Year of the Rat Reflection

 So here we are on day 272 of 383 in the year of the Rat (January 25, 2020 – February 11, 2021 + leap year =383 days, 71% gone), and where has the time gone? Have I accomplished what I set out to do this year? No. Have I used the extra time that this year gave us to achieve what I joined the IHC for? No. The extra time this year gave me has been squandered. I know there is still an good chunk of the year left, so I will make the most of that, not waste it. I should have used the first 272 days much more aggressively, more efficiently, but I did not. I could use all sorts of excuses why I am not where I want to be, but it would just be just that, excuses.

   I have made some personal gains, achieved some goals, and learned lots of new ideas and techniques in Kung Fu. I have even started to learn Tai Chi ( loves that Tai Chi ). But time is not on my side. I am not getting any younger ( no one is!! ), aches and pains are much more obvious that they used to be, blood pressure, weight gain, arthritis, etc.... blah blah blah. I do not want to use age as a reason for mediocrity, it should be a driving factor in my training and overall health and not a weight slowing me down. I want to be around for many decades to come, and not just alive, not a "what if I had only done...?" person, but someone who understands one self, the consequences of good and bad choices, living life to it's max and not just being alive. Kung Fu can and will make that much more likely to happen. 

   The year of the Ox is coming up on February 12, 2021 – January 31, 2022, that is only 354 day long. Just like that, 29 days shorter that the year of the Rat, less time for me to accomplish my next set of goals for a successful year, but so what. That is still totally doable. Only I can set that goal and only through my actions can I achieve success or failure.

    So I am going to start writing my personal requirement for next year as soon as I finish this blog so I can start to focus on the direction I need to take to make the most out of my time. 

 

 

Some mental bubblegum for you on the year of the Ox, this is just a few sites I hace read, I am sure there is a ton of inaccuracies here so reader beware, educate at your own risk.

 https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/culture-chinese-zodiac-ox.htm

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox_(zodiac)

Status Quo

    Nothing much to report this week, as the title suggests, it's steady as she goes. Working my numbers, practicing my forms, preparing for next years grading ( hopefully ). As age creeps into my training, I am actually happy to see my son Kody surpassing me on many fronts, speed, recovery, adaptation, creativity.  Ahh Ponce de Leonto, where did you hide that fountain?

   Yesterday while watching this years candidates do their applications and forms, it really opens one's eyes to the differences in their techniques any yet they all have a similar outcome. Watching them make their Kung Fu their own is very encouraging to a bag of cement like me, I need to embrace that. It has always amazed me when I can watch multiple Sifus do the same form/technique and their personality shines through, creating a different but similar style. From hard to flowing to peaceful to down right scary, it is all poetry in motion, a pleasure to watch an inspiration to those looking for a spark to ignite their own flame of creativity.

 

Thought I would  throw in some quotes from the curriculum, great concepts to ponder.

 Yellow represents the colour of a seed buried in the earth beneath the winter snow. It is the seed from which the roots of a glorious plant will sprout. These roots will anchor the plant and serve to support it through wind and weather For the rest of its life.

   Orange represents the colour of the sun rising to meet the morning sky. Melting the last of the frost, it nurtures the gracious earth, Encouraging the young plant to flourish. 

  Green represents the colour of the seedling venturing clear of the protective earth into the tender light of a calm spring day. Each day brings wondrous growth and change as the young seedling matures and strives to prosper.

 Blue represents the colour of the cloudless summer sky beckoning the thriving plant ever closer to its soothing hue. Strengthening its ward with a gentle breeze, forever reminding it of this precarious tranquility

Brown represents the colour of the autumn plant anticipating winter's shrill caress. Burdening no longer, its shriveled leaves enrich the soil of its origin, Paying homage to a humble heritage. The stark landscape but a reminder of the impermanence of all that is.

 

Blog in a Blender

   No particular direction in this blog, just a small synopsis of my week. 

   My physical training is a little behind from where I would like it to be but it is still progressing, think Turtle not Hare. Had some aches and pains to work through this week with the beginning of winter tire season, some of the rim/tires I lift are ridiculously heavy, and me being a typical guy, I tend to lift first, suffer later. Yes my wife ( I can hear her tsking me ), I will never learn.

   Made a hard decision about Thanksgiving this year. We usually spend it with my Mom. Not this year. With Covid, her health must take priority over my comfort. We will stop by her place on Monday for a brief socially distant visit, but it is not the same. But I'd rather her be here for many family get togethers down the road than risk exposing her to this nasty virus. I will miss the "gathering" of family but The Bjorkquist clan gets "it", it's not worth the risk. Miss you Mom.

   My last weeks blog about my struggles with Intent elicited some truley amazing responses. Thank you to all who shared their insights into my dilemma, amazing and enlightening! I feel better equipped to tackle this because of the care and thought of my fellow Kung Fu travelers. Keep those responses coming, they are truley golden.

   I wrap this up with a achievement I have made this last Friday ( Oct 9 ). My Dad was HUGE into donating blood and I regret not sharing that passion with him while he was alive, that is all on me. But this Friday, I received my "3 donations" pin for my 3rd blood donation. My first donation was for his memory and to honor his amazing achievement of over 150 donations, my second was for me ( to show I was committed ), this 3rd donation is for everyone else who truley needs my blood. It feels really good to do this, other than the needle that is ( I hate needles ). I will now continue donating regularly because it is the right thing to do and it is sooooo easy to do, sit, bleed, cookie, go home. 

 

 

This awesome volunteer's name is Trina, she insisted I receive my "3" pin.

The world needs more "Trinas".

Black White and Grey Intent

    Intent. Six letters. One word. Infinite possibilities and meaning. I struggle with this pretty much all the time. I sometimes refer to it as the "grrrr" factor. Thursday's  IHC meeting I brought this up with the group that showed up and Master Hayes. There was some great advice that I am defiantly going to try to apply. 

   The example I am currently overthinking is the Triangle Stepping Pattern. I say overthinking because as I attempt to do the technique, certain aspects of the technique give me pause, especially when I ask myself "what is my intent with this move". Am I defending,  attacking, both, neither. 

   I get what we are trying to do, I see the purpose of the technique, I "feel" the progression of the moves, I understand the "end game" of the sequence. I shouldn't question any of this, it is a tried and true technique, it has a purpose, it is an awesome teaching and learning tool, but, my intent falters on the take down, my intent keeps getting in my way of completing the submission. 

   My intent seems to be very situational. I feel I am very peaceful by nature, the people I have kept in my life are there for a reason, they make me who I am and I have spent decades enjoying that warmth. In my youth, my intent in life was defiantly different than it is now, and it did me way more harm than good. I have had the good fortune of being able to learn from that "crap" period of my life and move on to what I consider the pinnacle of good fortune. I am surrounded by love and good fortune. I couldn't ask for more. Which brings me back to my intent.

   In my minds eye ( and I may be wrong but indulge me anyways ), I now see intent in three different lights. White, black and grey. White is where I want to be, positive, happy, caring, healthy, full of goodness, all powerful. Black scares the breath out of me, hate, anger, death, violence, evil, all to be avoided at all costs!. Then there is the Grey area, the "pretend" area of my intent, the "what if" area. This is my struggle area. How do turn the White to the edge of Black so I can still return to White undamaged? How do I use the Grey to prepare to fight the Black and still remain in the White? Sorry if this is getting a little weird, but this is where I am at. 

   I need to find the aggression and assertiveness to complete my technique, fighting myself to prevent not finishing a technique that would leave myself or a loved one in real danger. I'm almost positive that in that "real" situation, my intent would change. If my wife or son was in real danger and it is a choice between them getting hurt or embracing my Black intent, I wouldn't hesitate to go dark, no matter the consequences. But how do I fake that in class. It actually scares me, a lot. That is my struggle.

   Thanks for reading....