I Ho Chuan

There may be almost five months left in the Year of the Sheep but it is time to start your planning if you are considering committing a year to the upcoming I Ho Chuan Year of the Monkey Team.

So what exactly is the I Ho Chuan? Silent River Kung Fu's I Ho Chuan is a year long mentorship/mastery program that is based upon my friend Tom Callos' Ultimate Black Belt Test. The program is premised upon the principle of incremental progression, and the logical certainty that many small accomplishments can add up to something big, something life-changing, something truly great.

The I Ho Chuan will challenge you to do better, be kinder, dig deeper, think wider, eat wisely, live simply, consume less, engage more, and get in the best shape of your life. The I Ho Chuan is for anyone who wants to facilitate positive change in their life.

The I Ho Chuan only has one rule - NO QUITTING. You are allowed to fail but you are not allowed to quit. When you think about it, failure is only absolute if a person stops trying. The difference between a master and a student is the master has failed more times than the student has even tried.

“A black belt should have an attitude equal in its brilliance to his or her physical skills.” - Tom Callos (b. 1959)

Easy Way

I’ve heard it said that success is a choice, it is not a coin flip. I think about that when I consider the odds of anyone starting kung fu and going on to earn a black belt. The statistical odds of achieving black belt rank are very low. The actual number varies depending upon the sample group and survey parameters but the range typically comes in at between 0.5% and 2%. While these odds may bolster the ego of those who achieve the rank, they are pretty discouraging for those just starting out.

I see a couple of problems with those statistics. First, in my opinion, the statistical analysis should not be comparing the numbers of those who begin training to those who achieve black belt but rather the number of those who begin training to those who do not quit. Every school and every style have their own grading parameters and the different standards are reflected by the range in the various study results. Since black belt is not the end but rather another beginning, the results would be more meaningful and applicable across all schools and styles if they reflected the ratio of those starting to those still training. That would definitely bring the percentage even lower and be more reflective of a common problem within the martial arts: most people do not understand what a black belt means. If everyone did you would see the success ratio rise substantially and you would see fewer non-training black belts.

The second problem with the results of the published statistics is that they imply that success is based upon more than a personal choice. It isn’t. Black belt rank is a 50/50 probability. Either you choose to achieve it or you choose not to. Either you are going to make it priority and invest the time and effort required or you will choose not to. It is always a choice. If you don’t believe me, compare the number of 8 year olds who quit school to the number of 16 year olds who quit school. Failure rate goes up with the freedom to make a personal choice.

Choosing the easy way is, well, easy. A person can convince themselves a hundred different ways into a decision, especially when one prioritizes wants over needs. I know of no one who did not realize a benefit when they applied themselves to their kung fu. You would think that type of guaranteed return on investment would pretty much ensure that everyone who began training would end up achieving a black belt. Unfortunately it is easier to choose to quit than it is to keep on going.

Many may disagree with my assessment but I hope a few are inspired by the logic it contains. Success is a matter of personal choice.

“If there is anything in your life that is not the way you want it to be, you and only you are responsible for changing it. You must believe that it is up to you to create solutions to the challenges of life. Whether they are big or small, you’re still responsible. Each time you give an excuse, you diminish your respect, your credibility, and your integrity. Each time you make an excuse, you reinforce your propensity to make even more excuses in the future, and excuse making becomes a habit.” - Tommy Newberry

Rotary Run For Life

My team spent the morning at Stony Plain’s Rotary Run For Life welcoming the finishing runners to the pavilion with a lion dance. I am blessed to have students who are so willing and able to volunteer so much time for worthy causes.

Proceeds from the Rotary Run For Life went to support Stony Plain’s Coordinated Suicide Prevention Program. Mental health, and the stigma surrounding it, are issues that should be brought to the forefront of society. The majority of Canadians will be touched by mental health issues, directly and indirectly, in their lifetime. Yet many, if not most, will suffer alone. Such is the nature of this issue. Until getting help for depression and anxiety is as easy as getting treated for a broken bone, this problem will persist.

I have been personally touched by suicide. I am grateful for the efforts of organizations like Rotary who step up to help address mental health issues by creating awareness and understanding. We have a long way to go but events like the Run For Life are a step in the right direction.

“I didn’t want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that’s really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you’re so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.” - Ned Vizzini (1981 - 2013)

Panda

Panda was not originally my dog, she moved in with me when she was four years old. Panda died yesterday around six months shy of her seventeenth year. There are so many emotions that come with losing a friend and family member. There was plenty of time to prepare but the reality of the loss is not something one is ever ready for. My daughter and I will miss Panda intensely.

It is times such as this that I reflect with gratitude for the life I have and for those I have been blessed to share it with. Panda did not start her life with me but she shared the majority of the time she had with me and for that I will always be grateful.

"How can I find the shining word, the glowing phrase that tells all that your love has meant to me, all that your friendship spells? There is no word, no phrase for you on whom I so depend. All I can say to you is this, God bless you precious friend." - Gerald Good