Lessons from My Students

I feel like I have an advantage over most, simply because of the age I was when I joined. For example, last night in class we covered the front thrust kick. That's it. The front thrust kick, taking an entire night to dedicate to the first kick any of us ever learned. To me, the concept was simple- the ankle is fully extended, making a straight line from your knee to the base of your toes, aligning the skeleton. No, pull your toes back. Okay, but don't bend your ankle. But now your toes are pointed again. I didn't understand why my students were struggling until one gentleman mentioned he had never in his life thought to position his foot in such a way. Click.

I get what Sifu Brinker means when he says see a hole, fill it. If something needs to get done, do something to ensure it does. Leadership, both in the spotlight and behind the curtain is essential when striving for mastery. I get frustrated and don't understand why others can't see the gaping hole. But I figured it out- I've been taught since a very young age to recognize this type of thing and to fix it, be it in my stance or at class or in my life. The credit for this is not mine- I'm just the lucky duck in the middle. Recognition and credit goes to my instructors for getting these lessons through my thick, stubborn skull. Do something, fill the gap, even if you're unsure as to how. I know I've stumbled my way through many a problem. I know that I'm stumbling even now.

This is my vision for the I Ho Chuan team- a group of already exceptional people with strong leadership skills, the ability to motivate a community and a driving passion that can accomplish anything. This is where I want us to go. And you know what? It doesn't matter where you are in your training, where you are in the province or country, what your day job is- these are qualities that come from within. These are internal, personal qualities, independent from your schedule or any external factors. The physical goals outlined in the I Ho Chuan curriculum are external tools, in place to be used as stepping stones towards the development of these internal qualities.

I love to see leaders pop up from out of nowhere. When Ms. Gibbons took on the demo, that was one of the coolest moments in my I Ho Chuan/UBBT years. At the end of the year, wouldn't it be awesome to see everyone find their niche and run with it? We could have a dragon expert in our midst, maybe an extreme lion dancer, maybe the ultimate weapons expert. If you see a hole, fill it. Maybe you'll find your calling.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/