Forms

Forms. Probably the base for all your training. Doesn't matter if it's a weapon, your hands, combinations, sparring, techniques, everything is based on your forms and how much you use them is a window to your Kung Fu. Your forms install muscle memory, dynamic stretching, and brings you that much closer to achieving center. They are also the only true way you are going to discover and learn to feel and apply the six harmonies. Your flow and to be able to utilize flow in every thing you do regarding your Kung Fu is going to come from your forms. I haven't been practicing my forms as regularly as I should be with the exception of my weapon form, and I can tell.  I feel it in any application I attempt, my kicks, stances, even throwing a simple punch. So from this point on, my form reps must increase and must be practiced daily. This should help with a lot the issues I have had lately with my Kung Fu.

The excitement of a new day

I learn a lot from my little one. It's really amazing how much your kids can teach you. I learned a valuable lesson from my daughter the other day and a reminder that life is too short. It's your life and there is just so much to be excited and grateful for, every single day.

I had just gotten up and was starting my day with a little zombie mind meditation, as I like to call it. Sipping a cup of coffee and staring at the wall, my daughter came down the stairs and sat down at the island ready to eat her breakfast. Listening to her tell me about what was going on that day with huge smiles and an energy level that was very humbling to say the least. It reminded me of just how much I take things for granted and how important it is to appreciate the little things. How know matter what, everyday is a new day and it should be just that exciting no matter what is going on or what you are doing.
Thanks Eva.

The Challenge of Five

Spending the last while working on five personal techniques. I have a goal to at least complete a rough draft for all five by the end of June, and then tune them from there. A million ideas pour through my mind but piecing this together has been a challenge for sure. During all this time I barely have one. This is a big deal for me. This showcases what you know and you are. Your creativity. Just exactly where you are at with your Kung Fu. Pretty intimidating over all, and probably one of the most important requirements of your grading. I feel like man, I don't know anything and I don't have anything. At the moment. But the clock is ticking....fast. Perhaps I am thinking way too much about it. Maybe I take on too much of the approval of my Sifus, and it just has to be that good. Well it should be that good damn it. I've put a lot of time and effort in my Kung Fu to get this far. People have taken time out of they're lives to teach me these things. Took the time to give me advice on their own time. The creativity is there, the discipline and ethic to work hard is there. It's just my stubborn mindset and relentless internal criticism that continues to hamper my evolution. That and I'm just not one to throw a bunch of crap together with no thought or heart and call it awesome. You only grade once and it means a lot to me. I want to feel like I earned it. I want to feel good about what I did and not look back and say "Yah I threw a bunch of junk together and signed it off as mine, good enough."

 I guess the main thing is to remain positive and accept this as one of my greater challenges. Personally I like being under the gun. It motivates me when someone tells me I won't make it or it's almost too late. And yes it's been hinted or mentioned in a round about way. Some would see this as approval to quit, or accept someone else's opinion as right. Well if I actually lived my life that way, I doubt you would be reading this. Moving forward, once these are pieced together, this will be some of my best work.

Together we conquer, Divided we fall

I've been thinking a lot about preparing for black belt over the last while, long while. I really think that those of us that want to grade this year really need to get together, wherever, whenever. we can.
 What I have seen in the last few years is people training on their own and then in the last few months before grading or preparing for the promotion ceremony they get together. Stressed out and tired from all the extra training they have to put in in order to prepare for it all and get used to each other. Yes I have trained on my own for quite some time. It's easier to train on your own because the only person you are accountable to is yourself. Therefore it's so easy to back up your excuses or not do a requirement. What are you going to do, beat yourself up? Yell at yourself? If you give a shit then that's exactly what your going to do. So what do you gain? Very little. How do you properly prepare for anything whether it be your own personal techniques, gauging your progress or fitness levels if you have no one to work with that is training and working towards the same goal. It's time for me to break that cycle. It's time for all the candidates to break this cycle.
The appreciation and discipline of working towards and achieving a goal is much more full filling and meaningful when you are challenged and have the presence of someone else. A balance is created. If someone is failing, there are many hands to pick them up. As unit I firmly believe that we will all succeed to achieving black belt. Everyone is very awesome in their own way. Everyone also completely sucks in other ways. This is why I feel that unification will not only prepare us for success, but install strong motivation, create honesty in ourselves, and tame the egos by learning from each other and supporting each other instead of comparing ourselves to what others are or aren't doing. We will also have someone to give us a nice swift kick in the ass that we all need from time to time.

I understand people work out of town or have whatever going on, but if we come up with a plan and communicate with each other and let people know what we are working on this will work no matter where you are. So am asking whoever is going to grade this year to get a hold of me by phone, email, or approach me at the kwoon and let's start training together hardcore. The Silent River way. I need and want the help. I also want to see a bunch of us preparing and working hard together, so when it comes time to grade, we will be known as a group that was ready to grade. Let's wake up the dragon shall we! See you at the kwoon