And so it begins again

This week marks the beginning of another new year and the start of our I Ho Chian journey. I actually started back in November once I had decided to apply to be part of the team. The year ahead looks exciting. I hope I can use some of the many resources available to me. To be honest I am a little worried about the weapon I have chosen. I knew it once a few years ago, but like everything else I let it slide by the wayside. I fell like my team mates are already practicing their weapons forms and I haven't even started yet. Here hoping I don't let anyone down. Good luck to all Linda

TOO MUCH TOO SOON ?

Since early summer 2011 I have been making an effort to come back into the evening white/yellow class. Trying not to make my recent health issues too noticeable has been to say the least, impossible. I know I have to learn to live with a lot of things but I feel that I have to prove to everyone else that I am still capable of running a good class. All the extra help comes in handy when I can't do some of the basic moves myself yet. This is another one of my UBBT goals for the year. I hope by repeating my kicks and moving through my forms enough my body will remember how to do them. The problem I'm having is sticking to one or two at a time. I'm like a kid in a candy store, I want to do them all at once. I know this is not such a good idea. Like in the last black belt class I had Sifu Hayes almost all to myself and it was a great way to be more specific with him as to what I have trouble doing as far as moving through the form goes. On the other hand I hadn't really touched those forms yet, so I found myself jumping back and forth all weekend trying to do three or four forms at once. That's my next step,try to focus on one or two things at a time. The positive thing this week was adding another 30k. to my distance goal making my on going total 130 kilometers. next week will be better, Sifu Shipalesky

WALKING FAST

I reached my first 100 kilometers this week, towards my I ho Chaun targets. I must admit it wasn't all that hard since it's one of the few true pleasures I do for myself. This year I have some family members alone for the ride. Eli my new grandson has traveled a good quarter of it with me either in a snuggy strapped to my chest or in a stroller in front of me. As of Monday he was nine pounds so with his added weight I figure that's bonus points.
I know for years I have struggled to run instead of walk and with my recent condition it has become a bigger challenge. I hope to get my numbers up in the next month and see just how much my legs remember, who knows I could be leading the pack in a light jog. So my new goal will be to do my five k in less time. Small steps so to speak
Linda

SET IN MY WAYS ?

You know I always thought I was open minded. Humble, open to new ideas. Lately I have been thinking on this a lot. Is it being open minded when you have a certain set of values and find it hard to change that thought pattern.
My mother often said to me quoting a child's book "DO IT YOURSELF SAID THE LITTLE RED HEN" and she was referring to not expecting someone else to do a job you were fussy about. Consequently I have found that this is one of the motto's of my life. I don't expect someone else to do a job that I feel needs doing right. Or someone else to do a job that I am reluctant to do myself. So my confusion comes into play when I am tying to lead someone else to take up a task that I know can be hard to do or where there is no motivation ,no instant gratification.In the end it is better to do it yourself.
Thinking back I probably spoiled my kids rotten because after asking them to do something a few times it always felt quicker to do it myself. Hmmm or should I have said better? I find it hard to motivate people in general, I would prefer to show them by example.Is this so wrong? I think I will have to work on my speaking skills in order to get my point across better,maybe then I will have a stronger argument !
Sifu Linda Shipalesky

New Beginnings

It's a new year for me and the UBBT and it holds many possibilities . I have started to add my milage up by walking. I can't wait for the weather to break and I can get on my bike. I did receive for Christmas a gadget that converts a ordinary bike into a stationary bike, but it takes a bit of mechanical know how so I will have to bring my bike and gadget to the bike store to get it set up. I have taken two falls this last week so walking out side is a little risky to my health. Although on one fall I managed to do a pretty good break fall, the second not so good. I can't bring Minnie ( my dog ) with me to the Tri so we both miss out on the outdoor walks.
The positive side of walking indoors I was able to persuade two of my daughters, Tara my oldest and in need of losing around one hundred pounds and Amanda who has a new baby (Eli) to join me and my eighty one year old mother. We each have our own goals and hopefully will be able to keep them in mind with the aid of the others.
My morning routine has been a little sluggish getting started, but I think I have it in place. Anyway this is where I have started and will keep adding until it all falls into place. :)
Sifu Linda Shipalesky