One Turns into Nine

   One turns into nine.

   I try to donate blood regularly, usually twice a year. Once in the summer and once in the winter. I usually don't think about inviting others to donate at the same time as me because donating is just something I do for personal reasons. So to have eight other lifesaving people donate at the same time as me touches me deeply. My one donation becomes nine donations, and this means the world to me. So a GIANT shout out to those who joined me to donate part of yourself to help others. You very well may have saved someone's life by doing that, I know you have saved part of mine.

Push Ups  10445

Sit Ups  9833

Sparring 510 min

1609KM  1012.11 km

Acts of Kindness 1030 recorded

Hand Form  300

Weapon Form  185

Mastery recited 27

 

Out of Sorts

    I don't know why, but I have been on a low this week. Energy non existent, motivation non existent, get up and go has got up and left. No change in numbers, honestly did nothing this past week worth recording. I thought about doing my reps, but just plain old fashion didn't. I have basically thumbed my nose at Mastery and told it to leave me alone. I wish I knew where this was coming from. 

   So sorry, no inspiration here, just funk. Putting this in a blog has helped me to find some motivation, honestly I wasn't even going to blog. But thankfully I did, part of my promise to not just the team but to myself. 

   The one highlight I must mention was the Dragon dance on Thursday. I needed that. I needed the comradery, the connection to the team, the exercise, it may have been the spark I needed to get my funk the funk out of here. 

Push Ups  10395

Sit Ups  9833

Sparring 500 min

1609KM  936.62 km

Acts of Kindness 1008 recorded

Hand Form  270

Weapon Form  243

Mastery recited 27

Lil Tweak - Different Intent

   IHC Thursday, we were given opportunity to ask questions to any available instructor. Usually I don't take advantage of this opportunity as I want others to get a chance to do this. Thursday was different. I needed to ask questions, I needed to use this opportunity for once. And of course I benefitted greatly from this. 

   I got a C on my weapon form, I (ego here) thought it was better than that, so I was surprised when I saw the C. So what did I do about it? Nothing, zilch, nana, not a damn thing. So Thursday I finally did. 

   I went right over to Sihing Csillag and asked him to see my form. After one rep, the great advice started to flow. All he did was tweak two moves and their intent and Blam I now see my form entirely different than before. Amazing. 

   Now I am taking that tweak forward throughout my form, and I like it. 

Push Ups  10395

Sit Ups  9833

Sparring 500 min

1609KM 895.95 km

Acts of Kindness 995 recorded

Hand Form  270

Weapon Form  243

Mastery recited 27

What's the Reason

Humility (Chian Hsun), loyalty (Chung), piety (Hsiao), clarity (Ch'ing), vigor (Chien), unity (Hsieh), sincerity (Ch'eng), (missing) propriety (Li), honesty (Shih), benevolence (Jen), reverence (Ch'ung), patience (Jen) , courage (Ying), wisdom (Chih), righteousness (I) and honour (Kuei). 

   These are the sixteen (fifteen) symbols, in order, on the Kwoon's wall. These are the virtues of a black belt. Each one of them is more then a word, more than a symbol, more than an ideal. Each one has layer upon later of meaning and self analysis to them, depending on how deep you want to go. They remind me of the I Am project. That particular project (I Am) sent me down multiple rabbit holes, exploring and facing sides of myself that I had never even knew existed in me. These symbols on the wall are like a portal to my inner most thoughts (id?) and feelings (ego?). 

   I love stuff like this. It is the gentle hand of  Mastery urging me to understand the "Me" I think I am versus the "Me" I actually am. Take one word, any word, and dig. Dig deep. Do not stop at the definition you get from Google. Really dig and try to understand the word and what it means to you and your life. I am currently having a road trip with the word Piety (#3 on the wall). My understanding of this word was at best limited, at worst....?

   The more I explore this, the more I start to understand what Master Brinker meant when he talks about how difficult the English language can be to convey purposeful meaning. Those symbols on the wall represent more that a word, they are a ideal. 

Cool

Push Ups  10095

Sit Ups  9533

Sparring 500 min

1609KM 854.07 km

Acts of Kindness 930 recorded

Hand Form  215

Weapon Form  225

Mastery recited 27