Grading Day

With grading day coming up for the candidates, I am taked back to my grading day. I admit that I was nervous leading up to it and and was not sure what to expect. It turned out to be the best day I had experienced in Kung Fu. You learn a lot about yourself and where you are in your journey. It is a day that I still remember vivdly and something I will never forget. It was exhausting, nerve wracking and ab solutely fantastic. Some advice for you all. Go in there confident and put your best effort in. Don't hold anything back and just enjoy the experience. You are either ready or you are not but lacking confidence means you are definately not.

Taken for Granted

This has been a successful time at home so far. We have completed some projects around the house, I have made a couple of work trips to Calgary and I have made it to Kung Fu classes consistently. I used to take going to class for granted but now it is something that I think about and plan for. The ability to train with people and see how they do something or move is such a valuble resource that should not be wasted. I have learned so much from teaching students it is something I feel I need to do to continue my training. I guess what I am saying is if you can go to class then go. If you have injuries, still go as you can still gain valuable insight even from the sidelines. It has worked for me so far.

Two Schedules One Goal

I will be on my way back home tommorow and I am excited about that. This year has had it's challenges for sure but it has gone better than the last couple. I believe the secret has been sticking with my routine (2 actually - 1 for work and 1 for home). This has allowed me to stay focused and achieve my goals thus far. They are two very different schedules as the work one is mostly working on conditioning and strength training while the home one is more on forms and techniques. The combination of the two is working for me and allowed me to stay focused. It isn't always easy to stay on the path as life can get in the way sometimes, but a slight detour now and then makes the trip more exciting. Another thing I am looking forward to is the start of open training agin. This is one of the tools that helps me the most. Two hours that I can simply devote to Kung Fu. Awesome! Even if I don't get to spend all the time working on what I want, the questions that are asked or the ability to watch someone else do soomething can be very helpful. I just wanted to add that the livestream classes have also been very helpful as it allows me to stay engaged with the classes and know what is going on with everyones training. Awesome tool and glad to hear it will continue on. See everyone Thursday.

Connecting With The Kwoon

I am sorry that I will be missing the Kwoon maintanence week again this year. This is a great chance to get to know the people of Silent River Kung Fu out of class in a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. You will feel a real connection with the Kwoon after and you really will enjoy being a part of it. There is no judging, no pressure and you might be suprised and discover a hidden talent or maybe you can yuse your talent. I am not trying to put an ad out for the maintanence week but trying to emphazize how thios will change the way you feel about the Kwoon. It truly does make it feel more like yours and not just a school. Anyway thats what i have to say about that. Dont forget about the awesome potatoe bake after. That is the highlight of the week.

What I Have.

I am looking ahead at my schedule and am disappointed at what I see. If things stay the way they are, I will be away at work for Christmas and New Year's. I am also scheduled to be away from February 2nd to 23rd which means I will not be around for Chinese New Years as it currently stands. If you look at it a certain way, this has been the year of misses. These are the major events I have been away at work for this year. 1) My son's birthday. 2) My birthday. 3) My anniversary. 4) My wife's birthday. This may seem to be not a great situation but it isn't. I am happy to still be working and when I am home, I have more free time than if I was working locally. You also realize what you do miss and that gives you a greater appreciation for what you do have at home. Life is not easy and there are different struggles we all need to deal with but there is no point in being angry at your situation because ultimately it is you who is in control. Just need to figure out how to change my schedule to be at home for Christmas and hopefully the banquet.

Performing In Public

I am back at work now but the time at home was great. I was able to accomplish a lot and also got to enjoy a camping trip. The highlight of the time at home has to be the demo we did for the seniors. It was great to finally be able to test out my form in public as it forced me to really focus on it. Performing in public is the best thing I find for analyzing where you are at. I know that I am still not proficient with the sequence as I forgot some parts. Nevertheless, it was a great day and I now know what I need to focus on.

Vacation

I am enjoying it some time away with family on the banks of the Red Deer River. It has been a whirlwind since I got home with the main focus being getting the renovations at the old Tanarama bay completed. I know that if it wasn’t for everyone who volunteered some of there time, it would not have been completed. It was a lot of fun and something I truly enjoy doing. See you all in about a week.