Did I mention that I hate pushups?
Vehemently.
I've never liked them.
They are good for me though. I've started preparing myself to go through my Ten Tigers program. So right now, every other day I'm doing the following workout.
20 Pushups and 20 situps,
10 minutes of stance work,
20 and 20 again,
Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen (takes about 5 minutes),
20 and 20,
Fu Hok Seung Yin Kuen (another 5 minutes),
20 and 20,
Sup Yin Kuen (this one's about 7 minutes long),
and cap it off with 20 pushups and 20 situps.
Did I mention that I hate pushups?
I don't like broccoli either, but it's good for me.
Right now this workout takes about 40 minutes, I think with less rest between activities I can bring it under 35. Once the Ten Tigers program starts I'll be doing it daily. It is difficult, exhausting, hard to find time for (I have to make time), and so much fun once I'm done.
I have this theory about working hard for something. If you make working hard a habit, rather than an exception, when something hard comes along it's not so overwhelming. See if you are used to just sitting around, you aren't prepared to face an emergency. If you train yourself for hard work daily, a crisis can just fall into place.
If you take the fighting aspect of martial arts as an example you can look at it very easily. If you train martial arts daily, get in great shape and stay that way, build your awareness and timing, etc., you are easily able to defend yourself if you have to.
By the way, I discovered that those kung fu forms I've been practicing in my workout use a lot of the same muscles that pushups do.
Did I mention that I hate pushups?
If you practice something daily when you don't need it, it will be at your fingertips when you do need it.
If you practice patience every chance you get, with all the small little annoyances in life, you are more ready to remain calm when that other guy fails to stop at the red light you are sitting at.
If you practice love and kindness towards others every day in little ways, you are more ready to respond with love and kindness when your 17 year old daughter tells you she thinks she might be pregnant.
If you practice personal responsibility in little ways every day (put those candy wrappers and cigarette butts in a trash can) you will be more ready to take responsibility for the big things in life.
The harder you work when you don't have to, the easier it will be when you need to.
Did I mention that I hate pushups?
Sifu Steven O'Nan
