Clearing The Fog

Fog clearing over the mountainside.

Whenever we think of fog, a clear picture comes to mind. It could be a scene from a horror film, or a real life experience you my have had, but one characteristic remains constant; you cannot see clearly. Well, if you could imagine your entirely life being engulfed by this fog, not allowing you to see properly, or clearly, this is the way my life has felt for quite a while.

For anyone who has felt the fog of life swallow their brains, this is my attempt to lift it, and never allow it to return. For as long as I could remember, I have made mistakes due to my "airheadedness", and with that being said, recording my life in blog format will hopefully make my mind stick to all that it needs.

Now, on to a little bit about my life. Well, firstly, if you haven't read my profile yet, I'll tell you the abridged version. I am a second degree black belt (as of now, will change eventually) in Taekwondo, and am nationally and internationally certified. I began my training back in 2006, and from that point on, martial arts has been the main focus of extracurricular activities. In May 2010, I took my first 6 day black belt test, and received my first Dan black belt. About two and a half years later, (January 2013) I took my second Dan black belt test. Another 6 day test was not easy by any means, but I sure did have a good time. I will most likely write another blog just for my black belt tests, so look for that when it comes! Long story short, I now have my second Dan black belt in Taekwondo, and I started to instruct classes at Trento's Martial Arts and Fitness Center.

Over the years I have met and became friends with so many different and interesting people. The list would be endless, so I will save everyone's time and attention span by just keeping it simple. So with that being said, I'd like to mention that I aspire to learn different styles of martial arts including Hung Ga Kung Fu, Nothern Shaolin Kung fu, Qi Gong, Haganah, and Krav Maga.

Since I was young I have always wanted to be like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Neo from the Martix Trilogy, but once I enrolled in a martial arts school and began to learn, I realized that martial arts is more than kicking and punching. Martial arts is a way of life. I discovered that kicking and punching only makes a small part of what the martial arts really is.

Many martial artists get to a certain point and either, stop martial arts completely, or just never advance in belts. Many years ago, my teacher (now Master) asked me, "Do you ever think you will stop martial arts?", and after a short time thinking, I replied with a no. From that point on, my love for martial arts has grown a great extent, and the love for my art is ever-expanding. There truly is nothing else like it. One of my many goals in life is to share what I love with the world in hope that they will love it too.

For me to truly master and fully embrace all that martial arts has to offer me, my absent-mindedness, or my "airheadedness", must be stomped out completely. From this point on, I am making the conscious decision to make it happen, and move on in my life and in my art, clearing the fog.    

Warm Wishes and Enjoy Life,
Andrew R. Kranich