Fun, Why Yes it is.

    I asked someone a simple question about their Kung Fu, "are you enjoying yourself?". The more I think about this, the more I look at my Kung Fu journey. If I ask myself the same question, I get the same answer, "of course I am silly, or we wouldn't be doing this". I wouldn't be putting myself out there if I wasn't. Yes, some of the "stressors" can  be limiting, or are they? Let's pick on the Tiger Challenge for now. 

    Performing in front of a crowd can still be crippling for me. I can feel my heart race, my blood pressure soar, my vision tunnel, my hands sweat, all the good stuff. So why in the heck do I do it?! Because of the purpose before the event and the reward afterwards. I am not talking about a medal or praise or non-praise, I am talking about my sense of accomplishment. I did it, I made it, I gave it my best, here I am like it or not. It is euphoric. It is a natural high that makes everything a bit shinier, it brings my training into focus. 

   Before Kung Fu, I would never have allowed myself to ever be in a situation like the Tiger Challenge. Never would I have gone in front of a crowd solo, ever, EVER! Now I don't hesitate (okay maybe a tiny little bit). The sure terror of being at the center of attention is gone. I now realize that this is also a part of my training. Not just self-confidence but self-awareness. Being able to remain calm(ish) when the situation demands it. Being able to focus on the task in front of me. This did not exist before my Kung Fu journey started. Hide, be quiet, go unnoticed. That was my way. Not no more (bad grammar - deal with it!). Bring on the Tiger Challenge, it feeds me, it enables me to grow as not just a Martial Artist but as a person (same thing!!).   

   So am I having fun, absolutely! And I will continue to do so for a very long time. Kung Fu is woven into who I am now, it is a Gordian knot that I will forever work to unravel, exploring new paths and concepts till my time is done. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Your Training is My Training

    First off, April 22 2023 Earth day clean up at Rotary park. What a turn out! Thank you to all who took the time to show up and do their part for our great Mother Earth. Best turn out in years proving that many hands make light work. Again, you have my thanks.

   So back to my topic of this week's blog. Thursday's optional class for the IHC. 

   It was a decent turn out, so much so that I had no room to practice my weapon form expansively. Therefor I migrated to the back of the training hall to give others more room and that is where I found the gold. Two of my fellow Kung Fu'ers were back there practicing, we engaged in conversation and a great mutual practice began. Some Lao Gar and Da Mu Hsing ensued and low and behold, thoughts turned into questions then into actions then into Kung Fu. Next thing I knew, I was covered in sweat and it was time to go home. Awesomeness.

    I think that for myself, this was exactly what I needed. Practice with a purpose. Instead of aimlessly practicing this or that, we focused on some key fundamentals, things I don't go out of my way to purposely work on very much. And by doing this, it opened some avenues of thought for me. Stances, rotation, centering, eyes and the ever watching presence of the "eye for detail". All great things to work on, all necessary to keep fresh all the time. By working on these with them, their training became my training, how great is that! 

   It is so easy to see sometimes how being engaged is a piece of cake. As Master Brinker would say," it's just Kung Fu". How true.

Pass it on

    I have talked about open training before, many times. Today will be no different. Yesterday's open training was another gem. While I got almost no "Me" training in, I did get to spend a large chunk of the time interacting with the many children there. It was truly heart warming to see their interest in what they are actually doing. One student in particular (Rice?), occupied a good portion of my time. It amazed me some of the questions he had, from what the uniform and belts and stripes represent to certain moves in stick 2. It was all over the map, I hope hope hope he got out of it what I did. I could see his mind was taking everything in, he was a sponge. 

   This interaction between him and I really made me feel connected to the Kwoon. Here is a student just beginning his journey, passing on knowledge to another student who is also just beginning his journey. By interacting with him, I was learning as well as him, learning through teaching. This was a golden moment, purely golden. Humbling.

   So while I didn't getting in the training I had planned, the training I got was immeasurably more valuable. Open training, priceless.

New Pains, Old Pains

 Maybe it’s the new medication that I am on, maybe I am over working my joints, maybe I am just getting old😁. I have a little saying I use, “my roving ball of pain”. It seems to venture around my body, one day it’s my knees, next day my shoulders, some days all of the above. I adapt, I change my routine, I try to work with it and not against it. Right now as I write this blog it is sleeping, content to let me be for a while. Sweet, I am enjoying the moment, no obvious pain. 

One thing I am really working on is transitions. To be able to flow from one move to the next while still executing the current technique. Hung 1 into Hung 2, the more I do it the more I find new ways to fail. One time I am hopping from 1 to 2, the next time I’m not but I have no center, this transition is a fun one to work on, good stuff. Time for a one on one to get some professional advice  

It's Been a While

   For the first time in quite a while, I don't know what to blog about. I have been training, I am still engaged. But it is just a muddle of thoughts and ideas up in my noggin. I'm working on flow, I'm getting my reps in, I'm tweaking my weapon form, I am doing Kung Fu every day, it's just that just nothing really jumps out and says "blog about me". Is it mediocrity? Is it lack of intent? Is it too much on my plate and I am not focusing on specifics? Dunno. 

   So instead of throwing together a disingenuous blog about nothing in particular, I will just continue to do the Fu every day, I'm sure my next AhA is just around the corner.