week 21 cool tournament

This week was short with only one class(due to the holiday)  and no fitness class, but it was eventful nontheless. I have been working alot on my center and keeping relaxed in my body between technigues. I feel I'm getting there but still some work to do.

Saturday was the Tiger Challenge. I didn't enter due to having to buy a new vehicle as my wifes van has gone to the big wrecking yard in the sky( or is that city  hehe). But I did go to help out with munchkin rangling and timekeeping etc. I enjoyed myself completely. This is the first time I have seen the tournament and I learned alot just helping out. I am so looking forward to next year.

Sihing Kichko totally made my day when see broke all 4 of her boards. I know how hard she has been working and preparing for it and the look on her face when she completed her feat was so inspiring. Seeing eveyone doing their best and enjoying themselves, spending time with friends and family made time fly bye and it was a thoroughly awesome day.

We really are one big extended family at Silent River and I feel very honoured to be apart of it. Everyone cheered each other on and helped out each other. I didn't see one negative reaction or outburst the entire time. That is truly a testament to the kind of character building that is happening in the Kwoon.  Congratulations to everyone who took part, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.

week 20 yikes the stomach flu

This week was a total health meltdown for me. I caught the stomach flu that has been making the rounds and it decided to kick my butt. 5 and a 1/2 days of feeling totally and completely yucky. I wont go into details, they arent pretty. Suffice it to say that I wouldn't wish that flu on my worst enemy as the saying goes.

This has sure been a nasty winter for flu bugs etc. Here's hoping next year is flu and cold free( yes I have a dream, its a big dream and its not likely, but its a nice dream nontheless)

week 19 there's goals in them thar hills

This week Sifu Playter asked us to set some goals for ourselves and show them to a Sifu that would act as a mentor to us. I set the goal of achieveing my orange belt the month of June. Now I will admitt this will take some doing as I still need my Blue, Green and Red stripes. I have been asking more and more about what it is each Sifu thinks I need to work on to progress and this is really helping me work on bettering my Kung Fu. Even being told I did one thing well and that another was close but could be improved with certain things like keeping my shoulders down and relaxed. Or working on getting my center more down into my hips really helps me. I find at times that I think I'm doing a technigue fairly well but because I dont have the knowledge base and cant see myself as I do some that technique. That I may not be doing it as well as I should or could be.

I am trying to take one thing from each class and really work on it for the next class and ask the Sifu's present if I am improving. That way I know the practise I'm doing at home is working and positive in nature. I dont expect perfection( is there such a thing). I just want improvement and a better understanding of what and how I do things. I'm trying to be more aware of my total body as opposed to just the part of my body thats blocking or punching.

Lots of work to go but I feel I making progress and that is very encouraging.

week 18 Forms workshop was amazing

I finished week 17 with a forms workshop on saturday. 5 hours of doing Kempo1 and learning about 2/3's of kempo2. I so enjoyed this. It was hard and I managed to get some of the worst blisters I have ever had on my feet. But I learned so much about the form and what I needed to work on. I can't thank Sifu Wonsiak enough for putting up with this old fart for that whole time. As they say the devil is in the details. And there are so many little things that I will aways be working on to improve my forms. Good thing I enjoy doing them so much.

My classes this week were a little off due to the blisters that tore open right at the end of the workshop (who knew a hardwood floor was so much tougher then my feet). I'm gonna have to start going barefoot more often I guess to toughen up the bottoms of my feet. My feet being a bit tender made doing some of the techniques in class a bit challenging but I soldered on and did the best I could.

I beginning to realize that for me learning Kung Fu isnt just about reconditioning and learning the techniques. But also how to work through the aches, pains etc that are naturally going to occur.

week 17, no excuses, just getting behind

Sorry I have been so long getting my weekly journals out. I do keep a daily log and i use that for my weekly stuff. I have just been remiss at getting on the computer at home and doing my journal. So no more slacking.

This week was very rewarding for me. We were doing shoulder rolls in the black dragon class I help out with and one of the young ladies approached me and said she was having alot of problems doing a forward roll. So we went to the side and with some encouragement and lots of practise she was doing really well. To see the smile on her face at the end of class just totally pumped me up.

I am getting so much enjoyment from helping with this class that even when my son progresses to his orange belt, I am going to continue coming and helping out with the kids classes. I get as much out of the classes as the kids do. I don't think I would make a great schoool teacher but helping with the kids in Kung Fu I am completely enjoying.

Week 16 oops overdid it

I went a llittle overboard at the saturday fitness class. I knew we would be running but was convinced we would run 2 km max. Not the 10 km we did. Needless to say I was in alot of discomfort Saturday nite and all day Sunday. I'm older then I like to admit sometimes and until I started Kung Fu I was not very active. I'm really happy with the progress I have made so far this year. When I started I was lucky to do 10 pushups and maybe 5 situps. My endurance and stamina are greatly inproved(with a ways to go I admitt). We did an obstacle course type training in last nites class. And even though I was still pretty stiff and sore I managed the class well and actually felt quite good at the end of it, even if I was tired. I can't say enough about the positive attitude of everyone I talk to in the kwoon. Even when I'm feeling worn out and beat. I get inspired to try my best and excell and truly challenge myself each day. Thank you all.

See you in the kwoon and out in the community. I am making some amazing friends and mentors.

Week 15

This week has been a real treat for me. I have been watching my son's kung fu class ever since he started in September. I noticed a few times that there were only 2 instructors for a class of up to 28 sometimes. This got me thinking that I could help out. But I didn't know if my offering to help was ok or not. I finally got the courage to ask Sihing Robinson and Sifu Brinker if it would be ok to help with the yellow belt class. They both said no problem just suit up.

So this week has been the first week I have helped out. I'm completely enjoying it. Not only am I able to help the young students learn, I'm learning alot as well. I have always found it rewarding working with young people. Whether I was coaching soccer, or just working as the score keeper for hockey. I find the vast majority of kids just want to learn and do their best. That is very inspirational to me. Hopefully I'm having a positive influence on a young persons life. There can be nothing more rewarding then that.