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

How Do People See You?

A couple of weeks ago I was at a funeral for a neighbor.  I never had met her, but did know her husband.  She had been suffering from health issues since we moved to the neighborhood, and kept to herself in the house.  During the service a few friends got up to speak of memories they had and it got me thinking, how would people remember me?  How do people see me?

In the last week I have been in the process of getting personal character references from people who have known me for quite some time; both the good sides and the not so good (we all have them).    When I read what these friends had written, I was touched.  Moments were remembered that I hadn’t thought of in a long time and then there were things that I truly did not see as significant or out of the ordinary; but they mattered to someone.  It’s a good reminder that everything we do and say has an effect on someone and it’s up to us as to what that will be.

I found it funny how character traits that are seen as quality traits, vary from person to person.    From one person, they saw strength with something to do with a small engine.  For another, it was related to relationships with family and friends.  Guess which one was the girl answer and which the boy answer. 

I have to be honest and say that I feel like I haven’t always been the mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend that I want to be or could be.   We are always our own worst critics.   We all have a tendency to get busy and caught up in life.  The thought that ‘I’ll call them later’ or ‘I should stop by to see…’ , gets lost as there are not enough hours in the day.  When I think of all the opportunities I am given on a daily basis to make a difference for someone, I’m grateful and only hope that I will take advantage of every opportunity to make a positive difference for someone.  I have been made aware that everything I do, no matter how small it may seem to me, has the potential to matter greatly to someone else.

 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

A Big Decision

I have found myself in a really weird and somewhat confused place the last three weeks.   Here we are with only nine days left till I must make the decision whether or not to grade this year.  As I have seen potential candidates make the very hard decision that this is not their year to grade, I have started questioning myself.  If they don’t believe they’re ready, how in the world do I think that I can be? 

I have been thinking of little else the last week, trying to figure out, how does a person know when they are ready for something like this?  As of tonight I still haven’t got the answer to this.  The last couple of days I have been reflecting on the last 8 months.  I have looked at my numbers, I have gone over my list of requirements, I have reviewed what I chose for personal challenges this year and  I have to say that I see this year as a success in that respect .  If anyone would have told me that at almost 40 years old I would be doing what I have the last year, I would have laughed at them and thought they were off their rocker.  Having to come up with a list of personal challenges and then be held accountable for completing them has been an amazing motivation for me to do things I always wanted to but didn’t have the courage to.  Logging pushups, situps, km’s, diet, etc.  has proven to myself that first it is possible and second has been a push to see if I could do better.

I have rediscovered the fact that this is an independent journey.  It is a decision that one must make for themselves and not make it dependant on what other people decide.  We may train together and encourage and help each other, but in the end it is only ourselves that can truly decide where we are mentally and make the choice of where we want to be.  I have gone over and over convincing myself that next year would be better.  It would give me more time to prepare, maybe life will slow down (now that one is a laugh), and maybe my knees and shoulder will be in better shape. . . . . . .blah blah blah.  What I have realized is that first off my life will not slow down.  The older I get and the more I use my knees and shoulders are they really going to feel better?  As for more time, well I believe the more time we have, the more we try to fill it with.   

I am finding this such a hard decision for the fact that because it is important to me, I don’t want to make the wrong one.   Well the clock says 12:11am, now only 8 days left!

Alana Regier

Back From Grande Cache

We got back from Grande Cache Monday evening.  What an absolutely incredible weekend!  Not only did I accomplish one of my challenges for this year, I really had FUN!   I didn’t make any record times, but I was happy with 2hours and 10 minutes.  I learnt that 19km on town paths is not the same as 19km up and down rocky slopes or running through swamp; its way more fun.  Next year I’m going to beat that time or better yet try a different leg!

Three of the biggest advantages I had:

1)      Family and friends encouraging me

2)      Having learnt how to breath in Kung Fu (thank you, oxygen is always good!)

3)      Many years of quading through bogs and swamps, you learn to pick routes that are safer, faster and even cleaner!

 Every person running had their own reasons.   For some, it was for bragging rights of saying “I ran the DEATH race!”  For others it was a personal challenge that they had for themselves.  For a few, it might have even been on a dare from friends (probably these are the ones running in jeans or fleece PJ’s).   I found it interesting to see how there seemed to be 2 types of people:  Those that it was all about them; these people were totally focused on the finish line, but missed the steps in getting there.  Then there were the others, who had concern and words for others along the way.   These were the people who I think got the most out of what they were doing.  They actually enjoyed the steps in between, the steps that got them to the finish line.   It was uplifting to see the people who would stop to see if the person laying on the ground in front of them was ok, if the lady doubled over with cramps needed a salt pill, if the guy beside looked like he was ready to quit and just needed that word of encouragement or the ones who just stopped for a moment to take in the view.

Our teams goal was to challenge ourselves but at the same time to appreciate the journey.  I can honestly say I have never been an enjoyer of running.  However this weekend, in this place, with these people I had a blast and ran with a smile on my face.   Although it was a personal challenge for me, it was very much a team effort.  This was a wonderful example of what working together and having others behind you can do.  This isn’t something I would have done well or even enjoyed on my own.  As each team member came into the end of their leg, the entire team (along with other family and friends) were there to meet them and to cheer them on.  I was excited and proud for each member as they accomplished what they had set out to do.  I was reminded that the encouragement, push and support from people around can help anyone move mountains, or at least run up one!

Alana Regier