54

So I have achieved 54 years of living!  Still feel like I'm in my thirties with alot to learn and part of that is because of my martial arts/I Ho Chuan. Setting goals and constantly working to be more/better/evolved as a person, well that kind of thing keeps you looking forward ... not always reminiscing about the past and seeing  your life winding down.   My life is actually ramping up and thats a good feeling and although sometimes it seems there just isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done, I always have lots to look forward to and be challenged by.

A Moment

At Tai Chi class I was working on the transition in part two from carry the tiger up the mountain to fist under the elbow which involves a 270 degree turn which I have always found difficult to achieve slowly and maintain the timing in the hands.  Sifu Dennis was helping me and the way she described it was the turn is done with the core, for most of it the arms and hands are just along for the ride!  The problem is that most of us lead it with the hands and arms ... so with that in mind I have been working on that part and wow what a difference.   It amazes me that a discussion like that and change of mindset while doing the move can have such an impact on the actual performance of your body.   I don’t consciously engage or disengage any muscles I just think okay lead with the core while practicing and the hands figure out where they need to be.  I am going to be more aware of this throughout the tai chi form and probably driving Sifu Dennis crazy with questions at class but hey for me it was a big moment.

Went for a couple of massages on my back and legs so all those tight muscles are much softer and alot less painful.  Progress is being made! Yeah!!!

Hola

So on the weekend I got the Spanish Course loaded on computer (learning Spanish is one of my goals for the year). I got the Rosetta Stone course which is so far awesome!   Monday & Wednesday nights I got lessons 1 & 2 done and the way it is taught is awesome.  No English is spoken or written the only indicators are sets of pictures and you have to figure it out, which really makes it stick in your mind.    I can read and figure out stuff pretty good its the pronunciation that I have to go over many times.   There are sounds in Spanish that I have never made before so when you are reading the words a person sounds it out based on English pronunciation which causes problems between the brain and the mouth.  I think the toughest word so far is newspaper periodico (this has funny symbols over the vowels which my keyboard does not have and I struggle to say).  I have tried some of the small phrases out on the Spanish speaking workers at the office .... being very polite they don't laugh at me but I talk very sloooowly in comparison to the way they speak.   I recognized one word when they were talking this morning agua water which although pretty minor made me feel pretty good about my whopping two lessons.  So I am done writing escribe for today and will say Goodbye    Adios!

Something cool I found

Found this link on a blog site from one of the students at the school where Brandi & Mel are studying and it has a huge message.

THIS VIDEO WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

No matter what it is you're doing as a living, this video makes sense to your life.

Do you even desire?

www.doyoueven.com

In the zone

I have been thinking about my performance at the tiger challenge.  I know the form Mu Long Kwoon, I practiced like crazy so I was at that place where I could run through the form without thinking about it.  Sure I’m nervous but I’ve been doing kungfu and dance performances in an effort to overcome that and it is better.   Now after messing up I am again dreading the next time I have to perform ... so I’ve gone back, not forward, after this experience. 

I didn’t give myself enough room, the form is big and although I started and was in the zone so to speak I quickly ran out of space and almost into the judges.  That wierded me out and I popped mentally out of that no thinking just doing frame of mind into an ‘oh my god now what’ moment.  For me when I ‘plink’ out of the zone like that I’m not aware of where I am in the sequence of the form.   Maybe that makes me weird but its how it works for me.  Parts of many of the longer forms have repeat movements and sequences so it can be scary when you lose your focus on the doing, just going with the flow, and realize you have no idea where in the sequence you are.   What maybe I should have done at that point is some move that would have allowed me a moment to regroup mentally and get back into that doing frame of mind.  What I did do however, is just grab a similar section of the form and go from there.  I never did get back into the ‘zone’ so feeling panicked, awkward and embarrassed that I just messed up and that it is probably reflected in the movement of the form I just sort of stumbled to the end. 

Its not realistic to expect the surroundings/conditions/preplanning to be perfect everytime.  Especially when performing at a lot of different locations like we do in the I Ho Chuan.  So how does a person prepare and stay in that zone even when things go awry?  How do you get that doing frame of mind to stand against outside distractions/influences?  Do I have poor focus?  Should a person prepare an emergency response / Hail Mary sequence to save the day?  Should I stay out of the doing not thinking zone when performing?  If that’s even possible? Am I just weird?  Insights would be appreciated.

Heads Up

So finally the situation with my right foot is improving.  It’s totally frustrating trying to get an answer from doctors.  I mean my foot hurts right ... so I go to see the doctor and they take xrays ... nothing broken.   Good news yes, however after that they are of no help whatsoever.  No heal spurs, no breaks beyond that they have nothing but theories, it might be planters facitis (?) go buy orthotics for your shoes, see a podiatrist (?) still no conclusive answer.    I feel like I’m in an episode of ‘House’  (for those that don’t watch TV this is an old doctor drama where they almost kill the patient experimenting with different treatments).   So I’m discussing this with the girls while they are home and my niece Jena who is a physiotherapist says to me “I think its probably your back aunty”.  She starts explaining that nerve pressure/irritation/damage in your lower back can actually cause heel pain.  Really ... because the pain is in my heel, so I call my sister who is a massage therapist in BC and she agrees with Jena.   I have never heard of that before ... so somewhat sceptical I make an appointment at the clinic where Jena works (it can’t hurt) and viola after two treatments I can walk without limping.  Apparently I irritated a nerve in my lower back which is causing pain down the back of my leg and into my heel.  I have some stretches to do for awhile yet in the future and instructions about no rough stuff like being thrown until we have the situation firmly under control, but just being able to walk with no pain is like heaven after these past six weeks.  So a heads up ... in today’s world of health care it is necessary to find your own solutions for anything that can’t be viewed in an x-ray or tested for in a lab. 

After Xmas

It has been a great holdiay ... the girls are home and we have been visiting or visited by friends and relatives alot.  Brandi has gone thru the Tae Hau form with me and I now have the better understanding of the moves that I am making in this form.   When I learned the beginning of it in China the teacher did not speak great English (none) so I was learning moves and not really understanding what I was doing ... it feels much better to know that a particular move is a strike or block  etc.   Makes it easier to remember and get the flow going so I expect it will feel and look alot better shortly.    Did 500 situps and 250 kicks on New Years, pants are still too tight (appears it will take alot more than 500 to burn that off).  Hope everyone had as great a holiday as we did and best in the new year.