Motivational Monday: Kick

Nineteen days until CMAT. Nine of those days are considered spring break. One of those days is a traveling day. Of the remaining nine days, we only have practice on seven of them (if you include tonight's practice), so in terms of organized practices, you have one week until CMAT.

Of course, the hope is that you continue to practice over the break and really, every day outside of organized practice, but still--seven practices until CMAT!

Not to frighten you or suggest anything negative, but is that enough? What do you still need to do in order to feel confident going to competition? There is still some time, but how do you proceed?

In terms of timing, the placement of spring break couldn't be better if you intend to train hard over your days off. Spend this week really working on the details and the basics. Condition and run your forms intensely over break. Then, after pushing really hard the first part of the following week, do light practices the couple of days before competition. Then, BOOM! CMAT! Kick butt. And done!

But it all starts now! CMAT will be here before you know it! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!

Motivational Monday: Get PUMPED!

CMAT is less than a month away! Now is the time to get excited. What better way to get motivated than seeing what craziness people less than half your age are capable of? You too can be a crazy Wushu child!

Jia you! Train hard! Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday: Unbreakable

I am not a large person, but I am still here.
I am not the smartest, but I can still think.
I am not the prettiest, but I can still smile.
I am not the strongest, but I can still do.

I may not have the answers, but I will find out.
I may not know the future, but I can see far.
I may not always be right, but I will do right.
I may not live forever, but I will live strong.

I may not be a beacon, but I contain fire.
I may not be a bird, but I can still soar.
I may not be a tree, but my roots run deep.
I may not be a bank, but I hold such wealth.

I am not a large person, but
My dreams are huge
My plans are sound
My will is strong
My spirit unbreakable

I am

Unbreakable

Motivational Monday: Reflection

Look inside yourself.

What keeps you going?
What is your fuel?
What do you need to thrive?
What are you after?
How will you get there?

Take a moment and think about it. You will find more fire within you than I could ever give you.

Motivational Monday: Motion

The motions are not enough.
They are merely the outline for your spirit to fill in.
They are the vessel to hold your intensity
The frame for your ferocity.
They are the streets to take you to glory
But your soul must make the journey
And your eyes must burn with fire
And each line of you must flow with intention.

The motions are not enough.
They are the foundation for the flourish
The axis around which to snap.
They are necessary and demanding,
Require craftsmanship and care,
Are the canvas on which to display your dedication,
But the colors come from passion
From fury and emotion
From clarity of thought
And purity of action.

Each movement is made of moments
Expressive and all yours
But only if you realize
The motions aren't enough.

Motivational Monday: Side Trails

Months of trying to go full speed will wear a person down, and it doesn't matter how well you're conditioned--at some point you succumb to fatigue.

Not physical fatigue, but mental fatigue. You start wondering why you are doing what you are doing, what difference it makes, and who cares. You question the validity of even dreaming you can reach your goals and worse, your goals become blurry and ill-defined.

These are the dark hours, when action is a chore and hope merely a shadow in the past. The road looms steep and never-ending before you. Simply stopping looks like the most pleasant invitation.

How do you continue? What pushes you forward?

When you are rested, the drive within you keeps you going. The fire blazes of its own accord. You can tell yourself that each step, no matter how difficult and painful, is bringing you one step closer to your goal. But when your soul aches for a rest and the motivational engine inside of you begins to sputter, do not be afraid to detour.

You are strong, and your progress shows it, but it is not a weakness to slow down to take care of yourself. Give it all you've got and then some, and when that gets you just short of where you're trying to go, look around you and refuel. Read a book. Watch a movie. Listen to music. Stand in the sunshine or in the pouring rain. Pick up a new skill. Talk to a friend. Let the universe rush into you and restore your soul, refocus your mind.

Keep your eye on the prize and always move forward, but don't discount the side trails and always remember to enjoy the view.

Motivational Monday: Stay Strong

I yell it to you towards the end of your form

When your legs start to shake
When it's hard to breathe
When your arms start to flail

At the start of the last section
At the end of each jump
At the hardest part of the ordeal


When you want to quit
When your mind goes blank
When your focus wavers

As your movements get slow
As your motions get messy
As you wish you were done

I yell it to you towards the end of your form
And say it with the hope that you will not just hear
But understand and believe

That that is all you have to do
To make it to the end in one piece

Stay strong.

Motivational Mtuesday: The Art of Practice

Sorry for the delay. Take a moment to ruminate on the art of practicing.

• Practice by living. Practicing twice a week is good. Practicing every moment is better. Find ways to incorporate what you want to practice into your everyday life. There are boundless opportunities to work on your posture, your intense gaze, your head snaps, throughout the day.
• Don't expect to be to perform at 100% if you practice at 75%. Treat every practice like a performance so that at performances you will be prepared to perform.
• Perfect practice makes perfect. You can practice all you want, but if you spend a lot of time practicing something incorrectly, you just get really good at doing whatever you're trying to do incorrectly.
• Find your weaknesses and address them. Sometimes this means being harsh, sometimes it means putting up with a little pain, but effective practice requires you to identify what you need to work on to improve and then take steps to improve.
• Find the joy. It is easy to get caught up in techniques and criticism, but take a step back every once in a while and remember why you're practicing. Remember why the work is worth it and smile. Have fun. If you're going to be spending all your time practicing, you might as well enjoy it.

I hope you had a happy Monday and that you have a wonderful rest of the week!

Motivational Monday: Goals Part 2

Somewhere in your life, written in bold letters on a sheet of paper that is taped some place you see regularly, is a single goal (you set all that up last Monday, right???). I'm sure it looks absolutely fantastic just hanging on a wall somewhere, but let's be honest, just writing down a goal and having it stare at you each morning as you brush your teeth does not guarantee anything.

Defining a goal is like picking a city to travel to. It gives you a direction to start heading in and gives you something to look forward to but, actually reaching your goal, like actually traveling to Paris, requires you to not just set your sites on the horizon, but to also make a plan and take action.

Now, take a moment and ask yourself: What do I need to do to get there? ("There," in this case, is your goal). Break it down--your big goal decomposes into smaller goals. Break those down too--those smaller goals probably breakdown into even smaller ones. Break it down as much as you need to, and at some point you will find that you have a large collection of little steps to follow. Start walking.

That is not to say that after you break your goal down into steps, that the steps will be easy, but they will be manageable. Tedious? Sure. Demanding? Quite possibly so. Sometimes discouraging? No doubt. And this is where people falter. 

"I have to do horse stance every day??? Yeah, that's not happening." 

"Running? Uh-huh..."

"I'm never going to be able to snap like head like that. Never ever. It doesn't matter how much I do it. Never ever."

And that's it. They're done. Goodbye, Goal. Goodbye, Paris. Done before they even left. And the scary part is how easy it is to just give up.

So, how badly do you want it? Because, let's be honest again, you're going to have to want it bad. Want it like it's life or death. Want it like it will define who you are for the rest of your life and beyond. And perhaps it seems overly-dramatic to put it in those terms, but that is how much you will need to want it  if you plan on traveling there by this route.

There are no guarantees. There might not be a prize. Paris could be swallowed up by the earth before you get there. The road could be twisted, lead you through the jungle, under the ocean and over the thinnest of air. Prepare yourself. Realize what you are getting into. Prepare for hardships, exhaustion and pain, and then go and experience all the hardships, exhaustion and pain. And embrace it. Find the joy in it. It takes action to reach your goal. This is action. And it's difficult, time-consuming, tiring. But it's worth it.

So, go! Do not compromise your goals. They may not be all that you are, but they are all you can be.

Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday: Goals Part 1

Activity:

1. Grab a sheet of paper that you don't mind writing on (preferably one with a large blank space) and a writing utensil (preferably a dark permanent marker, but as long as your writing utensil uses ink it is acceptable).
2. Think about your Wushu goals. The competition season might seem far off, but it will be here before you know it. Think about what you want to get out of your training. Think about what you want to accomplish when you compete. Do you want to master a certain technique? Do you want to simply compete at any level? Do you want to blow everyone away? What is it that you want? 
3. Come up with ONE goal that you really want to accomplish. This goal should make you stretch and work hard to achieve it, but should not be so lofty that you will not even get close to accomplishing it. This is the tricky but key part. Your goal should be something that keeps you moving forward and, upon reaching it, should make you feel like you've accomplished something of consequence. 
4. Phrase your goal. Put it in simple, concrete terms, state exactly what you want and start it with "I will..." The exact details about how you will reach your goal need not be included. This is like the thesis statement of your training.
5. Write your goal in large, clear letters on your sheet of paper using your writing utensil. It doesn't have to be pretty--just big and bold. End your goal with a period.
6. Sign and date your paper using your writing utensil.
7. Hang your goal somewhere you will see it every day (preferably multiple times a day and preferably early in the day, like right when you get up).
8. Let this paper remind you what you are working towards and inspire you to continue to work towards it.

I posted mine above the mirror in my room.

Setting a goal does not guarantee reaching a goal. More on reaching your goal next Motivational Monday!

Motivational Monday: Be Strong

When I look at the world, I can see the impressions of the ways things could be: bigger, brighter, bolder. I can feel the paths leading to these possibilities tugging at my pant legs, craving my attention. There are so many possibilities, and I, in one lifetime, would not be able to follow all of them, but a select few I will give my attention.

But reality can seem so bleak, and these visions can seem so bright. I tend to follow more paths than I have feet to follow at one time. But I can taste the future as vividly as I can see it, and to let it slip out of my hands would be like letting ice cream fall into the trash, so I will walk these many paths.

It isn't easy. There is so much ground to cover over such difficult terrain. Sometimes it gets stormy. Sometimes the trail burns. Sometimes I start to wonder, "Why?" Why put myself through such agony? What will be gained through such trial? And I can look around and still see the outlines of the ways things could be, but they are not strong enough to rid me of my doubts.

But sometimes, when things seem so bleak, and nothing seems to be going right, I hear footsteps and find my path crosses that of another soul. We are heading to different futures, but our trails converge for a stretch. There is no time to sit and chat, but let us talk as we walk our paths, and remind ourselves that though we are on lonesome quests, there are others out there to help.

I cannot tell you where you should go. And you cannot carry me to my goal. But I can encourage you to keep going on, because if the future you see is even half what I see, it is worth the effort and exhaustion. So when we meet on dusty roads, I will remind to be strong. That things get rough and the road is long and wild and lonely. Be strong, my friend. Be strong.

And I hope that when you, on your quest, come across another soul whose future burns as bright as yours, but whose heart is aching from unknown trials, you will walk with them for a while and tell them to be strong.

Motivational Monday: The Nature of "I Can't"

Happy Monday! You can do it!

"I can't" is a troublesome creature. Sometimes it is loud and obnoxious--will plant itself firmly in your way and wave its frightening tendrils as it screams reasons why you will not be able to do what you set out to. Sometimes it flashes red, expands its chest and charges at you, makes you cry by battering your head with all of your inadequacies. Sometimes it wraps itself around you and tries to suffocate the fire within you.

But it is not at these times that "I can't" is most dangerous. When it is in your face, you can fight it, yell back, prove it wrong. No. "I can't" is most dangerous when you don't realize it's there.

When it is not shouting for your attention, "I can't" finds other ways to hassle you. It hides in the corners of your mind and whispers to you. It tells you not that you can't do things, but that you should doubt what you can do. It taps into your vision of the future and tells you it is only a dream. It sticks it rotten toes in your way and attempts to trip you like the uneven slabs of the sidewalk do. And the scary part is that you don't even realize it.

You might even think that "I can't" is a safety, an excuse for when things don't turn out the way you want. But make no mistake--"I can't" is a monster that will eat out your spirit and drive if you let it.

There are, of course, physical limits and things that your body is unable to do at any particular moment. But do not mistake this for "I can't," because they are different things. Physical limits can be met, can be changed, can be pushed, can be challenged. "I can't" is surrender.

Do not trust "I can't." It tells you it knows the way out, but leads you to the door over the furnace. It promises comfort and a painless existence as it sucks the life out of you. "I can't" is no friend and deserves none of your thoughts or concerns.

Motivational Monday: Crazy Wushu Children

You see them at Wushu competitions--the little kids who do flips and can extend their leg up next to their ear and then fall into the splits--and right behind awe, you feel inadequate. These children, who can't be more than seven, are doing things that you could only dream of doing. 

It's easy to say, "Yeah, well, they're kids. They're squishable and fearless. Of course they can do all of those crazy things! If I had started doing Wushu at that age, I would probably be able to do all of those things too."

But, alas, you didn't start training when you were three. Chances are, you don't remember very much of what you did when you were three. And while, indeed, you are probably not as flexible as you were when you were a child and you have at least a decade more life experience than a child, age is not an excuse. (At least, not while your body is still healthy)

The main difference between you and that kid tearing up the mat is not your years. It's your fear. Fear of failure. Fear of looking like a fool. Fear of being judged, of being told that you're not good, of being laughed at. Fear of forgetting the movements. Fear of falling, of tripping, of not getting enough air. You have experiences that tell you to set your expectations low so that if they are exceeded, it will be a pleasant surprise. But when you step on the mat and all you can think about is all the ways things could go wrong and all the ways you must not mess up, you have stifled yourself. 

The mat is your playground--a place to have fun, to fly, to show-off. The impressive Wushu children might not think this consciously, but you can see it in their movements. You can see the energy and the joy as they move across the floor. They are not afraid to go big--were not afraid to try something new at practice and were not afraid to get up after their first failed attempt to try it again. 

Fearless? Naive? Who's to say. But why not try something new? Let go of your fears. Find the joy. And try it like you mean it. Because, yes, you are not that kid, but if that kid can survive learning those movements, why wouldn't you? 

Motivational Monday: Non-linear Success

Success is a funny thing. People tend to want to believe that it's directly related to effort--"If I put in a little effort, I get little success. If I put in a lot of effort, I get a lot of success." And for many situations that seems to be true, but success does something funny when you start to reach a certain level--it becomes non-linear.

Sure, when you were trying to learn something simple, the more you put in, the more you get out, but what happens when you're reaching the extent of your capabilities? What happens when your mind or body or spirit (or all of those) is strained and putting in more effort takes more effort? Then your Success-Effort curve starts to flatten out. You put in more and more effort, but you get the same level of success. It's frustrating. It's disheartening. It's what happens. You set a goal, you start moving towards that goal and as you get closer to reaching it, it seems to get more difficult to get to.

At this point, many people give up. The success that they wanted was too much for their patience given the Success-Effort curve they were on. Things get tough. People get tired. People lose interest...People let go...

But, like I said, success is a funny thing. Not every goal you set has the same Success-Effort curve. Some have curves have larger linear regions--you get the same proportional amount of success for your effort for longer. Some have steeper curves--you get just plain more success for your effort. Some force you to achieve levels of success that you wouldn't have otherwise--they pass through previously frustrating levels of success on a kinder curve.

So, if you find that you are hitting some threshold where accomplishing anything becomes discouragingly difficult, instead of giving up on the pursuit of that level of success, change your goal. Aim higher, further out, or just plain differently, and you might be surprised where the curve will take you.

Motivational Monday: Perfect Practice

Here is a video of the form we're teaching you.

As you watch it (over and over again), not only look at the movements, but also at the rhythm. Look at the accents, the flow, where the dynamics change. Look at the details--the head snaps, the arm placement, the stances. And find the differences between what you do and what the guy in the snazzy pink silks is doing. Really critique what you do and use your findings to your advantage. Write them down. Be as detailed and instructive as you can be. Next time you practice, change them. Or at least try your hardest to change them. Real improvement rarely  just happens--it is a product of conscious effort. But all the strife will be worthwhile, because practice doesn't make perfect--perfect practice makes perfect.

Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday: Self-Validation

The universe doesn't just hand you things (except on Mondays, when it hands you motivation).

Just me

That is all I have to mold into

The person I want to be

Be my own hero

Be my own idol

Not care what they think

Not care if they see

Not care what they want to see

I can only be me

I can only move myself forward

And will do so with such ferocity

That there will be no question that

I am the drive

Am the power

The hunger

The thirst

That makes me the change I want to see

That makes me the person I want to be

Uncompromising

Unforgiving

Tenacious

Almost vicious

It doesn’t matter what they think

I can only be me

And I will be me with such force

Such truth

That everything else won't matter

Be fierce. Claim your place in the universe. Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday: Challenge

I present to you a challenge. Bend down and touch your toes. Loosen up your hips. No, that wasn't the challenge--I just want you to warm up first.

Place your feet a little more than shoulder's width apart (and place your monitor somewhere you can still read this). Sink into horse stance.

Check yourself. Are your toes pointing forward? Is your tail bone tucked under? Is your chest up? Can you go lower? Make your back straighter?

Are you skipping lines of text hoping that you stumble upon the line where I say to relax? (YOU BETTER NOT RELAX YET) Are you breathing?

Check yourself again. Where are your toes now? Is your butt sticking out? Can you go lower?

Squeeze your abs. Tuck your tailbone under.

Are your legs screaming for you to stop? Your core pleading for a rest? Your feet burning from being placed at such awkward angles?

Adjust. Can you push your knees farther out? Shift your weight? Relax your shoulders? What is absolutely necessary for you to continue to hold your stance? And what can you relax?

Breathe. Your body will know when it cannot take anymore--in that moment your body will stop even if you tell it to keep going. It is your mind you have to train to continue to tell your body to go on even when things get difficult.

Keep going. Don't worry. I tested this challenge--read the words out loud as I did horse stance--you still have more in you.

Check yourself. Toes? Knees? Tailbone?

Jia you!

Keep breathing.

Ten. Nine. Eight...

...Seven...

Check yourself.

Six...

...Five...

Love the burn.

Four...

...Three...

Revel in the pain...

...

...Two...

...

Smile--you're almost done.

...

One.

Relax. You did it (unless you cheated--but you would never do that. Right???). It hurt. There were times when you wanted to quit. But you pulled through.

You can accomplish more than you think--more than anyone wants to tell you can, more than what you believe your pain threshold will allow. Tearing down walls is not a peaceful act, but living forever within walls is not a fulfilling way to live.

BONUS CHALLENGE: Do it again.

TRAINING CHALLENGE: Do it every day.

Motivational Monday: Get Out of Bed

Sometimes we just need some motivation... Happy Monday! 

Get out of bed, you lazy bum.

Words I should post over my bed, so that they are the first things to greet me when I wake up. I should also post them on the wall next to my bed, just in case I wake up facing the wall. And I should post them on my closet door, just in case I wake up facing the closet. Really, I should make them the alarm on my phone, so that they ring in my ears first thing in the morning.

Get out of bed, you lazy bum.

Harsh? Perhaps. Not a gentle nudge or a pleasant, “Time to get up, dear,” but when it’s Monday morning, the dream was sweet and the sheets still smell like Snuggle, those words could be a necessary jolt—a shock to get the blood flowing and a challenge to prove them wrong. I am NOT a “lazy bum.”

I must get out of the warm sheets, because if I lay here and make excuses—

“My body needs the rest”

 “A couple more minutes won’t hurt”

 “I’m still exhausted from yesterday”

--I am everything I claim I am not. I cannot accomplish things when I am unconscious, and man, do I have things I want to accomplish. There are dreams that I have when I am awake, more precious, more valuable and more extraordinary than the ones I have when I am asleep. And these dreams will not just pour out of my mind into being.  I must act. I must do. I must…

Get out of bed, you lazy bum.

There is no doubt that sleep is good and necessary. And it is not out of a lack of respect for my body that I say these words to myself. It is out of recognition that I am great, can accomplish what I want to, can stun, amaze and achieve--that I am worth the discomfort of opening my eyes, worth shaking the soreness from my muscles, worth the seemingly endless trek to the bathroom. I am so much—can do so much—and I must prove it, not to the world, but to myself.  I must earn my rest at the end of each day, sleep with the satisfaction that I did all I could, and the only way I can do this is if I

Get out of bed, you lazy bum.