Holy Communion - 10/10/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Twenty-eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 10/10/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you.

You’ll notice a new painting on the wall behind the altar and some new stained glass. If you’d like to assist in the beautification of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Salt, Sugar and Elements: Mettle Maker #279

Note: The weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit.

Salt, Sugar and Elements: Mettle Maker #279

  • Self-Defense: What is “Elemental contact?” I have a copy of United States Marine Corps training film MTF #12, “Combat Conditioning: Part I, Accelerated Calisthenics and Elemental Contacts" which was produced during the 1940s and used to train marines during World War II and the Korean War. One of the principles of this training program is combat conditioning through progressive, “elemental contact“ (from very light to moderately heavy) over the course of a 4 to 10 week boot camp. It prepares soldiers to fight but graduates them in good physical condition — healthy and injury free. As it turns out, that’s exactly what a good self-defense school should want. That’s why we stripped those drills right out of the book and dropped them into the Heritage program. You can be hardened to contact and learn the basics of self-defense in a surprisingly short period of time if you want to. Do you? If so, join our free distance learning program or come train with us on Tues and Thurs nights from 6 - 7 PM at West End Manor Civic Association, 8600 Lakefront Drive, Richmond VA 23294.

  • Fitness: Salt, calcium and sugar are fundamental. During last weekend’s hike I almost pushed myself into shock (I know what it feels like because I did it on a hike once before). This was dangerous and stupid, because shock can kill you, and the stress of caring for you can bring harm to your companions. The last half mile of the Priest, I got severe leg cramps and started to get the shakes. Much of my suffering was avoidable and caused by a critical error: I left my water additive and chewable antacid tablets at home by accident. This is why redundancy is essential — these items should have been in the first aid kit, not just in my pocket. It was and is embarrassing as a self-defense and survival instructor to admit this mistake, but hard truths teach valuable lessons. Fortunately I had a granola bar (sugar) some beef jerky (salt) in my provisions which helped somewhat. But the calcium in the antacid tablets would’ve been perfect. Take it from me. Put a roll of antacid tablets and some restaurant salt and sugar packets in each of your first aid kits.

  • Wildwood: Follow your nose. During the hike down from the Priest on Sunday morning, my daughter began to run out of steam, and she was worried about how much farther we had to go. I was able to tell her that we were close to the 2/3 point of the descent because I caught a whiff of the Cripple Creek which was the 2/3 mark. I smelled it before I heard it. Smell is an underestimated sense in the survival and nature appreciation realm. It can help you find plants, prey animals, and water, and it can help you avoid predators too. Breathe deeply through your nose, then open your mouth and taste the air. Pay attention to the smell-scape. The easiest animals to detect with your nose are skunk, bobcat, feral cats and feral dogs. Work on it and you’ll get better. Humans can even learn to scent track, although not as well as dogs because we have fewer scent receptors. Read more here.

  • Spirit: Mind-body-spirit unity is no new-age joke. As I related above, a small mental mistake — forgetting my water additive and calcium supplement — had huge physical consequences during last weekend’s hike. Fortunately, although I’m way past my physical prime, I’m more spiritually fit than ever. Ashamed of my forgetfulness? Yes. Disappointed in my 60-year-old body? Oh yes. But I’m proud of the fact that few of the other hikers knew how badly I was suffering. Even during the darkest spots, I stayed calm, patient, and full of wonder. A living being is an ecosystem in which decisions have physical consequences, physical problems have mental and spiritual effects, and so on. Spiritual fitness is built through contemplation, meditation, prayer and sacred reading. Get there. For more inspiration, join us at Heritage Spirit for weekly online church.


Inspirational Quotes on Potential

“Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness, and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using and moving only his little finger. Great emergencies and crises show us how much greater our vital resources are than we had supposed.” William James (letter to W. Lutoslawski, May 6th, 1906)

“You are capable of twenty times more than you think you are.” Mark Divine (8 Weeks to Sealfit, 2014)

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” Black Elk (The Missing Link: Teaching and Learning Critical Success Skills, 2014)

Heritage Arts Group Hike Video & Pics

Sunday 10/2/21 we completed the first ever Heritage Arts group hike — video and pics below. Since 10/2 is the Feast of the Guardian Angels, we did a little prayer service at the top which is in the video

Watch the event calendar and join us for our next group activity!

Group Hike Video & Pics

Interested in what you missed out on last week? Check it out below. And stay tuned for more events so that you can sign up and participate next time!

Group Hike: Mettle Maker #278

The view from the top of the Priest

The view from the top of the Priest

The weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit — and is extra credit material for both our in-person and remote programs!

Group Hike: Mettle Maker #278

Today is the Heritage Arts Group Hike! If you can’t join us hiking the Priest today, then pick your own hike and get it done!

When you do your hike, you can focus on:

Self-Defense: Can you escape, self-rescue, cover ground while carrying a pack, and still have enough gas in the tank to defend yourself if need be? If that’s not self-defensey enough for you, watch the video below and do some of these exercises!

Fitness: Fit to do what? Fitness means different things to different folks. Depending on who you ask, it might mean looking good naked, being ready to compete in a specific sport, having a BMI in the ideal range, or who-knows-what. If you ask me, it means fit to fight and explore the outdoors, but I’m a martial arts and survival instructor — what do you expect? So ask yourself — what are you training for? What’s the point? And when you find out and/or decide, tailor your fitness program as needed. If you need assistance with doing this kind of analysis and implementation, sign up for the Heritage Fitness program. It’s totally free! We’re a non-profit, remember?

Wildwood: Go outside. How many hours a day do you spend outside? Are you outdoors every day, 12 months per year? Silly questions? Nope. Outdoor skills accrue the same way other skills do — slowly, incrementally, across time. Get outside every day. Keep a journal, and make a daily note about what you observed in your environment. Identify one plant, one bug, one kind of cloud, etc. and sketch it. Check the moon phase by observation, and write that down too. Want more? Sign up for the free Wildwood program.

Spirit: Mountains are special places. There’s a reason why so many spiritual tales and biblical stories take place atop or at the base of mountains. If you have never hiked to a peak, you can’t understand it. If you have, you know what I mean. Get there and understand first hand. Here’s a picture of the view from Sharp Top. For more inspiration, join us at Heritage Spirit for weekly online church.


Feast of St. Michael - 9/29/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Feast of St. Michael, 9/29/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you.

You’ll notice a new painting on the wall behind the altar and some new stained glass. If you’d like to assist in the beautification of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Heritage Self-Defense Third Rank Advancements -- Congratulations!

Congratulations to Morgan, Jack and Allen who all passed the Midnight Quest trial last night, advanced to the rank of Initiate, and earned their blue bandanas in Heritage Self-Defense. Good job everyone!

There are only five ranks in Heritage Self-Defense, and Blue Bandana is the third — so these folks are well on their way to earning black bandanas. They tested themselves, and they tested each other. They looked inward, and now they can look outward in a new way.

They braved the dark so they can see the light.

Start your adventure today! Come out and train with us here in Richmond, VA or sign up for the Heritage Arts Hermit Path distance learning program. Everything we do is completely free (except for your sweat investment of course).

Holy Communion - 9/26/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 9/26/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you.

You’ll notice a new painting on the wall behind the altar and some new stained glass. If you’d like to assist in the beautification of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Nitty-Gritty: Mettle Maker #277

Note: The weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit.

Nitty-Gritty: Mettle Maker #277

  • Self-Defense: Nitty-gritty beats fancy-flashy every time. As you go into weapon week, ask yourself, “If I’m ever in a self-defense situation and there’s a loose weapon in the environment, could I get to it first, pick it up with skill and precision, and put it to use instantly?” Watch the video below and work your capture and retention drills. Want more martial arts? Join our free distance learning program or come train with us on Tues and Thurs nights from 6 - 7 PM at West End Manor Civic Association, 8600 Lakefront Drive, Richmond VA 23294.

  • Fitness: Fit to do what? Fitness means different things to different folks. Depending on who you ask, it might mean looking good naked, being ready to compete in a specific sport, having a BMI in the ideal range, or who-knows-what. If you ask me, it means fit to fight and explore the outdoors, but I’m a martial arts and survival instructor — what do you expect? So ask yourself — what are you training for? What’s the point? And when you find out and/or decide, tailor your fitness program as needed. If you need assistance with doing this kind of analysis and implementation, sign up for the Heritage Fitness program. It’s totally free! We’re a non-profit, remember?

  • Wildwood: Go outside. How many hours a day do you spend outside? Are you outdoors every day, 12 months per year? Silly questions? Nope. Outdoor skills accrue the same way other skills do — slowly, incrementally, across time. Get outside every day. Keep a journal, and make a daily note about what you observed in your environment. Identify one plant, one bug, one kind of cloud, etc. and sketch it. Check the moon phase by observation, and write that down too. Want more? Sign up for the free Wildwood program.

  • Spirit: How long is your rope? Is it long enough to reach the bottom of the well, or does it fall short? Is it long enough to draw up water to share with those who are thirsty? What water will you pour out into the world this week? What fiery pain will your water quench, what stain will it wash away, what wound will it cleanse? Meditate on this. Lengthen your rope and draw up much water to pour out into the world. For more inspiration, join us at Heritage Spirit for weekly online church.


Holy Communion - 9/12/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 9/12/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program.

If you would like to have prayers offered for you, a loved one, a friend, for someone who is suffering, ill or who has departed, please email Archdeacon Mitch at mitch@heritageartsinc.com and we will pray for you.

You’ll notice a new painting on the wall behind the altar and some new stained glass. If you’d like to assist in the beautification of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Seasons: Mettle Maker #276

Note: The weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit.

Seasons: Mettle Maker #276

  • Self-Defense: Grappling/clinching skill and fitness. The upcoming week’s focus is grappling/clinching. Near-perfect technique and real fitness are required to overcome a taller and/or heavier adversary. Constitutionals are the answer. Here’s a grappling-specific one. Work it with perfect form: 25 reps each of Bag Lifts, Russian Squats, Shoulder Rolls, Duck-unders, Shots, Sprawls, and Bodybuilders. If you don’t know what these exercises are, watch the video below. Want more martial arts? Join our free distance learning program or come train with us on Tues and Thurs nights from 6 - 7 PM at West End Manor Civic Association, 8600 Lakefront Drive, Richmond VA 23294.

  • Fitness: What’s your prehab plan? Many folks have recurring flare-ups, re-injuries, and syndromes, such as ITB pain, various types of tendonitis, and so forth. As discussed last week, overtraining is common and is a leading contributor to these recurrences. Have you reviewed and analyzed your training journals to see what you were doing in the weeks leading up to your injuries and find the causes? Have made changes to your program to prevent future recurrences? Perhaps most important of all, have you put a prehab plan in place to address the underlying strength deficiencies? I just put a prehab plan in place after my second flare-up of wrist pain in connection with martial arts weapon training — see below. If you need assistance with doing this kind of analysis and implementation, sign up for the Heritage Fitness program. It’s totally free (we’re a non-profit, remember?).

  • Wildwood: Fall is coming — do you know what that means? A silly question? Not really. Do you know what date marks the beginning of fall? Do you know which trees are the first to change color in your area? Do you know which edible nuts are the first to fall, roughly when they’ll drop, and how to harvest and prepare them? Do you know how long they’ll keep in the shell? Watch the video below for more info, and if this sort of thing is your cup of tea, sign up for the free Wildwood program.

  • Spirit: Seasons come and go, ever-repeating. Are you stuck in an endless loop just like the seasons, or are you moving forward in your spiritual practice? “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.” That’s Ecclesiastes 3:15, and if you can come to an understanding of its meaning perhaps you can make a huge spiritual leap forward. Meditate on this scripture. And if you get stuck, watch the video below, and consider joining us at Heritage Spirit for weekly online church.


Quizzical: Mettle Maker #275

Note: The weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit.

Quizzical: Mettle Maker #275

  • Self-Defense: Take the attached self-defense quiz. CLICK HERE. Nothing fancy, just twelve short questions, but it’s a nice place to start.

  • Fitness: Are you running in the redline too often? Overtraining is common. Most people think they need to train harder when actually they need to train smarter. Answer these five questions and let’s see where you are. 1. Have you had two or more training injuries in the last three years? 2. Have you had more than one bout of tendonitis in the last three years? 3. In the past month, have you been so sore from training that it affected your choice of activities? 4. Have you taken OTC pain relievers after a training session in the last month? 5. Are you sore or injured right now? If you answered “yes” to 3 or more questions you might be overtraining. Click here to sign up for the free Heritage Fitness Program.

  • Wildwood: Do you know the survival formula? When disaster strikes and confusion rears its head, you can regain control by completing a quick seven-point rundown of your situation. If you can’t, you should learn it now. Answers at the bottom of the page.

  • Spirit: What’s your purpose? Everybody has a purpose, even if they don’t realize what it is. So sit down and figure out yours. What are you working for or toward? Are you trying to get to the next payday, the next drink, the next drug score, the next sexual partner, the next delicious meal, gadget, toy, video game, car, or motorcycle? The next promotion, trophy, ribbon, or touchdown? When you have your purpose figured out, ask yourself if it’s finite — like all of the things listed above — or something infinite, like being the best parent, husband, brother, sister, son, daughter, citizen or servant of God that you can be? The ancients had a word for people who were focused on the finite. They called them “idol worshippers” and they were very clear that if you worship tangible things you’ll end up in hell. Did they mean “hell” literally or figuratively? Perhaps both. If the various addictions aren’t hell — drugs, alcohol, porn, entertainment, power, and so on — I don’t know what is. There’s another way to live your life. Join us at Heritage Spirit to find out more.

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The Survival Rundown

1.Safey 2.First Aid 3.Shelter 4.Water 5.Fire 6.Food 7.Fun

First get out of danger, then apply first aid to any injuries. Next make sure you have shelter — not just from weather but from other dangers also, like humans, insects, predators, etc. Next you need water, followed by fire, food, and lastly fun. Why fun? You have to keep your attitude positive and your heart engaged. Negativity, hopelessness and fear will wear you down faster than you think!

Hawk's Cry: Mettle Maker #274

If you’re new in these here parts, the weekly mettle maker supports all of the Heritage Arts programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Heritage Wildwood, Heritage Fitness and Heritage Spirit.

Hawk’s Cry: Mettle Maker #274

Warm-up before training.  To avoid injuries, warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes before you train. Do about 4 minutes each of (a) jogging, jumping rope, or similar activity, and (b) light calisthenics.  Martial artists should do 8 minutes of MBF.  

  • Self-Defense: If you can’t run and you’re forced into a physical self-defense situation, what are the three things you must do? Stop and really think about this. Answers at the bottom of the page. Next week is general self-defense week at Heritage Self-Defense. You gotta know — and practice! — this stuff.

  • Fitness: What are you doing? What are your fitness goals? Does your fitness support an athletic endeavor? Are you trying to look good with your shirt off? Is health your goal, or perhaps just fun? What percentage of your fitness work is devoted to the goal and what percentage is cross-training? Sit down with your training journal, do an analysis, and make adjustments. If you don’t keep a training journal, that’s going to be a major stumbling block to progress, so fix that. Need help? Sign up for the free the Heritage Fitness program.

  • Wildwood: Why should you know the cry of a hawk? The more predators the more prey, so lots of hawks in the area means lots of survival food for you. If you see a hawk making small circles at a couple of hundred feet you can be sure there is small game very close. But often you will hear hawks at off times, when they are not hunting, and thus be assured that they are nesting nearby. Hawks are ambush hunters — they cry to warn other hawks to stay out of their territory and during mating, not when attacking. Here’s the cry of a red-shouldered hawk I spotted just this week.

  • Spirit: That which has been is now. Beauty, truth, and salvation itself, are in the things you have put off, crowded out, and chased away. Watch the video below.

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The 3 Things You Must Do in a Self-Defense Situation

1. Yell, don’t scream.

2. Deliver short, continuous blows from a low center of mass.

3. Move in, move in, move in!

Avoid conflict at all cost. But if you have to fight for your life, be like a freight train — loud, heavy, and moving forward on a rail!