All posts by sensei.orlando@yahoo.com

Orlando Sanchez is a martial artist, father and novelist. On this blog he discusses writing, being a martial artist and the adventures of parenting. The underlying philosophy of this blog is being a warrior creative, welcome.
ideas, kindle, publishing, self publishing, writing

Guerrilla Writing

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I usually write in a starbux
In fact my first book (The Spiritual Warrior http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008T8MMQ0)
 was almost entirely written in the starbux my neighborhood. What I have realized with my insane schedule is that its not ideal to have only ONE place to write. for starters it sets me up to skip writing on those days when I dont “FEEL” like writing (another subject altogether). It gives me an out if I cant get to starbux to write. So I have decided to embark on a different writing journey for my second book which is now almost two thirds done. I call it guerrilla writing, which I’m sure is not a new nor solely mine.

Basically what it means is that I will begin to steal snatches of time and write wherever possible. The fact that I write longhand makes this ideal, but I’m certain if you have a laptop it can work as well. It means not buying into the whole ” I must write ten pages today or I have failed!” mentality and write snippets. A paragraph, two sentences even a very awesome word furthers your writing along by that much more.

I suggest this to all writers out there. This is not to say that your method doesnt work. We all write differently, I am suggesting taking this up to see if it can make you freer about your writing, something like the difference between writing being a monolithic and ponderous THING that must be carried out in a set way and writing becoming mobile, nimble and free, happening wherever you may be. I will let you know how my own journey goes.

writers write,
Orlando

coaching, creating, greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, philosophy, power, thoughts, tradition, zen

What is your On?

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When I first started training many years ago I realized that I had to pay a monthly fee. I paid this fee for many years, thinking that in paying this fee I was paying for my instruction. I learned several years later that the fee I was paying covered some of the essential costs of the school, i.e. , electricity, heating, furniture, uniforms, rent and many of the other costs. The one thing that was not covered in my monthly dues was the cost of instruction. When I asked why(since I thought that was what the fee was primarily for) it was explained to me that there was no fee that could cover what was being imparted to me. I had just begun my training path and so I didn’t entirely understand what was being shared with me.

 Now here I am, a little wiser and much older and I am beginning to see the wisdom of the words that were shared with me. What I didn’t understand back then was that the instructors were fulfilling their “on”. Their obligation or duty to pass on the knowledge that was given to them. No monthly fee could cover that because the knowledge, the patience, the nurturing, the inclusion into the structure of the school transcends any price.
When I recently spoke to several sensei I was asked what my On was. What was I willing to give my life to, my entire commitment to? Initially I thought the answer was easy- my family, my children. Then I realized that  was too narrow. It is understood that if we bring children into this world, it is our responsibility and duty to instruct, nurture and help them grow into capable responsible adults. My family could not be my answer.

After giving it more thought I realized that it had to be as it was with me. Those individuals that enter the school and become students and later instructors in their own right, all of those are part of my On. My question to you today is what is your On?
 For many of us, it is our parents who are now elderly and some may be infirm. For some it is giving of ourselves and our time to those less fortunate. Whatever it may be, I urge you to sit and discover what you can give back. Many of us feel that we are wherever we may be in life on our own merits or skill. I have discovered in my own experience that you can achieve very little of importance on your own. Every great endeavor and those not so great usually require cooperation and assistance of some sort. If you want to achieve great things you will need help, that is just the way it works.

Take some time to day and discover what your On is. Find out how you can give back, then take action.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

ideas, inspiration, kindle, life, publishing, self publishing, story, writing

Some lessons on writing

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On my earlier post I stated that I had published my first book. I couldn’t really write more due to the euphoria of finally  getting “out there” and being an author. So a week or so has passed and the excitement has died down a bit ( not much I still look myself up on amazon at least once a day lol) and now the reality has set. I am actually out there as a published author!  I didn’t think I would achieve  this if I am being honest. It seemed too distant, a goal for someone else. So how did it happen?

I know I’m going to sound cliche but it takes persistence. You have to do it and stick to it and stick to it some more, until its done. Along the way I learned some very valuable lessons:
Fit writing into your life
Don’t try and fit your life to writing. Life is messy, chaotic and full of twists, turns and upheavals. Much like a good story. Make your writing fit in the nook and crannies of life and you will get it done.

Writers write everyday
I’ll be the first to admit that this was a challenge for me. I have gotten a lot better at it by enticing myself to just get started. No page limits or expectations, just start writing and see where it goes. Some days that means ten pages, and some days that means one page.

Writing should be fun
I don’t subscribe to the school of agonized writers who slave over every word, concept or story idea. I’m more inclined to lean towards the “let the book write itself, Ill just listen very closely” school of thought. Writing should be fun, when it stops being fun it becomes work and when it becomes work it becomes easier to put it off.

Inspiration is everywhere if you are open to it
My second book came to  me while I was in the midst of writing the first. It was a flash and I had to write it down. In fact the idea nagged me until I wrote it down, fleshed out the first chapter and put down a working title. Then it left me alone to finish. I have since had several ideas for other books so I make a habit of carrying a notepad to jot down ideas as they surface.

Have a good support system
None of us live in a vacuum.  Find people who support your writing and support you being a writer. Make sure these people will give creative (not destructive) criticism to your early drafts and that they will be willing to be part of the process of your becoming an author.

Never ever give up
I had to scrap the first three ideas for my first novel because they just didn’t work. It meant putting two and a half years of work to the side while I started from scratch. At that point it would have been easy to give up and forget this whole writing thing(I did consider it). I’m very glad I stuck it out. in the end there is only one of you and only you can tell your story the way you will tell it. No one else on the planet has your voice. Keep that in mind when you want to throw in the towel and call it quits.

I think we all have the ability to be creative some of us write others sing and others dance or express their creativity in some other form. The key is to tap into that creativity and give it free rein. For those of us that are writers let the words come and share your stories.

You can find my first novel as an eBook  on  Kindle here:http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008T8MMQ0

And as an ebook everywhere else here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/OrlandoSanchez

For those of you that are like me and enjoy an actual print novel in your hands you can get the book here:
https://www.createspace.com/3962364?ref=1147694&utm_id=6026

Feel free to pick up a copy and please let me know what you thought.

Writers write!
Orlando

ideas, karate, life, martial arts, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

What is a dojo?

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The place where a martial art is formally taught is called a dojo ( dojang, wat, kwoon, heya, sasaran), the term dojo is translated from the Sanskrit bodhi-manda which is translated as “seat of wisdom”. The  word dojo is itself a Japanese term that literally means ” place of the way” or ” place of enlightenment”.

It differs from a gym in that it is a place for perfecting the spirit. This is not to say that the perfection of spirit cannot occur in a gym, but that is not the focus of gyms. You don’t go to a dojo to get a good sweat on, or to see how many reps you can pump out today. That is not the purpose of the dojo. The dojo, as a sacred place is where you go to confront yourself. The emphasis is always on improving the essence of self and aspiring towards the perfection of character. The pledge that is made is towards the collective good for the group, the community and the world.

You may think that by the above definition that  a dojo is a room and you would be right and wrong. It is not just a room. It is not a particular style, or even centered around  a particular group of people. The dojo while it can exist as a fixed place in time is also highly subjective. For example we can say the dojo is going to the park or beach this weekend to train, which does not mean we are moving our building to these respective sites.
 So what does it mean?
If we take the above definition of a place to confront and improve yourself, then a dojo can be anywhere. It is an agreed upon place either by yourself or with a group consensus that serves the purpose for training, discipline, introspection, and the perfection of character. We bow in the dojo because we respect the location and what it provides us. It is a matter of respect. The same way we maintain and clean the dojo, not necessarily because the space is dirty, but because it is part of our training and it is manifestation of respect towards the space, ourselves and those who may train with us.

The next time  you enter your dojo take a moment to really appreciate the space you are in whether it be an actual building or in the park. Remember to show gratitude and respect.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

ideas, karate, life, martial arts, philosophy, self-defense, thoughts, tradition, zen

Keeping your sword sharp

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One of the things that samurai in the past focused on, among the many things they were responsible for, was to always have a sharp sword. They knew that in any encounter they had a one in three chance of victory, one in three of being maimed or seriously injured and one in three of death. With those odds they were very careful not to draw their swords frivolously.

 Even so because the stakes were so high they took great pains to keep their swords sharp.  Why would they do this if they rarely drew their weapons?  It was a matter of being mentally and physically ready. The act of sharpening the sword focused the will of the samurai. Then like now violence could visit at any time, and when it does you will not have time to practice the techniques that should be ingrained within your body. You will not have time to polish your defense or work on your fitness.

 Although the art of kendo and kenjutsu still exist today, many of us do not roam the streets with swords strapped to our sides. However for those of us that practice a martial art we do have a sword to keep sharp. It starts(and ends) with our basic techniques, which sadly suffer the most as one advances through the ranks.  It means that those that have a practice must make the time to delve deeper into what they have learned, make and effort to reverse engineer it(bunkai) and truly comprehend what the technique and applications are.

Too many times I have witnessed high ranking students do poorly with some techniques because they have focused on one aspect of their training, neglecting the other aspects. What occurs over time is the creation of a  myopic practitioner  that has dull techniques- a dull sword. We cannot allow ourselves to carry a dull sword, to have techniques or kata we are unsure of because we have not practiced them in a long time.

We must strive to always keep our swords sharp, because if we are ever called upon to use the knowledge we possess to defend ourselves or our loved ones we must possess a weapon with a keen edge sharp enough to make a decisive cut.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando