Traveling Lighter

I’m currently enjoying the beautiful city of Venice and the surrounding islands. It was a bit of a challenge to get here after flight delays and then having our Toronto to Venice flight completely cancelled. There were baggage issues, a night spent in a Toronto hotel and the hassle of trying to rebook a flight that would get us to Venice and our ship in time. With everything going on my travel companion made the decision to not continue and go back home, which leaves me traveling on my own.

Fast forward 5 days and my luggage has still not arrived. It was flown to Paris and then Venice 2 days ago and is now with a courier, but still hasn’t been delivered. ‘This is the day’ has been my moto for the past 3 days and still no luck. I’ve been very patient and calm until yesterday afternoon when I returned from an outing and the luggage had not arrived.

What does this have to do with Kung Fu? Pretty much everything. With the luggage issue I’ve been able to stay calm, and focus on what is important so I can enjoy my trip. It’s amazing how little one can do without. I’m managing issues, figuring out how to get from point A to point B, and adjusting to being on my own while in Italy. 

I’ve stepped out of my social bubble and met new people everyday, getting to know wonderful guests. Stepping into the dining room on the first night by myself was difficult and also the beginning of a wonderful week. 

The continuing story of my delayed luggage is the talk of the ship, having only minimum clothes to work with. Over the past few days I’ve been able to find 2 new bottoms to mix and match with the 2 shirts I have. The frustration and disappointment did get to me at one point and a guest was very kind to lend me a dress to wear the next day. 

Patience is a word I’ve heard repeated many times this week. I don’t think of it as being patient though, for me it’s more about enjoying the trip, the destination and the people. Making the choice to be in the moment has helped immensely. I’m taking sights, sounds and smells in and breathing mindfully. The luggage will eventually sort itself out. Only I have control over myself and how I react and respond to a situation. 

I’ve learned I can pack smarter and am very capable of packing much lighter. I even ventured out into Venice on my own without getting lost in search of a few more items of clothing, as it’s looking like my luggage may not catch up with me before I disembark. 

In addition to all this, there will be scheduled air, rail and bus transportation strikes for the next 3 days, potentially affecting my train to Florence on the 8th. I have to tell myself it’s all an opportunity to make adjustments, see what I’m capable of and increase my knowledge in the world of travel. And through all of this, take advantage of being in the moment and enjoy life and my experiences.

Are You Sure?

 All of us are only human, and we have wrong perceptions every day. Our spouse or partner is also subject to wrong perceptions, so we must help each other to see more clearly and more deeply. We should not trust our perceptions too much – that is something the Buddha taught. "Are you sure of your perceptions?" he asked us. I urge you to write this phrase down on a card and put it up on the wall of your room: "Are you sure of your perceptions?"

There is a river of perceptions in you. You should sit down on the bank of this river and contemplate your perceptions. Most of our perceptions, the Buddha said, are false. Are you sure of your perceptions? This question is addressed to you. It is a bell of mindfulness."

– Thich Nhat Hanh

I feel this blends perfectly with my Kung fu as it changes and evolves. And it serves as a reminder when I am doing a form or technique that feels great to practice exercising my limited perceptions. 

There is aways room for growth and expansion when I keep an open mind and an open heart.

Unexpected Challenge

During Thursday nights class we were challenged to do our weapon form in a 4 - 6 ft square space. My space was 4 ft square and with my straight sword measuring about 2 feet long it took up half the area.  Moving through my form I was able to adjust stances and even switch leads to keep my feet within the space. Keeping my body within the square was doable, my sword however was still a problem and encroached on more space outside of the square than I felt was acceptable. So I turned my focus to the sword and worked on ways to keep the sword within the allotted space as well. This was even more challenging as it required making adjustments 1 or 2 moves ahead. 

The lesson was much different from training at home in a confined space and yet very much the same. At home I feel restricted because I'm trying to keep 100% true to the footwork within the sequence of a form. With Thursday's lesson I was contained, but didn't feel restricted. So what changed? The difference was mindset and perspective. I felt challenged in an environment geared towards learning and of course there was the desire to not stab my neighbour. 

I learned I thrive in an atmosphere of challenge where the opponent is myself and I learned my ability is greater than I realized. Knowledge and skill surfaced. I was able to make the necessary adjustments and move as needed. I was almost surprised at how doable it was to adjust for a much smaller area and I found myself really enjoying the lesson. Now I need to fine tune and develop flow, which will come with practice.

Totals

Push ups & Sit ups: 760/26650
Hand form: 18/366
Weapon form: 16/393
KM: 31/867
AOK: 24/855
Sparring: 6/145
Blogs: 1/33
Yoga: 30/13.5 hrs
Tai Chi: 13/489
MM:20/640

Time Well Spent

My time is always well spent attending 2nd degree brown belt class. I gain insights and almost always leave feeling like I've added some fuel to my motivation tank. The class is an opportunity for me to stay connected, learn and reinforce existing knowledge.

These moments inspire and motivate me, even if it is only for brief moments of time. Even the small efforts build to become solid foundations. All it takes is a seemingly simple conversation or interaction with like minded people. I'm learning more and more it is not about focusing on what you aren't doing and more about focusing on what you can do and doing it. 

This past Saturday was no exception and I've compiled some notes and take aways to help create better sign posts for my journey and potentially others as well. 

Begin Anew - Stop looking towards the future to begin anew. Stop wasting time and apply this to every  day and every moment of the day. 

Start now! Take action, initiate!

Recognize and take advantage of opportunities - Thursday was a great example of this. I had briefly considered not going to the Kwoon last Thursday night. It had been a difficult day and I was tired both physically and emotionally. I knew with it being an informal class time I would have the opportunity to do some training and after a brief mental battle, I grabbed my bag and delivered myself to the Kwoon. The positive energy and having all that space to move was wonderful!

Smile - I can create joy, happiness and positivity in my life with a simple smile. I challenge everyone to smile just because and be aware of the feeling it gives. For me it is an instant feeling of joy, awareness and being 100% in the moment. So why don't I do this all the time? Hmm, I'm going to add a smile into my mindful moments throughout the day.

Be in the moment!

Fix inconsistency, look for ways to apply yourself - This connects perfectly with all of the above. Taking advantage of opportunities, beginning anew, initiating and smiling more are great ideals to work towards and build consistency.

Totals

Push ups & Sit ups: 940/25890
Hand form: 15/348
Weapon form: 14/377
KM: 37/836
AOK: 23/831
Sparring: 3/139
Blogs: 2/32
Yoga: 30/13 hrs
Tai Chi: 15/476
MM:17/620

Unexpected Inspiration

I found some inspiration this morning while listening to the radio. There are some songs that just make me feel like dancing and that is what I did. And as I was moving to the music I felt motivated to do Da Mu Hsing 1 & 2. I've done forms to music many times and always enjoyed trying different songs. This time however I focused on doing the form as more of a dance with less stops and starts. To do this I found myself adding more sway of the hips and concentrated piecing techniques together to create better flow for a more dance like effect. 

The next song was slower with a different beat which changed things up nicely. With both the fast and slow song there were times I was exaggerating some moves and smooshing others out. There were some glitches and a few restarts, but overall felt really good. I felt more relaxed and connected internally. There was a better awareness of expansion and contraction happening. I can see this being very beneficial as a tool to help with motivation and increasing movement from my core, further developing fluidity. I believe this also has the potential to increase power and speed further down the road.

Song 1 - Crabbuckit by Good Lovelies

This worked well with Da Mu Hsing and Lao Gar. 18 Temple Motions was ok and Long was a challenge.

 Song 2 - Good Luck, Babe by Chappell Roan

This worked well with Da Mu Hsing. I plan to try it out with some of the other forms as well. 

I'm looking forward to making use of both these songs as I dance my way through my forms. 

Not 100%

I've not been feeling 100% myself lately. There is some melancholy that lies just below the surface of my being and this has caused a decrease in energy and my level of engagement to change. I'm still participating but don't always feel I'm fully there. Most likely this is some mild depression I'm dealing with again.

My first coarse of action has been to identify and sort out the underlying issues that have contributed to this current state. I've given this some thought and have some ideas. Not everything is in my control, but I can work on my perceptions and continue to practice gratitude. In addition, I'm focusing on myself and increasing my commitment when it comes to taking care of my mental, emotional and physical health, one day at a time.

Nothing is forever. This too, shall pass.

Totals

Push ups & Sit ups: 990/24950
Hand form: 12/333
Weapon form: 11/363
KM: 43/799
AOK: 30/808
Sparring: 0/136
Blogs: 1/30
Yoga: 30/12.5hrs
Tai Chi: 17/461
MM:22/603

Canada Day - Dragon Dance

This blog is difficult for me to write and I debated with myself if I should post this publicly. As you can see I decided to add the blog for everyone to read as it is honest and gives a more complete view of my journey.

The dragon dance during our Canada Day demonstration was very challenging for me. I had a similar experience last year at Shikaoi park doing the dragon dance. I had chalked it up at the time to the very small space, tight corners, obstacles and knee issues. 

I wasn’t overly concerned about this years outdoor demo as I remembered it being flat with more space to move around. What I hadn’t factored in was the wind. That wind played havoc. It was like being attached to a large kite that wanted to take flight and fighting both hands and feet with every step.

There is no stopping when you're in the middle of a live dragon dance performance. Each of us 9 dragon dancers is counting on each other.  I remember a moment feeling like I was on the edge, and knowing this is a make it or break it situation. So even though there was a moment where I didn't think I could continue and worried about loosing my footing or my grip, I dug deep! I had to, there was no other choice. So many thoughts, awareness and actions had to take place in a very brief time while on the move. My legs and feet began to feel like lead weights so I focused on controlling my breathing and taking deeper breaths. I also worked on picking up my feet more all while staying aware of the sequence and switching hands as needed. It was a combination of determination and self preservation and not wanting to let down the team that helped me to complete the dragon dance.

After we finished the dragon dance I really wanted to fall down onto the ground huffing and puffing in exhaustion. Instead I sat on the bench for a few seconds controlled my breathing and mentally prepared myself to get up and do my hand form. I had to take all that physical and mental chaos and switch gears to perform Tai Chi. 

Overall the day was a combination of challenges, both mental and physical, some great team bonding and greatness from everyone that took part that day.

I know the safest choice for me and the rest of the dragon dancers is to no longer take part in outdoor events. I plan to still practice indoors and hopefully take part during indoor performances. And who knows maybe an outdoor dragon dance will be doable in the future.

Totals

Push ups & Sit ups: 850/23960
Hand form: 13/321
Weapon form: 14/352
KM: 27/755
AOK: 29/778
Sparring: 6/136
Blogs: 1/29
Yoga: 30/12hrs
Tai Chi: 16/444
MM:19/581