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

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

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.

Black Belt Code of Ethics

To commit to an oath is something that can be simply muttered or thoughtlessly blathered on to complete a level of entry to a group or organization. If not fully understood or practiced to the level of standard under it's design, it then simply becomes a forgotten thought and holds no meaning. Oaths are a lifeline to a guidance of discipline that are meant to be carried in an order of respect to maintain a standard chosen for said organization. An oath can be of a valuable tool of reference to something you held word to when one questions just what exactly did they agree too, and are those individual commitments being met. If you really don't comprehend its expectations or meanings or fail to uphold or practice each paraphrase, this can have a ripple effect. This effect makes the oath meaningless and makes individual overall contributions less valuable to the body of memberships and removes the ability to inspire.

One of my personal requirements was to take a section out of the Black Belt Code of Ethics and review one per month because I just don't feel it is given the respect it deserves or practiced to the level I swore to. I need to fully comprehend and find the true meaning of each section and apply it because the last thing I ever want to do is contribute to the watering down of a 2000 year old art that is powerful enough to turn crap into gold. If I want to become a true Black Belt then I must uphold and practice the standard I swore to or those below me that I am an example too will not see the value or what it means to not only become a black belt, but to carry yourself and be disciplined as one. To not utilize the code of ethics as a tool of guidance to my own Kung Fu will also remove my ability to advance and make it of the highest quality possible as my years of training progress.

To me my Black Belt holds a lot of responsibility and is not something that simply holds my pants up or is made for me to prance around like a god. My black belt is an example to not only the students, but my family and my community. So it matters greatly how I carry myself and how I train. It's important to openly practice and live by my oath I swore to. I hope by the end of the year I will have mastered each section and carry myself as a true Black Belt and provide my lineage the respect and justice it deserves. I guess we'll see as I follow up on each one at the end of each month and see if the change or discipline is obvious or if a discovery bears existence in the quality of my Black Belt. See you at the Kwoon. 

Redirecting the Root to Change

This week has been one of those weeks where not a lot was achieved due to sickness. One of those stupid colds/flu whatever the heck it is that fools you into thinking you are on the mend and then grabs you by the throat and slams you into the dirt....best ever. Along with this great sickness came a muscle cramp or knot, or something muscle like related that developed in my back that was very painful and brought on an angry bull with a thorn in it's hoof. Apparently this may be cold related, I didn't know your muscles could get sick, but I guess they can. I honestly think it was a combination of toxins that decided to take refuge as I am working on cleaning my body out as well. Who knows but either way it sucks ass and made the work day extra long and not much left when I got home. So basically jacks@#t was really achieved this week.

However, it did give me some time to streamline my plan a bit and work on some type of structure that can be adaptable to these types of situations that will continually drop out of no where at any given time throughout the year.  I'm not good a structure on my own. I have always thought of routine as boring, a structured life is for squids I always thought. I have always been more of a jump into the fire and deal with whatever comes at you in the moment. Something needs attention, just do it, no need to be all dramatic about it and all "Gentle Ben" like. The problem is with this approach is I will continually hammer away at something until it is done right, even if to me it's never good enough at times, before I will move onto to the next. This is dumb. Not necessarily the principle, but the inefficiency of the process is counterproductive and if you hammer away at something for too long the quality and the passion go right out the window....you just want to get it done, but you will never be happy with it.

 This is where the incremental comes in and the process of chipping away at it over a period of time until it's solid and of a high quality. Putting all your heart and soul into something for an hour and then walking and returning will build the ultimate result. Once it becomes a part of a process, it becomes part of you and not just something you do. My Kung Fu and all it's requirements is something I really want to take precedence this year. I want my life to change in big ways and the only way to really achieve that is to look at the root of my investment and adjust accordingly, even if that means deep change within myself and how I do things. See you at the kwoon. 

Sacrifice vs Investment

This is one point of view I could never really grasp in regards to the I Ho Chuan class. Life in general can be of high demand with work and family responsibilities, let alone completing all of these requirements successfully and still finding your personal time to reset or wind down. How can this possibly be of any kind of investment when it seems like a lot of sacrifice and stress? Suddenly it feels like this is more of an infringement of your life and damaging to your well being. I've been there and often thought that Sifu has lost his mind and just doesn't get what it's like for other people that lead different lives. But in actuality, I was the one the missed the whole point of what this is about....I think I get it now.

When a person comes to this point, we fail to recognize what we agreed to do in the first place and the whole point of committing to a year of mastery. It may be hard to see or understand when you have to make a decision between going out to do something fun or not doing anything at all, to doing some requirements such as push up or form reps, but the investment is you and the example you will leave as a result of making that decision is where your investment begins to yield and provide opportunity and peace within. Sure your doing it with others, and that's a good thing, but this is your journey, what works for others may not work for you. So leaving ego, comparison, and judgemental positions out of the agenda is paramount. You are the captain of your destiny period, anybody messes with it, they walk the plank!

If you look at it from this perspective over the course of the year, you will see the investment over sacrifice. This year is all about you. You are going to take a whole year to improve yourself and strengthen all of your characteristics and immerse yourself in the ancient art of Kung Fu. The goal is to learn how to use your time efficiently and rid yourself of those things you don't need and recognize those things you do. Your going to figure out just what it means to see your goals through by self reflection, self honesty, and a test to pride and integrity in yourself. Think about it for a second, is it really a big deal to not do all of those extra things you do for just one year? Why do we beat ourselves up because we want to take some time to better ourselves, like one measly year. I think with this position as one progresses, one will find all the time in the world and then some to get their stuff done.

Yes, you are going to be some what selfish in the eyes of those close to you and at times not meeting your daily goals may encourage guilt, but it shouldn't and don't let these things interfere with what you set out to do. Guilt is a waste of time and an easy way to avoid a situation that requires a solution of action. So to hell with guilt, take the reigns and carry on forward. To hell with sacrifice of what you might miss, work those tools of awesomeness and build the best damn you ever!! Ha!

Over time your self improvements both mentally and physically and the obvious changes in how you carry yourself will speak volumes to those close to you. Those that don't accept are perhaps taking a good look at themselves and realizing just how much they suck and how they wish they could be like you! Committing a whole year to self improvement and a commitment to mastery to this magnitude is not for the faint of heart, so be proud of yourself and who you are.....just do it. Your doing what many people can't be bothered to do, your investing in yourself and laying it all out on the table, tearing it apart and rebuilding an awesome you. So put your signature on it, own it. Own the greatest investment you could ever make to your family and life, the investment of Kung Fu in you. See you at the Kwoon

Training with Weapons

Training with weapons can be a very fun, challenging, frustrating, and at times painful structure. Your going to hit yourself and other things with it, drop it on your foot, get it stuck in things, it's going to wreck stuff in your house or garage, your going to throw it....just to see if it really will stick in whatever your throwing it at, and then finally your going to come up with some really good ideas. Now you need to actually move with it and that requires picking the right stances. Great you've got the stances down for these killer moves but now they have to flow together. Here's where the creativity comes in and the test to see if you can actually do all of these cool things in these cool stances and still take out the bad guys with a grounded stance and complete definition to your next technique and bad guy without losing your weapon, hitting yourself with it, twisting yourself into a pretzel, sticking it in your foot or through your clothes or completely gift wrapping yourself. These are one of those times where you go back to seeing if it will actually stick in something 40 feet away, or maybe your dog won't find it this time when you throw it.(especially when you don't own a dog!!)  and once you get past the parts where you knock yourself out....it becomes awesomeness!!!

I hope everyone is doing well and making good progress with their weapons. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with. I did have much more serious thoughts to add but I couldn't get to journalling until late so I leave with this instead. See you at the kwoon.