Resolutions

I have mixed emotions towards New Years resolutions. I think that if you want to get better in something, why wait till the new year. Just make your plan and do it.
At the same time, if the new year is what going to motivate you to make a change, then there is nothing wrong with that.

Here’s for a better year, healthier, more successful with whatever resolutions you are making.
Happy New Years!!!

I can't do it

Well, Rick Hansen never believed that.

I never heard of Rick Hansen. That is until today when I was listening to a radio show on CBC. In years I've been to Canada I heard about Terry Fox heroic marathon of hope but I did not know about Rick Hansen.

Here is a story about a young man who had plans to compete in the Olympic games and all his dreams were literally crashed in a car accident. He could have chosen to give up. But he didn't. I'm sure he had moments were he was ready to stop but he kept on going.

He did make it to the Paralympic games and won numerous medals; proving that if you put your mind into it, you can break barriers and achieve your dreams. Rick Hansen wheeled through 34 countries for 2 years raising $26 million dollars and became a catalyst to how people with disabilities were perceived.

http://www.rickhansen.com/About-Us/About-the-Foundation

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

Most weeks I have one or more topics to blog about. I know my blogs are not always deep or long but usually I have no problem writing about something. The problem is on days like today when I am on vacation mode. I find it hard to blog.

I got a message from someone today wishing me happy holidays. Their message made me think how grateful I am to have Kung Fu in my life and to have so many friends at the kwoon.

I want to thank all of you for being good friends and training partners.
Merry Christmas and happy new year.

How do you get to 8

When we try to do something right, there is always your "right" and my "right". Sometimes they are not the same and most of the time it is OK.

When trying to get to the number 8, you can add 4+4 or you can add 5+3. Both give you the right result but the way to get there is different. You can also find completely different methods to get to the same results. For example use multiplication, or subtraction...

My point is that we should not jump into judging others when their way is different from our way. Both might be the right way.

We should all grow lettuce!

Instead of blaming, judging and resenting we need to focus on growing, leading and guiding. Taking care of each other.

Out again

After being away for one week, I'm off again. It is working OK so far with my requirements as I am making an effort to go to the gym every day. Food is a different matter. We are hitting restaurants for all meals and that is not that healthy. At the end of the I was making an effort to choose healthier choices.

The one thing that I miss the most is training with my family. Missing the kids classes and the black belt class. This has been on my radar for a while anyway. Trying to figure out how to train more with the girls.

Well, I have another week to figure it out.

Personal Goals

Finally I have some time to think about my goals for next year. It is harder every year to figure out new goals. Most of the time, I just want to continue with the goals I've already set for previous years.

Anyway, while I was thinking about my goals for next year, I was thinking about what I have this year. It is obvious to me that this year, for different reasons was not as successful as previous ones but when reviewing my personal goals, although I did not (yet) meet my expectations, I did make very good progress with it.

Festival of Trees

I was not really into the Festival of Trees demo. I felt sick and tired for few days. My legs were hurting, my shoulder was hurting.

So preparing and waiting for this demo was not easy for me.

But I think the demo was a great personal success. While I was performing my forms, both hand form and weapon form, I was able to make contact with some of the audience. I usually do not do that but this time I did. It was kind of fun looking into someone's eyes while swinging the sword. :-) Also with the dragon - the sequence where we are "attacking" the audience was a lot of fun as I was able to look the audience in the eyes.

I was watching a video of the dragon dance and there was a kid who was clapping like crazy at the end. That also made me happy.

I think that overall it was a great demo, despite of the fact that I was not into it to begin with.

Change

I always liked structure and order in my life. Change was not a welcome thing. I have recently changed the gym I am going to. I have been going to the Tri-Leisure for almost 10 years. I had my routine and I was used to what I do. 2 weeks ago I switched to a different gym in Edmonton. There are lots of challenges when going to a new gym. I was looking around trying to find specific machines and it feels weird in there. I hope that I will get used to this gym but I also hope it will shake me routine and force me to change my exercises. I've been getting out of shape lately. I am trying some new exercises now and I hope I can get my cardio up.

Away.

I was working local for the last 14 years. Yes, I had the odd trip to Denver or Vancouver but it was rare and did not disturb my training.

Today I'm entering a new era. My new project will require me to travel frequently. Sometimes more than once in one month. How will it affect my training I do not know but I'm sure it will have an affect on my presence at the kwoon.

Do we have enough medals?

The Tiger Challenge is different for me. For me, most of this event is happening before the first match starts.

Creating the slides for the TVs, checking to see if there are enough medals, ordering the trophies, preparing the sign-up forms, preparing the divisions and arranging the schedule. This is all happening in the days and weeks before the Tiger Challenge. This year I also wanted to get the Dragon dance with the Lion dance.

Every year has its own challenges. As in previous years, there were some difficulties with setting the divisions. But this year I was mostly worried that we will not have enough medals for all winners.

Anyhow, the day has arrived. We had a great team of people arranging the kwoon for the event. I think that it gets easier every year as we already know what to do... The Dragon Dance and Lion Dance was really good. I want to thank the dragon team for being able to pull it off in such a short time but especially to thank Mr. Kohut (Nate) who did not hesitate to come and join us.

From my perspective, the event went much smoother than previous years. I think that the score keepers this year did a great job and everything was as planned. Well almost.

It was Mr. Kohut (Simon) who said something like "this was not supposed to happen". It looked like part of their fight choreography but Mr. Thompson was actually down. Luckily we had a trained medical individual and we made sure Mr. Thompson is OK. It was a great relief to see him continuing to help with score keeping later that day. Very scary but I am so glad it ended OK.

Thanks for everyone who helped in anyway before, during and after the event! It is always a very stressful and tiring day for me but also very rewarding and fulfilling day.

Dust

That is all I can see whenever I go running with Sharida and Kobe. Once in a while they will stop and wait for me but the minute I catch-up, they will start running leaving me in the dust again.

I was never a good long distance runner (and long means more than 400 meters...). I had been better than what I am now few years ago. I even did a 17k run once (that was hard). Running for long distances but I know what my goal is for this coming year of IHC. I'm hoping to improve my pace and to be able run 5k or 10k without feeling I am going to die.

Heroes

"There is good and there is evil. Right and wrong. Heroes and villains. And if we're blessed with wisdom, then there are glimpses between the cracks of each where light streams through. We wait in silence for these times when sense can be made, when meaningless existence comes into focus, and our purpose presents itself. And if we have the strength to be honest, then what we find there, staring back at us, is our own reflection, bearing witness to the duality of life. And each one of us is capable of both the dark and the light, of good and evil, of either, of all. And destiny, while marching ever in our direction, can be rerouted by the choices we make. By the love we hold onto, and the promises we keep." Mohinder

Our actions are determined by our intention and our intention - good or bad is based on our spirit. Develop positive spirit students and you will get human beings with good intentions. You will get human beings that will become heroes.

We all gonna die! But how soon will it be depends on what we do!

More and more terrorist attacks are hitting what is known as the western world. The death toll is rising and seems to be higher than before. I started wondering what is it in numbers. Do I need to be worried about being killed?

Well, the answer is YES but not from a terrorist attack or a lunatic shooting spree.

Based on statistics, there is a higher chance for me to die from a lightning strike or a bee sting. But that is not even what I need to worry about (though the buzz makes me wanna run...). The 2 main causes of death are Heart Disease and Cancer.

There is about 80,000% more chance I will die from a heart disease or cancer than from a shooting.

But here is the good part - although I cannot guaranty how I will die, I can reduce my chance of dying of heart condition, cancer, etc by taking better care of myself. Eating healthier, using sun screen, drinking lots of water, getting checked on a regular basis, exercise, medidate.

In your comments to this blog - please note what you are planning to do to live longer.

The Right Time

When facing a new challenge I often wonder when I should be going ahead with it. Being a new role at work, a new responsibility, a new project, taking my training to the next level.

This week I was reading a book and one of the quotes that spoke to me was: "There is no such thing as the right time there is only right now."

I've been missing out on a lot of things in life, waiting for the right time. Making sure everything is aligned before I make my move. I need to find the courage to act and do what I want right now because it is the right time...

Pillar of Strength

Reality check - is what I'm doing important? Am I making an impact? I would like to think so. At home, at work, at Kung Fu and anywhere else.

Today we went to the Alberta Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Day ceremony. This is a memorial for all the men and women who died serving their communities as police officers or peace officers. It was taken place in Edmonton next to the Pillar of Strength. There are currently 100 names on the memorial. These are people who left their families every day going to work in an unsafe environment to make us all safer. Law enforcement personnel have a great impact on our life. They allow us to be safe on the road, on the streets and in our homes.

I have the highest respect to these individual who choose to serve and protect us and utmost honor to these who paid with their life while doing so.

No blog today?

I don't really feel like blogging today. I had different ideas for blogging during the week but I was too busy this weekend I feel drained and without any energy.

When thinking and working on my requirements there are some adjustments. I always checking what is the purpose of every requirement and if I need to adjust it because of injury or because of other circumstances, I will as long as it fits the purpose. The main purpose of the requirement as a whole is to stay engage with the process, to be accountable to my actions. Blogging is one of the most important requirements to keep myself engaged and accountable. This is why I will still blog even on weekend where I don't feel like doing so.

Teddy Bear

It is part of our nature now to always get or learn something new. As a black belt I am challenged between learning new forms, new techniques and between perfecting the ones I already know.

I realize that I am getting better with all the existing techniques and forms with my progress but the mind wants something new and shiny. 

I was trying to explain it to someone and this is what I was saying: "...it is like giving a kid their old teddy bear as their birthday present - 'here you go, your old teddy bear. Now you can enjoy it better because you had a full year of playing with it. Now you can do it better. Happy Birthday'".

I want to see the reaction of that kid... 

We all need something new but we also need to recognized how much more we can get out of what we already know. Applying new knowledge to old forms and techniques. Getting better with what you have.

Right here. Right Now.

  This was the last week of summer break. It is a significant week as it symbolize the growth of our kids. This week they are in one grade. Next week they are in the next grade. It is impossible to stop time and therefore it is a must to enjoy the present as the past will not come back and the future is not here yet.

Same with Kung Fu. It is not beneficial to wonder how I would have been progressing in the past if I would have changed something or how I would progress in the future. It is now and here we need to put our focus on. Right here. Right Now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub747pprmJ8

Wasted Time?

I teach at least 4 hours of Kung Fu a week. If I had this time to train myself, I would have been able to improve my techniques so much. Think of it 4 hours a week!!! That is a lot of time.

However, I find that teaching gives me a complete view of my Kung Fu training. When I teach a technique, I am finding myself learning the technique in a different level than what I did as a student.

I love teaching and though I have thoughts of additional training for me, I do not feel that replacing my teaching time with training time will benefit me. So the answer for me is No. Teaching is definitely not wasted time.

How do we see our enemy?

Few months ago I watched a TV show that kept me thinking. The show was about a futuristic world where soldiers were inserted a computer chip into their brain to help them fight. The enemy was horrendous, screeching zombie like creatures. By the end of the show it was revealed that the "enemy" was regular humans and that the computer program in the soldiers' head made it look like they are not.

This made me think about what type of brain wash soldiers get in different parts of the world and how even without a computer chip, they are programmed to see the enemy as a target worth killing.

:-(

Determination for Peace

Sifu Rybak challenged all classes to construct 100 cranes hoping to be able to send 1,000 cranes of peace to Hiroshima, Japan.

Well, 2 girls (Noa and Shira) decided to have 100 cranes made before next week. The house looked like a factory, I had to buy extra paper, and they were on it Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning cutting, folding, gluing cranes.

The end result - 100 cranes each plus another large crane each. So proud. Aviva joined as well folding almost 50 as well. I also have to mention they each folded an addition 20 each for me (after I bribed them with ice-cream...). Total of more than 300 cranes in 2 days!

Clearing your mind

We were away camping for the last few days in Rock Lake Provincial Park. I always enjoy camping but when we camp away from any cell reception and far enough from any town or Wi-Fi connectivity I also enjoy the fact I'm completely disconnected. It is great to have few days where all you can do is sit next to the fire, go on a hike, enjoy the view of the mountains/lake/river, play with the kids and with the dogs. I wish we could do it for longer, but everyone got really stinky :-).

When walking around the campground, we noticed someone that seemed to be camping by themselves. I was thinking that it will be great to do that sometime and really be able to clear your mind.

Awarness

It is very interesting how the same concept might work differently along the years and in different environments.

Starting at Kung Fu I was growing my attention to details on the mechanics of how to do each technique. Spending time trying to understand how I'm supposed to be positioned and how to execute.

At work, I used to be detailed oriented and to be able to complete  my tasks while paying attention to all details.

Now things have changed.

At work I've been focusing more and more about the big picture. The little details are still important but what is most important is the overall project not the individual task.

At Kung Fu, I've been paying attention to how I feel while executing each technique. If it feels right it means I'm doing the mechanics right.

So there is much changed along the years but at the same time it is still paying attention to details. Just from a different perspective. A much broader perspective.

Keystone Species

A keystone species is a species that has a large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. It means that it have positive affect on other species and the surrounding environment when it exists in that environment compared to environment it does not exist in.

As a group we support the Northern Lights Wolf Sanctuary. The wolfs are keystone species and that was proven in Yellowstone US National Park. 

There are more keystone species out there and it is important to recognize them as we do have the ability to affect their survival and by that the success of the eco-system.

Challenge - name 1 more keystone species you know of and why it is a keystone specie. 

The Route to Sundre (Mastery)

Last few days I enjoyed being away at a farm near Sundre. As a continuation of my last blog and as this topic has been a hot one, I was thinking about it while being at the farm.

Searching for the travel route from Stony Plain to Sundre and you get 3 different option all within few minutes. There are of course many more options that make it longer, but still will get you there in a decent time. There are also few options (i.e. going to Jasper and then to Rocky Mountain House) that will almost double the travel time be nonetheless it will take you to your destination (and in this case the route will be more scenic).

I see it being the same as our journey to black belt or our journey to mastery. There are more than one route that I can take that will get me there in reasonable time. Each route has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no need to choose the fastest route. I need to choose the route that is right for me.

As long as I know where I'm going, I will get there even if I take few detours. If approached with the right perspective, these "detours" need to be seen as learning experiences. Each one of us will have its' own route to black belt and mastery. You should never follow someones route just because it worked for them. You should find the route that works for you!

Alt-Ctrl-Del?

There are many times were we get to a point in our training and we wish we could start over... After getting my black belt, I had thoughts to re-join SRKF as a white belt :-). Training from ground zero and re-learning everything I already know.

At this time of the year, as summer vacations approach us and we are going to have harder time to attend all IHC functions due to "summer events", I hear more and more people talking about being lost, taking steps back, etc.

I was there. I am always there. Taking a step forward, 2 steps back, not knowing where I'm going, what I should focus my training on, etc.

Now I'm taking a step back and asking my self - why am I doing all of this? Is my goal to do 50,000 push-ups? No. What are my goals? Why am I engaged with a mastery program?

For me it is to enhance my life in few aspects - Family, Health, Happiness, Success, Friendship. These are my core values. This is why I do it all. So as long as these 5 values are being addressed. As long as I am going towards getting better at one of these - I'm good. It doesn't matter where it takes me as long as my core values are in front of me.

Now, did I need all these years in the IHC to figure it out??? I had it all written down for my black belt ceremony. I just need to re-read it once in a while.

Color the world!

Empathy, acts of kindness, pay it forward. These are not just words or theory. The more we do it, the better our life and the life of everyone around us will be!

Color my world. I will color yours!

Thankfulness - Canada Day

I saw a post recently about thankfulness and in this post the author (who is Canadian) challenged everyone to say Thank You instead of Sorry. Simple but might not be so easy for Canadians, eh?

Yesterday we celebrated Canada Day. 150 years. The number is actually irrelevant in a way as in my opinion the celebration is about being Canadian and having the privileges (and responsibilities) as a Canadian. It doesn't really matter to me what and how it happened 150 years ago. Everything was different back then and life for everyone was not easy as it is for us in Canada today.

These are the best demos. The ones we perform for random crowds of people. I love seeing the excitement from kids seeing the dragon or lion coming their way, I love seeing the people who get stuck in the middle and slowly making their way out of the performance area as they don't want the dragon to see them. But what I like the most about the demos during Canada Day  is the fact that we have multiple demos and that we socialize in between the demos.

Thanks for everyone who share the day we me yesterday. It was lots of FUN.

Wealth of knowledge

This week was pretty hectic. Maybe this is why I enjoyed the weekend (but we will get to that later...).

The week started with very long Monday. Starting at the Tri at 6am. Full day of work and ending with 4 hours teaching Kung Fu. During the kids class, which is the class I usually teach, I tried to change the pace of the class and keep it more up beat. It is hard for some drills. I don't usually lead the adults class in the evenings, but this Monday I had the opportunity to teach the beginners adults. I ran a very fast pace class. I felt it was a good class.

Tuesday, I tried to keep the pace in the early morning class. It is much harder as most of us are still asleep. All but Mr. Beeler :-).

There is more movement at my work, specifically with the new project which I'm going to be part of the leadership team. I actually waiting for it to officially start. I don't like the waiting period.

There is a wealth of knowledge this year in the IHC. There are few individuals that are perusing mastery in leadership and reading their experiences and thoughts is very inspiring. My list of books to read is growing.

Most times I have the problem of being overwhelmed with the amount of options I have. It is hard for me to focus on one thing and get really better at. I was always scared of becoming the expert guy in something. Scared of the responsibility. But we have been talking lately about how we are making progress. Step by step. It doesn't matter which direction I'm going as long as I move forward and not backwards.

So this weekend, although very busy, was very enjoyable. I had the chance to go on a date to a restaurant, work in the garden (dam mosquitoes), bike with the kids on the trails, kayak, eat pancakes, watch a music recital, do some house chores, go to a workshop, take a kid to a birthday party (and back). That was a fun weekend but I am so exhausted now. I'm glad I get to go to work tomorrow...

Step by step

This week started with some not so positive feelings. As much as I try to convince myself it doesn't matter, I do not like not to be acknowledged when others are (and we did the same amount of work). It brings my energy levels down and makes me wonder why I put all the effort in to what I do.

But the week passes on and I get back teaching my classes. Sifu Brinker was leading the kids class on Wednesday and as always he brings a sense of purpose to what we do. His presence is always energizing and empowering. I tried to implemented some of his methods with the adults class and at least from my perspective it was successful class.

During black belt class I partnered my self with a different black belt from previous weeks. This gave me different perspective on what we are working. I feel that there is progress both with the form practice and with the application we are practicing. Step by step, class by class, we get better.

Work is very confusing - I have more time as my current projects are winding down but a much bigger project is going to start soon and I do not know how to approach it and where to focus my energy. As in many other time - I feel that I cannot focus on one thing and get really good at it, as I need to know everything to do with this new project.

Anyway, this weekend was a great break from all of it as we were camping and hiking in David Thompson area. What a beautiful place. I wish I could camp and hike more.

Tomorrow is a start of a new week. Let it be even a better week than the one that is ending.

I am Grateful

How many different emotions/feelings can you have in one day? Today I had lots.

Nervousness
Anxiousness
Gratefulness
Fear
Relief
Friendliness
Anticipation
Struggle
Hope
Appreciation

I think that at the end of the day I remain with 2 - hope that all will work out and grateful to all the people that came and helped me today - Mr. Kohut (Mike and Simon), Mr. Beeler (and his dad), Mr. Dyble, Mr. Mckee, Mr. Solinger (who I am also grateful for his future help) and especially Mr. Helm who spent more than 8 hours on the road and helping.

Thanks guys!!!

It is not all about the money, is it?

What we do, how we behave, how we interact with these who surround us should not have anything to do with money.

But -

Would you invest in a super duper security system that will provide security for your house but also for the whole neighborhood? Would you pay more than your next door neighbor does?

Would you invest more than others in your street to beautify the street landscapes?

Would you pay more than your friends to ensure that their kids (and yours) will get the best education?

Most people will say no unless it serves our own agenda. Fairness is key when dealing with money, however it is not and should not be the only factor you consider.

How much we have to do? Lots

The last 2 weekends seemed to be packed with evens and activities, work and chores. It is great being busy and accomplishing many things. I'm enjoying the weekends - spending time with family, friends, pets. Completing many projects.

The next few weekends are going to be busy. Actually all weekends in the summer are going to be busy. So much fun to have.

I just wish the weekend was longer so I can rest before going back to work...

Part of the weekends is filled with Kung Fu. Last weekend was the Pandamonium. Before it started, we worked hard to make sure the place is clean. The day itself was fun. I really enjoyed doing the Dragon/Lion dance. Today I worked on the float for the parade with Mr. Helm. It is going to be fun using it next weekend!

Prepare...

Learning new staff can be fun but can also be intimidating and frustrating. How fast should I be learning it? Should I already know it by now? Do I know enough?

There are periods in our life, like the one I am in now, where I have more time for training, I have a big new (and different) project lined up, but I'm constantly asking my self these questions.

How do you know if you are ready? How do you make sure you do not fail?

Let it rest

I pulled a muscle in March, same one a couple weeks ago and then again on Saturday during fitness class.

How much rest do you allow your body to heal and how do you know it is ready to go again? Obviously I missed judged my healing and I need to go back to square one. Now this time - even if it feels better - no crazy workouts. Need to take it easy!

Are you here for the RIGHT reasons?

This week I was think lots about why people are practicing Kung Fu. It is not hard for me to see if people are practicing for the wrong reasons. They are usually not fully engaged. Going through the motions without really understanding what the point is. The wrong reason is the wrong reasons from my perspective. Anyone's reasons to join and practice Kung Fu are valid and should not be judged. Each person has different things that are important to them and these things are not necessarily what is important to me.

Understanding what others are looking for is key. Although I definitely trying to preach what I believe in, I do need to understand and accepts others that do not share the same ideals.

My black belt journey is not over

My journey is long and will not end till the day I die.

In one of my courses in the army, my officer gave me a score that was not 100% and told me: "You did great but there is always room for improvement.".

No matter how good I am, there is always more to learn. Whenever I'm entering the kwoon, I'm setting myself to be ready to study, ready to absorb. Even when I am teaching a class, I know I'm going to learn and grow.

Sometimes growth is slow and sometimes it is fast, but there is always growth - new techniques, improved techniques, techniques with better understanding. We are constantly evolving and growing. I am ready to grow more!

Lessons from the horses

It is fascinating what you can learn from a horse. How dots between different aspects of training are connected and so many life lessons are surfacing in such a short time.

During the horsemanship session we did with Tony, we were talking about the hierarchy within the horses herd. What was truly exciting for me was to hear was that when the leader of the pack wants to go out to the field, it is not pushing all the other horses but is leading the way. All the other horses are following him. This is a behavior that I experienced in the army were the commanders were first to charge knowing that the rest of the troops will follow behind them. This is also true at the work place were true leaders are who they are because they inspire others to follow them not because of a hierarchical chart. This is also true in Kung Fu were if you want to lead, you need to be doing it yourself. If you are asking anything of your students, you should be doing it as well.

Another aspect that I wanted to cover in this blog is comfort zone. I've been challenged recently to get out of my comfort zone. I've been doing the same thing for the last 6 years at work. Sure, I got more responsibilities, I enlarged my clients list, I increased the size of my team and the size of the projects I've been doing. But at the end I was still doing the same thing. I was in my comfort zone. Making it a little bigger but still in it. In the last few weeks I've been listening to more and more leadership audio books and podcasts and I've been noticing that many of the ideas and suggestions these books have are to do with change, trying new things, taking changes, allowing yourself to fail, getting out of your comfort zone. Walking into the horses arena, I knew I was getting out of my comfort zone. I never rode a horse before and I am afraid of these big animals. I did decide that I need to get out of my comfort zone (outside of the arena) and just do it. Now I have to say that I felt nervous the whole time I was on the horse. I thought I was going to fall many times and I was careful not to get behind the horse when walking around it. But I did it. I decided that a change is good and that the worse thing that can happen is that I will fail and then try again. Now taking it out of the horsemanship seminar, I know it applies to everything in my life - work, kung-fu. There are major changes happening at work and I'm ready. Ready to embrace the change and to make the most out of it.

Learning a form

Learning a new form is always exciting. It is not an easy process for me. I need to repeat each step many times until I get the sequence and then there is lots of work to perfect it. This year's form is Kobe's sword form from his grading year. It is a very flowing form much like Lao-Gar which makes it harder for me as I'm having difficulties making this form look good. I now know all the moves and I need to practice the form many more times to memorize it.

During open training I was thinking about the form and about how lucky I am that I can learn this form from Kobe. I'm amazed of what this kid has achieved so far. He is only 13 and he learnt, experienced and done more (way more) than I did when I was his age. I feel so privileged to be able to learn from him. Thanks!

What part of "erfitt að vinna" don't you understand?

3 weeks of vacation are over. It was very hectic and I think we managed to see lots and to spend valuable time with our family in Israel. The weather did not cooperate with us all the time but we managed to enjoy our time despite the rain. We will have family memories that are priceless.

I had lots of time to also think what I want to be when I grow up. At the end, it doesn't really matter as long as - I'm having fun, I am able to spend time with my family, I'm trying my best in everything I do. Sounds like hard work...

(It is VERY hard to pronounce the Icelandic language. Kobe bought a T-Shirt in Iceland that says "What part of Eyjafjallajökull don't you understand". Eyjafjallajökull is a volcano in Iceland. Now figure out what "erfitt að vinna" means...)

Rules

Rules. Sometimes rules can be annoying, restricting. Ok. Most of the time they are restricting.

Not allowed to get into the water. Not allowed to climb up, not allowed to feed the animals, not allowed to smoke, not allowed to litter...

All these rules have a reason behind. Either for our safety or the safety of others. To keep the place intact for next week, for future generations.

Going on a hike in a nature reserve yesterday, I witnessed few of these rules broken. And then enforced. It felt so good to see the park ranger stopping the ones who were littering and passing the "do not pass" sign.

On another note in regards to littering - I find that if an area is clean people will think twice before littering. If it is already dirty, they will not hesitate to throw their garbage.

Fears

We all have fears. Fears from the different, fears from the unknown, fears from the future.

When we are facing danger our brain automatically chooses between flight, freeze or fight. This is our instinctive mechanism to face the danger.

Standing in front of what I fear, I act differently based on what I believe I can do best. Freezing however seems to be one way that I think I will mostly regret about in the future. I feel that an action is better than inaction.

Seeing my mom getting old and knowing that this time might be the last time I will see her is one of my biggest fears. And at this point I feel the I'm in freeze mode.

Vacation Time

Taking time off, going on a family vacation. That sounds great and relaxing but somehow it turns to be stressful. Making sure we are all prepared, trying to buy tickets to different places, planning the days so we won't waste time, worrying about the weather, the transportation, the accommodation, the food, the prices, the weather (did I say that one already).

Next time I'm going for an all inclusive cruise.

Now I need to relax and enjoy the ride. Whatever happens - so be it. I should still enjoy it and not question "what if?" all the time.

Into the unknown

When faced with unknown I can either ignore it or prepare for it.

Ignoring it and I will be faced with reality. Dropped into the deep end of the pool. Trying to keep my face up and breath.

Preparing for it, although not knowing what for, might make it easier when it happens. Some sort of emergency kit that when faced with the unknown will keep me above water.

How do you prepare? As I do not know what is ahead, I need to be prepared for everything. Keeping my skills polished and my instincts sharp. Looking around and finding other who might have walked the path before. Follow their success. Learn from their mistakes.

Energy Levels

The last couple weeks are bad. I've been low on energy and I also turning into food to keep myself going. I'm trying to stay active and attend the classes but it is not the same. The worse is open training where I find myself a bit lost. I want to be in there and practice but it just not working.

Trying to figure out if there is a way to boost my energy. Power smoothie, more chocolate, a sunny vacation...

If anyone has any ideas how I can get my energy level back up - please comment.

I have a plan

Everyone tells me I'm highly organized. Some even tell me that I'm the most organized person they know. It is true. I always have a plan or two. 

Most times I'm not sure how to react to that. I always wanted to be the best in other areas. In relation to Kung fu I wanted to be the one with the best flow, the best forms, the best techniques, well you get the picture. Being best organized just doesn't cut it. 

While reading the Art of War, one of the first statements in the book is:
"A victorious leader plans for many eventualities before the battle. A defeated leader plans only few. Many options bring victory, few options bring defeat, no options at all spell disaster. "

Now I feel better with being organized and always having a plan.  

What does Kung Fu teaches us? Discipline and Respect

There are many element of Kung Fu that teaches us how to respect one another, respect our teachers, respect our lineage.

When we bow into class we all say "Past Masters". This is to show respect to our lineage. A respect for all the effort our past masters put in order for us to be able to train and learn.

We we see each other, we great with hello, we make eye contact, we do not play with our belt. When we are given instructions in class we bow and say "yes/no sifu". This is to acknowledge the effort our instructors are putting when sharing their knowledge with us. With the younger kids we recite: "3 rules of concentration - Focus your eyes, Focus your mind, Focus your body." When a student is focused, they show respect to their instructors, to the art of Kung Fu but also they show respect for themselves.

When our master instructor, Sifu Brinker, steps on the mats, we should all stop and bow as a token of respect. Respect to the master instructor and respect to our lineage. This is also showing our gratitude for allowing us to train. When Sifu Brinker steps on the mats, someone need to call "Students" and everyone will stop what they do and bow.

Showing our respect to the alter is also very important. We never stand with our backs next to the alter. We never place our weapons or anything else in front of the alter. When we fix our belt or clothing, we also turn away from the alter.

And of course you have to respect yourself. This is an important part of building your character and becoming a better person. If you don't respect yourself, you cannot expect others to respect you.


"KNOWLEDGE WILL GIVE YOU POWER BUT CHARACTER WILL GIVE YOU RESPECT!"
Bruce Lee

Pushing beyond my stress limits

It has been super busy at work lately. It was busy before and I had too many tasks and projects. But in the last 2 months it has been even more. I usually have a busy first quarter and then it quiets down for couple months. This year the future is not clear. I am pushed to go beyond my comfort zone and I'm not sure how it is going to work and what it will require from me.

My stress levels however have been pretty low in the last few months and for some reason, things that would have stressed me in the past are not too bad. Even the potential future change is not stressing me right now. For sure I will have to learn lots but I believe I will be able to handle it.

"If there is something you are stressing about - can you do something about it? If not, why bother stressing about it. If yes, then do something about it. No reason to be stressed!"

Creating and keeping memories

Yesterday I was away from the first Rooster IHC meeting. I attended a funeral of work colleague's father. When I was sitting and waiting for the service to start, I was watching the rotating photos presentation. It showed photos from his life. Since he was a little boy all the way for being a grandpa with his own grandchildren.

I was pondering how memories are created and how they are kept alive. If we share an event with a group of people, this memory will be alive as long as one of us is still alive. I have many memories from my dad but when I'm gone these memories will be gone.

Photos (and videos) are a great way to preserve memories. However, lately I'm finding that the easier it is to take photos, the harder it is to keep and organize them. Going on a weekend trip to the mountains can easily produce more than 500 photos. Making it hard to organize and choose the best 10, the best 100 and upload them to an online album. I end up with thousands of photos that are just stored on some folder.

Sigh...

New Start

The Chinese New Year banquet was wonderful. From the preparations during the day, where everyone in the team (plus more) were helping out. The evening itself was a great fun. In between the Lion/Dragon dance, the kids demo, the IHC demo, the candidates speeches - everything was going great. I missed a move in my form, but I don't think anyone would have noticed. I just kept going. BTW - today I realized that my weapon is not "slashing staff" as I referred to it the whole year, but a "lashing staff". Oh well...

I want to congrats the 3 new black belts - sifu Chervenka, sifu Csillag and sifu Prince. All 3 of you had a great year and I'm happy for all of you.
I want to congrats all black belts who got promoted - sifu Dennis, sifu Lindstrom and sifu Langner. It is a privilege to train with you. We are truly blessed to now have 4 master level instructors in our school.
I want to congrats and thank the whole IHC team. We did great in both demos and we had a great year with lots of growth and successes.
I want to thank anyone who took part in any way with the banquet yesterday.
And I want to send a special thank you to sifu Brinker who without his leadership and support none of this would have happened.

Now after a day of rest, it is time for a new start. Well, a new continuation of last year. I would like to build on our success and not to start from ground zero. I think we have a strong team this year and it will be great working with each and one of you.

I have lots of personal plans for this year. More on that in future blogs.

Monkey Review

Today I posted my last blog as a monkey. My next blog will be as a rooster... So I thought I should review my year in blogs. It was fun reading them all.

February 2016:
Good Morning Sihing, Goodnight Sifu.
No room with the Monkeys

March:
Winter Warrior
Down (and up?)
Disconnect
If your lifer were a book and you were the author how would you want your story to go?

April:
Fitness Level
Reality Check
Power of our actions
Poe

May:
One step at a time
In-action
Where is Poe
Collect the Rain
Hotshot

June:
Parade
What we can do
Begin with the end in mind
Dragon (and Lion) Dance

July:
42
Dragon 2
Perfection
Eating and activity balance
Heights.
Inspiration

August:
Be prepared
Routine
Home
Best recovery wishes

September:
Plank Challenge
Not just another day
Leading (where?)
Catch-up

October:
Family Connection
Being in the moment, learning from the past and planning for the future
Random Act of Kindness
Tiger Challenge
Tiger Challenge v3

November:
Plank
Finally
it doesn't matter
Dragon Dance

December:
Noa
Focus
Time for myself
Which direction am I looking at?

January 2017:
Plank
Demo prep
Habits and NDEs
Now what?
Project Management 101

Project Management 101

Preparing an event, going to someones birthday, setting a goal, running a million dollar project. All should be approached the same way.

What is the target? Always start with the end in mind. What are you trying to achieve?

When is it due? what is the deadline?

What are the resources that are available to you? material, money, other people, time, etc. Everything need to be examined to make sure what you are doing is achievable. 

What are the risks that might temper what you are doing and how you are prepared to mitigate them.

What is the risk of not achieving what you are after. What will happen if you won't make it... And also is all the effort you are planning to put into it is worth it.

Every task in life is like a project being manged by you. PM 101...

Now what?

2 more weeks to the banquet and then what? The days after the banquet can be very devastating as there is a decrease in pressure but for me it is usually the time for reflection and figuring out how I'm going to make the next year even better.

There are lots of plans in my head - new exercise routines, new weapon form, new goals... but I'm trying to wait and focus on being ready for the demo. More repetitions of my weapon form, visualizing and practicing with the dragon, figuring out what need to be done for the banquet and on the day of.

Habits and NDEs

I love habits. This is what helps me to stay on track. Going to Kung Fu classes. Going to the gym in the mornings. Blogging every Saturday. Wait a minute... today is not Saturday - what is going on?

Well this is what happens when an NDE is colliding (literally) with my habits. On my way to the gym this morning I was hit by a truck. I can't really say the a saw my whole life flashing in front of me. It was so fast. Luckily I'm not dead :-). The car is damaged but I think I'm OK. Some bruises. I hope I did not get a concussion. 

This NDE (near death experience) is distracting my habits but it is reminding me to be thankful to what I have. I LOVE my family. I need to take care of myself and take care of them. I love Kung Fu and I love training with all of you.

Demo prep

It is nice to see how things are falling into place. We have been practicing different tricks with the dragon for few months so putting them together into a dance yesterday went pretty smoothly.

It is great seeing everyone pushing forward towards one goal. The dragon dancers, the lion dancers and everyone around who is helping with the dance.

The forms demo is also progressing. I know this one will be OK as we all practiced our forms lots. We just need to fix all the kinks in the transitions. Last Thursday, I crashed my finger with my slashing staff. Kept on going and then iced it. It is not broken so I'm good to go...

Less than 3 weeks. We have lots to do, but I  know we can do it. With this group of people - everything is possible!

Plank

About 4 months ago I was talking with Sifu Regier about my back pain and on different ways to get it better. We were talking about planks and Sifu Regier asked me "why won't you challenge yourself publicly to do planks?"  

That evening I posted I'm going to take on the plank challenge. 1,000 minutes of plank till the end of 2016. 

This challenge proved to be challenging on 3 fronts: first was the physical challenge. It is one thing to do one minute plank. It is a different thing to do one after you have done 9 already. Muscles hurt and shoulders are feeling it. This challenge got easier as my muscles got used to doing 5-15 planks a day. 

The second challenge was to fit it in my already busy schedule. This had some effect on other aspects of my training but without knowing about the "miracle morning" (wait for future blog on that), I was waking up earlier in order to be able to fit the planks into my schedule. 

The third challenge goes hand in hand with the second one. This one was the hardest and stayed challenging all the way to the end. Apparently one minute plank takes one minute... finding so many minutes to do planks was a big challenge. And I was not able to do other stuff while doing planks. I tried reading, watching my iPod. Nothing. This challenge had it benefits as I started focusing on my breathing, my thoughts. I used the time to plan my day. 

Now to the benefits. First of all my back is feeling better. Not perfect but I know for sure my core muscles are stronger. I also used the rest time between the planks to do other back exercises and hip mobility work. There is much improvement with my back but this is just the starting point of my journey to rehabilitate my back. 

The second was the effect of this challenge on others. I don't think many joined me on this challenge but I do know it had a big impact on at least one person. I want to thank everyone who joined the challenge even if it was just for a few, but I do want to acknowledge Sifu Lindstrom and Mr. Beeler for posting their numbers and keeping me going. 

So now the new year is here. Planks will continue to be part of my routine but I will be looking for new challenges and adventures with the IHC team. Happy New Year everyone.