Communication

I have been thinking about the paradox of technology and communication. We have the ability to speak with someone face to face on the other side of the world and message each other back and forth instantly. This is great, it makes the Earth feel like a much smaller place and allows you to keep in touch with friends abroad easier.

The problem I find with all this is we are slowly losing the experience of true face to face communication. When you are around people nowadays, it is more difficult to remain in the moment and engage in conversation with them, without the distraction of an incoming email or text message. Everyone has their phone on them and it is just too easy to zone out of where you are and check it.

I decided during the holidays this year to consciously leave my phone in a jacket or another room while visiting friends and family to remove the distraction entirely. I am there to visit THEM, not send messages to others.

I recognize the importance of being able to get a hold of someone when you need to, but do you really need to every waking moment? No. If someone can't reach you right away, no big deal. This is why voicemail was developed, very few situations require your immediate attention.

Have a happy new year everyone! Remember to stay present and celebrate with the people around you, they are around you for a reason. 

Try Again

I received my EMR test results last week. I passed the written test, but failed the scenario. This confused me as I was confident about the scenario and not so much the written.

To be honest, it took me a little time to process this. I have been attempting to wrap my head around what I could have done differently. Then I realized there is nothing I can do about that now, all I can do is apply for a retest and study hard.

It is in the past, the past is merely images in your mind of what happened. The present is the only true reality. I will do my best to create the reality I want for myself.
When at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

Enjoy your holiday break everyone! Remember, it is a break from the kwoon, not a break from kung fu. Keep practicing your best!

Personal Requirements

Enrollment into the I Ho Chuan includes coming up with your own personal requirements, these help define the journey as your own. They are a way for you to become creative and achieve something you may have wanted to all your life, just with the added bonus of having accountability to your team.

A good amount of thought should be put into your personal requirements. It should be something that creates a positive impact on your life, a unique experience or new skill are good examples.

My favorite personal requirement from this year was my motorcycle trip through the U.S. and Canada. It was a spiritual experience that I am proud to have shared with my dad. To travel 20,000 km in less than two weeks on a motorcycle is no small feat. The general response when I tell someone about it is "Why?, That is just insane!". My thought is why not? It's one of those things that you attempt just to say you could. I will cherish my memories of this trip.

The personal requirements have also been a great tool to motivate myself to read more. I have read more books in the past 4 years than I have my entire life beforehand and it feels amazing!

Dig deep into what you want from your requirements. The more that you put into them, the more you will get out of them.

Positivity

I felt very successful this week. My confidence has increased, thereby increasing my ability to complete what I want to do on a daily basis. This increase leads to further confidence. I believe much of this success has been the result of slowly working on cultivating positivity. 

The more positive you feel about what you are doing, the more mindful you will be. This does not mean that if you make a mistake you can just dismiss it. Acknowledge the mistake, correct it and move on. Don't continue punishing yourself for the same mistake countless times every time you are reminded of it. 

This made me think of "Mastery" by Stewart Emery. I created an audio recording of it and have been playing it daily for the past several months. I am closer now to memorizing and understanding it than I ever have, I should have done this long ago. It has been a valuable tool to my success and mindset indeed. 

Engagement

This week I have felt an urge to increase in my engagement in kung fu. Now that I don't need to study during every free second, I can commit more of my mental energy back to the kwoon.

I inquired about applying for next years IHC team only to realize I was a MONTH late. I knew I was late, but didn't fully comprehend it. This is not my first rodeo, so to speak, I know when to apply for the team. It always comes the same time every year. This made me really think about how much I let my engagement slip, how much I take it for granted.

I realize complications happen in life and things will slip your mind, but if you recognize that something is important and beneficial to you, you will not forget about it, ever.

I have been in the I Ho Chuan for almost 4 full years in a row now, it just became another part of my life. I became complacent and I think I am not the only one. We get into this mindset that we don't have to worry about it because in our minds it will always be there.

I don't think we always realize the amazing privilege we have to even train in kung fu, let alone to have a chance to have a dedicated group of people to train with and rely on through our path to mastery. Nor do we realize just how easy it can be to lose something as important as the I Ho Chuan due to a lack of engagement and participation.

I recieved a mental splash of cold water. I woke up from the haze I was in and am now ready to do what needs to be done to be as engaged as possible.

We signed up for this, promised to follow the requirements set in plain writing for us. Chinese new year is just over two months away, let's pull ourselves together and show up to class. Don't feel guilt or focus on the past, what is done is done. We can only do what we can from this point forward.

Manditory week or not, I hope to see you all on Thursday for demo practice. Let's make this right!

The Waiting Game

I completed both my written and practical exams for my EMR license this weekend. I must say it was not quite what I was expecting. Going into the written, I was confident that I had a firm grasp on what I needed to know to succeed. Coming out, I did not have the same confidence. I was thrown back by the whole thing. Conversely, I was nervous about the practical exam, especially after my experience with the written one. The weird thing is I came out of the practical feeling more confident.

This made me think about how we evaluate ourselves, take kung fu for example. If you are content with your level of aptitude, confident that you are good enough, you are probably not doing your best to improve.

Don't get me wrong, you are probably still very adept in what you are doing, but are you training to your full potential? When you become confident, it gets easy to slip into complacency. This is just a reminder to re-evaluate where you are and how you can better yourself more often.

I will not know the outcome of my tests for a few weeks, but whatever it is, I know I did my best. That at least puts me at ease while I play the waiting game.

I'll be happy when....

I have noticed just how much we look forward to new things to make us happy. We have this goal and look forward to it. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you choose to remain unhappy until you reach it.

For example, just saying the words, "I'll be happy when..." creates an agreement in your mind that are not happy in the moment. I have been guilty of this same thing.

"I'll be happy when I learn to ride a bicycle. I'll be happy when I get out of school. I'll be happy when I change my career." These are just a few examples of how we concentrate on the future, hoping things will get better when we should be happy right now.

Enjoy where you are right now. Enjoy every breath, every step. Feel gratitude for who you are. Again, having goals for the future is great, nothing wrong with it. In fact, change is healthy and encouraged. Just don't count yourself short in the present.

What you do today, lays the foundation for continued happiness in the future. Show gratitude, I will show mine now.

I am grateful for who I am today. I am grateful for the house I live in. I am grateful for the people I surround myself with. I am grateful for my job. I am grateful for the martial arts.

I am happy, right now.

Keep on Task

Adjusting back to everyday normal life is always a fun experience after a vacation. Part of you wants to keep the slow, easy pace while the other is pushing to get things done.

As much as I would like to slowly ease back into things, I cannot. The next two weeks are very important and I cannot waste any time. My exams are coming up, review of all my material is priority for me right now.

Training must not be neglected either so I need to stay mindful and engaged in that as well.

I am doing my best to not make a huge deal of any of it. As soon as I start worrying about failure, the less likely I am to succeed. Keep on task and great things will happen.

A Global Perspective

We are coming to the last days of our trip. This country is amazing, I can't wait to return here.

We attended a wedding for one of Mel's classmates from China and met some great people. To no surprise, some of them being martial artists.

Sitting around the fire the night after the ceremony, someone mentioned the concept of why we are here. Why are we doing what we are doing? If we see the value in it? It was also mentioned the importance of intent and maintaining that intent in whatever you do.

I find this so amazing! This is all coming from a scottish jiu jitsu practitioner half way around the world and yet these concepts are the same one that are reinforced in our school constantly!

This gives me some hope for future of the martial arts. There are still some around the world that learn for the right reasons. We are not alone in our mission to preserve the true fundamentals of the arts.

Missed Opportunities

This weekend I missed the Tiger Challenge, the opportunity to compete in a safe and fun environment with my kung fu peers. This is something I will not be able to take back, it is a shame because I support why we have this event, its vital importance for our school and its students. It brings us closer and gives us a fresh perspective on our training.

I did take up another opportunity though, to travel somewhere I have never been and experience the culture, food and landscape. I love it here in Scotland and we have only been here a few days with many more ahead. I am really looking forward to the days to come.

I feel we concentrate too much on opportunities we miss and not enough on the ones we take advantage of. This trip is a life experience, spending time travelling with family will always be something I cherish. This is what I am concentrating on, this is where my mind is.

Congratulations all who participated in the Tiger Challenge this year. From what I saw in the pictures a great time was had. Feel good about the opportunity you took advantage of this weekend.

Switching Up

This week I was presented another opportunity to try something new. They changed the hours on me at work, I now work too late to make the Monday/Wednesday classes.

As always, you gotta do what you gotta do, but I want to stay engaged in my training. I will start going to the early morning classes from now on. I tried it out this past Thursday and loved it! There is nothing like starting the day with a kung fu class right before work.

This is a great way to freshen up my training. A new perspective and a new group of classmates. I am not sure how permanent this will be, but either way I will miss my classmates in the evening classes.

Part of the greatness of training is the friendships you build with and I feel grateful to have the opportunity to train with such awesome people.

Steps

There is a balance to life. Eventually the priorities you had in years past are accompanied by new ones and you can't spend as much time as you like on them.

When you need to spend less time than you wish to on training, that does not necessarily mean that it suffers. If you keep the essence and the intensity of your training as pure as it was, it does not suffer, to a point of course. You will progress slower, but the quality of your progress will remain at a high level. If you train less AND put less effort in then your training will suffer faster.

This is why it is also vital to take what you learn in kung fu and apply it to everything else. Those new priorities that are popping up in your life, take them on with the enthusiasm that you train with. Use the principles of accountability and compassion that you learn in the kwoon and take it into the real world. Everything you do is kung fu if you work hard at it.

Is that not what kung fu means in the first place?

Morning Training

Starting this week a small group of us are going to start a morning video conference training schedule with join.me. This is an ingenious idea as it utilizes the technology available to us to make a huge difference in our training.

Early in the morning, when you are still half asleep, it can be very difficult want to to train. However, this is the best time to train, even for a short amount of time. It starts your day with a positive note. Bettering yourself before the day even starts, how cool is that?

This video conference idea could be the solution many of us need to get that 20-30 minute early morning workout we need to push our training up a notch. A bunch of people getting together from the comfort of their own homes to train. Not only would it have physical benefits, but mental and intellectual ones as well. The extra opportunity to share insight and experience would be well worth it.

The first attempt will be Tuesday at 5:30am. I only have the free version so I believe there is only room for three in a conference. So far there are only two of us confirmed so if you would like to join us you are more than welcome.

The link is join.me/morningworkout. I will put up another post soon to reflect on how well this works.

Spinning Back Kicks

I feel like I have been making strides with my spinning back kicks this week. This has always been my worst kick so I have been making great efforts to improve them.

I started playing with changing when I pull my kicking foot up mid spin. I believe I am beginning to be able to apply what Sifu Brinker has been talking about lately.

My foot is in a position to kick before I complete my spin. It is farther out as well which helps my balance, allowing me to focus more on the kick.

I'll keep working on this and see where it goes. I hope this is the right approach to this.

Inspiration

I thought a lot about inspiration this week. How it influences your choices and shapes your life. People get inspired by many different things.

What and who you surround yourself with affects what inspires you. I think this is important and is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Spending more time at the kwoon is a decision I am glad I made. I am surrounded by many people who inspire me to do my best. I look at the black belt candidates and see some very dedicated young people working toward a worthy goal.

Watching them these past months has inspired me to kick my training up a notch. I am seeing in them where I could potentially be this time next year, this is a scary realization. Scary and exhilarating!  This goal of becoming a black belt and continuing my training further is much closer than I thought.

I am aware that I need to keep my thoughts in the present, but I am excited at the prospect of a successful and inspirational year to come.

Bag Work

I thought this weekend about how much I enjoy working with the standup heavy bags. I provides an endless amount of cardio with the chance to try out your techniques full force. I never thought about too much, but it is a valuable tool to change things up in a training circuit as well. I don't use them as often as I feel I should. They are always there, I should take advantage of the fact that we have them.

This made me think of how much we take for granted. One rarely thinks about the importance of the equipment we have at our disposal in the kwoon, how much it costs and what it took to acquire it in the first place.

It is important to treat our belongings with respect, they are around for a reason. The better you take care of them, the less likely you are going to need to replace them. I am beginning to understand this concept.

Support

This week has been great for me. I got a job, not in my new field, but money in the bank is awesome. It was also the restart of classes, which was completely re-energizing for me. I didn't realize just how embedded the kwoon and its members are in my life, how important and vital they are to who I am. This is what I want to write about today, the support I receive from my kung fu family.

The job for instance, I got a big help from Don Bjorkquist. Being someone of influence, he asked around and got me a position at the dealership he works at. This was a huge moral booster, having no job when you need it is quite mentally draining. Now my mental attention can be directed more towards my kung fu and studying for my EMR exam. Which again, if it wasn't for Mike Kohut, I would not where to start in regards to that. 

I cannot express how grateful I am to my fellow kwoon members. You guys have been helping me both on and off the mats for years now. I am so happy to be a part of such a great group of people. This is what it is like to be in a community. This feels good. 

A new spark of motivation has struck me to train harder than ever. I am not just training for me, I am training for all of you. I will become successful, enough so that I can repay all the good deeds I have received. See you all on the mats.

Life at Home

This week has been relaxing yet stressful. Now that my course is done, I need to find work until I can take the official exam. This has been a test in patience and persistance. A positive is I have more time to relax, get things done around the house, and train more consistently.

It is relaxing because I have so much more free time, but stressful because I don't know what will happen next.

With all this time, the mind can get away on you. This is a great chance to practice harnessing the mind, use the extra energy for good. Not something I am always good at, so I am grateful for the opportunity to work on it.

Back to Normal

This week I passed my course. Now I must prepare for the test in November that will actually allow me to work in the pre-hospital field.

I have three months to study and review my material to prepare on my own time for this exam. The great thing about it being on my own time is it allows me to also focus more of my time back into kung fu.

I am looking forward to getting back into a solid routine of teaching and learning at the kwoon. The timing couldn't be better. With our annual kwoon maintenance week set to start tomorrow, it will be a great way to boost my engagement.

Chicken or Egg?

Did the lack of energy come first or the lack of training? Frequently when you hear the reasons why someone has not been training, lack of energy is up there on the list. They believe that they do not have the energy to do any training of any kind and that is that. What is the cause of this lack of energy? Did you change how long you are awake in the day? Did you add more commitments that use more mental reserves? Or is it because you chose to lessen your training first?

The past several weeks have lead me to believe I have found the answer to this "chicken or egg" conundrum. I admit, my training as of late has not been to the level and consistency that it usually is. I chose to slow it down to accommodate more time for my short term EMR studies, the idea was to save more energy and brain power.

Funny thing, the exact opposite occurred. Not only did I have less energy, but I found it more difficult to focus for any amount of time. Sitting at a desk studying for hours on end with few breaks to get the blood flowing has been counterproductive to my ability to retain any knowledge. Energy levels go down and I find myself staring blankly at the screen or book. I can say I spent x amount of time studying, but what was the quality of the studying? How effectively was the time used?

This past week I started to recognize this pattern and decided that something needed to be done promptly. Whenever I find myself losing focus, I get up and do a set of pushups or situps, a form or two, techniques, anything to wake my brain up and get me focused again. When I am tired, I sleep, simple as that. I used to stay up to all hours of the night, just to get more studying done, but what is the value in that? I am exhausted the day after and end up forgetting what I read anyway.

I found since applying these simple interventions, I am beginning to feel more energetic again and more focused, not quite where I was, but on the right track. When you feel a lack of energy, that is the best time to train. Training doesn't always draw energy away from you, if you do it right it can draw energy toward you. I feel this is one way to make your kung fu serve you.

Repetition

The importance of repetition is in the forefront of my mind.  In order to become proficient in anything, you must repeat the process. It is not just about repeating, but repeating correctly and consistently.

I have been having some difficulty retaining some of the information I am learning, I believe it is due to a lack of good quality repetition. I can't just read something in my head a few times and expect it to stick. Verbalising as well as back and forth discussion over and over solidifies the process.

This weekend gave me a chance to look back on concepts and review them in detail. Mel has been quizzing me with flashcards and giving me a chance to explain the material I am learning. As we all know, explanation and teaching helps you learn. I am so grateful for this support, I would not be as successful without it.

This being said, I am at a point where it is starting to make sense. At least as much sense as you would expect from 8 days of study and instruction.

Cram

The first week of my condensed EMR course is done. I must say even though I was preparing for a steep learning curve, I did not quite expect it to be as mountainous as this. The classes are interesting and the instructors informed and knowledgeable.

The unique thing I found here is all the instructors are actively practicing in the field. One person who is off shift one day will teach, the next day a completely different instructor will teach. This gives you a more broad view of the industry, several points of view, current points of view, not someone who did it 30 years ago and hasn't been keeping up with their practice themselves. 

Back to my point of this blog, the information required to absorb and retain is immense. Although it is a lot to process at one time, I enjoy this style of learning. The tight deadline forces me to learn the material and become to understand it on my own initiative. If I don't make the choice to study, even though there are other things I may wish to be doing, I will not succeed. With such a short timeline, even one day without review can be detrimental. 

This being said, I am confident I will succeed. This is the first time I have gone into a full-time learning program since starting kung fu. I must say it has done a world of good for my ability to be fully engaged in what I am learning, ask the right questions and have the discipline to follow through with my commitment to be the best I can.

New Chapter

Tomorrow is the first big step towards my new career in the pre-hospital field. The course I am about to take is four weeks long and has an incredible amount of material to cover in that time. Because of this I am sorry to say I will not be able to participate in the majority of the children's classes during this time, the hours and location of my course do not allow me to do both. This is temporary, I will return to fully commit my time once again at the end of August.

However, I must continue attending my own classes when I am able. It would be detrimental for me to completely sacrifice one valuable aspect of my life to solely concentrate on another. To go from five days a week to zero or even one would be too much of a shock. In times of change, holding onto at least a portion of something familiar helps you keep your wits about you and embrace what is happening.

The structure and support of Silent River is what makes it so great. In fact, it is because of the support of my training partners that I am making this life change in the first place. Classes also provide a means of de-stressing. The focus of mastering an ancient art gives one a sense of purpose beyond anything else.

My training is still going strong. I shook off most of the rust that I developed during my motorbike trip and I am firing on all cylinders once again. The body is stiff, but the mindset is still there. I am excited for what is to come.

Consistency on the Road

Well, we made it to Alaska last night, with 3 hours to spare. That makes 49 states and 9 provinces in 13 days! Now we have rested and have begun a leisurely return back home, I think we earned it.

I brought my large leather daily journal with me on the trip. This usually is not the best idea as there is limited space to pack on the bike, better spacewise to bring something small. However I felt it was important to stay consistent in my daily journal.

By keeping the format for my journalling the same, I was more likely to use it, keep my momentum and further accomplish one of my personal goals.

The importance of blogging stuck with me through this trip as opposed to my last couple trips. It has become so ingrained that even on a rushed, time sensitive trip such as this one, I found the time to continue blogging regularly. The value of blogging is even more important when away from the kwoon. It keeps you engaged and lets others know you are still alive.

As mentioned in my last blog, I used this trip to apply the mental aspect we learn at the kwoon. The adversities we experienced, not to mention the lack of sleep presented challenges. Challenges that, without a calm mind, would not have been addressed so smoothly. It is fascinating how much I have changed in the time between last attempt and this one.

I am happy to announce my retirement from long distance motorcycle touring, priorities are changing in my life and I can't go out galavanting on my bike all the time. This was an incredible final hoorah, I could ask for nothing better.

That being said, I am quite sore and feeling the lack of physical training creeping up on me. I will fix that in no time, I will be back in time for class tomorrow!

Mental Game

We are making great progress. 8 provinces and 26 states completed in 7 days. This trip certainly tests our ability to work on limited sleep, minimize our stop times and ensure we get between stops efficiently and safely.

I have been focussing on the mental aspect of our training and applying it. Remaining calm when an issue comes up is mainly what I am trying to achieve. Keep the proper perspective in my head and look at the journey, not the destination. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) 

Of course it gets frustrating when we run into construction or the GPS sends us in the wrong direction, this will happen. Just keep in mind what we are doing, it is not easy, but that is the allure!

We are currently in Arkansas, working our way up and then back west. We are on track. My next post will be written in our finish point in Hyder, Alaska!

www.helmetonstraight.com

Here we go again!

This week I was reminded of the importance of life balance. For a while now I have been attempting to cater and schedule my life around kung fu while sacrificing other things: friends, family, work.

I realize this is not sustainable. Kung fu should be a part of my life, not my entire life. It needs to serve me, not the other way around. I need to take what I learn in kung fu, the determination, the discipline and use it throughout my life. When I am at work, I am present instead of thinking of what I can do to improve my kung fu. After all, being present in everything I do IS improving my kung fu.

I am about to initiate a complete change in career. At the end of July I will start a course to become an emergency medical responder. The course load is heavy so my time at the kwoon will significantly reduce. However, this is a great opportunity to practice remaining present and getting the most of this education. I plan to excel, to master this rather than just be competent. I want to know it inside and out, understand it and be able to apply it to many situations and scenarios.

Before this course I am embarking on my second attempt at an insane motorbike trip with my dad. 49 states and 9 provinces in 14 days. The clock starts tomorrow in Medicine Hat. I built a website so others may follow us on our trip. It also provides a brief description of who we are and what kind of trips we have done so far.

This is probably the last trip of this scale I will be able to do with my dad, so it is a very special moment to me. I will take several more pictures than I did last time and be sure to post when I can.

Below is the website name. Wish us luck!

www.helmetonstraight.com

In The Moment

We were encouraged on Thursday to remain in the moment this Canada Day, surrounded by our fellow I Ho Chuan members and Kung Fu classmates. Just stay present, not thinking about what you will have to eat when you leave, or reflect on what you have done to this point. It was not the time or place to do either. 

Too often our consciousness is clouded with imagery of past and future that the present becomes this great fog. This creates almost a snowball effect, if the present is foggy, how can you reflect on it when it becomes the past? It will only be even more foggy later on. Ironically, this is a concept I have been struggling with as of late. My mind has been excited, worried, anxious about things yet to come as well as satisfied, upset, proud of things that have happened already. Because I have not been focusing on the moment, I feel like I have been dragged around by life around me with no respite to be seen. 

We all get busy and we all have moments where our schedule is tossed in the bin and our momentum comes to a grinding halt. Staying present keeps the damage to a minimum and allows you to recover and even improve to a state better than before. 

I heeded the advice today. Taking each moment as it came and leaving it where it left and to be honest it felt great. I did not feel like I missed out on anything, I did not feel bad for anything I may or may not have done. Whether or not I needed to do something or be anywhere, I was not worried. I was, however, aware of where I needed to be (for the most part) and dealt with it was required with a relaxed yet driven mindset. 

I had some amazing conversations with all sorts of people, simply because I chose to stop, look them in the eye and give them my full attention. After all, I would not ask any less for myself, would I?

Thank you to all who came out and participated in or spectated our demos throughout the day in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. The support is greatly appreciated, it makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. I left the park today in a mental state far superior to what it was even 24 hours ago.

Happy Canada Day!

Instruction

Personal progress is funny thing. Sometimes it is very difficult to recognize and you occasionally feel the opposite is happening. It is not until someone else makes a comment or you see video evidence of how you used to look that you truly understand just how far you have come in your journey.

I had a moment like this with my teaching. I thought I hit a plateau in my ability to take a concept I know and articulate it to someone else. The last few opportunities to lead the children's classes have proved this thought wrong indeed. 

There was once a time when even just leading a warm-up in front of my own class mates was unnerving. Now my teaching has become more dynamic, more insightful and more fun. All it took was practice, just like anything else. I am not the best, but I am certainly better than I was last week. 

This is a significantly easier process when you have instructors and mentors who are engaging in their instruction. To have someone to take an example from, even just to give you a base for your own style of instruction is invaluable. 

Today I write to give gratitude to all my mentors, in Kung Fu or otherwise. You have helped my become the person I am today.

Unattachment

The events of this week have reinforced the important mindset of not becoming attached to the plans you make in life. The loss of my job has confirmed to me that it is time for a change in career. This is something I have been contemplating for years, but the need to find work and KEEP it has reached the point where action is required.

I am leaving the construction industry, clearly my skill set is not the right fit for it. I have never felt quite right in it, but the push to find something else was never there. Moving forward, I am currently aspiring to start a career in healthcare, in one form or another, but it will take some time to accomplish. 

Changing careers is no quick decision or process. I need to sacrifice some of my pre-determined plans for this year to get everything in order. My wage  or hours will not be what I am accustomed to and there will be training required to attend.

 I am still going on my motorcycle trip with my dad, this is non-negotiable. It is quite unlikely we will have another chance at a trip of this magnitude and I will greatly regret if we do not go through with it, not to mention it is one of my personal I Ho Chuan goals. There was a plan to go to Scotland for a wedding in October, our tickets have already been purchased. However, this I cannot commit to anymore, by that time I should have my new career and could not afford the time nor money. I will not hold Mel back though, she will still go while I hold the fort here at home. 

Although this is disappointing, I have come to terms with it. I cannot dwell on what was supposed to transpire. Something great will come of this, I just to need to remain calm and remain in each moment. Adapt to what comes my way, react, respond and move forward. Change my intent more often in order to become more flexible and less frustrated. Sounds suspiciously familiar to our kung fu training, always be ready to change intent in an instant, don't anticipate. 

It is times like these when it is imperative to be grateful for what I have at this very moment. Be grateful, but not attached.

Directions

Recently, in Kung Fu and in life, I have had some interesting challenges regarding direction. At first I thought that I can't find a direction, that I am just going with the flow with little drive. After some thought and self-analysis, I realize that it is not a lack of direction, but a plethora of directions.

We all have several directions in life, pulling us here and there. I am currently working on picking a direction and working on it with full attention and mindfulness. I admit that I am somewhat easily distracted by external stimuli. Something catches my eye and I feel I need to take care of it right away, when really it can wait. Having the discipline to stick to my guns is my main goal at this point.

I recognized this week in my training that I need to choose what I want to work on, what I want to master and what I want to simply maintain. With so many aspects and avenues to practice, it is important to focus on one at a time. Otherwise we don't get better at any of it, or very slowly anyway.

Choosing is difficult, there is so much out there I want to do! So much I want to learn. However, like anything worth doing, it will be....

Daily Meditation

This year I have working on ways to motivate myself to meditate daily. It is one of my goals this year and has been since I started in the I Ho Chuan.

I broadened my definition of the term meditation and included activities such as Tai Chi as a moving meditation. This has been a benefit two-fold. First, my numbers in this goal have been more consistent lately. Secondly, the frequency in which I practice my Tai Chi has increased significantly.

It is no longer a matter of doing one or the other, but both at the same time. This is accomplished by being mindful of my breath, mindful of my energy while practicing.

Above all else, the commonality between them is stopping everything around me and having a chance to re-ground and prepare mentally for my day.

Changes

This weekend was exactly what I needed. Filled with friends, family, good times and of course, Kung Fu. The Pandamonium, our annual celebration of the charities we support, was vastly different than all the ones I have been to previously. The main difference was that it was not a 24 hour event, an endurance challenge of Kung Fu, especially for those of us who have dared to stay the entire time. I made a joke to Sifu Randy Langner when we got there that we were already 8 hours in at that point in the day last year.

I am happy for the change, with the shorter time period, we didn't seem so thinly stretched. We could enjoy the day for what it really is, a chance to meet and get to know those involved in the charities we support. This year I also took it upon myself to organize the food prep. A huge thanks to the awesome Sifu's who guided this whole thing along. I learned so much about how to prepare for cooking for a large group of people. I had a great time and am confident I will take what I learned and apply it next year.

This month came and went so fast. It has been a busy one with many hard lessons about who I am and what I am about. Where I am going with my life and why. During the Pandamonium, my brain seemed be only half working. I tried to be fully present, but it was very difficult. One thing is for certain, my training has been the most integral part in remaining calm and taking things as they come, one step at a time. Well, second only to my wife, who has been incredibly supportive in this interesting time.

I believe the events that occurred this month have been indicating a change in my life. There is something important I need to change, when and how I do it is still up in the air, but the change must come. Change is not bad, in fact I welcome it.

Shhh....

This week I believe I found inspiration to further improve my communication skills. Specifically, the skill of knowing when not to speak. We all have our own opinion and we of course feel entitled to said opinion. Some of our opinions do not jive well with others. This creates tension between people and can even lead to conflict in one form or another eventually.

There are instances where I don't necessarily agree with other people's point of view. Sometimes I voice my concerns, especially when I feel it affects mine or someone else's well being. I don't approach aggressively, but I want to make my point clear to eliminate any confusion on either end of the conversation. This is not always met with open arms, some people don't like being questioned too much or at all. It challenges what they know and forces them to re-evaluate.

Realizing this, I have been making conscious attempts to really gauge whether or not a subject should be brought up. Is this an issue I can truly not live with? Is this a figurative hill worth dying on? Will this do more harm than good. Sometimes it is just better to let things go and deal with them at a more appropriate time.

I feel this compliments my training greatly in the sense that not only will this help me resolve conflicts, but prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Humble Pie

It seems I needed another weeks worth of lessons in the art of correction. This week will be one that I will remember in detail for a long time, quite possibly the rest of my life. The short version is I ate an incredible amount of humble pie, now I am tired and need to sleep off this giant mental pastry I just consumed and think about what I did, The End. Now here is the long version:

I started the week with my mind basically in an auto pilot lull. The plan was to ride the motorbike to work and enjoy it immensely (it was a beautiful cloudless spring/summer morning), then just do what I needed to at work to make the day go by so I can continue to enjoy this incredible weather. Well a funny thing happened on the way, it came in the form of a motorist making a left turn in front of me. I did not hit them, but in the process I high sided off the bike, damaging both it and myself. Thankfully I sustained no serious injury. This is why you use full gear on a motorcycle, kids! I believe the bike is salvageable, but won't know for sure until insurance is dealt with. This was the crust of my pie.

This incident left me a little frazzled and I took the next day to recover, going to the Kwoon on Tuesday night was just what I needed mentally. That place has the uncanny ability to bring your mind back to the present in a hurry. This took the pressure off me slightly.

The filling of the pie came on Thursday. My supervisor sat me down for a bit of an intervention, a coaching session of sorts regarding prioritizing and time management. He had some concerns about my ability to get things done and did have some good points to back them up. I was struck, I thought I had it all together, but when he told me about his concerns it was obvious that I did not. This was an eye opener if I ever had one. Seems I need to get myself sorted out.

To be honest, I feel grateful for the events of this week. It reminded me just how sneaky complacency can be and how much was present in my life. From my skill as a motorcyclist to my aptitude in my job, complacency has made a cozy home in everything I do. This is discouraging, but instead of concentrating on this problem, I will focus on the solution.

Correction

This week I had a couple chances to practice mastery, particularly the aspect regarding correcting and improving myself.

First off, I was preparing supper with our food processor and decided it was a good idea to use our blender plunger to push the food down, while it was still on... You can imagine the outcome. SMASH! It could have been much worse, the only thing that broke was the processor blade stem, but without this piece, the processor is now useless. For the first while I was quite angry with myself, who wouldn't be? What compelled me to believe that it would actually work? What was I thinking?? I eventually calmed down, realizing that there is nothing I can do about it. Everyone has a brain-fart once in a while and I am just fortunate it was only the food processor that was lost. Lesson learned, move on.

The next lesson was being patient with myself installing drywall. Just so you all know, I am terrible at it, so I probably wouldn't be the best person to call to help sheet your house. I was compelled to finally take the plunge and do some drywall work for my job. We are short staffed, but the projects must go on. I started to laugh, something that seems so simple and rudimentary was incredibly hard to do, it is not like I was putting up full sheets either. I became flustered, it was not pretty and it took a LONG time to do. However, you can't be perfect on your first try, do your best and learn from the experience so you may have better quality next time.

I realized that these experiences are not unlike what it is to learn kung fu. For example, the quality of your kicks as a white or yellow belt is no where near the same as a blue or brown belt. With experience and practice, you get better and your confidence rises. Only with consistent practice will you learn the lesson. Let's just hope I will not need to continue the practice of putting random objects in a blender to learn that it does not work that way..


Goal count for this year:
Distance 957.7/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 286/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 219/1000 reps
Lao Gar 219/1000 reps
Meditation 321/1500 minutes
Journal 79/355 days
Situps 11180/50000 reps
Pushups 11180/50000 reps
Sparring 253/1000 rounds
Books Finished 3/20 books

Landing

This week I made great strides in my ability to teach. I taught an entire Black Dragons class for the first time on Thursday, start to finish without needing anyone to save me from disaster. I had a plan, executed it and managed to keep the class pertinent, fun and engaging. This success is a step in the right direction, it gave me living proof that I can indeed handle a class on my own. I gained more confidence in myself and the knowledge I have retained.

It was almost a different story. Things were going well until I needed to close things up and end the class. My mind went blank and I could not find a way to conclude my lesson. I felt like I was flying a plane, take off went well, the flight path was followed to the letter, now how do I get this thing back on the ground? I eventually got my bearings and concluded with reiterating the major points of the lesson I was trying to convey. Success, the plane landed smoothly.

I will continue to test this skill, like any other, the only way to go is up from here. I feel like the door of opportunity opened just a little bit more.

Every Day is Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. It is an event that is committed to changing the world's view on pollution. For 48 years, the Earth Day Network has been providing education to the world on just how much waste we produce and furthermore, what we can do to limit our waste and adjust just how we can produce products with less impact on our planet.

I am a huge advocate of keeping our world clean. It does not even need to be big actions. Many small actions, consistently taken, can make a big difference. Now that I have a dog, I walk around town more than ever. I am taking note on just how much trash is left along the sidewalks, it is gross. I don't understand how people can just throw something onto the ground. Garbage cans are provided EVERYWHERE for a reason, don't be lazy and just throw it where you like.

I have started picking up pieces until my pockets are full. (I don't get too far until that happens). My brother was asking me why I was doing that. His point was that it just shows people that someone else will pick up their trash for them. I attempted to explain that you can't always wait for someone else to do it. If I don't, no one else will. If I want people to change, I need to lead by example. What if no one sees me doing it? Keep consistently doing it, whether or not there are witnesses. Sooner or later someone will see it happen and be inspired to make their own difference.

It takes time to influence change, especially when it requires effort. However, if you make it a continuous part of your routine, you can prove that the effort becomes effortless. This is what I take from the message the Earth Day Network has been sending for almost 50 years. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Sparring

I have not sparred since I damaged my shoulder in August. It has been something I have been slightly apprehensive about because I feared re-injuring and creating an even bigger problem. This Saturday I decided to join in sparring during open training. As soon as the first couple rounds were over, my apprehension was pacified. I survived! No harm done and I fared better than I thought.

This leads to the second concern I had. How much did my sparring skill deteriorate since August? How much time would it take to get back to where I was? These concerns were unfounded as I found my skill did not atrophy, it in fact increased. Constant practice in other sections of my training kept the body memory in check and I even had new ideas for combinations to bring to the ring.

This reinforces the idea to not look at my training and progress as stripe by stripe. The stripe means nothing to me as a student. Perhaps, it is not the stripe that is meaningless, but the specific colour. This is because they all mean the same thing. They all mean I am progressing in kung fu. Not just fundamentals, forms or one-steps. They cannot be looked at from a separate point of view because they all compliment each other. They are ALL kung fu.

I am glad that I decided to jump into the ring this weekend. I am excited to continue sparring on a regular basis. I will still be cautious. There is no need to do something reckless and fall back to square one, only to find out I have twice the time to get back to where I am now.

Control

The weather lately has been very interesting, it is much colder than it has been in previous years. Spring is coming, but just how soon? This is a question I hear frequently as a result of the abnormally cold weather. This is of course the time of year when everyone is sick of the snow. They want it gone so they can enjoy their outdoor activities. I understand this, but why use all our energy to complain about something we ultimately cannot control?

There is no way anyone can control the weather, it is impossible. Therefore it should not be something that weighs down on our minds. Just go with the flow! When I saw the snow flying like crazy just after the first day of Spring I had a choice, to see it in a negative light and fret all the extra work it was causing me or to truly enjoy the absolute beauty of the whole spectacle. It was in fact beautiful, seeing all the snow swirling through the sky, watching the tree branches hang from its weight. This snow does not mean my motorcycle season will be cut short, it means my cross-country ski season is extended.

Now what does this have to do with my kung fu? Several aspects really. It is about recognizing what you can or cannot control and not getting agitated when something goes wrong (injury, job loss, relocation). It is also about looking at things with a more compassionate mindset, to not allow a potential altercation to flourish because you want a situation to go a certain way. To remain calm in a conflict so you can defend yourself accordingly.

I draw inspiration for this from my supervisor at work. He has to be one of the most calm, easy going people I know. When faced with a problem he just says, "Well, what can we do? You just do what needs to be done."

Representatives

It is slightly less than 2 months until the Pandamonium. This event marks the end of a years worth of raising funds and awareness for the charities the Benevolent Foundation provides for. It allows people from the school and the community to put a face to the charities and really get to know more about them, first hand.

To be honest, in previous years I have not taken advantage of this and spoke with the representatives. I could say it is because I was too focused on staying awake after being at the kwoon since midnight, but that is no excuse. I made the choice not to and I am making the choice to do so this year.

The representatives come out for a very important reason. I feel there would be a great benefit from listening to what the charities are about right from the source. Face to face communication can go a long way. You can hear their stories, their perspective, why they feel so strongly about what they are supporting, see the passion in their eyes and body language. You can't get that from a book and you can't get that from a website.

This is one aspect of my goal to improve my communication. The more that you look into a subject, the more you learn. The more you know, the easier it is for you to spread the word with purpose, instead of just regurgitating what someone else told you word for word without any meaning or context behind it.

I am excited to mindfully meet representatives of our charities and get a more enriched understanding of what they are about.

Reduce

We have all heard the saying, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". This is taught in school, (at least when I was in school) and it is common knowledge for most. The issue is that this is mostly associated with the "Recycle" portion. Most people think that because they are doing the bare minimum and recycling, they are reducing their ecological footprint. While this is not untrue, it is still a long way from the potential that this motto has to offer.

For instance, the first word is REDUCE. This is huge simply because the less you use, the less that needs to be produced, the less resources and energy are required and the more sustainable our society can be. The problem with using recycling as a fallback is that there is still energy and infrastructure required to take something and mold it into something new again.

How does one reduce?

There are several ways you can reduce what you use, some of them actually overlap into the reuse portion of the philosophy. I will use napkins as an example. It is very common to have paper napkins in a household. This is valid as they have many applications. You can greatly reduce the amount you buy if you switch to cloth napkins and wash them for reuse. Also, be mindful not to stock up on 100 different napkins. Only keep what you need for one, maybe two days of meals. This reduces what you get from the store on a regular basis and you reuse what you already purchased instead of throwing it out after a single use.

This is just one example taken from one site I found online tonight. I will post the link below. There is some very fascinating, simple stuff here.

http://superheroyou.com/15-ways-to-reduce-your-environmental-footprint/


Goal count for this year:
Distance 476.3/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 135/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 116/1000 reps
Lao Gar 116/1000 reps
Meditation 166/1500 minutes
Journal 38/355 days
Situps 5180/50000 reps
Pushups 5180/50000 reps
Sparring 114/1000 rounds
Books Finished 2/20 books

Year of the DOG

I find it very interesting when life throws you a new challenge, with choices to make and follow through on. I had one such moment last week.

This is Freyja. She approached me on our driveway Monday, March 5th when I was starting my vehicle for work. She looked very excited and very cold (it was -24 C that morning). At first I tried to convince her to go back home, when she just sat there I realized she had no collar, not a good sign. I decided I could not leave this puppy stranded out in the cold. I took her inside while I figured out what to do.

After going from door to door with no success, I took her to the vet to see if she had an electronic chip. Turns out she did, but there was no owner registered to the tag, again not a good sign. The chip was also administered in south Edmonton so it seemed very unusual that she would be wondering around in Spruce Grove. I phoned the clinic, hoping for more information, but there was nothing else they could find on this dog. Where did she come from?

It was suggested to me to take her to a shelter where they could advertise her and give her proper care until she was claimed. Mel and I discussed the matter, if she was indeed abandoned we would take her in. Freyja ended up at the Parkland Animal Shelter in Stony Plain. I made it very clear to the people working there that if no one claims her, I wished to be the first to call when she becomes up for adoption. I even visited her once while she was in the shelter.

Ten days passed and not a peep regarding anyone coming forward. How could no one be looking for this beautiful dog? On Friday I left work early to fill out the appropriate paperwork and take her home. She is a great dog! She has already been house trained, trained commands, spayed (which made the adoption cheaper) and has a great temperament. We also received a lot of assistance from Sifu Freitag, which was a great help. (I have never owned a dog before.)

I had a choice, to selfishly go to work and hope this dog finds her way home, or take the initiative to help her out, even if it meant I would be late. This small act of kindness to an animal I didn't even know resulted in us having a new family member. We were certainly not looking for a dog, but she found us anyway and we are so excited to have her. Ironic really, as this is the year of the dog.

Communication

Mediocrity can sneak up on us in any form. The scary part is occasionally you don't realize that you are losing your way until mediocrity has been fully engrained into what you are doing. Sifu Brinker mentioned at our last meeting about how we need to define the particular "wagon" we are on in order to keep track of what our objective is for the year.

My "wagon" this year is improving and maintaining better communication skills. My word is not as impeccable as I know it could be. It is not horrible by any means, but everything can use improvement. After all, that is what striving for mastery is all about, constant improvement. The root of the problem I believe is lack of mindfulness, I am not fully thinking about my actions or words and how they could affect those around me. I make assumptions rather than effectively using my word to clarify my intentions.

Mindfulness is the greatest enemy of mediocrity. When you are mindful you are focussed, you are aware of what is around you. You recognize the first signs of mediocrity and correct right then and there rather than wait and have to do a full 180 degree course change to get back on track.

Using the right words at the right time is only a portion of the challenge, another major component is having integrity with my word. If I say I am going to do something and make a plan, I need to stick to that plan. Have the discipline to not let anything that is not a priority lead me astray. If plans change for one reason or another, communicate with those involved immediately in order to minimize any confusion. Unless absolutely impossible, I must stick to my plans. I make them for a reason, if I keep that reason in the front of my mind, I should have no problem.

Goal count for this year:
Distance 296.3/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 88/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 81/1000 reps
Lao Gar 79/1000 reps
Meditation 105/1500 minutes
Journal 24/355 days
Situps 3130/50000 reps
Pushups 3130/50000 reps
Sparring 63/1000 rounds
Books Finished 1/20 books

Dancing for Tots

This week, members of the lion dance team performed for the kindergarten students of Brookwood school in Spruce Grove. This was the first year I have had a chance to participate in this event and I loved it. The laughs and gasps in awe that I heard as they saw the lion come to life was unlike any lion dance I have done before.

I saw how excited they were before and after the dance, this made me more excited to be a part of it. I feel that with the lion we are able to show these kids what we are about in a way that really gets their attention. It plants a seed in their minds that the martial arts are not about weaponizing people, but how you can take these techniques you learn and use them to convey something meaningful, to show compassion for others, clearing evil spirits from around them and bringing them good luck all at the same time.

I revel in promoting this increasingly rare yet incredibly important aspect of Kung Fu because it is a tangible draw from what the martial arts should continue to represent. This is pure art, drawn from the skills you develop when practice the martial portion in your Kung Fu classes and refined through practice and teamwork between all members of the dance; This is all for the benefit of those viewing and the community as a whole. I guarantee some of those kids were inspired, went home and told their parents and the word was spread yet again of what the martial arts should be about. The more the community knows what we represent, the more we are empowered to make a positive difference.


Goal count for this year:
Distance 199.6/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 61/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 61/1000 reps
Lao Gar 59/1000 reps
Meditation 75/1500 minutes
Journal 17/355 days
Situps 2170/50000 reps
Pushups 2170/50000 reps
Sparring 33/1000 rounds
Books Finished 0/20 books

Simple Writing

One of my personal requirements this year is to maintain a daily journal. I attempted this a couple years ago, but failed to commit for EVERY day that year. I figured this is because I had too many platforms in which to write my journal. 

I had my phone, my computer, google docs AND my paper journal. It was too difficult to keep track of where everything was. My journey was documented chaotically and it didn't really have any flow to it. This time I am taking a different approach, one means of recording my journal. I have my book, the same book that I used last time I attempted this requirement. There are more than enough pages to fulfill the required number of days. Every journal entry will be written in this book. It doesn't matter where I end my day, I will write in this book. It will come with me if I go on a trip so there is no excuse to write in it. 

It is a matter of adhering to one of the two main principles kung fu teaches, discipline. I need to have the discipline to set a schedule and follow though with it. At this point, my journal is sitting on my bedside table and is the last thing I do before I go to sleep. Even if I only jot down a couple sentences worth of something that inspired me that day or same thing I am grateful for, I still met the requirement and kept to my word.

Speaking of keeping my word, I also was reminded about the success you encourage when you post your numbers. However, instead of posting them day to day I decided to simplify once again and include it in my blog post. This will help keep my accountable.

Distance 118.3/1609 km

Meditation 45/1500 min

AOK 36/1000

Long Hua Jian 28/1000

Journal 9/355

Situps 1050/50000

Pushups 1050/50000

Lao Gar 26/1000

Books Finished 0/20

Sparring 10/1000 rounds

New Year, Same Process

It is now the year of the Dog. We all have new goals, new forms and new weapons. Everything seems to be brand new, everything but the process, this remains the same. This has been a great change of perspective for me. In years past, I always viewed it as a new beginning, completely separate from the previous one, I know now this is not the case.

This program is a continuous process to mitigate and eliminate mediocrity in your life and the world around you. It is a challenge to push your limits and expand your horizons. It doesn't end with the year, it stays with you for the rest of your life, this is the ultimate goal of the I Ho Chuan. Don't get attached to the numbers themselves, they are tools to motivate you to profoundly improve your kung fu, from there it extends to everything that make you who you are.

We may be starting at zero again and the daunting task of completing all those requirements in the year can be overwhelming, but if you just see it as a continuation of what you already accomplished you should have an easy time keeping your momentum and accomplishing great things this year.

Visualize running across the endless field of mastery instead of hiking a mountain and resting at the top.

Sustainability

This week I spent most my days at home battling a cold. Normally I would continue to work through it, but considering I work close with seniors I was sent home to deal with it. This has never happened to me before in my working career. A couple of months ago I wrote a post about the importance of washing my hands, how it is critical to maintaining good health. I have been consistent with this practice and yet I still am susceptible to getting sick. (Who isn't?)

This made me think about other factors that might be affecting my health. There is a saying that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. I believe this week has been a reminder to me to train in a more sustainable fashion. I work, I train, I sleep. This is the majority of my day to day. When it comes to my life between work and Kung Fu, I give myself little time to rest. I am always on the move, this eventually takes a toll on the body.

I am not expressing that it is unhealthy to train. It is how you go about it. Kung Fu is 90% mental. In order to make my practice more sustainable and worth while, I need to embrace the more mental side of the art. I still need to practice in order to get the correct body memory, but to truly understand and progress I need to dig deep into what I am learning and why I am learning it.

My numbers will not falter, I will still maintain my momentum. I simply feel there is a better to attain my goals.

Notes

I have decided to start taking notes after every class. Whether I am a student or instructor, this week I have been making a brief summary of what was covered, what I tried out or learned and what I can improve upon. This is to serve me in a couple of ways. First, it will allow me to look back at what my perspective was on a particular day. Second, it allows me to retain more from my classes, which in turn can help me learn even more.

I got the idea from class on Monday, we had a mock fitness test and Sifu Freitag made a suggestion to record our results so we can review and compare them at a later date. I happen to have this binder in my kung fu bag that has just been sitting there since I started my training, unused. It has a few sporadic notes, an old copy of the curriculum and a list of the Tai Chi movements, other than that I just contains a bunch of blank pages. I thought this would be a great opportunity to use it instead of having it waste away slowly in my backpack, which is already with me almost all the time.

This is just another way for me to keep engaged in my pursuit to mastery.

Patience

I have patience for those around me, but I noticed I have little patience for myself. I am very hard on myself in many aspects in my life. This manifests in my attitude toward my kung fu. I look at those around me and see great martial artists, people who have spent years, decades mastering this incredible art. Do I benefit from being in their presence? You bet I do! So just what is my problem?

The problem is I don't see it this way all the time. I sometimes lose perspective and compare myself to them. I help teach the kids class with black belts, I have lived with multiple black belts, I am friends with black belts, I am married to a black belt! I am surrounded by all of this greatness and feel a little inadequate at times. I understand that this is a dangerous mindset to slip into and I am working on getting out of it.

A moment of clarity struck me today though that reinforced how I should view this. We were at my parents acreage, cross country skiing. While teaching Mel the basic concepts my dad made a remark to Mel, something like, "Don't worry, he has been doing this since he was quite young."

It dawned on me that everyone has their own journey, their own path. I have only been practicing kung fu for a few years. I have come a long way from where I started and I need to recognize that more often. My journey has not been a long one, have patience, don't look to the horizon so much and fully experience where I am now, what I am doing NOW.

"Develop compassion for yourself so that you  can be in the presence of a master and grow from the experience.  Rather than comparing yourself to (and resenting) people who have  mastery, remain open and receptive."     - Stuart Emery

Concert

I have lately been getting more interested in listening to classical music. I find when driving during the day for work, I sometimes feel the need to hear just the sound of instruments playing in the background. It is almost a trigger to help me reset and focus on my next task. I heard that if you want to calm a cat down in your vehicle, you put a towel over their carrier and play some classical music. We tried out this theory with our cat and found that it works. So if it works to calm down an animal that is clearly distressed and has no idea what is going on, it should be able to keep me calm as well. (Not the towel over the eyes part obviously, that would not be safe for driving.)

Mel and I have also recently been going to several classical concerts. It is very interesting to hear the music coming right from the instruments, you can see each musician move and play in their own way to contribute to what you are listening to. After 3 years in the I Ho Chuan, especially this time of year, I can really appreciate how many hours of practice it must take for them to play at such a substantially high level. I can relate to the satisfaction in a successful performance and the drive to make the next one even more successful.

Pain with a Smile

This weekend was the first of six boot camp seminar classes. I am very excited for this particular seminar simply because it used to be part of my regular saturday routine. I didn't realize just how much I missed it until my first lap around the kwoon to warm up. Sifu Masterson has a unique approach, combining fitness with kung fu concepts to give you a great workout while keeping you mentally engaged in your kung fu, at least that is what I get from it.

It is a class meant to recognize and push your physical limits. Each person has their own limit it is really fun to see how far you can improve each session. You are ultimately in control of how difficult the class is, the harder you try the more difficult it is. However, if there is no pain felt you are most likely not improving yourself. Don't get me wrong, this is not injury pain, this is sweat generated, muscle building pain, the kind you are happy to smile about.

Take care everyone.

Woodworking

Today I built a bed frame for Mel and I. We decided to go this route because we thought it would be a fun project. I haven't done any woodworking since high school so I was excited to give it a try, with the help of my father in law. He has a wealth of knowledge in this subject, not to mention the tools to accomplish the task, I am certainly grateful for this.

The feeling of accomplishment from building something with your own two hands greatly exceeds merely paying money to buy one someone else made. Sure it is quicker and easier, just swipe the credit card and you have it, no fuss no muss. However, this bed is unique, the only of it's kind in the world. Even if you build another one with the exact same materials, the exact same measurements and tools, it will not be the same. Not to mention the skills and knowledge that is learnt by building it yourself. I am looking into a future of building more furniture and perhaps even selling it eventually.

This reminded me of the importance of not just attempting to buy your way through life. You need to get engaged, get really into what is going on in your life and make it what you want. For example, you can't expect to sign up for Kung Fu and expect to get your black belt simply by throwing money at it and not making an effort. How much money and time you spend on something is not the deciding factor of success, what you do with what you spend is key.

Take care everyone.