THE BEAUTY OF THE ART LIES IN THE DOING

I've been training in the martial arts for over 20 years now and I have seen many friends come and go for many reasons. In the late 90's I got into full contact bare knuckle fighting and I got involved with Kancho Joko Ninomiya and his tournament in Denver Colorado, The Sabaki Challenge. I have nothing but respect for Kancho Ninomiya and when I say he is the real deal, I mean it. HE IS THE REAL DEAL! So of course I read his autobiography and was greatly influenced by it. What's all of this have to do with motorcycles you ask? Well, it's not about bikes alone, but about building bikes and what it stands for. I have spent 3 years building my bike. I have scraped and scratched to build a rat bike worth a couple of thousand bucks. I have worked late at night in a freezing shed after I put my kids to sleep just to put in some hours to get it done. I have begged, borrowed and all but stolen parts and pieces to make it happen. I have spent countless nights with thoughts of problems in my head and solved them in my dreams. I have over extended myself in so many ways and gotten out of my comfort zone and learned many new skills. 

Kancho Ninomiya said in his book, "The beauty of the art lies in the doing" My motorcycle will be finished and thats what people will see, a finished product and me riding it. But what they won't know, what they won't feel is all the blood sweat and tears that went into getting it done. I grew as a person and as a man building this bike and it brought me closer to the memory of my father. When I am holding a wrench and I have grease in every ripple of my hand, my soul feels like its where it belongs. The real beauty of this bike is in the building, in the DOING. That is the art of living, the beauty of existing. Now don't get me wrong, I'm gonna love the hell outta riding this bike and having it done, that thought has all but consumed me. But everyone I have met and all that I have learned will be with me for the rest of my life and when I am old and gray I will be able to look back, long after that bike is gone and my greatest masterpiece will be a life well lived, a life of DOING.