Busy and engaging day

Today was one of those very busy days.  One of those days when everything you need to get done get's done and it feels like an hour's past when in fact it's been nine.  Today was one of those days and I really enjoyed it.  I worked on a infographic for my marketing course, completed a bunch of chapters in one of of managment courses, got in some Spanish practice, wrote this blog and even managed to record eveything I ate.  It's got me to thinkning about my I Ho Chuan requirements and where I've wasted a lot of time this past year.  

This year was a struggle to say the least and it was 100% my own doing.  Nothing got in the way of my training and commitments other than myself.  I wrote about it in my previous blog and how I didn't priortize my Kung Fu like I should have.  I got on that slippery slope and I never really got off.  Sure I slowed down the slide a few times but I never really stopped and gave my self a course corretion.  I should have pulled out my I Ho Chuan promises and reviewed them becuase when I looked at them today I realized that I had worked on almost all of them.  The problem I found was I didn't record any of the progress on my personal requirements so I felt like I wasn't progressing and down the slippery slide I went.  All I found along that slide was dissengagment and resentment.  

I'm working on this years goals and to be honest a few of them are going to be carry overs from my 2021 year.  They're more tangible to my life than they actually were in 2021.  What I've realized this past year is I need to do a better job setting goals both big and small.  I'm the most motivated when the goals are motivating to me and when the smaller goals line up with the bigger ones.  A HUGE goal of mine is to finish my business degree so that I can position myself for an ex pat role.  The big goal is the move, the smaller goal is earning my degree and the even smaller goal is finishing my second year.  I could and should even break them down into even smaller goals of credits by mid year 2022 and courses completed.  This is something I haven't done a good job with as I've floated along the "ego cloud" thinking I was smarter and better than I am.  I realize now that this isn't the way forward for me and if I want to get where I want to go I have to put the effort in and the discipine required to get there.  

Days like today are motivating and I'm capturing the essence of it by writing.  Today was a good day.

Mr. Repay  

The power of the streak

I've been learning Spanish for a few reasons.  It's one of my I Ho Chuan goals from years past, secondly I've always been intrugued by the Spanish language and thirdly it's part of my preperation for a move to South America in the future.  I've been using Duo Lingo as the main tool for this of which I really enjoy the platform.  What's really interesting about it is how it tracks and uses streaks to keep you motivated to learn.  If I miss a day obviously the streak is over and I have to start again.  I don't loose the progress I've made but I loose the postivity of the streak.  The app also has a leaderboard of everyone that is learning a new language.  The top ten people with the highest points accumulated over the seven days span get's promoted to a new higher league.  

There are so many similiarities between the aproach that Duo Lingo takes and SRKF.  We have stripes and belts that signify our progression to the next level just like Duo Lingo has with accumulated points and rewards through out the week.  Right now I'm on a 18 day streak and I will made sure that even on Christmas Day I got some language training in so that I didn't lose the streak.  I used to take the same approach with my Kung Fu.  I used to be so rabbid about not missing a class that I would leave Calgary at certain time just to make sure that I made it to Stony in time to get to my class.  I'm looking back at these times and I'm actually jealous of MYSELF if that's even possible?  So I have to ask myself "why"?  Why was I so motivated as a lower cue belt to never miss a class and right now I'm struggling to attend classes regularly?  What's changed in me?  The answer is priorities.  With Duo Lingo I'm making it a priority becuase I have a goal of one day working in country that only speaks Spanish.  I know that If I can't comminucate I can't get afforded that opportunity.  I'm extra motivated by that goal and I can visualize my self in that opportunity that I've desired for a very long time.  

When I think about my Kung Fu back then I was visualizing that Black Belt.  I was seeing myself on the stage at the New Years banquet in front of Sifu Brinker and all of my family and friends giving my speech.  Telling everyone what Kung Fu has done for me and being there with everyone that helped me along the way to realize that moment.  Over the past years that vision has faded, replaced by other things that have taken a higher priority than my Kung Fu.  I'm taking a hard look at this past year and looking at the new year.  I have to be brutally honest with myself, can I visualize myself as a black belt like I did those years ago?  If so then I can't break the Kung Fu streak because it's a high priority in my life.

Mr. Repay

That glass rock.

It's no surprise that over my 10 years of training at SRKF I've hid under my own fair share of glass rocks. Every time I would hide under that rock it was because I was withdrawing from something. Various reasons and excuses went through my mind for the reasons for hiding under that rock. But make no mistake I knew and actively hid when I should have did the opposite.

Recently a colleague of mine was supposed to come out to Alberta and spend this week with me in the market. There were some warning signs that not all was right with him. Well today I finally found out that he wasn't coming and we had a bit of a conversation as to why. The similarities that I saw with his actions yesterday we're all too similar to mine at times. He withdrew and ignored my phone calls and texts because he felt embarrassed. In my opinion there was absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed but yet he felt like he was letting me down and instead of communicating with me he withdrew. This was a light bulb moment for me because I'm done the exact same things I've just never seen it from this perspective before. How can I help? How can I be a friend and mentor to him? How do I share all the different times that I've withdrawn and the effect that it had on me with him?

I'm personally going through another tough time. I've been traveling and working a lot over the past 5 weeks and I've prioritized that over my kung fu. I haven't necessarily fully withdrawn but because I haven't attended class I can feel the pull of that withdrawal. Going through the past few days with my colleague has brought some perspective to my own withdrawal and inspired me to write. I've been embarrassed at times because I haven't been at class and I also feel that I've let down my I Ho Chuan team. I do know that I don't need to feel this way because my team mates are awesome like minded people.  I need them to pick me up when I'm down and many of you have!  I want to be that same person to my colleagues so that I can help him persevere and get stronger through this experience.

Mr. Repay

Poverty and there is no quit.

I'm currently away in central latin America and things have changed so much since I was down here two years ago.  The pandemic has hit the world hard but I think some of the poorest countries of the world have had it hit the hardest.

Poverty is rampant everywhere down here.  The value of the local currency had dropped and inflation is out of control.  Basic necessities that we take for granted such as toothbrushes, soap, razor blades are so expensive that the everyday person has to decide on purchasing them or eating.  I've traveled and visisted some of these countries in the past.  I've witnessed the hardships but this is on a totally different level.

During times like these it's difficult to see people have to live like this.  But they seem to take it in stride and keep moving forward.  I haven't met anyone that's given up and quit.  They seem to keep a smile on thier face and are genuinely happy to have met you and just talk with you.  The hospitality is next level when your invited to visit them in thier homes.  They'll share everything with you eventhough they can't afford to just to have you be in thier home.  This is what I love so much about the poeple that live in this part of the word.  I love learing about thier lives, thier family.  My Spanish is getting better eventhough we may not speak each others languages fluently, their is undestanding and a mutal happiness that our paths crossed.

What I'm taking way from the people that I've met is thier immense sense of perseverance and overall happiness for the simmplier things in life. There is no quit.

Mr. Ian Repay

Showing up

I would think that this should be the easiest thing to do, show up to class.  Lately my attendance hasn't been good.  The majority of these times have been because I've been out of town and traveling with work.  Having the classes online is a big help as long as I get to them.  Right now I'm sitting in the Edmonton airport about to board a flight. I'm out of town all of this week again on business. 

Reading Mr. Bjorquists blog had me thinking about my training the past little while. He was obviously having a very bad day but he showed up none the less.  Because he showed up it made a difference and he was able to keep moving forward. This is where I struggle, showing up when I need to the most. 

Every day, every second is a new opportunity to make changes both positive and negative. See everyone on the virtual mats tomorrow evening.

Mr. Ian Repay

Playing with multiple attackers

I've started to play again.  I'm inspired to train when (at those times I don't want to like this morning) I'm doing things that I really like to do.  Envisioning multiple attackers is something that makes me happy.  I get to play around with alot of techniques that I've learnt over the years.  I get to play with flow and how that flow feels with my body.  Some of the things I've tried don't work not because the techniques aren't sound but my body won't move easily and fluidly with them.  At times flexibility has made me rethink what I've wanted to do.  I'm working on things that work with the current state of my body not the body I had in my twenties lol!.  For the most part the moves are quick, precise and allow me to preserve the maximum amount of energy over the three attackers.  What's the point of trying to pull of some crazy Jackie Chan flying techniques if after the first one or two I'm gassed or I've pulled something which is quite possible in my older age?

I'm also focusing on the flinch.  This is something that's incredibly important and I think most people don't train for.  When we're calm the flinch is easier to handle. It's when the adrenealine has kicked in that the flinch becomes much more pronounced.  I'm playing with adding in a flinch to sort of beat my attackers Vs me reacting to it.  

This morning was alot of fun and here's what I've come up with so far in case your wondering.

Three attackers, one in front of me and one eack to the left and right.  

I'm starting off in a neutral stance with hands up and open.  I'm focused on the front attacker but I'm keeping both left and right attackers in the corne of my eye.  A quick side heel to the right attacker to move him back.  The front attacker comes forward with a hay maker that I duck under while moving slightly to my right while keeping my left hand up over my left ear.  A quick right hand vertical punch into the midsection with an overhead left elbow to the head takes care of this attacker.  

I've aquired the left attacker while looking over my right shoulder and proceed with a spinning back kick to the mid section followed up with a low hooking kick to the head of the slumped over attached, this one's finished.  

Back to the original attacker that has recovered and has a blunt stick like object.  He moves foward with a hay maker swing to my head.  I move forward with a double forearm block followed by a right hand knife hand strike to the neck.  Strip the weapon, move to an arm bar that breaks the elbow and this attacker is finished.  

Let me know what you think.

Mr. Repay

Apprehension but also positivity.

Today I leave for a week in Winnipeg. I haven't been back in four+ years.  That year was the hardest year I've ever lived.  I left my family behind to chase a dream of entrepreneurship and money.  I thought that's what I needed, more money.  Well let me tell you that's not what I needed after all.  

I learnt so much about myself that in someways it was worth it. It showed me that I don't need to chase money. I needed more time with my family.  I needed more time  to enjoy the things that mattered and it wasn't money, wealth etc.  I also learned that I really didn't want to be an entrepreneur.  What I needed to do was take this knowledge and use it to develop myself into the person I am right now. I wouldn't have found the opportunity with Continental Tire if I never left Michelin to go to Winnipeg. 

I'm apprehensive because I can't shake this feeling.  It was so very difficult, leaving my family behind after only being home for a couple's of days every month or so.  The terrible people that I had working for me that threatened my life on a few occasions.  What if I run into my old partner?  How am I going to react?  What am I going to say to them?  We left on good terms but haven't spoken a single word since the day I left.  

I'm probably thinking about this too much but it's kinda of how I'm wired.  

Now for some positive. My wife and I have been consistently walking every single day for the past 3 weeks. Something we decided to do together and it's been amazing. It's amazing not only because of the positive physical benefits, but it's mentally beneficial.  What I'm also liking is the habit that we've developed, the habit of making sure that every day we get out and get our walking in together. There have been days for both of us that we didn't want to get out but we pushed each other because we felt the benefits.  For me the benefit is so much more than physical activity, it's getting out and spending time with my wife that makes me so much happier.  I was in Calgary all last week on business.  We took the time to connect on a video call.  We walked and talked and shared the day with each other.  It was amazing ☺️.

Mr. Repay