There is no 'martial arts for dummies'

Last night's training session was tough. The class itself was not more
challenging than usual but the motivation to go there was a mental
challenge. After some bag work on Tuesday night my left knee has been
painful, I also managed to bruise my right hand making it painful to use
it in any way. On top of that I had reduced sleep the night before as I
was coughing in the night and my co-workers in my team were all heading
out to drinks after work and wanted me to come along. All this together
made it very challenging to make kung fu my priority.

It ties in to the phrase 'to be believed you need to be believable' that
we talked about in class on Saturday and again last night. You can say
you are dedicated to your martial art but unless you are committed to
your training you cannot believe it yourself and others won't believe it
in you. Times like last night really challenge you and it takes great
strength to keep to your commitment to your training. I was not alone, 2
other regulars in the leadership team were injured and sat through the
whole class to join in the theory part - the only part they were
physically able to do. This is very frustrating when you are desperate
to train. The depth of their commitment was impressive.

This is something I have been lacking in my last 2 years of TaeKwon-Do
training when I did not have the time to commit to it 100%. I would turn
up for a class every few weeks and never made progress, it was
unfulfilling. You either commit to your martial arts training 100% or
you don't do it - there is no half way, no 'martial arts for dummies'.

Nick
White sash

To be believed we need to be believable

Today's topic was being believable. When we enter class we should be greeting our Sifu in a manner that suggests that we are ready to give 100% in our training. If we give a half-hearted 'hello' then it does not give the impression that we are focused and ready to go. Also when we see a visitor come into the school we should approach them in a confident and enthusiastic way to welcome them. For people to believe that we have a kung fu spirit through our dedicated training we need to demonstrate this through our actions. If we act with confidence people will be willing to be lead by us. The first step to being a leader is believing in yourself.

Nick
White sash

What we want from our kung fu

Last night there were two topics of discussion around leadership. First we talked about we want from our Kung Fu and to keep reflecting on this at regular intervals on our journey. Without this reflection and goal setting we will become stale in our training and can get discouraged if we lose sight of what we are here for. I was looking to:

1) See how far I can push myself physically and mentally
2) Gain control over my body and movements
3) Increase my self confidence outside of kung fu

Also when I returned home I also thought I am looking to help achieve my life goal:

'To understand and inspire health'

Kung fu can help me get closer to understanding my own health and what I need to do to remain healthy. Also through my dedication to my practice I hope to inspire health in others through displaying great strength physically and mentally. Also this blog will hopefully inspire others to begin their own martial arts journey.

The second topic was about doing kung fu for ourselves, not for our Sifu. We should be pushing ourselves harder, sinking lower in our stances to see how much we can challenge ourselves, not because sifu is watching. We should recognize when we have done well, and not only experience this gratification when Sifu acknowledges it. During a broadsword form today I really felt like I nailed it, it really felt like I had completed the movements correctly and I was disappointed that my Sifu was watching someone else. I remembered this lesson and realized that the important thing was that I recognized the growth in myself.

Nick
White Sash

Commitment

Last night's training session was tough. The class itself was not more challenging than usual but the motivation to go there was a mental challenge. After some bag work on Tuesday night my left knee has been painful, I also managed to bruise my right hand making it painful to use it in any way. On top of that I had reduced sleep the night before as I was coughing in the night and my co-workers in my team were all heading out to drinks after work and wanted me to come along. All this together made it very challenging to make kung fu my priority.

It ties in to the phrase 'to be believed you need to be believable' that we talked about in class on Saturday and again last night. You can say you are dedicated to your martial art but unless you are committed to your training you cannot believe it yourself and others won't believe it in you. Times like last night really challenge you and it takes great strength to keep to your commitment to your training. I was not alone, 2 other regulars in the leadership team were injured and sat through the whole class to join in the theory part - the only part they were physically able to do. This is very frustrating when you are desperate to train. The depth of their commitment was impressive.

This is something I have been lacking in my last 2 years of TaeKwon-Do training when I did not have the time to commit to it 100%. I would turn up for a class every few weeks and never made progress, it was unfulfilling. You either commit to your martial arts training 100% or you don't do it - there is no half way, no 'martial arts for dummies'.

Kung fu kids

I was talking to a young woman yesterday from the church high school youth group. Lauren is a freshman at highschool (not sure what age that is, it is all a bit different in England -- probably 15?) and has taken Kempo for a year now. I couldn't help but be impressed, I have no kids yet but if I ever had a daughter I would be so proud if she trained in a martial art and could gain the physical and mental strength to help her through those tough teenage years.

Parents! Encourage your kids to begin their journey through life with training in martial arts, together we can build a more peaceful world.

Nick
White sash

Calm through martial arts

Yesterday a co-worker approached me at work and expressed an interest in martial arts. One of the reasons given was that he had observed me at work having a constant state of calm even when all around me are highly stressed in the busy and tense work environment. We had talked before of my focus on martial arts and he said that my training helps me maintain the sense of peace and control outside.

Maintaining a sense of peace in stressful situations is a very positive result of my training. In kung fu you are put in extreme mental and physical situations and learning to control the 'fight or flight' reflex is essential to surviving a combat situation. A Kendo masters' pulse rate does not rise when they are in combat, it is a samurai teaching that as soon as your emmotions get involved in combat you have lost. Bruce Lee wrote that in combat you must empty your mind and let your training react rather than trying to analyze too much. Something for us all to work on.

This ability to stay calm during a stressful situation will inevitably overlap into your day-to-day life.

Nick
White sash

The beginning

My kung fu journey started in the first week of January, but this is the first entry in my journal.

I am writing it as I want to capture my thoughts, record my successes and failures, and do it in the form of a public blog to encourage anyone who has been thinking of starting a similar journey to begin theirs.

The facts
Name: Nick Fey
Spouse: Reverand Jennifer Fey
DoB: 6/28/1972
Location: Wrentham, MA, USA
Nationality: British
Day job: Web User Experience Lead, BrownCo (J.P. Morgan Invest, LLC)
Evening and weekend job: Muscular Therapist, Nick Fey Muscular Therapy
Martial arts history: 11 years of ITF TaeKwon-Do, 1 year of Jitsu.
Kung fu style: Looang Foo Pai
Kungu fu school: Maury's Looang Foo Pai, Franklin, MA
Instructor: Sifu Sara

A brief kung fu history of my last 3 months:

I dropped into the school after not being able to find a good TaeKwon-Do school when I first moved to Wrentham. I was curious about kung fu, I was inspired to look into it by an instructor who taught me basic shiatsu classes at the Muscular Therapy Institute. He talked about the
Chi developing exercises and the grace and power of the forms.

The school was quite unlike any other school I have entered from any style. I was instantly welcomed by a sihing and introduced to the school, he was happy to spend an hour answering all my questions and it was clear that I would fit in well.

I have trained hard in the 3 months now and was honored to be invited to join the leadership team at my first sash ceromony. I am now training with this senior team and doing my best to catch up and become a valued team member.

My biggest challenge has been to try and overcome my ingrained TKD movements and move like a kung fu student. I need to move forward rather than back, I need to focus on multiple quick attacks rather than single powerful blows, I need to not over commit to each movement and make sure I can move easily after each attack.

The classes push me to the limit and a little beyond leaving me exhausted but deeply satisfied with life. I hope to record these highs and lows of this journey in this blog. Feel free to leave comments.

Nick
White sash