Unexpected Places

The lessons and gifts keep coming, some from expected places and others from unexpected places. 

It was mentioned at last weeks 2nd degree class again that we are the product of SRKF and what that means. The interesting thing is I really took it to heart and it felt that the message was being directed to me which caused some internal struggle. I knew I was most likely reading more into it than I should, but I couldn't stop thinking about what was said and how it impacted me. I needed to sort out in my head why I was reacting so. 

As I thought about it and I took reaction out of the equation I was able to be a bit more objective, helping me to see the lessons and the gifts. Even if the comments were not directed to me I knew that I could still learn from the message. There is always room for me to grow and be more self aware. And if the comments were directed at me then I owe the sender a big thank you for the reminder. 

This had bothered me to the extent that I didn't feel I could attend class in person until I was feeling better physically and emotionally and until I could give 100%. Even after I had sorted everything out my ego still created an excuse to stay away and I wasn't planning on attending in person all week. I talked to Sihing Ward Wednesday afternoon and he convinced me to just go to class. It was very similar to the talks we used to have when he was young and he wasn't keen on going to class. The tables had turned and I am grateful for that.

These were my lessons:

A lesson in recognizing ego in motion -  this provided opportunity to practice self awareness, respect and control. Step aside ego, I've got this!

A lesson in self development - There are many benefits to be gained through self reflection. Putting in the effort and doing the work opened more doors. 

A lesson in positivity - practicing gratitude daily and taking note of positive steps along the way have helped to shift my frame of mind. I am finding that I don't stay stuck as long when I encounter a snag.

Sometimes I need to step back and take the time to reflect on how far I've come as a martial artist and my growth as an individual. A dear friend helped to remind me of this. It is easy to get caught up in all the to do's and areas for improvement while forgetting to appreciate the journey taken thus far. 

I am very appreciative for all the opportunities, the lessons learned and the personal growth I've been so blessed to have experienced. And I hold immense gratitude towards myself for embarking on this journey and doing the work. 

Imagine The Possibilities!

I am often a bit surprised when someone indicates I inspired them or made a positive impact. With that initial feeling of surprise also comes a deeper realization of responsibility and living intentionally. I find myself being inspired to be more and do even more. 

Inspiring others is food for my soul. It fills me with joy and fuels my natural desire to help others. A leader, a teacher and a student all meshed together. So many opportunities for learning and growing.

As I work towards understanding and taming my ego I am developing the ability to operate more from a place of authenticity and humbleness. I am feeling more purposeful and aware of my impact on those around me.

I am working on disengaging the auto pilot that life becomes and engaging with mindfulness and control. With understanding and awareness of purpose comes intentional living. My goal is to eat, train, interact with others and practice self care with purpose while being present and mindful.

Our actions, our voices, our willingness and ability to share our journeys can intentionally or unintentionally inspire others. When I think about the potential, I realize how powerful that is. Inspiring just one person creates a ripple effect for positive change in the world.

Imagine the possibilities!

Oh Me, Oh My!

Lessons, opportunities and experiences are coming fast and furious these past few weeks. Part of me wonders how I will keep up.

My eye for detail is expanding and I am developing a greater awareness of key body components as they relate to my six harmonies. There are aspects that are working well and other areas I thought I had corrected that still need work. I know I am barely scratching the surface and am amazed and excited to be on this journey.  

As I apply lessons learned there have been leaps forward and at times backwards as well. Techniques are being fine tuned and there are corrections being worked on. The feedback and lessons are great as they provide building blocks to increasing my eye for detail and becoming a better martial artist.

Correcting a knife hand recently had an amazing impact on how solid and grounded I felt in my stance. The short term drawback to this was it broke my flow as my brain was basking in the awesomeness of the new feeling. I currently feel a bit stuck, but this is good as it has led to me thinking more about phrasing and how that relates to sound focus. I'm thinking this will be a separate blog in the future.

Our 2nd degree class on Saturday was chock full of more great lessons and feedback. Oh me oh my, so much to work on! At this point I am not overwhelmed, but I can see the need for a smarter more intentional plan and adjustments in my training. 

Peace and Purpose

There is a little voice inside my head that sometimes lets me know I could be doing and accomplishing more. And that little voice is most often accurate. I try not to live in the land of regrets though. Instead I recognize everything I am getting done and look for ways to make adjustments. I use that voice as a reminder to reduce mediocrity, but still have harmony in my life.

My focus is balance within my training which includes the emotional, spiritual and physical components. The balance also comes from family, friends, community and work. I am learning how to weave everything together allowing for the beauty of natural ebb and flow to happen. 

I am feeling the excitement of everything I am learning this year. The challenges, the discoveries and the opportunities. I am pushing myself in a more purposeful way. I am listening to my body and my heart while also taking care of my mental health. And when a setback occurs I am usually able to recover and regroup more quickly. 

I am moving forward with peace and purpose.

June Numbers

Overall I'm pleased to see my reps for push ups, sit ups, forms and sparring increase this month. I've been making a conscious effort to increase my numbers and it is working. In addition to the IHC requirements I've been able to add in extra daily training for other aspects of my Kung Fu as well. 

KM and yoga decreased slightly as I try to find a good balance. The ebb and flow is always going to be there to some degree. What is needed is a positive and disciplined mindset to stay on track.

Numbers - June/Year To Date

PU - 4715/16610                  Sparring - 70/483       

SU - 4670/16605                  KM - 186/732             

Hand Form - 110/399           AOK - 231/968

Weapon - 79/355                 Yoga - 110/750 min

Hello Shoulders - Again

I first became aware of my shoulders in a good way as a green belt. It was while I was practicing seven knife hands at home and trying to involve my other hand that I finally discovered my shoulders. With that discovery I let go of some of my stiffness and was able to incorporate the other hand. I become more fluid. 

Broadsword has been giving me trouble and so I have added articulations into my daily reps.  I am progressing slowly and the strikes are starting to feel better with help from different instructors. I'm not quite where I need or want to be so the articulations continue to be part of my routine.  As I was practicing one day I happened to see my shoulder out of the corner of my eye. It was definitely a hello shoulder moment. This awareness helped me to realize that the shoulder was an integral part of how effectively I was moving and within a short time I started to feel like I was actually wielding a sword. I could feel intention behind the strike and started to feel more in control and at one with the weapon. I remember thinking ohh so this is what it should feel like! There is so much more to improve upon and learn but at least I feel I'm making steps in the right direction. The broadsword has been challenging for me, but I can already tell it will also be rewarding.

My hand form happens to have a variation of 7 knife hands and as I was focusing on the sequence one day my shoulders said hello. It's hard to say what exactly happened first. Did my shoulders make themselves known first,  or was I aware of the need for a bit more shoulder? I feel like it was a hello shoulder moment. Oh, there you are shoulder, yes I need to add a bit more of you into the equation. 

I know hips and shoulders are connected, but does one come slightly before the other? That is a question I don't feel qualified to answer right now. I do know that if I focus on my shoulders the hips will align and if my focus is on my hips the shoulders will hopefully do their job. The tricky part is to not raise the shoulders and instead recognize and utilize the shoulders within the 6 harmonies as nature intended. 

I feel there are times when I am over engaging my shoulders so I will need to be mindful of that. History has shown me that the more I train, the more I develop my awareness and the more I learn.

One Thing Leads to Another

After some reflection what felt like a routine week actually contained some great self discoveries and important lessons.

We have been working on Lao Gar in class which has been very helpful towards developing a better understanding of the form, technique and my eye for detail. My body mechanics and six harmonies continues to amaze me.

Last week with some help from Sihing Csillag I discovered an issue with my hip in a technique that I was having trouble correcting because of muscle memory. As soon as I focused on and engaged the correct hip my hand positions automatically corrected themselves. I wasn't fighting muscle memory. 

This carried forward into Monday's class as Sifu Rybak had us focusing on stances. As I went through Lao Gar 1 I realized that I needed to address my stance in the "pose". I could feel my heel was in contact with the mats but I did not feel connected. After class I played around with my hip rotation in trying to feel more grounded and solid in that technique. I was getting closer and then Sihing Burke came over and mentioned the intent of the technique which right away helped with the proper hip involvement and resulted in a solid connection to the ground. 

Fast forward to Saturday mornings class and a discussion with Sifu Brinker about hips and application in another technique that provided important information and instruction. My takeaway is that when we have a clear understanding and awareness of the intent of a technique our skeletal structure will support that intent. In most cases instead of fighting muscle memory to make a correction we need to focus on the intent of the technique and let the body do what comes natural. 

My focus for the next couple of weeks is going to be to delving into the intent of each technique within the form as I move through each sequence of techniques.