Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg

Editorial

It was certainly an honour when me and Sifu Eric were presented with the title of Sibok at the Int/Adv adult grading last month. It’s been a long journey; 30 years since we began training at WKFA, and 24 years since our Black Sash grading. Here is a blast from the past for everyone. The most pogniant takeaway from this article is that it could apply to anyone, past or present, that has tested for an advanced rank at WKFA.

“Sunday April 23 (1995), a day 8 of us will never forget, was as much a tribute to Sifu Bob Schneider as it was to the dedication and commitment of those who participated in the first Brown/Black sash grading in the history of our school. I say it was a tribute to Sifu Bob because it is not only a rarity in martial arts circles to have this many individuals grading for these high ranks at one time, but it is almost unheard of in a school that is only 7 1/2 years old.” (Having 8 individuals test for Brown or Black in the same grading is now common at WKFA; but still very rare in martial arts circles.)

“Well we made it! The months of training, the time commitments, the injuries, the mental preparation are all just a memory now. I’m sure there is not one person who was in the grading that didn’t wonder from time-to-time, “Why am I doing this?” Well just look down at your waist the next time you tie on your new sash and I’m sure that the answer will be right there. Words cannot express what each person had to contribute on a personal level to achieve their rank. These are thoughts that each will keep to him or herself. But the grading that many of you witnessed was merely the climax of literally months of hard training.”

From left to right: Sibok Gee, Sifu Ti, Sifu Robin, Sifu Lloyd, Sigung Bob, Sifu Michele, Master Ron Day, Sifu Eric, Sifu Scott Weiler, Sifu Beverly, Sifu Yara

GRADING RESULTS:

BLACK SASH        SIFU ERIC KRAUSHAAR        (now Sibok)

BLACK SASH        SIFU LLOYD FRIDENBURG        (now Sibok)

BLACK SASH        SIFU MICHELE JACOBS        (no longer training)

BROWN SASH        SIJE AMY JACOBS        (no longer training)

BROWN SASH        SIHING SCOTT HANS ZAWANIGA        (attained Black)

BROWN SASH        SIJE MARIE TEDESCO        (no longer training)

BROWN SASH        SIHING STEVE TEDESCO        (no longer training)

BROWN SASH        SIHING KEN NAYLOR        (attained Black)

I’m sure the entire school congratulates these individuals. With their continued hard work and dedication WKFA. will continue to grow as one of the best Kung Fu schools anywhere.”

Four individuals in the 1995 grading left within a short time after the grading. Sifu Scott Hans continued to train for about 10 years, and Sifu Ken Naylor for about 15 years. Sibok Gee and Sifu Robin (shown in the Black Sash photo) are still very involved with WKFA. Sifu Yara is still one of the most active instructors at Kitchener Kicks.

To all the new Sifus, Sihings, and Sije; well done! As you can see, we have all been there. We relate to your highs and lows, and always treasure your accomplishments. I have no doubt that you will all become future WKFA leaders and continue to share your knowledge and expertise with future generations of WKFA students.

The post Blast From the Past appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sigung David Moylan, Owner, Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy

Sigung’s Corner

On May 11^th, Charlie, Max, Michael and Philip became Sifus. These gentlemen put in a very solid effort during their grading, which was clearly the result of diligent time and effort preparing. The Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy’s path to the Instructor level is relatively long and arduous, but I believe our process develops strong martial artists that demonstrate equally strong character. We also welcomed four new Browns: Sije Renée and Sihings Addy, Bala and Christophe (ABC 😊) and three new Blues: Emilie, Joseph and Laura. Congratulations to everyone!

The same day, we introduced a new title to our Academy: Sibok. This was given to Sifus Eric and Lloyd, who earned their Black Sashes on April 23, 1995. They were trusted advisors to my teacher and have mentored me through my own Kung Fu journey. Their positive impact on the culture and curriculum of our Academy cannot be overstated; a lifetime of consistent dedication to the art makes the title of Sibok most appropriate.

After many months of planning and hard work, the CKKA Weekend has come and gone. Follow this link for a great recap and photos! With WKFA being the host school this year, I would like to pass on a huge thanks to the many volunteers that stepped up to make it run so successfully. Much gratitude to Lee Deline; he put his heart and soul into being the driving force behind the event and was a positive and effective team player every step of the way!

Thank you Sifus Adam, Cory, Greg, Lorna and Mark who once again guided our Competition Team through another great season with skill and enthusiasm! Our competitors put in great showings at the CKKA event, Karate Maynia and our 22^nd Annual In-House Shiai (huge thanks to all the volunteers that made the Shiai a resounding success!).

Congratulations to the 44 students that achieved new ranks at our double grading on May 25^th! Although we run classes through July and August, there are no gradings, so the next one is Sept.14. The final grading before the summer is our Adult Novice II’s on June 15^th.

Thank you Sifu Lorna who conducted the Phoenix Song Fan Seminar on May 26^th. This was quickest I remember any seminar filling up! Due to the popularity, we added a second date on June 23^rd. Participants loved the experience and sign-up for the next one is filling up fast!

Speaking of seminars, Sifus Daryl and Jeremy will be leading our always popular Annual Board and Cement Breaking Seminar on June 18^th. Sifu Anne is also conducting some special classes on June 9^th and 23^rd for our 11-17 age group (see our web calendar plus posters for more detail).

Parents, this summer, consider enrolling your children in one of our camps. Our Little Ninja/Youth Camp is July 15 -19 and the Juniors are Aug 19-23. Signup sheets are in the lobby.

Later in the summer, we will be once again supporting the Hold the Line festival and holding our annual family Summer Picnic on Sept.8 at Kiwanis Park.

The post Spring 2019 in Review appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Cristina Prudencio-Brunello

Youth Student’s Corner

With this month’s theme of Perseverance, we are focusing on not giving up and working hard to reach our goals. While this is a great way to stay motivated, we first must decide what our goals are and how we plan to achieve them. This practice is called goal setting, and it can be a challenging task to take on, especially if our goals seem huge and overwhelming…. So, I thought I would cook up a fun way to help us plan our goals—using PIZZA (because who doesn’t like pizza?).

First, we have to set a goal. This could be any number of things, big or small, such as learning to read, playing an instrument, or earning your Black Sash. We can represent these goals as the whole pizza, toppings and all.

But it would be crazy to think that we could eat an entire pizza in one bite – that’s way too much to take on in one sitting! We have to remember not to bite off more than we can chew, or else the task may seem impossible, making it more difficult to stay motivated.

So, we cut the pizza in to more manageable parts—slices! Slices help you break your goal down into smaller, short term goals, such as each grade of school, each level of an instrument, or each rank in Kung Fu. Still, eating an entire slice in one bite can still be challenging.

So, we take bites out of our pizza slice. Think of the bites as all the little steps and requirements to reaching your short-term goals, like learning the forms and kicking sequences for your rank (and learning them well!). This makes finishing the slice easier. Then onto the next slice, then the next, taking little chunks as you go, and before you know it, the whole pizza is eaten!

Setting goals is a great way to help you achieve success in all aspects of your life, and it will prepare you for the challenges you’ll take on as you get older. Just like everything else we teach in Kung Fu, goal setting requires practice and patience, and once you set your mind to it, you can do it.

Happy snacking!

The post Goal Setting: Reaching Success, One Bite at a Time appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Jeremy Norris

Junior Student’s Corner

There are many benefits to having such a large student capacity within our academy. One of many is that we are always challenged to push each other and ourselves to our personal best. This concept is what we call healthy competition.

We often bring this topic into discussion when talking about our 4 focus points. This concept in particular is what pushes our Kung Fu to better and greater altitudes. When in a stance, doing a technique, or standing at attention in class always be looking to the people around you. Then ask yourself: “is anyone else trying harder than me?”. If this is so then try harder! It is often this mental push that allows your body to go harder.

With the large class sizes, it isn’t always about trying harder than one another it is also about seeing how certain people complete certain tasks. Many times, if you’re having trouble with a technique someone else in the class is too. Although always best to ask an instructor…try to figure it out yourself. Take in the people around you and learn from their success and mistakes. It is in these large classes where it can sometimes be hard to ask for help. You may feel embarrassed that other people are getting it, and you’re not, but trust me this is normal. It is your responsibility to ask when confused or having difficulty. Remember don’t be scared and use the tools of our community to help your journey.

As we break down our Kung Fu journey, we tend to call it our own ‘personal journey’. In many ways yes you control how you move through the ranks, and the pace you do so. Although it is within our personal journey that we must push ourselves. It is in this mentality where it is easy to get caught up in only yourself when training but taking the time to notice others can have a huge impact on your own development. Doing this may mean coming out and watching gradings, demos and performances. Seeing others display the art may help you understand it better. This may also mean participating in seminars or going to classes with a variety of instructors. It is within our wide variety of instructors that make it a huge gain to participate in seminars. Being in the junior program Sifu Anne holds many seminars/teen classes. By going to these it will further develop your own Kung Fu. Within our Kung Fu community there are many tools at your disposal, and it is up to you to use them and participate to grow your personal journey.

Identifying these tools within our community is easy, it is acting on them that becomes the challenge. Remember that our community at Waterloo Kung Fu Academy is strong, and not all schools are blessed with the numbers that we have. Take in this factor and use it to reach your full potential. What it means to be a martial artist. This is what defines us, and what will continue to define us through our journey.

Accomplished Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy Students

The post Learning by Taking in our Kung Fu Community appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Guest Contributor Sifu Lorna Hayward

Adult Student’s Corner

Confident humility? Is there such a thing? The answer is yes! In martial arts, we strive to be humble, but many of us fall on the extreme of this, into self-deprecation. These are two very different things. By the same token, excess confidence slides into arrogance. Where is the balance in this, and how do we achieve it?

This is a very difficult balancing act. Confidence is seeing an obstacle and knowing that you can handle it. Arrogance is about intent: it is when an ability, or a perceived ability, is used to look down on others. Confidence is quieter. Confidence allows you to rely on your abilities with the knowledge that you can cope and can master whatever is in front of you. Confidence is one thing we strive for daily in our martial arts journey, but we definitely do not want to slide too far into arrogance.

I often hear people demeaning themselves and their abilities, and I wonder if that is a perceived humility. Humility and self-deprecation are not the same thing. Humility, like confidence, is the quiet understanding that there are others who are more talented, more capable, more…whatever… than you are, but it does not mean that you don’t value your own skills and abilities. Telling other people about how you’re not good at things is not actually being humble. It breaks down your own confidence in yourself. The more we tell ourselves how much we CAN’T do, the more we believe that we can’t.

If someone gives us a compliment, often our first reaction is to tell that person why they are wrong to have given you a compliment. That is not humility. You can humbly accept the gift of a compliment or praise without being arrogant. Truly accepting praise without letting it go to your head, but still letting it build your confidence in your own abilities is the tightrope wire that we have to walk. It is not an easy thing for most people to do. But we can learn.

What, then, is confident humility? How can we stay humble and at the same time remain confident in who we are and what we have to offer the world?

Humility involves having an accurate view of ourselves. We allow others to give open, honest feedback, and accept that feedback to help in our growth. Yes, that even means accepting praise and compliments. Being humble allows us to learn more about ourselves so we can continue to improve, but it also enables confidence.

Truly humble people, are actually very confident people. They know their worth and are thankful for their blessings, without having to belittle themselves to prove to anyone else how humble they are. When we are confidently humble, we are sure of our own abilities AND acknowledge our opportunities for continued growth. The confidence we strive for is knowing that one day, with the hard work we know we can do, we will achieve more than we are today.

Remember that being humble does not mean that you point out to everyone your shortcomings. That is low self-esteem. Being confident in what you know and what you can do, with an eye on what you are working on, is where confident humility comes in.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less” ~ C.S. Lewis

The post Confident Humility appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg

Parent’s Corner

Children Missing Summer Classes

Kung Fu training is a year-round activity. WKFA only closes for a week in the middle of the summer and a week at Christmas. Aside from that classes run according to our regular schedule. Ongoing training is essential to the success, and advancement of your children. It also instills a sense of commitment and accomplishment.

We know that some students have the good fortune of spending the summer at the cottage, camp, or some simply take a break from their Kung Fu training. If that applies to you, have a great summer, but it is unrealistic to expect that children will be allowed to grade in the fall if they have missed a big chunk of their Kung Fu training over the summer.

Academy Rules

Many of the school rules not only apply to WKFA students but to visitors and parents/guardians as well. Some of these have been discussed recently, but we are still concerned about a few recurring issues.

Please do not stand at the railing at the top of the stairs. There is new a monitor in the waiting room upstairs. Please observe classes from inside the waiting room to keep the top of the stairway safe and clear and the class free from any distractions. We strive to maintain a safe environment for everyone, but if you get banged by equipment bags or weapons please don’t blame the students or instructors…you should not be standing, or even worse, sitting there.

If it’s Grey; Stay Away. shoes are only allowed on the carpeted area of the lobby. If you need to venture onto the grey flooring, please be sure that you have removed your shoes. We train in bare feet and these areas need to be kept clean for the safety of students moving between the change rooms and training areas. Only students are permitted on, or beyond, the laminate flooring under the archway…except during gradings or special occasions.

Please treat the waiting room with respect. Leave it clean and tidy, and please pick up after your children.

Uniforms must be kept clean, fit properly, and in good repair. If you need to buy larger clothes for your child, they likely need a new WKFA uniform as well. This also applies to sparring gear. Sparring gear that is too small is dangerous for both your child and other children. If sparring equipment is deemed to be too small, it is the prerogative of instructors to prohibit a student from sparring until they get new gear that fits properly.

Smart devices are to be silenced when inside the academy. If you need to take a call, please do so outside.

Thanks for your cooperation. If you have concerns about any of these policies, please feel free to speak with Sigung anytime.

The post Reviewing the Rules appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The post Speaking Out appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.