Christmas

Being that time of year again, I loaded the family up; Griswold style and headed out west to find the family Christmas tree.  I am extremely fussy, but in a good way.  The tree has to be cut from an area where the tree is destined for removal, either under a transmission line, or pipeline or road right of way.  My wife with her infinite patience seems to put up with my fascination with finding the perfect tree cut from the perfectly environmentally sound location.  It can be a bit of a gong show, but then again when I find myself walking through the snow, temperature just below zero, axe over my shoulder, snow gently falling while tugging two laughing boys in a toboggan  through the pines, I am at peace.  This is my favourite day in the time leading up to Christmas.

The tree like every year will be pulled halfway through the door before I realize that indeed the time continuum has been maintained, but space has continued to remain constant during Christmas and a 14 foot tree still won’t fit in a 10 foot six ceiling. And after cutting it down three times and ramming it through the tiny door, there will be a pile of needles on the carpet representing the great pine massacre of 2012. The tree stand will leak dirty water all over the carpet like every year before and the cat will pull down a good portion of the ornaments.  The string of lights will go on the fritz resulting in a fugitive like hunt for the 1 cent bulb that will cause me to throw away the entire string in frustration.  The tree will fall over at least two times leaving a nice layer of sap on the adjacent couch.

But when it is all over, and I admire the glistening beauty while the record player skips through White Christmas on grainy Bing Crosby vinal, the Christmas endorphins will erase the bad memories from my brain and prime me for the next year of Christmas cheer.

So to everyone, have a great Christmas and New year!  We pray for many blessings on your households.

From the Krebs’

Water ain't got nothing on this fish.

First off, thanks for the comments on the previous blog. Now on to what happened last week.

I had chewed my fingers to bleeding nubs in anticipation of this day.  Alternatively I let my toenails grow extra long to help my chances of success.  I took the balloons out of my shorts though, because that just looked ridiculous.  Today was ripe for tackling my personal goal of front crawl 5 lengths of the pool.

For those that don’t know, I swim like a shot put.  I have good technique from countless lessons but panic with the breathing end of it.  It is completely an irrational mind game that has plagued me for years. 

Practice, Practice Practice, that is how you master anything right? Wrong!  I tackled this challenge completely differently this time.  Practice over the last thirty something years obviously was not the key to success, so I changed strategies....finally.

Here is what I did.  I wrote down what went on in my head when I try to exhale under water and dissected what happens as a result to my body.  Tense muscles, shallow breathing, exhaustion, light headedness, constriction of the throat, and so on.  I then wrote down five strategies, some of which were a result of Kung Fu training.  Some targeted mind focus, others targeted body control, some ideas from fellow students and took these strategies to the pool.

Well I got through lap one, and by jiminy, if I can do one, I can do more.  I am happy to say this is one personal goal that now receives the old check off.

Up until that day I had never completed a single length of front crawl.  This was big success, and by the time I left the pool, I had chalked up 22 lengths of front crawl, and will be looking at using swimming as a part of my exercise regime following more strategies and practice.

Where's Waldo?

I was always amazed at how some skinny dude in a white and red sweater and goofy tuque could get lost in the crowd so often.  You know he’s there, but you just don’t see him.  You would think he would know better than to hang out in an environment with so much red and white.  Then again, maybe he doesn’t want to be found.

That is the only way I can explain my disappearance for the last couple weeks.  I came off work and prepared for the transition to be home regularly for the next couple months.  I returned to class, settled into the home routine.  Focus changed from stress, cell phone, computer, reports, to just getting home, completing more tangible and more important matters like spending time with family.  My email and cell phone got checked as regularly as a lunar landing. I dropped off the map for a bit.  And it was good.  I was able to take in some classes, (even a demo practice) and start into the transition of home life again.  Getting lost from the digital world for awhile seems like a weird thing for a fella that has been away for the better part of 6 months, but that disappearance was what I needed.

With work out of the way temporarily, I foolishly thought this may be an opportunity to make a commitment to something.  Take off the red and white sweater, the black rimmed glasses and show my face again.  Wrong... work come up, and off I go for another three weeks, I guess I am destined to the road commitments (Those goals that can be achieved from afar and away from the team). 

Hope to see you all soon and preferably before Christmas.

Sihing Out.

The end is near!

Ahhhh, another week goes by, and it is time to blog again.  I am starting to measure time more by when my blog is due than by the actual day of the week.  That is a sign that quality of life needs a readjustment.  First there was a slight glimmer of light, more of a haze really.  Now the light at the end of the tunnel is full on.  Wrapping up a few projects and really testing the season I am still out on the road for a couple days.  Soon, however, I am expecting a great deal more time at home.  I think that this will be a very strange adjustment.  Initially it will be catching up on all that I neglected around home, then stepping back into the Kwoon, ramping up into the classes again, and getting face time with the Dragon team.  There is going to be a great deal of catch up required, if the class that I took in a couple of weeks ago is any indication. When you see me at the Kwoon in the next couple days, bear with me while I catch up on things.  Can’t wait to get back to you all.

Thoughts Near a Park Bench

I briefly raised my head, assessed how skippy was doing then dropped my jowls into my paws and returned to rest.  My owner sat on the park bench beside me, a flint of hope in his eyes, overshadowed by reality that I was not going to retrieve that tennis ball.

Skippy was running to and fro, it appeared his owner had now taught him to hold a treat on his nose and on command he would flip it into his mouth.  Hmmm, if the snack is right there in his hand I say don’t risk dropping the treat, just snatch it out of his hand.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a good dog, I sit on command, I walk diligently by my owner, and have been known to shake a paw every now and then.  But those were all things I learned earlier on, truth is, I’ve grown stubborn, a little stuck in my ways, and just a lot tougher to teach new tricks.

I like the Kung Fu attitude.  Constantly reminding myself that mastery is the process of mindful attention to detail, continued persistence, hard work and dedication.  But how do you start a new trick when the mastery process hits a giant wall of stubbornness, habit, and good old lack of talent.  Do you flog along on a process hoping that eventually you will get it, or cut your ties and find a better way of doing things.  This is a talent in itself.  The ability to know when the horse has passed on, and no matter how large the spurs, he ain’t movin. 

Quite often I hear fellow students say they have these AHA moments when working at a form or a technique and all just seems to click into place.  I have to say, those moments are very rare for me.  More often than not, I stay persistent and gradually work into a groove.  The process always seems very slow for me, and rarely is the result of a one day revelation.  Sometimes the process is so gradual I can’t recognize if there has been a change at all.  Have I improved? How do I know?

Switch the nunchuks to the left hand and try that spin.  Ahhhh, feel that searing goose egg on the back of your head.  Your right hand used to be that poor.  Sometimes this is the revelation I need.  Sometimes an instant reminder of how far you have come can let you know if the process you have been following is working.  Another example would be a video journal.  I am really starting to see the benefit to Sifu Playter's process of using video in his forms.  Firstly video has the obvious benefit that you can pick out problems, but; video also can act as a record to see if the process you have adopted is working.  Compare your video journal today from one you took a year ago.  The revelation or ‘AHA’ moment is right there!  If it isn't, you may be spurring a dead horse.

I think video is something I don’t use enough of.  Moving forward, I think I may use video as more of a tool to reconcile the process in my martial arts training.  I see this as rolling into one of my personal challenges for the upcoming year of the Snake.  Let’s see where this goes.

Until then, back to resting near the park bench.  I wonder if Skippy knows I confused his chew toy for a fire hydrant.  Guess he doesn't know all the tricks.

P.S. – In answer to Sihing Langner’s challenge last week, in case it is a little dark, the photo is of me completing pushup’s on a SABER TOOTH CAT!  Yaaah!

Pistachio's

 The cleaning lady was just doing her job when she found all the elements that spelled TERRORIST spread out over the hotel bed.   A letter outlining the details of a covert operation labelled “Pistachio”.  A book to learn the native language. Electronic video surveillance equipment.  A tasty snack for bribing authorities, and assassin training equipment!  No doubt she thought the Drumheller Spanish consulate could be in trouble.   

I wasn’t worried. As soon as I told the authorities that the mysterious package that arrived at the front desk was simply from a group of individuals that were united for a better cause, I am sure they would let me go.

OK, Operation Pistachio was not as dramatic as that, but its arrival affected me just as much.  For Sifu Rybak, and the I Ho Chuan team that was responsible for pulling this care package together, I can’t explain to you how awesome this was.  It could not have come at a better time.  The morning the package arrived I was greeted with 4 inches of fresh snow and blizzard conditions forcing a shutdown for the day.  I was miserable that the project would be delayed while I wait for yet another day away from home.

I never felt outside the I Ho Chuan group, but missing involvement in what the team is accomplishing, I often wonder about my connection to the group.  Receiving a care package as thoughtful as the one that arrived yesterday does so much for an individual.  It reinforces purpose, reminds of commitment, delivers encouragement, and above all, gives me a reason to feed Sifu’s video camera to the worlds largest dinosaur.

All joking aside, thank you guys so much for such a thoughtful care package, it meant a great deal to me, and really illustrates what a great group the I Ho Chuan is.  On another note, the demo looked fantastic, you all should be very proud!  To the Sihing with the wrapped hand and wrist...yes you know who you are...take care of that injury.

Blog challenge number 2

Well, in answer to Sifu’s challenge, I am blogging today about my experience of performing my form in front of someone not within the I Ho Chuan group, and receiving feedback.

My options are pretty limited.  Aside from a couple of equipment operators, the odd time a heavy equipment mechanic, and my dual personality, there really is very limited persons to complete this task.  Since I don’t like my alternative personality (always eats my snack food) I was stuck with the equipment operators.

So, me in cover alls, steel toe boots, hard hat and safety glasses completed Kempo on a very lumpy dirt site.  And from his perch on the D6, taking a deep long drag from a cigarette offered no criticism of sorts, just a simple question.  Where do you think your gonna use that?

Aha, he had opened up the opportunity!  No, not the opportunity to knock him off the dozer track with a flying kick, but rather the chance to explain how forms are instrumental in the practice of our style of Kung Fu. This led to a very good conversation regarding the martial arts with a person I originally pegged as having little to no interest in any activity whatsoever.

This was challenging because it forced me out of my comfort zone entirely.  It forced me away from being a closet martial artist.  Truth is, how can you make an impact, be an activist for anything, or influence somebody if you lack the confidence to just get out there and do it.

Blog Challenge

I am posting this one a little behind schedule, but here is a narrative on two of my goals:

One of the greatest challenges for me was completing Kempo 1000 times.  This is a challenge that I have not been very successful at.  Space and time were at an all time low this past couple months. When I had the space, I had limited time.  When I had the time, I have limited space.  I suppose that is never an adequate excuse, Kempo could be done in the dark outside.  What I found however was completing the form 1000 times is a challenge itself, however when additional constraints were thrown on it, there was that much more reason to avoid it, or focus on other matters.  With the winter approaching, it is only getting harder for me to complete this goal, freezing weather, but more importantly the lack of light is becoming a real drag.  I am finding I can complete pieces of the form during the day when appropriate, but to complete the entire form several times a day is a struggle.  The nunchuk weapon form, is an absolute no no on site which leaves very cramped space in the trailer or in the dark outside.  Hmmm, never tried the nunchuk form in the dark before.  I will give that a go tonight.  Black eye to follow tomorrow.

Pass an introductory grade ten Spanish test.  That was a personal goal of mine which so far has been a complete crash and burn.  My wife is fluent in Spanish.  My in-laws are fluent in Spanish.  I have CD’s and little doo dad games for learning Spanish on an ipod.  I listen on occasion to Dora the Explorer. 

Current status;  The family cat knows more Spanish than I do. There is no excuse, this is a goal that has no space constraints.  Headway can be made while driving, waiting, or cooking dinner.  I have been pretty hard headed with this one.  There is still time however, I am ending this blog post and putting the CD into the player as we speak.

Shadow Ninja's

I’ve since moved from hotel life to trailer life.  It has been a good transition as I am now in better control of making healthier meals and I am getting better and more consistent sleep.  The transition was tough as it came close to Sifu Regier’s challenge of shadow boxing in confined space.  The day I received the challenge I remember precisely. 

Here I thought a battle with the trailer sewer hose was big.  This I hadn't counted on. Ninja’s had somehow gotten into the trailer.  Dressed in black, one Ninja had already gotten into the cupboard and had a mouthful of dry mini-wheats. So with nothing to lose I launched down from the bed and snapped a side kick into the first victim.  He flew clean past the table well into the kitchen and straight out the tiny one foot window.  A second one wielding a stick.....no..... a battle ax came flying from the 3 foot squared bathroom.  Crossblock, knee to the guts, second Ninja down.  

Suddenly ominous music was playing.  Obviously the worst Ninja had been hiding in the closet the whole time.  He was obviously the leader because like all good martial arts encounters, the best Ninja is always dressed in a different color.  He wore crimson yellow and definitely meant business.  What was this!?  In his hand he had popped the top of my Pringles.  BIG MISTAKE.  After a fight of epic proportion the battle was over, the ninja’s were vanquished......for now.

This was an interesting challenge.  Practicing kicks, punches in confined space is nothing new, but a full out attack of shadow boxing ninja’s makes things very interesting.  I sometimes like tapping into the imagination for shadow boxing, forms, techniques.  It adds some realism.  What I also noticed in the exercise is how I missed circular motion on my opponent.  With the very limited space I had, everything had to stay linear, so my techniques and sparring style adapted.  I would say it got a great deal simpler, sticking to more thrust punches and front thrust kicks.  Most importantly was an awareness of surroundings and concentration on technique rather than getting in on an opponent opening. It was a great challenge, thanks Sifu.

Save a tree, shoot a forester.

I don’t have boots made from horned lizards, or eat burrowing owl omelets.  I don’t throw rocks at whooping cranes, and would probably think twice about hitting a dodo bird with my car. But...

I am a Forester.  I have cut down forests.  I have burned countless litres of diesel fuel transporting the logs to the mill.  I have powered kilns and saws with vast emissions. I have pounded those trees into pulp using noxious chemicals.  I have bleached the product white as snow, and packaged it in spiffy oil product plastic to catch your eye.

You have decided to use ten sheets, when four would do in the bathroom stall.

I am a forester...and you complete me.

This week, think of putting me out of business.  Make choices that are based on need rather than demand.

An Epic Battle With The Knapster!

-I won’t push a grandma out of the way to get further in the line up for an I-Phone 5.

-terabyte is something I do on a tough steak.

-A hard drive is two boys buckled in the back seat and only one superhero action figure.

-My wife is the oracle when I need to play a beta tape.

-It may be a smart phone, but can it ride a bicycle?  Wait a minute... neither can I.

-Google, twitter, blog. After paying a handsome fee, those are the parts my mechanic said he fixed in my car.

I like welding, fixing and building on most things.  I really like seeing talented craftspeople in a well renovated kwoon, and quality workmanship like that of a glass dragon.  I appreciate a nice car for what components it’s made of.  That would fall in the classical understanding in relation to Pirsig’s definition.  But some things, I just like the shiny good looking exterior.  That is until it fails to print in which it is hucked off the back deck or dropped out the second story window. 

I am kind of a person that is torn between classical and romantic understanding.  Unfortunately, when it comes to computers, and the myriad of technologies associated with it, the balance is tipped towards the romantic understanding.  I follow it because the exterior shows promise, its overall concept is shiny and romantic.  The components and programs and processes that make this technology what it is, make my eyes gloss over faster than a class of high level calculus.

Public journaling has been a challenge for me to say the least. Turning the computer on when it is something of little interest to me is tough.  However, being away from the kwoon, I can’t emphasize the importance of the team member’s journals to keeping me on track.  I read every journal of every team member.  Every entry has importance to me while I am away.  I can learn a little bit about the people that are contributing to my successes, and relate to the experiences they encounter.  It is motivation and encouragement.  This is why I journal.  If the journaling tool is this significant to me, then it may be significant to other members of the team as well.

If you are considering skipping your journal entry this week, or maybe catching up down the road, please think of me.  Your journal entry is not flying into a cyberspace black hole. It is being read by me and every word is important for my success.

Anyway, I guess I will wrap this entry up before my computer breaks its Android again.

Smiles are Free

Two days ago was the first time in my life I have watched the sun rise, and watched the sun set in the same day.  It was pretty neat.  I am a person that strongly believes in the power of positive influence to life longevity.

Weird things that made me smile in the last 2 weeks:

-On his first day of kindergarten, my son telling my wife she should really leave the classroom now.

 -Deep dark rain clouds mixed in with intense sunsets.  

-Flying.

-Johnny Horton on the radio while driving to the mountains.

-Untangling my kids fishing lines.

-Catching a salamander and moving it off the work site. (I haven’t seen a salamander since I was a kid!)

-Old barns in wheat fields

-Two ravens having a conversation on a roof top.

I find it is easy to focus on the things more tangible to maintain health and happiness.  Diet and exercise always take the forefront in my life.  More importantly though, health of mind.  Being involved in the martial arts we know how important the mind is in controlling the body.  Presence of mind determines completing 50 push-ups or completing 500 in a day.  It’s the difference between breaking a knuckle and snapping a board.  Presence of mind affects health in a big way. Staying positive, taking joy in things you pass by every day will mean a healthier lifestyle. 

If you are conscious of them, there are a million things that you pass by everyday that will affect your presence of mind in a positive light.  Positivity breeds positivity.  Surrounding oneself with other individuals of positive presence of mind is important to me, and important to maintaining a strong mindset.  It is partially why I joined the I Ho Chuan in the first place. In the presence of engaged individuals, I will be a stronger individual.  In the presence of positive engaged individuals, I will be stronger in body, but also in mind and spirit.

 

In the I Ho Chuan we are expected to show leadership, and make positive advancements in our lifestyle.  Positive advancements seldom come from negative leadership regardless of engagement.  Expecting results under continual criticism, anger, disappointment, won’t inspire the school and our community or cause the changes we wish to see.  I believe we should be inspiring for more than our accomplishments, but also for our strong positive presence of mind.   

Make hay while the sun shines

 This week has been stressed more than ever for time.  I am not sure why but lately we are always facing weather that is threatening a shutdown, so it is a period of time when we are making hay while the sun shines.  A lack of time has really affected me.  I have not had the opportunity to follow the journals of the other students as well as all that is going on with the team and kwoon through the various emails over the last renovation week.

I have been struggling for the first time on the most basic of my requirements, including the pushups and situps which were previously never a real problem for me.  I seem to be falling a bit behind on a few fronts and furthermore can’t seem to keep up with the additional challenges and other goals that are floating in from the team members.

While I appreciate the enthusiasm of additional challenges I am really going to focus on what I can tackle from my original goals.  Getting those back in order is important for me right now.  

Destination: Who cares?

I am currently chipping through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  I read this last year, and it was an interesting read.  I am finding the second go around more enjoyable, I am less confused knowing the direction the author is going.  After finishing this the first time, I was a little bewildered on how this related to an inquiry of values at all.  It certainly did not turn me into a motorcycle mechanic; that is for sure.  But reading this the second time is comforting, and I have much more understanding.  

As I fly home on a rain day, I plan on taking the kids out camping.  A day isn’t much time to get to the mountains, especially when tenting with two little kids on a forecasted rainy day.  The trick is making the destination the excuse, and making the car trip, camp set up, and packing the holiday. Using all the senses, sight, smell, feel, hear.  It may not be on the back of a motorcycle, but it will do.

So under high anticipation, I have loaded the last of the gear, all the kids, and the computer is getting turned off. 

Here are my numbers

Most of you know I am working out town for the last few months.  You may have forgotten what I look like.  Well here is the bitter truth of my numbers.  Go easy on me, I know I haven’t been easy on myself:

Pushups:25,200

Situps: 25,200.  This was due to this last week push because I was really behind on these.  I find situps less convenient to do anywhere.  At least they are caught up to now.

Nunchuk Form: 352 repetitions I included practice minutes as well. Three minutes per logged repetition.

Kempo Form:  151 repetitions – Ouch!

Sparring minutes: 380 minutes – zero in the last 3 months.  Most everything was logged in sparring class prior to my depart.

1609 kilometers: 847km – running, walking, a bit of cycling.

1000 acts of kindness: 720.  My favorite- told a teenager outside the 7-11 that smoking will affect his health.  I don’t think he saw this as an act of kindness though.  A close second was moving a displaced vole off the worksite.  Probably not an act of kindness for the farmer however!

Mend a relationship: Complete.

Maintain a public journal:  So far so good.

Maintain an online presence:  This needs work.

Learn to lion dance:  Not complete

Compete in Tiger Challenge:  Present for the wee hours of the morning at the Pandamonium event.  I think this qualifies as a public performance as well, but not sure.

Public Four board break:  Not complete

Personal goals: Swim front crawl five lengths of the pool (without water wings or pool noodle)- Not complete

Complete 2 chosen readings: Complete

Pass grade ten level test in Spanish: Incomplete, and not going well to be honest.

Finish illustration of tiger in the grass: Incomplete

Complete a website and raise money for charity death race: Complete

Run a leg in the death race:  Complete

No Quitting:  Absolutely not.  No matter how dismal the numbers are looking.

Thanks to those that have been offering so much of themselves to help the rest of us strugglers.  I keep tabs on every team members blog and this has been a real positive.  When I am at home (which I can count the days on one hand), I am at the Kwoon.  When I am not working, doing paperwork, eating or sleeping, I am putting towards my requirements.  I have found the last three months, extremely hard to get the time.

Post Death Run

First off thanks to everyone on there best wishes for the death race run this year.  It was most encouraging to hear your support.

Thanks also to Ms. Csillag, Sifu Regier, Sihing Regier for making the event AWESOME!  Couldn't ask for a better group of people to tackle the task.  Everyone gave it their all as true martial artists and it really showed.  Also to Mr. Regier and Mr. Regier (Jr's) you guys did spectacular!

Also thanks to Mr. Csillag and Ms. Krebs for the organization and mega support out there!  It was very much appreciated.

"Be Impressive".  That was the slogan pasted on the death race T-shirt this year.  What did that exactly mean?  This was a loaded slogan.  Prior to the race I took this slogan and felt it's meaning to show every spectator and fellow racer an effort that is worthy of a Silent River Student.  That was good!  This is perfect! Run when others are walking, breath properly when others are gasping, show compassion to struggling runners.

But, when the reality hits halfway up the mountain, and you like every other runner is gasping for air, walking alongside everyone else, and casually step over that piece of garbage like hundreds before you, "Be impressive" tends to lose it's luster.

This Death Race is like life compressed into 24 hours!  Dehydration, physical exhaustion, hunger, chemical imbalance, and a diet of concocted performance liquids and energy bars just makes the time warp to the "I don't give a $#%# phase faster.

Aha!  That is what "Be impressive" means. A life commitment to the extraordinary.  Not just going through the motions when things are easy.  The fella that runs solo and finishes 125km in 13 hours is less impressive than 71 year old "Dag" who did not make it past leg three, because Dag is not blessed with youth, yet he overcomes greater odds because of his commitment to being extraordinary.

Now that I wrote that, you would think that I adhere by it, however it is a great deal easier to say than it is to follow.  Looking back on the race, "Be Impressive" soon forced me to answer the question.  Did I impress myself during the run this year.  Well strictly looking at the numbers, no.  I did however show progression in other forms that I am proud of.  I thought about the well being of the team and did not rush down technical trails where Sketchy and Dodgy (right and left knee respectively) could end the teams effort for a finish.  I overcame countless battles of mind and body and ran where five years ago I would have walked.  While my training was an abomination this year, and physically I was disappointed in myself for the lack of commitment to putting more time on the trails, I have progressed in mindset.  My focus was very strong through the race and I was pleased with that.

So with that, I guess I am pleased in certain aspects with my progression, but certainly realize there is work to be made.  With any luck I will be blessed with many more years of Kung Fu and death racing; ever searching for a life that is "impressive".

Live From Grande Cache

Well we as of yesterday we have arrived in Grande Cache for the Death Race.  Four of the team runners are Silent River Kung Fu students, and two Silent River Kung Fu young fellers are also running in the youth 5km solo on Sunday.

Here it is.  Sihing Regier will start off on the first leg tomorrow at 8am.  The start will be initiated with a army howitzer cannon.  She will battle hoards at the start line and fight through some swamps and hills to get us out to a good start (GO ALANA!!).  At leg two I will take over from her and end up finishing leg two back in town.  Here I will exchange with Ms. Csillag who is tackling leg three.  She will be faced with a couple stream crossings and run along a very scenic valley, in which she will have to make really good time in order to beat a time cut-off for the exchange at leg four (GO SHARIDA!!).  She will exchange with Sifu Regier who has the daunting task of running up and down Mount Hammel.  This is a gruelling 37km with a crazy elevation change (GO DARCY!!).  He will exchange with a new recruit to the team, Matt Denney who will brave the woods in the dark, cross the Sulphur river at hells gate via river boat and run into Sunday morning to the finish line (GO MATT!!).  There is a rough breakdown of the plan for this weekend.  Most importantly it has already been a wonderful start to the weekend.

On Sunday, Mr. Regier, and younger Mr.Regier will be running the youth race solo.  This includes a challenging 5km burn with a mud pit near the end.  Can’t wait to see them show their youthful skill!  (GO KAYDEN and GO BRANDON!).  You both have a very big cheering section.

On another note, Dag, a runner who is renowned for having run the race solo since its beginning strolled across the parking lot today, so he is here once more.  Talk about dedication this man has.  He doesn’t finish every year, but just about.  Chances are, if you keep up with Dag, you are likely to finish just fine.  Oh by the way, Dag is 71 years old this year.

Non Lethal Dose of Good

Rained out for a day.   And It’s a Kung Fu night!  YEEEEEEESSSSS!  Probably forgot much of my belongings in Vermilion, but I was packed up in record time.  Beeline home and off to the Kwoon.  For me it was like unleashing a caged animal.  Like getting an injection of motivation, energy, discipline.

I thought back a few nights ago when I recognized a death race shirt on a fella just stepping out for a run.  I pulled the truck over and talked to him, not because I am all that personable, but rather I NEEDED, this influence.  We talked briefly about training, what legs we were running, how things were going for this year’s endeavor.  That contact was important to me, because alternatively while out on the work site, most people deem walking to the truck for a cigarette and coffee more exercise than they wish to muster.

The way the world is now, most people involved in Kung Fu deal with these two extremes;  Torn between building something great  using the synergy of like minded people, and falling the other way under the influence of those that are the sinks and vacuums of everything that is good.

Obviously each person has a different level of positive influence they require to keep them on the right track.  Being away from the Kwoon and getting more than my fair share of people giving it the college try, I am starting to realize my personal threshold for dummies.  Surprisingly it is quite high.

The death race is coming up in a week, and this is a great event for so many reasons, but mostly because like Kung Fu, the atmosphere is rich with people that are health conscious, strive for physical discipline, and feed off other individuals of like mind.  The challenge for me as of late is not recognizing when I am reaching my dummy threshold, but rather where to go to get a dose of the good stuff.  I am slowly learning to take full advantage of every opportunity.  Even opening a newspaper and scrolling past the negative and reading the stories involving, as put in Mastery terms....miracles.

I feel as a martial artist, especially a Silent River Martial artist, we are dealers.  It is our responsibility to first tend to our needs for preserving what makes us exceptional.  To know what we require personally to keep us thriving positively, and then, knowing what we have in reserve to improve those we influence. 

Vince.

Truthfulness

I have reflected a great deal on the last couple of posts.  I am really enjoying the honesty in both Mr. Chervenka and Sifu Regier’s journal entry.  These posts have got me thinking about truthfulness. 

What makes a person an excellent human being?   When we talk Mastery are we talking about mastery in just Kung Fu, or mastery in other aspects reverent to our lives.  I think it is easy to get caught up in chasing a particular goal, to get so focused that we forget it is the process that makes things great. I think a trap I have fallen into at times is one in which my efforts may be focused on the goal of black belt such that neglect creeps into other aspects of my life. 

I think the blinders have to be removed every now and then, and you have to give an honest review of where you are at in life.  You may be achieving your requirements in Kung Fu, but where are you at with other aspects of your life.  Are relationships falling off the rails, are you missing important events, are you neglecting certain aspects of your job.  If this is the case, then I don’t think Kung Fu is serving you in a positive way or the way I think it is intended.

Are you meticulous in your training, yet hand in a half effort report at work, or miss out on your child’s baseball game.  I think it is important to look hard to see if there is a great disconnect between what you learn or teach in Kung Fu, and what you do outside of Kung Fu.  Naturally, focus and hard training in Kung Fu will spill over in positive aspects of your life, but I feel that leaving a bomb crater around every place except the Kwoon can be dangerous as it will eventually lead to resentment.  This is what I am feeling with my job right now.  I enjoy my work, but I can’t help but resent the fact I am missing church, family, Kung Fu, friends and events that make me who I am.

I have decided to assess my spirituality, family life and relationships, achievements, work ethic and quality and be completely true to myself.  My job as of late has led to neglect on more than one front.  If I am being completely truthful, Kung Fu at times has also. What I feel is important however, is constant self reflection.  This is what I believe Mr. Chervenka has just undergone by reading his post.

Some things I have noticed with myself since joining the I Ho Chuan.  Initially, I looked at it as a high bar or benchmark to see if you have the heart, the moxy.  Am I made of black belt fibre?  To a point I still believe this.  But now being away from the Kwoon for a couple months, I stand further from the action, and see it more as a process to force self reflection (or self destruction).

I don’t know why, but the requirements of work have never forced me to ask the tough questions like the UBBT and I Ho Chuan has.  With work, I have always blundered on, head down, butt in the air.  As of late, I have never had this many conversations with my wife regarding what seems to be working out, what isn’t, and what may need to change.  Self reflection and evaluation has been at an all time high for me.

It reminds me of a piece of advice a person gave to me before heading off to Forestry school.  He said, you are not going to college to learn about trees, you are going to college to learn how to learn.  There was a great deal of truth to that.  I am thinking more that the I Ho Chuan and UBBT is more the development of process rather than a means to an end.

Vince.

Worse than the Caramilk secret

As my time in Drumheller is nearing a close, and I am destined to head back north to Lloydminster, I took time to reflect on my experience in southern Alberta.  The diversity of this province is mind blowing.  And like my great, great grandfather that settled here in I believe 1887, I have found no other place I would rather be.

Over the past couple weeks I have seen and studied more plants, animals, weeds, landforms and soils than I have in a long time. Yesterday a huge snake skittled across the road, today a moose (on the prairies of all things!!) came to visit me and pose for a photo on site.  How many people can say they’ve completed Awakening the Dragon on the top of a hoodoo in the  wake of a setting sun?  Or explored a series of mud arches in the hoodoos that formed down a really cool and dangerous looking creek bed.  

But there is one thing I have to understand before leaving this part of the province.  More baffling than Jimmy Hoffa, crop circles, or the sock thief in the washing machine.

I have come across a couple farmer fields that have these weird plywood enclosures disbursed throughout.  Even more curiously there is an open side that is always facing the same direction.  They are spaced very evenly with about 40 meters apart in a grid configuration.  Inside the enclosure, there is nothing.  On the outside they are painted very colorful, some with very distinct patterns to them.  The shelters are about 3 feet wide, by maybe 6 feet long, by 5 feet high.

Even Google was stumped.  The only thing I can think of is perhaps bee hive enclosures, but then why are they empty?

The truth is out there.

Where is the time going?

Today was a tough day for me.  Mostly because I knew another I Ho Chuan meeting has slipped by and I am here in Drumheller.  I am feeling very disconnected and definitely feel like I am falling behind in a ginormous way.  There are so many limitations being away from home.  So many things you take for granted.  Time is mega precious out here, and I am juggling trying to spread my time into fulfilling my requirements.  What I have realized, is that as much as I wish to multitask the problem away, I am going to have to focus on less elements.  100% of things 50% complete is a failure.  50% of things 100% complete is a partial success.  I guess I know which direction I have to go.

What is important to me right now is maintaining my health, and that means, decent food to the best of my ability and sleep.  I have run 1/10th of what I did last year in preparation for the Death Race.....that could be a problem.

Enough ranting for today.

Vince.

Still on the road

The Alberta Prairies are beginning to rub off on me.  I rolled over the top of the hill and looked over the gorge of layered rock known as Drumheller.  Yup, still here in the land of the Dinosaurs and am really liking the region.  I am really feeling the distance from the Kwoon however.  Kind of like getting unplugged, or cut off from the Kung Fu mothership.

I have been trying to keep up with what I can control, including my pushups and situps and repetitions.  I am glad I have chosen the nunchuks to learn as it is doable in the hotel room, although a little cramped.  Swinging a spear or sword around the place would just get costly.  I have cut back on training somewhat, as it comes down to what is more important, food and sleep for health, or running and Kung Fu practice.  Keeping up with work, the associated paperwork, equipment cleaning and maintenance and training, and eating properly without a means to prepare your own food, is always challenging.

I did get home for a day or two and got a class in.  I also took the chance to take my son fishing.  Two things  that did me well.  In any case, I hope to get back to the Kwoon sometime.  Until then....

Vince.

Father's Day Top Gun style

If you are looking for some thought provoking blog this week, better move to the next one.  Today I write with no real reason but to enjoy the act of writing.

Two - Four - Foxtrot - Tango - Niner, requesting clearance for takeoff - over.

 

This is flight control, you are cleared for takeoff - over.

 

I Roll on to the collective and feel the ground affect.  The rotor wash is blowing papers all over the place. 

THIS IS NOT A TOY –pppppfffft! How can something this much fun not be a toy?

The skids get light and she begins to hover.  Now I am getting a bird’s eye view of the house.  It seems so tiny at this altitude as I am now easily THOUSANDS of millimeters off the ground.

I was seventeen when I flew the first time in an A-Star helicopter to a remote location in the mountains.  I have never forgotten the experience, and have flown in many helicopters since as a requirement of my job. 

I pilot this baby into a fairly uneasy hover, kinda wobbly at best as the winds are high today, mostly as the result of the open window...or maybe the air conditioning.  My flight suit is a little warm for a day like today, but it looks cool with my shades.  I get strange looks, but they are just jealous because they have never felt G-Force in the range of 0.2.

The best flight was west of Nordegg where we hovered over Klein Glacier and dropped the nose into a dive off the mountain cliff, my guts flew to my throat and I was hooked.

Alright, it is time to see what this baby can do.  I have at least three minutes of fuel with Veteran status of nearly 30 minutes of flying experience.  I roll onto the collective and pitch the aircraft to gain some airspeed and lift.  My Kung Fu reflexes are poised; I pull back on the stick and get ready to throw this aircraft into a hammerhead.

Every time I fly it makes me giddy.  There is nothing like it. Should a person chase a passion at all costs?

Something is dreadfully wrong.  The helicopter is rolling, and I panic, overcompensate on the yaw, the aircraft is out of control.  Mayday! Mayday! Flight control we are headed for a collision.....with the lamp.....or maybe the TV......Nope straight into the pilot.  I throw up my arm in a Kung Fu palm sweeping block just the moment before impact.  The rotor slices my finger tip in two and the spinning blades make a scene as gory as a Friday the Thirteenth horror film. My life flashes before my eyes and one thing is event; the box was right THIS IS NOT A TOY.

I need band aids.  Lots of them.  And maybe some gauze.  And maybe a stitch or two.

After showing her my fourteen band aid index finger, I wonder if she regrets buying me a remote control helicopter for father’s day?  What a strange, but extremely thoughtful gift.  I get a real kick out of this thing, probably because I am such a kid at heart, but also because of the brain power and dexterity it requires to fly.  This takes some Kung Fu like focus. Just goes to show you challenges can come in the smallest and deadliest of packages.

Two - Four - Foxtrot - Tango – Niner over and out.

Captain Vince “Splitfinger” Krebs.

Looking for T-Rex

Drumheller.  Home of the dinosaurs.  There is much to see here so I started on a run with my goal being the suspension bridge at a park on the far side of town.  The run was flat, paved, and boring.  Like a magpie to a chrome bumper my attention wandered to the hills. 

Stacked layers of sediment carved into coulees and gorges and home of snakes, cacti and lava rock.  The running is hard and requires great focus to avoid injuries.  Slips, cuts, and hills would be broken in short interlude by small sections that were nothing short of shear running bliss.

 It turned into an addiction.  I continued through the coulees unfamiliar to me to find that perfect ridge that seemed to be crafted just for humans to run.  Before I knew it, the trap had been sprung.  I was drawn into the hills and ambushed by a rainstorm of epic proportions.  Slopes of good traction, turned into a stew of grease, marbles, ice, Bill Clinton, banana peels or whatever else you can think of that is slippery.  

What was sharp or prickly....Stayed sharp and prickly.

Now I know why the dinosaurs went extinct.

Scratch One Personal Goal

Being away from home the past while has been a tough problem on the Kung Fu front.  There has been some relief however.  I knocked off one of my personal goals (well almost).  The death race is approaching and a website promoting the team run is up and running (www.deathraceforcp.com) there is my shameless plug.

 

This year, my running regime is dismal at best, but I am strangely comfortable with it. What I’ve learned is that the Death Race is oddly a great deal of fun. This year is going to be more epic than any other because I get to run with friends and family.  I can't wait to share their experiences, see how they adapt to situations, and hopefully share in their accomplishments.  This year my focus more than anything will be to run in the moment.  To understand why I am there and what I am doing, and hopefully tally more than take a few random acts of kindness along the trail.

Vince Krebs

Whatever happened to the strap?

Hitting the ground at terminal velocity is a very good reason to wear a parachute.  Consequences are the driving force behind all of human behavior.  If I don't work, I don't eat.  If I speed, I crash.  If I steal, I go to jail.  Remove consequences and the system falls apart.  So why does the Edmonton school system see it necessary to remove consequence?   

In a recent interview, the CBC addressed an Edmonton teacher that was allegedly suspended for going against the system and holding kids accountable for their missed assignments.

Being married to an educator, I hear firsthand what is going on in the classroom.  Students are permitted to attend as much, or as little of the classes as they feel suited.  If they miss a test day, they can rewrite at a later date of their choosing, and in some schools will be assigned a mark from another assignment if they choose not to write.

I almost seem a bit old fashioned.  I did have my birthday today, and perhaps it’s catching up with me.  This infuriates me to see something as critical as education reward behaviour that is even below mediocrity.

If only we could bottle Kung Fu values and sell them as energy drinks.  We would have less insubordination, more accountability, punctuality, and discipline.  As it sits right now, we are hucking the kids out the Cessna door, with nothing more than a knapsack and telling them the landing will be a breeze.

Live from Room Two Zero Five

Here I sit at the complimentary free breakfast.  I over pour the milk and it slops over the ozone killing Styrofoam bowl.  The bran flakes are busted up into dust, and with the addition of milk it turns into a form of brown sludge.  I gnaw away at a stale bagel and top it off with a lukewarm yogurt.  The smell of chlorine is in the air, and fills my lungs from the room where countless bodies have basted in the hot tub.  The light fixtures on the roof show evidence of a few fly’s that went to meet their maker. The water tastes like it’s been filtered through a gym sock.  Life in a hotel.

Bleak; maybe, but now incorporate an attitude that revolves around what is important to me.  My faith, my family, and Kung Fu.

I get out of bed on stable legs and feel strong.  I pull back the blinds of the hotel and the early sun greets me with warmth in my face.  I see the creation outside.  Birds in the air and green lush grass from the previous rain.  I drop down and pound out some push-ups.  Although not tasty the morning breakfast was healthy and my body feels energized.  I move forward stepping into a bow stance and lightly flick the light on with my foot.  Sweet! Good control, I guess I won’t have to replace the switch fixture like last time.  I check my phone and I get a morning text from Stephanie and kids with a picture of the boys hunkered down and reading.  I thank God for them and the gift of the day.  It’s off to work I go.

What more is there to say about attitude and perspective? 

Vince Krebs.

Time Ticks On

I have knocked off one of my personal goals today.  The accomplishment feels good but it is overshadowed by the fact that time ticks on, and there is a great deal to get accomplished.  I am taking things in stride as of late, completing what I can and trying to move forward.  Keeping myself healthy is one of my main goals, focusing on eating, and sleeping is sometimes a challenge in itself.

Plan of Attack

Well the last couple weeks, I have been non existent in the Kwoon, a Hail Mary at the Pandemonium is all that I could fit.  The next few weeks I will be out of town for work, but I am taking Sifu Kichko's advise and have formulated a plan.

1. Don't forget my Kung Fu mindset.  It helps keeps things in perspective and more relaxed.
2. Keep up with the things that are in my power and that have been molded into my routine.  (Push-ups and Sit-ups etc.)
3. Stay connected with the team through blogs and posts.
4.  Maintain my physical health by making smart decisions regarding meals, adequate sleep when possible etc.
5.  Keep what it is really important to me front and foremost.

For the mean time, there is going to be less pondering about life, and more attention to paperwork.  Too bad.

Master of Fear

There I found myself gazing at the magazine rack, where I briefly locked eyes with a rock climbing magazine.  A flash of nostalgia. I began thinking of Dan Osman.  A better master of fear I don’t know ever existed.  Known as a free soloist (Rock climbing without ropes) I appreciated his strength, his conditioning and his fearlessness.  In his book “Fall of the Phantom Lord” Andrew Toddhunter recounts that Dan Osman “realized then that it was not in climbing, but in falling, that he would embrace his fear . . . and move beyond it.”

I guess it was that, that led to an over 1000 foot free fall on a rope system putting him into the Guinness book of world records.  It was also this fascination that led to his death in 1998 when his rope system failed when he attempted another jump in Yosemite.

This got me thinking during the week about FEAR.  What was it about this primal instinct that can drive a person in one of two directions.  You can pass out in your wife’s arms while running away after passing the pet store spider enclosure (There is something unnatural about anything with 8 legs and 8 eyes).  Or like Dan Osman step out to meet it.

The thing with fear, is that it can manifest itself in the form of survival instinct (as with large fanged spiders), or the brain can spawn fear to avoid other human emotions, such as embarrassment, anger, heartbreak, etc.  You have to ask, what is the real risk to facing this fear with a Dan Osman attitude.  What I noticed is that the majority of the time when I asked the question, the fear was unwarranted and only inhibited me from an experience I could grow from.

I’m not saying to throw caution to the wind; (it didn’t work out for Dan), but to at least look at the consequences of facing your fear head on, and if it is not justified, mow it down like grass.

"Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile initially scared me to death.”

Anonymous

Relax....don't sweat it.

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.  That is every spring breakup for me. It is the time of year where the winter work slow down kicks into high gear following break up.  Its the period of time where full steam Kung Fu meets the requirement to feed my family and self with a work schedule that takes me away from home for many days at a time.

This year it is sure to be a collision of astronomic proportion, with the addition of the I Ho Chuan and UBBT.  My nerves are getting shot even thinking about which is going to give.  I come from a long line of worriers, and telling me not to worry so much is like asking you to quit breathing oxygen.  I am fortunate enough, however to not be in this alone.  I had a great discussion with a Sifu today which led to more thinking.....I am going to enjoy  rereading this in December.

Thank you Sifu Regier for your wise advise and wisdom.

Cupcake for Change

Today I baked a cupcake.  After spreading the delicious frosting and sprinkling the top with Pringle chip crumbs (how else do you make a cupcake more tasty?) I had a hard look at the tasty morsel.  It just didn’t fit into the Kung Fu regime.  I had to give it away.

Now here is the dilemma.  There are only two people available to give it to.  One person is a known thief.  The other is a known liar.  Both people can’t be trusted.  What do I do?  Rather than show favour to either person and in a sense condone there action, I decide to keep the cupcake, and allow it to spoil.

Hmmm.  I think about it some more and figure by holding on to the cupcake it is giving each person an incentive to steal less, or reduce their slander  in hopes of winning the cupcake the next time I bake.

April 23^rd is election day.  On April 19^th I had a debate with my wife that rivalled those of the provincial candidates.  Her point was very popular with the majority of people I have spoken with.  Her point:  If I do not exercise my right to vote, I forfeit the right to complain about government decisions. 

I don’t agree with this at all.  If I have listened to the debates, researched the party platforms, listened to the promises and accusations and know the MLA’s in my riding, I have done some homework and am involved.  If I decide to not cast a ballot on election day, it is not because I would rather stay home and watch TV.  I believe if I really do not agree with the policies of the running parties, there are two options. 

The first is to run for the provincial leadership myself.  Because I have no talent in politics, and would run the country into the ground, that leaves one other option.  It is my responsibility to withhold my vote and give the parties an incentive for change.  Let’s face it, the 40% that typically do not participate could mean a majority government for some party.  That is a pretty big carrot.  The catch to this however, is that I must also be active in informing my MLA and the other candidates what needs to change in order to win a vote from me.  

All this been said, I will be casting a vote on Monday, but I still believe that a no vote can still show activity in politics providing it is done with the right intent.

By the way, I won the debate, strutted down stairs with my chest puffed out and made my bed comfortably on the couch.

One more confused voter:  Vince Krebs

BIG BAD BIKER

Wrapped up like a pretzel, I freed his legs from the frame, dusted him off and tended to his war wounds.  He is no Lance Armstrong.  Then again, how could I blame the boy knowing his genetics.  He is definitely set for the same love hate relationship that his father has with the bicycle. 

Watching my son weave down the street on his bike with parked cars on either side is frightening.  I can’t help but contemplate whether to get better insurance or just start an autobody and paint shop.  While seeing him wobble to and fro today I remembered my own history.

5 years old. My first bike was a dark blue beauty with a banana seat- Dad let me go, and I ran into the apple tree in the yard.  One damaged apple tree.

11 years later.  Bike was a borrowed BMX with sleek aluminum and a half inflated tire tube tied to it. – Rode that bike down the hill and off the dock into the lake.  One lost BMX.

1 year later.  Bike was a snappy green beauty.  40km an hour and a fallen tree across the trail tells the story.  One broken collar bone, and one broken wrist.

6 years later.  Bike was a second hand gray beauty bought on a student salary.  Rode in front of a Ford Thunderbird.  One spine board and ambulance,  one four foot bruise, and one expensive traffic ticket.

4 years later.  Bike was a silver beauty.  Riding on the sidewalk with one hand holding a pizza box. Decided to use the left hand to shift gears on the right handlebar.  One scraped shoulder, one ruined pizza, and one white van with very good brakes.

April 12, 2012.  Bike is a snappy blue, borrowed from my wife.  Riding in the trees, with the wind in my face and thankful to be alive.  One wonderful ride, ZERO regrets.

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup

Yesterday I fell down the stairs.  The day before, I walked into a door frame.  I prop myself by the wall to avoid any vertigo.  Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup.  These three little bones of the middle ear control one of the essential things to human life; balance.

Just because you see me prop myself against the wall in a Kung Fu class does not mean I had a run in with Jim Beam.  I have a ruptured ear drum.  One of the consequences is a loud humming that hasn’t gone away for six days and hopefully only a temporary loss of hearing.  While that sometimes works to my advantage when the kids are on the last straw, or I’ve been asked to take out the garbage, it can be enough to drive a person crazy.

The humming is obnoxious, mostly because it interferes with the voices in my head.  Just kidding.  Kung Fu however is one of the only things that draws my focus and concentration away from the humming.  I have to say it has been therapeutic.  If you see me in the kwoon for the next little while, I am there for therapy, however try to avoid being around me if you see a weapon in my hand.

Simply Kung Fu

I somewhat resent the fact that I didn’t grow up 100 years ago.  On the back of a buckskin, colt 45 slung to my side.  There is something about the simplicity of the old west.  If you liked it, you drank it, if you loved it, you married it, if you hated it, you shot it. If your horse threw a shoe, you rode to the next little settlement and hired a blacksmith.  Ahhh, there is something you don’t hear much anymore.  A true craftsman, taking hard parts of the earth and skillfully molding them to good use.

I have a friend that is a shop teacher.  He can talk for a solid hour on the qualities of a single species of wood.  The smell, the texture, durability, workability.  Today I headed to a wood store for a very small project I have decided to complete.  I fell neck deep in understanding regarding the fascination about something so simple.  There is something very grass roots about shopping for just the right piece of wood in a specialty shop.

 

Simplicity is another attractive part of Kung fu.  Crafted a thousand years ago.  Simple, yet complicated.  Raw, yet graceful.  Fluid yet powerful.    You take it everywhere, yet carry nothing.  What a fantastic art.

240 Volts Otta Do It

This week my reflection was on improvement.  Looking through some of the old photo albums around home, I came across a picture of me sparring in the first SRKF Tiger challenge.  Sporting a very shiny yellow belt, throwing a front thrust kick with my heel lifted during the execution of the technique.  This week and several years later while kicking a bag with a partner, Sifu pointed out the lifting of my heel during the execution of the kick.  I guess all has not changed in that period of time....but some things have. 

Take my I Ho Chuan weapon for example.  Day after day of smashing the weapon into my forearms and forehead, I got wiser.  Pain is an excellent motivator for improvement. Improvement is most accelerated when you are forced to pay attention to detail.  I got to thinking what would have happened to my sloppy kicking technique if I received an electric shock every time my heel came up.  I bet the problem would have been solved in a day.

I am thinking, however, that there are better ways for quick improvement over a car battery and alligator clamps.  I am thinking the answer is good old fashioned peer scrutiny.  Putting yourself out there.  Taking a chance every now and then.  Perform a form in front of peers.  Have a Sifu critique your kick.  Lead a warm up. Sure criticism can sometimes be more painful than Voltage, but lets face it, we are all out to improve, and nobody is a master at everything.

I have realized the importance of our training mates and it goes way beyond common goals and values. Thanks to all those at SRKF for your keen eye for detail when mine were mostly glossed over.  

Swims Like a Hammer

Today I faced.....the pool.  Mind over matter I thought.  It’s all in your head I thought.  Just jump in, lots of mammals swim in water I thought.  Survival instinct will kick in I thought.  So after thrashing for three minutes with my head under water, my hand miraculously found grasp of some form of yellow ducky flotation device.  

What kind of a lucky day am I having, this pool for some reason has floaty mats and pool noodles all over its surface! Pulling my near drowned body onto the side, there was the answer. A sign as clear as day.  'NO DIVING  1.0m'.  I knew it, this water was 1 mile deep and too treacherous for anyone to swim, that must be why all the odd flotation instruments, they were probably thrown in to save at least a hundred other people that probably already drowned. 

To be truthful, I am not useless in water.  I actually have had more swimming lessons than most.  If you drop me in the middle of a lake, I will get to the shore, even if it means crawling the distance along the bottom.  But it is something I feel I have failed at and turned my back on.  It has been a dark spot on my record for as long as I can remember.  Now it is a personal goal of the I Ho Chuan.  

I have an OK stroke, a decent kick, and I float slightly better than an anvil.  The problem is, breathing.  If I could channel the energy my brain puts into blocking my breathing mechanism during swimming, I would be able to bend spoons......

Moral Containers

Recently, I was involved in a conversation that explored Integrity.  I walked away feeling a little disappointed after hearing the sense of pride that some had shown in their ability to cheat the system.  Following a little thought on the subject, I realized I was quick to condemn.

Over the past while in order to log 1000 acts of kindness I have held more doors and let more people into traffic than I ever have before.  Why is it that I walked past a piece of garbage 100 times before, but now seeing it as an opportunity to tally an act of kindness, I pick it up?  What is this separation between moral obligation and personal gain? 

This bothered me and led me into a process of self reflection.  I am actually committing some brain power into every act I do, and reflecting on the real reason I am doing it.  I am finally realizing the importance of becoming more aware of where I am, what I am doing, and now Why.  

I am beginning to realize every person holds a ‘moral container’.  Some people carry a larger container than others.  Mother Theresa had the burden of hauling around an Olympic sized swimming pool, while others skip along with a thimble.  More to this though, is how the container is filled.  If we fill the container with acts of kindness to strictly fill the obligation of the I Ho Chuan we eventually reach capacity and it spills over.  If we reflect on what we are doing, become aware of why we are doing it, and see the change it causes; the container grows with every filling.  We re-weave our moral fabric and increase our integrity.

I am just starting to realize why the I Ho Chuan requirements are the requirements.  I am realizing that they have been set very deliberately, and for more than just inflicting physical pain and inconvenience.  They have been carefully chosen because they force us as martial artists into self reflection and awareness. 

'REEL' Therapy

Recently, a fly fishing exposition came to town in which our family was given free tickets.  I chose work instead, and missed the opportunity.  My wife and kids took in the event.  When they returned they told me what they had seen.  That’s when it happened. 

I was reunited with the long suppressed urge to pull my rod and reel; to head to the corners of our province where few go.  What is it about fly fishing? Probably only those that have this affliction will understand what I explain.  I’ll tell it like this:

To listen.  Cold and clear. Water, tumbling over rocks that have been smoothed from the past thousand years.  Whispers of a gentle wind singing through the lofty spruce and pine. 

To see.  Looming mountains aged one more day, keeping watch as guardians over a masterpiece expertly crafted.  Compliments of colors in the berries on the bush, the leaves on the trees, the wild flowers on the banks.

To feel.  The sun in gentle warmth contrasting with the cool drops of dew that rolls from the blades of grass to touch the skin. 

To smell.  The scent of a thousand alpine flowers, rolling down from the sides of mountains to greet me.  Medley’s of wild rose, and violet and juniper. 

In the depths of that swirling pool that breaks light into a Kaleidoscope of blues and greens.  Under the scoured bank, rough and cold like a prison cell.  Like a hardened criminal, with scars to tell of his age and wisdom, HE waits patiently.  Years have told him what is real and what can deceive.  Young and new to these waters he was fooled once.  But not since that fateful day that the line broke, has he been fooled again.  He sees that mayfly dancing at the surface of the water, and recognizes nature’s perfection.  Like a thief he rises from his cover to swiftly steal it from the surface, and vanishes just as quickly.

What has brought me to this perfect time and place?  What have I done to deserve this chance to see him now.  I will be thankful later, right now my focus narrows. I will only have one chance at this.  All must be perfect.  The fly not a half a shade too dark.  The line to land in perfect grace. The current to bobble the fly just so with no drag.  With anything less than perfection I will be known. 

To the end of my line I tie on a crude impression of a mayfly.

I feel the smoothness of the cork in my hand.  The cackle of the spooling reel is the only conversation.  The fly line dances around me in beautiful loops of inflorescence.  Everything moves in excellent form, the fly, the line, the rod, the reel an extension of the body.  This is my time.  I am in the moment.

And at this time and this moment my fly and six feet of line have gracefully landed in a prickly old spruce tree on the far bank.  That is fly fishing.  Moments captured, opportunities lost but never forgotten.

All of that to say this.  Balance, especially in a Kung Fu lifestyle can be tricky to achieve.  This past week I have found an age old passion I had placed on the back burner to be just the therapy I need.  Slowing down every now and then to smell the roses, not feeling guilty about missed training opportunities sometimes is not a bad thing. Your body recovers, your mind recovers, and a strong body and mind in my opinion can only help in your Kung Fu training.

Why you aren't a Rocket Scientist

In cleaning out my office, I came across a unique book that I was required to review while working in a manager position several years ago.  The book was called:  “Now discover your strengths” by Marcus Buckingham. 

Momma always said I could fly to the moon if I just put my mind to it.  This book, teamed with huge amounts of research and data, challenged this notion.  What the book proposed was that as infants, the neurological pathways are set, our learning patterns are established at a very young age, and they transcend into our adulthood.  A person’s talents or strengths are hardwired from when we are born and this cannot be changed. 

This was an interesting concept because most companies focus on a person’s weaknesses and throw countless dollars to get them to overcome that weakness.  Now it may be true you can spend money on giving tools to people to help them better manage their deficiency but it will likely never make them a super performer at a task where they are weak.  The premise of the book is rather to identify a person’s strengths; and position people in a role where they require use of their abilities.  Get the right people on the bus, and get the people in the right seats, was an analogy.  Training should focus on reinforcing and building up a person’s natural abilities rather than aiding a weakness.

At the time I was reading the book, I also participated in a questionnaire that identified my strengths.   It absolutely nailed what I saw as strengths in myself.   It characterised traits and tendencies that were bang on.

The conflict, however, was that many of the concepts of the book seemed a little in conflict with Kung Fu. "But a master, rather than condemning himself for his "ordinariness", will embrace his ordinariness and use it as a foundation for building the extraordinary"  (Mastery by Stewart Emery). Are there limitations surrounding the way you are wired to what you can master?  I believe everyone has limitations, and that we revert to thought processes that have been “hardwired” into us.  When you subtract large numbers, do you subtract from the nearest hundred or count up from the nearest ten?  Do you prefer to learn a form by learning each movement independently and piece it together afterwards, or running through the entire set of movements and work details out later.

However, in watching candidates over the years become black belts and display mastery in the presence of what seems like insurmountable challenges, I have to think the brain is more dynamic than what the book suggests.  It is nothing new that we all possess talents, but I think that is the beauty of Kung Fu.  In the process I believe you learn more about yourself and in that, you find hidden talents and new strengths that no amount of research or questionnaires could draw from you.  Learning to optimize what you already know you have; find something new within; and become more than what the world says you can. To me, that is Kung Fu.

Baby Steps

The Bucket List.  A concept refreshed from a recent movie release in which a person writes down the experiences they wish to complete before kicking the bucket.  I generally didn’t follow this concept, more appreciating living daily and cherishing things with which I was faced with.

Lately, however, I came across a video clip of a sperm whale encounter, in which a scuba diver is nose to nose with a monstrous beautiful creature.  Chalk this one up to number one on Vince’s bucket list.  So why would a person who still needs water wings in the deep end of the pool seek to swim with a monster that eats giant squid kilometres under the ocean.  The answer; because it terrifies me.  For some weird reason, one of the most awe inspiring experiences lies at the heart of my fears.

The idea though, has further inspired me to take baby steps in my I Ho Chuan personal goal to learn to swim.  Words from Sifu last class were really inspiring regarding weapons training.  Sifu mentioned it did not matter where you where at, but rather that you return a little better than you were.  I am going to apply this to my personal goal of learning to swim.  I may start slow, but I will be sure to never taper off. 

This was just another example that in the process of learning to kick and punch, I came across a lesson to be applied in life.  In all likelihood I may never swim with a whale in the open ocean, but I think the journey to that goal will be quite an experience.

Thank you kindly.....1000 times

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.  That was the overwhelming notion that ran through my head.  I am proud to have made the commitment to join the I Ho Chuan class and look forward to the coming year with some eager nervousness.  At first glance, this kind of challenge is like handing a toddler the keys to a Formula 1 car and telling them to win the Grand Prix.  Fortunately, with the support of a wonderful family, friends, Sifu's and fellow students, I say lets roll with this!  

Now to have a look at my first experience.  Over the past couple days in reviewing the requirements for the I Ho Chuan, and beginning with logging pushups, situps and other activities, I ran across a very interesting revelation.  The new awareness that journaling has caused regarding Acts of Kindness, revealed the number of times that people have stepped out of their way to help me.  Reflecting back on the days, I've observed more acts of kindness to me than what I've dished out.  When you make a point of focusing on kindness you see that the world is overflowing with it, and that is really good.  Take for instance the fellow student that offered his never worn, brand new Kung Fu Gi for me to use after I had forgotten to pull mine from the washing machine.  All I can say is thanks.....1000 times.