The Waxing Fire Dog
Hot diggity dog. Fire puppies are helpful, loyal, and sweet - but almost to a fault. These playful muts are all too capable of following their master off of a jaged cliff for nothing more than the promise of a bone. Sure, it's ok to get riled up for a meaningful cause, but even a road to hell can be lined with loving intentions. Make sure you're not being flown to your finish by one of those silver-tongued, well-intended kamikaze pilots.
As for the poetry of the moment, keep track of those trends. There are a lot of good reasons to get riled up right now, but things aren't always what they seem. The pursuit of popular opinons may very well have you chasing your own tail and snapping at your own wounds - and worse yet, have you all justified and righteous about it at the same time. Chill out, hot dog.
To make this make sense, focus on you. Use your energy to improve your life. You can't fix the problems of the world, but you can fix yourself - and a better you is your best gift towards a better tomorrow. So sit, roll-over, and play dead. It's like that old Christian quotable, "Let Go, Let God."
⧠The Fire Dog Risesâ§
Start with a Stroll: The day can wait. Take a walk.
Get Down On It: List your action items and knock em' out.
Take Breaks: Stretch, jog, nap, anything. Make time for you.
Go Home Early: The street lights are on - now get inside!
Daylight Savings: Get into the habit of hibernation.
Bare Bone Minimum
Contents
ă»Shifu Says: A brief word from our head teacher, Shifu David Wei.
ă»Winter Curriculum: Don't miss this last bit of Tui Na massage!
ă»The Daoist Calendar: Special holidays and how to observe them.
ă»Deep Steeps: With Earth Medicine Master, David Bruce Leonard!
ă»This is How to Brew It: Steeping instructions for this month's tea club.
ă»Final Fortune Cookie: Big wit and wisdom from a tiny little idiom.
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⧠Shifu Says â§
I love learning Judo and Jiu Jitsu. I'm having so much fun being a student again. With the Judo, I absolutely love being picked up and thrown down to the ground. As for the Jiu Jitsu, there's just something so cool about being rolled up into a pretzel and pinned to the floor by my own body weight. For me to be so big and yet to be handled so gently by my instructors is such a fun thing for me to experience as a grown, adult male.
The bitter side of this sweetness came as a surprise, as a dear old friend of mine is slowly deteriorating due to a rapid onset brain tumor. At first, he'd come for weekly treatments, and now, I'm the one making weekly visits to see him as a caregiver. The twist? I get to use the jiu jitsu I've been learning to move him around, get him bathed, dressed, and settled. It's like I've been given all the tools I need right when I need them.
Thing is, when you see these martial arts in a popular context, you would think that these were brutal fighting arts. After all, Judo's a standard military system and Jiu Jitsu became popular in the Ultimate Fighting arenas. These are quite literally of the most practical killing arts available. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I feel so grateful to have a teacher that shows me the gentle way of a deadly art... I feel so fortunate to apply these killing arts - gently -at the foot of death's door. Life can be brutally beautiful.
The Way of the Gentle Fist
Winter Curriculum
As we enter Winter, we take a moment to pause - not to rush ahead, but to lock in what weâve already learned through the previous seasons - namely, Pai Da, Tui Na, and the Five Hands. Before we move into the next series of studies, itâs important for us to gain a functional fluency of our core basics. Autumn invites us to conserve and consolidate - to draw our energy inward - we have to sharpen our blades before the big harvest. That said, let's use our next few sessions as a quick review before we start something new!
With a strong foundation, we can open the door to our Winter Curriculum, focusing on the Twelve Primary Meridian Pathways, their potent points, and their interconnected flow. Understanding these pathways will sharpen your sensitivity, precision, and effectiveness with both solo and partnered work. Just think, when your brushes, grabs, presses, polishes, and pat downs are effortless, your meridian studies will unfold naturally and organically.
So, be sure to utilize these next few weeks to review, repeat, and refine. Strengthen those fundamentals, fortify and condition your grip, revisit the finger dexterity drills, learn to discern subtle sensitivities, and allow your hands to become fluent in the silent communication of contact. Once the Winter arrives, weâll be set to flow forward again - rooted, responsive, and ready for the next layer of learning.
⧠Tui Na Acupressure Massage â§
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Wei Family Dragon Claw Tui Na
Daoist Holidays
Ninth/Chrysanthemum Moon: Yang Fire Dog
Qi Node: Frost Descends
Holiday: Xuan Wu Da Di (Pole Star Diety) Ascension
Reflect on your Goals, Refine your Aspirations, Persevere
Holiday: Guan Gong (God of War, Business, and Kitchens) Ascension
Study, Practice Martial Arts, Stand Up for Justice, Protect People
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