Sunday 29 April 2018

Moving To Stratagize

The brain needs exercise and physical challenge to remain healthy and the body needs clear thoughts and direction to maintain a healthy balance and they all must move together. I'm in a position right now that remains all too familiar, a life of madness. It's my jungle I guess and I have manged to make it this far and have succeeded many feats along the way. But I've also get lost in my own jungle and tend to slash and hack the living crap out of everything......only to find out all I had to do was turn right and go about 5 feet. But this is my year of change and I need to get rid of the mantra of you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm in the process of making a plan that is not only sustainable, but adaptable. This is nothing new at first glance as I developed many plans over the years and achieved what I set out to do. But this plan is more focused towards change of priorities and enhancing my Kung Fu along the way, keeping it in front of me. I will be moving things around and making things a priority, and other things to the bottom of the list to achieve a balance and a more powerful life.

My Kung Fu has taken a back seat to other things that came along in the past and the failure to maintain it as priority has been damaging. You have to start all over again and that sucks. This is my year to really focus on the investment in me and my Kung Fu. My year to chase down mastery and freaking own it. But I won't achieve this if I repeat the past and not stick to my plans or lose focus on what I set out to do. As soon as I justify my requirements being missed or fire up the excuse factory, then it's time to look back to the plan and stratagize, make the s$#t real front and centre.

 I have people on this team that I have trained with for many years. People I trust, and know that they will not hesitate to offer help, advice, give it to me straight, or a provide me with a good hard smack in the head when I need it. They're the best!! But there are also people on this team that I don't know, but nonetheless they are just as important and since I will probably be away for the next 3 months. This stuff needs to be seen and shared and I'm going to do my best to do so and offer as much support as I can by which ever way I can.

I will post my plan once it's complete and do my best to maintain public accountability. Plans are the best way to accomplish anything, but it never hurts to have another set of eyes look it over. I need to communicate with Grande Formage and a couple of others to verify some things and communicate some details. I hope your all doing well and training is good. I can't be at the kwoon right now unfortunately. My push ups and sit ups are happening every day, hitting some forms and doing whatever else I can along the way. I haven't missed a post yet either....and that folks is a first!! See you at the Kwoon.

Sunday 22 April 2018

Rolling With Change

Things have taken many turns over the last while resulting in involuntary change. But really change for most things is involuntary. Like it or not, they just happen and there is nothing you can really do about it. You have to look at this change and decide if your going to accept it and conform, or your going to reject it and not conform. You need to decide, is this change going to benefit me and will I be okay with it, or am I going to regret it and hate my life after the fact. These types of situations can toss you into a complete cluster truck, or they can set you on a new path of awesomeness of opportunity.

Now what one person may see as awesomeness venturing into the unknown and embracing the challenge, accepting change, another may see it as risk and too far outside of the comfort zone; and not change. But how do you know if you don't try or give it a chance. To me, the risk has always been the reward. I've always been a jump into the fire kind of person and see what the results are after the smoke clears. This has served me well more often than not, so that's how I roll. But I have also been very stubborn and a nonconforming type of person that doesn't like change, and won't accept things that I deem...well stupid. But who the hell am I? Isn't life about challenging yourself, coming outside your comfort zone, giving things a fair shake and improving your ability to adapt and overcome? I have these characterisitics, but they are not very universal sometimes. This hasn't served me very well at all. If anything I have went backwards and missed opportunity as a result.

Nobody is going to embrace everything and some things are down right stupid and not worth the venture. You should never yield your personal proven and balanced principals and morals just because it's the status quot. But I think these decisions can be made in an instant through actual experience rather than narrow minded speculation. You are your own person and you have the right to feel and think how ever the hell you want. But you can also improve by comparing notes and trying something a little different sometimes. That's how we find peace and harmony and evolve and create opportunity.

There are a couple of personal requirements I have for this year and they have kind of merged into one. Which is really freakin cool because that tells me I'm on the right track and my plan is evolving. The first one as you can tell, is embracing change and fortunately I don't have to go into this because I beat this dog for about three paragraphs. But I realize I will be a much better person and a better Black Belt if I really make this paramount.

The second is a career change. One would think that this is probably not the best time to do this and question the decision as going beyond risk and is sniffing paint thinner my new go to. But actually now is the best time to do it because there is no distraction and you really have to put yourself out there. You have to take the risk and you must embrace challenge with change. That and if I am going to really have a successful year of mastery and see my goals through with my I Ho Chuan requirements (all of them, not just what I want to) then this is what I must do.

 Fortunately for me after a million resumes, second guessing, and some intense interviews, I scored a new job. It's in high level management and the demand after only a few days is pretty intense. I basically have to jam about a couple of years worth of specs and procedures into my skull over the course of about 5 days. That's where I have been for the last few weeks. Prepping for the interview and now for the project. I have been given an opportunity to better myself and make change. I have been given the opportunity to see my goals through and challenge myself in these two areas.

I"m quite aways outside my comfort zone here and I have one shot to prove myself worthy of the position. My past work experience and my attitude towards it all is what won me the gig. Now I have to bring my Kung Fu and my willingness to change to the challenge. I have to change the way I do things and how I think about things. I have to take the risk and be the change to see these two goals through. I have to change the way I train to adapt to my new path as there will be many obstacles coming my way. I will be out of town, working many hours, and only one day at home each week. But I already see change as I am meeting my requirements, push ups, sit ups, and journaling. They may be minimal at the moment, but in the past when these kinds of demands came about, I only focused on the task at hand, rather than moving my Kung Fu and my work together efficiently. Change is already happening, and it's going to be nothing but epic awesomeness for the year of the dog. See you at the Kwoon.

Sunday 15 April 2018

Journeys

Journeys can be compared to a fingerprint, none are the same but everybody has one of a unique pattern. Its this individual signifigance that makes them special no matter how simplistic or intricate they may be, they all mean something. They also all lead you into corners or walls that bring on a moment of reflection or reset that leads you to advance down that slide or find that window of opportunity to carry on down the path of extraordinary and defeat the impossible. You never stop learning or growing and peace and harmony are always present, you just have to look for it sometimes.

Depending on how you embrace these times and keeping in mind that life and it's offerings are a gift and we only get one shot at it, enforces the mindset of being in the moment at all times. I think of journeys as a marker to a persons life time and it's significances. This allows us to find tools to grow with wisdom and constantly endure the quest for life and all that it throws at us. It's very important to never lose sight of those long distance markers, and gather those smaller ones along the way as well. Because again, it all means something and is a valuable component to the making of your own individual awesomeness and your own individual mastery. See you at the Kwoon




Sunday 8 April 2018

Mine Oh Mine

It may come off as a little nuts to name your weapon and almost cherish it is a living breathing thing. But if you think about how much time you spend with this awesome piece of art that represents mayhem and destruction and how it can effect you in so many ways, it's pretty hard not too. They all have a history of course and most Kung Fu weapons originated from farming tools and such as to hide training, so there is a good chance your weapon is much much older than you. So always show respect to your elders.

As it's been said many times before, no matter what configuration of weapon you train with, it is an extension of yourself and your personal mechanics. Therefore, I see it as a very useful tool to gauge a number of factors in regards to stances, transitions, definition,etc. But when you have those really triumphant times, when you learn the whole form, and begin to improve after each rep, like 1000 of them, how can you not name it and appreciate the value and benefits of weapon training.

I have a rough form laid out with my axe that is something a bit different than I have done before. I still have some of the techniques I have used before but instead of them being an attack, they are more so utilized for transitions. This form has taken sometime and this is just the rough version. The final version definately needs some smoothing out and some additional blocks and techniques. That's the cool part about revisiting an old weapon form, it's an opportunity to evolve further and polish up some old tools, so to speak.

 But for me the best part about training with a weapon is putting your creativity to work and your thoughts to reality. I also find it to be quite therapeutic as many of us struggle with life from time to time and our training helps with this much. It's a nice escape and a tool for balance and calm. Like for example, when you get behind someone on your way home from work that thinks the passing lane on the highway is a safe space for idiots....I just don't get that. What better way to feel better about a aggravating situation than go practice with your weapon, its amazing what you can come up with and how much better you feel when your done.

I don't think there is any better feeling than being outside on a nice sunny day or a nice warm evening practicing with a weapon though and taking your Kung Fu to greater heights. Plus it's much easier and less harmful than being inside or slipping around on the ice and snow. I had a bit of a struggle this year with the ability to train in the garage or basement. I only smashed a few things in the process though.... and only put a few new scars in the garage ceiling....and maybe only two slash/dents on the garage door. I see it as the price for progress and training with a long weapon. I've only been hit a few times and tore a couple of shirts but this is a good way to insure proper technique and good optics to troubleshooting. But for the most part, MINE is behaving quite well and I think we will have another good year as we bond on the imaginary battle field. See you at the Kwoon


Tuesday 3 April 2018

March Madness

Well I'm two days late on my latest post as a result of a busy Easter weekend with family. It was a nice time and I really enjoyed it as it gave me a chance to forget about things for a couple of days. Lots of ebbs and flows this past month with almost everything and that really doesn't go away.

 Much like most people in the country at the moment, any kind of consistent work or financial balance has been a very tough go, like damn near impossible. Bills don't stop coming in and the cost of living just keeps skyrocketing, but our work and wages don't. It really takes a toll on families and is of extreme pressure that can really knock the wind out of you. It's a very horrible feeling to be in a position of constant concern and the feeling of being useless. Like if something really goes south...what are you going to do. I do my best to stay in the fight, but when all of your resources have been depleted and you have absolutely nothing to fall back on, you can't help but start to beat yourself up and start to question just what kind of a person you are and how did you let yourself become so vulnerable.

A lot can be said for our leadership in times like these and just how we react to a stressful situation. Stress is a killer, it can take a healthy, mentally stable and focused individual and turn them into an absolute mess, or in extreme cases, kill them. Heart attacks, stroke, huge anxiety issues, suicide through depression, divorce, etc. I know this, because I've seen it, and now at the moment I'm actually feeling it to some degree. You can tell yourself as many times as you want that things will get better, and over time, I'm sure they will. But when you begin to lose sight of your goals and meanings and you begin to struggle as to how you see yourself as a Father and a husband, you know it's really time to get honest with yourself and maybe for a change, realize that not everything is your fault or in your control. That's a really hard thing to do when you insist on taking full responsibility of your situations and actions, but struggle to know where to start or where to get the tools required.

 You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to survive, to adapt and overcome. This isn't always easy, but I think I just might find something inside of me to see past this illusion of despair and perhaps this time of low may help me find another purpose and set me on another path. A direction that will improve drastically the well being of my girls and the well being of me. In the past I have always viewed these times as a test and something of great result has come my way through consistent review and action. I hope this is one of these times, because this test in particular has been one of my toughest yet.

Mostly because it's not just about me, it's about the well being and the future of my family.  But if I don't take care of my well being, how can I possibly change my life and my family if I'm not healthy both mentally and physically. How can I possibly embrace change or see opportunity if I'm bound and blinded through lack of will and my own darkness. It's been a tough go for many people right now, so I don't think I'm special or circumstances unique. I feel lucky enough though to recognize a downward spiral and step back and do something about it while I still can. I may have to ask for help or I may have to just go out and go for a walk. I must do something though in order to fight through this. One thing that has been of great help has been the bond and love I share with my girls. They are everything to me and they are counting on me to help get us through this, I can't let them or me down.