We are now 5 weeks away from the nationals in balTimore! I love this time of year because I get to see more of you on the mat each day. There is always a push that begins around June to get ourselves prepared for our biggest competition of the year. the kids are out of school, many of them using their time to practice and prepare themselves for the competition. There is an intensity that comes with the deadline of competition. I thought this was a great writing from grand-master lee on the topic of preparation. enjoy!

“Being prepared by practicing is simple preparation. By practicing we come to a point of competence.  We find ourselves accomplishing our goals gracefully and confidently. It is then, that we do things that we never dreamed we could do. We discover powers we never knew existed.

There can be no great courage where there is no confidence or assurance, and half the battle is in the conviction that we can do what we undertake.

Every conflict is a set of opposing ideas. All of us have had the feeling: knowing what we should do on the one hand and doing what we feel like doing on the other. By understanding these two opposing forces warring within us, we come to knowledge of the truth; we no longer remain slaves to our desires. A clear understanding will make us masters of our fate.

Concentration is the magic key that opens the door to accomplishment. By concentrating our efforts upon a few major goals, our efficiency soars, our projects are completed – we are going somewhere.  by focusing our efforts to a single point, we achieve the greatest results.

The first rule of success, and the one that supersedes all others, is to have energy. It is important to know how to concentrate it, how to husband it, how to focus it on important things instead of frittering it away on trivia.

Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim – to bend all energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right nor to the left. I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time , energy well directed.

Every great man has become great; every successful man has succeeded, in proportion as he has confined his powers to one particular channel. The giants of the race have been men of concentration, who have struck sledge-hammer blows in one place until they have accomplished their purpose. The successful men of today are men of one overmastering idea, one unwavering aim, men of single and intense purpose.”

An interesting article on methods for improving your practice and getting the most out of the time you are giving.

A GAUGE FOR MEASURING EFFECTIVE PRACTICE

BOK FU FITNESS

Warm Up:
2 times:
10 medicine ball pass with partner
10 horse stance squats with medicine ball throw to partner
10 pass through with staff
10 samson stretch with partner
10 scorpions
10 back up to V up
30 second bridge
30 second hand stand hold (against wall)

Workout:
5 Rounds for time
400M Run
20 Push Up Planks
15 Bok Fu Burpee Broad Jumps
10 Ninja Pistols (5 each leg)

Warm Down:
1 form in belt tai ji style
30 seconds horse stance stretch
30 seconds hamstring stretch on bar
5 minutes belt stretching for hamstrings