Bullying

People often ask me why I preach about bullying so much when I teach the kids classes. My answer to them is simple,
I have been bullied off and on since grade 6. I know what it feels like to by threatened, pushed around, the subject
of rumours, publically ridiculed and cyber bullied. I don't believe that I would have the confidence that I still have today
if it weren't for my Kung Fu. Kung Fu teaches you two very important things besides self defence... Discipline, and respect.
I cannot tell you enough how hard it is to walk away and ignore someone that is publically humiliating you when you're standing
four feet away from them, and not to mention keep calm. But, Kung Fu taught me the strength and the courage to do exactly that.

Now, I'm not saying that every person that is enrolled in Kung Fu has been bullied. Neither am I telling you that that is the reason that I
was enrolled in Kung Fu. There is certainly a good chance that most of us have been bullied at some point, whether it be as a kid, or as
an adult. The question, "well sifu, I've never been bullied, or a bully, so why do I have to learn about what to do when you're
being bullied?" Comes up once in awhile and my answer to that is simple as well. This is one of the ways that I can teach someone empathy
in a very simple way. By learning about bullying, and being educated about the effects about bullying, it's not very hard to put yourself in
the shoes of the guy that's being picked on at the bus stop, or excluded from playing a game. It makes it way easier to be his or her friend;
and not be tempted to be peer pressured into becoming a bully yourself.

I believe that this is an essential part of my identity as a black belt, and has drastically changed the way that I approach my teaching
in Kung Fu.

Sifu Wonsiak

Walking the Walk

I have already blogged this week but I have a story to tell everyone. Our School has really embraced the acts of kindness philosophy . This really hit me just how much while I was at the tri (our local gym). With the cold weather I almost always see someone from Silent River on the track,bikes or in the fitness room. When you are there almost every day you also get to know a lot of faces even if you don't know names.My attention was taken by a face attached to an older woman. she walks the track at least every other time I'm there. She walks with a limp and wears these rubber shoes, you know the ones with the holes in them. They are great for gardening or rain but have no support and are hard to walk in for a long ways. A fellow student from Silent River commented to me about this woman and how for months she had been carrying a spare set of runners with her in her bag in hopes of giving the elderly woman a good set of shoes to walk in. Today I had the pleasure of seeing this student approach the woman and make the offer of the shoes. The woman refused the shoes on the grounds her feet were misshaped and didn't fit into anything other than the rubber shoes. The fellow student then walked at least another km. with her and listened to her thoughts of the day. This turned out to be the act of kindness.
A short time later I was walking with yet another fellow student to the change rooms when we came upon another woman who uses a walker to get around. She was struggling to open a door. Almost at the same time we both said "let me get that door for you" she was quicker than me and climbed over a bench and at least a dozen pairs of shoes and winter boots to open the door.
I had to laugh at myself for the feeling of competition that over came me to be the one to open that door.
I can't think of a better feeling there is to be part of such a great bunch of people to train with and to have in my life on a day to day bases.
Thank you Silent River Kung Fu for living the life and walking the walk.

Linda Shipalesky

The beginning, not the end

We constantly have moments of clarity when we are on our journey in the martial arts, and I could write about a lot of them. However, there is one momentous moment, that changed everything for me. I have written about it in the past, and hopefully it isn't too overdone.

My Kung Fu journey was altered forever, the day I broke my ankle. It wasn't passing my black belt test, nor was it being presented with my black belt 3 weeks later. It was how I had to completely change my training perspective. And it is one that has stayed with me since.

I went from focusing on the more physical aspects of training - making sure my body moved the way it was supposed, and fixing the minute details of each and every stance. I recall pushing myself hard every day with my black belt goal in sight.

The moment that I knew I would be out of commission for a time, I started to panic. I had no idea how I was going to continue, let alone what kind of a black belt I could be. However, I learned that there is much more to Kung Fu than perfect punches or kicks. Much more to doing a form than just going through the motions, no matter how perfect they might look. No. I learned that for every movement, there is a breath. A breath where your body and soul are in complete harmony.

I had to slow way down, and focus on what I was feeling, and how my chi flowed, instead of just getting through the technique. I learned to feel my Kung Fu, not to just do Kung Fu. It has become so much more spiritual, and I now understand where my strengths are. My Kung Fu makes sense and is a vital part of who I am, and who I am to become.