Structure

I really suck at this. When it comes to work or other things that don't involve my own agenda, I can usually come up with a fairly streamlined plan that works out well. The reason? Because when I lay out a plan, I ask for input from those involved. I think of underlying circumstances or what will exactly be needed for success, and it usually works out well for all parties involved. Adaptability is key and I have learned to use this tool from many great people I have been fortunate enough to be involved with throughout my life. So what's the problem when it comes to my own personal world.

 Not sure, maybe because I neglect to completely comprehend that although I may think this has nothing to do with anyone else but me, I am wrong.
If you take into account the time all those around you have invested and stood along side of you and have given into your needs and have bowed to your demands of sacrifice, took the time to help and invest their own time to lend a hand and put up with the multitude of excuses one can throw out there. Not a damn thing you do as long as you are in the presence of others is ever yours. Every single person and every single event that is created or experienced causes a ripple effect. No matter what you think, you are never alone and what you do effects someone, some where.

That being said, I have done something that I have never done yet when preparing for a year in the I Ho Chuan. This was after conversation and advice from some of my mentors and friends who pull no punches and tell it like it is. I took the time to actually think and strategize a plan and structure for the year of the sheep. I mean really plan, not just submit a bunch of things and not even track them. The plan involves preparing for grading in May and maintaining engagement throughout the year. I have set goals for each and every month and as time progresses, so does the demand of my goals. My monthly goals and plans can be easily modified on the fly if change is necessary. By the end of the year I intend to have given something back to those who have not only been a tremendous influence on me, but to those that need influence as well. That's what it is all about and that is what is so cool about being given the opportunity to do so. To remove the me, the ego, to either light the damn fuse and witness the carnage or go home and hide from everyone, thinking it won't effect anyone. My plan is to post my goals at the beginning of each month and maintain a public record of my training and post my success and my fails at the end of the month.

One last note, I have read numerous blogs about absenteeism and the guilt of not being there throughout the year. Not participating enough, not doing this or not doing that. Let it go already. Think of what you have done, think of what others have done and being lucky enough to be on the team and witness and experience it all. Take the lessons learned and evolve into something even better than where you are now. Even if it didn't seem like I was there, I was always there. I am back home now and should be for a while. I am ready for whatever the team needs and if I'm not, I will be. See you at the kwoon.

From one Extreme to the Next

Well it's over and the madness begins. Hanging out in the sun eating food that is freshly grown and not messed with, training in the art of Kung Fu and being concerned about nothing else is coming to a close. Yes, reality has reached it's boney hand out and grabbed me by the throat. From +35 to -35 degrees C and beyond is awaiting my presence. I will return home tomorrow evening, sleep in my bed and then off to Yellowknife the following day for 2 weeks and back home. During this transition and everything that comes along with it, I hope to maintain the structure I have created. It's as regular as waking up in the morning and brushing your teeth. I stuggle with structure. I leave the starting line like a 1000 cubic inch, nitrous powered monstrosity of death, to a misfiring lawnmower with a missing wheel.
My approach will be different this time.... you'll see.
See you at the kwoon

Praise, Correct, Praise and Beat it!

There are many things I take with me out to the world from the kwoon and utilize it in other areas of my life. As I progressed in different aspects of work throughout my time making a living, I have been very fortunate. Fortunate because I have been lucky enough to work with many people with incredible amounts of knowledge and experience that absolutely love to share and take a unique approach and insure the potency of higher skills lives on. That and all the tricks that come with it. Although these tricks and answers never came easy. They had to be earned. You had to do the work and make the mistakes. Everybody is awesome in they're own way and these teachers allowed you to get your groove and expose your potential and your weaknesses. You were given the space to be comfortable, but you also had to be attentive and of course earn they're respect. They loved to see you get upset and try all kinds of ways to find a solution to your problem and watch you fail and learn. It builds character and I feel this approach broadens your life skills on so many fronts and keeps you interested and engaged. They didn't smother you and try to enforce they're thoughts and ways on you. They remained humble and never forgot you never stop learning because you'll never know it all. They had an eye for detail and always kept an open mind. They used the same approach I have witnessed with my most influential martial art teachers and that is, " praise, correct, praise, move on." Not only that, but when you actually see them work and practice their skills, it leaves a lasting impression. It provides an inspiration to do that much better, try that much harder, and a solid respect. To pursue and challenge personal abilities. I have practiced this approach with many different people and many different situations and it works very well. People have different ways of working things through both physically and mentally and I feel this approach maintains the balance and potency of limitless limits in people. I don't feel anyone has the golden key to the only way of doing something, no matter how skilled you are. I also feel that no one has the right to take away your ability to think and advance in your own way. There is always going to be a base for everything, that's a must. But how you elevate that creativity only comes from great teachers that give you the opportunity to try, fail, learn, create, and succeed. Praise, correct, praise, let them flourish.

The Power of Influence

I had a bit of a revelation today and once again it was through my little one. This revelation shot me back to a memory of when I was a yellow belt and I was putting her to bed. While she brushed her teeth and what have you, I started doing push ups. Half way through she came out of the bathroom, watched what I was doing and asked me what I was doing, and of course at that time, WHY? I said because it was part of my Kung Fu training. She immediately dropped down and started doing push ups with Dad. At that time she was 4 years old. Many a night she would do push ups and sit ups with me.
Fast forward a few more years and she was a student of Silent River. Things rolled along quite well for a while until the next interest came about which required more time and more classes. Kung Fu took a back seat. But Kung Fu took a back seat for some one else as well. The source of inspiration stopped being an inspiration. She wasn't seeing the presence of Dad's training anymore. Dad became busy with work and Dad also didn't have the security blanket of an instructor to keep him in check. Dad became a Sihing and the rest was up to me. Suddenly dance class took a prescience over Kung Fu. Sudddenly Dad's work took priority over everything. Suddenly we weren't doing Hsieh Hsien together anymore. She wasn't seeing Dad doing push ups and sit ups, form work, basically nothing except the odd random blast of kicks. Now one parent was no longer present to help share with the transportation. All of a sudden there was an absence in the kwoon, a continuous absence that grew into, "should you just leave Kung Fu for now, maybe go back  later..... we all know as martial artists, later never comes.

This trip has changed things. My little one is seeing Dad training, doing forms, doing push ups and recording them and it has inspired her to want to go back to Kung Fu. That's just way cool.
  It was brought up a while ago at the kwoon, how cool it would be to have pictures of students doing push ups all over the world. This agenda has never left me and my girls know that at the drop of a hat, if we find some place cool or memorable, Dad's going to be doing push ups and somebody better have a camera ready. Which brings me to the whole point of this blog. Today as I went into position, my little one asked me, "Dad can I do push ups with you?" Of course I said, let's do it. She kept up with me 25 straight, I couldn't have been more proud. Proud of her, and proud to be a source of influence. Inspiration is everywhere, as is opportunity for shared engagement. Today was just cool. See you at the Kwoon.

Tools for the Internal Side

This particular book is one of the most influential and preferred tools of literature in my stash. I have others mind you, but this one struck a powerful chord that keeps me in tune with things. When it comes time for a reset and I need to rekindle motivation, inspiration, and respect to the art, this is the golden one. It basically touches on all aspects of martial arts and opens up my quest to apply not only the physical teachings, but the internal part of martial arts that I have limited experience or understanding. It helps manage the humilty and balance that I feel I really need at times. When I read about Kung Fu masters of the past, look at the different styles portrayed, and just how disciplined they were... well, it's just exciting and highly inspirational. It also reminds me just how far your journey can go and just how much of a better martial artist you can become by looking at all situations as relevant and all things have a purpose. The toughest part is achieving the ability to see things in this manner. If you get a chance, check it out, I really feel in one way or another it will change the way you approach your art, no matter what your discipline is.

A False Sense of Priorities

Most often whenever we are put in a position of being overwhelmed or challenged to the point of exhaustion, most of us tend to shed what we feel is causing an extreme load bearing circumstance on our lives. We begin a distorted view on what can be sacrificed and would should be prioritized. I think sometimes we reverse the polarity on the circuitry of our well being and thrust ourselves that much further behind.

X marks the spot

I have been working on forms in the sand the last few days and must admit, it really makes a not so bad looking form into a really sucks looking form. It's been a great work out on the legs though and I am hoping to have the stability of a steel column by the time I am done training here. Another really cool part about this terrain is it leaves a complete map of your footing, stances, transisitions, and linear movements. The impressions left in the sand show how much weight is being transferred and where your heel is not down all the way. In others words it tells you everything you need to know about what your doing in a particular form. I used it today to track all of my foot movements in Loa Gar and was quite pleased to witness a perfect square. However, I completely missed my starting point "X" upon completion.... by about 5 ft.... to the left ....and I had not even began to flip the shield to return to it. Long ways to go yet but I have the time and nothing better to do except enjoy Kung Fu.