You would be wrong to assume that the first sin of mankind was disobedience. 

Disobedience was merely the symptom. The original sin was the desire to become immortal. To be god-like.

You’d be wrong again to assume that the second sin was Cain’s jealousy or spite; it was taking a life. To be god-like.

With these sins coupled together, we might begin to understand man’s struggle with the divine. 

Enter the art of the fight; man’s desperate attempt to become god-like. To become immortal. 

Now we understand the ‘why’!

Martial arts, at its purest form, is problem-solving with severe physical consequences. You are simply trying to solve a puzzle that is in front of you, and hopefully not get killed in the process. For that, you must transform your body into a weapon and a shield. 

Make no mistake, your mind is as strong as the body that contains it. 

And that connection is mechanics and not philosophy. It starts and ends with your body. 

Now we get to the ‘how’!

The first step is to slow everything down. Your first instinct will always be flight -not fight. This is your survival instinct blowing up in your face. When you get punched in the face, your emotional circuitry is going to react. This is your brain playing games with you, and for that, it can’t be trusted. Remember, it is your body that is in charge.

Slow things down. 

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. 

Breathe. 

The second step is to protect yourself at all times. Your body is your most precious possession, and you must preserve it. You can only accomplish this if you are fully present in the moment. Aware of your surroundings. If you are thinking, you are already too slow. Instead, rely on your senses to anticipate danger, and simply get out of the way. 

Your body is now a shield. 

Your body is now taking over.

You’re in a state of flow.

The third step is to attack. That beautiful explosion of speed and power. The eternal laws of physics playing out in your favor. 

Your fist is now a weapon. 

The last step is to destroy the other body that is in front of you. To solve the puzzle and put it to rest. Kill the body and the head will fall -as they say inside the ungodly rings of boxing. 

Blood is an ancient dark ink, and you are William fuckin’ Shakspeare.

Let it rain with vengeance. 

Your body is a forbidden apple, and now you’ve tasted immortality. You are God-like.

Even for just a moment. 

But a moment is all it takes to shake down heavens and hell.

This is why angels and demons kneeled at the feet of the first man.

Everything that happened afterwards was just to make you forget. 

But you should never forget. 

That you, too, were once . . God-like!