"D" is for Dragon Dance

Yesterday marked a milestone for Silent River Kung Fu when we held our first ever dragon dance practice. Our dragon has been in storage for a couple of years waiting in anticipation for Chinese New Year 2012 - The Year of the Dragon and Saturday was our first chance to dust it off and take it for a spin. We also used this practice as an opportunity to test out our new ‘Lion Cam‘ — an Oregon Scientific HD action video camera. We attached the camera to the dragon’s nose and recorded the dance practice from the dragon’s point of view. At one point of the embedded video there is a picture in picture feature where you can see both points of view simultaneously.

Thanks to SRKF’s Student UBBT Team for your efforts in our first ever practice. Despite this being the first time any of you have tried this sort of thing, you guys did great. I have no doubts that your performance come Chinese New Year will do our school proud.

“Practice is the best of all instructors” — Publilius Syrus

Knowledge

The eternal challenge in kung fu is figuring out how to maintain quality in your skill across your curriculum before something else falls off your plate. It does not matter where your goal in mastery lies, there are always new ideas and concepts to learn and adopt while staying proficient with your existing expertise. I see my kung fu studies and associated responsibilities as being comprised of three major components — maintenance, mastery, and accrual.

I maintain the majority of my knowledge with a broad focus. In maintenance mode, I keep as much of my curriculum in front of me as possible. I make sure I have a strong working understanding and basic execution of the principles. My goal is to minimize any  proficiency erosion.

I have only a few techniques and forms in mastery mode at any given point of time. My focus is narrowed and I devote most of my eye for detail upon mastering these few techniques. Typically, I will rotate a single form and maybe five applications through a mastery phase each year while the rest of my arsenal  remains in maintenance mode.

Accrual of new knowledge comes from both outside and inside sources. When I am working on mastering technique, my main focus is on developing the six harmonies in the technique. This attention to detail will always open new insights that can be applied across the spectrum of my knowledge. I am accruing new knowledge on a daily basis by devoting myself to mastering my existing knowledge.

Accrual of knowledge from a source outside of my immediate style puts a lot of pressure upon my training structure. Learning something new and different is exciting. Since the new, exciting knowledge is the shiniest thing in my kung fu, I always want to practice it. As with everything, nothing is for free and this new focus comes at the expense of mastering and maintaining my old techniques.

For me, perspective is the key to proper balance in my training. It is easy for me to get lazy and focus on the new rather than the old if I am not taking care of my mental well being. I try to start everyday by giving thanks for the knowledge I have and reminding myself of those who trusted me enough to pass it on to me. The sense of responsibility that comes with this mindful approach is usually the only incentive I need to stay the course.

“I’m not young enough to know everything.” — Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Peace Now

It has been a decade since the world changed forever. Like everyone else, I can remember where I was and what I was doing the moment the news of the towers hit. I remember being horrified by what had happened but at the same time, not completely surprised. It seemed a matter of time before things escalated to a breaking point. Ten years later, are we any closer to solving our conflicts? 

I plan on spending today reflecting upon where we are and how we got here. I will remind myself of how much pain and suffering has been perpetuated in the name of religion and ideology and that there is no moral high ground for violence, anger, or revenge.

Peace can only be achieved if there is hope. Hope comes from understanding, understanding promotes dialogue and acceptance of responsibility, and responsibility empowers lasting change. 

“The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war.” - Chinese Proverb

The Living Kwoon

Every year at this time, we shut down our school for a week to allow everyone to prepare for the start of the academic school year. Being the start of a new school season, there is a sense of beginning anew and enrollments tend to peak.

We take advantage of the annual downtime this week offers us to conduct renovations and maintenance on our kwoon. This project gives everyone the opportunity to connect with and take some ownership of their training hall. It is no coincidence that the most motivated and dedicated students are also the ones that devote most of the labour toward this project each year. There is a reason why in the Chinese arts we call our training hall a kwoon (temple). A personal, spiritual connection to the kwoon is a very important aspect of kung fu training and we must stay mindful to foster and reinforce that connection. Those who I see putting a piece of themselves into the walls of their training hall tend to excel over those who approach the kwoon as if it were only a gymnasium.

When I enter our kwoon, my mind is instantly calm and clear.  The walls reflect my black belt, thick with my sweat and my blood. My connection with the kwoon narrows my focus and peaks my awareness. I know exactly where I am and what I am doing.

“The man who works recognizes his own product in the World that has actually been transformed by his work: he recognizes himself in it, he sees in it his own human reality, in it he discovers and reveals to others the objective reality of his humanity, of the originally abstract and purely subjective idea he has of himself.” - Alexandre Kojève (1902 - 1968)