that was awesome

Yesterday was completely awesome. I have never sweat so much and enjoyed a day at the kwoon as much as that, except for pandamonium. I was already soaked from fitness class(nothing new there) and then an hour of sparring after that and I felt like I had taken a dip in a swimming pool with my clothes on. Sifu Stoddart really is great at getting us to work our butts off and enjoy it at the same time. I can't recoommend the class enough. All you need to be is positive, enthusiastic, fun loving and willing to sweat buckets in front of others. Even if you're not all those things come out and I bet you will be after a few classes. It has helped with my conditioning enormously. I love sparring with the members of the I Ho Chuan. I get schooled the entire time, but I don't fear being hit or overwhelmed. The control that the Sifus and Sihings have is something to behold. I learn a little bit from every person I spar with. I am able to see things, I just can't always get my body to respond in the correct way to block or strike like I should. I accept that at my level and totally expect it. I am getting more confortable sparring and really working on my level of control. I hope we have many more days like yesterday. I'm sore as heck today, but its a good sore. One that lets me know I worked hard and it was totally worth it. I'm the lowest belt level on the team. But that doesn't mean I have any more excuses or reasons to slack off or not be accountable to myself and the rest of the team. Sometimes being the lowest makes me question myself on how to encourage or help out the rest of the team. I have often noticed others on the team are missing blogging or aren't in class or the kwoon as much as they were at the beginning of the year. I am still struggling with how to approach them. If they aren't attending the same classes I'm in or not showing up at I Ho Chuan practise or missing the meetings, how do you just say "hey, how's it going?". That is something I need to work on and improve. I have been too wrapped up in my own journey this year and I need to be more engaged with the whole team. That is something I will improve on. I failed miserably at last years UBBT. Mostly because I didn't know how to ask for help or how to communicate my failures. I thought I had to be upbeat and positive about everything I was going through. It took a long time for me to get it through my thick skull that it was the struggles that Sifu Brinker was looking for. I have been lucky this year to get a better stucture in place and to set small goals that progressed towards the bigger ones. Not everything is going perfect by any means. My stick and flexibilty being the two big ones. But the biggest thing I learned between last year and this year was to not stop doing what worked and to readjust what wasn't. I have years to go before I even achieve Sihing level. But I can't thank Sifu Brinker and everyone on last years team and this years team for giving me such amazing examples to follow. I'm building a base for myself that I hope will be made out of granite and not the sandstone that was there before I started kung fu.

wow its hot outside

This past week was sure a challenge to keep up with my structure, due to the heat. I got lots of walking in, but running, especially with our dog was out. He was suffering much more then I was. I am sure I can sweat standing still in a hot room. So this week was all sticky and icky. I drank tons of water and kept up my structure so very happy to not give in and just not do my training. On Saturday I took my kids to their swim meet in Devon. I managed to bake to a nice medium rare from 7 am til 5:30 pm that day. I was totally blown away by my kids persistance and effort. Jordan won one race and finished in the top 5 in his other 2. Shelby got a 7th, an 8th and a 9th. What made me very proud of her was that she didn't quit. She was getting over a head cold and was very tired. She even said to me that there were a few times she wanted to stop, but she didn't and finished every race. I can't ask more then that they try their best and not give up. At the end of the day they both ended up on 2 relay race teams. They weren't expecting it and it was a bit choatic as the teams were formed last minute but again they tried hard and didn't quit. I surprised them with large slurpees on the way home. I really missed not being at fitness class or open training. But I got to spent an awesome day with my kids and that is so rewarding to me. I did get in lots of pushups and situps. Even though people thought I was nuts doing them in the heat.

Meeting moment ahas

I was surprised how many people missed the I Ho Chaun meeting this week. I always get so much from every meeting, that I don't want to miss one. I am inspired by everyones triumphs and failures. For anyone to be able to admitt in public to a room full of their peers that they are struggling, really helps me to relate and get to know someone. Just the shear courage it can take is inspiring. But the biggest thing for me at my level and where I am in my Kung Fu is those aha moments that I go, I had feelings like that. Or that is where I was heading. I am very far from perfect and I have a long and big journey ahead of me, just to achieve my black belt. But achieve it I will. By being with so many amazing, positive and honest human beings, I can't help but grow. We are all human, we hurt, we cry, we fail, we procastinate. But we also heal, laugh, overcome and renew ourselves. I have learned to embrace the little progressions more dearly then the big ones. I have learned to listen with my whole being and not just pay partial attention. I am learning to push myself further then I thought I could go and to not let small obstacles stop my progress. Even moving sideways is progress, only in a different direction. I am learning how to achieve structure in my life that will enable me to progress to the goals I set myself. But the biggest thing I am learning is to live in the moment. To be aware of myself, my actions and how I am impacting everyone I come in contact with. I have so much learning to go and to put into action. But even up until a year ago I would have let the fear of failure or the realization of just how much more there is to go, stop me in my tracks. I would probably have done nothing to avoid it. Because I didn't know how or was even aware that I had stopped. I think I finally get that failure is ok. As long as you learn from it, get back up and try again in a slightly different direction. Alot of what I have learned is from what everyone talks about at the meetings. If I didn't attend the meetings I would be nowhere near where I am today. I am constantly in awe of the amount of knowledge, courage, humility and inspiration that is available to all the students of Silent River Kung Fu. I hope I can embrace all of it even more on my road to becoming a true martial artist.

Half the year has past

This past week has gone by so fast. I can't believe it's July already. Half the year has past in what feels like the blink of an eye. I tested for my red stripe on wednesday last week but didn't achieve it. I felt off and I know I wouldn't have given it to me either. Sifu Prince had some things for me to work on and the feedback was awesome. I can do technigues over and over again at home. But no feedback makes me rely what I'm feeling from my body and sometimes it likes to trick me. The subtle things that Sifu mentioned will make a huge difference in my flow and 6 harmonies. I look forward to improving and trying again in 2 weeks. The Canada Day parade and demos went very well. Mr. Timchuk sure is fun to keep up with when he is in the front of the lion. After 2 blocks of side to side and low dips I was pooped. He was having an great time with all the munchkins along the parade route and I could hear them all oohhing and aweing as we approached so all the effort was well worth it. My demo of Kempo 1 and 2 went ok. I had some balance issues on the grass with the small slope and little holes. Didn't fall on my butt or have to do a big recovery through the form so that was good. Still lots to work on but I'm progressing bit by bit. I love being able to do demos for the school. It's a way of giving a little bit back to the kwoon. I am getting so much from kung fu, being able to give something back only seems right. Canada day was nice. July 1st is also my sister in laws birthday, so the whole family got together and had a big brunch and sat and chatted after. The sun came out and we all roasted in the sun. Its truly amazing the see how much my nephews and nieces are growing up. They are moving out on their own and finding their way in the world. I'm proud of the choices they are making and how responsible they are being to themselves and the world at large. They aren't perfect(nobody is), but they aren't self centered and think the world owes them either(thank goodness). With the lack of accountability and effort required of kids in high school nowadays I worry for the future a bit. The sense of entitlement that some of todays youth is developing is scary to me. I was raised to believe that you had to earn what you received and that life wasn't handed to you on a silver platter. Some times things weren't fair, and you had to learn accept the good with the bad. You made the best of what you faced and accepted criticism where it was due and praise only if warranted. The policy of some schools to not give zeros and only grade work completed, is accepting way to much mediocrity for me. The real world may turn out to be a huge shock for alot of kids that graduate high school nowadays. If they only do half a job or only what they feel like doing. How long do you think they will remain employed. Sometimes we have to suck it up and do the things we don't like to do, as well as those things we do. Taking pride in a job well done, seems to becoming more rare as time moves on.

Sore but oh sooooo happy

Yesterday was boot camp. What an amazing day. I struggled like crazy during the fitness portions but I just decided this year that no matter what I would keep moving and not let my mind defeat me. I didn't have any set goals for the day except for one and I'll talk about that after. I went into this year( my second) with a much better understanding of what a great opportunity boot camp is. To be able to challenge yourself mentally and physically like that is so awesome to me. I feel like I have been reconditioned and overhauled and come out a better person for my experience. I am very sore today but not achey. It is a good sore that is feedback telling me I worked hard and pushed myself. I got to know alot of my fellow students better and made new friends with students from other classes that I don't see very often. But the best part was being around such amazing people. All through the day you was great being cheered, encouraged and motivated by everyone there. I went into the fitness test with only 1 general goal and 1 specific goal. My general goal was to push myself and do more reps or have better times in all the catagories. I have my sheet from last year and I wrote down this year beside last years numbers. I am happy to report I tied or beat all my numbers from last year. The one specific goal I had was to do the run in 13 minutes. My best time before saturday was 13:35 which I did running with the advanced kids class on wednesday. Thanks so very much to Mrs. Rice for being there and saying over and over again " you can do it, don't stop, lets sprint at the end, go go". She was so positive that I couldn't let her down and I just keep going, even when we went through that swarm of bugs and we both got our protien for the run( not so yummy btw). My time at the end was 12:13. I was stunned and thrilled. I even had to ask Sifu Prince twice just to make sure I didn't hear her wrong lol. Today I am in the afterglow. Sore and tired but content and happy with my effort. I was exposed to great classes and I even remember some technigues. I have cool bruises on my arms from the grappling(makes me look tough, not). I'll need another long hot soak tonight especially after taking doogie for a 10 km walk this afternoon and then mowing the lawns. No pain no gain right. Actually the walk was nice and I got to review yesterdays events and work on my walking meditation some more. If I had to do 10 squat thrusts to save my life it would be a close call but I would get them done somehow then fall over and die anyways, but I wouldn't quit. I am not as young as I once was, I know I need to get more physically fit. My shoulder issue frustrates me at times but I still try and push as hard as the young pups do. I almost had to produce my id to prove that I turn 47 next month. A number of people at bootcamp were "there is no way you are that old" or "you sure don't look that old". I'll take those as compliments, because there are days I sure feel that old. But I don't ever want to act that old. I'm a kid at heart and I love how kung fu is challenging me to become a better person in all aspects of my life. It's a heck of a roller coaster ride and the brakes are a little suspect, so all I can do is lean forward, put my hand in the air and enjoy the ride.

Finally coming out of the haze

Il like I'm slowly coming out of a haze. I am getting over the insane head cold that I had, and getting more energy and motivation again. The past 2 weeks have been a bit of a struggle for me mentally more then physically. I get my numbers in, I just don't feel like I am getting reps in, almost like I'm static. That was until this week. My wife challenged me to help walk our dog a little more. I ran with him morning and nite saturdays and sundays. But she was walking him monday to friday each morning and most of the nites to. I felt like I didn't have more time to give but realized that was just an excuse. So on monday and wednesday nites when I take Jordan to his kung fu class at 5:30, I bring Doogie( I know doogie why doogie, but that was the name he came with). While Jordan takes his class I that doogie for a walk back around the hospital on the trail. Then when I get to the school I do laps running with him til he gets worn out. His stamina needs some work just like mine. Monday was beautiful and very warm after the walk we got 4 laps in and doog was spent and needed water some I walked one lap after to cool down and gave him water and waited for class to end. Wednesday was much cooler out but still nice. That nite I got in 6 laps and by lap 4 where I usually start to struggle with my breathing, I just felt great. I relaxed and the next 2 laps were almost effortless. Thats the zone I used to reach when running in high school. It felt amazing. At least I know I'm slowly improving. I love having feedback, either positive or negative. I learn so much from both. That for me was my bodies feedback saying keep it up, things are getting better. I am so looking forward to boot camp this coming weekend. Last year was my first time attending and it opened my eyes to so many possibilities. I know I will still struggle with the fitness stuff but I look forward to the challenge now and like to give all I can. I have so much to learn and do in my journey as a martial artist. But I believe that if I can learn early on to push myself and exceed my mental limitations that I'll grow in ways I can't even imagine yet. Hope to see you all there as we finish the run, that feeling is truly incredible.

dang headcold

This past week was going great and then I went and got a silly headcold. By friday morning I was completely stuffed up and feeling lousy. I'm still feeling blah but I am getting slowly better. This cold seemed to hit me just when all the poplar pollin was at its height. I have never had allergies that I'm aware of, but a number of guys from my work site said they developed them after years of being in construction. That being said I going to try something like aleve or reactine when my headcold clears up as I have found myself sneezing more the last few weeks before it hit. If nothing changes then I may have to admitt I might be getting a little older then I thought. Oh well, it's spring, the sunny days have been awesome, the rainy ones too. All in all life is good.