Sister Sledge- They Know What I'm Talking About

This was something that came up once in a UBBT meeting, and I was reminded again this last Friday.
Its true that the kwoon affects us, that when you're there you can feel a connection to the room and to the people in it. When someone is missing, it feels different. When someone is there that normally is not, it adds to the mood and to the overall effect the kwoon has. It's great.
I'm not exactly shy, but I do not normally approach strangers for no reason. In class however, when we have new blackbelts or long lost blackbelts return, I don't feel like I'm approaching a stranger, I'm approaching a peer and family member. Conversation is usually easy, usually Kung Fu related, and always stimulating in some way. I'm not shy.
I like this. I like how we can all connect easily, how we do connect even if I've never talked to the individual before. At work, I meet new people everyday in a professional manner. I'm not shy then either, but its disconnected and just part of the job description to me. Even if I don't talk to a specific individual in class, I don't feel that I need to to feel a connection. Just being in the same room, training towards the same goals is enough.

Sunshine & Lollipops

Good news- Nicks mom was misdiagnosed, and although she still has some health issues to overcome, she should be around for a longtime yet. We went out for supper last night with her and her husband, to celebrate Matts (Nicks brother) birthday, and it was good to see her, even if there is only 97lbs of her.

They still do not know what she has. There are no signs of cancer in her blood, so they have ruled that out. They need to do another biopsy (the fourth now) and then maybe we'll know what is going on. I still have faith in medical technology, but I have to admit its been rattled as of late.

When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Hyena

After discussing the diet tracking with Sihing Wiebe, I have learned a lesson about myself- I don't eat, I scavenge. I mean, look at my entries, there is no rhyme or reason to what I eat, I eat what happens to be closest at that time. Who eats a bun and a cheese slice- separately?!?

I think I can write a Christmas carol right now. Sing with me!

Fiiiive cups of coffeeeee!
Four black plums
Three chocolate cookies
Two bowls of cereal
And a processssed cheeeeeese sliiiiice!

I always knew I wasn't a saint when it came to my diet, but I never realized how random my diet is. Even if I'm not often eating greasy or fatty food, I doubt I have any balance to my diet- one day would be all fiber, the next all fruit, the next all cookies (they are their own food group).

It definitely teaches you to me mindful throughout the day.

(Unity with Vigor) A Dozen Energizer Bunnies in a Row, All Hitting Their Drum at the Same Time

Last night we were working on breakfalls, so I had my students line up and start slapping the mats. Not doing breakfalls, but just kneeling beside the mat and smacking their hands over and over and over. A few of them gave me funny looks, probably wondering why I'm making them slap the floor, but they also are not going to quickly forget the lesson.

When it comes to teaching, I have no shame. If prancing around the gym is going to help them with their center, then that's what I'll do. If pretending I'm the Energizer Bunny will help them remember the meaning of Hsieh Chein, then give me the floppy ears. If creating new words for the English language will help get my point across, bring on the grammar police.

I have rug burn on both my forearms from throwing all my students, my hip is bruised and my knee got twisted sometime during the escapade, but they now have some experience with effectively breaking their falls, a better understanding of the importance of landing without injury, and they had fun. That's the name of the game, right?

The Dishes Need Scrubbing, That Spider Looks Intimidating, The Cat is On My Lap...

This UBBT thing can be very overwhelming. I work on my forms, but in the meantime my push ups are a disaster. I come home and ask myself, what to do? Do I do a few reps of Mlong Kuen, do I read my book, do I work on the renovations, or do I tackle the heap of laundry?

I spent my short weekend working on my goals, but you can't see the dent. Saturday I caught up on laundry & housework. Sunday I got called to work, then came home and spent some time with Nick. Monday I worked on the renovations and took my dogs to my parents to run- both of which are goals. Tuesday night I tried to catch up a bit on my forms reps- it helped.

But its strange, I felt guilty on Monday for not doing a single form rep, but I did work on my goals. I see that I'm behind on reading- do I sit and read my book, do I choose shorter books, or do I work on Tai Chi? Do I look for an evening course to learn American Sign Language and give up my Tuesday/Thursday training? Or, do I stay home one night and spend time with Nick, who I see for maybe an hour a day, who works 12 hour days, 6 days a week and who is asleep before I get home from classes?

Also, with all the form repetitions, I'm identifying bad habits and breaking them, all the while forming new shiny bad habits. I know you train so you can react on instinct, and your brain is not required. However, I need my brain fully engaged to make it through Da Mu Hsing in a technically correct manner.

The UBBT is absolutely helping with my creativity. I can find any excuse not to do a push up- the dog is in the way, I should do Mlong Kuen, I need to vacuum first, I just showered, my back aches, the microwave is beeping, Nick is talking to me, the cat wants in, the cat wants out, the dogs want out, the dogs are hungry, Nick is hungry, I'm hungry, my book looks lonely, my walls look dirty, I'm teaching, I'm learning, I'm working, the dryer is beeping, the plants need watering, the drive needs salting, the phone is ringing, that peanut needs shelling, shall I go on? You know I can...

Boy, I understand why its called Ultimate and not just Mildly Extreme or the Somewhat Difficult Challenge.

I feel overwhelmed, but at the same time I can see that I'd be lost without the UBBT. Maybe one of my goals should be to take a time management course!

I Dub This Post Short

Congratulations to all the promotion recipients!

I'm confused as to where my UBBT is at. I'm training more than ever, 6 days a week in a formal setting, in addition to the at home training. I find myself strategizing in an attempt to bring my numbers up. I'm wishing for one full day with no one around and nothing to do but Mlong Kuen and push ups. I feel happy with my progress in my forms, but then I look at my numbers and feel a twinge of despair.

Hmph. I'm going to go do a couple reps of Mlong Kuen in the back shop.

My Green Marble

Everyone has been lectured on the importance of proper technique, body alignment, flow. This goes beyond how fast you can move or how much power your muscles can generate. All these years of training are to develop body awareness, to have to ability to feel how you are moving, feel how your body is aligned and to then translate that into proper technique.

Without proper technique, your skeleton is not supporting your power and you cannot achieve proper flow. Instead of being limited by the amount of power you can generate or how quickly your body can move, you become limited by the amount of force your joints and ligaments can withstand. Example- I judge my technique by mentally putting it up against a brick wall. If I am practicing an overhand punch, I have two possible outcomes; a) I have proper technique, my body, my skeleton and my flow are supporting my movements, and I blow a hole through the brick, or b) I lack body awareness, the bones in my arm, shoulder, core are not aligned and not supporting my movement, and therefore I break my knuckles, hand, wrist.

It does not matter how fast you are or how strong you are if you lack body awareness and technique. You just hurt yourself faster and more efficiently.

Remember that Kung Fu is over two thousand years in the making. It is not, for example, a new car model, where the glitches have yet to be discovered and fixed, where road testing is required. Kung Fu has been tested and tweaked and has evolved into what it is now. The theory is sound. And the great thing is, it will only continue to get better.

Kung Fu is limited only by the limitations imposed on it by those who practice it and those who teach it. This is why it is so important to constantly strive to better ourselves and our technique. We have limited time on this green marble, and therefore we will reach a time when we cease to improve. This is a scary thought for me- I don't want to admit that my time is limited when it feels like I will never be without Kung Fu and I have all the time in the world. But I don't, and I have to strive to make the most of what I have.