Find your Fit

When one starts any martial art, you learn a move, an application or a technique. You should absolutely respect the information pasted to you by the Instructor but do not blindly accept it.

Practice, analyze, experiment and respectfully question. This is the true path to find your personal style of martial art...(I speak of the self defence physical component specifically).
Kung fu by nature offers a large spectrum of applications from Forms, weapons, self defence, take downs, ground work and on and on....but find your fit.
What works for your peer or mentor may not work for you, or may not be your first choice of application and self defence.
Be open minded. Be present and engaged when instructed. This mindset assists you in true application of the lesson. Avoid the easy way of replicating what you just saw or mindlessly applying a move. This does not serve you and essentially will have no value.
What I have learnt over the years, is to value my Instructors but take responsibility for my own short-comings and offer answers to myself in the detail.
For those moments I do feel like I have earned my Black Belt.

The ones that Inspire me

Who are the Martial Artists that inspire me....

Those that show up, the committed, the consistent, the tenacious and the tireless.

The students that are always there, putting the time in.
There may be nothing spectacular, no flying backwards sparkling manouevers, no feats of elite physical skill, nothing that catches your eye, until you look a little closer and notice a Lions share of "will" to keep working!
They inspire me to work just as hard, they motivate me to keep at it and they make me feel embarrassed when I cant hold the same work ethic they do.

Time and Time again, those are the battle hardy individuals that you one day notice, even before its offically put around their waist,...yes, yes indeed, this is the heart and the mind of a Black Belt ...

Throwin it out there

Challenges....little call outs to the group to help motivate, inspire ,engage, bond or just strike up conversation but most of all they make the unfun conditioning drills and excersizes fun!
You don't have to be a super elite athlete, you just need to commit to the group and try...easy,peasy!

Let's face it, sometimes that fitness stuff is a drag. Trying to condition yourself and get stronger can have little appeal when it becomes repetitive and the same old thing, however, working at being in the best shape you can be in is the foundation for any martial artists...not to be bypassed!
To me, it's an essential component...and if I come across anything that makes fitness more interesting, I grasp onto it!

That's why, if someone throws out a challenge,, no matter how small, simple or out of my comfort zone it may be, I'm in...I have to at least try and if nothing else, I can laugh at myself and be happy with myself for a least movin my butt!
It's a win win for you and your peers and your school pride and school friendship!

Connected!

I can remember back to the days of the UBBT (prior to I Ho Chuan), in its infancy of the team concept it was a little challenging for those out of town workers or shift workers to stay connected to the Kwoon.
Our ways of staying connected to the school have vastly changed in my mind and I think it's great.
Our blogs have been our first and most important way of sharing, but as time went on routine meetings were adopted, then virtual attendance to the meetings became possible for those in special situations, and now  Google Plus communities.
I find distance is not a setback like it used to feel.

I am in Whitehorse right now, but I don't feel the distance.
A good representation of why I feel connected would have to be attributed to the on line challenge Sihing Choy initiated with push ups. Simple but effective. I tune in every night to post my numbers, catch up on discussions and read the blogs of my peers.
I might not be in town for awhile but the connection, motivation and inspiration are all at my finger tips!
Good stuff, I think!

"Abscence  of evidence is not evidence of absence"

I don't know where this quote originated from, it is a philosphy, a principle of law and science and a statement of rebuttle in argument.
That being said, I believe you can apply the quote to your own daily life.
It makes me think before I speak.
 It helps me keep an open mind.

Love the Gadget!

Gadgets, gimmicks, trends or Fads...whatever you want to call it...

The latest is the Fitbit, or at least its the latest for me. I seen a few people sporting the wrist band and finally curiosity got the best of me, I bought one and have been having great fun with it so far.

At work we have a tendency to stay at our desks when we are in the office and just sit and work till its time to leave. Not good, not at all, the human body was not meant to sit in a chair constantly and I pay for it later with tight muscle and joint problems.

Anyways, a few of us at the office have picked up the little gadget and "friended" each other.

The result has been fantastic. 

We set challenges between us , we encourage each other to go for walks in the river valley during lunch and at the end of the day, you just feel better mentally.

Of course,  I have to give a high five to those kung fu people I have spotted with the wrist bands as well!

so yeah, maybe its a fad and the novelty will wear off but the fact that it gets you off your butt and thinking about your physical condition is great.

So nice work "Fitbit" people!