Do what I do

You know sometimes as a parent you feel like your talking to yourself.The kids might be standing right in front of you even looking at you and still they don't hear a word you are saying.So I have been pleasantly surprised to see a change in their attitudes since I have taken on the Body for life challenge.Our youngest has been running with me every other day (one day is muscle fitness the alternate day is cardeo, which I am doing in the form of teaching myself to run.)She is a very pickie eater so it was a great surprise to see her appetite increase with the amount of exercise she is getting.She is a chatterbox when we are alone so it's great company.The water I have been buying has been disappearing faster than I was drinking and I happened upon my son downing one of my bottles.This too was a change as he would be happier drinking pop!Small things in the big picture but in the right direction.Maybe that old saying "Do as I say, not as I do..." is not true.Maybe kids don"t always listen but they are paying attention. Who knew
See you next week
Linda

Who Knew !

I can really feel a difference this week.The changes are starting to make themselves known.Aside from the soar muscles and tiredness I feel good.We have some great people in our school to turn to when things get hard or confusing. Sifu Masterson is a great source of information on weight training.She has had some great suggestions.During the week I was really bottoming out after my workouts.I felt depressed and worn out.I went to her and explained how I felt and she had a few things for me to try, along with encouragement.The diet is still challenging but getting better.This weeks lesson was how much my diet relates to my work out.They definitely go hand in hand. See you next week...

Linda

Old habits are hard to over come

I find myself here this morning reviewing my week and beating myself up. I have fallen back into an old diet pattern. Those of you who have never really dieted won't recognize the starvation pit (starting the yo-yo pattern).IF your following a set out program that is going to make you lose wieght, well by not eating as much on the program must be better, faster. So half way through the week my work out partner pointed out that I had missed two suppers already this week.It was enough to make me stop and think... maybe it was a few breakfasts as well.I had eaten at least half a protein bar with the intention of making something else on the list later in the morning when I had more time.HA! Mistake number two. I really have to work on not breaking promises to myself.I have had a life time to prefect this,so who will know the difference anyway. I will.
Scratch week number two on the diet and start fresh tomorrow.(Sunday is a day off both exercising and following the diet on the body for life program)
The exercise part of the program has gone very well this week so I will give myself a pat on the back for that.Exercising is almost addicting don't you think? It sure makes me feel good!
Talk to you next week

Linda

Body for life challange

Well after two months of putting up obstacles and excuses I am finally started.A twelve week challenge of both mental and physical strength. The idea is to change the way I eat and exercise.I have not taken this challenge on lightly. I have been on many diets (that's putting it mildly) in my life and have had minimum success and have always gained the weight back.
So here goes, I have found a partner to do this twelve weeks with me. I never really have enough push by myself, so hopefully having someone else to keep me in line will help. I am posting this in hope that all of my fellow students will also keep me accountable. I am keeping a record of my daily exercise routine so I can track my ups and downs.Also there is a very specific way I must eat for the twelve weeks in order to build muscle and loss fat.
I started September 1 and will go until December 1 for the challenge and I hope that I feel so wonderful that I cam keep it as part of my life.
The first week has been very busy with my kids going back to school and incorporating the exercise routine that the week just flew by.I found the exercise refreshing and the diet challenging.I have a bit of a sweet tooth so giving up sugar is very hard.Also I feel like ten glasses of water is almost like drowning. I can tell you where every bathroom is within ten km. of my house. I hope this gets easier. I really don't like water.
Anyway I promise to keep up my postings once a week,this way you can see how I am doing and give me a kick if need be.( side heel thrust? well... maybe not that hard,see you next week

Linda

P.S. If you would like to learn more about the challenge you can go to bodyforlife.com

see ya

Pick your Fights.

I had a fellow student ask me the other day if I have kids in Kung Fu.

As a matter of fact I have three of my four kids in Kung Fu. One is just four and enjoying the Little Leopards class on Saturday mornings. The other two who are now sixteen and seventeen got there black belts back in 2003.

They both started in 1998.The struggle to keep them interested and excited was a constant battle. Depending on their age and how many friends they had at the school was always a big factor. A little competition with each other and fellow students also played a big part in keeping it fun.

Finally it came down to a decision my husband and I had to make.
We decided that Kung Fu not only made them better students and members of the community but it was also a very important life skill.So we made them go to each class. Sometimes kicking and screaming. The final compromise was that when they earned their black belts they could decide for themselves weather to continue or not.

Randy and I never regret that decision. The two kids got their black belts with me. They lasted a few more months at the school and both then put it to rest.
I feel very strongly that they are the people they are today because of their training.It comes into play every day of their lives. It affects how they think and the decisions they make.I still see the spark that talk of Kung Fu brings to their eyes and my fondest hope is that one day sooner rather than later they will pick up their training.
So to all you fellow parents out there struggling with your kids,take a deep breath and stick to your convictions. Yes you are right, it is good for them and you will not regret the battles you are going to face with them.It will be a fight well worth the outcome.

Keep in mind that you are not alone and use Master Brinker and his team of black belts to keep you and your kids motivated. There are not many situations that he has not come across before and if he doesn't have the answer you will always have his support.

Good Luck!
Sifu Linda Shipalesky

Where am I going?

Well spring has finally sprung. This has to be my favorite time of year.For me its a time of renewal.The yard is fresh for new plants and the sap starts flowing in the trees. I can finally throw open the windows and air out the house.Its a great time of year to shake some of the cobwebs out of my mind.I have been doing an inventory if you like on my training too. Some spring cleaning. I have had a great winter in the kwoon.What a privilege it has been to watch the white/yellow class come into their own.Every class I attend renews my belief in the martial arts.Every student has a different strength. Their own road to discovery. It is like spring,its like watching them wake up after a long rest.
My private joke is that they think I'm there to teach them when in reality they are teaching me.I am humbled be some of the obstacles people are able to over come.At the end of each class I don't just want to clap, I want to jump up and down and yell " Did you see that? Did you see what they did tonight?" I want to take some of that energy and bring it home to apply to my every day life and my training, if I could bottle a little of that I could make a million...
So the answer to my question "where am I going in my training" has to be I want to be better, faster, stronger so I can bring this to the students journeying along beside me, so that I too can have the courage to challenge myself and inspire those around me.

Consequence of Being a Left Hander

With the Christmas holidays over it's time to get back to training. One of the biggest challenges I have encountered in my martial arts training has been to do everything right handed.
I have been fortunate to be born left handed in a generation where it is not considered backward. Out of a family of four,three of my siblings are left handed. In turn three of my own four children are left handed.
When I started my martial arts training I was very blessed to have an instructor who had taught a lot of lefties not only Kung Fu but piano too.I have had a excellent start, but as time passes the influence of the rest of the school slowly comes to the forground of my training.I can't tell you what a struggle it is to reverse what I see and make my mind and body do everything opposite to what my natural instincts tells me to.It becomes most difficult for me when I pause in my training ie. an extended holiday (Christmas). Once I get back into the rhythm of things it becomes much easier to do though, most of the time it helps to keep me on my toes.Most of the lefties in Kung Fu get by without anyone even noticing the difference. Once in a while I will come across a fellow student struggling with the same problem,so I know I'm not alone. Some day I hope I will be able to help them reverse things. But until I can conquer my own challanges I will only stand by and simpathize...but one day I will be able to help...