What the I Ho Chuan means to me.

I have spent the majority of this year sitting back watching and listening to everything and everyone on the team. Being the lowest level belt on team, it has been hard for me to know when to speak up or even what is appropriate to say. I am leaps and bonds ahead of last years fiasco, but still I am failing because I haven't been a teammate like I should be. I have been inspired by every single member of the team at some point or another. Every single member has gotten me to think about a topic in a way that I would never have done on my own. It is because of the team that I have opened my mind to possibilities that I would surely have missed if I wasn't on the team. But I have internalized most of those aha moments and have not been as supportive a teammate as I should be. That stops now. Everyone on the team and even everyone in the kwoon has influenced me to some degree. I am having the most amazing journey physically right now. I am meeting or exceeding all my goals physically and its because I have seen and heard the message from all my teammates that I could do it. So I said no more excuses and dove facefirst into the pool. Last year I came up with a million excuses to not give my all. This year I want to give my all and more. I could have fallen into the excuse trap, but a comment at a meeting or watching someone struggle with a form would provide that spark that if they could do it, so could I. My failure was to shout it out and return the inspiration. Even those on the team that think they have failed haven't if they can just reconnect with the themselves, the team and the kwoon. Don't wait for next December or next week even. Do it now. Sure it may be rough at first, but you have a team there to help you. We are not alone in our journey as long as we are willing to humble ourselves and ask for the help we all need at some point. My wife asked me last weekend why I do kung fu so much. I wanted to give her the most honest answer that I could and I have really searched my heart and soul for the answer. Its because I am finally becoming the person I always wanted and hoped I would. I am like a child that is finally becoming fully aware of his/her environment and my place in it. I am finally becoming aware of the impact I have on everyone and everything around me. I no longer want to accept mediocre or the so called norm. I want to excell both phsyically and mentally and I want to be a positive influence on the lives I touch. I was 45 years old and 232 pounds when I started kung fu. I was so terribly out of shape when I started that 10 pushups or situps was a real challenge for me. Mentally I was completely messed up. I was definately of the glass is half empty mindset. I was cynical about way to many things in life, and I had no real long term goals other then to keep paying the morgage and provide for my family. Kung Fu has presented me with an oppurtunity to better myself and everyone I encounter along my journey. I am far from perfect and I still mess up. But I have learned to accept that aspect of my growth. Growth is my main goal now. That includes both phsyically and mentally. The physical is progressing better then I would have hoped and I am truly happy about that. The mental growth for me is much more difficult. Seeing the people I am inpired by fail and not pick themselves up, dust themselves off and try again frustrates me. It can seed a small kernal of doubt in my mind and I have to work hard at destroying that doubt. Yes each persons journey is their own, but as a member of the I Ho Chuan it is also part of my journey. I am frustrated when I dont know how to help someone on the team. I am even more frustrated when I don't know how to approach a higher belt. That is something I need to learn and improve if I am going to become a true teammate. I have become much more aware and engaged in my own journey, now I need and I think all the team needs to become more engaged in each others journey. Everyone has the potential to become a black belt(Sifu Brinker has stated this many times), but we all need help along the way to achieve that goal. No one can do it alone. Lets show everyone in the kwoon what being a team is all about and finish this year with the roar of a dragon like we started it.

How are you influencing your kids?

This past weekend I spent two 12 hour days at the NAIT pool. Both of my kids were swimming in regionals. The top 6 competitors made the finals then the top 2 from the final go to provincials next weekend. Neither Jordan nor Shelby made it to any finals in their solo races. But I was very proud of them for both besting their times by 5 to 10 seconds in every race they swam. Shelbys relay team finished 5th and I was so proud of her for not giving up. She wanted to swim breaststroke but was put in the backstroke position. Not her strongest stroke, but she tried hard nontheless and didn't quit. Jordan got gold in two relays, the IM in which he swam the final leg which was freestyle, and then the freestyle relay on Sunday. Something about being in that energy charged atmosphere really got them going. They were both going around to all their teammates and competitiors wishing them luck and congrats. I asked them on Sunday nite how they enjoyed themselves? They were both positive even though totally pooped out. Up until this weekend, both of them were thinking of not going back into swimming next year. But now both are rethinking it. Jordan has to put in even more practises this week to get ready for provincials. Sadly he'll miss both his Kung Fu classes this week. But he is working hard to help his teammates and improve even more. Jordan is benefitting so much from his Kung Fu. Not only is it a great outlet for all his energy. But the respect and discipline he is learning is really helping him focus. He got excited a few times this weekend. But all I had to do was make eye contact and move my hands and mouth the three rules of concentration and he would come back down and center right away. I know how much Kung Fu is helping me grow as a person and change from a lifestyle of lazing around being a couch potatoe. Its awesome to see the changes it is having on Jordan as well. He inspires me in so many ways, and I don't hesitate to tell him so. Jordan says he watches how hard I work at my Kung Fu, and that inspires him. What may surprise him is that I watch him even more and that motivates me to work even harder. I love that we can work together and grow together. No amount of money can replace our love and the bound we are forming. Btw I do have picture doing pushups at botht he zoo and callaway park. I still need to download them off the camera and then figure out how to post them. I'll figure it out, just may take a bit.

One stripe closer

Yay I moved one stripe closer to achieving my green belt. Just my black stripe to go and then to test. I have been going over all my curiculum(spelling check please) everyday and I am really trying to understand the why, as well as the how of the technigues. Needless to say I am getting more and more little notes all over the place. Sifu Prince has really challenged me lately to put even more of an effort into my kung fu and I am stepping up as best I can. I am far from smooth or flowing at times(usually when I think to much), but I am understanding how my body moves a little bit better. His explanations of techniques really click for me. I learn from both watching and doing. That added verbal explanation can really help me understand even further. My family and I are off to Calgary for four days. Going to the zoo and Callaway park and visiting family. It's going to be more challenging maintaining my structure but if necessary I should be able to get creative. I'll be sure to get pictures doing pushups and post them with my next blog. I hope everyone has a awesome and safe long weekend and I will see you all back in the kwoon on wednesday nite.