20 of 52

Finished typing up my notes from Vacation and posted to the blog site.  Been back 6 days, settled back into the rut, although I seem to have gotten confused about the weeks as Sifu Rybak had to remind me that this is next week!  Its been really busy at work as I have alot of catching up to do and its just really busy at work.  This month has been hell on my numbers, pretty much behind on everything.   Pushing the reset on September 1st and doing some serious reps for my forms, situps and pushups, even healthy eating took a hit ... I was all over the place, eating at the wrong times, eating too much some days and nothing others, drinking too much coffee, drinking too much wine.  Its been nice since I got home, the garden is producing like crazy and I have all my healthy stuff to cook and snack on.   Have my safety audit coming up in October and some training to maintain my CSO status which is on my list of requirements so doing the coordination to make that happen.  Got a course booked in September called 'Busy being Busy'  its going to help me be more productive and less busy,  doing the important stuff rather than the urgent stuff.   I will let you know how it goes.   The reno's seem to whipping right along and I will be there this weekend so see you all there.

18 & 19 of 52 On Vacation

Ist Week of August Dean & I went to Nova Scotia for our nieces’ wedding.  Never been to the east coast before and I must say the scenery is spectacular.  After the wedding thing we went on a motorcycle tour ... drove down alot of winding secondary roads and stayed at bed & breakfast places that were old fashioned cape cod styling loaded with antiques, it was a lot of fun.    As the east coast was the first area in Canada settled it has some serious history that us westerner’s don’t always know about or appreciate.  It was nice to see some of the places talked about in our history books and discover some cool characters that weren’t covered in school.  One sad note, there is a military museum in Halifax that talks about the Halifax harbour area and the fort that is built there and it also covers the Canadian involvement in WWI and WWII.  I left in tears, letters from loved ones and medals and newspaper articles collected and displayed in remembrance of so many people that died.  I know that they are no longer here but it makes your heart hurt for all the suffering. 

Practiced my meditation sitting next to the ocean a number of times.   Its rare that I actually achieve any type of meditative state but it was very gentle sort of experience sitting next to the ocean listening to waves & birds, smelling salt water and have a lovely cool breeze whisper by.    You can just be in the moment and appreciate the experience. 

 

Second I wrote while at the Queen Charlotte Lodge in BC but couldn’t post.

 

Out in the middle of nowhere (Queen Charlotte Islands) on a fishing trip with my hubby and one of his clients’ & girlfriend.  It rained today so Sue wanted to have a spa day ... we got massages and sat in the hot tub, read by the fire which was really nice but unusual.  Don’t usually go on vacations ... Dean and I go on adventures which this trip has been for sure.  Didn’t get seasick, yeah!  Learned how to fish and drive a boat and got my sea legs so ingrained that its feeling weird to be walking on land.  Logging my food and kung fu stuff is alot easier here than it was riding the motorcycle in Nova Scotia. I brought my planner here so I could update at night but it was a little hefty for the motorcycle trip so I used a little note book which I filled ( as I write big it hard to fit stuff on the page).  Was reminded again what a great life I live ... not perfect, still have problems, but the good parts are truly awesome.

How Do People See You?

A couple of weeks ago I was at a funeral for a neighbor.  I never had met her, but did know her husband.  She had been suffering from health issues since we moved to the neighborhood, and kept to herself in the house.  During the service a few friends got up to speak of memories they had and it got me thinking, how would people remember me?  How do people see me?

In the last week I have been in the process of getting personal character references from people who have known me for quite some time; both the good sides and the not so good (we all have them).    When I read what these friends had written, I was touched.  Moments were remembered that I hadn’t thought of in a long time and then there were things that I truly did not see as significant or out of the ordinary; but they mattered to someone.  It’s a good reminder that everything we do and say has an effect on someone and it’s up to us as to what that will be.

I found it funny how character traits that are seen as quality traits, vary from person to person.    From one person, they saw strength with something to do with a small engine.  For another, it was related to relationships with family and friends.  Guess which one was the girl answer and which was the boy answer. 

I have to be honest and say that I feel like I haven’t always been the mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend that I want to be or could be.   We are always our own worst critics.   We all have a tendency to get busy and caught up in life.  The thought that ‘I’ll call them later’ or ‘I should stop by to see…’ , gets lost as there are not enough hours in the day.  When I think of all the opportunities I am given on a daily basis to make a difference for someone, I’m grateful and only hope that I will take advantage of every opportunity to make a positive difference for someone.  I have been made aware that everything I do, no matter how small it may seem to me, has the potential to matter greatly to someone else.

 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Thankful for a traditional place

I strongly believe in tradition and skills in all aspects of life. Its a huge contribution to evolution and it creates a unique birth in every individual on the planet. It awakens creativity, confidence, and segregates mediochracy from mastery. Skills passed on to the next generation of our children or individuals that may need a life change and discover something inside that they never new they had or never believed they could. The ability to use your hands and brain as one. The human connection between past and present to keep people sharp and to keep the planet moving, not to mention, to keep us from stagnating. If you stop and look around you everything you touch or utilize was built by human hands or someones idea that they stayed true too and it was accomplished by someone taking a risk or taking their thoughts and forming whats in front of you. Its the risk takers that build the planet and promote evolution through discovery and persistance, discipline and hard work. These skills were also built on many many mistakes, but hands, tools, and human connection prevailed. Everything you see has a history or, in all cases, a legacy of skill that attracts each of us into something. Something like a place that we all attend to better ourselves and learn thought and hand skills. Learn connection and compassion. Practice confidence and determination with dedicated and passionate teachers. Learn that it takes hard work and discipline to complete a dream or challenge. Something like Silent River Kung Fu.

Brian Chervenka

missing out

Well, here I am finding myself with 45 minutes at home.  Just got in from Wateton and Calgary with my daughter and grandson and am heading out right away to go back there.  Have enough time to repack, get my stuff and my bike in the car and head out again, but this time with a friend.

It was a good few days, but I can't escape the guilty feelings of missing out on the renos, dragon dance practices and working on my forms.  I do the push ups and sit ups, acts of kindness, etc, but not easy to do the other stuff.  What I am missing out on is constantly in the forefront of my mind.  I know that when Sept hits, it will be full speed ahead, so for now , I am trying to enjoy the time away that I have.  It's not easy.

Horse of a Different Color

For every situation there is choice as to how one responds. This is a blog of a different color so fasten your seatbelts.

Sifu Rybak: I am proud of you for taking an action that you are scared to take: leaping out of an airplane.
Sifu Stoddart: I am proud of you for initiating the "hey let's do 100 tricep dips" team exercise and other team events after dragon dance practice.
Sifu Masterson: I am proud of you for the analysis that you do with your training and how to improve
Sifu Smith: I don't know you, but as a fellow artisan, I would like to. I see the challenges that you have and I am proud of you for the effort that you put towards your challenges and yourself.
Sifu Shipalesky: You moved so far away and it would be easy to vanish, but you aren't. I am proud of you for the persistence you are showing to be in contact with us.
Sifu Harrigan: I am proud of you for taking the initiative and starting the training threads on Kwoon Talk.
Sifu Wetter: I am proud of you for coming back and being an active part on the dragon dance team.
Sifu Beckett: I am proud of you for your willingness to help as well as your honesty.
Sifu Bryant: I am proud of you for discovering your journey and having the courage to embark.
Sifu Regier: I am proud of you for the dedication, passion, and Spirit that you show as well as being as connected as you are with the workload and challenges that you have.
Sifu Wonsiak: I am proud of you that despite the injury challenges that you have, you find a way to continue to train and train in a way that helps and heals.
Sifu Kichko: I am proud of you for the commitment, passion, dedication, and enthusiasm that you show.
Sihing Jerke: I am proud of you for coming back.
Sihing Langner: When you started on the team, you were shy to speak, but now you speak with pride and confidence. I am proud of you for the progress you have made.
Sihing Robinson: I am proud of you for giving your head a rattle, and this time, sticking with the team and not vanishing. You didn't follow your traditional pattern: yay!!
Sihing Janzen: You also moved away, however you contacted back. I am proud of you for that.
Sihing Chessal: I am proud of you for being in the lion as you are doing great. I'd like to see a stack of you on Mr. Tymchuk. Do we have a lion that long?
Sihing Lowery: I am proud of you for how far you have come. I reflect back to when you started this journey and you've come a long way.
Sihing Choy: I am proud of you for being not only the "energizer bunny" that you are but your Spirit and wisdom you add.
Sihing Regier: I am proud of you for the intense compassion that you have whether it's a fellow human, a team mate or a cat.
Sihing Krebs: You are training from a distance but when you walk into the Kwoon it's like you never left. I am proud of you for keeping  up that level of commitment and for keeping in contact as well.
Mr. Chervenka: I am proud of you for the immense amount of heart that you show in all that you do and say. You're one rock solid dude.
Mr. Hamilton: You as well have traveled far along your journey from whence you started and have gained an immense amount of wisdom. For that I am proud.

Sifu Michael Playter: I am grateful that we have you as a resource and mentor. I am learning a lot from watching you, asking your guidance and input, and reading your blog.

Master Brinker: In a world where the majority of the focus is solely on fighting skills you walk the traditional path that encompasses the whole being and strive to teach us to do the same. For that I am grateful.

Pass the kleenex, thanks.
Sherri Donohue
Hot Torch, Room Full of Glass, and a Kung Fu Kwoon

Trying to put it into words.

I wan't to blog about the renovations, and how much they influence my Kung Fu, but I can't put it into words quite yet.  It just sounds like a pile of rubbish.

Keep your eye out for that post soon.

Countdown to school: 6 days

I Ho Chaun

When I agreed to participate in the I Ho Chaun, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I knew I had to do it if I wanted to grade this year but that was about it. After Sifu Hayes sent out a reminder to all members to reacquaint themselves to what we committed to, I realized that I will not reach all my goals for I Ho Chaun.  With my late start, injuries, family, work, (blah..blah..blah..insert excuse here), I know there is no way I will complete everything but does this mean I have failed? 

After re-reading the I Ho Chaun letter, I see that it is a year long mentorship program and it's your own journey/process for you to get to Mastery. I Ho Chaun is and will always be different to everyone involved, there will never be two identical journeys. I have been approaching this class with the wrong intent, yes, I need to participate if I want to grade but it's a year long mentorship program. Mentorship from not only Master Brinker and Sifu Playter but from the rest of the members of I Ho Chaun. I can learn and better myself with the experiences of my fellow classmates and share with them as they progress in their own journey. Doing pushups, situps, weapons, etc is only a tool for you to use in this class to help you along in your journey. 

A journey to mastery in Kung fu? In nun chucks? In forms? NO. None of the above. I having been working on my judgement the last week. I have approached Kung fu with lots of vigor and intensity (I'm sure my morning class would agree) but that's also one of my weakness. I haven't applied good judgement to my classmates and where they are at in thier training and journey.  Reflecting back on my life, there are many occasions that I have exercised poor or a lack of judgement. I will work on using better judgement while maintaining the intensity in what I do. This is part of my journey to mastery, not towards Kung fu but to me. 

I Ho Chaun is a journey to the mastery of ourselves not Kung fu, golf, running, etc.  For members of I Ho Chaun, Kung fu is only a tool for us to use in our journey into ourselves.  Mastery of ourselves will take us off the road of mediocrity and onto the path of the extraordinary.

Slow but methodical training

Something I observed the other night when watching some of the students train together,  I should have caught earlier and made mention of.

Slow and methodical should be the way you start something new. In this instance we  were dealing with a grappling drill but this applies to a form or defence application as well.

As a good training  partner, we need to work with each other to achieve and understand a new skill. The first rule is to walk through the steps slowly and try and catch all the detail that was presented.

Once you have the basic moves then you can ramp up the resistance with your partner. If it’s a form, you can speed it up and concentrate on flow,  if it’s a techniques or defence application you can increase the realism, speed and power you put into the application.

The point is, start slow with full intent. To grasp as much as you can with something new you have to slow it down to allow the mind to walk you through unknown territory. If you are going too hard and too fast it becomes just an exercise or random body movement  that may lead to bad habits.

So, for me, I try and  gauge where I am at, if it is something new, don’t be afraid to ask your partner to slow down or allow you to apply something without them resisting.

 You want a sound foundation that you can build your speed and power on while maintaining pure technique.

Going hard is fun and is also an important part of training but make sure the steps or fundamentals are in place first.

A reminder for myself both in teaching and  to apply to my own training whether its grappling, forms, techniques or even dragon dancing.

This should ensure I am still a sound practioner well into my old age when strength and speed are no longer with me.

Pistachio... Look for It

I'm planning on starting three projects right now. Two are concerning the I Ho Chuan and one is my own version of what Sifu Playter is doing- we'll see if I'm as effective as he is regarding the curriculum. I really don't know when I'm going to find the time, but as it was mentioned on Friday its a matter of making the time.

By the way, a buddy am I are scheduled to jump out of a plane this Saturday at 1:30. I'm vibrating like a leaf...

Anyways, since we need to get our butt in gear and get ready for some demo's (nevermind that we have no demo's planned...) I've taken it upon myself to get a team ready for a demo, to be ready for presentation to Sifu Brinker and Sifu Playter next I Ho Chuan class. Therefore, if any of you guys want in you need to be available for practices and you better be at class!!

Second, I want to go through the existing curriculum and define exactly what each technique is for. I don't mean how the choke escapes are to escape from chokes, but how each is connected, what should be learned from each, what is the goal of each and why is it in the curriculum? I know everything is interconnected, but I've never gone so far as to define how or to what, and I honestly don't know if I can fully. Sifu Brinker, do you mind if I bombard you with questions?

Third, I plan to... you'll see. Top secret, at least until the people who this is geared toward find out. Operation pistachio.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

Sorry this is late. Still learning how the upload thing works

Sihing Jon Robinson

http://umpteenmonkeystyping.blogspot.ca/

Goals

Robyn Kichko’s I Ho Chuan Goals 2012

I will not quit

I will log and complete 50,000 pushups or equivalent ( lat pull downs, flys, pull ups, tricep and bicep curls) - early in the year I discovered that I was hurting my shoulders more and more, so I decided to do 50,000 kicks instead and work with weights to improve the strength in my shoulders and supporting muscles.

I will build towards and complete 10 pull ups by the end of the year - still working on this.

I will log and complete 50,000 kicks - 25,050 - I know that my numbers will get back on track as soon as my toes heal.

I will log and complete 50,000 sit ups - 34,350

I will complete 1000 rounds of sparring - 527 minutes

I will log and complete 1000 acts of kindness - 641

I will log and complete 1000 miles (1609 km) running, walking, swimming or biking - 913.62

I will work towards mastering my stick form by logging and completing at least 1000 reps and seeking feedback from my teachers and peers. - 56 - hopefully this will improve as my shoulders heal more

I will work towards mastering my nunchucks form by logging and completing at least 1000 reps and seeking feedback from my teachers and peers - 756 totally continuing to love this form

I will mend a relationship - this is harder than I thought, it takes risk and accepting of responsibility for one's lack of action. 

I will participate in and help organize the adopt a driveway program - I love being a part of this program, I am going to create a video of our participants and recipients

I will participate in and help organize the annual renovations of our kwoon - I plan to be at the kwoon each day this week, doing whatever I can to help make it an awesome place to hang out.

I will research, organize and lead a group of people to become actively involved in volunteering in the community on a weekly basis - this one is still in the planning stages and I am not quite ready to reveal it.

I will spend one weekend learning how to ride a motorcycyle - I continue to chicken out on this, in the winter I have myself totally convinced that I want this and that I am capable, but as soon as it is nice out, I chicken out. I thought if it was a public goal, I would push myself further and I did, I chose the course but I did not call to set it up.

I will take tennis lessons, either from a friend at work or from the tennis club in Spruce Grove - I have taken exactly one tennis lesson this year and I loved it.

I will continue to blog about my kung fu journey in my weekly blog - my life journey and my kung fu journey are one in the same, that is what I write about each week.

I will maintain my Flavors.me page-  this is up to date, I was going to change it last week but realized that I have grown into the words that I so hopefully wrote in January

I will compete in the annual Tiger Challenge - I am hoping that we can gather enough interest to organize and run a challenge.

I will learn to Lion Dance - I allowed an opportunity to pass in June, so I have been kicking myself and looking for another ever since, perhaps I will have to create an opportunity!

I will qualify and perform in at least three public performances - one at the library in January, the Chinese New Year's Celebration, and one at an elementary school for a group of young ladies

I will memorize and recite Mastery by Stuart Emery - I probably could not stand and recite the whole thing word for word but each day I recite a part of it to help me stay on my path to mastery

I will qualify to teach at the annual forms seminar - I have been teaching the nunchucks form since January, does that mean that I qualify? Only if pouring your heart into it is the measure.

 

http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/

Where I'm at...

Last weekend I was going to blog like I always do, but then received a jolt if you will about where I am mentally and physically to date. I decided not blog because well, I was angry. Very angry would be more truthful. My anger was solely generated at myself. I had reflected on what I had accomplished to date and what I would need to do get some numbers up and so on but I was only looking at a small part of my “numbers”. I took a step back and looked at my life as a whole. My wife Judi and I had a long chat about where I was and where I should be….we were worlds apart. I was looking back at my numbers and saw them dip in April, now why was that, oh yeah twin boys were now home and sleep and time was immediately erased. Oh, numbers were up at the end of July and early August…oh yeah I was on holidays and had an awesome time getting in the work I needed to push to the next level. So on and so on. Problem is I’ve been too busy looking at my excel spreadsheet to miss my life around me passing me by. During my holidays I had gotten into a great routine but it didn’t involve my family as much. I mean I was still doing family things and duties around the house but something always had to fall off to meet my selfish requirements. I use the word selfish, maybe that’s a little harsh but its how it feels. It took me being on my holidays for my one son to actually recognize me and bond with me for the first time….he’s now five months old. That’s what hit me last weekend. Now again I can hear people saying reprioritize and time manage a little better but here’s the deal, I do that. Everyone has excuses why they can’t do this or that, and I respect everyone’s life and routine but mine is different. I was doing a lot of what we are undertaking right now last year leading up to this. When I looked at my spreadsheet over the past year I saw a battle. I have to fight for spare minutes to get pushups and situps in while I try to get my boys to nap for fifteen minutes. I fight fatigue to get up and run on less than five hours of sleep – one to two hour increments at a time to jog before running to work and so on. I have to fight to get time and most often it has taken me away from my family. I’m not home on Monday nights, Thursdays for practises, Fridays for class and then try to get out on Saturdays for open training/sparring/ practises. My wife spends the entire day at home with the boys, when I am not at home for the evening that’s a lot of strain on her. Many of us don’t have to fight for time, some do, but my other challenge has been a lack of sleep. After all these months my body has not been able to get the rest to maintain itself and last weekend just seemed to shut down. I hit the wall and it has taken me a week of minimal physical work to feel some energy again. I asked myself one important question last weekend, what am I doing this for? Is this for my ego to have that second stripe on my belt? To prove that I can do this all? I already know I can. Was it to prove I can do it with a new family during the year? When my wife and I were in our prenatal classes we spoke with families with multiples and they all agreed on two things. One, your life will dramatically be altered and revolve around the twins. Two, don’t even think about taking on any new courses, challenges, teams, activities for the first year. Yeah, didn’t catch that one. So now what. Well, first my family gets more of me; it’s my priority first and foremost. Second, I will continue to do all my UBBT goals and improve myself as a whole. I really have made great strides with the UBBT and am proud to be where I am. One thing that was lacking for myself, and I can’t stress this enough, to all of us on the team and people thinking about joining this team in the future, make this YOUR UBBT. This is your challenge, your journey. The numbers are the same for all of us but that’s not the point, this is your life to change, challenge and improve upon. If you look at it as just numbers or a set of hoops to jump through, look again. This is your masterpiece to build for you. There is only one you so live it. Find your passion in whatever it is you do and realize you CAN accomplish anything.

Sifu Bryant

What the I Ho Chuan means to me.

I have spent the majority of this year sitting back watching and listening to everything and everyone on the team. Being the lowest level belt on team, it has been hard for me to know when to speak up or even what is appropriate to say. I am leaps and bonds ahead of last years fiasco, but still I am failing because I haven't been a teammate like I should be. I have been inspired by every single member of the team at some point or another. Every single member has gotten me to think about a topic in a way that I would never have done on my own. It is because of the team that I have opened my mind to possibilities that I would surely have missed if I wasn't on the team. But I have internalized most of those aha moments and have not been as supportive a teammate as I should be. That stops now. Everyone on the team and even everyone in the kwoon has influenced me to some degree. I am having the most amazing journey physically right now. I am meeting or exceeding all my goals physically and its because I have seen and heard the message from all my teammates that I could do it. So I said no more excuses and dove facefirst into the pool. Last year I came up with a million excuses to not give my all. This year I want to give my all and more. I could have fallen into the excuse trap, but a comment at a meeting or watching someone struggle with a form would provide that spark that if they could do it, so could I. My failure was to shout it out and return the inspiration. Even those on the team that think they have failed haven't if they can just reconnect with the themselves, the team and the kwoon. Don't wait for next December or next week even. Do it now. Sure it may be rough at first, but you have a team there to help you. We are not alone in our journey as long as we are willing to humble ourselves and ask for the help we all need at some point. My wife asked me last weekend why I do kung fu so much. I wanted to give her the most honest answer that I could and I have really searched my heart and soul for the answer. Its because I am finally becoming the person I always wanted and hoped I would. I am like a child that is finally becoming fully aware of his/her environment and my place in it. I am finally becoming aware of the impact I have on everyone and everything around me. I no longer want to accept mediocre or the so called norm. I want to excell both phsyically and mentally and I want to be a positive influence on the lives I touch. I was 45 years old and 232 pounds when I started kung fu. I was so terribly out of shape when I started that 10 pushups or situps was a real challenge for me. Mentally I was completely messed up. I was definately of the glass is half empty mindset. I was cynical about way to many things in life, and I had no real long term goals other then to keep paying the morgage and provide for my family. Kung Fu has presented me with an oppurtunity to better myself and everyone I encounter along my journey. I am far from perfect and I still mess up. But I have learned to accept that aspect of my growth. Growth is my main goal now. That includes both phsyically and mentally. The physical is progressing better then I would have hoped and I am truly happy about that. The mental growth for me is much more difficult. Seeing the people I am inpired by fail and not pick themselves up, dust themselves off and try again frustrates me. It can seed a small kernal of doubt in my mind and I have to work hard at destroying that doubt. Yes each persons journey is their own, but as a member of the I Ho Chuan it is also part of my journey. I am frustrated when I dont know how to help someone on the team. I am even more frustrated when I don't know how to approach a higher belt. That is something I need to learn and improve if I am going to become a true teammate. I have become much more aware and engaged in my own journey, now I need and I think all the team needs to become more engaged in each others journey. Everyone has the potential to become a black belt(Sifu Brinker has stated this many times), but we all need help along the way to achieve that goal. No one can do it alone. Lets show everyone in the kwoon what being a team is all about and finish this year with the roar of a dragon like we started it.

A Big Decision

I have found myself in a really weird and somewhat confused place the last three weeks.   Here we are with only nine days left till I must make the decision whether or not to grade this year.  As I have seen potential candidates make the very hard decision that this is not their year to grade, I have started questioning myself.  If they don’t believe they’re ready, how in the world do I think that I can be? 

I have been thinking of little else the last week, trying to figure out, how does a person know when they are ready for something like this?  As of tonight I still haven’t got the answer to this.  The last couple of days I have been reflecting on the last 8 months.  I have looked at my numbers, I have gone over my list of requirements, I have reviewed what I chose for personal challenges this year and  I have to say that I see this year as a success in that respect .  If anyone would have told me that at almost 40 years old I would be doing what I have the last year, I would have laughed at them and thought they were off their rocker.  Having to come up with a list of personal challenges and then be held accountable for completing them has been an amazing motivation for me to do things I always wanted to but didn’t have the courage to.  Logging pushups, situps, km’s, diet, etc.  has proven to myself that first it is possible and second has been a push to see if I could do better.

I have rediscovered the fact that this is an independent journey.  It is a decision that one must make for themselves and not make it dependant on what other people decide.  We may train together and encourage and help each other, but in the end it is only ourselves that can truly decide where we are mentally and make the choice of where we want to be.  I have gone over and over convincing myself that next year would be better.  It would give me more time to prepare, maybe life will slow down (now that one is a laugh), and maybe my knees and shoulder will be in better shape. . . . . . .blah blah blah.  What I have realized is that first off my life will not slow down.  The older I get and the more I use my knees and shoulders are they really going to feel better?  As for more time, well I believe the more time we have, the more we try to fill it with.   

I am finding this such a hard decision for the fact that because it is important to me, I don’t want to make the wrong one.   Well the clock says 12:11am, now only 8 days left!

Alana Regier

Rooooaaaarrrrrrr!!!

It's late and I really need to get to bed as I have to be up for work at 4 am, and it is now going on 10:00.  But. . . but . . .but, I just got home from a really great dragon dance practice and couldn't wait to post about it, or I would either forget to, or wouldn't remember this feeling by the time tomorrow rolls around.  What sometimes happens, is by the next day, I dismiss the feeling as if it didn't happen.

 Soooooo, the practice was great!  When I first attended the dragon dance practice, I somehow missed the email about it, but just happened to be at the kung fu school finishing with the kids classes.  Everyone said, "oh come join us, we need a filler in."  So I filled in.  I sucked at it, as I had never done it before, ever.  I was told to just follow along.  Sounds easy.  I got quite frustrated, and even worse was that sometimes we tend to have too many bosses at theses practices and I was getting told so many different things.  Everyone else seemed to be having a good time, so I tried to remain positive.  At one point, I asked if I had to commit to doing the dragon dance now that I was there to fill in.  Sifu Brinker said, "you committed to doing the dragon dance when you committed to doing the UBBT.

So, I went to the next practice, and the next, and the next one after that.  Today, I got asked if I enjoyed the dragon dance a bit more, now that I was getting the hang of it.  I sure do!  I was thinking that I should pass off my position to Sihing Chessel so he could have a turn, but I didn't really want to.  I was relieved when he helped with the lion part, so I could stay in the dragon, and not feel guilty.  I really enjoy being a part of this team!

After last practice, I got everyone down and we did 100 tricep pushups.  After tonight's practice, I asked if anyone wanted to join me in 100 crunches.  Of course EVERYONE did.  Sihing Choy asked me to count it out which I did, and wow!  What an exhilarating experience!  To have everyone there with the same goal in mind, and wanting to do it together felt great.  Don't know if anyone else felt it, but I sure did, and it's a feeling I want to experience more often.  Everyone there gave effort, support, and showed great teamwork!  This is the way a team should be.  Together, united, supportive.

Another Chapter

To those who can't access my computer, it may seem like I'm behind on my journaling, well your right, at least publically. Some of what I wrote I felt was maybe a bit harsh and at the same time I fell this post is heading in the same direction. Well maybe I just need to say it..maybe hearing it one more time it will also help me.

These past few months of the I Ho Chuan have been tough on me. There had been a lot of negative, a lot of pushing; from my perspective maybe too much. In the past, I fed on the positive and up beat momentum from the google group discussions, recently I felt like that was missing. With each of those emails it had only pushed me further and further from the team. The emails and posts with symbols in place of inappropriate language seemed hit me the wrong way...it was unlike that of most writtings posted within the SRKF umbrella. Wrapping all that with my physical separation from the kwoon, I was beginning to feel a huge separation and one that I was mentally able to now justify. This separation from me life and from the kwoon, is tough at first and the scary part is, it gets easier and easier, when it becomes less attractive.

In regards to my "numbers", I fully understand these are tools to help me reach my goals and assist my journey. There may be a correlation between how I feel and where my numbers are at.

I'm not going to quit, even though my situation and mental state were so close to following that path, I know...don't say it! My hope is that with my recent transfer and scheduled job, that I can get my mind back on track with this commitment and finish with a smile on my face.

Darcy Regier

in all honesty

First off I would like to apologize to all my team members for my lack of participation in the UBBT and for my extremely long absence from the school. I have lost sight and focus of what the UBBT is and what it means to me and my life. Instead of using it as a tool I turned I focused solely on the numbers and it turned more into a burden. With that as my frame of mind my motivation began to dwindle, but I had class at least to keep me engaged.

Then class ended and since I had not been keeping up with blogging both writing my own and reading others blogs I had very little to anchor me to kung fu. It was really easy to wrap myself up in my life and use it as an excuse of being to busy to train. Mostly this perspective came from me being aware that I was wasting time and opportunity. I knew that I was not going to be grading for black belt and that also fueled by distance from everything. I felt defeated but once again that is because I had approached the UBBT with the wrong attitude to start with. 


The past seven months have been hit or miss mostly misses for me but I can't dwell on my failures only reflect on why I failed, learn from that and move on. I have five more months in the UBBT but I have my whole life to either choose a path of mediocrity or  one of mastery.


Sihing Craig Janzen

Commitment

I volunteered to serve as a witness for the longest basketball game ever, 113 hours to obtain the record. They started Sunday at 8pm and will be finished on Friday at 1pm. There are 24 individuals that have volunteered there time to play, many having to take time of work to be part of this event. The 24 players, many of them are in there earlier 20's, are divided into 2 teams and into 2 lines. Each line plays for 2 hours then they switch off.  They are allowed a 2hr sleep break and a 5min rest break every hour, they don't use the rest break but bank it so they can use it once a day to get an extra long sleep break.  The players are not permitted to leave the premises as per the rules. I was there as a witness for the game after 12 hrs, by that time the pace of the game had slowed a bit and many of them had  blisters on their feet, injuries, sore joints and muscles. The shift that just finished tended to their injures and needs, showered, ate and tried to rest/sleep for a little bit. In 2 hrs they would be back in the courts for another shift.  Besides the players there as host of other individuals that had committed thier time to make sure this record can be achieved.  This commitment! The physical and mental exhaustion these participants will have after 113 hrs will be secondary once they accomplish the world's longest basketball game. 

Our Pandamonium is only 24hrs and many times we have had problems filling in all the time slots or there is only one person that signed upped.  This is 24hrs not 113 and we don't we don't need to be there for the entire 24hrs. Can we get this kind of commitment for our next Pandamonium?  Time to give ourselves a little slap in the face, where are you? There are many schools that teach self defence but this is the only school that challenges you to be more then just a martial artist. 

I have been involved in the school for many years, but now as Sihing I am getting a sense of commitment. A sense of responsability to the school and my fellow students. We all have different skill sets that we bring to the Kwoon which could and will benefit every other individual here. 

I Ho Chaun members and Sihings, let's step it up a notch. 

Btw, they are playing the game at Living Waters School if you want to stop in and say "hi" and give them a little support.  If you want to volunteer as a witness for the game let me know and I will get you the contact info. 

Times Two

Right now I am working on one of my I Ho Chuan goals of accepting help when someone asks me. Usually I'm the "Jane Wayne" type and I can do it myself thanks. However for goal this year, I decided that when someone asks me if I need/want help, I must accept it even though I might have to decide the help I need because when I refuse the help, I am refusing an act of kindness.

With Mom being with me, I am very frequently asked what she can do for help. Did I say the word "frequently?" Considering that I spend my time with cockatiels and dogs, this is a real stretch for me. Even moreso is thinking what help I need at that time. A couple of times the help has been "stand there", however it was a definite answer of how I can be helped. It's been a challenge for both accepting the help and thinking of how to be helped because it would be easier/faster if I did it myself. However that's not what this is about.

The other goal I am now working on is horseback riding. I have set the goal to go horseback riding 5 times this year but so far that hasn't happened until yesterday. I was too busy, it was too hot, no "ridable" horses available, the list goes on. But alas persistence paid off and yesterday I went riding. Oh I will mention that it wasn't my persistence that paid off, it was Sifu Lietz' persistence as he has been asking/nagging me to go riding with him for almost forever. I finally caved and went riding.

It ended up that the horse I rode is perfect for me at this time. Not only that, I rode in an Australian saddle something I've never ridden in before. Comfy piece of equipment! I had a great time and will definitely be going again when Sifu Leitz asks again. The difference is this time I won't drag it out to a nag.

Sherri Donohue
Hot Torch, Room Full of Glass, and a Kung Fu Kwoon

I Ho Chuan basic requirements...my year so far...

50 000 Pushups;                  22 390
50 000 Abs:                         23 450
1000  unassisted chin ups:  474
50 hours conditioning training: 16.2
1609 km:  493.7
1000 reps MuLongkuen form: 302
1000 reps Sai form: 371
1000 rounds of sparring:  57
100 hours grappling:  54
100 hours weight training:  51.5
50 reps of Tai Chi:  26
40 hours yoga:  24.5
1000 acts of kindness:  411
Mend a relationship: wont say its done but its definitely better(more effort on my part).
Journaling: ok , needs improvement.
on-line presence: ok
3 public performances:  0 to date.
learn Lion dance: incomplete
un-excused absences: none
memorize Mastery: working on it , again! I hate memory loss.
Adopt-a- driveway: ok


Need to ramp it up to finish strong, no surprise I guess, I seen it coming but let things slide.

climbing the mountain

As I was reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", I came across a part that really spoke to me (the second time through--still trying to answer the questions I missed the first time.) "Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible...The reality of your own nature should determine the speed; if you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. Climb the mountain in equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then when your no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn't just a means to the end, but a unique event in itself. " One of our questions is to use the climbing of the mountain as an analogy to learning kungfu, and I really see this passage as what I've been experiencing this spring in my journey; I was stressed, and not enjoying my journey at all this spring as I was trying to prepare for testing this fall--I didnt want to practice, I almost quit. I 'was winded'; trying to go too fast in my climb. I've since decided not to test, and am so much more relaxed. I'm starting to enjoy my training again, and looking forward to ramping it up in the fall. I have experience the other end too; thus the reason for joining I Ho Chaun a couple years ago. I know sometimes I get stressed in class when we're getting the pep talks to go-go-go, and feel like maybe I'm not going hard enough or perhaps failing my instructors by going the speed I am. Having read this now, I am more sure that the speed I'm going is the what I need to do right now. I will concentrate on the step at hand, knowing I will make the top. In my own time. http://bbafflesb.blogspot.ca/

Chin Ups!

Chin-ups and pull-ups are common bodyweight exercises that are deceptively difficult to perform. It is very common to hear individuals having difficulties performing either exercise or being rather frustrated.

The main difference between the chin-up and the pull-up is the positioning of the hands: With a chin-up, the palms face towards you, and with a pull-up, the palms face away. Pull-ups will tend to be more difficult, due to a less emphasis being placed on the upper arm flexors (e.g. the biceps), and thus a lower recruitment of these muscle groups. With both variations, the back muscles are heavily recruited, as well as the core/abdominal muscles.

With individuals who are unable to perform the exercise, a weakness may exist in the back musculature, and perhaps even the core. These are just two parts of the link required to perform a chin-up, with other facets including grip strength, muscular endurance,  To perform the exercise, these weak points must be addressed and the required strength must be developed. So, how does one do so?

1.)    Negative Chin-Ups

a.       With these variations of chin-ups, the individual brings himself to a flexed arm hang from the chin-up bar (through leaping up or standing on a box). From here, he will slowly lower himself down until he is at the lower portion of the movement. This is repeated for several repetitions.

2.)    Assisted Chin-Ups

a.       Assisted Chin-ups are simply chin-ups where the movement is assisted through the application of an external force. A machine (assisted chin-up/dip machine), or a band, or even another individual may be assisting the individual in bringing themselves up to the bar. The downside is that the equipment may not be readily available. If the individual is struggling with a specific sticking point in the range of motion, a partner may give slight assistance in allowing the individual to move past the sticking point.

3.)    Partial Chin-Ups

a.       These chin-ups involve the individual moving in a range of motion where they are not hitting their sticking point. So, the individual will start with his chin above the bar, and will lower himself down to a point where he can still pull himself up.

4.)    Lat Pull Downs

a.       These will help strengthen the latissimus dorsi muscles, eventually allowing the individual to perform a chin-up.

b.      Rowing Exercises will also help strengthen the upper back musculature. Seated rows, inverted rows, dumbbell and barbell rows, and face pulls are all examples of these.

With all strength-training methods, patience is a virtue. Developing strength takes time, and it may take weeks to months to develop the strength required to perform a chin-up, or multiple chin-ups. Once the ability to do one or more chin-ups is developed, then altering the grip style (i.e. pull-up vs chin-up vs neutral grip; wide grip vs close grip vs medium grip) will provide the stimulus variety required to induce strength and endurance gains. Sometimes the issue may be more of a technical issue, with the individual moving in an awkward movement pattern. Try visualizing yourself pulling the bar to your chest. This may help in activating the lats and allowing the shoulder blades to track in a proper pattern.

My numbers up to date

Sorry for being a little behind on this, but we just got back from holidays last night.  We had no to little reception for the week. 

Well here they are.....

No quitting -  still here!

Pushups - 24,547 (not my favorite)

Situps - 39, 798

Forms: 

Nunchuks - 661 (wish it showed)
Lau Gar - 300 (with my knee I have been working on other forms 483 reps of other forms)

Sparring - 201 (ouch!)

Kilometers - 1987

Acts of Kindness - 960

Mend a Relationship - going well and continuing to make it better

Public Journal - I think I'm at 29, on track

Online presence - keeping up with everyones blogs and posts every day or 2 (except on holidays without service), need to comment more

3 Public performances - not completed

Learn to Lion dance - not completed

Tiger Challenge - hopefully to come

Unexcused absences from classes and meetings - I'm pretty sure this one is good

Excel with class curriculum - on going

Organize, lead and participate in SRKF projects - need to work on the leading but have participated in most

Memorize Mastery - completed

Adopt a driveway program - completed

Annual Maintenance - have been at facility when I have been able to in the spring and going to be kicking around next week

Board breaking - not completed yet

Personal requirements - going really well, lots completed and others just about completed


I have to admit that I have fallen behind during the summer months with holidays.  For the first time in 17 years we had actual planned holidays (scheduled and booked almost a year in advance).

Alana Regier

New Stuff

Let's try this on for size. This is my first video blog and I tried to edit out the really long pauses and make it not painful to listen to. I will hopefully get better at this

http://youtu.be/0MqVrKro3Lk

Jon Robinson

http://umpteenmonkeystyping.blogspot.ca/ 

numbers update

Hi folks,
I am not ignoring numbers update.
I am waiting to get into Physout then I will post where I am at.

Good Morning!

I have spent most of my adult life fighting my natural tendencies. I stay up late at night for work or for fun (I love a good movie night) and drag my butt through the next day. I love to get up early and do stuff and I didn't know that about myself until I joined my first UBBT team as a student. The only way to fit all the things that I wanted to into each day was to get up earlier. The more I trained the happier I was and the earlier that I would get up. Sometimes, common sense says, if you go to bed at midnight, you shouldn't get up at 5 am and expect to have a productive day. So I don't always get up early, I am working on making my shifts match my natural tendencies, but I do try to get up early enough to train before I do anything else. It is not just about getting the stuff out of the way, it is about starting the day off on the right foot. In my opinion there is nothing better than getting up because you want to and practicing what you love to do before you have to do anything else. This has also opened up many other time saving opportunities for me, did you know that not many people are in the grocery stores at 8 am? I can get my food in half the time when there are only two or three other customers. I started walking my dog before the days got too warm earlier in the summer and before I knew it, I was out of the house at 6 am and fully enjoying a peaceful walk before the day got busy. I have yet to master doing forms outside with the dog along for company (she always wants to join the imaginary fight during forms) but I am going to keep trying. Maybe when she is older, she will just lay in the grass and patiently wait until I am done! ( Well, I can dream!!!)
That is what is on my mind today, until next week, work hard and have fun!

 http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/

Intensity

Sifu Kichko has been spending a lot of time with me, helping me finish learning the fourth part of the tai chi form. I just wanted to start off with that. Thanks Sifu :)

Lately, Sifu Brinker has been talking to us a lot about intensity. This is a portion of my kung fu that I really struggle to keep constant, if that makes any sense at all. My ability to "channel my intensity" depends on what I'm doing. Which is something that I'd like to even out. I'd eventually like to know that I'm able to have the same amount of intensity in everything that I'm doing.

I love my forms. Out of everything that I do in Kung fu, they're my favorite. Of course, there are many things that I need to work on in them, but I'd like to think that whenever I go through one of my forms, that my intensity is peaking. Lately, I've been trying to focus on channelling that intensity Into other aspects of my Kung fu, like doing techniques with a partner and sparring. These are two areas that I defiantly lack confidence in, therefore, my ability to remain intense goes out the window.

This is something that I've been working on over that past couple of months, and I really feel that I've made a lot of progress. I've found that I've started to doubt myself less, and I've noticed that the quality of my techniques has improved.

I'm a long way from achieving my desired goal as far as intensity goes, but I'm getting there. I really need to stop questioning myself and "go with the flow." I'm going to make mistakes, but that's the best way to learn. I know that once I start to increase my self-confidence, my intensity will increase. It's just a matter of putting in the time and effort.

www.kwonsiak.blogspot.com

My numbers so far.

Pushups – 20700
Situps – 20629
Sparring – 55 rounds. My worst so far, looking to pick this up on Saturday open training and shadow boxing at home.
Acts of Kindness – 50. Have done more but have struggled to acknowledge I have done them and then document it seems. Needs some work.
Mend a relationship – in the process. 1609km running, walking, biking – 143 ran. Fought injuries during the early part of the year and now will catch up running 50km or so a week.
3 Demos – one complete.
Nunchuk form – 255
Spear form – 83 plus freestyle work.

This next month I will catch up on pushups and situps which aren’t the problem, mainly my sparring is my biggest concern right now. I have learned the spear form now so will pick those numbers up as well.

Sifu Bryant

Numbers

Here are my numbers that I have written down. 

Sifu Stoddart, Thank you for putting this out there. I'm not really good at putting everything on paper and I took a couple of months off to heal my eye, so I wasn't looking forward to calculating all my numbers. After seeing the totals, I surprised myself at how these little sets add up. 

Swimming. 140 min

Jogging. 59min

Stationary bike. 4026min

Sit ups. 9530

Pushups. 11415

Tricep pushups. 600

Crunches. 8455

Bicep curls. 3350

Pull ups. 226

Chin ups. 516

Leg raises. 3580

Tricep extension. 435

Jumping jacks. 6600

Bicycle crunches. 8800

Leg raise Crossess. 700

Knowledge vs Understanding

Question:

Is it better to know 1000 applications or understand 10 applications?

Application=Defence vs an attack

Not really a fair question,.. exposing yourself to as many applications as possible opens your mind to other possibilities. Fully understanding 10 applications opens your mind to the body mechanics, the why and the how of the applications.

Both are important.

Right now, I am reviewing all the “Q” belt applications, defences and techniques from our curriculum. When I was grading for my black belt I memorized them all with some understanding but never with enough attention. This time, I am approaching them from the “why” and “how” perspective. I welcome the idea of revisiting the simplest moves for pure technique.

Its interesting to see how I read the application written in the curriculum and how I interpret it. Some of the curriculum I have not visited for awhile, admittedly I have forgotten plenty of detail, I find myself questioning each step. However, this is a good thing.

If something is not efficient or does not flow correctly, chances are, I am not executing the application correctly. This is my exercise in recognition and my exercise to imagine a correct reaction.

Nothing is definitively prescriptive, there can always be some variations in our responses because the attacker may or may not react the way we anticipate but I think the curriculum is built on the most probable response from our opponent.

My goal is not to re-memorize this time but to slow things down, pay attention to detail and fully understand the body mechanics of each move.

Thankfully, I have the I Ho Chuan team to source from when practicing and they can help guide me back to the intention of the application as written in the curriculum.

Knowledge can be an accumulation of information that can get lost over time but Understanding can never be forgotten.

Here it is.

• No Quitting- Moving forward
• 50,000 p/u s/u- 18,655 p/u  20,385 s/u and ab exercises for a balanced core
• 1000 reps of hand and weapon form- 216 sais   247 kempo
• 1000 rounds of sparring- 116 90 second rounds
• Travel 1609kms- 343
• Acts of kindness- 365
• Mend a relationship- complete
• Maintain public journal- Missed weeks but getting used to sharing my privacy
• Maintain online prescence- trying
• Public performance- 1/3
• Learn to Lion dance- complete
• Compete in tiger challenge- no, pandamonium yes
• Zero abscences- none, all confirmed in advance
• Excel in core class- consistant and getting that much closer to brown belt completion
• SRKF projects- participated in everything I could
• Memorize Mastery- Working on it

Personal requirements

• Consume 1000 litres of water-891
• 5000 kicks- 1970
• 1000 min. of stretching- 496
• 1000 reps of Dah Mu Sinh- 298
• learn to speak spanish- No
• Learn to play guitar and compose 3 songs- Very, Very slow on this one

So as you can plainly see I struggle and am behind just like many of you. The most important thing about it though is I am having fun (most of the time) and learning along the way. I want to see what the team and myself can pull off in the remaining months of the challenge. I set the goal to complete my kicks and stretching minutes for this month. In order to stay on it and fulfill the rule of public, I will be updating ,my physout daily then everyone can see at any time. See you on saturday for open training whoever is going to be there.
Brian Chervenka

Vince Krebs - Numbers to date

In response to Sifu Stoddart.

Most of you know I am working out town for the last few months.  You may have forgotten what I look like.  Well here is the bitter truth of my numbers.  Go easy on me, I know I haven’t been easy on myself:

Pushups:25,200

Situps: 25,200.  This was due to this last week push because I was really behind on these.  I find situps less convenient to do anywhere.  At least they are caught up to now.

Nunchuk Form: 352 repetitions I included practice minutes as well. Three minutes per logged repetition.

Kempo Form:  151 repetitions – Ouch!

Sparring minutes: 380 minutes – zero in the last 3 months.  Most everything was logged in sparring class prior to my depart.

1609 kilometers: 847km – running, walking, a bit of cycling.

1000 acts of kindness: 720.  My favorite- told a teenager outside the 7-11 that smoking will affect his health.  I don’t think he saw this as an act of kindness though.  A close second was moving a displaced vole off the worksite.  Probably not an act of kindness for the farmer however!

Mend a relationship: Complete.

Maintain a public journal:  So far so good.

Maintain an online presence:  This needs work.

Learn to lion dance:  Not complete

Compete in Tiger Challenge:  Present for the wee hours of the morning at the Pandamonium event.  I think this qualifies as a public performance as well, but not sure.

Public Four board break:  Not complete

3 Demos: Not complete

Memorize Mastery:  Complete

Personal goals: Swim front crawl five lengths of the pool (without water wings or pool noodle)- Not complete

Complete 2 chosen readings: Complete

Pass grade ten level test in Spanish: Incomplete, and not going well to be honest.

Finish illustration of tiger in the grass: Incomplete

Complete a website and raise money for charity death race: Complete

Run a leg in the death race:  Complete

No Quitting:  Absolutely not.  No matter how dismal the numbers are looking.

Thanks to those that have been offering so much of themselves to help the rest of us strugglers.  I keep tabs on every team members blog and this has been a real positive.  When I am at home (which I can count the days on one hand), I am at the Kwoon.  When I am not working, doing paperwork, eating or sleeping, I am putting towards my requirements.  I have found the last three months, extremely hard to get the time.

I think a transparent look at my way of life up here is a good topic for my next blog, as some of the challenges may or may not be unique to some of the team members!  Stay tuned.

Vince Krebs.

16 Hour Drive, 30 Years Later

I just came back from an overnight, 16 hour return trip to pick up my Mom from Saskatchewan to spend some time with Dennis and I. To say the least, having a 90 year old around is a bit different in a few ways. Instilling a sense of urgency with a person of the antique vintage is much like herding cats, stories are heard numerous times, and darned near everything is a whole new experience. I'm not used to having another person around during the day so this gives me practice in both patience and empathy.

Mom knows I make glass art and knows what I make, but seeing it in real life is the icing on the cake for her. I showed her my dragons and she was in awe and wonder. She has seen (and has some of) my pendant pieces, but none of the bigger stuff. Now she shows what the dragons look  like. I decided to show her the pipe that I made. She was amazed with the colors and that it is functional if a person decides to use it. The conversation then led to her seeing pictures of other art pipes and hookahs as well. Imagine I was having a conversation with Mom about pipes! Having that conversation with her in my teens would have had as much flight as a tank. Lots of fire power, but no movement.

This morning Mom asked if I can make her a dragon so she could show all of her friends what I make. I can do that. She also asked if I could make her a pipe too so she could show that off as well. Another holy cow, who'd a thunk moment. Never in a million Catholic years have I imagined that my Mom would be asking me to make her a pipe so that she can show it off. Of course I will be making her some other things she can show off and hopefully one of them will be a hummingbird feeder.

In regards to my numbers: I will be updating Phys-Out soon. I am behind with my forms and would like partnership with that. I have included my glass art in with my I Ho Chuan goals because I have approached the goal setting as a template to I move forward with my life, not just in Kung Fu. Some goals I am ahead, some I am behind and some I want to set as a baseline so I can see where to go from there. For me this is a process, not a project.

From where I sit, the most important thing to do is to ground myself in what brings me joy so I can radiate that to the world. Hello pliers, hello torch, hello kitchen, hello nature, and (last but not least) hello Kung Fu.
Sherri Donohue
Hot Torch, Room Full of Glass, and a Kung Fu Kwoon

Remember the "Keep fit & have fun" Commercials?

Just a quick note to say I've been sick, but Nick and I were able to have a great anniversary regardless. I'll be posting my numbers by the end of the week. 'Till then...!

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

If there's one thing I suck at it's long term commitment in... well, anything. This is one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do. Both of the last times that I've been a part of this UBBT thing I have gotten way behind on my numbers for the simple reason that consistency on a day to day basis is the thing that I am worst at and then it compounds and the frustration and shame from that makes it harder to get back. Obviously I need to get better at it but I'm going to try something that I haven't done yet in the past couple years. I already know that I am not able to grade as I've failed in the unforgivable ways set out by this test but I'm going to up my game again and see how much better I can do regardless. I'm going to need help to stay on the wagon as you can see from my track record so I might need to lean on some of you guys if I'm going to try to finish strong. Also, I've heard that Sihing Choy needs a training partner for the grading stuff so if he's reading this, we gotta figure something out. I'll see you on friday if you're there and if not then just respond here and we'll figure something out. About to hop into bed so I hope that was coherent enough to understand.

Sihing Jon Robinson

Umpteen Monkeys Typing

Where to?

My first 100 days of office is fast approaching (one more week), everything on my list of things that I wanted to get done or address will been accomplished or started. With that being said, many of my others commitments and responsibilities have fallen to the back burner. Where do I start; family, restaurant, kung fu, Rotary, there always seem to be more things to do then I have time to do them in. 

I don't know how some people get it all done and under control.  I'm going to have to step back and take breather before I tackle them. 

Family and the Restaurant will be the first things I focus my attention to. Without those two, I wouldn't be able to do the things I do.  Then I have the Rotary Run for Life breakfast and the auction that needs to be organized.  Throw in training for Kung fu and trying the meet all the commitments there as well. 

I wonder if there is a place I can get cloned. Like in the movies, the real me will enjoy all the fun things in life and my clone can do all the work. Wishful thinking I know but one can always dream. 

Can one attempt mastery in so many facets?

Amazing!

I did it.  I actually did it!  It took me over a year, but I did it.  I attended the sparring class tonight.  I have been wanting to do that for so long now, and just couldn't muster up the courage to do it. . . . . till tonight.  While chatting with Sifu Harrigan outside of the kwoon one day, he strongly encouraged me to attend the sparring class, so tonight I did, and I thank Sifu for that.  I thought about backing out, but realized I needed to give my support to Sifu as much as I needed to be there for me.

My heart was pounding and my nerves were shaking, but I am so glad that I put all that aside and didn't let it beat me.  I learned so much by watching and listening, and I learned tons by participating.  Sifu Harrigan is very knowledgeable and he knew things that I had no idea about.  He taught me a lot tonight.  The students did not beat the snot out of me, but instead gave me many opportunities to put into play some things that I have been trying to work on.  I especially was trying to practice with the pointers I got from Sifu Brinker at the black belt class on Friday night.   Some of the students tonight gave me pointers too, and I welcomed and appreciated that.  I have so much to learn as far as sparring, and I have such a long ways to go with my confidence.  At least I am headed in the right direction.

I thought it would have been nice to have some other members of the UBBT in the class, and I am determined to spread the word.  It would have been great to have more black belts there too.  I am really pumped up with excitement from going to this class and I am so very glad that I finally took that plunge and went.  It shouldn't have taken me this long, but better now than never.   KIAAAAAA!!!!