Zen and the Martial Arts of Life

In this episode, we talk about protests in London, GO Bags, and our general anxieties about the future. A typical Sunday :) We have an email address: [email protected] . Please send us comments/feedback. We will read them out in the next episode. Note: we do this podcast as a way for us to handle what's going on. We might not always be factually accurate. We speak our minds.

In this episode we finally start our podcast anew. (2023 had one of us in South Korea for six months and two of us in America for one month, so things podcast-wise went the way of the buffalo) BUT NOW WE ARE ALL HERE!!!! In this episode we make predictions about 2024, about the future in general where we may all become idiotic robots, James and Harrison talk about how horrific Bognor Regis is, we all decide kids are dumb and they grow up to be stupid adults, and James insists that the tomato plant he has moved to the front porch will somehow grow New tomatoes in January...because where there is life, there is hope :)

Back to editing after almost a year...this is an older episode from last January. Enjoy :)

We've made it through another year! In this episode, we talk about last year's events and the upcoming year, when one of us is going on quite an adventure! I actually edited this one to be listened to before New Year's Day! 😅

In this episode, we discuss basic planning for an apocalypse and what we can do after to survive... like knowing basic things, like darning...

In this episode the birds are making more noise than we were. Its a rather quiet podcast with not much to say this time, except that the quiet is making us feel uneasy...

In this episode we mostly talk about what's going on in Ukraine, and how we have to view the world going crazy as Triage: What we can do, what we can't do, and what we can try to fix. James also talks about how to keep our computers safe from hackers, and we announce our new email address!.... That I have already forgotten... 😁

In this episode we talk about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how we do little things at home to cope with the craziness of the world. We also touch on death, gardening, and go bags.

In this episode we discuss what we will do for camping this year; the difference between Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age technology; and why Midieval blacksmiths were considered Saints.....so, a typical podcast that covers everything.

In this week's episode we talk of our plans for Christmas (yes, I am still catching up with the editing 😉) with the uncertainty of Omicron lockdown looming over us like the Ghost of Christmas Future (see the holiday reference there?). Yet we also think of how we have become resilient in this pandemic, and how we will make plans to get us through🙂.... Also Inky the cat stalks us throughout the whole episode 🙀🙀🙀

Catching up on editing, this episode is from December, when we were getting concerned about the Omicron variant and what was going to happen.... Or not.... We discuss how wearing masks has made us start to communicate differently, how technology is making us communicate differently, and then veered off on a tangent about animals, food, and vegetarianism....so, a potpourri of subjects.... Not really about how we're not dead yet, come to think of it... 😁

This episode we enjoy a low - tech outdoor fire while discussing high technology, Moore's Law, what purpose our lives will have if technology does too much for us, what happens if we ourselves become the technology, and has this all happened before?.... A deep dive into philosophy this week, folks :)

In this episode we discuss knowledge: how to accumulate it, how to use it, and how we'll never know anything. The center recording time was unclear, so apologies for the time jump halfway through.

Its the missing summer episode, where we talk about it being the last weekend of classes, wonder what's going to happen in Afghanistan, and talk about how it is easy to become overwhelmed with information and bad news. We discuss reputable sources and helping the world by concentrating on one thing at a time.

This week Karen talks about her new job at a high school and Harrison talks about his first week in university. We both find out that teenagers are the same as they've always been, and that's a good thing, if a bit frustrating.... Harrison wants to sign up for lab experiments... Karen thinks thats the start of every horror film and James wants it to help travel to Mars.... With Robotic Cats.... 😁

In this episode we talk about preparing for the worst: like another pandemic or societal collapse, and preparing for the best: like Harrison's new college adventure.

In this episode we recount the semi- disaster of a camping trip we had: what we learned, what we appreciated, and what we should do next time.

Season 2 Episode 10: Lots of questions and deep thoughts about squirrels, zombies, bears, and human anatomy.

Season 2 Episode 9: Where we discuss how nature can be cruel, educational failings, John Hughes Movies, The need for practical use of what you have learned in Kung Fu and languages, how to save baby birds from cats, and how awesome it is to sit in our newly fixed up summer hut and listen to the rain falling as we podcast.

Season 2, Episode 8 Starts off in our almost refurbished back garden gazebo with pondering on what exactly is evaporated milk and how it can help us make tea if the world falls apart.... We then talk about tribes and kung fu, fencing and fishing while being constantly distracted by our cats.... 😁

In this episode: Karen is recovering from a concussion when a door fell on her head (yes, really). Harrison talks about his plans to take a new direction in his life and go to University, and James and Karen give advice on how to make the most of this new adventure.

In this episode we talk about stick fighting, and the balance of action and inaction. When is the tipping point in martial arts and in life?

In this episode we discuss how lockdown easing means we have to adjust to another new normal... Which means more finding out what we can't do than what we can.... How do we add stick fighting to the lessons, and did anyone see the gorilla????

In this episode we wonder how we should be acting now that two of us have been vaccinated and lockdown is easing......Should we still be cautious or should we throw caution to the wind?

In this episode Harrison recounts an incident this past week where he encountered a person that set off his danger instincts and how he reacted to them. We then discuss how its a good idea to trust your instincts and what are the best ways to react to a potentially dangerous situation. James also announces our new email address: Zenmartialartsuk@gmailcom

We're very happy that the Covid vaccine is out and people we know are getting the jab, but we are very confused about how it all works. DNA is involved, but how? ...and what about teleportation, and now there's AI Dogs????

This first episode of our second Season finds us still in our garage, with poor Harrison sitting out on our driveway to keep within Social Distancing regulations.... We talk about cooking, how the courage of kung fu is different than the wuiet courage of coping with lockdown, and how we're all hoping Spring will be here soon.

In this episode we look back on 2020 to see what went well and what didnt, and what it was like to have and recover from Covid. We adapted to this new way of life, but did we adapt enough?

This was our Thanksgiving episode.... Due to Covid and Christmas its a bit late.... But its got all the usual things you hear about in one of our podcasts.... Spiders, crocodiles, attacking and defending, and why being human means we need to stick together and plan to survive... 😁

In this podcast we celebrate being able to teach the Kung fu class on Zoom from our garage and adapting to yet another lockdown in England. James shares how shaken he was over having to kill a mortally wounded field mouse to put it out of its misery, and we discuss how sometimes you dont have any good choices, yet you still have to make a choice.

This episode Karen is making tunamelt sandwiches most of the time and Owen is our special guest. We talk about the second lockdown happening this week, how the Kung fu class went, and how one must be patient and go slowly in both Kung fu and cooking. Apologies in advance for the sound of potato chip bags being opened.... Never again during a podcast! Also we are holding this podcast in our garage to follow lockdown rules, so there's car sounds as well :/

In this episode we review how our first indoor kung fu class since the first lockdown in March succeeded in following lockdown procedures so we can all continue learning Wing Chun Kung fu. But first, we are distracted by a damsel fly, then talk about spiders, alligators, and crocodiles and how economy of motion and waiting for the perfect time to strike is key in nature and martial arts. We also discuss how confidence works to one's advantage in this, and how pressure and obstacles also a necessity in learning.

In this episode we talk about everything, folks.... From fishing techniques to how disaster movies may predict the future to mutant zombie alien spiders on asteroids. We also talk about Kung fu, teaching online vs teaching in person, whether kung fu is a sport or an art, and finally why failing is a necessary step in learning.

In this episode Harrison talks about how to simplify handling a potential attacker with simple ABC reminders, James talks about how Rugby is like Kung fu, and Karen learns that you should never cut your own hair.... So, a typical week :)

We talk alot about strange food, and new beginnings, and lost opportunities. How food is part of new experiences, and part of survival in the city and if you happen to be lost in the wild. There's also some stuff about how to hide a dead body? I dont know.... Stuff got weird LOL

In this episode we discuss the first post lockdown training session in the park, a lot about the merits of slow training kung fu and muscle memory, why its never a good idea for Harrison to say he's bored, and how food should not be a dare or hurt you as you're eating it... 😁

In this episode we discuss how wonderful it is to have a friend around for a barbecue, how its about time we told our friends that we love them without it feeling weird, how GPS is not very compatible with biking, and discuss how to teach a Kung fu class outdoors and still keep safe social distancing....can it be done?

In this episode we try to figure out how James and Harrison can train in the park after their bike ride....until they find out they can't.... Why its probably not a good idea to let Harrison have too many bungee cords unless we want to see him become a live action Angry Bird, the frustrations of podcasting remotely, and why we all need to be patient about easing the lock down restrictions, even when we dont.

Seriously, this week's episode has everything: cats, spaceships, bootleg beer, bare knuckle fights..... And Kung fu.... Remember Kung fu?.. This is supposed to be a podcast about Kung fu....and Martial arts.... and Zen.....we get around to talking about that as well :)

This week's podcast we talk about how we are all abit tired of this Coronavirus ride and want to get off, please...How some news reports say they are rushing to create a vaccine, but we're thinking of how most of the horror films we grew up on showed what happened if you rush in creating a cure for something .... Also we talk about how maybe there are some good things about being isolated... Really... 😁

This week finds us with a month of isolation behind us and a month or two of the same to look forward to.... What do you do when all your plans have bit the dust and all you have is time? What does it mean if almost everyone else in the world is going through the same exact thing as you are?.... This is one of those deep thought episodes, folks.... 😁

So, what do you do when you want to teach a kung fu class and you and all of your students have to stay at home?.... Get creative, that's what.

This week's podcast has us discussing why wise men know nothing and foolish men know everything, with kung fu, Spiders, bears, string theory, and Socrates thrown in for good measure.... 😁

This week we have thankfully recovered from our colds enough to ponder the questions of when, where, and why you should practice martial arts, why so many martial artists are frustrated musicians, why people are buying so much toilet paper to combat a flu virus, and is Harrison a psychic???? 😊

This week sees two of us with a cold, one of us falling asleep mid-podcast, and the troubles of broken curtains and student attendance... Yet somehow universal compassion saves the day.... Kind of..... 😁

This week we talk about how thinking too much can be a bad idea, and how thinking nothing at all could be a good idea. Also why its a very good idea to get some whiteboard writing sheets for your wall, and how Kung fu, Rock Climbing, and Chess all have something in common.

The three Harrisons talk about this week's Kung Fu classes.... how it's possible to play guitar, play chess, and record a podcast simultaneously, and why we're Zen and the Martial Arts of Life, Not Zen and the Argonauts.