keep on trying

I've been strugling with my kung fu lately. It's been tough going. I want to stay positive for myslef because I am really good at trashing myself. Excuses are endless and I've used them all. Staying positive is the only way to turn this around. By accomplishing little goals every day I can come back. One foot in front of the other keep on trying. I am cleaning my house more often. That was a goal for the year. I am eating healthier as well. Still prefer the fruits and veggies for snacks at work. Tom's cooking all the time so I have healthy lunches. My studies are continuing. I even got a 78% on a test I had recently. I haven't been blogging at all. My apologies for that will keep on trying to do better.Now to start on my kung fu and get that back on track.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

focus

Staying focused in my kung fu is a lot harder than i expected. being mindful has helped however I now have to pair it with a focused goal. When I commit to things I have to have more follow through. My studies are doing well but my practice for kung fu has really taken a turn for the worse. So Here's to staying in the moment and  on track. Where am i? What am i doing?  I will get better at this. words only go so far. My actions are going to have to reflect my commitment. I know all of us are struggling with this but we can do this. Failure happens only if we stop doing.
I had to clean out the fridge last night we pulled it out and did the floor as well. I got some laundry done and a load of dishes as well.
Had hamburger helper with veggies for lunch and supper.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

keep on track

Still finding it hard to keep on track. This has certainly been a challenge for me. I am finding myself thinking about my kung fu far more often than if I wasn't on the team. Even if my numbers are lacking I'm appreciating the value of our team. I am compelled to write because I like seeing everyone on friday and we share about what was written last time. I try to read as many as I can to stay current. This is a very hard challenge to undertake however the rewards are staggering to my personal well being.I can only say I will try harder to keep up with my efforts.
Had pork roast mashed potatoes and corn with gravy for supper and lunch then had a plum and some cherries and a nectarine for snacks.
Did a lod of laundry got some dishes done put away laundry as well.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

scare

Had a bit of a scare yesterday. Randy is fine now however he left a message for me on the phone when I got up at 430 and all he said was mom i have to go to the hospital please pick up. I was asleep when he left the message and  it was sent at 930 am. I called Tom no answer called hospitals not there. so tried stony plain and he was there but had been released. Tom came home from work and I asked him if he heard from randy and he said no. I told him Randy's message and He suggested we call the hospitals to see where he could have gone too. Randy came home at 6pm with 8 stitches on his hand because he cut it at work. I was so re leaved he was fine. I had to stay and make sure he was ok. All this has to do with my journey is if I had stayed calmer I might have saved myself some anxiety after all he did call to leave the message in the first place so it couldn't have been life threatening. My mind raced ahead and assumed the worst.
We had Opa for supper I had the calimari and fries and a skewer of lamb. then had blt for lunch some cherries  and an apple
Did dishes put rest of laundry away
Sifu Jeannette Langner

performance

I'm super excited about our decision to make up  our own demo. My group has all different weapons and it is making me think of ways to choreograph all of them together. It is helping me by staying engaged with my kung fu. no matter how much we want to quit we still find new things to keep us engaged. That really is the key word. I find myself thinking of everyone constantly and my own accountability to everyone as well. Our performance is giving me the opportunity to strech my kung fu limits to come up with a demo for our team. My group is Sifu Playter and Sihing MacDonald. It has me thinking how to effectively use my fan in combat. This is all very exciting to me and I hope others join groups to make a really great demo our school can be proud of.
I did laundry and put it all away and dishes and put it away then took out garbage.
Had chicken and ravioli for supper then asparagus soup for lunch and some cherries and an apple.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

repetition

Repetition is this years mantra.All practice is for naught without mindful repetition to stay on track. We are learning Lion dance  and I never thought I could do it. It really looked hard. I am glad for the opportunity to learn it now. I never knew how fun it was. I will have to start spreading the news of my new found joy. Lion dance rocks. Now for more repetition to get better. ahh joy.
I have embraced this process whole heartedly since getting my black belt. the amount of repetitions it to to get me there was well worth the effort. I like how I'm learning to refine this process to get more out of it.   Turning my thinking from coarse to refined. Quite the challenge. Hence the repetition to eliminate the thought process.
Did not have time to do much got dishes done and took out the garbage
Had pork steak and salad and potatoes, ditto for lunch and some cherries and a banana.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

holidays done

Had a great set of holidays. Stayed here and had a blast at Canada day. My injury may have slowed me down but I seem to thrive on adversity. I try harder to get what I want when it's beyond my capabilities. So on a positive note I am finally learning to feel my shoulders relax. I've started Tai Chi again and my injury will help eliminate some of my bad habits. It's forced me to turn properly with great care. But this is the correct way I should have been doing it all along. Yay injuries we learn so much from them. I hope to be better off for the next round of demos so I can participate this time.
Had watermelon, nectarine and plums for breakfast. then had hot dogs for lunch then had donair for supper and a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert.
Did dishes took out garbage. cleared table and cleaned counters
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Canada Day

What a great turn out for our team. We really came through for each other today. My first time at a ceremony fro citizenship. It really struck a chord for me. I tend to be one of those people who take our country for granted. All those people were so happy today and being a part of it made me feel good about myself as a proud Canadian. Our team did push ups and sit ups sporadically wherever we went. We executed a cool demo on a bridge no less. We saw board breaking we did forms It was a great day to be in team Horse.
I had watermelon and carrots and celery for brunch not sure what's for supper.
Doing laundry and getting dishes done and taking out garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

back on track

Ok big apology to the team. I feel bad for the leave of absence with no excuses. Moving on going forward. I can do better. I had a scare with my sister in law recently. We went camping last week and we had a great time. Except on the last day Tuesday when we were supposed to leave she wanted to stay an extra 2 days. Well when I got up that morning I did my usual routine and sat down to read for a while. Deb was asleep for once like really asleep. Randy got up and started chopping wood for her and I was packing up but she was still sleeping.  By noon we tried waking her up with no response so I ended up going into Hinton to get an ambulance for her thinking we can apologize later if she was fine. Turns out I saved her life by getting help. Her pancreas shut down on her and she didn't regain full consciousness until the Friday night. They brought her to the U of A  hospital and she is doing much better now. This has made me look at my own life with a new perspective. The time to act is now I may have injured my knee but I can still function. So here's to working around it and moving forward. Randy keeps telling me I only fail when I stop trying.
I had fruit smoothie for breakfast then left over steak for lunch with carrots on the side.  will have left over rice and veg with chicken for supper
Cleaned bathroom did dishes cleaned counters, did 5 loads of laundry from the camping.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

fun fun fun

That was a great Pandamonium for me again. I manged to do 240 forms. Here is the break down: 55 Fan 40 Mu lonKoon 20 of 18 temple motions 20 broadsword 20 Dragon 15 Kempo 15 Lung 10 Da Mu Husing 10 LaoGar 10 Hung 10 spear 10 stick 5 awakening the dragon. And I got in 42 min of sparing. I am so proud of what I did. We started the night off with our traditional Da Mu Husing There was no less than 5 of us at any given time so it went very well. I had a great time with everyone I trained with.
I had chicken with potato salad and some carrots and celery, then a BLT for lunch a bag of fruit a muffin
Did the dishes did laundry took out garbage got recycling ready for Pandamonium.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

anticipation

Pandamonium is upon us once more. I'm giddy with excitement.The event is a lot of fun for me. I get to see so many new people and interact with them all. I know my reps will go through the roof. Constant motion for 8 straight hours. I'll bring lots of fruit and some veggies. Maybe a sandwich or 2. Got my sponsor sheet going. Talking about our charities at work. It's been a great week. I have my replacement for work already so it's a 100% go time.
Had calamari and salad  for supper then  a BLT for lunch with another baggie of fruits and veggies for snacks.
Did dishes, got more laundry done. took out garbage, cleaned up the back yard.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

sick

Being sick is never fun. So why does the cold have to start on the last day of work then continue until you have to go back. Then it just becomes annoying. Alas this just happened to me. Almost called in sick then went and toughed it out and now it's a scratchy throat and an occasional nose drip. At least I can make it to class tonight. looking forward to that.
Had chicken for supper then bag of fruit and veggie for snacks then had a sandwich for lunch.
Did dishes, took out the garbage made the bed.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

tattoo done

Well I did it. I now have a tattoo on my shin. It hurt so much to get. I'm wondering if my phobia to the needle is about the pain factor. After getting  my tattoo it seems my fear is more about the aversion to pain. People say that a needle doesn't hurt however my mind has made it far worse than it actually is. The pain endured to get the tattoo was annoying and really irritating. Now   I look at getting my blood tests done in July and it doesn't scare me as much anymore. I feels like I've made progress with my fears. I will keep you all posted on this.
I did laundry 3 loads and put it all away then took out garbage and did dishes then put it away.
I had a chicken sandwich for supper the a BLT for lunch with fruit for snacks.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

pleasant surprise

I'm finding the more mindful I am of my kung fu the more opportunities keep appearing. This road to mastery is by no means easy but very exciting. The acts of kindness are making me more aware of how I can help others with no gain to myself and the rewards for this is the most incredible feeling.The forms are challenging and helping me discover new ways of learning. I was at a stand still in my Kung fu before I started this year. I see that now in hind sight. I am very grateful to all of you that I can continue with such a remarkable group of people. I see why some of you repeat this amazing process over and over.
I did dishes took out the garbage did laundry put away clothes and dishes then made up the bed.
Had chicken a healthy salad and shrimp dip then had strawberries for dessert with chocolate for lunch had asparagus soup and homemade grain bread with jam.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

act of kindness

I was in the superstore shopping last night and I got in line to pay and a gentleman in front of me only had one item.We looked at the line up and he sighed " I just have this one item I can't believe I have to wait this long." So I told him about the self check outs and he said the what? so I brought him over to them and showed him he didn't have to wait in the longer line. I asked him if he was paying cash or debit and he said debit so I showed him how easy it was to use.The Gentleman was so happy I took the time to help him. It made my night knowing I was able to help him out. Opportunities like this are everywhere and because of I ho chaun I am more aware of it. This has been a great personal growth. I don't think I would have noticed  before and now I find myself looking for these opportunities. Thanks everyone for keeping me inspired to do better.
I had a chicken sandwich for supper then a donair for lunch and an apple and a banana.for snack.
Did dishes swept the floors and took out the garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Demo practice

Went to my first demo practice. This was very exciting. It helped me get some much needed reps in all my areas of training. This is a fabulous opportunity. I plan to attend all I am able so my numbers can stay padded. The song we are using is new to me and it sounds great. I learned to listen for my Q and I actually heard it. My ear for music is not good so the fact that I was able to find my Q in the song helped motivate me yet again. This I ho chuan has a lot of great opportunities to participate. I am really enjoying this year.
Had steak and potatoes for supper with corn then took same to work. then had apple orange and banana for snacks and brought a bag of veggies.
Did dishes made bed, took out garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Regroup

Had a wake up call from Ms Gibbons. I will endeavor to post more often. Class was fun last night. We ran outside for warm up. The class averaged around 1min per lap so it was pretty impressive. I feel humbled by the white yellow class. They have that enthusiasm I've  been lacking in my kung fu. So I will be attending these classes to help me stay motivated to get my reps in.
I had home made pizza for supper then some won ton soup for lunch an apple and an orange and some strawberries for snacks.
Did laundry took out garbage. Helped with dishes.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Keep on Doing

April was  a lazy month. I'm not at all happy with myself. Procrastination does not make muscles. I can list a whole ton of excuses that don't mean much. So I start again.
Step one back to blogging. That really helped.
Step 2 Do the push ups and sit ups.
Step 3 Practice forms. Gain confidence with fan
Step 5 Blog about progress of start again.
I like this new logo of doing not trying. It's harder to put off when I say I will instead of I might.Knowing that everyone has been struggling with these same issues helps a little But it's time to unify our resolve. We will Do our requirements without fail. We will continue to move forward with our head held high because we are now Doing the work no longer trying.
Had meat loaf for supper then rice and pork tenderloin with rice for lunch brought bag of veggies had an orange and a banana for snack.
Did  the floors and cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed the living room. took out garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

progress

Had a good night. I was able to get some cleaning done. This was a good thing because it was all things that needed to be done. With Easter coming it's easy to forget our routine with all this extra time off. However I am proud to say I made all my reps last night of both forms.I even got more push ups and sit ups done. My studies are even doing good. So I feel good that I am moving forward again.
Had spagetti for supper and hot dogs for lunch then a granola bar for snack.
Washed all floors then did dishes then did 2 loads of laundry and put it all away, then vacuumed living room. took out all garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

closed mouth

I was recently held responsible for 2 mishaps that happened at work.Now normally I would go and convey my displeasure with the unfair situation however this time I chose to keep my mouth shut.
The first instance is I failed to put  a block between pallets, and when the driver had to brake hard the pallet fell over and caused a spill. The second instance I couldn't finish loading a truck so I put the paperwork back in the slot for the next crew to finish. The supervisor couldn't find the paperwork and the truck was late by 30 minutes.He said I hid the paperwork so it would be late.
In the first case I should have put up the block however I'll only accept 40% of the blame because I wasn't driving.In the second instance I could have told him on my way out about the truck then he would have known about it. However all I feel I'm negligent in the second case is my failure to tell him about it because I put the paperwork in the correct location.
The reason I'm sharing all of this is because normally I do go and vent my displeasure with the bosses.
This doesn't work out for me and I usually make it a lot worse.This time I spoke only with my supervisor and she helped me go through all the scenarios and helped me see how things went haywire and I just happened to be the unlucky person caught in the situation. So for once I feel better because I was able to let all the hot feelings die down and looking at it objectively.  I can improve in these 2 areas. I feel I am finally keeping my mouth shut at the appropriate times and found a more constructive way to deal with the situations.
What this has to do with Kung fu is this. I am 100% responsible for my actions or lack of action. By keeping a cool head and not blowing my stack I was able to take the criticism and use it to improve myself.
I did dishes, took out the garbage, swept the floors and made the bed
Had steak and tortellini for supper with a salad. had wonton soup for lunch and had a banana and an orange for snack and a granola bar.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

note to self

This is  a note to self time. I will get back to my reps in forms and push ups and sit ups. Have fallen off the wagon as of lately and I will not quit. so buck up and go do those reps. I enjoy them so should be fun. keeping it fun goes a long way. I will endeavor to log my progress daily again and show a good week on friday. no excuses just got lazy.
Had hamburger helper and veggies for supper. then had the same for lunch and a granola bar. then had a banana and an orange for snack.
Did blankets in laundry, cleaned kitchen, made bed,put away all laundry
Sifu Jeannette Langner

full fan form

I'm so excited. Sifu T Playter performed the form in its entirety for me last night and Sifu Wiebe was kind enough to record then send it to me. I watched it avidly again and again.It is the coolest looking form. I have a ton of work ahead of me. I hope to purchase a bamboo fan to learn the catch from behind. My metal one hurts to miss. All in all a very good night. I stayed for San Sou so I got more learning in.
Did dishes and took out garbage rest of time was kung fu and work.
Had 2 hot dogs for quick snack before kung fu then had last half of hot dog when I came home and brought bag of fruit and strawberries, and orange then had ginger beef with rice and noodles.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

focus

Staying focused and on course is much harder than I anticipated. It seems I can't stay motivated beyond the moment. I get up to start my chore and get sidetracked by just about anything. hunger TV, laziness, all contributing factors to my lack of progress. This is why blogging has helped me. I write about my failures then it gives me the kick in the pants I need to keep trying. I know I have really failed when I stop trying. So for those who do read this keep blogging and keep in touch. I do need this.
Had hamburger helper for supper and lunch with some fruit and an orange, 2 buns.with margarine.
Did dishes took out garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Weekends

For most people this is just a Monday for me it's Sunday. Yes I get Sun/Mon off. Had a good night. did some housework and had my lessons with my sister-in-law. She assigned me more homework and I came home and got some of it done. Will make an extra effort to be in class this week.Had enough slaking, time to get back to business. We got 2 new students on Saturday morning. My co-worker took her kids in and signed them up. I feel really good about this because I am very proud of our school and I can finally speak with someone about it from work. They had tried a school in St.Albert and they were unhappy with them. I kept telling her about our program and they are now able to make it to the classes.So I feel like I was able to contribute to their welfare.
Did 3 loads of laundry and put it all away. Emptied the dishwasher then refilled and ran it. Took the garbage out to the curb. cleaned all the counters in kitchen.
Had chicken alfredo for supper then a cheese sandwich and 2 burritos for lunch then had some fruit for snack.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

time managment

Friday's here and it's Kung fu day. 4 fun hours of Kung fu tonight. I will make sandwiches in the morning. Then when I get up I'll eat one then get some supper after San sou then get lunch for work. So I have finnaly found the best way to do all 4 classes. sleep early in morning, get up early, eat, then drink lots of water, then eat work and sleep again. This may not sound like a big deal but it is to me. I need so much work on my sparring and this has already helped me tremendously. So I will endeavor to keep on staying for all 4 classes.
Cleaned fish tank, did dishes, made bed, took out garbage, helped with shoveling.
Had pork steak and potatoes, then had rice and pork for lunch with an orange and an apple, then had a bagel and a lemon poppy seed muffin.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Cleaning

As you may have noticed I am listing all the chores I do every time I blog. This is one of my requirements for the year. I'm trying to improve my time management skills. I am struggling with this because I stopped doing it consistently. This requirement has made me more aware of my time table and my lack of planning. So going forward I will have to do a different chore to compliment the ones I currently do daily. I need to stay on top of this because my home still needs a lot of work. Staying positive I can do this and change my lifestyle.
Had hamburger helper for supper and lunch then had an apple and an orange for snacks.
Did dishes took out garbage, made the bed, swept the floor.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Fan

My weapon is the fan. Although I haven't got the whole form yet I am enjoying the many uses it has as a weapon. Doing the form has shown me the graceful style of it with the challenge of continnuallly keeping the proper grip on it. This is harder than I first anticipated because of all the ways I have to hold it. I find the whole form very circular and it looks rather graceful when I can do it without losing my spot. All in all I am really enjoying the weapon I have for the year.
I had lasagna for supper and pork tenderloin with rice for lunch. then made a smoothie for a snack.
Did dishes did a load of laundry. Re made bed, took out garbage swept the floor.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

feista

We had a great time last night with my brother. We celebrated spring. Hopefully now it can come for real now lol. Seriously we had a great evening and got lots accomplished. My studies are doing very well.so it was a very positive night for me. We had lasagna and Cesar salad for supper and a nice fire going in the fireplace. We bought special additives to make the flames change color. A good time was had by all.
I had leftover   lasagna for lunch and some fruits for snack.
Did dishes put the garbage to the curb for pick up, swept the floor, made the bed.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

friendship cup

I was contemplating our challenge with the friendship cup and it seems I am learning more from all the blogging that is being done by the active participants. Now I know all of are are supposed to however if you can't attend the classes or any meeting this is our only contact. I have learned so much already from everyone's posts. Imagine how much better this can be if you all participated. This really does help me stay mindful of my kung fu, or even my personal goals. This is me begging Please blog and let's get this team going with 26 new blogs this week. Yay team Thank you in advance I promise you won't regret it.
Did dishes,took out garbage, made the bed
Had chicken with potato salad, then had beef with rice teriyaki for lunch, an orange,apple
Sifu Jeannette Langner

staying focused

It's almost the end of march and I feel annoyed with myself. I had all these great ideas for getting my goals accomplished and I find I need to kick myself in the butt. This is why blogging is so vital. I can blow some frustrations out and I feel better. I will start doing my sets of pushups and sit ups in the mornings. I have to make a rule for myself. They have to keep going. Find ways to get forms in as well. should be happening on my days off. Why not??? I need to stay engaged this will not succeed if I am not engaged. Big breath in focus my mind focus my body. Where am I? What am I doing? Yes this mantra really works for me. So onward with a lighter heart and a spring in my step time to do my sets.
Had pizza for supper 2 slices, 2 slices for lunch and an apple and a bag of fruit.
Put laundry away did dishes and took out the garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

family

Now I know I've committed a year to the team. However I will take the time I need to celebrate my husbands birthday. It was yesterday on St.Patricks day. Hence his middle name Tom Patrick Langner. Now this doesn't mean I've lost sight of my priorities. I think of them constantly. I won't neglect him because he is such a big part of my life. I feel OK with this as a high priority in my life and I will still continue with my commitments to the team. Had a good night with him we watched a movie and had bar-b-cue steaks. A very pleasant evening for all.
Did dishes, 2 loads of laundry, took out garbage.
Had steak and tortellini for supper then a fruit smoothie for a snack, and bowl of noodle soup for lunch.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

blogging

I have been blogging as much as possible and I was dead set against it at first. However I am starting to see the value of it. sitting down and writing about kung fu is not so hard. By doing this I am mindful of it  much more often so I try to do things on the list of requirements. By blogging it keeps everything front and center for me.For those of you who think you have nothing to say, just sit down and answer one theory question. then post and voila you have just blogged. If you go back to my first ones that is how I got better at this. So keep trying and you will see results. once a week is minimum try every second day to get the habit. Try it you'll like it. I'm starting to wonder how I did without this wonderful blogging.
I did dishes, cleaned the table swept the floor, took out garbage.
Had hamburger fro supper then beef and rice teriyaki for lunch and a bag of fruit.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

glasses

I have to make an eye doctor appointment. I finally need glasses. I can't see things close up anymore it's all fuzzy now. I am quite  proud I've lasted until 45 before needing them. I hope it will only be for reading. I'll have to keep everyone updated.
Did dishes, took out garbage, cleaned counters
Had chicken helper for supper and lunch. took a bag or fruit and a pretzel bagel.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

scars

We had a nice visit with Romeo last night. He belongs to Sifu Playter. They adopted him from SCARS. I was pleased to find out how the group actually goes out and rescues theses animals. I was very touched because all these years raising money for them and then to actually see the results. WOW just made me realize what truly outstanding cause this is. He was the friendliest dog I've ever met. Really touched me. Thankyou  Sifu for sharing your story with us.
I had Dairy Queen, a burger fries and an ice cream, then had spaghetti for lunch and some cottage cheese, and a bag of fruit
Did dishes, took out garbage cleaned counters.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Spring

The weather is definitely getting warmer I'm going to take the opportunity to go for walks at lake chikakoo. I should be able to get my 1000 kms. I planned on doing the walking for this challenge and the paths are all mapped out with how far you travel for each leg. this way I can track it with a pencil and paper. I'm just not into high tech gadgets. I'm still trying to figure out my own computer.
I had spaghetti for supper and lunch, then a bag of fruit, a bowl of cottage cheeseand a doughnut.
I did dishes took out garbage got 2 loads of laundry washed and put away.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

studies

My studies are back on track. I had a good class last night and we are following up with more tonight. I sat down and started note taking and it all just poured out. I'm quite pleased with this progress now to keep the momentum going. have to keep on reviewing notes then making new ones as we go. Falling behind is not an option I have to entertain. Slow and steady will serve me well here by staying on top of this I can see this requirement succeeding. Lots more work to go but a good start.
Did a major bathroom cleanup, sink, toilet, shower,tub,all scrubbed and clean, floor washed, counters wiped,garbage out good nights work.
Had pork stir fry with veggies and noodles for lunch and supper, then had smoothie in the morning.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

thinking

I am finding that the more I try to force an idea to come the less success I have. So I spoke to Sifu Playter about and his answer was quite simple. Think about your kung fu everyday and I can write about any thought I have on it. I have been noticing that I get very lazy in certain areas and It's tougher than I expected to stay on top of everything. Then I take a calming breath,which really helps then I tackle one thing at a time and before I know it I've caught up again. Butterfly breathing at any time is a great way to bring me right back in the moment and reminds me of what I'm doing. It has even helped with today's blog.
I had pizza 2 slices for supper and 2 slices for lunch then a bag of fruit, an orange and a banana.
Was able to get garbage out and do dishes.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

out of practice

Had a good time last night. First time I was able to spare in the san sou class. I have a long way to go. will be attending more often because my training is lacking in this area. I hope the team has patients with me.It certainly reinforces the adage use it or lose it. On a better note I had a great time. I learned more effective foot work and learned some new terms. I now know about a cut kick and that each time you kick your opponent above the knee you get a point. This is very cool. A whole new world right at my fingertips and I was to scared to try it. My fear of sparing has definitely lessened a great deal from when I started. I am quite proud of how far I've come with it. So come one come all the san sou on fridays is worth checking out.
I had Wendy's for supper last night but I did bring the rest of the meatballs and pasta for lunch and I managed to get a bag of fruit and a bagel.
All kung fu then work now back to sleep sigh no cleaning today.Still managed to take garbage out.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Pandamonium

Well it's back! Another year has gone by so fast. May 24 is the big day. I will be taking the Friday night off work so I can attend again. Should be lots of fun. I'll be there from 12 to 8 in the morning. Constant motion for 8 hours. I want to set a goal for myself this year I would like to get 50 reps of each form and talk about our charities with one new person everyday from now until May 24. I would also like to get in 60 min of sparring. 1000 pushups and situps. This can be our best year ever we can definitely get a head start on preparations. Go team go.
I had meatballs and pasta with tomato soup. then took some to work. had an orange for snack and a bagel.
Did dishes, took out garbage, cleaned counters , made the bed, cleared snow for sammy our dog
Sifu Jeannette Langner

center

We have been working a lot on foot work and I'm noticing my center is staying low without over extending my reach. I'm finding by concentrating on proper foot work I have become more aware of my centering. This is fascinating because it revolves around the six harmonies and getting them to stay in sync.Having my shoulders  in sync with the hips I can effectively ground my force vectors to go through my foot all the way up to the fist. All these great benefits by practicing our foot work. Staying in my center is not so challenging with proper foot work.
Did dishes ,took out the garbage, cleaned counters.
Had pork chops for supper with salad then took sandwich for lunch had fruit bag for snack and 2 crescent rolls.I've even managed to stay away from Timmies this week.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

empathy

With pandamonium coming up we all need to get our thinking caps on. I find knowing about two of our causes helps us motivate others. If you are an animal lover SCARS is for you. world hunger bothers you helping hands. Suicide prevention go with simon poltney foundation. My point is being passionate about a cause helps generate the awareness than if you simply list them all off. Talk up your favorite one and that is the best way to get the message out there. Know what they all are but people generally respond more to someone who is enthusiastic about a cause versus someone collecting money. Emphasize the connection each one has to our school. Not many people know exactly what the money is being spent on like we do. This is our time to shine lets grab a hold of a cause and make it our own.I like the helping hands and the children's ability funds so I will be focusing my energies to learn as much as I can about each one so I will have all the pertinent information ready.
I had chicken with a salad and mashed potatoes. for lunch I had 2 sausage rolls. and a fruit smoothie in the morning.
I got groceries, did dishes put out the garbage, put laundry away, made the bed.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

personal goals

I'm finding the personal goals as challenging as the kung fu ones. My house is looking nicer. I'm feeling better health wise by eating smarter. however I took on religious studies and my first quiz is on Sunday. I am feeling anxious about it. It's like I'm in school again lol. So I will be busy studying for it all week. I also have to journal for my program as well. I must say I've taken up a lot more journaling this year. I've asked Randy on some study tips so I can recall what I've learned. I'm so not used to school work.So yes this is rather challenging especially when I am held accountable for my results.
I had hamburger helper with a salad, tomato soup for lunch and a fruit smoothie in the morning.
I did 2 loads of laundry and put them away, did dishes, took out garbage the set out front for pick up,put away dishes as well.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

priorities

Randy told me about the meeting and priorities came up. I've struggled with my priorities for a long time. I was even hesitant to join IHo Chuan because I knew that the once a month meetings were going to be very difficult to attend. They all happen while I'm sleeping during the day. Now this really bothered me. It's one of the mandatory requirements that I knew would be very hard for me to attend. Mostly because I have to work that same night. Yet I still chose to join knowing this would be a miss. So I have endeavored to blog as much as possible to keep myself mindful of my kung fu. As I have stated before I don't care for blogging at all. So this is still a struggle to maintain.  I think I'm doing pretty good so far. I came into this knowing I couldn't make the monthly meetings and I am trying to stay engaged with as many people as I can.So I have come to accept that my sleep for work is a good priority for me. I try to attend as often as I can throughout the week in the evenings so yeah I think I can live with the compromises I have to make to be on this team.
I had chinese take out for supper and lunch, rice noodles, beef, chicken,veggies, chocolate fondue for dessert. had an orange and pretzel for snack at work.
Did dishes,took out garbage, made the bed,
Sifu Jeannette Langner

foot work

I've really come to appreciate how much our foot work helps with the 6 harmonies. My punching and centering are improving steadily by paying attention to this. We have been working a lot on this and I'm grateful we did. It's easy to become complacent with our kung fu or even bored. When we start looking at it in all these different ways I really appreciate how much I have yet to learn. Being a part of this group is helping me to look at my kung fu everyday, every moment and I'm starting to understand the passion everyone has for it. I've lost it somewhere and I'm glad my passion is returning. Thanks again to everyone I really like being apart of this group.
 I had chicken for supper then a piece of lumberjack sandwich for lunch and a banana,an orange,half a muffin.
I helped with dishes, took out the garbage,cleaned the counters, made the bed,swept the floor.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

promotions

We had a great class on Wed. 6 people were promoted. It gives me a good feeling seeing people move on in their journey towards mastery. I hope I was able to help them all in their quest for the next level. We have 2 new brown belts and 4 new Sihings. Congratulations to all of you. This helps me remember why I am invoved with this year of the horse.To watch and learn from eveyones sucesses and or failiures. It's always nice to see the excitment a new belt level brings to your training.
Had greek food for supper, a beef wrap, french fries. then a lumberjack sandwich, an orange, a banana, yougurt,
Took the garbage out, swept the floor, made the bed, did dishes,
Sifu Jeannette Langner

kind act

This still seems to be a challenge for me. I see people everyday and yet I find I have to think about how I can do an act of kindness for them. It seems I need to work on my social skills. Saying you probably do acts all the time is not true. Being nice and pleasant only goes so far. I get a better sense of accomplishment if I actually qualify my acts of kindness as a positive interaction with people, or doing something nice out of the blue. Making me think of them has really made me aware of how infrequent I actually do things for others. This requirement has really opened my eyes on my behaviors towards others. I am striving to improve this quality in myself that I was unaware I was  lacking it.
I had Indian food for supper last night then got a BLT for lunch and a pretzel, and a lemon poppy seed muffin.
We cleared out the cabinet and moved it to the living room. Then did dishes. Put the DVD's back in cabinet. Swept the floor. Made the bed.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

never quit

We are all reminded of how life gets in the way of things. Our health impacts a lot of our decisions daily.I have a physical annoyance and it prevents me from doing high impact exercises or running or jumping. Consequently my exercise regime is mostly low impact. Now this takes a lot of patience and perseverance. Seeing results with this method take a lot longer. I did get my black belt with perseverance. I cannot express in words just how special it was on that day I did get my black belt. I had to work consistently at my exercises and practices in order to achieve the level of fitness required. My knee injury was a blessing in disguise because I started training as soon as I could and I was able to grade within 2 years of the injury. This may sound tedious and boring however the sense of accomplishment is beyond words. So I am taking this year to heart and not quitting any goal. Slow and steady really does win the race. Keeping this up front in my mind is what helps me go on when my body tries to quit on me. I may not do 180 push ups a day yet but I am getting closer to the number. I can do 40 per set, 20 normal 20 triceps then 20 crunches and 20 leg raises. I really concentrate on those core stabilizers to help with my endurance. Staying to do the san sou on Fridays is hard because I really am tiered by that time and still make it to work.I will find a formula to make that class because I see the opportunity to get my sparring hours in.
Yes my physical limitations still keep me from going at full speed but I will never stop trying.
It's my birthday today so Randy is spoiling my by doing my chores,
I had pizza 2 slices fully loaded, then brought 2 more to work, had a  pretzel with mustard, a big glass of a fruit smoothie, and an orange.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

New language

Had another good nugget to share from wed class. Sifu Brinker mentioned how we all are learning the vocabulary of kung fu now we need to start making sentences that work. So our block punch kick is a sentence that flows. Not just block...punch...kick. He called it the vocabulary of motion. Thought it would be a cool concept to share. It makes me look at my forms in a new way to think of it as a story not just a bunch of moves. It definitely helped with my flow issues.Now if can just relax my shoulders.Sigh it is still a work in progress.
Had beef cube with noodles and mushrooms for supper then took some to work as well as a baggie of fruit and veggies.Also had a bowl of veggie soup and a bagel last night.
Did dishes, took out garbage, Swept the floor, cleaned counters,made bed
Sifu Jeannette Langner

alignment

We learned in the blue/brown class about body alignment. If we pay close attention to this it will greatly help with our 6 harmonies. When positioning feet for a technique it is best to have them with your lead leg slightly in front to create a circle of power. We line ourselves up for a hip throw and here is where it is critical. You can hurt yourself when you ignore your body alignment. Staying on top of our hips with straight legs takes a lot of practice to consistently lift your opponent.It was a really great class.
I had pork steak and corn with noodles.Brought last of the hamburger helper to work then had bag of veggies and fruit.with yogurt.
did dishes,took out garbage, shoveled driveway, swept the floors,cleaned counters
Sifu Jeannette Langner

update on tattoo

I had a consultation recently at Crimson Empire for my tattoo. I'm going to get it on my calf and it will be a rose with a blue butterfly. I'm kinda nervous about it so I scheduled my appointment for May 11th. Even left a  non refundable deposit so I have to go through with it. I had good news from my doctor about my dosage for my Thyroid pills and it remained quite steady all last year so I don't have to go back to see him for 6 months.Which also means my supply is good for 6 months and I he just wants me to schedule a  physical to occur in the spring. So Yay  more blood work.I will endeavor to actually make the appointment and do all the tests.
Tom has been with AMA for 10 years and they gave him a 50$ gift certificate for the keg. I had prime rib steak and garlic mashed potatoes. then I brought to work leftover  hamburger helper;and 2 baggies of fruit,and some yogurt.
I put away the laundry and did some dishes then I shoveled Sammy's runway in the back. Cleaned the counters.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

push up

Well I am pleased to report an increase in my numbers. I am able to do 20 push ups at a time now. I started at 10 so I'm excited I was able to double that number.Documenting them in a journal has been helpful. We've heard it before however I am pleased to report the truth of this theory. I  don''t like to journal at all so this is also quite the challenge for me. This is making me more aware of how much Kung fu I actually have in my life. I'm trying to adapt it in new ways that are helping me with my everyday life. I have more energy. I still tend to procrastinate more than I'd like but even in this I am making improvements. Being accountable publicly has motivated me more than I realized. This journaling  really works. So for those of you who aren't I highly recommend you give this a try.
I had chicken and potatoes with a salad for supper, then 2 more pieces for lunch and a fruit smoothie in the morning.
I did dishes, cleaned the toilet, wiped the counters, did recycling, and took out the garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Chuan fa

I was thinking about this the other day and it still awes me how our society dictates whether a word should be used over the other. I mean we know chuan fa is the Chinese word for  Kempo yet everyone recognizes Kempo before Chuan fa. Directly translated both mean law of the fist. one is Chinese the other is Japanese.
Yet society has a hard time accepting the Chinese version. With all this new technologies we create new words all the time. I recently discovered selfie is a new word. Meaning self portrait with your cell phone. This is now common knowledge. Yet we can't seem to create enough publicity for Chuan fa to be recognized in north America. People still want to know our style as Kempo or Kenpo.
I had pizza for supper, 2 slices. and lunch 2 slices, Then yogurt, and a  fruit explosion muffin. Shopping tonight for sure.
Was able to get another load of laundry done and put away , helped with dishes, took out garbage,swept floors.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

eye for detail

Had a great night at classes.What I learned was to pay attention to detail. To get more power in our punches there is a ton of things to keep track of.For me the biggest was how my feet are lining up when I deliver the punch.Keeping the heal on the ground and punching with my shoulders harmonized with my hips.You would be surprised a how much is tacking place for this to occur properly. So my advice is to keep on developing your eye for detail and it will make learning a lot more fun. Having questions for every class helps everyone in the long run.So I will be trying to have at least one question a week.
Had a chicken burger and fries from Mc Donalds then got a BLT from timmies,a vanilla yogurt a lemon poppy seed muffin, and a choc glazed doughnut. I really have to work on planning fri nights better.
Did dishes, picked up living room 
Sifu Jeannette Langner

kindness

I am learning a lot about myself from this task. I never realized how much I keep to myself most days. I find I have to go out and talk to people so I can find opportunities to do an act of kindness. It never occurred to me how little time I've spent interacting with others. On the plus side my days are much nicer because I am talking more and gaining a new understanding of people. I've even come to accept I don't have to like everyone and not everyone will like me. So I am trying to be more understanding with my feelings so I don't overreact to situations. This whole new self discovery is from looking for ways to help people. I'm finding this to be very cool. By engaging others I am learning new things I hadn't thought of.
Not such a good day only did dishes.
Had hamburger leftover for supper and rice and pork for lunch, then had fruit and we got some donuts at work for a treat.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Void

My thoughts on the void is a state between awake and sleep. I've been meditating and I'm finding it very difficult to stay motionless with a blank mind. I can't seem to turn the brain off. Then when I can clear it I get an itch that has to be scratched. This also takes me out of Alpha. So with a lot more patience I will continue to strive for the void in my meditations. I use a water fountain to help calm me. This state of being is very beneficial in our Kung fu because it lets us feel our moves as they are so we can then re examine and fix the mistakes. By going into Alpha , which to me equals the void, we allow ourselves to truly explore our art for what it is. This is mostly about a persons own view on it. The void tends to mean different things to everyone. However we do consider the alpha state as a close definition. There are other versions and the fun is discovering them all for ourselves.
I did dishes, laundry, garbage, bed making and put groceries away.
For supper we had Pork tenderloin with rice and I took some to work then had fruit bag and a lemon poppy seed muffin,and a strawberry strudel. Some fruit smoothie in the morning.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Hard work

The meaning of Kung fu is hard work. I've been thinking about it and that one phrase can mean so many different things to different people. It's all a matter of perspective. So instead of looking at it from all these view points I figure its a matter of degrees.It's a commitment to how much effort you put into your Kung fu in order to achieve  greatness. What we are undertaking in our I Ho Chua is a level of greatness.To achieve this level we are striving for It will take a lot of hard work to get there.
I had a good day. I had a bowl of Chunky soup a bun and a salad for supper then I brought a roast beef sandwich to work and a zip lock bag of fruit and veggies for lunch. then I had a bag of chips for break.
I took out the garbage. Did dishes. Got groceries. Cleaned the counters.Made the bed.

Sifu Jeannette Langner

Breathing

I was asked a question about breathing recently and we ran out of time so I didn't get to finish my thoughts on breathing.
Most people don't use their lung capacity to its fullest potential. We tend to breath short shallow breaths and then we wonder why we lose our stamina. When using proper breathing techniques your overall performance tends to increase because your body is receiving more oxygen. Our Awakening the dragon is the most helpful to regulate your breathing with deep cleansing breaths. Same with breathing in a horse stance. When we make a conscious effort to improve our breathing our endurance rises along side of it. I used these techniques while I was running. I concentrated on  my breath and length of stride and I found I was able to cover greater distances without winding myself.
I had steak and corn and tortellini  last night. Then for lunch I had my lumberjack sandwich. For snacks I had a bag of veggies and a strudel.
I did dishes, another load of laundry,put them away,made the bed, took out garbage.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

bowing in

I had a good weekend. We went over the bowing in ceremony tonight and the energy we produced by focusing our intent was exhilarating. We use it to calm our body and focus our minds. It also reminds us to leave or egos at the door.  We are all there to learn and our bowing in ceremony puts us all on equal footing. We start with our minds focused and we end by giving thanks to all those present that helped us learn something new about Kung fu. I usually find something new each evening. I'm encouraged because I'm hearing more questions are being asked in class.
We had a fondu for supper on Sat. night then I took a Lumberjack sandwich for lunch at work and I had fruit,yogurt, and a lemon poppyseed muffin and some chips. Last night we had Hamburger Helper with mushrooms and onions. Then for lunch Tom made us some Mac and cheese with wieners. Then I munched on some chips. Really have to cut down on the chips I should only get them once a week. Have to work on that.
Sat. I did dishes, took out the garbage, Cleared the table, Put the dishes away. Sun I cleaned all the fondue forks put the garbage out for pick up, made the bed,Did the dishes,Swept the floor.Today I've done laundry, put clothes away, did dishes, took out garbage Tidied up the living room
Sifu Jeannette Langner

teamwork

We had a good class last night. I made a deal with Mrs Gibbons to keep track of our push ups and sit ups to encourage each other to get them done. We will be bringing our log books every friday and compare notes to make sure we are still trying. Randy made a good point a day missed is not what hurts your numbers it's when you stop doing it for months at a time. So sifu Rybak and Mr Repay are going to bring their log books as well so we can all benefit from this. I encourage anyone else on the team to join in. This will help us all out to keep records of how we are progressing as a team.
I did dishes. took out the garbage. made the bed. cleared the table. put groceries away
I had chicken for supper then had a lumberjack sandwich at work, some chips a lemon poppy seed muffin, a bag of fruit and a cup of yogurt.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Black

I was pondering the question of why we all wear black. It seems to be a great equalizer of egos. When we all come in the same uniform we acknowledge that we are all here to learn. I also prefer the Chinese color of humility being black instead of white. Black is more forgiving if it gets dirty and fading is not so big a deal as most other colors. It also instills a sense of pride and community that I can say yeah that's my group. We are being recognized in the community for our works by our uniform. This years Canada Day parade will be my first because I will be trying to attend.
I cleaned the floors. I took out the garbage. Made the bed.Did dishes, cleaned counters.
Made hamburger with mushrooms,tomato,onions,beansprouts, noodles. Had leftovers for work. brought another bag of fruit and had a salad. and an apple. I even had a raspberry bran muffin.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Forms

We went over the 3 external harmonies and we applied them to some of the forms. In the blue brown class last night. We looked at Da mu sing and saw how it really helped with getting your feet and hands harmonizing. Hung was excellent for the hips and shoulders as well as achieving consistent stances.The third Harmonie being knees and shoulders this was found in several places of both forms. Applying these concepts of the six harmonies goes a long way to perfecting our forms.
I did dishes. Picked up fluff from the floor. cleaned counters. Made the bed. swept the floor.
for breakfast I had hamburger helper with onions and mushrooms. brought some to work for lunch and grabbed a fruit bag  and an apple.
Sifu Jeannette Langner

Tattoo

Today was a good day. I went to see about my tattoo. She was very helpful and my appointment will be on May 13 at 6 pm.
Kung fu was fun tonight. I learned the first moves to the fan form. I have lots to practice. I was able to do 3 sets of Mu lon koon. Tonight helped me see the importance of stances. I find them vital to forms and I was able to pass that on tonight. We also made a great observation in the blue/brown class tonight. We were discussing how our forms all connect together. Each one teach us something unique and useful tho adapt to Kempo. Lung teaches flow with breath. 18 temple motions is about relaxing the body to make our forms circular. Hung helps with finding our dot and keeping our force vectors linear.We can draw from all our forms to help us with Kempo.
For my cleaning I did the laundry. Changed the bed. Did dishes. Put the laundry away. Took out the garbage.
For breakfast I had a piece of chicken then I had Taco bell for supper. 2 soft tacos fries supreme and an iced tea. for lunch I had carrots celery and broccoli with dip. then for supper I had fruit from the fruit tray. 2 cups worth. My mornings start at 5 pm and I go to bed at 9 am. So my time lines are quite different than most people.

Sifu Jeannette Langner

number one

What a great New Year. I was blown away by the night. Best night ever. I loved the outpouring of support everyone had. I'm looking forward to the new year with everyone. I'm so proud of Randy's accomplishments, he really did great. I want to say thank you to all the volunteers  who made this a great day.
My goals for the year of the horse is as follows. I will be posting regularly updates on my diet and house cleaning. These are two aspects I would like to make a part of my everyday life and not be a chore. By sharing with you I can be accountable for my actions or lack thereof to instill a new way of living. I see this as a great opportunity to change things for the better.I know how tho lose weight and I know how to clean. I need to do both these thing more effectively so it complements my lifestyle and not hinder it. I want to have at least 5 chores listed as well as my food intake.
I have taken on some religious studies with my sister in law's help. I have 3 books I've been wanting to learn and I believe this is a good opportunity to undertake the course. We will  be meeting every Sunday night to go over exercises and readings for the week. It will be a lot of hard work but I feel up to the challenge.
I also have a phobia of needles I need to deal with. My doctor needs check ups with blood work and I need to get these done right away. Not in 6 to 7 months. I am going to promise to do these tests asap so I can get the help I need right away. To further this endeavor I've wanted a tattoo for years and I'm good with waiting for it. This year I will schedule an appointment for a tattoo and keep it.
Thanks



Sifu Jeannette Langner