Last weekend I attended Scott Sonnon & Steve Barne’s “The Path” seminar. I have been a loose follower of Sonnon’s work through his DVD’s & the advice of a couple of close friends, so I was looking forward to training with the man himself & seeing his approach firsthand. For those of you unfamiliar with who Scott Sonnon is, or his Rmax system, check out his website here. His approach to Martial Arts and physical fitness is nothing short of phenomenal.
Although I have several of Steve Barnes’ books & enjoy his writing style, I questioned if he would have anything of real value to give me. I must admit in all honesty, I wasn’t planning to stick around for his portion of the seminar. It had something to do with writing books, right? What do I need that for? I am writing my own books, and have my own sources of guidance. It’s important that I tell you this, because you need to know my mindset at the time. So when what I though would be the second half of the seminar rolled around, I was gonna duck & cover out the back door like a Ninja. Only quieter.
I could not have been more wrong about anything in my life.
I’m going to comment on Steve’s portion first, although he was the second teacher up to plate that day. Scott & Steve wisely arraigned the seminar in small sets, around 30 minutes or so apiece, and alternated with each other at the change so that you didn’t get “burned out” on one person. Oh great, I get to train and now I have to listen to somebody talk for half an hour. Beautiful. Right away, I saw that I wasn’t going to pull my famous “Bobbe here, now POOF!” routine. So I settled in and prepared to fight to keep my eyes open.
Well sportsfans, within his first three minutes on the clock, I was scribbling away in my notebook like Hemmingway having an epileptic seizure.
There is a reason Steve Barnes makes a living as an author and public speaker. His articulation was phenomenal, and his methodology kept me both attentive and interested. In the writ, he knows his stuff. Baptist ministers could use a few pages from his book. Ironically, Barnes had supplied us all with notes on what he was lecturing on, and I STILL filled over 20 pages of notes that his stuff didn’t cover. Oh, not that he wasn’t thorough, he was plenty…I just kept hearing him say things that I found inspiration or insight on, and saw an immediate need for them in my own path. I had SEVERE writer’s cramp after the seminar. And worth every sufferance.
There were several topics Steve covered to support his presentation, and I immediately discovered these could be applied to pretty much ANY aspect of martial arts, life, the universe, and everything:
-Thread of breath (This knowledge ALONE was worth attending for!!!)
-Realistic goal setting, with actual plans for their accomplishment
-Setting goals that are meaningful to YOU
-Failure is just as important for success in life as achievement
-Dealing with failure & what to do when we fail
-Teaching this to others
“A goal where the road TO the goal is as precious as the goal itself.”
Jeebus, I ALMOST SKIPPED THIS!! At this point, someone had to mention to me that it was rude to leave my mouth hanging open like that. Also, I was drooling, and could I mop that up, please?
Steve laid a lot of ground work covering the fundamentals of life paths using literary models (the Hero’s Journey) Martial Arts, Scott Sonnon’s motion-breathing techniques and Yoga Chakrams. If this sounds like some kind of woo-woo esoteric journey into crystal channeling, relax: It wasn’t. Far from it. Steve is trying to define the paths in life that happen to ALL of us, no matter what, and show us ways we can approach and conquer them without losing our personal happiness and goals in the process. And what to do when we do inevitably lose our way on the path, as all humans will from time to time.
Actually, he’s showing much more than that, but I’m doing a great job of screwing up the explanation.
One thing that I found particularly interesting was his coverage of how to teach this material to others. I believe that competent teachers are a real rarity in today’s world, and I value good advice and material on the subject. This is clearly something Steve has a firm grasp of, because his examples and explanations were tailored to everybody in the room, not just one or two more “experienced” players. The papers he handed out at the beginning were great, and jogged my memory about a few things he said that, of course, had slipped out the back door of my brain.
Now, one thing you should be aware of: Much of what Steve says is deeply personal, both to him and in application to you. Sometimes we hear what needs to be said and we are resistant to it. Humans, as a species, do not like change. In fact, to directly quote Steve, “Every major occurrence in life creates homeostasis.” We inherently fear it, and our aversion presents itself in some pretty comical forms at times. But you cannot grow without change. You cannot evolve. You cannot become more than you are without changing what you have. And THAT is what this seminar is about.
I’m going to comment on Scott’s portion next: As I said earlier, this was my first exposure to Scott himself, and the man is as advertised. He is an easygoing, unassuming person whose knowledge and insight comes through in everything he says and does. You can always recognize someone who believes in what he is saying and practicing what he is preaching, there is an apparent confidence in themselves and their actions.
Scott Sonnon has found a method of fitness and fighting that the probable majority of fitness gurus, kung-fu masters and martial art teachers hope to God you never find out about. Anybody who knows me knows that I have an inherent distaste for the prevalent attitude of the “traditional” martial arts instructor, I think the species as whole needs to be taken down a notch or six. They are archetypically overbearing, pompous, stifling, and many are a touch much arrogant for my taste.
Scott and Steve exude none of this, I felt that they were truly there to assist us in the exercises & I wasn’t at all hesitant to ask either one questions about misunderstandings or discrepancies I had with the training. As they were walking around the room checking on participants, I got the feeling that they were taking a personal stake in our achievements that day. This wouldn’t be so extraordinary if it wasn’t the exception to the rule in this industry. Which all the more reinforces my confidence in the material we are covering: They actually WANT us to get it!
My own personal martial art is Filipino Kali and Indo-Malay Pencak Silat. I appreciate the use of rhythm, tempo and flow that these arts make the use of much more so than most other styles. In my opinion, Scott Sonnon is pretty much doing the exact same art, which I find amazing since by all accounts HE HAS NEVER STUDIED THE STYLE! Watching his methods just for breathing exercises, I cannot help but be stunned at the similarities. He nonchalantly pulled off a move while explaining something to somebody else, and foot-swept a water bottle out of my hands without me feeling it, and did a little Russian jig at the end. (Understand this: He took the water bottle out of my hands with his feet & I had to look twice to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me & I had indeed lost it.) If he lied to me & said he studied a rare form of Silat seldom seen outside Sumatra, I would be more inclined to believe him than not, his motion is that good. Speaking to other martial artists, I found that many who were from radically different styles than my own felt exactly the same way. We have secretly come to the conclusion that Scott is probably the advance guard for an elite alien race to take us over. Using Clubbells™.
We started the Sonnon portion with a kind of reverse-twister getting to know you exercise that involved twisting us up in groups of 5 like human pipe cleaners and then having to untangle ourselves without breaking contact. This immediately put everybody at ease, they were all on the same sheet of music doing the same exercise. There was a lot of laughter and noise as we worked on getting our arms out of knots. I recognized this as an excellent starter drill for almost any physical seminar, and I’m afraid to say I have actually stolen it for my next one. I hope he doesn’t own the patent or something. This exercise was a blast.
After our energy had been successfully elevated & we were ready to work out, Scott presented some basic posture & breath-driven exercises that that promoted unity in motion and breathing. The exercises themselves weren’t phenomenally different than others I had seen, but then again, it was the APPROACH, not the APPLICATION. Scott introduced us to a kind of “pain meter” for our training, teaching us to push ourselves, but only so far as the pain never spiked above a 3. There were other levels and other criteria as well, but this particular one struck a chord in me, since I was working out with an active spinal contusion. I had started the day damned and determined to do everything without complaint, and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair if necessary. I came to work out, and by the gods I was going to. Scott stopped class for a moment and said, with the utmost sincerity “If your arms are shaking, stop. If you’re in pain, stop. There is no way to “work out” fatigue. Once you reach the threshold, end it there. You are done for the day.” There is a technical term for my reaction: Holy Crap! This was like the holy anvil of rude awakening being dropped on my head. In fact, it made so much sense to me that I stopped right there, about two hours shy of the end of the seminar, and just continued to take notes.
My understanding is that the Portland seminar was the “trial balloon.” Well guys, it looks like the crazy flying contraption works. This seminar renewed my determination to continue on MY path, and showed me what I could do once I got there as well. This is not a “martial path”. This is not a “writing path”. This is a life path. This is something to follow to find belief in yourself & set realistic goals to accomplish in your life. Jeez, I sound like a televangelist. But really, it’s the only way to put it: I walked out WAY different than when I walked in. And I can count on one hand (and blow off a couple of fingers while I’m at it) how many seminars that has happened at in the past.
I was speaking of this seminar a couple of months ago on another forum with a fellow Silat player, and he was expressing doubts about what the seminar was advertising: “Change your life??” “Discover the Path?” In particular, he said this smacked of snake oil. I believe his thoughts were shared by many on the web who read the same advertisement. After witnessing the seminar firsthand, I can tell you that this program isn’t going to actually “give” you a path. It IS, however, going to radically help you find one for yourself. And it definitely gives you the tools and motivation to mold your path into a lifelong series of personal achievements for yourself. But it’s just like anything else in life: YOU MUST WORK TO FIND THE PATH. There is no shortcut. There is no magic pill. The DVD’s ain’t gonna train themselves. You must study, apply, observe and adhere to the elements given to you in the seminar. Steve and Scott tell you this right out of the gate, and they offer no illusions as to what is expected of you. A lot of it would be classified as “common sense”, and I suppose that would be correct. But we all learn in different ways, and we all have different ideas about how what we have learned should be (if at all) applied in our daily lives.
This seminar is worthy of your time and effort. It wasn’t just thrown together at the drop of a price tag, there is thought and depth behind it. It is well structured and presented, and I believe the guys will streamline it as they continue. This was my first hands-on exposure to both Steve Barnes & Scott Sonnon, and I freely admit that I went in with some preconceived notions. Scott & Steve handled them with professionalism and competence, addressing my points instead of arguing me down or away. Honestly, I don’t think they even realized they WERE discrepancies. For them, it was just Saturday. Steve was eating a banana.
So, if you are interested in committing to real change in both ypour training regimen and your life, give the program a chance. Give yourself a chance. There is a reason these men have such an outstanding reputation in the fitness, literary and martial arts world. They have decades of experience in the fields of their profession, and their reputations speak for themselves. And they are offering their insight to you.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Notes on the Path seminar
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6 comments:
Okay, so, as I expected -- and said at the time -- you feel as if you got your money's worth. No surprise.
But -- would you change the advertising if Steve and Scott handed it to you and said it was okay to do so?
Would it be perhaps a tad less hyperbolic?
First impressions count for a lot in my world. Probably ought not to as much, but I've always been a pretty good point-shooter, so I tend to make a call fast, and over-the-top ads get the raised eyebrow -- I'm immediately polarized, and my reaction is to shake my head and grin.
I've never sent money to one of those Black Belt ads, and can't see myself doing it.
As good as Barnes and Sonnon were, I still say less rah-rah and puffery up front would be better to attract the kind of student who would benefit most from this kind of training. If you promise the moon and the trainees only make it to the top of Mount Everest, they might not be as impressed as they would have if you'd said you were going to show them how to climb a hill and they reached the top of the world.
Me, I'd write it low-key -- "Are you looking for something different? A way of moving and thinking that we believe will be useful in your every day life? A system of not-just-physical exercises that will -- if you are willing to work hard -- help you get past things you didn't think you could ever manage on your own? We've assembled some of our experiences -- mental, physical, even spiritual -- that could start you on a path we believe you will find empowering and enlighening. It's not all new, some of it is actually pretty old, but we think our take on various disciplines is worth something. Here's the deal -- come, listen us, learn the moves we have. If you don't agree it's worth what you paid, we'll cheerfully refund your money, no questions.
What do you have to lose? "
List credits, bam. That's how I'd write it.
Steve
Well, I guess I would. But I can't just leave it at that:
Every single health-fitness/self motivation program has this kind of wording to reflect what they offer. Tony Robinson, Tae-Bo, Hot Yoga, etc. Scott & Steve weren't trying to appeal to martial artists per se, but people from all over who are looking for something different. Would I change the wording of the ad? Yes. But then, my version would probably be alot more "Silat-y" for lack of a better term. Yours would (perhaps) be more low-key.
I wanted to reflect what I personally felt about the seminar, and give an honest opinion about what I felt I received. Now, I DID include the blurb about nothing being free, or easy. This wasn't a "12 step program", and I said that hard work and effort were required, like anything else in life worth having. Also, I really WAS blown away with Scott & Steve's approach. Maybe I should add that I didn't agree with EVERYTHING, however, they by and large pointed me in a different direction.
Y'know what I really think, tho? People are usually lazy. They don't WANT to get off thier ass, they want someone to do it for them. Which of course, is ludicrous. Hard work = Results for effort spent. This is an unquestionable equation. To me, everything else is just a pep rally. THIS IS DIFFERENT.
I will add that Steve isn't saying anything new, or revolutionary...But he's presenting a kind of structure that makes it clear for everyday non-martial artist types to relate and develop from. Compared to his DVD's this wasn't Sonnon's hardest workout by any means. And it wasn't Barne's entire "Lifewriting" course, either. But it WAS as advertised: A way to change your life. The actual WORK is up to you.
ALSO, these guys ARE trying to make a living here. Pick up any one of your own books, Steve, and read the back covers: "Perry writes incredible fight scenes!" C'mon, YOU are at least a LITTLE guilty of marketing yourself as well, que no?
Um, well, actually, the blurbs all come from the publisher. I have as much to do with those as I do the covers, which usually is zip. Generally, I disapprove of both -- espeically those little hints that give away a plot-point before a reader ever opens the book. (Although the publisher actually did listen to my suggestion on the most recent novel and had the artist do what I thought would look cool for a coverl. And it did.)
Reviews are from people who read the book and then waxed or waned about it -- different than me telling you it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. A testimonial from a paying customer is not the same as the guy putting on the show telling you how wonderful it is.
Without false modesty, I do write okay fight scenes. Sex stuff is pretty good, too. But I'm not promising anything on the cover. If the publisher quotes something I wrote for a blurb, that's because it is in there. I write space opera, mostly, lightweight, pot boilers, and no claims you will learn Anything of Great Importance. And sure, I market myself. But I don't pretend that what I'm doing is gonna blow Bob Heinlein off the page, or that any idea I've come up with is totally new and unique!!
I used to sell encyclopedia. Also aluminum. I know about sales hype and I understand the philosophy -- hey, it's a good product, so it is fair to pump it up to get people to notice. They will be glad they did. Sure the ends justifying the means is valid some of the time. Other instances, it isn't -- and can range from a little bit of fudging to outright lying.
When something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is too good to be true. When I hear the words "revolutionary!" "totally unique!" (this one being redundant) or "effortless!" my little bullshit detector has a conniption. Few things are new under the sun, and I've been around long enough to have noticed that.
But -- but *wait!* NOW how much would you pay ... ?
What would be more likely to suck me in would an ad like the one I wrote. (And I could low-key that more, it was a little over the top as it was.)
The hooray-for-us! stuff turns me off.
I wouldn't want students who are lazy and have to be talked into something. If you didn't come to work hard, stay home. Barnes and Sonnon make their livings selling books and vids -- they didn't need this to put food on the table, and I expect by the time they paid transportation and lodging and food, they didn't make all that much.
Everybody with a lick of sense knows that the best way to lose weight is a) eat less b) exercise more. But you don't sell a lot of diet books if that's all you have to say. And unless you come up with some new principle, that, in essence, is all you do have to say. You can fiddle with various diets and exercise routines, but that is the path to becoming sthenic. I'm not arguing with what B&S put forth -- only the set-up.
Hey Bobbe--
I'm gathering links for the Progressive Faith blog carnival (details on my blog). Can I use your "Message From God" post? Or would you like to write something else (I know you're busy getting ready for your trip to Indonesia and the auto-da-fe on your boss)?
Please, Tiel, feel free. I'm honored that you would consider it. You have my express permission.
"autodafe" ....Nice one!!! Joan of Arc got that one, if I'm not mistaken, which lead to the creation of the first rule of French warfare: "France can only win if they have an insane teenage girl leading them."
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