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What’s the weekly mettle maker?
Training tips and educational info in support of our free programs, that’s what! What’s mettle? Mettle is, “The ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances; determination or resolve.”
Kylie (L), Fr. Mitch (C) and the Immortal Mark Hatmaker (R)
Thanks to everyone who’s been praying for Kylie Hatmaker and her husband Mark. The brain tumor she’s been dealing with is responding well to treatment, and a close call seems to have been avoided. God give her increasing health and strength, we pray thee, Amen.
Mettle maker #454: Sacrifice for the Greater Good
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When I started Heritage Arts back in 2009, I had no idea what I was doing. I just started with the premise that martial arts, outdoor skills, and the quest for spiritual knowledge had changed my life for the better; and I wanted to give back to the world that had been so kind and forgiving with my mistakes by passing on for free what I had learned.
There’s a problem with that though. Not everybody needs to learn the same things I needed to learn when I started martial arts back in 1986. Sure, there’s some overlap. But everybody’s different. There are even some guys who already know most everything I had learn the hard way. And the really strange thing — the think I still can’t figure out — is that our programs seem to attract guys who have lots of rank and experience in Eastern martial arts styles.
Why’s that a problem? Well, it isn’t really a problem for anyone but me. Because I originally designed the program for complete beginners — for people who have the same issues I had back in ‘86. Remember, back then I was 80 lbs. overweight, I had zero discipline, almost no integrity, and no spiritual direction.
What do you do when you’ve designed a comprehensive mind-body-spirit martial arts and outdoor skills program, but people sign up who only want to participate because they like what the organization stands for? What if they just want to learn the martial arts, but not work on themselves spiritually? What if they don’t care about fitness? What if folks sign up who want certain things, but aren’t self-aware enough to know that they actually need something else entirely? And so on?
Well, what you do is sacrifice and adapt. Along the way there have been things that I liked that nobody else liked. There have been things that worked for me, but didn’t work for anyone else. I had to give up that stuff. Some of those sacrificial changes were painful. But they had to be sacrificed for the improvement of the charity and its programs. I had to sacrifice those things for the greater good. They were tiny little, subminiature crucifixions and resurrections — practical emulations of Christ’s sacrifice in worldly circumstances.
I consider it my sacred duty to properly provide the leadership and education that this charity, and all its participants, members, and supporters need. Jesus told Peter, if you love me, "feed my sheep." (John 21:17). I'm not here to give you what you want, I'm here to give you what you need. So my decisions will not always be agreeable to all. But I do want to listen. And I want everyone to understand any changes we make.
With all this in mind…
All past or present participants in our programs are asked to please attend the Heritage Huddle on Monday, 4/28/25 at 8 PM ET. CLICK HERE to join the Google Meet. If you can’t make it, share your comments via email or comment below.
Agenda for April 28th Meeting
1. Should we update and shorten the Heritage Oath? The old oath from back in 2009 has generated some complaints (both in the past and more recently) on the basis that it is too long, has a kind of “new agey” tone, and doesn’t comport with Heritage Arts’ message and mission.. To address those concerns, I propose that it should be revised by light of the fact that Rough 'n' Tumble is America's martial art. Our oath should more fully echo and embody the words of America's founding documents and iconic leaders. It also needs to be abbreviated and made less objectionable.
Proposed Revision:
"To North, South, East, and West we send our plea, that we may be blessed by our Creator and touched by the better angels of our nature, training with Sincerity and in true Liberty, embodying the virtues of Wonder, Sagacity, Frugality, Indomitability, and Fraternity. Ex Gladio Scientia*. Ruh!"
Original Oath:
"To North, South, East, and West, to our higher powers and better selves, we ask and send our blessings; that we may train with sincerity, outside the influence of evil forces, and successfully embody the five virtues of Heritage Rough 'n' Tumble: Wonder, Sagacity, Frugality, Indominability, and Fraternity. Willed, spoken, and done. Ex Gladio Scientia."
2. Two part question. A) What should we do about John Doe? B) Should we do away with the constitutional trial for distance learners, leaving it in place only for face-to-face clubs? For the first time in the club’s history, someone has “failed” the constitutional trial — a distance learner we’ll call John Doe.. Clearly I gave him a trial that was too hard. And on top of that, due to the complexity of the instructions, I think it’s possible that he tried to run it straight through without breaking it up into circuits or anything, and/or he was too proud to take sufficient breaks, which made it effectively impossible. If the trial had been administered face-to-face this could’ve been prevented. What do we do about John? It feels strange, and kind of a let-down, to just give him the Yellow bandana. I propose that we ask him to perform an additional one-off feat from this list of 25 options: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 31, 36, 41, 45, 50, 63, 79 - 88, 98, and 100.
In addition, my feeling is that it's far too easy to misjudge someone's fitness level when relying upon just written training logs, and that we should do away with the constitutional trial for distance learners and require one of the 25 one-off feats listed above. Face to face administration of the trial provides proper supervision and prevents both disappointment and injury — judges and organizers can watch the person, force breaks, ensure safety, and prevent failure.
3. Should we unify and update the bandana rank colors? Technically, the bandana colors for distance learning are different from the ones awarded to guys who train face-to-face. At present, distance learning colors are bright and fraternal colors are muted (Yellow vs. Khaki, Blue vs. Navy, etc.). The highest distance learning rank is Black, and highest fraternal rank is Buffalo Check. For fairness, consistency, and to prevent confusion, I propose that we unify the colors so that everyone is the same: White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, Brown, and Black — and that the Buffalo Check bandana be awarded to Black Bandana members who start new clubs in their hometowns.
* Our Latin motto, Ex Gladio Scientia, means “From the Sword comes Knowledge.” It expresses our desire to learn about ourselves and the world through our study of martial arts, and it references the sword of discernment. In Hebrews 4:12 we read, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
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Homily for the Resurrection of the Lord, Easter Sunday 4/20/25 – Father Mitch
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Col 3:1-4, Sequence - Victimæ paschali laudes, John 20:1-9
John 20 1-9 World English Bible
1 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
3 Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he didn’t enter in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
Brothers and sisters, today the world is forever turned upside down. For all of human history since the sin of Adam and Eve, God and man had been separated by a great gulf. But in Christ, God enters into the human experience and inseparably rejoins man to God. The old order is reversed.
In every country that surrounded the Hebrews, kings were gods. Pharoah was a man treated as a god, worshipped, revered, and entombed in a great pyramid. In Babylon, the king was a mere man, treated as their god Marduk’s earthly manifestation. In the Roman empire, the emperor was called the son of god. And to many, in those days and even today, it’s easy to suppose that Christ is no different – a delusional or presumptuous man who claims to be God on earth.
The difference, brothers and sisters, is that when the Pharoah of Egypt died, he went into a tomb and was replaced by a different man, identical in title and function. When the god-king of Babylon died, when Caesar died, the same occurred. The cry always goes up, or a cry just like it: “The King is dead. Long live the king.” The king, the Prime Minister, the President, whatever the human title or position at hand, is semi-eternal. It lasts only as long as the nation and its government lasts. People behave as if it’s eternal, but in our heart of hearts, we all know it’s all temporary. But not this new King, Jesus Christ. He dies and returns. This King rises from the dead. This King comes back. Something entirely unique has come to pass.
In Christ the world is forever turned upside down.
Christ, as he approaches his Passion, is dressed up in a purple cloak. A crown of thorns is placed upon his head. He is mocked, beaten, and treated as if he is a false king. This is great irony. He is the true King. In allowing himself to be mocked in silence, he reflects the mockery onto their earthly rulers. When he rises from the dead on the third day, they discover that by mocking Christ, they have revealed their own foolishness and sin. They have mocked themselves.
Because, brothers and sisters, in Christ the world is forever turned upside down.
Rejoice, brothers and sisters, because there is a new way. No more need we look to mortal men to save us. No more are we separated from God by an impossible gulf. Rejoice, because the old order has been broken. Rejoice because in Christ we are saved. Rejoice because in Christ we are joined to God, the sin of Adam and Eve has been undone, and because the world is forever turned upside down.
