July 02, 2020

The employment fallout from the current pandemic has prompted me to make a difficult decision. As much as I enjoyed my position as an EMR, I needed to take in consideration what was best for my family. I had been staying at home during the day to take care of Claire, working casual shifts on evenings. However, shifts became more and more scarse, I needed to do something. 

I have now been working in my new position for almost a month now and we are becoming much more comfortable again. The trade off is I am typically working later in the day than I used to. My focus from that point on is my family, preparing healthy meals, upkeep of the house, quality time with Mel and Claire. 

The amount of time I have to even practice is lower than it used to be, but I am content with my progress at this point. My focus is on my family, first and foremost. Anything that I need to do to make sure their needs are met, I am doing with gusto. 

Although I am not practicing as much in the literal sense, I am doing what I can to utilize the mindset and philosophy in everything I do. 

Three Months of Dust

One week turns into two, into three, then into three months before you know it. That is how long it has been since my last blog. Well, I am feeling the effects and kind of awkward to be honest. Nothing to do but start again. There is so much to cover, where to begin? I will jump right into the primary purpose of this blog, my kung fu.

Throughout this pandemic I have been practicing as much as I can at home. I am very fortunate that I have two other black belts to practice with in person. I have some work to do with regards to style. My kung fu journey has not been travelled in the most suggested fashion we will say. Typically, it is suggested to learn one style, developing a good solid base before moving on to another. That is not quite what happened with me.

 

While learning Kempo style at SRKF, I asked permission to learn forms from the Wudang style as part of my I Ho Chuan curriculum. I began with one or two forms. The results seemed great, it looked as though it was complimenting my Kempo. I was excited so I dug deeper. The issue was I was not being mindful enough in my practice. The styles started melding together into this amalgamation that was both Kempo and Wudang. This is something I have been dilligently working on to fix over the past several months.

I have decided to continue practicing both styles, but being incredibly mindful as to which I am practicing at the moment. Kempo is Kempo, Wudang is Wudang. It does make it difficult to master either one, but I don't think it is right to abandon one style for another. Both define who I am as a martial artist. Both compliment my kung fu in their own way.

Online

For the past three years I have limited my online presence to my weekly blogs and Silent River Kung Fu's online platform. This was in an attempt to focus on my kung fu training and my immediate social circle.

The reasoning for this is I found I was becoming too distracted and I almost felt compelled to keep up with everything everyone posted all the time on Facebook. If I responded to one person's post, I would feel bad if I didn't do the same for everyone else's, fearing they might take it personally.

Unfortunately what this has done has instead alienated me from many of the people I know. Recently, this drove home as I missed out on a couple of family events due to my absence on Facebook. Facebook is the main faucet of communication for almost everyone, including my siblings. 

This is not a failure on their part but in mine. I have been so busy trying to stay out of the online world, expecting others to make me the exception that I could not see what was happening.

My only hope is that I can repair the damage to the relationships this decision has made. It will probably be a slow process, but it will be done. I am dusting off my old online accounts and will be more present. I may not say much, but I will be present and show my presence.

I am not the most social, especially online. As this pandemic continues and we are left with nothing but online communication for contact, I am realizing that I should go more with the flow and stop resisting it.

Life is like a river, let it flow. Blockage causes stagnation which is of no help to anyone. 

Simple Powerful Acts

Panic, fright, isolation. These words have been quite present everywhere in the past few weeks. It is scary just how quickly this COVID 19 situation has escalated. I see two extremes from people. One extreme is of pure panic, buying everything they can and isolating themselves as if this might be the end of the world itself. The other extreme is of people not taking this seriously at all, calling it over-inflated and a smaller issue than it seems. No care being taken to even remotely prepare or prevent.

I agree, caution must be exercised. I am a young, healthy person, in a low risk category, but that does not mean that I should not be cautious. It is not just my well being that is at stake, it is everyone I may come into contact with. Elderly, immune compromised, and chronically sick are at the highest risk of not only catching the virus, but also succumbing to it.

This is where practicing proper hygiene habits is so vitally important. Particularly hand hygiene. We use our hands for EVERYTHING. They are exposed to contact with almost everything we interact with. Remaining calm and keeping it simple is our first line of defense.

WASH YOUR HANDS. Seems simple enough, but you would be surprised how many ignore this! Wash them with soap and warm (not cold) water for 20 seconds or more, vigorous rubbing in all areas of your hands.

COVER YOUR MOUTH when coughing or sneezing. Again, simple and easy, but still greatly under practiced. This is vital in mitigating the spread of many ailments, not just COVID 19.

In kung fu we advocate and practice consistent action, this means to always be aware of what is happening around us and mindfully act accordingly. These actions become more common sense the more we exercise them. They become effortless, yet not without mindfulness. Let us take consistent action in doing what we can to slow speed to the virus.

Stretch

One of my main goals this year is to increase my flexibility. How I plan to accomplish this is with daily stretching. Stretching is highly underrated. However, it is incredibly important to stretch before AND after exercise. 

Your muscles work more effectively when they are loose and warm. When you use your muscles the same way repeatedly, they begin to become tight less flexible in a specific direction. Stretching helps you gain strength without sacrificing flexibility.

Flexibility is important in kung fu. For instance, the more flexible your legs and hips are, the higher you can kick with proper technique. Flexibility is also benificial for day to day activities as you have less chance of accidently pulling a muscle. 

I will update on this goal later on in the year with any progress I have made. 

Thoughts

Yesterday, I was reflecting on making correct priorities. I have so much I want to do yet I only have so much time to do it. I must choose what is more important.


On one hand I wish I was able to prioritize better. I don't feel as in control of my life as I want to be and I feel that effective prioritization is the key. I feel that if I just thought more about what I truly want to do with my life, I would find the solution to this problem.


On the other hand, if I did not make my priorities what they are, I would not be where I am today. I am defined by my past decisions. They were obviously correct in one way or another because I am pleased with where I am and where I am going.


I want to improve my kung fu, but I cannot do that if I spread my studies too thin. I must narrow my focus, prioritize and keep my mind clear, acknowledging that it all comes in time as long as I have a sense of direction and purpose.

Dynamic

Today I begin yet another change. Mel and I changed our work schedules to make it more logical and beneficial for us. I am now staying at home during the day to take care of Claire while Mel works, then I work whatever evening shifts I am available for. This is beneficial for my kung fu as it still allows me to be present at the kids classes in the evenings and I can hopefully get some extra training done during the day.

This recent change in events made me think again about how dynamic life is. There are always changes, day by day, some changes impact us more than others. Nothing is the same from one day to the next. Opportunities you may have had one day are not there the next. However, new opportunities arrive in place of the old ones. Change is inevitable in our lives. There is nothing we can do about that. All we can do is make the best decisions we can at the time. Changes do not occur without our intervention, whether due to your actions or inaction. This is why the decisions we make must be mindful, otherwise you are less in control of the changes you experience.

This is yet another lesson I am continually trying to understand and master.

Listening

We all have habits in how we move that are actually hindering our progress in the art and can even be harmful to our overall health. We become so accustomed to these habits that we lose sight of what our bodies are trying to tell us. This can be seen everywhere you go.

Look at posture for example, how often do you see others walking around with their shoulders slouched forward instead of relaxed and back, or their toes pointed outward instead of ahead while walking or standing.

When practicing kung fu, your body will tell you if your are not properly aligned, you will feel that something is off, but only if you are listening. If you do not pay attention or even choose to ignore it, it will become more difficult to overcome the longer you leave it. In order to improve you must actively listen to what your body is telling you all the time.

For example, if you kick improperly, this causes unnecessary strain on your hip. Over time this strain turns into damage and overtime the damage becomes more difficult to heal without intervention. This is why it is so important to fix the error sooner than later. When you feel strain on your hip, you are probably executing the technique wrong and need to evaluate how you are doing it. Even once you come up with a plan and adjust your approach, you must still listen to your body to determine if the right action was taken. Re-evaluate, adjust, repeat.

One at a Time

This week I thought of the concept of taking one lesson and expanding it to your entire skill set. I started thinking about how much effort it takes to overcome old habits and reinforce new ones in your training. If you try to improve or fix too many concepts they will be less effective and lose their effect.

This makes me think about teaching. It is more effective to teach and review one concept at a time rather than attempting to introduce several ideas at once, expecting any results. Through repetition, the students will get more out of focusing on one goal, allowing them to take on other concepts sooner.

One concept I am personally working on at the moment is my stances. I wish to perfect the purity of my stance, being mindful in the style the stance represents and the intent it can display. I will continue to work on this one concept until I feel ready to take anything else on. The stance is the base of all of your techniques. The stronger the base, the stronger the technique.

Explaining

This week I have been reflecting on my ability to convey what I want to teach to the students. I have come a long way over the years, but I need to continue to improve. To do this I need to recognize what I need to work on. For instance, I stumble with my words sometimes and don't get what I was intending out of the class. I believe my problem is I am not letting my mind slow down. I think too fast and in turn I speak too fast.

 I feel I have a long way to go. Like anything, it takes practice. Consistent practice with mindful corrections along the way. If I just concentrate on slowing down and remaining present to exactly what I am doing at the moment, down to the exact sentence I am speaking, I will improve. I need to continue to focus on why I am explaining what I am and what benefit it will have to the students' progress.


“First you must be calm, then your mind can be steady. Once your mind is steady, then you are at peace. Only when you are at peace, are you able to think and finally gain.” -Confucius

Reflection and Recognition

Yesterday, the entire day was as incredible, no other way to say it. It started the same as any Saturday morning, for me the best way, teaching the Lil Leopards class. Honestly, there is no more positive way to start a weekend than that. 

This was followed by banquet prep and practices. I must admit, it was very difficult to not help with the operation of the event. I found myself wandering around observing and taking in as much as I could. We have ourselves a great bunch of people in our school. When things need to get done, our team gets them done! Fantastic job everyone! 

I feel the banquet itself flowed nicely. The new venue was large enough to accommodate a good crowd yet it seemed more comfortable, more intimate, I enjoyed it greatly. 

The lion dance was a blast! The fact that we had such little time to work on it, yet produced something as successful as we did demonstrates the high level of teamwork our lion dance team has, great job everyone, I look forward to seeing it.

I am at a loss of words for how grateful I am to so many people. I could not name anyone in my speech because we would still be there right now with all the people I would have to name who made an impact on my journey to this point. Thank you to my instructors and mentors, thank you to my fellow students, thank you to the I Ho Chuan team.

There are a few teammates I would like to specially recognize. Thank you Sifu Ward, for sticking with me this year and working incredibly hard to achieve the rank of black belt, you definitely earned it. 

Thank you Don Bjorkquist. You have no idea just how much you helped me this past year, both with my grading and with my personal life. 

Sifu Randy Langner, you have been there for me for many years now. You have always had the utmost confidence in me and yet were never afraid to give me a good slice of humble pie once in a while to keep me on track. When I needed you to be there, you were there, you are my best and most loyal friend. Thank you.

Checking a List

A conversation during lion dance practice yesterday made me think about how one approaches their kung fu. We were talking about not simply going through the motions in the lion, it needs to make logical sense, it must have a purpose and you as a lion dancer must recognize and understand in order to successfully tell your story. Don't just check off what you need to do on a mental list and move on.

There are several requirements that you must complete in a single year in the I Ho Chuan. They seem quite daunting, but once you set yourself a routine and are diligent in keeping that routine even when life around you complicates the process, they will seem easier. The effort becomes effortless. However, we can get caught up in just doing the pushups, the forms, the acts of kindness without actually thinking about WHY we are doing these things. At this you will begin to forget what the requirements represent, what their value is.

The obvious benefit is physical, after doing 50,000 pushups and situps properly in a year, you are going to be in much better shape than you were a year before. The mental benefits are not so obvious at first. They become more so when you realize how your life habits change. You don't have time to sit around and watch T.V. or play video games all night when you are working towards you yearly goal. You are practicing your forms and doing your pushups. Priorities change and you feel that bettering yourself and accomplishing something is more important than catching up on the 5 popular shows you are used to watching.

When you are mindfully documenting when you do an act of kindness, it makes you think about the whole situation. Something as simple as opening a door for example, many of us just hold it open because it is the courteous thing to do, but don't actually think about it. When you hold that door for that person, even give them a smile, making eye contact, you could potentially be making their day. When you open the door, don't do it for your own benefit or even a "thank you" from the person, do it out of compassion for the other person. It might inspire them to do the same for someone else and so on and so on. Kindness spreads fast if you just try.

The requirements of the I Ho Chuan transform you mentally as well as physically, ALL of them. This is only done when they are done mindfully, not as just another item to check off your list.

Overcoming Struggle

It is clear we struggled as a team this year. There was some blockage in our communication, I am as much to blame for this as anyone else. We took on this year knowing what was expected of us and all of us have been doing the best we could. Our greatest fault has been our lack of communication. United we stand, divided we fall. The I Ho Chuan is not intended to be a year long challenge that you take on all the requirements on your own, pushing your way through and planting your flag on top of the mountain you just climbed. It is a team effort. 

I know how difficult it is to ask for help, I am stubborn that way sometimes. However, just putting the word out that you are struggling will allow the team to realize and understand what you are going through and they may even be able to help you even if you didn't ask. Most of the time when you don't ask for help it is because you don't know how to.  

Let's finish off this year with a bang, Team Pig. Let us pull together and remind ourselves that it is not  just the banquet that is the high point of the year, but the preparation, the journey. I always have enjoyed the practice days. The mistakes we make and the laughs shared because of them is what brings us together. Let's help the Rat team by pushing forth with some motivational momentum to start their year off.

Practice

This is always my favorite time of the year, preparing for the New Year banquet. Everyone comes together to produce amazing results. Every year I have been involved with the I Ho Chuan this has been the case and I can see it coming again this year. I am proud and pleased with the effort many of us have made in the last few weeks to put together our demo, considering how difficult this year seemed to be for us.

Developing a demo and a new lion dance is by far my favorite part of the whole experience. Creativity is at its peak and team engagement is strong. I am amazed by what we come up with and what we accomplish with so little time. This year is the closest I have seen with regards to practice time and we are making it happen. I am very excited for the lion dance, this one is sure to be amazing! As always it is my favorite part of learning kung fu, the conditioning and practice it requires benefits the rest of your practice immensely. 

Reviewing my form and techniques in the demo via video has been a great tool for me. Actually seeing what I am doing as opposed to what I think I am doing allows me to develop more eye for detail. I can see what others could see and can correct accordingly. I appreciate Sifu Csillag filming our practices for us, it has been a great help.

I feel quite energized following our last practice, I can't until the next one, if we remain consistent we will have this nailed down.