December 27, 2015

This Christmas while hanging with family and friends, I was reminded the importance of faith, love, friendship, kindness, forgiveness, empathy, gratefulness. 

So many times I ask why I have been blessed as much as I have.  I have a real hard time understanding why I would deserve the great people and the great opportunities in my life. My meager human attempt to understand it, keeps me pointed to the ideology that good things are the result of good deeds. But that thinking is greatly flawed, noting that my actions and decisions are not even close to equivalent of the blessings in my life.

If not that then, I can only explain it one other way. Grace.  Grace of friends, grace of family, grace of the human race, and according to my faith, the grace of God.

And for that, I will be forever thankful.

Merry Christmas everyone.

December 20, 2015

I have always thought the dragon dance was a very cool part of Silent River.  I have always admired how it had the ability to bring the I Ho Chuan team together.  What I did understand was that the commitment to perform a dragon dance was immense, and discouraged myself from its involvement due to my flaky work schedule.  What I didn’t entirely understand, was the gears behind what makes the dragon dance so potent a team builder.

Over the last couple of practice times, I have had the opportunity to be part of the dragon dance as a fill in.  Truly I am a great test of their empathy, feeling most like a square cog in a Swiss watch, yet at the same time, feeling accepted, and instantly part of the team.

The development of a weapon form over a year of mastery requires many things.  The development of a dragon dance requires the exact same things with one exception. It requires familiarization with its movement, flow, and function. Identifying problems and working to solutions. It requires repetition to develop proficiency and skill.  It causes a stretch of limits and abilities to push out of comfort zones.  The dragon dance however, does this in a team environment, but in a much different way than say it would with a basketball or hockey club.  If a person has a bad day on a hockey team, he ends up playing less minutes and his lack of involvement is rather dilute. 

Alternatively, the link in a dragon dance team is literal.  It takes into account the physiology and abilities of each person.  Tall, short, limber, stiff, injured, healthy all these things taken from every individual get thrown into this melting pot and turn into a dragon soup that has its own flavour as a result of its ingredients. 

The experience this far has been really exceptional. The team’s patience, kindness and willingness to help advance my abilities are unbelievable.  My hesitation to get involved vaporized in about 10 minutes after hopping into the dragon.  I would like to thank all of you for that.  It truly is what has made this team exceptional.  

December 13, 2015

Nothing is a bigger test of your current perspective dial setting than a Canadian winter. While so many Canadians board planes to hot destinations, or snowbird the winter season away, it makes me wonder how Canadians get a reputation as cold dwelling snow lovers. 

For a number of years my winter perspective was in a drastic need of adjustment.  Rather than embracing what the season had to offer, I was anxiously looking for the onset of spring.  Well this year I have re-embraced my fondness for winter.

This year has already proved to be an awesome start to the winter season.  Snowball fights, backyard winter forts, tobogganing, skiing.  All those things that make winter as diverse a season as you can get.  Nowhere on the planet can you find four distinct seasons offering so many opportunities as you can in Alberta, and I for one, am very grateful for that.

December 6, 2015

The best things in life are free.  But do we truly get that? 

One of the great inventors of our time, Dean Kamen said “The ideal would be a machine that has no size, no cost, never breaks down, is available wherever you need it all the time, free.  That will never happen, there is a very pervasive but naïve assumption that aid means you give things away.  If you give things away with this mythical idea that it should have no cost, it will end up demonstrating that it will have no value.” From the documentary, Slingshot.

Sometimes, things need to take a piece of us before we realize the value added.  If we received the physical wellbeing, added confidence, and all the spill offs of the approach to mastery without giving anything of ourselves, we likely would not see the value in what we obtained.  What this means is, yes, there is a price to success in whatever you do, but it is in that sacrifice that the true value of the achievement is realized. That is common human nature.

We are crazy creatures.  Our brain seems to want to attach a sacrifice to every experience in order to give the experience value.  Take for example spending time with your kids.  Does the experience seem a little sweeter when you have put off work in order to spend that time.  Knowing you gave something up, has somehow made the time more valuable.

Take a lottery winner as another example.  Within a year, most winners would not rate there life enjoyment greater than prior to the winnings.  I think this is demonstrated because monetary freedom removes much need for sacrifice.  Remove the catalyst (sacrifice) and they lose value to life experience.

I am not sure if it healthy to be that way.  I really believe if we become more aware of the miracles that happen each day in our life, and the mind boggling probabilities that have come together for these miracles to happen, we would require less sacrifice to see the true value of our lives. Perhaps we might even recognize the sacrifice to be a miracle in itself, and to add value to the experience from a different perspective. 

For example we may gain an appreciation for the time spent away from the Kwoon for work as valuable, rather than toilsome.  From this perspective, stripping away our conventional view of value, we multiply our recognition of miracles in our life tenfold.

How we value the things most important in our life, has great implication on the value of our life. 

November 29, 2015

In light of the most recent festival of trees and the looming Christmas season, I thought it most appropriate today to discuss the Christmas tree.  As a forester I find it discouraging that arguments against this tradition are most often fed with a great deal of misinformation.

It goes without saying that cutting a tree results in negative consequence to our earth, but let me put forward an argument that just may lead you to dawn the axe this Christmas season.

Most people are not aware that the majority of Christmas trees are harvested from Christmas tree farms.  They are grown for one purpose, and one purpose only.  Young trees are NOT harvested from forested land base similar to that of the current timber industry.  In the absence of a Christmas tree demand, this land in the majority of circumstances would be utilized for other commercial crops.

For seven plus years then, we have a crop of juvenile trees that are cleaning the air, stabilizing soil, and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.  A crop that in the absence of the Christmas tree tradition, would never have existed. Trees are recycled in organic fashion through chipping and mulching and utilized for mulch and pathways.

When our family brings a real tree into our home, it becomes the center of attention.  It brings a peace and relaxation during a season that has all but forgot that. It reminds us of the importance of our forests, the bond we share with nature and our responsibility to protect it.  

November 22, 2015

I am sitting in a subway when over the intercom I hear “Sheep train approaching, on route to Monkey station”.  I look down the barren tube where the tracks gently fade away into the darkness, and hear the howling whisper of the approaching LRT. In no time the train breaks from the tube of darkness and whistles on by where I am standing next to the tracks. I take a studder step back as I didn’t quite visualize the velocity of this Sheep train, my hair blowing in all directions mere feet from the behemoth. She is cruising, with more velocity than I could have ever imagined.  This train however, isn’t stopping.  It keeps on flying by and every second more of its length disappears beyond view.  My option is clear, if I am ever going to get to the next station, I need to move fast and make the leap.

So here I am, same as most years.  The winter has punched my work in the guts with a cold icy fist.  Work is down for the count for another year.  And here I look at a speeding train trying to figure out how on earth I am going to board this baby and fulfill my goals of the I Ho Chuan.  There is no doubt the intimidation of re-engaging with a team firing on all cylinders is very intense. I have to push out the thought that perhaps a team so well engaged just might not need me at all. 

But it is no different than any other year.  I rely on the training I have done in exile, take the time I have left and put my everything into it from this point forward.  As always I ask the team in advance to please be patient with me while I get caught up with everything.  This week I have some wrap up commitments for work, unfortunately cannot make the demo for Saturday but will be back at it full force start of December. I look forward to boarding the speeding train with you all and flying on through to the next Kung Fu station.

November 15, 2015

I believe we have moved dangerously to the point where most people are willing to chance a product failure for sake of a lower price point.  It is really sad to see that a sales person is more proud of the extended warranty they offer than the product itself.

The obvious danger of our slide to a less than average quality standard is the accumulation of useless junk. More importantly, though, is when that standard begins to manifest itself in things of much greater importance.

50 years ago, a product did not generally need an additional purchase of a warranty. In fact, products went so far as including a warranty no charge.  In direct reflection of this, people of that time cherished the less tangible, long term values of relationships, friendship, family, health and community.

I heard a radio broadcast that really resonated with me this week.  It was emphasizing the importance of investing in things that are going to last long term.  Invest time in your relationships, invest time in your kids, invest time in your community.  I challenge the I Ho Chuan to stretch your acts of kindness beyond opening a door for someone or letting a person in traffic.  This week, I challenge you all to fill your acts of kindness with praise for your kids and spouse, forgiveness of a neighbor, care for your planet and community. I believe these things were a nicety for people 50 years ago, but much more a necessity for us today.

November 8, 2015

https://youtu.be/E90ZOF78vAY

November 1, 2015

Day 20 in Dawson Creek met the morning with a fresh blanket of snow. While the majority of the population was cussing the early onset of winter, I was elated.  You see my family decided to come up on Saturday which allowed me to cruise a couple of eerie streets with a miniature version of Captain America and a little dude named Kylo Ren.  The streets were dark, it was rainy and cold, there wasn’t a sidewalk to be seen, and yet it was awesome.

With the early snow came a shutdown for the day, which allowed for a really great afternoon spent cruising the new dinosaur museum outside Grande Prairie.  (Who new Grande Prairie had dinosaurs?).  From there the family departed back to Edmonton and I headed back to Dawson.

I don’t normally blog much about my daily events, but this was pretty special and just writing about the day has really made me smile.  Sometimes some of the greatest gifts are hidden where we don’t expect them.

October 25, 2015

There is no exception to perfection.  The phrase sounds harsh and absolute, but then again, I would argue it should be.  Using myself as an example, I have noticed that generally the areas that really require improvement in my life started from making a very small, very innocent exception.

That exception, through the large intermingled roots that tie everything from diet, exercise, life experiences, relationships, spirituality, and purpose…. affected them all.  I don’t think there is a choice. I don’t think I can compartmentalize any one aspect of my life and say I can make a poor decision here without consequence…to everything.  By that reasoning then, for me it is impossible to expect success if I do not pursue mastery in everything I do.

And we should.  Mediocrity cannot be removed from just one aspect of our life.  If it is in one, then it will be in the others as well.

In Dawson for the last 13 days, my biggest challenge, as normal, is diet.  In a smaller town options are pretty limited.  Most often I feel like a horse that has been sent out to pasture but told he should only eat the four leafed clovers.  Options are scarce making good decisions even more difficult.  But I know that a poor diet choice is twice as easy to duplicate the next time. I think of poor decisions as trail breaking in all the wrong directions.

With the combination of pursuit of perfection in all aspects of our life, an unacceptance of average in anything we do, and following that up with wise decisions that extend beyond the Kwoon; success should be inevitable…..sounds easy right.

October 18, 2015

I love carnies.  You know the Sham Wow, the Ginsu super blade, or the out of this world stain remover made from special salts from caves in Columbia.  I love being bamboozled by quick talking flashy presenters at trade shows. They fascinate me.

After the Sportsman show in Grande Prairie, I sat and thought long and hard on how one saleswoman was able to demonstrate better balance and strength by wearing a special magnetic bracelet.  Now this might be as simple as taking advantage of your center and how the force is applied to your arm, or maybe the crystal, magnet, ion combination truly does work.  Who is to say.

Fact of the matter is people are convinced on the product because the brain has said it can have a positive effect.  By typing in “the power of positive thinking and health” into a search engine reveals all sorts of studies that have proven positivity affects our health, learning capacity, adaptability, and therefore success.  And it isn’t just a little bit.  Results of studies are for the lack of a better pun….mind blowing.

Currently I am away from the Kwoon in Dawson city for work and during this time, I am working very hard at maintaining a positive outlook every single morning.  I can tell you I absolutely am seeing the difference in each day because of the attitude I have chosen to take.  I feel I have been more open to ideas, more patient, which has led to more success while at my job or training.  If you are struggling with things this year, I challenge you to just one week of positive thinking.  It starts with looking in the mirror first thing in the morning and recognizing that person you see is worth the investment.  Take an extra effort each day, and note the details of your life. The little things that are joyful, or worthy of a smile or laugh.  Right now looking at my new powerful crystal bracelet I can only help but smile.  That carnie was good!

October 11, 2015

Rights and privileges. In my opinion, being thankful is taking that which the world would deem as your right, or entitlement, and reclassifying it as a privilege.  To be thankful is to understand that every blessing that you may have is a miracle, and that with only a small change in circumstance it could be lost.  

Family, friends, freedom, health are examples of items that for whatever reason you may enjoy. By comparison, and under the recognition that this item may be an exception to those around you, to be truly thankful is to recognize that whatever you may enjoy comes to you undeservedly.  With that mindset, comes the greatest thing….appreciation for what you are blessed with.

This weekend I enjoyed two wonderful dinners with my beautiful wife, two boys, and friends while also having the chance to get to the advanced voting station prior to heading out to a new job.  What more in life could a person ask for. 

October 4, 2015

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh 

I am blessed in the fact that I barely have to think before my mind stumbles across something that makes me smile.  This world is truly a miracle in itself, without the additional blessings of family and friends.

I find that I often forget the potency of mindfulness under a well aligned perspective.  Attention to the details of the world around me, and truly seeing the miracle of each observation.  If I approach it from that angle, life enjoyment is almost inevitable.  Take for example that you cannot deeply concentrate on your next breath of air, without truly being thankful and happy for what it has given you.

This past meeting reminded me of that.  As Sifu alluded to, it was the two degree adjustment in perspective that I needed. 

September 27, 2015

Momma always said; “life is like a box of….” Ah forget it.  You get the picture. 

Life is grand because of its diversity, but sometimes that diversity is hard to appreciate.  Work schedules, physical ailments, family, community commitments.  Sometimes circumstance, other times by choice we find ourselves in situations away from the Kwoon and the training environment.

I go through a period of alone time training every year.  Sometimes a couple weeks, often a couple months.  It still does not get any easier to make the decision to walk through the door after a long period of time. Fear, anxiety and doubt are not uncommon.  Knowing that my training is not the same being away as it is when I am there, forces the question whether I have done all I could to get where I want to go.

What I forget however, is that sometimes solitude can be a great advantage.  I actually appreciate some time in hashing things out on my own.  I am not sure if it is the huge failures that sweeten the successes or what, but I find progress in solitude can be very rewarding.  That being said, no matter how much of a soloist you are, face time with training partners and Sifu’s is a must both technically and mentally.

And so came and went the forms seminar.  The hoe and dozer stopped in their tracks and I flew Mach speed to the school in nervous excitement that it would rise to my expectation.   And it did.  Thanks to all the Sifu’s for their time and careful attention to making us better martial artists.

Bruce Lee and the Apocalypse

I wake up in a cold sweat.  The walls of the room ricochet flashes of light with every blast.  Could it possibly be? I roll… low profile like…to the floor and not bobbing an inch, crawl commando style to the window. My mind contemplates the worst.  Bombs? Maybe. Unforeseen asteroid? Knowing how NASA is cutting back, this is very likely.

At times like this, you can never be more thankful for bulletproof Kevlar jammies. 

I hear a fiendish cackle, yup, must be a mob, recently ousted from their homes and coming here to get my 862 gallons of stored water, 122 days of rice preserves and most importantly my bulk cases of Pringle chips.

My wife wakes and looks down at me on the floor. Of course the terror of the situation is written all over the confused look on her face.  I tell her to stay calm and toss the baseball bat from under my pillow.

She tosses the bat and says ‘Fine, but don’t scare the neighbors again, they’re out having a pretty nice fire in the back yard’

OK, false alarm, but one can never be too prepared.

The confidence that I get from preparedness is critical to my function.  Unfortunately, that dynamic ability to adjust, to fly by the seat of the pants is more often what is called for.  This got me thinking about the question; In my drive to constantly be prepared, am I being counterproductive to my ability to be spontaneous?  If you are always prepared, when on earth do you get to practice for when things don’t go according to plan?

In the words of Bruce Lee, “Don’t make a plan of fighting; that is a very good way of losing your teeth”. “Be formless, shapeless, like water. Put water into a cup, it becomes the cup…”

Following that logic however, you can’t be water if you’re currently a brick.

So I analyzed Kung Fu and why we practice and prepare as we do.  Form repetition is obviously very critical for developing flexibility, strength, muscle memory….Aha, there is the answer.  Instinct.  Bruce Lee further talks about being formless and shapeless, to empty your mind rather than trying to remember what you have learned. But in order to act in all spontaneity, it goes without question that your body requires a blueprint to instinctively follow.

Forms give rise to instinct, and instinct can transform a brick into water.

In this revelation my heart rate rises in excitement for the forms seminar coming up this weekend.  But for now, I will tuck the bat back under the pillow and try to get some sleep.

September 13, 2015

The fact that the average Canadian is currently spending more than $1.5 for every $1.0 earned shouldn’t be a surprise if you follow the trend in Canadian politics.  I typically don’t like to get political in my blogging, but this time of season where a Canadian election is around the corner only the best has been brought out in our Canadian politicians.  I say that with a great deal of sarcasm of course.

It isn’t however the fault of our political parties to rally support through thoughtless promise.  Promises that they know very well the people will never hold them accountable for.  Let’s face it, all is fair in love and war…..and politics.  A party leader is only going to cater to the wants of the people, and when the people are throwing votes at the expense of horrendous debt I guess we should expect what we ask for.

The simple fact of the matter is this.  You cannot continue to spend what you do not have.  Don’t get me wrong, I have the same drive to get the best healthcare, the best education for our kids, and provide the best security of our country as the next person.  But to gain a popular vote by promising the moon to every Canadian does not seem responsible.  By no surprise then, there has been very little campaigning that mentioned spending cuts, or increasing efficiency or complete removal of broken programs.  I have heard a lot of thoughtless promise, but no mention how on earth they plan to pay for this. 

We live in one of the largest countries of the world with one of the highest resource values of any country yet, we are acquiring more debt than the majority of the first world, and by many metrics in comparison to other countries fall short.

There is only one answer to this.  We need to change our views before we change our government.  We need to figure out how to get our own households in order and out of debt before we can ask the same of our government. We need to reduce our strain on the environment by changing our consumer patterns, spend less than we make, understand that living in our country is a privilege and not a right and for goodness sake quite blaming the government for the monster each one us has created.

 

September 6, 2015

Continuous employment is not recognition of a job well done.  In my last few years of consulting in the environment industry, this past week it hit me that I have very little evidence that the work I complete is recognized as exceptional.

This bothered me because during certain periods of the season, work takes probably close to 90% of my attention.  Application to Mastery in Kung Fu must absolutely spill over in application to every aspect of our lives.  If it doesn’t, then Kung Fu is nothing but superficial, and becomes nothing greater than a hobby rather than a lifestyle.  This isn’t as bad as it reads though.  I would argue that most of us began our Kung Fu journey not recognizing the full implications it would have on our thoughts and actions, until one day it dawns on us that it is a lifestyle, not recreation. 

Back to my original point though.  If something like my career is not showing the spill-over effects of my efforts in Kung Fu, then what am doing wrong?  Am I truly applying mastery to all aspects of my life if something as significant as my career is not reflecting it.  Truly, I wish to be the best consultant available to my client.

So with some discouragement and disappointment I decided to think more on what I was using as a yardstick for my success in my career.  Feedback, negative or positive, is just not a suitable measure of my efforts because there just isn’t enough data.  That is just the consulting game I guess.

So I am still scratching my head on this one.  It seems as though not all thoughts can be answered before Sunday night’s blog post.  I pose the question to you all.  What do you use as an indicator that you are successfully applying mastery to the most important aspects of your life?

So Long to a short summer

This week was one of vacation.  It took three days of preparation late into the night after work to get all the gear prepared as everything was in shambles.  A week that vanished like vapor and tonight I return to the bombshell that I left last Saturday.  A couple of notes:

-Relaxation does not necessarily mean inactivity (but sometimes it does)

-Attitude counts more than age (So says my Ma who rappelled off the Crescent Falls cliffs this week)

-Atmosphere is a key ingredient to relaxation. (Hoorah for mountains)

-Humans are sometimes better off less connected (Yay to my Samsung and its poor reception)

So then; so long to another Summer that has officially kicked the bucket.

August 23, 2015

I have come to the conclusion that relaxation is a skill.  My grandpa had the ability to shut down the farm tractor and have a midday snooze under a poplar tree on the side of the field.  My son is currently lying beside his bike curled up sleeping on a patch of grass in the sunshine.

My mom right now is jokingly asking me for Ativan.  I am pretty sure I know which side I take after.  Today I am out camping with my family.  Relaxation is on the menu, and after more preparation than I can imagine, we have finally made it to the destination, but not without help.  My family is tremendous in support and good old fashion help.  I am blessed.

As we speak, I am listening to Johnny Cash with my feet up, my only responsibility right now is to flip the potatoes on the barbeque.  No reason to be stressed about anything.  Yet, in the empty void left by a lack of stress that should be filled with Folsom prison blues, I find my brain wandering to find something stressful to think about.  Sheesh.

The ability to relax is a bit of a learned skill, one that I need help with no doubt.  There is nothing good about stress and anxiety.  It is not good for the body.  This week being around good people that I care about is certainly helping things out.

Life, Legacy, and Kung Fu

My core values and beliefs; my personality blue print if you will; is what drives the decisions I make today.  Those decisions have impact in the world in which I live.  The resulting residue that lingers long after I am gone will be my legacy.  When I speak of Legacy, I am not speaking of a narcissistic need for the remembrance of my existence.    Rather I am thinking of what benefit have my decisions made to the community and earth which I am a part of.

I got to thinking about legacy in my Kung Fu.  On further thought I have begun to realize the impact that training has on core values, and since that seems to be the driving force behind decision making, it makes one think if training is going to provide a legacy in which I can be proud.

Action without contemplation is ignorance.  With that in mind I am pleased to say that the years I have trained in Kung Fu were not mindless, but a continuous evaluation and reflection which always resulted in insurmountable reason to continue.  Many of those reasons are the core values that training honed, include confidence, work ethic, control, and most importantly awareness.

In that awareness, I then recognize that what makes our lives great is the result of the legacy of past generations.  Clean air and water, morality and stewardship for example.  Perhaps it is due to a sense of gratitude to our forefathers, or an obligation to future generations, but I would say that the greatest driving force to wanting to make a positive influence is more self-serving than that. I think it is mostly the gratification of a positive accomplishment that drives those good decisions.   

A person toiling to build the pyramids, may have had little enjoyment out of life, but left a remarkable legacy.  On the other hand, how many lives of great joy and utter fulfilment have come and gone with very little impact to the future world.

When I got to thinking about this, I realized that a very fulfilling life indeed is one that lives in the moment, and enjoys what has been given to us through the legacy of past generations, AND, receives the gratification and accomplishment from a legacy they can be proud of.

While I flew off on a bit of a tangent there I want to get back to Legacy and our Kung Fu.  Recognize that what we do in the I Ho Chuan; from the demonstrations that display hard work, commitment and mastery, to the way we live our lives as stewards to the community and environment are making an impact and leaving a very, very positive legacy.  That legacy, and an awareness of the gifts in this life with which we are given, makes life truly awesome indeed.

August 8, 2015

It boggles my mind to think of the mathematics involved in a lunar landing.  How on earth can you send a fire powered rocket from a moving point and hit another moving point 385,000km away.  It’s all about getting the right trajectory.

Lately, trajectory has been on my mind.  Maintaining that direction for continued success in Kung Fu.  Too steep a trajectory and life is thrown out of balance and the rocket hurls to the ground in a huge fireball.  Too weak a trajectory and goals get missed, motivation slumps and the rocket runs out of fuel and also hurls to the ground in a big fiery crash.

Maintaining a positive, sustainable trajectory is tricky business.  I think it is about a continued guess and test.  Am I missing my goals, then perhaps I am on too weak of a trajectory.  Time to regroup and push toward my goals a little harder.  Am I fatigued and finding it difficult to meet the demand, including work, family, friends, mental health etc, then perhaps I need to downscale.

I am constantly assessing my trajectory.  I evaluate whether I am moving forward, I evaluate whether I am spending enough time with family, I evaluate my mental being.  This past week I am feeling the pain of a trajectory that is not steep enough.  This upcoming week I will be upping my training, then evaluating where I am, how I am doing, where I plan to go. 

Death Race 2015

No Death Race this year.  It has been a couple years that the race has been on my I Ho Chaun goal requirements.  This year however we were honored to be invited to a wedding of friends that was really special for us.  It was really nice to share that occasion with them.

Following the wedding we continued with the trailer west….and we didn’t stop until we ran out gas which just happened to be Grande Cache.  While we were about a day late for the race we were still in time to take in the atmosphere that this little mountain town provides and hook up with the racers with all the after stories.  Right now I am writing this blog on the banks of the Sulphur river on a portion of the course waiting for a family member to complete a portion of Leg 5. 

Here is a real story.  The “Red Hot Chilean Peppers”  Team name for a group of spicy Chilean runners which are also family members and friends who gave a good crack at it this year. 

Unfortunately time was not on their side, but…..everyone is running there leg anyway. Right now we are waiting to cheer on Carlos who is running leg five as we speak.  We are timing him, and we have a grim reaper dressed at the river crossing.  Now while the boat is long gone, the family and team is out in full force to see what he can do!  Prior to that Nibia ran Leg four (all 38km over two mountains) despite the fact the cutoff was missed.  Just awesome. This drive and never give up attitude is exactly the attitude of this race.

I think a lot can be learned from this group.  No failure gets them down, it just drives them forward. Just an awesome attitude and drive for success no matter what the outcome.  I really look forward to seeing their success next year.

I Ho Chaun goal success story

In the words of Bob Seger, “Every ounce of energy, you try to give away.”

That best sums up the approach to this past week, where I spent a week away from any form of technology, near the mountains at a kids camp for boys.  7 days of sleepless nights, kids racing around with reckless abandon, potato cannons, guns and ziplines. Phew, nothing draws energy like 40 boys between the age of 8 and 12.

Completing this week was one of the goals for my I Ho Chuan year, and it was difficult and rewarding all in one.  Kids that come from different walks of life, from difficult family situations, to learning disabilities, to boys with nothing more than atomic like energy.

One highlight was an opportunity to lead a nature walk and discuss elements of forest ecology, wildlife, bushcraft and survival.  Keeping a kids attention in the classroom is one thing, keeping 10 kids at a time at attention with every passing butterfly, grasshopper, dirt, rocks, pointy sticks and everything else nature could tempt them with was a challenge. 

One other circumstance this past week saw a child that had a very difficult time relating to any of the other kids. He was really concerning the leaders, as he just seemed to have a really difficult time with things. On one particular day a counsellor observed him out in the field alone and hunched over.  He stood up hunched still, took a few steps back.  Curiosity continued. A few seconds later a small balsa wood glider sored into the sky as the result of a long elastic launcher he had crafted.  The glider soared, and the child jumped and skipped in the field as it soared through the sky and eventually down to the ground.  He launched that glider thirty times or more with the same satisfaction and huge smile on his face every time.

I talked with the boy and soon found he loved things that could fly.  I showed him a couple of paper airplane patterns I knew.  My version did not fly very well, but after showing it to this child he took the pattern and made it into one of the best flying paper airplanes I have ever witnessed.  He folded one just for me.  Later in the week he was told by a counsellor that the week was drawing near and soon he would be able to go home.  In disappointment, he cried.

Better empathy training I could not have asked for.

July 18, 2015

Tonight, I closed the laptop.  Sat down on the bed and read a story to my kids. Perhaps, this should have been on the top of my list of things to do.  Up until now, it just wasn’t.  

Let’s back up.  The week started with a trip to Saskatchewan, followed by a job quite local.  That job however, resulted in complications involving EPS and a stolen vehicle, property damage, additional trespassing, and then unrelated; involved the fire department and military.  You would not believe the story if I told you.

Priorities realign to meet the current state of things, and although I know better my body is the first thing often shuffled to a lower state of priority when things get busy. It is generally deprived on sleep, fed poorly, and pushed harder than ever with the justification that it will only be short term, and anything short term it can handle.  I know better than this, as one day leads to two, then three, and before you know it, you are sitting in front of the lap top in a crumpled heap at the end of the week telling the kids you don’t have time to read a story.

Time to step back, look at things from a different perspective, and from that perspective realign your priorities.  This week I got it wrong.  In fact I wasn’t even close. Things that should have taken center stage ended up way on the back burner. Mental and physical health need to be top of the list. Without that, nothing can be kept up for very long. 

On another note, I am going to be gone for the week, but not work related.  It is volunteer time at summer camp, so I am sure to have some experiences that I can’t wait to share with you all next week.  Until then, train hard, stay healthy!

I Ho Chuan Goal in my Sites

One more week before I am off to camp as a volunteer at Camp Teepee Pole.  As one of my I Ho Chuan goals I am really looking forward to this for many reasons, the most being the opportunity that this year is going to afford. 

Last year the camp began an ambitious undertaking of bringing a small building on site with hopes of creating an outdoor learning center.  Also last year, I was given the opportunity to take each of the groups for a portion of the day and teach them about forest ecology, the environment, and planted trees to wrap things up.  It is so enjoyable to teach kids, especially when you are very passionate about the subject. 

This year, I don’t only want to finish the week, I want to blow this out of the water.  So for the next week I am going to be preparing, such that if I am given the opportunity again this year to teach, it is going to be absolutely awesome and educational.

Thinking on this, led me to realize what we have in the Sifu’s at Silent River.  Let’s face it, as students, sometimes we have the attention span of a chicken.  Keeping their students engaged, and interested must sometimes be a real battle.  I think back over the classes I have taken and realize that I really have taken the instruction for granted.  So here is a big old thank you to all you guys who find ways every week to keep us focused and on task.

On a final note, this week saw me west of Rocky Mountain house climbing up and down hills and through river valleys.  It was both fun and an exceptional workout.

Histories Greatest

An ad on the radio came on today that caught my attention. The ad mentioned that in a survey, the majority of people believe that our society is in a current state of decline.  So naturally I began to reflect on the generations that I had any real experience with.  These would include my grandparents, parents, my generation and the newly budding generation of my kids.

My parent’s generation was good.  My grandparent’s generation was exceptional, and based on that current trend I would speculate that my great grandparent’s generation was phenomenal.  Generations that were problem solvers, inventors, hard workers, resilient, thrifty, neighbourly, just to mention a few admirable qualities.  Generations that have seen both oil lamp lit homes, landing on the moon, and worldly connectivity and information over computers and cell phones.  That is true adaptability. 

If we can just sit down and listen for a moment, to those people that have made us who we are, who inspired us to be as good as we can be.  Between my wife and I we have one remaining grandparent.  She is 96.  Too often we don’t take the time to sit down and enjoy people, and truly listen to what made them exceptional.

Society has certainly taken many leaps forward in terms of human rights, racial acceptance, environmental awareness, and in many circumstances has taken giant steps back.  Regardless of that, there are still great people in this day.  People that still have a solid work ethic, care for the community, and a want for change. People that are willing to take on projects, be leaders in the community, and teach the next generation what it means to be great

June 28, 2015

More than anything I am a kite in the wind, moving according to weather, client budget approvals, contractor availability and schedules, equipment breakdowns, hidden surprises on site. I fly around in utter randomness. Fort St. John today, Weyburn tomorrow.

For as long as I have been in Kung Fu, my schedule is best described as “loose”. I have never been able to say indefinitely that I would be at my son’s birthday, never been able to schedule a camping trip.  Scheduling dinner with friends, or a social event is pretty much none existent in our household, unless it is last minute.

Ironically, to be accountable is everything to me.  I hate to disappoint.  Under promise, overachieve is the mantra I wish to live by.  So, with a schedule like mine I naturally get leery of commitment.  Eventually you withdraw, don’t commit to anything, and thereby remove the possibility of disappointing anyone.  It’s not a good system, because under promising shows no progression, no accountability, and is really mediocre.  I have not really found a solution to this problem.

This could be the reason why attempting to achieve a black belt this I Ho Chuan year was a pretty tough decision for me.  Knowing the involvement that is expected, and on the other hand knowing realistically my availability makes the decision difficult.  More often than not, I ask myself whether this is something I can truly achieve.  It is, from many different angles, one of the most difficult things I have attempted.

I am in a very tough time of the year.  Demo’s, Kung Fu workshops, and most recently boot camp are items that have flown past.  I see the pictures, I read the blogs, I hear about the great benefit of all involved.  Every time I drive past the park in Stony, I wonder if I could perform my rope dart form on the bridge over the pond like last years demo….I rack my brain on how I can get there, be involved, show commitment, progression, all these things without a physical presence.  It is difficult…..very difficult.

All I can say is that I need to be prepared when the opportunity will present itself.  That means showing progression and being accountable when it counts. 

Saga of the Chinchaga

Well…he sees you, do you see him? Of all my critter encounters, It’s my best wilderness Waldo impression I have ever photographed in the Chinchaga. Let me know by comment if you find him.

This landscape still has that graze of wildness and unpredictability. The sounds are free of humanized clatter.  A light rain awakens the smell of deep forest and rocky soil.  It cools my nostrils to inhale a deep breath of this pure earthy goodness, and my body has no other option but to relax.

The gentle rain gives way to beams of sunlight, which severs holes through heaps of puffed clouds, golden white on top and menacing blue to the bottom.  Close your eyes. Concentrate your mind to feel the gentle warmth of a sun beam striking the face.   The trees are animated by a gentle breeze, and in the absence of that sound there would be nothing…..

Ahh the Chinchaga, the big wood river.  And while this land is hard on the body and even harder on equipment, it is good for my soul.

Hulk to the back shelf

I have come to realize that control is a real game changer. It is everything.  How we perceive a situation, how our body responds physiologically, and how we react in our actions defines how well Kung Fu will serve us when we need it most.

This past week I was placed in a situation where I drew on my Kung Fu and did not even realize it.  It didn’t require perfect alignment in my fist, or a well chambered kick.  It didn’t require the perfect horse stance or centering. It didn’t require anything that most bystanders would attribute to martial arts.  It rather required confidence.  A confidence that in turn resulted in a slow heartrate, a clear focus, and a calm controlled reaction.

We train in Kung Fu with pure intent. Hope in that we will not require the physical side of our training. Situations like this past week may only be experienced once or twice in our life time.  Recognizing that engagements of this nature are fortunately very rare, I took the time to sit down and take note of how my body responded, and how my actions followed.  I was alarmed that I was so calm during the entire time because I know from experience this is not a normal feeling, not a typical response to something like this.  This kind of reaction was very, very foreign to me.

Looking at my life day to day I have a long way to go, but things like this past week really put into perspective that I have made progress.  There are reactions I have had in my life I am not proud of.  This week however gave me a real hope that I have come a long way, and just goes to prove that just because a change is slow, it doesn’t make it insignificant.

June 7th

Well I haven’t bought a pair of rubber boots as an anniversary gift like a friend of mine once did. I don’t adhere to; nothing says I love you like a cubic zirconia philosophy. I am wise enough to know that no gift is better than a funnel and a road map from the gas station.

June 7^th   seems to be a tractor beam for chaos.  Maybe we would have rethought our wedding plans 12 years ago if we had known that over half of those would be consumed by family emergencies, work callouts and commitments.  There is always something that keeps from showing my true appreciation for my wife on this day and this year was no exception regarding work and commitments.

This week I really got thinking of the influence of some very special people in my life.  They truly have made me who I am.  But most importantly today I would like to write about my appreciation for my wife.  She has been with me through thick and thin.  She has supported me, whether she agreed or even didn’t understand.  She has provided help, guidance, care and love like I could never have imagined.

I think most of us realize that most of what we accomplish in life is the result of someone special.  Whether a teacher, a parent, sibling or friend, take a moment of time to reflect on just what they mean to you.

Rest

I heard an analogy today on the radio.  Quite often we are like mountain climbers.  A mountain climber at some point in the route will have a point when they have two solid hand holds, and two solid foot holds.  At that point in time it is comfortable.  But the climber realizes that the only way to complete the climb is eventually go beyond the present security and remove one of those hands.

Rest is a dangerous thing.  It is also at times pretty necessary. I find sometimes it is difficult to decide whether rest is necessary or just comfortable.  One thing is for sure, when I am resting, I am not progressing.  Here is where I have to rely on those little daily routines to ensure my engagement doesn’t waver.  I find routines are awesome for avoiding training funk.  Before things get too comfortable, my brain is re-engaged with a set of sit-ups. Routines are awesome, it’s unfortunate I don’t have more of them.

I always struggled with the idea of working a day of rest into my routine.  Probably because I know my natural instinct is to be lazy and always feared that even one day would become too comfortable, and resistance would be futile.  But I am not being honest with myself, because I am still taking those breaks, but not according to a set schedule.   I don’t think this is benefitting me.  I have to somehow come up with a system that works with a fly by the seat of my pants schedule. Now there will be a challenge. I think the benefit however, will be an engagement that is more consistent, less ups and downs in the training regime, and less likelihood of injury. 

Mr. Baseball

A more responsible person, following such a dismal performance while throwing at this weekends dunk tank, may have said, perhaps I am not the guy to pitch baseballs to young children.  A more clever person would have stepped aside when faced with the opportunity to provide a safe environment to learn how to hit a baseball.  But nope…not this guy.

The blood coursed from my sons nose, the tears ran down his cheeks.  The entire team surrounded, jaws wide open in amazement.  On my face they read my thoughts as though a book; I have single handily ruined my sons love of the sport of baseball.   The nose of a seven year old is a pretty small target.  Odds of hitting that perfectly are not very good.  Unless you don’t want to of course. 

Either my son has a great deal of courage, an over inflated confidence in his father, or a poor memory, because he got right back up there to bat.  I was extremely proud of him and took that as a life lesson.  At his age, he probably didn’t realize how important it was to jump back to it following an experience like that.  Despite that, he took his bruises and moved on.  I think that misguided baseball probably hurt his dad more than him today.  That being said being hurt and proud at the same time is a bizarre emotion indeed.

Changes and adaptations

This past week has been all about adaptability.  Like the dandelions on my lawn who have learned to avoid my lawnmower by growing and seeding out 1cm from the ground.  Well the last couple weeks have been much like that, adapting to a couple health issues, back into the work schedule, helping with ball coaching.

I have been called out for work for the past couple weeks which has entailed jumping back and forth onto night shifts, then back to days and so on.  I have a real appreciation for you night shifters out there.  I feel like I am stuck in a revolving door of a fancy hotel, not sure if I am supposed to get out inside or outside, so instead I just keep riding.  It is pretty stressful on the body with disrupted sleep patterns and so forth.  Good on you folks that do this on a constant basis.  It is pretty messed up.

Anyhow, I have managed to fit some repetitions in near darkness which I am not sure if this is beneficial or just dangerous.  I much prefer the Kwoon.  In any case nothing too deep in this week’s blog, but I figure an update to the team is order. Currently can’t wait for the Pandamonium and will see most of you there.

Kung Fu Fusion

I recently evaluated where I am at with my Kung Fu, and it had nothing to do with my kicks or punches.  I evaluated where I was at with what Sifu Regier referred to as; “Believing in the system”.  I think when we first tie on the belt and take in our first class of Kung Fu we are entering a relationship similar to that of a vacuum salesman at our front door.  We approach with caution to determine if the salesperson genuinely believes that I would be better off with a Super Sucker 1000.

For me there was no real definitive time by which I can say that Kung Fu went from being a life add on, to becoming fused and a part of me.  The difference in those two perceptions however, is immense.  When something is an Add On, it is considered detachable, of little importance, easily sidelined, and even easier to drop altogether.

Some people will buy a Super Sucker 1000 after five minutes with the salesman, others may evaluate it for weeks.  The point is, Kung Fu fusion; I believe comes different for everyone.  For me, I know the process was slow. In fact it happened over a period of years.  In fact, I would even go so far as to say that it has only really been the last year that I have believed in the system.  I am not sure why it took so long.  Realistically I always liked what Kung Fu did for my life, I liked what it was doing in the lives of fellow students, and people who seemed to believe in the system already, really had no reason to lie.

What I do know, is that I believe I have arrived.  I am in a very different place now then I was even a year ago.  There are noticeable differences in the two perceptions.  When I miss a family event, I don’t feel guilty, I feel disappointed I couldn’t do both. When I miss a Kung Fu event, I don’t have resentment because I take my Kung Fu with me everywhere.  It’s fused, and it manifests itself in more than just 50,000 push-ups, it becomes integral in the way I think, the decisions I make, and my relationship.

One thing I am proud of, is that I did not quit for many years because I wasn’t fully invested in the system.   Making sure a Super Sucker 1000 is exactly what it claims to be takes time.  For me, that time meant periods of guilt, doubt, disengagement, resentment.  I think that is normal.  Realize that changes in your life of this enormity probably won’t happen fast, but they are very exceptional.  For those that are working through this, all I can say is stick with it, take a deep look at yourself at the end of this I Ho Chuan year, and whether you see it or not, I believe you will be one step closer to Kung Fu fusion.

The Action Plan

“Rather than giving up, as many ordinary people do, he will use his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process of attaining mastery” Mastery, by Stuart Emery.

This next year of the I Ho Chuan may be a defining year like no other.  But, like all the others, a work schedule will inevitably complicate the process.  This is not a problem if I can define a well thought out plan of attack for this year.  Here are a couple of thoughts that come to mind.

First, I am going to define my goals.  I need to have a clear understanding exactly what I want to correct in the time that remains for the year of mastery.  Determining each and every improvement required in my Kung Fu is the life long journey that I will be on, however, this is where the success coach comes into play.  Now, I am a person that has a very high appreciation for people who offer there time in my accord, but strangely I rarely will reach out for help.  This has to change.  I am going to mine the resources I have available at Silent River somewhat selfishly and seek out the mentorship that is available.  With help, I will be able to drastically narrow my focus to a realistic amount of improvement for the most crucial requirements.

Once defined, I will systematically attack these required changes, and once again tap the help button on occasion for the most efficient way to improve.  Now, times away from the Kwoon on a work cycle are going to happen, but here is the plan.  Video.  Dropbox.  Critique. That simple.  Utilize video for review and really tackle the issues.

Now onto another point.  Seek incremental improvement.  I will not be throwing all items on the plate at once.  For me, the most successful way to iron out details is one item at a time.   Dividing my focus over too many items at once is not productive.  This is where the coaching can come into play once again. 

There are roughly 10 more months in the year of the sheep.  Past experience has proven there will be a great many highs and an equal number of lows.  “Reality Checks” as was explained by Sifu is part of the process of beating the lows.  When things get down and dirty, I will be calling in reinforcement.  Often, a low can encroach very sinisterly and all too often I am not even aware of it.  This is the importance of the blog, and as equally important the blog readers.  I am asking a huge favour in this respect, if you read a blog of mine and see something that might indicate struggle, I really hope that you would reach out.  Sometimes an uplifting comment can be the difference of swinging perspective into the right direction. 

Maybe my Dad or Grandpa used to say “make hay while the sun shines”.  My highest level of engagement is when I am home.  This is roughly January through to middle of May and varies as the fall encroaches.  Spring, summer can get busy…. So as I have always suggested, when I am home I focus on getting to the Kwoon as often as possible.  Taking advantage of the Pandamonium events, demos, forms seminar and so forth whenever possible results in drastic advancement.  I will use these times to my advantage, kinda like booster pads to get ahead of the curve before the work tries to stagnate any progress.

Reflection will be key throughout the year.  Evaluating where I have come from and where I am going will be a constant thing for me.  Reground and regroup, analyze the goal and stay dynamic.  Change what is not working and move forward.  This may be the best plan for now, but it may not be 3 months for now.  Since flying by the seat of my pants (I prefer to call it adaptability and being dynamic!) comes pretty natural to me, this should be easy!