Which direction am I looking at?

I've been sick coming in to this holidays season and it put a dent in my preparations to many things. I had to take some sick hours from work which put me behind in some projects. It prevented me from doing planks, putting me behind in my challenge. It stopped me from training my forms. It stopped me from enjoying the time at home.

Strike that.

Despite being sick, I've been making good progress with my projects at work. I'll need to push a bit more for my plank challenge but I can do it. I will continue to practice my forms. I had fun with my family and friends this weekend.

I will continue to enjoy the week. Catch-up with work and with my planks. I will have fun with family and friends for the rest of the week.

I will continue to enjoy the week. Catch-up with work and with my planks. I will have fun with family and friends for the rest of the week.

I will continue to enjoy the week. Catch-up with work and with my planks. I will have fun with family and friends for the rest of the week.

I will continue to enjoy the week. Catch-up with work and with my planks. I will have fun with family and friends for the rest of the week.

I will continue to enjoy the week. Catch-up with work and with my planks. I will have fun with family and friends for the rest of the week.

Time for myself

Work has been extremely busy in the last couple months and it is going to continue like that for the foreseen future. I'm grateful for my work and to the fact we are busy. It is not something I take for granted. But it is causing me to be more stressed and short on time. We are also going to change gears in preparations to the banquet and it is sneaking on us pretty fast. Usually we have about 2 months after the break. But this year it will be less than a month! So much to do.
Whatever happens, at work and at the kwoon, I know I'm going to give it all I've got. Time for myself? Maybe in few months...

Focus

I've been trying many things and so far, although there is improvement with how my back feels, it is not where I want it to be. In the last few days I've been suffering from back pain again. With that I also had shoulder pain since the Tiger Challenge (obstacle course?) and I've been reducing the amount of forms repetitions to avoid injuries.

I had been thinking lots recently about where I want to be as a martial artist in the future and how these limitations are affecting me. As in many things in life, I'm struggling with maintaining what I have and learning new stuff. Finding the time for all of this is hard. I'm coming to the realization that I need to focus on specific things. I tried this at work lately and I'm having some success with being able to stay focused and completing the most important tasks.

Now the hard part is going to be deciding what is the most important tasks/goals/directions I want to take...

Noa

Today we ad Noa's birthday party with her class. Noa decided, like last year, to donate her gifts to a charity. This year Noa chose the Parkland Food Bank. I can't imagine how hard it is for a kid to forgo their presents but more and more kids are doing that and are trying to help others. We collected 2 big boxes of food and over $200 in cash and supermarkets gift cards. 

I think that what we teach our kids is priceless as they will grow and be a positive influence on our society in the future.

Very proud of my Noa!

Dragon Dance

There is no doubt that the Dragon is a great way to bring a group of people to work together, set goals  and get result. The dance last Saturday is a testament for that. We worked hard and we all contributed to a dance that we were able to execute on the Festival of Trees event. From inside the dragon, the dance seems to have gone smoothly. I really want to see the video of the dance.

There are always challenges with numbers when it comes to the dragon. If there are less than 9 - then you can't even practice. If you have exactly 9  dancers, you are risking not being able to perform or train if someone is sick or can't show up. If you have more than 9, practice is easier as there are always enough dancers but how do you pick who is going to be dancing at the performance? Seniority? Skills? Attendance?

I'm not sure what the answer is. I just hope that everyone knows that a big part of what we gain of the dragon dance is within the practices. When it will be time to figure out who is going to be in the dance for Chinese New Year (the day of?) it is still a group effort of everyone who ever practiced with the dragon this year.

it doesn't matter

So after posting the video last week I've been thinking about it and why I don't really like the video and the message in it. If you haven't seen the video, it is about a group of people that hate other (for example a British guy who claims he is 100 British and he hates the Germans). After participating in DNA test, he realize that he has some German genes in him.

The message is we should not hate others because we also have part of their DNA. This is great but I was thinking - and what if I don't have part of someones DNA? Does that allow me to hate them? We should not hate others just because they are "other".

My dad was a Holocaust survivor and he told me that he even with everything he went through, he did no hate Germans. He resented and hated the individuals who did the atrocities but not Germans just because they are Germans.

We should always accept others and also demand that others accept us. Gender, Religion, Origin, Skin Color, Height, Size, it doesn't matter.

Finally

An important part of the I Ho Chuan is tracking your numbers. How many push-ups, how many acts of kindness, how many repetitions you have done. If you do not track your numbers, how can you tell if your are on track to reach your goal?

Being a techie, I've been looking for an app that will allow me to easily track my numbers. I've looked at a number of apps and most of them were too cluttered, too hard to use, too busy, not user friendly. 4 years ago I gave up on the apps and created my own spreadsheet that allowed me to know where I'm at.

After talking to Mr. Beeler who joined the Rooster (2017) team, he went to explore the apps world. After looking at more than 50, he found one that seems to be working well, user friendly, easy to set up. I've tried this app for few days now and I have to say it is working great. There is a cost but it is small (~4$). I love using it and it motivates me and keeping on track.

If you are interested - it is called Persistence. I can also show you how it works...

Thanks Mr. Beeler!!!

Plank

This challenge is turning to be harder than I thought it would be. I guess if was not hard it would not be a challenge. I find it hard to do the plank in the middle of the day. I need to have my mind set for it. I need to be at the kwoon or at the gym. It is hard for me to do it at home or at work. This requires me to do many of my reps in a limited time and I find it hard to do 10 one minute planks with some rest in between. 

There is no stopping now. I've done 531 minutes so far. I have 469 more to go.

Tiger Challenge v3

Tiger Challenge this year was a great success for me. Yes it was stressful before and during. I kept thinking - "what am I forgetting?", "what time will each segment end?", "are the divisions set properly?". Then also watching my kids and Sharida competing. Hoping they are doing well. And they did. Aviva kicked butt at the noodle fight, Shira did very well at the weapon forms, Noa got the BD grand champion, Kobe did great with his forms and in the Lion Dance (too bad he got a migrane and had to pull out in the middle) and Sharida did great and event got gold for her weapon form!!!

This year there was a new energy during the Tiger Challenge. Maybe it was the new Obstacle course event that was added to the adults events. I think it was fun to watch and it was also fun to participate in.

This year I had some helping hands with the setup (thanks sifu Regier, sifu Lindstrom, sifu Becket and Mrs. Bergstreiser). And we were more prepared with the score keepers. Everything seemed to run more smoothly than before.

But at the end of the day I was done. And my shoulders were hurting (probably from the obstacle course mania). I needed today as a day of rest, which is not great for my plank challenge. I did not get any minutes on Friday because of the preparations and none on Saturday. I will have to do some extra in the following weeks but I also need to rest my shoulders and make sure I'm not going to cause any damage.

Anyway - "back to normal". Now we have lots to prepare with the dragon and also the individual forms. Only 3 more months to Chinese New Year!!!

Tiger Challenge

Tiger Challenge is next weekend. I have to admit - I don't like competing in the Tiger Challenge. Performing in front of others and being judged always makes me terrified.

But since I joined SRKF, I've never missed this opportunity as I see the benefits it holds for me. The growth opportunities that it offers before, during and after the Tiger Challenge.

Unlike previous years, this time I'm less prepared. Some injuries are preventing me from practicing as I would like to. But even if I'm not 100% prepared, I will do it and then evaluate where I am and where I want to be next year at the next Tiger Challenge.

Random Act of Kindness

This weekend was the first time we went shoveling for the seniors. While there was not much snow left, we still had to do some work.

In the first house, after we were done with the sidewalk, Mr. Helm continued to shovel the sidewalk of the house next to the senior. That was the only house on the street that was not cleared. My first reaction was to tell him "hey, this is not our sidewalk" but instead I joined him and in less than a minute we cleared it. Never hurts to help more people :-)

In the second house there was not much to do, but when I was shoveling the stairs to the house, Mrs. Janicki open the door and thanked me for helping them. It felt good to know that we are actually helping them and it is great to put a face to the seniors we help.

Being in the moment, learning from the past and planning for the future

Being in the moment - definitely something to work on. Get more awareness to what we are doing. Being mindful in every single step.

But does it mean forget the past and neglect the future? I don't think so.

Learning from successes and failures in the past is key for building a better self. Planning for the future and setting goals is also crucial for ones growth.

At the same time, we should be able to be mindful of what we are doing and with full awareness of what it is that we are doing.

Today especially I try to think of all the good things I am thankful for. Planning how I can do better in the following year. And being mindful of what I'm thankful for now.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Family Connection

For years now I've been teaching the kids classes but it all started because I wanted to be with my kids when they train.

I'm also teaching the early morning class and I'm very pleased to have 3 pairs of parent/child in the class.

If you train with your kids, I really think that training together is going to enhance the bond with your child.

I have the privilege now to training side by side with my son in the black belt class and in the IHC class. We work together and we help each other. I was told last weekend that my son and I are getting along great together. I believe it is more than that...

I'm also very fortunate that my wife is training in the IHC and I also get to work with her in her preparation to grading. It is fun for me to be able to spend time with her doing something we both enjoy.

For Families!!!

Catch-up

This weekend I was away on a trip with a group of friends from work. The days were filled with driving and photography. Every day we woke up before 6am to catch the twilight and sunrise. Then drove the whole day between Jasper and Banff, stopping once in awhile to take more photos. Then getting to bed around 10pm. Long long days.

Although I was thinking of my plank challenge and of other KF exercises, I did not have the time or energy to do them. Maybe also an issue with doing it outside of my regular training areas - home, kwoon, gym.

I have to catch-up with the plank challenge but I also have to deal with a bigger challenge I have - to be able to exercise and do my Kung Fu where ever I am.

Leading (where?)

Sometimes innocent remarks can be taken the wrong way. As an instructor I'm always careful with what I say. Sometimes it is limiting. I'm not going to lie to someone but at the same time there is always a good and a bad way to say something.

Even a positive note can be taken the wrong way by someone else. For example, if I say that "all students that signed up for forms seminar are great",  does it mean that the students who did not sign up (for whatever reason) are not great? No of-course not. But it might seemed that way for some students.

Anything we say and do as leaders has an affect on our surrounding. It is no surprise that leaders lead by example. We do what we want others to do.

Not just another day

Yesterday in our IHC meeting there were few of us who talked and made me feel this is all worth it. Hearing Mr. Kirkman and knowing how much the group support is important to him, to hear about Mr. Kohut success story - wow, hearing about Mrs. Tomie feelings towards the kwoon and how she is enjoying quality time with her daughters (and smoke free for a month!). There were more stories and I think this was one of these meetings were I felt - there is a purpose for all of this. Not just for me but for others in the team.

Then there was today...

Early lion dance at the Rotary Run for Life. What an event - full with powerful emotions. I hope that I will never have to deal with something like that with a close relative. It felt so great to be part of the lion dance (even if my part was minimal) opening the event ceremony.

Then later in the afternoon, a demo at the seniors lodge. The team did great. We had multiple demos going on including the lion dance, weapon forms, hand forms, fight choreography, board breaking and dragon dance. It was awesome! Everyone who was there did a great job! I think the seniors really enjoyed it. What a great community service from our team.

I'm so happy to be on the IHC team and feel privileged to know each and one of you.

Plank Challenge

This year was and still is very challenging in the physical aspects of my requirements. My back is not cooperating, to say the least, with my routine and my plans.

I've been working on some back exercises routine and also mobility routine that I hope will get me on the right path for full recovery but it has been bumpy in the last couple months due to vacations and other stuff.

I decided I want to improve my core strength and chose the plank as my go to exercise. I am going to challenge my self to do 1,000 minutes of plank by the end of 2016. I will keep a weekly tally on SRKF Google group to keep me motivated and to try to encourage others to join me.

Best recovery wishes

Feels really bad when a friend is suffering and I can't help. I'm reaching out but I don't know how to help him.

It is very sad for me to see a person I enjoy being with, in that state where he is not able to spend time with anyone due to his condition. I hope he can recover soon and be back on his feet.

Best recovery wishes!!!

Home

I spend time at the kwoon. I enjoy being there and I feel it is my second home. So many hours spent at the kwoon with my family and friends. Why can I call it home? Because I make sure it is maintained as my (real) home is. Keep it functional, clean.

The kwoon maintenance week is always a great way to get connected with the kwoon and make it your home. The more you help out and take initiative the more it will benefit your training and your journey to black belt.

This year there are no major renovations but there is still the need to do our yearly deep cleaning. There is also going to be a potato bake on Thursday (September 1st from 6pm to 9pm). What a great way to get to know other people who train at SRKF and have some fun with a bone fire!

Routine

After we got to the farm, we got the instructions of what we should do and when we should do it.

Waking up early, the morning chores are supposed to be fro 6:30 to 9:00. Now with my technical mindset and with changing the order of few things (and the fact it is the 2 of us doing the work) we  reduced the time it take for the morning chores from 6:50 to 7:30.

That made me think about the hectic life most of us have. While at home I wake up earlier, go to bed later, busier all day.

As busy as I am in my normal life, I think I manage due to a routine that I have established. Deviating from the routine due to a stat holiday, vacation or work is making Nguyen it so much harder to keep the high pace I'm going at.

I love my routine as it helps me to stay active and alert as well as allowing me to accomplish many things at work, at home and at Kung Fu.

Be prepared

Again and again I'm reminded that you always need to be prepared. Who would think to go on a camping trip for a week without rain gear, a hat, warm clothes. If it is nice and sunny now, it does not mean it is going to stay the same.

Being prepared for a fight (or not to fight) is the same thing. The fact that it is calm now... You need to be prepared to the possibility that someone will come after you. Being aware of your changing surrounding and having a plan for different scenarios.

Today I feel very unprepared. Farm sitting and I didn't even think to bring my boots or my rain coat. Now we will have to see how I complete all the morning tasks when it is pouring rain... :-(

Inspiration

 I always wondered what will happen if I got injured and had to be permanently in a wheel chair. Will I still be active and do sport activities? Will I be able to stay positive and enjoy life?

During our camping trip in Writing on Stone provincial park, there was a man in a wheel chair that was camping next to us with his 2 kids. Seeing this man moving around the campground and taking care of his children while having fun was really inspiring.

I think it comes down to how you are approaching your life and how supportive your environment is.

Now the wheel chair was just an example for any difficulty we encounter in life. Our attitude and our surroundings will determine if we will be standing up tall or giving up.

heights.

Fears are hard to overcome. For me, one of the biggest ones is fear of heights. As a kid I used to climb on the trees in my back yard without any fear. Climb on rocks and jump over creeks.

Now days I am so scared that I will hurt my self or die. I know that I'm probably not going to but I just can't get my self to get close to the edge or go higher.

Today at the hoodoos in writing on stone I was trying to follow the kids running around and jumping from on rock to another. I tried to make myself light and stealthy but inside I was heavy and slothie.

Eating and activity balance

With my reduced activity in recent weeks I can really feel the changes in my body. I have less energy and I get tired faster during physical activity. But part of getting my back back to order requires me to focus on stretches and mobility.

I love eating. Sweet, salty, sour, did I mention sweet already? Whenever I eat something I know I will regret later, I'm telling myself "I will run it off". But lately it is not happening because I do not run as much. Breaking the eating habit is hard and I'm struggling with temptations and habits. If there is a free doughnut in the office - I must get it. If there is a Tim Hortons on the way home (and for some weird reason, there is one everyday) - I have to get something.

So now I'm 42 (I know most of you were thinking about my age...). My waist size is 42 and I want it down to 39.

I know I have lots of work in front of me. I need to get back into my workout routine without hurting my back. I need to learn new habits and to curve temptations. I think that the first step is for me to acknowledge that I'm not happy with where I am. Now I'm supposed to deliver.

Perfection

While on route last week we past numerous canola fields. They look so great and picture perfect. I love looking at them and love to take photos of them as well.

But if you look closely, you can see that the canola field is not perfect. The plants are in different heights. Some flowers are dead, broken or not flowering yet. Looking at the filed as a whole makes it look great. If you pay attention to the small details you will find it is not.

On route to mastery, perfecting a form takes time (probably indefinitely) and lots of effort. However when we perform our forms after 1000 repetitions it should look perfect. Yes you can still see the imperfections if you look closely but as a whole it is PERFECT.

We cannot be too hard on ourselves because we are not perfect but at the same time we should always strive to be perfect.


“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” 
Salvador Dali

Dragon 2

Last week I blogged about the dragon and look at that - 4 public dragon dances on Canada Day. Yes, we did not have any fancy tricks or moves but we were running around with some people who had zero experience and we all had fun.

I think everyone who participated enjoyed it and I'm sure we will continue to have fun in the future running around with the dragon. If you did not have a chance to be part of the dragon dance - don't worry we will have more opportunities.

42

I'm 42. I was not 42 all the time... it happened only in the last few month . :-)

I'm not sure what is the right number for me but right now I think it should be 39. So 3 to go. This is the new goal. 40 by the end of July. 39 by the end of the summer and then stick to it. Wish me luck.

Dragon (and Lion) Dance

I was watching the video of the Dragon/Lion Dance we did for the last banquet and while watching I was thinking and noticing few things. First it was wicked long - 17 minutes. It a combination of a lion dance then a dragon dance and then ending with a lion dance but as a whole it was a very long performance. A very good one.

Secondly it reminded me how much fun it was practicing, although a bit nerve racking as the head trying to remember the sequence every time we changed it. It was a great bonding experience and a lot of fun.

Thirdly I remembered that there were few tricks that we excluded from the demo (maybe this year?) and few that we came up with just by chance - that was fun too.

We are now almost half way through the year and I think it is time to bring the dragon out and start playing around.

Begin with the end in mind

I’ve been thinking about this statement in the last week and how it affects me. The idea behind this statement is to know where you are going, know what your goal is, and know what you are targeting.

Without knowing what your goal is you might be going around in circles and loosing precious time. However staying put until you finalize your goal and waiting with no movement is not good either.

Once we know what our goals are it is easier to stay course and set the direction for yourself but even before you are settled on what you want, you should be working on something. Most likely it will also help you redefine your goals.

What we can do

Few things happening this weekend are proving to me that we can be what we want to be if we work on it and if we put our minds into it.

First was the circus. Seeing what these daredevils can do and knowing how much training they have been putting perfecting their performance. This was really impressive.

I also did my first "behind the back" with my slashing staff. Got over my fears of smacking my head. Yay!!!

All of this takes time and more time for practicing.

I wish I could do what I want all the time... but this summarize our reality (Stressed Out lyrics):
"We used to play pretend, give each other different names,
We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away,
Used to dream of outer space but now they're laughing at our face,
Saying, "Wake up, you need to make money."

At least I can spend some of my time doing the things I like... Need to make sure it is focused time. Getting the most out of it.

Parade

Last year while walking in the Farmers Day parade I was talking to Mr. Kohut and telling him we should have a float in next year's parade. I also talked about it with few more people including Mr. Helm. I was not sure if we would be able to pull it off and getting close to this year's parade it seemed that we are too late with some of the arrangements but joint effort in the last 10 days made a thought come true.

Now this year's parade was special for me. Not because we had a float. Although I think it was well done and made us look great as a school. The parade was special this year because of the preparations before the parade. The evening I spent with Mr. Helm, Mr. Kohut and Mr. Dyble painting and building the weapons' rack, the evening I spent with Mr. Helm trying to figure out how to mount the flags. The morning of the parade were a bunch of the IHC group came together to decorate the float.

This is one of the things I like about the IHC. Coming together as a group to achieve a common goal. I had lots of fun in the parade this year and the main reason was because of the time we spent together before the parade.

Hotshot

Here's a rule I'm trying to implement at work, at home, with Kung Fu, writing this blog - if a hotshot took my place for one day what will he do? Then why can't I do it?

We need to think big and believe in ourselves. Most people can do more than what they think they can. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I would take a minute break and ask my self: "what will the hotshot do?" then once I have the answer, I will proceed with that (and become the hotshot).

I just started to work with this so I can't tell you yet how it is working for me but I feel there is a change in how I approach my life and how I feel about myself.

Collect the Rain

After so many days without any precipitation it is RAINING. Although I would much prefer sunny hot days where I can ride my bike, paddle my kayak, work in the garden or do any other outdoor activity, this rain was needed. The ground was so dry and the lakes level is so low that we need this rain and much more.

It is like our body. We cannot deplete all our reserves without replenishing them once in a while. Sometimes we need a big rainstorm to restore our strength and our engagement. Whatever your rain is, you should make sure you are giving yourself enough time to enjoy it and restock.

where is Poe

Different things happened during Pandamonium this year. For one my kids were more involved. It was nice to see them active inside the Kwoon and outside the Kwoon. All of them had friends from school joining them for parts of the day. What a great way to raise awarness.

The Kung fu panda movie was fun too. It was nice to see so many kids watching together and at the end playing different Kung fu moves. Thank you Sihing Csillag for organizing this and Sifu Playter for the popcorn.

Finally I was able to see Poe. In previous years he always came when I was away...

I though the pandamonium was great. Can we do better? For sure. But it was a great day to share with friends and family. Thanks for everyone who organized or participated. You guys are great!

In-action

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the power of our actions. This week's topic is the same with a twist. I want to talk about the power of our inaction.

When we are are not taking an action, either on purpose or because we just didn't, there is an affect on ourselves, our surrounding. Just like with our actions, the effect can be positive or negative.


Here are few examples:
If I drive down the road and I see one kid pushing another or a group of kids tosses around a kid's bag. I can decide to help the kid or I can decide to ignore. Thinking to my self that it is nothing. Not helping the kid can have a negative effect on him for life.

If I comment and plus one person's blog and I don't comment and plus someone else's blog. Will it affect the person I do not comment on their blog? Possibly. Especially if that person is in need for my feedback and encouragement.

If I see garbage on the street and I don't pick it up. Less people are likely to pick it up and it is just a matter of time before our streets won't look as nice as they do now.


We are lucky to live in a place where we are fortunate to have a home, 3 (or more) meals, education, high morals. All these are not a result of in-action.

I have to make sure that next time I choose to ACT.

One step at a time

It has been challenging in the past couple months to keep progressing. Work is very challenging lately and between work, home, teaching the Advanced BD class and the early morning classes - I felt like harder and harder to progress in the direction I was heading.

And then my back started hurting. I had back issues for at least 10 years and I since I joined Kung Fu my back was never more than OK but few weeks ago it was really bad. It was hurting all the time and limiting what I could do.

Seems like a step back in my training or at least a stand still as I was not practicing my forms or other application for few days. I did however started with some core strengthening exercises recommended by my chiropractor. I hope this is my chance to improve my core strength and to eliminate (or minimize) my back issues.

Not the direction I was heading but it is a direction and as long as I continue to put one leg in-front of the other, I will get there.

Poe

We got Poe from SCARS few years ago. When we had our first meeting with the fostering family, we met in an off-leash park and we could see him kind of in the distance. He was a good looking dog but he would not get close to us.

The fostering person explained to us that Poe has trust issues. He will not get close to people he doesn't know... After some discussion among ourselves, we decided to adopt Poe. It was not an easy task to bring him home as he was very scared and tried to run away.

Couple days after we brought him home, Poe got out of our yard and run away. It was the middle of December. -10 degrees. We started looking for him. We looked in the forested area across our home. But we could not find him. As hours past we expanded our search perimeter. We looked all around our neighborhoods.  After talking with one of our neighbors that claimed they saw a dog running, we focused our search in one area. It was already dark, after more than 8 hours of searching in the cold weather.

I got a call from my wife saying she head a leash rattle in the bushes. It was very dense and getting dark. We could not see anything. I tried going around the other side and we both saw Poe running to the other side of the bushes trying to get away. We were happy we found him but now we had to figure out how to catch him. We brought our other dog, Chralie in order to help out with this operation. At the end after about an hour of trying, we were able to ambush him and catch him. He was freezing cold. I had to carry him all the way home. He was very heavy and I was already exhausted from the day but at the end we got home and were very relieved.  Especially because the temperatures were supposed to drop to -25 the day after.

Now it has been few years since we got Poe. He is still nervous around people and will not come close if there are strangers. But he is doing pretty good with us. He is playful and like being petted. We are very happy to have Poe with us and glad we were able to make a change in his life to the better.

Power of our actions

There is a consequence for everything we do. It might be good or bad, but our action (or inaction) has an impact on ourselves and our surrounding.

If you smile towards someone, it might make their day better. If you don't, it might make their day worse.  Sometimes it is hard to know what is the action we should take. Should I respond and give my advice or should I just listen? But knowing that whatever we do has an impact is key.

Here is a powerful story about an action and its outcome.

Reality Check

Blogging as all other requirements are easier to do when you have your routine. Every Sunday I need to blog and I do. It is part of my daily schedule. This is the same with doing my forms, my training. All is based on a schedule. Yes, sometimes I miss a training session, but then I need to catch up. As long as I don't miss more than one in a row, it is easy to keep the momentum going. Miss another one, then it is easy to start skipping them all...

Reality check everyone - how many blogs do you have this year? OK it doesn't matter - make sure you have one for this week and make one next week. It helps everyone to stay connected. Keep blogging, keep engaging with training, remind yourself why you decided to join the IHC.

Fitness Level

Last fitness class we practiced outside of the kwoon. Being outside - sun, fresh air - brings something different to my training. It is fun, refreshing, different and did I mention fun?

I find that most of us are lacking the physical strength to go the extra mile (i.e. to be able to spar for 3 minutes without gasping out of air). I know I am constantly struggling with my cardio. What is missing? I'm practicing lots. Is it over training? Could be as my body is fatigue at times but that is still not the reason why I cannot be full force active for more than few minutes without needing a break.

I assume there are many contributes to this. Lack of sleep, lack of water, bad nutrition, muscle strain, and maybe there are more I cannot think of right now.

I want to change something and to be able to push my self further. Not sure what I'm going to do yet (any suggestions will be welcomed).

If your lifer were a book and you were the author how would you want your story to go?

We all struggle one way or another. The question is what we decide to do with our obstacles, with our barriers. We can give up or we can make something better of ourselves. Trying to use our disabilities to enable us to grow and achieve our goals.

Here's an inspiring TED Talk I watched the other day - https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits?language=en

Disconnect

Usually I have few ideas for a blog throughout the week. I know my blogs are not the longest or deepest ones out there but I have been consistent with putting one out every week for the last 3 years.

This week is different. I did not have any idea for a blog. I was trying to think about it this morning and blank. Nothing.

Do I want to write about the pressure I'm in right now, mostly due to work? already done it. Do I want to write about the form presentation this Thursday? not again. Do I want to write about my back being bad again? old news.

Well maybe not old news as I still struggle with it. It started hurting again last week and I know it completely changes my mood. It is not just mobility issue. It hurts. Not all the time but there is a constant pain. Sometimes more and sometimes less. The worst is that I'm not sleeping well. It is hard to practice my forms, it is hard to run and do all the rest of my exercises. I've struggled this week at the gym and at the kwoon but the hardest class was Tai-Chi. I was OK doing all the moves but I felt complete disconnect between my lower body and my upper body.

Just like my blogging effort - complete disconnect. Nothing to write about...

Down (and up?)

It has been pretty hard for me in the last couple weeks to stay engaged and to prepare my version 1 form. I found it hard to practice -  hard to find the space and time. I am OK with what I've got but not happy. I wish I was able to get few more moves into this.

I am very tired lately. Work has been hectic and will probably continue to be so for the next foreseen months. On the other hand, my girls advanced to the next kid's class and now I have another 2 hours per week (woohoo).

Winter Warrior

I can feel energy. When people around me have bad thoughts, judgement, hate - I can feel it in my bones. When people around me have good attitude, compassion, happiness - I can feel the positive energy.

This is why I love being at the kwoon as for the most part, I am surrounded with positive minded people. People who want to be better, to do better.

Another good example are trail run races. I do not like to run. Unlike my better half, I do not enjoy long distance running. However, I love to participate in trail races as the atmosphere there is up lifting. I'm surrounded with people who want to be healthy and want to have fun.

Next weekend I'm hoping to enjoy both worlds. I'm going to participate in a running race - winter warrior - with some of my Kung Fu friends. This is going to be a blast!!! Can't wait...

No room with the Monkeys

First mandatory class was last Thursday. The kwoon was packed with weapons and it was very hard for me to train with my weapons. It is great to have so many people in class but until it is warm outside, I will have to do my weapon training elsewhere.

With the banquet happening last week, I'm late starting the year of the monkey and I'm actually going to officially start tomorrow. New schedule planned out and renewed motivation and goals. Work has been very demanding lately and I am trying to continue the balance between work, the kwoon and home.

Excited and nervous about the new weapon forms. I started to feel comfortable with the bokken. Now going into new weapons. New adventure...

Good Morning Sihing, Goodnight Sifu.

Good Morning Sihing, Goodnight Sifu. This simplifies the day yesterday...

One day he is 3 years old. Lil-Leopards. Too scared to go on the mats. Then learning kicks and punches. Tiny Tiger. Building confidence. Learning forms. Competing in Tiger Challenge (again and again). Learning empathy. Black Dragons. Team Work. Receiving the Leadership Award. Learning New Techniques. Kids Tiger Challenge Award. Sihing Level. I Ho Chuan. Adults Tiger Challenge Award. Grading. And then he is a Black Belt.

Last night was full with emotions. In between the Dragon demo, the Advanced Black Dragons demo, the I Ho Chuan demo - I still found time to be there for him, to share the experience with him and to make sure he knows how much I love him and how much I will be willing to do for him.

Our journey is now going to be shared even more and I'm so happy about that.

Kobe - I'm sooooo PROUD of you!

Growing Up

Many times, especially at work, I find myself doing something without becoming really good at it. It is good enough and I pass it on to someone else and I move to the next thing. In Kung Fu I've been trying to figure out where I would like to grow into in the future. Doing everything is not possible (unless I leave my work...) but I have yet to decide what it is that I want to do. I like it all - the physical and the mental, learning and teaching, forms, weapons, techniques, grappling, sparring, energy, etc. At this point I'm just doing what I can (and loving it...) and I hope that one day I will figure it out what I want to be when I grow up. 

Happy New Year!!!

This year was not as good as it could have been for me personally. I did not get all the numbers I set for myself, I did not achieve my personal goals, I had (and still suffering from) a shoulder and low back injuries. I have some regrets for the things I did not do, the things I did not start, the things I did not complete. The year of the sheep is ending in few hours and I'm not going to be able to change that.

At the same time I did have plenty of accomplishment. I did practice Lion Dance, I practice the Dragon and more so the head of the Dragon, I was actively helping 2 of the candidates in their preparations to grade, I continued to improve and advance my teaching skills - both for the kids and the adults curriculum, I was able to successfully help organize another Tiger Challenge.

In less than 4 hours a new year is upon us. The year of the Monkey. Putting my current year's regrets aside. Starting with a new slate. There is much to accomplish this year. May it be as good (or better) as the year of the Sheep was.

Inspiration

Last night I had the chance to spend the night with some great people, eating great food and watching an inspiring demo. Last night we went to the Ging Wu Chinese New Year banquet. The black belts and students of the Ging Wu association put down a demonstration that was very impressive. The skill, control and flow in their forms were very awesome and very inspiring. On the way back home, I was thinking about our role in the IHC and are we inspiring other students at SRKF. I know for sure there are many individuals that are. Some are always an inspiration for myself. I'm hoping that there is at least one student that I get to inspire. Hard Work, Repetition, Visibility, Eye for Details, Determination, Perfection. It is work in progress.

Next Year...

We are getting ready for the big finale of the year. For me, this is the peak of the year but also inspiration to keep on going. I do not want to fall behind after the banquet has ended. I'm trying to change my life in a sustainable way. A way that I can continue on with. At the same time there is always growth. No matter what we do and how great our success, we learn and grow as individuals and as a team.

I have a message to all on the group new and veterans -

For Sheep members who are taking a break of the program - I hope you find a way to continue to evolve and grow. Remember that the fact that you are not in the team does not mean you can't ask for help or share your journey.

For new Monkey members - you have made a decision that will change your life. Ask questions. Seek for help (even if you think you do not need it). We are all struggling in life and we can all learn from each other.

For Sheep members transforming into Monkeys... try to make this year a better year. If you have had struggles this year - let the team know, blog about it. The power of the team is greater than the power of one.

dehydrated

Last weekend I had a conversation with Mr. Duncan about addictions, I was sharing with him that I also have an addiction. I love food. I love food in any shape or form. I like to experiment food and I like familiar comfort food.

When I am busy, I can go without food but when I am not busy I find myself living in the fridge or in the pantry. If I did not work out as much as I do, I would have been a 300 pounds dude.

After talking to Mr. Duncan, I was thinking about why am I hungry all the time and I came to realization that maybe I'm not hungry. Maybe I'm thirsty and my mind is interpenetrating it as hunger.

Then I was talking to Sifu Regier about it and realized what other affects dehydration might have on my body. I also realize that I need to have an easy access to water in order to drink it. If I have to put an effort into it, I will get juice or something else.

There is no easy way. I just need to drink more (water). I will track my intake daily and keep you posted once in a while on how much I'm drinking. Out of curiosity - I was wondering how much water each one of you drinks everyday???

Good to Great

The biggest enemy of being great is being good.

The book "Good to Great" aims to describe how companies transition from being average companies to great companies and how companies can fail to make the transition.

From my point of view, I want to understand how a martial artist is transforming from a good martial artist into a great martial artist. How to avoid failing making this transition. 

Is it just practicing more? developing a better eye for details? trying new techniques and forms? enforcing the base techniques and forms? mental growth, physical growth? combination of all?
How do we even measure a martial artist and mark them as great? is this subjective? 

I think that if I got my black belt and stopped, I would have been a good martial artist (or maybe even a martial artist). If I keep going with my training and keep progressing, I am becoming a great martial artist. This is why the IHC is such a great program as it is giving you the tools and the opportunities toward mastery, towards being great.

New Year Resolutions?

There are numerous opportunities throughout the year to set "New Year Resolutions". It can be on the start of the new year, the start of a program/project, on your birthday. But if you want to change or get better with something, why wait? Just stat now! Start on any day of the year. Don't wait for some arbitrary date. It is probably more sustainable not to set new year resolutions as they tend to be non-achievable for most people.

Now, we all need to have goals and dreams. So go ahead and set your new years goals. Plan your next IHC goals. But if you think the goal is worthy of you doing it for life - start doing it NOW.