So the Pig is gone and the Rat is here. And what a send off for the Pig! Where shall I to begin???
First and foremost, congratulations to SIFU DAN SOLLINGER and SIFU LOGAN WARD!! Seeing the both of you get promoted to black belt was a moment I'll never forget and I'm sure you won't either. So proud of both of you. Huge footsteps to follow but I am excited to try. You two deserved every clap and cheer from the audience, every handshake and hug, every high five, everything. I saw tears and smiles everywhere. I think I even shed a few myself, and that doesn't happen often. Awesome job Sifus. You did both yourselves and the school proud.
The venue, what a great place. I myself think it is perfect for our needs. Just big enough to allow for a good sized crowd but just small enough to make it way more personal than the Stony Pavilion. Looking forward to next years celebration there.
The demo, smoooooth. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment but it felt incredible to me. Feeding off everyone's energy was intoxicating. I hardly heard the music or remember coming and going from the stage but I can still feel the moment of being up there doing my thing like I am still there, every face in the crowd, it was almost surreal, dreamlike. Getting goose bumps just remembering it. I really hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. Now what to do this year?....
The silent auction. This went fairly well. Numbers so far...
Paid $945.00
Owing 1 - $320 ( people we know and trust )
2 - $640 ( people that need to be contacted )
= $1905.00
I don't know what other years have brought in but I think this went fairly well. I already am starting some brainstorming to make next years auction even better.
Dragon dance. A big shout out to Mr Dyble for leading us through this. Thanks. I really had fun doing this and I hear it looked really cool in the black light. Can't wait to start some practicing on this and experiment with some harder moves now that we have the time to "play".
The Drunken Lion Dance.
Best.
Dance.
Ever.
Drop the mic. Turn off the lights. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, the show is over, go home.
How are we ever going to top that?!
Sifu Sollinger and Sifu Csillag absolutely knocked it out of the park.
If you didn't see it, you really missed out. Sifu Rybak, I can't imagine how hard it was to "drunken gong", I probably would have bitten my own tongue off. Sifu Langner, the look on your face as you tried to NOT keep the beat, awesome. Sifu Vantuil, perfect Buddha as always. That was the pinnacle of our Lion dances. Wow!
Great finish and start to the year. I'll miss you Pig but welcome Rat with open arms, lets play.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Sunday, January 19, 2020
So long Pig, hello Rat
My first year in the I Ho Chuan ( 2019 year of the Pig ) has been enlightening. I have learned an awful lot about myself in the last year. Physical and mental limitation both real and preconceived have shown themselves for what the really are, arbitrary. What I have enjoyed the most is the team itself. Watching as well as being a part of this group of individuals has allowed me to grow in unexpected ways. I am more confident, I "feel" better about my Kung Fu, I am getting fitter with every step/challenge, I have made new friends and I am excited for what the next year brings.
I spent some time last week and re-read all my blogs. Kinda neat to see my train of thought and where I thought it was going verse where it actually ended up. Also really showed me the importance of blogging. I could re-read each one and know exactly what I was thinking and doing at the time, there is no way my memory would recall this without the help of the blogs. Really nice to have a record to look back upon like this.
Final Numbers as of Jan 19, 2020 ( 5 days before the year of the Rat begins )
Mandatory
Push Ups 50,468 Complete
Sit Ups 50,001 Complete ( Today! )
Sparring 610/1000
1609Km Complete
1000 AOK Complete
Hand Form 685/1000
Weapon Form 700/1000
Obviously there is a lot of room for improvement over last year. I need to make more time for the 3 that I didn't complete this year as not finishing my numbers is unacceptable to me.
As for the non-numbers related, I feel fairly good about my progress through out the year, gives me a lot to build on for next year, and the year after, etc...... Over all, I am not displeased with my first year doing this but I know there is tons of room for improvement. I will critique my year and search for the best areas to make The Rat a complete success. No excuses allowed ( injury and illness notwithstanding ).
Personal
I had 7 goals/requirements for myself.
4 out of 7 in my opinion are a success. 3 are works in progress. Moderately successful.
Tracking my progress throughout the year has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, you just need to be diligent about recording your progress daily, NO EXCUSES accepted. Write it down or you will forget, that leads to "fudging" numbers or "best guesses". Can't happen. Be true to yourself and the process. As was said earlier in the year by Master Brinker, " do want a black belt, or do you want to be a black belt?" No truer words can be spoken about the I Ho Chuan, these are 2 very different things. Think about it.
Thank you Team Pig, it was great first experience. Hang on team Rat, the fun is just getting started.
That is it for this year, see you next year.
I spent some time last week and re-read all my blogs. Kinda neat to see my train of thought and where I thought it was going verse where it actually ended up. Also really showed me the importance of blogging. I could re-read each one and know exactly what I was thinking and doing at the time, there is no way my memory would recall this without the help of the blogs. Really nice to have a record to look back upon like this.
Final Numbers as of Jan 19, 2020 ( 5 days before the year of the Rat begins )
Mandatory
Push Ups 50,468 Complete
Sit Ups 50,001 Complete ( Today! )
Sparring 610/1000
1609Km Complete
1000 AOK Complete
Hand Form 685/1000
Weapon Form 700/1000
Obviously there is a lot of room for improvement over last year. I need to make more time for the 3 that I didn't complete this year as not finishing my numbers is unacceptable to me.
As for the non-numbers related, I feel fairly good about my progress through out the year, gives me a lot to build on for next year, and the year after, etc...... Over all, I am not displeased with my first year doing this but I know there is tons of room for improvement. I will critique my year and search for the best areas to make The Rat a complete success. No excuses allowed ( injury and illness notwithstanding ).
Personal
I had 7 goals/requirements for myself.
4 out of 7 in my opinion are a success. 3 are works in progress. Moderately successful.
Tracking my progress throughout the year has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, you just need to be diligent about recording your progress daily, NO EXCUSES accepted. Write it down or you will forget, that leads to "fudging" numbers or "best guesses". Can't happen. Be true to yourself and the process. As was said earlier in the year by Master Brinker, " do want a black belt, or do you want to be a black belt?" No truer words can be spoken about the I Ho Chuan, these are 2 very different things. Think about it.
Thank you Team Pig, it was great first experience. Hang on team Rat, the fun is just getting started.
That is it for this year, see you next year.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Moved
Yesterdays I Ho Chuan meeting was moving. It really showed me how important what we do is. To have a fellow classmate share his pain and loss with us proved yet again to me what a great group of people we have. For him to be able to share both his pain of loss and the joy of a new woman in his life with us made us more than teammates, more than fellow martial artists, to me it made us as close to family as you can get without actually being related. To you sir, if there is anything I can do to either help you out or cheer you up, you have my number. Your pain moved me deeply and your joy made me smile and I thank you for that. It makes me cherish what I have that much more. Cheers my friend.
We also touched on the loss of Sifu Matthew Gingras and Sifu Randy Shipalesky. While I did not know them as we as I probably should have, from what I hear from the people who did know them they both sounded like amazing people. My condolences to their family's and those who knew them.
We also touched on the loss of Sifu Matthew Gingras and Sifu Randy Shipalesky. While I did not know them as we as I probably should have, from what I hear from the people who did know them they both sounded like amazing people. My condolences to their family's and those who knew them.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Looking inward - year in review
Day 331 ( since I started logging everything ) of the Year of the Pig. Where am I at with my requirements? Have I accomplished what I set out to do or am I coming up short? Did the shortened year hurt my numbers or motivate me? What will I change for the next year, what will I keep the same? So many thoughts to ponder, so I will try to keep this condensed.
Overall, I am very pleased with my year. I have been able to put quite a few check marks in the "done" column, but there are also a few in the "not done " column, so I consider the year a moderately successful first attempt at the I Ho Chuan. Now I need to keep that going and turn it into a resounding success for the Year of the Rat. GO TEAM RAT!!!
I didn't start recording my numbers till after the banquet last year so I kind of cut my year short, lesson learned. This year I will start recording my numbers on the day of the actual Chinese New Year, which this year actually falls on the same day as our banquet this year, Yah!
I really do enjoy my morning routine. Up at 4:45, down to the basement to work on my numbers. Usually about 45 minutes a day of actual Kung Fu related exercise a day ( excluding classes ), perfect. Makes me feel here and now, grounded, focused, alive. I find no way better to start my day than to keep this routine alive and well, maybe tweaking it a little this year, maybe up at 4:30 to squeeze some extra reps in before the day calls to me.
One thing our family has added this year starting last Friday ( Jan 3 ) was a twice a week trip ( Friday nights and Sunday mornings ) to the Tri-Leisure center for some track running ( 2km ) and light weight training. I feel this will help us immensely in not only our cardio but in our 6 harmonies. Sounds weird right? What I am finding is an imbalance in strength that really showed itself during the board breakathon. As you may or may not know, I am a lefty ( insert Boos and jokes here ). I have been trying to adapt myself to our right handed approach, sometimes with very little success. It has really shown me the disproportionate strength between my left and right. Most Righties will never get this and that's okay. It's a lefty dilemma, such is life. Anyways, I feel that my right side harmonies needs some extra attention. Watching myself in a mirror, breaking a board, doing a form, I can feel the unevenness between my 2 sides. My left is powerful, crisp, confident ( my opinions obviously ). My right is just along for the ride. Sloppy, weak, disconnected. Lifting free weights, as well as static machine weights, I can feel where the strength/weakness is, big time.So I have some work to do if I ever want to balance out my 2 halves and even out my flow.
I'm starting to run long, so chow for now........
Actual Numbers as of Jan 5, 2020
Manditory
Push ups 50398/50000
Sit ups 49776/50000
Hand Form 635/1000
Weapon Form 670/1000
Sparring 500/1000
1609Km Done
1000 AOK Done
Mend a Relationship Done several times
Journal once a week Done
3 Public appearances Done
Lion Dance Done
Tiger Challenge -
No Unexcused Absences Done
Curriculum Review Daily
School Projects Done
Learn Mastery Trying ( memory fighting me )
Adopt a Driveway Done
Maintenance Week Done
Raise Money for SRBF Done ( $20000 as a team ? )
Personal Requirements
Learn to Juggle Done ( basic level not circus level )
Get back to a 36" waist Done
Learn a Second Language Doing ( memory fighting me )
Finish Major Projects around the house Done ( my BIGGEST triumph!! )
Improve My Neatness 50/50
Learn to Swim fail ( my biggest failure )
Run 2Km Working at it.
Overall, I am very pleased with my year. I have been able to put quite a few check marks in the "done" column, but there are also a few in the "not done " column, so I consider the year a moderately successful first attempt at the I Ho Chuan. Now I need to keep that going and turn it into a resounding success for the Year of the Rat. GO TEAM RAT!!!
I didn't start recording my numbers till after the banquet last year so I kind of cut my year short, lesson learned. This year I will start recording my numbers on the day of the actual Chinese New Year, which this year actually falls on the same day as our banquet this year, Yah!
I really do enjoy my morning routine. Up at 4:45, down to the basement to work on my numbers. Usually about 45 minutes a day of actual Kung Fu related exercise a day ( excluding classes ), perfect. Makes me feel here and now, grounded, focused, alive. I find no way better to start my day than to keep this routine alive and well, maybe tweaking it a little this year, maybe up at 4:30 to squeeze some extra reps in before the day calls to me.
One thing our family has added this year starting last Friday ( Jan 3 ) was a twice a week trip ( Friday nights and Sunday mornings ) to the Tri-Leisure center for some track running ( 2km ) and light weight training. I feel this will help us immensely in not only our cardio but in our 6 harmonies. Sounds weird right? What I am finding is an imbalance in strength that really showed itself during the board breakathon. As you may or may not know, I am a lefty ( insert Boos and jokes here ). I have been trying to adapt myself to our right handed approach, sometimes with very little success. It has really shown me the disproportionate strength between my left and right. Most Righties will never get this and that's okay. It's a lefty dilemma, such is life. Anyways, I feel that my right side harmonies needs some extra attention. Watching myself in a mirror, breaking a board, doing a form, I can feel the unevenness between my 2 sides. My left is powerful, crisp, confident ( my opinions obviously ). My right is just along for the ride. Sloppy, weak, disconnected. Lifting free weights, as well as static machine weights, I can feel where the strength/weakness is, big time.So I have some work to do if I ever want to balance out my 2 halves and even out my flow.
I'm starting to run long, so chow for now........
Actual Numbers as of Jan 5, 2020
Manditory
Push ups 50398/50000
Sit ups 49776/50000
Hand Form 635/1000
Weapon Form 670/1000
Sparring 500/1000
1609Km Done
1000 AOK Done
Mend a Relationship Done several times
Journal once a week Done
3 Public appearances Done
Lion Dance Done
Tiger Challenge -
No Unexcused Absences Done
Curriculum Review Daily
School Projects Done
Learn Mastery Trying ( memory fighting me )
Adopt a Driveway Done
Maintenance Week Done
Raise Money for SRBF Done ( $20000 as a team ? )
Personal Requirements
Learn to Juggle Done ( basic level not circus level )
Get back to a 36" waist Done
Learn a Second Language Doing ( memory fighting me )
Finish Major Projects around the house Done ( my BIGGEST triumph!! )
Improve My Neatness 50/50
Learn to Swim fail ( my biggest failure )
Run 2Km Working at it.
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