On the List

        Its on the list...surfing, that is.

Family vacation right now, we are in Maui and its the perfect place for beginners of all ages.
I made a deal with Raymond and he promises to try it as well. He is reluctant to try as he thinks a shark will get him! (I suppose there are no guarantees but surfing guy told him all the sharks around here sleep during the day)

So off we go, I should look like the dude in the picture in about five days...no problem!

San Shou

I am going to follow on with Sifu Lindstrom’s blog a little bit here.

Last night during San Shou we had a pretty good turn out…of Blackbelts that is!

Only 3 students but a great class regardless.

It was Sifu Princes class last night and he did a great job putting together some progressive drills and skills.

Here's the thing…

To be a martial artists encompasses more than the fighting skill. We know that …it is at the core of Silent River Kung fu philosophy, in our code of ethics and how we conduct ourselves.

However, the fighting skills are the tools we use to help develop the character traits that make a great martial artist.

We speak of putting ourselves out of our comfort zone. If something causes you great anxiety, of course the best way to deal with it is to confront it, and confront it wisely.

When it comes to sparring, a lot of people feel great anxiety towards the thoughts of physical contact of this nature. If this is you, then , logically, conquering your fear is what you need to do . There is nothing more liberating, and growth inducing then conquering a fear.

I had the same fear as a green belt and over time and with good instruction and a safe environment, the fear has disappeared….that doesn’t mean I ‘m any good at sparring!! (insert smiley face)  it means I enjoy sparring as a fun challenge instead of  something I dread.

I would love to see more students involved in the San Shou, especially some female company!

So think about it,.. trust in your instructors that you wont be left out to the wolves.. come on out and work on  improving your physical skills as a martial artist.

checking your spelling is part of being professional...:)

Can you call yourself a Professional?

Holding ourselves to a level of professionalism.
Tough thing to do sometimes.
This becomes more of a challenge for me in my career than at the Kwoon. There is an atmosphere at the Kwoon that supports respect for your peers and leaders. This atmosphere is not always apparent in a work environment where people come from different mindsets and the potential for conflict is more frequent.
I find myself  resourcing from my martial arts background and "up bringing" to resolve issues in a professional, logical  and reasonable manner.
Its a challenge to take emotion out of discussions and try to empathize, compromise without jeopardizing the best outcome.
Level of Professionalism...another quality and tool towards Leadership.