Sibok Lloyd Fridenburg

Editorial

Instructors have an obligation to know, understand, and teach all requirements for your rank and to deliver it in a well-defined, proven approach intended to keep you moving forward in your training. We also spend a lot of time reviewing previous requirements so that you can improve those techniques. Continuous improvement is a hallmark of Kung Fu education at WKFA! That’s the reason it takes longer to progress to the next rank as you advance in your training. You may be able to attain your Yellow Sash in a few months, but the average time between attaining Brown and testing for Black is about two years; not because of an increased volume of material to learn, but because there is much more material to review and improve. Without exception, the only way to become proficient at Kung Fu is through repetition.

All techniques at all ranks are taught on a regular basis, but if your training is sporadic you, or your child, might be missing important components of the curriculum. Instructors know and teach all curriculum items on a regular basis, but it is impossible to know what elements of the curriculum you are struggling with or haven’t been taught. Beyond the rank of Orange, training a minimum of three times a week is essential to your progress.

Instructors have an obligation to know the curriculum and to teach the curriculum; you have an obligation to learn the curriculum. Knowing, understanding, and becoming competent with your requirements is your responsibility! You should review your requirement sheets regularly and check off the things that you are comfortable with, and ask questions about the things you need to become more proficient with, especially as you start to think about grading. You cannot become proficient with something by simply doing it a couple of times in class.

At the beginning of your journey through each rank you are presented with a checklist of techniques, forms, sequences, etc. that you are required to learn before testing for your next rank. Aside from current requirements you will frequently see a reference to previous requirements, and that you are expected to have improved the execution of those techniques. At WKFA you are not just tested on your current requirements; you are tested on your current requirements along with all your previous requirements. We expect you to spend a considerable amount of time reviewing and improving earlier requirements.

Comments are written down by the grading panel during your grading and you are presented with a copy of your grading comment sheet after the grading. The comment sheet highlights areas of concern that need to be improved. Reading, understanding, and correcting issues highlighted on your comment sheets are your responsibility, and should be given high priority following your grading. Reviewing your comment sheets is an important first step in preparation for your next grading.

The longer you have known a technique, form, or sequence, the higher our expectations are that you can execute it proficiently. So, always remember that learning the new goes hand-in-hand with improving the old.

Congratulations Sifu Harry and Sifu Michael for earning your rank of 1^st Degree Black.

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Sigung David Moylan, Owner, WKFA

Sigung’s Corner

Just after I wrote my last column about Sifu Patti’s retirement, Sifu Craig reached out to inform me of his hard decision to do the same. He trained consistently at WKFA for 30 years, having obtained his Black Sash on March 28, 2007. He earned his 2^nd Degree on September 12, 2015.

I have immense respect for this man and his level of dedication to training and teaching. Sifu Craig is an extraordinarily successful lawyer, running a team at his firm in Ayr. I regularly describe him as the busiest person I know! Sifu Craig always made time for his training and the Academy despite his intense schedule and client demands.

Not long after earning his Black Sash, Sifu Craig became the Monday Noon Class instructor, a position he served faithfully, right up to the start of the lockdown. He had a unique ability to effectively instruct by breaking our curriculum down into its foundational elements.

Sifu Craig embodied the Kung Fu concept of “practice is the way”. He prioritized his training, attending classes 2-3 times a week and most seminars offered. I appreciated his perseverance, his wit, and his dry sense of humour.

On behalf of everyone at the Academy and myself, thank you, Sifu Craig, for your years of dedication to us. We wish you health and happiness in your retirement. You will be missed!

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Sifu Jeremy Norris

Junior Student’s Corner

by Sifu Jeremy Norris

“Focus on the positive and not the negative.” It seems simple to say but is usually easier said than done. Looking into our current circumstances where we are constantly forced to change and adapt, focusing on the positive may seem impossible. Yet, there are ways that we can make the most out of what we are given.

We can look to our own Kung Fu community as an example, where there has been constant flow of new rules and changes that we must adapt to on a frequent basis. The way we train Kung Fu now is definitely different from how we were able to train at the start of the year. With this amount of change it easy to get caught up in the negative, but let’s examine some ways of how we can approach our current Kung Fu circumstances from a positive mindset.

First we’ve had the physical changes to our training space. We are now forced to stay within a box to train our Kung Fu. A negative mindset would be to only focus on the restrictions that this brings, but with a positive mindset we can look at the opportunities that this change provides us. Being restricted in our training space allows us to be more creative with our training than ever before! It forces us to come up with new ways to move within our forms and techniques, and it allows us to develop a better understanding of our movement as martial artists. The physical space we train in may have changed but the way we approach our training has not.

Another change we have faced are the limitations of working sparring and self-defense. Government regulations dictate that we cannot make physical contact with others. Although this hinders our ability to develop these skills it does not mean we have to stop training it all together. By looking at the opportunities this brings we can focus on developing our non-contact skills. We can work shadow boxing, ¾ stance drills, and go through our self-defense moves in the air to get a better understanding of movement and body control. Looking at the negative of this situation would be to eliminate training these skills at all, but by examining our opportunities we are able to develop and grow in a positive manner.

The most change comes from sources that are out of our control; when this happens, it is easy to get discouraged and negative, but we must look at the opportunities that each situation brings. I challenge you to not only view Kung Fu in this way, but to look at your everyday life the same as well. By doing this we can adapt into a better version of ourselves and be prepared for the day when we can return to our normal lives.

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by Sifu Mark Jolley

As I started searching topics for my newsletter article, Mother Nature provided an inspiration with a lovely large dumping of snow early in the season. As we transition from autumn to winter, inevitably we must be prepared for the sport of shovelling. It got me thinking about warming up and stretching before engaging in high intensity exercise, such as Kung Fu or shovelling.

Colder temperatures impact your flexibility. When you are cold, your muscles stiffen and shorten. Trying to perform high kicks or rapid techniques in cold weather without warming up your muscles is asking for trouble. When it is cold outside, the body is trying to preserve heat by directing it to your vital organs. Your extremities (legs, feet, arms and hands) are lower on the priority list. The reduced blood supply decreases the temperature of the muscles in your arms and legs, which makes them less flexible and more susceptible to injury. Tighter muscles will place more stress on your joints and reduce your balance and coordination.

With most Kung Fu classes shortened, it is essential that you arrive for class warmed up. This will allow more time to focus on the curriculum. Below are samples of low impact exercises to start getting the body warmed up.

• Shoulder circles 3 sets of 10 forward and 10 backwards.
• Head and neck circles 2 sets of 10
• Side bends 3 sets of 10 alternating sides
• Hip circles- 3 sets of ten alternating directions
• Knee circles 3 sets of 10 alternating directions
• Ankle circles 2 sets of 10 each side in each direction

Next you can move to slightly higher intense exercises:

• Body squats 3 sets of 10
• Alternating lunges 3 sets of 10 alternating sides
• Upper body torso twists 3 sets of 10 alternating sides

Your body should be warmed up nicely to get into stretching the larger muscles and introducing some cardio. Skipping is a great cardio exercise that requires little room but increases the heart rate and body temperature in a short period. If you do not have a rope, or low ceilings in your house, you can still skip using an imaginary rope. But be sure to stretch your calf muscles first.

One last point is hydration. We normally think we need to hydrate during the summer due to the heat. It is important that we also keep hydrated in the winter. Not only does water help you stay hydrated, it also assists in regulating the body temperature and is essential to the function of cells, tissues and organs.

The above exercises can be done in a relatively short period of time, and in a small space. So, if you are about to shovel 3 feet of snow, or get ready for a Kung Fu class, take the time to warm up. Your body will thank you afterwards.

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When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.

G.K. Chesterton

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by Sifu (Dr.) Rikin Patel MD

Recently, I completed a course on behaviour change related to pediatric nutrition. I was reintroduced to the concept of “Ego Trap” coined by Dr. Dough Lisle, a PhD psychologist at Stanford. Here is a simple example we can relate to. A young martial artist who wins their sparring division for the first time raves to all their classmates about it after. They left out the part that in all 3 rounds their opponents were immediately disqualified for head contact. Now when the next tournament comes along, the student realizes they have created an unrealistic image of themselves and fall into the “Ego Trap.” This forces them in the opposite direction, avoiding competition in fear of not being able to live up to the expectation they have created. In simple terms this is a dilemma where we created an image of ourselves only to avoid the situation later in fear of realizing it is not accurate. The basis for the Ego Trap is our need to increase our “status” to increase our likelihood of survival.

This dilemma can also be created by parents unknowingly who want the children to succeed. Children and teens underperforming in any area of life is a concern for parents, but particularly school, which I see often as a pediatrician. Eager parents who genuinely want the best for their child give them status by saying “you can be the best _____ in your class or go to a top school or be a professional athlete or musician IF you just do your best” thinking it’s going to be motivational force. Parents though often have an overestimation of what their children’s “best” means.

Using the example of a musician. The child starts young continues to work hard over years and improves and get to the 80th percentile compared to kids their age. Now as it often happens someone in life comes along with tremendous talent surpasses us in a much shorter time (i.e. Bruce Lee started his training at 13 years old, which is considered “late” by many martial artists). The child realizes that with their best effort they can get to the 90^th percentile but won’t be the “best” because their new competition has blown by them in a fraction of the time. This creates a big dilemma. Even though this child may do the best they possibly can, fearing the loss of status in the eyes of their parents the one logical solution to the dilemma would be to stop trying. Again, we see the Ego Trap, a crushing motivational dilemma that happens whenever expectations get too high.

Fast forward back to school. Research shows that if parents set an expectation that is lower than the child’s potential (i.e. only expecting a B average due to different circumstances), that children in fact know they can do better and now are determined to prove their parents wrong. Now a desire to excel has been instilled where now the Ego Trap melts away and the pressure has been lifted. Remember there is no more fun to a child than to outstrip the expectations that have been set for them. Part 2 will share how this dynamic can be applied to all of us to succeed at WFKA.

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Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”!

Mary Ann Radmacher

American Author & Artist

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