Six Camino principles

I’m getting started on my associate certified coaching accreditation as I want to become a business coach.  This is something I’ve realized that I have a passion for and can see myself doing for the rest of my life.  As I’ve started researching some of the courses I came across these six principles.  They spoke extremely loudly to me and I wanted to share them and how I see them relating to myself and my Kung Fu journey.

1.  Get over yourself - I envision this as seeing my ego and then working on parking it.  I don’t feel that I can progress past a certain point in both life and in Kung Fu if I don’t realize my own ego and then take steps to keep it in check.
2. Practise self care - I like this one a lot and it can apply to both mental and physical aspects.  The physical side seems easier to manage as I can feel a bruise or a pulled muscle.  It’s then up to me to decide if I want to properly manage this injury (smart way) or ignore it (dumb way) and have it cause related injuries that will take longer to heal.  The mental self care is a little trickier to mange.  No one can see my injury or pain, it can be easier to hide and ignore.  It’s no less important and I could argue more important than the physical injury.  
3. Let go - Everyone is on their own journey and on their own life path.  For me this talks about not comparing myself to others on their journey.  I’ve been guilty of this and it derailed my Kung Fu.  In my non Kung Fu life I compared my self to others and what they had achieved.  At times this was very demoralizing and set me back in my own personal and business development.  
4. Be in the moment - Love this one.  It’s about taking time to slow down and smell the roses.  My mind can run a “mile a minute” and accomplish nothing all at the same time.  When I started to bring myself into the moment I was able to learn so much more.  I was able to start to grasp the concept of the teaching as my mind was calm and focused on the task at hand.  “Where and I and what am I doing” was the catalyst for this progression.
5. Receive gracefully - This concept is all about understanding all the gifts others give us.  Reading other people’s blogs is one of THE biggest gifts I receive.  There is so much gold in them and most of us don’t even realize it.  Receiving gracefully can also be applied when giving.  This can be done through my blogging, through teaching in classes, commenting on others questions on Kwoon talk and just being engaged and visible to others.
6. Ask for help - Could be the toughest one on this list for me.  As a male, husband and father I’m supposed to be the strong one.  The one with all the strength and all of the answers, the rock.  This isn’t true and when I need help I need to improve on asking for it.  It’s no longer a sign of weakness but rather of strength.

Mr. Repay

Playing and having fun

When I get a little "slumped" with motivation to train I revert to the things I love to do.  For me that's my nunchucks. When I pick those up and feel them in my hand I instantly feel better. I have pairs of them (I own many chucks lol) spread around my house in secluded spots.  I do this not for self defense but just feeling them in my hands is sometimes what I need to get into the training mindset. 

Tonight I started playing with my new pair of chucks. They feel so solid and good in my hands.  The weight is perfect, the angled sides of the chuck feel solid in my hand.  The way they fold together and lay flat against their sides allow me to use them like a set of esrima sticks (hint to what I'm adding to my form).  I started to spin them and when I finished I was able to figure out the balance point and get them to spin from side to across the top of my hand.  The difference between this style and the chain version is that the chain version would wrap around my hand.  The chain length is about four inches where the rope on my new set is only one inch and can't wrap around my hand.  I had to move my hand down to the bottom of the chuck and get the angle of my spin flatter.  There is no room for error without the chain but when you get it right, they feel much more stable and powerful.  The advantage to being able to move my hand to the bottom of the chuck is the range I gained.  The striking area for chucks is the tip and no more than one inch down from the tip.  If you hit with more of the chuck it will come back at you and trust me, that's not what you want to have happen.  

I started to play with a adaptation of sticky hands with my chucks.  I started to envision my chucks closed in my hands like escrima sticks.  I used one chuck to sweep across as a block and the other hand to wrap around my head with a strike to the temple in a helix stance.  Next it was a double low strike to the knees with a double crossing strike to the head.  It all flows really nicely with a lot of circular movement.  Now I just need to figure out where to slot this into my form?

I'm a huge proponent of striking something solid with your weapon.  How else are you going to feel what it's like to use the weapon the way it was designed?  I use my heavy bag to practice actual striking. I start out light and work up the power and speed as I start to understand the weapon.  It's a great way to see and feel the proper vectors of my weapon.  It allows me to find my range for different strikes.  I like to use a downward and upward strike across my body that delivers the most power with my target being the temple or the jaw.  I also like to snap it out from under my shoulder aiming for the bridge of a nose or knuckles of my opponents who may be holding a knife, sword etc. 

So many different ways to play!   

Mr. Repay

New or Old?

I'm looking forward to the year of the Ox as this is going to be my black belt grading year.  As part of our I Ho Chuan requirements we have to pick a weapon to master over the year.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the nunchuku and specifically double nunchuku's. My love affair of this weapon started when I saw Bruce Lee use them.  After that, I was hooked!  Fast forward from my childhood to my training at SRKF and specifically Sifu Michael Playter.  Watching his skill with the double chucks and his double chucks form at a Chinese New year's banquet blew my mind.  Since then my love affair has only grown.  I've had my fair share of frustrations with these two as I've dropped them many times at the worst moments.  However I've also performed at my best with then when I didn't want to go swimming if I dropped them from that bridge😄. 

Now comes the question, which pair to choose?  One pair have the chain and ball bearing set up and this is the pair that I've used the most.  The second pair are hand made by a master in the United States specifically for me. However they don't have the ball bearings and the chain and are proving difficult to use right now.  They have a shorter rope and no ball-bearings. These are both nunchucks but they are totally different. The ballance point is different, the way they move is completely different. I like what I know but I can also see that these new ones can take my knowledge of nunchucks to a higher level. 

I've started playing with both today and they both feel like old friends.  I've started to play with a few different tequniques that I like the flow of.  Now it's time to figure out where and how to incorporate them into the current double chuck form I already know.  

My goal this year is to master Sifu Playters double chuck form but to also add in my personal touches to it.  I'm so excited to get back to these old friends and finish what I started years ago.

Mr. Repay

 

Taking freedom for granted.

Over the past week and especially over the past three weeks I've thought alot about personal freedom.  It's going on four weeks since the Alberta government restricted who we could see in our houses and outside our house.  As of right now, no one is allowed to come over and spend time with my family either inside our outside of our home.  I'm not going to be discussing why this has happened as everyone knows why.  

What I do want to discuss is how I'm feeling right now.  I'm feeling aweful, period.  I miss seeing my extended family, my close friends.  It's something I need Vs something I want.  Being sociable and interacting with people is such a big part of my positive mental health.  Without it, I'm feeling like I'm beggining to retreat inside myself.  Those darker inner voices are getting louder.  

I've never realized until this happened what a privilege it's been to be a Canadian. I was born and raised here.  I grew up with freedom since day one.  I'm starting to understand what it must be like to live in a country that has oppression and control over its people.  I never understood what it was like to not be able to go where I wanted and see whomever I chose to see.  I'm a little ashamed that I didn't understand this until now but I've never been in a situation that allowed me to experience it.  

I'm learning a lot about myself through these restrictions. I realize that I need to engage in ways that I'm not accustomed to.  I can't drown myself in self pity like I've done over the past couple of weeks.  It's not doing me any good and it's actually driving me to be in places I don't want to be mentally.  I'm also learning not to take my freedoms for granted anymore.  

Like pretty much everyone on this planet, I'm looking forward to 2020 to be in my rear view mirror.  Until then, I'll keep moving forward as best that I can.

Mr. Repay

"One step, one punch, one round at a time" - Rocky Balboa

This quote is one of those quotes that I refer to when I'm not feeling engaged. It really helps me get back into the moment and realize that I can't do it all at once and if I think I can, then I'm going to fail. what I really need to do is take the first step then the next step then the next punch then the next round and on and on and on.

The past week and a half I haven't been feeling very well.  I's been a been a struggle physically and mentally has been a bit of a drain as well.  Today I felt better and I started with the Advent challenge and man it really helped me. This was step one.  I can only speak for myself but I think every one of us needs to find those sayings, those quotes those little tidbits that help us refocus, recenter and get that first step in.  Once that step is taken, then onto focusing on the next punch, then the next round.  This mantra is all about re focusing, re centering and taking it bit by bit.  The mountain in front of me can seem daunting but one step at a time is all I need to keep moving forward.

I knew there was going to be low times in this year. What I focused on this year was trying not to have too many highs and not too many lows. I think I've accomplished this. What I used to do in past years when I had a low would to retreat into myself and disappear. I'm happy that this year things are different. I think a lot of it has to do with maturity and where I am in my life. I used to focus on the little things that didn't matter versus losing sight on the bigger picture.  This was discouraging and de motivating.

I'm going to continue with one step at a time one punch at a time and one round at a time.

Mr. Repay

Why did I join SRKF? How has it changed my life?

When I think back ten years ago I joined because I wanted to be a bad ass, nunchuck twirling version of Bruce Lee.  My Dad introduced me to Bruce Lee movies as a kid.  I vividly remember Bruce in his yellow track suit kicking butt with his double chucks.  I wanted to be like Bruce and from that moment on I wanted to learn Kung Fu.  

It took me a number of years to actually start my Kung Fu journey at SRKF. I remember driving by the school many times but I couldn't muster up the courage to walk in and sign up.   I did work up the courage to call the school and I spoke to Sifu Brinker for the first time. The rest is history as they say.

But why did I truly want to join?  I wanted to get into shape, find a way to do something physical and let's be honest here, I wanted to learn how to fight.  How things have changed over the past ten years.  I've grown up and matured a lot.  I do know how to "fight" but it's more like I know how to handle myself and hope I never have to fight. 

What I've realized is that SRKF has done more for than I've realized until recently. It's helped transform me into a much better person.  I was full of ego before I started training. Through the years I've learnt to deal with my ego and fight against it.  This has everything to do with Sifu Brinker, his Sifu's and the culture of SRKF.  If you want to become a better version of yourself, a better version for your kids then you can't find a better place to do that.  SRKF is so much more than "fighting", it's a place that teaches AND demonstrates empathy and compassion.  

I've taken what I've learnt here and applied it to my personal and professional life.  I've seen myself and my family transformed for the better through my Kung Fu.  

We're living in unprecedented times where the world seems to have a "every man for himself" mentality.  Because of SRKF I don't share that view, I have a view of empathy and compassion for the people around me.  

I will be forever grateful to myself for taking that first step those ten years ago, it changed my life forever.

Mr. Repay