Shuffle Shuffle

Once again, I learned the lesson that working with a partner adds a whole different dimension of challenges.

Going through our demo on Thursday, our first run through had my partner "falling" off the stage.  Next go around, as we approached that portion I thought "oh right!!  I can't let her fall off the stage this time!".  And so I simply shuffled a bit over, thinking "ok, crisis averted".  Haha.  Nope.  I shuffled, but now she was completely in the wrong position for our roll.  Whoops.

In years prior, it's been easy (not really...but now in comparison it was...lol) to switch my stance, take an extra step, take one less step...whatever I needed to do to make the space on the stage work.  I can't do that with a partner.  With any change made, we affect each other.

Having said that...I don't think that puts us in a place where we just say "oh well...nothing I can do".

What it means is that we have to be hyper-aware...in real time...of any adjustment or misstep that might occur with our partner, and then adjust ourselves accordingly.  Seems to me that this will be a very transferable skill.

A Little Less Fluff

As we continue to work on our fan form in preparation of the upcoming banquet, we’ve been looking at the length and trying to determine which portions we really want to showcase. Good news is that there actually aren’t very many bits that we don’t like and to me that means we actually like our form. Lol.  Bad news… Actually, there really isn’t any bad news. We started to take a really deep look at the different sequences in our form. The first thing we looked for was duplication of techniques. Those were easy spots to remove to reduce our time. From there, we started to look deeper at our stepping and our transitions. We found a few spots where we were able to become a bit more efficient, shaving a second here and a second there. We tried it out yesterday to the section of the music that we’ve been assigned for now, and I am so excited to say that it works perfectly. I’m also really happy with some of the little tweaks we made because it does feel better for flow. 

This exercise of trimming down our form was really insightful and I started to wonder how much fluff we sometimes have in there just filling space. And I don’t mean that every little move has to be applicable. But everything should have intent. And sometimes that intent is just to pose and look awesome.  

So don’t worry.  We kept those parts in. 

Besties

Sihing Burke asked on Thursday whether the team had kept in touch with their "besties" that were initiated at the start of the year.  The answer for me is "yes" and she just so happens to be one of mine.

I think my group has worked for a few different reasons.  For one, we created a WhatsAp group to communicate immediately following that class where we check in, share, poke, etc.  I am also quite connected to my group outside of our "bestie" group with things like lion dancing, the fan and teaching.  So there's really nowhere to hide.  Something else that stands out to me is that it hasn't fallen on just one person to maintain the connection.  As I look through our thread, we've all stayed active, both responding to and initiating communication.  And when it's gone quiet for a bit, someone pipes up.  There were even occasions where we attempted to participate in each others requirements to try and generate some momentum for the other person and to try and share in why their goal was important to them.

We have all sputtered and drifted off track....but then suddenly there's been someone pulling us back.

As an example, I was recently tasked with implementing a plan to get back on track with my notes.  How did they know I had fallen off?  Well...because someone knew to ask.  And so I agreed that I needed to do something.  I was then asked to set a deadline.  Damn, ok....getting specific now.  And so I did.  And THEN it was agreed that if I didn't meet my deadline, that my besties would be allowed to come up with an appropriate consequence, but that I wouldn't know what it was in advance.  And to be quite honest, I didn't want to find out.  And so did I meet my deadline?  You bet I did.  And would I have gotten this going again on my own?  Probably not.

So for me, personally, my bestie group has definitely added value to my year.

A Mish Mash

There have been so many good things happening!  So many that I need to jot these all down so I don't forget.  Hopefully this will be enough to come back to another time and expand.  And apologies if these little tidbits don't make much sense for the reader, but they are just snippets for myself to return to.

Here we go...

1. I love teachers that are able to just sit back and let you come to all the wrong conclusions.  To some, this might seem like an uncaring teacher...but I see this as someone who really wants you to work through it and figure it out on your own...knowing that this will then stay with you, rather than jumping in to make every little correction, and ending up with a student that really doesn't understand why they are doing what they're doing.  I want to try and do this more in my own teaching.

2.  The biggest thing that I took from the kindness project is awareness of how connected (or not) I am to the individual members of the IHC team..and vice versa.  It made me wonder how I can get to know some of my team-mates better and how they can better connect with me.  And that's through my blogs.  We don't otherwise see each other in the same social circles, nor work circles.  This was an eye opener for how important my blogging is for both my team mates and my instructors.

3. Working on progressing with my 6 Harmonies has been difficult.  I think I've gone from one extreme to another, both, oddly enough, resulting in the same chunky effect.  But working on a particular part of DMH (step into open X with snap punch) I suddenly found myself expanding my "vocabulary".  I was doing a "1. 2. 3."  But then I started doing a "1 aaaand 2".  The "aaaaand" was my transition.  Why this verbalization helped, I don't know.  But it suddenly felt like I was doing the techniques, flowing through to the next, feeling harmony, etc.  Finally, a blue belt, and I think I maybe figured out 1 single 3 step section.  At least for now.  I'm pretty sure it will break again at some point.  Hahahahaha.

4.  I want to stop saying "I've been doing it all wrong".  I haven't been.  I've been doing it just fine for my level, ability, understanding, brain capacity, etc, etc.  It's just that now, for whatever reason, I can see how to do it different.  This is progression.

5.  Demo Prep.  I'm calling our fan form attempt on Thursday a "delightful disaster".  🤣  Working as a team with a partner has really brought with it many challenges that have been really beneficial.  Thursday brought some new ones.  Walking onto the "stage" on your own can be difficult enough...trying to find a spot to start where you have enough room to finish...not running into anyone or having them run into you.  Add a partner and you suddenly can't enter how you normally would want to.  I can't speak for my partner, but I felt like what I thought was good, wasn't, because I hadn't really considered my partner and where they would end up moving.  At times I recall feeling like everyone was right on top of us for some reason.  Lol.  I also didn't consider the fact that all these people moving around, with weapons swinging, would cause all kinds of breezes and winds....that we've learned are not conducive to a successful fan toss.  Even while at the Kwoon, as soon as the furnace kicks in, we need to be mindful of where we are because any little current will sweep our fans away when we are tossing them.  Hahahaha....well...lesson learned.  We can only improve from here.

6. Lion dance in the cold.  This was today.  The stick did not slip out of my mittened hand, to Sifu Rybak's great disappointment.  But I did learn that mittens are actually kind of heavy when thunder drumming and they got in the way of my clicks at times.  And don't ask me why, but drumming causes your touque to slowly slide off your head.  Just food for thought to all the drummers.  But a fun dance as always!

It's Been Good

So I was having a hard time maintaining consistency.  So I reached out to a team-mate to see if they wanted to have some scheduled morning training times together. And the last few weeks have been awesome.

We've been making alot of headway with our weapons form and I'm really starting to feel like we'll be ready come the banquet.  We are connecting dots and finding things in other forms and techniques as well.  And having this huge accomplishment under our belts right at the start of the day has made me feel like I've already conquered the day and everything else is icing on the cake.

And having some set days and times pre-planned is definitely holding me accountable.

So yeah, things have been good.

Nov 16, 2024

This past week flew by on me.  Even though we didn’t have any formal classes, my dad was here visiting and suddenly it was today. We spent the day driving to Saskatoon to bring him home and now I’m finally settling in for the night at my Aunts.   This is just a quick checkin, but I am actually feeling really good this week. 😁

Strides

So the inevitable happened. I’ve been using an app called Persistence ever since I joined the I Ho Chuan as a yellow belt. It's been a great tracking tool where I can set my goals with rep numbers and what not, and I can easily add numbers throughout the day as I do them. It tracks them how I want them tracked...meaning a daily total that was also added to a yearly total. It would also indicate whether I was behind on numbers or ahead. All in all, it's been a really advantageous tracking tool.

But disaster struck when I recently upgraded my phone. At the kiosk, I told the rep that I would set up all my apps and transfer my data later on. Turns out that some apps do not get backed up in that matter. And once you "skip" that in the setup, you can't easily go back. So I found myself having to manually add certain apps. Not a big deal really. Except for when it came to Persistence. It turns out that somewhere along the line the app discontinued it's availability in Canada. I was only able to continue using it as long as I had because it was already on my phone and I was sort of “grandfathered in “. But now that I was starting as a new download, I couldn’t access it. My numbers were gone. And not just from this year, but from the previous three years as well. Damn.

Good news is that I had a recent record in a blog.
Bad news is that it wasn't 100% current.
Bad news again was that I would still have to figure out how to track moving forward.
Bad news again, again...once my app was gone, I was randomly recording, or not recording, numbers all over the place. A real muck mess. But I've accepted the fact that I was less than diligent during my search for a new method, and those numbers are gonzo.

I won't dwell on it....and will instead, continue with my story.

In terms of tracking, I knew I wanted to continue using an app. Although I do love a good spreadsheet...it isn't my ideal platform. I became accustomed to a certain lifestyle with an app, and I wanted to find something that would give me the same benefits I had previously.

My research had me reviewing many, many different tracking apps. The list that I reviewed and tried is as follows,

Clickup
TickTick
Google Tasks
Todoist
Habitica
Habit
Trello
Way of Life
ATracker
Coachme
GoalsonTrack
Hive

None of these made the cut for various reasons. Some were far too pricey. Some didn't offer any flexibility. Some were more akin to a To-Do list. Some wouldn't allow exporting. Some could only be accessed on a phone and wouldn't sync between devices. Etc, etc.

I finally settled on an app called Strides. So far it is giving me all the features that I am looking for. And a few that are icing on the cake...one being that it syncs with my watch and I can quickly add reps on there as well. Another being that it predicts my end number based on my current pace.  Kinda cool.  The only downfall I can see right now is that it isn't free. But it's still on the lower end than the other paid ones.  And I do like that it offers a one-time lifetime payment as well...rather than paying monthly/yearly forever and ever. So for now, I've paid for a month (roughly $6) and will give it a good test. If I like it, I will likely do the lifetime purchase, which works out to 2 years of the annual anyways.

Anyhow...I thought I'd share all this as I know it's a struggle to find a good tracking system and we all seem to want something a little different.

I'll let you know how it's going at the end of the month.

Also, my numbers below are just a screenshot from the app.  Easy peasy.

Big Changes

Not many of you know this, but I'm going through a pretty big life change at the moment.  My current employer is entering retirement, and the business, as it stands, will not continue in its current capacity.  

As of Monday I have transitioned to working from home, as the offices are downsized.  My final day as an official employee will be November 29.

I am so grateful for the time I've spent at Interlab.  The owners have been the probably the best employers I've known and have become close to me like family.  Their philosophy has always been "family first".  I recall them, at one point, telling Suncor that they'd "just have to wait" when Nathan was sick as a baby.  The opportunity to work for them came at the exact moment I needed them.  And they allowed me to pursue a fulfilling career, without having to sacrifice being a mom.  And I wish them all the best.

Having said that, I've decided not to pursue future employment in this same capacity.  I intend to spend more time on teaching, Kung Fu, my home and my family.  It's a bit scary, but also very exciting.

I'm looking forward to spending more of my time on the things that really matter.  And I'm so grateful that I'm fortunate enough to be able to do so.

Meet Margaret

I'd like you to meet Margaret.

She came to be during the Break-a-thon on Monday.  From one of the wooden boards broken by Todai Raw.

It may sound funny, but I think I might just take as much pride in holding a board for a successful break as I do when breaking the board myself.  Holding a board is a big responsibility and the holder can make or break (haha...get it?) the attempt.  It requires proper technique just like the strike would.  Proper stance, locked arms, strong grip, perfectly still....a checklist of things that I go through while getting set up and placed.  When that board breaks, I feel that excitement.  And when it doesn't, I accept some of that responsibility and feel that disappointment.

So when someone asks me to hold their board, it's not only a big responsibility, but also a huge compliment that they trust me enough to do so.

Break-a-thon 2024

I was quite pleased with how my board breaks went last night.  In fact, the Break-a-thon is turning out to be a real indicator of progress over the previous year.  I recall just last year having some difficulties with the orange board.  And I don't even recall attempting the green...maybe once.  But this year, I found the orange to be a non-issue...and even the green with the majority of techniques.  And I recall thinking to myself that I could feel major improvement from last year.  So yay!

Leading up to last night my main focus with board break practice has been acquiring my target.  I realized in class a few weeks ago that we spend way too much time and attention setting up our boards (or shields).  We tend to move our holders a fraction of an inch this way or that.  And it's really irrelevant because once you actually get into the sequence, things change.  Perhaps you don't recover quite how you intended.  Maybe you step a bit off.  Turn a bit wide.  Whatever.  And I was finding that I was just rolling into the next technique with the expectation that my board was where it should be.  I wasn't really looking and verifying before I started to move....which meant I was often moving incorrectly.  So as I worked on this, my strategy was to pretend, somewhat, that the second break was somewhere "unexpected".  As soon as I recovered, I would specifically have to look for that second target, and then move and step as needed to get there.  I changed my thinking from "set up the target for how I want to move" to "move as needed for where the target is set up".

Last night was a perfect test for this.  As I set up my 4 boards, I did so quickly and with a general approximation.  I was about to "tweak" everyone a bit further and then thought, "nah...close enough, let's just go for it".  At the forefront of my mind I just told myself to do what I've been practicing...after each break, just look for the next one and do what needs to be done.  And I did it!  I'll be honest with you...it wasn't perfect by any means.  There were a couple little hippity-hops I had to make, but the breaks themselves were successful.  And there are a few things I know I want to work on moving forward....the biggest one being that I need to take my time a bit more to ensure my recovery is solid before setting out for the next one (this relates to expansion and contraction as well!).  I think this, in itself, will rectify the stutter steps when I need to adjust and will make the flow between breaks more fluid and even more intentional.  I have to remember that the recovery is still part of the technique...and we need to finish the first one, before we move on to the next.  

Anyhow, errors aside, this will mark my first successful 4-board break.  And I love firsts.  Lol.

October 19, 2024

 IHC Numbers To Date

Pushups = 21104
Situps = 20418
Fan = 473
Long = 322
Sparring = 279
Km's = 785
AOKs = 637

Partners

Working with a partner for my IHC weapon form has been both challenging (in a good way!) and very rewarding.

In addition to all the normal things that we encounter while developing a form....incorporating a variety of techniques...trying to find flow and harmony...maximizing speed and power...looking super cool...showing off your skills...incorporating things you need to work on......

...well...in a double form, you now have another person and a complete second form to consider along with all of these same things.

When working alone, the tweeks, the adjustments, the additions, the deletions....are all fairly straight forward (the process that is).  You find something that needs fixing...you figure out the problem...you come up with a solution...and voila!!! (kidding....I know it's not quite THAT simple...lol).

But it DEFINITELY isn't that simple when your form is intertwined with someone else's.  There are occasions where I might want to make a "simple" tweek here or there....or maybe I want to just delete a particular step that isn't really working for me....but doing that might actually cause a waterfall of problems for my partner.  One little "fix" for me might mean that, as a pair, we are no longer aligned properly...or our timing is off....or, or, or....so not so straightforward. 

We are also noticing that we seem to have different "stubborn" spots.  The things I am finding difficult are things my partner doesn't seem to have any issues with...and vice versa.  This is important because it is challenging us to not give up so easily on different techniques or transitions.  We know it's possible...because our partner has figured it out...and we just have to figure out the way for ourselves.

Working with a partner has added a completely new level of "eye of detail" for me.  And to be honest, it's really kind of exciting.

Old Friend

I was doing some training and I was suddenly inspired to pick up my Kwan Dao. Of all the weapons I’ve used, my Kwan Dao is my favourite.  It was one that I really felt challenged by, but that I also felt a real connection with.  My understanding and knowledge of using a weapon to its fullest advantage came with my Kwan Dao. It taught me how to turn a weapons “weaknesses” into strengths. I’m pretty sure I will return to the Kwan Dao someday, but for now, it’s a friend I can turn to when I need to ground myself. Both literally and figuratively. Lol