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Thread: 2014 Lenten Challenge

  1. #1
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    2014 Lenten Challenge

    Every year, I throw out the Lenten Challenge to my martial arts buddies. It has nothing to do with Christianity or religion (unless you want it to). We are simply using this time as a convenient reminder to rededicate ourselves to our training. It’s kind of hard to miss either Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras, the last day before Lent, which is also Paczki Day!) or Easter Sunday (Bunnies, candy, colored eggs; that stuff). Several of us have been doing this for years now.

    The challenge is this: from Ash Wednesday (Mar 5) until the day before Easter (April 19), train every day, without fail, no excuses; even if you have to move mountains. Simple enough said, a little harder to do.

    It's not as easy as it sounds; things come up. Some days, you might only be able to get a few minutes of training in; but the point is to do it everyday, no matter what.

    It doesn't have to be martial arts training either. Whatever it is that you need to really rededicate yourself to: studying, practicing an instrument, walking, watching what you eat, immersing yourself in something new; anything - do it every day, without fail.
    In the past on some forums, people have posted what they’ve done everyday. I think everyone who’s done that has become tired of writing, and the others get tired of reading it. How about you just post if you’ve had some breakthrough, or you’ve had to overcome some unusual circumstance to continue your training? Maybe just check in every once in a while to let everyone know you’re keeping at it, or to encourage everyone else to keep at it.


    If you fail, no one will hate you. If you fall off of the wagon, climb back on board. Start anew.

    For those of you who already train everyday anyway, by all means continue and be supportive of the rest of us. For the rest of us who intend to train everyday, but sometimes come up short due to life’s propensity for unraveling even the best laid plans, here is an opportunity to put a stake in the ground and show your resolution.

    Won't you join me?

  2. #2
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    im not going to join you. if you "fall off" year after year, quit kung fu. if you cant even conquer yourself, you wont conquer another human being.

    every year you congratulate yourself for "just being human". the biggest shame and failure in a mans life is a dream unrealized.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-03-2014 at 07:10 AM.

    Honorary African American
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  3. #3
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    I recently had a 409 day streak going, before the program I used to track this went belly up on me. I'm probably around 470 consecutive days now.

  4. #4
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    martial artists who have fire in their hearts don't need a checklist.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-03-2014 at 12:14 PM.

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
    Senior Business Director at TEAM ASSHAMMER consulting services ™®LLC

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    martial artists who have fire in their hearts don't need a checklist.
    and yet here we are...lol.

    spit the bitter bawang!
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  6. #6
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    Rick, I think this is a great idea and once again I applaud you! I joined your challenge last year although I didn't post any results. The truth is that I work out ALMOST every day anyway, but it was kind of fun to try not to miss even one day.

    This kind of challenge is great for those folks who could use the motivation. Not everybody sh!ts fire breathing dragons like bawang.

  7. #7
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    The Lenten Challenge begins ... NOW!

  8. #8
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    just get in a fight and lose. youll have enough mental fuel for years. you don't need none of this jenny craig you go girl bllshiet.

    humiliation leads to motivation.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-05-2014 at 07:51 AM.

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
    Senior Business Director at TEAM ASSHAMMER consulting services ™®LLC

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    just get in a fight and lose. youll have enough mental fuel for years. you don't need none of this jenny craig you go girl bllshiet.

    humiliation leads to motivation.
    I don't think that aspect can be understood until it's been directly experienced.

    Mind motivates us in all things. Enough humiliation can break someone too. IN their spirit, in their outlook and they will lash out and frequently that is to their detriment.

    Fight Club wisdom is a lot of Brosh*t too, so that's worth noting. Very superficial in many ways.

    It is true however that if you really want to learn how to fight, then you have to fight. You don't have to keep fighting and you don't even have to win all the time. But you do have to put in the effort to gain understanding.

    Having said that, he's talking about using his religious inclinations to make the leap forward in whatever endeavour. the Christian period of Lent is similar to house cleaning time, getting your ducks in a row and your life in order. I think that's the heart of what he's talking about. Using a religious calendar function to set a timer is as useful as anything else.

    Correct me If I'm wrong here Rick Matz.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  10. #10
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    when you try to cut spirituality and passion into little compartments to neatly fit into specific time periods, when you treat your life as a business schedule, you cannot succeed. your lent should not be a yearly cycle but a daily one. be reborn every morning.

    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    Fight Club wisdom is a lot of Brosh*t too, so that's worth noting. Very superficial in many ways.
    this is not fight club bro wisdom. this is the essence behind every kung fu movie. this is what drove most people to do kung fu in the first place, even though they couldn't find the words to explain it.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-05-2014 at 09:06 AM.

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
    Senior Business Director at TEAM ASSHAMMER consulting services ™®LLC

  11. #11
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    Lent is a convenient time on the calendar to rededicate yourself to your training.

    If it bothers you, then ignore it.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    when you try to cut spirituality and passion into little compartments to neatly fit into specific time periods, when you treat your life as a business schedule, you cannot succeed. your lent should not be a yearly cycle but a daily one. be reborn every morning.



    this is not fight club bro wisdom. this is the essence behind every kung fu movie. this is what drove most people to do kung fu in the first place, even though they couldn't find the words to explain it.
    people are gonna be at, where they are at.
    My kung fu isn't your kung fu and vice versa.

    In my view, it's all just training. you may never get to taste the fruit of the tree you planted and nourished.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  13. #13
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    What is Lent? A catholic holiday?

    Shouldn't Kung Fu people be training every day, 3X's a day if we can, anyway?

    When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2009, I was not a registered runner. I snuck in at the starting line with the 2nd wave of runners. I ran the entire race, 26.2 miles. In all my training for running, I never used a stop watch to time myself or anything like it, even though I would run 16- 20 miles to train, and sometimes then go to work where I would be on my feet for 8 hours, lifting boxes & hand-stacking product.

    I treat my Kung Fu the same way.. there is just training hard, there is no reason for a checklist that is just silly. I agree with BaWang. His posts are always reasonable and down to earth.

  14. #14
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    community is nourished in many different ways.
    If you don't want to participate that's fine, but there's no place to criticize a guy for seeking fellowship in training.
    Is there?
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    community is nourished in many different ways.
    If you don't want to participate that's fine, but there's no place to criticize a guy for seeking fellowship in training.
    Is there?
    Agreed, everyone lead different lives and not all can devote every day to training. If you miss a day okay but don't beat yourself up about it, at least you're attempting to better yourself.

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