What A Great Weekend!!

The last weekend was the Annual Fang Shen Do Training Day / Kids Olympics.  The day was broken down for the younger students to train in the morning, and then the adults to train in the afternoon.  I had the opportunity to talk to Sijo about the students and we both commented on the level of commitment this year’s student showed.  Many travelled for hours for the opportunity to receive amazing instruction and train with fellow students who are similarly committed to martial art excellence.  

As I have also heard Sijo say...“we can come up with many excuses not to train, but no good excuses”  

This goes very nicely into our Yellow Sash concept of Consistency and Effort.

I have written about this before, as I feel that this concept is a core success principle in anything.  Remember, if you never quit, you can never fail.  As Sifu Stephane talked about in the opening comments – Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb.  But he refused to give up……sounds a little bit like the Fang Shen Do instructors when they train – they never, ever give up.  The training that we have received has taught us that anything worthwhile is worth working hard to perfect.  

This type of Consistency and Effort is perhaps easier to discuss than it is to put in practice.  Of particular importance is to teach these core values to our younger students.  One thing that occurs with some students of the junior class, is spotty training.  Students will train for a month, take a month off, train for 2 months, then take the summer off – and they wonder why they are not getting better or why they cannot test for their next rank….?  

I think one quick glance at the attendance card will answer that question for them.  Fang Shen Do means the way of survival – besides teaching the most completed martial art, it also helps the students prepare for success.  You cannot be a part-time successful person – either you strive for excellence or settle for mediocrity.  

Back to the training day – I had the opportunity to work with a man that embodies the concept above – Sibok.  For the adult training portion, I was Sibok’s secondary as he taught almost 3 hours of energy drills to every rank (White to Black sash).  For those who have heard me teach before, you know that I feel that it is the energy drills, from palm phon sao to contact drill, which produces a superior martial artist and sets Fang Shen Do above other training.  Anytime that I get to touch hands with the other Sifu’s  - I learn a lot.  To get to spend that much time with Sibok was pure pleasure – I got to pick up many details that will help me strive for that excellence that I have been discussing.  You can always learn something, no matter what level you are.  

For those that chose not to attend, the following is what was taught:
Sijo  – Speed and Power drills (with special equipment that measured reaction speed and pounds per square inch-power)
Sibok - Energy Drills
Sifu Stephane - MMA Drills for speed and flow
Sifu Pat  - Grappling
Sifu Silvain  - Kicking drills

I would like to express my appreciation to everyone that was involved in the day – from the instructors who taught, to the organizers who made the day possible, and to the students who attended who made the day fun.  We all embodied the effort factor of Fang Shen Do and all got better because of it !!

Stay Solid,
Sifu Scott

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