Andrew Meier's Blog

If you look at it the right way, anything is a learning experience. However, if you're blinded by whatever may blind you, the learning part could be left behind. During the Tiger Challenge, this past weekend, I realized it could be experienced in one of two ways. Either you're there to learn, and to have fun, or you can be there just to win, and neglect it as a learning experience. On another note, as those of you present would remember, I failed my board breaks. This was my second time doing so, and I messed up the same way both times. After my first time, this past Monday, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I'd failed, and how I could improve. What I believe to have been the problem was that I almost overanalyzed, and convinced myself my solution would work, without going back and checking. As it turned out, I made the exact same mistake- positioning the outside hammerfist too close, jamming the technique. Next time, I'll give myself way more room than I see f...

This weekend, I passed my Standard First Aid - Level C CPR/AED training course. It was probably some of the most boring 17 hours I've spent over a weekend. But, was it necessary? Definitely. Sure, I knew a lot of the course material, or could decipher it using common sense. However, no matter how good you think you may be at something, refreshing your skills and testing them is never a bad idea. Other than the direct correlation to my Kung Fu training, which is that this certification is required for black belts, I can't really find another way to relate this to my training, other than the reason already stated. When you push yourself to refresh your memory, all the little holes will be unearthed. When we go back to the basics, it reinforces everything else we've learned from then on. Think about it in Kung Fu terms. If you're working on mastering Kempo, no matter how much work you put into all the technical details, like your flow and intensity, you'll have ...

Welcome to another post about my strengths and weaknesses. In case you're wondering, this is my second post today, as I missed last week. One unique strength I believe I possess is my knowledge of running, both long distance and sprinting. Though I'm not that old, I've spent a signifigant portion of my life running and learning how to run. Some of the skills learned with long distance running are pacing, breath control, and the mindset to finish what you start. I can say with reasonable confidence that I'm above-average in my knowledge of long distance running. As well, I've done lots of sprinting. With this type of running, you learn how to be explosive, and a  lot about how effective proper technique is. On the other hand, one weakness I see in myself is sometimes I'm too competitive. Sure, most of the time a competitive mindset is benificial. However, sometimes I feel myself comparing myself to others, in a way that might not be ideal. Whether it be set...

The past few weeks, I haven't been spending as much time at Kung Fu as I'd like. This is thanks to my very demanding volleyball schedule. It kind of worries me that I'm doing less Kung Fu when it's crunch time for black belt training. This is not to say that I'm not putting in work, as volleyball is very physically demanding, but I'm not confident the practice is anywhere near as useful (for black belt training) as normal Kunf Fu training. As well, I'm finding less and less family time, as when I'm home I'm either doing chores or sleeping). However, this long weekend has been great in freeing up my schedule for spending more time at home. Nonetheless, volleyball season is only going to last about another month. After this, I'll be spending a lot more time on the mats, getting ready for December 1st. Plus, I'll hopefully be able to translate some physical abilities from volleyball into my Kung Fu training.