Ups, Downs and all Inbetween

I have been feeling stuck with my Kung Fu lately. I didn't want to come to class because I was frustrated with my progress and felt like I was falling behind in more ways than. I was stuck. Literally. I got down on myself because I didn't practice enough, but in turn I wouldn't practice cause I "wasn't feeling up to it". Which I am told is a normal thing and honestly, with all my blogging about doing something when ya don't want to should have been a red flag.

I had a one on one today with Sifu Brinker today and I think that all I needed was an outside perspective and some much wanted advice. " Do it anyway. Push through the rough times". Boom. Suddenly it all made sense. I need to push through this funk so that I can see the difference when the funk it gone. Not gonna be easy, but 100% gonna be worth it. So. I am going to set some guildlines for myself to follow, in the good and the bad. I know that if I stick it through it will be something that I will carry for the rest of my life. 

So if any of you are in a funk or a dip in motivation, remember, always remember that its always going to get better. But that it up to you as well. You have to be the one who sees it through and reap what you sow.

On that note have a wonderful week everyone and enjoy the warm weather!

I'm You but Cooler

So I have completed what I wanted to achieve for this month. Over 20 blogs for this month and boy howdy has it been great. I felt actually dedicated to doing something that was not just reading a book or an activity that keeps me entertained. I think the best part about this is that I didn't think of it as a chore. Sure there were some days that I thought " man, I got nothing so I don't want to write" and that does go around a lot I am sure. 

But now I can say that I am confident in writing blogs and I don't plan on losing that. I am no longer going to do daily writings in October. Weekly or when I feel the urge. and heck, I do feel the urge most days to write. I cacn look back on my past self and say " It was so worth it, and it only gets better from here!"

This blog has been a great outlet for just general ideas and I certainly have gotten a lot of positive feedback, which I will be forever greatful for.So thanks everyone who kept me on track and encouraged me to keep writing. I hope all of you have a spooky October and stay safe out there!!

Back to the Past

Hello Everyone! 

Oh how the days are getting cooler and the nights are coming sooner. Alas before the next month is over I feel that it is going to snow. But we shall see.

Tonight, I reread my blogs. By reread I mean that I earnestly read some, cringed hard at others and was geniunaly perplexed at my state of being when I wrote some of them. I did notice though, throughout this past month and a half I have increased not only in my blogging skills but what I talk about. I find the first couple I wrote (each a month apart, yikes!) they were very much the tone of haha ha look at me I  am doing it verses actually doing anything. This month has taught me so much about blogging and has increased my attention to certain aspects of my life. It  has been quite the experince.

Have a wonderful night everyone!

Push up

Today I got some tips on how to do a better pushup. I always enjoy getting advice that I can use to help me do better. The way I was described how I was doing them before was "walrusing" where I would use my lower back muscles to help me pull myself up back to the pushup position. I really just have to learn how to engage my core and upper arms more! Till I do I shall keep correcting myself as I find it really easy to slip back into the improper way.

Hope everybody had an awesome day!

Stiff Upper Arm

So I feel like I have not made a lot a progress with my weapon this year. Not gonna lie, I didn't realise how far behind I felt until tonight. I watched everybody do their forms and the conviction that they have progressed thier forms with is amazing. It was so cool to see everyone tonight. I got amazing feedback about how to work with my weapon and about intent with the sword. Which is how I know that I have fallen behind in that regard. The last months (and frankly probably the whole year) has been asking for help when you need it. Not when you want it. And I have not been taking advantage of it. Not the one on ones or the messaging system. I am just realising how foolish it was of me to assume that I could conquer this on my own. Not that I haven't gotten this far by myself, but I am realising that I know that can progress farther withh help. So. I am going to do exactly that. 

Have a wonderful Friday everyone. 

Going in Circles

When we were doing the application tonight me and Ms. Lee were in my basement this evening. We could not go through with the take down part of the form as my floor is 90% concrete and as much as I should learn how to do a break fall on it, I feel like Im gonna 100% learn how to do it on a soft surface first. I digress.

We were doing the "pulling of the bow" when you knock the arm and strike the chest. It tooka while to get into the flow instead of, 1 step, 2 step, 3 step, 4. There are so many components to this one form it is hard not to break it down to its small steps. Anyway pulling the bow on this form has always been hard because I always want to keep everything very very close to me. But watching when Sifu Brinker demostrated it I saw that it is a very elaborate move. ( maybe he is just exaggerating) But I found that when I did the bigger circles everything just seemed to flow better. 

Thats the thoughts for tonight. Have a wonderful night yall!

Focus Up!

Where to begin where to begin. Well I'll start with I was there when that bus in the Parkland Farm in Stony Plain caught fire so I hope everybody in Stony Plain is A-okay! 

If all the things to talk about tonight I am going to talk about Wuxin. Tonight I was practicing and there were distractions coming from all around and I was distracting myself with thoughts of other things. So I took a moment to ask myself "why am I here and why am I here". To do Kung Fu and complete the form so I completely turned out the outside world and shut my thoughts down. I did the form with the skill that I had. Did I do it a hundred percent right? Maybe not. Did I complete to the best of my skills right then? Possibly. It was easy enough to clear my mind initially but maintaining that focus was hard as I grew slack the further I went into the form. I kept having to refocus myself and it worked, but it all turned out okay in the end!

Have a wonderful night y'all. 

Sticky Situation

So tonight in class we were doing sticky hands (or a version) and oh boy, it was hard to get back in the rhythm. I found that for the first part I was just stiffly moving my upper body and it was hard to move out of the way. My body felt constricted and it was hard to move out if the way. As soon as I had started moving my hips with it, it was easier but not perfect. There was a discord between my hips and trying to block the oncoming punches. It's all about the timing I think. 

So 50,000 and I will get back to you! Have a wonderful night everyone!

Hidden Treasures

There are lot of things in this life that I take for granted. My family and friends, my training, the natural beauty if the world around us. This weekend I went on another hike (surprise surprise!) to Jasper. This time we went to the Geraldine Lakes. My hiking friend has been talking about it all summer and this was a last opportunity before the frost hits and it gets too cold. 

I wanna get straight to the point tonight.  I had my toes bashed on several tree roots determined to further further my acquaintance with the ground, knees smacked against uneven boulders, and several nice new scratches from surprise branches that just wanted to say hello. 

Needless to say I was a little worn out when we close to the waterfall. But it was worth everything and more. It was this feeling of something that almost nobody gets to see. It felt different than climbing Whistlers in a way I can only hope to describe.  Deep in the woods far away from anybody and anything, it was a quiet victory. 

I can only work on having more of them.

Mediocre Madness

Okay. So ramble time. I honestly feel like my blogs are getting a little repetitive. I made a promise to my self to do at least 20 blogs this month but I feel like I am running out of steam. I mean it's not super positive news, but I am not going to stop doing them. 

I mean I dont want to keep putting " I dont feel like it so here is an apology" and I definently dont want blogging to turn into a chore or somthing that I avoid till the last minute. I am going to examine myself in what I do daily, and write about that. Wish me luck!

Nothing but Blogging

Starting off, it was wonderful to see all of you again tonight virtual or in person! It's truly moments like these that I know just how much everybody is putting forward in to Kung Fu and the support that we give each other.

Tonight I wanted to recap what I have learned by blogging and what it has done for me. So to start, at the beginning of the year I did  not blog very much. I was not thinking about what I could do with blogging other than just updating my growth and during that time I felt like I wasn't moving forward and that there was nothing to blog about. But thinking about it now, even writing this blog right now, it's not really about writing a blog. And it was in something that Sifu said tonight. And hes been saying it for a while but blogging is about the journey. It's a recounting of the progression that I have made so far. 

I am sure if I were to look at my older blogs I would go "wow, what the heck was I talking about". To begin, it was a chore. And now, it's a way of helping my self move forward. I find that the discipline of recalling what I have learned during the day has certainly made more things stick in my brain.  It's like any Sifu will tell you after you learn a new form or move. When you go home,  immediately do the form at home so it sticks. And I feel that blogging about experiences has given me a totally different thought process than I had before.

 And I appreciate every single one of you who read, cheer and comment on my blogs. So thanks again for reading and have a wonderful night!

Now I am Gonna Grow

This is gonna be about growth. Growth with myself this year and growth with my entire time in doing Kung Fu. Not going to try and butter coat it, when I first took Kung Fu it was only partly because I was interested in doing a martial art. The other part was that I was kinda like moss growing on my couch at home and needed the exercise. I remember being physically exhausted at the end of each lesson when I started (sometimes I still am!) but feeling this moment of something new. With each punch I threw and each form I learned, I wanted to learn more. And the more I learned the more skills I gained. 

But knowledge for me doesn't always transfer into skill. For instance I know that me blading my foot has only gotten better in the last year. Not only because I have been corrected on it a thousand and one times but I have taken the time to pay attention. To think about what I am doing when I throw a punch or deliver a kick. And me paying attention to one aspect of my form sends neon lights ablazing for other parts of my skills.

And I know when I critically think through it I get better. I know I can blade my foot better or that I attain the rotation in my hips when I throw a punch. And ba da bing, ba da boom. Better skills. So I am going to continue to improve my attention for detail, and I am gonna continue to grow.

A Time for Rest

So I know this summer has been a little crazy for everyone and I can say I slightly understand when it has been exhausting for a number of reasons. But now that it is officially over I am going to take a break. Not from Kung fu and certainly not from my commitments. 

But I am going to take time out of my day to do the things I love. I have a week off, (yay!) Due to the fact that there was going to be a wedding but it was moved up by 2 months and I didn't take back my vacation time. So i am going to us this time for me. 

I hope everybody can take a little time to stop and see the sun or the leaves change colours or feel the brisk autumn air on your face this fall. It is such a beautiful world we live in, and it is so easy to forget. 

Have a wonderful week y'all! 

Howdy Par'ner

 So tonight we go to work with applications! Which was super fun! For me and Ms. Lee we kinda have been working slightly on application at home, because we were lucky enough to have a partner during this season of Covid. 

But honestly, it felt like a better class tonight. Don't geet me wrong it has been amazing coming back to classes for the last month or so, but I have missed the group work. It caught me off guard (in a good way!) when Sifu Rybak came and corrected our stances and form. Dang, you really dont know what ya got till its gone. 

Any way it was wonderful to be in class this evening and I will see you all Wednesday!

And a shout out the Bjorkquists, Mr. Kohut, Ms. Burke, and Mr. Thomson. Congratulations on your new belts!

1000 for 1

 

So I know that most people are familar with the tale of if you make a thousand cranes your wish will come true. I have offically made 1005 cranes. 

I first started making cranes when I took Japanese as an language in highschool and never stopped. It is very monotonus work and it gives a good sense of "look at how much work I did" This paticular batch of cranes, I started when I was proposed to in the summer of 2018. I did it a) cause I thought it would be really sweet to have 1000 cranes for my wedding and b) it was a way to pass the time and think while I did somthing with my hands. In the end though, I didn't finish them in time for the wedding. I think I had done around 700 and there was too much to do for me to commit any energy towards them. So I kinda made it one of my projects this year. Any time that I could I would pick up a piece of paper and make another tiny little bird. And tiny is not in a joking sense, my smalled crane has a wing span of 1cm. Small baby bird. 

I recounted the birds tonight to see how many I had left to make. I counted that I had One Thousand (and five) cranes. Seeing it all laid out before me I felt a sense of pride over my work. It was worth all the paper cuts and cramped fingers 

Gone Fishing

This posting is in regards to Wednesday nights class. It was kinda a eye opener to just how much I don't have an eye for detail sometimes. Dont get me wrong, I do pay attention and if i see something wrong with my form I try and correct it. And me and lu are pretty good at finding flaws with each others punches and kicks. (Sibling energy, not malicious). But sometime when I do my form I am not paying attention to where I am going and if there is anything wrong than I dont pick up on it. It's not having the "No Mind" but rather not being mindful. I know Sifu talks a lot about having that opponent or the shadow opponent to focus your attacks and I think I need to take that more seriously when I do forms and techniques rather than just going through the motions. 

So bringing it all back. I need to pay attention to my forms better and bring a higher intensity level to ... well everything.

Have a good night yall!!

Night Owl

 So, It really has nothing have to do with anything but I think that I am going to try and do my blogs a little eariler in the day. I get to this part in my evenings and I find that either I am motivated to clean my entire house or I am so dead on my feet that I get that fun little things happening with my eyes and the do a cool little twitching. I will set my self the limit of trying to get them done by at least seven-thirty so that I can think through them a little bit more. I am hoping that I this cuts out the stress that comes with writing so late at night.

Till next time y'all. 

Things that are Desired

 

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

So here is the poem that I did for my dad. Good news! He really loved it! It defiently was worth the work! I hope that you all had a wonderful Labor Day!

Two Steps Forward

I have finished the piece that was meant for my Dad so Whoo! 

So looking at my personal gaols this year I am a little bit daunted and a little bit proud! One of the goals was to go out on three hikes this year. And I have been on at least 5! Which is probably more than I have gone on in a couple years. It was worth it, even if climbing the mountain is  somthing I can cross off my bucket list! I hope that next year I can go on even more.

In regards to my other 2 goals, I think I am going to make a plan for my self. I have now completed 3 out of my 15 art projects and I am still trying to make coherent music on the piano. I shall put the commitment that I have placed in my training and my blogs into the projects. Baby steps, a little bit slowly, but in the direction that I want to go!

Have a wonderful Long weekend everyone!

It be quiet times

So. There was nothing much to meditate on today or even anything that seemed to pop out at me as " I gotta blog about this!" But I do want to keep writing, part because I am understanding the importance of commitment more and I know how easy it is to fall into the trap if I'll do it tomorrow. 

So, here I am. Committing. I know that it will get easier to pull things from my life that I can blog about but tonight I am content just to have written a couple of sentences. 

Have a wonderful weekend y'all! 

Oh the projects to behold!

So! One of my personal requirements for I Ho Chuan was to finish 15 art projects this year. And I think of done... 2? Yeah that sounds about right! I do have half finished projects just lying around and I pick them up every once and a while so I know that I am steadly working on them. But! There is one project that I have literally been thinking about for years. It is a calligraphy project.

Backstory time!

In highschool we had do a project on things that shaped us or what kinda represented us? I think? IDK its been 5 years, I am too old to remember. But what I do remember is sitting with my papa and explain the project and my dad told be about a poem that had shaped him is his youth. The poem is called Deserata by Max Ehrmann. Like Mastery by Stuart Emery, it similarilly gives an outline that one should live their life by. I read the poem and found that I liked it immensely. To give a sneak peak, cause I might put th full poem up here one day.

" Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence." 

Like right off that bat, BOOM! Speaking right too me. Back on track though, I have been wanting to do an illuminated version of this poem with calligraphy. This year I have put my butt in gear and gotten to it. It has been a slight challenge as I have never done this kind of project before but fun! I have been learning a lot of patience cause you do one pen stroke wrong ya have to start it all over again!

So my fathers' birthday is fast approaching and I know that I finally give him the final project. Even if it takes up most of my art room!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

  

 

Boil 'em, Mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew

The most wonderful thing about potatoes is that they bring us all together. Tonight was a amazing experience to have during this pandemic. It was great to see everyone tonight, and watch the board breaking. There's really not much else to say on tonight. The company was pleasant and the food was good. I am incredibly grateful for the members of our Kwoon for getting this little shindig. I hope that everybody has a wonderful rest of their week stand I will see you all back there next Wednesday.

Remember, there may be no class but there is always kung fu!

Cinderelly! Cinderelly!

Today I went and helped out at the kwoon for the fall clean up. It was worth it, and if you didn't  get the chance to do so today or won't get the chance to do it this year I hundred percent recommend to do it next year. Me and my little sister did it last year when we were contemplating going into I Ho Chuan and I think for me it was one of the moments that solidified my desire to go. Cause I got to see how everybody worked together as a team and pitch in their efforts to make our place of training a place of their own. 

And I feel that it is a big part of feeling like you belong at the kwoon. Taking responsibility for the clean up after class, or making the effort to get to class. It comes down to what you are willing to give back. Giving care and attention to something that has been a place of learning and growth. To know that you were a part of making it, even in small ways, somehow better.

So it was wonderful to see you all there tonight and I hope to see some of you tomorrow for potatoes!

Till then, have a wonderful night!

Evening of the Final Day of the Month of August 2020

 So I started in the beginning of August with the commitment to write for at least fifteen minutes everyday. I have not stuck to that commitment. For some of those days there are reasons, but for a lot of them there are excuses. 

But! This will not deter me! I know that I just gotta stick with it! Give that commitment to excellence! And I am a little proud of myself as well. Looking back on some of my blogs I know that I did not write a word for months whether it was I felt like I had nothing to say or it was the Covid Blues. And a little late to the game to realize that this pandemic may change me, but it does not define what I do. And what goals I set out to do. I mean, better late then never, right?

So this month I will have gotten out 18 blogs. So I shall set a minimum of 20 blogs for next month! Two more blogs shall be nothing! 

Thank you everyone who has given me encouragement throughout August and I look forward to all of the blogs (mine and yours) that come out next month!

Night Y'all!

Intensity with Intent

So in I Ho Chuan the other night we had to our demo forms. We did our weapons forms and Sifu mentioned our intent. How we have to focus on our intensity as well as our intent. 

When we did our hand forms I was actively thinking about the intensity with intent. And I found that I felt like the form was a lot more powerful and was more my own when I thought about it. That channeling the intent into the form had a lot more impact that me worrying about the space. ( To be fair, Lus' weapons are slightly more intimidating when your within stabbing range.) 

 

But I also found that there was a freedom to focus. There was less worry and less stress. I trusted me and lu would stay out each others way and perform with intent. And all it took was a reset. What am I doing this form for? What to I intend to achieve by doing this?

Anyway! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

HIT MOTION PICTURE OF 2005?

 So this will be my first blog without Mastery to focus my thoughts so lets see how this goes.

So if ya'll didn't know, I work as a nurse at the Good Sam in Stony Plain. I have worked there for about 2 years coming fast upon 3. It is a good place to work, the staff are friendly and most of the residents are kind. The place is clean and everybody helps with everything. Or I like to think so.

This year for acts of kindness I have been writing down mediorce things. " I helped carry supplies for someone" or " I held open a door for someone". Those everyday things that is just commom curtesy. Ya know, be kind not for the reward, but because it is right. And being kind is not being a pushover, but I digress. Today I reflected what extra ...err... helpfulness? Yeah helpfulness I give my job. 

For instance, I realized that my co-worker was overwhelmed with her duties and was stressed. So I told her that I would take part of her workload, seeing as I had almost finished mine. She was surprised? And I am never sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I personally don't like seeing people going through a tough time if I can help it. But at the end of the day she was less stressed and even though she had a tough day she came and said thanks. 

Hey, ya'll ever seen that 2005 hit motion picture by Blue Sky Studios, Robots? Starring Robbie Williams (Ms. Doubtfire)  and Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan Kenobi)? That Hit Comedy? The funniest animation in existence save "The Emperors New Groove"? Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about.

Anyway in the comedic genius of Robots the main theme is "See a need, fill a need". Which has probably impacted my life a lot more than it should have :| . But I stick to it! Because if I can simply help someone, then why the heck wouldn't I?

And I mean this is just personal to me, because growing up, you find that everyone has a different version of kindness. We are so indivdual in our desire to help and what lengths we go to extend that to others. And even though they are different, they are not wrong. We are all so freaking kind in our own ways and honestly I could rant about the compassion that each of show to each other on a daily bases but then everyone would be stuck here all night. 

So. Thats not where I wanted to go but here we are.

Imma gonna close saying this, I am choosing to write down the things  that I find mediorce and the actions of kindness that I know that it was a conscious decsion to make. So even if you know that its a act of kindness that you think "Oh anybody would do it" WRITE IT DOWN. Cause whether or not you know it, you made a differene to somebody. 

See a Need, Fill a Need. (ROBOTS  Hit Motion Picture of 2005 Blue Sky Studios) 

Mastery - By Stewart Emery

Mastery in our career and consciousness simply requires that we produce results beyond the ordinary. Mastery is the result of going beyond our limits. For most people, its starts with a techinical excellence in a chosen field and a commitment to that excellence. If you are willing to make a commitment to excellence and surround yourself with things that represent excellence and pursue events and experinces that that become miracles your life will change. ( When we talk of miracles we speak of events and experinces in the real world that are beyond the ordinary.)

It is remarkable how much mediocrity that we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that tell us that the average is acceptable. Our world suffers from teminal mediocrity. Take a moment and assess the things that encourage you to remain average. These things keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the arbitary limits that you have set for yourself. Take your first steps toward mastery by removing everthing in your enviroment that represent mediocrity, removing your arbitary limits. Try surrounding youself with friends that expect more of you than you do. Didn't some of your best coaches, your teachers, your parents expect more of you?

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment that you have towards your masters. Develop a compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experince. Rather than comparing yourself and resenting people who are masters, remain open and receptive; and let the experince plant a seed within you - with nourishment it will grow into your own individual mastery.

Correction is important in power and mastery. You see, we are all ordinary. But a master, rather than condeming himself for his ordinariness; he embraces his ordinariness and uses as a foundation to build the extra ordinary. Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process in attaining mastery. You must be able to correct yourself with out condeming youself or invalidating youself, accept the results and improve on them.

Correct, don't protect

So here it is! The full version. I tried to write it out by heart and I gotta tell ya, I peeked more than once! But! That is more or less the point! I shall commit myself to memorizing this and master it so that I can continue to apply it to my daily living. So this will be the last time that I put out the top sentences. I will now have to find something else to blog about! But till then! Thank you all for sticking with me and have a wonderful week!

Stranded and Selflessness

Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process towards attaining mastery. You must be able to correct yourself withour condeming or invalidating yourself, accept the results and improve upon them.

So I know I usually talk about the part of Mastery that I put up every time, but today i wann blog about something different. 

Have you ever thought about the kindness of strangers? like been put in a really crappy situation and then someone, of whom you have no connection with, reaches out to help out? That they stick themselves in the situation that they do not know how you will react or if you will reciprocate thier kindness? Cause let me tell you a story.

So this summer, I have (not to brag, but...) been up to Jasper 4 times. Each for a visit and a hike with one of my oldest and dearest friends. She lives closer to Jasper so we just hang out there and head out in the morning to hike. This time, it was me and her going to the Sundance Hoodoos. Which were first off beautiful, and second off the hike was a lot easier than Whistler. (Still a lot of up hill, but like, nice slow uphill) 

We were on our way back to my friends car when we were stopped by a couple on the trail who informed us that the transmission on her car had been leaking. We booked it back to the parking lot and sure enough, it looked like someone had been murdered under her car. Bright red puddled under the car and was slowly creeping out underneath on of the wheels. And uh, did I mention that it was a one bar or none kinda place? 

So here we are, stuck 95km from any civilation both ways, no cell service and did I mention that it was my friends birthday? yay... happy birthday...... 

All hope was lost! Our valient steed had taken a fatal blow and the outcome looked bleak! When who should appear?!? The couple that we had seen on the trail! They explained that they were heading to Hinton and would be willing to give us a ride. (They also had the most adorable pug, not an important fact, but gosh darnit! It was cute).

We all piled into their truck, saying goodbye to the car and were on our way. They were so very kind. They chatted wth us the whole way and were apparently visiting from Stony Plain! (Its a small world...) Half way to Hinton it struck me why helping us seemed odd to me at this time. Here were these people, not realizing where we from, helping out what seemed to be random people with  a stroke of bad luck. Not a glance of suspision or invasive questions, just a act of kindness. 

And I think that is something that this quaratine can take away. Yeah sure, you get the people who ramp up the suspision to 100% or get the people who don't give a crap, but that wasn't this couple. They understood the worry of corona and stated that they would have helped us whether there was a global pandemic or not. There are people who help, in any sitaution and heck, if that isn't total selflessness than I don't know what is.

The only thing I regret is not learning thier names. Nobody vollenteered their name and noone asked. Call me cheesy, but I think there is something poetic and steadying about that. We were strangers when they helped us, and although we chatted for quite a while, we still parted as strangers. They will always be the "helpful strangers" in my mind, with only that label to define them. 

So what I guess what I am trying to get across is that people are amazing and kind. We only need to remember it. 

In the eye of the Beeholder

But a master, rather in condemning himself for his ordinariness, he embraces his ordinariness and uses it as a foundation to build the extraordinary. Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process towards attaining mastery.

Correcting the errors. We all make mistakes. And we all learn differently from those mistakes, all grow in different ways. If two people make the same mistake then it is not guarenteed that they will both take the same lesson away.

The best way to find mistakes for me is having someone point them out. I know that it will not be this way forever, but I truly learn the best by watching others and then mimicking how they do it. If something still feels off I restart my thinking and try a different approach. And although I know that my eye for detail has definitaly changed throughout my years at Silent River I still have trouble sometimes identifying what is wrong with a move. 

Just tonight in class I was corrected on my downward foot block as I was twisting my hand in a way that would not be effective in the block. I corrected it and it felt so much better. 

What I guess I am trying to say is that we don't always realize we have errors. That we need an extra set of eyes and a helping hand to set us straight. 

 

Ordinary

 You see,  we are all ordinary. But a master, rather in condeming himself for his ordinariness, he embraces his ordinariness, and uses it as a foundation to build the extra ordinary.

Its that willingness to understand that you are ordinary but can still do bigger and better things. To go beyond the ordinary. 

These past few days I have been slipping in my blog. I almost fell back into my routine of "I'll do it tomorrow" and "One day won't matter". But thats a crappy way of looking at it. I started the I Ho Chuan this year because I wanted to change. I wanted to commit myself to doing somthing that I can look back on at the end of the year and be proud of. I though, let myself slip back into the ordinariness of my life. Not striving to make myself better in anyway. So I am going to restart myself again. 

I know this will not be the last time I slip up. Heck, I know that i'm gonna have bad and good days ahead of me. But if there is anything this year has taught me is that I can alway pick myself back up again. And I have to remember that. I have to know that even when the going gets tough, that you grit your teeth and try again. 

We are all ordinary. I am ordinary. But I will push myself to build a foundation that I can rely on. I will not be angry with myself for missing a day, I will make a promise with myself to do better and see that promise through.

Have a wonderful night and a good week everyone! Enjoy that Sun!!

Correction

Correction is essential in power and mastery. 

50,000 between me and a master. But it would not matter if I did 50,000 of the kicks the wrong way. There is a reason that we are taught to do a kick one way when we start off at a white belt and slight differences when we are a blue, brown or black. We are given the basic tools to start off, when we master that we are told corrections. Corrections that make the kick faster, stronger or more solid. The best example of this is the spinning back kick. There are so many components to that kick, where to start. It starts with the spin, the ability to do a 180 with out tripping over the two left feet. Start lifting your foot halfway there, and deliver the kick. Basics right?

Here is where the openess to correction comes in. Learning how to stop and deliver the kick straight out. Being able to rotate your body and hips at the last second or maintain the power of the kick. Blading the kick and making sure the toes are out of the way as not to break them. And Even doing 50,000 of doing it with those modifications, there is always room for improvement. There is always room for growth.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Short

Develop compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experience. Rather than comparing yourself and resenting people who are masters, remain open and receptive; and let the experience be like planting a seed within you - with nourishment, it will grow into your own individual mastery.

It really does get easier when you are older, I find, if you are more open to ideas and thoughts beyond your knowledge and understanding. And I find that being receptive is more than just going " oh thats cool" and then tucking it away. It is about taking that information and applying it to your daily life. I make it mean something to me, and learn about it in my own way. 

It's a short one today! have a wonderful Firday everyone!

Steadfast

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment towards your masters. Develop compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experience.

To be able to learn from something or someone, you must first want to learn. Be open and understanding in what is being taught to you and accept that you might not get it on the first try.

I find that when I developed a compassion for myself in learning it was a lot easier to learn new material. That understanding of my frustrations of not moving forward and having to take a step back and do a new approach towards it. The knowlegde that even though I can't understand the steps, I have the resources available for me to ask questions. Its not impossible to perfect my technique, its 50,000.

 So I guess to sum up what I think develop compassion for yourself is to be kind to yourself and don't close up to help. Be steadfast and understanding of the material that is present. Be patient and pursue the road to mastery.

I hope that y'all are enjoying the sunshine and have a happy Wednesday!

Be Passionate in your Teaching

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment towards your masters.

Resenting my teachers has always been a odd subject for me to broach upon. Not saying that I have loved all my teachers or that all my teachers have been exemplary in their teaching methods. But like, their there to teach? Don't get me wrong there are certainly teachers whom I would trust with my life and my respect for them is something I wish to carry forever. I just mean that I have had some teachers who so up ten minutes late for class, swing through the slideshows and then expect you sit in silence for 40mins and do work and not ask questions. Teachers that refuse to anwser students questions when they ask for clarification or simply repeat themselves. I once had a math teacher who showed up at the beginning of class and showed us a McDonald Employee application and said that we were so stupid that we would be lucky to get in to a fast food place.... ah good grade 11 math mermories.

Those teachers who showed up for a paycheck and disregared their students, defiently did not deserve my respect. But I never resented them? It was more like I had learned in my early years that it didn't matter who taught the subject. All that mattered was that I passed and could move on the the next step of my education. So you had a teacher who didn't like explaining things, thats what you had study buddies for! Didn't understand a formula in class? Youtube is a wonderful place if you need things explained one more time! 

What I am trying to get at is in my experience I understood that the people who taught me were just that, people. People who had taken their time to teach me, regardless of their intentions. I realize that I am supposed to be talking about in these blogs, but all the Sifus at the Kwoon have never given me reason to resent them, or treat them with anything but respect for what they teach. All of the Sifus are passionate and want to teach and love what they do! They inspire me to pursue to become better in my mastery, in both Kung Fu and in my daily life. So thanks to each and everyone of you!

Have a wonderful rest of your week and stay safe out there!! 

Labels

One way is to surround yourself with friends who ask more of you than you do. Didn’t some of your best teachers, coaches, parents, etc.?

Asking more of me that I see in myself. The potential to become somthing greater. I think that is one of the most amazing things about growing up in a (semi) large family is the constant questions. The questions like. Hey you look like you enjoyed that why not try it out full time? Or the soft encouragement, I know that it's tough but I know that you can do better. And the sheer compassionate faith that they have in me. The people in my life have got my back through the thick and thin.

And honestly? For a while the line of I am doing this to better myself and the line of do this so you wont disappoint them became blurred. My self improvement was determined by what people thought I should do to become a better person. To be fair most of the time it did make me a better person than I was and did push me to new heights and achievements. But it was always that question in my mind of was this for me? Or for them? And it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that it sometimes can be both! And it was a relief to find out that even if I had my own goals away from what my family expects from me there will always be that support.

I think of all the situations in life that have led me to this moment. This now. And  I know that I would not gotten here if not for the people in my life who want to see me go just that little bit further. 

Thanks for reading y'all! Have a wonderful week!

Siomai

Take your first steps towards mastery by removing everything in your enviroment that represents mediocrity, removing your arbitrary limits. Try surrounding yourself with friends the expect more of you than you do.

I am lucky in my life to have friends that do that. First one comes to mind, my sister who had encouraged and been with me on this crazy journey of I Ho Chuan and this year in general. But! I would like to go back to the past.....college.

I am as y'all know a nurse and let me tell you. DO NOT TAKE CONDENSED COURSES. They are one of the roughest experinces that I could ever do. Tests every week and no review classes cause ya should have learned all the skills in the 5 min that they showed ya. You wanted sleep?!? You FOOL. Only memerization and 4 hours of sleep and 8 hour work day, my man! What I am saying is, is that I never got hooked on caffeine and I really regret that some days. 

Anyways.

During one of the most hardest semesters I was there I met my best friend. She is one of the major reasons that I never thought about quitting my nursing. Before the tests we would chat for hours about the subject and talking through what we were doing together really made everything stick better. We would head out for coffee sessions and remind ourselves what we were working toward. That this was more than school. That we were more than whatever our sleep deprived brains told us. That we would make it through this and that we would pursue what we had earned. 

I feel that if she had not been there I would have remained a "sandwhich artist". I know that we pushed eachother to the limits of our knowlegde and then said, you can do better. I know that we both earned a place of respect in eachothers eyes and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she is one of my dearest people. 

Have a wonderful week and see yall around!

Screen Time

These thing keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the limits that you have arbitrarily set for yourself. Take your first steps towards mastery by removing everything in your enviroment that represents mediocrity, removing your abitrary limits.

Things taht represent mediocrity in my life would mostly be the things that I try to fill up my free time with. Whether that this be from naps from boredom or scrolling my social media sites. Since trying to restart my promises this year I have been trying to go on them less. Not successful all the time. And I think the reason for that is that its almost ... habit. Not a good habit mind you but I find that when I go to look up something like a reciepe or address on my phone I push the instagram or youtube before I catch myself and I find my self spiral into the nonsense before I realize that I had a thought before that.

I have been trying to restrict myself in that regard. Leaving my phone in a different place so I have to hunt it down if I need it. Or if I have it on me only to open it if there is something that is of the utmost importance. Dosen't always work but I think that I am improving. Time and dedication will tell I guess!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the weather!

Blogging for Betterment

Take a moment to assess all the things around you that encourage you to remain average. These things keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the limits that you arbitrarily set for yourself.

Tonight was amazing for me in a couple of ways. One, it was fantastic to see everyone again face to face. ( Happy Birthday again Mr. Repay!) Two, I found out how much more comfortable talking out loud during the meeting verses just not saying anything. Three, it was a wonderful way to re-focus myself on the present and how far we have all come as a group. I am looking forward to more of the meetings!

Okay! So, I feel liked we talked a lot tonight about how even if we fall off the wagon we can always start anew. And for me that is probably the mantra that I need to repeat at myself most often. The chance to go "If I didn't get it this time I can get it next time" or "This move is rather frustrating, I just need to take it from a different angle". Rather than my old mantra of " Nah, this is enough" or that fun negative take of " Huh, well, I'll never get it, may as well give up now." 

I do feel that what I am doing, this blogging (mostly) consistently is helping me not only in learning how to blog better, but increasing my commitment in other areas of my life as well. It was definatly the reboot I needed in my life and I am going to ride this coaster, well, hopefully for a long long while.

It was wonderful to see all your beautiful faces and I look forward to seeing you all soon! Have a wonderful weekend!

Two Steps Forward

Our world suffers from terminal mediocrity. Take a moment to assess all the things around you that encourage you to remain average.

Things that encourge me not to go beyond my limits.

I think I covered this a lot in my last post so I shall leave it as is for that. I wish to talk about a bucket list item that I have recently  (Yesterday), crossed off my list. 

So for many people who visit Jasper, it is one of the many sites and tourist attractions that I think get the most visitors per year. It is the Gondola. That wonderful smooth ride up to the tippy top of mount Whislter.

What I want to say is that I did not do that. I walked up. 5 hours to the top. 8 Kilometers plus a 1.3km incline. Over roots and boulders and small animals. It was grueling and exhausting. But ya know what? I made it. It was worth every step to stand at the top of the mountain and just look at the path that I had to take to get up there. 

Its a Small World

It is remarkable how much mediocrity we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that the average is acceptable. Our world suffers from terminal mediocrity.

So I don't know what to write about today. But thats OK! Cause I promised myself 15 min and gosh darn I gonna make 15min!

I mean it is probably not good that I have run out of material this early. 

Maybe.

None the less! What to talk about.... hmm.... Oh! I recently found out that one of the ladies that I work with at Good Sam, her son used to go to Silent River and received a black belt when he was in his teens! Justin Weeb? I think that was his name. She was the one to approach me about it because I had recently bought my Kung Fu Hoodie and was wearing at work. ( Would 10/10 reccomend buying one! SUPER comfy)

She mentioned that going to Silent River was one of the best experiences that her son had through high school and that even though she said he didn't stick with it long after that he really enjoyed going. 

I think it is really neat that the little commmunity that the kwoon has built for people impacts them long after they have quit and gone in a different direction. 

Have a wonderfully warm week everyone! And don't forget to stay safe!

Mind of Mediocrity

It is remarkable how much mediocrity we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that the average is acceptable. 

The average is acceptable. 

Hmmm... I think with me, being average has just been the most comfortable? Like, never going above and beyond, never lagging behind, but just doing the bare minimum? Me all the way. Never having to worry about the pressure that comes with having to always excell in work. Not worrying about the disapointment that comes across so often when the requirements are not met. Always doing just enough. 

And I think that was the problem? Doing just enough. What qualifies as enough in the effort we put into our daily life? Why must we feel the need to do more if the average is acceptable? Why put more effort into something if the task can be completed with moderate effort?

Because we can always do more. 

Heck I know that I was kinda rambling with those questions up there and I honestly still struggle with them sometimes. But I would be lying if I didn't think them slightly pessimestic. I used to wonder why being average was ... hmmm not bad, but stagnant? I guess?, because it wasn't like I was going to make a grand statment anyway. But that was it, never moving forward for anything and falling for everything.

In my college years I think it was the worst. "Just pass the course and get a job" "You dont need to be the best, you just need to pass". I think even then, with me putting in all my effort into those classes I was okay being average. And honestly, its probably engrained in my bones by now. 

Today though, I want to change that. Today and every day from now on. To push myself to be beyond average. To excell in something and know that it is better than Just Enough. 


Thanks for reading again!

Hope everybody has an awesome long weekend!

Do ya hear the Bells?

If you are willing to make a commitment to excellence and surround yourself with things taht represent ecvellence an pursue envents and experiences that become miracles, your life will change. When we speak of miracles, we speak of events and experiences in the real world that are beyond the ordinary.

Events that are beyond the ordinary. To be honest I find these experinces more often than not. It is in the stranger who lends a helping hand to those who need it. The constant kindness of human kind that comes out so often. But that is in a general sense of extra ordinary events in other. 

My major experience with something beyond the ordinary would have to have been my wedding. There were many bumps in the road leading up to and on the wedding day, but it turned out amazing. 

It had been a really warm week in the 2nd weekend of November last year. I really wanted a white wedding but there was nothing but the lovely shades of dirt and slush. Which was good for everyone driving up that weekend. But as it turns out, the night before my wedding it started to snow! We had a couple of centimeters come morning and it continued to snow big fluffy flakes all day. Not quite a Christmas miracle, but I feel wishing for snow was the closest that I could compare it to. 

 So may people who came and supported us. So many who gave up time for us and put effort into making mine and my husbands'  day extra-ordinary. There was last minute preperations that needed to be done and people stepped up so fast to help us. As the wedding prep progress I realized that this was a celebration. Not only for me and my husband, even though we were the spotlight, but for everyone else. That our wedding was all about community and bringing people together for a celebration of us. 

At the end of the day, I feel that this event was truly an extra-ordinary experience. 


Thanks for reading again and I hope that everyone has a wonderful long weekend!

Excellence in others

For most people, it start with technical excellence in a chosen field and a commitment to that excelllence. If you are willing to make a commitment to excellence and surround yourself with things that represent excellence and pursue events and experience that become miracles,  your life will change.

Pursue events that represent excellence. Surround yourself with things that represent it. Be mindful of the media you consume and with whom you take company with. Find people who will have you improve yourself instead of tear you down. 

I find that many times I am presented with media that shows up how "we can be better". Whether it is a make-up ad or a ad for a new protien bar, it always asks of us to change ourselves. Which, change, in and out of itself, is not bad. Change is inevitable, and it should be welcomed with grace and dignity. But to change for societal standards is, to think that we should have to buy our acceptance, is wrong. I feel this is a bit off topic that I wanted to get to. Because I feel this sentence is  not talking about things as in material "things" but rather "things" we get by having an experience.

I used to have some people in my life who would refuse to see the positive in any situation and in the end of it all I found them rather nilhilistic. Never moving forward and thinking that its all worth nothing in the end. I found it rather tough to talk to them about anything and I found that talking to them more would sometimes have me running the same thoughts. This is not to say that the were bad or that they were abusive to me, but spending too much time with them I found myself dragged into the same spiral as them. It took me awhile to that out.

When I did though I found that being with different people charged me. Increased my happiness and kept me going. I discovered that some people want nothing more than to lift you up and enjoy your company amoung them. Those were the people that I wished to spend time with.

Being at the kwoon and surrounding myself with people who have the same goals as me has been a big push towards me achiveing excellence in Kung Fu. With out all of your guys feedback and support and without the constant presence of my little sister I doubt that I would be where I am today. 

So thanks. And may we all strive towards excellence together!

Have a wonderful night and stay safe!

Commitment to Excellence

Mastery is the result of consistently going beyond our limits. For most people, it starts with technical excellence in a chosen field and a commitment to that excellence.

Commitment to excellence.

This applies to many things in my daily life. In my drawings or artwork I expect a certain amount of excellence from myself and the work that I put into it. Even if it not the best thing I have every done and I am frustrated with it, I take a step back, do something else and when I come back I find that things are not that terrible and that if I put that brushstroke there and add a few extra lines to that tree that all is not lost. 

In cooking I strive for excellence because my food is rarely just for me. I want everynight to provide something (hopefully edible), to friends and family. And not just that, but I want to improve. I want to be able to make something that brings happiness and joy to the table. If I had added not enough salt or a little to much cinnamon to a dish, I recognise that it was a flop, but that I know better now. And the next batch will always be better!

In my Kung Fu it is the same. If there something wrong with a form that I am doing, stepping back from it and working on one section for a while will usually work it out. If there something missing from how I throw a punch or a certain element of a kick, I can always ensure that I know somthing is off consult a Sifu. From there I work towards prefecting it.

50,000.

Thats the goal. We got this guys!

Have a wonderful night!

Sticking to my guns

Mastery in our career and consciousness simply requires that we constantly produce results beyond the ordinary. Mastery is the result of consistently going beyond our limits. 

Officially Day 1 of 15 min minimum. Already producing results. Heck yea.

Once again I don't think that I'l be posting all of these to Kwwon talk so if wanna see what I do day to day, they will all be on my blog...

On that note!

Mastery is the result of consistently going beyond our limits. I feel that this is really where discipline comes in. Always trying to improve ourselves whether it be phyiscally, mentally or spiritually. I would like to say that is it saying " I can totally shove 15 marshmallows in my mouth instead of 10" or " Today I can beat my record and sleep for 16 hours, because I can."

Instead of that I think it is more along the lines of " I feel really tired after that workout but I know that I can do an extra set of sit ups" or " I think that I did a really good job on X project, but I can help more!" Its recognizing that I reached a limit and that I can go even further. The descipline comes in doing exactly that. 

Understanding that I can do that and will go farther, instead of saying " It's not worth it" "I'm too tired" " I can't do it today".

 Going instead " I know that I am tired but if you do it, its a great accomplishment!" " You are going farther and getting stronger and are surely making an impact on yourself in someway!" Positivity instead of always saying no to myself. 

When I write this blog, I know that I can continue to make promises and keep them. I will apply this to my daily life and see how it goes!

Till next time, stay safe and have a wonderful rest of the day out in the sun!

15 Minutes Minimun

Mastery in our career and consciousness simply requires that we constantly produce results beyond the ordinary.

K, so. Hers is the plan. I'm gonna call it "15 min mimimum". I know that this year has been curve ball after curve ball for a lot of folks and it is sounding like an old record at this time. But I think that is part of the problem with me and my training. "Oh, it's just not a good day today, I'll get it done tomorrow."  or  "Its not like I don't have half a year to go I'll catch up sometime"  or my personal one  " I simply don't have time."

Thinking about what Sifu Brinker said this evening, and what I think that I Ho Chuan is, is that discipline and respect for my peers and teachers, but also for myself. I have never had delusions about Kung Fu being easy, but it never really wanting to reach the final goal.

I know it sounds dumb but it never really was about a black belt for me. Never about reaching a final goal. I really dislike when things just ... end.  I just loved learning and being able to know that I could push myself to the limits was enough. I was one of those people who did start at Silent River because I wanted to keep myself active and find out how to do a martial art. And it was that way for a long time. 

I quit during my final year of highschool due to not being able to keep up doing both homework and diplomas. I didn't return right away either. There was always something that came up. Whether it was financially, family or college. It was always one thing after another. It wasn't till once again when college became something that I could manage that I went back. Once again not called to becoming a black belt or a goal, but to simply learn and enjoy. 

To be honest, its not till this year that I really wanted to have a goal. To have a purpose in what I do at the kwoon and at home. Last year, I really admired that people were pushing themselves at I Ho Chuan. That they had a determination and they strived towards that goal, no holds bar. It got me thinking that " I want that" That growth and change that comes with descipline and respect and I finally think that I want that black belt.

I have been thinking on this for a while. And I know that change won't be easy. So I am asking all of you to be patient with me as I try and grow.......

Okay I kinda got away with myself there... whoo thanks for sticking with me this far!

So here is the plan. Each day I am going to write a blog. They won't all be long and they won't all be bangers. And I doubt that I am going to post them all to Kwoon talk. BUT!! I am going to write them! For FIFTEEN MIN MINIMUN!! I am going to sit down at my computer and writer something. For the first bit I thinks its gonna be about Master by Stewart Emery. Or maybe it will be something cool I learned about that day.

I want to strive, and change, and grow and learn. I want to go above and beyond the ordinary. 

So once again, thanks for sticking with me and I hope that y'all are having a wonderful Summer and staying safe! See ya Thursday!

Hello fellow kwooners,

Summer is here and already halfway done! I hope everbody is getting plenty of sunshine, even if it seems to be raining every other day. It just seem like the summer is slipping away before it even had a chance to begin. But! This is not the summer for missed oppertunities! As such I have been away to Jasper already and was enjoying the trails

Being out there, in Jasper made me realize just how much I missed the outdoors. Between trying to self isolate and keeping busy at work I really haven't had time to just go out an enjoy nature. Me and a couple friends went to the Valley of the 5 Lakes and couple of other hiking trails in and around Jasper. It was oddly, relaxing.

Not relaxing in the way of "hey I'm gonna sit on this rock and absorb some sun for a couple hours like a lizard" but more of " I don't have any respondsibility" kind of way. It was really a sucker punch in the face as to how much I had grown used to the constant fear and paranioa at work. The cloying stress of getting to work and getting a headache from the constent smell of the mask and going. "Is this it?" "Have I endangered everyone in my vicinity?" and then having the rest of the shift to work in a subdued stupor of stress. Alliteration, baby.

But I digress

When I got out there though, in the wilderness, it allowed me a moment to myself. It made me re-think my priorities at work and how I am approaching the work load. While I haven't quite figured out how to decrease the stress of the "impending doom" that most people at my work are sure is coming, I have taken time to realize that I am doing the best I can in the situation I am in. And for me, thats all right.

So, once again, I hope that you all have a wonderful summer and I am super excited to see you all at the Kwoon!

There and Back Again

*Sanatizes everything in a 6ft radius* Ahhh safe at last.

Hello my fav Kung Fu buddies,

I hope that the rainy days aren't getting anyone down! I personally love the rain and am super excited for the first signs of summer! The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing and I am currently hiding in my basement from all the germs in the world.

Well not really.

I have found that in this " Stay home, Stay safe" it is getting increasingly harder and harder to do so now that the weather is getting nicer. My family has always gone for the camping trip on the weekend before the may long weekend to beat the rush.... not that there is a much rush to beat where we go!

Last weekend we went bush camping near Peace River. Not a person in sight and the weather was warm and beautiful. It was just my siblings and my dad for this journey. A thing to understand about how my family does hiking trips is that the end is always "just around the next corner" an voila! 8 hours uphill both ways to kick off you boots and take a nap.

This is usually the norm. But as soon as we started this trip I knew that it was gonna be fun. Down the first path, not even 50 steps from the gate, was a river. Okay I am slightly exaggerating, it was a creek, caused by circumstances of melting snow and dipping paths. But, in my defense, it was around 12 feet across and about a  foot deep in the center. And COLD. Like, here, dip your feet in this freshly melted snow COLD. So I did what every sane person would. Take of my shoes and socks, roll up my pants and make my way across the sharp rock and pointy stick passing. As I got to the other side I could only hope that it was the last crossing like that we would cross.

And it was. (Small mercies)

The rest of was amazing. It is always amazing to see the forest in late spring. The trees budding and the green grass overgrowing the old and brown. The undergrowth with its thousand variations of moss, flowers and grass. (If its in my yard its weeds, but out in nature its flowers and grass K? It belongs out there, I just visit) We even saw wild life, like some deer and those bugs that crawl up from the depths of the earth to say hello. There were also moths. But I digress.

One of the most amazing things that we saw on the trip was the Peace River when we reached it. One might look over the bridges in Edmonton at the North Sask. and see the ice that looks like it is merely floating down the water with out a care in the world. Standing next to it is a totally different experience. You hear the rush of the water and ice, see the ice chuck that are bigger than some boats you've been on crash together and hardly make a dent in one another. You watch as trees that were over 30 ft high roll down the river, the roots that could not keep them from being dragged into the current fly high out of the water moving like a wheel being turning by the ice from underneath. You take a look at that and go... huh, looks cold.

Just kidding

I truly is amazing to be able to stand next to a force that powerful and be in awe of its strength. And to be honest, it wasn't the only river that had that strength.

I hadn't seen my family together for a while at this point and although we knew it was because of work and Covid 19, it was like a breath of relief to be able to this together. I got to talk to my siblings and find that they are not only surviving, they are thriving. They haven't given into the hopelessness and despair that I see so often at work and around the grocery store. The have projects and things to look forward to in there day to day lives. Taking the a moment to walk with them, shrouded by the tress and basking the rays of midday sun, will always make me happy. Knowing that I have them to lean on and visa versa, really gives me the motivation to keep trucking through the days that are yet to come.

So even if I have to climb mountains or swim in ice freezing rivers, I am always grateful for the time that I have with my family. And I know that these feelings will never go away.

So, thanks for reading guys. 'Cause, man, it really is rough not seeing you every week. Miss you all.

Stay safe, and find your strength around you. Its there, trust me.

Ta ta for now.

Giving It All

Hello my QuarineKungFu associates,

Hmm... not gonna lie, these past couple months have been hard. Stress about work and the safety of those around me has not made for an easy ride this 2020. But, in some weird way, this year has also opened up so many different opportunities.

I, for one, would have never thought that I would join a near daily work out group. I would like to thank Mr. Thomson and Sifu Ward for providing this. Also my little sister for always proving that I can do more than I think. It really it wonderful to have an outlet for exercise that involves other people. Although the reg requirement (push ups, sit ups ect.ect.) are all fine and dandy, it brings a different energy to do it with other people. Would 100% recommend to people! Thanks again guys!

I would also like to thank Sifu Brinker. With out his encouragement to always do better and maintain my practice of Kung Fu in my day to day living, I believe that this quarantine would have been immensely more hard to take. To your question about how I am doing, I am doing well. It really is amazing how much technology can make us closer in times when everything else is shut off.

Other than that, dang, I really don't have much to blog on. I really hope that everyone is staying safe in this time and I hope y'all know that being a part of this comminity is really amazing.

Have a wonderful weekend and If ya celebrate it, have a Happy Easter!