The Living Kwoon 2012

Once again we're at that time of year when we take advantage of our extra downtime to reconnect with our kwoon. While our students take the next week to get their kids or themselves ready to return to school, we use this time to perform renovations to our training hall. I had a conversation with one of my students about this annual project and was reminded at how difficult it can be for some to recognize the opportunity a project like this represents.

Robert Pirsig points out that a "Church" or "University" is not defined by the physical walls of the actual structure. Each is more about the spirit of the community that worships or is taught in the structure. A building's function and purpose will always be dictated by the community that uses it. Case in point - Thich Nhat Hanh's Institute of Applied Buddhism in Waldbrol, Germany is located in a building that used to be a Nazi resort hotel. A building is just a building but what takes place within its walls is so much more.

The kwoon is a living entity that is not confined by the walls of the physical space where it resides. The kwoon is defined by the community of students who are engaged and involved with the kwoon. This may seem common sense to some but it most definitely is not common sense to everyone.

No matter what, many students will approach the kwoon as nothing more than a gymnasium. They show up, leave their sweat and mud behind for someone else to clean up, and are off to get back to their separate lives. That's what their membership is to them - a place to work out and have someone clean up after them. They want to be part of something bigger but they go about it the wrong way despite the answer being right in front of them.

Renovation week is not about fixing up a "gymnasium" so that it is clean and attractive for a bunch of users. Renovation week is a spiritual journey, or awakening if you will, that reconnects us with our kwoon - our kung fu community. Some of my students struggle with a feeling of isolation when their work keeps them from training at the kwoon, yet there are people who feel just as disengaged even though they are at the kwoon three times a week training.

Reconnecting with your kwoon, spending time getting to know your classmates, and taking ownership of the school where you spend so much of your time could turn out to be a pivotal turning point in a person's kung fu career. The difference between success and failure often comes down to a person's level of engagement.

I recognize that 90% of my students who take advantage of renovation week will probably miss the the entire point of the event and only see it as a responsibility. But if this year's event rejuvenates, re-engages, reconnects, inspires, or grounds 10% of my students, I will consider it a success. Thirty engaged, cognizant human beings can shake the pillars of the world.

"I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one." - Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

 

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Monkey Thoughts

It seems a common theme that kept popping up this week during my student meetings was accepting responsibility. It is unfortunate that so many people equate taking responsibility with only accepting blame. Taking responsibility for a situation empowers you to change the situation. Taking responsibility is the difference between being a victim and being in control.

Self talk, that inner conversation we all have with ourselves, is one thing we all have complete control of. The words we choose to use during those conversations go a long way in colouring our perceptions. "He hit me" and "I got hit" both may accurately convey what just happened in a sparring match, but saying it from the first person perspective definitely gives you more of a sense of responsibility and control. It promotes analysis of what could have been done to prevent the outcome where the other statement gives all the control to the person who hit you.

I try to stress the importance of choosing words carefully, most importantly those words used in silent inner diaglogue. Words affect perception, perception affects thoughts. Control the words and you control the thoughts.

""Careful with fire" is good advice, we know:

"Careful with words" is ten times doubly so.

Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead;

But God himself can't kill them when they're said." - Will Carleton (1845-1912)

 

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Moving On

The fact that this year will be the final year of the official Ultimate Black Belt Test has left me with many conflicting emotions. I hadn't expected to be part of the team this year when originally only people wishing promotion were to be included. I had myself psyched up to face 2012 without being part of a team that has been a big part of me for the past five years. I am grateful to Master Callos for waiving the promotion requirement and allowing me to participate for one more year. It has been a great ride and a life changing experience.

I understand why the project is being discontinued in its current form and I agree with the decision. A project is only viable if the partiipation level is high. I know it has been impossible for me to juggle all my personal responsibilities and make significant contributions to both The One Hundred and the UBBT so the closing of one of these initiatives will hopefully strengthen the other. Ironically it was the demise of The 100. (the original iteration of The One Hundred) that had me finally commit to the Ultimate Black Belt Test in the first place.

I am disappointed that as a group we couldn't get it together enough to make the Ultimate Black Belt Test the project it aspired to be. In an industry that has so woefully lost its way, the UBBT and The One Hundred are beacons of light guiding the martial arts back to the noble path. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this industry revolution and I hope I am able to contribute something to Master Callos' extraordinary vision.

“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference.” - Joel Barker

 

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Ahhhhhh

An injury has given me the opportunity to narrow my focus on my meditation. Meditation has always been a huge part of my everyday life but it is reinvigorating to completely immerse myself into the practice every so often. The world slows down, problems disappear, and priorities realign. Once again I am reminded that I am exactly where I need to be.

“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.” - Author Unknown

Tools Versus Hoops

I am getting close to a black belt grading deadline. I am spending more and more time analyzing our school’s candidates and using their successes and mistakes to help me further refine our future grading process. This year we introduced a few more tools to help our students achieve the mastery that should be indicative of a black belt. Of course you can lead a horse to water . . . .

Something that has taken me a long time to accept is that a tool is only a tool if it is recognized as such. Unfortunately a tool for one person is a hoop for another. The difference between a hoop and a tool comes down to who you are doing the work for. If you are doing the work for yourself because you recognize the value in the rate of return on your investment, then your black belt requirements are accepted as tools to help in your success. If you are doing the work for your instructor then any tool I put in front of you will be interpreted as a hoop you have to jump through to get your promotion. Either approach requires the work to be done but it is much easier to stay the course mentally when you are using tools to blaze your trail rather than depleting your energy jumping through endless hoops and over various hurdles.

A team is only as strong as its weakest member. Teammates get support from each other and the team is probably the most valuable tool I have ever given my students. Not living up to your responsibilities and commitments not only have a drastic affect on the outcome of your efforts but will also have a negative impact on the rest of your team. Everyone knows that actions have consequences but what must be kept in the forefront is that inaction’s consequences can be far more damaging.

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” - Josiah Charles Stamp (1880 - 1941)

UBBT Success

I’ve been participating in the Ultimate Black Belt Test for almost five years now. I’ve witnessed spectacular successes and many failures. The one thing that all the failures had in common was the breaking of the no quitting rule. When you think about it, whether or not you achieve all the goals you set out to achieve, a year dedicated to mastery cannot end in failure if you stay engaged in the process. Stick to the process and progress is guaranteed. The process. That is the secret. The UBBT is not a program you participate in, it is a process you develop. My I Ho Chuan team members (student UBBT team), past and present, continue to struggle with this perspective.

Lifestyle changes are only lifestyle changes if the changes last a lifetime. Temporary change only garners temporary results. If you want to lose weight, any strategies you adopt to lose that weight must be maintained over your lifetime if you want the weight loss to be permanent. Mastery is no different. A Master does not achieve a goal and then immediately revert to a life of accepting average. Mastery is a way of life, not some arbitrary goal recognized by a certificate you hang on a wall.

Something for my 2012 student team to think about — have you transformed yourself over these past seven months? If not, you still have five more to turn this around. Finally, a question for my past student teams. Has the mastery you developed over the course of your challenge become part of you or have you already discarded some of the tools that allowed you to achieve the extraordinary?

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” - Patanjali

This is a Test

As of January 23, 2012, I will no longer promote anyone to Black Belt or beyond unless they have successfully completed a full year in our I Ho Chuan program. Our I Ho Chuan program is based upon Tom Callos’ Ultimate Black Belt Test and my expectation is that anyone wishing promotion must make an unmitigated commitment to mastery.

The I Ho Chuan program is limited to twenty participants each year. This year due to a few long distance students, I have allowed twenty-four to participate. As I identified last week, some of my student team members are struggling. I made some changes to my student UBBT program this year by designating bi-weekly I Ho Chuan classes and a monthly team meeting. These extra opportunities allow the team coaches to connect and follow up with individual team members. Motivation over the long term can be a struggle so that makes these opportunities that much more important.

Opportunities only bear fruit if they are taken advantage of. It is pretty hard to have a big affect on someone’s motivation if they are not taking the minimum steps to help themselves. At a minimum, everyone on the team should have zero unexcused absences from their I Ho Chuan classes and meetings. Lastly, everyone must journal a MINIMUM of once a week. If you’re not journalling, you probably are not fully aware of where you are. If you don’t know where you are, how the heck can you count on your coaches to be aware?

I constantly remind my students to follow their team’s journals as everyone’s journey is pertinent to everyone else. Sometimes the solution to a problem lies in the experience of another. This posting is a test for my I Ho Chuan members. I am asking each of my students who read this posting to indicate so by posting a comment on this entry on my Blogger account.

“Success begins to happen when you help yourself.” - Arthur Tugman (b. 1938)