Ask Questions?

Our Sihing class on Friday night was great.  At the end of our class we always have an opportunity to ask questions and there are always a couple questions that we receive answers and clarification for.  This most recent Friday, Sifu Freitag "encouraged" each of us to ask a question.  The result was tremendous.  There are many things that I am somewhat unsure of as it relates to our Kung Fu cirriculum, and now there are a few less as a result of the 10 questions clarified in class. More specifically, I am clear on the following:

Opening and closing a horse stance
Breathing in a horsestance
The five knife hands in Kempo
The final step in Stick 3
Sleeping hammers in 18 temple motions and the suttle difference in kempo

In each of these above I was able to take away a specific detail that provided a clarification that I did not have before.  Asking a question is a simple concept, but following through adds a tremendous benefit and when applied to a group the synergy is amazing.  Thank you for the encouragement Sfiu Freitag!!

Allan Gamble
Student Member
Silent River Kung Fu - Stony Plain, Alberta

Forms - Developing An Eye For Detail

All is going well in my UBBT world.  My physical requirements are progressing on schedule, and are enhanced by the high volume snow removal work that we are all experiencing in the Edmonton, Alberta area.  It is rewarding to help out families and neighbors with their snow clearing and random acts of kindness are benefiting from this snowfall.  We live in the country and there are many neighbors without tractors and blades to clear their yards and driveways. 

I have recorded 57 forms practiced year to date, including today, and I know that, outside of regular kung fu classes, this is more practice than I committed to forms for all of last year.  I am not proud of this but here is the benefit this year.  I am not spending time remembering the sequences, stances, techniques, and flow of each form, but I am now focusing on specific details within each form.  Hence, I am developing an "eye for detail".  Everyday I feel my forms are improving and I am starting to develop a confidence level that I have not had before.  I have been, and am planning to continue, asking two specific form questions at each weekly Sihing class and then implementing the knowledge for the next week of forms practice.  Also I want to thank Sifu Prince for the ''PhysOut" program for UBBT goal tracking.  This is a great tool for managing goal progress!  Have fun all, the snow is forecasted to subside this evening!!

Allan Gamble
Student Member
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

UBBT 2011 Annual Goals

Week number two is underway and progress is going well.  We all have been receiving extra conditioning as a result of the snowfall in our area.  I am publishing my UBBT goals for the 2011 year. 

Here is my learning so far.  I am very motivated each week if I know that I have a day off of push-ups and sit-ups, and have decided that Sunday each week will be a recovery day.  Also, I found out last night that if I practice a specific form ten times in one day, I receive a greater benefit than if I practice the same form only a twice a day all week.  With this in mind, I am dedicating myself to ensuring that I perform twenty forms each Sunday.  This also will reduce the daily pressure to ensure that I have enough forms for the week in total.  Have a great week!!

1/ 50,000 push ups

2/ 50,000 sit ups or equivalent

3/ 52 blogs

4/ 1,000 form reps (500 kempo and 500 other)

5/ 12 assignments completed and handed in on time (sihing requirements)

6/ 1,000 random acts of kindness

7/ 1 completed charitable fund-raiser as an owner and leader of the project

8/ reduction of purchasing plastic water bottles by 95% and reduction of using plastic bags when purchasing groceries by 95%

9/ no quitting

Allan Gamble

Student Member

Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

2011 UBBT 8 Ready, Set, Go!!

I am very excited to start the 2011 year.  I have set all of my goals for the Ultimate Black Belt Test 8 as a student member and am looking forward to the challenge.  New Year's Day will be fun filled with 1,000 push ups and 1,000 sit ups.  I have completed this task in previous years and have learned a lot about the process involved in developing a plan of attack.  I always start with the push ups first by completing in reps of 25 about every 10 minutes.  This works out to 40 sets and will take 6-7 hours to complete.  Once completed I will tackle the sit-ups with the initial 5 reps kicking out as many as I can.  I will then complete the remainder in sets of 25 with varying types of sit-ups working different core muscle groups.  Have a great day!

Allan Gamble
Student Member
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta