Past Masters

When we bow in and say "past masters" we are giving respect and honour to those before us.  When I say "past masters" I think of those that have passed away and whose knowledge we have lost.  When I look at our altar, I see items that ground me, items that instil feelings of appreciation and reminders of impermanence.  There is importance to each item that is in our Kwoon and I recently began to grasp the significance of our Nafudakake. 

During the Black Belt ceremony there were two black belts that I had never met, Sifu Jason Barrett and Sifu Joseph Smith.  I was honoured that they would take their time to join this ceremony so I wanted to know more about them.  Sifu Brinker told me that Sifu Jason Barrett was one of his original students and is third in our lineage when he earned his 1st degree.  Sifu Joseph Smith is also one of Sifu Brinker's original students who designed the Silent River Kung Fu t-shirts and certificates.  Being a student of Sifu Brinker has linked me to these black belts but I also know that their knowledge has flown to me as well.

Since that ceremony I have been studying our Nafudakake.  There are many people on that wall that have had a huge impact on my Kung Fu journey that are no longer regulars at the Kwoon. I know they are a part of me.  It is the names of those that I do not know that have sparked my curiosity as I realize that they too are a part of me.  Now when I think of "past masters" I am thinking of all those that were before me, not just the ones that have past.  

**If those who have trained with or under Sifu Barrett and Sifu Smith would like to share a story, I would greatly appreciate knowing more about them.

See you on the mats!

Meditation

Meditation is one of my personal requirements for year of the Tiger.  A few weeks ago I joined a meditation group that meets on Sunday mornings.  I was excited thinking that I will be able to learn meditation and see the benefits in my life.  Three weeks later I am feeling discouraged, wondering if I will ever get the hang of meditation.  I am able to sit for the 30 minutes and mostly silence my mind but afterwards I do not feel the benefit.  So what am I doing wrong?  I am not being patient with myself.  I am expecting too much from myself. 

Honestly, I do not really understand mediation. If I do not understand something how can I see the benefits?  I found a website  How to Meditate that I think will also help on my path.  I am also aware that I am not appreciating Tai Chi as meditation.  I remember when I started Tai Chi that my mind would constantly wander.  Now I can stay in the moment for extended times.  

No different then learning a new form, I need to be patient and just do it.  I will be mindful so I am open to the experience.  I need to get the basics down and then start to build upon them.  I need to train and practice daily in order to get better. I need to trust the process.  Maybe then I will gain a full understanding of meditation and the benefits of it.

Qualities of a Blackbelt

What are qualities of a Blackbelt?  No matter what belt level you are at, you should ask yourself this question. It is important to identify the qualities that resinate with you and why.  My previous blog had listed Blackbelt qualities as 1) determination 2) perseverance 3) leadership and caring 4) attention to detail.  These are still qualities that I admire in a Blackbelt but the last has morphed into "eye for detail".  

An eye for detail is the ability to remove your ego and look at things with an outsiders prospective.  An eye for detail is being brutally honest with yourself.  Honest about areas of improvement and then putting a plan in place to rectify.  Honest about your flaws but not accepting them as "good enough".  A blackbelt does not hide nor do they boast about their flaws.  They are always looking to improve upon them.  They know that you never obtain mastery, it is a relentless pursuit towards mastery.

I have reflected on these qualities many times over my Kung Fu journey but I wished I would have journaled about them when I did my reflections.  I have lost the ability to go back and review so I can only rely on my memories and these change over time.  There have been quite a few things that I also missed journalling during this year that documented my journey.  The weekly kicks on Sunday's with the Bjorkquists, the sparring rounds at home with my sons, having Sifu Brinker come in and watch my kicks or my 5 techniques over the Christmas break and the opportunity to get valuable feedback. The 1-1s that I used to help with improving the speed of my kicks, the intensity in my forms, the connection of 6 harmonies as it was not long ago that I had to focus on my returning hand's rotation to connect my left and right.  

The qualities of a Blackbelt are not only important with your Kung Fu training and journey but with anything that you tackle in life.  It is the foundation that allows for the pursuit to mastery in all things.

Full Power/ Full Speed

These last two months as I worked through injuries, it required that I worked on my Kung Fu with different intentions.  I had to slow things down so I focused on engaging my hips with my punches and kicks in my forms.  This showed where I was not committing to a move or where I was using my shoulders.  

Last class I was feeling better and when we did our form with Full Power/ Full Speed I noticed immediately that my mindset was "Full Power means Brute Force".  I could feel my shoulders being pulled up and I was trying to power my way through my punches.  I had stopped thinking about engaging my hips and I broke my 6 harmonies.  Our shoulders and hips must be engaged before our hands and feet can ever be in sync.  

It is a hard concept to embrace that rotation is more powerful than brute strength.  Rotation of the fist, or rotation of the hips.  Now is the time to work on increasing speed and power with my intent being on engaging the hips, connecting the harmonies.  Another example of valuable learning through injuries.

See you on the mats!

Am I in the Best Shape of My Life?

"Am I in the Best Shape of My Life?"  This is a sticker on my home office monitor.  It is my reminder to use extra minutes in my day to train and to make healthy food choices.  It was one of many affirmation stickers I put up when I became a second degree brown belt.  They are my reminders of what is needed on may path for a blackbelt. 

The last few weeks, I have been struggling as I have been introducing meat back into my diet.  During the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, there is an increase need for protein and calories.  This is because your cells are actively dividing, requiring a higher nutritional intake.  I met with a Cancer dietician and she explained how much protein I am currently consuming and how much more I will need during treatments.  This can be accomplished as a vegetarian but I also need to be gluten free and lactose free so that limits my protein sources hence my decision to add meat back into my diet.  I have made another "Am I in the Best Shape of My Life?" sticker and added it to my kitchen to help remind me me of quality food choices.

I knew Kung Fu would benefit me in all aspects of my life but it became more apparent when I was meeting with my transplant team just before Christmas.  They emphasized that patients that were in good shape had better outcomes than those that were not.  Patients who actively did Tai Chi or Yoga not only were in better shape but also had a more positive mental outlook throughout the process.  I knew Kung Fu would benefit me but I never expected "Am I in the Best Shape of My Life?" would carry such a significant role in my future.  

"Am I in the Best Shape of My Life?" was also at the forefront during our New Years challenge.  Since I had to do modified PUs, I focused on working different muscles, not just getting the numbers in.  I was mindful of my injuries and making sure I pushed myself but did not reinjure anything.  Today I am sore but in a good feeling way.  

Am I in the Best Shape of My Life? After the current round of injuries, I have had setbacks but I keep that phrase in front of me so each day I am working to recover and improve.  This will be one of the phrases that I will be have in front of me always.

See you on the mats!