Mindful Martial Arts

Everything Can be a Meditation

Cooking, cleaning, returning a car load of bottle to the LCBO… it’s all about the intent and the attitude.

On Self Improvement

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

- Charles Reade

Pounce like a Tig(g)er

Last Thursday, I returned to James Saper’s Qi Gong class. Of the 5 Animals (Wu Qin Xi), the Tiger is my favourite, although in the past several months, I have lost the stealth of the namesake animal. Instead of sneaking up on my prey and capturing it, I was clumsy – at first. It’s incredible how the body remembers to move gracefully given the chance to practice it again. After leaving, I felt “sproingy” – like a Tigger! Often, I exercise my brain too much and forget about my body, but the body knows and reminds.

On Progress

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

On Persistence

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing is so gentle as true strength.” – St. Francis De Sales

Back to Qi Gong

I miss my Thursday Qi Gong classes. I’m going to alternate between them and Royal City Toastmasters. This feels like a great balance for my mind.

On Self Mastery

“He who conquers himself has won a greater victory than he who conquers a city.” – Proverbs

On Change

“If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” – Mary Engelbreit

Discover Internal Martial Arts

Chinese martial art seminars for health & self-defense

Qiang (Chinese Spear) Fundamentals

Saturday, January 30th, times: 11am – 5pm, registration: $145

The Spear is known as the King of the long weapons, and is a vital part of the martial art, Xingyi. A comprehensive seminar, this day will include how to correctly set up your spear, plus Xingyi’s five fundamental techniques. Previous experience in Xingyi or Chinese weapons, while not required, is suggested.

This workshop is limited to 12 participants. Spears will provided and will be available for purchase at the end of the seminar ($60). For setting up each spear, participants should bring a sharp knife, sandpaper and a fine wood rasp.

Bagua: Cultivating Deep Skill

Sunday, January 31st, times: 11am – 4pm, registration: $95

Magui style Bagua is an unique lineage of this famous internal style. All bagua is characterized by its circle-walking training and circular, turning techniques. The Magui lineage makes use of slow & deliberate circle-walking to quickly build internal strength and to train the use of ‘full body power’. This style has been taught to very few people. Andrea Falk trains with the lineage’s inheritor Li Baohua and has been asked to represent this style in the West.

Circle Walking for Health

May 31st, 11am – noon, registration: $25

For those interested in the health benefits of Magui Bagua, this one-hour portion of the Sunday seminar will focus on circle-walking training.

All sessions will be held at 45 Dawson Rd. Guelph, Ontario

Full Weekend Registration: $200

About the Instructor:

One of Canada’s foremost instructors, Andrea Falk has trained in Xingyi & Bagua for over 25 years. She is a graduate of the Beijing College of Physical Education in wushu, was a member of the Canadian Wushu team in 1986 and is the president of the North American Magui Bagua Association. She has published numerous translations of internal martial arts books through her company TGL Books. She teaches regular seminars across Canada & in the U.K. She continues to train in China on a regular basis. For this weekend, she will be coming almost directly from a five week training visit in Beijing.

“I teach the traditional internal styles from the ground up. My emphasis is on basics and skills training, with understanding of applications. Expect a low-key session where you will work hard and leave with concrete skills to practise on your own. My personal style and preference has always been straightforward. I feel that this approach brings more in the long run – you get back from the martial arts only what you put in.”

A Brave New Year

I don’t believe in New Years resolutions; I believe in goals and dreams. This is what I wrote at the beginning of 2009. My life has certainly changed since then. While 2008 was fantastic, 2009 was challenging. It was brilliant, painful, inspiring, and heartbreaking – a cornucopia of deep feeling. Love lost, self found. I shed enough tears to fill an ocean, but discovered the hope and strength to find my way through the darkness.

I was laid off from my project management job and spent several months finding myself and redefining my goals. Similar to 2008, I traveled and studied. I spent a good deal of time touring Ontario wine country, and visited my favourite haunts in Ottawa, Quebec, and Michigan. I drank tequila in Ensenada, explored the mysterious beauty of Iceland, and stood at the top of Mount Baker, Washington. I learned some additional modalities in energy work, applied to the American Institute of Holistic Theology, achieved my ACB (Advanced Communicator Bronze) in Toastmasters, and joined the Guelph Guild of Storytellers. I took several advanced CSS 2.1 courses and became a whiz at designing table-free web sites. My client base has grown exponentially and I am enjoying the prosperity that comes with repeat business from work well done.

2010 has seen me make some serious decisions about my future – in terms of career, finances, health and human connection and I am excited and passionate about everything that this year will bring.

Goals for 2010

• A full detoxification of my body, mind, spirit
• Be continually conscious of my health and diet / fully embrace a raw food lifestyle
• Get back into yoga and martial arts
• Finish and submit all coursework for yoga teacher training
• Attain my Zend Certified Engineer designation
• Achieve my ACS (Advanced Communicator Silver) designation in Toastmasters
• Become the Guelph Area Governor for Toastmasters

2009/earlier goals that didn’t make it

• Learn Flex – not sure I am going to bother anymore
• Return to Halifax (Easter?), visit San Francisco (in the Spring perhaps)
• Apply to grad school – not sure I am going to anymore
• Get my Registered Practitioner status with the Canadian Reiki Association – still a goal
• Write my exam with the Certified Personal Trainers Network – not sure this is a goal anymore
• Master of Herbology with Dominion Herbal College – still a goal

Happy 2010… and may the new year bless you with health, wealth, and wisdom… and hope.

“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.” – Vaclav Havel