Become Useful

The basic idea of being a Hero is the concept of being useful.  Bottom line, every person that gets labeled a hero is someone who was useful to someone else. "Heroic Doctor saves child with disease", "Soldier saves 20 refugees against Terrorists", or "You saved the banquet by driving to pick up the cake, You're a Hero."  No matter how simple it is, being useful is paramount to heroism.

I train & teach Parkour & Freerunning.  One of the "tenets" of Parkour that drew me to the discipline is the idea of "becoming useful".  Don't just do Parkour cause it's fun to run up walls. Don't just Freerun because you like flipping over stuff.  Don't just work out so you can look ripped.  Use your strength to help others, train your abilities so that if the situation ever comes up, you can save someone's life.  This idea still effects how I train today.

Most comic book heroes are useful because they're knocking villain heads & saving kitties out of trees.  Most likely, none of us will ever exact vigilante justice on the wicked & most of us can't fly (to save the cat) either.  But we can all get a lot more useful. Being useful should be one standard we judge the everyday Hero by. 

David Wong wrote this inspiring idea a lot better than I have in his Cracked.com article: 

6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person

Read it now.  Right now.

I'm serious.

I don't usually do New Years Resolutions.  I think they are stupid.  If you have something about your life that you need to change, change it.  Don't wait for the magically N.Y.E. resolution time to do it, Just Do It!  This however, is something I can get behind!  To a brighter future for us all!

BATTLE CALL: Flag Etiquette

This post has taken me a little bit to get out because I wanted to refresh my facts.  I have a Battle Call for anyone with ears to hear.  I've recently noticed more & more how people have no clue how to properly treat the Flag of The United States of America, the Flag of my country.  And by people I mean just about every establishment I see flying the Flag these days, from residential buildings to retail centers & banks.  If you can not do our country the honor of flying the Flag properly, THEN FUCKING DON'T!!!

Below is the Flag Code, copy & pasted from http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html  Take the time to read it.  If you can't take a few minutes to read this, please leave the United States.  Youth used to be required to know this & I think every citizen should know it too.

Flag Etiquette

STANDARDS of RESPECT

The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously. 

The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary. 

When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

Note: Most American Legion Posts regularly conduct a dignified flag burning ceremony, often on Flag Day, June 14th. Many Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, and Girl Scout Troops retire flags regularly as well. Contact your local American Legion Hall or Scout Troop to inquire about the availability of this service.

Displaying the Flag Outdoors

When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting from a window, balcony, or a building, the union should be at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.

When it is displayed from the same flagpole with another flag - of a state, community, society or Scout unit - the flag of the United States must always be at the top except that the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for Navy personnel when conducted by a Naval chaplain on a ship at sea.

When the flag is displayed over a street, it should be hung vertically, with the union to the north or east. If the flag is suspended over a sidewalk, the flag's union should be farthest from the building.

When flown with flags of states, communities, or societies on separate flag poles which are of the same height and in a straight line, the flag of the United States is always placed in the position of honor - to its own right.
 

..The other flags may be smaller but none may be larger.
..No other flag ever should be placed above it.
..The flag of the United States is always the first flag raised and the last to be lowered.

When flown with the national banner of other countries, each flag must be displayed from a separate pole of the same height. Each flag should be the same size. They should be raised and lowered simultaneously. The flag of one nation may not be displayed above that of another nation. 

Raising and Lowering the Flag

The flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously. Ordinarily it should be displayed only between sunrise and sunset. It should be illuminated if displayed at night.
The flag of the United States of America is saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of music, whichever is the longest. 

Displaying the Flag Indoors

When on display, the flag is accorded the place of honor, always positioned to its own right. Place it to the right of the speaker or staging area or sanctuary. Other flags should be to the left. 

The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states, localities, or societies are grouped for display.

When one flag is used with the flag of the United States of America and the staffs are crossed, the flag of the United States is placed on its own right with its staff in front of the other flag. 

When displaying the flag against a wall, vertically or horizontally, the flag's union (stars) should be at the top, to the flag's own right, and to the observer's left. 

Parading and Saluting the Flag

When carried in a procession, the flag should be to the right of the marchers. When other flags are carried, the flag of the United States may be centered in front of the others or carried to their right. When the flag passes in a procession, or when it is hoisted or lowered, all should face the flag and salute. 

The Salute

To salute, all persons come to attention. Those in uniform give the appropriate formal salute. Citizens not in uniform salute by placing their right hand over the heart and men with head cover should remove it and hold it to left shoulder, hand over the heart. Members of organizations in formation salute upon command of the person in charge. 

The Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem

The pledge of allegiance should be rendered by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting.
 

When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. 

The Flag in Mourning

To place the flag at half staff, hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered. On Memorial Day the flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset.

The flag is to be flown at half staff in mourning for designated, principal government leaders and upon presidential or gubernatorial order.

When used to cover a casket, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the grave.

The biggest misdemeanor I've seen with flags recently has been the act of flying the Flag at half staff for no apparent reason.  I see Old Glory being flown at half all the time, without cause, & it's really starting to hack me off!  No Presidents died, it's not memorial day, & I haven't heard any orders from our country's Commander & Chief!  If you didn't know, people have died for this Flag & everything it stands for!  Some people say the red in the Flag represents the blood of patriots.  Even if you don't agree with everything that happens in this country, respect the Flag out of respect for the soldiers who have fought for your freedom.  

So here's the Battle Call, if you choose to accept it, if this mistreatment bothers you like it does me.  Print out a few copies of the above Flag Etiquette instructions, either from the website I previously listed or by copying & pasting them into your own word document.  Put these instructions in your car so that whenever you see the Flag being flown at Half Staff incorrectly, or otherwise abused, you can tape these instructions to the Flag pole in question.  I'm not asking for anyone to have foul words with the owner of the abused Flag.  I'm just asking you to help me re-educate those who fly it.  Thanks for reading!

HERO MAINTENANCE: Inspiration

Heroes are the bright lights of the world, the lamps in dark places.  Being positive & upbeat is often enough to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  

Now, when I say "being positive" I'm not talking about the fake face of positivity we plaster on to meet the world. "Fired Up Buddy!"  "Yeah, I just had a fight with my wife & my car broke down! Life is Good!"  "It took me a half-hour to get out of bed because I'd rather shoot my self then face another day at this office but I'm excited!" "Awesome! Couldn't be better! I haven't made a sale in 2 months! Business is booming! Fired Up!" 

I'm talking about deep down, honest to goodness, positive belief structure.  The true "can do" attitude.  The mindset that sees not limitations but opportunities, not walls but the buildings blocks of future success, not set backs but adventures!  This way of being cannot be faked & speaking all Fired Up! to convince everyone else you are positive doesn't work either.  It's in the core of you.  A true, positive outlook is often something others can feel without you saying a word.  One person described it as "What walks in the room before you do."     

Now, have you ever tried to be this sort of positive all the time?  I'm sure you have.  I am also sure you've come to realize how taxing this way of being can be, especially in our American culture.  Cynicism is the way of humor in our culture.  Speaking an inspiring word to someone can often get you the "stink-eye" look from them.  When everything around you is critical & down-turned it's way to easy to be critical of everything yourself.

  

Then there's Life, that unrelenting wench of bad circumstances who likes to trip you up, kick you when you're down & laugh while she's doing it.  Oh the pangs of circumstance!  How can you keep yourself positive in such environments?  How do you keep your light burning bright?

You can't.  At least not by yourself.  

Every human has their limitations.  Every rock solid hero needs to be inspired & rejuvenated.  I don't care how amazing the hero is, they are not a perpetual motion machine that never runs out of juice.  We need inspiration.  A definition for Inspiration found on Dictionary.com is: 

     World English Dictionary

      inspiration  (ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən) — n

1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that causes this state 
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state 
5. the act or process of inhaling; breathing in 

Solid inspiration is not just warm fuzzies & cute kittens, it moves you!  It wakes up thoughts & stimulates activity!  It is the gasoline of your engine.  With out it, you stop.  Find things that inspire you everyday so you don't stop in the tasks you hope to accomplish.  Maybe it's music, a file of YouTube vids, a selection of writings & poetry that moves you.  Whatever gives you that breathe of fresh air, hold on to it like a lifeline.  Remember, you cannot inspire others if you are down & out yourself.  To make the analogy that life is an airplane you need to get your breathing mask on before you can help anyone else with theirs. 

This video I saw on Facebook has so inspired me: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=535184355831 Maybe it can be an inspiration to you too.  It's never too late to start again.  It's never to late to get up one more time.  No matter who tells you you are done, it's not over until you give up.  

Mini Rant: Parkour Martial Arts

I'm not sure if I can call this a rant as much as a spewing of some of my opinions.  I'm not angry in this situation, I just have some thoughts.  Be forewarned, this post is for my Traceur following (Traceur: one who practices Parkour & Freerunning) & will make little sense if you are not part of the Parkour world.  Please feel free to read on any way though. 

I've heard many an aspiring Traceur say "What if we made a Parkour Martial Art?!" thinking that combining two of the coolest things they know into one couldn't get any better.  I admit I've wondered the same, having study Martial Arts through out my life & Parkour actively for about 6 to 7 years.  Also, when I talk about martial arts with this blog post I am assuming that the theoretical Parkour Martial Art in question is a "standard self defense" martial art & not a "I'm a homicidal maniac, interested in killing random people" martial art.

I believe I understand the desire to combine martial arts with Parkour, at least some of the desire.  Parkour is a very focused discipline with a need to train in it daily, much like a martial art.  Parkour also gets Traceurs to move with intention as well as gain a heightened control over their body, much like martial arts.  However their are a few issues with designing a Parkour-Fu.  

Parkour is about efficiency of motion, finding the most direct route over obstacles & using only your body & the environment to do so.  At its basest form, Parkour could be considered evasion (or pursuit) & is thus engaging a different skill set & mindset than martial arts.  If nothing else Parkour takes up a different need for space (the average fist fight might cover as much as a 15-foot square area where as the average Ninja Warrior course is quite a bit larger & some would call American Ninja Warrior a short course). 

I've heard some people say that Parkour is using the flight instinct & thus could not be combined with the fight instinct.  From what I've seen of Parkour practice, no one ever engages the flight instinct in Parkour.  We are not animals who operate only on instinct.  We are cognizant beings who think through situations.  No Traceurs I've met train by slapping a police officer & seeing if they can out run the officer.  Traceurs (should) train like any high-level athlete. The idea of fight vs. flight instincts making a Parkour Martial Art impossible are unfounded. 

More logical than instinct is the practical side of the motions.  Unless you are planning on jumping over or down on to an unsuspecting enemy, the motions of Parkour are not useful in a fight.  There's just too much movement required & too much lead up to any Parkour move for it to be effective in a fight.  If somehow your enemy does not know you are coming & does not hear you run up toward them, jump off of the wall next to them, then of course a crazy Tic-Tac jump kick to the face could work!  But there's a lot that could go wrong with that plan.  Also I would not call this move (even if it worked) an effective move for a fight situation.  For a sneak attack maybe. Not a move for a fight.  (Like I said early, we're assuming this is a martial art of self defense & you're not running around murdering people.)

That all being said, the two can benefit each other remarkably.  Since I've been training Parkour I've noticed an improvement in my speed & endurance in martial arts.  If I had not trained martial arts I'm not sure I would have picked up some of the Parkour techniques as quickly.  Parkour is a great way to condition your body in ways I find lacking in the modern martial arts dojo. Martial arts is a great way to cross-train & work on some stabilizer muscles.  Generally I've found that the more you study motion, in it's various forms, the better at motion you get.  Kind of like the more you study different subjects, the broader & sharper your mind can get.  The two can work together in harmony (as the below YouTube Vid will show you).  

(Notice he is not fighting he's running away & people keeping getting in the way of his feet.) I have no rights to the above clip so thank you to the YouTube subscriber 'movieclips' for supplying this clip from the movie "District B13".

Please stop trying to create a new thing & just get good at both Parkour & martial arts separately.  Simply put Parkour is Parkour, fighting is fighting.  The two are similar but not the same.  Let them be that way.

Distractions

Ah distractions.  Our world is full of them; let me rephrase: our modern world is full of them.  I understand now the appeal of typewriters to some writers, they're very NOT connected to the internet and email; and Facebook; and Facebook's myriad games.  And I seem to be a junkie to such distractions, despite my best efforts.  

But isn't that how life is?  We have these well meaning intentions & masterful plans of great deeds we mean to accomplish. Then life drops a fat distraction on us like a dive bombing pigeon.  I've heard it said: we are our own worst enemies when it comes to accomplishing our goals.  But it's not entirely our fault.  I mean, a recovering alcoholic knows to stay away from a Bar.  Our problem is distractions litter the virtual walls of the internet like water in a hurricane.  They're a little hard to get away from.  

Well here's me hoping I can get back to consistently writing, sans distractions.  I've got a lot of good stuff in me just waiting to come out!  So many ideas to talk about!  In fact I'm sure you'll see some of that in my next blog post.  Let me just. . .  go check on this one game . . . I'll be right back . . .

 . . . honestly, just take me a sec. . . .

Good Morning Blogosphere!!!

Hello Interwebs & Interwebs readers!  Happy (belated) Veteran's Day!  After a 3-month writing vacation I figure it's time to return to the keys.  My last 3-months have been fraught with unemployment & job seeking; joy of joys. That's one thing you never seem to see in the heroic movies: the hero's life stopping cause they're out of money.  Granted, people go to such movies to get away from the pains of reality so I know why such struggles are not included.  Reality kinda sucks.Any who, I am not dead, I've just been dead in the water with writing.  But I am back now.  Thank you for your patience :-) 

Yesterday was Veteran's Day as it is observed by the Banks & Government Institutions and so this last weekend I've seen a number of the "thank a Vet" posts across Facebook & the internet. This one, however, stuck out to me:  

                 

Adrian Cronauer, the actual radio DJ from "Good Morning Vietnam" said: "It was not unknown when I yelled 'Good morning Vietnam!' for some of the troops to turn to their radios and yell the GI equivalent of 'Get stuffed, Cronauer!' and on one occasion a guy picked up his M-16 and blew away his radio."

This Veteran's Day please thank the veterans you know for their sacrifices.  Also thank the veteran supporters: the family & helpers of the veterans you hold dear.  These supporters may have been one of the few things keeping your cherished veteran alive (or sane) so you could thank them. 

HERO MAINTENANCE: Fitness

One thing is certain with classic heroes, they are physically active, action stars in many cases.  But if you go out right now & try to perform a hero's feat, how likely are you to injure yourself?  Today's Hero Maintenance entry is aimed to help you answer the previous question with a confident "Not Likely."

I've said previously that a hero's modus operandi is a commitment to training themselves constantly, so they are ready for whatever life throws at them.  Physical Fitness, I believe, is an important part of hero training, but many people have a hard time sticking to it.  Why?  Because it's hard? or it's boring? or it's just too easy to get distracted?  Whatever your reason for not working out, the bottom line is you need to, unless the apex of your heroic deeds is slaying dragons in Skyrim.  

This post is about fitness more then skill set, so I'm not going to give my opinions on the best martial skills to acquire nor the benefits to improving your Parkour, combat driving, or goose juggling skills. (Some people juggle geese!) Specifically I'd like to encourage you to just move more, as a "step one" to heroic readiness.  You may already workout regularly or even be like me - addicted to it!  "Hi, my name is Logan. I am a Work-Out-Aholic." But keep reading, this concept might help give you a fresh perspective.

So how do you stay consistent & workout regularly?  One thought is make it fun.  If you're able to do something you love as a workout, you're likely to workout more often.  If you have a sport you used to do maybe see if you can get back into it.  If there's a sport you always wanted to do, see if you can get into it now.  You might not ever be an Olympian in it, but you will be healthier & happier.  

What if you don't give a rip about the workout games we call sports?  Try making your workout fun; no I am not insane.  One of the things that pulled me into Parkour was the way the Parkour mindset makes me look at simple things differently.  Instead of just running through the city streets, play a game as you run, like:

• Run the curb edges, trying to keep balance.
• Don't step on any cracks.
• Only step on asphalt.
• Only run on grass. 
• When running through a parking lot, only step on the paint lines that delineate parking spots (that will stretch you!)

Basically just think of ways to make a workout interesting & mentally engaging instead of torturous, long, boring, & horrid.  Perspective often determines reality.  Whatever you can do to help your self keep moving is better than "I'll do it tomorrow . . . "  You might regret the workout where something goes wrong but you ALWAYS regret the workout you don't do.