The Way...

           Where does one's personal philosophy come from? Sociologically speaking, it is a combination of many different processes, and personal experiences that constantly shape (and reshape) a person's point of view. We are a product of our social environment, our social learning, our choices and their consequences. We are a social construct, and often a mirror of society. Some of these processes have names, (socialization, enculturation etc.) but in the end, what matters is the way that person is informed about the world, and whether or not their life was meaningful. 
        In order to come to these types of conclusions, a person often needs inspiration.  This inspiration can come from anywhere and anything, as long as a person is receptive.  One area of rich inspiration, that is often criticized and ignored as sources of personal development, is popular culture.  Laughed off as "just entertainment". Any deeper analysis into popular cultural themes is chide as taking it (the movie, book, piece of music etc.) too seriously by many in the mainstream. However, for those of us on the fringes, many of the things that we love, and often obsess about, in popular culture not only say something about ourselves, but also about who we want to be. I believe in the 7 principles of Bushido, and I have popular culture to thank for that.
       Bushido is the moral code of the Samurai class. There are seven basic principles that a Samurai must follow:
   Integrity (GI)
    This is being acutely honest in all of your dealings with other people. Demanding justice in yourself and your actions, making sure that all points of view are considered.

    Respect (REI)
      This is being courteous to others, even the ones that you don't like.  Having respect means not "showing off" your strength, being humble.  The true strength of a person is in their actions during difficult times

    Courage (YU) 
     This is living life fully and completely.  To understand fear as having a natural existence, but not being ruled by it.  The ability to do "the right thing" even when it is unpopular, or difficult.  You need to have the courage to explore and live within the world.

    Compassion (JIN)
     This is the practice of empathy.  To have compassion, is to care deeply about other people and act from that level of care, with an individuals best interest in mind.  Compassion is not always being soft or giving in, but giving individuals what they need ( physically, emotionally, spiritually) when they need it.

    Honesty/Sincerity (MOKOTO)
     Saying what you mean, and meaning what you say.  To be honest is to speak truths, not falsehoods. By always doing what you set out to do, there is no need to promise, there is just what is done.

   Duty and Loyalty (CHU)
     Anyone who is under your care you have a fierce loyalty towards. There is a truth and commitment in all actions that does not waver.
    
    Honor (MEIYO)
    A person's actions and decisions are a reflection of who they are. This is the apex of the Samurai code.  Shame and regret are the opposite of Honor. One needs to be truthful to oneself...you can not hide from who you are.
         
     My first exposure to deeper philosophical meaning was through the popular culture of Superhero comic books and Greek Mythology; reading about "The Hero's Journey". Yet, I wasn't exposed to aspects of Bushido until I saw Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (I first saw the original trilogy in reverse order). When Luke's final trial (his second duel with Darth Vader) is over and he decides not to go to "the dark side" he becomes a Jedi (who were modeled after the Samurai Class).  Seeing this process,  I started to make important decisions about who I wanted to be, and how I should act.  Over the years, as I continue to consume more popular culture, I always find something, a movie, show, character etc. that reaffirms my belief in these 7 principles: Seven Samurai, The Last Samurai, Samurai 7, Samurai Champloo, Any Bruce Lee film, The American, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and now,  The Wolverine ( Please read my review).
          In "The Wolverine"( and many times in the comics) Logan is posited as a Ronin, a Samurai without a master.  Throughout the film, in all of his actions and interactions, Logan either demonstrates or learns  the principles of Bushido. He has Integrity in his actions, especially when a "gift" is offered to him. He learns Respect (and his true strength) when his healing factor is suppressed. All of Logan's battles in the film are displays of Courage, especially in those moments when the fear of death is very real. Logan's Compassion is brought out in him by Yukio and Mariko, as is his sense of Duty and Loyalty. He protects them because they are in his care. In the process of hunting down the Yakuza, Logan is Honest. To him, saying and doing are one in the same (particularly when he threatens). At the end of the film, Logan embraces his sense of Honor by finally forgiving himself of a past shame. Logan even triumphantly declares at one point: "[I'm] The Wolverine.", no longer hiding from who he is...a Samurai.  Therefore, by embracing the 7 principles of Bushido, "The Wolverine" is a modern day Samurai film (Jidaigeki) and the latest in a long list of inspirational sources.
           In closing, one of my favorite poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson titled "Success", states that one measurement of success (and by extension a meaningful life) is to make a single life breathe a little easier because you have lived.  Emerson discusses other criteria ( like laughing, weathering betrayal, gaining respect of good people etc.),  but it is the very altruistic notion of helping just one other person, (resulting in the validation of your existence) that is both personally appealing and accentuates the interconnected nature of individuals (Mills was probably a fan). The idea is simple, and to the point: By helping others, we help ourselves. This is something that I have learned from Bushido through popular culture...and I hope I am a better person for it.
         

'The Wolverine' Review

SAVIOR OF MY SUMMER


        The 2013 summer movie season has been awful.  Iron Man 3's character executing plot twist (and anti- disability message), the horror show that was Man of Steel, Pacific Rim being entertaining, but not engaging, and the news of Zack Snyder not only making a sequel to Man of Steel but turning it into Batman vs. Superman (potentially) has left me weak and damn near hopeless. The only thing that I had left was James Mangold's The Wolverine. If this movie fell flat this would be the worst summer superhero movie season in recent memory. I glad to say that was not the case. This film satisfies on multiple levels and exceeding expectation in almost every area.
       As the summer begins to dwindle, the blockbuster genre goes to sleep as we watch crafty, quiet challenging, engaging independent films begin to wake up. The Wolverine tricks us; because its both.  It has the intense action, hero snarling, and bombastic "final bosses" that are common in blockbusters, but this film also has the stillness, emotional weight, and character study of many independent films. Unfortunately, it is trying to satisfy these two masters that makes The Wolverine crack under the pressure, however briefly.
       The plot of The Wolverine is lifted (some times panel for panel) from the 1982 Wolverine Miniseries written by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. The filmmakers mine characters from other "Japan Stories" to flesh out the script.  Logan (Hugh Jackman) is living in the Canadian wilderness haunted by his actions at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand. It is here he is approached by Yukio (brilliantly played by Rila Fukushima) who convinces Logan to accompany her to Japan in order to see a dying old friend: Yashida, a Japanese soldier Logan saved during the US destruction of Nagasaki in WWII. Once in Tokyo, Logan is a fish out of water, a Ronin, thrown into a paradoxical world full of ninjas and samurai, honor and deceit, politicians and yakuza, respect and shame . 
         While the film has some great action set pieces (the bullet train) and fights  (Logan vs. Shingen), the film really soars in its quieter moments.  The friendship between Yukio and Logan and the blossoming romance between Logan and Yashida's Granddaughter Mariko,  takes its time. Each character is allowed to develop genuine feelings, and eventually, have those feelings reciprocated and strengthened.  Time is a rare commodity in a Superhero film, and it is welcomed refreshment to the painful cacophony of world ending "disaster porn" that has been normalized in the genre.
          However, the film's biggest asset is Hugh Jackman.   Hugh Jackman has been playing this role for 13 years with not signs of stopping. He has demonstrated both love and dedication to the character that is unrivaled. Hugh Jackman IS Logan "The Wolverine".  Because of such a strong base,  this film (Jackman's 6th outing) does not waste time with an origin or backstory.  We already know, and care about Logan.  Therefore, Mangold and Jackman are allowed to develop the character on screen.  Taking Logan to emotional and psychological depths has more weight because we have been with Logan every step of the way though the last 5 films.
        The film only falters in its climax.  It is here that the elements of the blockbuster movie become so heavy handed that it seems forced, as if the filmmakers suddenly remembered they were making a "superhero film"; so they brought out the checklist: vampy costumed fem fatale (check) "final boss" battle (check) cliché plot "twist" reveal (check).  This is such a drastic tonal shift that it does not fit with the rest of the film.  In fact, I am of the mind that the films climax could have happened one or two scenes before; ending with a spectacular sword/claw duel.  However these are minor complaints when looking at the film as a whole.
       In the end, The Wolverine is an intimate character driven story that masquerades as a blockbuster tent-pole feature.  Everyone should stay in their seats for the mid-credits sequence, complete with dual cameos that set up Bryan Singers X-Men: Days of Future Past, out in 2014.  And while I know that film is going to be "turned up to eleven", I still want to see a third Wolverine film, as quiet and as brilliant as this one.

The Martial Arts, My art, my way of Peace.

             I am a martial artist.  My journey to that end began quite unconventionally.  I was a 6 year old disabled child with significant physical limitations, when my pediatrician suggested the martial arts as a way to gain physical balance.  Ironically, I never thought, or believed at the time, that I would also achieve a spiritual balance through the same practice. 
             I hold black belts in Isshin-ryu Karate and Kyusho-Jitsu.  I do not say that as a point of status, just as a record of personal history and truth.  I have been severely blessed to have been trained (and continue to be trained) by some of the most talented, gifted, powerful and honorable women and men I have ever known; including: Masters Jesse and Jane Gallegos, Master Tom Countryman, and Master George Dillman.  But above all the rest, the one person who is my true Master, my Mentor, and my Spiritual Guide is Master Jeff Burhop.
              I have known Master Burhop for over 20 years. In that time, he has taught me not only Isshin-ryu Karate, Kyusho-jitsu and the cultivation and control of Ki (life energy) but how to be a better person.  In our many conversations ( often in the dead of night at our Dojo's parking lot) he taught me about honor, respect, honesty, compassion and overall goodness; often times indirectly through parable or personal story.  These were the richest times of self development that I have ever experienced. A bond was created in those moments that will never break.  He is one of the few people that I would, without hesitation, give my life for, and for whom, I would walk into hell. With such a bond in place, the emptiness I feel given our current geographical distance is immeasurable.
             I currently live in a state thousands of miles away from my Master and where I started the path of a martial artist. While we still talk on the phone and see each other at least once a year,  I know it will never be the same; and that makes me VERY sad.  Much of the time I feel directionless, like a ship without a rudder, floating in the ocean.  A Ronin who misses his Master.  Since I left, (a difficult, gut retching day) I have been trying to not only keep my skills honed, but also to fulfill the last charge my Sensei gave me...to develop my own art. 
             Master Burhop told me that the overall intention of a style is to be used as a base to create your own art.  "You take the stuff that works for you, and leave the rest."  This was especially important for me given my disability causes limited movement and range of motion that makes several techniques beyond my reach without modification or just outright impossible. However, my Master has always pushed me to be physically better, to test my own physical and emotional limits as any superb Master would. In our time apart, I can say that I have worked toward, (and believe found some success) in the development of my style.  I do however, still have much to learn and have a long way to go. 
             The martial arts, for me, is a life long pursuit and process that has given me physical strength and piece of mind.  There is nothing like the serenity I feel when I am doing Kata, working on my art, or teaching a technique.  It is a place and a process that is calming and tranquil, like coming home. It is the place of mind, and "no mind", where time stops and the world seems conquerable. It is where I feel anything is possible, and I am touched by Zen.  It is in those moments of practicing, learning and teaching, when I miss my Master the most, and remember how grateful and lucky I am to also call him my friend.

The Films of Christopher Nolan: An Introduction

      Christopher Nolan is my favorite director. His films are masterfully woven, intricate tales that rely on characters and their relationships to propel a story, rather than bombastic action. This is something that I believe is sorely lacking in the majority of films today, especially in the mainstream.  Sure, many of Christopher Nolan's films have A LOT of action (especially The Dark Knight Trilogy), but it is action that serves (and is not in excess of ) the story. Nolan was considered an "indie darling" with his exceptional Memento and is now being called the modern day Kubrick (which may be solidified with the release of 2014's Interstellar) as he continues to find new and innovative ways to prove he is a storyteller and a filmmaker beyond the producer driven cookie-cutter directors that often populate Hollywood.

       All of Christopher Nolan's films (so far) focus on human psychology.  As a major theme, Nolan likes to explore the many different layers of the mind and the different forms it can take, whether that be obsession, insomnia, revenge, sociopathic behavior, dual personalities, hyper rationalization, schizophrenia or anterograde amnesia.   To that end, most of Nolan's main protagonists range from having a intellectual oddity to clinical mental illness. This is so prominent, that many of his characters become the embodiment of mental or moral characteristics.  This allows Nolan's films to take on a philosophical quality (questioning the human condition) that welcomes social analysis and criticism.  Because of this (and my love for these films), I am committing to an in-depth critical sociological analysis of ALL of Christopher Nolan's films periodically throughout the next year.

     I was first introduced to the brilliance of Christopher Nolan through Batman Begins.  After which I went back and watched/read anything and everything I could about him and his work.  I hope the analysis that follows do both honor and justice to the man that not only gave me MY definitive Batman on film, but showed me what movies could be, and made me love them. 

For the sake of clarity, the order of these posts will be based upon the film release dates from earliest to latest. 

The Lone Ranger

I have not Seen Disney's The Lone Ranger.  The Reviews of the film are far from positive ( as I expected).  However, sociologically speaking, in regards to race, this film is tracking as well as any other faux empowerment, subtlety-racist (but not too subtle) film ever could. Which is to say horribly.  For more on this check out the more social analytical reviews here and here .  They have solidified for me that even in the 21st century,  Hollywood is not at all interested in making films that show Native American Indians as complex characters with character developing story arcs. Unfortunately they are still regulated to the role of "sidekick", complete with amalgamating stereotypes.  Bottom line, don't see this film.