Disease: noun “without ease or joy (Aise fr.)”

Middle English disese, from Anglo-French desease, desaise,from des- dis- + eise ease

For many, disease, or without joy, is a way of life; from migraines to chronic back pain, they have accepted the Western idea that their condition is incurable and needs ongoing and expensive medication to keep their pain manageable. In a survival situation, will you have access to pain management medicine; will the disease slow us and our families down? How will you cope with chronic illness off the grid?

While some of us maybe focused preparing for the “what ifs”, even a weekend adventure gone wrong can turn tragic. Imagine being deep into the woods, tens of miles from a road, and hours away from help. If a health issue came up, what would you do? Could you treat a deep wound or bad burn? Can you relocate a dislocated bone? What if it starts getting really bad? Can you find the right plants to keep you nourished and alive until help arrived?

No matter who we are or what we do, we all age; time waits for no one. See yourself in the future; as we move on in years, our bodies change, organ function declines, and once simple tasks can become difficult. Even without adding the massive cost of modern healthcare into the equation, getting old can be scary.

Opting out

What if I told you there was a way to take care of yourself and your loved ones deep in the thick, there is a way to defeat once chronic disEases? What if I told you that you can opt out of the system and learn to take care of yourself and your family and be self-reliant? 

I have found it. For the last 10 years or so of my life, I have studied Chinese traditional medicine and martial arts. I have learned about herbs, nutrition, bone setting and breaking, and so much more. In our classes, age is not a factor; we have kids six years old and senior citizens in their eighties.  The number one rule is to “stay in your comfort zone.” I have found a way to opt out. 

It was not always like this for me. As a kid, I hoped for a day I could take a pill to straighten my curly hair, I studied western nutrition and the relationship between mitochondria and ATP while in High school. But today, the world is much different and brighter.

For much of my life as an athlete and a Marine, I would jump up from bed, rush through the three S’s, and start doing pushups. Adrenaline was my friend and being sore was a sign of a good workout. “No pain no gain.”

After one too many forced marches up and down mountains with packs and gear, the life of an infantryman, my body started rejecting the mantra no pain no gain. When I got out of the military, I found myself in my 20’s suffering from severe shin splints, knee pain, and collapsed arches. Playing basketball, something I loved to do, now created a week of post game agony.

I had to figure out how to fix this

“Bend your knees.”

Martin, or Sifu, is six foot four or six depending on the day and the lighting. He is a towering man with a slender build, and a face full of hair wrapped around a childlike smile. I began training with him at the end of 2003 or so.

I started studying an art called Hsing I Chaun or Xing Yi Chaun, Mind-Form-Boxing in rough English. The workouts were wonderful and within 6 months of my training, I had cured a spot in my back that had given me trouble ever since high school, and my legs felt much better.  Some parts of the workout were very physical and created pools of sweat on the ground, others involved holding standing postures for up to 15 minutes also creating pools of sweat on the floor below.

Both were equally amazing and gave me hope.

But, like any good subject, there is more than meets the eye. While the Chinese calisthenics that I had learned and practiced daily had cured a long-term illness of mine and restored the health in my legs, there was more to do.

The Yin and Yang

“What Army can operate without a Medical Corps?” Martin would ask. The answer is simple: none, at least none for long. At our school, the time and lessons are spent upon the martial and the medicinal aspects of the art, the Yin and the yang. 

And this is where life gets really interesting. Having suffered from massive ear infections as a child and dealing with allergies on a seasonal basis, I had encountered in my life headaches and breathing problems. But the simple forms that I was learning were taking these symptoms away in a hurry. Headaches were now a thing of the past; my lungs were expansive and free of congestion. What did I stumble upon?  

My mom died and after re-evaluating my entire life and selling all my worldly possessions, I decided to start riding a motorcycle. I soon found myself a statistic.  Sliding down the asphalt I recall seeing the sparks fly off of my helmet and thanking myself and my teacher for reminding me to always wear a helmet when on moving vehicles.

Both long bones in my forearm were broken near my wrist, the emergency room wanted to sedate me, cut me open, and bolt me back together.  But I wanted to talk to my teacher, Martin, before making any decisions.

“There is no guarantee Matt.”  Martin said, when I asked him if he would fix me.

But I wanted to see how far this medicine could go. So with tuning forks, herbal poultices, acupuncture, and chi-gong, I embarked on a journey to mend my broken bones using Chinese Medicine.

Within a few weeks my bones had healed, the gaping hole in my wrist from the asphalt had closed up and looked so much better than it had before., and I had a range of motion that was improving a little each day. Today I have full use of my fingers and my thumb, minimal scar tissue, and a good but not perfect range of motion in my once broken arm.

More so, however, I learned that even broken bones can heal with medicinal techniques much older than our country or even the Western world. I have learned how to take care of myself over the last decade plus. I can treat the flu before it makes me sick, my knees feel like they did in high school, my headaches are gone, and I can go on and on about what I have done for myself with this knowledge. However, even better is that I can help others.

I have helped friends and family with simple acupressure to relive pain. I have given common sense dietary suggestions to help combat chronic issues that often work.  And unlike Western medicine that generally needs to be refrigerated (a tough thing to do off the grid), the herbs and patent medicines I have are mostly non-perishable and highly effective. However, I always recommend my teacher first as a treatment. Martin has been studying for nearly four decades and has been teaching at Green Mantis Kung Fu for nearly 30 years. I am merely an understudy at this point and well under qualified to treat the public. Nor do I have permission to do so.

While I do have some skills that allow me to stay healthy and fit without the need for allopathic medicine or a cabinet of pills, I have much more to learn.  Given the wide base of knowledge I have and have access to it, I am confident that I can treat most minor and major conditions for the rest of my life. In the event of living off the grid or even a deep hike into the heart of a forest, I can take care of myself. This is my greatest sense of security.

Not only do I not need to wait in long lines or fill out invasive forms to receive medical attention, I also do not have to pay into that system, or support that branch of the powers-that-be. In some ways I have opted out. In my 70’s 80’s 90’s and beyond, I do not think I will find myself going from doctor to doctor searching for the reason for my chronic ills and popping colorful pills. I will treat them before they become a problem, and pass on the poison.

Western allopathic medicine does have its place and my story and experience does not mean it is for you or anyone else. In the event I was victim to serious trauma (sever auto accident), I would seek their expertise to reassemble my broken bits and pieces. Chinese medicine, while complete, does not have solutions for reattaching arms and legs or replacing organs.

Treating the organs before they fail or need to be replaced would be the best course of treatment in Chinese Medicine. Chronic conditions are a phenomenon unique to Western culture; far too often we focus on the symptoms and not the root. The Medicine I have learned teaches finding the root and resolving it.

It’s 6am and the sun is saying “it’s time to get up, Matt“.

I rise slowly ensuring my body has good circulation all the way to the tips on my toes. I breathe deeply diagnosing what signs of illness exist and after a few minutes, I am ready to get up. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I begin my morning workout. I spend 5-20 minutes doing a gentle eight form Tia Chi Chuan set that awakens the body, mind, and spirit. This set balances my body like nothing else I have ever found. Then if time is on my side, I shift to more physical forms and work out until it is time to go to work. My day starts out balanced and blessed.

I cannot put, rightfully, into words how happy and lucky I am to have found Martin, but I can thank him and his teachers for all they have given me. I do not fear old age and look forward to continuing to increase my skills to help not only myself, but others and society as a whole.

I have opted out of the stock market, the MSM, and Western Medicine. Opting out did not happen overnight; it was a patient and thoughtful process. There are great men and women who put themselves out there to share this knowledge. My teacher, or sifu (father teacher), is Martin Werner, and he can be reached at (480) 782-9393. We have students that come in from across the nation and beyond to learn his methods.

However you decide to move forward in your life, it is important to consider the long term advantages to your wallet and your quality of life by defeating disEase at its root, something Western allopathic medicine is just not very good at.

Matt Papke is an Arizona native and longtime resident of Tempe who has been involved in his community at many levels. He is a former Marine, an ardent political activist, and an advocate for empowering the people. Matt is a graduate of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona and currently lives and works in Tempe. Matt has been a student of Sifu Martin Werner for more than a decade and currently studies at Green Mantis Kung Fu in Mesa, Arizona.