Sifu Greg Weir

Junior Student’s Corner

In my last newsletter article I wrote about the differences between Tree Learners and Forest Learners (essentially, people who like to learn one move at a time versus those who prefer to learn an entire Form and then go back and work the moves over and over). If you didn’t get a chance to read that article, check out the last newsletter.

Interestingly, when I was researching that article, I also discovered some other categories of Learners. Namely, Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic.

• An Auditory Learner is someone who learns by listening. They like to have things explained to them step-by-step.
• Visual Learners, as you might have guessed, learn best by watching. They need to see a move demonstrated.
• Kinesthetic Leaners learn best by actually doing the moves themselves.

It’s important to note that (as with Tree and Forest Learners) there’s no right way to go about things. It’s just a matter of how your brain functions best. It’s also true that virtually no one is purely one type of learner. We may favour a particular method, but we definitely benefit from all three.

How do you know which one you are? Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive answer to that question—but there are some characteristics you can look for. For example, when an Auditory Learner goes to do a new move they may actually hear the instructions the Sifu or Leadership Team Member gave replaying in their head. Auditory Learners are prone to talking to themselves or humming when they’re bored—because their brains are so stimulated by sound.

On the other hand, a Visual Learner in the same situation (that is, attempting a new move for the first time) will try to picture the instructor’s demonstration of the move—literally trying to replay it, like a movie, in their mind. Visual Leaners are known to close their eyes and conjure up images when they’re bored.

Lastly Kinesthetic Learners are always eager to try new moves themselves. Hopefully in class they’re respectful enough to listen to instructions and to watch demonstrations of a new move, but in their head they’re itching to try it themselves. Kinesthetic Learners (sometimes referred to as Tactile Learners) tend to fidget and want to touch things when their brains aren’t being stimulated.

I’m sure you recognize that when your Instructors are teaching something new, we try to appeal to all three types. Usually we’ll explain a move, then demonstrate it, and finally give you a chance to try it on your own.

How might this information help you in your Kung Fu training? Ideally recognizing which type (or types) of learning you favour will help you focus. Or, even better, knowing which one is your weakest will encourage you to sharpen that one so you can fully utilize all three—and hopefully make yourself a better martial artist as a result!

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By Sifu Lloyd Fridenburg

Editorial

Spring grading season is once again growing to a close as summer reaches out to embrace us in the warmth and relaxation of vacation season.

Although summer is a time of relaxation the Academy doesn’t—except for one week—take a vacation, and neither should your Kung Fu training. It’s easier to maintain your Kung Fu skills and conditioning through the summer than it is to take a complete break for the summer and then try to regain it in the fall. For those students, particularly children, who do take the summer off we wish you a safe and enjoyable vacation. However, it is generally not realistic, unless you can prove to us that you have maintained your skills over the summer, to plan on grading in the fall. But don’t despair! The next grading is always just around the corner.

It’s easy to let your Kung Fu training slip during the summer; sometimes it’s hard not to become complacent. Here are a few tips to help your summer training:

Tips to Help Your Summer Training:

1. If you are planning a fall grading what better way to prepare than to train during the heat of the summer. You’ll have much more energy on a cool autumn day if you get used to training in the heat.
2. If you do not keep up your training during the summer, it is not realistic to plan to grade in the fall. “Cramming” the absolute worse way to start your grading preparation. It is your responsibility to know what the various cutoff dates are for your rank, and to plan accordingly. As instructors it is our job to teach; as students it is your job to learn! Everything on our curriculum is taught on a regular basis, but instructors have no idea what you personally have learned and what you have not. Know your requirements and make sure that you have learned everything in plenty of time
3. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water before and during your summer training. This will help prevent dehydration. Be sure to hydrate well before your Kung Fu classes so you remain hydrated for the full duration of your class if necessary.
4. Summer is a great time to work on details. Your Kung Fu will improve drastically if you take time to hone the details when you’re not under pressure. Training for a fall grading will be much easier and less stressful if you have taken the time to truly learn all aspects of your techniques, forms, SD, and sequences.
5. Even if you can’t come to class on a regular basis, you can still practice on your own. Except for sparring, there is nothing that we teach that cannot be practiced anywhere. Set aside a half-hour or hour and give yourself a thorough workout. Even a couple of times a week will give you a tremendous advantage when you return to class.
6. Those wishing one-on-one instruction are invited to inquire about private or semi-private classes. This is an effective way to focus on specific details, one-on-one with a WKFA instructor.

Remember that when it comes to learning new moves in forms or sequences you must ask the instructor in charge of the class if you are ready. Never hesitate to ask to learn more if you think you are ready.

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

Sifu’s Corner

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the eight successful students that tested on May 12^th in our annual Advanced Grading. Our Academy has three new Sihings (D’Arcy, Erich and Laurent), two new Sijes (Carey and Chloe) and three new Sifus (Antonia, Harry and Sneha). They put in a tremendous performance on the 12^th, which was clearly the result of diligent and methodical preparation. Each of them proved they are deserving of their new ranks (and titles!). I hope the student body is as excited as I am to see these individuals assisting with and leading classes in their new roles!

This lovely weather as of late makes it more believable that summer is on the way! We do close for all long weekends and for one week in July (this year is July 23 – 29^th). However, our Academy continues to hold regular classes throughout the summer and we even add a few extra opportunities. The summer is an excellent time to build strength, skill and flexibility. Set a plan for balancing relaxation with good training habits.

We’ve had an overwhelming response for our annual Board & Cement Breaking Seminar on June 19^th. Spectators are welcome.

Last year, our Summer Camps were very popular. We have sign-up sheets up in the lobby. The half day camp for 4-10 year olds is from July 16 – 20. Non-training students are welcome to attend this camp. Our camp for 11-15 year olds is from Aug 20 – 24.

Our Lion Dance Team will be practicing and performing throughout the summer, including several weddings. Our Demonstration Team will be at the Health and Wellness Expo in Waterloo on June 16^th and we are supporting Hold the Line Cycling and Folk Music Festival on September 8^th.

Mark your calendars for our annual Summer Picnic the afternoon of Saturday, August 25^th at Waterloo Park. There has been some discussion of planning an Academy baseball game. Last year was a blast, so let’s hope for some more great weather! Keep watching our website and online calendar for any special events.

I wish the best to everyone trying for a new rank at our final gradings until the Fall. Youth/Juniors are grading at 10:30am and 1:30pm (depending on rank) on June 9^th. We will also have an Adult Novice II/Intermediate Grading on June 16^th at 12:30pm. I hope that the new Advanced students inspire you to prepare accordingly! Summer on!

WKFA’s Founder, Sigung Bob Schneider
(1951-2006).

As we approach the summer solstice we always take a moment to remember our founder, teacher, mentor, and friend Sigung Bob Schneider.

The post What’s Happening this Summer 2018 appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Anne Vandrus

Youth Student’s Corner

At the front of the kwoon just above the mirrors, there are four plaques on the wall called the “Focus Points” that we sometimes refer to in class. These are four important things you should focus on when you train, with some guiding questions that you can ask yourself. Next time you’re in class, I urge you to try thinking about these Focus Points and use them to challenge yourself to reach a new personal best.

Focus Point #1 – Rate yourself on a scale from 1-10.

Is this the very best I can do?

You are always expected to bring your personal best to every class, so you should always be striving to show your level 10 self. Can you go lower in your stance? Can you kiai a little louder? Can you respond to instructions a little faster? Keep asking yourself if the effort you’re bringing right now is the very best that you can do. If you’re at a 5, what do you need to do differently to bring yourself up to that 10?

Focus Point #2 – The concept of healthy competition.

Is there anyone in class trying harder than I am?

Healthy competition is not about comparing your skill level to that of others, but rather comparing how much effort you are putting in relative to your classmates. If you see someone in class who is really trying their best and you’re not, push yourself to try as hard as them. If you keep challenging those you train with to work the hardest, then everyone wins because you help each other improve.

Focus Point #3 – Train as if it were real.

Where am I, what am I doing, and is it real?

How you practice is how you perform, so you should always train your Kung Fu imagining that you are using it in a real situation. When you practice your punches, check your fist formation, and snap the strikes out with spirit. When you block, think about what you might be blocking against and react with intensity. Our brains like to wander, but you need to keep bringing those thoughts back to where you are right now, what you need to be doing in this moment, and if you are doing it like you mean it.

Focus Point #4 – Coach yourself.

Am I learning anything? Am I getting any better?

If you really want to improve your Kung Fu, you don’t need to wait for someone else to correct you or tell you to push yourself; you can be your own coach. If you’re holding a horse stance, go through your mental checklist of everything you need to be focusing on: hands pulled back, knees bent, back straight, eyes forward, etc. Even when you’re not being taught something new, you can still learn something from everything you do if you try. Improving your Kung Fu is much easier when you are fully engaged in your own training, and you can cheer yourself on!

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By Sifu Rebecca Knapp

Adult Student’s Corner

We live in a world of instant gratification. There was a time not long ago when we had to wait for just about everything. Dinner wasn’t instantly there. (no drive-through, delivery, or microwave). Information wasn’t at the tip of a button—answers took time—and sometimes many different sources—to find. When you shopped, you actually had to go to a store! Can you imagine?? J People had to wait for things; and wait they did.

Patience isn’t just about waiting though. It’s about fully experiencing the moment, staying completely present, and not focusing precious energy on what you want, or are striving for, but what you have RIGHT NOW. It’s about letting go, and recognizing that there’s no need to rush, no need to let your needs or desires consume your thoughts and energy, and that the beauty of everything is in the journey, not the destination. This last point in particular resonates for me in terms of my training in Kung Fu.

I get it—it’s easy to get focused on the goal. We have a ranking system that outlines requirements we need to meet, and we test for each level. As well, we have a large proportion of “competitive personalities”, shall we say. People often try to push through forms quickly in order to make the grading list. While having goals is important, you can easily forget that the quality of the achievement is only as good as the quality of the path there.

If you are rushing, if you are impatient, or not fully present in the moment, you also run the risk of missing valuable information.

You gain a lot more ground in your training when you stay in the now instead of focusing on what’s ahead. You give more energy to the present moment when you are not thinking about the next move or the last, but only the one you are doing at that point in time. You may find that if you train patiently, and don’t impose deadlines on when you will have “mastered” something, and instead just focus on learning, then it will come to you faster, more precisely, and with greater appreciation because you were 100% present to enjoy the process of getting there.

Ultimately, being patient in the martial arts is about calm endurance—it’s about giving yourself time to actively work towards a goal without setting a limit on how long you will work at it. The time limit itself restricts your progress and your productivity because the weight of it takes away energy and focus that could be given to the thing you are trying to accomplish in the first place. Learn to focus on the process of learning/doing the thing, not the completion of it. When you actually accomplish what you set out to do, it will be more gratifying because you were fully and completely THERE on every moment it took you to make your destination.

The post Patience Takes You Far: Why We Need Patience in Kung Fu appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Adam Volpe

Parent’s Column

Here at the WKFA, we aren’t a “tournament school”. Yes, we have competition classes and we have our annual Shiai, but aside from that we (for various reasons) only support a couple of external tournaments each year. However, I do feel there are many benefits derived from preparing for, and competing in, tournaments. Things like building friendships, improving technique, performing in front of others, etc. all help to improve a child’s overall Kung Fu skills. But don’t forget that, at the most fundamental level, a tournament is a competition; some win and some lose!

Competitions vs Demonstrations – A tournament is a competition – not simply a performance or demonstration and there’s a difference. What makes someone a great performer doesn’t necessarily make them a great competitor. The nature of competition means that your child is being judged alongside others.

Forms – Striving to do well when competing in forms requires significantly more focus and energy when executing strikes or blocks. It is demonstrated in your child’s expression and their eye movements. It’s also the martial intent when your child walks up to the ring and judges, presenting themselves and their bow. It all adds up, doing well means standing out and being memorable – and yes, that sometimes means the crispest stances, or the most effective kiais in a form, not just remembering the moves.

WKFA students are very skilled and can compete with the best to win at these tournaments, but it is up to the student to put the effort in.

Competitive Point Sparring – Point sparring is different from how we spar in most classes; and doesn’t always translate to success in competitions. This is why competition classes focus specifically on the differences, and what is required to be successful in a tournament environment.

Contact is something we get asked about a lot. It’s important to know that 99.9% of the incidents of contact in tournament sparring is accidental. If a student gets hurt during a match, it’s important to first assess if they are ‘injured’ or ‘hurt’ – there is a difference. If a child is accidentally hurt, it typically means that they were either caught off guard or the contact was more than they are accustomed to, but overall the pain is short term and we strongly encourage both students and parents to use these situations as opportunities to build resilience. Help them understand that what they’re feeling is temporary and give them the confidence and support to compose themselves and continue the competition.

Should they be more aware of their blocking? Are they charging into attack without being aware of their competitor’s movements? Is their stance, footwork and movement effective? As the kids get older, how can they condition themselves to absorb a strike to their abs?

Although there will be ups and downs in any competition, at the end of the day, your child needs to have fun. If your child is not having fun and learning something while competing, then I would consider looking at what’s preventing your child from enjoying the experience and looking to see how that can be addressed. Feel free to speak to your friendly neighbourhood Sifu 🙂

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