By Sifu Lloyd Fridenburg

Editorial

Whatever you did to prepare for your last grading isn’t good enough to prepare for your next! I have often used that comment at the end of a grading, particularly when it was apparent that some participants could have done a much better job of preparing for the grading; particularly when testing for an intermediate rank or higher. This applies to both adults and kids, but expectations for adults are different.

Our curriculum is taught in a progressive manner where students begin with basic traditional training techniques and progress to more challenging techniques at each rank. You are building a skill set that culminates in a thorough knowledge of the WKFA curriculum. As you soon discover, there are certain things that you are tested on in every grading and instructors expect to see that you become more proficient with previously learned skills in each successive grading. As we provide you with more knowledge the number of things you are potentially tested on in a grading increases. Hence the reality that both the length of gradings and the expectations of instructors increases over time.

I have participated in close to 100 gradings, as either a student or as an instructor, and I can say with confidence that those students that put in the greatest effort prior to a grading, perform the best during the grading. The best way to prepare for a Kung Fu grading is to do Kung Fu. In other words, spend your time working on the things that you know will be in a grading. Kicks from a forward stance, moving drills, kicking sequences, drills from a basic stance for prolonged periods, and forms.

Things like running, cycling, weight training, or even bag work, should be considered a supplement to your training. You won’t be asked to run or cycle in a grading. In fact, I have seen marathon runners nearly collapse in a Novice II grading because they thought that running was enough to prepare them for the effort necessary. If you like to run, great, but if you head out and run for a half-hour one day and the next day work basics and forms continually for the same length of time and you’ll very quickly see what I mean.

The training that I’m talking about in this article is extra-curricular training. It is the training that you do outside of class. Simply increasing your class attendance when you’re getting ready to grade for your yellow sash or orange sash may be enough, but after that you need to put in more effort, and, the need for extracurricular training becomes more critical for each subsequent rank.

While I’m on the topic of gradings; at certain ranks writing an essay is part of your grading requirements. I’ve read a lot of these over the years, most are very insightful and well contemplated. I’ve also read a lot that, although well written, didn’t address the topic. To me that means that you either didn’t understand the topic, or chose to ignore it. It has frequently been suggested that we withhold grading results for students that don’t address the topic until an acceptable essay is produced; hopefully it won’t come to that. Prior to your grading be sure that you understand the topic and then craft your essay to address the topic.

The post Progressing to the Next Grading appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

By Sifu David Moylan, Owner, Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy

Sifu’s Corner

Practicing Optimism Despite Challenges

This year I am writing my column ahead of our annual Awards Party, but by the time you read this, the winners and honourable mentions will have been announced – so congratulations to all!

I find myself into my third week of non-operative Achilles tendon rupture healing protocol. On Feb.5, WKFA participated in a friendly group lion dance, tournament and American Ninja Warrior competition with a couple other Kung Fu schools in Kitchener as part of a Chinese New Year celebration. It was a fun day, however, while practicing an obstacle called the “Warp Wall”, I completely tore my Achilles. No doubt it was a powerful reminder on the importance of warming up properly before explosive activities!

So as the year begins, I’m in a cast and unable to drive. It will be a challenging few months, but I am trying to apply February’s theme of optimism. With this temporary change of lifestyle pace, I am looking for the opportunities: more time with family, time to read and meditate, a chance to focus on upper body strength and catch up on a lot of the office administration involved in running the Academy. With the assistance of the Black Sash Team and LT Members, I will keep teaching classes to the best of my ability. I already find it’s been giving me a fresh perspective on something I’ve been doing for 18 years.

What’s Been Happening at WKFA?

Our Lion Dance team had another busy winter, which saw us perform at a dozen events in Jan/Feb alone! It has been very nice to have Sifu Sarah back with the team until her studies in Kingston resume this Fall.

Sifus Cory, Greg, Lorna and Mark are coaching our Competition Team, which commenced on Feb.1. Regardless of whether you’re on the team or not, there are three great tournaments this year: CKKA in Kingston on April 1^st, our 20^th Annual In-House Tournament (Shiai) on April 29^th and the 40^th Annual Karate/Kung Fu Maynia on May 6^th at the Northfield Racquet Club.

Once again we will be hosting our popular Five-Animal March Break Camp. Sifu Anne will be conducting some FREE special classes for our teenage students over March Break too – please sign-up in the Weight Room if interested.

Grading dates are set from now until the end of June. Youth and Juniors have opportunities to test on March 25 and June 17. Congratulations to our adults that successfully tested on Feb.4! We have another planned for June 10 (Intermediate/Novice II). On May 13^th we have a record number of candidates attempting to achieve Brown and Black sash!

I would like to thank everyone that gave some thought to referring friends and family to the Academy this year! Some great people joined the Academy as of late, so to those of you that are new to the school, a warm welcome! Remember that the free one-month gift certificates we handed out at the end of 2016 are valid until the end of this March.

The post Spring 2017 – What’s Happening at WKFA appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Anne Vandrus

Youth Student’s Corner

Open kwoon time is the 15 minutes of “free time” when the floor is open before class. Most classes don’t get open kwoon time, so it’s an awesome opportunity if you have it. You get lots of safe open space and your instructors are there to help, so it’s different from just practicing at home. We often tell you to “use your time wisely”, so here is what we mean about what you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do during open kwoon time.

Good ideas to DO:

• Start warming up – It’s good to take a few minutes getting your body warm and doing some stretches before doing Kung Fu, but remember you still get a warm up during class! You can do a little bit of running or skipping or stride jumps, and then pick some of your favourite stretches.
• Practice your Kung Fu – Find a space and run through your forms, sequences, blocks, kicks, stances, strength requirements, and so on. Run through everything you know, or pick just a few things and do them a bunch of times. Run through them quickly and slowly and normal speed. You can work by yourself, or train alongside a classmate. You have so many options!
• Try out your techniques on a heavy bag – I recommend trying your kicks out. Set up in your forward stance or 3/4 stance and make sure you use correct foot formation. If you’re not sure which part of your foot you should feel hitting the bag for any kick, just ask. Remember only one person is allowed to use a heavy bag at a time, so take turns.
• Ask questions – Your Sifu’s and assistant instructors are there to help you, so ask them for help as much as you want. Whether you forget how a move goes, aren’t sure if you’re doing something correctly, want feedback on how you’re doing, or are wondering if you’re ready to go further in a form/sequence, all you have to do is ask one of your instructors politely.

Bad ideas to NOT do:

• Stand around talking – You can quickly catch up with your friends, but then get to working your Kung Fu. Instead of standing around, try practicing with your friends. Training is fun with other people, so try challenging each other and helping each other improve. If you have a question but you’re afraid to ask, a friend might know the answer, or you can go ask together.
• Play tag or other games – There’s a time and a place for games, but the kwoon isn’t a playground. When you’re at Kung Fu you should be doing Kung Fu. Running around while your classmates are trying to practice could lead to someone getting hurt, and it’s not the best use of your open kwoon time.

Make a plan in advance of what you’re going to do during those 15 minutes (from the DO list), and show up early to make full use of them.

The post The DO’s and DON’Ts of Open Kwoon Time appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Greg Weir

Junior Student’s Corner

If you’ve been paying attention to the monthly themes lately (and you certainly should be) you probably noticed that January’s Physical Theme was Aerobic Exercise, while February’s was Anaerobic Exercise. What, you perhaps found yourself wondering, is the difference? I know I did.

Literally, the word Aerobic means “with oxygen,” while Anaerobic is the opposite. The implication is that Aerobic exercise is something you do for a long period of time, long enough to get you breathing heavily at least. Jogging is a good example. Anaerobic exercise, on the other hand, is done in short bursts—something you could theoretically do while holding your breath. Dropping down for 10 push-ups, for example.

But those notions are misleading, I think. Really, there’s no such thing as exercise done without oxygen (try doing anything without breathing for too long and it’s not going to work out well for you). Conversely, with Aerobic exercise the idea is that the oxygen you’re bringing into your system is enough to feed your muscles to keep them from getting fatigued. But if you look at even the most highly trained long distance runners, they are definitely drained at the end of a race—which indicates that at some point their efforts changed from Aerobic to Anaerobic.

Perhaps the simplest way of thinking about it is that Aerobic exercise is designed to develop endurance, while Anaerobic exercise is for strength.

So, the question becomes, which is better for Kung Fu training? You’re smart kids, so I bet you’ve already figured out that the answer is “both.”

Yes, both Aerobic and Anaerobic training are required for you to reach your full potential as a martial artist. The strength you develop from Anaerobic exercise will translate into speed and power, while your Aerobic conditioning is what gets you through long rounds of sparring—and even longer gradings.

So when you’re training outside of the WKFA, try to do a variety of Aerobic and Anaerobic exercises. I discussed strength training in a previous article but as refresher, that sort of workout involves exactly what you think it would: push-ups, abdominal exercises, squats, etc. In other words, you can supplement your Anaerobic training at home by doing exactly the sorts of strength exercises we do in class.

To work on your Aerobic conditioning, things like jogging, skipping and bag work are great. Of course nothing gets your heart rate up more than forms. Try doing the Short Dragon Enters Two Doors five times in a row and see how heavily you’re breathing after that. Of course, it’s a good idea to mix up your Aerobic and Anaerobic training, so once you’re done those five reps, drop down and do 20 push-ups and 50 butterflies—and then move on to your next Form. Keep that up for awhile and you should be in great shape, both Aerobic and Anaerobic, in no time.

Happy training, everyone!

The post Aerobic versus Anaerobic Exercise appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

By Sifu Rebecca Knapp

Adult Student’s Corner

“Take rest; the field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid

I’ve noticed that WKFA, like many other martial arts clubs, seems to attract people of a certain nature: driven, committed, goal-oriented – and sometimes reluctant to give themselves a break. Ambitious people sometimes feel like they can’t stop, that it will hinder their progress and allude to weakness or failure. The problem is that when it comes to training, regular breaks are the very thing your body needs to continue to progress, and more importantly, prevent injury, sickness, and burnout.

Rest has many benefits for any fitness regime – some of these are listed below:

1. Aids Recovery: One or two days off per week is required to allow bone, muscle, tendons and ligaments the time to recover and repair themselves. Muscle growth occurs during rest periods, not during exercise. Rest periods also allow your body to replenish much needed glycogen stores.
2. Helps to prevent injury: Rest days prevent overuse. Using any muscle or joint over and over again will eventually wear it down and the overuse can lead to injury or permanent damage.
3. Keeps your immune response in check and working properly: During periods of heavy activity, our immune systems are constantly activating to repair muscles and joints. Without proper rest, your immune system can’t catch up to all the repairs your body needs. As a result it can become compromised, making you more susceptible to colds, flus, and other ailments.
4. Helps you sleep: Getting adequate sleep allows the mind to repair itself and develop new connections, which, as we know, is highly useful when learning new skills. Overtraining can actually cause significant sleep disruptions – training too often can put your body in a constant state of restlessness or high alert, which impairs your ability to fall into the deep, restorative sleep we all need to feel rested and recharged.
5. Lowers stress: Rest decreases abnormal levels of cortisol – the stress hormone. This helps to maintain alertness, productivity and general health.
6. More energy throughout the day: Adequate rest helps you avoid energy slumps during the day, ensuring workouts are more effective and efficient. When you become physically or mentally worn out, your energy levels fluctuate and you become prone to periods of exhaustion.
7. Boosts brain function: Finally, rest allows for better concentration and focus…and from a psychological standpoint, taking a rest period can help to prevent burnout and keep you excited about getting back to training. Mental fatigue can be every bit as detrimental as physical fatigue, as I’m sure anyone who has trained for a grading knows well!

So what can you do to get your mind set on rest? For starters, you’re going to have to make the mental adjustment to understanding and believing that you can take days off, and that it’s actually helpful to your training. Then, just as you set your training goals, set your rest goals too and develop a schedule to let your body recover.

The post Rest appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

by Sifu Patricia Fievoli

Parent’s Corner

Parents/guardians are an integral part of a youth/junior student’s Grading preparation.   The level of parental support required by the student will vary according to age and independence level. The following is a list to help your child test feeling supported, healthy, and confident:

Ongoing

1. Encourage practice.
2. Encourage attendance.
3. Provide materials to help the child create a training manual.
4. Encourage discussion.
5. Get involved! Watch classes, read newsletters, and speak with instructors. If you wish, join the WKFA Adult Program or Fitness with a Purpose Program!
6. Talk about Gradings as opportunities, challenges, hard work and ‘long classes’.
7. Maintain a current WKFA membership. Keep current WKFA membership cards. Ensure Sifu (and class Sifus) are aware of medical information. If your child carries an inhaler or medication ensure it is available in their training bag.
8. Ensure your child has a uniform, required equipment and weapons. See Sifu directly if there are financial concerns.

Two Weeks Before Grading Day

(when Grading Letters come home)

1. Review the Grading Letter thoroughly with your child. Tick off the boxes and students returns the bottom portion at their next class.
2. Talk about what is required for the Grading envelope. Discuss whether an essay or homemade form will be required. Work with your child to ensure the envelope is complete, essays/forms are properly typed, and handed in as required. Every rank, every Grading, requires an envelope to be handed in that is properly addressed and contains: WKFA membership card, Grading fee, essay and/or homemade form (if one is required for that rank).

Two days before assist your child to ensure:

1. They are eating well, resting, and hydrating.
2. They have all their sparring equipment, weapons, complete uniform, and completed envelope (See #2 above). This is outlined in Sifu’s Grading Letter. If your child uses an inhaler or medication please ensure it is available at the grading.
3. WKFA bag is labelled with name and student number.

Evening before provide support as needed to:

1. Help ensure your child feels supported.
2. Arrange any drinks that will be required for grading day.
3. Ensure envelope, uniform, and equipment are ready to go.
4. Decide on timing and plan to arrive early.

Grading Day

1. Arrange a relaxed morning. Students should hydrate and eat well. Select foods that will sit well and will provide energy for the hours to come.   Unless there is a health issue, students are encouraged to hydrate during the Grading but students will not have ‘food’ breaks.
2. Arrive in uniform at WKFA at least 20 minutes early.
3. Grading students will put their drinks, bags and weapons in the kwoon.
4. Grading students should tuck their envelopes into their belts or sash and have it ready for presentation.

Tips for Parents/Guardians and family members:

1. Try to relax. If possible attend the Grading. We do ask that spectators give their full attention to the Grading students.

A Grading may run 2 hours or it may run several hours, as long as 5 or 6 depending upon ranks on the floor.

Sign-in Computer

Please remember that the sign-in computer is for sign-in only, any other information contained in student records is for administration use only, and is confidential. If you have problems signing in please seek assistance; don’t try to adjust anything yourself. If you want to check any data related to your child’s training please see Sifu.

The post Helping Kids with Grading Preparation appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post WKFA 2016 Award Winners appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post Time is Limited, Don’t Waste It appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.