The Day After and After

    Wow. What a day. Where to even start? I guess the best for me personally would just be a timeline of the day so I can look back years down the road and remember the finer details.

   Up at 3:36am, I'm wide awake, I know it is almost 5 hours till we need to meet at the Kwoon to load up, so I go down for a coffee and enjoy the quiet time to reflect on what is to come and what has already past. It was nice, it calmed me considerably, and it gave me a chance to review and edit my speech without interruption.

   6:15am, start waking family, time to start getting ready for the day. Now that the house is awake I can start packing the stuff needed for the day without trying to be quiet. 

   8:15am, I am the first one at the Kwoon, the day has officially begun. everyone starts to arrive, game on. Dragons get loaded, lions, drum, kid's demo stuff, all the stuff we need. Off to the hall. It is a whirlwind of activity. Tables, stage, silent auction, chairs, place settings, bunny rabbit napkin origami, getting kitchen ready, so much going on, it is a beehive of activity, awesome, what a team, it almost brings me to tears watching how well everyone gets along and just jumps to it, everyone doing their bit. Team Tiger, you rock.

   12:00am, first practice. a bit of chaos ensues, not everyone was ready for practice. Not everyone was there yet. I had forgot to bring my practice knife (grrrr on me), a little more crazy than it needed to be, oh well, we needed our first bump of the day, here it was. A few deep breaths, we ease into our practice, finally getting to try out out spacing and limitations for real. The stage feels HUGE, the Dragon dance area seems to have shrunk. Adjust, retry, adjust, retry, starting to come together. Second run through, much better, we are figuring thinks out. 

   Just after 1pm. Now time for a bit of food and resetting of the mind. Off to Tutti Fruity for some chow with my family, then home to put the final touches on my old bones (quick relax, shower, go). 

   Back at the hall by 3:45ish, next practice. We are looking better, things are starting to make sense. Now people are starting to arrive (4:45ish). I do a double check, knife - check, uniform - check, speech - check, family - check, all is good. I take a walk around, see if I am needed anywhere, nope, everything is running smoothly. Let the games begin. 

   5:30ish, food time, thank you Mayor William Choy for the tasties from Bing's #1. But I can't eat, my belly is doing flips and dives, the dragons/lion dance is about to begin, show time. Yes I made a few errors, but my team pulled my butt out of the fire, adapting on the fly. The edge of the stage in the way?, no problem, they adapt, the walls to close, they adapt, I go six times on our side to side instead of five, they adapt (Malinda, your look of surprise is burned in my memory!). Team D, I am humbled, thank you.

   Red Packets are getting collected, that means my time to do my speech is just moments away, YIKES! Time is now a blur. I am at the point of hyperventilating, my mouth is dry, my palms are sweaty, I could swear my blood pressure was going to make my head pop off. It's speech time. Double Yikes!! Up I go, this stage is huge, the mike feels like it weighs 70lbs, the audience has just doubled in size and they are looking at ME!! Stop looking at ME!! (Que internal screaming). Deep breath, and away I go. The page is shaking, the words look microscopic, dizzy, dancing side to side (do I have to pee? Nope). Word by word I gain momentum, it starts to come back to me, but the mike is to far away, bang, now it is to close. calm down, look at your family to center yourself, great, Deb's crying, now I'm almost crying. What the??. I'm on the last page, how did that happen? Annnnnd done. Wow, euphoria to the extreme. I have to say that was one wild ride I will never forget. And I am so glad I did it, I crushed that fear of public speaking! Okay okay, it slapped me around and had laughed in my face, but I didn't quit, I didn't back down, take that public speaking, I'm not afraid of you anymore!!😆

   From here on the night is mostly a blur, awards, kid's demo, etc, I'm kinda out of it, my mind is overloaded, I need to reset. Up very soon is our IHC demo. Oh my. Got my knife, got my partner, found the stage, ready, I think. Music starts, I'm up second, now I'm up, uh oh, I just messed up the third section of my form, pull up pull up, I manage to carry on without crashing but I am P-ss-d at myself, grr, "just wait till you get home young man".  Now off the stage, pause, back on for the five application. Thanks to Toudia Bauer, I make it through with only minor glitches, he is a great partner. These helped me get back to the here and now. It was like the hall just snapped back into existence. 

   Now the demo is over and I breathe, and breathe and breathe. I start to feel the world around me again, I made it. I didn't die, I didn't crash and burn, like a tidal wave, the emotions start to overwhelm me. But I hold it together, it's not over yet. 

   Now back to the stage to actually get my Black Belt. Chills. Chills run up and down my spine. Is this real? Am I actually walking up these steps? Breathe Don, Breathe. Never in my life have I felt like this. It is surreal. A quick huddle, we take our spots, kneel and take it all in. It's my turn, no words can recreate what I was feeling at that moment so I won't ever try. Now I take my belt, it feels electric, magical, soft as silk but hard as steel. I tie it on, waves pass through me, even trying to put this in a blog, I feel like I am in a dream. I have my belt, it is around my waist, it is mine. Time to thank all those who came before me, I can still see every face, I can still feel every hug, every handshake. Perfection.

    I just wanted to put into words, best as I can, just some of the emotions that I was feeling that night. This just scratches the surface of the night, as I process my thoughts, I may write more.

Thanks for reading this.

Happy Water Rabbit New Year!!

    Lots to do today so I just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. As I begin a new year, I look at my requirements with a renewed hunger, as I usually do at the beginning of the year. As Sifu Brinker would say, everything we need to succeed is in those requirements, and this being my fifth year in the IHC, I solidly believe that. One of my biggest problems is momentum, starts super high, then falters a little then back up then down and so on. 

   This year I am really going to push myself for much more consistency. I think the easiest was to do this is take a page from the book of Ferris/Bauer, post my numbers!! Last year I didn't even do this once (I am hanging my head in shame right now). I was hiding under that clear rock, embarrassed by my numbers, and that is on me. Such an easy fix but no so easy to do, putting myself out there like that, but I hope the team will help keep me accountable. 

   So off to do some push up, sit ups, shadow sparring, Lao Gar, take the dog for a hike, and read Mastery, so in other words, some Kung Fu (hard work).

Looking forward to meeting this years team, Go Team Rabbit!!

I am working on a little project, the 24 pictures on the Kwoon's wall. I will start with a quick attachment here, please feel free to add, correct, make comment, whatever, these are up there for a reason, let's find out why.

Pictures on the training hall wall in order on the wall

Jhoon Goo Rhee 1932-2018 

Tadashi Yamashita 1941- 

Angi Ueza 1935- 

Dave Kovar ?? 

Ron Balicki 1963- Married to Diana Lee Inosanto 

Morihei Ueshiba 1883-1969 

Ip Man 1893-1972 

Seishiro “ Henry “ Okazaki 1890-1951 

Benny Urquidez 1952 

Chotoku kyan 1870-1945 

Diana Lee Inosanto 1966 Married to Ron Balicki 

Soke Dave Mcneill ?? 

Ron Van Clief 1943 

Gichin Funakoshi 1868-1957 

Masatoshi Nakayama 1913-1987 

Daniel Area “ Dan “ Inosanto 1936 

Mitsuyo Maeda 1878-1941 

Joe Lewis 1944-2012 

Thich Nhat Hanh 1926 -2021 

Jigoro Kano 1860-1938 Founder of Judo?

Mutobu Choki 1870-1944 

Chojun Miyagi 1888-1953 

Keiko Fukuda 1913-2013 

Gogen Yamaguchi 1909-1989 Student of Chojun Miyag

What Kung Fu Has Done For Me?

    The question I have been asked is What Kung Fu Has Done For Me? This a huge question.

    So first I guess I should start with a little diddy about who I am and how I got to this point in my life.

   Let’s start with the Who part. I am Donald Robert Bjorkquist, born May 1 1970 in Edmonton,  I lived a majority of my pre-adult years in St Albert. I then jumped around from place to place for a bit then finally settled out in Spruce Grove in 2003. I Married a wonderful woman name Deb in 2005, and had a beautiful boy named Kody. Then when Kody was about to turn 3, well, that is where my journey into Kung Fu truly began to take shape. 

   First some back story...

   I grew up in St Albert in the 1970's and 80's, and at that time there was no real martial arts schools to speak of out there. All I knew about the martial arts was what I learned from TV and movies. And even that was limited to a  Bruce Lee movie here, a David Carridine Kung Fu episode there, but little did I know at the time but the seeds of an idea had been planted by these shows. See as a kid I was never really athletic, being asthmatic and all, so organized sports were not my thing. I dabbled in baseball, skied a little, skated a bit, nothing to write home about. But there was always something at the back of my mind, an itch, a shadow, a dim light drawing me to it. Something I needed to do.

   Fast forward a bit to 1999, now I'm in my late 20's, not really going anywhere with my life, no real purpose, just floating from one day to the next. Out of the blue one day on a whim, I decide to start going to a gym on the west end. It was alright, met some cool folks, learned a little bit about myself physically, but something was still missing. In walks a lady name Wolfe, yes Wolfe. She ran the Muay Tai kickboxing class and was looking for new students and asks me if I want to give it a try. Sure, why not, sounds like fun. Well, guess what, I got my butt handed to me on a daily basis by the other more experienced students. These people were hard core, I was in way over my head, it was eye opener! It knocked my ego down a few dozen notches, something I sorely needed at that time with me being a late 20's knucklehead and all. But now the seed of a direction were starting to grow. Unfortunately the gym went bankrupt and Wolfe had to shut down her classes, so that was the end of me getting pummeled and beaten up for fun. Or so I thought. 

   You see, as soon as I stopped going to Wolfe's classes, I knew something important was now missing from my life, and this started a search to fill this new void that had appeared because I did not want to loose the wonderful feeling of accomplishment that I had just spent the last year and a bit building on. 

   A short time later, in walks a workmate of mine, Sandor, our body shop manger (ironic name eh- Sandor the sander, anyways), we strike up a conversation, the martial arts being the topic, and he proceeds to tell me about a little school he goes to, and it is right next door to my work, bonus! I'm gonna give it a try, sure why not, sounds like a good fit for what I am looking for. Well, swing and a miss. It was a hybrid style of several martial arts, Tae Kwon do, Karate, Jeet Kwon doe (that's Bruce Lee's style), Judo, and a military style calisthenics. It was a lot to take in, and I mean a lot. An you didn't ease into it, you plunged in, sink or swim, I did not do well, it was too much, too fast. I got frustrated and lost interest, I was done, I quit. But I was not done done, I knew the answer was out there somewhere, I just didn't know where, yet. 

   Enter my soon to be wife Deb and her two children Kyle and Kaitlyn in 2001, followed shortly after by my son Kody in 2005. I now saw that the ground on my path was starting to take shape, my path was starting to becoming clear, but that void was still in my way. The only way I could see for me to fill this void was to ensure the success of these beacons of light that had come into in my life. That started me on a frantic search for a martial art school for Kody because I wanted him to grow up with a sense of purpose and security, never having to worry about the bullies of the world, as well as giving him the confidence to succeed in life on his own merits. And then I found it. It was right here all along. Silent River Kung Fu.

   All it took was one, just one single meeting with Sifu Jeff Brinker and I was sold. This is it. This is what I have been gravitating to for what felt like forever. It was like a focusing of my mind, it was a channeling of my soul, it was a hand guiding me through the void, my path now had a place for me to take my first step on a lifelong journey. I cannot understate the relief I felt when I was found by this school, because yes I truly believe that Silent River found me, not the other way around. Silent River Kung Fu basically quietly stood up in front of me and said "We see you, stop wasting your time searching blindly for truth and get in here, we will show you the way". I listened, and the rest is history.

   Sure it took a few years for Deb and I to start actively taking lessons, March 1,2014 to be exact, and by that time Kody had already been in Kung Fu for quite a bit. Of course we wanted to start earlier, but life was in our way, with busy schedules and all, you know, work, family, all the standard excuses. That's my bad, hindsight is 20/20 they say, oh that is so true. We really should have started right then and there with Kody, but I don't have time machine so say la vei.

   So Kody had now been in Kung Fu for almost 6 years and it is now my (our) turn to jump into Kung Fu with both feet. I can still remember my first class like it was yesterday, stations. For those of you who don't know what that is, its simple. You have a circuit of timed stations, push ups, sit ups, kicks, jump rope and more. Good stuff right?! But wait, this was different than before, I was actually enjoying this. It took me a bit to realize why.  Then I saw it. It was the people! Everywhere I looked, people were smiling, pushing themselves without being pushed. Actually trying to do the set they where doing as hard has you could, and enjoying it!. It reaffirmed what I had suspected all along, that this was it. This was where my family and I were meant to be. 

   Over the past almost 9 years of learning Kung Fu here at Silent River, so many things have happened in my life. While my job and family has mostly stayed the same, my perception of the world around me has changed dramatically. So now back to answer the question I have been asked,  what Kung Fu has done for me.

    Kung Fu has allowed me to have the confidence to feel like I can, and will, make a difference on this beautiful blue marble we call home. Kung Fu has given me something that I didn't really understand before, hope. Hope for the future, hope for the now, just plain old fashioned priceless hope. It has also given me an understanding of empathy towards other and myself, letting me see more than just my side of a story. It has added years to me life, if not in time then definitely in quality. It has taken the void that I felt I had and filled it with so much love and caring, confidence and clarity, compassion and energy, it has become a path that I intend to follow for my lifetime. I see no end to my learning, to my growth, to my path. Kung Fu has become a lifelong companion of mine, sharing both my triumphs and failures, encouraging me to strive for mastery in my life.

   As I wrap this up, because I really could go on and on,  I must make some acknowledgements and some well deserved thank yous.

My Family. My wife, my kids, my parents, you are my bedrock, my foundation, without you I have nothing. With you, I have everything, I love you. Thank you for being with me on this journey.

Friends. You know who you are, you know I love you all, peace to you.

Classmates both past and present, you have pounded on me like soft spongee clay, molding me into what I am today, we have bled together, we have sweat together, I think there was even some tears in there too, thank you for every bruise and bump, I wear them with pride and honor.

Sifus, Sehings and Sedias, You are the architects, you are the masters, you are our lineage, you are reason I am learning to be the best me I can be, thank you for trusting me and allowing me to earn my black belt, thank you for everything you do.

A very special shout out to Todai Nigel Bauer, I honestly couldn't have done this without you or your monumental patience, guidance and sacrifice. You sir, are simply great, no other word can describe you, thank you.

And I left this till last because I may not make it through it, To my Dad, I wish you were still here with us celebrating this, I miss you every day. Love your son.

Thank you for listening.

   

Gift Horse

    Sifu Hayes gave me a great partial aha moment in open training yesterday. I say partial because he showed me a certain move that I never even realized was even there, and now it is my job to apply and understand this revelation. This simple moment of instruction made a move in three different forms suddenly flow so much easier. 

   What a golden opportunity this was, uninterrupted access to a Master instructor, one on one in person, and all I has to do was show up. Show up to open training, you know, every second Saturday of the month from 10am to 12pm. It's free! It is also priceless. Proof is in my pudding, I asked what I thought was an easy question and Bang, an answer that translates over multiple forms!! OMG! 

   And yet, other than the black belt candidates and a few other awesome individual, no one else was there. While I am glad for this because that means I can be greedy with the Sifu's time, I am saddened for the missed opportunity that could make a world of difference in a fellow students Kung Fu. 

   Anyways, that is my share for the week, I will not look this gift horse in the mouth, I will take advantage of this gift at every opportunity.

14 Days Left of Tiger

    As of the writing of this blog we have 14 days left in the year of the Tiger before the year of the Water Rabbit (Jan 22 2023 to Feb 9 2024) starts. And it has been quite a year. For me it has been all over the map, mostly good/great with a sprinkle of 😕 and 😡 mixed in to keep things real. It has been a year filled with opposing forces. My football team sucked this year but we (Deb, Kody and I) had a huge amount of fun at the tailgating party before each game, I attended my favorite Aunt's (Constance Bjorkquist) funeral 😭 but I got to reconnect with a bunch of family I had lost touch with, I deeply missed my Dad at every family function (RIP 03/12/19) but we as a family are trying to make the best of the void he left by being better to each other. So it seems that for every dark, the light finds a way to shine through. 

   And the same can be said for my Kung Fu. Aha moments appear when least expected. Take yesterdays level II brown belt class for example. Forms, lots of forms, with guidance in between each round. Insights that, if acted upon, can help me in ways that are life changing in the way I practice my Kung Fu. Something as fundamental but utterly important as trajectory and skeletal alignment. Then we talked about thrust punches, two words, but so much involved in a correct one. I see hundreds upon hundreds of thrust punches in my future. Punches from a horse, punches from a bow, transitional (slide-side steps), in conjunction with a block (counter), and so on. 

   Yesterday showed me I am taking this punch for granted, and it is affecting both my delivery of power and my ability to complete the move before moving to the next move. Either I am swinging up or pulling it short or I am turning it into a hook (kinda). And there are many factors causing it, stance, rotation, intent, center, timing, over/under thinking it. 

   So I will be doing a LARGE amount of varying thrust punches, I need to figure this out, I need to be better.

   What does this have to do with the title of 14 Days Left of Tiger, not much, but I needed a title.

Different Views

   So I've been working on my five techniques this past while, tossing out some and refining others. With this time of the year being very busy for most, including myself, I have has to work with multiple different people. This is a real eye opener. What works with one person falls off the rails with a different person and that forces me to adapt the technique. This is a good thing.  

   Yesterday, while working with test subject Alpha, I was tasked with the possibility of having to maybe modify a clearing block that works great on test subject Beta and not at all on test subject Gamma. Alpha asked me what my intent was, to block or attack, to clear the kick or to position my attacker for the next "finishing" move. That forced me to think and not just react. We played with both for a bit and I could really see the difference, and I found it came down to something I really struggle with, my Spirit.

   In the six harmonies, number one of the internals, spirit to intent, is something I really think about deeply. Only I can know my spirit, who I am, how far I will go given a certain circumstance, I can't just skip the first one because I need to get to the second one, intent to chi. Even writing this blog is difficult, there are so many variables that fall into this concept. Am I aggressive, passive, decisive, uncertain, angry, sad, the conflict for me is hard to define as every situation is and will be different. 

   By working with multiple partners on this, I feel I am starting to come to grip with this. Size, speed, injuries, some of the hundreds of variables that blur through my mind as a technique is being done. I am super glad for the controlled environment that the Kwoon brings as it allows me to safely work with my partners, they can be the best good bad guys and I can learn with each repetition. Anger, fear, adrenaline, hesitation, these can be tamed or at least minimized and I can learn how to deal with them as they rear their ugly heads.