16/02: News, Next Grading, Compassion, Sparring, Biggest Loser, Rach's Fear
GRADING
First grading of the year and what great energy we had in class. The standard was excellent and everyone did really well. Interesting, we had one little tiny mighty mite who missed his grading time. Not to be disappointed May Lai allowed him to join in with the juniors. I wondered how he would cope? He had the undivided attention of two trainers, pushing him, testing him….. This tiny little man gave it all. Undeterred by his late arrival and not grading with his peers, he pushed through and in a situation that would have freaked out plenty of adults, he excelled. This kid was so intent on grading, nothing was going to stop him. There is a lesson here for all of us. He just focused on what he had to do. He listened intently to the trainers and trained his little heart out. What a champion. So when you are grading and you feel the heat of the moment and all eyes on you. Remember. Ready stance, breath, just listen to the instruction and do your best. Can never fail if you do that.
Next grading day is Sunday 29th March at North Sydney. This is a ‘super session’ and I suspect we my have some new blackbelt candidates. Book it in your diary.
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COMPASSION
I don’t know about you but watching some of the footage from the bushfires has been absolutely heartbraking. I had a rough week at work, I was whinging on, woe is me. What a joke. Simply does not bear thinking about what these people have been through and whats ahead of them. The generosity of the Australian public has been phenominal. That's because we can all put ourselves in that situation and imagine what it feels like. Compassion is not just empathy of another’s pain but the urge to in whatever way is available to us to ease that pain.
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SPARRING.
Sensei is running a sparring class this Friday. Don’t miss it. Its worth two credits.
Friday 20th Feb
Balmain PCYC
6.30pm
Cost $30.00
2 Credits.
***************
BROWN BELT PLUS CLASS
Sensei is running a brownbelt plus class this coming Saturday morning at Balmain. These opportunities are rare so don’t miss out. Free of charge, this class is a must for all brown belts and above. Worth 2 credits.
Sat 21st Feb
BalmainPCYC
0800-0900am
2 credits
***************
BIGGEST LOSER
Catch episode 13 of the biggest loser this week. Channel 10 6.30pm. Sunday I think. Sensei is on episode 17. Can’t wait to see that……
***************
SPARRING AT NORTH SYDNEY THIS WEEK.
Sparring this Wednesday after open class at North Sydney with Darren. Been getting some great feedback on Darren’s class. The folks are really enjoying it. Plenty of technique, plenty of variety. Come and join them for some action.
***************
RACH’S FEAR
I wasn’t keen about this but Sensei wanted me to share this with you. Everyone has different comfort zones and different fears. Last year unexpectedly I had to run a Friday nights kids grading. I hated it. I wasn’t prepared and I didn’t want to do. Rightly or wrongley I felt like a fool and very self conscious in front of all the parents. I teach the kids all the time and have lots of fun with them, but for some reason, with the parents watching I found it difficult to be my usual self. Fact is I was really frightened. Terrified in fact. Utterly out of my comfort zone my fear as usual for me transferred into anger. Anger at myself for being so pathetic. I can stand in front of Sensei and keep my act together, do big throws and techniques and spar and do Sydney Hobart races and the like, but put a piece of paper with a bunch of unfamiliar names in belt order and ask me to read out the names I am not familiar with in front of everyone and I go into fight or flight mode and can barley breath let alone read coherently and speak. I pulled it off, just. It seemed no-one really noticed my discomfort but I was really angry afterwards. Angry at myself for getting so worked up. Initially I thought that's it, no more running gradings or reading out names for me. (I told Sensei to, he bore witness to all my rage as I vented my frustration out on him) But that was the easy option wasn’t it. The very next day I decided to face my fear and use my martial arts to do it. I didn’t want to be limited. So when the opportunity came up this Friday night grading I read the names out. I didn’t have to do it, there was plenty of help this time. But I wanted to. Sounds easy doesn’t it. Well like I say everyone has difficulty with different things. I just applied my martial arts mind and attitude to the thing I was scared of. Just like when I do techniques when training I just have a go with no thought of the outcome just have a go. I did the same with the reading of the names. So with one big breath and my internal ‘ready stance’ I decided ‘I can rather than I can’t or don’t want to’. I just blanked my mind of all thoughts completely and focused on the page in front of me. Simple as that. It was, easy. No fear, no anger, just names. Then gorgeous little kids no higher than your belt coming out all super excited and full of joy, eyes wide trying to grab the belt they had spotted I had before I secretly passed it to May Lai behind my back. (Clever critters these kids…..)
I’ve been doing it at work too. My boss can’t believe the turnaround. Rach has gone from “No, I can’t do spreadsheets” “No I can’t do accounts” “No I can’t do maths” To yes I can do spreadsheets, yes I can do the accounts. Of course I haven’t instantly turned into a genious. But the fact I think I can (Must be Mr Obama’s influence too eh!) has released all the resistance I had in the first place. I freed my mind and pretended I was 5 again and it was the first time I have done something and go, yes, I can do that. (I suspect my skill level is still very much erm… white belt in spreadsheets, but so what, I’m actually doing it now and open and learning)
As Sensei says Martial arts is not all punching and kicking, that's the easy stuff. It's the mind stuff that's the real challenge. Free your mind. Have a go. Don’t judge youself or others, just open, let go of fear and release into freedom.
Have a great week
Rach
First grading of the year and what great energy we had in class. The standard was excellent and everyone did really well. Interesting, we had one little tiny mighty mite who missed his grading time. Not to be disappointed May Lai allowed him to join in with the juniors. I wondered how he would cope? He had the undivided attention of two trainers, pushing him, testing him….. This tiny little man gave it all. Undeterred by his late arrival and not grading with his peers, he pushed through and in a situation that would have freaked out plenty of adults, he excelled. This kid was so intent on grading, nothing was going to stop him. There is a lesson here for all of us. He just focused on what he had to do. He listened intently to the trainers and trained his little heart out. What a champion. So when you are grading and you feel the heat of the moment and all eyes on you. Remember. Ready stance, breath, just listen to the instruction and do your best. Can never fail if you do that.
Next grading day is Sunday 29th March at North Sydney. This is a ‘super session’ and I suspect we my have some new blackbelt candidates. Book it in your diary.
**************
COMPASSION
I don’t know about you but watching some of the footage from the bushfires has been absolutely heartbraking. I had a rough week at work, I was whinging on, woe is me. What a joke. Simply does not bear thinking about what these people have been through and whats ahead of them. The generosity of the Australian public has been phenominal. That's because we can all put ourselves in that situation and imagine what it feels like. Compassion is not just empathy of another’s pain but the urge to in whatever way is available to us to ease that pain.
**************
SPARRING.
Sensei is running a sparring class this Friday. Don’t miss it. Its worth two credits.
Friday 20th Feb
Balmain PCYC
6.30pm
Cost $30.00
2 Credits.
***************
BROWN BELT PLUS CLASS
Sensei is running a brownbelt plus class this coming Saturday morning at Balmain. These opportunities are rare so don’t miss out. Free of charge, this class is a must for all brown belts and above. Worth 2 credits.
Sat 21st Feb
BalmainPCYC
0800-0900am
2 credits
***************
BIGGEST LOSER
Catch episode 13 of the biggest loser this week. Channel 10 6.30pm. Sunday I think. Sensei is on episode 17. Can’t wait to see that……
***************
SPARRING AT NORTH SYDNEY THIS WEEK.
Sparring this Wednesday after open class at North Sydney with Darren. Been getting some great feedback on Darren’s class. The folks are really enjoying it. Plenty of technique, plenty of variety. Come and join them for some action.
***************
RACH’S FEAR
I wasn’t keen about this but Sensei wanted me to share this with you. Everyone has different comfort zones and different fears. Last year unexpectedly I had to run a Friday nights kids grading. I hated it. I wasn’t prepared and I didn’t want to do. Rightly or wrongley I felt like a fool and very self conscious in front of all the parents. I teach the kids all the time and have lots of fun with them, but for some reason, with the parents watching I found it difficult to be my usual self. Fact is I was really frightened. Terrified in fact. Utterly out of my comfort zone my fear as usual for me transferred into anger. Anger at myself for being so pathetic. I can stand in front of Sensei and keep my act together, do big throws and techniques and spar and do Sydney Hobart races and the like, but put a piece of paper with a bunch of unfamiliar names in belt order and ask me to read out the names I am not familiar with in front of everyone and I go into fight or flight mode and can barley breath let alone read coherently and speak. I pulled it off, just. It seemed no-one really noticed my discomfort but I was really angry afterwards. Angry at myself for getting so worked up. Initially I thought that's it, no more running gradings or reading out names for me. (I told Sensei to, he bore witness to all my rage as I vented my frustration out on him) But that was the easy option wasn’t it. The very next day I decided to face my fear and use my martial arts to do it. I didn’t want to be limited. So when the opportunity came up this Friday night grading I read the names out. I didn’t have to do it, there was plenty of help this time. But I wanted to. Sounds easy doesn’t it. Well like I say everyone has difficulty with different things. I just applied my martial arts mind and attitude to the thing I was scared of. Just like when I do techniques when training I just have a go with no thought of the outcome just have a go. I did the same with the reading of the names. So with one big breath and my internal ‘ready stance’ I decided ‘I can rather than I can’t or don’t want to’. I just blanked my mind of all thoughts completely and focused on the page in front of me. Simple as that. It was, easy. No fear, no anger, just names. Then gorgeous little kids no higher than your belt coming out all super excited and full of joy, eyes wide trying to grab the belt they had spotted I had before I secretly passed it to May Lai behind my back. (Clever critters these kids…..)
I’ve been doing it at work too. My boss can’t believe the turnaround. Rach has gone from “No, I can’t do spreadsheets” “No I can’t do accounts” “No I can’t do maths” To yes I can do spreadsheets, yes I can do the accounts. Of course I haven’t instantly turned into a genious. But the fact I think I can (Must be Mr Obama’s influence too eh!) has released all the resistance I had in the first place. I freed my mind and pretended I was 5 again and it was the first time I have done something and go, yes, I can do that. (I suspect my skill level is still very much erm… white belt in spreadsheets, but so what, I’m actually doing it now and open and learning)
As Sensei says Martial arts is not all punching and kicking, that's the easy stuff. It's the mind stuff that's the real challenge. Free your mind. Have a go. Don’t judge youself or others, just open, let go of fear and release into freedom.
Have a great week
Rach
