Be the Bullet

This past week the morning class worked on board breaking (by the way thanks Sihing Choy for bringing the boards!)

Anyways, it made me think about force and how we apply it. Sometimes we strike like a bullet and sometimes we strike like a dead blow hammer. Both can deliver a lot of power and we govern how much we use and combine when we work with our partners to ensure no one gets injured but when it comes to striking shields and boards we should be the bullet!

More penetrating then pushing. More focus of the energy not only to a small target but through the target. Striking in such a manner should contain acceleration that starts at the beginning- 0mph and peaks at the end-100mph.

I notice when I hold the boards for people I can tell right away when they struck the board like a hammer and when it feels like a bullet. When the board is hit like a dead blow hammer I feel it translate through my body and can tell which direction the dull force was heading, those ones tend to hurt a little.

In contrast, when  I am left holding the pieces of wood without little movement to my body or even arms, I know it was a bullet.  All energy penetrating in a localized area and very little translating through the holder of the board. This becomes the sum of all we practice, form , speed , power , accuracy and the realism is little splinters on the floor…too cool.

Sharing my Random Thoughts

·         Good meeting today…I like these people!

·         Removing all the snow today was easy with lots of help. It is true, many hands makes light work.

·         Still working on my people skills Mr. Chervenka!  Good days and not so good days.

·         On the weekends I plan my meals, healthy meals, for the week days, then I make a shopping list and make sure I have all ingredients and supplies for both lunches and meals .

This prevents me from eating poorly. There is no doubt that crappy food makes for a lack of energy, I become lethargic and my workouts and training suffer. It takes time during the weekend to plan then grocery shop but its worth it. That’s my chore for this afternoon.

·         I hope Mr. Hamilton’s knee gets better soon.

·         No ladies in the house!...For those of you that are not aware of the awesome morning class run by Sifu Bryant at 6:40 in the morning (tues and thur) , make it a lifestyle change!  If you just thought  to yourself..”I would like to join but I have no time in the evenings”.  Lets talk.

We have no ladies and I desperately would like some female company. Not that the boys aren’t great!

Brought to you by ...Another set of Random thoughts on a Saturday Afternoon

A Higher Standard

Maintaining a higher standard for ourselves can be tough.
Without deadlines or demands we can coast but watch that its not a downhill coast!
Our practice becomes more intense and frequent as we prepare...and so it should but without that push, what do we do with our down time.
When we have down time it gives you the opportunity to dig deep into your forms, techniques  and your problem areas. Unfortunately it can be too easy just to take a more relaxed approach and kick back.
But  this can become crisis training. You don't want to be an 'on' and 'off" switch.
Steady Eddy is best with the occasional 'go hard" when needed.
Training should become a lifestyle rather than a thing to do and mark off your list.

I am back from being out of town this week again, this messes with my "Steady Eddy' philosophy, always. This has always been a challenge to incorporate training and improvement when routine is disrupted.
My thoughts to myself...I am to hold myself to a higher standard, this means I have the discipline to overcome laziness and procrastination.  Breaking routine should just be a matter of creativity not utter defeat...always find time to train!

Thinking and doing are two different things...I am guilty of not always carrying out my thoughts but holding yourself to a higher standard is always a work in progress, hopefully with steady and frequent steps forward.

Focus with Heart

I spend a lot of time trying to develop focus. Working on focus. Enough focus and I should be successful at my goal.

What I have come to realize ….its not enough to have 100% focus, speaking for myself. I can stare at something and empty my mind and kick out all the distractions but I find myself needing something more.

Purpose.

Why ?

Visualize.

How?

The beginning..as it happens…and how it should end.

You could call all of that focus but I break it down and come up with focus with heart.

Where this is useful for me is applying this to something where I have a mental block, a barrier or a fear of.

 Board breaking and demonstrations both have the same focus issue for me.

I can have a mountain of focus but if my heart is not in it…nothing spectacular happens.

Obviously, last week’s demo has made me turn attention to my focus, or lack of focus that occurs from time to time. Last week’s demo served to be a great purpose as I looked upon the faces of the people in the Seniors home. It warmed my heart, and there it was … heart.

 A special thanks to Sifu Kichko for arranging the demo at the Seniors home and giving me 28 seconds of purpose!

Blog Challenge #2 -Thankful

I am grateful for my health.

Not to be confused with fitness or shape  but simply a fully functional body.

Not to be confused with an ailment free body.

Not to be  confused with aging aches or limitations that can be overcome.

I am not dependent on medications.

I am not dependent on caregivers.

I am not bedridden.

For this I am grateful and  thankful.

I will help those around me who are bedridden, dependent and have daily limitations to deal with.

I will help to restore dignity.

I will help to restore independence.

I will help to fend off loneliness as the rest of the world seems to pass by without you.

For one day, I may not have my health. ..and if that day comes I can only hope the goodwill is returned.

Blog Challenge

Blog Challenge from Sifu Wonsiak

Narrative on one Basic requirement and one Personal  requirement

Sparring requirement – this requirement is way off from reaching the 1000 mark for the year. Its unfortunate because even from the numbers I did accumulate  I noticed a difference in my approach from the beginning of the year. The more often you are on the mat to spar, the more familiar you are with the situation. The more familiar you are, the more comfortable you get. When you are comfortable in your surroundings that’s when the magic begins. You recognize and react better. You find time to try new things. I love sparring even though I am far from proficient at it. This years I Ho Chuan program has shown me the math. Mat time is proportional to your comfort level. Comfortable = Improvement. It s not a difficult concept but sometimes the obvious is overlooked.

 

Personal requirement – one of my goals was to encourage the female students to embrace the grappling skills from a self-defence perspective. My plan was to try and get the message across through classes and the boot camp seminars.  You see, from a female point of view being pinned on the ground is your worst nightmare. I have focused on grappling this past year to build the basics of escaping and fending off an attack from the ground. I am not sure that I was so successful in spreading my passion, my point of view and my opinion of the importance of the grappling techniques but something else interesting is happening instead. I am starting to recognize the commonalities between stand-up techniques, ground techniques and everything in between.  It’s the body mechanics that are essential no matter what name you put on the technique or martial art you are training in. Its made me realize how connected the martial arts community is or at least should be.

 No matter, the discipline, the fundamentals will always be the same. The human body is the human body and all human bodies move and react the same way, more or less…(there are those gifted rubber people).

I guess what started off as trying something new has in actual fact made me revisit lessons taught to me back in 1999 (that’s not a song, its when I was a white belt).  

So both of these requirements will no longer be requirements when my I Ho Chuan time is up but both will be permanent and valuable components to my ongoing training.

My Auntie

A spent last night visiting with my Auntie.

She passed away this morning at 7am.

I have been in denial for months about her condition. I have been angry for months about her condition. Reality was harsh last night when I had to face the end of such a lovely woman’s life.  My Auntie is the most giving person I know, she did not pursue a career, master any hobby but her life was about giving. To children,… always about children, her own, her grandchildren, neighborhood children,.. she  treated them all, including me, like her own. My fondest childhood memories include her and my Uncle. My Aunties life career was Children.

So why, I ask ,take her.

 I sit here now reflecting on her life and her influence she had on me.

Of course, it was her quality of life I need to reflect on. She touched so many people, especially the young with her example of giving and caring and just simply taking care of you.The more she gave the more extraordinary she grew.  She has placed a little piece of that in all her family and friends.

I am sad today, but I am so thankful to have known her and so grateful to be her niece.