Boot Camp

I have to say that this years boot camp was awesome. The seminars were very well done and the participation level from black belts was awesome. The thing that sticks out for me is how some of the participants were able to complete the day even though they thought they couldn't. to see someone push themselves beyond what they thought was possible is truly inspiring and makes me happy that i was able to see it first hand. That is what keeps me engaged in my Kung Fu. Sifu Lindstrom

Unacceptable

I just realized how long its been since I have blogged. It has been way too long and I need to focus more on this. I am back and I will discuss more about what has been going on with me shortly.

Teaching

This blog has been in my mind for a while now but I just couldn't figure out how to express it. Even though I still don't know the best way to express it, I figured I should put something out there as I feel very strongly about this. to start off, I will tell you why I feel the need to be an instructor. 1) It is the best way that I have found to learn something. In order to instruct someone on how to do a technique, you need to understand that technique. The best example of this was in the intermediate class two weeks ago. we were covering knife defence and I asked Sifu Freitag a question on the vertical hammer fist defence. I have been doing this technique for 7 years and it finally saw how to do it correctly. That is why it is so important to be an instructor. 2) I would like to help other people progress. Not just in their kung fu but personally as well. The best way I can do this is by being there to help guide them on their journey with the ultimate goal for them to achieve their black belt. There are more reasons but these are the two that really stick out for me. This is why I help to instruct all the students in the teen/adult classes, the san shou class and the fitness class. It is also why I am always volunteering to cover someone else's class whenever I can. It doesn't just benefit the student, it benefits me as well. After all, I am still and will always be a student.

Free Food!

Now that I have your attention, keep reading for details. We had our first demo of the year on Saturday and it as always, was a lot of fun. Even though I only had a small part in the demo, you still feel like you are a part of something special. We have another demo coming this weekend in Onoway and I hope everyone can make it out for this one as well. Even if you are not comfortable with your form there are always self-defense techniques that can be done. On a side note, my work is having a Bar-B-Q after the parade on Saturday so everyone that is at the demo in Onoway is welcome to come by for a burger or two or more. Hope to see you all.

Acts of Kindness.

I am a little slow in getting this up but here it is. Monday's acts of kindness: - held door open x2 - let person in front of me at store - made eye contact and smiled at server - let vehicle merge x 2 Tuesday's acts of kindness: - held door - let vehicle merge x 2 - made eye contact and smiled at server As you see, a lot of these repeat themselves and as such have become a habit. There are probably more that I don’t remember and that's okay. This way, it keeps it fresh in my mind. It's like my son that says everybody does it that way so how can I change anything? I'm only one person. This attitude is very frustrating for me and I keep telling him that as long as people have that attitude, nothing will change. All change must start with one person, why not be that person?

Round and Round.

Do you ever get the feeling that you are chasing your own tail? Lately, that is what it feels like to me. Certain things that i want to achieve are almost within reach and then wham, you have to change directions and are now going in the other direction. no matter how fast you run, you just cant quite catch it. I have to admit that some of my I Ho Chuan goals have started to dip a little bit (maybe one or 2 a lot). This is where the choice becomes tough, do you try to run faster or stop running in a circle, relax, breathe and figure out a new plan. As soon as you formulate your new plan you realize that your tail is long enough that all you have to do is reach out and grab it and never needed to chase it. I know this is an obscure post but it was the easiest way to explain what i was trying to say.

Bulding Confidence.

Last night in San Shou, we had a mini tournament to determine the champion for session 1. It was an awesome display of control by the students and they really showcased what that class can do for someone. The unfortunate part is that there were only 6 students there which is a little disappointing. I don’t want this to sound like I’m repeating myself because I have blogged in the past about the benefit of this class so I will keep this short. This class may be in danger of being cancelled if students do not start attending and that would be a shame. I think people feel this class is all about sparring when it isn’t, it’s about building your skill set and improving your confidence. If you are unsure about this class then I would like to encourage you to show up on Saturday at 9:00 pm during pandemonium as that hour will be focused on San Shou techniques. This way you can get a feel for what the class is about and what it can do for you. The people who should be in this class are the ones who don’t like to spar. Kevin Lindstrom