Finding Your Button

Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
Maybe you’ve been asked to go soft, grow soft, and get soft. Be careful that your martial art—your Taijiquan, Baguazhang, or Xingyiquan—doesn’t overemphasize Yin.

Sure: it’s important to relax (yin). It’s also good to get going (yang).

Don’t forget Yang!

  • Move
  • Go Get It
  • Drive

What pushes you into Yang mode? Do you have a button?

Everybody has a button. The problem with you is that yours is flabby.

Perhaps you have read a bit too much nontzense on the evils of anger, or are too mild-mannered by nature. Either way, you’re scheduled on the 4:19 to Disaster if you don’t toughen up and start that big old furnace that’s sitting in your basement, waiting for a match….

….you must do what successful warriors do and turn that annoyance into a white-hot coal of anger that can be doused only by the death of your enemies.

This you can do in a five-step program of anger management—not in the sense that term is usually employed, of course. In your case, we’re going to manage your anger upward, so that it may be used as a weapon in itself, and as fuel for other weapons that are relatively toothless without it.

—Stanley Bing from Sun Tzu Was a Sissy

In Boiling Water

The little moralistic story about tossing frogs into boiling water… it’s not true.

The first part of the tale: that part where you throw a frog into boiling water and the frog jumps out… well… no jumping out.

The frog gets boiled.

Do you see where this is going?

Let’s explore What Not To Do…

Don’t Go Head First

Jumping in head first is dangerous.

  • Don’t jump head first into a boiling pot of water.
  • Don’t plunge head first in to intense fighting.
  • Don’t dive head first into anything.

Now, I know, you’re thinking about how inspiring people Take The Plunge. They Go For It. They Dive Right In.

But… this is CannonFist.com. So: in terms of learning a Combat Form that leads toward health and healing skills, go ahead and Take the Plunge and Go For It: you should even sign up as a CannonFist.com Initiate or Level Up.

Just don’t Dive In… you’ll smash your head…

Read more In Boiling Water »