Tiger Challenge

The Tiger Challenge this year was a good indicator of my forward momentum and personal growth. 

I felt an expanded awareness of the other competitors around me. I saw smiles, uncertainty, drive and fierce intensity. There was also laughter and obvious enjoyment. I truly felt inspired by all!

My anxiety and nerves were still real and a factor off and on throughout the day. The prep work for a tournament like this is more that just the physical training, it is also the mental and emotional self care needed to compete and step out of my comfort zones. 

I made use of some tools that have helped me in the past and have started to make a habit of thanking my ego and letting it know that I've got this and to step aside. I really believe this has been making a positive difference. 

For the first time I mostly felt solid and not glitchy as I moved through my forms. My ego wasn't in the way. I am discovering the ability to remove judgement of others and myself and replace it with observation and appreciation.

Overall I feel really good about my performance and efforts and enjoyed the day. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely and always! 

 

Finding New Rhythms

I have been told on many occasions that I possess inner strength and resilience. These qualities have always helped me to navigate the tough times and persevere.  This doesn't mean I am organized or that I always operate efficiently. I do however operate at a high level given the circumstances. This has currently been my norm for almost a full year now. 

Lately though I am finding that as things ease, the rhythm of my life feels different. This makes sense as nothing remains the same, we are not static. Rhythms change and fluctuate. Figuring out the new rhythm of my life is much harder than I though it would be. With extra days off here and there I am feeling less productive which is causing me to also feel out of sync. I would think that more time off would mean greater productivity and yet I'm finding it hard to regroup. I'm not really sure how to make the shift and adjust to my new reality.

Part of the issue is there are still many loose ends and unknowns needing to be addressed. I've also been in hyper overdrive for so long and don't quite know how to operate at a lower speed. So, I am just taking it one day at a time right now and drawing from past routines and positive habits to find my new rhythm. This will be a good learning curve and provide beneficial personal growth once I figure things out.

I am at a point in my training this year where I am working towards earning my blackbelt. And I think that what I am feeling with this current transition will help me in my transition from second degree brown belt to black belt. I can only imagine that being a new black belt comes with its own challenges that will bring with it the need to find a new rhythm.

Black belt preparation starts as a white belt and continues throughout the belt levels. When I first earned my second degree brown belt there was a part of me that wasn't really sure I was ready. The thought was brief though because I trust and respect my instructors and myself. For me that was one of the first mental shifts. The next was realizing there would be no more stripes on my belt to indicate where I was and how I was doing. It is now up to me to provide feedback, to trust myself and to ask questions of my instructors and mentors. 

Second degree brown belt is where all of our existing training, knowledge and skill converges. It is where our physical and mental capabilities and perspectives are stretched to the limits and beyond. This will be a year of challenges and excitement. I am already feeling the excitement, the apprehension and the joy of all that the year has unfolded so far and holds for me in the future. 

Mediocrity One Bite At A Time

As a team member of the IHC I am on a journey towards mastery. This journey has and continues to teach me valuable lessons. I know that mastery is not a finite destination, rather it is an infinite pursuit that involves eradicating mediocrity and requires ongoing attention, awareness and mindfulness. 

Mediocrity is often disguised and can hide in comfort and routine. It hides in regular activities like TV and screen time, it can hide in our food and drink choices, our misuse of time and the lies we tell ourselves. We are constantly presented with choices and areas in which we can work on eradicating mediocrity. 

Instead of focusing on mastery it makes more sense to focus on tackling mediocrity one bite and one step at a time. As we address and clear the obstacles in our way, the path to mastery becomes clearer and less intimidating. Awareness, mindfulness and effort are key components to navigating the journey towards mastery.

I believe that effortless effort can exist within mastery with the right mindset, and a state of simply being can be considered mastery when occurring at a highly conscious level. An enhanced level of being helps us to be at peace with ourselves, strengthens our ability to be of service to others and recognize opportunities for continued personal growth. 

A journey towards mastery is one to be enjoyed and will be filled with success, failure and discoveries along the way. It is very much a personal journey and at the same time needs to be shared with others. Opportunities to teach, to learn and to lead are exponential when a journey is shared.

April Numbers

 

April started off good but as I look through my book I see too many days with low numbers. Things are still being worked on most days so that is positive. So much of my time and energy has been spent on cleaning up dad's acreage and then my boss at work lost her husband very suddenly so work hours have increased. My son in law was in a serious accident and lucky to be alive with just a broken femur so I've been babysitting my grandson Finnley and giving my daughter more time to spend at the hospital. I did one of my classes online and was able to have Finnley follow along with some of the warmup. He is going to make a great little martial artist one day! I've also been trying to spend time with a close friend that has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

I feel a bit like I'm in a snow globe that keeps getting shaken, needing to adjust, redirect and find even just a bit of routine in my busy and chaotic life. Most mornings seem to be the best for this. Thank goodness for Kung Fu classes that have been incorporated into my life as they provide valuable time needed for me.

I know there is some opportunity to work smarter versus just working harder. As things settle down slowly and I learn to recognize areas of mediocrity, changes for the better can be made.

Numbers - April/Year To Date

PU - 3540/8345                  Sparring - 77/359        

SU - 3700/8180                  KM - 200/346               

Hand Form - 80/217          AOK - 263/539

Weapon - 71/214               Yoga - 90/400m

Flow

Is flow something learned, something discovered, something created or something intentional? Most likely it is a combination of all of the above.

I've been focusing on flow in my hand form and finding this is not an easy process. The areas that are causing me more trouble are sequences of techniques with less obvious circular motion. Working on flow has been a good exercise as I am discovering techniques and transitions needing attention. 

Sifu Rybak and I had talked about the transition from the monkey block to the knife hand. More hip and internal rotation was needed. I am slowly getting the feel for this. Being able to finish the block while allowing the body to continue the circular rotation into the knife hand is tricky. Intent is key even if it is just for a micro second. 

The knife hand into a panther strike should at this point feel pretty good as it is very similar to the knife hand, long punch in Da Mu Hsing. There are many things to consider. The transition before, intent, leading with the elbow, hand rotation with strike, committing to the strike, rotation within the six harmonies, and expansion and contraction. I am also noticing the importance of bringing my opposite hand back to my hip. It is amazing how something so seemingly simple can make such a difference. With proper technique and internal rotation, the transition from the knife hand will flow into the the next technique as it should. I just haven't quite got there yet.

Feeling and allowing the natural flow and rotation of the body is something I struggle with at times. As I was writing this a figure 8 came to mind. We do this type of motion in stick articulations, Nunchuks and sections of our school hand forms. Doing a figure 8 with my hands helps me to feel the rotation and energy as it moves in one direction and transitions to the opposite direction with natural ease and flow. If I'm understanding rotational energy the external body can move somewhat differently from the internal body and rotation can happen at different speeds within the four quadrants. 

I'm feeling somewhat stuck right now and at the same time I have made some great discoveries and am developing deeper awareness. I’ve had to slow down and focus on the basics and foundational knowledge which feels like I'm moving at a snails pace currently. 

Even when sequence, technique and transitions are taken care of I feel that flow is still going to require ongoing effort and an ability to work within my body’s internal and external rotation. Applying the concept of a figure 8 to rotational energy will hopefully help me develop awareness and the ability to learn to manipulate or redirect circular energy in a way that feels natural without breaking flow.

I'll either look back at this blog and wonder what rabbit hole I fell into or be thankful for the reflection and insight. Time will tell.