12th Post Waxing Philosophical

So when I tried to contact the girls last week I could not get thru (this problem has been resolved their schools server was down) I went out to Brandi's blog to see if I could find out anything and I started reading. I haven't been to her site in a while and after reading several weeks worth of blogs it made me very aware of how kung fu and especially Silent River (Sifu Brinker, Sifu Frietag etc.) have had a huge influence on her ... not just the physical aspects (learning the techniques and forms) but the internal side of martial arts as well... the stuff that builds character. That is one awesome young lady ... personal prejudice aside. I remember when I started looking for a martial arts program for the girls and the very 1st class that we went to see. Sifu Brinker came over and introduced himself and then essentially just ignored me (the mother who would be paying for the classes) and focused on the girls. He interviewed them as much as we were checking out the school and he did not try to SELL any of us the program. I as a cynical parent was very much impressed. He answered all their questions and by the time we drove home it was decided that this was the SCHOOL no one else even came close. It turned out obviously (both girls in china studying kung fu) to be the best decision we ever made and all of us have benefited in so many ways that I could write a book about it. So, in turn, I am very proud of both my daughters and their goal to start their own school ... they will be the ones inspiring other people to engage in a new way of living. One that helps these new practictioners evolve, physically, emotionally and spiritually (religion aside) to fulfill their own potential in many areas of thier lives. Wow! Its a priviledge to have been one of the parents of such awesome people ... and thank you to Silent River Kung Fu and its very inspiring leadership.

11th Post

Back from holidays in Vancouver ... had a really good time hanging out with my sister and her 8 month old baby Nova who is trying to walk. Its scary watching her try to balance. Something that babys do really well is live in the moment ... its neat to watch because they live totally in the NOW. They don't seem to remember that 5 minutes ago they fell over and cried, they try to stand again, they don't worry about falling again ... they just keep going. Not a bad attitude to have ... most adults fall (fail) and we start worrying about everything that could go wrong, anticipating problems and visualizing failure. It would be good if we could just erase all that emotional baggage, learn, and move on. Its an area where I could use some work. So my goal for July is to be more like my 8 month old niece and be more in the now and shed some of the garbage that I carry around that holds me back.

Terry Beckett