On a rite of passage

In almost all cultures, we see a traditional ritual or a rite of passage where "boy becomes a man". Whether it is going on a hunt once you turn a certain age, or getting circumcised, or land diving, it signals a huge transitional moment in life.

the rite of passage

In almost all cultures, we see a traditional ritual or a rite of passage where "boy becomes man". Whether it is going on a hunt once you turn a certain age, or getting circumcised, or land diving, it signals a huge transitional moment in a life.

We have rituals for a whole lot of things - getting married, for example. It is about acknowledging the changes that we are going through and accepting/understanding the transformation in our roles and identities.

Rituals and these rites of passages are a huge part of human history and evolution.

Well, yes, what does that have anything to do with fitness or strength training?

MY RITE OF PASSAGE

I was an unfit person for the longest time. And that identity was something I kept reinforcing for the longest time.

 It was not until I enrolled myself in a rite of passage – getting fit as a Man Of Honour at Dream Body Fitness- that I started the transformation away from unfit. I did not realise it back then but enrolling in that rite of passage was a crucial step for me. I can clearly see the "before DBF LUYANDA" and "after DBF LUYANDA" versions of myself.

One undergoes a physical and mental transformation. Who you thought you were - well, that person would not do this or be able to. But by the end of it, you are someone new, someone reborn.

This might sound a tad excessive. I am not comparing this to something as fantastic as hunting a lion or surviving 7 days in the wild in a loin cloth and a knife.

ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRANSITION

The celebrations and rituals that go with completing a rite of passage seem to help drive home the lesson. I think ancient communities and societies did this rather well. To us, it might seem barbaric and backward but there was a point.

The drawback I can see from my personal journey and that of a lot of my friends is that we don't fail to see the huge chasm we've leaped across. We don't acknowledge that transition.

If you tell my 13-year-old self what I can deadlift or press today, or the mere fact that I can do plyometrics - it would blow that kid's mind away. But silly me living in the present keeps thinking "Sure, but I can deadlift a bit more".

I see this with a lot of my friends as well. Sure, you've lost a lot of weight or can squat when you previously could not but that person next to you at the gym is doing so much more.

That is a complication that we need to overcome. Or ignore. I am not entirely sure which.

TRANSFORMATION OF SELF

I can distinctly remember my first day running, many of my weekly long runs, and then a day when it was not a slog and then a rather weird feeling where I was looking forward to running.

That transformation identity of being fit and strong, of not being unfit - it happens as you go through physical and mental duress. Over days and weeks, as you struggle you make progress. Inching towards something you are not sure what.

If you find the right challenge and the right community, you get to find yourself. I think a lot of us will do much better if we can acknowledge this pivotal point in our lives better. The before/after.

Personally, as soon as I was done with that first 12 week challenge at DBF, I could see was a new world open up. CrossFit and subsequently strength training. Inside this world (and any world that you decide to explore), there are multiple rituals and challenges and rites of passage available to us. But the main one is done!

NEW RITUALS

Over the past decade, there have been interesting new rituals that have entered my life. Benchmark workouts with my training partners, Saturday community workouts, training plans that culminate in pressing half my bodyweight, training for a certification, striving for mastery - just so many.

Along the way, other rituals have vanished. Rituals that did not strike a chord or were not relevant anymore.

Today, when I chit-chat with fitness-minded folk, we talk about what we lift or something new we learned.

We are all on this side of our journey i.e., somewhere, we've undergone our rite of passage.

These rituals that you choose to put yourself through are powerful and transformative. You can choose to shed your previous conceptions of yourself and start becoming someone else. You are no longer that person you thought you were - you just proved it to yourself.

To really drive the learnings home requires more work. Maybe requires more fanfare. Maybe that's what certifications and what-not try to do but I don't think they do the job.

For a long time, I've been pondering about my own lack of complete belief in my transformation. Seeing it reflected in a lot of my friends, I realise that there's a need to acknowledge this.

As long as it is not as painful as getting one's teeth knocked out, it should be fine.

Something for me to think about, and possibly structure into our mans' journey.

ABOUT MULULU X

As a trainer, teacher, author and speaker, he serves the body of Christ through his unique ability to communicate complex theological truths through simple, yet profound, illustrations. While addressing the practical issues of today, Mululu X is known as a relevant expositor. Men and Women alike regard him as a relevant teacher and a father in the faith. 

Through MOH and Dream Body Fitness, he promotes a kingdom agenda philosophy that teaches God’s comprehensive rule over every sphere of life as demonstrated through the individual, family, church and society. 

This philosophy connects biblical spirituality with social responsibility. Mululu X teaches that the church and gym, are the best social service delivery system since they are closer to the needs of the people, offers the largest potential volunteer force, has facilities for outreach programs, and provides a moral and spiritual frame of reference for making right choices. 

At the heart of this vision is the use of the gym and school partnerships to effect spiritual and social change in communities. DBF and school outreach philosophy has been attributed as a catalyst for change.  

Mululu X seeks to train churches, schools and volunteers in this philosophy, as well as in the functional practicalities, through the Men Of Honor and Women Of Purpose initiatives. 

The Men Of Honour program will address many issues, including:

• Addressing the Identity Crisis that has plagued us for generations
• Integrating proper racial socialization
• Confronting Emotional Mental Stressors in Teens and Adult Males (A New National Focus)
• Developing a desire to lead and protect our women and children
• Addressing environmental challenges and peer influences
• Dealing with the fears and anxieties that most are afraid or ashamed to discuss
• Developing and understanding that nothing is greater than purpose & destiny
• Acknowledge that there are obstacles and challenges, but we are built for them
• Address fears and concerns
• Explain and emphasize the dangers of drug use and the destruction it causes
• Confront the proclivity for violence (Explaining the rise in aggression during adolescence and beyond — revealing that this aggression that is a response to a rise in testosterone levels is actually preparing them to be protectors of their communities — not destroyers.
• Setting High Expectations
• The standards have been set too low. We will raise the demands and the expectations for our male youth.
• Teaching them that they can not only prosper in this hostile environment but that they can thrive in it, win in it, dominate in it…
• Instill the proper attitude and mindset as it pertains to money and the building of generational wealth
• Emphasizing the importance of developing the ability to effectively communicate, and how it will open doors for them
• Highlighting the power of an intelligent mind
• Clarifying the Possession of Power
• Teaching them that they are always in control of their destiny because they control their decisions
• Focusing on the importance of developing the capacity to control their emotions and passions, and not allowing these forces to control them
• That women are the greatest test of their manhood, in more ways than one, and they must be up to the test
• How to maintain control over sexual compulsions that could place them in unfavorable positions
• Teaching Them That They are In Charge of Their Lives
• Stop looking outside of themselves for validation and acceptance
• The principles of internal and external authority
• Leaving the quitter behind
• Recognizing the Enemy
• How to understand the environment and surroundings they are operating in — being diligent to examine all who they encounter
• Defining the parameters of friend and foe — stop judging based on emotion and feelings
• Understand and respect differences in cultures, while always honoring and protecting your own
• The Foundation of Faith
• Developing a strong moral and ethical code
• Understanding that change is inevitable and they are built to adapt and dominate, despite the vicissitudes and changes that are sure to come
• Die on “E”

The Core Principles Taught at the MOH Lead rite of passage initiative.

 “The Black man is exceptional beyond measure, but he must be willing to see beyond his conditions and the opinions of others to discover his potential to be great and to achieve extraordinary feats. He must never accept mediocrity and failure as a part of his destiny, instead choosing to write his own narrative.

When he becomes committed to fulfilling his greatness, there is absolutely nothing that can stop him.” A Black man…

1. Never harms, mistreats, or disrespects a Black woman (including females of all ages)
2. Takes care of his progeny (offspring)
3. Always has control of his emotions
4. Works so that he can provide for his family
5. Strives to build wealth for his family and offspring
6. Understands the importance of ownership of businesses and property
7. Is always in a state of learning and growing
8. Takes responsibility for his own actions
9. Seeks wisdom and knowledge from men in great situations and conditions
10. Abides by a standard of excellence — never settling
11. Never makes excuses for his failures — making the necessary adjustments to overcome them

Mental Health in Manhood

Mululu X and the  Men Of Honour Lead rite of passage program has always incorporated the element of mental into its principles and protocols.

However, the recent uptick in Black male suicides among men under the age of 30 has led to us creating a new component to the program that focuses on creating a space for Black men to seek help when they are struggling mentally and emotionally.

Mental Health in Manhood is a holistic mechanism designed to offer Black males the tools and resources necessary to remain whole and healthy in an inherently hostile world.