Concerning Martial Arts

Martial arts have been around as long as the art of war has been around. Some of the oldest martial arts reach back several thousand years. A few of the ones that are popular today came around within the last century or two, however, and our improvised improvements upon martial arts they have been around 4 many times longer.

Glove up, and get ready for action!

Learning a martial art is beneficial for nearly anyone. I went from doing no martial arts at all until I was 21, to becoming a mixed martial artist in 3 years. I trained professionally at a gym on and off, and also messed around with my friends and I mixed martial arts Club on campus. In 3 years, I learned the foundations for Judo, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, and Aikido. I also touched on small bits and pieces of Sambo, Taekwondo, and Krav Maga. I do not claim to be an expert in any of the aforementioned by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel as though I know enough to hold my own grounds if an event were to occur. Here are a couple reasons why learning a martial art is beneficial; not just for travelers, but for everyone.

1) You learn practical skills.

At first it may not seem like it, but martial arts are full of practical skills. They are infrequently things that you can use in day to day activities, but the opportunities are out there. You will learn how to manipulate your environment surround you, which can always be of use.

2) You'll learn your own limitations and how to overcome them.

As a new martial artist, you will realize that there are quite a few things that you can't do yet. You will learn in time, and you also learn how to overcome the things that you couldn't do before. It will take some time, but you will learn how to overcome your limitations.

3) You can build your confidence.

Before joining martial arts, I will admit that I didn't have the most self confidence in the world. Starting martial arts though, I learned a lot about myself and how to build up my confidence effectively without limitations. Being a martial artist has helped me to be proud of who I am, and to take initiative in situations.

4) Build your endurance.

After watching mixed martial artists on the television, have you ever thought to yourself that surely, you would never be able last as long as they do in that sort of situation? Well, you will eventually be able to do just that. You will build up your endurance and activity tolerance too levels that you once thought to be impossible. What you could once do for two minutes without getting tired, you will actually be able to do for 5 minutes or more without getting tired.

5) You become one with yourself.

In martial arts, there is a huge connectivity to spirituality. Martial arts will help you find your center, to quiet your mind, to humble yourself. Through meditation and meditative techniques, doing martial arts will slowly change the way you view yourself. And you will definitely know that you have quieted your mind when you realize that you can take another's life into your own hands if need be.

Martial arts harmonizes mind, body, and spirit, and really gets all of them working as one functioning unit. When do you learn even one martial art, no matter how formally or informally, you will begin to learn to control your own consciousness and emotions.

6) You can relate to more individuals.

Taking martial arts, you'll never know who you will run into who has also learned to martial arts.

And for your friends that have not studied martial arts, you'll be able to impart some basic knowledge unto them as well. It is so much fun, that you will know how to keep away, and you'll make friends in the process of doing so.

This is a very short list of items, but all of them are applicable as a martial artist things outside of martial arts. You will also learn how to communicate with. I highly encourage anybody to learn a martial art, because for some, it could just be the difference between life and death.

Ghosts in the Water

Being the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the entire Civil War, Gettysburg is a small town filled with hiking and history and ghosts alike. It sits just west of York and Harrisburg, and marks the scene of one of the shortest but compactly brutal events in the American Civil War, where over 50,000 people have lost their lives. The union won that day, but the bloodshed is remembered for years to come. This is especially considering that fathers and sons fought alongside one another, with one usually losing the other to war, or with both losing their lives, and the youngest of soldiers usually being an average of 15 years old and 5 foot 3. I guess if all else fails back then, you go to war.

Many historians have covered the bloody events that occurred over the span of 3 days, especially the Pickett's Charge across the rather large battlefield at Devil's Den and the gruesome injuries that were sustained on the blood-splattered fields. I would not begin to do them justice if I started talking about the historical components of Gettysburg, but what I can attest to is that the terrain is tumultuous, which means perfect for hiking, and apparently, also haunted.

Several hotels and inns have reported sightings of ghosts and paranormal activity, including one photographer who claims to have captured a picture of the late General Lee himself. Myself, I visited one of the famous haunted bridges late at night, and although I didn't photograph any ghosts or specters, it did provide a very eerie and off-putting sensation. If you go for the ghost tours, it is best to do it freelance and bring your own gear, but there are usually some ghost tours that are lead on weeknights starting around $30 per person. If you are a skeptic or a non-believer, this could potentially be the turning point for you.

Good 'ol Re-enacters.

As far as the hiking goes, Devil's Den is a wonderful place to practice rock climbing. The trails in the surrounding area leading to Little Round Top and Big Round Top Spin at least 7 miles, and provide a scenic backpacking route through one of Pennsylvania's most famous cities. The city itself is still rather small, but the land in the surrounding area has been preserved by the Department of Agriculture and several historians. Civil War reenactors usually come to different locations every weekday, and with all of the memorials and points of interest, there's a lot to see and do in Gettysburg. My favorite sightseeing point I visited was there largest cemetery, right outside their welcome center. Much like the Memorial Wall in DC, observe sacred silence when you go here.

If you are more of the indoors type and exhibit type, there are several indoor museums and preserve sites you can visit. Admission for a few of them has gone up in recent years, but there are still some cheap attractions, such as the Dime Museum and the Gettysburg Museum of History. There are several other museums scattered throughout Gettysburg, and if you're up to saving money, going around and doing all the different memorials and cemeteries is a cheap way to spend your time and Gettysburg. Trekking through the National military Park is not for the faint of heart, so be sure to stop by some local restaurants to enjoy a bite to eat. A lot of American bars and breweries are scattered throughout Gettysburg, as well as a traditional Italian pizza shop and a McDonalds.

The view from the tower by Devil's Den.

Much like Hershey Park, I'm fortunate to have grown up only a half-hour from Gettysburg. I know people that have traveled several hundred miles or more just to see the sites in person. I think the craziest license plate I've seen in the community parking was one from Missouri. It must be a psychological phenomenon to believe that things are less important because we grew up near them, because as many times as I've been to Gettysburg and acquaint as it is, I'm still deeply surprised that I see people coming from the other side of the United States to see the park. However, the same could be said for when I drive up to Maine, or when I decide to take a cross-country trip to see some obscure things in Montana. And it can definitely be said for that time I found myself wandering the streets of Paris.

So that being said, read up, and come out for a visit! There may be ghosts in the water, but rest assured, they are friendly.

On the Turning Away

Before too long, my 11 day stint in Europe had come to an end. Many great friends were made, many great memories were recorded, plenty of culture was experienced, incredible food was consumed, and many of wonderful day hikes where had. The title of this post is inspired by British rock group Pink Floyd, with some of their song lyrics being a direct inspiration for all of my experiences in Europe. I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd and classic rock when I was in Europe (and my MP3 player actually had some German and Italian music on it as well). But to quote Pink Floyd's album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”:

Just a world that we all must share

It's not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that there will be

No more turning away...

These lyrics speak to me louder than words, no Pink Floyd pun intended. They speak to me because I was a naive teenager living in a self-centered and Americanized world, being blind and ignorant to the rest of the world except from stories that I had heard and come to believe as fact. I now realize that the world was beautiful, not of this world worth seeing, one that we must share, and one that I want to see as much of it as possible. It was this trip to Europe that really piqued my interest as an individual with a severe case of Wanderlust. It was this single trip that influenced every single part of my life to change for the better. Is the reason why as a human being and a public speaker, I want to make people aware that there should be no turning away from the right side of love to share this beautiful world with one another.

And so, I hopped on my plane, delayed by half hour because baggage claim wasn't process right for our carry-on instruments, and after one anxiety trip of thinking I would be stuck in France forever, we board the plane home. Because of all of the clothing I had thrown out on the trip and left behind in Europe, even with souvenirs and dog, the suitcase was a good 15 kg lighter. And so, after flying into the night and coming back to a sign shining sun, it was good to be home. All 70 of us on the trip saw things that our parents had only ever dreamed of seeing. Only 13% of Americans end up using their passport, and we were in that percentile.

After surviving the trip up from Washington DC, and taking my first coach bus bathroom break, we were back in York. Our trip was over, but the memories of Europe lingered on. I couldn't look at sandwiches the same, or orange juice, or driving. Getting back to a 12-hour clock and using miles instead of kilometers was also incredibly hard. In spite of all this, I just knew one thing as I drove home... I would be back in Europe as soon as I possibly could.