First blog of the new year. I am so excited about this year, alot of changes but still the same in many ways. There are alot more requirements for me this year compared to last year, but I am going into this year with a much greater awareness of what I am facing. There are alot of new faces and names that I don't know very well at the moment. Names for some reason always give me trouble, yet faces I can remember for ages.
I have started the year a bit behind the eight ball as they say. I have one heck of a headcold that is very draining and peristant. It has gone from a stuffy nose to pressure on my right ear. Its like I need it to pop like when you are in an airplane, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to releave the pressure. No matter your size, a tiny microscopic organism can bring you down. Very humbling when you think about it.
This year I will be doing Stick 1,2 and 3 and at least Kempo 1,2 and I hope to work in 3 if possible.
It's going to be a big learning curve to start, but I am looking forward to the challenge.
Mr. Hamilton
First blog of the new year. I am so excited about this year, alot of changes but still the same in many ways. There are alot more requirements for me this year compared to last year, but I am going into this year with a much greater awareness of what I am facing. There are alot of new faces and names that I don't know very well at the moment. Names for some reason always give me trouble, yet faces I can remember for ages.
I have started the year a bit behind the eight ball as they say. I have one heck of a headcold that is very draining and peristant. It has gone from a stuffy nose to pressure on my right ear. Its like I need it to pop like when you are in an airplane, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to releave the pressure. No matter your size, a tiny microscopic organism can bring you down. Very humbling when you think about it.
This year I will be doing Stick 1,2 and 3 and at least Kempo 1,2 and I hope to work in 3 if possible.
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Slow and steady week
I have been nursing toe and shoulder injuries this last week. I jammed my toe while slipping on the ice christmas week. I sure have been hard on my feet this year. I expect that is quite normal in martial arts. My shoulder I hurt skiing. A young girl came out of the trees directly in front of me. I'm still not sure how I missed her but I managed a spectacular crash onto my right shoulder and hip. It has made doing push-ups a bit tougher but I find by doing the so called ladies pushups, the strain doesn't hurt to much to do them. I'm just glad I didn't run over her. 200 pounds crashing into a little 40 pound munchkin would not have been good.
It feels so good to be back in the kwoon. I like practises at home, but I find I am more focused and at ease in the kwoon. It has become a second home. There is an excitement and anticipation growing as the chinese new year banquet looms ever closer. I am really proud and honoured to be a part of the dragon dance team this year. To be able to give back to the school and everyone there is so amazing. Today I was thinking about how long Silent River has been teaching Kung Fu in the area and all the people that have come before me. I can see why so many people who achieve their black belt stay to teach and help out as they can at the school. The sense of family, tradition and of being part of something larger then oneself is very moving and humbling to me.
I am slowly working out a better training schedule, so that I make better and more productive use of my time. It is definately something I need to work on and refine more.
Here are my personal goals that i wish to achieve on top of the I Ho Chuan ones.
1) Read at least 12 books like "Peace Is Every Step"
2) Work on gaining flexibility and more movement in my joints and body.
3) Continue to be more aware of what and how I eat. I will Track my food intake every second month.
4) Complete 10 minutes of walking meditation a day through Tai Chi or simular movement.
5) Work on a better training schedule and give myself one day off a week for my body to recover from the stresses I am putting it through.
I turned 46 this past summer and some days I feel it more then others. I was very active and fit during high school put when I graduated I started smoking which I did for 12 years and I havent been nearly active enough the last 6 years since I stopped dancing competively. I have definately struggled at times to train every day and get my pushups and situps in daily. I have a pretty good base started now I need to continue to build upon it and try to achieve the effortless effort that Sifu Brinker has talked about.
It feels so good to be back in the kwoon. I like practises at home, but I find I am more focused and at ease in the kwoon. It has become a second home. There is an excitement and anticipation growing as the chinese new year banquet looms ever closer. I am really proud and honoured to be a part of the dragon dance team this year. To be able to give back to the school and everyone there is so amazing. Today I was thinking about how long Silent River has been teaching Kung Fu in the area and all the people that have come before me. I can see why so many people who achieve their black belt stay to teach and help out as they can at the school. The sense of family, tradition and of being part of something larger then oneself is very moving and humbling to me.
I am slowly working out a better training schedule, so that I make better and more productive use of my time. It is definately something I need to work on and refine more.
Here are my personal goals that i wish to achieve on top of the I Ho Chuan ones.
1) Read at least 12 books like "Peace Is Every Step"
2) Work on gaining flexibility and more movement in my joints and body.
3) Continue to be more aware of what and how I eat. I will Track my food intake every second month.
4) Complete 10 minutes of walking meditation a day through Tai Chi or simular movement.
5) Work on a better training schedule and give myself one day off a week for my body to recover from the stresses I am putting it through.
I turned 46 this past summer and some days I feel it more then others. I was very active and fit during high school put when I graduated I started smoking which I did for 12 years and I havent been nearly active enough the last 6 years since I stopped dancing competively. I have definately struggled at times to train every day and get my pushups and situps in daily. I have a pretty good base started now I need to continue to build upon it and try to achieve the effortless effort that Sifu Brinker has talked about.
Monday, January 2, 2012
First blog of 2012
First off I want to apologize for not completing my blogs on a strong note for UBBT 8. Alot of crazy life issues and work issues, then my old computer crashing all deverted my attention from blogging. No matter what is going on in my life I know I need to make time to get my blogs in. 10 minutes less sleep is never going to kill me.
Sifu Brinker asked us to talk about what we learned from our successes and especially from our failures this year. It is something I have been thinking about alot the last month. When I first got into the UBBT 8 last year I had no idea what I was getting myself truly into. For someone who had become basically a couch potatoe and was very inactive as opposed to active I had my work cut out for me. I remember vividly struggling to do 10 pushups or situps when I first started kung fu in november of 2010. Bending down to stretch was truly sad to see me barely touch my knees. But I learned to keep trying even on the days I hurt like heck and could barely catch my breath in warmup.
I can't thank everyone in the fitness class enough for incouraging me and most definately inspiring me in becoming a less round person and more in shape. The class was never brought down to my level, I had to work hard to achieve a level where I could keep up with the rest of the class. Somedays I felt great some not so much. But I learned to keep going even if it was at half speed. I still have a long ways to go to be truly fit but I get better bit by bit, day by day.
The one thing this year I didnt accomplish was to get my 5k run in. I ran every day in high school and somehow had myself convinced that getting back into running shape would be a piece of cake. Man was I disheartened when I started running in the spring. 11 years of smoking and another 15 of no where near an active enough lifestyle have put me alot further behind the old 8 ball as the saying goes then I wanted to realize. I lose my breath and find it very difficult to get back when I'm running. I am going to have to really work on a more gradual aproach to my running and see if I cant do a whole lot better this year then last.
I am so happy that my son convinced me to start kung fu. I have become part of something so much bigger then just myself. I'm part of a group of people who are trying to better themselves and the world around them. I am constantly amazed at what a truly fortunate person I am. I get inspiration from Sifu Brinker right down to the smallest of the tiny tigers everyday that I am in the kwoon. A year ago I was a negative, sarcastic thinker. Now my crew at work says I'm more relaxed, and positive. I look forward to the challenges each day instead of with dread. I just do the best I can. There is no such thing as perfect, just the road to mastery and hopefully discovery that life is truly incredible along the way.
I am by no means the best father, husband, colleage or human being that I can be. There is alot of work to do and old habits to correct before I can even say I'm pretty good. But at least now there is a small light at the end of the tunnel and a path to start on to get me there. The path is gonna have lots of branches and twists and turns on it and most likely some fallbacks. But if I can just keep focused on the outcome then I know the journey will be well worth it.
Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to fail Sifu Brinker. It has taught me more about myself then I am probably even aware of. But I will work on becoming more aware, so that I can grow and learn even more.
Sifu Brinker asked us to talk about what we learned from our successes and especially from our failures this year. It is something I have been thinking about alot the last month. When I first got into the UBBT 8 last year I had no idea what I was getting myself truly into. For someone who had become basically a couch potatoe and was very inactive as opposed to active I had my work cut out for me. I remember vividly struggling to do 10 pushups or situps when I first started kung fu in november of 2010. Bending down to stretch was truly sad to see me barely touch my knees. But I learned to keep trying even on the days I hurt like heck and could barely catch my breath in warmup.
I can't thank everyone in the fitness class enough for incouraging me and most definately inspiring me in becoming a less round person and more in shape. The class was never brought down to my level, I had to work hard to achieve a level where I could keep up with the rest of the class. Somedays I felt great some not so much. But I learned to keep going even if it was at half speed. I still have a long ways to go to be truly fit but I get better bit by bit, day by day.
The one thing this year I didnt accomplish was to get my 5k run in. I ran every day in high school and somehow had myself convinced that getting back into running shape would be a piece of cake. Man was I disheartened when I started running in the spring. 11 years of smoking and another 15 of no where near an active enough lifestyle have put me alot further behind the old 8 ball as the saying goes then I wanted to realize. I lose my breath and find it very difficult to get back when I'm running. I am going to have to really work on a more gradual aproach to my running and see if I cant do a whole lot better this year then last.
I am so happy that my son convinced me to start kung fu. I have become part of something so much bigger then just myself. I'm part of a group of people who are trying to better themselves and the world around them. I am constantly amazed at what a truly fortunate person I am. I get inspiration from Sifu Brinker right down to the smallest of the tiny tigers everyday that I am in the kwoon. A year ago I was a negative, sarcastic thinker. Now my crew at work says I'm more relaxed, and positive. I look forward to the challenges each day instead of with dread. I just do the best I can. There is no such thing as perfect, just the road to mastery and hopefully discovery that life is truly incredible along the way.
I am by no means the best father, husband, colleage or human being that I can be. There is alot of work to do and old habits to correct before I can even say I'm pretty good. But at least now there is a small light at the end of the tunnel and a path to start on to get me there. The path is gonna have lots of branches and twists and turns on it and most likely some fallbacks. But if I can just keep focused on the outcome then I know the journey will be well worth it.
Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to fail Sifu Brinker. It has taught me more about myself then I am probably even aware of. But I will work on becoming more aware, so that I can grow and learn even more.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week 42 times sure have changed
A little while back we got a letter from my daughters school informing us that they were changing the way the kids were being graded. They were switching from a grade system to a new system that confused the heck out of me. Basically the teachers are trying to engage the students thought processes more and determine if they are understanding and thinking about the information presented to them. For example they may read a news headline or watch a short newsclip on something like women trying to attain the right to vote in Saudi Arabia. Then they discuss various themes and ideas that were presented to them. The kids are then assessed on whether they understood the material and how it got them thinking. They write down in there own words answers to various questions that gauge how much the student understood the material and can give examples and conparisons to say, how different it is between life for women in Canada as opposed to Saudi Arabia. There are no perfectly right or wrong answers. It is more a question of how it got the student thinking and how they relate it to what they already know.
I like that they are getting the students thinking more. Not just doing the straight memorization of facts and figures or places on a map. There is so much information out there that kids can so easily access. They need to be able to look at this information critically and not just accept things at face value. Alot of so called factual information is presented from the angle that the writer wants the reader to reach. Kids today have to be able to be much more discerning of what is screaming loudly at them for their attention nowadays.
I am still old fashioned in that I can understand what 90% means as opposed to "meets the standard". But the information age is upon us and technology and the world wide web have shrunk the world to the point where everything is so close to home now. I just hope I can keep up with the changes and contribute in a positive way to my kids growth, both mentally and spiritually. By trying to be a positive role model and someone they can talk to about anything, I think I'm doing ok. The world is a much more complicated place then when I was a kid. I can't even imagine what the future holds for my childrens children and their children after that.
I like that they are getting the students thinking more. Not just doing the straight memorization of facts and figures or places on a map. There is so much information out there that kids can so easily access. They need to be able to look at this information critically and not just accept things at face value. Alot of so called factual information is presented from the angle that the writer wants the reader to reach. Kids today have to be able to be much more discerning of what is screaming loudly at them for their attention nowadays.
I am still old fashioned in that I can understand what 90% means as opposed to "meets the standard". But the information age is upon us and technology and the world wide web have shrunk the world to the point where everything is so close to home now. I just hope I can keep up with the changes and contribute in a positive way to my kids growth, both mentally and spiritually. By trying to be a positive role model and someone they can talk to about anything, I think I'm doing ok. The world is a much more complicated place then when I was a kid. I can't even imagine what the future holds for my childrens children and their children after that.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Weeks 40 and 41 Crazy time of year
Still busier then all can be with various work projects and family life. I have missed anymber of classes lately and that is bugging me alot. I don't like missing classes but have had to sacrifice a few for family and work reasons. I am definately looking forward to November when things settle down abit again and I can get back to my normal routine. I realized the other day in the kids class that I am not reviewing all my technigues as much as I should be. That is something I can and will add into my home training.
This past week I have been thinking about all the Sihings testing for black belt. My best wishes have been with them all as the test day approached. We have such a strong group this year and they are all a constant source of inspiration and amazement to me. I am sure that someday I'll be nervous as all can be as test day approaches. I just hope i can be as good an example to the Kwoon as they have been to me this year.
On an dang it note, my computer is starting to act up in little ways lately. It may be a sign that its time for a new computer. This one is 5 years old now and it does get alot of use. Hopefully I can get a bit more time out of it before the point of no return. Technology is advancing so fast nowadays that I'm not even sure what is good and what isn't in the world of computers. Time to do some research I guess.
This past week I have been thinking about all the Sihings testing for black belt. My best wishes have been with them all as the test day approached. We have such a strong group this year and they are all a constant source of inspiration and amazement to me. I am sure that someday I'll be nervous as all can be as test day approaches. I just hope i can be as good an example to the Kwoon as they have been to me this year.
On an dang it note, my computer is starting to act up in little ways lately. It may be a sign that its time for a new computer. This one is 5 years old now and it does get alot of use. Hopefully I can get a bit more time out of it before the point of no return. Technology is advancing so fast nowadays that I'm not even sure what is good and what isn't in the world of computers. Time to do some research I guess.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Week 39 dang it
This last week I messed up my whole routine. My schedule had to adjust somewhat for the activities my kids and my wife have undertaken. Shelby is back in dance this year and going 2 nites a week this year. Jordan is still in Kung Fu, plus running club in school and my wife is on the commitee for The Parkland County Santa's Anonymous party again this year. I was expecting it, I just got so used to my routine that it was hard to rearrange it. I was surprised that it was such a fight to get myself moving at different times than I'm used to. I know I can adjust, I just have to look at my goals again and retailor them as needed and realize I wont be able to put in as much time as I was before. I still have to be a father and a husband, and just because I am so into my Kung Fu doesn't mean I can just forget that I have other responsibilities. My Kung Fu is very important to me, the journey I am on, I know I had no idea when I first started that it would have so much meaning for me and on such a deep level. As the saying goes, a journey of a thoasand miles begins with one step. I'm about 1000 steps in with 100000 more to go, but I am so looking forward to and enjoying the journey.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Week 38 New house or not new house.
This past month my wife Kyla has had the urge to move into a bigger place. A nice house out in Spring Lake came up for sale and she soooo wanted to buy it. So we started the ball rolling by putting in an offer. Unfortunately what the present owner wants for the house is just not realistic in my mind for the amount of work that would be needed to be done. I.E. new shingles, the garage floor jacked up and insulation gutted(moldy), plus fixing all the sidewalk blocks that have sunk everywhere. And that was just what we could see right away. I have feeling the inspection would have reveled even more things.
We also realized the amount of work required to finish off our own house to be sale ready. Nothing major, alot of minor paint and trim details and decluttering. It kind of made me appreciate where we are and what we have. Our house isnt huge but it is comfortable and I'm proud of the changes we have made in the five years we have been here.
This whole experience has kind of regrounded me in a way. Yes a larger home would be nice, but it's not a necessity by any means. It's kind of funny how you have to change how you look at things to truly appreciate them.
We also realized the amount of work required to finish off our own house to be sale ready. Nothing major, alot of minor paint and trim details and decluttering. It kind of made me appreciate where we are and what we have. Our house isnt huge but it is comfortable and I'm proud of the changes we have made in the five years we have been here.
This whole experience has kind of regrounded me in a way. Yes a larger home would be nice, but it's not a necessity by any means. It's kind of funny how you have to change how you look at things to truly appreciate them.
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