenn Wilson

Senshido International

Washington DC Metro Area

Back to our true roots, our higher selves...

I have just spent 4 days amongst Israelis, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists breaking bread, conversing, playing music and singing together in harmonious peace under the magnificent sky of the Sinai desert in Egypt on the borders of Israel and Jordan.

Being surrounded by silence, peace and all of nature’s elements, sleeping under the moon and starlight, it was once again reaffirmed to me the very nature of my work and the roads I have travelled and hells I have endured to get me where I am today.Being away from technology and living amongst people from varying cultures and religions has indeed taught me much and enforced the truth that technology unfortunately clouds us, constantly distracting us from our higher selves bombarding us with materialism and feeding the ego a constant buffet of lies.

I believe Mother Teresa said it best when she said:

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

Though I am by far not religious or faithful to any one faction, I do believe that spirituality is universal and less limiting, more accepting and carries a greater understanding of the collective-centric. I do not personally believe in personifying God as God is energy, the very energy of life and love and not a judge or jury or great commandeer of our lives…

I have personally stopped watching television in 2005 after my first divorce. TV was nothing more than a haven from the truth, from real life and from connection with other our and other souls… we now live in a world where thinking, analyzing and questioning is becoming taboo whether hidden in the wise brainwashing of marketing and media in first world countries or blatantly in your face corruption in third world countries but make no mistake about it, it is there whether cleverly disguised and sold and bought by the public or forced down our throats.

I have a close friend who as soon as he wakes up in the morning has his radio on, television on and computer on before lighting his first cigarette. And he falls asleep the same way… the constant distractions keep him from having to face his mundane life of robotically working from 9 to 5 for someone else, contributing nothing of value to himself or anyone else in the grand scheme of things for that matter and all his hard work is going into making someone else rich while he does make a decent salary… the problem is, he is working 50 weeks a year in a lifeless job in order to be able to escape that reality he created for 2 or 3 weeks of sunshine and relaxation on some beach outside his chosen country. Then it is right back to the mundane torture of everyday living a meaningless existence filled with "stuff".

I personally know successful actors, actresses, rich businessmen, etc. and I watch them self destruct at the deepest of levels while fighting and literally arguing for their painful realities. A few of these particular people wake up in the morning with a glass of vodka orange juice and a cigarette for breakfast yet by all intents and purposes, they seem or believe or are believed to ‘have it all’… wealth, fame, material possessions beyond most means… yet you look inside their eyes, their souls, and you find a vast abyss of emptiness. An emptiness they constantly try and fulfil with yet more technology, more material goods, bigger, better ‘things’… and there is where the ego’s biggest lie resides… in the false belief that the more 1 has, the more 1 gains, the better off 1 is… notice the lonely number 1… some of these people live in multimillion dollar homes. Homes of which they’ve never even visited half the rooms of in months or years perhaps… yet they are there… filled with every possible gadget and latest technology and most, admittedly so, are surrounded by false friends who no longer would be around were they to all of a sudden lose these fortunes…

Another friend of mine unfortunately cannot even comfortably hang around with a group of friends he introduced me too when the conversation goes beyond stand up comics, quoting movies and songs or the latest technological piece of equipment he can purchase and add to his collection… when the conversations begin to reach greater depths, he is the first to turn his back and bury his face into the internet and YouTube living vicariously through other people’s successes. The minute the conversation in the room silences for a second or two, he literally jumps at the opportunity to show us another stand up comedian on YouTube. Yes it is funny stuff, yes I do enjoy laughing as laughing is one of the greatest healers and soul cleansers but to use it to hide from our higher self is in my most humble of opinions, a crying shame.

Another good friend of mine who is in his early 40’s wants to get himself a motorcycle and has been urging me to join him in this venture… though the thought of owning and riding a Harley is definitely ‘inviting’, I can think of much better and more fulfilling things to do with my money and time at this stage of my life than to boost my ego with a Harley Davidson bike. Not that there is anything wrong with owning a Harley, not at all, but as long as these things are not compensating for our higher purpose.

It’s unfortunate that most need material objects, styles, and the like to define who they are as indeed it does to a certain extent define 1, it defines 1 to a large extent as insecure (as without these things 1 would feel a lesser man/woman), and as empty (as these things artificially and temporarily fill a void) and do not; as 1 would believe or have the ego make us believe, that we are indeed “better, happier people” with these things.

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara said:

"The amount of poverty and suffering required for the emergence of a Rockefeller, and the amount of depravity that the accumulation of a fortune of such magnitude entails, are left out of the picture, and it is not always possible to make the people in general see this."

I couldn’t agree more. And one needs to look deeper than the socio-political-economical side of it.

The black and white truth of the matter is humanity literally only needs 5 things to survive more than happily on this earth and these things are as follows:

1. Love.
2. Shelter.
3. Food
4. Air
5. Water

Period. That’s it. That’s all we need. And I stress the word “need”… as everything else anyone can ever think of is no longer a need but becomes a desire… as needs are necessary for survival and fulfill the higher self and desires are necessary for the ego.

Does this mean all should live in poverty along the lines and life of Mother Teresa? Perhaps. Perhaps not. That is a personal choice but divine, pure and unadulterated fulfilment comes from the bettering and improving of another life. As the good mother Teresa once said, unless love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without real love is slavery.

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” ~ Mother Teresa

And unfortunately the belief is that the more we have, the more we will be loved and unfortunately, many have subscribed to this false truth and are out there collecting and working to collect more and more ‘things’ in the hope of finding that love, that acceptance but the artificialness of it all still leaves them with a void inside, a bitterness of sorts and an underlining anger which more often than not result in some form of violence and abuse weather to themselves or towards others around them, weather they are aware of it or not.

I know this because I have lived this. I lived it for a long and painful time and I couldn’t fathom that the pain was self induced, was indeed, my doing and not the world’s, not the powers that be, not those that I believed spited me in whatever form I deemed… and now that I have lived through it, made my realizations, came to terms and became fully accountable for my own choices, my own life and all of my mistakes, failures as well as successes and fulfilments, I have found myself again, I have found myself amongst the rest of us, humanity… a whole… and sadly, those that are still stuck where I was cannot see this reality yet, perhaps some never will and I fully understand it because I too once was them and fought it tooth and nail.

But the truth now is, I am no longer enslaved by my anger and my anger no longer permeates hatred for I once hated venomously many a folk and many a things… and this hatred no longer exists inside of me, I can honestly say that now and feel it with every fibre of my being. And since this shift was made, which is still an everyday battle, make no mistake about it, but one that I am winning much more often than not for we are human and we will forever be plagued by a duality of right and wrong, light and dark, higher self and ego…. It is the ones we feed that will thrive and govern our lives, there will always be a choice and we will always make this choice.

The Sinai desert has reinforced much of this for me, the elements of water, wind, sun and earth surrounding me was replenishing beyond belief and one cannot fathom just how much the everyday rat race of the city truly damages the soul… it is the yin and the yang of life and the balance must be maintained. Thank you Sinai, nature and universe...

Peace out folks… for now… ;`)