Well it's been officially day one of being a Black Belt? Do I feel any different? Honestly I'm not sure, I am still just kind of floating right now on a cloud of awesome, way the heck up there. Lastnight was amazing and obviously one I will never forget anytime soon. For the most part I stayed pretty calm and maintained my excited buzz and I was so happy. The only time I became nervous is when it came time to read my speech. Oh man, my heart was going off like the zombie drumming. I havent spoken in front of that many people in a long time, but I did it and calmed myself down enough to get through it. When I got home I just kind of hung out and reflected on it all and really cherished the moment. As much as I thought it would be cool to sleep with my black belt on....well I share a bed so we all know where that idea went. As I think about today, I realized the need to plan for tomorrow as my journey has just taken another turn.
One very important part to remember is I just can't suddenly shut it all off. I haven't arrived anywhere. It's not time to just coast along. No, actually now is the time to really crank it up. New goals must be set, conditioning must be maintained, and all that was tested must remain sharp. It says so right in the Black Belt Code of Ethics....and I said " I Do", so I damn well better. From what I can see and have witnessed, those red stripes at the end of a Black Belt take time and effort. Much like the journey that brought me to this point and this one will be even more difficult. I can't wait, this is going to be awesome.
I have actually started to make some plans for the year in order to stay engaged and advance my skill. I will continue with my weapons training as I really enjoy this area. I haven't decided if I will take on another weapon or continuing to work with one of the 4 I have and further the forms. All the weapons I have at my disposal each have a base form to work off of, so maybe we'll see how I can advance them. I noticed as I continued to practice my 5 techniques they began to evolve and things started to change involuntary in some cases such as footwork and application. That's all good and everything except when they begin to change during a public demo.....at my promotion..... without any warning to me or my partner. I screwed a couple of them up lastnight and felt kind of stupid but when Mr. Duncan and I were practicing earlier in the week we kind of seen that coming. So I plan to continue working on these techniques and just see where I can take them. I think I will take on some Tai Chi perhaps and just really work on all aspects of my Kung Fu. I have other thoughts too, but I believe I will do a little consulting before I apply them to my training. One thing I will continue to do is journal. I have actually really took a liking to recording my discoveries and thoughts.
I just wanted to say congratulations to all of the Black Belts that were promoted lastnight, very very inspirational and a great example. Congratulations also to all the students and their achievements, well done everyone. Of course I have to say congratulations again to Sifu S. Csillag and Sifu C. Prince, well done ladies and it was amazing to train with you two. I gues we'll see you Thursday night!!!
I also wanted to mention a couple of other Black Belts that helped me along this journey.
Sifu Rybak, thanks for always having faith in me and your continued support over the last few years when I couldn't be at the kwoon preparing for demos. You always said, "I know your training", or "fix this or that for next time" and that always helped me stay engaged.
Sifu Adrien Prince and Sifu Vantuil, you two helped me in several areas, but one area in particular was when I was posting questions on Kwoon talk. I would get stuck on things while training at home and post questions and you two would always post a response that would help and I would be prepared for class on a few belt levels. Thanks for that. Also Sifu Adrien Prince thank you for always taking time to help me with the technical areas of my training and Sifu Vantuil for giving me some Tai Chi exercises to work on and always offering assistance when I needed it. ( Even if I did them in Catapillar D9 mode) Thank you.
Sifu Harrigan from my very first class to where I am today you have helped me in so many ways and always offered advice and direction when it came to several aspects of my Kung Fu training, I appreciate it, Thank you.
To the Monkeys thanks for being such a great team. I really enjoyed seeing so many of you overcome your obstacles and come out on top. This team was so kick ass in so many ways. Your individual personalities and hard work is what made this year so special and I'm so glad you guys were a major part of me becoming a black belt with your never ending support, Thanks so much Monkeys, I wish you the best! One more thing before I forget again, Sifu Lindstrom you were in my corner right from the beginning and that never stopped all year, thank you for all of your support.
Well that's about all I have for now as I struggled just write this and try to focus, still on a major Kung Fu buzz and all that took place lastnight. See you at the Kwoon.
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Sunday, 22 January 2017
A Process Engrained
What a road it's been leading up to this point. I think back to the beginning of the year and how only a short time in, it began to change and just kept revolving into more and more unique discoveries and more and more challenges. I wouldn't change none of it for the world. Here I am, only a few short days away from achieving something that only less than 1% of the population can. I am about to be recognized as a product of a deep and solid lineage of martial artists as one of their own. I am about to be cross the floor and stand by the very same people I have tried hard to emulate all these years. I am about to stand beside my mentors and teachers and be recognized as one of their own. I treat this and respect this as a very huge honour. I carry the biggest honour of all and that is being a father and a husband to my family and son to my parents. But this to me carries the same responsibility and is along the same level of importance. It goes beyond the blood, sweat, and dirt. It is proof of true grit yes, but a statement to exactly what kind of person you are. I feel very humbled and extremely grateful right now and I am full of excitement.
I'll be the first to admit I haven't been a very good team mate in the I Ho Chuan class, in fact probably one of the worst. I have contributed very little as far as I am concerned. This year and those previous I have been in it, I have seldom been able to make most of the classes. Most of the time I was on my own, as a result of high work hours or location. But when it comes down to putting in the work and pushing all limits to get the job done, I can be counted on as a result of being in the I Ho Chuan. This process was an integral part of my focus and discipline that led me to complete and accomplish the rank of black belt. Because of it's lessons of self discovery and ability to instill the mindset to never give up and push beyond your inner limits, to see the goal and follow through, regardless of location or circumstance, I know what it means to have structure. This process in itself must be recognized for the valuable tool it is. It is an advanced version of the Black Belt success cycle, and if used like it is meant to be used, your martial art discipline and skill level will become upgraded to more of a well rounded progression. You begin to approach the art from the inside out and the enhancement brings the mind and the body as one. Physical and mental improvement are lead through awareness as a whole. What goes into the body and mind and what leaves becomes the overall goal. The structure you create and it's existence in your soul is what makes us all great. As little as I have been involved with this years team and left a lot of you carrying my weight, I have been able to witness some amazing people do truly amazing things as of late. With the short deadline thrown at the team and basically starting from scratch, it's all coming together very nicely and the energy is amazing. I look forward to training with you all for remaining days left leading up to Chinese New year, it's been an absolute privilage. See you at the Kwoon.
I'll be the first to admit I haven't been a very good team mate in the I Ho Chuan class, in fact probably one of the worst. I have contributed very little as far as I am concerned. This year and those previous I have been in it, I have seldom been able to make most of the classes. Most of the time I was on my own, as a result of high work hours or location. But when it comes down to putting in the work and pushing all limits to get the job done, I can be counted on as a result of being in the I Ho Chuan. This process was an integral part of my focus and discipline that led me to complete and accomplish the rank of black belt. Because of it's lessons of self discovery and ability to instill the mindset to never give up and push beyond your inner limits, to see the goal and follow through, regardless of location or circumstance, I know what it means to have structure. This process in itself must be recognized for the valuable tool it is. It is an advanced version of the Black Belt success cycle, and if used like it is meant to be used, your martial art discipline and skill level will become upgraded to more of a well rounded progression. You begin to approach the art from the inside out and the enhancement brings the mind and the body as one. Physical and mental improvement are lead through awareness as a whole. What goes into the body and mind and what leaves becomes the overall goal. The structure you create and it's existence in your soul is what makes us all great. As little as I have been involved with this years team and left a lot of you carrying my weight, I have been able to witness some amazing people do truly amazing things as of late. With the short deadline thrown at the team and basically starting from scratch, it's all coming together very nicely and the energy is amazing. I look forward to training with you all for remaining days left leading up to Chinese New year, it's been an absolute privilage. See you at the Kwoon.
Sunday, 15 January 2017
Gears of Focus are Out of Sync
Well where to start? Let's start with my return from holidays and back into the kwoon. It was a little nerve wracking at first since I new I had to jump back into the program as if I never left. I'm really glad that Sifu put out the video for the thriller dance footwork. I practiced it numerous times because I wanted to be ready. First night back and I was told it looked good. Alright cool. First reaction though to see the pink lion brought on three stages of mental prep. Stage 1, gather up and stock come back ammunition for team teasing. No problem there. Stage 2, get over the fact your in a pink lion. Stage 3, look past the colour and look at the meaning. That pink lion represents a battle that one of our very own Sifu's had endured and won. That lion represents courage, will and determination, strength and not something to be messed with. That lion represents pain and losses to families; mothers, daughters, friends etc. A cancer that can eliminate a part of the female anatomy, remove the opportunity to feed children as nature intended, a part of life creation and advancement. That lion represents hope and powerful symbolism and I'm damn proud to be in it.
Next issue was my inability to take my weapons on holidays, they get all uptight about that stuff at airports and in the general public. So having to improvise by utilizing a rake handle I broke in two, I went to work on the form. Things seemed like they were coming together quite well, finally reaching a certain flow and piecing together a form that actually made some sense. Then I came back home, grabbed the axes and went through the form. This awesome form ended up turning into a big pile of s#$t fresh out of the dogs butt. Oh great, can't wait to show this to the team and my Sifus. Not a good place to be in the mind and my habit of beating the crap right out myself didn't help either. The thing is my weapons kind of took a back seat to my preparation to grading. Dumb for sure, but that's what I did. Whatever, face the music and do something about it. This particular weapon has been the hardest form yet I have ever created. The stances I worked with on holidays did not work well with the transitions and techniques I developed with the actual weapon. If my hands are even an inch or two off during the techniques or the vectors are not timed properly with centering and a grounded stance, I am no longer in the drivers seat, the weapon is and that is not a proper application or even a form. Stops and starts burn energy, are hard on the joints, and make the form ineffective. Once you get a heavier weapon going you don't want it to stop, you want it to keep moving with smooth transitions and you must remain in control while still having an actual technique. I've had to put in a lot of hours the last while to get this form where I want it to be but I think I'm there now. It might still suck but at this point, it's what I have. The first demo run at the last I Ho Chuan class was awesome, it was like I didn't even have the twin axes in my hands and this told me I hit the mark. Second one, not so good, but I have enough time to easily hit the 100 rep mark and version 8.7 will be ready for Chinese New Year.
I'm fighting an injury at the moment that can be at times very painful, I have irritated some tendons in my right arm. It started with a pain that travelled across the top of my fore arm and moved to the side of my elbow and area. So I got it checked out and thankfully there is no tendon damage, but they are mad at me. So I have some exercises to do and I need to select a brace to use when training for the next while. I also managed to get into to see my practitioner of reflexology and ancient chinese medicine. She worked on it for sometime and I got another opportunity to use the mind over pain for the purpose of healing challenge. Trying to keep your arm completely relaxed from shoulder to finger tip while someone has their thumb buried deep into the muscle right to the bone and riding along it to the source was a great challenge.... but I did it and although really sore that evening, the next day, nothing except a small amount of pain right at the tip of my elbow. It comes back here and there but I'm taking care of it until after chinese New Year. I have another appointment soon and the tools I need to make it through.
A couple of my techniques need some work as during demo practice they basically suck ass. I need a good hour or two with my training partner and they will be right where they need to be and beyond. We haven't worked together nearly enough the last while but I knew this would happen and I know what needs to be done, and so it will. On the one I need to change the footwork just ever so slightly and it will evolve to even better efficiency and effectiveness. The other one needs another small tweek which will be a little experimental, but I'm sure by next demo practice, they will be pristine and where they were when I presented them at grading.
Moving forward and maintaining narrowed focus has been a real challenge lately. Too many things going on perhaps that need to be prioritized and set straight. Other things need to be set aside and others let go and tossed to the curb. My focus for so long now has been direct and precise as required to complete a task or be in the moment. Spells of anxiety and blurry moments have crept into my direction, where the hell did this come from? This isn't the time for this. I really have to take a moment and calm the mind, build the focus and remember where I am and what I set out to do this year. It's not really that hard to get caught up in a bunch of things if there is no advancement to an issue or a complete failure to comphrehend the fix. Sometimes its hard to let your mistakes go and learn from them, but that's what I need to do. I took the time this weekend to do just that. Think things through and sort them out, remove the clutter and redefine the direction. I think I have succeeded by applying the tools I have developed this year. I guess we'll see.
Finally, without going into any detail, last Sihing class was by far one of my most proudest moments I have experienced in some time. I felt so grateful and accomplished, I couldn't sleep and was running on about 4 hrs sleep at work the next day but my energy level and mental well being was as if I woke up from a 12 hour rest. It was a moment I will never forget and all those that were a part of it. Thank you.
So here we are just days away from Chinese New Year and this team is just amazing. I feel so proud to be on it with some truly amazing people, you guys are awesome. The energy level as Sifu Brinker described is something I am truly embracing. I'm very excited for the lion dance and grateful to be a part of Sifu's vision. See you at the Kwoon.
Next issue was my inability to take my weapons on holidays, they get all uptight about that stuff at airports and in the general public. So having to improvise by utilizing a rake handle I broke in two, I went to work on the form. Things seemed like they were coming together quite well, finally reaching a certain flow and piecing together a form that actually made some sense. Then I came back home, grabbed the axes and went through the form. This awesome form ended up turning into a big pile of s#$t fresh out of the dogs butt. Oh great, can't wait to show this to the team and my Sifus. Not a good place to be in the mind and my habit of beating the crap right out myself didn't help either. The thing is my weapons kind of took a back seat to my preparation to grading. Dumb for sure, but that's what I did. Whatever, face the music and do something about it. This particular weapon has been the hardest form yet I have ever created. The stances I worked with on holidays did not work well with the transitions and techniques I developed with the actual weapon. If my hands are even an inch or two off during the techniques or the vectors are not timed properly with centering and a grounded stance, I am no longer in the drivers seat, the weapon is and that is not a proper application or even a form. Stops and starts burn energy, are hard on the joints, and make the form ineffective. Once you get a heavier weapon going you don't want it to stop, you want it to keep moving with smooth transitions and you must remain in control while still having an actual technique. I've had to put in a lot of hours the last while to get this form where I want it to be but I think I'm there now. It might still suck but at this point, it's what I have. The first demo run at the last I Ho Chuan class was awesome, it was like I didn't even have the twin axes in my hands and this told me I hit the mark. Second one, not so good, but I have enough time to easily hit the 100 rep mark and version 8.7 will be ready for Chinese New Year.
I'm fighting an injury at the moment that can be at times very painful, I have irritated some tendons in my right arm. It started with a pain that travelled across the top of my fore arm and moved to the side of my elbow and area. So I got it checked out and thankfully there is no tendon damage, but they are mad at me. So I have some exercises to do and I need to select a brace to use when training for the next while. I also managed to get into to see my practitioner of reflexology and ancient chinese medicine. She worked on it for sometime and I got another opportunity to use the mind over pain for the purpose of healing challenge. Trying to keep your arm completely relaxed from shoulder to finger tip while someone has their thumb buried deep into the muscle right to the bone and riding along it to the source was a great challenge.... but I did it and although really sore that evening, the next day, nothing except a small amount of pain right at the tip of my elbow. It comes back here and there but I'm taking care of it until after chinese New Year. I have another appointment soon and the tools I need to make it through.
A couple of my techniques need some work as during demo practice they basically suck ass. I need a good hour or two with my training partner and they will be right where they need to be and beyond. We haven't worked together nearly enough the last while but I knew this would happen and I know what needs to be done, and so it will. On the one I need to change the footwork just ever so slightly and it will evolve to even better efficiency and effectiveness. The other one needs another small tweek which will be a little experimental, but I'm sure by next demo practice, they will be pristine and where they were when I presented them at grading.
Moving forward and maintaining narrowed focus has been a real challenge lately. Too many things going on perhaps that need to be prioritized and set straight. Other things need to be set aside and others let go and tossed to the curb. My focus for so long now has been direct and precise as required to complete a task or be in the moment. Spells of anxiety and blurry moments have crept into my direction, where the hell did this come from? This isn't the time for this. I really have to take a moment and calm the mind, build the focus and remember where I am and what I set out to do this year. It's not really that hard to get caught up in a bunch of things if there is no advancement to an issue or a complete failure to comphrehend the fix. Sometimes its hard to let your mistakes go and learn from them, but that's what I need to do. I took the time this weekend to do just that. Think things through and sort them out, remove the clutter and redefine the direction. I think I have succeeded by applying the tools I have developed this year. I guess we'll see.
Finally, without going into any detail, last Sihing class was by far one of my most proudest moments I have experienced in some time. I felt so grateful and accomplished, I couldn't sleep and was running on about 4 hrs sleep at work the next day but my energy level and mental well being was as if I woke up from a 12 hour rest. It was a moment I will never forget and all those that were a part of it. Thank you.
So here we are just days away from Chinese New Year and this team is just amazing. I feel so proud to be on it with some truly amazing people, you guys are awesome. The energy level as Sifu Brinker described is something I am truly embracing. I'm very excited for the lion dance and grateful to be a part of Sifu's vision. See you at the Kwoon.
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