The medical professionals have a saying: “not dead until warm and dead”.

Anna Bagenholm

In Sweden in 1999 Anna Bagenholm spent 80 minutes under ice of a frozen waterfall where she was pulled under the ice during a skiing accident. Two rescue teams were called to the top of the mountain, the second one had to bring a pointed garden shovel to break through the ice.

She was taken to the hospital where her condition was described as “She has completely dilated pupils. She is ashen, flaxen white. She’s wet. She’s ice cold when I touch her skin, and she looks absolutely dead. ” Anna was then successfully warmed up and revived by a “ a team of more than a hundred doctors and nurses worked in shifts for nine hours to save her life” and contunied to live her life “with minor nerve damage to her hands and feet”

Lincoln Hall

In 2006 Australian climber  Lincoln Hall became sick and delusional during his Everest climb and was pronounced dead by the expedition leader and left on the mountain to allow his sherpas to descend safely. His family was notified of his death.

The next morning another team was on their way up. This is what they saw:

“Sitting to our left, about two feet from a 10,000 foot drop, was a man. Not dead, not sleeping, but sitting cross legged, in the process of changing his shirt. He had his down suit unzipped to the waist, his arms out of the sleeves, was wearing no hat, no gloves, no sunglasses, had no oxygen mask, regulator, ice axe, oxygen, no sleeping bag, no mattress, no food nor water bottle. ‘I imagine you’re surprised to see me here’, he said. Now, this was a moment of total disbelief to us all. Here was a gentleman, apparently lucid, who had spent the night without oxygen at 8600m, without proper equipment and barely clothed. And ALIVE.”

“Death is not as black and white as it seems,” Mr. Hall told an audience in Sacramento, Calif., in 2008. “In Tibetan Buddhism, death is interpreted as consciousness leaving your body in separate stages over a period of time. It’s different if you’re run over by a truck, but if you’re just dying, say, on Everest, there are stages of death. I ticked the first two of those eight stages, and for some reason that process reversed. So I think saying I died is probably more accurate than saying I didn’t.”

Donna Molnar

Donna Molnar, 55. Ontario found after laying several days in the snow, She went shopping for groceries in her vehicle, then became disoriented in a snowstorm and was found three days later with “..only her face and neckline exposed, and there was little snow underneath her.”.  Snow had acted as insulation until a police dog and it’s handler found her face sticking out from the snowbank. She asked where her purse was – that’s what I would say the first thing too See full story here.

Well, it looks like cold and dead is better than hot and dead! I say bring on the winter!

Jaroslav Flegr says that a single-celled parasite in the protozoan family was subtly manipulating his personality, causing him to behave in strange, often self-destructive ways. And if it was messing with his mind, he reasoned, it was probably doing the same to others.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/308873/

I lay flat on my back, eyes closed, on an inflatable mattress in my spare room.  Physically, I’m tired, but in a particular way that feels healthy and good.  After laying still for a short while, three-dimensional reference points soon disappear, as the “outer world” is replaced by a warm darkness.

I may have dropped into a brief sleep.  Nevertheless, like a sapling slowly emerging from its protective seed coating, self-awareness gradually returns. My internal clock, not guaranteed to be correct in this quasi-timeless somewhat catatonic state, says that three minutes have passed.

Still in my state of absorption, I notice the sensation of a subtle but definable “spatial field” around my head.  It spontaneously and ceaselessly “shapes” to the activity of my mind, as if they were one-in-the-same, or as if it were a mirage created by my own nerve endings.  Its “form” is delicate, analogous to an invisible vapour rising off a warm cup of tea, or a beautiful flower made of air.  The quality of my attention is also delicate and gentle. Imagine a tightrope being walked perfectly, by a 3-month old baby.  I can see why this sensation would be hard to locate behind the background noise of normal waking states.  This was not an emotional, intellectual, or “willed” phenomenon.

This “spatial field” sensation is a fascinating “object” for the mind to focus upon, and not unnatural or “other” at all.  Rather, it seems to be an inner mirror of oneself, arising naturally, in the same way our outer actions mirror us to others.  I can see why the word “aether” was used by occultists in the past, and current day “Chopra-Oprah” followers talk of “living quantum fields” and the energetic interplay of “mind and matter”.  But perhaps those are just poetic metaphors used to describe the sensation of electrical mental activity, when observed from “outside” of them. I don’t mean “out-of-body-experience”, though I don’t rule that out as a possibility. I mean, observing those mental patterns from a direct physical sensation level as “spacial fields”, instead of getting caught up in “thoughts” and “thinking”. I believe this is the meaning of “directing one’s attention to consciousness itself”, which is what the eastern sages say to do for self-realization, as opposed to merely being aware of, or caught up in, the contents within one’s consciousness.

(See Plato’s Cave: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave)

The area outside of that personal “spacial field”, to me is “outer space”. It’s more or less a mystery to me, but I relate it to as a clear night sky.  I like to entertain the possibility that there’s a perceptible and working relationship between my “space” and “outer space” (the microcosm and the macrocosm).  In other words, connection to the divine. Hence the words, “cosmos”, or “universe” used in many belief systems and practices.

The concrete curtain of “time and three-dimensional space” returns to envelope me as I slowly leave my meditative state.  The clock shows that only twenty minutes have passed. Refreshed and feeling inspired, I stand up, walk to my laptop, and begin writing this journal entry that you’re reading now…

“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own.” ~ Bruce Lee

Ok, I’ve heard of the word, anyway!

Well, I have now felt Zen – literally, hands on.

Sushi has got to be one of the simplest things on Earth to make. It has two ingredients – rice and raw fish. Sometimes also seaweed. Right?

The Zen lesson went as follows:

1. Take a really deep breath.
2. Relax completely
3. Pour that glass of wine back into the bottle
4. Turn the background music off
5. Look at rice, nori sheets and slabs of raw fish and start to methodically and paying absolute attention make sushi. Let the rest of the world disappear.
6. Realize that the closer you get to perfect sushi, the further perfect sushi is going to move away from you. The alignment of grains of rice, the sloping angle of thin fish slices open their vortex of complexity to you. Decide (calmly) to follow perfect sushi to the infinity sign.
7. Catch Zen.

On the way…

Many have asked, so I’ll explain how this works. First, some background:

Way back before I was a “ronin”, when I had a dojo of my own, I had a flash of inspiration that caused me to put aside the conventional “drop-in” or “monthly” fee structure, and instead, adopt a fee structure that was something like a combination of a barter system, a co-op, and an intentional community. It worked on the principle that each dojo member had an inescapable role, responsibility, and effect on the group, and that each person’s individual contribution of time, energy, and presence was what made the dojo the “place of the way“. It’s not the building or the training manual that makes it work. Nor is it the “feature wall” of training weapons, trophies, certificates, slogans, portraits, logo t-shirts, and smouldering incense sticks. It’s the people, of course.

As I thought about it, it became exceedingly clear that for someone to make time in their lives to show up at practice, ready to train and put themselves on the line, was already the most important and essential contribution a practitioner could make to a dojo. And to receive that contribution as a teacher or a fellow student, is an honour and a privilege. (Think: someone offers to put their health and safety in your hands, in order for you to grow as a martial artist. It’s not something to take lightly, nor is it without its’ risks.)

Alternately, there also needed to be a way for a person who missed a class, to contribute in lieu of being there. If there was a way to do this, then that student would not need to feel apologetic for being absent or negligent (as some of my students expressed). Though they might not contribute in “physical form”, they could contribute their energy in other ways. More on that below.

Now, I’m not suggesting that the reverse-fee-structure will work with every dojo. Financially, it has to be viable. There’s also large dojo culture, and small dojo culture. There are not-for-profit dojos that train in a spartan manner outdoors exposed to the elements, and there are commercial dojos equipped with full fitness and spa facilities. There’s the intimate family-style dojo, and the org-chart-style dojo. You can teach to deepen your experience of your art, or you can teach to bring the art to the masses. I’m not going to say “quality over quantity”, because everyone has a different idea of what quality is, and we’re all here for different reasons, but I will say that my dojo was more of the smaller type.

So, with a desire to “balance the equation” on how training fees could be administered, I came up with this:

The Reverse-Fee-Structure:

1. BEGINNERS LEVEL (“omote” or outside)
   A beginner pays a standard monthly fee, as is typical in many dojos. This provides the beginner time to assess whether training in this dojo is right for them, as well as giving existing members time to assess whether this beginner will be right for the dojo. This is akin to “putting in one’s time” or “paying one’s dues”. Fees collected during a beginner’s probation period goes towards dojo operational expenses (studio rentals, equipment, advertising costs, etc.)

2. MEMBERS LEVEL (“ura” or inside)
   Once a beginner has developed a track record and shows promise, then he/she is asked if they would like to make the commitment to become a contributing member of the dojo. A conscious relationship is therefore established. (In older Japanese traditions, the student would make a solemn blood-oath at this stage.) As a member, monthly fees are no longer collected like they are from beginners. Instead, there are now two essential ways for the member to contribute to the dojo:
   1. By attending classes for FREE, while contributing by being the best training partner possible for fellow students and teachers, and having a vested interest in the group. This means, bringing a positive attitude, presence of mind, willingness to learn, doing one’s homework, helping with setup and takedown of equipment, providing snacks or drinks, maintaining one’s physical conditioning and fitness, mentoring younger dojo members, and generally showing care to ensure that the dojo stays strong and healthy. This is the most important method to contribute to a dojo because without this, a dojo could not exist.
   2. Alternately, in lieu of attending class and providing one’s presence to the group, a member could contribute A FEE towards the dojo for each class MISSED. Think of it as a “drop-out-fee” as opposed to a drop-in fee. The idea here is that whether one’s energy contribution is in the form of time (presence) or money (payment), the support and commitment to the group is maintained as a constant, ensuring a stable training environment for those who are making it to class. Paying into training while not being there is not a waste, but rather a tremendously valuable role. The member is, in a sense, a philanthropist or benefactor to the dojo.

3. FRIENDS LEVEL
   To opt out of participating in the dojo as a member, a student would need to simply communicate this intention to the teacher. To have the student write a letter or email would encourage clear-mindedness, and ensure that the person is either “in” or “out”, and protect against paying fees towards a group effort that they can no longer be a part of. A student might need to opt out due to health reasons, moving abroad, graveyard shifts, parental leave, change of heart with regards to training, etc. Life happens. This is natural and should not be frowned upon.

Hypothetical Example:

Normal Fee Structure:
5 attendees (5 x $10) +
10 non-attendees (10 x $0) = $50 per class

OR

Reverse-Fee-Structure:
10 attendees ( 10 x $0 ) +
5 non-attendees (5 x $10) = $50 per class

Which is better?

After some preliminary conversations by phone and email, and then a full dojo meeting, I implemented the switch to the reverse-fee-structure and improvements happened quickly. First off, attendance increased because training was now “free”. Not surprisingly, there was also more energy in the group, as well as accountability, pride, and conscientiousness on all levels. Some of the students I hadn’t seen for a while came back out of hibernation and became regular attendees, and the keeners became super-keeners, and without my prompting or involvement, added another training day to the weekly schedule to focus on self-training. What was most interesting, was that looking at the dollars collected at the end of each month following the adoption of the reverse-fee-structure, I was surprised to see that the amounts collected were exactly the same as when using the old fee structure.

Looking back on all this, I realized that I never did advertise the fact that dojo members TRAIN FOR FREE, but doing so could be a way for teachers to attract some excellent new students, if marketing or word-of-mouth is targeted well. I didn’t advertise “free training” because I already had the number of students I was looking for, and I only wanted more consistency from certain students, and to reciprocate what I felt I received from the students who were there each class, and gave time after time.

What I’ve described is the core philosophy of the reverse-fee-structure. I can offer no guarantees that it’ll work for you, as each group will have it’s own details to work out, but it was effective for my group.

The reverse-fee-structure, which is really a method for organizing people, is yet another way to pay it forward, and is easily applied to small classes such as yoga, dance, cross-fit, etc. Human beings are social creatures, so if we could choose what it was, wouldn’t we all want to be a part of something? But this is a martial arts blog, and paying close attention to traps is what we do, so I will add this as well:

The reverse-fee-structure concept can also be misused as a way to appear fair and benevolent, while one is actually seeking attention, drama, status, power, or control over others. As in the saying, “You can’t cheat an honest man,” the best defence in this day and age is “seishin teki kyoyo” or self refinement. Develop your self-knowledge and study human nature. Be true to yourself and your gut feeling, rather than relying solely on charismatic people claiming to be a sensei, guru, or teacher.

If you incorporate the reverse-fee-structure into your group activity – in part or in full – please make the commitment to reciprocate by crediting our blog (http://www.PlayFight.co), and our twitter page (http://twitter.com/PlayfightCo) as the source, and by letting us know how it’s working for you!

I saw these in use by a Saskatoon Bujinkan group and they were really comfortable to practice on, easy to put away, and once you feel ready to roll on your hardwood floors at home, you can just take away one mat at the time :). These are great for your mobile outside practice too, to spread out on concrete etc.

At Home Depot or Rona, twelve bucks for 4, which will give you 16 sq ft rolling area and $25 worth will be plenty for one person anywhere.

Happy rolling!

Before Anything Else, check to insure that the “Find My iPhone” App is installed and activated on all your devices, this means that you have signed in and activated your devices Location Services.

Step One:

As soon as you realize that your device is missing, search the immediate area where your device was last seen; ask bystanders and clerks, watch for suspicious behavior and check lost & found (if nearby). Now immediately seek internet access, by computer or Apple Device and quickly check the last pinged location of your device, (online, the website to access the locator is icloud.com). From the App or website you will also have the options of erasing, locking, or causing your device to ring loudly. I must caution that if your device is in the hands of a thief, this may cause them to destroy it!

Step Two:

If you believe that you can reach the location your device was last “pinged” at (where the locator dot last was shown), proceed there with all due haste. Keep in mind that you will need a portable internet source of some kind so that you can track your device while on the move. Tracking the devices movements or location by vehicle is advised, and also that you have at least one or more other people with you, who have their own phones in order to contact the police if necessary. The Police/RCMP are very limited as to what they can do to help, unless a thief confesses, or the device is publically accessible (such as a ditch or dumpster), or someone is under threat of harm.

Step Three:

DON’T GIVE UP! You may be searching for hours or even on multiple days, but if your device has battery power, eventually you’ll find it – So stay positive! Even if it stops transmitting, a careful search of the last area it pinged in may turn it up. Awareness and calm are your greatest assets. It is very important to note that you should not go into strange or potentially dangerous areas by yourself, always take at least one friend as well as notify others where you are going and why. Approach any possible thief with great caution and strength. Be point blank in asking for your property to be returned. Speak loudly and if you can attract the attention of bystanders or passerby’s, do so! Do not be fooled by immediate denials of thievery or proclamations of innocence, usually the more loud the response, the more likely they are guilty. Innocent people should usually work with you to discover the truth, rather than argue. Be firm and polite, but don’t threaten. Protect your own safety to the utmost and be especially aware if you are dealing with more than one perpetrator.

I have directly applied these techniques in recovering my iPhone 5. I do not take any responsibility for the results of using my advice here and you follow any of these suggestions at your own risk! I personally believe that these techniques are one of the best options for recovering your stolen or misplaced Apple device. Good luck and be safe!

Brante

This is the event the coalition is helping to sponsor, and here is the downloadable poster . Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Synopsis of his early life from Amazon:

Watch My Back is the story of one man’s search for courage. Depressed, bullied, intimidated by life and indoctrinated to believe that this was his lot, Geoff Thompson, on the verge of a breakdown, decided to fight back. In a bid to confront his fears, he took a job as a bouncer in one of Britain’s roughest nightclubs. His life was never to be the same again. Over the next ten years, and after being involved in hundreds of brutal and bloody fights that left two of his friends murdered and many more in prison, the bullied 11 stone youth turned himself into a fearsome fighting machine with an unparalleled reputation as a knockout specialist. Seduced by beautiful women, attacked by maniacs with knives, guns (and a pair of garden shears), chased and locked up by the police and sought after by top establishments to ‘clean up’ their clubs, Geoff reached the top of his trade and became addicted to violence. Then it all changed. After being stabbed, glassed and nearly killed in a gang attack, and almost killing one of his attackers in a savage car park match-fight, he was forced to reassess his relationship with violence.

After writing down his experiences in an effort to exorcise his demons, Geoff discovered a flair for writing. Within a few short years his work found a cult following all over the world. This is the story of an ordinary man who faced his fears and took himself from bedsit to bestseller but very nearly got killed on the way. Geoff Thompson made violence his profession working as a dooman at some of Britain’s roughest clubs. As the holder of the rank of 6th Dan black belt in Japanese karate, 1st Dan in Judo and equally well qualified in other martial arts he is a Tough man. As well as many books he has written a film script, Watch My back, based on his life and a stage play, One Sock, that Inspired The Royal Court Theatre in London’s West End to invite him into their exclusive writers’ group. Watch My Back is his account of nine years as a doorman and bouncer, of living with the ever present fear of going too far and killing someone in any of the 300 violent and bloody confrontations.

Geoff’s autobiography Watch My Back was adapted into a major motion picture Clubbed. DVD Jacket above. For synopsis, see IMDB.

Geoff on YouTube:

The Fence — succinct time-tested advice on how to deal with face-to-face dangers:

Who Am I – Geoff Thompson delivers… on the ego, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Eckhart Tolle, and more:

For more info, look up Geoff Thompson on Wikipedia!

A top EU court has ruled Google must amend some search results at the request of ordinary people in a test of the so-called “right to be forgotten”.

Read more here – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27388289