Flow

Bangkok, the City of Angels; Venice of Asia. The city of huge traffic congestion and the in-vehicle portable urinal. On my recent R&R escape, Bangkok is my choice destination (in spite of the bad traffic and crowds). I love what the city has to offer, the creativity of the Thais, the enterprising blood of business coursing through their veins, and the overall atmosphere that is unlike any other Asian city that I have visited.

The rapid pace of development and commerce lends favor to a bustling and growing economy. I love it all! Wait! What about the famous sex industry? If you don't go looking for it, you won't see it. That element exists in all cities, Eastern or Western. It's really no big deal unless you are that way inclined. Even a casual stroll down the infamous Soi Patpong reflected the family-orientated transformation that is redefining the face of the city. Is Bangkok cleaning up its act? I don't think so and I wouldn't want it to change that dramatically.

There is life lurking under ever nook and staircase in the city that never sleeps. It's truly an exciting place to be in and it has so much to offer. Mind you, be prepared with a large or spare bag for your shopping excursions.

The hustle and bustle of one of S.E.Asia's open air markets, Chatuchak weekend market, taught me several things, fundamental techniques if you will; 1. visit during the cool December month, 2. move with the flow of pedestrians to avoid being trampled on, 3. drink lots of fluids to maintain energy levels and 4. develop haggleitis.

There is plenty to see, buy and eat in Chatuchak. It is one of my favorite places to visit even though I usually only buy socks whenever I visit (and have done so on several different occassions). I love the vibe and energy of the place. The madness of the crowds and the disorientated atmosphere from all those different energies. It's pretty reviving to see people so focused on closing petty business deals. It rewarding to walk away with several choice bargains too.
What does this have to do with the gym? Not much. It does give my body and mind to recharge its energy and creativity in planning the next training session, the persistance and determination for the next seminar, etc. Most of all, it helps me to go with the flow. I get to apply the training I do in the gym in real life, whether it be negotiating with a tough sales lady or side stepping a family armed with strollers and babies in tow or walking from one shopping mall to another for seven hours stretches!

I look for opportunities, openings or create them to get the deals I want. There's a lot of cross over in the strategies and tactics in the martial arts that is directly applicable to my daily life. So in essence, you can also look at how your present lifestyle can be enhanced with the lessons on the mats. When we are working on our physical fitness, punching technique or grappling skills in all their complexities, it is but a grain of sand at the beach when compared with what the real world has in offer in terms of challenge and difficulty.

For example, about 8 months ago, I was on a familiar street in Bangkok and knew my way around. This time round, things changed so much that I didn't recognise where I was until I saw some familiar landmarks. "Change is inevitable and growth is optional" one of my favorite quotes. I didn't keep up with the changes in time. I didn't recognise the fact that change does occur all the time and I was stumped but pleasantly surprised by the positive changes. Go with the flow and progress. Grow!

I hope you can understand what I am talking about and I'm not trying to be zen-ish or otherwise but making note of my observations and experiences for you to share. Best training!