This last year has taken its toll upon us all. The news and the world seemed to serve us up fear and confusion, and we ate it all. And for some, those that trained in martial arts not as a sport, or as a means of combat, but as a means of self knowledge and self discipline, it brought us challenges.
“The discipline of remaining disciplined is a discipline few master”
I can’t answer or comment for all my colleagues, but a few, including myself, took this as an opportunity. For me, it was a challenge that threatened to break me but also let me prove my mettle to myself once again and temper me.
“Men are much like swords, both are useless once they lose their temper.”
I fasted most of COVID-19 Pandemic shut down and quarantined, all whilst at first being an essential worker performing duties as a Code Enforcement Officer and helping to enforce Shelter in Place orders.
The result was that I didn’t gain weight, and helped me to remain focused on something positive while all that was served up by the media was a steady diet of despair and fear. I have to say that there were a few others like Jennifer Traut, and Conrad Bui, as well as Christy Magayanes, that kept posting positivity and progress in their individual work out programs and daily musings. This was all very useful for me, as toward the later part of quarantine I had been getting advice from Todd Labrie on workout programs to further leverage the benefits of my fasting. Lastly I began following Wim Hof breathing too to help reset my biology too.
All the while we were isolated, distant, fearful, I was being pulled together and closer by friends in the social media networks as well as my friends here at home. The end result, for me, is what I call “The Promise of Iron”.
This is a promise to myself to eat right, move right, think right, and in turn help me keep feeling right.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
Socrates
It really didn’t matter what you did for exercise, or the mental challenge that fasting or some other kind of exercised self control acted upon, the promise of iron is about a daily and weekly practice as a way of life, not a quick plan, but a path that you embark upon for the benefit of mind body and soul.
During the pandemic in 2020 I did fasts between 12 hours in length upto 96 (I actually was only able to do about 93 hours, but I tried). And with Todd’s help I started working out on what he called the 100’s. I will outline some of my recipes I cooked during this time, not all vegan as I began eating fish too, though at least half of my meals are vegan usually. I will also outline some of my workouts, I highly recommend you go to Todd’s facebook page if you want some great routines. Currently I am on factorial ladders of Burpees, specifically what I call a Failure Ladder right now.
Martial Arts, and training in martial arts is about self control first, without self control none of the other abilities and feats that get so much engagement on social media would be possible, and I find a regulated diet and regular exercise are a great way of maintaining a high level of self control. Remember to enjoy life with food, drink, and friends and whatever healthy way you may find enjoyment and enrichment in your lives.
The Promise of Iron
“I am no greater than any other human, as I fulfill my potential, like ore from the earth put through the fire, I reveal I am made of harder stuff. And so blossoms the beauty and strength my body is capable of, what Socrates declared. This is The Promise of Iron, and my commitment to myself and those I hold dear. I ask that my sword brothers & sisters hold me to this promise as I shake loose the dross of mediocrity, this is My Promise of Iron.”
In a crowd of the mediocre and typical, do the extraordinary. Do what others won’t today, so that tomorrow you may do what others cannot. #wearenotthesame
Join me
Suro Jason Inay