Sifu Stoddart: Sept 12, 12

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sept 12, 12

I had convinced myself that I would take it a bit easier this week as I spent a lot of hours training last week. It's not happening. I was at the kung fu school from just before 5 last night and left just before 10:00. When I finally climbed into bed last night the muscles in my legs refused to relax. They felt extremely tensed up and almost like they were vibrating. Luckily I did crash instantly and slept solid. I was back at the school at 5 this morning with Sifu Masterston. Again, my legs were tense. I came home and layed down at lunch and they were still pretty pumped.

Maybe I do need to rest a bit more, but I just want to keep going forward with all I have to do. When my life gets real busy and I feel like I have way too much to do, I think of Sifu Brinker. He has a full time job, he runs the kung fu school daily, and he takes care of his family. This always gives me a bit more perspective and I feel less sorry for myself. It's like that with the UBBT. When I get feeling a bit tired or like it's too much, I always think of the athletes that compete at the Olympics. They train hard ALL THE TIME! So I don't feel so bad with what I have to do. I have always liked to push myself, and yes, I realize I have a hard time staying still. A curse in some way, I suppose. In other ways, a blessing. But I absolutely do not like being a quitter.

I am glad that so many people know what I am trying to accomplish here, even if they don't fully comprehend it. This way, I have a lot of people to be accountable to. My family is cheering me on all the way, and I really wouldn't want them to be disappointed. I don't want to disappoint myself. So, I keep going. Some days, even if it feels like I need a rest. I don't think I train all that hard anyways. At least not as hard as I could. Some days I train harder than others. Engaged with my kung fu? Yup, there are days that it feels more like a marriage. :) :) And I mean that in a good way. ;)

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My 20 Wishes. . .I want to do:
1. Vacation in a cabin in the mountains.
2. Fall in love.
3. Travel somewhere exotic.
4. Buy a motorcycle.
5. Write my life story.
6. Take my kids and grandkids to Disneyland.
7. See my dad again and have him meet my kids, and grandkids,
8. Hike the West Coast Trail. (done)
9. Buy my own home.
10. Climb a Via Ferrata. (done)
11. Have corrective eye surgery.
12. Find a reason to trust. (Done)
13. Perform with chi.
14. Go caving.(done)
15. Learn to play piano again.
16. Go Skinny Dipping. (done)
17. Take swimming lessons.
18. Take a wood working class.
19. Take Ballroom dance lessons.
20. Straighten my front teeth.

My 20 Wishes. . .I want to be:
1. Conscious
2. Loyal
3. Faithful
4. Good parent
5. Respectful
6. Talented martial artist
7. Healthy
8. Physically fit
9. Reliable
10. Trustworthy
11. A good grandparent
12. Awakened
13. Honest
14. Independent
15. Strong of character
16. Confident
17. A leader
18. Uplifting to others
19. Full of a positive countenance
20. Free from suffering

I love adventures, and experiencing new things for the first time. Never has this been more true than in the experiences I get from kung fu. Earning a black belt seemed to be all about me. I sacrificed, worked real hard, disciplined myself, and grew to new heights I never thought possible. I watched my life change before my very eyes. Not just small changes, but big ones that even I noticed.

Being a black belt seems to be more about others. I help others to meet their potential through their own sacrifice, and determination. As I do this, I find great fulfillment watching others change the shape of their lives, and find their own sense of peace. Black belts are just ordinary people, but doing extraordinary things, at an extraordinary level. Through this realization, we start to evolve from black belts to true martial artists, with a passion for the art that we strive to pass on to others. We continue on our path of progression, but it is through our sacrifice towards others that changes occur.

I have a huge testimony of what we do at Silent River Kung Fu. I rejoice every time I teach a class, especially the beginners, and my heart swells when I see the future of kung fu in the excited eyes of the students. By helping these students find a new way to look at life, we help them become better individuals, through their own realization of self worth. This in turn builds stronger communities, and a much more positive world to live in. When we fully understand that, we start to look outside of the kung fu box, and begin to see that vision of what we are really doing as we teach kung fu. Instead of just seeing the techniques and the forms, the mistakes people do and the improvements people need to make, we start to finally see...the people.

Students come to Silent River Kung Fu because they have this idea that learning martial arts is fun. They keep coming back because it is fun. What most students don't even realise, is that they also keep coming back because here they feel respected, cared about, and they receive a sense of belonging. What is the first thing we do when we taste something really good? We try to get someone else to taste it by saying, "wow! You've got to try this." It is important to give all students, whether they are new or not, that experience that will make them say, "you've got to try this." Every student that walks through the front door should feel like they are a part of our kung fu family. We can do that by seeing...the people. Watching with an eye for detail, to see their needs, their emotions, their strengths, and their apprehensions. Only by doing that can we really begin to teach, and help shape the lives of others. From my own experience, I believe this to be the only way to progress to that next level as a martial artist. I believe it, I have experienced it, I trust it.