Not in the Christmas spirit.

I'm almost finished learning the sword form now and I've got my next form lined up to start right after that.

It's really strange being here at Christmas time. It just doesn't seem like It's only 5 days until Christmas. It hasn't snowed here and I don't see it happening anytime soon. The supermarket in the town here has Christmas decorations up though, it's kind of strange but I guess they have a lot of us foreigners as customers.

I'm missing my friends and family a lot too. My favorite part of the festive season is spending time with the people I love so I'm sad to be missing out on that and also really grateful that Melanie is here. I hope that everyone knows how much I love them and miss them. It makes me question whether I would be able to manage several years here away from my loved ones. I still bliss out on the training though. It's so amazing to practice kung fu all day. In class sometimes I just stop and look around and am blown away. Here I am in China, doing kung fu at an ancient temple ruins, outside in december in a sweatshirt. WOW

thoughts!

I'm now about halfway done learning the sword form that I mentioned in my last post. It's so great! As a weapon I think it suits me pretty well and a couple of people here have mentioned it too. It's quite a lot of work especially on my right shoulder but I'm already starting to get stronger too. I really like the crispness of the movements and the grace of the form itself.

Mel's learning the horsewhisk form too and it looks really hard! She's been practicing a lot though! I'm really proud of her. I would also like to learn that form too, maybe Mel can teach me when we get home.

There's something so wonderful about being able to just practice kung fu all day, every day. In all my life there's nothing that's made me happier than kung fu and being able to focus on just that is pretty much a dream come true. I would love to be able to live like this at home. They are starting a 3 year and a 5 year program here that starts this September that I'm seriously considering doing it. So is Mel but it's a lot of money to save up all at once. Looking at room and board and training and all that at it's actually quite cheap but it's a lot of money to save up in about 6 months and a long time to spend in China away from everyone that's dear to me.

I'll have to think very seriously about it. I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with the rest of my life since I got here. Spending so much time doing what I want to do has made me wonder why I've been wasting so much time on other stuff so far.

Finally!

I apologize for not posting in such a long time. For some reason I can look at my blog but I can't always sign in. Ah China....

Things here have been really interesting. Our first week here I was incredibly sore. Pretty much my whole body was one big sore muscle. We work really hard here. Our warm up is usually an hour or two of kicks, stretching, stances, running up to the temple on some stone stairs, and some "internal" stuff like tai chi stuff and meditation. Then we work on forms for about an hour. That's one class and after lunch we do it again too! We also do Qigong and meditation for an hour each per day. it's pretty intense!

Now we're starting to get used to it and though we still get sore we can kick high again (for a while it was a struggle to get my leg waist height) and I'm picking up the form really well. It's kind of a cross between tai chi and a kung fu form. It's really cool! Next form i'm going to learn is a straight sword form that looks so cool! I'm super excited!

My training goals are going well. Some goals I'm getting ahead on and others I'm lagging a bit on. I figure that it'll even out in the end though and some of my goals are already done! Today I did 500 situps and we run every day so things like that I'm way ahead of the game on.

I really starting to miss my friends from home. It's quite tricky to stay in contact sometimes but I hope you all know that I miss you and think about you all the time.

Lots of love, hopefully I'll be able to post again soon.

Ordeals in China

So I'm realizing that we've been really spoiled so far.

We've been travelling in big cities with lots of other foreigners where many people speak at least a little english. The hostels were awesome and helpful and clean. Right now we're in Luoyang which is near the Shaolin temple which we're going to see today. This city is not like the others! It's dirty and very Chinese. We had an extremely difficult time trying to buy our ticket to get out of here yesterday. Our chinese is apparently so bad that noone could understand us and we couldn't understand them either. We were reduced to pointing at the words in our lonely planet and my mandarin phrasebook. It was really frustrating and also kind of lonely. i'm so grateful that Mel and I are together to make things like that so much less scary.

I can't wait to get to Wudang and start training. Traveling is fun but I'm used to getting more exercise and I'm feeling a bit out of sorts. It's also weird having such unstructured days. I don't think I like it. Luckily we will be there tomorrow. Yay!

Adventures in Shanghai

So we have spent a couple of days in Shanghai now. It's an interesting city. There are such contrasts in the different areas. From poverty to affluence, modern to old, you can see a cross section of all kinds here.

Traveling has been really good. Mel and I have managed to get around really well (with lots of help from the staff at our hostel) and everything is going much more smoothly than I'd prepared myself for. It's even been really easy to find vegetarian food so far. We were both really jet lagged until about today and actually bickered a lot yesterday while making our way around on the metro. I'm surprised and things are both not at all what I expected and at the same time exactly what I would have imagined. It's really hard to explain....

Today we went to Yufo temple which is a buddhist temple in shanghai with a jade statue of the buddha that was apparently brought back from Thailand by a local monk way back in the day. We couldn't take pictures of it but trust me when I say that it was beautiful! There's definitely something about that particular statue. As we stood and looked at it I felt very moved, almost to the point of tears, which is odd for me. I don't consider myself to be buddhist but there are certain things about buddhism that I've always liked. The buddha said to find your own path and that is what I try to do. He also said not to worship him and so I've always thought that people praying to statues of the buddha went against what he said. Today though I found myself very moved by one of these statues. It really spoke to me. Does that mean that I've been wrong all this time. Perhaps there really is something to traditional buddhist practices? It's really given me something to think about.

I'm reading Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh and there are certain things in there that I'm feeling confused by. I'm definitely not an authority on buddhist thought but I always thought that the idea was to neither avoid unpleasantness or be attached to pleasure. In this book however he speaks of cultivating pleasant feelings and the positive impact you can have on the world by doing so. I've found this a bit hard to understand. It seems contradictory to me but perhaps this is this mans particular way of living and he's following his own path....?

Anyways, with no work or distractions in my day I'm having lots of time to contemplate. It's really nice. Tonight we head off to Beijing and I am excited to see how it is different.

Until then...

Tokyo yo!

So we are here. We finally made it after about 20 hours in transit. We were so tired last night that we checked in to our hostel and then just showered and ate and went to bed by 730. We wandered around a bit looking for a place to eat and came across this totally awesome little noodle soup place where you order and then stand at the bar and slurp your noodles. They didn't speak any english but we managed to order by pointing and gesturing and saying the few words we know in Japanese. Soba! Tempura! yeah.....

Today we have big plans to explore a bunch. We're really excited! I do not have words to express how incredibly massive Tokyo is. We took the train from the airport for an hour and a half and still haven't even made it to the heart of the city yet! It's absolutely insane!

But we must begin our day. Miss you all already!

whew.

Ok so I leave in 3 days and although I'm still nervous, I'm feeling better. Yesterday the bank called me because there was a problem with the money wire that I sent to China. I was so worried! I managed to work myself up into a pretty anxious state thinking about all the things that could go wrong from there and lots of what ifs. It turns out that the money is already in China but they can't release it unless they have the correct name for the recipient. So I got that information and it should be all good now. I had myself all worked up over something fairly minor. It's funny now.

Yesterday a co-worker gave me some very helpful words. She said that the reason traveling changes you so much is that it takes you out of your comfort zone. You have to be flexible and open to opportunities and changes because things don't always go the way you planned. She said that sometimes you may be disappointed if something doesn't work out but it may create a whole new adventure for you that you'd never imagined before. She said that dealing with these challenges is what makes you grow into a better person and growing is often uncomfortable. She said that this was the beginning of my adventure to deal with the bank and that the changes were already starting. It made me feel a lot better to hear that. She's right, I'm going to have to do things that I don't like and I'll be better for it. So I guess I'd better get used to it now!

Also thanks Sifu Playter for your comment on my last post. I keep reminding myself to be bold, it helps.

Overall everyone has been great. Very supportive. I'm going to miss you all and be really excited to see you when I come back!

ahhhhh!

Is it normal to be really nervous and full of doubts the week before you leave on a huge trip? I'm trying to stay positive and feel excited but I'm kind of freaking out a bit inside. There's nothing that I can think of that could happen that we couldn't deal with but I still have this feeling of general anxiety. I sure hope it goes away soon!

I think we have everything we need and are prepared well...so why is my stomach in knots? I guess it could be partly because I'm super busy right up until the day we leave so it's a lot to remember and take care of.

Anyways, I must go to work. I'll let you know when I start to feel better.

Fire in my belly

I felt really good at class tonight. There's definitely a momentum building at the school, it's almost palpable.

I've decided on my charitable project for my China trip. I did some research and discovered that there is an orphanage in the town we're staying in so my sister Melanie and I are going to volunteer there to spend time with the kids and also help out if there's any supplies they need. Today I bought a video camera (which is funny because we were given a video project in class tonight) so I can film not only the orphanage but our trip in general. I hope to make it into a movie when I get back (with a bit of help) so that everyone who wants to can see what we experienced.

I'm getting so excited! Partly about the trip and partly about being a student member of UBBT 6 which starts between now and January. I'm a bit nervous just because I'll be away when it starts so I won't have that much access to Master Brinker and the rest of the team if I need help or advice. I'll be posting at least once a week though so I won't be totally cut off and I'm sure I'll be able to get the training in since that's pretty much all we'll be doing for most of the trip. I'm really looking forward to the meditation aspect of it. I've tried meditation before and I've only felt "successful" at it a couple of times, mostly I get distracted. At Wudang though we'll be meditating every day for over an hour with an experienced taoist teacher. I'll be so peaceful and serene when I get back!

I'm reading this really great book right now that I highly recommend. It's called On the Warrior's Path by Daniele Bolelli. It's interesting because although I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, there are certain parts that put into words so perfectly what the martial arts are really about. I was reading it this morning and was almost in tears because I was so moved and inspired by one chapter in particular. I hope that I can develop as much eloquence, honesty, and grace in expressing myself as this author has. Check it out, it's worth a read.

"Forging spirit and character can take years but it is only the preparation before the real battle. Many people train and prepare by walking along the way of the warrior, but never discover, or maybe just forget, what battle they have been training for. The battle rages in front of their eyes and they don't even realize it. The small psychodramas of daily life distract them to the point of taking away their global vision and making them forget why they set out walking along the warriors path in the first place. The battle is against mental limits, dullness, short-sightedness. It is against resignation, greed, sadness. Against all those powers that separate human beings from happiness. The warrior doesn't walk into battle only for himself. The warrior fights for everything and everyone. He views the destiny of the entire planet as a personal matter. As a warrior you are given weapons very few people posses. The self-confidence of a wild animal, a spirit that can't be broken, the tranquility of one whose roots are too deep to be disturbed by minor events. If you don't change the world, certainly nobody else will."

ninja!

I'm really getting excited about my trip. I leave on the 20th and it'll be a busy few weeks until then. I'm making an effort to see everyone I can before I go and take care of things you should do before a long trip like go to the dentist and all that fun stuff. So it's gonna be pretty crazy until then.

We have a 2 day layover in Tokyo on the way there and we booked our hostel for it the other night. I'm so stoked. We're going to pig out on sushi and ramen! I love Japanese food. We're also going to check out some shinto shrines. Hopefully we can see an anime while we're there too! Then it's on to Shanghai. From there we'll be travelling up the coast by train to Beijing to see the sights and meet up with a few friends. Then we go to see the Shaolin temple and some buddhist sights before we make our way to the place we'll be training for 3 months.

On a side note a lovely friend made me an adorable little stuffed ninja as a going away gift. It's super cute! Thanks Rhonda.

I'll be featuring this little guy in my travel pictures so you'll see him again.

Less than a month until I leave!

It's been a while since I've written. There have been several times where I've opened this page with the intention of saying something but then I see my post about Travis Panasiuk and anything else seems so insignificant. I can't explain it but it just felt like I wasn't ready to have a different topic at the top of my page. I tend to hold things like this inside for a while before I can process them.

However, I've been up to a lot these past few weeks. Preparations are under way for our trip to China. We've had our immunizations and we're finishing up all those little details that need to be taken care of before we leave. Every day I get more and more excited and I really can't wait until we embark on our fabulous adventure! I'm also a little sad to be leaving the people that I care about but I know that the time will fly by and I'll be with them again in no time. I really wish that I could take everyone with me, then I'd have the best of both worlds. I think it will be quite simple to keep in touch though and I will be checking email and posting on here at least once a week so I hope to keep you all updated on what fun stuff we're up to.

I agreed with Master Brinker that I would do some kind of project while I am over there to help the Chinese people and/or raise awareness here. I'm struggling with finding a direction for this project. I'd like to have at least a vague idea of a plan before I leave. I tried to get in touch with Sifu Kris Olsvik to see if he had any suggestions but he hasn't replied yet. Our instructor over there Sifu Yuan suggested that perhaps we could donate money to the school in his town to help out the kids. It seems like a nice idea but there's something missing. I also had the thought of taking a video camera and making a movie so everyone could see what it's really like in China. I'm going to arrange a meeting with Master Brinker to discuss it but if anyone has any ideas please let me know. I can use all the help I can get.

It feels good to be posting again. I'll be happy to continue doing so while I'm away.

In memory of Travis Panasiuk

On Thursday we at Silent River kung fu lost a true friend. Travis Panasiuk was one of the most dedicated students I've ever met. I admired him immensely.

Some of you may remember my posting back in the spring about how Mr. Panasiuk performed a three sectional staff form at our Tiger challenge tournament. I was so impressed by his guts as well as his technique. I never would have dreamed of attempting something like that as a yellow belt. That was the kind of person Travis was, he didn't seem to be afraid of looking foolish, he was just so excited about learning kung fu that he'd try anything. I am trying to be more like that.

I remember seeing him at lion dance practice way back and being surprised to see such a new student pushing himself so much. Travis loved kung fu so much that he took every opportunity to train that was available to him. San sou, open training, lion dance, demos, you name it, he was there. He didn't just train though, he volunteered and gave as much as he could to this school. He was there constantly during renovations and doing anything he could to help. I was fortunate to spend an entire day with him last Friday during the day. We talked and got to know each other better. He was really funny and intelligent. I am so grateful that we had that time alone together, I am a better person from having known him.

A few weeks ago Danielle invited me to see a play with her and Travis. We had a really good time and after the show we walked and talked. It was the only time I ever hung out with him outside of kung fu and it was a lot of fun. I wish now that I'd done more of that. I feel like I was just getting to know him and appreciate him as a person, not just as an awesome student. What I did learn about him though was that he was easy going, passionate, and funny. We shared a nerdy interest in anime and had a good time comparing notes and recommending a few to each other. I'm glad we had that connection, however brief.

Travis was on the fast track to black belt and put the rest of us to shame with his work ethic. The other day I was feeling lazy and unenthusiastic about kung fu. I was wondering how I could re-ignite the spark. After hearing about Travis' accident, I feel ashamed that someone so passionate is now gone and I am feeling mopey and sorry for myself. I will strive to embody as much as I can of his dedication when I approach my kung fu. Anything less would be disrespectful to his memory.

A friend offered me some comforting words last night. He said that when someone so good is taken away from us so young, perhaps they are needed elsewhere to inspire even more people. Though it is painful to say good bye, Travis helped us all a lot and my thoughts are with him wherever he is now.

26 000!

So the other day I decided to check where I was at with my push-ups to see how many more days I had to go. After adding them all up I realized that I was done! I have completed 26 250 push-ups in under 26 weeks and I feel great about it. It almost seems like it's not such a big deal because I've gotten so used to doing them but when I think about 6 straight months of doing 150 per day, it is pretty cool! When I started back in March I really wanted to not only improve my strength but mostly to improve my discipline. I definitely think that I've done that. I've never been more consistent in my life than I have been lately and I have every intention of continuing to improve.

All in all I'm very happy with myself. I love the feeling of accomplishing a goal and knowing that I did my best and have something to be proud of. There's not much that's better than this.

Tai chi and Journaling

Lately all I've wanted to practice is tai chi. Don't get me wrong, I still like hitting the bag or practicing kempo as much as always, it just seems that I almost have a craving for tai chi. Maybe it's because I have some personal struggles going on right now and tai chi gives me more peace of mind or maybe it's because I tired my body out over the 30 days I did and now it wants something more mellow. Whatever the reason, I think this is a craving that I want to give in to. I've noticed lately that some of the parts I've been struggling with are now coming together. There's certain places in part 3 and part 4 that have always seemed really awkward to me and now I can actually flow through them and it feels good.

One of my goals for 3rd degree black is to complete 250 repetitions of my tai chi form. So far I'm doing well but I still have a long way to go! It's a pretty high number so it keeps me motivated to push myself. since I'm working on several goals simultaneously I've set up a few pages in my journal to keep track. I've chosen one page per goal and I'm simply entering each rep or hour depending on the scope of my goal. This helps me stay organized and keeps it very simple which is especially great for me because I easily lose count of how much I've done. Even in class I often lose count of what I'm doing, though doing all these push-ups have certainly helped me with that! Now I just walk over to my journal and put a tick on the proper page and off I go.

Re-remembering

So since completing my first goal on the way to 3rd degree, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I'm starting to have a better idea of what exactly I need to work on and what is less of a priority. Some things I already knew. Some not so much. I was beginning to look at my remaining goals and think that perhaps some were no longer that important anymore and that maybe I should change things. When I asked Master Brinker about it he reminded me of something incredibly important. Once I've set a goal it's not necessarily the end result that's my reason for completing it, it's the journey. It's the discipline that's required that will change me as a person and help me in my life. The techniques themselves are secondary to the mental benefits of achieving what I set out to do. I don't know how I could forgotten that when I myself wrote a post about keeping your promises on this very blog months ago. I got too caught up in the details I think and wasn't seeing the big picture.

Now I'm full of spunk again and ready to buckle down and complete this shizzle. If anything I'm considering making the goal a bit harder to get myself more excited about it. I'm not quite ready to declare my next goal on here yet but it'll be soon.

Rest day

Today was the first real rest day I've had since I started the project. I must say it's been nice. I had a massage after work and I now feel fantastic. My body feels really good, exercised and yet relaxed. I'm saving some of todays push ups for tomorrow too. Though I couldn't resist going through a little tai chi. New habits die hard too I guess.

I wanted to share a trick I learned for sore muscles and such. It's not revolutionary but I didn't really buy it until I tried it....alternating hot and cold showers. I've been trying it for about a week and I've got to say, it's amazing. It works really well to loosen up stiffness and reduce/prevent soreness. Not to mention I always feel really relaxed yet alert afterwards. Try it out and see what you think.

Day 30! Hooray!

Yay, I did it!

I'm really happy today for obvious reasons. I saved all my push-ups till my training after work so I could do it all at once and really work up a sweat. I had a great workout. I went hard and pushed myself and beat up my heavy bag a bit which is always a good time. I was super pumped so even though I went harder than I do on the average day, it seemed relatively easy and fun. Another example of how my mind set changes everything.

Looking back I can't believe how the time flew by. It seems like I started just yesterday. On the other hand I've grown and learned so much about myself that I'm amazed it's only been a month. Although I may not train for 2 hours every time I will definitely continue to practice daily. I can no longer imagine what it would be like to go back to the way I used to do it which was very sporadic. I'm so glad I've done this project for many reasons. I feel healthier, I have more energy, I'm incredibly focused, I've learned a lot, I've developed more discipline, I feel good about myself, I've started a new habit, it's prepared me for China...the list goes on.

It's not just the training either, the journaling has helped me so much. I certainly didn't feel like blogging every day but I never regretted it once I did. It really helped me to stay motivated and to express what I was feeling and thinking. Several people have asked me whether I will continue to post daily. I can't guarantee that it will be every day but I definitely plan to continue where I've left off. So stay tuned!

Thanks again to everyone who encouraged and supported me. It means a lot and it helped me get through the bad days and keep pushing myself. It wouldn't have been nearly so much fun without you all! Thank you.

Day 29

Only 1 more day to go...
Yesterday I was really tired and grumpy but I felt better today. Still tired but more ok with it. My training went ok. I can tell I'm in much better shape than when I started because it takes more work to make me start to sweat or breathe hard. My left shoulder is really bugging me right now so the push-ups are not that fun but I stretched it out really well today and if that doesn't work I've booked a massage for Sunday after work. It's my reward to myself for completing my goal and I'm really really really looking forward to it. That'll be my first rest day and a massage on top will just be fabulous! I really need it too. So I'm super stoked and I plan to go extra hard tomorrow so I'll let you all know how that goes.

Day 28

Today was a super busy and exhausting day. I had a ton of stuff to do and work and squeezing in my training was not easy. I really really didn't want to do that second hour or finish my push-ups. I forced myself to do it and managed to make it through but I'm incredibly tired right now and today I'm really looking forward to being finished with this 30 day thing. Anyways, it was rough but I did it and now I'm going to sleep!

Day 27

Only 3 days left.
I'm not sure if I feel primarily excited or sad. I'm really happy that I've accomplished what I set out to do and that I've stuck to the plan and not cheated at all. I'm proud of myself and so grateful for everyone being so understanding and supportive. I really do feel as though this consistent training has become a part of my life now. It's a whole new lifestyle which was exactly what I was hoping for when I started. Not only have I integrated this into who I am, but it's also leading me down new paths of self-discovery. I'm learning more and more about who I am and what my beliefs and values are. It's totally rad.
I'm also a little bit sad that it's coming to an end. Although I have every intention of continuing to train hard, my little project is now done. It's no longer as new and exciting. Now my biggest challenge will be to keep it fresh and interesting so that I have fun and stick to it. Deep down I know there's no reason to be sad because this really has become a part of me. I will never go back to who I was before I began and I will always remember what I've learned.
For now I'm going to enjoy these last three days and train harder than ever. Finish it off with a bang!

Day 26

Despite the wonders of magnesium my shoulders were still a bit stiff today. I decided after some kicks, forms, and push-ups to give them a good stretch with a yoga routine focused specifically on shoulders and back. Great idea! I was careful not to do too much and to listen to my body so I think I got a really effective stretch while staying safe. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't use my training time for yoga because I should be focused more so on just kung fu but at the same time, it's a great way to take care of my body while still progressing. I think it's better than taking a rest day... baring any serious injury of course. I feel as though I still get the benefits of consistency and discipline but I also get to mix it up and nurture myself at the same time. It works for me anyway. I'm pretty tired today though so good night.

Day 25

My shoulders and arms are pretty sore right now. Last night at class we did sparring with hands only and then today I did my push-ups of course as well as swimming, some weight training and working out on the heavy bag. That's a lot of upper body work and I'm feeling it now. I have some magnesium to take before bed so I shouldn't be too bad tomorrow. If you've never tried taking magnesium after a workout before, I highly recommend it. It helps to relax the muscles so you'll be less stiff and sore the next day, it helps you sleep at night, it's really effective for restless legs or nighttime leg cramps, it eases menstrual cramps, it prevents headaches due to neck tension, it can help with constipation, and it even helps your body to absorb other minerals like calcium. Magnesium is especially important for athletes because during strenuous exercise our bodies excrete it in our sweat.
I know this all may sound a bit cheesy but I really do love it and it is incredibly useful.
This is a diagram of a magnesium molecule.

Day 24

Today went well. I was feeling strong again for push-ups and pull-ups. It was just one of those days where I felt like I could do anything. I think that's happening more often which is exciting. I guess it's partly because I am stronger and more fit now. I'm glad that I've done all of this training before going to China. I think it'll really help me with the transition to what the routine will be like while I'm there. I'm getting more and more excited and nervous about the trip. On the one hand it still seems really far away, on the other hand time is just flying by like crazy. I'm already on day 24! It seems like I just started a few days ago and here I am already almost done. This goal has gone really well, I hope that I get as much learning and discipline from all of my future goals. I can't stress enough the benefits of writing out a goal and an action plan and following through. It's completely changed the way I feel about myself and my life. A while ago I wrote about keeping promises to yourself and this has been a wonderful exercise in that. I used to feel guilty because of not practicing consistently enough and I would get very down on myself which made me not want to try very hard at all. Now I feel great inside because I know I've done my best and there's no limit to what I can accomplish if I do my absolute best.

Day 23

It worked!

Waking up and knowing that I had extra push-ups to do today really motivated me to get started right away and push myself to complete them. I felt strong and able while I was doing them. Some days I feel so strong, as though I could do anything and some days I feel weak and tired. I'm still not sure exactly what makes such a big difference. I know it has something to do with my frame of mind though. More and more I'm realizing what a huge impact it can have on my experiences. Even though I know to a certain degree that our thoughts create our reality, I'm seeing real proof of that all the time and I'm learning it on some deeper level now. I think with a concept like that (thoughts and beliefs create reality) you can know it in theory but to really integrate it into your life you need to know it experientially. It's kind of like "the secret" except that it's not a secret and it's been around for thousands of years. So many people see the movie or read the book and think "Ok, now I can just manifest whatever I want" without doing any actual work. You can think positively all you want but you also have to take ACTION! You have to change your habits and rearrange your life to make room for this new stuff that you're manifesting. You have to look around and see all the opportunities that are around you and jump on them. I'm not saying it has to be difficult, but you do have to change your beliefs on a fundamental level. That's the real "secret" in my opinion.

I think I've ranted long enough now. Good night.

Day 22

I had an interesting day today. After work I went to the community hall where I teach my yoga class on wednesday nights but when I got there I found some people setting up for a concert. Turns out the hall was double booked for the night so I couldn't teach my class. I came home and decided to do yoga anyways for what was left of my training for the day. Steve joined me so we had a mini class in the living room. It was really relaxing and a good way to stretch out after the strength training we did yesterday. I'm really glad that I was able to stay calm and go with the flow so that I could enjoy the evening and get the most out of it. I think that as I age I realize what's important and don't get bent out of shape over the insignificant glitches in life. I can picture a younger me in the same situation being frustrated and angry even though there was nothing I could do about it at the time. Now if only I could maintain this calm attitude on a busy day at work...

I've been feeling really bored with my push-ups lately. A big part of me just wants the 26 weeks to be over with not because I don't want to do push-ups, just because I'm not excited about them anymore. So I decided that today I would do less and do the extra ones tomorrow to give me more of a challenge. Something to get pumped up about! I'll let you know how it goes.

Day 21

I'm falling in love with tai chi.

When I first tried it I didn't like it at all, then I grew to realize that it's actually pretty cool. Now I love it! The more I practice it the deeper I fall. Today I was going through the form and it was flowing well and my movements were all synchronized. It was like a beautiful piece of music that you just want to close your eyes and savour. I had this experience that my chi was the wind and it was swirling around me like a gentle breeze. I could actually physically feel it against my skin. I half expected to see my hair blow around. I wonder if other people have felt that too. I've never had a hard time feeling chi but this was much more tangible than most of the experiences I've had. Awesome!

Day 20

Today I got in a lot of training, especially cardio which I sometimes struggle with. I really feel like this training is becoming a part of my life now. It's almost hard to remember what it felt like to go a whole day without doing anything. I just know that at the end of the 30 days I'll have become a whole different person. Someone who is focused and disciplined. I wish that I'd decided to do this years ago. Imagine where I could have been by now. But I guess I probably wasn't ready to take something like this on until now. I can really see by looking back how there were many events and challenges in the past that prepared me for where I am right now. I know from experience that if something comes too easily, it's easy to take it for granted. I'm really glad that I've had to work so hard to progress in kung fu, there haven't been many other things in my life that have been both so challenging and so rewarding.

Day 19

I spent a fair amount of my workout today working on kicks. I'm noticing that stiffness and soreness in my lower back is affecting my kicks. Generally front kicks are ok, it's side kicks and roundhouses that are suffering. I figured that I should focus more on improving that by kicking a bit lower than I normally would and then working my way up higher and higher. I also think that I need to stretch more at work. I work in a standing position most of the day. I do get to walk and move around a lot which is good but my back and hips still get stiff after a full day. I'm going to start doing a quick stretch on each break throughout the day and see if that makes a difference. Yoga always helps but I'd rather be pro-active and prevent it before it becomes a problem.

Everything else is going well. My forms are coming along nicely and I'm noticing an improvement in my stamina. I find that having stamina for working out at the gym is a lot different than for practicing kung fu. They don't necessarily go hand in hand.

Day 18

I've mostly been practicing my hand forms lately to try an improve on my basics but today I decided to do some weapons and pulled out the old nunchuks. I'd forgotten how fun they are! Even though I wouldn't say that chucks are my forte, I have a good time with them. I started out practicing my form and then I just improvised for a while and made some stuff up. I was surprised at my creativity when I got to trying new things. I wonder if the fact that I've been training so much means that I've got the juices flowing and new ideas are coming to the surface? I've noticed that I seem to be coming up with some neat ways to mix up my training so this might just be the next step.

I also noticed that the nunchuk form is a great one to work on footwork. I was having a challenging time when shifting stances. My ankle seems to be doing a bit better when doing a horse stance so I'm pretty pleased. I was starting to worry that it would never fully heal and I'd be stuck with a lopsided horse stance forever. Now I see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as that goes.

I ate 2 sweets today and it was the most sugar I've had since doing that cleanse. I feel kind of gross. I think it was a mistake and I wish I'd been more disciplined and less concerned with being polite. I'm going to have to get over that unless I want to have a sore tummy too often. yuck

Day 17-Thanks!

Today was great.

I had the day off so I could just hang out this morning and perfect my vegan green tea latte making skills and tidy up the house. Then I went for a swim with my cousin and had a great time. Something about splashing around in water makes me feel like a kid again.

Kung fu class was a really good experience. I learned a lot just from being at the second degree brown class and then in our class I learned even more. Master Brinker helped me to see some of the mistakes that I've been making in my sparring and how to correct them. I got to really practice the techniques and get a feel for them. Some of the mistakes I was making seem so obvious in retrospect but for some reason I needed someone else to point them out to me. I think that's one of the good things about going to class consistently, your instructors can offer you really good advice on things that you might not ever notice on your own.

I also want to thank everyone who has complimented me on my blog and my current training project. I've had some very kind words lately and it's so nice to know that other people are benefiting from my actions. I feel encouraged and inspired to continue on.

Day 16

So I'm really relaxed and tired out now from training and so I'll keep it fairly brief. All went well today. My tai chi form is really coming along nicely. I've got tons of questions for Sifu Dennis next time I see her. The flow is a lot better though and my footwork is improving. I've been concentrating on footwork and stances in my tai chi form and my kung fu forms too and I'm noticing two things a)it's a lot worse than I thought it was and b)it's getting better more quickly than I thought it would. All in all I'm pleased. Good night.

Day 15

I am half way done!

Initially when I started planning this project I considered making it 90 days. Everyone said I was crazy so I brought it down to 30. Now part of me thinks that was a good idea. It's pretty hard to find 2 hours every day, I'm a busy gal. That has definitely been the biggest challenge for me thus far. Another part of me thinks 30 days is maybe too short. I still have tons to work on and I need more time to do it. Do I really think I could maintain this pace for 90 days straight? Definitely. Would I live in filth and have no contact with the outside world? Maybe.

I'll be training way harder in China for about 90 days but there won't be any other responsibilities to take care of. No cooking, running errands, or work to get in the way. I'm really excited about that and I also wonder what kind of pace I'll be able to keep once I get back. That'll be interesting to see.

All in all I'm glad I decided on the 30. I'll still train hard afterwards and hopefully I'll also have time to see more of the people I care about and take care of all the things that I'm currently letting slide (like the dishes!). I don't want to take too much time off though, I need to stay on my game.

Day 14

It's been a while since I said anything about my push ups but all is going well. For a while I felt as though I'd stopped progressing and was staying at the same level but now recently I've had a big improvement. I feel so much stronger than before I started this project and I'm proud of myself for making it thus far.

I also feel good about the things I've been working on each day. The forms I've been practicing are getting better and better, I'm getting stronger, I have more stamina, and my foot position on my side kick is looking more like it should.

I've noticed both in the training and in my push-ups that sometimes it feels like what I'm doing isn't working and I get discouraged and critical. Somehow though it all comes together and I experience a big leap in progress where I can see a major change and feel really good about all my effort. I can see now that in the past if I was feeling that I wasn't getting better fast enough I'd get impatient and move on to something else. If I'd only kept working on it, I probably would have experienced a great improvement.

Hindsight really is 20/20.

Day 13-Lucky # 13

I really did feel lucky today. Lucky to have kung fu in my life, lucky to be surrounded by wonderful people, lucky to be fit and healthy, and lucky to live in such a privileged country. I imagine what it would be like to grow up on the other side of the world sometimes. I might never have been able to learn kung fu as a female in some cultures. I might not be able to afford the luxuries that I so enjoy like fresh groceries and a comfortable place to live. I might not have the freedom to believe what I want and be the weirdo that I am.

One of the reasons that kung fu is so important to me is that it helps me to be more humble and more compassionate. It has opened my world so that I can see more, good and bad. It gives me the passion to change what I can and try to make things better somehow. The biggest difference it has made for me personally is that it has given me confidence. Confidence to speak up for myself and others and to stand up for what I believe in. I can say with certainty that I would not be who I am today if I never met Master Brinker and started training all those years ago.

When we bow in and out at the beginning and the end of class what do you think about? When we say "past masters" I think of all those who have directly or indirectly helped me get to where I am even without me knowing. I feel gratitude for all their efforts and caring. Throughout our history people have struggled to pass on their knowledge of kung fu, sometimes even risking their lives to do so. We are blessed and privileged to be part of this lineage.

Day 12

Holy crap! I'm almost half done already! Time really does fly.

My back has been sore since Friday, I'm not sure why, so today I decided to do my push-ups and some strength training and then I did a yoga routine for healing a sore back. I think it was a really good idea because as soon as I was done I felt amazing and now tomorrow I'll be able to train like usual again. I think part of why it was so great is also that it was so mellow and relaxing. I feel like it healed my mind as well as my body. That's one of the things that I love about yoga, it's a great way to nurture yourself which is especially important for martial artists because training hard at anything takes it's toll on a person.

Day 11

Today I was really tired. I went for a swim which was good to cool off and for a bit of cardio but afterwards I was totally wiped out. I had to struggle to finish my push-ups and my training for today but I did it. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more energy again and I'll go to bed at a decent hour. I've definitely been getting less sleep since I started this training routine. Some days it doesn't matter so much, the exercise gets me pumped up and I have more energy, but other days it gets to me a little. I can't blame the workouts for it though. If I didn't go out I'd have gotten more sleep last night and tonight so it's all about priorities (there's that word again). More and more I'm learning about what my priorities are and that in the past there were lots of times when I put other things before kung fu. I'm certain that's a big reason why I've had such problems with consistency. All I'm doing now is putting kung fu first (and sleep last) and I've already noticed big changes in the way I see things.

Day 10

Black belt class today was totally awesome! We did this really fun drill that was a great workout, helped us review our curriculum, and tested our reaction time. Basically we went in partners and one person had 2 shields or focus mitts and they called out random techniques and the other person was doing them. The class flew by! I think this is something that I'm going to incorporate into my home training.

One bad thing was that my back was sore for some reason and kicking high was uncomfortable. I'm going to sleep now though and if it's not better tomorrow I know a great yoga routine for it that really works.

Day 9

I really did have renewed energy and purpose today. Throughout the day at work I was thinking about what I need to focus on the most and prioritizing those things. Even though I only trained for the 2 hours, it feels like I was training all day. That means that by the time I got home from work I new exactly what I was going to do and I was super focused. I'm certain I was much more effective because of it. I guess this is what Master Brinker means when he talks about mental training. I can see that if you were doing that all day every day you really could progress quickly with only 10 minutes of practice a day. Those 10 minutes would be planned to the max by the time you got to them.

I'm really learning a lot already about the way I normally do things and other ways that those things could be done. I'm usually very lackadaisical and sporadic in my training, pretty much doing whatever pops into my head. Now I'm seeing that it pays to be organized and consistent.

Now I'm tired though and I'm going to bed. Good night.

Day 8

I was feeling good when I woke up this morning but my muscles are really tired from yesterday and the day before when I went really hard. I decided to take it relatively easy so I did some tai chi, forms, and a lot of stretching. I think it was a good idea although I am feeling the pressure a bit. Yesterday I realized that I am 25% done and I can't believe how fast time is going. I have a lot that I want to work on and I haven't improved nearly as much as I was hoping to. I'm going to have to focus more specifically on the things that really need work. I'd say the thing that has improved the most is my tai chi form, which is good because I plan on doing 250 reps of it so it better be good by the time I finish that!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I am filled with energy and strength of purpose.

Day 7

Today my sister and I bought our plane tickets for our China trip. I'm sooo excited! We're leaving in October and coming back in February. There's so much I want to see and do while I'm there, I hope we have time to do it all. Just in the area of the kung fu school there's tons of neat stuff! I can hardly wait.

I did my workouts. They were good. I was dreaming about the trip most of the time so it's a bit of a blur.

Day 6

I'm not sure why but I woke up this morning feeling great! Full of excitement for the day and love and gratitude for everyone and everything in my life. I didn't have to work until 1 so I got to spend my morning drinking tea, relaxing, and doing tai chi. I also rode my bike to work and back through the river valley. All in all I must have worked out for at least 3 hours today and here I am still full of energy.

If I could figure out why I feel so good then I could try to create the right situation to feel this good most of the time. Is it the amount of sleep I got last night? The herbal cleanse I'm doing? The fact that I've completely cut sugar out of my diet for this cleanse? The warm sunny weather? The exercise I've been getting? The pure joy that comes from being in the great outdoors? I suspect it's some kind of combination of the above. It's certainly given me something to ponder though.

I really hope that doing this routine is somehow changing me as a person and helping me to not only prioritize but also learn more about myself and what it takes to motivate me and move me forwards. I think that I have a tendency to stay in one spot if it's comfortable rather than go further. I imagine many people out there are like that and if I can figure out how to change it in me, maybe I can help others to do the same.

Day 5

So today I want to say a big thank you to Steve my boyfriend.

I woke up with a really stiff and sore hamstring on the right leg so I trained lightly for an hour before work doing lots of stretching and trying to loosen it up. It helped a little but didn't completely fix the problem.

After work I was super-duper tired and really not looking forward to doing anything that didn't involve sleeping. Steve really stepped up to the plate and did a bunch of push-ups with me and trained with me for my whole last hour of the day. He pushed me to try harder when I really wanted to slack off and helped me stretch out my leg at the end. He made the whole process a lot more fun and I'm sure more effective than it could have been.

So thanks Steve for your help today. It made a world of difference.

Day 4- starting to gain some wisdom

I had a super busy day today so finding time to train was a challenge. I managed to squeeze it all in in small chunks though.

I'm finding that it's easier for me to push myself and be excited about training when I've worked out recently (like the day before or earlier that day). I used to think that if I trained hard one day I should take it relatively easy the next. Now my opinion on that is starting to change. I still think rest is important but maybe I was using the whole concept of rest as an excuse not to do as much.



So far so good though and I hope to learn more about myself each day this month. I wonder if I'll be able to maintain this intensity after the 30 days is over....

I included this picture because I thought it must be getting boring to read so many posts with just text. Also tortoises are wise right?

Day 3

So today went pretty well. I did some tai chi and then went to class and learned a lot. We went over some stuff that both answered questions and also created new ones. That's the best kind of class.

I also started a herbal cleanse today so I was pretty tired and felt a little bit dizzy in class. I feel better now though that I've had some water and some food. If anyone's interested in doing a hardcore, kick-ass cleanse you can try the wild rose cleanse. Read about it at:

www.wrc.net

That's all for now. I'm going to bed.

Day 2 belated

Okay so I've just looked over my goal and I see that I've written down that I'll blog every single day....oops! I learned to make sure I know exactly what the goal is before beginning.
This is my post for yesterday and I'll post for today later tonight.

I was pretty tired and sore from the workout I did wednesday so it was a challenge to get started but once I did it was fun. I did forms, kicks, stretching, and tai chi. I also worked on my horse stance. Ever since I sprained my ankle the horse stance has been really difficult. My right foot wants to splay outwards and forcing it into the proper position is....uncomfortable. But since I now have 2 hours of potential time every day to work on it, I'm sure it'll improve.

So I powered through and did it and fell into bed exhausted. Feels good.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today I turned 27. Today is also the first day of my 30 day training intensive. Every single day for the next 30 days I will train for at least 2 hours. That can include anything that will benefit my kung fu such as training in kung fu (obviously), stretching/yoga, tai chi, and general fitness training. I will also post often during the process so that you, my lucky readers, can join in with me.

What I hope to achieve is to improve my fitness and skills but also to develop a habit of training regularly. Though I practice often, I've never gone for a month without missing some days. It takes 30 days to break a habit and to form a new one.

Another thing that I want to do is prove to myself that I can do it. I don't just mean that I can physically do it but that I have the mental toughness and dedication to stick to the plan.

I decided to start today because I want to start out this year of my life with a bang and make it the best, most successful, character building year yet.

Brandi Gets Humbled (Again)

Kung Fu (and I'm sure other martial arts) has a funny way of teaching humility.

A couple of weeks ago I left my Friday class feeling pretty awesome. I'd been complimented on something by my instructor, I'd picked up something new pretty quickly, and I had noticed an improvement on my flying techniques which I've been working on lately. I was starting to feel a little bit proud of myself and that I was on the right track as far as my training was concerned.

I've been going over my goals with Master Brinker and there was one in particular that I'd been struggling with in my attempts to refine it. Master Brinker helped me figure out that if I wanted to improve my sparring I needed to improve my footwork and centering. It took me a while to wrap my head around this because I always thought I had a good sense of center. So now something that I had considered a strength turns out to be weaker than I would like and is affecting other aspects of my training.

Then we were working on our side kicks in class last week both in the 2nd degree brown and the black belt classes. I realized that my foot position is not perfect! I know that it was at one time but in practicing lately I must have let it slip a little. So now I have to work on my foot position as well as on my eye for detail because I really should have noticed. I knew something was feeling off about that kick as of late but for some reason couldn't see what it was.

And lastly on a hike on Saturday I sprained my foot and so now I've been off work for 3 days and hobbling around the house bored out of my mind. The only productive thing I've done is my push-ups. It's a very humbling thing not being able to walk without help. I'm usually a very independent person so having to ask for help all the time is not my cup of tea.

There you have it. Never assume that you've got it all figured out even a little bit. That's the biggest challenge about kung fu, and the biggest joy! I'm not saying confidence is a bad thing but there's always room for improvement, nothing is ever perfect, and no matter how long you've been in it you never stop learning. It's pretty exciting if you can see the bright side.

Life is Living

I consider myself a fairly high energy person. There are times when I feel tired and worn out but I think it's more of a mental state than anything else.

The things that make me feel drained are the drudgery of the daily grind. Get up go to work, come home, go to sleep, do it again. We spend so much of our precious time at work, paying bills, doing what's expected of us in this society that we have very little time for the things that really matter. Why should we have to choose between spending time with family, or doing kung fu or any activity that we love? It's hard to get pumped to do something and accomplish meaningful things when we have a pile of boring errands and work troubles weighing on our minds.

I see so many people around me in similar states. I'm so lucky to have kung fu to keep me grounded. Otherwise I'd likely be just like the so many people in so many houses in front of the TV every night. When I walk by and glance inside I just want to bang on the window and shout at them "What are we doing? Wake up! Get out there and do something. Live your life!". I don't though. I'd be called crazy if I went around doing that and who am I to judge them anyway?

I'm not sure what the solution is. Should we all go back to the days of pre-industrial revolution before the invention of regular working hours and consumerism? Maybe it would work but at this point it's a bit unrealistic. All I can do and all I can encourage others to do is to get involved. Be a part of a community, get excited about something, enjoy the simple things in life, move your body, connect with people. Care. Do something!

Life is not shopping, life is not watching the tube, life is not keeping up with the Joneses.

Life is Living!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how much is enough and doing your absolute best. I know many people (including me) who rarely try as hard as they can and don't hold anything back.

Personally, I have a tendency to do only as much as will satisfy the expectations others have of me. I know that's how I went through school, with a minimum of effort doing only enough to get by. I would figure out the minimum marks I had to get in order to progress and attempt to do only as much as I had to to get that mark. Obviously it's not a foolproof system and sometimes I messed up but I managed to get through it.

Even when I began Kung Fu I tried this system. I had a certain amount of natural ability and so I basically coasted through to blue belt by again doing only the bare minimum. I didn't realize at the time that I was doing this, it was just a habit, how I did everything in life. Find out what the expectations are and try only to meet, not exceed them. Problem was that I could only progress so far using this system so at blue belt I actually had to start trying. I think it hurt me in the end because I didn't have the discipline built up and had to start from scratch when everyone else was already in the groove of practicing consistently.

There are very few times in my life when I can say that I tried my hardest and gave everything I had. My black belt grading was one of those times. I believe, and Master Brinker can correct me if I'm wrong, that one of the reasons that the grading is set up the way it is with all the fitness testing and grueling evaluations is to force people to do their absolute best. When you're in that high pressure situation for 14 hours pushing yourself physically and mentally, you dig down deep and find a strength and courage you didn't know you possessed.

Since that time I've improved a lot. I now understand that doing good enough is not good enough. I can never know what I am capable of if I hold anything back. I often challenge myself and set goals merely for the sake of achieving them. I practice consistently and have never been in better shape or more on top of my kung fu. My problem now is that I am constantly feeling that I could be doing more, that what I'm doing is not enough. If I practice for an hour and then sit down and watch a movie there's a part of me that's going "I could be stretching right now" or "I should work on my Tai Chi form" or a million other things to that effect. I'm sure that I'm right and I could be doing more but I also know that there's nothing wrong with just watching tv sometimes or spending time with people I care about. This guilt is motivating me to do more and try harder, which is good, but I'd like to be able to turn it off sometimes and fully enjoy myself when I'm doing something just for fun.

On the Road Again

So I kinda fell off the wagon as far as following my training schedule. I was really busy for a couple of weeks and was working out very sporadically. Anticipating that this might happen I asked my man Steve to pointedly ask me about how my training was going every so often. Thankfully he did and it spurred me onwards to train again. It also made me think about dedication. In my opinion dedication is something that is built up over time. We're all human and we live busy lives in a fast paced world so we need to be able to take stock of where we're at and re-focus on the things that are important to us. Doing this over and over again is how real dedication is born. I am constantly evaluating the things in my life that are benefiting me and those that are not and trying to focus only on what really moves me. Kung Fu is one of those things but there are many. Now that I'm back on the wagon with training daily I feel great, partly because it feels good physically but also because it feeds me mentally and spiritually.

Tiger Challenge

On Saturday we had our Tiger challenge tournament in Spruce Grove. I thought it all went really well! Everyone was there on time and we actually finished early. It was all very organized and flowed smoothly. I was especially excited that I got to judge creative musical forms which are always cool to watch. All competitors did really well and I was blown away by Mr.Panasiuk. A yellow belt doing a creative musical form with a three sectional staff!! And he did really well!

Other events that stood out for me were the black belt performances at the beginning as well as the sparring and San Shou. Every competitor was fully prepared and it showed.

I hope everyone else was as inspired as I was. I'm already planning what I'm going to do next year and it's given me some ideas for what I need to work on for third degree black belt.

Something I realized is that you don't have to go far for inspiration. Movies and all that stuff are good but I get more out of watching my students and classmates do their thing.

Awesome job everyone!

Neat Link

http://www.yogamagazine.co.uk/article.php?articleid=161§ionid=4

This is a short article on the benefits martial artists may experience by practicing yoga.

I myself have noticed improvements in my kung fu as well as my posture and general health since starting yoga.

Saying It and Doing It Are Two Completely Different Things

This morning I got up early, practiced some forms and kicks, did some yoga and had breakfast. I feel fantastic and I'm wondering why I don't do this every morning. For me personally the morning is the best time to practice. Later on in the day there are all sorts of distractions. Phone calls, emails, making dinner, classes. Not to mention the fact that after work I'm usually pretty tired.

Right now I'm working on a training schedule. It's not done yet but it will be by the end of the week. I'm going to be scheduling some kind of training every morning as well as before bed each night.

Normally I just practice when I find time and do whatever's got my interest at the time which has served me well but Master Brinker has been talking about setting up a specific schedule and the benefits of that so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm hoping that following a schedule will help me maintain focus and work on the goals that I've set.

I'll be practicing mainly forms, kicks, and combinations for now. I'll also be scheduling time for tai chi, yoga, chi gong, meditation, and general fitness. Of course I'll continue to do 150 push-ups each day. whew!

Although I am looking forward to the physical benefits of consistent training, I'm really excited by the mental benefits of setting out to do a task and following through. I can't remember where I heard it but last year I remember hearing that every time you say you're going to do something and then you don't do it, you break a promise to yourself. Over time you stop trusting yourself. Then if you say you'll do something, deep down you don't believe it anymore. What a sad thing to not even be able to trust yourself in this scary world. Ever since I learned that I've been systematically rebuilding trust in myself by choosing small goals and following through. To start with it was as simple as saying "I will do the dishes" or "I will kick the heavy bag for 10 minutes". You have to start small to build up confidence and belief in yourself. Then I decided to do 150 push-ups each day and I'm doing it. If I had tried to do it last year I might have failed but because I believe in myself more, I'm succeeding.

In yogic philosophy there exists the idea of Tapas. Besides the practice of asana (postures) there are several guidelines for living one of which is tapas. Basically tapas is the practice of self-discipline which builds the heat of intensity. Once one disciplines oneself and builds this heat, internal obstacles are burned away and practice becomes easier. One practices more and builds more heat which pushes one on even further in a self sustaining cycle towards reaching ones ultimate potential. Which is pretty cool!

What's your ultimate potential? What were you put here to achieve? Start by building some trust and confidence, burn away your obstacles, and do it!

Spring is Here

For me spring arrives when the snow has melted enough that I can practice my spear in the backyard.

This is a video of me performing my spear form at our Tiger Challenge tournament last year.

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Inspirational Quote of Today

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?'
Actually who are you not to be?
You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us
and it is not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people the inspiration to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Author said to be Marianne Williamson or Nelson Mandela

Can't Wait!

It's been a while since my last post. I've been super busy with working overtime as well as taking registrations for a yoga class I'll be teaching. I'm really working hard to try and save up for my trip. The bad thing is that all this working means I have less time to train. At this point the only free time I really have is an hour or so before bed and my days off. Wouldn't it be nice if we could do what we love all day long and not have to worry about making money? That's why I'm looking forward to this trip so much. The chance to do Kung Fu all day every day and not have work and other obligations getting in the way. I can't wait! Now that I have this goal it's almost all I think about. Every moment that I'm not working towards it is almost painful.

The push-ups are getting easier. The biggest struggle I've had is on the weekend. My boyfriend Steve and I went snowboarding and the next day I was really sore. Doing push-ups was really tough. I managed to do most of them and make the rest up later but I certainly didn't enjoy it. Most days I can do more in a row than I could before and my arms feel stronger. My advice to anyone else doing this....stretch! Stretch your arms, shoulders and pecs every day. I believe flexibility is as important as strength. Don't gain one just to lose the other.

So Far So Good

This is a pic I found online at www.wudanggongfu.com. It is a photo of Sifu Kris Olsvik training in China. The website is very interesting and has other photos of Kris if you're interested.

As the title of this post would indicate all is going quite well with my push-ups. I have done 150 each day since I last posted towards my goal of reaching 26000 in 6 months.

My wrist is actually holding up quite well considering. I switch between knuckles, fingertips, and regular push ups. A very nice girl from my work heard that my wrist was sore on Monday and gave me an old wrist brace that she hasn't been using so I sometimes put that on if I have to do a bunch in one go. It does help a lot.

My sister Melanie and I have started training for our upcoming trip to China. We figured that to get the most out of it we should be in great shape and completely on top of all our Kung Fu when we get there. We haven't set a date yet so we're not exactly sure when we're leaving but we're aiming for fall/winter. I personally want to be gone by November. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, My sister and I are going to China to train at the same school where Sifu Olsvik trained. Unlike him we'll only be going for 3 or 4 months not a whole year but I hope that we can learn a great deal and reach our potentials.

I've wanted to do Kung Fu in China ever since i started training all those years ago but it always seemed so far away. When Sifu Olsvik came back from his trip and told us all about it and I saw what an amazing improvement he'd gone through, I just decided I was going to go and asked my sister if she wanted to come. All of a sudden we're doing it!

I've found that in life you can plan and plan for something but there comes a point where you have to decide "Am I going to do this or not". Once you make that decision all the forces of the universe line up and nothing can stop you. This is one of those times for me and it's such a powerful feeling. I'd love to go through life feeling this confident and empowered all the time.

My first time!

I've been putting off this starting a blog thing for a while now. How like me to feel nervous about something and decide to just avoid it all together for a while.

One reason for holding off I think is the fact that I'm a very private person. Although I'm friendly and enjoy most people, it takes a really long time to get to know me. I have friends I've known since high school who've never seen the real me.

Another reason for not blogging before is the belief that I couldn't really have much to say that is going to be that interesting to anyone but me.

After reading all the other blogs though, I realized how wonderful it is to learn more about these people I've known for years but only in one setting. Also, there are some wonderful insights out there on a variety of topics. We're a thoughtful group!

Not sure exactly what to talk about. I'm sure my blog won't resemble Sifu Robertson's. I'm not likely to post anything about Aristotle. I don't spend much time thinking about classical literature and the like. Hopefully I can keep any readers entertained in my own way.

I just finished reading Sihing Prince's blog and his plan for attacking those 26000 pushups. He's got it all figured out and I know how hard of a worker he is and that although this will challenge him, he'll "git 'er done". I'm really inspired by all of the brown belts who've achieved this goal. The push ups are hard but also just being dedicated and writing every single one down is a big challenge.

I've been struggling with my own push-ups lately. An old wrist injury from snowboarding keeps flaring up whenever I go really hard on the push-ups and as a result I've noticed a decrease in the number I can do in one go and my arm strength in general. It's so frustrating to feel yourself sliding backwards, especially when you see your students improving on that very thing. As a result I've decided to do the 26000 too! I might be crazy because I don't actually have to do it but I think it's a good way to discipline myself into taking action.

Yep, here I am being accountable and although I don't have to hand mine in to Master Brinker I'm still going to write them down because I think that's a really important part of the exercise.

So if you guys are having a hard time with your push-ups, let me know. I'll be going through the same thing so maybe I can help.

That's all for now. I've got a dentist appointment and work so I'd better get going.