Yesterday's trip to the banquet hall for a mock set up was a great team experience. Then the demo practice after was even better. In my humble opinion, the team has never looked better. There was laughter. There was co-operation. There was comradery. We were working as a team, acting like a team. Awesome. Seeing some people not just step out of their comfort zone but leap out of it was fun to be around. Now lets keep this rolling and make the banquet even better than awesome. Embrace your roll you have chosen in the banquet no matter how big or small it is and make yourself proud with the results of your effort.
I have chosen the silent auction to help out with so if anyone has items that they would like to donate, please contact me on my cell 780-970-3590 ( call or text anytime, I am always awake between naps ), or drop them off at the kwoon and we can arrange to get them ready for the auction. Please make sure you provide your name and the approx value of the item when you drop it off. Remember, this is to help raise funds for the Silent River Benevolent Foundation so they can not only help out our chosen charities ( do you know the charities, do you really? ) but allows us a way to get more in touch with our Empathy. Lets make a difference.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Reality vs Time vs Atropy
Well here I am, another day of Kung Fu passes, another lesson in humility learned. This happened at yesterday's open training. Mr Ward showed up with his new dart for his rope dart weapon, awesome looking and ready for use, almost. All he needed was someone to attach it safely to the end of his rope. He comes over to me and asks me if I could do one of the knots I am always bragging about that I claim know. "Sure, love to, hand it over" I say. Then reality sets in, it's been decades (yes decades) since I have done one of these knots. My mind knows the knot I want, it remembers doing it a thousand times in Cub Scouts when I was 10 years old. That is 39 years ago. "Good luck" my ego says to me, giggling. I try cause I'm kinda on the spot and all I end up doing is standing there drooling with smoke coming out of my ears. How the heck could I forget this! I used to love goofing around with knots, reef knot, clove hitch, hangman's noose, etc, I was fast, I was smooth and the knots where perfect. WHAT HAPPENED!!! Thankfully the Kohuts where there with their sailors knot still fresh in their minds, saving my bacon, that's for sure. Needless to say this morning I am practicing some knots just to ease my battered ego.
So this of course has made me reflect on the various things over the years that we have learned in class at the Kwoon and outside the Kwoon at demos, parades, functions like Chinese New Year and various in-school tournaments like the Tiger Challenge, Board Break Marathon and Pandamonium. SOOO much information, so much being taught to us, how much can I honestly say I remember and can still actually do? Looking at the various curriculums over the years ( kids and adults going back 11 years ), absolutely there are quite a few things that I haven't even thought about in a long while. Just reading through these was like talking to an old friend, you know, catching up on old times, reminiscing about the "good times". I am unsure how or when I am going to fit in more review time with this but it was made VERY obvious yesterday that if I don't keep up on something by practicing it regularity , especially Kung Fu, it fades and becomes just a memory, that can't happen. Thanks Mr Ward, for the lesson, intentional or knot ( hahaha ).
Demo is looking good, excited for the Banquet, looking forward good times with great people!
So this of course has made me reflect on the various things over the years that we have learned in class at the Kwoon and outside the Kwoon at demos, parades, functions like Chinese New Year and various in-school tournaments like the Tiger Challenge, Board Break Marathon and Pandamonium. SOOO much information, so much being taught to us, how much can I honestly say I remember and can still actually do? Looking at the various curriculums over the years ( kids and adults going back 11 years ), absolutely there are quite a few things that I haven't even thought about in a long while. Just reading through these was like talking to an old friend, you know, catching up on old times, reminiscing about the "good times". I am unsure how or when I am going to fit in more review time with this but it was made VERY obvious yesterday that if I don't keep up on something by practicing it regularity , especially Kung Fu, it fades and becomes just a memory, that can't happen. Thanks Mr Ward, for the lesson, intentional or knot ( hahaha ).
Demo is looking good, excited for the Banquet, looking forward good times with great people!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
I wasn't here, I wasn't now
Thursday nights' I Ho Chuan class was embarrassing for me. To say I messed my form up when it was time to shine would be an understatement. When it was time to do my part of our demo, poof, gone, nothing. My mind was everywhere else EXCEPT Kung Fu. I can throw out all sorts of excuses ( short staffed, busy at work, tomorrows' to do list,etc.. ), but it was all on me. I want to apologize not only to Kody for my failure but to the team for me not being prepared to do my best, I should have been there in the moment, not thinking about work, my bad.
It was a hard but valuable lesson to learn. The importance of being in the moment in class, to only have what you are doing right here right now in your thoughts, ignoring the outside pulls of life, has never been more clear to me than it is now. I always assumed I was able to multitask much more efficiently, able to put the moment at the front of my mind and temporarily ignore the other "stuff". Guess I was wrong.
Again an unexpected lesson from Kung Fu that pops up when you least expect it. Not only a lesson in centering your thoughts to be in the moment but one that punched my Ego right in the face and said "wake up, pay attention, slow down, you can't do it all at the same time!". Wow, humbling.
As for the demo itself, Saturdays' practice looked great! I am excited to see it all come together with the forms, weapons, a dragon and a lion!
Number next week, out of time today.
It was a hard but valuable lesson to learn. The importance of being in the moment in class, to only have what you are doing right here right now in your thoughts, ignoring the outside pulls of life, has never been more clear to me than it is now. I always assumed I was able to multitask much more efficiently, able to put the moment at the front of my mind and temporarily ignore the other "stuff". Guess I was wrong.
Again an unexpected lesson from Kung Fu that pops up when you least expect it. Not only a lesson in centering your thoughts to be in the moment but one that punched my Ego right in the face and said "wake up, pay attention, slow down, you can't do it all at the same time!". Wow, humbling.
As for the demo itself, Saturdays' practice looked great! I am excited to see it all come together with the forms, weapons, a dragon and a lion!
Number next week, out of time today.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Fresh faces - random thoughts - juggling snow flakes
My mind is all over the map today so I will let the blog show that, weeeee hold on.
It was great to see some of the new members of team Rat at yesterdays meeting. Looking forward to another year of being engaged with friends/classmates new and not so new. Excited to see what I can learn off this years team.
This time of year is so ridiculously busy, there never seems to be enough time or energy in the day to accomplish what needs to be done. Thankfully, tomorrow does come contrary to the saying "tomorrow never comes". Just writing this blog is making me anxious and I am looking at the clock every 3rd word ( too much coffee maybe ).
Adopt a drive way, it was nice of mother nature to snow just before the end of the meeting yesterday, the participation at both houses was great, and quite entertaining. Lets hope mother nature continues to work around our schedule, that sure would be nice.
Weapons choice for next year, this is a real pickle. So many that look cool, but are they "ME"? I have discovered I don't have the wrists for nun-chucks, that kind of makes me sad. I am interested in the Tonfas though, Time to try some different weapons out and see what feels right.
Mandatory requirements. Hearing Mr Solinger being able to recite his numbers so quickly and clearly made me realize I need to tighten up my attention on these numbers. I am tracking them but I am letting the book carry the information, not me. I need to take better stock of my progress or lack of. Thanks for the wake up Dano.
Chinese New Year. How exciting is this! Demo, food, friends, black belt promotions!! The more I get involved, the more exciting this becomes. So much to do, but it is sure worth the effort. So lets put in our best effort to make this year's celebration monumental.
It was great to see some of the new members of team Rat at yesterdays meeting. Looking forward to another year of being engaged with friends/classmates new and not so new. Excited to see what I can learn off this years team.
This time of year is so ridiculously busy, there never seems to be enough time or energy in the day to accomplish what needs to be done. Thankfully, tomorrow does come contrary to the saying "tomorrow never comes". Just writing this blog is making me anxious and I am looking at the clock every 3rd word ( too much coffee maybe ).
Adopt a drive way, it was nice of mother nature to snow just before the end of the meeting yesterday, the participation at both houses was great, and quite entertaining. Lets hope mother nature continues to work around our schedule, that sure would be nice.
Weapons choice for next year, this is a real pickle. So many that look cool, but are they "ME"? I have discovered I don't have the wrists for nun-chucks, that kind of makes me sad. I am interested in the Tonfas though, Time to try some different weapons out and see what feels right.
Mandatory requirements. Hearing Mr Solinger being able to recite his numbers so quickly and clearly made me realize I need to tighten up my attention on these numbers. I am tracking them but I am letting the book carry the information, not me. I need to take better stock of my progress or lack of. Thanks for the wake up Dano.
Chinese New Year. How exciting is this! Demo, food, friends, black belt promotions!! The more I get involved, the more exciting this becomes. So much to do, but it is sure worth the effort. So lets put in our best effort to make this year's celebration monumental.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
There is no spoon
What can I say about the Break-a-thon. Quite a bit actually.
First off, I had an amazing amount of fun. What an incredible learning experience, both humbling and empowering at the same time. To get taken out of your comfort zone and thrown into the fire is such a great way to test who you are and where your spirit/intent is headed.
Second, I had the privilege to hold the boards for quite a few people and the look in their eyes was so neat to watch. Some had confusion when the board didn't break, some anger, some realized power is nothing without technique. Then to see them break the board, elation, relief, joy, surprise, it was so fun to watch. The emotions were all over the map. Very insightful for me being able to watch the reactions.
Third. When it came time for me to break my five boards in a sequence, I thought I had it all planned out. I set up the boards in what I thought was a logical order of flow, locked myself in mentally, took a deep breath, then a soon as my first board broke, poof, my emotion of relief/joy on breaking the first board made me totally forget all the other boards and the sequence I wanted to break them in. Whoops. Thankfully this wasn't a grading situation but a learning situation. It made me realize just how much my emotions get in my way sometimes and interfere with my 6 harmonies. Good to know now as this allows me the luxury of some time to do something about it before it becomes a hindrance.
Lastly, the bonding, the interaction with other students, the new friendships built, all priceless. Lets carry this forward as a school and build on it. Lets make more memories like this and at the same time, help promote the charities we support.
Go team Pig
First off, I had an amazing amount of fun. What an incredible learning experience, both humbling and empowering at the same time. To get taken out of your comfort zone and thrown into the fire is such a great way to test who you are and where your spirit/intent is headed.
Second, I had the privilege to hold the boards for quite a few people and the look in their eyes was so neat to watch. Some had confusion when the board didn't break, some anger, some realized power is nothing without technique. Then to see them break the board, elation, relief, joy, surprise, it was so fun to watch. The emotions were all over the map. Very insightful for me being able to watch the reactions.
Third. When it came time for me to break my five boards in a sequence, I thought I had it all planned out. I set up the boards in what I thought was a logical order of flow, locked myself in mentally, took a deep breath, then a soon as my first board broke, poof, my emotion of relief/joy on breaking the first board made me totally forget all the other boards and the sequence I wanted to break them in. Whoops. Thankfully this wasn't a grading situation but a learning situation. It made me realize just how much my emotions get in my way sometimes and interfere with my 6 harmonies. Good to know now as this allows me the luxury of some time to do something about it before it becomes a hindrance.
Lastly, the bonding, the interaction with other students, the new friendships built, all priceless. Lets carry this forward as a school and build on it. Lets make more memories like this and at the same time, help promote the charities we support.
Go team Pig
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