4th Annual Mettlecraft Month 2021

“The true philosopher is likely to be misunderstood by other men; they do not perceive that he is always practicing death and dying.”  ~Socrates, Phaedo (4th century B.C.)

It’s November and time for our fourth annual Mettlecraft Month at Heritage Self-Defense! Want to play along with us? This year’s challenge is a Self-Defense and Rescue Fitness Challenge. See if you can get a score of 100% before we close out the month on Tuesday, 11/30. Post your times and links in the comments, share videos and tag Elder Mitch on twitter @12thkey, etc. and we will link to you here. For a full explanation of what mettlecraft is, see the bottom of the page. And to reminisce about previous Mettlecraft Months, visit the old blog here.

Self-Defense and Rescue Fitness Challenge

Num. - Challenge: Passing Score / Perfect Score

1 - Breath Hold (5 sec. prep) :1 min. / 2 minutes

2 - Jump over waist height in 2 mins :1 time / 10 times

3 - Pull-ups, Chin-ups, or Knee Tucks in 2 mins :1 Knee Tuck/ 20 Pull-ups

4 - 200 yard Sprint : all out with no breaks / 30 seconds or less

5 - Sit-ups in 2 mins : 50 / 75

6 - Hand Release Push-ups in 2 mins: 10 / 60

7 - Deadlifts x 3 : 140 lbs / 340 lbs

8 - Buddy Carry (any method) : 25 yards / 100 yards

9 - Sandbag run : 25 lbs 1/2 mile / 45 lbs 1 mile

10 - Pain test: submerge arm in ice-water to elbow : 90 seconds/ 3 minutes

11/20/21 Update: Last night we made some gains on our numbers…

11/17/21 Update: Here’s a video outlining the exercises and highlighting the pain test…

What is mettlecraft? Mettlecraft is the cultivation of physical endurance, unflagging determination, and resolute strength of body, mind and spirit. In short, it is the relentless pursuit of indomitability, the fourth virtue of Heritage Self-Defense. It’s a mash-up of two words used in the old-time way:

\Met"tle\, n. [E. metal, used in a tropical sense in allusion to the temper of the metal of a sword blade. See {Metal}.] Substance or quality of temperament; spirit, esp. as regards honor, courage, fortitude, ardor, etc.

 \Craft\ (kr[.a]ft), n. [AS. cr[ae]ft strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, from the root of E. cramp.] 1. Strength; might; secret power. [Obs.]

Holy Communion - 11/14/21: Words That Will Not Pass Away

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time, 11/14/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Video and text of today’s homily below.

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, improvement and maintenance of St. Barachiel Chapel, please click here to make a donation.

Homily for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday 11/14/21

Readings: Dn 12:1-3, Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11, Mk 13:24-32, Heb 10:11-14, 18

 

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus says that there will be tribulation, after which the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars will fall from the sky, and so on. Then he will come, loose his angels, and gather together his chosen ones.  He concludes by saying, “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

This is very confusing and controversial material.  Christians have been arguing about the meaning of these words probably since the day and hour Jesus spoke them.  Some say these times have already come, that they refer to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 AD.  Some say they are about the future.  But there are problems with both interpretations.  If Jesus was speaking of past events, can we find proof in the historical record, or references later in the New Testament, that the sun and moon were darkened and that the angels were loosed at that time?  But if Jesus was speaking of a future time, why does he say, “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place”?   That generation has clearly passed on.  Furthermore, whether Jesus is speaking of the past or future, what does he mean by inserting the phrase, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”? These words don’t seem to have anything to do with the time of his prophecy, past or future.  Or do they?  I believe they are very important, and we’re going to come back to them later.

For the moment, let’s turn the five verses that follow today’s reading.  Jesus explains himself using the parable of man traveling abroad. He says, “It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.  May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

Does Jesus mean that we should never sleep again?  Of course not! A human being can go without sleep at most a few days. And constant vigilance is constant tension, and it’s impossible.  You can do it for maybe ten or fifteen minutes, an hour if you have nerves of steel and perfect focus.  I think it’s safe to say that he’s being metaphorical here. So what is he talking about?

Well, those who must be ever-vigilant – law enforcement officers on the lookout for crime, shepherds guarding flocks, hunters waiting for prey, monks bewaring the encroach of their own sin, and self-defense instructors like myself – have developed certain techniques that have come down to us across the millennia that keep us on guard, and yet relaxed.

The truly watchful do not distract themselves with the unimportant or the trivial.  They don’t sleepwalk through their days.  They are present in the moment in which they find themselves.  They don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future.  To prevent being tricked by wolves in sheep’s clothing, they are not judgmental or presupposing.  They exist in this moment – they are engaged in the ever-unfolding now.  They behave, as it happens, in just the same way Jesus says we should behave in the Sermon on the Mount.  This isn’t a coincidence!

Friends, I want to suggest the possibility that in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is speaking of the destruction of the temple, and of a time that is yet to come!  He is speaking of events that have happened, will happen, and are happening right now, for individuals, for communities, for nations and for the world.  I believe that’s what he means when he interjects the statement, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” His prophetic words are true for Christians in all times, in all places and in all circumstances.  Perhaps the best exposition of this idea is found in Luke 17:20-21, in which we hear, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Reality Show: Mettle Maker #282

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

This week’s offering revolves around the difference between what’s real and what’s for show. People love to jockey for position, cut angles, weave in and out, and make all kinds of moves to get more popularity, power, and clout.

Skill, expertise, knowledge, wisdom, and talent aren’t a requirement. Many who have power, popularity, and influence are simply famous for being famous. And many of them got that way by being reality show stars. Reality shows are of course scripted. They are actors, plain and simple.

Rather than watching reality shows or, even worse, living your life as if you are a character in your own reality show, make an effort to be authentic. Don’t kid yourself. Take off your costume.

Stop pretending and start becoming what you want to be.

Reality Show: Mettle Maker #282

Thursday’s constitutional at Heritage Self-Defense in Richmond VA.

  • Self-Defense: Perform this week’s constitutional. See that picture on the right? These are real world exercises that directly translate to fighting fitness. Go get it done: Back Bridges (25), Clocks (25), Bottom Scissors (60 secs), Crawl (8 x 4 yards), Squeezes (60 secs), Push-ups (25), and Shin Rides (25). Working solo? Use a heavy bag with the chains off. Working with a partner? Use your partner! Confused about the exercises? See video at the bottom of the page, join the club, or sign up for the Heritage Self-Defense distance learning program.

  • Fitness: Are you doing exercises because they’re popular or because they work? Do you let what’s cool and trendy determine the exercises you do? Do you let your girlfriend or boyfriend decide on which fitness class you’re going to take? Look at every exercise you’re doing at the gym and ask yourself if you have concrete evidence that it actually provides what you’re looking for (getting stronger, faster, or better at your chosen sport or activity). News flash: battle ropes aren’t going to help prep you for a muddy obstacle course run, P90X isn’t going to make you a better tennis player, and so on. Need help working out a training program? Sign up for Heritage Fitness and we’ll help you free of charge.

  • Wildwood: How much of what you know about the outdoors is “real?” Sure, you know that two feet of leaves will shed water on a shelter roof — but have you actually slept dry under a leaf roof on a rainy night? You know how important it is to have a reflecting surface behind you when you’re trying to stay warm by a fire — but have you ever made one and used it to stay alive in freezing temperatures? You know how important it is to stay positive when the chips are down — but have you ever successfully dragged your attitude back from the abyss? You’ve read the great adventure stories of fact and fiction — but when was the last time you actually went on an adventure? I advise going today, before you run out of time! Need an outdoor training plan? Sign up here, it’s free.

  • Spirit: Is it “just” a video game, “just” a movie, or “just” a video? If you are acting out a crime spree while playing a video game, or watching a movie in which the protagonist is a degenerate, to what degree are you performing those same acts? To what degree are you training your brain to act out those behaviors? Psychologists and sociologists have tried to make a direct connection between simulated and actual violent and immoral activity with mixed results. Some studies say violent and immoral video games and movies increase these behaviors in the real world, others say they don’t. To sort this out, let’s look at the science on visualization. Successful athletes visualize their actions beforehand — they imagine every drive off the tee, every home run, every touchdown pass, and every MMA takedown a thousand times, and those visualizations trigger the same pathways as actual practice. When properly paired with actual activity, mental practice time has been estimated 80% as effective as physical practice.[1] In sum, visualization in sports has real world affects, but only when it’s integrated into the real activity. On the other hand, pornography use has been directly correlated to increased rates of divorce, sexual deviancy, sexual criminality, belief in the rape myth, and so on. [2, 3] How do we sort this out? How do we decide what’s healthy for us and what’s not? Consider this from Gospel of Matthew 5:27-27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Turn off the video game console, put down the remote control, and join us for Holy Communion on Sunday and if you need help breaking free from media, schedule a pastoral counseling session here.

Holy Communion - 11/07/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time, 11/7/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Video and text of today’s homily below.

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.

Homily for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time  – Sunday, 11/7/21

Readings: 1 Kgs 17:10-16, Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10, Heb 9:24-28, Mk 12:38-44

 

Friends, the greater the investment the greater the reward.  We all know this.  It’s obvious.  If you invest five bucks in lemons, sugar and paper cups you can make ten bucks selling lemonade at lemonade stand.  But if you have five million bucks, you could invest in a business venture that nets you ten million.  You are fully aware, when you make an investment, that returns aren’t guaranteed.  But, if you work hard, use good judgement, and play your cards right, they are very likely.

Gifts, on the other hand, are entirely different.  A sincere gift has no strings attached.  When you give a gift, you expect no return.  The similarity between a gift and an investment is that in either case your purse or wallet gets lighter.  And the difference is in here – in your heart – and it’s significant. 

How often are gifts and donations actually investments?  We can’t know what’s in the hearts of others, but for some people and for many businesses certainly, donations are aren’t gifts but investments.  They are attempts to gain influence, to impress others, to appear generous, and to build goodwill in the community.  These gifts are essentially a form of advertising that leads to increased sales.   The example that leaps to mind is the mobster John Gotti, who was famous for his good works.  He wanted witnesses to his crimes to focus on his good works and look the other way when the police came knocking.

The scribes and pharisees in today’s readings make a different kind of investment.  Instead of money, they invest their time doing God’s work, preaching, preserving scripture, and so forth, and they expect a return on their investment – nice robes, good food, prestige and praise.  And it works, doesn’t it?  Sure it does.  But Jesus says their ultimate reward will be God’s condemnation.  Kind of like John Gotti.  It worked for him in the short term too, but he died in prison and his ultimate reward?  Well, that’s in God’s hands.

Today, in our readings, we see two widows, both giving up their last two cents for the servants of God.  The widow of Zarephath gives her last penny’s worth of flour and last penny’s worth of oil to make a cake for Elijah.  The widow from the Mark reading gives her last two cents to support to the work of the temple, it’s priests and scribes and so on.  

And what’s so miraculous, beautiful, and full of grace is that their gifts are transformed into investments by God.  The widow of Zarephath receives enough flour to keep her family fed for a whole year!  And when her son dies, God, through Elijah, brings him back to life.  But in order for that to happen, their gifts had to be pure and unselfish.  They made no bargains.  Neither said, “look, I’m giving you my last two cent’s worth here, there had better be a return on my investment soon or I’m going to starve.”   

Let us, brothers and sisters, be like those two poor widows.  Let us give God all our faith and all of our trust without hope of gain.  Let’s not say, “Look, I’m giving you all my faith, but there better be an ultimate reward coming.”  Let’s not donate from our surplus, but from our poverty. That, I suggest, is what the gospel means when it says “blessed are the poor in spirit.”

The Margins: Mettle Maker #281

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

This week’s mettle maker revolves around the idea of the margins. People like to watch what everyone else is doing so that they can avoid common mistakes, and that’s a great idea. But it’s also true that the great ones — the Nobel Prize winners, the history-makers, the truly remarkable — are out exploring the margins. Get there.

The Margins: Mettle Maker #281

  • Self-Defense: The difference between mediocrity and mastery is form. Form improves efficiency, thereby saving energy while increasing damage throughput. Do 6 Palm Strike combo rounds v. heavy bag for form. Keep hips ahead of hands, shift weight to load hands, fingers of palm strike hand should be at 45 - 75 degrees from vertical at all times, fist strikes must hit with two center knuckles, etc. etc. Dial back speed so that no round breaks are needed and set timer for 6 x 3:00. Round 1: Lead Jab Palm high (face, nose, etc.), Reverse Punch midsection (heart, solar plexus), Lead Hook Palm high (ear, mastoid process). Round 2: Switch stance and repeat. Round 3: Lead Jab Palm high (face, nose, etc.), Reverse Punch midsection (heart, solar plexus), Lead Shovel Hook Punch midsection (false ribs). Round 4: Switch stance and repeat. Round 5: Lead Jab Palm high (face, nose, etc.), Reverse Punch midsection (heart, solar plexus), Rear Knee low (hypogastric region, groin). Round 6: Switch stance and repeat. Need help with form? Join the club or sign up for the Heritage Self-Defense distance learning program.

  • Fitness: Are you a prisoner to your training? People in prison mark time until their release. Is that what you’re doing in your fitness? “I need to do at least twenty minutes of cardio twice a week” or “I need to lift three times this week for at least 45 minutes.” If so, break free of that jail cell and range free. Set specific goals, make a plan, and do what you need to do to get there. What difference does it make how much times it takes? Are you afraid it’s going to eat into your cell phone browsing time, your YouTube time, your party time, or your on-demand video binge-watching time? If you need help with your plan, sign up for Heritage Fitness and we’ll help you free of charge.

  • Wildwood: Explore wisdom in the margins. My father had this expression: “Sweep out the corners. The middle of the floor can take care of itself.” That’s universally a wise expression. Wisdom isn’t facts — that’s knowledge. Wisdom is knowing what to do. Push your survival wisdom out onto the edge. Sure, you know the twelve most common knots. But can you tie them while lying on your back? In half light? With gloves on? With extremely small or large types of cordage? Can you find animal sign in dry, barren places? Scrounge up survival food in winter? Have a positive outlook even when conditions are ideal? If so, you’d better do something about that. Practice your skills in the margins. Need a training plan? Sign up here, it’s free.

  • Spirit: Are you “fairweather faithful?” Are you one of those people who has faith in a higher power as long as things are going well — but as soon as things go wrong, it all falls apart? Faith is not “believing in something without proof.” Faith is “trusting in God completely.” God is not a vending machine. You don’t pay out worship and then get rewards. God’s plan is complicated, way too complicated for us to understand. So, when you pray, you mustn’t request or expect wish fulfillment. At any given moment there are a billion other people praying for things that conflict with what you want. Pray for peace, for reconciliation, for acceptance. “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4: 6-7. Does this seem insurmountable? Do you need help with your faith? Join us for Holy Communion on Sunday or schedule a pastoral counseling session here.

Holy Communion - 10/17/21

Join us today as we celebrate Holy Communion for the Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 10/19/21. To follow along at home, click here and print the Holy Communion Program. Video and text of today’s homily below.

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.

Homily for the Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, 10/17/21

Readings: Is 53:10-11, Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22, Heb 4:14-16, Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

 

Friends, in order to fully comprehend the beauty and importance of today’s readings it’s necessary for us to fully understand the world in which they were first spoken.  At the time Jesus lived and preached, the fastest-growing and most prominent religion was the Roman Imperial Cult – the worship of the Roman emperor.  To call it a religion is actually a misconception.  The idea of worship as an activity or practice separate from government, or something that could be isolated within the culture, was unknown in the ancient world.  There was no such thing as separation of church and state.  Kings were gods, and in adjacent lands, queens were goddesses.  Libations – offerings of wine – were required to be poured out for Roman emperors at public feasts.  This was embedded in the Roman way of life – in its holidays, celebrations, and cultural events.

To get some idea of what this culture was like we can turn to the The Iliad, Homer’s epic poem.  It is one of the oldest works of Western literature and was the crowned jewel of the Greco-Roman epic cycle.  It is the story of the great warrior Achilles.  The story opens with King Agamemnon making a deal with Troy that results in Achilles having to give up a slave girl named Briseis.  Achilles has earned Briseis as the spoils of war.  He killed her family and took her as was his right, and now the King has taken her and traded her to the Trojans.  He is infuriated.  In fact, the first word in the Iliad is menis which is “wrath.”  Achilles, through divine intervention, convinces Agamemnon to renege on the deal.  Fighting for honor, spoils and glory ensue.  When Achilles finally defeats Hector, the Trojan prince, he desecrates the body by dragging it behind his chariot but eventually honors the fallen warrior by – guess what? – hosting funeral games in his honor.

What are funeral games?  They’re like the Olympic games, the Pythian games, and the many other types of games in Roman times.  They were central to what it was to be Roman.  Romans of every social level gathered in droves to observe and compete in tests of combat and athletics of all kinds.  This had been the Greco-Roman way for thousands of years.  Winning, success, pride and glory were the accepted way of life.  The winners were crowned with laurel leaves. 

Imagine now, if you will, how the words of Jesus must’ve sounded to Roman ears. “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."  How shocking this must have been, how scandalous, how appalling!

Jesus flips the existing story upside down.  He came, not with wrath but with love.  He came not to be served, but to serve.  He came not earn a wreath of laurels and live a long life of success and ease, but to be crowned with thorns and suffer the death of a criminal – not to win riches and the spoils of victory, but to spend his life pouring it out for others and to lose.  He came not to conquer men, but to defeat death itself and to show us the way to salvation.

Sensorium: Mettle Maker #280

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

This week’s mettle maker revolves around the idea of the sensorium — the entire sensory apparatus of an organism taken as a whole. Thanks to Mark Hatmaker for putting these concepts on my radar.

Sensorium: Mettle Maker #280

  • Self-Defense: Partially utilize your senses at your peril. We often group senses into five categories — sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch — but that’s an immense simplification. Touch, for example (which is one of the most important fighting senses of all), is detected not just by direct skin contact but by means of hair follicles which are triggered when hairs are disturbed. And there are half a dozen different types of receptors in your skin that sense heat, pressure, torsion, and so forth. Self-defense isn’t about memorizing a million if/then statements like, “if he does this, then you do that.” Pay attention to your environment on an elemental level to register and avoid trouble; and when you fight, learn to react appropriately to feel, position, direction, pressure, and so forth. Want to learn more? 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: Fitness should changes your perceptions. Is it changing yours? People who are strong and fit perceive the world differently. If you’ve never lifted weights, the idea of hauling and mixing a dozen 80 lb. bags of concrete to fix your sidewalk seems daunting. A 10k charity walk looks easy after you’ve run a marathon or hiked a mountain. If your employer asks you for a little extra effort, it doesn’t seem like much if you’re accustomed to getting up at 5 am to train. Unlike other vertebrates, humans are capable of applying seemingly narrow lessons across multiple domains. Take a minute to consider if you are fully applying the lessons you’ve learned through your fitness training.

  • Wildwood: Listen to your ears. Last week I suggested you follow your nose. This week I’m suggesting you make an effort to recognize the soundscape. Really listen to your environment. Soak in the sounds. There is, for example, a Northern Mockingbird who lives in the holly tree at the northeast corner of my house. He’s always the first bird to start singing at dawn. The news you get from just one little neighbor like this one, in combination with other input, can help you tell time, direction, and much more.

  • Spirit: Are your five senses pulling you apart like five wives or five husbands? The Gospel of John chapter 4 tells the story of the Samaritan woman. In this story, a woman of Samaria (a pagan culture) is drawing water at a well, and Jesus asks her for a drink. After a brief exchange, she requests more teaching. Jesus asks her to go and fetch her husband and come back, and she replies that she has no husband. Then Jesus says, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.” The woman then became a believer and, after bringing many to the faith, a martyr. This has been traditionally assumed to mean that she was a woman who had lived with many men out of wedlock or was many times divorced, and that she was impressed by Jesus’ ability to know her past. But what if Jesus was speaking of the fact that she was being torn in five different directions by her five senses? What if Jesus was suggesting that, because she was a slave to sights (pretty things, distractions), sounds (music, flattery), sensations (soft clothing, physical contact), smells (perfume), and tastes (food, wine) she is able to appreciate neither her actual husband nor her spiritual husband, God. Meditate on this.


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.