The Bad Little Voice

You would think after this many years of working out and training it would just be automatic. No discipline required.

I found myself really struggling to get up this morning and go to the gym. I was actually late getting there because of the conversation I was having with myself....

"an extra hour of sleep would do you good...you really trained hard this week, why not take a break or be careful your not over training, you might induce an injury"

Actually, my favorite one is " I 'll take the day off and workout extra hard tomorrow!"

As I get to know myself, I recognize the bad little voice inside my head that can come up with 20 good reasons to not stick to my routine.

Instead of arguing with myself, whether to train or get some other things done, I simply have to Ignore.

The toughest part, is just getting to your place of training. It could be at a gym, your basement or the floor beside the bed. For the amount of time it takes to convince yourself to slack off is probably the amount of time it takes to get off your butt and get to your place of training and start working out!

As some unnamed large corporation says...Just Do It!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Whats in a Question

A student surprised me with an apology last night. After he explained further, he apparently felt bad about questioning a piece of a form.

Its funny, how differently people can perceive a situation.

I thought his question to be valid and took no offence, he on the other hand was concerned about challenging the Sifu.

Here is how I see it.

There are no bad questions. Its not what you ask but how you ask.

Before a question is asked, I think to myself, take the potential conflict or challenge out of the question and put in respect.

Some questions may need to be asked privately and some questions need to be asked publicly to benefit all. Judgement and discretion have to come into play.

This is not just proper conduct for the Kwoon but in everyday relationships.

So, to the individual, I say, no apology required, however, you bring up a good point regarding etiquette within the school.

Everyone we share our time with, students and Sifus alike are valuable training partners and mentors, we do not want to alienate ourselves with disrespectful tone of voice or asking questions in a challenging manner.
All questions are valid and quite frankly questions shake the complacency that can set in.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta , Canada

Wheel of Pain!!

Last Christmas I received the ab roller or wheel(not sure what the official product name is ). I have to give this inexpensive but very effective little device two thumbs up.

It seems to take alot of crunches and leg raises to feel the abs working for me but when I use the wheel, as little as 60 reps, and I 'm sore the next day. (The good kind of sore).
I googled " ab wheel/roller" and found 20 different ways to torture and challenge yourself!

If you use proper form and deliberate slow movement you can definitely feel the core muscles working with this one.

Just thought I'd share.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Putting out the Fire with Gasoline(1982 version)

This week I find myself in Winnipeg. Besides the cold and horizontal winds, its quite nice (sarcasm).
I am here for a week, not a big deal, however, tomorrow is my son's 5th birthday.
That in itself is not a problem, we had a big party on the weekend for him and I will of course call tomorrow.
What is significant is the anxious tick of the time clock.
He turns 5, this is just another reminder, how fast time goes by and reminds me how imperative it is not to squander the years I have left. (I am not trying to be weird and/or awkward it just seems we wait until its almost too late to be the person we really want to be).
You may say this is undue stress and anxiety to think like this, however, its like a small fire burning inside... to catch up,accomplish goals, make a difference, do right by others and set a good example.
Too often it seems, people I know or know of, loose their health, their lust for life or life itself far too early. I figure you have to make hay while the sun shines and you can't slow down.
I'm putting this fire out with gasoline.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Form, Focus and Frustration

One of my forms I have been doing for years seems to have gone really wrong.
We were given a couple of things to tweak on last week and for some reason it has derailed me completely. I analyzed the movements to the extent of forgetting the sequence of other portions of the form.
how could this happen?
Is my focus so narrow minded I cannot adjust other areas of the form without losing the basics of what I have already built upon.
Frustration set in, almost to the point of anger..at myself of course.
So now what?..start over..I think so.
I picked up some encouragement from Sesame Street the next day.
Seriously.
Check it out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDgQYTPpsx4



JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Coffee

On my latest quest to change my way of eating and drinking, I have been avoiding the coffee issue. I like coffee, especially a good latte. The thoughts of not enjoying a cup , well , I just don't want to deal with it.

There has been countless studies and research on caffeine and its effects. You could probably come up with enough backing either way to support drinking coffee or to quit drinking coffee. All reports and studies, however, do conclude that caffeine is a drug that effects the nervous system but for the good or for the bad?

Coffee, or caffeine, to be more accurate is known to increase anxiety, stress, food cravings, sleep disorders,stomach problems, etc.

On the other hand, some latest studies boast the health benefits, such as ,preventing cancers, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease etc.

I believe a person needs to listen to their own bodies. In moderation seems like a good rule here. I have managed to decrease my intake to one cup in the morning and I don't seem to be having trouble with that amount, although I admit when a frothy Latte is offered up in the afternoon, I don't turn it down!

So good or bad, I can't seem to make up my mind. I keep myself in tuned to my physical and mental reaction to ensure my intake of caffeine is under control. Maybe going a week without might help me decide.

Its funny, I was reading Sifu Shipaleskys blog thinking how easy it would be to go without tea but coffee, ... for three months, I think Sifu is going to shame me into trying!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Healthy Food Headache

I have read enough books over the years concerning food, nutrition, diets that I think I have come full circle. There were fads on cabbage diets, grapefruit diets, carb loading, protein only, low cal, no fat and even diets based on your personality/body type classification. Definitely a multi-billion dollar industry. After all said and done we are still a society that lacks nutrious sources of food and have become overweight.

I've come to the conclusion as many of us have, that its not a secret diet we seek but a lifestyle of eating properly.

I have noticed a few published books and programs have an underlining common theme for maintaining a nutritious balance of food.

1.) approx. 6 small meals a day

2.) 2-3 liters of water a day

3.) combine a complex carb with a lean protein and a healthy fat at each meal

4.) keep your food as local and as whole(natural) as possible to ensure its nutritional value is optimum. (research the products origin).

Pretty simple rules to live with it would seem.

My problem is all in the planning.

Here it is Tuesday and I am out of boiled eggs, tuna, fruit and cut up veggies!

The real trick to this magical lifestyle change is all in the planning and preparing...rats!

My intentions last weekend included grocery shopping and preparing easy healthy snacks to pack for the week. Did not happen, again.

Another common philosophy is how much impact our food has on our overall health.

80% in fact.

Apparently a finely tuned body (athlete or novice) can attribute 10% of their results to genetics another 10% to their training and a whopping 80% to the food and drink they ingest on a regular basis.

I guess its worth the extra work and preparation, not to mention the long term health benefits.

So back to the drawing board or should I say the kitchen.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta Canada