Just give me an hour

Sometimes all it takes is one hour. One hour of "give it everything you've got'...sweat till you drop, "leg shaking" training to put your head right again.
I have been bummed out a little bit by the amount of time that my job has consumed since I came back from holidays but today I feel like I put myself back on track by simply applying my self to train intensely.

Of course, this doesn't mean I can relax tomorrow!.. but I sure feel like I have my momentum back again.
So, if you are having one of those weeks where you cant train everyday, try cutting out an hour here and there during the week but make every minute count, it could do wonders for the head space!

Feels like a Tidal Wave

Our vacation seems like a distant memory now (sigh).
I came back and hit the ground running at work but that was no surprise.
It seems to be in our nature, when we get busy, to push so much to the side and focus on just one thing that ends up consuming most of our time and perhaps burning us out.
I did just that this week. I neglected my training, physically working out even, did not eat well and probably because of that did not sleep well.

Spent most of the days trying to catch up at work and put out "fires".
So here it is Friday, I'm tired, didn't practice anything martial arts wise and I feel like crap.

A person needs to remind themselves , when we neglect or push to the side the things that act as the foundation to our well being the "work" that we put as a priority suffers as well too. It becomes more quantity than quality, in my opinion.

If we are balanced at the foundation (diet, sleep, physical activity) our mind can only benefit. Our decisions are more clear, we become more productive in what we are trying to accomplish.and there is a sense of balance as opposed to feeling overwhelmed.

I am pretty sure , everyone understands this concept, but today, I needed to put it into words in front of my eyes to remind myself and to adhere to my on advice.

Surfing has been a blast so far, I wish I could do it more but its all about location! The photos are  day One of surfing in Maui. The weather was actually not that great for our first day of surfing . It was overcast, cool and the surf was down, but...since it was our first crack at it....it was still great!
The Instructor for my lesson of surfing was from Mexico and had been surfing for 20 years. She was excellent, all you had to do was listen to what she said, and it worked. She said teaching had its challenges when you are only with someone for 2 hours and they decide they have it figured out in 20 minutes. I could understand that.
We did really well with our first day of surfing, I am quite confident my years of training with center and balance with kung fu played into my success. Of course, for some who are 8 years old , some things just come naturally(I hate 8 year olds!! :))

Once I  was left to my own devices I realized the true challenge of surfing. 

Its the Ocean. Its unpredictable. The experience of reading it, knowing when the right wave is coming, knowing the timing to catch a wave, knowing when the wave is more than you can handle or maybe its just a dud.

Its very addictive, always saying to yourself ...OK ..one more wave and then I am going in. Next thing you know, the morning is gone and your arms are tired of paddling.

Talking to some of the locals, you realize its a hobby to some, its a lifestyle to others and you see how its yet a religion to the dedicated.

It  reminds me of the marital arts. 

Very cool.

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.