I Am

I'm the man staying cool as everyone loses their heads. I'm the calm reflecting gentlemen on the bus smiling as people exhale violently, angry about the pouring rain. I'm the friendly guy who tells you that you look great. You really do.

I'm the kid who liked adventure games and rock music. I'm the son who purchased an orange birthday candle in the shape of the number one because it made a great gesture. I'm the cousin that respects you for who you are. I'm the boyfriend who wishes he could spend every waking hour locked in your beautiful gaze. I'm the master, the master of myself.

I'm the eagle chasing the mouse. I'm the gravity keeping you down to earth. I'm the light guiding you through the dark clouds, through murky water.

After all that I am what I truly become is simple. I'm a man. I'm fallible. I'm humble.

Teach me.

I know nothing.

Danny Wood E-Mail

I'm Ripped

I'm swiftly approaching the best shape I've been in and it's all thanks to mother nature. I've been increasing my muscle mass while at the same time improving my reach and flexibility by climbing trees.

On Mondays I head down to a church in the city center. I start near the climbing wall. There are twenty five large trees. One by one I climb these trees. It feels great to climb and feel free in the treetops.

I stretch and I drink water. I eat fruit and relax. I climb twenty five trees. After I finish I work on the boulder, climbing it on all four sides. I head to other parks and hot spots where I know there will be lots of good trees.

My possibilities are endless as is my enthusiasm for this newly found pleasure. It's fun and it's free. It's climbing trees.

My New Hobby

Lift

She loves me. She really loves me. She wants to tell me I'm beautiful. She wants to kiss me. Telling me she sees a future with me she smiles. We trust each other. It's comforting.

I love her. To me she's an image of seamless perfection. She's my oyster and the world is my diamond with her to hold closely.

We're a mountain with sunlight circling us. As days pass our strength changes and becomes stronger. It's always exiting to meet. Our conversations are interesting forever.

Glancing into her gazing eyes I'm feeling emotional. I'll cry tears of joy. I'll search for miles. I'll swim across rivers and oceans. I'll do anything for her. She's teaching me so much. She shows me the right way to do things. I know I teach her great things. We help each other.


I can fly. My mind lifts and I can see the right way forwards. I'm smiling and it's warm.

The rain begins to fall and I marvel at it's beauty. The glamor of the Grey clouds casting shadows on the green grass amazes me. She's in Blackpool. She's inside me. The wind blows onto my face. I'm using the power of thought to fly faster. Take me somewhere quiet.

Rother Valley

It's Friday and you're in the cake shop on London Road awaiting the arrival of The Sheffield Chinese Lion Dance Team. Here they come. Jimmy walks in. Danny and Sam arrive. Yilin is here. You show everyone the Frisbee, the baseball bat and the badminton set you've bought from Poundland. It's on.

Three cars make their way down the motorway. The green car follows the silver car that's following the red car. The sun beats down onto the bonnets. Clouds drift past like ancient wise men traveling through sandy deserts.

You smile as you see the fields and trees.

Stripping down to your boxer shorts you run towards the water as people take pictures. Everyone's laughing as you wade in and dip your head underneath.

You're sprinting with the long string in your grasp that leads to the colorful kite. The strong wind blows the flying object from side to side. You marvel at the beauty of it. I love it.

Climbing a tree in your boxer shorts is hard but balancing on two short wooden poles as someone launches a football at you and trying to maintain balance is harder. There's a love spreading over you. This is nature at it's best. It's ours.

Motivational Positive Thinking

I'll rise above negativity. I'll prove to people that I'm intelligent and strong. The world is mine. My life is my own. I can learn anything I wish. I can grow and adapt. I can change internally and physically. I'm ambitious and inspired. I love my life.

Faced with aggression my intelligence will see me through. I'm resilient and smart. I see and hear more than I ever have. My body is truly my temple. I will make it strong and flexible so it serves me when I need it most.

If I trip and fall I'll pick myself up calmly. If I lose my wallet I'll think of ways to avoid making the same mistake again. If I'm wrong I'll be strong and admit my faults. I'll learn about my whole being. I'll understand who I am with a clarity I've never understood before now.

I'm comprehending my potential. My possibilities are as exiting as they are varied. I know I can do anything. If something interests me or grips me I can make something of it.

I'm sure family ties should be knotted firmly. Friendships should be cherished. In everyday life I should strive to learn and grow. When I can look at my achievements in amazement I'll know I'm truly learning.

Hoan Lung Shaolin Quan

I Saw Past Corporeality

Allow my pen to touch this crumpled page and the pain to lift from my aching body. Allow the birds to fly overhead and allow children to laugh unaware of the dangers this world can have in store. Don't let me look back and see sorrow, instead give me the power to have insight into that which I've lost.

I'm in love, in love with the notion of going to a better place. There's a silence that fills me. There's a silence that grips me by the heart and lifts me high. Every thing's bright now.

Feeling and emotion blend into something that I haven't felt before. I'm one with everything. I have no need for sight or sound. I don't need the constrictions of my physical body. Every thing's so clear. I'm laughing without the need for a mouth. I'm crying with joy but I have no eyes. I'm just being. I just am.

No anger exists in this bright place. All that exists are strength, courage and the love for other beings. I brace myself as I feel my aura moving. I'm flying but gravity doesn't exist. Take me wherever I need to go. I'll discover new things and greet new souls. I'm finally free. I thought the struggle of existence was there to entrap me. If I only realised I was there to gain new experiences things would have been much more clear.

I'm smiling and my smile travels a thousand miles. I'm moving and my grace is limitless. Fill this void in my mind with knowledge. Allow the energy that I am to fill the very depth of space and time. I'm alive right now. I'm eternal.


And suddenly I'm falling downwards. Gravity gradually manifests and the bright light seems a darker shade. I'm floating and I can feel my fingers though I can't see them. I can feel my mouth frowning and my eyes watering. I can feel my muscles twitching violently. I can hear voices. Are they in my head?

I open my petrified eyes as my chest rises upwards and I hear the beeping. Suddenly everything makes sense but not in a good way. I'm on the operating table, a bullet wound leaking blood from my dirty body. They lean in with their green robes to give me another electric shock to the chest. Bang.

I'm gasping like it's the first time my lungs have opened. I'm staring upwards and breathing heavily as they stare into my distant eyes. A tear makes it's way down my cheek and I realise something.

I realise that I've got nothing to fear any more. I realise that I'm here to discover new things and gain new experiences. All the bad things like smoke fumes and alcohol abuse aren't important to me. I care about living. I want to study, I want to find love and spread a positive message.

I've seen what will come. It's always there and it'll exist for eternity. I can finally breathe and look after this fragile vessel comprised of skin and bone. Doing good in this confused world is imperative.


I'm not sure how I feel about my experience as I lay in this cool hospital bed, a bandage covering my ribs. I'm sure that I'm new. I'm changed. I look back and see every mistake I've made. Only now can I truly move on using constructive decisions. only now can I breathe in the fresh air of forests and not take it for granted. Here is where I'm meant to be.

My Skin is Hers

She span on her feet like an angel. She pirouetted and danced with her arms waving in the air. She was dressed in a short red skirt but I didn't stare at her legs. I was in awe of her whole aura. Her very demeanour memorised me. I breathed calmly. I wanted her to look at me so much. I love her dearly.

Her hair flew through the air like a soaring bird and I marvelled at her enlightened smile as the music took control of her supple body. The perspiration making her hair black gave her that look like she'd just waltzed out of a waterfall. How could I be so lucky? What had I done to be with this girl?


I kiss her hand and stare into those green, smiling eyes. She's always happy to see me. I laugh inside and I can feel that tingling sensation in my eyes. Don't cry. It's only emotion. As long as you're comfortable with your emotions you won't cry. It's nothing to be ashamed about.

She's telling me that she loves me as we're laid in bed and I have to look away as a drop of water falls onto my cheek. My whole body is alive and every time she touches my skin it sends ripples of electric current racing across my muscles. She kisses me and I close my eyes. This is my meditation, my holiday.

I gaze forth to see her smiling green eyes and the pale white skin that feels so soft on mine. Will this ever end? I pray that it'll last forever, that she'll love me for eternity and I'll manage somehow to refrain from making mistakes. When she's upset I'm destroyed. Superman's lost his powers. She forgives me and I'm ten times stronger.

We laugh and joke and I get a feeling in my belly like some thing's bouncing up and down. I'm so exited about waking up tomorrow because that means she'll be laying here next to me. Every day is beautiful with her by my side. Ever sight is magnificent.

If I could give her the world it'd be in her possession right now. I give her my heart and trust that she'll never break it. I let my mind enter a state of bliss. Right here kissing her lips is where I long to be. Always.

The Stubbornness of Mr Wood

I'll do almost anything to avoid people who make me feel uncomfortable. If my life consisted of people who made me feel uncomfortable I'd be a very solitary person. As things stand I have a lot of caring and supportive friends who I trust and who make me feel good about myself. There are three types of people I'm constantly avoiding.

1. People who are overly aggressive
   
2. People who try and control my behaviour
3. People who try and force their views on me
   

If a person comes into any one of these three categories it's a certainty I'll avoid them. I'll make myself purposely unavailable or busy just so I can breathe easily without the prowess of negativity affecting my life.

Although I know it shouldn't I'm aware it shows when I don't like someone because I don't make eye contact or initiate any meaningful conversations. I allow things I disagree with to enter one ear and leave my mind through the other ear without stating my opinions.

When I like people I'm very amiable and I like to disagree because I like to hear people's views and sometimes I like to challenge them. Maybe I'm in the wrong. Maybe I'm too stubborn. The truth is I don't think I'm going to change any time soon.

Blisters and Sore Legs

I drank my water and climbed the nineteen elephantine trees that surrounded the church. I surpassed my strength and surprised myself. Will turned up closely followed by Andy and Donald. I was pleased to see these friends but more calls and texts were coming. If things get uncomfortable for me again I'll have to start all over again and train alone.

If I'm ever obliged to spend time with people I feel uncomfortable with these training sessions will be brushed off like dirt from my shoulder and I'll train alone. I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting.

The training session lasted seven hours and by the end I was exhausted. I went straight home to bed.


I woke up half an hour ago. It's four o'clock in the morning. I've had a bath and marvelled at how long my beard looks in he mirror. Soon it'll be time to jog up into the woodland that this valley is full of and perform Chi Gung. It'll be first light soon and there's more Chi around in woodland areas and in the morning. I'll bring the Chi into my body from heaven using my mind and I'll channel it around my internal organs.

After the Chi Gung I'll jog back down to my flat and sit in the splits machine. I'll have to make a plan for my DVD showreel soon. it has to be finished by Friday.

With my hands sore and blistered it'll be hard to do any climbing today so I'll have to work on other things. My mind's full of things I need to do. There's a new song I've spent more than ten hours working on so that needs finishing. I need to edit the first draft of my novel. I aim to spend some quality time alone today before I head out to see anyone.

The birds are singing and screaming. A faint white light glows through my long cream curtains. I can feel the cold air from outside breathing through my window. I'll get dressed and prepare myself.

I Give Up

When I first quit smoking it took me a while to feel normal. I was out of tune with my own mind and body. What is normal? I gave up without the use of patches or nicotine gum. I'd tried to give up using these kind of aids but as soon as the program had ran it's course I'd crave nicotine.

I came across Chi Gung when I started my Kung Fu training. I developed my Chi Gung breathing exercises and I felt motivated and healthy. Every time I needed a cigarette I'd breathe deeply into my body and feel the positive energy flowing through me.

I felt like tearing strands of hair out at first. I knew I would quit smoking. Before this point I'd had a naive doubt teasing my motivation. I made sure I was certain I wanted to quit. I avoided alcohol. I knew that if I had a pint I'd pick up a little white stick before you could say 'spark up mate.'

When I ran our jumped my face went red and my wheezing lungs felt tight in my limited chest span. As I increased my lung capacity through controlled breathing exercises I craved nicotine less.

I wanted to get good at Chi Gung and smoking was holding me back. I chewed sweets and drank fizzy pop. I played with cards and did anything I could to take my mind off things. I knew the cravings only lasted five minutes. This was endurance. I'd done it a thousand times in my martial arts class.


After a while I started to forget smoking. I'm the type of guy smokers call a hypocrite. I hate smoking. I can't stand the smell of cigarettes or the fact that smoking is bad for your health. I know what I'm talking about. Who better to advise you than somebody who's been there?

I stopped people smoking in my flat when I could. I limited my caffeine intake. It felt like a long dry wait. All that allowed me to push forward with success was the drive that the interesting things in my life gave me. I always gave myself things to focus on.

I'll never smoke again. I will never smoke again. I can honestly say that. I'd like to say I'm superior but I'm not. All I did was realise how to succeed and developed my attitude around that. I knew that even if I gave in and had one cigarette it didn't mean I had to go back to ten a day. I could carry on quitting. Knowing this enabled me to use those three magical words,
"No thank you."

This Really Happened

I got a letter on my doorstep. It's got no name on it but the address is hand written in what looks like black felt tip pen ink. It's got the first line of my address on it. The two address lines underneath this top line are incorrect but they are areas close to where I live. The city is correct and so is the postcode.

I opened the white envelope which was sent with a blue second class stamp. I peered into the half open envelope and thought it was empty until I saw the red square piece of paper. The paper has got a poem on it. I think it's a beautiful poem. I don't know how or why somebody sent this poem to me but I think it's very thought provoking and well written. Here it is:

In the stillness of the early morn,
In the shadows of the night before,
In the silence of a time pre-dawn,
The snakes sleep.

As the evil slips into unconscious slumber,
There is non that it can harm,
It is now the lion walks unchallenged,
Undisturbed, mighty and calm.

In a time that has forgotten hate,
And all that remains is love,
The lion marches on, towards its fate.
While the eagle soars above.

Disabled

It's about an hour past midnight. Leanne's in bed and I'm standing in her bedroom so I have to be quiet. I've been unable to walk without pain in my legs since Saturday. It's Wednesday morning. I've been falling down on my feet because my thigh muscles are destroyed. It's been hurting to move in bed or sit up to get out of a chair. I suppose that's the price you pay for being a hardcore mother fucker who chooses to train for ten hours solid on hot Friday afternoons.

I finish my Chi Gung and shake my legs. I think the tension is lifting from my severely overworked muscles. I rotate my ankles and my arms. I'm twisting and stretching ever part of my body. My joints crack and crunch and it feels really relieving. Jumping up and down on the spot I can sense my joints loosening. I can feel my body recovering.


I wake up around midday in Leanne's bed. She's in an office somewhere dealing with figures and businessmen. I focus on my Chi and then I warm up. After I rotate my joints I attempt some stretching. I'm getting there but even stretches that usually seem simple are painful. I can feel my facilities regaining strength. Give me two days, I think. Give me two days and I'll be back to normal. After two days I'll be stronger for the punishment I gave my body.

I'm scared. In two days it'll be Friday. It's time for another ten hour session. Hopefully this time my body will be prepared. I know for a fact it'll be stronger.