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!