Leaking toilets and broken windows
Published: Wed, 02/05/14
Yesterday I dismantled to toilet at 3 to 5 South Street, the
building that is gradually becoming the Somerset Stav Martial Arts
School. More succinctly referred to as the Stav centre. The ball
cock was dripping and the soil pipe seal leaking. I have replaced
the ball cock and this afternoon I will get and fit a new seal. I
also need to get glass for a broken window and don't ask me
about the electrics, or the partition which needs to come down and
rebuilt, or the damage to woodwork from the leaking roof or... No,
that will do for today. The important thing is that we have had
two classes there so far this week. I mentioned the Monday class
in my last mail. Last night we had a foundation and a new student
started. This evening will be Close Quarter Combat which is laying
the foundations for self-defence training. I have a sense of a
school being created. The target now is to get the place tidied up
and ready for the day course on the 15th.
Of course what makes the project possible is that not only can I
teach Stav, and Venetia is becoming a very useful assistant teacher
(she was delighted that the new student, Julie, who came last night
is a girl, the local classes have been a bit male dominated for the
past year) but we also have the handyman business so that we have
the skills, tools and knowledge to fix the place up ourselves.
Of course life would be simpler if I just concentrated on the
handyman business and perhaps taught Stav from time to time in
hired halls. That is effectively what I have been doing for the
past 20 years. Not entirely unsuccessfully either. But somehow
the teaching never really took off either. Then, this time last
year, we found ourselves with a Stav school and students. Okay,
permission to (discretely) use a derelict shop for Stav teaching
until someone else took it over. But that wasn't how it felt,
or how it feels now. The Stav Centre is the place for teaching
Stav. That is why we are creating the opportunity of learning and
practicing Stav there for whoever can make it.
So the handyman skills, and every other practical skill I have goes
into making the Stav Centre a reality. Crazy maybe? Perhaps, but
I have come to realise that there is only one thing harder than
living out your wyrd and that is, not living out your wyrd. What
is wyrd? I will expand on the theme tomorrow but basically it is
the thread of destiny which was spun just for you and you either
choose to live it out, or you don't.
The Stav Centre is there for Stav training. Looking forward to
seeing you there on the 15th of this month if you want to see for
yourself, book at http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/forthcoming.html ,
or get a full weekend training in by coming in March. Dates at
http://iceandfire.org/wetraining.html
If learning Stav is spun into your Wyrd (if you are reading this
then it probably is) then you might as well just get on with it.
regards
Graham
PS The membership scheme is developing nicely too. Each member is
in the process of getting protected access to a directory which now
has 16 video lessons (new ones added every week) and three
newsletters as well as the web of wyrd archive. You also get a big
discount on courses as a member and invite to the Summer Camp. See
http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/join.html