The Art of Ki

Authentic Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do (JKD) and Ki Lifestyle blog web site of Sifu Andreas Simatos

Blog

The Fettered Mind of the Martial Art Student

By Leave a Comment

When a beginning student properly executes a technique, it is often not repeated properly a second time.  This is a sign of a fettered mind.

Whether by awareness of oneself’s accomplishment or stated by the teacher, the student’s mind stopping on that moment to reflect is what puts the student into the absence of enlightenment, defined as ignorance.

Sifu Andreas JKD relaxed power kick

This is also true when reflecting on an improperly executed technique.  Regardless of the outcome, the student’s mind is fettered, and thus the repeated technique fails.

The outcome is not the cause of the next event.  The student’s ignorance or enlightenment determines the next outcome.

Through practice and repetition, the student must learn to not admire nor disapprove of one’s own outcome in order to become enlightened and effective.

Top 10 Rules I Used for Losing Weight – 27 Pounds in 6 Weeks (Again)

By Leave a Comment

In the past ten years, I have played all sorts of lifehacking but seriously scientific games with my body, including and especially my body weight and proportions.  I’ve played with massively gaining and losing weight in both healthy and unhealthy methods.

Andreas Simatos Fitness Health Ki

Why do I do this?  I do it to learn and improve my ability to control my health overall.  To do is to learn, but to feel is to understand.  With plenty of proven experiences, I understood more about my physical and mental state.

In these processes, I often find myself breaking the many myths about health, fitness, and dieting.  In my upcoming book, The Art of Ki, and in my new online blog, I will share many of my experiences in more detail.

For now, I again refined and processed a purposeful weight gain then weight loss scenario.  The weight gain stayed for 2 months to keep it a standard for true testing.  I focused on my 10 favorite rules to lose 25 pounds in 6 weeks with these 3 general points along the way:

  • Almost no cardio and strength training.
  • Consistent high energy every day with no artificial stimulants (definitely no caffeine).
  • All aspects of my mind and body is healthier naturally, including but not limited to PH balance, healthier cells, focus, and memory-retention.

The top 10 rules I used in order to lose 25 pounds in 6 weeks (again) are provided here in descending order of priority and effectiveness:

  • 10 – Limit or Pause Fitness Activities – Overall, 80% of health is determined by diet; not fitness.
     
    For cardio workouts, movement of the body helps in staying healthy.  During this process, I limited my cardio to almost nothing; I basically walked daily outside.  I have done these lifehack diets before with more cardio successfully.  But, the key is to not be excessive.  While running on flat land for 8 miles using a more relaxed pace, for example, does not make me sore, it can be used every few days as a status quo to maintain and keep the body moving and fit while intentionally losing weight.
     
    Strength training helps with fitness overall but creates acidic elements that require more consumption or redirection of body assets to compensate.  Recovery from strength training prevents the goal of weight loss in a short-term process.
  • 9 – No Caffeine at All – Caffeine can be used as a cheat to help lose weight for many people.  I used it myself when I was younger, but I have not consumed caffeine for 5 years which makes this one easy for me.
     
    Except for non-vegan direct pills, there is no healthy way to consume caffeine.  Caffeine itself is acidic to the body which lowers the PH below a healthy standard.  It is delivered in forms that are even unhealthier such as coffee, so-called energy drinks, and tea (yes, tea is generally unhealthy – to be discussed in another posting).
     
    With healthy habits including a good diet, I have no energy issues without caffeine.  In fact, those close to me will attest to the fact that I am non-stop energy consistent throughout the day.
  • 8 – Detox Through Meditation and Hot Baths – In future posts and my upcoming book, The Art of Ki, I will share elements involved in mediation.  My meditation can be in any moment, anywhere.  It is not dependent on structures, mantras, or anything external of myself.  It is important in de-stressing and experiencing the moment in its perfection.
     
    Hot baths I use twice a week to help pull out and detox elements from the 20% Zag part of my diet (to be explained another time) and other toxins naturally consumed and also produced by the body during weight loss.
  • 7 – Supplements for Nutrition – Vegan-based supplements are essential to daily healthy living.  No one can consume enough food daily to get the necessary natural elements our bodies need for a healthy state.  In a future post, I will share how food is a luxury and not a necessity.  Often, it is more about what is not consumed compared to what is.
  • 6 – No Consumption Except Water for 4 Hours or Less Before Sleep – I avoid eating dinner and having drinks (of the 20% zag of my diet – more to be shared in the future) within 4 hours of going to bed.   How the body processes food and drink soon after consumption can disturb the 4 stages of a good night’s sleep.
  • 5 – 75% of My Food is Water-Based – 75% of my 80% ‘Zig’ food (to be explained more in a future post) is water-based, including greens, all-natural healthy water mixes, etc. where the majority of the content of the food is…well…water.
  • 4 – Diet Journal Everything Daily – In all my diet revisions, testing, etc., I always keep a simple but effective diet journal.  Tracking is understanding the data rather than assuming and generalizing, of which is easy to get wrong.  Record the data and use the data without prejudice or preconceived beliefs.
  • 3 – I Strictly Implemented My ‘Zig-Zag’ 80/20 Alkaline Diet – This diet keeps my PH balance in or near the optimal area during weight loss.  I will be sharing more about this in my upcoming book, “The Art of Ki’.
  • 2 – Consume 80-100% of Ounces of Alkaline Water Compared to Your Weight Number – Writing this, I currently weigh 140 pounds / 63.5 kilograms.  So today, my rule is to consume alkaline water of at least 112 ounces of water (80% of 140 – 140 is the number from my weight in pounds) and striving for 140 ounces.
     
    For kilos, that is close to between 175% and 200% of the kilos number of 63.5.   Water must be a PH of at least 7 or higher to qualify for my process.  I will discuss more about alkaline water in a future post.
  • 1 – Achieving Stage Four Sleep 3-4 Times Each Night – The number one effective rule and attribute to losing weight is getting quality sleep…hands down most important.  You can do everything else as intended but will not be able to apply the results as well without letting your body do what it naturally does at night with sleep, which includes chemically detoxing and regeneration of new natural energy the next day.
     
    Stage four sleep is often referred to as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.  While accurate, it is a not a complete definition.  I will explain this in more detail in my upcoming book.  Essentially, the quality of sleep, including before and after bed, is more important than the number of hours.

 
 
Copyright © Ki Lifestyle and Martial Arts Inc / Andreas Simatos

 

#artofki #theartofjkd #artofjkd #ki #kijkd #beoriginal #artofselfexpression #theartofselfexpression #jkd #jeetkunedo #health #lifestyle #KiLifestyle #BeTheKi #lifehacker

Lifehacker

By Leave a Comment

I am a lifehacker.

What I find interesting is how most dictionary and web site sources define a “lifehacker”.   Most web sites dedicated to this term are focused on using technology to make common or daily tasks simpler.  While this can be part of the experience of a lifehacker, it really has nothing to do with technology-dependent solutions.  There are few web sites out there that do not focus on technology-based solutions for all their experiences and recommendations.

Some dictionaries define lifehacker with something technology-related.  However, more accurate definitions are provided by dictionary.com, thefreedictionary.com, or urbandictionary.com respectively:

“a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing a day-to-day task or activity“, “to live one’s life in a way such as to simplify tasks and minimize problem“, or  “a tool or technique that makes some aspect of one’s life easier or more efficient. ”

I rarely quote and do not rely on dictionaries to define terms and ideas for life.  But, I felt this is worth pointing out to introduce this topic more easily.  Out of all things that I am, lifehacker is the one I get the most confused looks on.

The simplest way to understand it is to literally split the two root words apart – life and hacker.  Most people think of hacker as in a computer hacker breaking into computers and software with nefarious motives.  Take out the technology aspect of that, and you essentially have the same behavior but for good motives.  Hacking life itself is essentially the basic meaning of being a life hacker.

Going back to the decent definitions provided earlier by three online dictionary sources, it is about finding new ways to make life simpler and more efficient.   Some of the most common elements, experiences, and concepts of lifehacking include:

  • A lifehacker challenges the status quo in society about beliefs.  For example, most of society believes in tracking calories to lose weight and/or be healthier.  This is one of the greatest myths that exist in dieting (of which I will be sharing information about soon on my artofki.com blog and in my upcoming book The Art of Ki).
  • Most life improvements and solutions have nothing to do with technology; rather it has to do with ourselves.  Our current state of being along with having simplified processes often are all that we need to focus on to lead to better ways of simplifying and improving life.
  • Usually when most people believe one way (as referred to in the first bullet item), a lifehacker naturally feels the challenge to research the other way, always keeping an open mind to the results.  With an open-minded approach, either a better solution not common to others is discovered or improvements to the common society belief are discovered.  To use an over-used cliché, it is a win-win approach to a lifehacker.
  • Many people are some form of lifehackers; they just don’t realize it.  Even my students and readers are hacking life to improve themselves in some way just by merely reading my content to learn more or simply read about a different point of view.
  • Hence from the last bullet, a lifehacker is always learning.
  • A lifehacker finds a balance between art and science.  An idea begins the cycle.  Then, a more scientific approach is processed that includes learning more of the science of the idea while meticulously recording and tracking data from the efforts attempted.  Eventually over time, the science returns back to an art form of the lifehacker’s unique style.

They made it their own art which is an idea that is at the heart of what ‘The Art of Ki’ communicates to students and readers.  This circular learning philosophy is well-defined in Immovable Wisdom section of “The Unfettered Mind” by Takuan Soho, which is my most recommended book to my students and readers (best translation by William Scott Wilson – which was also Bruce Lee’s most preferred version).

  • A lifehacker, therefore, is an artist and someone to learn from but not to emulate in the end.  Rather, it is important for each individual to find their own way, their own style, that allows their own Art of Self-Expression.

One last thought is that a key thing that separates some lifehackers from others is having respect for others who believe in different systems or solutions.  It is not about the style as much as it is about the character and essence of each person.  A lifehacker that respects all others and styles regardless of point of view is one who can maintain an open-mind to constantly learn and improve for him/herself.

It is like looking outside through a window….A lifehacker will see things in their true state and experience more by keeping the window clear of dirt, fog, … and pre-judgements.

Some of my personal favorite lifehackers that I have learn much from include:  Bruce Lee, Jerry Poteet, Tim Ferris, and Anthony Robbins.

– Andreas Simatos, The Art of Ki

 

#artofki #theartofjkd #artofjkd #ki #kijkd #beoriginal #artofselfexpression #theartofselfexpression #jkd #jeetkunedo #brucelee #health #lifestyle #KiLifestyle #BeTheKi #lifehacker