The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and keeping up my training has been a challenge. In fact there are times where it's a tough go. With a 6am start at work my day begins at 4 am, 30 mins of meditation, pound out some push ups and sit ups and maybe a form rep or two and out the door I go. When I get home I do my best to make the most of my time after work, tend to whatever needs tending, and complete the last of my training before I have to hit the bricks earlier than usual. My work is physical and we go wide open so it's like I get paid to work out and it keeps me in shape. But I won't deny there are days that I am beat like a rented mule and really don't want to do much of anything. I say to myself that I can catch up tomorrow, then the precedence of excuse has been set and now it's okay to put it off and lower the priority. The excuse becomes easier to use and I don't want that to happen. It needs to remain a priority but also stay fun and remain that escape I look forward too. Life happens though and there are days that training will be missed or less productive. That's a lot different than just saying I don't feel like it. As it has been mentioned before, "If you don't feel like training, train anyway!" I really like that saying and it does inspire me even though there are times I want to say how about pound it, but I make it happen anyway.
The main driving force though is I don't want to lose the momentum and progress I have made lately and I want to see through my goal of consistent discipline. I have been working very hard on the changing of priorities because I know me and I know that the discipline is fragile when it comes to me working. So I have been working hard to strengthen that and not beat myself up if things go South. Keep on it and have fun doing it.
The good part is right now I'm just a guy that shows up, performs the work in a productive, efficient manner and goes home. I'm not managing the project and all that comes with it. Frankly it's awesome to just shut the switch off for the day and not be concerned with much else. That could change at any time if I get the call. So this is exactly why I need to keep things rolling along together and why it's so important for me to remain engaged in the approach I have been taking.
All this time off to soley focus on Kung Fu and the betterment of my approach has done me wonders for clarity and a deep look inside, a step back. The discoveries and progress myself and others have made thus far keeps me engaged. I feel better physically and mentally and take a much better balanced perspective towards things.
Although, like everybody else, I have been training virtually this past while, I feel a deep restoration with my teachers, students, and the school. The one on ones have been critical for those times when you need the help and I am very grateful for that.
I don't really say much but the members on the team have really added to the purpose and have helped me a lot as well. I've met some new faces and watched some really amazing people do some really amazing things which helps keep me inspired as well. The attitudes, personalities, and compassion are the best and the unique individualism of every ones Kung Fu is amazing. This I Ho Chuan team has been one of the strongest and skilled I have seen or had the privilege to train with in some time. There is no need to struggle or falter on engagement or lapse on commitment, it's automatic at this point because of the people in this class. Thanks to you all. I just hope I can keep it this way when things get really busy for me when other things come in to play. See you at the Kwoon!
Monday 15 June 2020
Sunday 7 June 2020
Programmed Muscle Memory
Muscle memory to me is just as powerful as thought memory and this is determined by action that simply becomes involuntary, like blinking your eyes or breathing. You don't have to think about it, it just happens. The same could be said for repetitive actions when performing day to day activities. Once the task begins your body reacts and moves on it's own and away we go due to continuous repetitive movements. Programmed muscle memory is great because we can include thought, or not, while going about our business and this provides the ability to change on the fly, or options needed. It can however, be detrimental to martial arts progress and requires a lot of repetitions to correct....like a lot. They seem to have very strong memories and when programmed for years become very stubborn to change. You change things up but they always seem to go back to the original train of action. This is where the hard work through repetitions comes in.
I noticed this past week while practicing my forms and heavy bag work, and especially my axe, that I am using more upper body again and I'm becoming tense while transitioning. I know exactly why, programmed muscle memory. As said before I am working on a bridge and it is bull work and for 20 years as an Ironworker the upper body and the legs are used steady, but there is no connection between the two such as the center we utilize in Kung Fu. So the go to for years has been the upper body and that has always reflected in my Kung Fu when I started to train in the art.
My muscle memory has reverted back to what it knows and how to adapt to the change of familiar repetitive action. I have been training quite a bit the last while basing everything from the center out, but a few weeks of bull work has knocked me back a few steps.
The good part to all of this though is because of all the training and repetitions I have managed to get in and the growth of awareness in relation to my Kung Fu lately, I have already started to reprogram and the base is created. If I can start to train myself to base everything from the center out, not just in my Kung Fu, but in my work as well; then my Kung Fu will be with me at all times and the reprogramming of muscle memory will succeed. If I can move and react this way and practice this repetition through this thought and action it will become natural. I really my theory works because at the moment my body doesn't know what to do or think!
The last few days of the week I did my best to start all actions from the center out. For example when I'm working off girders or angel wings swinging a sledge while driving drift pins, using my wrenches and sleever bar or on the grounding picking up steel and throwing it around, packing timbers or whatever else comes into the picture. It's kind of neat actually once I started to introduce it all together. It may be a long shot but I guess we'll see what this upcoming week brings.
One last thing to mention also was the amazing Kung Fu I witnessed yesterday while watching the Tiger Challenge. All of the students that have adapted their Kung Fu to the limited space and modifying their forms so they could compete in tight quarters was beyond impressive. Some have been learning most of it on line and that in itself is incredible, good on you all. I'd have to say no one skipped a beat and the individual signatures, dedication and hard work was pretty damn cool as well. But none of this would happen if it weren't for our Sifu's that are so commited to the school, the success of it's students, and the art. They found a way to make it happen, rolled the dice and took the risk to hold a virtual tournament. As far as I know nobody tried this, awesomeness indeed. Thanks to you all for your time and efforts, they are beyond appreciated. See you on the screen.
I noticed this past week while practicing my forms and heavy bag work, and especially my axe, that I am using more upper body again and I'm becoming tense while transitioning. I know exactly why, programmed muscle memory. As said before I am working on a bridge and it is bull work and for 20 years as an Ironworker the upper body and the legs are used steady, but there is no connection between the two such as the center we utilize in Kung Fu. So the go to for years has been the upper body and that has always reflected in my Kung Fu when I started to train in the art.
My muscle memory has reverted back to what it knows and how to adapt to the change of familiar repetitive action. I have been training quite a bit the last while basing everything from the center out, but a few weeks of bull work has knocked me back a few steps.
The good part to all of this though is because of all the training and repetitions I have managed to get in and the growth of awareness in relation to my Kung Fu lately, I have already started to reprogram and the base is created. If I can start to train myself to base everything from the center out, not just in my Kung Fu, but in my work as well; then my Kung Fu will be with me at all times and the reprogramming of muscle memory will succeed. If I can move and react this way and practice this repetition through this thought and action it will become natural. I really my theory works because at the moment my body doesn't know what to do or think!
The last few days of the week I did my best to start all actions from the center out. For example when I'm working off girders or angel wings swinging a sledge while driving drift pins, using my wrenches and sleever bar or on the grounding picking up steel and throwing it around, packing timbers or whatever else comes into the picture. It's kind of neat actually once I started to introduce it all together. It may be a long shot but I guess we'll see what this upcoming week brings.
One last thing to mention also was the amazing Kung Fu I witnessed yesterday while watching the Tiger Challenge. All of the students that have adapted their Kung Fu to the limited space and modifying their forms so they could compete in tight quarters was beyond impressive. Some have been learning most of it on line and that in itself is incredible, good on you all. I'd have to say no one skipped a beat and the individual signatures, dedication and hard work was pretty damn cool as well. But none of this would happen if it weren't for our Sifu's that are so commited to the school, the success of it's students, and the art. They found a way to make it happen, rolled the dice and took the risk to hold a virtual tournament. As far as I know nobody tried this, awesomeness indeed. Thanks to you all for your time and efforts, they are beyond appreciated. See you on the screen.
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