Discipline…what’s that?

Reflecting back on UBBT 8 as we wind down this year I am thinking about discipline.  When I started on this journey I felt that I had a lot of it.  I started off with an abundance of discipline and I felt like this would not be that difficult.  Wow was I wrong!  I have come to discover that one of my greatest weaknesses is discipline.  I realized that upon reflection that I don’t yet have it.  I have failed myself in this area and I am not happy with my self.  I have also realized that not only do I not have discipline when it comes to my UBBT 8 requirements; I don’t have a level of discipline that is at level in my personal/business life that I am happy with.  I now realize what I need to do. Right now to get that level of discipline the first step is to admit that this is an area of weakness.  Now that I have done this, I have become mindful of it and it is at forefront of my thinking.  To me this is so important that to not only acknowledge the weakness but to always be mindful of it.  

I am going to use this learning to be more proactive and will be the start of my development.  I am going to be mindful of my mental state and work toward changing my thinking and my actions.  I know this will not be easy as this is who I have always been.  However, it is never too late to start or want to start to change. 

Today is the first step on my new (bumpy) path.  Today I am mindful of my weakness and today I going to start to change my life.

Ian Repay

Student Member of UBBT 8

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

UBBT - Celebration of life

These past couples of weeks have been very trying at best.  My grandmother has taken a turn for worst these past couple of weeks.  We are now planning what most families don’t want to do that often and that is plan a funeral.  However we all take solace in the fact that she was almost 90 years old and lived a very full life.  There has never been a woman in my life that was so positive at all times.  She was content in all aspect of her life and that is a tough thing to do these days.  We seem to be living a life that is superficial at best.  We are looking for that next promotion and that new car as we try and justify our place in the world.  My grandmother was not that person.  She was spiritual and her belief in the Lord was what gave her such peace in her life.  She was not interested in the shiny new things rather she was interested only living her life with the Lord day by day.

I have been having a difficult time recently with my UBBT requirements as my personal life, my business life and my Kung Fu are not in balance.  I am struggling to even find the energy to do my push ups and sit ups as well as my journaling.  I have no excuse for this and I have to push through and use this UBBT process as way to bring my life back into focus.  I have been traveling a lot these past week s and I have not been able to attend classes which are not helping me keep that “connection” with my teammates at the kwoon.  I know that I should be reaching out to my teammates for support but I feel that in doing that would send the message that I am not strong enough on my own.  I know that I should not feel this way but I do and I am not sure how to stop feeling this way? I have decided that I am going to finish hard regardless if I am going to reach my goals or not.  I know that I going to fail in areas and in some areas I may reach my goals.  I realize now that this is not all about reaching the goals but rather the journey to get to the goals is what matters.

What matters most is celebrating the life of one of the most amazing grandmother's a grandson could ever have been blessed to have in his life.

Ian Repay
Student Member UBBT8
Silent River Kung Fu

Kwoon Renovations

This past week we shut down the Kwoon for renovations.  This happens every year at the same time and this is the second year that I have taken part in them.  What is amazing is that when we start this project it looks so daunting (and it is!) but somehow we find a way to make it all come together in the end.  A couple of weeks before the reno’s are slated to start there is always is a call for volunteers.  I have found that we could always use more people to help out than actually do show up.  There are over 300 students at SRKF ad yet only a very small fraction of those students show up?  We seem to have the same people come and help year after year.  This is such a great opportunity to out a little of yourself into the kwoon and take some pride and ownership in it.  We may not own this Kwoon but it our training hall and in such should take some ownership in it! 

What do I get out of it?  I get a sense of ownership and a strong sense of pride every time I walk into the kwoon.  I look at that boot rack and the wall behind it.  It reminds me of the night that we had to scrub like crazy to get that fast drying grout off the wall.  It reminds me of the Saturday that Sihing Gamble and I drilled the wrong holes for the boot rack supports yet we got it up and it looks great.  I am reminded of the great camaraderie that was shared by all that took part and put some sweat into the renos.  Those that were there I feel share a stronger bond with each other than those who did not come and help out.

I must acknowledge Sihing Lindstrom on organizing the reno’s and by far putting in the most work of anyone.  Also Sihing Wiebe spent a large amount of time there as well.  Without the leadership and hard work shown by these two Sihings, the beautiful Kwoon that we training in would not look as good as it does right now.

I urge all of my fellow students to not let these kinds of opportunities pass you by.  Come out and lend a hand and in doing so you will find a greater sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Ian Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Student member of UBBT 8

Silent River Kung Fu,

Perspective change

       

I have come to realize recently that my perspective has changed regarding what I wanted to get out of my Kung Fu.  When I first walked into Silent River Kung Fu it was all about getting back into shape and learning how to properly fight.  This was my perspective one year ago.

During this time and especially through the UBBT test I have come to realize that I am getting more out of my Kung Fu than just getting into shape and learning to fight.  Don’t get me wrong, both of these things are greatly welcomed and appreciated!  However I have come to realize that the spiritual side of the martial arts has had a profoundly positive effect on my life and those around me.  I am a changed person because of my Kung Fu.  The biggest change that I have seen in myself is humility.  Before Kung Fu I had an over inflated view of myself that was far from justified.  Kung Fu has taught me to treat everyone with respect and empathy.  This is something that I personally was lacking for many different reasons. 

This UBBT test has clearly changed me.  I have fallen and failed through this test but through this test I have learn much about myself and that of my UBBT teammates.  I have taken what I have learned in the kwoon and have started to adapt it to my personal life with amazing results.  Things like incremental progression as a way of reaching a goal (50,000 sit ups and pushups etc) that seems so large has been something that will stay with me for the rest of my life!  Martial Arts and in particular my Kung Fu is not just learning how to punch and kick but it is truly a way to live my life, for the rest of my life.

Mr. Ian Repay

UBBT 8 student member

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Back in the saddle

When I first signed up for the UBBT 8 Team I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into.  I had some idea that this was not a sprint but more of a marathon.  Wow this a marathon… 

As for most my UBBT started off with a bang and I was cruzing along full of emotion and motivation.  However somewhere about SUMMER the wheels started to come off.  I can actually almost peg the day which was my first day of holidays.  Once you allow yourself to take a day off it gets very hard to get back into the swing of things.  Now if you allow yourself to take a couple of days off in a row…..well forget it!  It is so hard to get back “into the saddle”.  Sifu Brinker said to me the other day “we all fail and fall off the horse.  What matters is how quickly you get back on”.  That bit of wisdom is soooooo true. 

Well today was the day that I kicked myself in the butt and got back on the horse!  I ran through all of my forms, did a bunch of push up and sit ups and I have posted my journal.  Today is the first step in getting back into a routine that is my UBBT 8 test.

Mr. Repay

Student Member of UBBT 8

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Always Training

This past July I have been on holidays with my family near Falkland, British Columbia.  During this time I am obviously away from the kwoon and my training mates.  There is comfort and support within the kwoon that makes training easier to look forward to.  However when I am away from the kwoon training is much more difficult.  It is not that the actual physical training is harder but it is harder to discipline one’s self to actually find the time to train.  There are many distractions during holidays that need to be overcome including different surroundings, different time zones and spending time with the family doing things they want to do.

I find that the discipline that I have gained through my training is helping me find the time to train.  I see the value in my training and I have come to find that making the time to train is becoming easier and easier.  I have been getting up early to get my hour of training in and once it is behind me I feel so much better mentally and physically.

The other part of “always training” is the training that we don’t necessarily count as training.  On Tuesday my family and I hiked to the top of a mountain that had a wildfire burn through the previous year.  The hike up was extremely tough as the incline was steep and the air was getting thinner than I was used to.  I took the opportunity to run up parts of the mountain to get some extra training in and also to test my cardio.  I was very pleased that I was not overly winded and I recovered quite quickly.

There is more to training that just our hour or two that we spend in the kwoon.  If we look around our selves and are disciplined we can always be training.

Ian Repay

Student Member UBBT8

Silent River Kung Fu

Choices

                     

The greatest thing about being human is the ability to choose and more importantly the ability to reason and then choose.  What an incredible gift we have been given that most of us take for granted every day.  Recently my wife I were at a cross roads with a very difficult decision.  We pondered on what we should do for some considerable length of time before making our decision.  We thought about all the different things and people that could be affected by the decision that we make.  When you stop and think about the ripple effect that we have in the world when we make decisions, it is amazing how far the ripples go…

During my time at Silent River Kung Fu and through this UBBT 8, I have been faced with so many decisions.  Should I go to class today, should I take part in the upcoming demo, should I help with the Kwoon renovations?  All of these decisions will have an impact not only on my training but also on the lives of everybody that I touched during these times.  What an amazing thing when you stop and reflect on this.  Wow, I had a positive effective on a training partner because I showed up at class today.  I am sure most of us will never know the impacts of our decisions, but we have to do our best to make the very best decisions we can.  That what’s makes us so special, we have the ability to choose…  Now we have to go out every day, trying our best to make the right decisions so that we can positively affect those people around us.

Ian Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

UBBT 8 student member.