Family Time

      So I basically took the Easter weekend off Friday , Saturday , Sunday to spend it focused on my family , skiing and dinners with extended family. It was more than worth it. Quality time is hard to come by as we tend to spend most of our days heading in different directions. That being said I still managed to fit in 320 push ups and sit ups , a few rounds of sparring and some form reps. Not what I should have done number wise but when I think about it not bad for taking the time off.
      Really looking forward to spring and getting outside to put some miles on because to date I haven't officially recorded any. I am not worried about it , I do a lot of walking at work and will once its a little nicer out I will walk/run the dog more than I do already. A pedometer is on my list of items to purchase so if there are any tried and tested ones that are any good I would like to know.  

Scott Fuhr

Hello

I'm not going to copy all my previous posts to I Ho Chuan but I'll be mirroring all future postings.  You can check my blog if you want to read them. 

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1439086825009726424#allposts

Imbalanced

This week I got scanned. My chiropractor scanned my feet. He tells me I'm imbalanced. I think I am because I have a lot of the symptoms. My wife thinks I'm imbalanced too, but this is a different story for a future blog :-).

I'm exited to get my new orthotics. I have all the symptoms of being imbalanced - knees, pelvis, shoulders and back. I have high hopes it will help me to get balanced and get my energy and ability to train harder.

Today we were doing 1,000 push-ups and sit-ups and I felt it was easier than the last time we've done it. It is still hard on my back but I'm alternating sit-ups with crunches, leg raises, etc.

This week I saw few signs of spring - motorcycles, geese, and pussy willows. It is great feeling to be out and feel the warmth of the sun (even when it is only 7 degrees). I know that the longer days and the warmer weather will also help motivating me to train Kung Fu and run more (with balance).

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/03/imbalanced.html

Forms, houses and space

I was working on my (self developed) cane form, trying to work out some minor inconsistencies and how that was affecting the related footwork, when I had a realization. I am modifying the form so that it fits in my exercise space, as I am overly concerned with hitting walls, glass things and assorted house plants, rather than what the form should flow like.  I then go to the Kwoon, and promptly adjust it to the space available there. Now, overall, this awareness of my surroundings, and an understanding of the variations I am making is a good thing. I have in my mind the ideal space, such as when I eventually do this in a cleared space in front of judges. My form is a Tee shaped form, about 10’ long and 10’ wide. I can modify it so that it fits in about 6’ by 8’, if required, but it feels cramped in that little space.  With this awareness, I am adjusting how I practice the form (am I moving this way for a logical reason other than not smashing the front window?) and practicing the form in segments that make sense in the allotted space. Next Friday night, this will aid me in that it is easier to find a 10’ by 3’ corridor, then a 10 by 10 square, and share that space with others.  If I am working in a defined area, transient Sifus, and other people with their weapons, will be able to predict where I will be and I will be able to predict when they will be in my space. Hopefully this will help others in how and where they practice as well

Also, I have completed and mailed in Part B of my master electrician prep course to NAIT. Now I will wait to see how I did, and figure out the mistakes, then off to write the government exams (Date TBD)

Dennis Donohue

Good/Bad Week

I've had a really great week career wise, pretty terrible week kung fu wise. My temporary commute eats up a lot of my spare time so I need to re think my schedule. I'm trying to "do" my old schedule, really need to come up with a different plan of action to get things done for this next month or so. I did manage to come up with a vegetarian meal plan for the next week and make a few meals ahead today for crazy nights. The kids and Adrien are on board for a month of no meat. We did this last year and this time around is not as intimidating, we've incorporated a lot of the new meatless meals we tried last time around into our weekly plan. The kids actually get excited to have teriyaki tofu- I never thought I'd see the day!

I am absolutely loving my practicum site! It's a huge practice with both large and small animal services. I know this sounds terrible but I really like blood and guts surgeries and procedures and in large animal there is a lot of both. Awesome. Just can't talk about my day at the dinner table! Last week I saw the smallest/ youngest animal I've seen under anesthetic. A 2 week old Karelian Bear dog was under to correct a birth defect, my first ever neonatal surgery, really neat. SCARS brings a lot of their rescues to the clinic as well, there were 6 in this week, makes me so glad that we are supporting them with our Pandamonium. Hopefully I will make it home in time this week to see you all on the mats.

Andrea Prince
andnowlikeyoumeanit.blogspot.ca

If you have nothing nice to say...

This past week I started with my first course.  Our oldest son wanted to come with me in order to be qualified for working during the summer.  When we got to the classroom, Brandon was definitely the youngest and I was definitely the only female.    As we went through the morning jumping around Alberta Pipeline Regulations, Brandon’s book seemed to be missing a page.  It turned out he had just moved too far onto the next section (easy to do with all the legal jargon).  As we were dismissed for a quick break, the guy in front of me turned around, looked me in the eyes and asked “Was it him (pointing to Brandon) who couldn’t find the page or the dumb blonde (as he pointed to me)”?   What bugged me the most wasn’t what was said, I considered the source, but rather that I didn’t know how to respond.  I felt disappointed in myself that I couldn’t even say something semi-intelligent back to defend or stand up for myself.  I really couldn`t believe someone had the nerve to say something with so little thought to someone they didn`t even know.

What makes a person believe they have a right to vocally spit out rude, inappropriate and possibly hurtful words?  Do they understand the possible harm their words may have on another?  Are they truly that self-absorbed and unaware or just plain mean and don`t care about others around them?  I’ve come to the conclusion that I couldn’t respond because I don’t have the same nastiness and disrespect for people that some do.  I was raised to respect others and am doing my best to raise my kids the same way.  Like the saying goes, treat others how you want to be treated.  Or the other, if you don't have anything nice to say keep your mouth shut!

100% on the exam, not too bad for a dumb blond!  I sure showed him!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Running out Time

Lately I am finding that I am running out of time. I have been setting my alarm clock earlier every couple of days and it is not making much of a difference. The earlier I get up the more that needs to be done. It may have to be that, I am taking care of my place and the farm (yes the farm has been there, but never have I ever had to take care of it until this year.)

I do feel that I am behind in my goals and that I am letting my team down. But I am unable to find away out.

Thanks  to push ups and sit ups to keep me engaged.

Thanks to the team and their support.

Where am I? What am I doing?

Pushing yourself

Hello everyone i had a really neat day today. Me and sihing Krebs went out to the tri in spruce grove and did some training. I think we trained on kung fu for 1 or 2 hours. Then we went into the pool to swim, sihing Krebs said he has to do 750 lengths of swimming in one year so i try and get him out to swimming when ever i can in support of his goal. When we first started the swimming he told me he was always panicked and ran out of breath after the first length. So after a little bit i figured out that the way he was swimming was with his arms. yeah i know that is how you swim. But what i told him is to swim with your lungs, because without air your arms are pretty useless, and he seemed to swim better after that. Also for me it gets me thinking about the six harmony's; everything moves as one. Anyways today since i find swimming easy sihing Krebs challenged me to go for 50 lengths to his 25, which he ended up doing 30. So i took on that challenge and it was awesome. Now these lengths are not done all at once we take a quick breathers and continue. So to pay back the challenge he offered me we suggested that when we do or 2 km run that he do 5 km, because running comes easy to him so he needed more of a challenge. Today we pushed each other i swam extra lengths and he jogged extra kms; today was a great day. Thank you sihing Krebs.



240 Lbs



Sihing Langner

What happened to the good neighbor?

Too much snow, too little drainage, too much City inaction, too little community involvement.  That has been the story for the last three days as a frozen city drain has caused some substantial flooding outside the homes in our crescent. 

While the kids are enjoying floating their water tubes on lake Edmonton, I have been working at pumping the water to another functional drain.  It has certainly been a time waster.  The biggest disappointment however, has been the community involvement.  At least 10 houses have been affected by the problem.  Over the past three days only one person has come to help out with the situation.  I think this really is a sign of the times.  There is a real attitude of ‘someone else will solve my problems’.  I am pretty certain if my neighbors were SRKF members the situation would be different.  More than ever I wish the world could follow our lead.

 Vincekrebs.blogspot.com

Plan or Procrastinate

Turns out the vague “plan” I had established for my personal challenges was full of procrastination. I thought I had lots of time till the end, and not a lot of time right now. Plus, I wanted to focus on the mandatory reps. But this week, I completely lost motivation for doing my form reps.

I realized the true value of a “good plan” is in the red-flagging of hiccups before one totally crashes.

So, I made a more detailed plan with a gazillion deadlines and I feel better.

Now, I just need to kick it with my forms again.

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com

Right Here, Right Now

It's the only place where I can be. I can't be in the future and the past is gone. I can learn from the past, but I can't (nor do I want to) relive the past.

My shoulder is doing very well and I constantly get surprised on the progress. One day I have difficulty doing something and the next the whatever is done with ease. There's been a few times when Sifu Gamble has caught me staring at my shoulder in disbelief. Having said that, I belief I have entered the "now I feel good, therefore I'm now prone to the stupidity injuries" phase. Because I have taken both Sifu Brinker's and Sifu M. Playter's advice very seriously, I am not pushing my shoulder. I am taking my time to heal it right the first time. I still will push my shoulder to go farther, but it's a gentle nudge and not a snap movement. I "listen" to what my shoulder has to say and when it gives a stab of pain, I pull back real quick. I must say that Tai Chi has been very beneficial for increasing mobility and stamina. Still can't get through a full class without taking a much needed shoulder break, but I do see great improvement.

Plenty of rest is something I give both myself and my shoulder. How can I expect healing to happen if I am dragging the rest of me around as well or running around like a hamster on a high speed treadmill? Constantly poking an agitated bear with a stick does not result in a happy bear. Both meditation and energy work are also part of my healing regime as well as a diet loaded with foods that fight inflammation. For a list of which foods fight inflammation, check out Upaya Naturals blog post by clicking here  For the flipside, a (non-conclusive) list of foods that cause inflammation can be found here

The bottom line is that I am doing everything I can to ensure that my shoulder heals properly and timely. I don't buy into the expectations of chronic pain/limitation and that I'll have whatever when I read the certain "doomed" age. To sum in all up, I am a firm believer of longevity and perfect health given that the body is supplied with the proper tools, rest, and mindset.

A package came in the mail for me, it was my new fan. I'm in love.
Sherri Donohue
My Blog

A milestone

Usually post on Sunday’s but since the past few days I’ve been deathly sick I figured tonight will do. Hate being sick but I can now recharge and pick up where I left off tomorrow morning. A bit of a milestone this past weekend with my boys turning one on Saturday – time flies fast. A lot can take place in a year, being part of this team with previous members can attest to that. What I personally have accomplished in the past year has been small in my mind but again I have to take perspective of where I’m at. I’ve accomplished things people would run screaming from – such is the life we live - a life of extraordinary made ordinary and routine. I’m proud of my personal goal of scanning all of my family photos editing, cropping, dating and labelling each one – 9820 to be precise. Two and a half years of work but these are memories we can now share with all family, forever protected and passed on. Yeah I’m a little mental when it comes to taking on challenges sometimes – my family still doesn’t comprehend what that took but it was important to me. Extraordinary made ordinary – set your goal and follow through. My boys are my greatest achievement and always will be – just have many more to create and challenge as we progress along this wild ride. Happy Birthday boys!

Sifu Bryant

My Blog

 

 

Filler!

Hey all! Thought I'd just post a clip from Jackie Chan's Drunken Master since I'm drawing a blank today. Enjoy it!

Jon Robinson
http://umpteenmonkeystyping.blogspot.ca

worms and sauerkraut

You guys are going to get REALLY tired of blogs on gardening and food, I warn you. I had some thoughts that were kinda cool so I felt like sharing them. last year (and even now) I did alot of research on diet, food, etc because of a pre-existing condition I have that I'd really like to have healed without the nasty cocktail of drugs the doctor would like me on. Still playing with that. This year, I'm studying gardens, soils,ecosystems...and its amazing how similiar the research is. Bottom line--just as in kungfu where we need a solid base, so also in both our bodies and our gardens we need a healthy base; for the ground its all about the soil, the life thats meant to thrive there--bugs, worms, bacteria, minerals, nutrients etc all that make up a healthy base for all other parts of an ecosystem. What a surprise--for our bodies its a healthy gut--with a healthy balance of bacteria, minerals, vitamens...sound familiar? I guess like the bible says, we are just dirt. (made from earth, return to earth...) So how do we make ourselves healthy? How do we make our world healthy again? Return to the base. The soil I'm still learning about, among other things. Composting, permaculture, water recycling. Our bodies? Back in balance. And yogurt isnt going to fix your bacteria,sorry. (Did you ever wonder about that? What does bacteria eat? Sugar. Waste products? CO2, among other things. So if your yogurt sweetened, as most are, or has fruit in it, and is sitting quietly on the shelf not fermenting is the bacteria actually live in it? Think about it.) Whats the best food for gut bacteria--and if you've ever been on antibiotics you should be taking care of this--?? Homemade sauerkraut or kimchi. Ok I'm NOT a fan of sauerkraut, but for the health of me--I may just have to learn. I'm learning about worm compost too, to improve my gardens soil to both improve the health of the land and my health from the better veggies I will get from it. Theres so much we can do on such a small level that will make big changes in the long run. What if we all started taking better care of ourselves and our little piece of lands we call our yards? Wouldnt that be cool if we could make a huge change just by changing our yards? Our eating habits?

Focus

Well, I was falling asleep when I realized I had not done my blog yet. I wish I had insightful revalations like some of the other blogs but I don't . Not yet at least. I do believe it will come as long as I continue to blog every week. Feel like I am wasting a lot of time during the days, which is most likely the cause of my numbers to be low and there is only one way to combat this and that is to focus a little harder each and every day.
  Scott Fuhr

Progress

It's been a busy Sunday, almost forgot to blog! The past week felt good, I was nice and sore for the majority of it. Feels nice to have that ache in my legs. I feel like I'm slowly but surely making progress with the sword. I still have a long way to go, I'm worried about having an actual form together in time since I'm not even comfortable with the basics yet. Brandi Beckett recommend a couple books to read and I have some videos to work off.

Bought a ton of groceries on Monday and I've been eating a lot of fruits and veggies this week. I'm trying to cook more often. Trying to keep and establish routines. I'm really bad at being consistent with a lot of things. Need to always be mindful so I can stay on track.

Sifu Jesse Wetter

http://liveforeverordieintheattempt.blogspot.ca/

5 Traits of a black belt

In my quest to define what is a black belt I stumbled upon an article that described 5 Traits of a black belt:

1. Be happy but never satisfied 

Set Renewing goals; focus on the path to obtain the goal, not on the goal itself. The person who learns to enjoy the path will always surpass the last goal on their way to the next 

2. Compare yourself, not with others, but with your own potential 

Comparing yourself to your potential helps you set realistic goals, while not expecting too much, or demanding too little from your efforts 

3. Keep emotions in balance 

“Lose control of your emotions and your opponent has an ally.” However, emotions can be your ally if they are channeled in constructive ways. They are the driving force in the accomplishment of all worthy tasks. 

4. Develop self-discipline 

A disciplined person is one who knows what to do and does it. 

5. Make the most out of every situation 

Instead of saying, “Why is this happening to me?” say, “What is good about this, and how can it benefit me?” With this attitude everything becomes a learning experience, and we are able to cope with the day-to-day challenges that life rewards us with.

Very powerful.

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/03/5-traits-of-black-belt.html

Reluctant of Change

This week Darcy was showing me some of the cool capabilities of his i phone; I was impressed.  Technology is amazing and is allowing us to do some incredible things.  Unfortunately it didn’t seem cool enough to make me want to trade in my good old Blackberry.  I’m finding out that with some things, I am even more of the mind, ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’, than what I originally thought.  I’m content with what is familiar, what’s safe and like knowing what to expect.  What I have discovered this week is that I am going to have to become more open and willing to change as life situations and circumstances are changing. 

This has been a crazy week for me.  This week we decided to and started another division of our company.  We have had our own company up and running now for 17 years, and like most everything, a person has to be willing to change with the times.  As the economy, technology and industry demands change, so must what a company has to offer.  I would be lying if I didn’t admit that there is a part of me filled with fear and uncertainty.   A lot of things are going to change.  I’m now signed up for some upcoming courses and, whether I like it or not, am going to have to become a lot more familiar and skilled with my computer.   With the threat of my family permanently hiding my blackberry, I may even have to break down and purchase an i phone! 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

 

 

Part A Complete

I have just finished writing Part A of my Master Electrician Exam, 3.5 hours worth. Later this week I will write Part B, another 3.5 hours. I was going to write something witty and with great depth and importance, but my brain is feeling like mush right now. I am enjoying reading everybody’s blogs, and Richard is coming up with some deep subjects (I had an insightful reply to his last post, but it is currently lost in the mental porridge of my brain at the moment). Anyways, I am off to plow the driveway, more next week. 

Dennis Donohue

First Time Refusal

Well I refused to do unsafe work for the first time in my seven years as a Plumber. For the last week or so we have been working hard at trying to get a large roof top gas line installed. the work consisted of building pieces on the ground and hauling them up on top of the roof via scissor lift. for those that don't know what a scissor lift is it is a platform that extends vertically by the use of hydraulic telescoping shafts. Anyways this was all good until wednesday came along with strong winds and blowing snow. The lift is only rated to be able to sustain 45km/h winds and if you remember wednesday the wind gusts were suppose be able to get up to 80km/h. So under that set of circumstances I refused to use the lift to transport the materals which really slowed down the work. I have never before refused unsafe work, I tend to have the do what it takes to get it done sort of attitude but this time was different. Nothing really negative came out of the refusal but you could tell that people are not use to getting a refusal of unsafe work.

Struggling...why?

When I joined the Snake team I felt that I would have a bit of an advantage this go around as I was part of the UUBT 8 team.  I knew what this was mostly about and I knew what my weaknesses were from last time around.  However I seem to be experiencing those same weaknesses all over again.

                

 The biggest question that I keep asking myself is “why”?  Why am I not where I want to be right now?  Why am I not doing a better job of tracking my daily numbers?  Why haven’t I even started some of my personal requirements?  Why?

                 

When I stop and reflect upon this question, the answer is that I have not dedicated myself to this process fully.  Mastery is something that I truly want but am I prepared to put in the time and effort to truly walk on this path?  The answer that I come up with is no.  I have not prepared myself mentally to walk on this path every day.  So the next obvious question is why have I not mentally prepared myself yet?  I have known for some time that I was going to be part of this team and its not like it was a spur of the moment decision.  I have prior experience as being part of the UBBT 8 team, so why? 

If I am going to be honest with myself and my teammates I would have to say that the reason for this is that I have not taken this opportunity with enough seriousness.  I have treated the process so far as something like “I will get to it when I get to it”.  I have been lazy and not dedicated to the process and the benefits that it will provide.  This attitude is something that I have known for a long time, it is a flaw of my character and I have never admitted it publicly before.  However, now I feel is the time to reach out and admit one of my most flawed characteristics of my character.  This will be the starting point of my improvement not only as a martial artist but also as a human being.  I want this year to be the year that I not only improve as martial artist but also as father, husband, friend.  I humbly ask my teammates to kick my but if you see that I am missing blog entries.  I agree with Master Brinker 100% that if you are not blogging, you are not doing your other requirements.

Ian Repay

Student Of Silent River Kung Fu

Stony Plain, Alberta               

Mlong Kuen

I have to admit something. It's been over a year since I've been a black belt and I still don't know Mlong Kuen. I'm embarrassed by this and it's even made me dread going to black belt class in case we go through it. I will learn most of it and then I wouldn't practice it and it would be gone. Now that I'm spending more time thinking about it I'm finding it so hard to retain the moves in my head, almost like the first time I learned a form. I hope that it was a case of there just wasn't enough room in my head at the present moment for more information! Publicly admitting this is also supposed to be a kick in the pants to learn it already!

Cane is coming along alright. So far I'm trying to learn the block/strike set and get comfortable with the cane. I'm struggling with coming up with my own original form, I'm hoping learning more about the cane as a weapon and some practical uses will help get the ideas going. 

I graduated yesterday! It's hard to believe it's over, just one exam this summer to become certified and that's it! I was awarded a scholarship from the Edmonton Association of Small Animal Veterinarians for academic performance and aptitude in practical labs. I know that I would have put the effort in no matter what so this is really free money, so I'm happy to donate this $500 to our Pandamonium fund. I'm really excited about the team effort going into it this year and that I will be able to be there this year. 

Andrea Prince

andnowlikeyoumeanit.blogspot.ca

Cop-Out Blog

OK I must admit that I am at the same point in blogging as some others on the Snake team. I just can’t think of something interesting to to blog about. Yes I am at a loss, sitting at my computer staring at a blank page and looking down at my keyboard wonder what I could possibly write about. As I think about what I have done this week, was anything interesting enough to write about and is it worthily to share with the world. And yes what ever you or I write in our blogs is out there for anyone to read not just the people at Silent River Kung Fu, but I mean everyone that has access to the internet can read what you or I have posted on or blogs. Pretty freaky if you think about it that way. Some one across the world could be reading or following my blog. And it make me think and want to but down in words something meaningful, something that might have a in-pack on the way they look at the world or themselves. I just have to keep reminding myself that not everything I write about will have an effect. Most times I do write for the hart, which I find most times a little more emotional then I am comfortable showing out in public.

I am not sure what this blog have to do with my continuing journey in the martial arts, but it is my cop-out blog.

Where am I? What am I doing?

sick

Hello everyone as you guessed by my title i am sick, or you already knew. Anyways last time i was sick i did the worst thing every i became completely disengaged with all off my UBBT requirements this time i am still doing them, but in less numbers, so instead of 200 push up and sit up i did just 50; it was all i could handle for the time being. so if anyone ever gets sick still try and do something, maybe 1 push up at least for that moment you were thinking about Your UBBT promise that we all made. Always keep engaged no matter how small it might be. Well I hope to feel better soon and be 100% back in action.


235 Lbs


Sihing Langner

Impact

I know this blog is a day late and I too have been hit with both life and blog-slog. I have a few thoughts bouncing around in my head so instead of trying to decide which to write on, I'll let them all speak.

 I have noticed that people treat their cars better than what they treat their bodies. They will treat a disposable thing with more care, compassion, and respect than what they treat the "one-of-them" to which there are no replacement parts for and get only one of in this lifetime. Care and attention is taken not to red-line the car, but expect the body to run at full red-line all the time and wonder why it breaks down. If it's a gas engine, avoid the yellow pump because that's fatal news for the engine, yet stuff the self full of toxins and preserved junk and wonder why the "knock and ping" as well as wondering why one can't perform at Olympic athlete performance. There may be a connection. What if the so-called aging symptoms are actually a result of dietary deficiency or of foods that cause/contribute to the inflammation? What if the vast majority of diseases, disorders, and whatnot are actually directly linked to the diet? Adjust the diet, and see what happens, but here is where a truckload of resistance and excuses kick in. Yet, a suggestion of a better fuel or a fuel additive for the car and one is right on that. I don't get it.  I am increasing  my smoothies (preferably green) and homemade juice into my diet. Need more raw plant food. Besides the other Donohue, anyone with me on this?

What impact do I want to have in this world? How do I want to make a difference? Can I be all I want to be, do all I want to do and be intact at the end of the day without the stress? I believe so. I believe that stress isn't a given, there is another way and I fill find that path. What does my heart/soul yearn for?

The one thing that the Dragon team did that I (as well as the others involved) really liked and appreciated was to take time at the end of our training session to bond and get to know each other beyond our weapons and fight choreography. We trained, we ironed out mistakes and then as a team, did pushups and situps, then sat around in a circle and talked. We talked, we laughed, we giggled, and we had fun. If we could have lit a campfire, I'm sure the marshmallows would have surfaced. The fudge did and so did a birthday party for Sihing Langner. There's no mistake as to why we came together so strong for New Year's. We knew each other beyond our weapons and gave each other support, encouragement, and fudge.

Fudge does make a difference.
Sherri Donohue
Hot Torch, Room Full of Glass and a Kung Fu Kwoon

Put down those Muncho chips

Persistent, compulsive dependence on a behaviour or substance.

This thought came to me as I watched a track hoe operator take a deep drag on a cigarette while standing over the fuel nozzle pumping diesel into his equipment. Hmmm, should I make haste over to captain obvious and let him know why this might not be a good idea, or let events unfold and tally 7 billion acts of kindness as I rid the world of another rubby?

Drugs, Alcohol, Cigarettes, Pringle chip crumbs sprinkled over ice cream.  Sometimes after 4 bowls I wish I was addicted to Cigarettes, at least that I might be able to quit.

Thinking on this there are many things that I do in a week that are habitual and by the looks of the line-up for their double double in Drayton Valley this morning, I am not the only one. This week I have recognized that many of my little addictions can be handled by a concept that I read in an Oilfield safety orientation.  The concept of STOP and THINK.  This is a process where the company encourages people to briefly stop actions, and reflect on the potential hazards of what they are doing.  Adjust their activity to make things as safe as possible.

This works for these little obnoxious habits during a week.  As I reach for a bottle of vitamin water as I have for the past 10 mornings I STOP and THINK.  Instead of mindlessly going about my habit, I think of the opportunity cost of this action.  Implications of the bottle and waste, the implications of a substance that isn’t the greatest for my body, and the lost opportunity of drinking a real glass of water.

This week I challenge the I Ho Chuan group to identify those nagging little habits you may have during a week (facebook, coffee, T.V.) STOP and THINK for a moment, consider what you are foregoing in that decision before you continue.

While watching a bear juggle a stick on You Tube is amusing, by taking that quick reflective moment, I just found that opportunity to finish my blog for this week.

Blog Slog

Well. Week 6 and I have hit blog slog.

I don't feel like writing anything. I have about 7 "draft" blogs started of things about which I want to blog. I have been saving them for just this occasion: blog slog. But none of them are sitting right with me. Arrrgggh.

Well, as the old saying goes: " If you don't have anything good to say, then...

don't.

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com/

2013.03.21 First tangent - Part 2

Language isn't just like magic, it is magic. Literature that mentions sorcery and such types of magic, which sound fantastic, moving things with your mind, everything in the harry potter series, has something in common. All the "magical" spells are based on words, spoken or not, in some type of language. Like sorcery, our words can used to move mountains, by a foreman convincing his men to shovel. Words can change another's perception of you, like shape shifting, and so on.

Superman, has superhuman strength, to do things that seem beyond the limits of normal humans. But with the right words, a leader can motivate a group of people to push beyond their own limitations and achieve greater things than they thought possible. Superman is but one person, a leader with the right words can help countless people achieve things they thought were impossible.

Just like magic, and anything in science fiction really, any power wielded can be used to create or destroy, heal or hurt, used for good or evil, and ultimately make the world better or worse. Our words are the same, as history is littered with people who have done things with their words that were great, and passed along ideas that save lives, make the world better; but then again, the opposite is also seen far more often than we'd like to admit.

I'm sure we can all remember at least one time, when we were feeling pretty low, and hopefully, at the time, someone had given you the right words that allowed you to overcome whatever negative situation it was. It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I believe, there are times when no amount of pictures can replace the right words.

To be continued...


PS This is getting really long, but I have my topic outline here and I'm sticking to it. It'll all come back around to the book eventually. I think there should likely only be one more part left to this but the cookie will always crumble of it's own accord.

http://amadmanspursuitofclarity.blogspot.ca/

Rush Fit

It’s been a very busy these last 3 weeks. One of my goals for the I Ho Chuan was to complete the Rush Fit training program 6 times this year. It is an 8 week program and it basically a workout. It takes one to two hour a day and the hardest part is trying to fit it in with everything else I have to do. I am sure we all struggle with time management and an hour or two a day may not seem like a lot, but somedays it can be tough. So how have I managed? There is no secret; I just get up at 6:00am instead of 7:00am now. The first few days were a bit rough, but now not having to worry about trying to fit it in after work is worth it. The San Shou class had 4 students this week (3 I Ho Chuan members) and 6 black belts (2 I Ho Chuan members). I would still like to encourage all I Ho Chuan members to attend this class as it will be the best way to get in your sparring rounds and the class is a lot of fun. Anyway, I will leave it at that. Kevin Lindstrom

Gears of my machine

First of all, I want to appologize to not only the team but give myself a slap for posting a couple days late. I am not going to go into it but it involves a word that starts with "w". Looking where I am at regarding my training is going to involve a number of changes. I have to open up the drive train and change out the gearing. Right now they are gummed up, rounded, and in some places chipped. Not to mention the oil is dark. As of late my diet completely sucks, metabolism requires a tune up and cleaner fuel. I basically live on coffee and sporadic food binges with absolutely no balance. No time off and burning out as a result. Numbers are low but consistent and I am following through on writing something down everyday, although vague, its happening. I plan on doing some major changes in the next few weeks. Ripping open the gears and changing them out to a whole new gear set. Mix up the ratios and get back to the top fuel state I was in a short time ago. I really want to grade this year and I really want to pass. Enough said on that. First, in order to stay engaged and demand performance, not to mention a good schooling, I am signing up for san shou. I feel after listening to ample amounts of advice and witnessing the benefits in others around me this will be highly beneficial to my soon to be advanced and demanding training regiment. Second major change which in all honesty, freaks me out a little. I am going to try get my diet on track and burn a different type of fuel I have never considered, ever. For the month of April I am going to try to be a vegetarian. This will do me some good to clean out the system and detoxify as I'm sure there are copious amount of toxins and probably a small I beam in there somewhere. My wifes on board which is good because she knows way more about this stuff than I do. I think if it wasn't for my partner joining me, it might be easy to say to heck with this, I'm not a rabbit, give me a steak. It also gives us an opportunity to try to reach a challenge together and thats always cool. Well thats all I have for this week. See you all on Friday.
Brian Chervenka

54

So I have achieved 54 years of living!  Still feel like I'm in my thirties with alot to learn and part of that is because of my martial arts/I Ho Chuan. Setting goals and constantly working to be more/better/evolved as a person, well that kind of thing keeps you looking forward ... not always reminiscing about the past and seeing  your life winding down.   My life is actually ramping up and thats a good feeling and although sometimes it seems there just isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done, I always have lots to look forward to and be challenged by.

Late Blog

I normally blog on Sunday, but this Sunday life interfered, and by the time I did my homework, plowed snow and gave worms and worm poop to our guests, it was past bedtime. I have made it to all my Kung Fu classes, but most of my extra time has been spent doing homework. The course that the homework is for (Master Electrician) is one of my personal I Ho Chuan goals, so I am working on my Kung Fu, just at a single facet of it, mostly due to the end of the month deadline.
Dennis Donohue

Edit: Although our guests came over specifically for worms and worm poop, the worms & poop  were for their own OMG course, which is a part of their I Ho Chuan goals. No worms were sacrificed for supper, although the proper way to prepare them was discussed. Wine and pizza was considered a much better choice for supper by all in attendance, and the worms made it safely to their new home. 

One Reason Mondays Aren't So Bad

Leaving on a jet plane soon, I'm hoping I'll have wifi down there so I can keep up on this blogging thing. Its become a morning habit of mine to check the I Ho Chuan blog site, see if there are any new posts. I love Mondays for this one reason- I don't normally check on Sundays, so come Monday morning I'm greeted with a whole new set of blog postings. I'm beginning to love reading what everyone has to write about. There is a huge diversity, and hey, I'm a curious person. I love reading about how school's going, gripes about the weather (I hear ya!), experiences in the various classes we all take, how a weapon form is progressing.

My progress is still steady, although it seems to me I'm continually getting sympathetic injuries. Sifu Regier hurts her foot, I twist my ankle. Ms. Donohue separates her shoulder, I wake up unable to lift one arm. Sifu Bryant dislocates a toe, I try to touch mine to my heel during class. Its a pretty shade of blue now. Sorry guys, I just can't seem to be unique. Mimicry is the best form of flattery, no?

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

http://umpteenmonkeystyping.blogspot.ca

No more snow

Well with this latest dump of snow coming the past few days I have to say I’m sick of winter. We really had a short fall and it’s now been a long winter. I am just itching to get outside to do anything right about now. This is the time of year that I really can’t wait for the snow to go away and get some sun and fresh air, I feel like it’s time to stop hibernating and get moving. On Friday we had a good open training class practising and trying out different things. During our butterfly kicks and such I decided to dislocate one of my little toes – what a putz. I had so much tape on my toes afterwards to stop the bleeding I looked like I had a cast on my toes. Now it’s just a few shades of blue and purple, my first marks for the new year – love it.

Sifu Bryant

My Blog

Back

I spent most of the past week out of town in Conklin area. It was a great experience for me to get out and work with some guys from a different department. I got to see some neat technical stuff and work with my hands for a change. I think the last time I wired anything was in school, which was a awhile ago. Working long days and having to be social with the people I was working with made for a week without a lot of numbers. Going to have to get my act together!

Sifu Jesse Wetter

http://liveforeverordieintheattempt.blogspot.ca/

Crazy week

Had a really crazy week. Both of my kids play hockey , I help coach both teams , and it is playoffs. Throughout the year coaching attendance for practices and games has been good therefore I have been able to miss some hockey and attend Kung Fu this last week and possibly the next week are the exception. Two coaches are out of town this week so I have to be there. Practice and game times this week are going to be set each day , it may be every night or there might not be anything until the weekend. The bitter sweet part is that it looks like this weekend will be the end of hockey for the year , win or lose , for both kids. The point of this post is that even though I may not physically be at class I am there in spirit. This is my balancing act.

Only 7 days in a week

In the last little while I've heard different people talking about which day they are considering as a rest day or which day they are considering to be the day we should all practice. I'm all about the routine. This is how I keep my self engaged. There are only 7 days in a week and each of these days has it's own constraints and difficulties.

I'm in search for the rest day...

"God had finished his work of creation and so he rested on the seventh day, blessing it and making it holy."

For my weekly routine and for my family activities, it is the best to set Friday as the rest day, however I have Sihings class and periodically the I Ho Chuan class.

Saturday is supposed to be the official rest day but with the Lil Leopards class, the fitness class and then open training I can hardly get any rest.

On Mondays and Wednesdays I spend the morning in the TLC running and after work I'm at the Kwoon with the Advanced Black Dragons. I'm also trying to participate in the Wednesday morning class.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have my Kung Fu morning classes and when I can I go to sparring class in the evening.

Sunday... what a great day to rest and enjoy time with family. Hmmm... we started going to the TLC to run as a family. I also find Sunday as a great catch-up day for what I've missed during the week.

I guess god had it all wrong. There should have been 8 days in the week.

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/03/only-7-days-in-week.html

Enjoy the Snow & Get a Workout!

Just when I think that I have been using every muscle in my body, I’m reminded of others that I’ve neglected.  This weekend our family took in a bit of downhill skiing.  We don’t get out a lot, usually only once a year.   We all usually have to take a few runs down the bunny hill first to get our ‘ski legs.’   I felt great last night, however, this morning I have to admit my legs were a little stiff and my knees ached.   Different activities use different muscles.  Between all the shoveling for the upper body and the skiing for the bottom part, it felt like a pretty good workout for the weekend (added to some reps of my sword and other forms and of course, sit ups and push ups).   A person has to do something fun to try to enjoy all this snow!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca