Pandamonium & engagement

This past Saturday was our annual Pandamonium.  It was a great time to spend at the kwoon with all of the students, Sifu's and Sihings.  I always come away with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation.  It's hard not to when you show up at a place where everyone believes in the cause and wants to make positive change.

I managed to spend 8 hours at the kwoon this year.  This down from previous years commitments but it was for a reason.  I am currently in Vancouver ready to deliver a presentation that I have poured countless days of work into.  I have to balance both commitments and lives.  I would have loved to be there for the full 24 hours.  However I am positive that I would not be on my best for the presentation today.  Do I feel guilty about this?  No, not at all.  In fact I feel extra motivated that I was a part of something very special for as long as I was there.  I was engaged the whole time I was there and I feel that being engaged for 8 hours is better than being there for 24 hours and only partially being engaged. 

To me there is no right or wrong as long we are participating, raising awareness for why we are doing what we are doing and most importantly are engaged in what we are doing.

Mr. Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu.
Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

Attitude

I have come to the realization that attitude is everything.  I'm pretty sure that I have know this for a long time, however I never really understood this.  Attitude is a very powerful thing, it can enable or disable a persons willingness to do things.  Your mind controls your body and as a result the frame of mind that you are in will have a huge impact on how your body responds.

I have had an ongoing struggle with attitude as long as I can remember.  My parents struggled with me when I was growing up.  My teachers would always say top them things like "he has so much potential if only he would apply himself".  This statement has never left me, and is a direct response to my attitude.  I can't explain why I'm like this?  I wish I could put a finger on something solid that I could grasp and hold onto.  However this isn't something that I can physically touch rather it's something abstract.  It's something that I need to constantly work on as when I have the right attitude there isn't much that I can't accomplish.

This past week, I looked myself in the mirror and realized that I needed to stop making excuses for myself.  My attitude and Kung Fu have sucked since last year.  I was on a very big high when I left for South Carolina.  My requirements were ahead, my training was going so good and I had three demo's in the bag by mid July.  I was on track to have a phenomenal I Ho Chuan year.  However I couldn't keep the pace going while I was gone.  My training came to a skidding halt and with that along went my attitude.  I was so upset with myself for letting all of my hard work go to pot.  I had gained a significant amount of weight along the way and I became out of shape.  I had to work so hard to get in great shape and to lose it in a matter of three months was devastating to me.  As a result of all of this, I got upset and angry with the process.  I surmised that the program was the issue and all it was, was a bunch of hoops to jump through. I didn't bother to look at myself and questions myself as what the real issue was.  The real issue wasn't the program as much as it was my attitude toward the process.

I still struggle and will always struggle with attitude.  There are many times when I prioritize things in the wrong order.  Not because because I'm lazy  or disorganized.  I just don't see them as important as other things.  This is a result of where my attitude is at that moment. 

Mr. Ian Repay
Student Of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

Diet Day 11

Breakfast

Refrigerator oatmeal with Strawberries.
Cup of black coffee

Lunch

Double teen burger with root beer and onion rings.

Supper

Prime rib supper at the AMTA Gala evening.  Two spicy ceasars.

Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu

Diet day 9

Breakfast

Bowl of steel cut oats with raisins, apples and some milk.  A large black coffee and two glasses of detox water.

Lunch

Peanut butter and honey sandwich.  Two glasses of detox water.

Early supper be for going to Calgary.

Grilled all beef burger made at home.  Glass of detox water.

Late supper

Tim Horton's Italian s andwhich and a water.

Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta.

Diet day 8

Breakfast

Bowl of homemade steel cut oats with apples and raisins.  Two glasses of detox water.

Lunch

grilled tri tip steak
Two glasses of detox water
Two servings of chips.

Supper

Bowl of quinoa with onions.
Half a cucumber
Two glasses of detox water.

Snacks
Peanut butter and honey s andwhich
Four Lindt choc truffles

Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu.

Diet day 7

Breakfast

Bowl of steel cut oats with maple syrup.

Lunch
Choc protein shake after fitness class and open training.

Supper
Two pan seared pork loin cutlets
Serving of steamed jasmine brown rice
Some homemade pickles
Four glasses of homemade detox water

Snack

Bacon flavoured potatoes chips (two servings)
Nutriti grain bar
Sunrype just fruit and fibre bar

Three reps of nunchucks form
Four reps of kenpo 123
140 sit ups
150 push ups

Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta

Diet day 6

Breakfast

Two pieces of homemade french toast
One cup of black coffee.

Lunch

One turkey sandwich.
Piece of left over pizza.

Supper

Turkey sandwich
glass of water.
Piece of fried chicken.

Ian Repay
Student of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta.