Frustration

I’ve been told that if I attend classes and put in 10 min at home every day that will be enough to achieve my black belt. After two months of Kung Fu, I can honestly say that there is no way that 10 min is enough. I’ve been putting in about 30 min every day on average (except on days with class), somedays over an hour, and I still don’t think it’s enough. I practice kicks, forms, stances, and centering, as well as general fitness like pushups, sit-ups, and stretching. My body tires out before my mind does and I wish I could do more. I do feel like I’m making progress, which is good, but I still feel like I’m not progressing enough. The problem I have is that we’re not compared or graded against anyone so it is really all about you. On one hand this is a good thing because everyone is different and everyone learns at a different pace. On the other hand I would love to know where I’m at compared to the average student.

I’ve been told to focus on the journey and enjoy it but I have a hard time with it because, as a beginner, I’m pretty terrible, and I don’t like being terrible. I’m practicing as much as I can so that I can build a solid foundation and improve quickly. I can’t wait to achieve at least a basic level of skill so that I’m not embarrassing myself every day in class.

A Bit of Adversity

I’ve now experienced my first taste of adversity since I joined Kung Fu. I had some minor surgery last week and all went well but the incision broke open while I working out on Saturday and now I have to restrict my physical activity for a little while to give it time to heal properly. My rational mind knows that a few days are literally nothing in the grand scheme of things but I still have a hard time taking time off. I have recently (finally) noticed an improvement in many aspects of my Kung Fu and it’s extremely motivating for me. I just want to keep practicing and practicing. I am going to continue to attend class, even if I can’t participate, and hopefully this will help me keep focused and maybe I’ll be able to learn a few things simply by watching others.

Opportunity

I’ve come to realize that life is all about opportunities and what we achieve in life is dictated by what we do with those opportunities. About eight weeks ago, I was visiting some friends in Calgary and one of them commented that he was thinking about taking a few Capoeira lessons to see if it was something he would enjoy. That got my mind working as well. I had always had an interest in martial arts but I never seriously considered it. It was at this point that I realized that I had an opportunity. I could brush the thought aside, as I had always done, or I could seize the opportunity and run with it while my enthusiasm was very high. I chose the latter.

I believe that life presents you with many opportunities and some come and go many times. If I hadn’t decided to study kung fu that day in Calgary, I might have decided to do it a later date. Or I might not have. Seizing that opportunity set me down a path that I believe will change my life and make me a better person. It also worked to help me to identify future opportunities and also to reinforce the habit of making the most of them.

The Path to Mastery

What is “The Path to Mastery”? It’s two things:

Firstly, it will be the chronicling of my journey to achieve my black belt in Kung Fu (and beyond) and all the trials and tribulations that I encounter along the way. Daily training, diet, personal thoughts, goals, successes, and failures will all be documented here. It will be a great tool to help me remember where I started and to appreciate how far I’ve come.

Secondly, it will be a place for me to write about my thoughts on the process of mastery itself and to help me focus on the journey and not the destination.