Retrace

“Retrace your steps” is often the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they lose something, forget something, or anything of the like. Often, retracing your steps is used as a method to try and find something, but it can also be used to get you on the right path. 

Sometimes in classes, I find I can’t quite perform a technique the way I want to. I may have been doing it perfect the day before, but for some reason it isn’t working out for me that day. A remedy I’ve been using to fix this is retracing my steps.  First, I identify what my problem is, and if it’s a simple tweak in my stance or my balance I have to fix. If it isn’t as simple as that, I start to recall each and every repetition I did between where I last had my technique where I wanted it to be, and where I am now. Then I try to mentally trace the decline in the techniques; maybe I noticed my leg getting lower with each kick, or my back foot coming in narrower and narrower with each bow stance. If I think I found something, I apply it to my technique and see if it feels better. It might take a couple tries, but I find this helps break bad habits, and is also good for improving my eye for detail. 

Different things work better for different people. It’s important to find what works best for you.

Knowledge

The other day in the level two class, Sifu Brinker said something along the lines of “There will always be more that you don’t know, than stuff that you do know”. When you think of knowledge, it’s a very fickle and complicated thing. The ability to drive a car, program a super computer, or shoot a basketball all require a certain degree of knowledge, yet all three are extremely different things. It’s important to remember that knowledge is not something that is set in stone, or follows one singular set of rules. 

In a student/teacher setting, I find that there are two main “types” of knowledge at play, among many others. The first is the one everyone thinks of. What is the teacher teaching the student. But what most people forget is what the teacher is learning from the student. A mediocre teacher will focus only on outputting information and hoping the student can pick it up on their own. A good teacher learns from what the student is excelling and lacking in and attempts to modify how they’re outputting that information so that the student can better pick it up.

I personally enjoy working with and helping as many people as I can, because there’s so much I can learn in return. Sometimes, it’s not until you have to break down a technique or form to try and show it to someone else that you really understand and comprehend the mechanics behind it. Sometimes, you have to explain something with a little more detail than normal to actually understand what you’re explaining; to actually connect with it

There is an unlimited amount of knowledge in this universe. It’s important to remember all the dynamics to knowledge; don’t focus on merely putting words in someone else’s head. Make sure they can read and understand them. And if the don’t understand them the first time, learn from it, adjust, and try again.

Unorganized Improvement

When it comes to progress and learning, I’m one of those people who needs to be constantly reminded to stay on the right track. I have a tendency to stray with my train of thought (aka my attention span isn’t very impressive). However, I understand this and do my best to try and stay focused, but hey, it is pretty hard. Even my blogs go awry. I start with one theme and I end with another, and I get stuck thinking “huh. Now what can I put in the middle to link these together.” 

Changing topic for a second here (I promise it’s relevant, I’m not going off track), I was reading some of my blogs from my grading year and there was a few that stuck out to me. In one of which, I talked about how I personally believe we shouldn’t be defined by our strengths and weaknesses, or how we shouldn’t hold stigma to either of them. When it boils down, they’re both attributes, both building blocks which define you as a person. With that mindset now fresh in everyone’s heads, I’m going to switch back to the previous topic

Even though I can be scatterbrained and rather mentally unorganized (that is a thing, I swear) I don’t view that as a weakness or a downfall or anything in the ballpark of negative. It’s an attribute to me, and as such is one of my biggest tools for improvement. See, being as unorganized as I can be, I often need a landmark to guide myself, something I can look at to make sure I am going in the right direction. And so I look at who I was yesterday. When I do so, I can see the improvement I achieved today, and even if it the smallest of improvements, it’s still progress. 

Refreshing

One of my favourite classes of the year is the first IHC class, whether it be formal or not. I enjoy working on my new beginning, and watching other people work on theirs. 

A lot of things change when the teams do, and sometimes you don’t even realize it’s happening till you go to that first class and see all the new faces and forms and weapons. Sometimes I wonder where I would be had it not been for the IHC. Being in Kung Fu did worlds of wonders for me in itself, but joining the team at a younger increased that 100 fold. And watching it do the same for other people, it just puts a smile on my face.

From Pig to Rat

Heyo everyone, just want to kick this blog off by saying congratulations to everyone who got an award last night, well done to all the lion and dragon dancers and demo team, and a huge congrats to the two new black belts. You guys earned it. 

That demo marked the end of my fifth IHC year, and I can say that somethings never change. Performance anxiety? Still there. I could feel my hands slide down the spade every time I swung it. An overwhelming mixture of feelings, still there. Sad the year is over, but happy I spent it with such a great team. On top of that, some things do change. With each passing year I get to work with new people and see different people grow. It’s a very humbling experience, watching people grow. It makes me reflect on how far I’ve come, and how far I’ve yet to go. 

Entering IHC year number six, I realize that it will officially be 1/3 of my life I’ve spent on this team. And that’s the third I value most. I’m looking forward to growing with the Rat team, and contributing to the team. See you on the mats. 

Online Kryptonite

Heyo everyone, not much of a theme to this blog, more of a reflection and a catch-up, seeing as how I’m really bad a blogging.

I think it’s fair to say that the online presence of the team is my greatest struggle. There’s something about the written text that gives me anxiety, especially when putting it out for everyone to see. Why this is, I do not know. This has been my problem for so long; that inability to press publish on my blogs. I guess when I think about it, I have a fear of putting my opinion in the open. But that’s all going to be put behind me. This years IHC year is going to be quite different for me, as I’ll be spending half the year remotely, attending school in Lethbridge. I must confess I’m quite nervous about it all, but it will definitely serve to strengthen my online presence, as that will be one of the few things connecting me to the team while I am away. I suppose I’m worried about disappearing and not being seen for months at a time, which is why I really plan on making my online presence stronger than ever. Here’s to hearing more from me!