Let them be

My little one has been in Kung Fu for a little while now, and I was ecstatic when she said she wanted to try it out. I have always taken the position to support and let her try whatever interest she decides to partake and let her discover it on her own. If she enjoys it and wants to excel, then all the power to her and I will help no matter what. If she wants. Not because I feel it is my right to. If she chooses not to, so be it. I have no interest in forcing my daughter to continue something she doesn't like. I also don't think its healthy to stand over her and constantly bark out what she is doing wrong, forcing her to practice and then of course the lecturing all the way too and from class. I feel that would stunt the creativity and remove the life lessons of discipline,challenge, defeat, triumph, self confidence, and of course setting her own life path that she absolutely needs in order to evolve and mature properly with out me taking that experience away or shielding her from it. I also did not want to install a type of resentment towards me because perhaps I lacked patience or smothered her when she was trying to learn and out of my own selfishness and not letting a kid be a kid regardless of the interest she observes. I mean shes 8 years old and has a long road of discovery ahead. But what a better tool could be introduced than Kung Fu to help her see ahead and handle obstacles. Although this interest was a little different because her Dad practices it too, but I still wanted to keep my distance and see what transpires. I felt that the only way to really see if she takes to Kung Fu or not was to let her find the bug and learn on her own and patiently see if she would approach me for help. Sometimes there were moments of struggle to not tell her what she was doing right or wrong or pay attention and stop jack assing around. In other words, stop being a kid and you will be a little satellite of me. Not cool. So the only intervention I really imposed was the praise of what she did do, and did you do your Kung Fu homework. A few times I did ask her if she was really that interested or are you doing this just for dad. She told me she still liked training but may want to go back to being a cheer leader. She missed it. So I thought well lets see what happens. Much like Sifu Masterson's observations of her son, I thought perhaps I should just pull her out because she was fooling around and didn't really seem that interested, then something changed. As I watched her I seen she was trying alot harder and you could see progress in her form. She was telling me how very excited she was that she was going to be in the banquet demos. She started to practice more at home. Cool the installation of a goal. One night I heard this little voice coming from down stairs shouting every step of Hsiegh Chien, and then the moment I was waiting for, my little one looking up at me asking if I would come see how she knows the whole form and would I help. I couldn't help but beam with pride. So a few nights here and there we are practicing our forms together with the goal of doing our best for the banquet. Throwing in push ups and sittups and some other training. I still tread lightly but am grateful for stepping back and witnessing young discovery. For letting her be.
Brian Chervenka

Two wheel training

When the weather gets like this in the month of January, I can't help but become frustrated because its a tease for spring. Warm weather means get on my bike and ride. Its very similar to the state of euphoria that we feel when we set foot in the kwoon and train. So many different senses are awakened and yes even with a motorcycle there is still the quest for center. I spend whatever time I can performing regular maintenance and check fluids, revamp or replace certain parts. Researching and checking out new parts and deciding what upgrade will make it go faster, handle better, and impose constant and concrete reliability. Observe and ponder the mechanics of it all and use every moment I can to educate myself on all aspects . Honing the skills I know and diving into the unknown, the challenge of taking worn out or expired components apart and putting it all back together to make it perform like new or beyond. The importance of recording in a maintenance journal of all I have done and what I have learnt so the option to always look back and have the reference of mistakes  I made and ended up pushing my bike home or just before bringing the beast alive to look down and see a leak or return from a ride and discovering a bolt I may have missed. To track all the different fluids that have gone in and when its time to change a filter. After all the trial and error is experienced and the understanding of the mechanics is understood, I can now become one with the void of riding. Smelling the different scents of nature, being sensitive to the different temperature changes, and of course the risk of it all. You and a space of less than a foot from the asphalt at speeds much faster than we're meant to be. Steering the bike with your hips and not just from your shoulders but basing all off your center. navigating a corner and just when to let off and set up and when to gun it. The calm and then the immediate reaction it takes to steer around a deer, or head butting a sea gull at about 120. ( that almost knocked me out). Some times its just a casual ride on a back country road and then next thing you know someone doesn't see you and rolls out of a drive way right in front of you. You experience an incredible adrenalin dump but deep down you know, if you don't stay cool and in control, you are going down or you might freak out and seize up and ride straight into a tree. Not panicking are the only way to not lay down your bike. But there may come a time when the only way to survive is to lay the bike down and hope for the best.
What does this have to do with Kung Fu?To some, not a damn thing, to others, if you change some of the words too training, forms, kicks, journalling, techniques, sparring, diet, stretching, break falls, confrontation, triumphs and let downs, it may be deciphered as a code of relation to Kung Fu.
Brian Chervenka

A different application of Kung Fu

Not quite sure exactly how to start to journal about how things have been going lately but the relevance of putting something down at this point is imperative. Over the last two months and now into the new year, it is quite full. My days start at 6 a.m. and on a good night I'm at home by 6:30. every day. But the work doesn't stop. emails, phone calls and planning and paper work continued on until ..well there goes another email notification and its now 9:30p.m. Trying to fulfill my responsibility's as a father and husband and then get some training in was tiring to say the least. So too manage, I had to sacrifice some of my training. As much as I would love to be a machine, I am not. My family will always be first and they didn't see much of me. There wasn't enough time in the day to make classes and it was too a point where I wasn't going to make it in time to pick up my daughter from her class. Before the Christmas break  there were nights that I didn't get home until 9 p.m. and then back at work for 6 a.m. How are you supposed to train like that and still maintain all responsibility's. In the span of the first two hours at work one day I answered 27 phone calls, 14 emails and was in the middle of spotting a truck load of steel while delegating and running a job with 4 crews and 37 men by radio. Then came the brilliant idea of "Hey, I know, lets start a night shift, that will help everything" said one of the idiots that would be of more use as a wheel chock than anything else. Now I'm at the job until 7 p.m. to delegate and set up the night crew foreman and my own work is falling  behind in a job I am new to. I think if it wasn't for Kung Fu and how much it has amplified my determination and showing me to not think of things as stress or grating but a view that all things are a challenge and this is all part of true mastery, I would have told everyone that was in my path where to go and how to get there in fine detail. For example, when a clown that has absolutely no knowledge or concept of well, anything, is asking me over and over how long will this take, after I have basically ran him through every stage of a said procedure, I probably would have responded as " Well, lets see if you pound your head up your ass and tried to roll to the city and back to the job, we'll be done in half the time it takes you to get back. Oh sorry, I see you already have your head in place, but we'll still finish long before your back."  Since I have been training I don't talk like that anymore, although at times its hard not too. I have learned to deal with people and situations with a more diplomatic approach. Leaving emotions or irrational responses where they belong and viewing it as a challenge, maintaining a solid disposition and solving the problem swiftly and displaying professionalism in its finest form and setting a good example to those that work with me, working on mastery in my chosen field. This is one of the ways I have taken my Kung Fu to work. I didn't have alot of time to do many follow ups on my physical training with the exception of sneaking in push ups when I could, but worked on mastery in a combined form of my occupation and my Kung Fu. Everything I have taken on in my life I have wanted to do well and do it with integrity and pride. I can't do things half way and call it good. If I am putting my heart and soul into it then that's where my solid focus will be, and that's where my determination will be until its being done properly and is up to the standard that I have witnessed from those before me. My approach to my Kung Fu is the same and that's why, although yes damaging, I had to slow it down a bit. But what is there is concrete and will not take too long to pick up where I left off. As time goes on I am starting to get a better handle on this level of my work and its all starting to get a little more manageable. As I am learning to plan ahead more and figure out easier ways to get more things done in one shot the more I am finding time to get back into the physical end of my Kung Fu. See you at the kwoon.
Brian Chervenka

Merry Christmas and to all a recognition

Just wanted to take this minute to wish all of you a healthy and happy new year and a well deserved christmas break to you and yours. It has been a year of great things witnessed and many great challenges defeated by some of the coolest people I have met in a long time. I am grateful to have had the pleasure of training with all of you and we should hopefully see you all soon. All the best to the Dragon team and to all the instuctors and students of Silent River. Merry Christmas!
Brian Chervenka

Advancing from a distance but the hearts at home

I look at the date of my last blog and can't believe how long its been since I journaled and shared my latest thoughts, and said to myself "that just sucks". As far as things are going in my journey its challenging and in some ways sacrificial towards my family and kung fu. Although as I stated before my heart and dedication towards both is concrete. I have been putting in a lot of hours these last few months to better myself and of course challenging myself to beyond my capacities. Which tells me I am practicing kung fu and working towards mastery full bore. Kung fu means hard work, kung fu teaches discipline and respect in the form of always a constant evolution that is never mastered but ingrained into the depths of our souls.  Ingrained into us so deeply that at times it would be so easy to say to hell with this. But I find the more I apply the deepest roots of our kung fu, which is internal, the more I crave the challenge of working harder and the more  I can work towards the balance of leaving emotion out of my thoughts, especially dealing with the items I don't quite understand or in the learning stages of the unknown. I guess in a way the installation of automaticity sets in and gives an individual a look at practicing life in the void.

As far as training goes I have been working Dah Mu Sinh. I have been trying to work on the over extension of my punches and my heel coming up in certain areas of the form that has never occurred before. Forms are one of my most favourite parts of kung fu because if you can't get in time to train, you can do a few form reps  and cover alot of basics in your training. Especially in this form because it is the base for all of our training pyramids. I also get very frustrated with forms because they are a constant evolution in perfection and correction. The never ending quest for balance. I have also been working on my kicks which need a lot of work. I have the basis down but have discovered the route of all my problems. Flexibility. If I kick low they're pretty good, but as I try to kick higher my center is lost and I am throwing myself all over the place. I have set up a stretching aid that I have learnt from reading Bruce Lees' fighting method. It consists of a rope and two pulleys that help pull the leg up in a stance. Once you have reached a certain height you slowly release the grip on the rope and try to hold your leg up, but continue to use the rope as an aid until you can hold your leg up on your own. We'll see how this works out. It like muscle building and stretching in one exercise.

One last thing I would like to share is my absence to the team. I am sorry guys I am not there. It bothers me alot that I don't have my hands on the rope. Right now I have little time with my family and usually jammed with extra work that requires, well, extra time. My focus is my daughter, she needs her fathers energy and the reassurance that I am dedicated to all her interests. My wife needs my help and my time as well. They both have a good solid understanding of what I am trying to accomplish both at home and with my training. My girls are tough and understand the sacrifices I have to make towards both and support me ten fold. Right now its a little different, I am at work everyday and spending very little time at home. Those of you that know me, know I mean no disrespect and I am fully committed to everything we are trying to accomplish this year. If I could make it work I would. See you soon hopefully and I will try to respond and make my presence known better than as of late. Once again sorry guys.

Brian Chervenka

Who parked this elephant on my path?

Working 10-12 hrs a day, everyday can feel almost like a life sentence. It takes its toll on every aspect of your life. Family time and events that cannot be attended because you have to work. Training takes an absolute beating, even after you are on the ground, it keeps kicking. But do we stop fighting or carrying on? No. As long as your heart and your intentions to better yourself and the well being of your family and beliefs never lose their potency, the fighting never stops. I have been in a very difficult position lately regarding my family and my training. I am on the ground and literally taking the better end of a good life beating. Knowing that I'm missing classes, looking into my daughters eyes when she's asking me," when are we going swimming again?" My wife saying to me she only sees me for an hour or two a day and am I working next weekend. Knowing the longer I am away from the kwoon the more I am going to have to catch up. The I Ho Chuan team practicing demos and now I am one of those guys not there and I can see that pause that occurs when its someones cue and they're not there. Its almost comparable to a hollow because that individuals energy is not present on the team and everyone just stares, its not complete. Wondering if this is what its going to be like the higher you go up your career ladder and is it really worth it. Dealing with bean counters and their complete lack of reality outside of their handy stats and production curves sent down from the "think tank team" that have their heads completely pounded up their butts. Handling 4 crews and 25 personnel and a job thats all on you. Not being able to get in much attention to my requirements or training, and as far as journaling goes. Well, I have really dropped the ball on this one. I didn't just drop it, I shot it with a grenade launcher. So what do you do? If you read my last blog, you already know. Stop and reset. How can I apply kung Fu here? What part of my training tools can I execute, knowing full well this is all part of my journey and acceptance is the easy part. It is what it is, and I chose this path. How about the obvious? Recognize that this is the process of mastery and one of the challenges I must get through to advance to the next level.

It would be so much easier to go back on the tools and just roll with everything I know and pull my days off like a cake walk. Thats not advancing towards mastery. Staying where I am and working hard to perfect the level I am at now is the place to be. Think of it like learning a new form. Alright now I am back up on one knee. Ignore the idiots and advance past them, prove to myself and the ones working with me that they can count on me to lead them to a successful project and teach them how to hone their own skills and embrace their input to better my own. A solid group of professionals that operate as a finely tuned machine. Regaining my composure and now standing. Expressing to the I Ho Chuan team that I am sorry I am not there but I am practicing my hand and weapon forms as much as I can. So the next time they see me its like I haven't skipped a beat. Standing upright now and shaking my arms out. Assuring my daughter and explaining to her that I have a long christmas break coming and I am working to better myself and my family and we'll have tons of fun for 10 days straight. Hanging with my wife and catching up on some we time, that I'm sure will involve presents. Keep practicing as much as I am able and keep my heart in my training. Knowing I can catch up and enjoying the journey. The Kwoon and Kung Fu aren't going anywhere. Knowing kung fu is not something I do to kill time, but its now growing into my life style and what I have installed so far is solid and will get me through. Leaving shattered mediochracy behind and advancing closer to mastery. Now I am brushing the dust off I and am standing in a solid stance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go kick an elephants ass.

The discipline of reset

Slamming on the brakes of your life ride is by far the most beneficial way to stay on the cool. Sure flying down the life highway in a manic rage or pulling off a set path to fly through any obstacle at mach 9 is great too. But after awhile things start flying apart, sense of direction is distorted, incompletion is evident and eventually it all falls apart and your stuck dragging your feet. I have found that when things start to become overwhelming or problems arise being stressed does nothing for rational thought. Whether your being pushed at work, home, training, or education you have to stop and tell everyone and everything around you to take a hike until YOU are ready. Its your life and yours alone. Its more than obvious people have become accustomed to being pushed past their limits and beyond. There is nothing wrong with being pushed to your limits, in fact its a great thing, thats what makes us stronger and wiser to everything. But when its forced by other things or other people and no longer can be dealt with by the individual. Then it becomes unhealthy. Life is going to always be tough, thats a given, but it shouldn't have to be a ball and chain. Take the time for your self to reset and look at what your doing, where you need to be as a professional, or a parent, or as a martial artist. What corrective actions need to be taken to procede on the calm, and what garbage needs to be dumped out of your little red wagon of life to lighten the load. We all carry issues or things we don't need to or have to. We are all confronted with time lines and trivial things, past or present. Look at things for what they are, is it really worth the energy or should we just smash them or set them free and move on. Things are always going to drop in front of you or beat you down. Stop, plan, take a deep breath and knock it the hell out. Carry on the way you see fit because we only get one shot if you look at the big picture. We only get one shot to raise our kids and plan our own life and where we want to be when travelling has to be done at a slower pace. If none of this makes sense, then you need to buy a motorcycle, and thats another blog.
Brian Chervenka