The post WKFA 2017 Award Winners appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

By Sifu Lloyd Fridenburg

Editorial

I was honoured, humbled, and very surprised to receive the Instructor of the Year Award for 2017. This honour becomes more difficult to achieve with each passing year, because each year the number of exceptional instructors at WKFA continues to grow. When I got my Black Sash we only had 3 instructors in the school. That number grew to 6 when Sifu Eric, Sifu Michelle, and I graded in 1995. We now have about 30 active instructors.

You will often hear us refer to “active” instructors, but don’t assume that that is common in martial arts circles. Many schools boast a large number of instructors, but the majority of those instructors don’t teach or train on a regular basis, if at all. If we were to include everyone that has attained their black sash at WKFA the number would increase by about 50%. It is quite common to see martial artists simply stop learning and training after they have attained, what they consider to be, the ultimate martial arts prize…the black sash (belt).

Sigung Bob Schneider and Sifu Dave have managed to instill a sense of pride and loyalty within the ranks of WKFA instructors. Our instructors have a hunger to learn and improve. We all realized very early in the game that attaining a black sash was not the pinnacle of a Kung Fu journey, it’s merely the end of your basic training. The real learning begins afterwards.

We offer a large number of classes each week, in fact adults can attend up to 12 classes per week. All those classes are taught by a black sash instructor. Again, this is not normal, especially for children’s programs, where we often have multiple instructors on the floor. Most schools use low ranking adults, or even kids not much older than the ones they are working with, to teach these classes. That is one of the reasons that I can say with full confidence that we have the best children’s programs that you will find anywhere.

Our instructors do not have an elitist attitude and you will regularly see many instructors training right alongside all other students in mixed or advanced classes. I tip my hat to all our dedicated instructors that have chosen to make Kung Fu a way of life and work hard to pass that dedication on to the next generation of WKFA instructors. Never take what we have at WKFA for granted. We have set the bar high and will work hard to keep it there.

The post Expressing Gratitude for our Exceptional Instructors appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

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

Sifu’s Corner

I am writing this quarter’s article on the heels of an inspiring 30^th anniversary celebration held at Golf’s on November 12^th. Almost 200 people were in attendance to help celebrate the Academy’s big milestone that opened with a dynamic performance by our Lion Dance Team!

Congratulations to Sifus Benny, Isabelle, Jeremy, Cristina and Adam who were presented 1st Degree Black Sash. Immediately following, in a tribute to the late Grand Master Pan, the Black Sashes performed two of the forms he passed on to us. The greatest strength of our Academy is our diverse team of instructors. With over 30 of us actively teaching and training, we are extraordinarily fortunate. Amongst us, we have an average of over 16 years experience at this Academy. Please don’t ever take for granted what it means to have this many quality black sashes passionately giving their time to pass this art on to you. I am very grateful to have the support of such a fine team of individuals, each bringing a unique talent to the Academy.

The celebration included shows by our Demonstration and Performance Teams. Sifus Lorna, Anne and Sarah have put so much heart and soul into making them what they are. They extended the Demonstration Team season for this event and it was a very good thing!

We presented awards for all four of our age programs, plus Fitness with a Purpose. Congratulations to all the winners, including Sifu Lloyd, who was presented Instructor of the Year! In addition to running his own program, teaching classes consistently, and assisting with countless gradings, Sifu Lloyd has been cracking the whip as the Academy newsletter editor for longer than I can remember—at least 26 years. I feel that this newsletter communicates invaluable martial arts and life lessons. It has an archival value—containing much of the happenings over the past 30 years. Fu for You serves an important purpose and without him, I don’t think the newsletter would exist!

I cannot express my gratitude enough to everyone for making this such an enjoyable place to spend my time and invest my energy. The Academy is filled with inspiring leaders bound by a mutual love for kung-fu and everything that comes with that word. Hard work. Discipline. Serious fun. Loyalty. Spirit. Relationships here are built on respect. This is a community I am proud and fortunate to have my children grow up within. I am eternally grateful to Sifu Bob Schneider and the vision he had back in 1987. I don’t know if at that time whether he could have fathomed the positive life impact this Academy has had on so many, for so long.

As we step confidently into the next 30 years, I can’t help but finish by quoting Canada’s poet laureate, the late Gord Downie:

The post Celebrating 30 Years of Kung-Fu appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Anne Vandrus

Youth Student’s Corner

Instead of a regular article, this time I have a puzzle for you! Write the answers to the following questions into the appropriate boxes to complete the crossword. These are all good things to know as a Youth student at WKFA, so if you don’t know all the answers, make sure you ask! I’ve started you off with an example question and answer. Good luck!

Example: #6 (across) – How many weeks before your grading do you need to have your stripes and be on the list by? (Answer: TWO)

1. What do you need to do a lot, if you want to get better at your Kung Fu?
2. The Waterloo Kung Fu Academy is ________ years old! We just celebrated our anniversary in November 2017.
3. The four basic blocks we learn at red belt are: high block, inside middle block, cross body block, and _________ block.
4. What do you need to remember to bring to every class and know how to tie yourself?
5. The title “Sifu” means __________.
6. (down) Which of the five animals teaches us strength?
7. The first stripe you earn on your belt is your forms stripe. The second stripe is your _________ stripe.
8. The three bows we do at the start of every class are to our Kung Fu ancestors, to _________, and to each other.
9. The Single Step is the first _________ that you learn.

The post Kung Fu Crossword Puzzle appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Greg Weir

Junior Student’s Corner

You’ve no doubt noticed that at the WKFA we observe a number of different protocols and etiquette. Things like bowing as we enter the kwoon, bowing to one another when we spar, addressing our instructors by their proper titles, etc. All these displays of respect have their purposes—and may be more important than you think.

Bowing on our way into the kwoon, for example, shows that we revere the space we’re about to enter and the Kung Fu we train. It also shows self-discipline, in that we never just hurry in or out of the room. Always taking the time to do the things you’re supposed to is a good lesson for life in general.

Similarly, bowing to our opponents prior to a round of sparring and our partners before, say, holding kick shields for them shows that we respect that person and don’t wish them harm. That’s an important message because a lot of what we do involves striking one another. You don’t want to get hurt, nor does your opponent/partner. Bowing to them lets them know you’re on the same page.

Perhaps the most conspicuous form of respect we engage in is how we address our instructors. Calling people Sifu, Sije and Sihing shows that you respect the fact they’re your elder when it comes to Kung Fu. For me, this one can prove a bit challenging right after an Advanced grading. When someone you’ve been calling by a certain name for years suddenly deserves the honorific Sije or Sihing, it can be hard to get used to. And I bet all of us have referred to a freshly-minted Sifu as Sihing or Sije at one point or another. In those cases, apologize for your mistake—and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

A good reason to respect your instructors and members of the Leadership Team is that we respect you (hopefully you’ve noticed that by now). We’ve all been where you are, so we know the courage, determination and strength it can take to stick with your Kung Fu training. It has been said that the more respect you give, the more you get in return—hopefully the mutual respect between instructors and students constantly perpetuates itself.

Perhaps the most important kind of respect instilled through the martial arts is self-respect. You should feel proud of yourself for choosing to study Kung Fu. You should feel even more pride whenever you learn a new Form or earn a new Sash. Good for you! Ideally that self-respect makes you a happier, more confident person outside of the WKFA.

I read an article that said as soon as you allow even a little disrespect to infiltrate your school, all of its traditions are threatened. That’s why I urge you to observe our etiquette at all times. It’s a good policy elsewhere as well: treat your parents, siblings, teachers and friends with respect and you’ll likely find they return the favour.

The post Respect in the Martial Arts appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

By Sifu Rebecca Knapp

Adult Student’s Corner

I’m a bit like a bear once November hits—I slow down a little, am less-inclined to go out; I get tired earlier, don’t want to get up in the morning, and I get ornery on occasion because there’s a chill in the air and I can’t warm up. This time of year, I find many excuses to skip class:

It’s cold; It’s dark; Slippery roads; Snowstorm; I’m tired; I’m getting sick; I have too much to do; I have Christmas shopping/baking to do; I need to decorate; The neighbours are having a holiday gathering; The fire is going and I can open a bottle of wine; And so on….

Remember, it’s challenging to form a good habit, but pretty easy to form a bad one. It would be EASY to stay home, but even if I trained at home, that’s not what I signed up for!

I almost always feel better when I decide to attend class—I feel better about myself for making the decision to train, and I feel physically, emotionally and spiritually better for the exertion, and for the time practicing my art.

Also, class is one full glorious hour when I don’t have to think about ANYTHING ELSE…and miraculously, I don’t. I arrive with a full, busy brain, quite certain I’ll be unable to focus, and yet, within moments, the distractions dissipate and I find myself in the glorious Kung Fu zone. Beautiful.

Plus, if I didn’t come to class, I would miss your smiling faces, the unmistakable smell of hard work I’ve grown accustomed to over the years, and the sound of any given Sifu hollering commands on the floor. I wouldn’t have the added motivation of trying to keep up with the younger, faster warrior beside me; I wouldn’t do my pushups (or probably anything that I didn’t really LIKE doing, or feel like doing at the time). When I’m in class, I get to learn from my classmates, as well as an impressive line-up of skilled and experienced instructors, who invariably offer insights and perspectives different from my own, thereby helping me grow as a martial artist AND a person. I work harder and feel better than when I train alone, and I get the added bonus of the awesome camaraderie and friendships I’ve found.

Whenever I don’t feel like coming to class I remind myself why I chose Kung Fu in the first place, and that I love the hard work, the art, and my Kung Fu family.

So, when you are tired, come to class. When it’s cold and you could stay warm in front of the fire, come to class. When the weather says, “I might snow”, come to class. When you are stressed, and have too much to do, when it’s almost Christmas and you still have to shop, or when the neighbours invite you for some festive cheer, say, “I’ll be over later—right now, I’m going to class”.

You’ll be happy you did.

“Age wrinkles the body.
Quitting wrinkles the soul.”
Douglas MacArthur

The post O Come All Ye Faithful appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Adam Volpe

Parent’s Column

Many of you who aren’t Kung Fu students may feel that you can’t help your child with their Kung Fu training- but you can! There are many things that you can do that don’t require any Kung Fu experience at all.

The fitness requirements that are part of the WKFA curriculum are often seen as just a number that needs to be met in order to be eligible to grade. But I think it’s important to help our children focus on improving in this area. Don’t do this because they are ‘grading requirements’ but because they are necessary to help build the muscle strength, endurance and body awareness required to excel at Kung Fu. Below are the fundamentals of our fitness requirements and questions you can ask yourself or your child.

Abs: Our abdominal requirements develop core strength, endurance and body awareness. Without a strong core, it’s difficult to do most of what we do in Kung Fu.

Questions to ask: Is their elbow hitting their knee? Is the other elbow touching the matts? Are they fully extending their legs straight and not off to the sides? When their legs are extended, are they close to the ground (6”-12”) or are they high in the air? Are they not pulling/straining their neck? Focusing on these details will strengthen your child’s abdominals and help them avoid injury and get the most out of this activity.

Squats: When watching any Kung Fu class it becomes obvious that leg strength is important and squats definitely help leg strength, endurance and range of motion. The way we do squats also help build shoulder strength by keeping our guard up – a very beneficial habit to get into when they start sparring.

Questions to ask: Is your child going down as far as they can? Is their back straight? Are their hands in “guard” position?

Push Ups: They help build upper body and core strength, teach your child how to breath properly and develop proper body awareness. Being able to do pushups properly will also help them learn how to punch with strength, explosive power and proper fist position.

Questions to ask: Is their back straight and head up? Are they following the full range of motion? Are their hands aligned with their shoulders?

These requirements are hard—they’re supposed to be. Your child won’t improve without working at them regularly. Start small and build on successes. Remember, being able to meet their fitness requirements will also make gradings much less stressful for your child if they know they’re physically prepared for the challenges ahead.

So, if you want to help your child improve their Kung Fu, ask them “Can you do your full fitness requirements and if not, what are you doing to work on that?”.

And if you really want to make an impact, do them together 🙂

The post How to Help Your Child with their Kung Fu appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

Sifu Daryl Cressman

Guest Column

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Every one of us has heard this. If you’re in Kung Fu young or old, there is a path that has been laid before you. Some people as you have seen start to walk the path. While other people get on the path and sprint trying to get as much out of Kung Fu as rapidly as they can. If the rewards they seek don’t materialize they lose interest.

The mountain: Here you travel up the path. It twists and turns, rises and falls. While inclines are steep and treacherous. Ascending the mountain, you will endure many trials and tribulations. Examples of trials and tribulations are gradings, personal matters related to either health, relationships, also careers will demand your attention when your older. You will see people dropping out and away from Kung Fu while you continue in your training.

The plateau: It could show itself to you as it did to me in 2016. I entered a plateau thinking it was still my path. My training habits didn’t change. I continued to review all my forms. Practicing the required technique and engaging in self defense. Time passed, and the path disappeared. I reviewed all the forms except I didn’t feel any inspiration to continue. These wonderful effective techniques, which can allow you to defend and strike at most any angle. I could not connect things together. I didn’t feel the connection any more. Was it my time to hand over the advanced junior class to another Sifu, or find something else to study?

Like a traveler stopping to look at a map to getting his or her bearings. My inspiration, that landmark I found on the proverbial map, was the realization of how hard I was being on myself. Next, I started to write in my training binder after every time I trained. Whether good or bad. I coached myself to improve. Building on each time I trained. Taking what the other instructors said that I could improve on. Realizing that everything isn’t what it appears.

From Dale Turner “Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.”

These were but a couple of things I did to keep going on my path in Kung Fu.

I wish you luck on your path, mountain and plateau.

The post The Path, the Mountain, and the Plateau appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

By Sifu Lorna Hayward

Guest Column

Everyone has reasons for doing—or not doing—things. But what is the difference between reasons and excuses, really? At the most basic, reasons are just excuses that have some validity or are somehow more acceptable. Having a broken leg is a very valid reason for not running a marathon. No one can argue that. Yet there are amputees that are able to successfully complete incredible physical feats.

There are two sides to this coin. On one side, your ‘reasons’ that are holding you back may just be excuses that you have accepted, and they have become limitations that you have put on yourself. We should periodically ask ourselves if our limits still apply. Sometimes, our reasons become invalid, but if we haven’t looked at them, we are accepting limitations that don’t need to hold us back anymore. When you started kung fu, maybe you couldn’t do a single push-up. If you accept the limit of ‘I don’t have upper body strength’, you will never be able to do push-ups. But if you continue to challenge that, you may find that you can do one push-up. Then two. And before you know it, if you continue to challenge the ‘I can’t’, you may be doing all your push-ups. This applies to other limits in your life also. Many people have a fear of public speaking. If you forever say that you can’t do it, you won’t. But if you challenge that, you may find you are able to lead a warmup at kung fu. Perhaps you could ask yourself if ‘can’t’ can be replaced by ‘won’t’ and then decide if maybe you can try to test your own boundaries.

However, there is also the opposite side of this, and this side of the coin involves judging other peoples’ reasons. Something, that to you sounds like a lame excuse, could be an extremely valid reason for someone else. If you are easily able to develop strength, you may think someone who has difficulty with push-ups isn’t trying hard enough, but you may not know that that person has an unhealed injury they are working through. If you are an outgoing, extraverted person, you may always think someone with social anxiety is weak. Be careful not to judge other people on their reasons for doing things, and try not to be too quick to say ‘that’s just an excuse’. Sometimes we are very quick to look at others, and because we don’t understand where they are coming from, we decide that their reason is invalid.

Always try to question your limitations to see if they are still necessary in your life, or if perhaps they can be modified as you grow. But please don’t question other peoples’ reasons and negate their validity, simply because they don’t apply to you. We all have our own path that we have walked to get where we are, and, with patience and support, we can continue to grow and make this journey together.

The post Reasons Are Excuses That Are Accepted appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.

The post Peace on Earth. Goodwill toward All. appeared first on Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy.