A new modem

Last week was so hard---my modem died midweek and I was officially cut off from the world. I didnt think I relied on my computer that much, but it sucked not being able to check kwoon talk and read the blogs. I really like being able to keep in touch by reading my team mates blogs; it felt like I hadnt had any contact with them at all!! As the year winds down, and the end of UBBT draws near, I hope we can all stay motivated, stay training together. This team this year was an inspiration; I hope next year will be too.

Finally a HO HO holiday

I've been noticing something different this year as we approach christmas; a lack of stress. Complaining? No way! As I blogged awhile ago, Sean and I are going to Mexico for christmas(kids are gone, so why not?).The kids decided they would rather have something from Mexico than a gift before christmas, so now I have almost no shopping to do, no wrapping, no big dinner to plan. Oh darn! And I really am enjoying being able to just relax, think about things for the trip and do the things I enjoy about the season, like help with hampers, decorate, bake. The frantic pace is gone; the money stress, the scramble to get it all done and done perfectly is gone...I think I may have to make this a new tradition!! Or something close at least--it is sad that the holiday has become that for me. I can only hope I can remember this feeling, and try to make it happen again in following christmases.

Yowza

I have said it many times, and I am going to say again. I love teaching. I love the challenge it provides and how it forces me to think outside the box.

On a daily basis, I have to try to find a balance between all the students, and at the same time try to inspire them. You don't want to sacrifice the whole class for the sake of one student, and you don't want to risk losing a student while you focus on the whole class. That is where it gets tricky, and that is why I depend on my fellow instructors. But even with the extra eyes, ears and intuition, we always run the risk of having a student fall through the cracks.

So that being said, I love what I do.

Working Hard and Having Fun! Really!!!

What an incredible week it has been! I am working harder than ever before in my life and I am loving it. Everything that I do, all day long, is orchestrated so that I can have more time to practice. It was hard at first but I am getting used to the pace and I am enjoying pushing myself as hard as I can.
I made a major break through with my eye for detail this week and it is a giant relief. I have been trying to figure something out about how I move for a long time and I finally get it. I knew that if I kept trying that I would get it, and it was hard to be patient with the process sometimes, but I think I have succeeded.
I am fully enjoying teaching all the different levels and ages that I have an opportunity to. The young people on Saturday mornings are nearly as enthusiastic as I am and they are a great deal of fun. They will try anything once and that makes the class very entertaining. The teen/adult classes that I attend and am lucky to be a part of are very educational. I am learning about how different people learn and how to help them by letting them figure some stuff out for themselves.
I also very blessed to have a great partner to train with, it is always fun and challenging when we get together. We work hard to improve ourselves and to give each other positive feedback.
When I review the week, I can't believe how busy it was and when I look the coming week, I can't wait to get started.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.

A little inspiration for some perspiration!

I almost forgot to blog this week! Time is just flying by these days. Life is a bit of a three ring circus right now, but whose isn't right? I've written and deleted two different posts now, blogging has been more of a challenge lately because I feel like if I write about what is happening in my life I could just copy and paste my post from last week. Life continues to be hectic and my schedule looks the same... wake up, go to school, go to kung fu, sleep and repeat.

I am struggling to find ways to inspire some of my students, how can I make this matter to them, how do I find a connection that means something to them? If there is no connection for you, there is no passion, no interest. The green belts are working on stick for the Chinese new year demo, and I want to light a fire under them, some of them have it, some don't. Sifu Playter has agreed to come into the class and provide a little inspiration with a demo. I hope that having something to aspire to will do the trick for a few of them, if any of you need a little inspiration as far as your stick practice goes your welcome to watch the end of the black dragons class on Monday... Sifu Playter's dedication and skill to weapons will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, which is exactly what I want the green belts to do on Chinese new year. Have a good week everyone!

Andrea Prince

Playoff Time

Hello all,

We are approaching the final month of this year's UBBT challenge, and for some of us the final stretch for our black belt grading, and I equate this to playoff time!  It is time to step up our game to the highest level and finish strong to meet our goals.  The year so far has been rewarding and challenging.  There are many old injuries flaring up, new injuries, and bumps and bruises which are all typicall of playoff time.  This is just how it is and very similar to how the wonderful sport of hockey works, which is my comfort zone to draw from.  It is time to have a winning attitude, suck it up, and put forth our best effort.

Have a great training weekand have fun!

Allan Gamble

Training mindfully.

It finally feels like I am on the road to recovery. The headaches are less frequent and thw dizziness does not comw as often. I have had to change the way I approach my training completely slow things down alot. I still have to be careful on what I do as I have learned certain things still agravate it. You feel good so you try to push yourself and then realize that that was a bad idea. I am at the point where I need to start pushing myself to see where I'm at but to stop before I go to far. Not an easy thing to do as I'm sure everybody in Kung Fu knows.

Kevin Lindstrom
Student Member
UBBT 8
Onoway, Alberta, Canada