Journaling

For me the hardest part about Journaling is posting it to my blog site for the world to read.

I have almost 25 journal entries that I have written and never posted, I have deleted over double that amount in journals that ended up being too personal or have nothing to do with Kung Fu or my journey. I fight every week to post to a journal and this year I have failed in doing just that. I will continue to fight and one year I will win. As long as I do not give up I have not failed.

Review

I have been spending a lot of time reviewing what I have accomplished or have not accomplished during this years I Ho Chuan. I know what it means to sign up for a year in the I Ho Chuan and commit oneself to mastery; I have followed this path before, by being part of the UBBT in past years. This was not new to me. But this year seemed to be different. I seemed to have been bumped off the tracks and have been following along beside them since the very beginning of the year. And when I look back though out the year; I see missed opportunity upon missed opportunities.

Thanks

It has been awhile since I have written a blog and even longer since I have posted one.

I am not going to apologize or make excuses for my lack of post to my blog. I have my reasons, and that is that.

Now back to what this blog was intended to be about, “My journey towards mastery”.

This year has not been the best of years for me and I have had a lot of obstacles to deal with, physically, mentally and emotionally and I am still working through a lot of them.

I was given a gift recently and I am not sure if that person realizes what a profound effect it has had upon me. Some may think this it might be just another obstacle for me to deal with, but that is not how I see it. I see it as a gift and a challenge to take what I have been given and breath new life into it, it has been the push that I required to get me back onto the path towards mastery that I have wondered off of.

Thanks

Summer Time

We are now into the summer months of our year and with that there are no Kung Fu classes in Onoway because the elementary school where we train is closed for the summer. I hope that we see some if not all of the Onoway Students continue their training at the Stony Plain Kwoon for the summer, and if not I hope they are at least practicing at home. I also hope they all return in the fall with a renewed thirst for learning.

New Music, new demo, new Lion/Dragon dance

I can’t believe it is going to be Canada Day already. We are at the half way mark for our I Ho Chuan year of the Snake and for most this demo will mark our third performance of the year. One of the requirements of the I Ho Chuan is to perform in at least 3 demos throughout the year and be part of Canada Day. Now we all know that life has its ways to interfere and disrupt even the best thought out plans. Those of you that on Monday July 1st will have completed your third demo of the year congratulations, but it’s not over yet, so keep working hard and make sure to be at all practices. Those of us that have had the misfortune to have life get in the way. Don’t give up, this is not the end. We still are guaranteed to have at least one more opportunity to perform in another demo that is at our Chinese New Year’s banquet. And if you are still short on your count why not organize another demo at a different event or place; it will also give you a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills.

Happy Canada everyone.

Schedule (it is all in the schedule)

Juggling family, Kung Fu and life in general can be an art at times. My family must think I am nuts, (some do) I am always running from one thing to the next, never having an evening off. Most time I am able to make it work without allot of conflict due to proper scheduling. I put everything into a calendar on the computer which is linked to my phone; this has helped me keep everything straight. I always have to refer to my calendar before I can commit to doing anything new and often than not, I do have to decline an invitation for a get together. Yet it is not flawless, life tends to throw the occasional curve ball at me (I think it does that just to let me know that life still goes on out there and it is not going to be controlled by my schedule) and I must be the one to adapt.

At the beginning of this I Ho Chuan year I committed to attend every I Ho Chuan Team meeting and to date I have attended three and miss two of the meetings. Now that is not a very good track record and as far as I am concerned, it is unacceptable for me.

I have learned two things from missing those meetings;

     1. Don’t volunteer for something if there is no date set. (first meeting missed)

     2. Family or care facilities do not consult my calendar when they schedule activities. (second meeting missed)

Sorry guys for missing the last two team meetings.

28 Hour Day

Would it not be great to have a 28 hour day? That would give most of us 4 hours each day that we could spend with our families. Quality time spent with the kids or significant other, not time spent preparing meals, doing house work or yard work while the kids are trying to finish the 6 hours of homework the teacher feels they have to send home each day because they also seem not to have enough time in their day to teach the lesson plans that are required for our children’s education. I am finding that each day I am running out of time to get everything accomplished. Every day there is something left undone or not even started, something neglected or even just ignored simply because as an individual we are unable to find the time to put towards it.
Or maybe it has nothing to do with the number of hours in a day? Since a far as time is concerned there has always been 24 hours in a day. Maybe is has everything to do with as to how much we try to cram or schedule into our daily lives. I think that is something a person needs to think about and consider.

Pets need Pets

This week was my turn to choose a challenge for the I Ho Chuan team to participate in. The challenge that I can up with though seemingly very simple and easy to accomplish every day, was not designed to challenge a person in a physical or mental way. It was to help develop an awareness and appreciation to all of the animals we as humans keep as pets. There are some pets that go through life unappreciated or even unwanted. There are also some people that go through their life without even knowing the joy of having a pet in their life. My hopes are that at the end of this week that more people will develop a greater appreciation towards their pets, and for those that don’t or are unable to have a pet in their lives are able to share in the enjoy and warmth that a pet owner knows.

Repetition, Repetition

I attended a training course over the weekend and the instructor told all of us that the key to improvement and to build up speed in what we were doing was to start off slow using proper technique and not to worry about going fast, speed will come as our technique improves. Does this sound familiar? Repeat something a 1000 times perfectly and your body will know it, mess up just once during those reps you will have to start back at the beginning. Does that not also sound familiar? For two days it was repetition, repetition, repetition.

Acts of Kindness Challenge Week

Ok for last week the acts of kindness that I did are as follows;

• Changed the tires on my fathers quad form the aggressive mud tires to a tire that would be easier on the lawn for my mother, for when she wants to use the quad around the yard. 
• Insured the lawn mowers had oil, gas and would start for my mother when she wanted to use them for the first time this year.
• Repaired/fixed arrows that my kids grew out of and gave them to their 7 year old step brother.
• Emptied the garbage can at my desk at work for the janitors x 5
• Opened and held doors for people x 12
• Helped unload bundles of shingles from a persons van.
• Paid the remaining balance owing for some lady at Safeway when her debit card would not work and she did not have enough cash to cover it all.
• This last one I am not sure if it counts but I did get thank you’s for it, but I also enjoyed it. I took both my kids to the gun range on Saturday and in total shot 22 cal. 200 rounds, 9mm 150 rounds, and 45 win mag 25 rounds. I think both my kids have fallen for the 9mm because I couldn’t get them to quite until we ran out of bullets.

Where was I these last couple of days?

For me that is an easy question to answer. I have been at home, sick in bed. I have contracted the worse bought of strep throat that I have ever encountered. I think it was a combination of strep throat/flu that took hold of me threw me around like a rag doll and left me wondering if anyone got the license plate of that truck that just went by. Yesterday was my first day back to classes in Onoway (yes I only missed one class due to being sick) but after only one (short) hour class I was completely exhausted. Great thing now is I am on the road to recovery.

Random Thoughts Part 2

Today as I was starting to write my blog for the week I realized I did not post this blog last week so here it is.
Random Thoughts Part 2

Last week’s blog was a little out there, quite away out in another galaxy I must say. But that just about reflects how this year is going for me.

This weekend is our Annual Pandamonium and I am looking forward to spend a bunch of time with what I consider as my other family. (Insert smiley face you know which one Sihing Donohue) This is an event that has grown over the years with much success, and I believe it will continue to grow into as time passes.

One of my favorite sayings/quotes is;
“The best time to plant an oak tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
This is something I tell adults that say that they are too old or too out of shape to start learning a martial art.

Random Thoughts Part 1

The answers to all questions is "1010010001110100101000110010". Ok I just made the up.
Cats are fuzzy and so are bunnies but the softest animal I have ever touched is a chinchilla, they also go good with sour cream and salsa.
I am proud to be part of the May demo but disappointed that we don't have 100% participation at the practices. But life always find away to get in the way and prevents some things from happening.
Horses are big and scary, mice are small and scary, I don't think size matters much.
I have had to write this twice, since Internet connections can not be depended on.
Again cats are fuzzy and "1010010001110100101000110010" might be the answer.

Blogs and Blogging

One of the requirements of the I Ho Chuan is to publicly blog (post) weekly about our journey towards mastery. And even though I understand and believe in the reasons why it is important that we blog each and every week. I still feel uncomfortable expressing anything more the just basics. In some of my past posts I may have revealed more then I felt comfortable with but is was needed to explain what I trying to put into words. I always try to write about something meaningful, at least to my self. I think next week I see what happens when I try to write about random things/thoughts.

 

My Title part 2

Where am I? What am I doing?

Last week I had commented that I ask myself this question throughout my day and I said it helps.

I adopted this question for my own, from Master Brinker; he is always telling us to ask ourselves “Where am I? What am I doing?” as a way to help us stay focused on what we are doing at that point in time. I had liked it so much that I used it as my title for my blog and a reminder.

For example; Where am I? “I am at the kwoon.” What am I doing? “Training” , but lately most times I have been coming up with different answers, not just when I am at the Kwoon and should be training but when I am out doing other things. Lately I have been quite distracted and am having a difficult time staying focused with the task at hand. By asking myself this simple question has been a great asset to my day to day life.

My Title

Where am I? What am I doing?
This has been my title of blog and though out  my day I ask my self this question.
And it helps.

Running out Time

Lately I am finding that I am running out of time. I have been setting my alarm clock earlier every couple of days and it is not making much of a difference. The earlier I get up the more that needs to be done. It may have to be that, I am taking care of my place and the farm (yes the farm has been there, but never have I ever had to take care of it until this year.)

I do feel that I am behind in my goals and that I am letting my team down. But I am unable to find away out.

Thanks  to push ups and sit ups to keep me engaged.

Thanks to the team and their support.

Cop-Out Blog

OK I must admit that I am at the same point in blogging as some others on the Snake team. I just can’t think of something interesting to to blog about. Yes I am at a loss, sitting at my computer staring at a blank page and looking down at my keyboard wonder what I could possibly write about. As I think about what I have done this week, was anything interesting enough to write about and is it worthily to share with the world. And yes what ever you or I write in our blogs is out there for anyone to read not just the people at Silent River Kung Fu, but I mean everyone that has access to the internet can read what you or I have posted on or blogs. Pretty freaky if you think about it that way. Some one across the world could be reading or following my blog. And it make me think and want to but down in words something meaningful, something that might have a in-pack on the way they look at the world or themselves. I just have to keep reminding myself that not everything I write about will have an effect. Most times I do write for the hart, which I find most times a little more emotional then I am comfortable showing out in public.

I am not sure what this blog have to do with my continuing journey in the martial arts, but it is my cop-out blog.

“ME” Days

Fridays are “ME” days. Why I say that is yesterday was Friday and I had a tone of things that had to get done for other people before the Saturday came, and I was considering not going to class last night so I could get all of them done. Then I thought why should I give up something that I enjoy, and am passionate about, plus it relieves stress (something that I need these days), I also find that I can get lost in Kung Fu and forget a time what is happening around me outside of the Kwoon. 

Fridays could be everyones “ME” days if you so chose to make it yours, or any other day that works for you. Oh sure there will always be a unforeseen circumstance that will come between you and your “ME” day, but if you chose a “ME” day and consciously be selfish and stay focused about what that day is for, you will find yourself giving up less “ME” days and be able to accomplish great things.

Everyone on the I Ho Chuan should consider making Friday into a “ME” day since that is that day we have a block of time that is scheduled for us at the kwoon, be it an official class or practice class everyone should be there. FYI Attendance was low last night.

Sit-ups / Push-ups

I have not much to report this week, my numbers are increasing at a slow but steady pace, not at the rate that I original planed but they are increasing. I am finding it difficult (near impossible) at this time to maintain the pace that I had set for myself prior to the start of this year. I do have hope that when things settle and the changes that have occurred in my family life become my new norm, I will again be able to concentrate on picking up the pace to make up for this lag. I am thankful for the push-ups and sit-ups on keeping me engaged, without them I feel that I might have been lost.

Did I Choose Correctly?

I have to admit to myself that I am quite awkward when it comes to using a weapon. My chosen weapon this year is the Jian, the Chinese straight sword. I have always been fascinated by the sword, and the Jian has always been one of my favorites. When I watch a martial artist performing a form or a set of movements with the Jian I can’t help but admire the flow and deftness that they handle the blade with. I have to say that when I am practicing with my sword I may as well be stabbing or swinging around a club for all the flow I have with the use of this new weapon. Although I am aware that with any new thing a person picks up, it will take time to become proficient in the use of it, and in time I will also develop flow and proficiency.

Life is precious. Don’t waste it.

This is a hard one for me to post, as I am a very closed person when it comes to anything personal and especially to anything I have strong emotional attachments to.

On February 11th my father was taken to the hospital after suffering a stroke, apparently he had suffered a number of mini strokes called Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA for short.

I would like to apologize to the I Ho Chuan team for my lack focus in the first week of being part of the team and also to the students out in Onoway and everyone at the Stony Plain Kwoon. I’ve tried to stay in the moment and maintain my focus in what I am doing so as not to let the people around me down, but I’ve been finding it difficult and fear I may not have met expectations lately. I know I have not met my expectations.

To Begin a New

Yesterday marked the start of Chinese year of the Snake and it also marked the start a new I Ho Chuan Team at Silent River Kung Fu. The Year of the Snake has the potential to very promising for me as I am part of this I Ho Chuan team. I am excited to be part of this team, as last year’s team (Dragon Team) had accomplished great things. With a number of the people from the Dragon Team continuing on for another year and the new members of the Snake Team with their fresh energy, the Snake Team has the potential to raise the bar even higher than what the Dragon Team set it at.

One Year Away

It has been one year since I last posted an entry on my blog.

In December of 2011 I made a decision to not be part of the newly transformed I Ho Chuan team what used to be known as the UBBT. By not being part of the team I had no requirement to keep blogging, so I made a concision decision to not blog for one full year along with not being part of the I Ho Chuan team and see what impact it would have in regards to my training in Kung Fu and to me personally.

This is what I have determined to be the result of what I have classed as a Very Very bad decision.
I lost focus and drive in regards to how I was training.
I found it became very hard to maintain the level and quality of my training that I had become accustomed to in 2011.
It became difficult to stay organized and focused on working towards any goals.
I felt disconnected from the Kwoon and the people at Silent River Kung Fu.

Since by not journaling about my progress and failures or by having the support of a team, it became very easy to not be accountable towards my training and let things slide off to the wayside.

I also have realized that personally I have become even more closed then I was before, I am not sure whether this has anything to do with not blogging or not, but while I was blogging every week in 2011, I found it helped me keep my thoughts organized and I also felt connected to others with whom I train with. This may have been only an illusion.

I look forward to February 10th and the beginning of the Year of the Snake which marks the beginning of the next I Ho Chuan year which I am pleased to say I am part of.