Transparency Through Absence

Well the last little while has been a drastic change for many. Being isolated to our homes can be a little overwhelming and to some degree unhealthy if we don't keep our minds and bodies occupied, thank goodness we are martial artists. Another thing to be very appreciative about is our Sifus'. They are going above and beyond to keep the school moving forward, taking the risks to go to and from the school in the middle of a pandemic to manage and continue to teach the art of Kung Fu and on top of it provide some one on one time. It's all pretty awesome really and speaks volumes to the level of commitment our school has to the art and it's students.

The thing is though, although we are seperated and the Kwoon is shutdown for the time being, I feel the connection to each other is closer than ever. We have a really good opportunity to remain transparent and the discipline of team involvement can still be had through technology. Although my blogs have been late,(which I am about to change today) I am driven to post my forms weekly to show my progress and journal the same, to keep training hard and mindful of what I am doing. I am driven to stay as connected as I can through Kwoon talk and try to awknowledge every post I can to let people know, we are in this together and we are here for each other.....together we stand, divided we fall.

 It's weird but I feel more connected and have probably the strongest connection I have ever had to my I Ho Chuan year and others on the team. I am driven to transparency more than ever and look forward to seeing this most challenging year, one of our best. This is a strong team, probably the strongest I have ever seen. The adaptation to change and the voluntary contributions, each member displaying their own individuality but maintaining the mindset of together inspires me tremendously. I feel obligation and discipline to train hard and maintain my commitments and just pull off a great year of awesomeness. Well done team, train hard, stay positive, stay connected and we shall continue to blow peoples minds right out of their skulls through this teams awesomeness!! See you on the screen!!

Tools of Success

So far my discipline is coming around well and I am in a good place. I have adopted a training cycle that is restoring my form, strength and endurance, and although slow, my flexibilty. My ribs have healed up well but the down time has cost me core strength and fexibility in my hips. This was more than evident when transitioning into a open x the other night in class. So I have been putting forward an incremental process in my push ups and sit ups and using both the school and my I Ho Chuan forms.

 I have always been a firm believer in changing up repetitive exercises and training in a way to strengthen my muscles in both directions. In addition I try to implement 2-3 exercises in one to double the efficiancy. Like doing my push ups with a TRX and implementing frog kicks into my pull ups, kicks with a horse stance, hidden leg technique, and increasing/decreasing distance with kicks..etc.

To reduce injury from repetitive exercises and strengthen my muscles in both directions I do my push ups with 7 different hand configurations and 5 with pull ups. I work these items together in the same set when I have accesibility to a chin up bar. For core work I have 4 different styles of sit ups, use the TRX, plank, and I will add weights into the mix once I gain my form and strength and endurance back. To work the core the other direction I have been working on the bridge. I'm a long way off from this but it is a goal I have. To restore what I have lost though I have really been concentrating on the most important aspect of training, form. Also at the moment I am doing a lot of low number sets. I have a long ways to go with this but the results are coming in quicker than I thought they would.

For myself there is no better way to sharpen all aspects of Kung Fu than practicing forms. All of our school forms pretty much cover all of out stances and techniques. So again you are working to improve many factors doing one thing. Endurance and strength through stances, stretching dynamically instead of static, and loosing up and strengthening those little muscles. An added bonus of course is cardio and timed breathing. I do my best to run through all of the school forms daily, mostly because I have the time right now.

This is all about to change though as I will be heading up North soon for a 3-4 week shutdown as an Ironworker and then from there I will be starting with a new company as a Bridge Superintendant. I very grateful right now and take none of this for granted. I'm just very lucky to be multi-skilled and have something to fall back on.

However, this is where things really go South for me and my training. This is where I start to prioritize others before myself. I have a focus and work ethic that works against me sometimes and it becomes as erratic as a heart rate monitor and angers me...and me angry is never good. I recognize this and intend to keep the focus where it is now. My investment and commitment to myself, the art, the school, and of course those I am travelling on the journey of mastery with. We all may be on a different path, but the meeting point to the next level is the same.

Although I do believe this is going to be my best year, I also know it is going to be my toughest. I am going to be on the road again and away from the school so I need to keep that focus and commitment on the prize, paying myself first and not channeling it soley on others or one thing. I really want to work hard on the balance, but enjoy the ride also. One tool is the basics, push ups and sit ups and forms. Even in a small space you can break your forms up and pratice those trouble areas. Another important tool that is working well right now and will help I'm sure is my journaling. Everytime I start to get side tracked or frustrated because things aren't going the way they should, I read my very first post I put up at the beginning of this year. It reminds me of the cause of things going South and why I became mad enough to do something about it and what I intend to do about it through clarity and self reflection. Engagement and commitment is everything, as is self discipline. I am a stubborn Taurus and it's time to wipe out the clown shaking the red flag and bust out of the arena and be free. Time will tell, see you at the Kwoon.

The Gift of Kung Fu

It's nothing new in todays economy or in the world of construction, or any occupation for that matter, it's feast or famine. It doesn't matter if your at the top of the list or the guy at the bottom, the chopping block and it's faithful friend the blunt axe spares no one. I was laid off from my position recently and to say it was unexpected would be a statement of delusion and unlike a common theme of today, I am not entitled to jack @#$%. It's the nature of the beast and it can happen to anyone at anytime. It's never a good feeling and the situation can have a negative bearing and impact, but I have seen this before. So has my girls and we know what we need to do and how we are going to do it. Out comes the tools of survival and the determination to succeed and seek opportunities. Through the support of my girls and an audit of available options, something will expose itself. Once it does I will latch onto it. I just have to adapt and overcome and take what I want, nobody is going to hand it to me.

Part of the process is my training. It's times like these that I need it more than ever and it never fails me. Kung Fu provides me with direction and calm, but sharp focus. It balances my thought process and rational when dealing with those weight bearing times that life just loves to throw at us. Kung Fu makes me see things and embrace things differently. Such as all is opportunity and challenge is strength, take what's yours and never back down. Kung Fu keeps my mental and physical strengths balanced so I can be dropped into any situation and not only succeed, but evolve and succeed. Kung Fu provides me with humility and understanding. If I had to shovel @#$% to feed my family so be it, we all need to make ends meet and Kung Fu removes the pride and the ego and naturally put's others first.

I am very grateful for Kung Fu and all of those that made it possible through much much tougher times than we could ever see or understand. They survived and took the opportunities and evolved, no matter the situation. So can I and I will. Kung Fu provides me with discipline amd commitment when I fail or hit a wall to bust that stuff down and create a solution and act.

 Kung Fu will help me embrace this gift of opportunity and make 2020 my most successful year yet in both my occupation and my Kung Fu because I owe it to myself and my family. But now that I have this down time, I can sharpen and polish the most potent tool in my arsenal, my Kung Fu. It's important for me to remain grateful and marvel at its continuing evolution and it's ability to keep me engaged. Kung Fu provides the rule of respect and care. We all know tools must be maintained and kept up or they become useless and forgotten...all must balance through give and take. See you at the Kwoon.

Stepping Stones

So my year has been off to a rough start as I came in late on everything that I needed to do to prepare for the year of the rat but being thrown into the fire and the calling of adapt and overcome the challenge is nothing new, I embrace that. However, although I can be a very focused and committed individual, I fail to keep whats best for me front and center and channel that focus and commitment for others instead. Seldom does the investment return as much as I have out into it, in the end your just another number. Don't get me wrong, this has provided me with many opportunities and I'm seldom out of work for very long as a result of these efforts and the well being of my girls are my whole primary focus. But in the end, my health, family life, and my Kung Fu are sacrificed due to the work-a-holic mentality I have. I plan to use the focus and commitment of a year of mastery to overcome and embrace and act on the change necessary. It will be a long overdue challenge but I am ready to see it through as I completely bombed the last two years. I start out strong, a good plan laid out, then boom, I'm gone never to be seen or heard from again. The damaging factor is perspective of priorities and where they sit for me. All or nothing does tend to come into play but I have learned to shove that to the side and I know this mindset is counterproductive. It's tough to overcome when it has been the mindset for so many years but I do know I need to break the cycle. Like any character defect, it's a work in progress and as of late I seem to be coming ahead.

I have been reviewing my forms and working on my conditioning as of late. This has been a little tricky as I cracked 3 ribs not too long ago and still in the healing phase. I honestly didn't know they were cracked and just carried on thinking they were bruised, nope they are cracked so I had to let them heal. This kept me from doing a lot of things and it sure doesn't take long for ones conditioning to lapse when you are limited to what you can do. Now I'm in an incremental stage of loading up my core and other aspects of conditioning. I am in some pain of course, but it is a good pain, an invested pain because I know each day I will become stronger, each day a little more flexible, and my muscle memory is awakening. Just have to be patient and embrace the incremental progress. That alone is sure a good feeling knowing all is not lost. Qigong has been both my friend and my worst enemy lately, but for me it has been my best tool for regaining endurance, timed breathing, and flexibility. I havent done it for so long so it's been a challenge remembering the form and of course actually doing it, but the results are noticable and effective for where I am curently at.

 
I have chosen the Long Axe or Halberd again for this years weapon. I just absolutely love this weapon and have spent countless hours with it on my imaginary battle fields and a lot of time and effort working towards mastering it. The repetitive weapon choice is not a comfort zone thing or an avoidance of challenge, it is part of a long term goal I set a long time ago. Once I have a very solid feel for the mechanics of the Halberd and a good solid understanding of how to move and attack with it, then I will move onto a live Guandao. To me, that's the ultimate weapon and once I reach the skill level I feel is accomplished, I'll take on this weapon. I can see it now, shimmering in gold with cool music and angels flying it over to me!! Best ever!

My hand form Loa Gar is another repeat with the intention of seeing through another long term goal of extreme challenge and the preservation of our lineage. I actually really enjoy the technical aspect of this form and style, the mystery to the mechanics and how it all works together is something I never get bored with. The form has teased me many times as I have momentarily seemed to unlock it's power, but then the inability to do it again prevails, all on the quest for knowledge I guess. One of the other reasons is Loa Gar or Hung Gar is officially an extinct art. Our school is probably one of very few that actually still practices it. Our lineage is very important to me as is my respect for our past masters. If you look into our schools lineage it goes back a long ways and many very talented artists have cut the path for us. This potency cannot die off and needs to be maintained or in the end, it's gone and all of that hard work means nothing.

 I'm not into contributing to the demise of traditional martial arts any longer as over the last few years I have done just that by not being at the school. This alone has kept me inspired during my abscence and has prompted me to act and instead of just turning into a black belt made of ice cream and turn my back on it all. I will continue to be a practioner of the art and not be afraid to get sore and sweaty to see it through. That's one of my primary goals this year to review and perfect all of my forms, intensify and regain my conditioning, and constantly review the curriculumn so I have a solid base and understanding of our style beyond what I already know. Besides I am supposed to be doing this anyway as one of our best tools, the Black Belt Code of Ethics is sworn to by me. Although I have repeated myself several times on this point, I'm gonna do this, is now going to be I am doing this. Well that's one post that I brought out of the drafts, many more to come as I actually want to see 52 posts this year instead of 5 or 6 and then I disappear. See you at the Kwoon.

Absence of Kung Fu

It becomes a real moment of truth if you do, or have trained, in the martial arts and suddenly stop or gradually step away from your discipline. Even if it's unintentional. What I mean by this is you suddenly become a doer or a doee. It's not hard to let something go unintentionally through distraction or other things in life that suddenly do, and will take priority over everything. That's life, and how you perceive and act on adaptation continues to cut the path....or doesn't. You just might suddenly lack some tools you once had and can't figure out where they were dropped or just simply placed somewhere else close by, and all you need to do is reach for it. Even in a life of distractions, if something is fully ingrained, it will always be with you. But if you don't keep it front and center, it will lose it's purpose. If you lose the mindset of benefit through investment, it will fade and suddenly it's gone. Even if you are strong willed, it's also very easy to take things for granted, one thinks that no matter what, something that powerful will always be there. But if it doesn't stay with you or you fail to act on the investment through discipline, it never really was. The art within won't grow or maintain on it's own.

 A harsh question does seem to come up for me when I constantly notice somethings missing and I fail to act on it. When I can't train the way I want or have the time I want. Was I really in it for me or was I in it to use as a stepping stone or temporary fix to something that was going on? Did I let it slip on purpose because I have lost faith in it's soul purpose, or some how adopted a mindset of corrupted ideology that became a justified excuse? Was it ever really as fully ingrained as I led myself to believe it was? In order to troubleshoot these kinds of things you have to dig deep, all angles, step back and look in the areas you normally don't. The thing is, if I never really had my heart and soul into it in the first place, if I never lived and practiced the art and invested the blood, sweat, and the dirt and appreciated and respected it, made it a part of me, why would I care in the first place that it's gone? Why would I even care to take the time to figure this out and find a solution? I wouldn't. But I do.....every day. I have applied the art in many cases without even realizing it's still just as strong as it ever was, even if I don't see it or feel it physically to the degree I think it should be.

To something that seems so complicated, it is in fact is very basic, just train and continue the investment and embrace even the tiniest amount of discipline and time to my Kung Fu as I can. It must become and remain a priority. Sifu Bryant put a really good post out a while back that really resonated with me. I won't go into it too far, but to put it straight, he brought up a point of financial discipline, pay yourself first. Damn rights pay yourself first! Brilliant point Sifu, thanks. That simple point alone had a major effect on me and instilled a new perspective and approach.

Absence of Kung Fu tends to throw me into another trajectory of aimlessness and frustration, I miss it. I know it's part of me and it needs to become more front and center. I need to change the perspective that it is not gone. Invest in it and me.The longer I have been away from consistent training and the Kwoon, the more and more it burns everyday, not the opposite of fade and call it once was. So that made me feel about better about my current status. I use the lessons and the purpose every day, it's just needs to come front and center, pay myself first. I guess we'll see where it all leads over the next while.

Training in the Badlands

So I've spent the last month or better in the Drumheller area doing a bridge project. It really takes me back to when I grew up in Southern Alberta. All the farms, the rolling hills and the ability to see for miles. The smell in the air as the soil is being turned up for seeding, coyotes, oh yeah and WIND!!! That's one thing I don't miss too much for sure especially when they are spreading manure..that's ripe. There is really cool trails around here and the scenery is really nice. I found an area perfect for weapon training and forms. The biggest issue is getting there as the days are long indeed and it's tough to get out there.

My routine hasn't been as efficient as I would like it to be by any stretch but it has been consistent and that's better than nothing. One added bonus is my room I'm staying at is pretty large so I have quite a bit of room for kicks, push ups and sit ups and some weight training. I can also do some of the forms that don't require a lot of room. But overall Dah Mu Hsin is the one that is practiced every day, that's the one that keeps it all moving forward. I'm starting to eat a lot cleaner and more consistently. It's so easy to not eat properly when you become so focused and engaged in what we do, but hours without eating is stupid and pounding convenient junk into yourself is even dumber. It takes it's toll for sure. Now I have a loaded up smoothy every morning, eat several times throughout the day and pound the water and some natural fruit juices and I feel great. Fuel is everything if you want to run like a machine.

Canada Day is coming fast and my Sais form is still in the works and Loa Gar is coming along. It's been tricky going back to two handed lighter weapons as I have trained with heavy weapons for the last 5 years or so but adaptability and versatility is key with any aspect of training so it was good to change it up.

I have about 10 or so journals in my draft that I will get out here over the next while because I need to get those up to date. I really noticed when the journals stay on track, so does the accountability and the discipline as does finding the time to train. It removes the urge to slack off or just give up because the year isn't going the way I want it too. So between this, the I Ho Chuan requirements and using the Code of Ethics as a tool of focus, I think things are going to work out fine, and that's just a whole lot of alright. See you at the Kwoon

Black Belt Code of Ethics Part 2

Training can and should be done no matter where you are or what you are doing. It has been said many times by our teachers as we progress through our training that students cannot possibly maintain or advance our skills if we limit our training to just when we are at the kwoon. When you reach the level of black belt your advancement to degrees is a incremental process that takes time. The accountability to our sworn commitments as black belts is expected to be done on our own. I know speaking from my own experience that it is very easy to let things slip or not make the training such a high priority. I train and then I don't, then I start to get concerned that if I don't, I will lose and forget everything I worked for, so that does tend to help with the motivation to keep my conditioning and skills up. The thing is it doesn't really seem to hit home because at the time, I am accountable to no one but me..... that is until I walk into the kwoon and practice in front of my teachers. Then it's pretty much front and center the lack of discipline, and to me I find it quite embarrassing as it shows just how much I need to practice and how much I need to catch up.

 However, we are provided with a very valuable tool that was meant to be used as a guide and a method to keep us accountable and help us maintain our Kung Fu. I believe this is the whole point of the Code of Ethics. In order to maintain our own training and advancement to not only the standards of the school, but our own floating standards, and to be mindful of what is expected of us as Black Belts. We are asked to swear to an oath that is meant to be used as a guide to keep us engaged and uphold our style. For me and this year, this is my primary focus and tool and the more I use it, the better everything becomes.

All Black Belts of Silent River Kung Fu must promise to;

Set an example by approaching their art with passion, vigor, and vitality.

To approach our art with passion to me means put your heart into it, your intelligence and remain on the quest for perfection. Not necessarily as in perfect, because there is no such thing. We want constantly evolve and have the art become a part of you, like Bruce Lee said, express yourself and be yourself. Good enough or mindlessly training or letting your Kung Fu slip should piss you off and not be part of the program.

To approach the art with vigor to me means excitement and discovery, that spike of energy you feel when you really hit your forms or after hours and trying to perfect a technique it just takes off, pounding out those 100 kicks, 70 push ups in a row, or finally executing a spinning back kick that is graceful and your not scrambling for balance recovery. It's just a whole lot of alright and that's what your Kung Fu should be.

To approach the art with vitality from my perspective is longevity and conditioning. You can't execute Kung Fu properly or effectively if your physical fitness and conditioning is not maintained. So it's very important aspect of it. Stretching, making those muscles burn, ramping up the heart rate and driving yourself to puking is key. If don't keep these things up next thing you know you have injuries or you can't maintain or evolve your training, then everything goes down hill real quick. Keeping in mind we all age, so again to maintain the longevity of your Kung Fu, warming up those muscles is important, stretching is important and cardio is very important. This promotes a healthy body and mind, boosts metabolism and keeps you young. It promotes a proper diet and inspires a person to find those needs our body requires such as supplements or vitamins. You have to train smart but not use age as an excuse, but a tool to train better. The thing is if you keep telling yourself you can't do something, then you won't because your body and mind will listen to you.

So that's my take on this paraphrase of our Code of Ethics. See you at the Kwoon.