Everything I need to know, I learned through Kung Fu...(In no particular order)

1. There is nothing like a good workout
2. There is comfort in being around like minded individuals
3. Pushing yourself to your limits is truly rewarding
4. A badge of honour has nothing to do with rank
5. A badge of honour usually involves a spectacular bruise or blood
6. Actually, every injury incurred during training is pretty much a badge of honour
7. Maybe I am a little twisted about my badges of honour, but it proves to me that I pushed myself.
8. I have learned to listen to my body - most of the time. Sometimes my brain thinks it knows better.
9. Progressing wisely is very much a mental task, which involves a Kung Fu collective to keep it in front of me.
10. My Kung Fu family is one you can always count on.
11. Lion Dance practices can be really, really fun.
12. And really taxing.
13. Did I mention the laughs?
14. While chaotic, there is a certain peace when in a scrunched up circle of 3 and 4 year olds, with their small enticing faces in yours.
15. And in that chaos, I can also find the child in me.
16. You are never too old to play dodgeball.
17. Learning never stops.
18. You can learn from anyone, from any rank, from any age.
19. Dedication will get you far.
20. As will passion.
21. Kung Fu has opened up my eyes to my community, and to the world.
22. Empathy and compassion are values that everyone should develop.
23. Being humble and egoless, are things that all of humanity needs to strive for.
24. Self defense is more than kicking and punching.
25. It starts within - and involves making the world a better place for everyone.
26. We are all the same inside.
27. You are also never too old to play tag.
28. It is never too late to start something new, or to find a new challenge.
29. Self improvement is a lifelong journey.
30. There is always a way to make a positive difference.

There is more, but I will save it for another post, another day...

There’s something fantastic about that...

I love Lion Dancing. The process of coming up with a dance for the Chinese New Year is an interesting one, and it is constantly evolving, dissolving, and evolving again. I am thrilled to be a part of it this year as well. I am enjoying the challenge, the sweat and the friendly bantering. It is amazing how much work goes into creating a dance, as is the practice. But it is so rewarding to be a part of it. Not to mention it’s a lot fun.

What happens when you get Kwan Kung, two buddha’s, a bench and a bottle of fake alcohol? You’ll find out February 20th... It will be something fantastic!

Where am I and what am I doing?

That is a question I have begun to ask myself fairly regularly. It does serve a purpose, and it usually brings me to the moment, and I can appreciate it more. It is a question that helps keep things in perspective, and keeps me aware of my emotions.

I have been getting somewhat overwhelmed at work lately, and it is due to working on projects that I either don’t agree with, or don’t correspond with the work I am supposed to be doing. It is during these times, that I can ask that question, and am happy with the answer. I am doing a job that the powers that be believe I can do well, and I am doing something that allows me to take care of my family. I am lucky to have a job. Don’t get me wrong, as it doesn’t always make me appreciate it, but it usually does help to keep things in perspective.

I have to admit, that I didn’t apply this to my teaching this week, and I got overwhelmed with, and lost sight (however briefly) of what my purpose was. So I asked myself this morning over a cup of coffee, and the answer was right there. Where am I and what am I doing? Okay, so I was sitting at home, drinking coffee, and thinking about Kung Fu. Pondering my classes, and what I am accomplishing there. Is it the demo in February? Or is it more? It is most definitely more for me. The demo is important, but so is empowering the kids with confidence, giving them tools to succeed, and passing on Kung Fu. I felt a little lost last week, but am feeling much more at ease now.

I have a purpose. I have a goal. And I appreciate the little things that make teaching so rewarding.

Asking this question while learning in a class is just as important as using it during everyday life. Without it, we can easily go through the class, and miss a huge opportunity. The opportunity to truly appreciate the moment we are blessed with. When you can stop, and put that front thrust kick into perspective - Where am I and what am I doing? - then we can be aware of the details of it, and it’s true purpose. Am I just throwing my leg out to get through the warmup? Or am I in a crane stance, waiting to thrust through my opponent with my foot? Have I given a sense of purpose to everything I am doing? What may seem a mundane drill, is actually giving me a different way of learning, or applying a technique.

I find the question - Where am I and what am I doing, a great way to remove my ego, and remain humble and open to criticism. It keeps me in the moment, and appreciative of my opportunity to learn and pass on an ancient art.

2009

A new year is upon us. Time for new challenges, new experiences, and new opportunities.

Looking back on the past year for me, has been full of disappointment, but also proved to be a great time for learning.

2009 began with a triumph for me, but was somewhat hampered with a significant injury. After training for 6 years, and after many sacrifices, I earned my blackbelt. It is a moment that I will never forget, and if I can keep it in front of me, then I believe that I can remain humble about my training and the constant learning it involves.

It seems that for every step forward, I take at least one step backwards, but each time I learn. Even if it’s for a short time. Meeting Master McNeill was a truly amazing experience. And the chance to train under him for the two days was something I will never forget. And his cane curriculum gave me something to train hard at without injuring my ankle further. It kept me going, when my spirit didn’t want to.

Over the past year, I have started to learn to train smarter. Not to say that I always do, but I am working on it. I have adjusted my approach, and it works for me most of the time. It has also helped having my “conscience” being my peers at the kwoon speaking up when I push too hard. I am thankful for that.

Personally, this also hasn’t been my healthiest year. I have had the swine flu, suffered from very low potassium, and have had some emotional obstacles to conquer. On a positive note, my migraines have been less frequent and less severe. Wahoo!

But at the same time, I paid off a good chunk of debt, and while I dinged up my one car, I also have a new one. I have also watched my children grow, and am in awe their innocence.

It has been a year of disappointment, but also a year of triumph. I am excited, and maybe a little apprehensive of the year to come.

My thanks to my Kung Fu family for the support and encouragement. I wish you all the best in the coming year.

Reflections

I have written and deleted this twice now, so hopefully I won’t have to do it again. I just have no idea where to go with this. But it is a commitment that I intend to keep.

I think I have grown over the past year. I have not reached all of the goals that I have set for myself, and that’s okay. I am finally at a point with my ankle that I have accepted the limitation, have begun to train smarter (most of the time), and now just work around it, as I have learned to with my ribs.

Christmas was quiet this year, and I appreciate the extra couple of days off that I took. It was something I desperately needed without truly realizing it. I watched my girls open their gifts, and I witnessed something special. There is nothing like Christmas through a child’s eyes. It is full of wonder, and amazement, as well as innocent belief.

As they opened their gifts, they stopped long enough to appreciate them, and get completely excited before they would move on to the next. They were in awe that Santa ate the cookies, drank the milk, took the reindeer food, and even left a short note of thanks.

And of course I treasure the gifts they gave me, as they were homemade, from the heart, and the excitement of giving made it so special. That is Christmas for me.

I am thankful for the gifts of my girls, and my family. I am fortunate to have them, and to be able to celebrate this holiday without any fear of consequences. Living in Canada allows me many freedoms, that I often take for granted. I try to keep it in front of me at all times, but sometimes it is easy to forget.

I am also thankful for my Kung Fu family, and the support of that community. It has been, and will continue to be my safe place to be.

Peace to all.

Loyalty

Kwan Kung is traditionally known as a red faced warrior, with a long beard and is known to wear a green robe. His weapon was a Kwan Do, which was named Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Out of the three Generals, Kwan Kung (also known as Guan Yu) was known for his loyalty. Along with Zhang Fei, he served under warlord Lei Bui during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The three, Lei Bui, Kwan Kung and Zhang Fei considered each other brothers, and thus went everywhere together. Kwan Kung, after being separated from his brothers, spent many years trying to find them, and eventually reunited with them, all the while, serving and being loyal to whichever warlord he was under at the time.

Loyalty means to be faithful to someone, or a cause, or to beliefs. One can look at it as having unwavering support and not influenced by external forces.

To whom are we loyal to? Two sisters, who might be at odds at least once a day, will stand together, loyal in the face of adversity. Any meaningful relationship, will hopefully also stand together, loyal, during times of happiness and trials.

Loyalty should also be shown to the Martial Art to which you have trained. Your instructors dedicate their time and passion to passing on their knowledge to the student, and so loyalty dictates the same dedication and passion from the student. Our knowledge gets passed down, generation by generation. By keeping our art as pure as we can, we ensure that egos do not dictate our loyalty. The purity of the art, keeps the passion alive, and keeps us humble to our roots.

As a kwoon, we make sacrifices for ourselves, and to our fellow students and instructors for the good of our community. That loyalty enables us to continue to train with each other, and to learn without prejudice. It is with respect to our Kung Fu and its rich history, that we are loyal. It is an honour to train in the art of Kung Fu, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn Kung Fu, to teach it and pass on my knowledge.

The art of Kung Fu is versatile, and is a way of life. It isn’t simply kicking and punching. Kung Fu to me is empathy, compassion, self defense (physical, mental and environmental), hard work, passion, humble, and is in some way, a part of every moment in my life.

It didn’t start out that way. I began for self defense, and before I knew it, it had enveloped me, and I cannot picture my life without it. There is always something to learn from those around me, no matter the belt level. I learn everyday, and I am thankful for that opportunity. Loyalty is important in the martial arts - how else do you become so proficient that your body reacts without a thought?

Fragments

Some days I struggle to find something to write about, and other days, there are many things that would make a very long blog. And it’s funny that at this moment, I am struggling whereas two days ago I wondered how I could get it all down. I have no idea where to go today, but I skipped last week, so today is a must.

I have started doing daily pushups and situps, but due to illness this week, I am now behind. I also strained my ribs doing the pushups, so I also have to back off on those. And so it goes. My ankle is also sore again, but that is from the uneven ground of packed snow. Big sigh.

I have decided to add repetitions of Tai Chi into my daily routine. I love the way I feel doing it, and I think it is going to be really good for me mentally. I need to work in all my forms as well as some techniques.

On another note, I discovered this past Monday that the block heater I paid to have put in my car, wasn’t installed. Thankfully my car started this week, and I had it put in this past Friday. But I am still missing the English manual for the car, and the part for my jack. And I have only gotten the runaround from the salesperson. Supposedly it will all be in the mail tomorrow, since I don’t have time to wait for someone who disappears when you get there.

My kids impressed me last week. They had to deal with an emergency situation, and they took care of it calmly. They made the right phone calls, and knew where to find the information they needed. I am so proud of them. And my oldest turned nine. Oh, how they grow...