Morning BJJ My appreciation for grappling is growing more and more each day. My approach to these training sessions in Shanghai has been to learn or improve just one thing. No longer does my ego require me to try and "win" the rolls. Which was my issue while training at ATT Savage. I'd go in, trying to use the moves we just learned, with all focus on trying to submit my training partner. Not thinking about position, weight, balance, or any of that. A combination of this ego fueled sparring with an insane work schedule led to me not having much progress. Now, walking the frigid streets of Shanghai at 5:30 in the morning towards class... well you aren't awake enough to really have an ego. Plus, the training attitude of the morning BJJ classes are so different. Laid back. Relaxed. I'm not sure how to word it. Its a relaxed focus that hangs in the air. No one is thinking about anything that happened or will happen today. No one is bringing any stress from their home life onto the mats. People are just here to do some Jiujitsu before moving on with their day. The Martial Scholar Movement, Defense, Parry, Attack From most important to least important. Just as I discovered I am not a fancy tea guy, I don't think I'm a true martial artist. If I were to find a title to suit me; it might be something like hobbyist or martial scholar. The reason I say this is because I enjoy learning about the languages, history, and culture that goes along with the various arts I study. Training, sparring, and the occasional fight all make me feel good physically. I'm just a slow learner when it comes to the actual art. This is something that I've been acknowledging while in Shanghai. Taking the time to do moves slowly even when its supposed to be a fast paced drill. Really working on the "structure" or body mechanics of the movements. There is really a nice feeling of progression with this method of practice. Each day I feel fulfilled as I've learned something. Maybe I'm developing a kind of awareness or mindfulness of my practice. Something I haven't felt in a long time practicing martial arts. Most training sessions feel like a blur of exhausted chaos. Where I simply leave feeling exhausted, not remembering what I practiced for the past 1-2 hours. If you read my previous post, this all might sound familiar. But I'm typing away these thoughts again as it really is helping me. I'm excited to go to class and I leave fulfilled. Tired but fulfilled. Most of the time (Thailand included), I wouldn't feel this way until after 3-5 hours of training. Yet, in the "City Above the Sea" I'm able to achieve this happy state after 1-2 hours. The only thing I'm missing is my kettlebells... 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Concert, Cafes, and Croissants A new destination laid before me. On the cool evening before Christmas Eve, my girlfriend and I mounted aboard the long mechanical tubes of the metro. Skimming through dark tunnels as the myriad of other passengers glazed over their phones. The metro slowed down at our stop, Jing An Sports Center (静安体育中心). People, bundled up against the cold, all huddled out of the metro towards the stadium to see a concert of someone I've never heard of. Just outside the stadium we were met with gates and guards. "I think this is where we separate". She scurried off towards the security check point, face full of excitement. The ticket was I gift for her. Probably one of the better gifts I've given her. "Now, what am I going to do for the next few hours?", I thought to myself. My feet were planted in the suburbs of Shanghai. Where walk paths and roads were scattered among the tall apartment buildings and communities. Luckily, there were a few cafes nearby. Plotting the destination on my maps, I slowly walked. Taking in all the sights of this new part of Shanghai. Cafe Hours I arrived at a busy corner that only held one convenience store and one Starbucks. Little else was on this dimly lit street besides a pet store. So, my cold silhouette made it into the convenience store to buy some snacks and drink before parking myself at a table in the cafe. The hours went by with little progress towards anything. Although I did develop an appreciation for "working" in a cafe. The gentle sounds of Christmas music. The cozy lights above. And the temple like quiet only disturbed by the clanking of cups. I can see why so many go to coffee shops to get things done. The environment is ripe with a cozy concentration. Glasses were tossed into water with a loud splash. Servers hurridly began to clean up after a long day's work. The cafe was getting ready to close. Checking the time, I noticed the concert was almost over. Packing up my laptop I headed towards the door. It opened with a blast of cool winter air. I alone walked the streets towards the stadium. Hundreds of people poured out of the stadium like armies emerging from a castle. Soon, a long line of fans flowed from the metro entrance out into the street. To my side, my girlfriend excitedly talked about the concert the entire way home. Disney World Shanghai The following days were filled with her cheerfully humming tunes as we cooked, walked, and shopped. All building up for Chrismas Day. We woke up early. Ate good breakfast. Then headed off towards her gift to me. A day spent together at Disney World Shanghai. This was all the way at the end of Metro Line 11. You definitely knew you were at Disney. The metro had decorations of Goofy, Minnie, and more. Once you exited, you could see the castle in the distance. The Castle Our day was filled with taking in the sights. Walking among the various themed villages, seeing parades, pirates, and other characters walk the streets. Of course we bought our fair share of souvenirs. A few hours in and our stomachs reminded us we needed to eat. So we stopped in one of the restaurants and ate some delicious noodles. Even as we rode various rides, stood in line, and explored the sights. One thing kept getting my attention. The giant castle. A centerpiece no matter where we were at in the park. Standing in these themed villages, with people all around made it feel like we were in another world. Not transported to the past, like in a renaissance fair. A completely different world from ours. Where fun seems to be the only objective. I've never been a crazy Disney fan, but the movies have obviously been apart of my life. Just as they are apart of so many people's lives. Coming here to just immerse myself in Disney's playful world felt nice. To get away from any worries the mind might bring. To simply walk around in silly hats, watching familiar characters prance around you. Seeing so many people smiling as they too lose themselves in whatever "magic" this place has. To put it simply, it was fun. I'm glad we went. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Tea Casualties When I arrived to my girlfriend's place in Shanghai, I was surprised to see that she had a tiny stash of tea saved up for my arrival. They were all tea taken from various hotels that she stayed at on her own travels. Excited, I pulled out my travel tea set and was mortified to see that my "Fairness Cup" (公道杯) had shattered in the travel case. A twinge of sadness hit me. Optimism pulled me out of the sadness as I thought; "I can still make tea with a Gai Wan (盖碗)". A demon named Clumsiness came over me. I was examining all the cups and had even put the white, shining porcelain on the table. A simple bump of my chair sent the Gai Wan's lid sliding off and onto the floor. Splitting it perfectly in half. The sound of Myth II's Green Berets narrator rang in my ears, "Another Tea Casualty". With a feeling that could only be described as angered embarrassment, I gingerly picked up the broken pieces and stored my tea set away. For the past twenty something days, I've been making do with two different sized glasses. That, paired with my tea filter is how I slowly consumed the small tea stash. I was surprised at how high quality the tea from hotels was. Full leaves. Great aroma. Better flavor. Once I ran out of the ol' stash, I began searching the nearby streets for tea spots... Chan Tea - 禅茶 Walking around the streets of Shanghai with the bite of winter against my face, I managed to find a Tea Shop built into the local temple. It was labeled "Chan (or Zen) Tea" which was a term I've only seen once before... at Guang Fu Lin. The sun had long set behind the horizon, so I vowed to come back later. My girlfriend and I went stopped while we were walking around town. Stepping into the elegant tea shop, we were hit with the smells of fresh brewed tea and sounds of quiet conversation. We were met with a sudden silence. The atmosphere was thick with an awkward tension. "The temple is through the other door. This is a tea shop." Were the first words said to us. Quickly, I quipped, "Do you have Gai Wans?". At the mention of this one of the guys' attitude changed completely. Immediately we went from strangers to customers. All the various wares and items. Fancy temple stamped Gai Wans, travel tea sets, and more. Some reasonable. Most expensive as hell. And the temple tea? Way out of my price range. The lowest price for a tea cake was about $140. As beautiful and fragrant as the tea was... my heart sank at the prices. So my search continued. Kung Fu Tea - 功夫茶 One of my goals while in Shanghai was to drink more tea. Learn more about tea, it's culture, types, and especially "Kung Fu Tea". We stopped in at various tea shops but were met with the same awkward tension, same expensive prices, and same disappointment. Maybe I'm missing part of China's tea culture? Instead, I started paying attention to other kinds of tea. Like milk tea. I began asking about what tea was used to make the drinks I enjoyed. Through this I was able to learn about different kinds teas and blends. Now I have a surface level knowledge of Dan Cong Oolong Tea and Lao Cong Oolong Tea. With me constantly mentioning my search for affordable tea, my girlfriend mentioned her home province has it's own kind of green tea (汉中仙毫 Han Zhong Xian Mao)... which is now on my "to-try" list. We searched a few more times for affordable tea or tea ware in our part of Shanghai. No luck. My girlfriend contacted a friend of her who was interested in tea. They found some affordable options online. My stubbornness caved in and I bought some. Which led to me buying a tin of black tea (祁门红茶 Keemun Black Tea) from a supermarket. Ten dollars was much more affordable than hundreds. The search for cool, affordable tea and tea ware isn't over. We're planning on going to Hangzhou in the future. Maybe Chongqing too. Hopefully, we can also stop by Shanghai's biggest tea market before I take off on my next adventure. Cheap tea in cheap cups isn't bad when spent with good friends. Also, Happy Holidays everyone. And Merry Christmas! 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Ash in the Air 师傅领进门，修行在个人 Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself. Emerging from the metro, the frigid winter air was mixed with burning incense. My girlfriend and I immediately noticed the towering pagoda. It's ancient architecture stood out like a sore thumb amidst the square, uniform skyline. A memory of Shanghai past. Beyond the white walls of the temple, large plumes of smoke drifted into the air. Bringing with it flakes of ash. We had arrived at Long Hua Temple (龙华寺). The largest temple in Shanghai, noted for it's iconic Song Dynasty Pagoda. Crowds of people filled the temple. Praying, burning incense, and prepping offerings. It is the Chinese Winter Solstice (冬至) which is probably why there were so many people at the temple today. Navigating our way through the sea of people, we saw each shrine. Decorated in golds, reds, with murals on the walls telling stories that I do not know. The most striking shrine held a giant statue of Guan Yin in the middle surrounded by hundreds of smaller golden figures. The smaller golden figures were each unique, placed upon their own little cloud. All looking inwards towards the shrine and towards those who entered. The mural that sat behind these small golden figures made it look as if you were in the heavens being watched by all of these golden beings. It was one of the most unique shrines I've seen. Sadly, it is considered disrespectful to take pictures of the shrines. So I only got pictures of the temple and it's courtyards. Luohan Noodles - 罗汉面 After checking out each shrine, it was time to eat! We headed to the "Vegetarian Cafeteria" (龙华素面馆). Small plastic flaps covered the entryway. Pushing them aside revealed a room bustling with people. The smell of noodles and tea hit my nose. We stepped in line to grab our noodles. It was interesting, we didn't pay to get the noodles. You simply were trusted to pay for whatever you grabbed after eating. The noodles (罗汉面) were better than I expected. A mix of tofu, vegetables, black ear mushrooms and pickled veggies. Buddhist Tea - 佛茶 After eating noodles, my search for affordable and delicious tea continued. I was happy to see a sign for "Long Hua Buddhist Tea House" (龙华佛茶馆). We cautiously entered the tea house to see a wonderfully lit room filled with chairs, tables, and benches. A few people sat down, quietly talking over tea, noodles, and snacks. The bright orange aprons of the server caught my eye. "Would you like to sit?" Their kind demeanor made it easy to reply. We told them we were looking for tea and tea ware. The bright orange server led us to a table scattered with tea, tea cakes, and some beautiful clay jars. With the help of my girlfriend's Chinese, we discussed the differences of the products. The flavors, type, and prices. My first impression was that the tea was going to be super expensive. It was being sold in a famous temple during a holiday after all. Everything was cheaper than the other tea shops we looked at. The honesty of the server was surprising. We asked about tea ware and she replied; "We have them but they're all too expensive!" One product in particular caught my eye. Two Large Pu'er tea cakes, Sheng and Shu Pu'er. Laid out in a bright blue box inlaid with intricate designs. I left the tea shop empty handed but the thought of that blue box brought me back. After buying the tea, they sat us down with some free snacks and tea. Waiting for them to bring us the cakes, we sipped on the hot tea from delicate cups seated on dark wooden plates. Ending with Dumplings With tea successfully bought, noodles eaten, and prayers had. We went back home to end our Winter Solstace. Apparently, in China it is a tradition to eat dumplings, tang yuan, and other traditional dishes during this day. That's what we did. My girlfriend ordered some delicious pork dumplings with fried pork and a side of tofu. Although the weather was cold enough to make your fingers numb, that didn't stop us from having warm and full bellies. Hope you all have happy holidays. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Not the Adventure I Expected "A Knife, spoon, and bowl. That makes up a whole kitchen. Splash. Chop. Slice. Dice. Done." The cool wind bites the skin of my face on the early morning walk to class. Passing the empty shadowed streets, my mind muddles over thoughts. December is almost over. The first month of my Shanghai trip has almost passed. An empty feeling hits my gut upon this realization. Working the restaurant and as a janitor, I had thoughts of grandeur. Training 2-3 times a day, exploring China's many beautiful locations, discovering new delights, and improving my Chinese along the way. Crossing the dimly lit street, I think about what I've done... what we've done during my time in Shanghai. This time the trip has mostly been for my girlfriend. To save money, I've learned how to cook a few more dishes. She's taken me to a nice park. We've stumbled across some neat streets. Even now, we plan to go to a couple (free) spots in Shanghai to spend our time. Although this is not the adventure I expected; it has been a fun one so far. Not all adventures can be four months of intense training, temple crawling, and fighting. Some time adventures are more cozy. Hobbit-like. Waking up next to your best friend while tucked into warm blankets. Trying to hide away from the creeping fingers of winter. Where your biggest issue is what delicious food will be eaten today. Always Ambitious Even with all of these cozy thoughts my ambition eats away at me. The whole reason for starting this journey... to learn Kung Fu. An urge that won't leave me. Go back to those dusty, dirty fields in the middle of China. To return to the only white walled building standing among the farms. A castle among the villages. Maling Shaolin Kung Fu School. Four months. My time there feels unfinished. My training feels unfinished. I'd like to return for the four months that I still have. To learn whatever Master Bao has left to teach me. Then, head to Thailand to continue training and testing myself. Developing my Kung Fu further. What an ego. This kind of voice has been in my head for awhile. It has made it so I'm always ambitious. Believing anything is possible with enough hard work and a few smart decisions. I'm not sure why, but training is a big motivator for me. It seems to be the reason I get up in the morning. If I could just train and share my art with others, that wouldn't be a bad life. But, I have to be sure what I'm teaching is honest. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Shanghai Spirit Not too long ago I wrote about the Spirit of Shanghai. This feeling that the locals carry with them. A feeling that only comes from living within this beehive that is Shanghai. The convenice. The commotion. The businesses. The foreign influence. The constant change. Mornings where the elders exercise themselves in the various green parks around the city. Where food stands get ready for the morning. Steamed buns and fried goods mixing in the fresh morning air. Afternoons where the busy workforce head out to the multitude of restaurants. Eating a plethora of food. Noodles. Rice. Dumplings. Buns. Finally, evenings where the commotion doesn't end. Schools release and many get off work. This is where the city comes alive with lights, attractions, and late night food. Bars, finer dining, and KTV all fill up with people wanting to relax. To forget the troubles of their mundane life, and squeeze some joy out of the quickly passing hours. A Phrase One of the first people I met, a barber, told me a phrase in Chinese that describes Shanghai. "灯红酒绿" Red Lights and Green Liquor A phrase meant to describe a vibrant and active location. Somewhere bustling with night life. It's amazing that years later coming into the city; I still remember this phrase. It fits Shanghai so well. Although I've stayed away from the crazy nightlife. In the past, those that I've come to Shanghai with haven't been as lucky as me. Free booze. Crazy parties. Broken noses. Stolen wallets. Massage Parlors. From these friends I've learned that Shanghai's night life lives up to it's name. To be honest, I enjoy my more simpler time in Shanghai. Shanghainese - 上海话 My first experience with Shanghainese was in the Pudong Airport. While awaiting my flight to go home, I went to one of the restaurants to eat. The tables were all full of eager travelers getting a quick bite before their flight. So, when two older Chinese came in to eat; they sat at the only spots available. Which was right next to me. We made small talk and I was able to practice Chinese. They laughed when I told them I had been living in Shanghai for almost a year. I was confused but waited. The smiling old couple replied that they could tell based off of what I had ordered... all of it was "Shanghai Food". Just as I was getting ready to leave, they told me one word in Shanghainese. "Milk Tea"... sadly I don't remember how to say it. Working at a Chinese Restaurant Days passed, and many visits to Shanghai later. I'm still unable to understand or speak Shanghainese. It wouldn't be until I worked at a Chinese restaurant in Minnesota that I would really want to learn a dialect. Those four months at the restaurant I was exposed to so many different dialects. Sichuanese, Cantonese, Shanghainese, and more that I don't even recognize. My manager constantly surprised me with the number of languages and dialects he knew. Japanese, English, Mandarin, Shanghainese, and probably more. He told me, "A little more time in Shanghai, and you'll [be able to] understand". This time in Shanghai. I'm paying attention. This time, I'm actually hearing Shanghainese now. Not understanding it... but finally hearing it. Maybe, I can learn it. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

What Museum? That was the question I kept asking her. Ever since she mentioned that we would be going to a "museum" on the weekend. My curiosity was peaked even more when she said it was an hour and a half away from where we were in Shanghai. Was it a Kung Fu Museum? A Historical Museum, like the one we saw in Nanjing? Or was it some kind of Science Museum? Finally, the day came. Opening the windows revealed that the skies were all dark and a steady stream of rain splashed down on the city streets. Great. We did not faulter, we would still go. Hoping the rain would let up. Hopping on the metro, we sluggishly waited for our stop. Once it arrived, we hopped into a taxi which took us a few minutes away to the great Guang Fu Lin (廣富林). There through the hazy sky we saw rooftops peeking out above the smokey water. Not a Museum, a Large Park Guang Fu Lin was huge. There were two or three exhibition centers in there as well as various temples, parks, and trails to walk connecting all of these locations. Obviously, it was too much to take in on one visit but we did get to see quite a lot during our time there. The Temples Within the park are various temples to many, mostly Taoist, dieties. What captivated me were the differences each temple had. One Temple, I believe Zhi Ye Temple (知也禅寺), was a restored Tang Dynasty temple that is made of mostly wood. Instead of the usual reds and golds, you get to see a constrast of dark stained wood with the black/gray tiles. San Yuan Temple (三元寺) was a more traditional Taoist/Confucian temple. Decorated with all kinds of paintings, reds, and golds. There is a pagota in the middle of these two "sister temples". While walking around the Guang Fu Lin area, it's golden rooftop can be spotted among the green trees and black rooftops. It was written that while this area was being excavated, no pagota was found. It was simply added to make it a better tourist attraction. There were more temples as well. One dedicated to Guan Yu and his various forms/followers. As well as one dedicated to the "local spirits" like earth spirit, money spirit, study spirit, and even a spirit for relationships! Tea and Noodles Of course, spending the day roaming around the traditional streets and alleys will build up an appetite. Not only for knowledge, but for some delicious food! Guang Fu Lin has just that. An assortment of various noodle, dumpling, ice cream, and tea shops scattered about the park. Stepping carefully into the entrance of the traditional noodle shop. We looked at the wooden planks hung on the walls. Enscribed upon them were names of various dishes. Careful consideration led us to ordering two bowls. The wrinkled face of a kitchen staff worker called out our order and smiled as I grabbed the two steaming bowls. A bowl of La Rou Mian (辣肉面) for her and Da Rou Mian (大肉面) for me. Although the noodles were slightly more expensive than what you could buy on the street; the flavor and atmosphere certainly made up for it. As we slurped up our noodles, I listened. Quiet conversation filled the air as other tables enjoyed their food. Gentle gusts of wind would tip toe in through the curtains that made up the front door. The somber skies combined with the hanging lights made the restaurant more cozy. Heading Home As the sun faded and the sky grew darker. It was time to make our way back to the bustling apartment buildings of Central Shanghai. Through the streets our footsteps echoed through the traditional alleyways. Families and tour groups could be heard in the distance. For us, we found smaller paths to follow that led us across wooden bridges and over brick walkways. Through a gate marked only with three Hearts (心心心) towards the main entrance of Guang Fu Lin. We did grab some last minute snacks from a store and a milk tea from Coco (都可). The rain had stopped but the air had grown cool with the sun disappearing. We past by the university where students flooded out; each on their way home from a long day's study. Eventually, we clambered into the tightly crowded bus as the doors were quickly shut. The suburb that held the park soon became evercrowded with people, cars, and looming skyscrapers of Central Shanghai. Another long metro ride took us home. Feeling fulfilled with all that we had seen. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Back to Basics Continuing my training at Bushido. It has been revealed to me that there is a key piece missing to my fighting skillset. Movement. Simple exercises like the "drop step", stepping in and out, speed ladder, and more have made me realize how stiff I am with my movement. This kind of practice used to be daily when I was in Karate, but that was more than 5 years ago. Since then, I'd say my focus has been on being "tougher", more aggressive, and learning how to stay close to my opponent. Although I got rid of my bad habits from Karate, I've just replaced them with new ones. The Coach This is one of the reasons I chose Bushido over the other gyms in Shanghai. Jowad Mahmoudi is the current Muay Thai coach and he's the person that started my Muay Thai journey so long ago. Back in 2018 when "Absolute MMA" was still a gym. He coaches at the UFC PI as well, has been featured in Youtube videos, and helps train his brother who is in ONE Championship. If you're ever in Shanghai I recommend training with him. He's a very technical coach that works on details, defense, and movement over you just going full force to get a workout in. He actually wants you to learn how to fight and defend over just wasting your time on useless workouts. When correcting students he is very direct and might get frusterated if you don't do the moves right. Just try your best and most importantly listen. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Back on the Mat A ragged elevator crafted out of loose planks and exposed nails dragged itself up to the ninth floor. The towering masion in Shanghai was home to businesses, offices, and apartments. Stepping out of the elevator, a simple glass door stood to my left. "Bushido BJJ and MMA" was what the well worn sticker said. This was it, my newest training grounds for the next two months. My feet first landed in this gym on the 5th of December, and since then I've been going almost everyday. The small L shaped gym hosts a variety of punching bags, kettlebells, and other tools for training. There is also enough space that everyone can train. Even during the more crowded classes of 20+ people. The coaches are all well experienced, each with their own stories and accomplishments. As always, my first few classes led to me getting smashed into the mats by any and all belt types. Slowly, I started to remember moves from my inconsistent training. Even heading back to the apartment to review videos for the next training session. I'd like to say that I have this passion for getting better at BJJ, or a passion to one day be a grappling champion. The truth is... I don't. I'm simply reviewing videos and "shadow grappling" in the apartment so that I can survive. Using the mindfulness ideas from meditation, I pay more attention in the classes than before. As we roll, or spar, I limit myself to improving one of my issues or using the move that we learned on that day. Although the progress is invisible to me, I'm finally thinking during rolls instead of acting purely on instinct. Maybe, this will lead me to getting that blue belt. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"

Shanghai Sitting down in my girlfriend's apartment as the heat from the AC blows against my back. The muscles in my neck strain. Little reminders of the BJJ sessions I've started. Yellow letters burn through the white screen of my laptop. "Add a Catchy Title". Thoughts slowly push through the slush of my brain. "18 Days till Christmas" "7 Days in Shanghai" "Wonderful Week in Shanghai" Like a hook catching a fish, my train of thought is yanked to a stop. "How many times have I used Shanghai when writing on this site?" Curiosity overtakes my monkey mind. The next half hour flashes by as my fingers type and click through my website. The answer? A lot. All the way back in 2018 on my old blog, was the start of Shanghai becoming my "second home". It started with 'Its been a while' Then there was 'I'm back in China' as well as many other Shanghai related posts at that time. After that there was a small hiatus until my short return to Shanghai for "Golden Week". The big Kung Fu journey began in Shanghai as well with, 'Traveling in Shanghai'. I stayed in Shanghai for a month before heading of to Maling Shaolin Kung Fu School. Then came the end of my Kung Fu journey where I capped it off with another couple month stay in Shanghai with... 'In Shanghai Again'. Even during my short adventure in Thailand, I went to Shanghai again for a week in, 'Hello Shanghai!'. This city has been a source of adventure, entertainment, and good food each and every time. Living high within the looming apartment buildings; I started this new website and blog. Tucked into a small office space I learned to love language. Hidden away within the alleys of Tian Zi Fang, I rediscovered my passion for Kung Fu. It was through Shanghai's airports, metros, buses, and trains where my wanderlust began to bloom. Lost in the Streets, Lost in Thought Although I've stepped foot in this city many times over, I can't help but feel like a stranger. The maze of streets walled by towering buildings creates a labyrinth in my mind. Within these walls are shops, stores, and businesses that have a constant flow of people no matter the time of day. The only bread crumb that lets me navigate this place are the street signs written in a language now all to familiar to me. Maybe my poor sense of direction amplifies the winding allure of the city. Or maybe it's due to me not being accustomed to city life. Observing the locals sparks curiosity in me. "What is it like to just live in this city?" Images of growing up in a city this large flood into my subconscious. Living in a big and ever changing place seems exciting. Learning the roads and districts (which are towns in of them selves). The ever changing shops and businesses. A transforming city that rebuilds itself to become new every few years. Looking out the smudged window to the hazy night sky let's me know that this city does have something missing. A gray night sky missing the twinkling of stars. I think back to my many nights working odd jobs on odd shifts. Heading home with heavy eyes looking out. Crystals dotting the sky with their owns designs. Distant silhouettes of those silent souls out at night. The chilling night breeze that would caress my face in welcome. All mixing with the quietude that one can only get at night. Pair that with a roaring fire and family. You have the perfect way to pass time. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey" This blog post was written during my first week in Shanghai as I try to figure out the purpose of this next adventure. Finished on 12/8/23 at 11:37 am.

Sleepless Return How many times will I return to this city? As I sip on bitter golden colored tea, my arrival to this was smoother than expected. A few long layovers paired with a peaceful night spent on an expensive closet that was called a "room". Unaware to myself, I didn't sleep through the long stretch like I usually do. Instead, I wrote, read, and watched. This left me in a slight daze as I was hustled through the busy halls of Shanghai's now active airport. A stark difference to how it was last time I arrived here. The eerily quiet airport was brought back to life. People from all over entering and leaving Shanghai. Workers and attendees bustling around to their duties. Slowly, I navigated myself through the airport; trying to make the most of each moment... as well as searching for a restroom so I could get rid of my bad breath. As active as the airport was. It was efficient. There never was a stop to the flow of people going through security. In less than an hour I was through it all. Waiting for my beautiful chaperon. Carrying enough to encumber my tired frame, I was guided through the hectic tunnels that was Shanghai's metro system. It was as I remembered, crowded, busy, and always moving. Like the inside of a beehive. As the metro lurched towards our destination, it broke surface for a moment showing the beautiful red sunset over the silhouetted city. Many stops later and we finally departed out into the streets. Starting Point Each time this city seems to offer a new feeling in my heart. Shanghai, the city on the sea, has been the starting point to many of my adventures. Now, it is the initiation for my newest adventure. I'll be in this lively city for two months with a few goals in mind. 🤜Train Whether it's Muay Thai, BJJ, or Kung Fu. I'd like to spend my time training something while I'm here. 🤜Explore the City's Tea Tea has become a hobby of mine (just like many other things), and I'd like to know more about it. There are some cool tea shops in Shanghai that I'd like to see. Perhaps even purchase! 🤜Improve Skills This oddly phrased goal simply means to improve my Chinese and any other skills I get a chance to improve. Photography, Website Design, Flexibility, etc. The main goal is to improve Chinese, focus on other languages like Thai and Spanish at a later date. Trying to make the most of my moments here. This year has been a failure for me. It started off strong with me going to Thailand, quitting my job, and traveling again. But the middle of the year was just working without making much progress in anything. A plateau. A hump. Little money was saved, no training was done, and I watched many opportunities just pass me by. The Struggle All that being said, I'm now more focused on my end goal. What the point of all of this training is... For the past two years the struggle has been what martial art to focus on. Kung Fu is at the top. Due to Maling, Movies, and Games, Kung Fu always has some nostalgia. When looking at modern Kung Fu, it is just performance. Which is where the personal issue lies. Simply performing doesn't suit my goal nor my belief in what a martial art is. There should be a martial aspect to Kung Fu. Which is where Sanda comes in. 散打/散手 - Sanda, "Chinese Kickboxing" Sanda is a sport China created to help promote the more martial side of Kung Fu. Combining modern arts like boxing, chute wrestling with Chinese martial arts creating a sport where Kung Fu practitioners can finally test themselves. The end goal for me is to get onto the USA Sanda/Wushu team. Since Sanda is so rare in the USA (Texas, Arizona, Atlanta, and Maryland) I am going to train in China and Hong Kong. Ending my journey in Thailand. Train. Compete. Repeat. Insanity 🐍 Sitting in the dark apartment at four in the morning typing away at a keyboard. Tongue dried from the now finished bitter tea. I've been writing this blog post for a few days now; trying to get some structure or cohesion to my thoughts. For years now, my journals and blogs have all been about this one plan. Yet I still haven't been able to accomplish it. Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. No wonder my first dream after arriving in Shanghai was a nightmare involving snakes. Books talk about snakes being the dream symbol for change, fear, and challenges. Me being in the middle of a pond surrounded by snakes certainly could mean all of the above. New location, new challenges, unexpected fees, and unexpected challenges all came at me this year. But hey, I'm still here. Time to become focused. Time to become disciplined again. No more distractions. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey" This blog post was written over the course of 5 days during my transition to Shanghai. Finally it lays complete at the ripe hour of 4:15 am on the fifth of December in 2023. My tongue is dry, winter is coming, and music faintly plays through my headphones.

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that! ~ Rocky Balboa Taking Action Towards My Path I write and write and write endlessly but... hopefully my ramblings will give someone some guidance or advice that they need. Priorities Set! I recently fell off of going to BJJ class. I found a great gym that has morning, afternoon, AND night classes. In my quest to become a better martial artist, one of the biggest things I do not like to do is go to BJJ class. Grappling is hard, I never do well, and usually I leave the class feeling like garbage. It's hard, so I must do it. My first two weeks, I went two times a week. My goal is to go at least three times a week. Just show up and train. Once my visiting family is gone and I get my job; I will be adding Muay Thai training back to my routine. This will take place in the evenings. Now, did you notice something? Normally, I would try to throw on all my goals at once. I've learned. I've set my priorities. Spent Time with Family Get Job/ Work BJJ 2-3 Times a week Muay Thai in the evenings, after work. Spending time with visiting family is number one right now because on my next adventure I will be busy for a while. Working is second, because I need to make money in order to go on this next grand adventure. These two things are paramount over everything else. I can always run, lift weights, and exercise on my own to stay fit. I even made time to make a video and write some blog posts. "All things have an end" ~Fortune Cookie Reflecting on a Good Couple Weeks I've ran. I've studied. I've started lifting kettlebells again. I'm still doing BJJ. I've made a few videos. I've spent time with family. I've even practiced a bit of Kung Fu! The past few weeks have been good. Just doing what I can. Making slow but steady progress. Things are not happening in the time that I want, but they never do. My mind is pretty negative so I have to remind myself of the things I've done instead of the things I haven't done. Remind myself of why I enjoy this journey. Just keep doing. 📿Johnny Want to support the journey? Check out the links below! Donate to Keep the Journey going... …or check out my Dad's book "21 Day Personal Journey"