When you sum up your life what is it that adds up? What counts, in what column? Tomorrow I pack up for China. I am moving to follow a dream. I was a kid enamored by culture and an idea. Not just of taking my geeky little chubby body into being a warrior, but of reaching for an ideal of balance. A warrior that is a healer, that is a leader, that is a teacher, that is a man. I wanted to fulfill this dream and have worked hard despite setbacks. I have a 4th degree in Uechi-ryu Karate Do, a first degree in Bujinkan Ninjutsu. I have studied numerous arts and practiced with leaders in the fields of both Medical Qigong, and modern combat close quarters battle. But I want more I want to be more than the sum of my parts. I want to trip around the world and study, not second hand, not through more books, not someone's interpretations of what THEY learned over in the orient. I want to learn by hitting the ground running. By learning the language, doing the research, visiting the places Kanbun trained at, taught at. We cannot be limited by anything more than ourselves. We are the only thing that holds us back. Most people live lives of excuses for why we did not do something. Not for me, No more. No more excuses. When I tally the sum of my life, there is going to be an imbalance in the "done that" column. :)