Why Not?

Last post was "Why?"
So it seemed fitting that this one should be "Why Not?"

Why not just stop all this "extra" stuff I've committed to... the writing, the losing weight, the stretching myself out of my current comfort zone, the reaching out to people of senior rank and/or differing Tae Kwon Do "lineage" than myself, and so on?

I certainly already have enough opportunities/activities/responsibilities to fill each and every day and then some.  And I'm talking about really wonderful, awesome, and fulfilling things I can and "should" be doing - or am behind on getting done...
I seriously never have a moment when I think, "Gosh I wish I had something to do..."
NEVER.

So "Why Not?" just let my very full, fun, happy, and exciting life go along on its current path?

Two main reasons I think:

#1)  I'm not done with Tae Kwon Do -
I'm not done learning and I'm not done teaching. In fact, with my two new knees, I feel almost like I've gotten my second wind.
I'm not the athlete I once was - but I want to find out again about the athlete I am now.

and

#2)  I do have quite a few senior rank students (6th Dans - a bunch of 'em)
I want them to have an opportunity to grow and advance if they so choose. There are simply fewer and fewer options available the higher one progresses in rank. I'd like to either verify an existing path and/or create a new one for them.

Hmmm...
Seems like I've answered the "Why?" (again)
as well as the "Why Not?" (as in "Why not stop all this extra... ?")

Which is a nice tie in to the very first thing I ever wrote about teaching martial arts.  It was a paper called "Two Sides of the Same Coin" and all about perspective.

Perspective... look for at least one post on that soon!

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz




   

Why?

Why am I writing this blog?
Originally... wait... let me go back and reread that first post... brb!
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OK I'm back... (just wanted to double check - it has been 27 days since I wrote that first post.)

So originally I said I'd write a blog every day to keep myself on track and accountable until June 11th - which I still hope will be a date that will work for a formal testing panel - but we'll see...

What I've found is that the process itself is making things better.  It is forcing me to take some time EVERY day to focus on my Tae Kwon Do (and martial arts in general) journey.

Tomorrow is the last day of February - a "bonus" February day.
Figures.
Originally I would have been like REALLY?!?! an extra day in the month?
Like it isn't hard enough already to write something every day - I had to get a year that has an extra day in it?!?!     : )
But now - where I am at this moment, today - I'm neither excited about the extra day opportunity nor frustrated that there is "more" to do, "more" to write.

Tomorrow is tomorrow - whatever date is attached to it.
I'll be writing tomorrow anyway whether it was March 1st or (as is the case) February 29th.
It is the next step along this "Growing" journey that I'm choosing and HAPPY to be doing.

"Change is the only changeless state." I believe that I first heard this Bruce Lee quote from Master Cat Fitzgerald at a seminar.

Master Andrew Trento has also told me that the theme for this year is movement...

"An object in motion, tends to stay in motion.  An object at rest, tends to stay at rest."  - Newton

I'm still here.  I'm still writing - but it's changing at least in my mind from an obligation to an opportunity - and I like that change.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

What is a Black Belt?

Yesterday I blogged about my Martial Arts Mission Statement of "Self Defense for your Life - not just your body."  That, and a timely phone conversation, got me thinking again about the very common question ... What is a Black Belt?

It seems to me that under black ranks are when we learn the basics of how to use the tools martial arts provides. Once we get to Black, the focus shifts to using these abilities to improve our "way of life."

Being a Black Belt has to be more than just what you can do - or do to someone else.
It has to be more than just about your abilities in the dojang, accomplishing tasks so that you can advance in rank, or your self defense skills in a physical confrontation.

Becoming and growing as a Black Belt has come to mean, for me at least, how to take the lessons (physical and otherwise) out of martial arts framework and into my everyday life.

For at least 20 years I've referred to this article "What is a Black Belt?" by Debra L. Pettis from the book Women in the Martial Arts - Carol Wiley.  I used to photocopy the very handout you see pictured at the top of this post - back before the "digital age" - and give it to each of my students.

In a very timely "coincidence" I found a copy recently to replace the one I'd lost in the flood. There are many good reasons to purchase and read this book, Debra L. Pettis' contribution being one of them.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Martial Arts Mission Statement...

What is your Martial Arts Mission Statement?

What is the foundation underneath the choices that you make
and the paths that you take both daily and long term?

Can you easily sum up why you still take and/or teach martial arts?

Some of my favorite "tongue in cheek"/funny responses to this:

              "I don't like violence - I just happen to be very good at it."
        OR
              "When I am old, I don't want them to say of me, 'She's so charming!'
                I want them to say 'Be careful, I think she's armed!"
                                                                                                       -- G. Stoddart

While those are fun (and carry their own weight of truth)
they are - at best - surface "answers"
and - at worst - misleading in their apparent focus and praise for the ability to hurt/injure/destroy.

My personal Martial Arts Mission Statement is about construction, helping, and healing
with a decidedly inward focus:

               "Self Defense for your Life - not just your body."

I try to use it as my touchstone for decisions and actions both on a large and small scale in Tae Kwon Do, Goju-Shorei, (currently my two main martial arts), and with regards of Self Defense choices in and out of the dojang.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Half a Glass of Water

So are you the pessimist, saying that the glass is half empty?

Or, are you the optimist, saying that the glass is half full?

Or, are you the engineer, saying the glass is twice as big as it needs to be?  *grin*

In my early life, up through my mid-30s probably, I was the pessimist.

Now... I would like to think of myself as an optimistic realist.

In my opinion (MOO - My Opinion Only)...

You need to pay attention to the fact that it truly is half empty.  Do this not out of fear or worry, but because to proceed in life as if there are NO limitations to your endeavors seems foolish and is at the very least not based in a reality that will support future successful endeavors.

You also need to pay attention to the fact that it is half full. I often think of this as counting my blessings and being grateful for all that I have and have been given.  At the VERY least, seeing that half full amount lets you know that the glass holds water! You *do* have resources ready and waiting.

You also have potential.
The glass is half empty AND half full, but the maybe the most important part is that it is refillable.

And here are two things I'm personally working on:
#1 - I can/should accept help - this isn't just something only I can/should do by myself every time...
and
#2 - I don't have to wait until it is completely empty before I add more!

Last thought...  given my previously negative thought patterns, it is almost impossible for me NOT to notice that the glass is half empty, but I personally CHOOSE to FOCUS on the half full and get excited and happy about all the possibilities that exist for filling the emptiness.

Love and Respect,
Kathy Wiz

Hands Up! It's Common Sense(s)...

Keep your hands up and protect your head!

Of our Five Senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell) only "touch" is not located solely on our head.

Let me say that again...
4 of the 5 ways you have to get input about the world around you are located only on your head!

Hands up!

Oh, and did I mention that the unit that processes these inputs - your brain - is in your head too?

Hands up!

It is true that I've had my share of injuries.  It is also true that I have been knocked out in competition. I'm telling you from personal experience that when you are unconscious - you are as vulnerable as it gets. Even if you don't get knocked out, when you find yourself compromised with limited and/or distorted input - you are at a huge disadvantage.

It's simple - it's easy - it may take lots of practice, and it may require some attention on your part...
but it really is common sense.

:)

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Does It Ring A Bell?

There is no sound, and then the bell is struck.

Where there was silence, now the ringing of the bell fills the air.

Slowly, the sound fades.

Listen carefully...

It is hard to tell when, but eventually you can tell that the sound is indeed gone.

In a guided mindfulness meditation I was a part of recently, the person leading the session suggested that this is a metaphor for everything.

There is the time "before" - the time "during" where it fills your awareness - and then the "after" time when it lessens and ultimately fades.

Whether we are talking about feelings, or events - good or bad - there is a time before, a time when it fills our lives/awareness, and then a time after as it lessens and eventually fades away.  

Nothing is permanent.

So those things that seem so bad - hang in there - they WILL fade and eventually pass.

(You can always re-ring the bell and re-invoke it, but you don't *have* to!)

And when things are great - make sure to enjoy it - they WILL eventually pass too.

(But again ... you can re-ring it and re-invoke another version of it!)

Sometimes I get *SO* caught up in what is going on or what I'm feeling...

This concept has value for me and I think if I can remember it when I'm in the midst of things it might help.  Does it ring a bell with you?

Respectfully,

Kathy Wiz

Words of Wizdom...

So at the testing last Saturday, one of the students asked me what "words of wisdom" or "piece of advice" or "saying" or whatever did someone tell me that I have always cherished and/or found helpful growing up in martial arts.

(Understand that this was late in the day and so while I have tried as best I can to recreate the exact statement/question, I know that this is at best a paraphrase of it...)

I thought about it for a moment and then realized that one of the things (one of the "gems") that has always stuck with me is:

"Junior Belts RESPECT Senior Belts - Senior Belts LOVE Junior Belts"

A few posts ago I talked about Respect and my working definition of it.
"Love" requires more than just "treating with importance." 
Love - to me that means to try your best to do what is in the other person's best interest.

Sometimes it means being more patient. 
Sometimes it means pushing the Junior Belt even when you'd rather not ...
It might mean showing up when you'd prefer to stay home or go somewhere else.
It might mean showing up even knowing that they won't.
It might mean reaching out ... again and again... and maybe even again...
It might mean letting go ...

It means thinking about your actions and how it can/will/might affect the Junior Belt.
It means paying attention.
It means working for understanding.

And it definitely means trying to do what is in the Junior Belts best interest - as best you can...

This phrase has served me well from both points of view.
I know that at times I have fallen short on both ends too,
but it makes the worth of the statement have no less value.

"Junior Belts RESPECT Senior Belts - Senior Belts LOVE Junior Belts"

That is what was taught to me and that is what I try to teach to my students.
Hopefully, each generation that it gets handed down it will become more and more ingrained and effectively practiced.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Win/Win

Aaron Avner

September 24, 2015 · 

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all...
-Call it power of collectivity...
-Call it a principle of success...
-Call it a law of life.
The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!!

This was on my Facebook newsfeed today and it is what I want to say today...

after testing yesterday - for the day today - and for all those days ahead!

This isn't just a morally good idea...    

Thank you Sue Hasse for sharing it!

Respectfully,

Kathy Wiz

Support

Today was a long day.

Officials' seminar started at 8 am, then two hour-long forms seminars, then testing from 1:30 till about 8, and then dinner with everyone who could make it, and then a 45 minute drive home...

I'm exhausted, but I loved it!

Trying with my tired and addled brain to think about the what and why of it all - I realize that what I love about each and every testing are the people who are there.  

And what I really love about the people, is the way that all these martial artists are truly invested in supporting each other in every way possible.

They get it.  The growing and learning transformational objective is not just for the actual testing candidates, but something available to all in attendance.

Thank you.  I admire, appreciate, and am so very blessed to be a part of your journey.

Respectfully,

Kathy Wiz 

Tae Kwon Do Black Belts Unlimited Testing Spring 2016

So I personally (as the founder of Tae Kwon Do Black Belts Unlimited) hold a black belt testing twice a year - the third Saturday in February, and the third Saturday in August.

Each time there is of course the actual rank promotion process, but there are also seminars and opportunities for participation for all all who attend and dress out.

Tomorrow is the 2016 Spring version of this bi-annual event.

The students, their teachers, and fellow martial artists gather together to support each other in the ongoing process of growing and learning... in the ongoing process of becoming and being a black belt.

It is an opportunity that I benefit from every bit as much as the testing candidates.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me..."

It is hard to have a conversation about martial arts without the word respect, but what does it mean?

In and out of class we hear the term bandied about:

"Respect your senior belts."

"Respect your elders."

"Respect your parents."

"Respect others' opinions/ways even if they differ from your own - maybe especially if..."

"Respect your workout partner."

"Respect your opponent."

"Hey!  Take care of that equipment - treat it with some respect if you want it to last!"

"Keep the Dojo/Dojang clean and tidy - show some respect for your workout area."

"Respect yourself. Don't let people walk all over you!"

and on and on...

It seems like we know what it means, but there are so many different opinions...

Take "respect your parents" for example...
Upon seemingly ignoring or discounting a parental unit's advice,
you can almost read the response (in the eye roll or other facial commentary)
of "but they just don't UNDERSTAND things are so different now than when they were my age!"

Here it almost seems that Respect is about "liking" or "agreeing" with the guidance.
That certainly won't fly as a working definition if we then try to apply it to Respecting someone with a differing opinion on a topic or way of doing things.

So - for me (MOO = My Opinion Only) - I have found great value in defining respect as "to treat with importance."

That definition of respect works with situations, things, and people.

You don't have to like and/or agree with your parents - but you do need to treat them, and the things they say, with importance.  Think about, consider, and remember what they say and pay attention to them as they are saying it.  Blowing it, or them, off is not an option.

Over the years my students have come to know that this is what I believe.

Let's look again:

-----

"Treat your senior belts with importance."

"Treat your elders with importance."

"Treat your parents with importance."

"Treat others' opinions/ways with importance, even if they differ from your own - maybe especially if..."

"Treat your workout partner with importance."

"Treat your opponent with importance."

"Hey!  Take care of that equipment - treat it with importance if you want it to last!"

"Keep the Dojo/Dojang clean and tidy - treat your workout area with importance."

"Treat yourself with importance - you matter! Don't let people walk all over you!"

------

If you feel differently, or even disagree, that's o.k.
I respect that.  : )

Oh, and no post about respect would be complete with a link to one of my favorite cartoon shorts of all time...  Pixar's:  The Chub Chubs!
It really is ultimately about not taking people for granted, but treating everyone with importance...  make sure to watch for the incentive learning the Chubb Chubbs provide the audience about respect that takes place after the credits!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmhgi665Oek

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Breaking - the "Why?" Overview

I love breaking boards, bricks, barriers... whatever.

Those of you who know me well are probably thinking right now "Yes, but she she also loves sparring, forms - don't forget forms, and teaching, and learning, and competing, and officiating, and writing about martial arts, and reading about martial arts, and well... Kathy Wieczerza just loves doing martial arts!"

And you would of course be correct, but back to the point of this post.

I love breaking.

I understand why some martial artists don't and even scoff at the idea of breaking as part of martial arts. Many times I have heard "I'm not worried about being attacked by a tree or a block of concrete."

Breaking for me is not so much about a show of power or correctness of technique.  It is a metaphor.

It is about going through something that seems harder than yourself.  It is about not focusing on the problem that is blocking (pun intended) your way, but rather on what you need to do to get through to the other side.

It is also one of the few things in most of our modern day lives for which we get immediate and impartial feedback. There really is no question - it either breaks or it doesn't - it isn't a matter of what anyone else thinks...

There is so much to talk about with regards to the way that breaking can and has been used as a powerful and empowering tool that I almost did not want to start writing about it because the subject is just too big.  Then I realized that it is just too big for a single post...

I love the picture at the beginning of this post.  It is Richard.  Yes it is a concrete.  Yes it is on fire.  Yes it is a cool break, but what is best about it was what it represented. Richard has had some of the hardest things in life to get through, but he did ... he broke through.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Martial Artists

Oldman's Bubishi shared their photo.

A Bassai riddle...

When is a "kick" not a kick?

When it is a throw. smile emoticon

As always feel free to share.

===============================================================

http://www.oldmansbubishi.com/

And was thrilled to see the post at the top show up in my FaceBook news feed today.

LOVE this book!

I may have a couple of copies or my own...

and I may have sent and/or HEAVILY recommended copies to people as well.

                          

Mr. Cook is an excellent Chung Do Kwan, Tae Kwon Do, Black Belt (I know he is at least a 4th Dan from his profile info... but that could be many years old and out of date) as well as a phenomenal drawing artist.

His book is fun and informative and he personalizes the mailers (as you can see above) as well as adding a note in the back.

Don't have this book? Get it!

(And to be clear I receive no remuneration and this is an unasked for heartfelt endorsement.)

Respectfully,

Kathy Wiz

Tools

Soke Dave McNeill says that the highest form of martial arts is healing, and it is true that in Goju-Shorei we learn and teach Seifukujutsu (Japanese Restoration) Massage and pressure points for healing.  That is just the surface meaning of his statement however.   

So many people when they find out that I am black belt and have been doing martial arts for a while want to hear about how many boards I can break, or if I've ever had to "use it" in self defense in "real" life - have I ever had to really hurt someone...

Martial arts, as I am fortunate enough to experience it, is about building up - not tearing down. Using the tools I have to make things better, not worse.

A tool is any item that can be used to achieve a goal, especially if the item is not consumed in the process.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally I strive to use the martial arts tools at my disposal to better myself and if possible share that with others.  

I agree with Soke. 

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

End of Week 2 - Expectations vs Objectives

I saw a bald eagle on the way home from the church service today.  

It was just sitting there in a tree on the side of the road.  I admit to stopping the car in the middle of the road and making my 20 year old son lean out the window and take a picture.  

I was so excited and happy!

I certainly had not expected to see a bald eagle - ever - just driving around where I live, but today I did!  As it jumped out of the tree and soared off across the field I was awestruck. I can't ever remember seeing a bald eagle in person - let alone flying free - in the wild!

The drive home had MORE than exceeded my expectations.

Expectations...

While it is amazing when expectations are exceeded, like today, the concept of expectations has been heavy on my mind and heart lately.

I've been thinking a lot about Expectations versus Goals / Objectives.

Expectations seem for me at least, to be loaded with ideas about how something "should" or "shouldn't" go - how someone (myself included!) "should" or "shouldn't" be, behave, or feel...

It seems like expectations have less to do with the actual experience than how I'm feeling about it...

Goals / Objectives on the other hand, are things I'm working on or striving for - and in general don't seem to be such emotional land mines.

I cannot always - hah!

Let's try that again...

I cannot control other people.  I cannot control external events.

I can however work on controlling how I think, feel, and react to whatever is going on.

Respectfully,

Kathy Wiz

Tempus Fugit

Tempus fugit is a Latin phrase, usually translated into English as "time flies".

I was reminded of this phrase "time flies" today as I participated in the Women's Black Belt CTF Tournament Tune Up seminar(s) held at West Side Taekwondo led by Master Alison Hardin of the Choong Sil Taekwondo Federation.

  

The morning session we worked on techniques and preparation for forms competitions.
Session number 2 was on tournament sparring.
I really had a great time and before it seemed possible, it was almost 2:00!

When we happen to be stuck in something we don't want to be doing and time seems to drag, but when we are really enjoying ourselves the time seems to FLY by.

Thank you again to Master Hardin and the welcoming group of around 20 female black belt participants!

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

Girl Power

Saw this and it just made me smile!

So very excited about being able to work out tomorrow morning with Master Alison Hardin!

She is leading a female only workout at a local CTF school (and it happens to be just a mile or so from my home!) in preparation for their upcoming tournaments.

In this often male dominated art form, it is a real treat to have an opportunity like this.

9-11 am will be focused on forms
and
11-1 will be focused on CTF tournament sparring

Of course I'm nervous, but more than that I'm grateful to have been invited!

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

The Rubik's Cube Metaphor

So when I was in high school I learned to solve the Rubik's Cube. 
I'm a problem solver at heart, and I took to heart the lesson solving it taught me.

There are steps to solving it.  It can't all be done at once.

To begin with you pick a side to work with - pick a place to start - to orient yourself from.  No one side is really any better than any other, but you pick one and start with that as your "top."

First you fill in the center pieces - forming a "cross" or a "plus sign" on that "top" face. Additionally you need to connect that to the sides so make sure that the sides of your "plus sign" match the center pieces of the other sides.

It's probably of interest to note that I usually started with white as my starting face/top (white belt... hmmmm...)

Now for the corners. 

Row 1 is complete YAY!

Most people stop here because they are unwilling to mess up Row 1 in order to get Row 2

BUT...

You can't get any further without being willing to disturb/disrupt what you already have in place.

Let me say that again.

You can't get any further without being willing to disturb/disrupt what you already have in place.

Things really aren't messed up or out of place or lost - they just seem that way while you are moving the new piece into place.

And this process continues to be the case as you put more and more of the pieces in their proper places.

At each step in order to get to the next you have to disrupt what you already have to get to the next step.  Notice that I said disrupt - not destroy - not redo - just temporarily displace...

RIGHT before the final twists and turns that put the last pieces into place - it looks almost as messed up as it did when you first started - but then BOOM!  It all fits.

There is a difference between...
just randomly turning the sides of the cube hoping that it will all somehow work out
and...
methodically working a plan that involves disrupting what has gone before in order to free up the possibility for greater success.

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

P.S. 
I did not figure out how to solve the Rubik's cube on my own.  Someone taught me how.  The first person I asked just pulled the stickers off and rearranged them, another person could do it, but didn't know how to teach me.  It took a while and help from a number of different people... and persistence and practice on my part.

======================================================================

From Wikipedia...
Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer, and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. As of January 2009, 350 million cubes had been sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.

Growing Pains



 

So, it turns out that it is NOT going to work out to get certification at this time through the AAU - at Nationals this summer.

 

Frustrating?  Yes. Debilitating?  No.

 

Does it change my "plans"?  Yes and No

 

Remember the title of this blog?        "Growing Towards a TKD 8th Dan"

That's not going to change.

 

Are things working out for me the way I "planned" - no, but if I look back at my wonderful life (and it has been and continues to be a blessed and wondrous life) it seldom if ever has.

 

What now?  I'm not really sure other than the goals I set and am working on keeping...

 

Most immediately I have GSWS class tomorrow night out at Family First Martial Arts, an invite to work out with Master Alison Hardin (which I am stoked about attending) near my house at a CTF school this coming Saturday morning.

The following Saturday after that:  AAU Officials' Training with Master Debbi Hooper, a couple of forms seminars that I'm leading, and TKD Black Belts Unlimited twice a year testing  - all at US Tae Kwon Do Academy in LaVergne. 

Then on Saturday Feb 27th a work out with the Family First Black Belt Candidates, and then an invite to workout with GM Richard Hodder (of course I am going!) in Mississippi on the Friday night before I head up to Atlanta for Georgia AAU Qualifier the next day - Saturday, March 5th! 

 

These are just the scheduled things! 

 

Life is Good and I am Blessed.

 

Love and Respect,

Kathy Wiz



Snowy Tuesday Night

Enough snow on the ground outside that we'll be starting work with a 2 hour delay tomorrow.  It is cold night, but the snow is beautiful.

Glad we were able to get the GSWS classes and testings in at Elite Martial Arts in Kingston Springs last night and tonight before the snow accumulated and the roads became questionable.

Tomorrow I need to get back in touch with the folks I sent email messages to asking about their 8th Dan process, and do so many other things...

My personal list of things I need to be doing seems overwhelming sometimes...
But, today was better than yesterday - a little less frenetic.

Got to remember to breathe and drink more water.

"In the end - it's going to be o.k.  If it's not o.k. - it's not the end..."

Passion, Perseverance, and Patience

On more than one occasion I've said that I think if someone wants to be a martial artist for their entire lifetime they have to have the three P's:  Passion, Perseverance, and Patience.

(There's that number 3 again Andrew Trento...)

Passion is more than "like" but defintely less than "obsession."   Most people may not, probably won't, understand your dedication and level of interest and commitment, but even so, they see the value of your endeavor and may even envy it.  It is NOT an obsession, which ultimately detracts from your quality of life.  This intensity is healthy, happy, and healing... Being a lifelong martial artist is not for the faint of heart, it requires passion.

Perseverance is necessary to keep you going when the Passion waxes and wanes as all things that are intense and lasting must.  Perseverance keeps you showing up working, growing, teaching, and learning over time.  It is what has you showing up, when you'd rather be sleeping in.

Patience is needed with others of course.  Remember one of my favorite jokes?  

How many martial artists does it take to change a lightbulb?  11.  One to change it and 10 to stand around and say "Well, we don't do it like that at my school..."

Patience, with others because so much of what we learn is with and from others and no two people are the same.  But probably most import is patience with ourselves.

I have tended to be primarily working or relying on one of these at any given point.  Today, I'm working all three... Trying not to let my intensity overwhelm my common sense and logic. Persevering, writing this blog not because I'm super inspired to do so tonight, but doing it anyway cause I said I would, I need to, and it will benefit me in the long run. Trying to be patient with myself
after a very long and difficult day.

 

Goals Review - End of Week 1

 

I've been thinking a lot about Goals and Expectations... more on the expectations part later.

 

Looking back I really kind of started off this blog (a long week ago) with a post about expectations regarding my 8th Dan test - the when, the where, the who, etc...

 

I said "a long week ago" because lots has changed, and nothing has changed.  With regards to the changes, I'm not sure it will be on either the 4th or the 11th of June, I'm not sure it will be in Nashville, and I'm not sure who will be on the board at the point. In fact, I'm not even sure if there will be just one test...

 

I've been in contact with Soke Dave McNeill, GM Richard Hodder, and GM Bob Hardin.  All of whom are providing lots of information and support and options.  In addition, based on some conversations in the last couple of days, my first choice for 8th Dan testing (with the AAU) may end up happening... first? in addition?  Not sure right now, and that is o.k., because I know it is going to work out for the best, and I'm excited about all the opportunities opening before me. 

 

All of the above notwithstanding, I am STILL going to keep two of the goals I set in that first blog intact as they were originally stated.

 

GOAL #1) By June 11th, I will lose between 15 and 25 pounds.  The "target" being 20.

 

GOAL #2) I will write a post daily, to this blog.
      And as Soke requested/suggested, it will be a post relevant to this whole process.

 

My 8th Dan Certification Goal, I'm modifying... to now read as:

 

GOAL #3) Receive 8th Dan Tae Kwon Do certification within the 2016 calendar year.

       (and keep working on the details)

 

Love and Respect,

Kathy Wiz

 

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S.M.A.R.T. Goals

(Keep in mind there are many variations of what the letters mean - particularly the A and the R... )

        Specific

               Measurable

                       Attainable

                              Realistic

                                       Timely

Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
*Who:      Who is involved?
*What:     What do I want to accomplish?
*Where:    Identify a location.
*When:     Establish a time frame.
*Which:    Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE:  A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

---

Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.

When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……
How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

---

Attainable – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

---

Realistic- To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

---

Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing.
When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

Enough

When I am stressed, I worry that I am not enough...
Not strong enough?
Yes.
I worry that I am not smart enough, patient enough, kind enough, strong enough, good enough, talented enough, worthy enough...
And then - I beat myself up for feeling that way.

But I just had a thought.

Maybe I don't need to beat myself up about feeling that way because I've been right all along.
Maybe I'm NOT enough, but rather than that being a bad thing, or a put down...
Maybe I'm not enough, but that is not such a huge problem because I'm not done - yet.

Reinventing the Wheel?

Reinventing the wheel?

To "reinvent the wheel"  means to make unnecessary or redundant preparations. The idea being that so often you really don’t need to reinvent a process. Read up on what others have done.

Learn from those who have gone before...

 

 

 

So, I'm going to do that.

I'm going to talk with some 8th and 9th Dans, and see if I can get them to share what their promotion from 7th to 8th was like, and I'll post what I find out - so that we can all learn and grow from their experience.

 

Love and Respect,

Kathy Wiz

 

 

The Long and Winding Road

Saw this on someone's FB post today.  Got me thinking...

It is easy to get frustrated when your sitting in traffic - happened to me today during my lunch break when I was trying to get the emissions test done on my truck, and I ended up sitting in a line of traffic that seemed stuck in time and space.

What was really annoying me was the sitting still, but there was also a sense of frustration about not being able to get where I wanted in the time frame I had set in my head.

Trying to work out the how, when, why, and who for my next testing often feels like a path similar to the one pictured above.

That having been said, the truth is that I'd rather travel a path like that rather than a much shortened "A" to "B" straight line.  I want to cover as much country side as I can.  I want to pay attention and learn as much as I can from everywhere my travels take me. In fact you might say that the destination is just an excuse to make the journey - with the experiences along the way the real goal.

Yup.  I definitely need to remember that what REALLY bothered me was the sitting still...
Tonight I'm going to sleep well, feeling grateful and blessed for each and every twist and turn I'm privileged to experience. Each one is an opportunity that enhances the way forward.

With Gratitude, Love, and Respect,
Kathy Wiz

Numbers

A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure and label.

We use numbers to represent dates, weights, days, goals, steps, ranks, blood pressure levels, lists, phone numbers, times,...

It is is easy to get all caught up in the numbers themselves and forget that they are tools we use "to count, measure, and label" rather than the end all be all in themselves.

In trying to arrange things:  meetings, dates, conversations, testings, etc,
I need to remember not to get too caught up in the numbers.

I need to keep reminding myself that the reason I am moving on this path again - the path towards a higher Dan number - is because of what that represents.  It is a measurement, a count, and a label, to indicate that I still love doing Tae Kwon Do, that I love learning and growing, that I've still got a lot to give, and a lot to learn.

Being an 8th instead of a 7th is a label on the package that is me, the martial artist. Regardless of the label, I want the contents to be good... ya know?  Best if used by... hopefully haven't reached that date yet!

2nd Month of the Year, 2nd Day of the Month, 2nd Post of the Blog...

So,  I was going to post a picture of me the first day that I got my very own cross over Tae Kwon Do uniform way back in June 1979, but then I remembered that I don't have that picture anymore.  It was a great picture.  I was all in white - white uniform and white belt - standing in a ready position out in front of a big green bush in front of our townhouse. I was so proud and excited! I thought I had some other really old photos from that same time, a couple of other "white belt pictures" in a photo album, but that must not have been one of the albums I grabbed the day of the flood back on May 2, 2010.

The other picture I was going to use was a picture of me standing in front of a black board (a chalk board) with my red belt on, the day I received my black belt.  That one wasn't in the old photo album, it was loose in a box of photos and it may have actually survived the flood, but I have absolutely no idea where it might be right now.  We kept all the ones we could find afterwards in water until they could be hand washed and let air dry.  My mom made a valiant attempt to scan them onto a computer later on, but ... well ... it was, and still is, a big task.  Once it became too much for Mom to do, it got put way back on the "to do" list.

It is so easy to forget how exciting it was to be a white belt... starting training, getting a uniform, being a beginner, the uncertainty of it all. Everything was so interesting.  Everyone was so talented and so wise. It was daunting and scary, yes, but most of all it was exciting, and it felt like such an adventure!

It is so easy to forget how exciting it all was getting my black belt... putting it on for the first time, reaching that huge, gigantic goal, becoming part of an elite group of people who had done something extraordinary. Testing was stressful, but to be expected, and once I actually had the belt on, it hit me... now what?  I mean what was next? What was being a black belt going to be like?  It was daunting and scary, yes, but most of all it was exciting, and it felt like such an adventure!

That's pretty much how I feel now. I'm in uncharted territory. When I was a white belt (this is audacious I know, but true) I remember thinking that some day I'd be a 6th degree black belt.  I could imagine that because my instructor was 7th, and while I could never imagine being as good as him, I could imagine trying to get close to that, so 6th, yes, I could do 6th.  Then one day in August 2007, as I was driving to work on I-40 I literally almost wrecked my car as the realization hit me like a sledgehammer. Holy Crap!  I was a 7th degree black belt! I had made it past the goal I'd set way back when I was just 14 years old!

I never dreamed that martial arts would have the positive impact on my life that it has. I have been blessed, and while I may not have originally had 7th Dan as a goal, there is no doubt that so far it has been an amazing experience.  In the last 8 years there have been so many opportunities presented to me. I've been challenged to the nth degree (punny no?), met so many great and wonderful people, and learned so much about the martial arts and myself.

Maybe I don't have that picture of myself as a white belt anymore, but it is in my head and in my heart.  With my new knees I'm able to train again. One of my students just hand made a uniform for me, and I'm so excited and nervous about putting it on for the first time. Things are definitely different, not having a physical location where I'm teaching 3 times a week for the first time in over 30 years. I hear it said that number 8 marks a new beginning...

Well, the thought of actively and intentionally working toward an 8th is absolutely daunting and scary, yes, but most of all it is exciting, and it feels like such an adventure!

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz

O.K.
Let's DO this!

My name is Katherine Wieczerza.  The last time I tested for Tae Kwon Do (TKD) ranking was for 7th Dan, at the AAU Nationals, in the summer of 2007.

When my mother died in 2013, I remember thinking that I'd never test in TKD again.  How could I?  She has ALWAYS been there.  Been literally at all of my testings, but even more so, been there FOR me and with me through all the good and all the tough times of my life.  Without a doubt, my mom - "Miss Betty" - has been my life long and greatest supporter.  Sorry, spouse, son, friends and family... she has you all beat in years if nothing else...  :)

June 11th, is the date that I'm trying to make happen.  Mom died on June 7th.  So that will make it a completed 3 years and 3 days later.  Three is a "very special number" - those of you who know me well can go ahead and laugh hearing my poor imitation of my first TKD instructor saying that - but it really is a very important number.  Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.   Mind - Body - Spirit.  I could go on and on. So the day after that 3 year 3 day time seems right.  It is also one month before my 52nd birthday.

I'm lining up a panel of 3 distinguished 9th Dans:  Soke Dave McNeill, Grand Master Robert Hardin, and Grand Master Richard Hodder.  If they can make the 11th of June work, then that's the date the board will convene.  I've got tentative approval from Soke and GM Hodder.  I left a voice message today for GM Hardin, so we'll see.

Much, much more to come on each of them, what I'm going to be doing between then and now, what will happen on that date (whatever date it becomes) and what happens afterwards.  For now let me wrap up this first post with this:

1) I'm going to lose between 15 and 25 pounds (targeting 20 as my main number) between now and "then"...

2) I'm going to create a "portfolio" - of which this blog will be a part, but not the sole component of -with videos and documents and pictures and ...  so that this promotion (whenever it happens) will be based on a body of work (past, present, and future) rather than just one day's "performance".

3) I'm going to blog every day - yes every day - between now and then so that I stay on track and hold myself accountable to the process.

Let's DO this!

Respectfully,
Kathy Wiz