7 Days In The Life Of The I Ho Chuan - SCHOOL CHALLENGE

The “7 Days In The Life Of The IHC” challenge is intended to provide a snapshot of what it means to be a team member on SRKF’s I Ho Chuan team.

What Is The I Ho Chuan?

The IHC is a group of like-minded individuals working towards mastery. The main philosophy for success is to do a little bit every day in order to achieve something great. We do our best to reduce mediocrity in our lives and simply take one step and one day at a time. Even in failure, we do not give up. We have many team requirements that have been established as tools that help us build healthy habits, discipline and routine as we work towards our goals and contribute to humanity in a positive, caring manner.

What Is The Challenge?

This is a school wide challenge that is open to students of all ages. The challenge will include some of the actual basic core IHC requirements as well as some additional daily bonus challenges that are intended to enhance your overall experience.

When Is The Challenge?

The challenge will run from November 6 - 12 (Monday to Sunday)

How Do I Participate?

In order to participate, all you need to do is complete the daily requirements, and keep a record of them, using the challenge tracking sheets. You can also participate in the daily bonus challenges. In order to take part in these, you will need to watch WhatsApp for the daily postings and watch the bonus videos. Even if you aren’t able to do all bonus challenges, make sure to watch them. They are a great opportunity to get to know some of our current team members and learn about the value each bonus challenge holds.

Where Do I Get A Tracking Sheet?

These sheets are available for pick up at SRKF or can be printed out at home using the PDF links below. Make sure you are using the appropriate one for your level, as the requirements and bonus challenges will differ. Once the challenge is complete, make sure to hand in your sheet to your instructor!

We hope you take advantage of this amazing opportunity and join us for the week in an effort to make ourselves, and our community, just a little bit better.

I Ho Chuan- Year of the Dragon

The Year of the Dragon is approaching hard and fast. We will be building on the successes of the Year of the Rabbit by making some significant changes to the I Ho Chuan program. The requirements for the program are listed on the Silent River Kung Fu website; they are a living document, and as a member of the team part of your regiment should include reviewing the requirements throughout the year.

When the I Ho Chuan program was being developed, its intent was to null the need for the Black Belt Grading. If the program is followed as intended then it would act as the grading itself, preparing the candidates for the transition as well as providing all the relevant information needed to the grading board in order to determine if a student had grown to the rank.

Moving forward, the I Ho Chuan IS THE BLACK BELT GRADING. Candidates, there will no longer be a formal “grading day”; your year in the I Ho Chuan is your grading, a year long process of growth and preparation for black. Only two black belt candidates to date have successfully completed the program as it was intended, and to date two black belts have come to their grading completely prepared. Quite frankly, they aced it. Only two, but those two have proven the efficacy and efficiency of the program when followed to completion.

We are accepting applications for the Year of the Dragon. Although the I Ho Chuan is built to serve as a grading for candidates seeking the rank of black, the team is open to students of all ranks. If you want to challenge yourself, delve deeper into your training and commit yourself to mastery, reach out to Sifu Brinker or Sifu Rybak.

If you would like to be on the team, please send in your application ASAP. Priority as always will be given to black belts looking to achieve a higher rank and to black belt candidates. Meetings will be set up with anyone who is interested and the remainder of the team will be determined on a first come first served basis.

Review the requirements, send in your request to join and make sure you come to your meeting prepared with any questions you may have.

I Ho Chuan Year of the Rabbit

With all of the turmoil of the past few years I am sure we will all welcome the Year of the Rabbit, luckiest of the twelve animals and known for its compassion.

Each lunar new year our I Ho Chuan team embarks on a year long journey towards mastery, both of their Kung Fu and in their life in general. Mastery is a process, requiring only consistent, mindful action. The requirements are based off of Master Tom Callos’s Ultimate Blackbelt Test and will be the backbone to creating sustainability and consistency; habits that will serve you throughout your life for as long as you continue the journey.

Silent River’s I Ho Chuan is a mentorship program, designed to both provide and develop mentors and community leaders, breathing life into the phrase “out of the Kwoon and into the world”. 

We are now accepting applications for the I Ho Chuan Year of the Rabbit Team. If you wish to apply for membership, first review the I Ho Chuan requirements found on our website, then send a request for a meeting. All members are required to meet with Sifu Rybak before acceptance into the program.

We Are A Team

 I made the decision to join the I Ho Chuan for many reasons. One of those reasons was being part of a group and getting to know new people. I can honestly say I didn't give a lot of thought to being a team member and what that meant at the time. I did wonder though how I would fit in. My primary focus was the daily requirements and I was overwhelmed by the thought of 50,000 of anything in one year. Add push ups onto the end of that number and wow!! I  remember thinking what the ____ have I gotten myself into?

The computer set up and journaling has been one of the hardest tasks to do. I am a very private person and usually only share under the right circumstances or with some one I trust. When I would journal the process could take hours and whatever I was currently feeling caused thoughts and emotions from the past to surface. A lot of fears resurfaced and the biggest for me was and is a lack of self worth. I remember thinking, holy smokes I've signed myself up for a year long intensive self improvement workshop! If it had been presented that way, I'm pretty sure I would have said thanks, but no thanks. So I started to feel like I didn't belong on the team and I worried that I wouldn't have anything to contribute.

Many months have now passed and we have all been learning and talking about being a contributing member of the team. Just like at work we are helping each other out, working together with a common goal, jumping in where needed, teaching and learning together and we treat everyone with respect.

There are always going to be other commitments that keep some of us away at various times. Work is the biggest obstacle that some of us struggle with. Being a good team member is more than just physically being here. When team members are away they are missed but it can also create difficulties. These same difficulties create opportunities for growth, learning and adapting. We all learn from the experience no mater where we are. Just remember if you are here or away please journal as it helps us to learn more about each other and helps to create a bond between team members.

We are all on our own journey and the experience will be different for everyone of us. As we travel together on this journey we are not alone. And when we travel and work together as a team we are stronger and can accomplish so much more.

Michele Ward