Congratulations to ms. pon, Mr. Villasenor, Mr. Johe and Ms. Hirata on their new belts after testing in top gun training monday night!

It seems that this is a good week to add some additional bok fu philosophy into our day! remember, the physical part of your training is easy in comparison to the mental and emotional. it’s critical that you maintain positive black belt thinking, especially if you are coming up on your black belt. i hope this writing will help you with your daily struggles…

“i must tell you that frustration is a big part of becoming a black belt master. it’s the awakening of your full master’s chi. at times you will surely feel frustration trying to achieve what i am talking about here. black belt master thinking is, to a degree, frustration management. the black belt master must realize that frustration is always a part of real growth in his black belt students. i got frustrated being a black belt. i got frustrated being a black belt master, and i’m finding myself frustrated not having more masters in this system. hello, i’m talking to you! if you’re going to be a master, you’ve got to simply understand the full meaning of the word kata. you must use the system and procedures, i know you can and i also know you must.

becoming a richard lee black belt world champion demands excellence of mind, body and spirit of the highest order.  its price will be one of sacrifice and hard work. frustration will attempt to discourage you. adversity will try to stop you.  negative thoughts will tempt you and hardships will do their best to inconvenience you. but the richard lee black belt understands the emotions at work inside them.  with understanding comes control and with control comes the ability to direct. frustration can now be understood as the awakening of your chi and encourages rather than discourages.  adversity is conquered by hope. negative thoughts are turned into positive ones and hardship becomes an ally in the building of character.

you just have to keep going.  never give up, never quit. the richard lee black belt knows that perseverance is the great equalizer in the journey towards great accomplishment.  it keeps them moving towards their destination though there may be winding roads and uphill climbs. they know that while the path may be elusive and obscured by peaks and valleys, they keep their vision on the stars above as their points of light that will guide them through the darkness.  optimism is born out of knowing that even on the darkest night the stars will shine their brightest. it is simply richard lee black belt positive thinking.

develop the right habits and the right habits will develop you.  good habits are fine, great habits are better. greatness gives itself to those who demand it of themselves.  when everyone else is telling them they’ve done their best, they still look inside themselves and ask what they could have done better.  no one person or thing can lift you to greatness. it must be discovered within and practiced with perfection. it is not a mere task to be accomplished rather it is a process that must be lived.”

let’s add a little humor to our feelings of frustration!

BOK FU FITNESS

Warm Up:

Tabata – 20 seconds on 10 seconds rest – 8 times

Alternate between Horse Stance Squats and Broken Bow Jumps

Workout:

160 Wheel Kick Balance (80 per leg)

80 Mountain Climbers

40 Hardbow/broken bow lunges (holding medicine ball overhead (15lbs/10lbs)

20 Clapping Pushups

10 Navy Seal Ups

80 Wheel Kick Balance (40 per leg)

40 Mountain Climbers

20 Hardbow/broken bow lunges (holding medicine ball overhead (15lbs/10lbs)

10 Clapping Pushups

5 Navy Seal Ups

Warm Down:

5 minutes belt stretching