Jacinta (J.C.) Masterson

I was going to post about something else until I read Sihing Langners post.
It made me think of the turmoil that some people hide within themselves. What leads them to a point of despair and how did we lose them along the way?

I think about mental wellness everyday, I am pretty sure I see victims of an unwanted issue when I pass the wandering souls in the downtown core. Some of them are regulars down there,
I say "good morning " to three of them just as I would my co-workers. One fellow has a routine and I usually pass him every morning.
He was someones child at one time,...I wonder what his story is.

What happens to our fellow human beings, I believe depression and instability can develop over time and people find themselves spiralling slowly downwards. It can effect families, it effects society and its sad.
I have no answers, I cant answer Sihing Langners question of "what to do".
Except, try to help but most importantly care.


JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta,Canada

The remainder of this month has been and will be consumed by a work project I am managing and the wind up of Raymonds lacrosse. I have been getting up early in the morning to train but it isnt enough time to cover everything I need to do.
I am looking forward to June, I want to take back some of my time and focus in on grappling and my Sais, maybe some sleep too.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

The weather was not on our side Saturday.
I was more so annoyed by it, since Fridays forecast boasted a sunny day with warm temperatures.
However, not even mother nature could dampen the spirits of Panadamonium!
I was impressed by the energy level inside the hall and outside. no shortage of help and happiness.
My hats off to the tent crew for enduring the wind/rain at their backs during the morning pancakes, Sifu Shipalesky and Mr. Chervenka looked more like bank robbers with their hoodies tied up over their heads, then pancake makers!
Thankfully it cleared up  in time for a fantastic Dragon/Lion dance ,loads of kid fun and polished off by some hardcore kung fu into the late hours.

What a great group of people to be associated with, ..so Mother Nature Bring it!
Bring the Rain, you are no match for the Silent River Kung Fu crew!

PS: just a note of thanks to Sifu Wetter and Mr. Brady Young whose company donations will help greatly with the food costs.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

I sit here thinking about the past week and I have decided not to go there. It was crappy, stressful and full of negative outcome.
However, I come out the other end with more determination, I want change. More specifically I want change in myself.
Changing should be a daily pursuit. If you strive to change for the better and learn from your mistakes and your triumphs , shortfalls and your successes you are moving forward.
 If you think you don't need to change, you have arrived...then you really need to change!
I like to think of the human spirit as an internal evolution.
We may stop growing after our teen years but we should continue to grow in our hearts and minds till our last days. The day you have decided not to evolve is the day you have decided not to live.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

I'm not sure if its the time of year, when everyone is tired of snow and cool weather, that we get a little down. Seems to be a common feeling, getting in a rut. A few of the blogs and some of the conversations I have had at the gym all point to a lack of enthusiasm to train.
It might be a coincidence but March is the 3rd month of the year and this is about the time a body needs a shake up.
What I'm saying is every routine needs a change approximately 6 weeks to 3 months depending on what you are doing. The body adapts and the mind gets bored.
So what if you have to do 1000 reps of something by year end, lets say a form, and you are only a quarter of the way in? Shake it up by changing the time you are doing it, by changing the section you focus on or the tempo at which you practice.
Whatever it is you are working towards change the routine to snap the body back to attention.
If its the mind that is not interested anymore, drag it along for the ride. Ignore the negative talk in your head.
As they say "just do it".
A lack of enthusiasm comes from a lack of motivation, a lack of motivation comes from a lack of inspiration. Try and remember what motivates you and what or who inspires you. Why you do the things you do.
The body is quick to respond to a change in training but the mind needs to come along for the ride sometimes until it gets on board again.
Don't be discouraged by the "blah "feelings. They are normal and to be conquered on a regular basis.
Just as Mr. Hamilton's blog states , "going thru the motions" is not necessarily a bad thing, having no motion is not so great however,so drag yourself on the mat and give the mind a shake down!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

After the group discussion yesterday, I realized there are a few people around with some injuries these days. Not the usual, pulled, sore or overextended type injuries but long term damage that requires months and some even years of reworking. Its a gift in disguise they are told and I have witnessed in the past where this seems to be true.
I have managed to avoid serious injury over the years. I have had my share of black eyes, torn muscles , etc, but nothing that put me down for a long period of time where I had to rethink my methodology.
I would imagine a limitation of this nature would slow you down first and foremost. You would now have to pay attention to how you move so as not to induce pain or aggravate a problem.
Now , this is where I could learn something, if I slow down and I mean really slow down, and pay exclusive attention to what my limbs are doing in conjunction with my core in conjunction with my balance and feel every muscle placement then ask myself right or wrong , feels good ?feels bad? I may have a chance of changing for the better.
I am guilty of rushing through my forms, my applications. I have a misconception that they feel good now so I add speed prematurely. The result is a short changing of power and completion.
So, I imagine injuries and limitations force the issue.
You have no choice but to revisit the movements in an almost tedious fashion but the results can be priceless.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

My Aunt is back from Mexico, her and my Uncle normally go every year for 3 months but this year is different. She had to come back for cancer treatments.
Around November she was diagnosed with lung cancer and it had spread to other areas of her body. She never smoked in her life but developed a cough last fall.
Her cancer is terminal but you would never know it.
She does not work anymore but spends every day with grandchildren, family and friends. She never dwells on her situation but will share her experience freely if you ask. She is quick to tell you not to waste your time sweating the small stuff.
She has two more treatments left and the doctors will cut her loose. In their words, there is no more point after that , go and enjoy the rest of your life.
To me she has the strenght of 1000 men, she does not despair but has chosen to do just what they said, enjoy her family which she as cared for all her life.
To me , she is a women who must have true inner peace and she has led a life that would deserve such inner peace.
She is truly a role model to me.
I know I have a sense of panic when I imagine being in her shoes. I am not the person I need to be yet, I have not done all that I can do for the people in my life.
I watch her and I hang on every word she says these days.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

I was about to post my blog when I read it again and scrapped it.
Reading it over…, it sounded like a lecture in my head.
“Delete”
This is one of those weeks where journalling (blogging ) is painful, so I will share my pain.
The problem I have always had with blogging is the lack of conversation.
I have no end of things to say or opinions (just ask my husband) but I seem to need that initiation of the topic brought up through conversation.
There is nothing like good old fashion round table debate. Uncensored, no research, no time to pause, unscripted off the cuff wit, sometimes even made up but fun just the same.
Where did that go?
I know this obviously isn’t the platform for what I describe but some days it seems odd to be having a conversation with myself to convey to the blogging ecosystem.


On the other hand, if I didn’t blog about blogging I would not have taken the time to appreciate the art of conversation or the fact that this is not a conversation.
I’ll stop now before I confuse myself!

Sifu Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Yesterday I wrote a blog speaking to the principles of techniques and applications in the martial arts.
Last night I had a frustrating class where the simplest concept eluded me. I was so focused on the right hand I did nothing with my left hand. Too focused on a small section, I missed the big picture, thanks to Sifu Freitag who pointed out the obvious and I was back on track. Simply put, the concepts of equal and opposite action, working to apply leverage and the result is a lock.
Once again, kung fu is ever humbling.

Sifu Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Trying to be a student of principle. Sometimes its easy sometimes it takes a little more brain power.
In the beginning we tend to be students of memorization. Learning a technique or application in a very perscriptive manner. If bad guy does this we must respond with movement A then B then C.
I would ask tonnes of detail and try and practice exactly the same way every time.
Which is good, the body needs correct repetition for the correct execution of the application. Somewhere along the way I realized our curriculum is loaded with Principles in the applications and techniques that can be plucked out and adapted to other scenarios. Its recognizing them and applying them appropriately that has been fun and continues to be challenging.

Sfiu Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

If we could see inside people we could see the true measure of their courage.
Often we do not even realize what someone is dealing with inside, we just see their actions.Something that may seem courageous to us may in fact just be another day in the life of a well trained individual.

The difference or the true measure of courage is the size or extent of fear. Fear, anxiety, stress.
The larger the fear, the more courage is required to go where you don't want to go, sometimes at all costs.
From the outside we usually cant see this, mostly because people are pretty good at hiding their fears.

The fear of not succeeding, the fear of getting hurt(physical or emotional) the fear of rejection or not belonging, the fear of not being the right fit. The fear of embarrassment or humiliation, the fear of being alone.

There are many courageous people we encounter everyday, I think we really have no idea what some people go through, sometimes when we realize their fears by listening, taking the time to get to know them and their challenges we may be more than just surprised at their courage but inspired as well.

Focus is a pretty simple word and a simple concept but there is no question it is a moving target for me.
I think when are lives become consumed with busyness and a lack of balance, focus becomes overtaken by distraction and quality suffers.
As part of the I Ho Chuan , with teammates to follow as examples,my, hope is for a improvement in my ability to focus on any given goal, person or moment.
Trying to do many things at once has become a way of life but only to my disappointment sometimes.
The ability to truly focus is a skill I hope to achieve through, of course, practice.



JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

It was a really nice evening at the Banquet last night, I am very happy for the new Sifus, they are a special group that inspired me to change things this year.
For a long time I have been doing more or less the same thing , review , train and practice. Sometimes very focused most times to maintain a certain level of proficiency. But always on my own.
This year I am excited because I feel I have something different to experience with the I Ho Chuan.
The group of new Sifus have inspired me by the way they supported one another and trained with one another. I believe they brought themselves to a greater level through their efforts and and went beyond because they could count on one another and motivate one another.
Good for them and we can all learn from their example, I hope to!

Oh, by the way, thank you Sifu Brinker for your generous words, I was a little shell shocked at the time  and probably did not say thank you properly.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Why do we procrastinate?
I think we avoid doing something because we are avoiding the stress or challenge it will induce or its something we just don't find interesting.
If we think into the future, how would I feel once this is accomplished , I imagine a sense of freedom, a feeling of space , room to move or building blocks set in place for a higher achievement.
However, sometimes the task is or has become so large it takes the wind out of your sails to get started.
Starving the Procrastination Bug starts with one meal at a time.
If you have a form to master, a room to de-clutter or finances to get in order it all starts with a well thought out plan. One that has small steps to reach the final goal. A commitment to each of those steps that includes a timeline.
But be careful, if its too strict of a plan and you fail at any point you need to be forgiving and remember that the plan is just that, a plan.
Don't talk yourself out of something just because its going to be challenging, stressful or boring. Don't plan to have it all covered or completed in one go. 10 or 15 minutes of something frequently, can add up in short order.

Procrastination isn't because you are lazy, there are other thoughts working in the background that convince you to stay on the couch. Recognize the real reason you are not tackling something and go after it.

Now... where did I put that tax file...

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Last night I was driving home on the highway when a truck in front of me lost control on the Devon bridge.
I stopped to make sure he was OK and he was, but his truck was wrecked.
Turned out he was an older man probably in his early 70s and to my surprise, no cell phone.
Honestly, these days when you see a vehicle on the side of the road the assumption is they have a phone or they are on the phone.
Its easy to assume everything is OK then it gives you an excuse to keep to your own business.
I won't be assuming people have cell phones anymore.


JC Masterson, Silent River Kung fu, Alberta, Canada

Not so good.
I 'm back in the hotel room, obviously out of town, and now I am reflecting on goals I have set for myself this year.
So far, I am off and stumbling.
I hate when I get this busy with work, the days seem to pass by too quickly without recognizing opportunities or important moments.
I promised myself to implement more balance this year so I could work on some changes and I am not off to a good start.
Anyways, enough with the "poor me" attitude.
I will just have to dig deeper and stand my ground.

Brought to you by "Tired Thoughts on a Tuesday Night"
JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

We went to the Telus Science Center on the weekend and seen the IMAX showing of "RESCUE".

Essentially, it was about the Haiti earthquake and how ships, airplanes, helicopters and the people who operated them came to help.
I really liked it because it was about the people, the individuals themselves who worked in various occupations like the Canadian military or a Volunteer firefighter in California or a pilot with the American Airforce. It showed how an individual became a bunch of individuals, all coming together for a common cause.
The end result was a global effort. A united human global effort.
It was very inspiring and very humbling.

The documentary did not get into the complications or corruption that was underlying with Haiti but that's not what it was about.
It was a message about potential and a message of what we can achieve on our own and as a team.
It gave me hope for human nature and an insight into our potential.
It also made me want to be a firefighter!




JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

My focus has turned to the science of the art. My quest is not focused on the physical training but on the mental and analytical aspect.
I need to move deeper into the reasons why we practice the applications the way we do, and recognize my own weaknesses and strengths and the weaknesses and strengths of how others move.
This is something we start doing from a white belt, it is why Kung fu becomes so addictive. It becomes mentally engaging constantly.
My goal is to bring the mental engagement to a deeper level.
All marital arts have basic fundamentals because, well, the common factor is the human body. Knowing the the biology and mechanics of the human body and some basic physics is knowledge you can apply to the science of martial arts.
When this is in the forefront of your training the science can become pure in your movements. The art in martial arts is the physical practice that discipline and commitment will help you achieve.
To become an actual artist is the lifetime goal , knowing and recognizing the science is one of the stepping stones to the goal.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

I asked my son what did he tell Santa he wanted for Christmas?
He said " all I want for Christmas is a Time Portal"
'ok" I said.
Really, who wouldn't want a time portal? I continued to try and reason with him, I think he asked for a time portal before and it didn't happen. I told him, I don't think its on the list of possible gifts. He argued back Santa is magic and of course he could bring a time portal.

Part of being a martial artist is to keep yourself fit.
I like lifting weights as a part of my fitness routine.
 Just to share some training routines, I like to incorporate kettle bells as well. The difference between using a barbell or weight machine and a kettle bell is huge.
Lifting weights focuses on an isolated muscle group as kettle bells incorporate the same idea of weight lifting with a combination of body muscles and core. Moving the body with weights in hand increase strength core and stability. This comes into play when the body is in motion as a martial artist sparring grappling, etc.
You can  have some fun with your forms  as well and wear ankle and wrist weights or a body vest(it hangs on "Bob" in the Kwoon most days).
Brought to you by "Random Thoughts on a Friday Afternoon".



JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

I have time now to blog, 3 things you can count on...death, taxes and kids getting sick. Right now I am inbetween puke duty bouts. I was up late last night and going to work today was out of the question.

Work has sucked lately, I took on a 4 month superintendent position and its been more than consuming. Its only temporary but I have found it so exhausting it has cost me in other areas of my life. Its not so much the overtime as it is taxing mentally. Work ethic, integrity and accountability can be difficult to find in people sometimes.
When I have time to hang out with Raymond or work out it takes alot to fire up the mental motivation, my enthusiasm is tapped.

Its never good when your kids are sick, but when you take a time out to be with them and just nurse them back to health, you also get time to contemplate the important things or more accurately the important people.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada