http://www.kungfu4women.com A journey of self discovery through the practice of martial arts. The power to change and grow lies within. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:28:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In my previous post 10 Lessons Learned Testing for Rank, I feel I left a few important points out so I am continuing where I left off with that list of 12. 13. Prepare for the Unexpected: Give yourself plenty of time to get there early. Sure enough the day of ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/testing-for-promotions-in-the-martial-arts-part-2/ Recently I tested for a new sash, or belt, as most schools call it. At my school you only test when asked and testing is the doorway to additional learning. New material is not presented to you in classes until you demonstrate a certain level of proficiency and understanding ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/top-10-lessons-learned-when-testing-for-rank-in-the-martial-arts/ Just having some fun here. Check it out...Martial Arts Wordle   http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/artial-arts-wordle/ The other day I was practicing in my town at a big football field near my house.  Generally speaking if I choose to practice there I am doing things that may look a bit peculiar at first but if someone watches for a bit they likely begin to realize I ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/practicing-martial-arts-in-public-places/ Just recently I went on my 2nd Chi Kung, Meditation and Kung Fu retreat. Basically we packed lots of warm clothes and headed up to the Pocono mountains for a weekend.  Once there, we kept busy training, meditating, journaling and sitting in the woods to reconnect with nature. [caption id="attachment_329" align="alignright" ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/martial-arts-meditation-retreat-experience/ I recently came across something I found really interesting.  It was an article that talked about how you can keep fish apart in a large tank without any actual barriers.  First you put up glass partitions. After a little while the glass partitions can be removed. The fish swim to ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/reaching-our-limitations-reality-or-just-perception/ I think one of the most frustrating things and interesting things about practicing martial arts is that are always new challenges. Having acquired a skill in one area does not always seem to seamlessly transfer to another area of practice. There always seem to be something put before you that ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/acquiring-new-skills-in-the-martial-arts/ Recently I was having a conversation with someone who commented on how Mr. SoNSo consistently makes racist remarks at gatherings. I asked, "Well, what do you do when that happens?". He responded that he usually says something like "Oh, you're terrible".  I pointed out that I think that reaction could be ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/is-there-a-right-philosophy-for-dealing-with-racism/ Each week at my kung fu school, my teacher conducts weekly lectures that are referred to as meditation class because at the end of the talk we sit and meditate for about 15 minutes.  Sometimes we ask questions during these talks and recently one came up about how can meditation help you ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/fighting-addictions-through-martial-arts-training/ In martial arts we talk about using our training to help us achieve our "true potential". That certainly sounds good but what does it mean? Well first off, I think we have to get in touch with our own beliefs and priorities. For me this this started out with identifying what ... http://www.kungfu4women.com/martial-arts/realizing-our-true-potential/