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There has been a lot of noise coming from the shoe industry recently, concerning a scientific study that was released showing the possible benefits of going shoeless.


But despite the industries' attempts to discredit the study and congure up fear, more people are starting to take their restrictive (and expensive) foot-pampering shoes off.


I have been running barefoot (or sometimes close to barefoot) for almost 8 months now.  No, I haven't grown scales or mutated into another life-form, and No, I haven't severely injured my feet.  On the contrary, I have noticed an increase in my ability to balance on my feet much better, and I have also noticed a big increase in strength and stability in my feet, ankles, and knees.  


How could this have happened?


That's actually a pretty easy question to answer.  If you think about it, most shoes restrict the movement of your ankles, especially high-tops and boots.  So, in turn what happens is your ankles do not work their full range of motion, and therefore are not forced to use all of the muscles in your foot to stabilize.  


What is the result?


A weaker ankle that will be less resistant to injury.


A second thing that I would like to point out is, when you wear shoes, you are more prone to adapting bad habits and bad form that your feet normally would never take on if you were walking barefoot or with minimal footwear. For example, when we walk with shoes on, we tend to walk more lazily, and let our feet go on auto-pilot much easier, not paying attention to our heels hitting the ground.  This form is not so good for the joints of your legs, especially the knees and ankles, and can also lead to bad posture.


For anyone interested in taking on this new endeavor of going shoeless (or close to it), I would recommend starting on a relatively easy trail or walking path, to allow your feet and knees to adjust more easily.  On the other hand, if you decide to just jump right in and go for the gold on a 2,000 ft. incline covered in rocks and loose dirt, good for you.  But I will caution you, you WILL pay.  


But pain is only temporary, and glory is forever, right?


Hehe...


I took the latter approach to my barefoot adventures, and paid dearly for it. Although I said I haven't been severely injured, I have had plenty of unforseen mishaps.  The first terrain that I decided to traverse was a rocky trail with soft dirt that is prone to absorbing a lot of heat.  Yeah....you do the math on that one.  Needless to say, despite my having to soak my feet in epsom salt and limp every so often from stubbing my toes on boulders, I marched on.


So, back to the fact that some of you might want to start dong this:


My advice:


Start on an easy trail.  Take it slow and steady, and have patience.  Really, I cannot stress that enough.  


Another thing that will help you ditch your shoes and gain some barefooted confidence is to take a pair of running sandals (or as the Tarahumara indians call them, Huaraches) with you.  You can make these yourself, as I did, for relatively cheap.  There are a ton of different materials you can use, but if you are like me and on a budget, all you need is a pair of insoles (yes, those things that go on the inside of your shoe) and a pair leather shoe laces, and viola!

This pair was my second attempt at making these, and sadly were just destroyed today on a run up Colby Trail in Glendora. But at any rate, I can afford to make a few pairs because of how inexpensive they are to make. 


Getting yourself a pair of these bad boys will definitely help you out when you start to take too many sharp rocks on the soles of your feet, and you realize you still have another 2 miles till you can make it back to the trail head.  


Good luck, and if you do decide to start going barefoot, don't give up on it so easily.  


By the way, there is a link to an NPR article about that scientific study for those of you who are interested.  It's really worth checking out.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld=123031997




In peace,


Charles

Out of all the different fighting styles and philosophies out there, it is hard to say which would best suit a particular person.   They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and what works well for one person may not particularly  work well for another.  First off, we should probably talk a little bit about Jeet Kune Do, and its philosophy.  


The Roots of Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do (the way of the intercepting fist) is Bruce Lee's own interpretation of the martial arts.  It is the culmination of Bruce's years of hard work and study, and is his personal expression of the movement of the human body.  Now, that isn't really saying anything about technique, or the roots of Jeet Kune Do, that is merely stating the individual and personal aspects of the man behind the concept.  Without going into the entire detailed history of Bruce Lee's development, Jeet Kune Do was basically created by a man who had a martial arts base of Wing Chun/Gung Fu (chinese boxing), who blended that with concepts and techniques from western boxing and fencing.

Simplicity, efficiency, and finesse

The essence of JKD is, in my opinion, based on the credo of simplicity, efficiency, and finesse.  If there is one thing that I can remember my JKD instructor telling me the most whenever I asked him how to defend against a specific attack, it was simply, "Just hit".  On the surface, this sounds elementary and over simplistic to the average person.  But when analyzed closely, one will find that this actually will  work as the best defense (and offense) almost 99% of the time.  This attitude of "Just Hit" is the primary characteristic that defines Jeet Kune Do.  This is the interception part of JKD, a higher level of physical conditioning that takes years of practice to master, and potentially, years of eating punches to feel comfortable to pull off.  


My Personal Experience with JKD


My experience training in JKD has been challenging, fun, painful, and beneficial.  It not only has been physically and mentally rewarding, but spiritually rewarding as well.  However, this isn't limited to Jeet Kune Do alone; anyone who takes on an enduring pursuit of any martial art or any trade or skill that requires dillegent training will find the same experience.  


I originally chose JKD because of one of my childhood hero's affiliation with it, Bruce Lee.  I was given the Tao of Jeet Kune Do as a kid, and read it over and over for years, trying to understand the philosophy and the man behind it.  I was intrigued by Bruce's insight and his knowledge of himself. He made no excuses about his training or his attitude, and met his challenges head on.  This has caused me to take a similar approach with everything that I do in my daily life.  No excuses, and not lying to myself. 


After two years of training and hard work, I have a different attitude towards Bruce Lee and his art.  Although I believe JKD to be a great art, one that can compete on a higher level with Kung Fu, Boxing, and Muay Thai, I don't think of it as the ends of my endeavors.  I see JKD as a vehicle for self-actualization, and a tool to grow not only as a martial artist, but as a human being.  The goal, for me at least, is not to swear allegiance to JKD or worship Bruce Lee, but to express myself honestly and become my own Bruce Lee, or, as Nietzche would say, Ubermensch (Superman).  


As Nietzche once said, "Admiration for a quality or an art can be so strong that it deters us from striving to posses it."

For me, the goal isn't to idolize my hero's, but instead to become like them.


In Peace,
Charles

This is part 1 of 3 of Bruce Lee's interview on the Pierre Berton show in 1971.


This video is very inspirational to me, and I find that what he says still rings true till this very day.

I've been training in the art of Jeet Kune Do, "The way of the intercepting fist" for two-years now this month.  I've come quite along way in my training, pumping out kick after kick and punch after punch, not to mention all the pushups, pullups and running/hiking.  


When I first tried out a class my impression was that learning martial arts was just a matter of muscle memory and endurance: if you practice long enough, you'll eventually get there.  In the beginning I never gave the higher mental aspects of the art much thought, I always thought that that stuff was for mystics and nerds.  But now, two years into my training, I'm finding that the mental/psychological aspects of the growing and learning process are just as (if not more) important than the physical aspects.  


To be more specific, I'm talking about all of the different mental barriers one comes across when pursuing their mastery of the martial arts, things like fear, anxiety, and dealing with failure/success. How well you are able to grow and continue in your pursuit of mastering your craft largely depends upon how well you deal with these mental barriers.


Last night when I was walking my dogs, I had a realization that I definitely attribute to my martial arts training.  


Like alot of people, I have a bad habit of putting things off indefinitely until the problem grows so big I can no longer ignore it, and walking my dogs is definitely one of these things.  They are actually my parents dogs, but growing up with them for the past nine years I can't help but feel like their problems are my responsibility, and in this case, the problem that continued to grow was my dog himself; his weight managing to double in less than two years.  

I watched month by month and year by year as buster got heavier, more unhappy, and more unhealthy.  On a trip to the veterinarian (for a different health problem) the doctor was shocked to see a small dog who's breed normally weighs 20lbs, weigh in at 43lbs!  I was realizing I had to do something, but it would be another few years before I did.


I had always hated walking my dogs because they have never been trained.  Before the waling even begins they are already barking and running around in circles with excitement while I try desperately to latch on their leashes.  Once I manage to get them out of the gate is when all the real fun starts; criss-crossing leashes and getting wound around poles, stopping every ten seconds to smell each blade of grass and then pee on it.  Oh, and then there is my personal favorite of barking and growling at every sewage drainer that has the sound of water running through it.  Because they don't get out of the backyard too much, the "outside" world of my 1/2 mile neighborhood block is full of mystery and intrigue for them.  They are like two kids with ADD who are visiting disneyland for the first time.


The experience of walking my dogs has always been like this: frustrating, boring, and long.  How can I day dream and listen to my ipod comfortably when I'm tugging on one leash and being tugged by the other?


Obviously, these "problems" or nuances are not the fault of my dogs.  


I've never heard of a dog that understands bathroom etiquette that hasn't been trained properly, or a dog that knows its a bad idea to stop and smell a curious stain when crossing a busy street.  It took me a while to realize that my emotional response to my dogs bad habits, actually, had very little to do with my dogs, and more to do with unresolved tension within myself.  


Years ago, my first reaction when Buster or Algernon would suddenly stop dead in their tracks and tie up the leash would be to tug on the leash in retaliation.  


But Why?


Was it my dogs fault for this?  No, not really.


Granted, they were the ones who tied up the leashes, almost causing me to trip and faceplant on the sidewalk, but can you blame them for tying up the leashes when the have no concept of what a leash is and haven't been properly trained?


The answer is an obvious no.


So, then I began to ask myself why I was really frustrated.  Was I really that upset about something so foolish and trivial?  Were my dogs really just toying with me on purpose, trying to push my temper to its mental limits? (perhaps)  Was I upset about something else and venting my frustrations on my pets?  


Heck, even my family and friends?


Unwarranted aggression is not only unjustified, but unhealthy. Realizing how out of touch I had become with the sources of my tension, I decided it was time for a change.  I had resolved to finally take care of alot of things I had been putting off to avoid venting frustration on the wrong person (or pet).  One of the things I set to finally doing was walking the dogs.  I now walk them both every night, and when they suddenly stop or pull on the leash I'm happy to let them do some exploring (it's the only 30 minutes of the day they care about).  


I've become more focused on the task of walking them; no spacing out, and no ipod.  Now, I actually enjoy the challenge of managing two wirery dogs scrambling for crickets and spots to pee (I think it would make for a great exercise for a novice martial arts student, a true test of their mental will).  This process has taught me that my martial arts training doesn't end when I leave the dojo.  Learning martial arts is more than punching and kicking, it is a way of life.  It has taught me the virtue of patience and has definitely heightened my awareness.


In the end, I realized that I wasn't struggling with my dogs, but with myself.  Our pets are a reflection of the kind of attention we give them, and might even serve as a glimpse into our inner-selves. 


Makes you wonder, are you walking your dogs, or are they really walking you?