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

10th Post

Is it a canadian phenomonom that the majority of events seem to take place in the spring and summer ... four weekends in a row we have had big events going on. Family, kungfu, dance, people moving to vancouver, people moving in edmonton, yikes! It is tiring, not just physically but mentally as well. It looks like the weekend coming up we might actually be able to get on the motorcyle and just bum around, I must admit I am really looking forward to it.

It appeared to me that the tiger challenge went off without a hitch, the rings were busy, attitudes were great and lots of medals were handed out. As a blackbelt I find this event particularily challenging because we have the responsibiltiy of judging. Its tough because you are wanting everybody to do spectacularily well yet we have to score based on what we see ... I hope everyone took this as a learning/growing type of experience.

I got thru my event although I am always scared and cannot for the life of me remember anything past the first few moves of my form. Sifu Vantule told me it looked good and had nice flow so hopefully I did everything reasonably correct. I am improving on the level of anxiety that performing in public creates in me. Still scared but not imobilized. In addition the weekend after the tiger challenge my husband and I had a solo performance at our ballroom dance school. That one is easier because I am not out there by myself, my best friend/husband is out there with me. As a girl I don't lead, I follow, so he has to remember the choreography and I just respond to the lead. Anxious moments that I have don't show quite so much and I actually remembered most of what we did out there on the dance floor. Next year I think I will try a group or partner type of event for the tiger challenge, then I will be out there with someone else I might even be able to remember what I did during the performance. Wish me luck.

9th post

Okay April was a write off when it came to a number of things. I was really working hard on the form that I have developed for the tiger challenge performance and as a result the numbers for mu long koon are pitifull. In addition it was year end for two business that my husband and I have, not to mention our personal taxes. I am NOT a bookkeeper (don't understand why anyone would want to be) but as a part owner well the overtime was ridiculous. But that is all over now, thank god!

The toughest part is this ... the blogging. I have to apologize to my team for dropping the ball on the blogging as this is a non-negotiable requirement and this is only my 9th post. For a woman who talks as much as I do its kind of odd that blogging is such an issue. I love reading everybody elses ... it just seems that what I have to say is sort of mundane. I kept thinking of things to share and just never had time at work to get to the computer and actually put my thoughts in order to write down all these brilliant insights that I had. So now that I have a moment here goes.

Brilliant thought number one ... Apathetic Canadians ... think your vote doesn't make a difference ... everyone needs to google the canadian tax payers federation ... lots of information out there that will get your dander up. Don't just talk about it over coffee or beer, send letters & emails to your representatives. There is some really stupid stuff that our government does that as a canadian citizen you have an obligation to protest. I personally was really pleased to see that the green party got a seat. Not here in AB but still its a small step forward.

Brilliant thought number two ... the diet tracking had a huge benefit for me and my husband ... both of us lost some pounds and have really enjoyed stepping up our game for healthy cooking and much better meal planning. We have continued to limit our junk food days to Friday which deals with junk food cravings but still keeps you on the straight and narrow for the rest of the week.

Brilliant thought number three ... creating a form ... even a small one really makes you think about what you are doing with your martial arts. It adds a whole new dimension to practicing techniques and forms. It makes you logic out actions and responses ... you come to understand what works for you and what dosen't. It identifies all your short comings in application and comprehension of various techniques and sequences. So take a form, any form, and analyze it ... what was the attack ... what various techniques could you use to respond ... how do you think the technique is beig applied? Take notes ... I developed a philosophy and reasoned out my form numerous times as I reworked and perfected It. The process was scary and exciting, I believe the phrase kids use is it was a rush. Once you have done that I think it would be totally cool to take the form you studied and turn it into a correographed fight performance. I will bring this up at the next ubbt meeting, I think it would be alot of fun.

Thanks to Sifu Freitag and Sifu Rybak for feedback and tweeking on my form ... very much appreciated.

8th post

So I am totally confused about all these sites where we are supposed to post things, I thought my stuff was on the UBBT Student site but Khona tells me not ... she will baby step me through the process after I am done writing this blog and hopefully we will get it posted to all the right places.

I updated my physout numbers today and there are a number of areas where I have frowny faces ... swimming laps is taking the biggest hit. By the way I love how this site keeps you easily up to date on where you are at and your numbers to bring you up to a green smiley face status. I believe Sifu Prince put this together ... awesome!

I do most of my tracking in a notebook at home (internet speeds at my place are pretty grim) missed a few days but mostly got it. So I was pleased that I actually managed to track it ... keeping track of this stuff is my challenge, I have to do it every day or I forget. The self discipline to sit down and go thru your day and document what you did that day well its not my best thing ... but it is improving all the time and I guess thats part of the whole UBBT thing.

Talk to you next week.

7th post

So most things are going okay except for my form repetitions ... I was doing these at work but this past couple weeks it just hasn't been happening. Which is weird because the forms are the favorite part of my training. Its like we added the diet tracking and as my plate is pretty full forms slid right off the other side. Diet tracking is somewhat embarrassing as I read other peoples and realize I will have to step up my game in regards to the quality ... I eat organic but not necessarily the right proportions of vegetables, grains and meat/fish. Trying to whittle down the consumption of coffee and increase water I seem to have hit a wall ... 4 cups of java a day is as good as I have gotten so far. I will keep working to increase water intake and I have also added some supplements to my diet ... consistency is the key so I will keep trying.

Its birthday season in our family, starting in Feb to the middle of April so its been dinners and/or parties every week and shopping for cards, special ingredients for dinners, gifts etc. as I don't actually enjoy shopping and get frustrated fighting thru crowds and standing in lines well it makes me a little crabby. Alot of my acts of kindness involve being courteous and patient during these moments when normally I would just turn around and leave ... I'm not sure its an act of kindness as there is this frustrated person vibrating in a long line, barring her teeth in a pained smile, it might be kinder to leave. But its a good exercise in patience for me.

Have a great week.

6th Post

I must admit I lost track of time, so since my last random post which was 10 days ago here is the update.

I took a day off on the 6th (Sunday) BIG MISTAKE! So here is what I discovered about myself. I cannot take a day off! ... I need to work on my requirements everyday ... maybe not get everything done but I have to do something kungfu related or I slide right back into the previous rut which is obviously very deep and has a very slippery slope because it took three days to get back on track.

I have always been a rut person ... in fact the whole routine thing can be very comforting ... so that means my good habits are consistently good but also that my bad habits are hard to overcome. The light at the end of the tunnel is that when this new rut that I am working on gets very comfortable and deep chances are I will be able to maintain. The down side is that being comfortable has always been my preference. I have found life to be plenty challenging without having to create the changes in my life and I am always reluctant to commit to things that require the evolution of myself as a person yet, I argue with myself that the same personal evolution is necessary to be the person that I envision being. Its tough being a Pices with two fish swimming in opposite directions.