[George]

Another take on this sentiment: “If I hadn’t believed it, I wouldn’t have seen it”

• This reply was modified 1 week, 6 days ago by  George.

[Mark]

I like this one also- “Believing is seeing. You see things not as they are, but as you are”

[Carl Thomas]

People did not realize how true those phrases are Phrases like that and other ones I live my life by

[Deb McCaffery]

These are all great!

Here’s one to add to the list…

Seeing-is-believing is a blind spot in man’s vision.

R. Buckminster Fuller

[Dustin]

We got some great quotes here! Hey folks, we’re here with another Thoughtful Thursday post!

I want to touch on Cho Kiu and Fay Jeong this week. In our practice, we have to be real mindful of where our elbow is. If it’s too far, you have a pretty big disconnect in your structure. If it’s too close, you have something that is going to clog your structure. What has been your experience with these two concepts? Has it been easy keeping your elbows in the right position, or do you struggle with it still? It’s okay if you still struggle with it–this is a concept that a lot of folks struggle with, given that a lot of us start our training with a mindset that doesn’t account for elbow positioning.

Truthfully, I still do struggle with Cho Kiu and Fay Jeong at times. My go-to in addressing my elbow position has been the tried and true shaka (spelling?) distance check, and the blindfold. More so the blindfold. Because of how reliant I am on touch, I tend to remember what feels right and what feels wrong. The blindfold helps me cement that memory. It’s a great tool in remembering how something should be done (like in this case, elbows) as opposed to what I think feels right.

[Deb McCaffery]

Hi Dustin! Nice to hear from you! I seem to struggle more with cho kiu. Sometimes I feel like I’m doing the T-Rex thing. Tonight I went to the karate school where my son and I train and we did some self-defense drills facing a mirror. I noticed right away that my elbows were in towards my center (no chicken wings…my shields were up, for those of us who are Trekkies) so that made me feel pretty good! Now if I could get out of Jurassic Park I’d have it made!!!

[Deb McCaffery]

Here’s a saying I’d like to share with all my fellow Dragons. I found this at a local thrift store. There was no author. Whoever it is, though, he or she is very insightful…

“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.”

[Dustin]

Howdy folks. It’s Thursday, so you all know what that means!

I’ve been thinking about a quote from one of the books that is recommended highly here. The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan has a saying on the back cover: “In stillness, there is movement.” I want to look at this quote from the angle of progress. I can’t speak for everyone here, but progress is hard for us to see when it comes to ourselves. You think that you aren’t making enough, but in reality, you are, you just happen to be the last to notice. Some things are easier to gauge, like achieving a certain time on a Siu Nim Tao, or a target BPM on the Mook Jong. But what about your structure development? You’re following everything to the letter, but you still don’t know if it’s enough. Well, that’s where this quote comes in. You may perceive your progress as still, but because of the internal nature of our martial art here, there is movement.

So remember this when you’re thinking on your progress: in stillness, there is movement.

Also remember: this doesn’t mean you can slack on your training! Keep going at it!

[Sifu Adam]

I really like this one Dustin!

[Deb McCaffery]

Good one, Dustin! And I like how you elaborated! 🙂 I think, too, it might mean that we should give ourselves time to understand and appreciate. I think the world is full of “Faster…faster…faster!!!” “More…more…more!” “Be the first.” “Be the best.” I think we should be our PERSONAL best. Take however much time we need and enjoy the process. Be present. If it takes a month instead of a week, that’s okay! Take your time. Give yourself however much time you need to understand, and appreciate, what you are doing and where you are. Let’s not compare ourselves to others. Remember, it’s not the destination. It’s the journey.