Improvements and Reminders

So I had the opportunity yesterday to work on a couple of my own techniques. Keeping in mind what I have learned the last while about being grounded, disruption of the six harmonies and applying circular energy and using your attackers momentum and energy as opposed to all of your own. I did my best of attempting to be mindful of all of these factors and I honestly believe I made some really good progress. I can't speak for Mr. Duncan or how he felt after it all, but I could tell immediately when things were just raw power and when the technique was beginning to awaken. After numerous repetitions, I was beginning to feel less impact and more of a deflection and interception, smoother flow, and managing to turn my attacker 180 degrees effortlessly and by the time we were on the ground, the lock was already applied and my attacker pinned and I felt completely grounded. In my mind I was excited to notice that the "wedge" was already there as well. This was very exciting that this was all through the actual technique as opposed to forcing them around with my own energy, and then trying to find and apply the lock, and then insuring there was a wedge and I was grounded. With this discovery it was very easy to know if the application was being powered through or technical application was on track and that's just cool. I also tweeked one of my other techniques but left that where it's at for the moment. I want to concentrate on one at at time and have them technically sound before I begin to practice them all at once. By this time I will have my attacker come at me at random, I won't know for the most part which one I will need to apply and from which direction they will be coming from. I feel with this approach my personal techniques will be highly effective and I will evolve that much further as a martial artist. Good stuff indeed.

I really took to heart what Sifu Brinker had to say yesterday, I love it when Sifu doesn't sugar coat things and just tells it like it is. His words made me really take a look at myself and my position as a martial artist. Am I just doing this as a hobby or is this truly part of me. Do I want to be a Grand Master some day or just some mediocre wanna be that consistently finds excuses and justifications on why I can't be or shouldn't be. I hate that word can't, but somewhere along the way I felt the need to tolerate it.  Am I actually applying myself as a true hardcore Kung Fu student, or am I just dicking around, helping water down something that is pure, something that is powerful and something that is one of the few things left that hasn't been messed with  and is allowed to be and what is meant to stay as traditional. Traditional practices require hard work and commitment. So I had to ask myself yesterday, are you committed? Is it suddenly okay to relax your values and morals that you supposedly live by? Is it now okay to break your word by self justified excuses? I kind of felt ashamed but positively motivated and inspired to change things up, pour on the potency and practice my Kung Fu with a traditional mindset. This is how I deciphered his words and this is how I perceived them. Keep in mind everyones' perceptions are different and it's what you take away and how you apply these perceptions that either result in motivation or just another excuse on why you can't or something you can blame to deflect accountability from yourself,  it just that simple. It was all very inspirational and I'm more than grateful I was there to hear Sifu's words. It's not a rant or a personal attack, it was a door opening, it was a positive message, and it was a good healthy reminder to not be mediocre, but be a Master and apply mastery. Thank you Sifu.