Back from Holidays

 Although I left for holidays with the best intentions of being on the ball with my training, I fell short of all I wanted to do.  I still kept engaged with my sit ups and push ups, and kept racking up the kilometers.  Darcy and I found a 5 km nature trail that we took at least once a day.  Because the mosquitoes were so bad, we were forced to run most of the way; good training but not so fun in such hot temperatures.   We spent a lot of time at the ball diamonds, miniature golfing and of course fishing.  I practiced doing little pieces of forms in the lake, but was told by the kids that I was “kind of embarrassing them.”  So I changed it up and sat on the beach visualizing the moves as I watched the kids try to drown each other (good way to relax and not work up a sweat at 32 degrees above; very cool). 

The week and a half was a great time, with the highlight for me, being that our youngest son finally caught his first fish.  He has come home empty handed every time, but this week he pulled in more than his share.  The look of excitement on his face was a total Kodak moment.  He caught the first fish of the day, in less than an hour on the lake.  Totally awesome!

So after some rest and relaxing, it is time to get back to some sort of routine.  I am starting to feel a little anxious as I look at the calendar and realize that we are already well into July.   Our race day is coming up in just under 3 weeks and September is coming up fast.  So much to do!

Alana Regier

7/14 Choy

7/14 food Guava passion juice Few fries Banana Plain popcorn  Rice Dried bok choy soup Soya sauce poached beef tongue Pork rind chips Nacho Rum and coke  Bruschetta and chips Carmel popcorn  Mixed chips Paralyzer Labatt blue Water through out the day

Just Relax!

Ahhhh......my nunchucks!
I love them! I think that each person has a weapon that just speaks to them and I have definitely found mine. When asked did I think that I would be interested in learning the chuck form, I responded with, could I? I would love to! That was before I even picked them up, I just knew that we would be perfect for each other. They are teaching me about how I move and how I need to move differently. I'd like to think that I am teaching them a thing or two but that is probably just ego talking. I am learning more and more about myself each time I do the form or try a new move. Speaking of new moves, my teacher was attempting to show me a thing or two yesterday. He advised that I relax and have fun with it. I am sure that I looked at him like he had three heads. It is not secret that I love kung fu and love nothing better than practicing all day every day that I can manage it. And kung fu means hard work which I also love. I don't think that I have ever attached relax and have fun with it before. The fun part for sure but not the relax part. How do you relax and work hard at the same time? I think that when I figure this out, I will be ready to take my kung fu to the next level. I am always trying to be better, faster, smarter, smoother..... so maybe if I stop trying so hard and just do it, I will become faster, better, smarter and smoother!! I have probably been told hundreds of times in my life to relax but I think it is beginning to sink in. Now I just have to figure out how......hmmmm. This will be where the real work begins. I think that my new mantra will be 'Just Relax", when I am doing anything and everything. If I can think relax then it will be a step in the right direction. It must be just like being positive, if you think positively then positive things happen. So if I think relax, then relaxing will happen! We'll see what my chucks think of my new relaxing attitude.

Worse Than the Caramilk Secret

As my time in Drumheller is nearing a close, and I am destined to head back north to Lloydminster, I took time to reflect on my experience in southern Alberta.  The diversity of this province is mind blowing.  And like my great, great grandfather that settled here in I believe 1887, I have found no other place I would rather be.

Over the past couple weeks I have seen and studied more plants, animals, weeds, landforms and soils than I have in a long time. Yesterday a huge snake skittled across the road, today a moose (on the prairies of all things!!) came to visit me and pose for a photo on site.  How many people can say they’ve completed Awakening the Dragon on the top of a hoodoo in the  wake of a setting sun?  Or explored a series of mud arches in the hoodoos that formed down a really cool and dangerous looking creek bed.  

But there is one thing I have to understand before leaving this part of the province.  More baffling than Jimmy Hoffa, crop circles, or the sock thief in the washing machine.

I have come across a couple farmer fields that have these weird plywood enclosures disbursed throughout.  Even more curiously there is an open side that is always facing the same direction.  They are spaced very evenly with about 40 meters apart in a grid configuration.  Inside the enclosure, there is nothing.  On the outside they are painted very colorful, some with very distinct patterns to them.  The shelters are about 3 feet wide, by maybe 6 feet long, by 5 feet high.

Even Google was stumped.  The only thing I can think of is perhaps bee hive enclosures, but then why are they empty?

The truth is out there.

My Little Training Partner

Keeping up with children can be fairly demanding on parents/ older generation....

My youngest son is a go hard little character, much like most young boys. Because Kayden and I are best friends I get asked to do a lot of things with him, which I totally appreciate. As a father, I vowed to be there for my boys...to teach, play, listen and to be a good understanding father. With my commitment to my boys, what better push to train............ I mean to be with them!

Working out and training can be tiresome and sometimes seem so regimented, but racing after my youngest son, Kayden, is not only fun, but satisfying in so many ways. I couldn't have found a better training partner, thanks Kayden.

Darcy Regier

Vacation

I find no matter what I do or where I am, my mind resorts back to the ways of kung fu.

As I posted myself on a pontoon boat, amongst 3-5 foot waves with a fishing rod in my hands I found myself in tact with the boat but in sync with the water. Working with balance, direction of the force and all the concepts of centering, turned out to be an awesome exercise to assist (or maybe work in conjunction with) with body manipulation against the nature forces of the earth and an unknown opponent/ animal.

As goofy as it may sound, even the reeling in of a fish was a different experience for me on this trip, as I worked on reading the fish body mechanics through the line, rod and reel (weapon) and work my opponent from their actions… while only reacting on my opponents moves.

By the way, the fishing was great, at least for me! Maybe it was the oneness I had with nature!

Darcy Regier

Let It Floooooooowwwwwww

At the monthly meeting, I mentioned that I have a block with practicing my forms. Don't wanna!! Yes one can say to "just do it" but to muscle through may not be the long term solution. However I discovered what my block is all about: flow, or more accurately, the lack thereof. I have strength, I have power, and the flow part is a challenge for me. As Sifu Freitag said "dragon personality with a soft weapon doing a snake form." Just a tad bit of a challenge. I was encouraged to join Tai Chi to help with my flow.

Well Saturday I had my first class and was billboarded at how lack of flow I am. Strap the rollerskates on the bull and and let it loose in the china cabinet is how I felt and in a lot of ways, still do. Pass the lampshade for my head size please. Truthfully right now it would be so easy to throw in the towel as the road ahead looks very long and very uphill. However, I'm too stubborn to quit and if I made the slightest waves of it, I have a feeling that I would be sitting on a particular couch in a particular room in front of a particular person. Not going there. So how do I overcome this obstacle (besides engaging in Tai Chi)?

I chose to ask a couple of people who know more than me and have done this part of the journey for their input. Both Sifu Kichko and Sifu Gamble gave me valuable gems for me to focus and work on. It's a place for me to start and to practice. Thanks to Sifus Kichko and Gamble as I feel better now and I also feel that the road ahead may not be as bad as it seems.
Sherri Donohue