wow, Wow and WOW

It's been a week of observation that raises the bar on a lot of things. The first "wow" was being a part of the World Triathlon Finals Motorcycle support crew and not really realizing the magnitude of what the event stood for and what I had become involved in. Being on the actual racetrack, marshalling the judges, keeping the track safe and supervised was a larger event that I had expected, but having such a hands on first time learning experience as this, all I could say was, "wow"! Continuing on with the Triathlon; doing the pre ride with the "Para" athletes, people who have lost the use of certain functions of their lower limbs and bodies. Seeing people propel themselves competitively in specialized wheelchairs, paracycles, hand cycles, visually impaired tandem cyclists was inspiring beyond words. As we passed through traffic inspecting the course, people observing those who had overcome unimaginable obstacles were welling up with tears, looking into their vehicles, I could see they were saying "Wow" as well! The third WOW came unexpectedly on a simple hiking trail......We were walking along doing the tourist thing and an older couple was taking pictures of each other at a popular viewpoint, we asked if they wanted a couple picture taken and they were ok with it. But what rattled me or should I say made me take a look at my "man card" was when we took the picture, he looked at his wife, not the camera, it was the most purely romantic, honest look I have ever seen from one person to another, WOW! All things combined, these three things made me look at doing the best I can with something new, looking at what and where my inspiration is as I overcome obstacles and will I become as great as some of the men that are put in my path? It's been a good week.

Reno’s

Once again we completed another Reno week at the Kwoon.

I hope that all that came out and were involved in it either became connected or reconnected with the Kwoon. Thanks to everyone that came out to help, it could not have been done without everyone help. Thanks everyone.

Where am I? What am I doing?

Change

I feel like I have learned something about myself. In order to get the best out of myself, I need to have something to look forward to. Before I went on holidays I was working toward looking and feeling my best; I wanted to “peak” right before I went away.  My diet was good, my training was good, and my engagement was high. I experienced a couple of new things during that time.

First, I turned away chocolate. There was a day that I went to the store with the intention of buying a nice big slurpee and a big bag of chocolate (this was on a day off from my diet). Instead, I bought a small slurpee and a single chocolate bar. When I got home I found that I couldn’t even finish the slurpee or the chocolate bar. I was satisfied with the small amount that I had consumed. This was a first for me. I am normally like an animal when it comes to chocolate. I lack the ability to know when enough is enough. I have eaten whole bags of cookies in one sitting and I have had chocolate bars for dinner on more than once occasion. Hopefully this illustrates what a breakthrough this was for me.

Second, I maintained my discipline right up until the day I left. In the past I have always started strong but then limped across the finish line. I attribute this to a lack of discipline and not creating a sustainable training program. Sifu Brinker has talked about black belt candidates giving up everything in the six months prior to grading in order to get where they need to be, which is not sustainable. This was always my approach, and it never worked. I now feel like I have the tools to ensure that I will never limp across the finish line again. The trick will be to get better and better at using those tools.

With all this being said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that, despite all the effort I put in before holidays, things have been lacking for me since I got back. I haven’t been as engaged and I haven’t put in as much time training. This is something that I will have to work on going forward but I already feel like I’m back in a better frame of mind and the nausea and dizziness that was bothering me is gone now (I think that I had water in my ear and then I flew home). It’s exciting for me to see some significant changes in myself and I hope that there is much more to come.

Cory Smid

http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/

Unknowing

Call it an experiment, a need to know action, or just plain laziness. Either way the results are the same. About two weeks ago I ran out of a prescription medicine, an anti-inflammatory that I have been taking for years because of the arthritis in my hips, and have not been to the doctor yet to have the prescription refilled. It sure did not take long before the drugs residual effects to leave my body and the constant ache and the stabbing pains to return.  I expected this to happen and it was not a surprise in the least, but what was a surprise were the new aches that have showed up in various other joints in my body. I now have aches in both my shoulders and my elbows, unknown is the cause of the aches but it defiantly has to do with inflammation. I wonder how long this has been going on as it has been masked by the anti-inflammatory medication that I have been taking. This brings up another question as to whether or not a person should continue to take an anti-inflammatory medication and run the risk of potentially doing long term damage to another part of a person’s body due to an injury that goes unnoticed, or to continue on merrily in unknowing bliss.


Where am I? What am I doing?

Epic Training Session

  Today was one of the better training sessions I have had in a really long time. I got some form reps in some push ups,sit ups and had a really rare moment of Chi control. The type of moment that happens once or twice every five or so years for me. It was at the end of open training and I was about to do another form rep of my stick form when it happened. I could feel the chi flowing naturally in through my left hand and out of my right hand. I stood there in awe for a moment trying to understand what was happening when I finally realized what my body was doing. I dropped my staff and went to the mirror and attempted to manifest my chi on the mirror. A technique I have only been able to do a hand full of times in my entire career. What should happen with this technique is that you draw the chi in with one hand and expell it with the other hand against the mirror. What should happen is that it begins to fog up the mirror not where your hand is but above your hand. As you increase the chi flow the fog climbs higher and higher on the mirror. However it is not a constant climb, As you breath in and suck the chi the fog will retreat from the mirror as you exhale and concentrate the chi flow out of your hand it will climb. I worked on it for a few moments and when it started to happen I realized that this was going to be one of those rare moments. I decided to stop and rushed into the office to get the video camera but to no avail. I could not find it. I looked for a bit but I could feel the moment slipping and the control slipping away. I pumped out some push ups and sit ups to get everything flowing again and re attempted the technique. I was able to continue the practice for a bit until I was mentally fatigued and stopped. The proof of it being chi and not just radiant heat from the body in my opinion is the fact that it is controlled with breathing. When it is working really well you don't even need the breathing to control it.
   This was not the best time I have experienced this. The best time I was able to get it to climb to a hight of about two feet on the mirror and when I was done I left a hand print on the mirror. Not due to touching the mirror because in the technique you don't really touch the mirror you hold your had about an inch away from it as you attempt to push the chi into it. Im not really sure why it left a hand print or how that works but that time it did. The other times the most I get is a print where my  finger tips are and maybe some finger, thats what happened this time but the fog this time was only about six inches high. However Ill take it because I can only get the technique to actually work on rare occasions when the chi sensitivity and control seem to be naturally working.
     Its too bad there was no one at open training at the time to share the experience with, I have only been able to show one person so far and that was Tiffany. Thats how it goes tho, the people that show up are the same people that actually benefit from the experience. I would have loved to be able to share this experience with someone but hopefully next time I will get the opportunity.

http://michaelplayter.blogspot.ca

Post Vacation Update

The last time I went on vacation I ended up in a funk that lasted a couple of months. I was determined not to let that happen again. I had a plan to do some reps while I was away and I had a lot of momentum when I left too, so I was pretty confident. 

My vacation itself was amazing. My friends have a cottage near Parry Sound, ON and it's a great place. It's right on the water and they have a sauna building right off the dock so you can soak in the sauna and then jump right in the lake. The weather wasn't great but the nights were clear so I was able to look up at the stars and I felt very connected to the earth while I was there. 

On the flight home I started to feel sick - light-headed and kind of nauseous. I didn't feel any better yesterday; I did some reps but situps made me dizzy. I took some Gravol to control the nausea and it knocked me out for the night. I didn't get anything else done. Today I feel better but situps and any kind of movement still makes me dizzy. I'm hoping to feel better soon as I'm chomping at the bit to keep going but I can feel my motivation slipping a bit from time to time. Coming to class tonight should help, although I'm not sure yet if I will participate. Either way, I still feel like I'm in a good frame of mind and that's the most important part. 

Cory Smid
http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/

Different Aspects and Concepts

Lately I have working on different aspects and concepts in my Kung Fu and am feeling that I have been making some progress. Unfortunately I am unable to put into words to describe what I have been doing. All I can say is at this point I feel like I am a beginner again, fumbling around with a technique until I can perform it relatively well. But I wish it was that easy too just physically practice it over and over until your body can perform it reliably. I am as excited as a kid in a candy store holding a whole dollar bill back in the ‘70s, to be learning these different aspects and concepts, boy my mind sure hurts, I wish my stomach hurt instead. 

Where am I? What am I doing?

Just coming up blank right now

I'm looking for something inspiring to blog about, but I'm coming up blank for the day and have been for the week. I'm getting all my work related jobs finished before Tuesday and my boss is trying to cram in everything he can, as if I'm "employee of the month" and have no other plans, but come Tuesday, I'm gone! I'm taking my ten weeks of holidays. I'm gone, I'm taking the time, I'm jumping on the bike, taking in a 4 day motorcycle travellers meeting in Nakusp B.C.; I've signed up for volunteer positions while I'm there, because there's something about giving back that inspires me; then once I'm back I'm volunteering by marshalling dignitaries on my motorcycle in a triathlon, then it'll be nothing but eat and train. This might not seem like a lot of excitement for having this amount of time off, but this is for me. I already see myself in the mountains doing my forms, requirements, studying my curriculum.  I have the pedal bike ready for when I'm back, to go from home, to the kwoon and the gym and nothing else. I think I'm going to enjoy this. Robert.

Training focus change

Well after completing the push up, sit up challenge I have decided to re-focuse on my kicking. My main goal was to work up towards the Bruce Lee side kick board break. The training method I decided to use was to get 50 000 side kicks in over a year and to try the kick off and on as the year went on. At this point I'm only at about 5600 kicks. The knee injury took my ability to kick away almost right off the bat in the I Ho Chuan year. I am basically starting at scratch so I think this is a good focus change for me. I will still be doing push ups and sit ups but I will be limiting the number to two hundred a day of each.

http://michaelplayter.blogspot.ca/2014/08/training-focus-change.html

focus

Staying focused in my kung fu is a lot harder than i expected. being mindful has helped however I now have to pair it with a focused goal. When I commit to things I have to have more follow through. My studies are doing well but my practice for kung fu has really taken a turn for the worse. So Here's to staying in the moment and  on track. Where am i? What am i doing?  I will get better at this. words only go so far. My actions are going to have to reflect my commitment. I know all of us are struggling with this but we can do this. Failure happens only if we stop doing.
I had to clean out the fridge last night we pulled it out and did the floor as well. I got some laundry done and a load of dishes as well.
Had hamburger helper with veggies for lunch and supper.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Chatting

I'm still not really comfortable with the changes that I have made to my form but I can see that it will improve and be amazing when I have more reps in. I am at that 'is it ever going to change?' point and can't wait to get past it.
I have not been getting in as many miles as I would like or thought that I would during my time off. I have been creating moments like parking far away from my destination but I know that what I really need is some time on the trails. It is not easy when it is too hot for the dogs, I really count on them to get me out the door.
Acts of Kindness are a work in progress, some days opportunities seem to come out of the wood work and other days I feel like I have to go searching for ways to be kind. I am feeding my friend's cats while they are away which I count daily as an act of kindness. Yesterday, I wanted to count it times ten as one of the cats seemed to have disappeared when I went to feed them. Many crazy thoughts went through my head as I contemplated how he could have gotten out, where he could be hiding, it was fifteen minutes of panic and anxiety. And then I found him, sitting on a chair tucked in under the table, he seemed to look at me like he didn't really care how worried I was. Some days acts of kindness are not so easy.

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2014/08/chatting.html

Win Win

Today I went outside my comfort zone and did something that I convinced myself that I would fail at. I was anxious and unsure of myself but I had decided to do something and I was going to do it. I did not fail, I was not sure until the very end how it would end so it was a bit of a stressful day. Before kung fu, I would have created an excuse to not go, I would have set up excuses to fail that were not my fault or I would have found a reason to leave so that I could escape the uncomfortable feeling. Now, I accepted that I was feeling uncomfortable and why, not only did I not want to fail, I didn't want anyone to know that I failed. Once I accepted that, I settled down, got to work, paid attention and was successful. Now I'm really tired and glad the day is over and kind of proud of myself for sticking to it.

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2014/08/win-win.html

HUGS!

Highlight of the day.....
A little girl who recently joined kung fu in the lil leopards class, ran up to me after class and gave me the most heart-felt hug. That is what this is all about!

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2014/08/hugs.html

Work

This was a frustrating week for me at work. More problems than I can count.  I found myself reverting to my old patterns of behaviour. I was lashing out at people.  What I did find is I quickly recognized this behaviour and took time to centre myself.

No matter what happens in the day how good or bad it is my decision how I react.  I am the only person that can determine if it is a good day or bad day.

http://jimsand11.blogspot.ca

Mr Sand

Reno's

Our Annual Kwoon Reno Week is fast approaching. Taking part in the reno’s each year is not just an opportunity to make our Kwoon beautiful, but it is an opportunity to be part of something larger then just the cosmetics of what the Kwoon is. This is the time to become part of, or reconnect with what the Kwoon is. The Kwoon too some people is a living entity, a special place. To me it is the one place I can find peace in my life, my sanctuary. When I enter the Kwoon I feel an overall calming effect wash over me, a sense of belonging. (That may have been a little to deep but I am not going to deleted it, as it adds context to what I am trying to portray.) A lot of people in the past have put in their own blood, sweat and tears (literally) into the Kwoon. Those of you that have, know what I am talk about, those of you that have not, I challenge you to do it and see if it does not make a change in your outlook towards your training. If you do you will have a greater sense of belonging to a larger family, which is what most end up feeling. 

Where am I? What am I doing?

More learning

I am feeling slightly less over whelmed while in the lion's head. At first, there are so many things to think of, it feels nearly impossible. Of course, that does not get in my way. I am slowly getting more comfortable with the moves and the head (having a great lion and a great partner also helps!) and today I think that I may have actually been able to follow direction. It is a very different but completely cool to be in the lion head. I usually use the mirror to see if I am doing something right or wrong and in the lion, you have to totally rely on how it feels. This is something that I use to fix a trouble spot in my forms so....I think that you have some chance of success when you can mix how you feel with looking amazing and telling a story.

Sifu Robyn Kichko
 http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2014/08/more-learning.html

Super-nothingness

I am not superwoman. I am not supermom. I am not super anything. I, like everyone else, am just trying to stay afloat. Any facade of superness that you may see, is just that - a facade. I like to shine it up and make it sparkle so that it will appear super giving me a nice cover to hide behind. But still, it is just a facade. I am real. Just like everyone else. I struggle. I feel pain. I lose hope. I rebound. I am real. And in all this, I am amazing. Amazing having nothing to do with being super and everything to do with being me. Yes, I am not super-anything. But I am amazing. Just Like You!

So, removing any facade that I am super-anything. I guess I can admit that I have been struggling with feeling disconnected from Kung Fu. I tend to get bored easily. I want more. After 634 reps of my fan form, I don't feel anywhere close to mastering the form but I do feel bored out of my rocker. I need more. So after going through a whole array of unhealthy thoughts, I decided to learn another fan form. Just an attempt to keep me from going insane. It is a taichi form (which I love) so it is really slow and I am back to feeling awkward and uncoordinated. But since this is my natural state, it is also somewhat comforting. Feels good to be learning something new again. Hoping this will light a fire under my training and move me towards the next level in my kung fu training.

Yup. I'm amazing. And if you want to consider it super. Go for it, 'cause the facade is up again.

;-)

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com/

Google Plus

So I did as requested and set up my google plus profile and started using the new system.  Seemed pretty straightforward and then I started getting invitations to add people to my circle.  Huh?  What circle? Where is it?  How do you get into this circle thing?  How do you add people?  Why do you need to add people? So finally I think I have it figured out.  Created a Kungfu circle, everyone who asked me to add them to my circle are now added.  Its all looking good from this end I am seeing posts and comments, not sure if its working from the other end. Hope so!  If I am incorrect in my belief that I have successfully added you to my circle please let me know.

Dean & I will be leaving for China on August 26th, going to visit my brother in Dalian for a few days and then meeting the girls in Bangkok on Sept 2nd, will be back in Edmonton on Sept 20th with my girls.  I am taking my Ipad and hope to keep in touch that way.   Going to the tiger temple, spending a day with the elephants, We will all be tanned and de-stressed when we get back.  Can hardly wait

Injuries

My left shoulder has been bothering me more and more lately so I went to the doctor this week to have it checked out. After doing some strength and mobility tests, the doctor concluded that I most likely have a tear in my left rotator cuff to go along with the two tears I have in my right shoulder. I need to have another MRI to confirm this but I am hopeful that this tear isn't as bad as my other ones and I may be able to get by with physiotherapy for my left shoulder.

After leaving the doctor's office, I started thinking about the cause of my injuries. My right shoulder injury was caused (or exacerbated by) a fall on the ice, but I think weight training for many years with incorrect form is the underlying culprit.

When you're not lifting correctly, you put undue strain on other muscle groups that are forced to compensate and you put extra stress on tendons and ligaments. This made me think of the parallel in my kung fu training. I have the benefit of having my technique corrected by instructors and I can see the benefit of learning the proper form at the beginning so that I have a strong base for my technique. As a beginner and as someone that experiences frustration from learning slowly, this is a good lesson for me to keep in the back of my mind. If I had taken a patient and more systematic approach to my weight training, I likely wouldn't have developed the bad habits that I did, and I might not have two injured shoulders to show for it.

I'm not happy about having two bad shoulders but eventually I'll get them fixed, and if I can take something positive from the experience, then I guess it's not entirely bad.   

Cory Smid

http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/

Reality Check

This is not a blog where I will choose to use the words I have to help you on the path to mastery but redirect you to the true way. When you have reached a new levle it is very easy to get caught up in your own ego. This leads you to questioning your basic concepts. More often then not it is important to remember the path of those who have travelled before you. Receive wisdom from their trials and tribulations and to do battle with your own ego. I would like to invite you to read Sifu Brinkers latest blog and realize that in most of our cases we are about twenty years behind his ability to comprehend what it means to be walking the path of mastery. Good luck on your path to liberation.

http://michaelplayter.blogspot.ca/2014/08/reality-check.html

Not physical goals

My fund raising/knitting project is finally looking like it may succeed. I have a pile of finished orders to deliver and a few more to make. I have callouses from knitting ( I never thought that would happen!) and I have used this project to spend quality time with my family. There is nothing like a great big knotted ball that takes more than one person and long stretches of time to undo to create the perfect time for chit chat. I also rewind my balls of yarn so that is another great way to get the hands busy and the mouth wandering. I also knit while we watch movies, so with more knitting to get done, more movies get watched together.
I wanted to make a goal this year to spend more time with my family and I wasn't really sure how to do it. I decided that I would stay aware of how my absence and presences affects the daily life of my family and act accordingly. I am more aware of what they need and what I need in order for us to live happily together, it is a fine balance and I am getting better at it each day.

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2014/08/not-physical-goals.html

keep on track

Still finding it hard to keep on track. This has certainly been a challenge for me. I am finding myself thinking about my kung fu far more often than if I wasn't on the team. Even if my numbers are lacking I'm appreciating the value of our team. I am compelled to write because I like seeing everyone on friday and we share about what was written last time. I try to read as many as I can to stay current. This is a very hard challenge to undertake however the rewards are staggering to my personal well being.I can only say I will try harder to keep up with my efforts.
Had pork roast mashed potatoes and corn with gravy for supper and lunch then had a plum and some cherries and a nectarine for snacks.
Did a lod of laundry got some dishes done put away laundry as well.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Learning

Learning to play the guitar is much like learning a new form. This is not the first time that I have had this thought but I was reminded again today while at my lesson. I was working on a particular transition and having a bit of difficulty getting it and I thought, I need to go home and practice this repeatedly and it will become easier. I know this because there comes a point with every form that I practice when I know that the only thing that is going to make a difference is time in. This happens especially after learning a new move or correcting a move that I have been doing for a while.
A few years back, after I had learned all the moves in Kempo, it didn't feel right and I didn't know why. I spoke to Sifu Brinker about it and he suggested that I break it down, do a bunch of reps and see if I could figure it out. Well, at first I didn't notice anything and kept going back to him and he challenged me to look at different ways that I was moving and try different things. I continued to repeat the form until I was familiar with it at a level that I didn't think was possible, it felt like I owned the form and I knew how to move in it. I began to figure things out on my own  and discovered that I was adding movements that didn't need to be there and skipping ones that did. I learned to figure out how it felt to move correctly and how it felt when I wasn't. That was a turning point for my martial arts training, once I now how something feels, I am well on my way to figuring it out.
I am hoping with a lot of repetition I will be able to figure out this chord transition too!

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/

I DID IT!!

I DID IT!!!
It seemed like a good idea at the time: one of my I ho Chuan goals was to run in the "Canadian Death Race". 
The 2nd of August came before I knew it as with all that is seemingly on my plate I found very little time to train.
I ran 2 km. in May, then,
I ran 2 km around the Kwoon in June, then,
I ran 2 km last weekend at our Kung Fu "Boot Camp", then,
I did 38 km the Saturday night up and over Mt. Hamel in "The Hamel Assault".
As of Sunday and Monday there wasn't a muscle, tendon, joint or connecting part in my legs (and attachments) that isn't hurting, swollen, rubbed raw, bruised in some way, but I did it. I did it for all the people who believed in me, I did it for my team mates, I did it for our team Captain who's dreams to cross the finish line were larger than mine, somehow I did it; my goal was to finish, not to beat any record time or place; I ran forwards, when it hurt to much to do that, I ran backwards, sideways, power walked, did the "Fox Trot" (made famous by Terry Fox), but I did not stop or give up! The mountain was nothing, the real obstacle was in my head, telling me I couldn't do it. I'll be back. Words can't describe what an incredible group of people I spent the weekend with. I have to wonder though, running 6 km over three months and hurting the way I do, I'm hoping I didn't over train.

Mumble Jumble and everything in between

This is a tough blog to write.  When I joined SRKF I joined because I wanted to get into shape and to become a black belt in kung fu.  When I think back what I thought a black belt was or what it represented is very interesting.  I can honestly tell you that I thought a black belt meant that you could fight and that you had "arrived".  There was ego in my mind when I think back to that time, "look at me, I'm a black belt thus I'm better than you".  Wow has a lot changed in the past four years.

I no longer think that earning a black belt means you have "arrived" rather it means you have reached a starting point.  A starting point for the rest of your life. 

This brings me to where I'm now.  I'm not sure where I am to be completely honest.  I have almost lost faith in what I am trying to achieve.  What I mean by this is that I'm no longer motivated by achieving my kung fu black belt.  I'm no longer wanting to work as I have in the past years to get to that point.  Why is this?  I don't really know and I can't put my finger on it.  However I do think that I haven't fully recovered from my failure last year.  I know that I haven't come to terms with where I am physically and where I was before I left to SC.  They may seem trivial to some but I know how difficult it was to get to that point and what I have to go through again just to get back there.  I know that I have not mentally prepared myself to want to go through that again. 

When I joined SRKF I was looking for a lifestyle, a way to live my life through my martial arts and my kung fu.  For the past four years I have loved this part of the martial arts.  Why now am I feeling like this lifestyle is no longer serving me?  Why am I looking at my kung fu in this way?

So what to do, where do I go from here?  Do I throw away four years of my life and quit?  I attended another school recently just to see what it would be like.  I will share with you that in some ways I liked it better.  In other ways not as much.  I have decided to continue with my kung fu and to see my journey continue.  For how long?  I'm not sure but one thing I am sure of is that I made a commitment to the I Ho Chuan Team.  There is no quitting the team and I refuse to break that commitment.  If there is only one thing that I can say that I achieved this year then I can at least say that I didn't quit.

I want to ask something of my team, if you don't hear from me or see me please reach out to me.  I will do the same for you.  It means a lot to know that the team still wants you as a team mate.


Ian Repay
Student Of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada
ianrepay@blogspot.com

Acts of Kindness

I'm having a hard time continually being kind to others. The last couple of months has helped me to be a bit more aware of opportunities to be kind but at times I feel like I'm getting tired of it. In the same way that eating very well for a long period of time makes me really crave junk food, now I find myself pushing back against the idea of being kind. I know that makes me sound like a terrible person, but that's honestly how I feel. Maybe I am a terrible person that just does good things occasionally.

I probably shouldn't admit this but when I prevent another driver from getting into my lane, it makes me feel good. I've often said that traffic shows the worst part of humanity and Alberta drivers are particularly bad and I think that maybe I feed off of that negativity. I do feel like I've made strides to improve recently. It's been a while since I lost my temper but I can feel things starting to regress a bit. I've been using more hand gestures toward the other drivers and I'm having a hard time feeling calm behind the wheel. This has, in turn, affected my attitude even after I get out of my vehicle.

I'm thinking about creating a log book of sorts that will track where I'm headed and when I'm driving so that maybe I can identify a pattern and possibly mitigate the circumstances that cause me to get upset. I know that this is only part of the equation and that self-control is the other part. In the meantime I guess I will continue to try to be part of the solution, instead of the problem.

Cory Smid

http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/

Leadership is....

Leadership is getting people to do what you are doing 'cause it looks cool, the results are amazing, you make it look easy, and many many more reasons. As a leader your job is to inspire others to be like you - whether it is doing push ups to get in shape or taking on a project in the community - they are following because you inspired them.
The I Ho Chuan program is all about leadership, demonstrating good leadership skills, getting others involved in what you are doing, and getting others to want to do what you are doing. That is our job! We need to work hard, train out loud, and document our journey so that others may follow. It doesn't mean that we have to lead every project and have all the great ideas, we just need to be there to encourage and cheer for everyone who wants to step up.
Leadership is.....inspiration!

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/

Integrity

The art of kung fu, the art that we are learning, is over two thousand years old. Its been through every challenge and test through time, who are we to think we know better?

I've been asked many times why I haven't branched out, why I'm still at Silent River. It's because of the integrity of the school and its leaders. I've been asked to grade and award the rank of black for students who did not want to go through the process under Sifu Brinker. I refused and will continue to refuse because I believe the line would then be broken and the rank I would award would be meaningless to the individual who received it. Not because I think I'm a poor black belt, but because I have respect for the process I went through an understand its reason. To skip the process would render it worthless.

It is a tough process. But so is university, so is building a career. In each of these the process is what it's about, learning skills and the ability to apply knowledge. I see kung fu as the same. The time it takes to train, learn a form, paint a bridge. It all works to increase our abilities and our knowledge. It works to train our bodies how to move and our minds how to open. To lose the process would mean losing the skills. It would be receiving a degree without attending the courses. What good is that really, other than to have a shiny piece of paper to hang on the wall? We are all willing to invest time to ensure a steady flow of cash. It seems that to many it's harder to invest in our own well being, for reasons I can't fathom.

The integrity of this school we are all apart of is what keeps it strong and thriving and is what allows us as students to thrive as well. If you're drifting, don't let yourself continue to fall away. Come back to this place, it will always be welcoming and doesn't judge. That is one of the reasons I love this place so much, because Lord knows I've been adrift too.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

Lost a Great Friend

Last Monday July 28th my friend Jackie passed away (Sifu Rybak not the Jackie that works for me)!   She was younger than me and has been battling cancer for the last few months.  I met her 6 years ago at the dance studio and her and I just clicked.   Like two puzzle pieces everything lined up.  I loved her totally wicked ability to see the ridiculous in human behaviour and still love us all and give to her family, friends and the community.   She was not judgemental yet would with deadly precision anihalate excuses making you aware of how stupid you just sounded and then laugh with you, not at you.  We always sat together at dance events, did barbeques on the weekends, ignored stupid rules, and talked, and talked.  I will miss her so much!  The memorial service was yesterday, I cried there and all the way home, broke my diet and ate an entire large bag of chips with dip but nothing is really making me feel better.  Gotta go, crying again

Red's journey

Some days, I am not really sure whose journey this is. Today is one of those days! Red (1year old boxer puppy, in case you forgot!!!) got me up nice and early so that he could have a nice breakfast and of course, go for a pee. I may benefit from the early call by getting more things done during the day but that is not the focus of this blog. Red helped me get more steps than usual in my being indecisive about whether or not he wanted outside, wanted to stay outside or wanted me to stay with him outside. Red helped me with the barbequing, we may or may not have learned that the bbq is hot, and I got to practice my ninja skills when he tried to help me carry the plate of chicken with his mouth. (For the record, I did not drop the plate or the chicken, maybe a little chicken juice dribbled!) He loves the cane and seems to think that he should have it because carrying it around is fun. (he encourages me to move faster). Red also helped with my crane stance this evening, his foot chewing distracted me from looking at the timer too much. And last but not least, he helped me relax by flopping beside me and dropping his head on my mid section, it is difficult to do anything but chill out when the 80 lb baby needs a snuggle.
ps he helps with other things like painting my toe nails which is less kung fu related except when you are color matching with your lion :)

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/

Hard is Hard. Period.

Listened to a really good TED talk today by Ash Beckham and heard one of the best quotes ever:

Here’s the thing: Hard is not relative. Hard is hard. There is no ‘harder.’ There is just ‘hard.’ We need to stop ranking our hard against everyone else’s hard to make us feel better about ourselves and just commiserate on the fact that we all have hardship.

So true. People need to stop comparing themselves to others. No experience can ever be compared because experiences and people are just like snowflakes - everyone is unique, but in the end each unique snowflake is just frozen ice crystals. H20. Exactly the same.

Everyone experiences things in their own way. No need to compare. Hard is hard. Sad is sad. Happy is happy. You need to use your own standard to define things relative to yourself. After all your life is about you not anyone else. Just my Friday thought. Just my attempt to cool off by thinking about ice. Wonder how long till it snows again.

sharidactyl.wordpress.com

Success!

   Well I have completed my push up and sit up goal. 50 000 of each in six months was the goal and completing it has at times seemed impossible. When I started the year in perfect health the goal seemed to be easy, 360 of each every day seemed to be a very doable goal. I started working towards the the goal a month prior to the year start date in order to get my push up and sit up reps higher so the goal would be even more attainable. Everything was going great I was even a little ahead and then I injured my knee to the point I couldn't  completely straighten it. Any jarring motion like a push up, sit up or really any of the yearly physical goals only seemed to make things worse. Nothing seemed to make it better and the medical community seemed to be clueless, which only added to my frustration. Time and again I would see a doctor only to be given no new information. That got to the point I would procrastinate even seeing a doctor because I felt it was just a complete wast of time anyway. It was very frustrating sitting back and watching all my hard work to that point go to waste. Feeling my bodies strength and skill deteriorate every day was a very hopeless feeling and the frustration was at times overwhelming. Finally I found a doctor due to the help of Sihing Chevanka, a I Ho Chuan teem mate, and that doctor seemed to have a clue what was going on. He give me a list of exercises to help my situation and I did them in place of any other thing for a while. Finally I got to the point I could resume my training.

   It was at this point I went and had a discussion with Sifu Brinker about my Goals. I wanted to change my approach in order to facilitate my new situation. At that point I remember feeling like none of my goals were attainable anymore. It felt like we were already at the halfway mark for the year and I had already failed. During the discussion we did the math and he made me realize that we were still a month and a half away from the halfway point. There was still a glimmer of hope at least for my push and sit up goal. At that point I still needed to do about 20 000 of each in order to reach the goal. I decided to strive for that goal without even doing the math to see what I needed to average on a daily basis. I knew  that the numbers I would be facing would seem almost impossible so I decided not to try to face the impossible only to strive for my max numbers every day and to try to make it happen through will power alone. I remember a brief conversation I had with Sifu Rybak where she asked me how many I had to do a day and she suggested that the number would perhaps be 300 a day. I replied that I didn't know how many a day I would have to do but I had to do 360 a day prior to my injury so after loosing a month my daily number would have to be a lot more then that. To this day I don't know how many were necessary and I don't really want to know.

   So far this year I have failed many things but I am happy to be able to say that the push up and sit up goal is not amongst them. I does not matter how many times you fail at something, failure only adds to the joy of the final success at the end. Unless you fold it in and call it quits. Then all that failure only reflects wasted time and a future that seems hopeless. One of the goals I had on my list at the start of the year was future success in any of the goals I failed in. This on the other hand reflects a future full of challenge and future success.

   Many of you are really struggling this year in many diverse ways. I feel your pain and hope this blog has a positive impact on your year. Don't give in to mediocrity and don't give in to the voice that tells you that you bit off more then you can chew.The path to success is filled with countless and immeasurable failure. Those that give in live in a world of continuos mediocrity and failure. Those that don't live on the path to mastery filled with impossible success and unlikely goals, a place where you are never done walking and those around you shake their heads and say your insane, But they will never taste what impossible taste like because they are stuck with the dull metallic taste of mediocrity.

Im not too sure where I go from here, which goal to focus in on but I do know this. Impossible success Tastes like the birth of a new unlikely, impossible goal. Their will be much failure in the adventure to obtain that goal but in the end I will preserver, adapt and overcome my goals and once again be victorious in tasting the impossible. I hope to see the rest of you at the dinner table of mastery and I will save you a spot.

http://michaelplayter.blogspot.ca/2014/08/success.html

Just a thought

No real reason for this but I do find this saying interesting.


https://jimsand11.blogspot.com


Mr Sand