Hands

I have noticed in the past year that I have been getting sick more often. Nothing serious, stuffed nose and whatnot. I have been looking for a reason for this. I started to think that one factor could be the fact that I work with both children and seniors. Both of which are prime groups for becoming ill. This has been an incredible reminder to wash my hands frequently and avoid touching my face whenever possible.

This goes back to the whole concept of consistency. If I only wash my hands between most tasks, there is a greater possibility of transmitting an illness from one area to the next. It has to be done diligently or it will not be effective. Whether it is from the kwoon to one of my buildings or vise versa, there is so much that can be prevented if I just wash my hands. Not even just washing my hands, but doing so thoughtfully. Take the time to feel every crease, every crevice, every scar. It gives me an opportunity to think about what I just accomplished as well as what I'm about to.

With flu season just beginning, this is even more vitally important, not only for my own health, but for those around me.

Stepping Back

When I have an idea or an opinion I find that I need to explain to someone, I am sometimes met with animosity. They either don't understand or agree with what I'm saying and I feel I need to try to explain it in different ways in order to get my point through. It becomes a problem when it is nothing but a back and forth struggle that goes nowhere. At times it seems the more assertive I am with my point of view, the more I receive friction.

I have a hard time giving up the conversation when I don't think they understand what I mean. I tend to continue explaining well until both parties in the conversation start to become agitated.

Regardless of my intentions, which is typically to help the person I'm speaking to, it ends up making things worse.

If it is something I feel is vitally important, I find it extremely difficult to let go. This usually creates a drama that could easily have been avoided.

However, if I don't speak my mind and something I am attempting to prevent happens, the guilt is on me for not doing what I can.

Frankly, my flaw is I don't know when to quit. My question to any who reads this is:
At what point do you step back and let things be?

Conflict

I have been practicing Kung Fu for only a few years, but it has already improved my ability to keep calm in times of conflict. It has been a slow process. Before and even during my first couple years training, my ability to keep a cool head in stressful situations was quite lacking.

I am only now beginning to truly grasp the idea of deeply looking at a situation and deciding what I should do to create the best possible outcome. I think to myself, "Is this going to benefit the other person or myself in any way?", "Is it worth it to get angry?" or "Is this going to diffuse a possible situation or inflate and aggravate it instead?

These are questions you need to ask yourself several times a day. It is more difficult and requires more effort to achieve. The benefits are simple, you are happier and people around you react more positively to your presence. Silent River is not teaching me to fight, but how to think before acting and respect those around me as well as myself. 

Take care everyone.

Eye for Detail

I have been making some very subtle, yet incredible strides in my practice of Tai Chi. I am looking at each piece, each movement and I am breaking them down even further. After breaking them down I analyze it even more, make a slight adjustment to a vector here, foot positioning there and then put it all back together and apply it to other pieces in the form. I am finding this process both relaxing AND rewarding, my eye for detail is improving and I am finally able to recognize it!

Much of the deeper thought into how my body mechanics are being applied comes from my Kempo training, "Is my heel down when it needs to be? Are my hips centered? Where is my power range?" These are all questions asked in the evening classes.

I see the similarities and wonder what I can do to improve my Tai Chi with Kempo. The result is quite extraordinary. The two really do assist with one another. It works in the reverse as well, Tai Chi concepts like, "the weak defeating the strong" and "keeping your center", are great to keep in the front of my mind when practicing applications or sparring. It helps me remember that it is not about muscling through, but having the proper alignment and intensity at the right time.

I am excited about where my martial arts training is taking me and I am humbled by how much I still do not know...

Forgetting

Why do we forget to do something? There are excuses that get thrown around, "I was too busy", "I forgot", "I didn't know what to do"

These are all just part of a much bigger reason, priorities. Is it a true priority for you? Do you see the value in it? If you answer yes to these questions then there is no reason why you should forget. If you make it a priority, it will be in your mind all the time.

My mental game has not been the greatest earlier this past week. My motivation was just not there. This is not to do with my training or requirements, those are still doing great! Even though my shoulder is still on the mend, my training is consistent and I and doing what I can to let it heal properly without falling behind.

Everything else seemed just mediocre and lack luster. I just couldn't remain focused on what I was doing, I kept forgetting what it is I needed to get accomplished. Thankfully, my brain was able to sort it all out by the end of the week. I realized I simply need to go back to the basics, mindfully prioritize and always remember the phrase, "Where am I? What am I doing?"