Apology

I'd like to apologize to everyone reading my blog.
There is a requirement in the I Ho Chuan that you must blog every week.  I have not failed that requirement, but I've had pointed out to me that for around 3 months, I did not copy my weekly blog posts to this blog, I was only posting them on the I Ho Chuan team blog. 

I will be back dating these missed posts throughout the week.

My Experience

I've been wanting to blog about my whole experience in the I Ho Chuan for quite awhile now, but I've never really been able to put it into words, until around 10 minutes ago when the light bulb went off in my head somewhere in between question 5 and 6 of my math homework ;)

Every two weeks, I like to sit down in a quiet place with my kung fu binder, and go through all of my requirements that I have to complete by the end of the UBBT.  I like to see where I'm at with my numbers, but I also like to remind myself why each requirement is there, and what it does to help me not only successfully complete my year in the I Ho Chuan, but also how it helps me to become a better martial artist.  I find that this has been my key to keeping me engaged despite all of the distractions that I have around me. 

The last time that I had sat down and looked at my requirements and numbers was the evening after we had our September meeting.  I found myself to be caught up, if not ahead on all of my requirements; I had exceeded the goal that I had set for myself at the beginning of the year for where I needed to be in September.  I should've been thrilled about this right? But I wasn't; I was actually disappointment at the lack-of excitement and accomplishment that I was feeling at that particular time. 

This concerned me, and it took a little but of thinking time, and a meeting with Sifu Brinker to understand why I was feeling this way. 

I'm a very goal orientated person; I've been setting goals for myself for as long as I can remember.  So, setting goals, to achieve my requirements isn't that much of a challenge for me.  Yes, sometimes it is difficult to find time to do my Kung Fu, and I have missed days before, but catching up is not something that I find so difficult to do.

I don't exactly know where I'm going with this, but I know that to successfully complete a year in the I Ho Chuan is extraordinary.  But right now, I don't feel like I've accomplished anything fantastic.  Sifu Brinker helped me to realize that I need to do something extraordinary.  Something that will not only leave an impact on me, but on the rest of the school as well.  I want to make my experience in the I Ho Chuan a defining moment in my entire Kung Fu 'career'.  I don't quite know what that is yet though.  I've been putting a lot of thought into it, and hopefully the idea will come to me soon. 

That's just where my head is right now =)

What A Week!!

It has definitely been quite the week. 

    School is here in two days... TWO DAYS!? Where has all of the time gone?  I cannot believe that we are in September already; it seems to me like I just wrote my final exams of grade 10, and now I'm going into grade 11.   I'm full of mixed emotions; I'm happy to be going back and seeing everyone that I haven't over the summer, but I know that I really have to step up my game as far as academics goes this year.  I'll be able to apply for university next year in November, which means that they won't just use my midterm marks from grade 12, but they will also use my grade 11 marks.

    I only got the chance to make it to Reno's two days this week, but I loved every minute of it.  To me, the annual renovations are my way to make a connection with everyone that comes into the studio at the same time as me to help.  But, I also feel a whole connection with the entire school.  It's one thing walking into the studio after a 'week off' and saying, "Oh wow! The studio looks awesome! Everyone did a really good job." But to actually go in, and put the time and the effort to make your studio look good; there's not a more satisfying feeling.