The Six Shooter: JCVD Life Lessons
Welcome to another edition of The Six Shooter! It is safe to say that our younger years are a big part of what shapes us into the people we eventually become. I could be wrong about that, after all I am no scientist. But I know personally I fall back on the things I loved as a child to this day.
I recall seeing Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan battle over the WWF Championship as a child. Now I’ve completely bought into the art form of professional wrestling and took it as a career. I owned a large amount of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures as a kid. Now I will still watch anything that comes out from the TMNT brand. And then there are martial arts movies! Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the many action stars I enjoyed watching as I was growing up and looking back on it I realized that JCVD has taught me a lot though the years and in this edition of The Six Shooter I am gonna share some of what I’ve learned from JCVD…
6. You are never too old for video games.
Ok, maybe this is half Frank Dux and half Ray Jackson but the fact remains. It iss actually kinda funny but now that I sit on my couch writing this Irealize that most of the games I enjoy are fighting games. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are always my go to games. Perhaps it is because I often can make the same connection with one of my friends that Ray and Frank made over that game that was way out of their age group. That’s fine, because no matter my age, I don’t think I will ever stop playing.
5. It doesn’t matter if you’re good or you’re bad… dance anyway!
If you’re ever told by someone that they need to see you dance to check out your balance, first… it is probably a lie. Second… just embrace it. Clap your hands, snap your fingers and swivel your hips, even drop into the splits if you can. But no matter what just let loose and be yourself. Word to the wise: Watch your back because not everyone is gonna like it so be prepared to crack some heads if need be!
4. Never pick a fight with a tiger.
Like Jean-Claude Van Damme, I never go down without a fight. However some fights you’re not gonna win… for instance, don’t fight a tiger! If you do you’re a crazy person and you’re going to lose. It is not funny, it is a fact. A tiger will rip you in half. There’s no winning, just the hope of surviving. Don’t do it!
3. The splits can always be useful.
You need some reflection time? Why not do some hand forms while you overlook the skyline of Hong Kong while doing the splits on a balcony? Angry Sumo wrestling sprinting at you, looking to take your head off? Easy, use those flexible hips and drop down with a devastating strike to the mommy daddy button. Maybe you’re trying to rescue a cyborg from a band of evil doers in a post apocalyptic world or maybe it is 2004 and you’re fighting off intruders trying to kill you and you have to evade a wet floor. Ok. the last two might be pushing it but you can’t deny that there is never a bad time to do the splits! Putting it in easier terms be flexible. Life throws some pretty harsh storms at all of us and in a lot of cases its better to be bamboo than oak.
2. Make life work hard.
What does one do when they’re being hunted by a group of skilled hunters in New Orleans? Easy, they grease up they’re mullet and become a very hard target. (DING!) I mean at least that’s what Chance Boudreaux did when life got hard. Chance was just a fisherman looking for work, just trying to make ends meet but one thing lead to another and life was on the “hunt” for him. We have all been there, am I right? Life has a tendency to do that doesn’t it? Throw a curve ball at you when you’re just trying to get by then suddenly you swing and miss and it seems like all is lost. I’m sure old Chance felt the same way a few times and it would have been easy for him to just throw in the towel and say oh well I didn’t like fishing that much anyway. But he didn’t! Dude bit the rattler off a rattle snake and made those hunters work for it. That’s right he became a Hard Target. (DING!) So be like Chance and don’t let life take free shots at you. Grease up that meteoric mullet and make life work!
1. It is never too late for redemption
In 2008 a film entitled JCVD was released, I remember thinking to myself I have to have this movie because I read a review that said it was Van Damme’s best film. I ordered it from some online store expecting to get something that would remind me of Bloodsport. So with much excitement I popped it in my DVD player expecting action filled greatness from the man himself the likes that I had not seen in years. What I got was unexpected but still what I consider a revival of his career. In this film Van Damme looks his life in the face and searches for a life beyond the one he made for himself up to that point. This film gave him a shot of life that I think he is still riding. But it seems to me that he has to see where he was to realize he is better than that. We are all better than those things that hold us back. But redemption is only attainable if you’re willing to look in the mirror and accept it.
Well that is all I have for now. As always leave a comment with your thoughts, questions or suggestions on The Six Shooter right here on the comment section or tweet at me @PlanetWillams. Thanks for reading.
P.S. I still cant do the splits. Any stretching advice is welcome.
