The Fight starts inside and burns outwards!

Doing battle is the second chapter of the art of war, and the first chapter is appraisal. First, take account of what you can and can't control, and focus on every possible move you can take to gain an advantage. 'So compare by means of appraisals; thus, seek out its nature. Ask which ruler has Tao, which general has ability.'

The Tao is something that compels me; it's something that drives me forward in this world of distraction. The question 'which ruler has Tao' (Tao) has no direct English translation; 'Tao' closely translates to 'the way,' but it's more about 'being on the path.' Tao is an action, meaning the state of being on the path to a destination and the journey that is experienced.

I learned Isshin-ryu karate when I was 22 because I wanted to improve my fighting skills. The good thing is I looked for a Christian teacher, and I found one. He liked me, I liked him, and I believed in what I was learning. I still believe in any form of martial arts, but without the eyes of envy and jealousy, Isshin-ryu karate was the discipline I needed. The discipline opened my eyes to a world that God, in His infinite wisdom, created billions of years ago.

I don't know everything, and that's okay. I can only do certain things, and that's okay. I am only human, and that is wonderful. The Tao was explained to me differently by everyone I encountered, which was needed, but the one I liked is, 'You can only see the world through your eyes and communicate what you see. You're able to use your eyes to see different paths. Can you please experience the world you see and tell me?'

This is the first fight: to see the world as it is and to find your place in it. This is all internal, bringing the world into your sight and taking it in as clearly as possible. Take value in who you are and what your life has to offer; you are needed, and people most likely will not see your value, but they fight to see their own value.

Be like water and flow with the events; don't resist until the critical points of impact, but learn to move around obstacles.

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Learn to lead and lead to learn

This is self-control with 100% effort and attention in what you do and how it affects the world around you. Learn what you can control with the idea that you are only in control of yourself; you are the earth that you reside in.

In martial arts, when you throw a punch, why are you practicing? Or are you in actual combat, "kumite"? Should you win, how do you win? What is winning? Let's answer the question: should you win? "YES." Throw the punch with intention of improvement. How and where would the punch land on the body? How would it affect you and the other person?

How do you win? Win "if" you are ready to throw another punch, kick, grab, or defend against one. Be ready to move in any direction and to stop your opponent from moving in any direction—all in what you do.

What is winning? A single moment of opportunity that is taken—not planned, not predicted, not seen. The opportunity comes and is taken when it is available to be taken. Just to let you know, this is why I believe in "Take Authority." If you're seeking opportunity, take it. The whole winners and losers thing has changed; now, the person who took the opportunity barely got it. I will take it, period. I will most likely never see that person again, but on my journey, there will be many opportunities to be taken, and I will take authority.

So, you are where you want an opportunity. You are in the struggle for the opportunity. You have already answered the question: do I want this? You're in it; now, the fight is on.

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It's in Gods Hands

I don't control the sky or the time or the people around me; all I can do is learn to better control myself each day. What is outside of your control is heaven—the very nature of this world that can't be influenced by you, only observed and recorded. Heaven is out of reach and unseen, so don't worry about what heaven will do, but be ready for what heaven does.

Knowledge is power; understanding is experienced. What you're able to do when things happen outside of your control is within your ability. You will, at times, lack the knowledge; pay attention and learn from others' understanding. Equate what they give you with your abilities to develop a technique. Place these techniques through trials with the opinions of a trusted advisor to develop a method that will stay flexible and keep you able.

From the methods, develop a system that matches your abilities and knowledge of the understanding of the encounters of heaven. My first trust is I want to completely avoid contact of harm to me; my ability to avoid is unlikely. I don't have adequate resources to move completely out of danger. First trust: avoid danger from harm, avoid danger of loss of resources. Avoid is the ability to maneuver; I need multiple avenues that I can move in order to be able to avoid. I must control where I am available and when I am available, with the idea to not restrict myself unless to reach an opportunity. I will adjust to avoid danger and strengthen my opportunities.

Heaven stays in heaven, and my head is out of the clouds. I will continue to reduce the active pursuit to what possibilities I can realistically manage and set goals to be able to manage new goals. This keeps what is in God's hand in His hand and what is within my hands my priority.

This is your life, and you can grow into what you want to see. This is an opportunity in itself to be the best person you can be.

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The triangle is used in martial arts to represent mind, body, and spirit. The symbol in the center is a Hidari Japanese version of the Taijiquan, also known as Yin & Yang. My display of the triangle is to show blue skies of heaven and fertile earth in the triangle, with both the mind and body fixed on earth but the spirit is a part of heaven and united through the triangle to the mind and body.

You are already a complicated person; there are multiple sides to you, and people will interact with a portion of you. Keep in mind that you are only interacting with a portion of them, and if you can't give completely of yourself, don't ask someone else to do for you.

In the Hidari, black and white are in the center, but metallic red, green, and gold represent passion, mind, and fire, respectively. Red is passion, green is wood, representing the body and change, and yellow is gold/metal, symbolizing spirit and purity. I call these different symbols arranged in this order the Golden Path. The meaning of it all is that your path is golden; you have value.

I was struggling to find value within myself and what I was doing with my life, placing blame on others, wanting everything good and bad. I learned about discipline first; this is recognizing your limitations and being aware of them, not seeing it as a restriction but as a guide to improvement. Next is change, not only how you see but seeing the three-dimensional space that the change can and will take place in. Wanting to change is good, but the action will be actually different and difficult if you're not in the reality of the situation.

Pulling this together is always reassessing the evidence, not to scrutinize but to ask briefly: Can I do better, and what will that look like? Reaching a place that brings you benefits is a subjective result; this is purity. What am I doing that doesn't benefit me? What can I do differently? How can I prioritize better behavior and see the best results? Don't blame yourself if it's something you can't bounce back from; the goal is to change, not to punish. I want to stop the bad behavior and grow.

Thank you for reading this so far; take everything with a grain of salt. I am a student in life, not a teacher, just studying alongside you; hopefully, this has value to you.