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Sometimes it’s difficult to be in the moment, and I think for most being in the moment doesn’t really mean anything. We are not in the moment when we are rushing to the next technique in a form, just trying to get through it. We lose our 6 harmonies in the process and that means that we no longer have the skeletal authority to deliver any real power.

We are not in the moment when we stop recognizing our partners reactions, or we are anticipating our partner. We lose our intent.

We have a couple of specific moments in every class that are there to put us in the moment and to remember where we are and what we are doing. Bowing in and bowing out. Take a deep breath, calm your mind, remember our past masters. We are so fortunate to be learning Kung Fu, a traditional martial art, in Stony Plain, Alberta. Across an ocean from where it all began.

Just keep breathing

To say I have the jitters is a massive understatement. The Tiger Challenge invokes anxiety and breakdowns and I had both on Saturday at the I Ho Chuan meeting. It’s hard to put into words what the big deal is though. I just know I am able to perform in a demo, in a lion dance, and I can teach without any real issues. I talked to Sifu Brinker about it and he suggested that I find a partner to do forms with, and that seemed like that might be a possibility for me.

Fast forward to last night, when I was talking to a student and her mom. Last week, this student was devastated that she couldn’t enter the tournament with her mom as she was going to be out of town. Well, last night she told me that she was going to enter on her own. So I looked at her thought, well if she can do it with her anxiety, then I guess I need to push myself a little harder and do it too. (even though I want to hide under a blanket just thinking about it).

So on the 28th, if you see me softly singing, “just keep breathing, just keep breathing” you’ll know why.

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.

 

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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.

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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."

 

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