Fu-For-You Spring 2025 Archives - Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy https://www.waterlookungfu.com/category/fu-for-you/fu-for-you-spring-2025/ Changing people's lives, one student at a time! Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:30:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Push-Up Challenge Motivation https://www.waterlookungfu.com/push-up-challenge-motivation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=push-up-challenge-motivation https://www.waterlookungfu.com/push-up-challenge-motivation/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 17:08:44 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9179 The adversity of winter is also an invitation to discover who you are and what you can rise from and, dare I say, thrive in!

The post Push-Up Challenge Motivation appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]>

Push-Up Challenge Motivation

Sigung’s Corner

by Sigung David Moylan
Fu For You Spring 2025

Last year, for the Spring Edition of Fu for You, I wrote about the push-up challenge, where we do 2,000 push-ups in the month of February in support of mental health. This year, we decided to run our own version of the challenge, creating an online spreadsheet where participants could watch each other record their daily totals. The enthusiasm for this challenge was staggering! At the time of this writing, we are collectively at 88,013 push-ups across 38 active participants. With four days to go, we seem on track for our collective goal of 100,000 for the month!

By the time you are reading this, the snow may be starting to subside. This winter had some of the heaviest snowfall I can recall, especially throughout February. With the snow came hours of shovelling, which, for some, even included snow removal from roof tops. Although some of us dropped in our daily push-up count during the heavier snow days, most kept up the furious pace making the accomplishment that much more impressive! Kudos to the many warriors at the Academy for pushing their own weight and Mother Nature’s!

Each week, I dropped for intervals of 20 between sessions of shoveling, teaching and training Kung Fu, biking, and doing LOTS of lion dancing. I was also reading our Word of the Week quotes everyday which all focused on our monthly theme of Challenge (I must say, a very well chosen one by our Leadership Team). All this combined for some introspection on the value of testing ourselves.

I know that the deep winter months can be very trying. Shorter days, less sun, cold temperatures, leaky basements, seemingly non-stop illnesses, and so on, can really take their toll. Framed differently, the adversity of winter is also an invitation to discover who you are and what you can rise from (and dare I say, thrive in).

I was thoroughly impressed by the members of the Academy this winter. Class attendance and spirit was strong. Every special team (Demonstration, Performance, Leadership, Competition, Lion Dance) was truly firing on all cylinders! You stayed positive, stepped up and supported one another and the Academy: We had one of our biggest and best Academy Award parties to date, with a packed dance floor of all ages for most of the night! Students were quick to grab a shovel, mop or broom to keep the Academy in top order. We filled the Weight Room wall with coloured bears and decorated for Lunar New Year.

The push-up challenge is a simple, silly and fun way to get out our heads and into our bodies. Whether you committed to 2,000 or 10,000 (Sifu Erich!) I think we certainly accomplished our goal. We leaned into hard work and flourished this winter. With gradings and tournaments around the corner, Spring is always a very busy and exciting time at the Academy. After tackling a challenging winter with such gusto, I am excited for the new season and what we can accomplish together!

See the full 2025 Push-Up Challenge Results >

The Push-Up Challenge

Find out more about The Push-Up Challenge, with the option to fundraise, and push yourself to join our team!

The post Push-Up Challenge Motivation appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/push-up-challenge-motivation/feed/ 0 Knowledge, Wisdom, and Rank https://www.waterlookungfu.com/knowledge-wisdom-and-rank/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=knowledge-wisdom-and-rank https://www.waterlookungfu.com/knowledge-wisdom-and-rank/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 16:08:48 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9140 The colour of your sash does not necessarily corelate to retained knowledge, wisdom, skill, or anything else commonly attributed to a higher rank.

The post Knowledge, Wisdom, and Rank appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]>

Knowledge, Wisdom, and Rank

Editorial

by Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg
Fu For You Spring 2025

Regardless of the colour of your sash, it means little more than, at a given time, you acquired enough knowledge to pass a test. It does not necessarily correlate to retained knowledge, wisdom, skill or anything else commonly attributed to a higher rank. Those things don’t require a sash, and when combined with time, experience, the application of knowledge, dedication, and judgment (good and bad), the result is Kung Fu wisdom.

I have even seen instances where the colour of a sash might stifle someone’s true ability. Years ago, when I used to teach a lot of mixed classes I would sometimes ask students to remove their sash at the start of class, and then to take their place in line wherever they wanted. It was common to see students migrate to their normal place in line, so I would move students to someplace they were uncomfortable with, perhaps some orange or yellow sash students in a line that would typically be occupied by advanced students. It was not unusual to see lower ranked students performing at a higher level than normal.

In traditional Kung Fu training, there was no ranking system. The only way to advance was when the Master took you aside and told you it was time to move on. Ranking was for a large part a western invention developed to appease our need to see tangible results. It was no longer good enough to merely acquire knowledge and skills. We in the west live in a society grounded in the myth that if you didn’t pass you must have failed. The knowledge you gained seems to count for little, without the symbol (the sash, degree, or title).

Do you want the sash as recognition that you have truly learned the requirements for that rank? Do you want the sash to keep pace with your peers, or are you merely feeding your ego? Perhaps you have a completely different reason, or perhaps you’ll answer yes to all the questions.

The point that I’m trying to make with all this rambling is that it’s not the colour of the sash, but the knowledge you’ve gained, retained, and applied over time, combined with your dedication that is important.

I teach, on average, 5 classes per week and sometimes wonder, if I took my sash off and taught those classes would I feel the same confidence that I do when I wear my sash? The answer is a resounding YES! But that was not always the case, so perhaps we do acquire a bit of wisdom with age. There was a time when I felt that I needed the sash to show a level of knowledge that gave me the authority and ability to teach. In time I realized that it was constant practice, willingness to question, willingness to accept new ideas, willingness to fail, and the desire to constantly learn that developed my Kung Fu wisdom, not the sash.

The post Knowledge, Wisdom, and Rank appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/knowledge-wisdom-and-rank/feed/ 0 Origins of Shaolin Kung Fu https://www.waterlookungfu.com/origins-of-shaolin-kung-fu/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=origins-of-shaolin-kung-fu https://www.waterlookungfu.com/origins-of-shaolin-kung-fu/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:08:42 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9188 Every class we start off with our three bows, the first one being to show our respect to our ancestors. But have you ever wondered who these ancestors really were? And how did Kung Fu begin in the first place?

The post Origins of Shaolin Kung Fu appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> Youth Student’s Corner

by Chantal Moylan
Fu For You Spring 2025

Every class we start off with our three bows, the first one being to show our respect to our ancestors. But have you ever wondered who these ancestors really were? And how did Kung Fu begin in the first place? To really understand our Kung Fu ancestors, we need to look back in time and at the history of the masters who started it all!

About 1,500 years ago, there was a special place in China called the Shaolin Temple, where Buddhist monks lived and trained. According to legend, a really smart monk named Bodhidharma came from India to visit them. He taught the monks special exercises to make them strong and disciplined. Over time, these exercises turned into the martial art now called Shaolin Kung Fu.

As the monks continued to practice their Kung Fu, they watched animals in nature and noticed how they moved. They saw that each animal had its own special way of fighting and defending itself. The monks used these ideas to create the Shaolin Five Animal Kung Fu style, with each animal teaching a different way to fight and move.

After Bodhidharma left, the Shaolin monks kept adapting their skills. They used the animals’ movements to make their own. They learned to be strong like a tiger, fast like a leopard, flexible like a snake, balanced like a crane, and wise like a dragon.

As time passed, more and more monks started to become very skilled warriors. They didn’t use their kung fu to hurt people, but to protect their temple and help others. The Shaolin monks became famous all over China for their talents in martial arts!

Hundreds of years later, two great martial artists named Jue Yuan and Bai Yufeng, decided they wanted to make Shaolin Kung Fu even better. They traveled all around China, learning from all sorts of different masters. They brought back new moves and ideas to the Shaolin Temple, helping kung fu to become even stronger! Jue Yuan and Bai Yufeng also studied how the human body moves and how animals fight. They organized Shaolin Kung Fu into different styles, which helped students learn faster and become better fighters.

Later, when some bad people came to China, a lot of the Shaolin monks had to leave their temple to hide. They traveled to Southern China and continued to teach kung fu in secret. One of the most famous warriors from this time was Hung Hei-Gun, a powerful fighter who helped keep Shaolin Five Animals Kung Fu style going! Hung Hei-Gun made Shaolin Kung Fu popular in the south, and his lessons later helped create new kung fu styles like Hung Gar and Wing Chun.

Because of these great teachers—Bodhidharma, the Shaolin monks, Jue Yuan, Bai Yufeng, Hung Hei-Gun and many others, Shaolin Kung Fu is still around today! Now, people all over the world practice and share Kung Fu, keeping the tradition alive!

The post Origins of Shaolin Kung Fu appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/origins-of-shaolin-kung-fu/feed/ 0 Embracing Change https://www.waterlookungfu.com/embracing-change/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=embracing-change https://www.waterlookungfu.com/embracing-change/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 14:08:01 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9191 Change can be exciting, but it can also be a little scary. Progressing in Kung Fu requires stepping out of our comfort zones and facing new challenges.

The post Embracing Change appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> Junior Student’s Corner

by Sifu Charlie Romeo
Fu For You Spring 2025

Change can be exciting, but it can also be a little scary. Progressing in Kung Fu requires stepping out of our comfort zones and facing new challenges. Some changes will be small, like partnering with new people or starting a new form. Other changes will be much more significant. While many people actively avoid change, with the right mindset, it can be one of our greatest teachers. You will face many changes, big and small, throughout your life, and Kung Fu is no exception. Facing difficult changes does not just make you a better student; it can help you grow into a stronger and more resilient version of yourself.

The first change you faced in your Kung Fu journey was right at the beginning, in your first class. Think back to this class and consider how you felt. Chances are that your stances were shaky, your punches were awkward, and your movements were clumsy. Many people would have stopped here, thinking Kung Fu wasn’t for them, but you kept training, practicing, and improving. This is an example of how embracing change leads to growth. Your body was not accustomed to moving the way Kung Fu demands, but over time, you adapted through repetition and dedication. The willingness to face the unfamiliar is how you have come this far in your journey.

One of the largest and most impactful changes you will face in your Kung Fu journey will be transitioning to the Adult program. Now, before you go run and hide from that idea, consider the benefits that can come with such a major step forward. Advancing to the Adult program throws you into the deep end in the most rewarding way. You suddenly begin training with people of all ages, some of whom may once have been your instructors or leadership team members. Think of this as an opportunity to learn and improve, instead of something to fear. As you attend your chosen classes (there are 11 of them!), you will be able to learn a lot from your more experienced classmates as you observe the dedication and discipline they show. At the same time, you may find that less experienced students will look up to you in the same way.

My Kung Fu journey started in Little Ninjas, and I progressed through Youth, then Junior, and finally the Adult program. Each change was intimidating, but crucial to progressing as a martial artist. If you ever feel hesitant to make a change, reach out to an instructor—they have likely been in your position before and can offer guidance and support. As you continue your training, I encourage you to face changes head-on, and embrace the outcomes that follow. Growth happens when you step beyond your comfort zone—so trust the process, challenge yourself, and see where your Kung Fu journey takes you.

The post Embracing Change appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/embracing-change/feed/ 0 Average or Exceptional: It’s Relative https://www.waterlookungfu.com/average-or-exceptional-its-relative/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=average-or-exceptional-its-relative https://www.waterlookungfu.com/average-or-exceptional-its-relative/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 13:08:04 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9193 Be honest with yourself; how do you feel you stack up? If you’re like me, you might place yourself somewhere around average, or even below average, and I will say I don’t find that to be a bad thing!

The post Average or Exceptional: It’s Relative appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> Adult Student’s Corner

by Sifu D’Arcy
Fu For You Spring 2025

Before you continue reading this article, I’d like you to take a moment and think about something for a minute. Using some of those wonderful mental, self-reflective skills I hope you have been developing, I want you to compare yourself to the other students in the school. Think about how your skills and knowledge lineup in comparison: same rank, higher rank, lower rank. Be honest with yourself; how do you feel you stack up? If you’re like me, you might place yourself somewhere around average, or even below average, and I will say I don’t find that to be a bad thing! It shows an understanding that you can always improve, and even provides incentives to do so. So now you might ask why I had you undertake this exercise, one with the intention of pitting your perceived talent and skills versus that of others, something that I normally wouldn’t do. Well, here’s the point: in a room full of martial artists, you may see yourself as average, but what happens when you are in a different room? Are you still average?

According to a Canadian General Social Survey only 1.2% of the Canadian population participates in some form of martial arts. So outside of a room full of martial artists (in our academy, or at a tournament) you are well and truly above average with regards to Martial Arts skills and knowledge. There is a community structure at WKFA which often leads to strong friendships throughout the student body, which extends beyond the walls of the Kwoon. This leads to a bias in your thinking that a larger portion of the population actually practice some form of martial art. The reality? Your training makes you exceptional, from your very first class throughout your training. It’s important to remember that by nature of your training at all, you are in a special part of the population, the top 1.2% of Canadians who train in martial arts. Good for you!

Finally, I have one more thing for you to consider: If you ever feel that you are the best; most skilled; smartest person in the room, you might be in the wrong room. This mentality can only lead to stagnation in the sense that you may feel you have no need to continue growing. Part of growth is always pushing yourself to the next level, which means putting yourself out there. What does this mean at the academy? Attend the higher level classes; experience learning from different instructors; spar the advanced students.

There are two things to take away from this article, and while on the surface they may seem at odds with each other, try to hold onto them. Firstly, you are already exceptional in comparison to the average individual. By training in martial arts you are part of a unique percentage of the population. Secondly, always make sure you never see yourself as the “best person” in the room. It’s a delicate line to walk, but it’s one that will keep you on a healthy path in Kung Fu.

The post Average or Exceptional: It’s Relative appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/average-or-exceptional-its-relative/feed/ 0 Tournament Season https://www.waterlookungfu.com/tournament-season/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tournament-season https://www.waterlookungfu.com/tournament-season/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 12:08:56 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9195 If your child is new to competitions, the Spring Invitational Tournament is a great place to start. Your child would compete against students of similar rank and will know many of them as they are in the same class.

The post Tournament Season appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> Parent’s Corner

by Sije Veronica Sas
Fu For You Spring 2025

Even though winter seems to be never ending this year, spring is just around the corner. With spring comes WKFA’s annual Spring Invitational Tournament or “SIT”. This tournament is held at the Academy and for the last few years, students from Kitchener Kicks have also been invited. Kitchener Kicks is the school where our founder Sigung Bob received his black sash and there is still a close relationship between our schools. If your child is new to competitions, this tournament is a great place to start. Your child would compete against students of similar rank and will know many of them as they are in the same class.

If you’ve never seen competitions at WKFA, you might be afraid that the matches can be overly aggressive, like some of the tournaments shown on tv shows. This is not the case! Sparring in WKFA tournaments is like the “Chop Stick Sparring” that the Youth and Junior classes did before Christmas. This is called “Point Sparring” where the match is stopped after each point is earned and goes to a maximum time or point total, whichever comes first. There is also very limited head contact, and no face contact.

Not all students like to compete, and that’s okay. My daughter competed once and didn’t like it. I’m proud of her for trying and won’t force her to do it again, although I still ask each year. Competitions are not a mandatory part of your child’s Kung Fu training, but if your child has never competed before, there are many reasons to encourage them to try it. They won’t truly know what competitions are like until they’ve competed at least once. One big benefit of tournaments is that it helps build self-confidence and teaches your child how to overcome nerves. It is scary to present a form in front of a panel of black sashes, some of which they might not even know. They might not win a medal, and that’s okay too. Everyone can learn from a loss; it is a natural part of life that we do not get to win every time. Tournaments also teach good sportsmanship. Your child might be happy that their friend won instead, or be inspired when they watch older students congratulating each other after their division.

Your child might decide after their first tournament that they love competing. If so, you might consider signing them up for the Competition Team next year. Sign-ups are usually after Christmas, and normally there are three tournaments they compete in. In addition to the WKFA tournament, members can also compete at Kitchener Kicks Karate Maynia and the CKKA tournament. These last two tournaments are bigger and have both Kung Fu and Karate students competing. If your child is interested in tournaments, I recommend taking them to Karate Maynia to watch. It is on May 3, 2025, at the Aud and they can go cheer on our Academy students that are competing!

Get more details and register for the WKFA Spring Invitational Tournament >

The post Tournament Season appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/tournament-season/feed/ 0 A Lie Discovered https://www.waterlookungfu.com/a-lie-discovered/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-lie-discovered https://www.waterlookungfu.com/a-lie-discovered/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 11:08:05 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9208 "A single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed."
~ generally attributed to Bram Stoker

The post A Lie Discovered appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]>

A Lie Discovered

“A single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed.”

~ generally attributed to Bram Stoker

The post A Lie Discovered appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/a-lie-discovered/feed/ 0 WKFA Pushes the 2025 Push-Up Challenge! https://www.waterlookungfu.com/wkfa-pushes-the-2025-push-up-challenge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wkfa-pushes-the-2025-push-up-challenge https://www.waterlookungfu.com/wkfa-pushes-the-2025-push-up-challenge/#respond Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:08:18 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9288 WKFA exceeds our goal of 100,000 push-ups in 28 days!

The post WKFA Pushes the 2025 Push-Up Challenge! appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]>

WKFA Pushes the 2025 Push-Up Challenge!

*2025*
107,241 Push-Ups in 28 Days

Daily Warriors

Alex W

Dave W

Dawn

Lawrentina

Lily W

Zia

Sifu Cory

Sifu D'Arcy

Sifu Greg

Sifu Erich

Sije Sarah

Sifu Erich

10,065

Alex W

6,600

Lily W

5,739

Record Holders

Record Days - # Push-Ups

Sifu Erich - 11 - 506

Sifu Neel - 4 - 300

Sihing Shoja - 3 - 640

Alex W - 3 - 550

Lily W - 2 - 250

Owen - 2 - 1,000

Sifu D’Arcy 550

Shaan 330

Zia 300

Kyle F 256

The Push-Up Challenge

Find out more about The Push-Up Challenge, with the option to fundraise, and push yourself to join our team!

The post WKFA Pushes the 2025 Push-Up Challenge! appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/wkfa-pushes-the-2025-push-up-challenge/feed/ 0 Your 2024 Academy Award Winners! https://www.waterlookungfu.com/your-2024-academy-award-winners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=your-2024-academy-award-winners https://www.waterlookungfu.com/your-2024-academy-award-winners/#respond Sun, 19 Jan 2025 02:00:09 +0000 https://www.waterlookungfu.com/?p=9004 We were honoured to present our annual awards on January 18, 2025. Please congratulate our award recipients!

The post Your 2024 Academy Award Winners! appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]>

Your 2024 Academy Award Winners!

Our 2024 Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy Award Winners

Congratulations to all who received awards! Our 2024 academy awards were announced at our 2025 Family Awards Party.

See the Award Winner Photo Gallery below!

MOST IMPROVED ADULT NOVICE STUDENT
James

MOST DEDICATED ADULT STUDENT
Zia

MOST IMPROVED ADULT STUDENT
Tysen

ADULT STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Richard

BLACK SASH INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
Sifu D’Arcy

SIGUNG BOB SCHNEIDER MEMORIAL AWARD
David W.

MOST IMPROVED YOUTH NOVICE STUDENT
Hannah

MOST DEDICATED YOUTH STUDENT
Grace

MOST IMPROVED YOUTH STUDENT
Lakshin

YOUTH STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Jack

LITTLE NINJA WARRIOR SPIRIT AWARD
Sophie

MOST IMPROVED JUNIOR NOVICE STUDENT
Jasper

MOST DEDICATED JUNIOR STUDENT
Carter

MOST IMPROVED JUNIOR STUDENT
Qian Qian

JUNIOR STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Aarabhi

JUNIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Leo

Gifts presented to Sigung from the students!

“Thank you for the fridge—I love the colour! Also the gift card to King Street Cycles!” ~ Sigung Dave

Our Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy Award Categories

Every year the academy gives out awards in the following categories for Adult, Junior, Youth and Little Ninja students:

Student of the Year: this award is presented to the student who best reflects the spirit of Kung Fu. This student is a true role model dedicated to furthering the art of Kung Fu through both training habits and attitude towards the art and fellow students.

Most Improved Student: This award is presented to the student who has shown the most significant improvement in their Kung Fu abilities over the past 12 months.

Most Dedicated Student: This award is presented to the student who gives that little extra to help the school, as well as their fellow students, throughout the year.

Most Improved Novice Student: This is the student who has shown the most significant improvement during their first few months of training.

Sigung Bob Schneider Memorial Award: This award is presented to the outstanding leadership team member. Sigung was always passionate about grooming future leaders.

Black Sash Instructor of the Year: This award is not necessarily awarded on an annual basis; only when it becomes apparent that one instructor, for a variety of reasons, raises a notch above the rest.

The post Your 2024 Academy Award Winners! appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

]]> https://www.waterlookungfu.com/your-2024-academy-award-winners/feed/ 0