I Finally See

For quite some time, I have been repeatedly told to relax my shoulders when doing forms.  Although I don’t feel like I’m all tense or have my shoulders raised (nunchuks excluded), Wednesday I saw it for myself.   In Wednesday mornings class Sifu Specht videoed one of my forms and holy cow, my shoulders were up to my ears.  It was the first thing I noticed watching myself.  I can totally see now what others have seen for quite some time.   It’s funny how different a person can look compared to how they feel they look.  I’m pretty sure that when I am in our garage with only me, myself and I, my shoulders and the rest of me are more relaxed.  I know that the thought of someone watching or a camera, automatically makes me a little rigid (stage fright).  Need to work more on this.

The last little while, I have been trying to work on 18 temple motions, to sink into my stances and to time that with finishing my moves.  As I have been reminded lately, slower forms show errors easier.  The benefit to actually seeing myself on camera is incredible.  It’s been a while since I have videoed and viewed my forms.  I’m finding this even more helpful now in trying to work a little more on some details.  I can see what I am doing and what I’m not and should be.  I can even see possible reasons why some moves don’t feel comfortable or as natural as they should and find myself with some direction as to how to work on fixing it.

A couple of days ago I saw a poster that said “The race for quality has no finish line.” I think as a martial artist I can appreciate this comment because we are always looking to improve and to better ourselves as martial artists, as individuals and in turn the community and the world around us.  We aren’t looking toward a finish line, but rather continuing to learn along our journey.

My plan now, is to get our oldest son to video me doing all my forms.  I’d like to focus on one at a time and see what I can do to improve them.  Well, off to the garage to practice before my camera man is home from school!

 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

So Much to Learn

In Monday evening’s class I had the opportunity to work on some techniques with a couple different partners than I regularly work with.  A lot of times in classes when we are told to partner up, I quite often pick the same couple of people every time.  They are the ones who are close to my size or happen to be standing closest to me.  Monday night I found out yet again that trying a technique on someone my own size can feel very different on someone twice my size.  Not only did it feel awkward and without flow, it seemed like a totally different technique altogether.   Everyone is different in height, weight, have different amounts of strength and different levels of flexibility and with that I am finding it necessary to adjust slightly or soften, with some techniques, to make them effective.  Oh so much to learn!

Last night in Sihing class, we did sparring, and again I had to find different ways to get in with different opponents.  What worked on one person certainly didn’t work with someone else.   Coming from someone who was deathly afraid of sparring a couple of years ago, I have come to really enjoy it because of a great group of classmates that are patient, helpful and in control.   I’d like to especially thank Sihing Langner who came directly up to me after class to offer some suggestions as to how I could get in on him and past that great kick he always gets me with.  Thanks Sihing, I’ll try that secret move next time!  It is moments like this, with people like this that truly make a person want to come back for more.

I learn something with every partner I work with, whether they are twice my size or half my size.   Working with some of the younger kids has given me the opportunity to try new things in my sparring that I’m a little more leery of trying with some of the bigger, stronger and faster guys in class.  They also give me practice with smaller target zones.  The bigger guys, well, still working on that.  I’m determined to figure out the bonk on the head that Sihing Tymchuk gives me every time.   I’m not giving up yet!

Thanks again everyone!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Procrastinating

Procrastinator is not usually a word that could be used to describe me.  I am usually quite the opposite.   My day is a better day as soon as I get the ‘have to get done’ things out of the way or I have been able to scratch some things off my list.  At the beginning of every month I have gone over what the Sihings next month’s assignment is and have, for the most part, used my days wisely.  I have always had the next assignment completed at least a week before the actual due date, most times earlier.  So I was quite out of my realm when I found myself getting a little too close for comfort to the due date for one of the last assignments.  In all honesty, it was an assignment that I had attempted to get at quite some time before the actual due date.  However, it was one that I had a hard time with and found myself struggling, so I put it off.  During the 2 weeks before it was due, I was very stressed and felt under pressure (all self-inflicted).  I learnt (and so did my kids) that it doesn’t pay to put things off.  The more I struggle with things, usually means that I need to give it even more time, not push it off and try to squeeze it into a smaller time frame. 

 I totally respect and appreciate deadlines.  Without them things would be unorganized and chaotic.  The deadlines given to Silent Rivers students are for a purpose and are to benefit not only ourselves as students but our instructors.  For ourselves we learn responsibility and a higher level of commitment.    By meeting the deadlines we show respect and appreciation for the time and dedication our instructors give to us and our training. 

Although some people can and some may even thrive with doing things last minute, I am not one of these people.  In the end this has been another great learning experience for me.  I messed up, plain and simple.  I went against everything in my personality and paid the consequences for it; exhaustion (because of late nights) and unnecessary stress.

 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

 

The Power of Words

I have now been a student of Silent River Kung Fu for almost 6 years.  In those 6 years I have gone up and down in my training, kind of like a roller coaster.  Like most everyone, we have days that things are going awesome and then those where things aren’t so great. 

Last week I had a comment made to me that really hit me.  It had me question the direction I have been trying to go.  It was amazing what affect those few words had on me.  I felt instantly discouraged and felt the motivation sucked out of me.  I know there was no intention of hurting anyone when the words were said; however, perception for one person can be very different for another. 

As I thought about it, I decided I have a choice.  I can either be defeated by it and give up, or I can prove the comment wrong.  I can work my butt off and show that things aren’t always as some may see.  I can’t honestly say that I’ve forgotten the words, but I have chosen to not let them destroy what I have tried to accomplish.  The power of words should not be underestimated.    What we choose to say we can’t take back.  We have the power to encourage and help build people up or just as much power to discourage and destroy. 

Alana Regier

alanaregier.blogspot.ca