Kwoon Excitement

It's hard to believe that my 4 weeks at home is coming to an end already. The time seems to have gone by so quickly but it has been very successful in my opinion. I have managed to get in some practice with my spear (not a broom handle). I also was able to get in some much needed Tai Chi practice.

There were 2 big things that really helped to boost me up this time. The first one is I got to start teaching some one on ones. Being able to work with students and answer questions has always been one of my greatest tools. It allows me to really think about a technique and why it is done that way. Teaching has always been my favorite part of Kung Fu and I will miss doing it for the next four weeks but look forward to doing it when I get back.

The other big thing is being back at the Kwoon. Even with the restrictions in place, it just felt right to be back there with everyone. You could feel the excitement in and the energy was fantastic. I am glad I was able to be a part of the reopening and look forward to seeing you all again soon. I will still be attending classes but it will be online only for the next little while. Hopefully when I return we will all be able to be on the mats again together.

Back Home

I have been home for a week now and it has been great. It is nice to be around friends and family again even if we are still limited with the amount of contact we have. The one thing that I have noticed, is I seem to be more busy now than I am at work. there are so many things to do when you are gone for so long. The one thing that I am trying to keep in front of me is my training. I am very limited in space at the mine so I need to taker advantage of my opportunities at home. With so many things to do it can get lost in the everyday things so I am trying to spend an hour a day just on Kung Fu. Some days it is a bit below but other days have been above.

Still got a lot of work to do with my spear, but the hand form is progressing nicely.

Why Do I Still Train

This is a question that I really have been thinking about these last few days so I figured I would just write it down and see why.

Kung Fu has been a huge part of my life for over 10 years now but why.

1) I find it is a great way to stay in shape and it motivates me to continue to exercise regularly and to be mindful of my diet.

2) I love learning new techniques and how to use different weapons.

3) It helps improve my flexibility and believe it or not it helps alleviate pain (inflict pain to relieve pain, who knew).

4) Being able to teach other people. This is one of my main reasons for still training as it gives me a true sense of purpose and motivates me to ensure I make every class I can.

5) The other main reason is I have found an area that has caused me to focus on and continuously look at ways to improve. This area has been the combative aspects of sparring, grappling and San Shou. My main focus is not to be able to beat someone up but it analyze a technique and then how it can be adapted if this happens or that happens. Once I started to focus on this area it renewed my passion for Kung Fu and I started to work on all areas as they are all interconnected.

There are more reasons I am sure but I wanted to keep this short. If you are feeling disconnected or have lost your passion, find something to focus on and own it. Try to continuously improve it and it will definitely help.

Update on Training

I am currently half way through a 4 week shift for work. Being away has always been more difficult in the past but this time it feels different. With the classes being on line, I am know able to view them and participate. This has actually kept me more engaged with the school and my training.

The training is going a lot better in the last couple of weeks as I have really focused on my forms and getting the sequence down with my new spear form. I have also worked on my hand form but it still needs more work but space constraints are making it difficult for both.

There are still aspects of my training to work on and I have started to work on more sparring techniques including grappling, san shou and kick boxing. Figured I would take the opportunity to improve some other aspects of my training.

When You Don't Feel Like Doing, What Should You Do.

I had aspirations that this year would be a lot less hectic than last year and hopefully I would be spending more time at home and the Kwoon. So far though, things have not gone to plan. We are 18 weeks into the year and I have been away for 12 of them so far. Once again it has been a struggle to find the space and tine to work on my forms and I have been getting down on myself lately. This has led to some frustration and a little anger at myself.

I have however, found something that helps. Strangest thing is it was I actually started to work on my form. I have been able to start to work through the sequence and am over half done the form in just 3 days. Something that I couldn't seem to do before is actually what was limiting me. Dont get me wrong as there are still challenges. My weapon choice this year is the spear and I am reduced to using a broomstick in a 6 x 6 space with only 8 foot ceilings. There are a few scuffs in the ceiling now but its plywood so quite resilient. I know that once I get home and use an actual spear it will be like starting all over again, but I will have the sequence down and hopefully be able to get the flow and intensity up to par soon.

This is a breakthrough moment I feel like and I my inspiration and commitment are the highest they have been in quite some time.

Opportunity Is There, You Just Need To See It

It has been a whirlwind of activity since I have gotten home. Even though we are limited in where we can go, I have a lot of work I had to catch up on. Six weeks away from home was too long and it has been great to be back. I am getting things done and it has been nice to reconnect with Silent Kung Fu again. I have also been able to get some practice time in at home as well.

I hope everyone is doing well as I know I have struggled with not being able to go to the Kwoon. As I stated before, teaching has been a big part of my training since before I got my black belt and to suddenly stop is not an easy transition to make. I continue to struggle today, but it is something I continue to work on.

On the work front, I am scheduled to go back on the 28th of April for 4 to 6 weeks (unsure of exact timing as it could change while I am there). That means I only have one more week of classes and quality training space so I need to take advantage of it and not waste the opportunity. I am now looking at this challenge as an opportunity instead of a hindrance for that is really what it really is.

Mental vs Physical.

I am not trying to be too negative with this post but it may feel like it.

I feel like I am lost right now. Kung Fu and more specifically the Kwoon has been a big part of my life for many years now. Even though I have been away for work a lot these past couple of years, it was there when I came back. I enjoyed spending time there and training with everyone. Now that training has moved online, I am essentially cut off. Due to internet restrictions up here, I am unable to attend any of the online classes and can only make about 30 minutes of the Black Belt class. Normal classes and the I Ho Chuan class are a no go for me.

I guess what it comes down too is where do I go from here and what can I do to help Silent river Kung Fu. To be honest, I don't have the answers as I have been gone for almost 7 weeks now. The world has changed a lot since I left for work and it is going to be different than how I remember. The big thing for me is to find out what I can do if anything and to do it to the best of my abilities. I believe the biggest challenge for me is that I felt like I had a place in the Kwoon and I was helping the students and that it turn was helping me. This sounds a bit selfish as I read it back and I was going to remove it but I am going to leave it in as it is important to me.

I know there are probably others out there who feel this sense of disconnect as me. I am simply writing this as I have said previously, my journals this year are going to be more focused on the mental aspect because the physical part is the easy one to fix.