Learn It, Then Re-Learn It Better

Over the last few days, I've been working on doing my Tai Chi with purpose...with intent.  

Some feedback I recently received was that, often-times, with Tai Chi, we forget that there is application in there.  It tends to be so slow moving that we become lost in the flow of movement and energy (it can become very meditative and relaxing) and we tend to forget about the purpose.  I admit that this is what I was doing.

Since making this mental shift, I am seeing and feeling all kinds of different things that were previously un-noticed.  Much of it I haven't sorted through yet, but there was one very obvious connection made in last nights' class.  As we worked on the "overhead forearm block/palm strike", I realized that this is almost an exact replica of a couple of moves in both the Tai Chi Long and Short forms called "Fair Lady At The Shuttle" and "Rising From The Sea".  And I only made this connection because of the extra focus I've been putting into my Tai Chi.  By working to both establish my intent and keep it pure in my Tai Chi form, I was able to recognize that technique for what it was and then was able to make the connection between Tai Chi and Lao Gar.  And what was even cooler, was that upon realizing this, I took it a step further.  I can see and understand that I am much more aware of the way I utilize my energy and apply it in my Tai Chi form than in Lao Gar, or any of the other external forms.  But when I made the connection between the two techniques, not only did I replicate the external physical movements, but also the internal energy application as well....albeit faster.  And that whole technique in Lao Gar suddenly felt alive to me.  And I just realized while writing this that this is a prime example of "intent-chi" and then "chi-strength" as part of the six harmonies.  Lol.

I now realize that I've been practicing my Tai Chi as strictly internal...and my Kung Fu forms as predominantly external...but really, they are both BOTH.

So here I am, re-learning all kinds of things.  But I suppose that's the natural progression of things.  Learn it.  And then when ready, re-learn it a bit better.

Really Hard

Man I am really struggling with creating the second part of my Kwan Dao form with my left arm dominant.  Everything just feels so backwards.  In my head I envision a particular transition or technique as the next logical move, but then when I actually try to implement it, I end up all tangled up.  

This is really hard.

Which probably means it will be good for me.

Big Panda, Little Dragon

I stumbled upon a book a couple years ago that I fell in love with.

“Big Panda, Little Dragon”

It is filled with beautiful messages that all seem closely related to this journey and the path I am trying to take with my life.  Every so often I try to read a few.   These aren’t things I don’t know…but sometimes little reminders are all it takes to rejuvenate my mindset.

Need A Spark

As usual 🙄, my sparring is the more difficult requirement to keep on top of.  I’m doing okay so far with maintaining my numbers, but am still looking for that “spark” to ignite. So I’m thinking of developing my own sparring “form”.   I know that all of our forms supplement and support our sparring, but I’m thinking of something a little different.  Something more like the “jab-jab-reverse-hook-uppercut-bob-weave-huh-huh-etc-etc (I utilize this too).  And I’m hoping that I can use this (not just the form, but the process in putting it together) to gain some momentum and perhaps some confidence and desire.  

I need some help from the team though.  You don’t need to give up any trade secrets…but please comment below one of your favourite sparring techniques or combinations.  Blocks and kicks too!!  Sky’s the limit really.

Hopefully I find a spark.

Thank you in advance!

Who Knows...Not I

I was re-watching a video of my Tai Chi Short form this morning.  As I watched I had this really strong sensation that I was actually doing the form.  And not in just a "remembering what it felt like" kind of way...but more that I could actually feel the energy and movement with each technique, even though I was just sitting and watching.  I have felt this same sensation watching others do their forms at times as well.  Most especially with Tai Chi, but on occasion with some of the harder forms as well.  It seemed really strong watching myself though.  Who knows...maybe it was just memory eliciting the feeling.  And being a slower Tai Chi form, I was able to really immerse myself in that memory.  Again...who knows.

Nothing really "learned" here per say.  I just thought it was interesting.

It's Science

I stumbled across some interesting scientific findings about kindness that I thought would be fun to share.

1. Kindness gets rid of stress.  People who are naturally kind have 23% less cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
2. Being kind increases stamina.  In a research study, 50% of the participants reported that they felt stronger and more energetic after helping people.
3. People 55 and older who volunteer regularly have a 44% lower likelihood of dying early, and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week.
4. Being kind can reduce your blood pressure.  It has been found in studies that practicing acts of kindness helps release a hormone known as oxytocin, which protects the heart by reducing blood pressure. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism, which is extra helpful when we are feeling anxious or shy.  It is often referred to as the "love hormone" and plays a role in forming bonds and trust.
5. Kindness stabilizes our mood. It stimulates the production of serotonin, which is basically a mood stabilizer.
6. Being kind makes us happy. Performing an act of kindness triggers elevated levels of dopamine in the brain and a natural high is produced, often referred to as ‘helper’s high.’
7. Engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins, the brain’s natural painkiller.
8. Mindfulness-based therapy is becoming increasingly popular for treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. The therapy includes documenting your gratitude and acts of kindness. People being treated in a mindfulness-based therapy program incorporate acts of kindness into their daily routines.

It's science people.

Morning Coffee...Morning Blog

It has been working really well for me to post my blog earlier in the work day...or in the mornings while I drink my coffee on the weekends.  This approach seems to have much of the same benefits for me as my morning training does.  It gives me a beneficial way to start my day, like I've already accomplished so much, and it leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever life has in store for me.

But there have been a couple instances now where I haven't been able to finish and post my blog until late.  Sometimes it's a valid reason...sometimes not.  And just like my morning training, this is proving to be a bad idea.  The longer I wait...the later I put it off...the higher the potential will be that I just don't do it.  It might be that I just give up and say, "Oh well...too bad...I failed today".  Or I might potentially just simply forget because I wasn't consistent with my normal routine.  Either way, it's a risk.  It's also a hinderance for the entire day.  No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I constantly have this nagging thought in my mind...meaning I'm not truly in the present moment with what I'm doing because I have a task that should have been completed, but wasn't.

This is going to be an important part of my success with this requirement.  When at all possible (which should be most of the time), and just like with my training, I need to try and be consistent with posting my blog in the mornings.  I can't leave it, thinking I have lots of time.  We all know how time has a habit of slipping away faster than we think it will.

Guilty

Quick disclaimer: The subject of “guilt” can be a touchy one.  Before I start, I want to ensure everyone understands that this blog is about ME and is not directed at anyone else.  We all feel things differently, and this is my own approach.

My mom said to me once "If you feel guilty, it's not because someone else is making you feel that way...it's more likely because you have something to feel guilty about."

That lesson has been very important for me and I've carried it with me for roughly 30 years. When I feel guilty, it prompts me to really reflect and evaluate my current situation.  And guess what...my Mom was right.  Not often has my guilt come from external sources.  I don’t want to say “never” because that’s so absolute.  But I certainly can’t think of an example.  The guilt is present either because I am not happy with something I've done, or I’m doing something that is not in alignment with who I am, even if, at the time, I think I might be doing the “right” thing.

This has become useful to me in my life, and now in my training, and I've gotten better and better at utilizing this feeling as a tool.

Upon making a decision not to train, I try to immediately search for signs of guilt.   If I feel no guilt...I know that my reasons, and my approach, were both sound.  They were honest and I was honest with myself about them and I can carry on with confidence.

If, on the other hand, I sense the presence of guilt, that tells me that something within the present situation isn't right.  Something is out of alignment.  My intent isn’t pure.  If this is the case, I will re-evaluate and challenge myself on a deeper level.  Sometimes I carry on, feeling better about my decision, either knowing that I made the right one or simply making a quick tweak to rectify the wrong.  Other times I see right away that my reason has all kinds of holes in it…simply excuses…and I am swiftly able to change my course of action.  And then other times, I might realize it was my overall approach…maybe someone was counting on me and I didn’t address that appropriately.  

Whatever way you look at it, if I’m feeling guilty, there’s a reason….and there’s a way to rectify it.  I don’t simply have to live with guilt…it can be fixed and corrected.  And I don’t mean I can change past wrongdoings…I’m talking about utilizing the feeling of guilt as a tool, then acknowledging, accepting, and learning to do things better moving forward. 

Helicopter Cut

I think I've made some really great progress over the weekend with my Kwan Dao.  My beta version of "Part 1" is basically worked out.  "Part 2" will be a bigger challenge.  I intend to do "Part 2" with my left hand/arm as the dominant side.  This is not only to challenge my skill with my left hand...but I want to ensure I don't finish the end of the year lop-sided.  If I'm only working that right side with that extra 9 pounds all year, I envision myself eventually looking like the guy from "Lady In The Water".

I have also incorporated what I believe is called a "helicopter cut"....which I was really excited about!  As I was working this out over the last couple of days, it started terribly.  It was hard to maintain my balance with the extra weight and I had alot of difficulty controlling the momentum of the weapon while also jumping and turning.  After many attempts I finally felt like I was getting the hang of it.  I was pretty proud of myself and  I even took the time to take a video because I wanted to show Dan.  Well, we watched it today.  And holy cow did we have a good laugh.  I really thought I was getting some good air with my jump!!....but according to the video, my feet barely left the ground.  

I definitely have some work to do here.  But I did it with my box jumps...and I can do it here too.

Oh Wow...These Are Almost Decent

I was at the end of my training for the day...tired...and running a little late...when I thought to myself, "I can probably skip my spinning back kicks today."  

This was immediately followed with a "Oh come on...it will take you 2 minutes to just do a few on each leg.  Keep up your momentum.  Even if it's just a few."

And so I did.  And I honestly surprised myself at how they are feeling.  Perhaps it was just a good day.  Perhaps they will break again tomorrow.  But today, the thought of "Oh wow...these are almost decent" actually came into my mind.  And I am blown away at how just the few I've been doing every day have added up and made such a difference.

Hand In Hand

Just this morning, I learned the remainder of the Tai Chi Short Form. This is my IHC form, and although the year is supposed to be spent mastering our form, I'm fairly certain that 1000 reps will only scratch the surface....if that.

I started Tai Chi in March of 2020....only a few months after I started Kung Fu, in fact. So I've been doing Tai Chi for basically as long as I've been doing Kung Fu...which is interesting to think about. 

My Tai Chi has certainly supported my Kung Fu in ways that are clearly recognizable.  I've made specific connections and even attempted to transfer some of the things I've discovered in Tai Chi to my Kung Fu...and vice versa.  But I'm also fairly certain that there are other benefits that aren't as clear...ones that I simply take for granted...ones that I'm not even aware of because my Tai Chi and Kung Fu are so closely linked and because they simply go hand in hand...and they have from the beginning. They compliment each other in such a way that I'm really not sure what my Kung Fu would be like without my Tai Chi.  I doubt at this point if I could even do one without the other.  It would be akin to cutting off a limb.  

So although I don't intend to test the theory, it's still really interesting to think about.

I AM In Training

This will be a daily blog where there won't be anything amazing or insightful to post.  I knew there would entries like this one...more of a check-in than anything else.  I have several blogs that have been started, but my day just won't allow me to really dive in.  And that's okay.  So instead of rushing any of them, I'll use this bit of time I have to just share what I did today.

I'm proud to say that I've been very consistent with my mornings.  I haven't succumbed to pressing the ol' snooze button...not yet anyways.  So far all I've had to do is simply remember how I feel on those days where I don't get going early.  The days where I not only feel tired and without any energy...but I also feel like I've started my day already behind.  Like I'm trying to play catch-up all day...with a big heavy cloud following me around.  Not a great feeling. Even worse when the day ends and I never did manage to catch up.

So I rolled out of bed this morning, snuggled the dogs for a brief moment (always time for that...lol), and proceeded with my pushups and situps.  These two things get done first.  Why?  I realized that if I put them off, and try to do my forms or other things first, for some reason, I don't seem to use my time very efficiently.  It's as if the pushups and situps are my warmup.  They get me going and give my mind some time to wake up as well.  By the time I'm done them, I'm ready to focus on the rest.

This morning also had me doing 3 reps of the Tai Chi short form.  Sihing Vantuil was kind enough to watch me at the IHC class last night and offer some feedback.  So I worked on implementing those things.  Turns out my cloud hand are broken.  Lol.

I then moved on to 4 minutes of sparring.  I could be wrong, but I sort of felt stronger and more coordinated this morning.  I normally have to really think about what I'm going to do when I shadow spar.  Today I sort of just went with it.  Perhaps a fluke...or perhaps some progress!

Spinning back kicks came next.  I've been trying to do at least 5-10 spinning back kicks, on each leg, every morning.  I know this doesn't sound like much....and really it's not.  But I'm trying to be consistent with these every day, even if it's just a little bit.  And in all honesty, this tiny little bit is really helping with my confidence.

I ended with 10 minutes of working with my Kwan Dao.  A few reps of what I have of a form so far, followed by some articulation work and just trying to figure out how to do certain things and move different ways while not chopping off a limb.  It's really starting to feel better in my hands.

Not anything crazy amazing!  But this is where I am today nonetheless.

I AM In Training

Out Loud

I recently noticed that one of the Young Dragons' sit-ups had improved significantly, and although I saw this from across the room, I made a point of walking over and telling him.  The way his face lit up just from that one compliment, and his effort that followed for the rest of the class has really stuck with me.  It was a reminder of how powerful a few kind words can be and how, with very little effort on my part, I can change someone's mood, someone's day, someone's life.

Five seconds of my time changed that class for him.  Five seconds.  So if I do some quick math, making an effort to compliment each child, to their face, at least one time during each class will take me all of 2 minutes.  I think I can manage that.  These kids are constantly doing amazing things...so it's certainly not hard to think of honest compliments.  I just need to say them out loud.

Petunias

There are many different strategies when it comes to blogging.  The biggest for me is recording my thoughts before they dissipate.  So as soon as I have an interesting thought or idea, I make a point to jot it down as soon as I possibly can.  This can be a challenge when I am driving, but one method I use is to text myself.  When I am driving I can do this hands-free with the "talk to text" feature in my car.  In fact, I had a couple really interesting thoughts last night on my way home that I was really excited to blog about and used this method because I didn't want to forget my train of thought.

Unfortunately it appears this method has it's faults.  I just opened it up and saw the following.  I'm not sure where I was going with this...but I swear it was gonna be good.

"Don't see no call my petunias."

I AM At Peace

I've been feeling pretty good as of late.  Not that I don't have the odd feeling of frustration, but overall I feel content with where I am and what I am doing.

I've found some clarity with my ability and progress.  I feel like I know what I am strong in....as well as where my weaknesses lay.  And I feel okay with both.

I've found balance in the things that I am working towards and trying to accomplish.  Rather than having these individual things fighting for my attention, I am seeing them more as a whole...each lending value to the next in one way or another.

Overall, I AM at peace

Plum Village

I feel like I've regressed somewhat with my meditation practice.  Where I was once meditating for 10-15 minutes without any issues, I've recently been lucky to do 1-2 minutes.  And I'm starting to feel the effects of this decline in my day to day.  I can't pinpoint an exact reason really...but I'm not going to worry about that too much.  It could possibly just be the regular ups and downs with anything we do.  Either way, I can see it's starting to become a problem, and so I'm going to take some steps to rectify it now, rather than later.

Beginning today I've taken a step back and will be doing some guided meditations.  Sometimes you just need some help, you know?

I use the Plum Village app for everything meditation.  They have a bunch of guided meditations available on various topics that range from 1-60 minutes. They even have some specific to kids, which I'm going to give a try with mine.  I've included the link to the app download below in case anyone is interested.  I've been using this for many of it's features for about 3 years now and always find it very useful.

https://plumvillage.app/

I am also curious what other resources people use so please share if you have some good ones!

I AM Capable

I’ve shifted my mindset a bit this year with regards to my push-up and sit-up numbers.  In the half end of last year I became much too focussed on the numbers.  From day to day I was doing the exact number I needed to do.  No more, no less.  If I did happen to find myself ahead, maybe from doing some extras in class, I only did what I needed the next day to maintain that perfect +/- ratio.  I wasn’t necessarily doing what I was capable of each day….but rather, just the bare minimum.  And when we only do the bare minimum, even though we are capable of more, that’s Mr. Mediocrity knocking at the door.  This mindset was eventually my undoing.  I did not hit the goal…even though I had done it the year before.

This year I’m simply doing 200 every day.  In the morning.  Before my day carries me away.  I am capable of this.  I’ve done it many times before. I am not often sick…I am not often injured.  And the days that I am, I won’t need to worry about or stress that I’ll fall behind, because the capable days have a few extra built in.  I know there’s still a number I’m thinking about, but it’s not the primary focus.  Just a slight mental shift has put the focus on simply doing what I’m capable for the day.  And if I do that, the desired end result should take care of itself.  

It’s really pretty simple…if I’m capable of doing them, I’m going to do them.

And I AM capable.

Just 2 Hours

What an amazing day.  I have never seen that many people at open training in the last 3 years.  The energy was incredible.

The time had me practicing my Tai Chi form, my Kwan Dao, 18 Temple Motions, spinning back kick and lion dance drumming.  On top of that I got a tonne of great feedback from several black belts that I never would have gotten otherwise.  Emma worked with Sihing Ward on Da Mu Hsing.  Nathan got some 1-on-1 with Sifu Brinker working on his nunchuck.   And a group of the younger students, including mine, worked together on various escapes.

And that was just me and my kids.  I couldn’t even begin to list all the Kung fu that happened in just those 2 hours.

KABOOM!

I wanted to share this little tidbit in case it blows anyone else's mind.

The other week in the kids classes, Sihing Ward was leading the warmup and talking about pushups. He was asking the kids why we do pushups and why they are beneficial to us. As I was walking around helping, the answers that popped into my head was that they make us stronger and they are a basic task that help us to develop consistency in our training. Bam. Answer given...answer complete.

Except no...it didn't end there. He went on to explain that pushups specifically help us to develop our punches. The physical action of a pushup uses the same motions and muscles as a punch does.

KABOOM!! Such a simple little bit of info and mind blown. It certainly makes sense. I had just never thought about it that hard.

Just wanted to share this little tidbit of information in case anyone else sometimes lives in a little bubble like me.

What's In A Name?

The first thing on my list to create an online presence for my pottery is to come up with a name to go by.

The following are some of the names I had come up with. There were actually many more during brainstorming, but these are the faves.  Some of these relate to Kung Fu as I've always felt a connection between these 2 things.  

• The Mindful Potter
• The Simple Potter
• Ugly Mugs
• The Pinched Pot
• The Basement Artist
• The Martial Pottist
• Ferris Wheel Pottery
• Wuxin Wares

Any feedback?  Lay it on me.

Maybe It Was The Music

I’m writing this while it’s fresh in my head. But I still know there’s no way I will be able to convey the feeling in words.

I’m working from home today, and after my previous post, regarding my frustration with my tai chi short form, I decided to come downstairs and work on it a bit, simply for enjoyment. I don’t normally put on music, because it’s normally super early when I train, but since nobody else was here, and because I felt I needed a rhythm after yesterday’s struggle, I did.  I was able to find myself right away.  Centred. Balanced. Grounded.  Solid, but always moving.  Completing each move, but without separating them.  I’m not sure I’ve ever really truly felt that definition before…completing without separating.

I then came up to a part that I really struggle with.  Grasping the birds tail, but from the right, rather than the left how it is in the long form.  I haven’t been able to harmonize this particular portion.  My hands don’t seem to want to work together…or with the rest of my body for that matter….not like when I do it on the other side.  It has always felt foreign.  But in this particular instance, I had no intent on “working” on it and was just enjoying the movement and flow of the form.

As I initiated this portion, where I grab the ball on the right…something was different.  My hands were connected, but independent.  They came together while moving apart.  I wouldn’t be able to describe what drove what or what initiated what…it was just all together.  I could feel my chi very strongly and I was forced to take a huge breath in that moment…like I had maybe been holding my breathe?…I didn’t think I had…but I really don’t know.

I know it all sounds weird and bizarre, but it left me with this really great feeling and I was really overwhelmed for a moment.  I want to use the word “complete” or “whole”, but I’m not sure that’s quite right.  We’ll go with that for now.

Have I answered all the questions of the universe?…no…but in my own little bubble, this has been an interesting experience.  And what’s even more exciting was that I was able to repeat it.  Permanently?…who knows….but I’m really glad I decided to turn on that music.  I’m also glad I decided to just do it for the enjoyment.  Do I enjoy my training?  Do I enjoy Kung Fu?  Absolutely!  But is it always my primary focus when I train?  No.  I’m often laser focused on specific things…trying to perfect certain techniques…looking for improvements…trying to make progress and get better.  All of which are important on this journey to mastery.  But oftentimes maybe I focus on those things too hard for too long.  Perhaps the key is to make sure I shift that primary focus back to basic, simple enjoyment once in a while.

Bizzaro Day

Every so often I have a day where I just can’t seem to make things come together.  Yesterday while working on my Tai Chi short form, my 6 harmonies were totally non-existent.  I couldn’t get two things working together, never mind six.  I was like a baby learning to walk. No matter what I did physically, and regardless of my efforts mentally, I just couldn’t get anything to connect.  Days like that can be very frustrating and it feels like a waste of time.

Yet when I moved on to some spinning back kicks, which are typically a real struggle for me to get anything working together properly, things seemed to be working really well.

So yeah…not sure how to explain that.  Perhaps I’ll just chalk it up to a “bizzaro” day…where everything’s opposite from the norm.

The Green Smoothie Revolution

A co-worker approached me about making some changes health-wise.  We talked about diet changes, exercise, meal planning, counting calories, etc, etc....all the things that come with suddenly deciding "enough is enough".

I've jumped on that train before.  All in.  Often it has worked, but never long term.

If I've learned anything from the IHC team, it's that small incremental progression is the most reliable, and most sustainable, way to reach our goals.

And so I suggested we decide on one small change to start with and go from there. Todai Repay's recent blogs were fresh in my mind and this seemed like a good first step.  A nice, easy, and hopefully delicious, change.

We are on day 7 currently.  And they have mostly been delicious.  Except for Day 1, which I had to chew.  But we've figured that out since then (fyi...if you blend your leafy stuff with some water first it turns out nice and smooth 😉).  And the plan is that once this becomes a consistent norm in the day, we will make another small change.  Then another.

This is the same approach I've been taking with many of my others goals.  Choose one small, manageable first step and build from there.  

I AM an Artist

I've always enjoyed art.  Drawing, writing, painting, creating.  Not in a professional capacity...I just like making things.  I get ideas and I try to bring them to life.

Since joining the I Ho Chuan team back in the year of the Ox, I have written, illustrated and self-published a children's book, learned how to paint with watercolours and contributed several successful donations of paintings and pottery to a few different silent auctions.  Because of these donations, I have recently been commissioned for a custom pottery piece and have also been approached by my hometown's community director to donate a watercolour piece to have on display as part of their "local" artist exhibit. 

My heart is full of appreciation.  I know I shouldn't need praise or compliments from other people to feel good about the things I'm doing.  And regardless of any praise, I continue to do my pottery and painting at home, for myself, because it feeds my spirit.  But feedback such as this certainly does help boost the confidence and is giving me some momentum to proceed boldly with my goal this year to start an online presence for my pottery.  I CAN do this.  I AM an artist.

Anyone, Anything, Anytime

We had parent teacher interviews this past week.  And both kids are doing really great.  

Something that came up with Emma was that the teacher felt she was the type of student that would benefit from a little bit of Math practice every day.  When she puts in just a little bit of effort, things stay fresh and she really excels.  But if she neglects it for a while, she struggles.  And she doesn't need to put in ALOT of effort.  Just a little bit.  A couple questions.  Two minutes.  A little bit every day.

I'm sure this sounds familiar.  It certainly did for me in that moment.  And I feel like almost all of us are this type of student.  This is a valuable lesson that can apply to anyone doing anything at anytime in their lives.  

Just a little bit every day.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble

I am noticing that I've gotten better at fighting.  And I don't mean physical fighting...but arguing.

It's inevitable that married couples will argue.  But I've noticed over the last couple of years that our fights have evolved...in a good way.  Fights that once would have taken days to resolve, are now over within hours...minutes even.  I find that, regardless of whether I believe I am "right" or not, I can see more clearly what's important and what is not.  This doesn't mean that I give in on things I believe are important...but I can be rational, and caring, even in the heat of the moment.

Perhaps this is partially due to our time together.  But I'm also pretty sure at least some of it is due to my Kung Fu practice and the things that have come with it.  Meditation, mindfulness, Buddhist philosophies, empathy, kindness...to name a few.  And what's even more interesting is that, even though I'm the practitioner, these changes seem to be happening, not just in me, but in both of us.

Don't Jinx It

After realizing what I did yesterday, I found it almost easy to get out of bed this morning to do my morning training.  I hope I didn't just jinx this by using the word "easy"....lol.  

It's 8:30 am.  I've done my push-ups, sit-ups and form reps for today.  And this blog will be posted shortly.  I am also enjoying day 3 of the green smoothies that my co-worker and I started this week....inspired by Todai Repay's recent blogs.  Really a great start to a day.

This morning my "extra" time went into my Kwan Dao.  I don't have much of a form yet, and have been mostly working on my ability to maneuver the weapon around...playing with different techniques....many of them coming from stick.  I definitely have alot of work to do to master the helicopter with this thing.  lol.  But I do think I nailed down my opening bow and I'm actually pretty excited about that.  It feels really good to have a start and now I can build from here.

Driving It Home

I was struggling a bit today to write my blog.  Since I began journaling daily, things have been going fairly decent.  But there has been the odd day where I just can't seem to formulate my thoughts.  It's not that I don't have content or ideas...more that I can't seem to articulate them.  My thoughts are somewhat scattered....trailing into other random ideas....nothing really coming together coherently.  

I left my four unfinished blogs aside and decided to reflect on why this might be.  I started to think about how when we don't have anything to blog about. it's likely because we aren't training.  Now this isn't currently the case for me...I am training.  BUT....I did sleep in today...and skipped my morning training that I've been getting consistent with again.  So technically speaking, I have not yet trained today.  And I can correlate a couple other of these "off" days to days I pressed the snooze button as well.

Training in the morning has always been really good for me.  Up and moving...push-ups, sit-ups done...form reps complete...morning meditation...starting the day with accomplishments under my belt and without anything hanging over my head.  So physically speaking and obligation-wise, my morning training gets me going on the right foot...that's obvious.  But until today I never really thought beyond that...I never really considered the mental benefits.  Is it possible that the days where I've struggled to formulate my thoughts into a readable blog are also the days where I skipped my morning training? Could my morning training be contributing to a clearer mind throughout the day?  Does it help me think better, process better, focus better?  I would say yes...most obviously, most definitely yes.

I can't help but chuckle sometimes at these "revelations" I have.  Many of these things I already know on an intellectual level.  But I find that making a real-time personal connection really drives it home.

IHC Number Update - Feb 1, 2023

2023 Year of the Rabbit

Year of the Rabbit - January 22, 2023 to February 9, 2023 (384 days)

Base Requirements

Hand Form - Tai Chi Short Form  26/1000 *I don't quite know the whole form yet but have been counting what  do know towards reps.

Weapon Form - Kwan Dao  29/1000 *I haven't developed a form yet but am working on handling and different movements.  I'm using overall time towards my reps.

Push-ups  1503/50,000

Sit-ups  1519/50,000

Sparring  47/1000

Kilometers 54/1609

Acts of Kindness  79/1000

Blogging/Online Presence - yup

Unexcused Absences - yup

Mastery by Stewart Emery - trying to read it in the morning when I sit down at my desk

Mend a Relationship - yup

Lion Dancing - not yet

Tiger Challenge - not yet

Public Performances - not yet

Core Curriculum - hope so

SRKF Projects and Initiatives - not yet

Personal Requirements

Monthly Movie/Game Family Night  0/12

Lion Dance Drumming - I've made arrangements for regular meetings with Sifu Rybak and I've been banging on my drum at home.  Yes, it's just banging at this point.

Chi Development - yup

Establish online presence for pottery - not yet...I'm currently trying to come up with a name

Daily blogging  11/384

Weekly Kick Assessment - plan to do my first check in starting this weekend