Two Kinds of Conditioning

GSP vs BJ
It was a beating most would not endure. As GSP came out you could not deny the obvious perfect physical shape the man was in. As the match went on it became apparent that GSP had the physical conditioning to go along with the chiseled body. Near the end of the fourth round it occurred to me , look at BJ, this guy is not giving up, you have to admire the mental fortitude this man possesses. It just was crystal clear the difference between physical conditioning and mental conditioning. I am sure GSP has plenty of mental conditioning as well, however, he did not need to tap into that reservoir as much.
It makes you realize what extraordinary athletes these people are, thank goodness for rules, judges and a brother who cares about you.
Just my thoughts on the UFC fight.
JC Masterson
Silent River Kung fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

A Busy Week(s)

It's been a very busy couple of weeks. It felt like I was barely keeping ahead of everything. I am sure many can relate as we all seem to add more and more to our plates.

This week was my son's fourth birthday. He is pretty proud of the fact that he is four now. He told me in four more years he will have a job too and he will drive me around in his car!(sounds good to me)

It made me think about his future and about how I raise him now.

There has been a lot of coffee talk and social discussion about the country's economic situation lately. Some say we are in crisis, some in recession others not worried about it at all. I believe we are in a stabilization phase. Anyways, this is not about debating economics or politics, its about the effect it has on people.

Not too long ago the province was going gangbusters and labourers, trades and professions were crying out in desperation for people. Signing bonuses were offered, all traveling expenses were paid, company vehicles, standards were lowered, etc. Don't get me wrong that is still going on, however, its not just everybody and anybody with a pulse that is getting hired now...and I think that is a good thing.

When things are too plentiful and handed to us without effort the appreciation is lost. Work ethic suffers or becomes non-existent.

I work in the Aviation industry and the biggest complaint of many Employers last year was the "whats in it for me?" attitude. People not showing up for shifts, dictating what their job description was going to be, forget about overtime and there is no way they were sweeping the floor.

Here I go, sounding like my grandmother but its true... I remember graduating from SAIT in 91'. There were 5 people for every 1 position available in the industry you chose. Very competitive.

I remember offering to work for free for a week just to get my foot in the door. You took all the crappy jobs and cleaned up after everyone because you were "low man on the pole" and maybe after that you would actually get to touch an aircraft.

This builds character and gives you an appreciation for what you have and what you can achieve through hard work.

So now I come back to the present day, my son is 4 and before I know it he will have his first job (maybe not at 8 years old like he plans).Since he is an only child I worry about handing him too much. He will always get what he needs but he needs to work for what he wants.

Sifu Masterson

Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

Rushed

Last week was crazy busy and it looks like this one is starting off the same way.
I was up at the joyous hour of 4:30 am to go to the Leisure center and get started on my push ups and sit ups...320 situps and pushups done 680 of each to go. I am off to a clients hangar today so no chance to do anymore until tonight...This is just a short blog, more like a note, I will write again later this week or sooner when I get a couple of thing out of the way.
Sifu Masterson
Sient River Kung fu

Conditioning

So I signed up for the “Police Prep” course at the Triliesure center last week. The course is run by an active RCMP officer with a background in physiology and fitness.
Is name is Vince and his mission is to push us beyond the comfort zone and then some.
The class consists of a wide variety of people, some are applying for different police forces..RCMP, EPS etc, and some are there just for the fitness aspect, something different.
I have always been at a certain level when it came to cardiovascular conditioning. I usually last 20minutes of sparring and then I start to run out of gas.
Vince guarantees after 12 of his classes your conditioning will improve and he supplies you with the knowledge and tools to upkeep your conditioning.
Tuesday night was the first class. It lasts 90 minutes and you hardly have time to take a sip of water. His idea of taking a break is pushups! Perfect!
He timed us on some drills to give us a baseline, something to measure our progress with.
5 laps around the track with 15 pushups and 20 lunges in between each lap.
My time 9:17
I achieved 3 chinups (palms facing out with a wide grip) he says palms facing inwards is easier, the bicep is incorporated more in this kind of chin up . Palm facing out flattens the bicep making it more difficult.
I achieved 55 situps in one minute.
So that is my starting point, we will see what my numbers are like by the end of February.
After recording where our starting point was then the fun began.
He likes stairs, sprinting, pushups, plyometrics, more stairs and then abolicihous drills (his term)
Seems to me conditioning is all about putting yourself outside the physical comfort zone. So far the class is pretty uncomfortable so I must be doing something right.

On a completely different note. As I was writing this blog, I was listening to the radio. They were interviewing a pilot and his take on the accident that occured yesterday in New York.
The radio guy asked the pilot "it must take a special person to be an airline pilot?"
The pilot answered "No, its all about the training, anybody who has the discipline to apply themselves can be an airline pilot, if the time comes where you need to apply your training for real you should handle it in a calm fashion and everyone should survive."

Sounds like kung fu, sounds like good advice.

The Trouble with Nothing

Meditation
of all the goals I have set for myself, this one seems to be the most difficult to the point where I have clearly ignored it. There is lots for me to improve on and achieve but everything else is straight forward to me. My sparring needs work, my spear form is terribly rusty,I have some research to accomplish,etc. etc. however, meditation has me stumped.
I know the basics, I have done a little research on it but I am just not sure how to get it going and keep it going.
One definition described the goal of meditation as "enjoying the emptiness".
Sounds good, no pain involved, your supposed to be comfortable and most of all you are not supposed to think!
I remember as a color belt, the first time I tried it. All that ran through my head was ..."is it over yet...if I look like I am relaxed and focused they will leave me alone...I have got to get up early for work tomorrow..is that paint on the mat?...blah, blah ,blah."
The closest I seem to get is with practicing Tai Chi. I am focused yet relaxed.
I think it is tough to let yourself stay motionless physically and mentally when the rest of your day is just the opposite. Isn't that what sleep is for?Is there a way to meditate while you sleep? If I can figure that out I will try a figure out a way to do pushups while I sleep!
I am being silly, of course, I know people who enjoy the benefits of regular meditation. They are well natured, calm individuals who mysteriously seem to manage the level of stress in their lives.
Now I think I am on to something worth pursuing.
Of course like everything, repetitive practice is key but do people meditate differently? How did these individuals get started. I imagine in small steps... I will be working on this further, I anticipate there will be some ..no.. lots of frustration so I am open to others experiences.
So here I go , ....I suppose turning off the computer would help.