One of the biggest hangups I used to have was the fear of looking stupid. I got over it when I accepted my stupidity as normal and predictable and let ‘er ride.
Many fortnight’s ago, I was out late on a Monday evening practicing Dao Zou on the street while a neighbor had guests over to watch a fake professional football game.
I was minding my own business, lost in space and time, doing my odd backwards walking patterns that give me a feeling of being more in tune with the cosmos than the Kardashians.
When I was halfway through my practice, out of the house came the guests who were done watching the outcome of their fixed feetball game. And just before getting into their cars to drive home, one of the inebriated guests yelled at me, “Hey, I thought Saturday was backwards day.”
Quite the comedian, he wasn’t.
I smiled anyway and kept doing what I was doing. I offered no verbal response as I have mastered the art of passive aggression. Believe me, I don’t think this nincompoop would really want to experience the art of “aggressive aggression,” at least not from me.
So I kept dawdling along, counting my steps and whatdyaknow these gentleman proved the Bible passage, “this too shall pass” to be correct. They left, I kept on with the practice and that was the end of them.
So you see, there is a time for passivity, to let things ride, to tune out those who don’t know what you’re doing, don’t know what the benefits are, or have their own issues of looking stupid.
Looking stoopid and writing stoopid are two of the most liberating things you can engage in. Let everyone else follow the so-called rules and get sub-par results.
And this brings me to yet another point: Everything I have put out, product wise, since I got started in this business 30 years ago, was stupid to a large body of people.
My first book, The Martial Art of Wrestling, was stupid.
My international best-seller, Combat Conditioning, was MEGA stupid.
Combat Abs, Gama Fitness and Combat Stretching, although not as stupid were right up there to lots of people.
Dao Zou was DAF. I’ll let you figure out the acronym. Then again, maybe I should give you the first two words. They are “Dumb as…”
Over the past three years I’ve come out with three idiotic courses that have helped a lot of people experience the amazing benefits of doing something stupid, something that might make the neighbors wonder about you.
Those who have no fear of what the others “might” think, those who aren’t afraid to look or do something odd are enjoying a ton of benefits, and that makes my day as well as theirs.
My new Badass Tai Chi program is a bonafide ground-breaker, as it will help you overcome any hangups you might have about your neighbors, or those who still think Monday Night Football is real. It will also add vim, vigor and vitality to every step or movement you make in life.
Now, I’m well aware that there are some people, perhaps tens of millions of people who will think I’m nuts (and stupid) because I don’t believe pro football is real.
Guess what? I don’t care. It’s a somewhat free whirld, ain’t it?
Mark my words, once you get past the hangup of what other people might think, the benefits to your mind, body, mental and physical health are unlimited.
This means that when you practice something that is “BADASS,” such as my tai chi course, you’re not an azz.
How about dhat?
Matt Furey
P.S. A good many of you had troubles ordering Badass Tai Chi yesterday as we had troubles with our “swerver.” The situation has been rectified and you can place your order NOW.
