This Thursday on St. Patrick's day I celebrate my 15th anniversary as a Police Officer for the city of Mounds View.
Not quite six months after I was hired I started teaching martial arts in the area. I trained with Alvin McClure Sensei on Monday and Wednesday nights as my schedule would allow and every Saturday morning (Every other on 3 hours sleep after working over night)
Tuesdays and Thursdays I would teach at the Mounds View Community Center.
I remember the first class was Tuesday September 11th 2001. Not so much because the class was so memorable, but obviously other stuff was going on in the world on that day.
Heath Carter was with me on that first night
Heath was at class last night. The more things change the more they stay the same
For many reasons, and ever changing circumstances, the Dojo has moved and changed several times over the years.
The only constant is change
Nothing stays the same but change
If something is bugging you, especially something that would not usually bother you, that is the Universe telling you , you need to change.
I never want this blog to get political. However, this concept is why I disagree with a federally mandated high minimum wage or living wage. You are not supposed to support a family with a minimum wage job. Minimum wage jobs are suppose to suck. That suck feeling is what encourages / forces you to get the training, education, experience, apprenticeship, what ever it takes to do something with your life that doesn't suck.
If we encourage people to become comfortable doing menial labor, we are actively discouraging them from becoming better versions of themselves.
There is nothing wrong with menial labor. It teaches life lessons you can't learn anywhere else, but no one wants, or should spend their entire life doing menial labor.
I believe that feeling of suck is the Universe telling you that you need to change, you need to find a different path.
It is not easy , but nothing truly worth doing ever is.
As I have mentioned, for many reasons, and ever changing circumstances, the Dojo has moved and changed several times over the years.
It was not easy but each change yielded positive results. I am better off for them. The changes needed to happen.
Most recently I started to feel that suck feeling at the gym. People leaving equipment in the middle of the floor where they know we have class should not be a big thing. But it was making me really mad. People dragging $300 tatami mats that don't belong to them or the gym across the floor to do hand stands, covering said mats in chalk shouldn't make me mad, but it did.
If something is bugging you, especially something that would not usually bother you, that is the Universe telling you , you need to change.
Sometimes you have to burn your boats on the shore. Victory or death.
So I changed.
What do I really want?
An open area, with room for storage, and if other people have access to this area they put there stuff away.
If that area is private, away from other people, and quiet, away from loud very bad music that would be a bonus.
That area has to be available on the days and times my guys are accustomed to (changed their schedules around for) training. Times and days I can train with out risking divorce.
I know I have a picture of my lovely wife punching me in the face. I wanted to share that here for comedic relief, but I couldn't find it. So here is a picture from our wedding. You can use my no neck, face that looks like it was stung by a thousand bees for a giggle.
Back to today's post - what else do I really want?
Ample parking.
Shower and locker facilities
Management that will support and promote a not for profit organization (see also not being treated like the red headed step child).
A difficult challenge, but challenge also creates opportunities.
Did I find a place that meets the above mentioned criteria?
C'mon guys it's me your favorite Suburban Samurai, I don't get paid to lose.
Where, you might ask did I find such a place.
The same place I started 15 years ago.
The Mounds View Community Center.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
The Studio we are using was something else entirely back in 2001.
When the student is ready the teacher will appear.
When the teacher is ready the facility will appear.
This change also created alternate semi clandestine training facilities. So if the Community Center is closed, or the training is more suited for one of the other locations we have access to a local area high school wrestling room. Also, and I am very excited about this, we have access to The Harm Farm Mark I (more on this in future posts).
If we ignore the suck, if we do nothing, if we settle and allow ourselves to become comfortable we are actively preventing ourselves from finding our best selves.
I believe that feeling of suck is the Universe telling you that you need to change, you need to find a different path.
This recent change was tough but necessary. The Universe was sending me messages for the last couple of months.
Because of these changes, I have finally found my niche.
The flip side is, if something feels right that is also the Universe telling you something. Despite the frustrations with the gym lately, I have been experiencing what I call the "Budo Buzz" and really having a blast. Because of the material we have been working on, but mostly because of the crew I have been rolling with (find good people).
I'm not going to share my whole business plan here except to say I finally have a fucking business plan.
The simple questions Randy King asked me at the USMAA Northern Regional Training Camp over a year ago, the ones that I should have been able to answer, the ones I have been struggling to answer since then, finally have an answer.
That uneasy feeling was the Universe forcing me to find my best answers to those seemingly simple questions.
I can't be all things to all people, to all people, all the time.
I had to discover what brings me the most joy (Budo Buzz).
I had to figure out who I have the most fun training.
I had to develop a way to deliver what I enjoy doing most to the people I enjoy playing with most.
Because, besides all the side benefits at the end of the day if you are not having fun, what is the point?
Train hard, train smart, be safe
Never settle
Failure should probably always be an option. It's why I practice austerity in case I never make more money. Congratulations on the new facility.
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