Oliver and I had a day off so we made a short music video. He seems to really enjoy Kung fu it really has brought our family together. Oliver picked the song it is one of his favorites. I am sure we will make many more.
It has been a good week but a flu bug has hit the house hold. I have not missed any training which is good. Still on goal of 100% attendance.
Knock off three more monthly goals. Finished The life of Pi I enjoyed the book it asked many questions I have thought about many times in my life. I love the fact that the main character practiced more then one religion at a time. I say why not would that not solve so many of the worlds problems. I feel a rant coming on but I will save it for another blog as I am not sure where I stand on the topic of religion right now.
Completed the forms marathon. Which was an incredible experience learnt two more forms and now have all green forms in my repetoire.
Will be receiving a stripe on my orange belt on Wednesday. This acheive's my third goal of the month to level up.
Goal setting is the key to success period. Next up 75 more reps of Kempo 1. and preperation for the tiger challenge.
Life is great
B
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 |
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I am committed and feel like I belong. I am living up to the 100% attendance. Quickly I have added to the base of my training. San Shou on Tuesday nights and running after class Monday and Wednesdays.
Frances and I participated in the 24 hour forms marathon. We were very excited and were the lowest belts that did partake. We arrived almost 45minuites before our scheduled time slot. This was 2:00 am to 4:00 am. After a short warm up and adding 50 push ups each to the count we fell into the rotation.
Starting with only three forms in my repertoire I felt I would try to work on center. Quickly I realized this was an almost surreal environment. Time flew by and by the end I had been taught two new forms. Kempo 1 was first and I completed the form 25 times. I really enjoy this form. Then I learnt Hung 1. This was my first time training under Sifu Davis it was great experience he talked to me about my stances and kung fu in general. Sifu Bryant explained hung 1 to me and I picked up the basics of hung quickly.
The group dynamic was casual yet still very respectful. As a group we completed almost 1000 push ups in our two hour contribution. I completed close to one hundred forms and 300 push ups. I feel honoured to be involved with such a great group of people.
On a totally random thought I came across a quote that really hit home hard for me.
“You only realize how valuable your treasure is when you see someone else holding it”
Zhou Xuan-Yun Daoist monk
I wish I did not have to learn this with such a harsh lesson. But I will cherish my treasure and have been taught a life tutorial.
B
Thursday, April 16, 2009 |
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Balance
I have been on a constant search for balance in my life for a very long time. Always looking back you think I had balance there and looking to the future you say if I can only get there I will have balance. But the “now” never feels like balance.
Where would I fit in the yin yang, at times I am the black dot.
But possible the reality of now is you are the line that runs through the middle and that’s the challenge to see but not to strive to either side. If you could just stay in the middle to achieve balance.
So today I am balance and content. The now feels pretty good. I can accomplish what ever I need to today.
“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”
Marcel Pagnol quotes (
French Writer,
Producer and
Film Director,
1895-
1974)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 |
Category:
Balance
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Through my first week and my appetite for knowledge is ferocious. Every
conscious and I would assume sub conscious thought are about martial arts. I am enjoying relearning skills I was doing at a level that I was comfortable. If I am able to always stay in this mind set I will accomplish any goal I set for myself. That mind set is moving into an uncomfortable state. The need to learn and move to the next milestone. I am asking myself am I doing every thing I can to right now to accomplish my goal.
This morning my equal came home from kung fu. First of all it starts at 6:40 AM and it is -33 who would like to talk about re-commitment, I am so proud of her. Then the greatest part of all.
“She say’s I learnt Kempo today”. She says smiling.
“I said all of part one in one day”.
“Yes she repeats would you like to see”.
“Come on of course I do”.
She moves through it no problem. I can not wait for her to show me more tonight as she ran off to get ready for work.
I have joined San Shou which starts tonight. I am a little excited and a little intimidated. I must remember it is about me and my journey every person in this class is going to help me down this path.
Here are my ponderings, I have an aggressive personality. Yet I am very passive and non confrontational in most cases. Now don’t get me wrong if I am correct on an issue I will argue with you until you see it my way. I do see this as a character flaw, but nobody is perfect and I am trying to change. I am extremely competitive and due to arrogance mainly I have quashed competition out of my life. My hope is to learn to humble and enjoy competition again.
This week has started out incredibly I can’t wait for more.
Brady
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 |
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Part one….
11:04 pm
The night before I start back to the place I should never have quit. I do feel a little shame and inadequacy. Hard work it is in the name. I need to embrace it enjoy it. Feel comfortable with the feeling. Be happy knowing that feeling is from pushing myself to that point.
The sick feeling of nausea after a tough shuttle run. Thinking my teeth were going to fall out after a fitness test. Aching legs during and after only minutes of excruciating horse stance.
I have a clear picture of where I am and who I am. I am not searching for myself. I want to improve myself and others around me. This is not arrogance but more of a statement. I would like to share my goal. To accomplish Black belt before I move past the age of forty three. That is almost four years from now. Every other goal is to help me achieve this.
At times like this I would get so wrapped up in the goal I would miss the journey. I vow to not let that happen. I will journal my entire passage. In my mind I have already succeeded. I have pict
ured this happening and have a vision of the year of the horse ceremony.
In that vein let me enjoy where I am today. I have an orange belt with half of the requirements for my green belt. I ran a mile in 11 mins. Two days ago. (4 mins. better then 2 weeks ago). I have run an eight min mile on more then one occasion. I can only do 30 push ups and 30 sit ups right now. I can not do a pull up. I need to shed 30 pounds to even start elite athlete training. I have not strayed from Body for life eating for 27 days. I have a wonderful family that learns from one another everyday.
Tomorrow………………………………………………………………………………
Part two…..
Baby step class one complete. I have a permanent smile on my face. Last night I wrote where I was. Now 12 hours later I am further. I can do 40 push ups. I did 40 sit ups then 10 more and struggled to do 40 more that were poor form, more wiggling then a sit up a deformed crunch but I tried not to stop.
I feel great and focused. The anxiety has left my body. I can’t wait for Wednesday.
Monday, March 02, 2009 |
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Quitting
Today I went for a 45 min walk around the running circle at the TLC with my mom. In the past few months my parents have begun to study Ti chi. so we have had a few conversations about martial arts. Today was the same as we ambled we talked. I told her about where I was and where I wanted to go. I let her know I had emailed Master Brinker and we had a firm date to start. She then asked me did he ask why you quit.
I said no he was just happy we were returning. Then for a moment I was speechless. Just a moment.
Why did I abandon my training in the first place? I have been so wrapped up in starting over again I did not take the time to think about why I stopped. I could go on forever about everything I lost when I stopped going to Kung Fu.
I thought I would convey my excuses as not to fall pray again to theses mistakes.
I eight mile myself so there is no excuse I could possible use. Now these are thoughts I have or had in head floating around. While floating around one can seem to find acceptance. As I write them down I can not believe how pathetic and petty they actually were.
- 6:40 a.m. am I crazy
- -30 and can not see through the frosted front door
- My training partner is pregnant
- I am lazy
- Life is to stressful to have another responsibility
- Accountability
- My uniform will not stay on because I am too overweight
- Too old
- Can not train to my old abilities
- Did I say I am lazy
These are most in a nutshell. So changes I have made or am making.
I have changed to the 9:00 class.
I will install command start and I bought training shoes.
Oliver is almost five and I have my training partner back.
Laziness is a work in progress.
Kung Fu will help with stress not add to it.
I need to be held accountable.
I am doing Body for life with a goal of 185 pounds by September 17th.
I will fix my uniform so it will stay together we have the technology.
Old is a mind set ask George Forman or Lance Armstrong.
Hard work will reinstate my abilities.
Monday, February 23, 2009 |
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Eight days until I commence. In reality I started 2 weeks ago. If I could bottle this feeling and sell it I would be rich. I would call it impetus it is that new relationship feeling. The comfort of the not knowing and the excitement of what is to come. Move over Dr. Phil here comes Impetus. Frances thinks it is me that has motivated her but really it is IMPETUS. In all actuality it is her that has enthused herself. To the point of me becoming an innocent bystander watching her do forms. Which I was all to content to do.
The high light of the week was as Frances and I started to train. Oliver decided we had not warmed up enough. He proceeded to climb on the pool table and take us through a proper warm up. It felt very normal Frances and I without hesitation followed every command. At the end of the warm up he looked at us and said.
“Someday I am going to be a master”
Unlike the times he has told us I would like to be a painter, heart Dr. Exterminator.
He used “I am going to be” instead of “I would like to be”.
Frances and said great but never really talked about it until later that night.
Oliver who is four and a half is the true motivation.
I am sure the three of us will all take different paths on the journey. I look forward to looking back at this past week as a landmark.
Sunday, February 22, 2009 |
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