Tiger Challenge 2020 Corona Virus edition

Thank you to Sifu Brinker and all of the SRKF Sifu's that helped maked this possible.  Your vision and passion to see this through is beyond appreicated.

It was amazing to see the students who participated.  I was astounded by how good thier forms have become.  I watched a lot of my fellow students Loa Gar form, which they mostly learned online.  I remember that most of them started learning Loa Gar just before the pandemic shut the kwoon down.  Now to see the same students not only know the whole form but to see them move with flow was amazing!

My hand form I felt was adequate but not great.  I need to continue to practise and hone it through more one on one's.  I also reminded myself that I also just started learning 18 Temple motions before the kwoon shut down so maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself.  

Some learnings that I want to share about the Tiger challenge.  

- Know your space.  Do your form in the space that you'll be using to be judged in. Do you have enough room?  How's the footing?  Are you too far away from the camera?

- lighting. How's the lighting being picked up by your camera?  If it's too dark or too bright neither is going to be good for the judges to see you.

- Camera.  Know the limitations of your camera both in quality and how wide the angle is.  I saw alot of people go outside of what the camera's angle was able to record.  This obviously  makes it impossible for the Sifu's to see what your doing.

Finally take all of these things into account and record your form ahead of time in the exact conditions your going to judged in.  Watch the recording to see if the lighting is good, do you stay in focus and can the judges see all parts of your form?  I think that this perspective will serve us well even when we're performing in person. 

Mr. Repay

Where and I and what am I doing?

I've been wanting to write about this for some time.

I started to hear about this from Sifu Wiebe a number of years ago.  He talked about it with me and shared that he always internally asked himself this just before bowing in and bowing out.  He said it helped him ground himself and put himself into the moment.  It took me a while to start to incorporate this into my Kung Fu but I've been doing it consitantly at bow in and outs for at least the past three years.  

I started asking myself these questions because I wanted to focus on what I was about to do.  I want 💯% of my mental focus to be on Kung Fu and not what my day has been or what it will be after class.  When we step through the Kwoon doors we're carrying the days baggage with us.  It's understandable that we carried it in with us.  What we shouldn't do is allow it to control us.  By asking these questions we immediately refocus and prioritize what's important.  When I'm in the Kwoon nothing is more important than my training.  I need to forget about what's behind me and what's after class.  When you think about it, I can't fix the past and I don't live in the future so why am I worrying about things I can't change?  That's why this concept is so powerful, it puts us in the moment where we can control things. 

I'm moving to incorporate this strategy into my daily life to go along with some deep meditative breathing.  I've found that when I'm stressed I remember my training.  I take deep cleansing butterfly breaths and bring myself back to the moment.  It helps lower my heart rate and focuses my mind on the moment vs the stress and anxiety of what I think may occur.  

Mr. Repay

Six Harmonies

I've been working hard on flow for the past few months.  This has been something that has eluded my understanding of this concept until recently.  I've started to breakdown my training and understand the "why" for what we're doing.  

An example of this has been the change in Da Mu Sing.  I can start to understand the "pulling" of one tequnique into the other.  In the past I was focused on finishing each tequnique before moving to the next.  I still finish each one but at the last moment I start to flow the transition into the next one.  

This has been really exciting as I'm starting to really feel it and feel the power of what I'm doing.  It feels like I've graduated from kindergarten to grade one lol!  

Mr. Repay

Starting to find my stride again.

The "one on ones" have really helped my Kung Fu but I wish they were an hour Vs ten minutes lol.  A couple of things that have really stuck out was when performing my forms I wasn't finishing the tequnique at the same time as I was setteling into my stance.  By fixing this I feel much more powerful and the flow is improved.  

Another area that needed fixing was my horse stance.  My right knee seemed to always be open and I wasn't squared in my stance.  I don't have an injury rather I think I've been doing it this way for so long that it felt normal.  When I perform forms with a horse stance I'm more mindful of this and pay extra attention so that it can become the new normal for me.  

Finally I've been given feedback that I'm making the forms "my own" which was SUPER COOL to hear.

Even though we're away from the kwoon I feel that I'm getting good value from the current format.  I've traveled so much over my Kung Fu training that being away from the kwoon is tough but may not be as difficult for me as for some people.  I can't wait to get back but it's more about being with my friends and family in an environment that is just awesome for the soul!

Until that time, let's keep moving forward with the current format and make the best of it.

Mr. Repay

Thank-you

I'm feeling much better!  Thanks to my teammates for all the kind words and support.  It's hard reaching out for help but when you have a family that cares so genuinely it warms my heart and soul. 

The meeting on Saturday was so important for me.  I missed the opportunity just to talk and share.  The Thursday classes are good, but in a different way.  I really hope that we continue to meet at least once a month going forward.  

Finally, I feel re energized and ready to start moving forward again.  Thanks to everyone that reached out and picked me up.  

Mr. Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu. 

Various ramblings and reflections

I have a really small family and I've recently lost a dear family member to cancer.  I've been reflecting on his death and my own mortality.  Maybe it's the age I'm at combined with his death that has me thinking?  I'm starting to realize that I may have less in front of me that behind.  No one knows how long we have on this earth and I get that.  However it seems that with everything happening in the world right now it's really hitting me.  

Over the past month I've been retreating inside myself.  I've had a hard time reaching out to people that aren't my immediate family.  This isn't normal for me as I'm a very extreverted person or at least I used to think so.  

I know what I need to do and I've been telling myself that I need to get started.  I just haven't been able to do it. Sifu Brinker wrote a recent blog that has been bouncing around in my head.  I've allowed this pandemic to both defined me and revealed who perhaps I really am inside.  

I'm not liking what I'm seeing in the mirror right now.  

Mr. Repay

Student of Silent River Kung Fu 

Adapting to the new norm

I'm enjoying this new world of Kung Fu more than I thought I would.  I wasn't sure how this new way of training was going to work and how valuable it would be to me.  In my line of work I don't have the benefit and luxury of being able to be at the kwoon for every class.  I've had to adapt to training in hotel rooms, meeting rooms etc.  With this online training course this is actually nirvana in some ways as it dovetails really well with the style of training I've had to adapt to over the years.  What's even better is that I get some one on one time to really get some valuable feedback.  I do miss the kwoon and I do miss seeing and working with my classmates but it's going to be what's it going to be.  

Stay safe everyone.

Mr. Repay