Dear Blog

Well dear blog, where do I start? I find myself staring at you and wondering what to write. Do I write about those times when you forced me to look at where I was in my training? Or those times you helped to keep me accountable to myself? Or perhaps it’s those times that you helped me see the positives that seemed so elusive? I could also write about the days where I just stared at your blank page which held so much promise or the days where I chose. Or to write anything, letting myself down in the promise.

Anyway dear blog, I would like to give thanks to you. Thank you being there when I needed you, for challenging me to find my voice when I didn’t think I could, for waiting for me to return when I didn’t write, and for reminding me that with you as a guide, anything is possible

My Best Self

When are we our best selves? The best that we absolutely can be? I don’t think we ever truly are, as there are ways to improve every moment, every day. However, in this moment maybe I am the best I can be. And if I continue to put 100% into every moment, then it can be said that I will improve constantly.
But I know that I can’t always put 100% in. If my body is functioning at only 75% what can I do? I can simply put 100% into that 75.
If there is a battle going on in my brain, how do I put forth 100% into the side that will pull me to the other side? Negativity is powerful, but so is positivity. It can be difficult to wade through the dark to find that sliver of light, but once you have found it, and put 100% focus in, then it will grow.
Being our best selves in every moment can be challenging and discouraging but it can also be rewarding.

Self defence

14 and a half years ago, I made a phone call that changed my life. I had called Silent River Kung Fu and asked Sifu Brinker at the time if he had any self defence classes and his answer has stuck with me.

This past week I noticed some posters at work advertising a women's self defence course - a 2 day class, 2 hours per day. And this got me thinking about what Sifu had said to me so many years ago, and what I now know to be true.

Unless I consistently practice a true martial art, I will not be equipped to defend myself. First, my muscles and mind need to practice over and over and forever so that if called upon, my body will just react. Much like an animal who just does. Second, a short self defence class will not give me any flexibility with regards to the attack. I can't tell the creep in my face to just hold still and to stand a certain way so that I can use the one move I remember. Nope. I need to be able to adapt, and only years of consistent training is going to do that.

Thirdly, self defence is more than kicking or punching. We have a higher chance of having our butts kicked through our diets or the environment than getting into a fight.

Training at Silent River Kung Fu for the last 14 and a half years has given me so much. I trust that my body will react accordingly if called upon, if I keep up with my training. I know that my body is more efficient when I eat a balanced and healthy diet. I know that I need to care about my environment because it is all we have. I have learned to respect all living things and to be kinder. I know that self defence is mostly about avoiding those bad situations in the first place. Staying clear of unlit areas, walking with a buddy, looking people I pass in the eye so they know I have seen them, and being aware of my surroundings at all times.

Thank you Sifu Brinker and to all of the Sifu's that have trained me over the years. Your experience and guidance have helped me to become the person that I am today.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Pineapple

I have had a few set backs physically, but really I should expect this by now. It gets frustrating but it is getting easier to remember that there is still lots that I can do. I have been working around a low back/ hip issue that doesn't seem to be resolving itself, even with chiropractic and massage. Ah well, whatever. And the tendinitis in my wrists is flaring up again, so with those two things, my forms, push ups and sit-ups have suffered.

The trick to training with injuries is to know when to back off and to resume slowly. Jumping back in on those feel good days only make it worse. It's hard to do though as training smart takes mindfulness. Next week will be an opportunity to slow down a little, rest a little, and freshen things up at the Kwoon.

Posted with Blogsy

It's been 72 years...

 

72 years ago today, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Approximately 140,000 people were lost to it by the end of 1945, and thousands more suffered from radiation illnesses and the stigma associated with it.

So where are we today? There are still horrific wars, there is an ever increasing threat of nuclear weapons being fired from North Korea, and we are still fighting. Why isn't there more tolerance for each other? More compassion and empathy? Why can't we celebrate our differences and find ways to live amongst each other peacefully?

More guns aren't the answer, that I know. Teaching our children to fight isn't the answer either. But teaching our children compassion and empathy is. Teaching them tolerance and confidence is. Teaching them to use their voices instead of their fists is.

As I fold my origami cranes today, I fold them for peace, and with peace in my heart.

"This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."

 

Posted with Blogsy

Gratefulness

 

Being grateful and thankful are two things that I have been trying to keep as a constant in my daily life. There is a lot that I take for granted, and I try to remind myself as often as I can how quickly things can change. That is where being in the moment comes in. If we stay focused on what needs to done tomorrow or the next day, we can't possibly live in the present moment.

I am also working on thinking of 3 things each morning that I am grateful for. It helps to start the day off in the right direction.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Oops

It's been a couple of weeks since I last blogged, and it isn't the first time this year either. I have no reasons, just excuses so it's all on me and the choices that I made. I make a choice every day whether to do my requirements or not, and I am the only one responsible for the outcome.

So what do I do with that? It's simple. I just have to pick up where I left off and push forward. I have to keep my expectations in check, and I need to keep re-evaluating where I am at and where I am headed. If this journey was meant to be easy, then we all be doing it, we would all be succeeding, and we would not be progressing because it wouldn't be challenging. If we didn't need to keep hitting pause to do a quick check of where we are, we could easily just coast through our lives without any feelings of accomplishment, or without completing any goals, and we would not become better people every day.

So here's a high five to everyone who has had to restart over this past year. It takes courage to restart, as it's too easy to just quit.

 

Posted with Blogsy