Greetings to all! Peace and Safety to you and yours!
So, as we are all aware, the Covid-19 virus has taken the world by storm. There is much information online and off, so I will not pretend to inform you more about it. Of course, there is also just as much misinformation to be found, but the simplest response you can find is in an old adage: An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure.
That said, let me offer some perspective that should not really surprise you (coming from me, that is) at a time when you may be distracted by all the hype and panic that surrounds the situation. That perspective, I should warn you, comes from my own view of humanity and our tendency toward the sensational. Still, I will try to keep it plain.
As a child, I (and many people I know who grew up to be productive members of society) grew up in an environment lacking of opportunity to really impact the world in a positive manner. We had to muster the fortitude that would allow us to keep striving for what we could only imagine was possible for people like us who were surrounded by the constant reminders of a society that was ready to write us off. Still, we persisted, all the while reaching into that void that was our own yearning for a better life.
Sure, we might have imagined having the unfettered wealth generation that could grant our greatest wishes in a material world. We may have also posited that certain resources would never be afforded us, no matter how well we behaved just because of our skin color or our societal class. That spurred some of us to dig deeper and force life to acknowledge us, in one way or another. Either way, we played against the odds, as it were.
Today, the world panics in the face of yet another threat to humanity (I may be dramatizing a tad, here), and people seem to be grasping for things that they think will be instrumental in the post-apocalyptic world that our media, movies and imagination have proffered us. The preponderance of marketplace disarray and greed may lead us to think that all could be close to lost. But we all agree that the science is real enough that we understand that we are at risk, no matter what any outlet tells us about this latest viral threat.
Now, to my point:
What are you doing to keep your peace? This is important.
Of course, you are doing what you can to keep yourself a little more distant from your neighbors and stranger, as they rightfully suggested we do to minimize transmission of viruses or infection. Also, we are all finally becoming (at least) a little more aware of the need to behave more responsibly, especially in terms of hygiene (i.e WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP, which is even more effective than Purell, etc.) and becoming more aware of the natural habit of face-touching. But what about internally?
Anyone who has been involved in martial arts for a period of time understands the value of the mental aspects of training. That leads to a certain amount of self-awareness, to say the least. The other side of that is that we, ideally, become more conscientious about our surroundings and other people with whom we must exist (hopefully in peace.) That, in turn, builds a sort of responsibility towards others in our sphere of existence.
For those who are not actively training, it is easy to avoid the crowded space according to the recommended protocols (avoid crowded scenarios, etc.) It may even be an easier transition when you factor in our current leanings (as a world society) toward virtual- and augmented reality granted us by modern technologies, the world over. Still, many of us require a certain level of actual interaction with others, which is very human.
Whatever your position or your leaning, it is important for us all that we maintain some method of peace-keeping. That applies both to the external and the internal. So my question is key to the very survival of us all.
Whether you are actively going to work, school, the gym, the dojo or the yoga center, things are changing. We are being asked to stay at home or alter our scheduling to avoid excessive interactions with others, since that might further put us at risk. That change has a certain cost, and we must be mentally prepared to pay it to remain on the safe side.
Flowing Bronze Martial Arts Society has been offering a live class via online video chatting as a test pilot, over the past year. It happens to fit in line with our mission to help take martial arts training into the future, given the technological advancements of our world. If you are attending classes at other schools, studios and scenarios, do not give up on your training (and thus your peacekeeping skills) for fear of contraction. That would be like tossing the baby out with the bath water! Instead, ask your teacher, your guru or whoever you are studying with, to take your training to the next level using technology.
If you have been considering training, and this situation has caused you to put it further into delay, stop defeating yourself before you start. Seek a venue (school, teacher, etc.) who can offer you the training you need. Great martial arts teachers have (for centuries, I am sure) always found a way to teach students, even in the worst of times and scenarios. Perhaps this is just another opportunity for both you AND a teacher to show what stuff humanity is made of.
Peace.
www.kungju.info
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