Let's get ready to demo

So demo season is just around the corner and I know for comparison sake we are ahead of last year’s team yet really we should be farther ahead as a group. I know we’ve had great practices but the numbers keep dwindling. This is a great opportunity to show what you have for a form or fight choreography and focus that energy on making it the best it can be. If you’re not in the demo keep showing up and you might find yourself a part of the demo soon. I know we talk about being out of our comfort zone and this is a great way to overcome this. You never quite get over it entirely but again you can learn how to harness that energy and narrow your focus on the task at hand. I for one even went out of my comfort zone today baking an apple pie. Judi thought my mother had brought it over but no that was all me. Mind you I haven’t eaten it yet, maybe she could test it first…
Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Ended up recording this three times, each time I looked at it I would tweak a stance then move on. Still some work to do but small little changes.
Sifu Bryant

With intent

This past while I have worked on various defences vs. punches, knives etc. as we always do and they all have similarities with each other. They all require a block from the attack regardless of what it may be. This again leads to our variously infinite sequences of strikes, counters, locks etc. The reason I am writing about this is that with most of our techniques we have a defence for an attack which leads to our first option for defence. Now if this should fail in any way and our attacker still is a threat to us we then sequence into our second option and so and so on. Now as we become more proficient in our movements, blocks and flow the one thing we must be cognizant of is purpose. I see many of us flowing from one sequence to the other without any pause. Why is that? Well as I would watch more advanced belts practice as I was first starting out I thought that was great to watch – speed, technique all flashy and advanced looking. Later I saw a flaw in this perception. Remember if someone attacks you with a punch and you block with a technique are you going to fly into backup plan b then c and so on. I hope not. You must feel that initial block, feel that initial lock being performed and not get ahead of yourself thinking it has failed before even stopping to take stock of the purpose of it. If the lock or defence fails then move on to the next step but only after you feel it work or fail. If it fails, search to understand why it failed and then after fixing this move onto option b and so on. I still practice and slow down my techniques to check if this movement is sound or if I need to correct it. If I just flash through six movements without purpose I’m just doing a flashy dance hand sequence that’s all show and no purpose.
Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu

Acts of kindness

Yesterday's acts of kindness...

• Told students to have a good day x 2
• Said thank you and to have a good day to cashier
• Said hi to my neighbour as I was leaving
• Thanked Judi for dinner with a hug and a smooch

Sifu Bryant

Fresh air

Well this past week was a switch over of sorts for me. I now switch over to summer evenings with baseball, yard work, etc. This is the best time for me, I can now get outdoors more often and enjoy our longer days to work on forms and such. It does mean I have to adjust to a different schedule slightly but again I have to just fit more in the mornings before work to start the day. This evening I finally brought out the bike and went for a ride through the trails around the city. It was a great evening and I haven’t been out riding since the fall. It was great to just ride and clear my mind of everything going on around me. It’s been my moving meditation these past few years it seems. It’s the time of year I’ve been waiting for enjoying the days outdoors and practice in the fresh air. These next few months are always the best.

Sifu Bryant
Silent River Kung Fu