Bitter sweet

Well it’s been over a week since our New Year finale and I’m still adjusting to the change of pace. All the practices each week and such it really was a blur, now it’s….quiet. Judi was working a lot over the past month so both of us were always going in different directions each day, it’s weird to actually see each other so much now. Tomorrow the two of us are headed to California for a little get away to hang out with Goofy and Mickey and no these aren’t my relatives. Really going to be hard being in the mid-twenties and sunny over the next five days but I’ll struggle through it. Actually will miss my boys like crazy but we could use a little break from all the hustle this past while. As for the next year, well it starts Sunday when I get back. There are a ton of things I will accomplish these next few months and will continue to train each day. Just will miss hanging out with the team and hope people realize how special each year can be for the group and each individual with the bonds that are created.
Sifu Bryant

Lucky

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Ging Wu Chinese Banquet and of course it was an entertaining night to say the least. Great performances and great food, ok interesting food but fun nonetheless. As I sat and watched the performances all I could think about was that most of us at our table are from a small town most wouldn’t have heard of outside of this area. We are not from Chinese culture or even speak the language yet there we were at a banquet amongst fellow martial artists having a great night and how cool is that. I am so thankful for the people I am surrounded by and sometimes have to pinch myself that what we have around us is pretty special. This weekend will be no different and I hope we all have a great time and enjoy the greatness we have created and the group we have to do it with.
Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Practice, practice

Reading everyone’s blogs lately it’s obvious the Chinese New Year is all everyone is talking and thinking about which is great. I know people are anxious and nervous but I think we all are that’s for sure. Running through the routine again yesterday makes it more comfortable and familiar to us all. What I’m excited about is the venue. We have never done a circular demo and performance like this before; we usually always have to reference where the audience is and adjust as necessary. Now the view is from all angles and should be really interesting, it’s something new and very unfamiliar but can be really exciting for us all. Just sticking with my routine and should carry me well into the New Year, a little different with the new schedule on Friday’s but again will just take time to adjust. Kind of like the new feel to it, change can be good.

Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Time flies

Well we are on the final stretch of the year of the snake and it’s hard not to think “didn’t we just start last month?” time flies and wow did it fly this past year. The last meeting of the group is in the bag and it’s unfortunate that the team we started with is not the team we are finishing with. I hope everyone grew from the year and most importantly had fun getting to know everyone on the team. For myself I was fortunate to bond with new and old members of the school this past year which I will remember for as long as I live. This is a family, a fun quirky group with which we struggle and strive together and create lasting memories to hopefully carry us all into the next year and beyond. This past week I stumbled upon our 2008 DVD of demos from the year and again was like a time machine into the past. There were many faces which I haven’t seen in some time and of course Travis Panasiuk who we would lose near the middle of the demo season. It was a great demo season that year and now these past two years we have kept building that momentum and so I hope people will recognize the amazing possibilities that lie in a year with the I Ho Chuan. I know next year will be even better for those involved and wish the team all the best.

Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Resistance training

So I have a new resistance training routine. My boys have watched me do so many pushups and situps that they now both get on their hands and knees and start doing their own pushups with Dad. An added bonus is they will take turns on Dad’s back when he does pushups adding around twenty odd pounds of resistance with each set. Yeah we are all getting pretty good at the routine, next up horse stances – maybe one on each side to counter balance?

Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Recharge

So I keep coming back to what I love about our group – not just our team but the whole school in general. Fun just hasn’t been a word I would associate with my job for quite some time and it always weighs on me. I take things personal with everything I do and so I keep coming back to the love for the Kwoon. It is my place to escape, forget and enjoy that moment with my other family. Take Friday as an example, after class we all laughed and joked with each other as we sweated and talked about how sparring went and what we did or didn’t do. I mean that is our idea of fun, and quite frankly it always brings our group together. All I can say is I’m so thankful to have such a great group to recharge me week after week. It’s these moments that make it all worthwhile, if you’re ever having a rough day or just need a boost I find the Kwoon is a great place to leave it all behind and just enjoy the now.
Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Grading time

Post grading day, I remember mine like it was yesterday….got up in the morning like I had just climbed a mountain or maybe carried a mountain. Either way was a very slow moving day. All I can say about it was it’s a great experience to see what is in you, how far you can go when at times you feel like you have to be on empty but keep going forward. Adversity makes us all stronger; just have to have the right mind set and your well on your way. I was always fortunate to have gone through a few days like grading earlier in life which helped shape me leading up to the big day. Everyone can make it, no matter what the circumstance it is always doable. Last night I was out watching the fights with a friend and he asked what it was like at black belt grading, all I could do was smile and say you just have to do it yourself words never do it justice. What do you say, it’s a long day full of ups and downs and at the end all you can do is smile and know you have accomplished something extraordinary.
Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu