2008 Training Camp Memories

Here are a few pictures from our Training Camp.

If you attended I'm sure these will give you some feel good flash-backs.

If you didn't attend, make sure to be there next year.

Enjoy,

Sibok Martin

Sijo, founder of Fang Shen Do

A 3-day experience you'll never forget

Partner Drills for Reaction Speed

A day on the spider wall

Team drills for stability and balance

Strategies and tactics to throw your partner off balance

In depth sessions about meditation, life and happiness

Multiple Attackers

Goal Setting and Determination

Road Work

Sparring Drills

Cage Drills

Weapon Defense

Locking, Controlling, Submitting the opponent

Physical Fitness, a commitment for life

55 Obstacles in the trees for speed, balance and facing fear of heights

Unarmed combat

It's Louse Time! Serving the Mind or the Heart

If you're new to my list of focused, motivated, self- starters, Welcome.

(if you're not (new) jump right away to today's lesson below)

Every day I communicate to you the best ways to train and the kind of mindset it takes to get results either in your physical fitness or martial art training.
Friday is always what I call: "Louse Time". Modeled after Bruce Lee's strategy in Enter the Dragon.

You know that part where he's having tea with the government agent but he's disturbed by one of his students and Bruce Lee tells the agent: It's Louse Time! The agent replies with his british accent: "yes of course".

Since I'm 6 years old that scene has always stuck with me and I'll be using that same strategy with YOU every week.

Friday is where I share with you Life Lessons and Direction given to me by my dad (and Sifu) every Friday.

Today's lesson is: "Are you Serving the Mind or the Heart"

I'm sure you all had this happen to you in one way shape or form. For example, let's take buying a car.

For months you dream about it.

You've found the perfect car for you. You tell yourself when you get this car you'll be happy and you'll drive it for a very long time.

You get the car, you love the car. A few months go by and that mind of yours says: "There's this other car that just came out, it's nicer and faster than the car you have right now. Maybe you should change it".

The mind always finds a way to screw things up. It loves to measure itself and really, if you listen to it you'll notice it's never satisfied.

Some people do this with their wives and husbands, others with martial art styles, some with their careers, some with the latest fitness gadget, etc...

Make the shift from serving the mind to serving the heart. That is one reason why you've been put here, to MASTER that.

Before you do anything you ask yourself does this serve the mind or the heart. If it's heart you'll never be disappointed.

One way to develop this ability is by walking on fire. Join us Aug. 24 th at our Private Training Center by registering here.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

P.S. As soon as you go to take your first step across the fire bed you'll know exactly who's doing the talking.

Gatineau Kung-Fu School celebrates 10 years

Already?

With last year being a record year of martial art school closures you would be wise to join a school like ours that is established (since 1979) and plans to keep it that way for the next 30 years.

I had the chance to witness the disappointment on student's faces when they shared with me stories of how other martial art schools they were training at suddenly closed their doors.

I usually ask: " Did you research that school? How long were they established?"

"No, not really" they'll say. "It was open for just over a year and they only charged 80 $ a month?"

I tend to buy products or services from companies who are established and have proven track records, that way I don't get any surprises further down the road.


Sifu Patrick and Sifu Christine are leading by example.

Sifu Patrick, Sijo, and Sifu Christine

Offering quality martial arts, a top quality training environment, a positive and dynamic learning experience and genuinely caring about student progress and results.


If you live in the Gatineau area you're invited to test our system, learn our training drills, put our conditioning workouts to the test and even reach your first rank on us.


Take advantage of our complimentary 30 Day VIP Pass. It's the easiest way to get a feel for what we do. No strings attached.


Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Finding the right balance

There seems to be lots of misconceptions about "Frequency of training".

The question I get alot is "How many times a week should I train?"

Or some students have the idea that training more will make them stronger or tougher.

If you want to allow for muscle growth, strength, and endurance gains to take place you have to let some rejuvenation take place.

You must allow your body to recover and heal itself or else the very thing you're doing to stay healthy will actually have the opposite effect.

Everything is about balance in every area of your life. The keyword is moderation.

I'm not saying moderate exercise. When you train on those 3 days you've set for yourself, those are high intensity, maximum output training days.

Off-days are used to stretch, perform deep breathing exercises, neigong, weapon training, and balance training.

You can train skill (punching & kicking, footwork, energy drills, etc...) every day but only push your body physically to extremes 3 times a week (Station Training, Kettle-Bells, Sandbags, D-balls, High Rep Conditioning Drills, Power Exercises)

In Neigong we say: "The chi is like a battery, kinda like the one inside a toy you buy at the store, once you hit 16 years of age that battery slowly starts to lose it's charge."

Knowing this, there is no need to drain that battery unnecessarily by over-training.

Martial art training or any kind of physical conditioning should be a way to preserve yourself, not cause you to slowly deteriorate.

That is one purpose of Neigong training. To keep your battery charged because the one that is inside of you cannot be recycled.

Charge battery here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Are you growing?

After having gone through our Training Camp this weekend I'm reminded of how unique the experience was. Something everyone should go through at least once in their life.

Today I couldn't help but think about something my dad told me a long time ago.

"In life you're either Growing or Stagnating."

"Climbing or Sliding."

"Living or Dying."

Which one will it be for you?

Are you constantly looking for ways to better yourself.

Do you spend money on external/material things or do you invest in your internal/personal development?

The quality of what you put IN will determine the quality of what you put OUT.

This quote says it best:

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I shall have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning."~ Mahatma Gandhi

Everyday should be an opportunity to learn and better yourself, our product section contains dozens of ways to do just that. Learn something new here.

Are you sliding or climbing?

Sibok Martin

Wudang Neigong doesn't exist

That's the title of an e-mail from an angry potential buyer I got last week.

He said he looked for it all over the place and couldn't find any information on it except on our website. In his opinion if it's not on the net it doesn't exist and this is a scam.

This is exactly what I talked about in the past concerning this art. It's a SECRET art.

You won't find any information on this particular style of Wudang Neigong because it's been taught underground for the past 500 years. Only recently has it been shared with the general public.

Neigong Partner Training

Ask the common person in China if they know what Neigong is, they'll answer: "yes" but ask them WHERE they can learn it and the answer will most certainly be: "I don't know".

If it's like that in China imagine what people know about it in other parts of the world?

Not much.

With the Olympics now started and China opening its doors to the rest of the world, hopefully we'll see more and more secret training being released in the future.

Although there are no guarantees of that happening any time soon.

What I can guarantee is that we just replenished our stock of Neigong DVDs and we can get them shipped out to you ASAP.

Start learning this unknown internal energy system I've been talking about right here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Martial Art Training Camp near Ottawa

The last few days have been hectic.

Sore hands.

Sore back.

17 hour work days.

Digging lots of holes and building obstacles.

All because something big is happening this weekend.

Our Annual Training Camp.

Did you know there is no other Martial Art facility like ours in Canada?

If you live in Eastern Canada it's an event you won't want to miss.

It's a unique experience you will never forget.

At the end of Day 3, a great feeling of accomplishment is felt and you'll wish you could stay one more day.

Something happens when you're surrounded with highly motivated individuals, when you're pushed beyond what you thought was your threshold, when you face fear and come out on top, the energy is electric and contagious.

I have to admit when everyone is gone on Sunday night I feel an emptyness inside. Kinda like how actors go through a down phase after they've completed a film and they're out of the media spotlight.

But YOU on the other hand will leave cranked up and ready to take on the world, the energy you've acquired during these 3 days will last you an entire year, and the memories: a life time.

You'll come back to your regular class training on fire and armed with a new set of tools to combat fatigue, set goals, you'll know what a "never give up attitude" is and not just a fancy tag line, you'll be tougher, stronger and more determined that your fellow school members who haven't attended.

On your drive back home you won't be able to stop yourself from thinking and reviewing mentally all the things you've learned and went through, enough just to get that exciting feeling all over again as if you were still there.

Do not miss this opportunity,

See you there Friday between 5:30 and 6:30 pm.

Aim Higher,

Sibok Martin

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Choose your life experiences wisely.