Making changes
By Mike Ashworth | February 8, 2010
Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that “When a bird lands in a tree, the whole world changes.”
That is because everything effects everything else, our actions change our reality, and that reality is the world around us.
Someone once said “everybody wants to change the world, yet nobody wants to change himself”.
It’s true, think about how often you have got involved in a world changing cause, something much bigger than your self, whether that be a donation, a march, even joining a group on facebook, yet how long do you spend in front of the mirror taking a deep look at yourself and making changes.
We fear change, we wonder what might happen to the people and things that surround us as we continue our journey, however if we are not moving, we are going backwards.
Life isn’t easy, it’s not supposed to be, it is full of pain and discomfort.
Rumi wrote a poem about a chickpea being boiled in the pot and it’s trying to climb out and the chef is pushing him back in with the ladle and the chef says to him “you think I’m punishing you but I’m not”. He says, “I’m just trying to make you sweet so you can sit with the rice and the herbs”. And when the chick pea realizes that he’s not being punished he says, “push me in twice because I want to be sweet”.
We need to marinate in that discomfort, work with it, and through this, amazing changes will occur.
Topics: Health, Society | No Comments »
From “big mick” to “fit mick” extra calories cause weight gain
By Mike Ashworth | February 7, 2010
I guess the title is a bit bleeding obvious really.
However, when you look into just how few extra calories you have to consume, to put on weight, it is quite staggering.
A daily 60-kcal cookie would be expected to produce 0.2 kg (0.5 lb) weight gain in a month and therefore 2.7 kg (6 lb) in a year etc.
This is based on the assumption (frequently used in textbooks and scientific articles) that a pound (454 g) of fat tissue has about 3500 kilocalories (kcal).
Topics: Health | No Comments »
Ninja
By Mike Ashworth | February 7, 2010
My friend Chrissy returned from a business trip to Japan recently and brought back this lovely little pressie for me.
Topics: Fun | No Comments »
Forgiveness
By Mike Ashworth | February 6, 2010
What follows is a true story. From the book ‘Watch my Back’ by Geoff Thompson
Four weeks ago I found myself sitting in McDonald’s having an early morning coffee. I love McDonald’s: most mornings I’m there at 7.30 a.m. waiting for the first pot to brew. This morning was no exception. I sat with my coffee, paper and a couple of hours to invest ahead of me. Bliss, It doesn’t get much better than this, I can tell you.
I was set for a great couple of hours or R&R when my past suddenly walked through the door. A large figure passed me and sat at the table opposite, clearly unaware of me. Twenty-eight years after crushing my youth, my aikido instructor was back in my world, looking older and pretty sad, but he was back. Providence had not only brought the man to face me, it had actually orchestrated it so that he was sat right opposite me, the only other customer in the restaurant.
I froze in my chair, my coffee cup suspended between the table and my mouth. For a second I felt the terror of my eleven-year old self return. I felt desperately sad and alone, frightened. Even though I was now the veteran of hundreds of fights against some absolute monsters, I still sat in terror of this man. It took me a few seconds to realise that I was not, in fact, eleven any more and that this man was no longer a threat. If I chose it he was already history. To be honest, for a couple of seconds, I thought about leaving, walking away, and letting it go. No one would ever know. Except me, of course, I’d know.
I was patently aware of what I had to do, what I’d needed to do for the whole of my adult life, but now that the opportunity had been offered me on a plate I was not sure that I could go ahead with this. I put the cup down and made my way over to his table. I stared down at this little man. He stared back up and smiled. When I returned a black look he must have realised that it wasn’t a social visit. As I sat down, he tried to stand, to object.
‘Sit down!’ I said it quietly with some authority. I think he knew I meant business because he quickly complied. There was emotion in my voice, a shake that ran through every word. I had waited a long time for this and now that it was here I didn’t quite know if I could follow it through. I thought it would be easier.
‘You don’t remember me,’ I said.
He went to speak and I gestured that he should not. Again he complied. I was in charge, this was my job.
‘I was one of your students when I was eleven. You sexually abused me.’
At the words ’sexually abused’ his mouth opened in denial but no words came out of his mouth. It was as though he had lost his voice. I continued.
‘You need to know two things. The first is that you sexually abused me and it has affected me all my life. When I was eleven what you did crucified me.’
His eyes dropped to the table. I could tell he was expecting a dig or a verbal bashing at the least. I remained absolutely expressionless, though my voice was now full of emotion.
‘The second thing you need to know is that I forgive you.’
I stood up and looked down at him. I had said it. There was a rush of relief. When I looked at him I felt no anger whatsoever, only sadness. He looked as crushed as I had been as a boy.
‘I forgive you.’ I said it again, for him and for me.
He looked up as I turned to walk away. Again his mouth opened but no words came out. He lifted his hand in a gesture of friendship. It hung embarrassingly in the air, his fingers trembled. I hadn’t expected this. I looked at it for for a very long second, then I looked at him. I know about forgiveness, it had been my sparring partner for some time now, it had been the secret to my catharsis, why I was now so light. I also knew that you couldn’t half-forgive someone: either you forgave them completely or you didn’t forgive them at all.
I shook his hand and made my way back to my coffee, and my brilliant, brilliant, happy life. And, do you know what, I have never been eleven years old since.
I was free.
Whenever I read this passage I am deeply moved.
If Geoff can forgive this man for abusing him when he was a child then I can find it in myself to also forgive people and not hold onto those feelings of anguish, anger etc that so many of us carry around.
In this short clip, Geoff talks about forgiveness at one of his masterclass sessions and also the film Romans 12:20 that has been born from this event.
The trailer for Romans 12:20. A short film by the Shammasian Brothers. Worthy of an Oscar when the feature drops…
Topics: Society | 1 Comment »
Boxing clubs in Brighton and Hove
By Mike Ashworth | February 6, 2010
I’ve been doing some research in the last few days to find a boxing coach and here is what I’ve come up with about boxing clubs in Brighton and Hove.
Chris Kent’s Martial Arts Centre
Brighton City Amateur Boxing Club (BCABC)
Topics: Health, Sport | No Comments »
Crazy sign at LA fitness in Brighton
By Mike Ashworth | February 5, 2010
A friend of mine snapped this photo at LA Fitness in Brighton recently.
You’ve got to wonder what’s going on at this place….
What’s the point of having lockers if you have to keep valuables on you. Plus, and this is the really fun bit….
What are you supposed to do if you are using the swimming pool?
Topics: Business | No Comments »
From “big mick” to “fit mick” - the gloves arrive
By Mike Ashworth | February 3, 2010
We all love to take delivery of parcels containing wonderful things and i’m no exception.
Here is what arrived today.
A pair of red Lonsdale Pro 16oz gloves for use on the heavy bags and some sparring. In addition a pair of lighter weight mitts also for use on the bags.
Gloves came from Boxfit UK Decent prices and great service
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From “big mick” to “fit mick” - last nights kettlebell fitness class
By Mike Ashworth | February 3, 2010
A short video recorded by our instructor Christian Vila at last nights Kettlebell class.
This video shows a typical kettlebell fitness class, held at Cheetahs Gym in Hove.
People of all ages, with different fitness levels get together up to five times a week for a fun class which delivers results- every time!
In this video we’re doing a 2-minute drill, to finish off the class, which consisted of:
30 seconds- Mountain Climbers
30 seconds- Upright row to Squat
30 seconds- Mountain Climbers
30 seconds- Upright row to Squat
Come and try it sometime.
Brighton Kettlebells website
Topics: Health | No Comments »
