Hey guys. Thanks for tuning into the Hero Performance Health Blog!
I'm Dr. Kyle Ryley a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor and Therapist, as well as owner of Hero Performance Health (HPH). HPH is a Calgary-based clinic that beautifully bridges classical Chinese medicine with the newest innovations in the field. Operating out of the beautiful and luxurious Beacon Hill Chiropractic & Massage, and also treating elite gymnasts out of the Calgary Gymnastics Centre, HPH dedicates itself to providing powerful solutions to your individual health needs.
I'm Dr. Kyle Ryley a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor and Therapist, as well as owner of Hero Performance Health (HPH). HPH is a Calgary-based clinic that beautifully bridges classical Chinese medicine with the newest innovations in the field. Operating out of the beautiful and luxurious Beacon Hill Chiropractic & Massage, and also treating elite gymnasts out of the Calgary Gymnastics Centre, HPH dedicates itself to providing powerful solutions to your individual health needs.
The purpose of this blog is to serve as an outlet for my research and insights in the field of modern health and medicine, particularly how it pertains to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. This blog will also shed light on the very ancient and mysterious Chinese medical arts. Traditional Chinese medicine is an extensive and comprehensive system still capable of providing much more to our traditional medical understanding in the western world, but it can only best do so once we've established clear understandings. As it stands, this understanding still has it's deficiencies although each year we continue to move closer. So I guess a better way to describe this blog would be as a vehicle assisting the integration of eastern and western medical knowledge.
Before anything else I think it's best you get to know me. So without further adieu let me share with you my story.
Before anything else I think it's best you get to know me. So without further adieu let me share with you my story.
My Story
The Early Years
I began my life as an energetic, off-the-wall child and naturally became obsessed with the sport of men's artistic gymnastics and martial arts. I think my parents initially put me in because I climbed everything that was taller than me and I needed an outlet for my hyperactivity. With Jackie Chan, Goku and the Red Power Ranger as my heroes, I obtained an immense drive and aspiration to one day be as great as them. To me that aspiration was quite complex although at the time I wasn't truly aware. It was complex in the way that my pursuit to embody their attitude and attributes didn't only mean learning acrobatics and how to react appropriately to a jump kick to the face (although consciously that might have been all it was to me). This pursuit towards heroism was unconsciously modifying my dietary and psychological habits. It was these habits that carried forward into every moment, even when I was out of the gym and living my everyday life. Although eating my vegetables and keeping humble and composed in frustrating situations are not the easiest or most pleasurable things to do, regulating my ability to do so ended up bringing out a profound sense of pride and achievement within me. I became addicted to this feeling and as I gained momentum things only felt better, especially as the results began to show. By the time I was 10, I qualified to the Canadian Gymnastics Championships and ended up winning with the all-around gold with the highest score in my age-group (10-12 y.o.). Within this same year is when I began a more dedicated approach to martial arts. Prior to this I had been involved in Karate camps and trained a couple years out of a Taekwondo studio.
I began my life as an energetic, off-the-wall child and naturally became obsessed with the sport of men's artistic gymnastics and martial arts. I think my parents initially put me in because I climbed everything that was taller than me and I needed an outlet for my hyperactivity. With Jackie Chan, Goku and the Red Power Ranger as my heroes, I obtained an immense drive and aspiration to one day be as great as them. To me that aspiration was quite complex although at the time I wasn't truly aware. It was complex in the way that my pursuit to embody their attitude and attributes didn't only mean learning acrobatics and how to react appropriately to a jump kick to the face (although consciously that might have been all it was to me). This pursuit towards heroism was unconsciously modifying my dietary and psychological habits. It was these habits that carried forward into every moment, even when I was out of the gym and living my everyday life. Although eating my vegetables and keeping humble and composed in frustrating situations are not the easiest or most pleasurable things to do, regulating my ability to do so ended up bringing out a profound sense of pride and achievement within me. I became addicted to this feeling and as I gained momentum things only felt better, especially as the results began to show. By the time I was 10, I qualified to the Canadian Gymnastics Championships and ended up winning with the all-around gold with the highest score in my age-group (10-12 y.o.). Within this same year is when I began a more dedicated approach to martial arts. Prior to this I had been involved in Karate camps and trained a couple years out of a Taekwondo studio.
Integrating Tai Chi Chuan with Gymnastics
By 11, my heroes were more or less the same. I still fantasized over Jackie Chan and Goku, but my love for the Red Ranger transitioned into a passion for Alexei Nemov, Yang Wei, Ivan Ivankov and Jordan Jovchev who were the top men's gymnasts in the world at the time. I watched their performances again and again, mimicking their attitude and personality while envisioning myself in their position one day when I would be their age. This continued to keep me disciplined in terms of diet, exercise and mindset. When I was 11 I began training in Kung Fu with focus in what is known as internal training. This more or less meant that my focus shifted away from reckless sparring and the drilling of blocks and throws, and shifted inwards. My focus became more concerned with optimizing my physical condition and developing my sensitivity to qi and optimizing this free-flow. As a result, over this next decade I achieved unbelievable health benefits that further improved both my mental and physical performance as an elite gymnast. I continued to maintain my spot on the national age-group team until I was 14. At this time I experienced my pubescent growth spurt and gained 10 inches within a year or so. I was now a whopping 5'8" and no longer the shortest in my class of 30 at school.
The growth spurt interfered with my gymnastics and shifted me into the typical maintenance and "stay healthy!" phase - as it does for many gymnasts at this age. During these few years I stayed healthy and had no lasting or debilitating aches or pains. I attribute this to my additional 8 hours per week I dedicated to Kung Fu training. By this time I was focusing almost 80% of my Kung Fu training in Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong. This training dealt with optimizing my posture and movements in a way that provided the most effective uses of force and also how to maximize force with relaxation. The best way I can describe it is I was training similarly to those who train functional patterns (FP), minus the loading part but with an increase in accompanied relaxation and meditation in my movements. In addition, my Kung Fu training taught me how relaxation could issue pain and forces along my kinetic chain, and most importantly of all, re-wire my cerebellar cortex to unconsciously put these movements and postures into every-day habitual practice. My ability to relax tempered my bones and connective tissue and released my tight muscles, making me stronger and more fit for the demands that gymnastics put on my now larger, post-pubescent body.
Unlike the majority of my teammates who we're dealing with a handful of injuries, I continued to train pain free and in many ways stronger than I had ever been - especially when it came to stabilizing my core and loading forces through active flexibility. When I did get injured, the injuries didn't last and Traditional Chinese Medicine was my first resort. I received treatments like acupuncture, cupping, electro-stim, guasha, bloodletting, stretching and massage to heal and improve soft tissue dysfunction. This was my first taste of traditional Chinese sports medicine. Because of the results that I received with such simple non-invasive techniques and the fact that it was based in the same Daoist principles that my already effective Kung Fu training was, you could say I was quite intrigued. By the time I was 17 I had returned to being one of the top in my age-group as well as a senior national finalist on the High Bar. Many people have asked me over the years if I had a favorite event to compete in gymnastics. Although High Bar was my most successful, I loved each event for their own specific reasons. They are each so completely unique and provide their own unique sets of fulfilling challenges. It wasn't even a possibility that I would specialize and compete only a few.
The growth spurt interfered with my gymnastics and shifted me into the typical maintenance and "stay healthy!" phase - as it does for many gymnasts at this age. During these few years I stayed healthy and had no lasting or debilitating aches or pains. I attribute this to my additional 8 hours per week I dedicated to Kung Fu training. By this time I was focusing almost 80% of my Kung Fu training in Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong. This training dealt with optimizing my posture and movements in a way that provided the most effective uses of force and also how to maximize force with relaxation. The best way I can describe it is I was training similarly to those who train functional patterns (FP), minus the loading part but with an increase in accompanied relaxation and meditation in my movements. In addition, my Kung Fu training taught me how relaxation could issue pain and forces along my kinetic chain, and most importantly of all, re-wire my cerebellar cortex to unconsciously put these movements and postures into every-day habitual practice. My ability to relax tempered my bones and connective tissue and released my tight muscles, making me stronger and more fit for the demands that gymnastics put on my now larger, post-pubescent body.
Unlike the majority of my teammates who we're dealing with a handful of injuries, I continued to train pain free and in many ways stronger than I had ever been - especially when it came to stabilizing my core and loading forces through active flexibility. When I did get injured, the injuries didn't last and Traditional Chinese Medicine was my first resort. I received treatments like acupuncture, cupping, electro-stim, guasha, bloodletting, stretching and massage to heal and improve soft tissue dysfunction. This was my first taste of traditional Chinese sports medicine. Because of the results that I received with such simple non-invasive techniques and the fact that it was based in the same Daoist principles that my already effective Kung Fu training was, you could say I was quite intrigued. By the time I was 17 I had returned to being one of the top in my age-group as well as a senior national finalist on the High Bar. Many people have asked me over the years if I had a favorite event to compete in gymnastics. Although High Bar was my most successful, I loved each event for their own specific reasons. They are each so completely unique and provide their own unique sets of fulfilling challenges. It wasn't even a possibility that I would specialize and compete only a few.
Balancing University with Training as a Senior Gymnast
At this time in my life I had moved out on my own so that I was closer to university. I was training 21 hours a week as a gymnast, a full-time student at the University of Calgary studying engineering, and if that wasn't enough I was also coaching gymnastics in any and all of the spare time I had left. I was no longer able to train Kung Fu under my teacher/sifu, so I shifted to training at home on my own. It was a difficult time for me trying to manage everything. I felt as though everything was suffering just a little. During this time I still maintained and embodied a clear and defined vision of my heroes who at this time were still Goku, Alexei Nemov, Yang Wei, Ivan Ivankov, Jordan Jovchev, Jackie Chan, plus the newly added Hiroyuki Tomita - a great and highly stylized men's gymnast from Japan.
I transitioned from engineering, into physics, and then into philosophy & eastern religious studies, not quite sure what my professional future entailed. I simply studied that which interested me seeking to broaden my horizons and eventually find what would be the right fit. My studies continued to be difficult to manage with my training and coaching, so after four and a half years and a nearly completed BA I reached the decision to put everything on halt and focus solely on my gymnastics training. I had these lifelong dreams that had been fueled by the aspirations to model my lifelong heroes, and so I came to the decision that I must give it all or nothing. The only logical answer to me was to go 100% all in. I upped my training hours to 36 per week and my skill and fitness improved considerably. My goal was to secure a spot on the senior national team and begin competing internationally with the hopes of qualifying a team to Rio. These were the most fulfilling and challenging years in my entire career.
With all the hard work and improvements I had upped my national ranking but still ranked shy of what it would take to be selected for senior national team. In addition, as it stood our current team was ranked in a position that would likely not even qualify a spot for the Rio Olympics. With this knowledge and more importantly knowing that I had given it my all and achieved great pride and glory along the way, I had the peace of mind to retire altogether from competitive gymnastics. I realized that it was not the end goal that mattered as much as it was the dedicated journey towards it. It was through this journey that I had refined my character and achieved unbelievable feats that have set me up for an entire life of happiness, pride and discipline - not to mention physicality and body awareness. Even if I were to have been selected to senior national team and given the opportunity to compete at the Olympic games, I'm certain that its value would only be equal to that of every training moment that led up to it, and I consider myself thankful that I had already achieved the majority of those moments by this point.
With retiring from my competitive career I transferred the drive I had for my own personal success and placed it into my coaching. I became dedicated to my coaching, seeking to give to the younger gymnasts all of my knowledge and experience and inspire them in a way that utilized my talent of connecting and working with children. There were a lot of things I felt as though I had learned too late or avoided and put off too long in my own training. These things had brought me some regret and perhaps been the reason I did not achieve the international success I desired. I also had the privilege of working alongside seven world-class coaches, a couple of which were Olympians themselves. All this knowledge compounded with my own personal insights and discovery gave me a strong foothold to one day become a world-class coach myself. In addition to coaching I also enjoyed training on my own recreationally. Training recreationally allowed me to take my time with the simpler things. To put it metaphorically, instead of sprinting through the park I was now able to walk, smell the flowers and breathing the fresh air that was gymnastics.
Completing my Study in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Having goals to develop into a professional coach, I still had a drive to complete my university education and I decided to focus in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was passion of mine that I could apply to my coaching to assist my understanding of biomechanics and conditioning and also use it boost the health and performance of my athletes. With all of my previous experience in the field with Tai Chi and wiring functional movement, as well as receiving acupuncture, massage and other TCM therapies, I excelled in my studies and after 5 years graduated from the Chengdu University of TCM with a perfect 4.0 GPA. My education had provided me with a comprehensive knowledge base of TCM herbs & herbal formulas as well as a large amount of hands on clinical knowledge. This combined with my undergrad in eastern philosophy I had a huge sense of confidence in both my knowledge and abilities as well as an immense excitement to begin my practice and help not only elite athletes, but athletic-minded everyday people to achieve their goals and unleash their hero within. I now treat out of Beacon Hill Chiropractic & Massage, and also treat on site at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre to assist the competitive athletes busy and demanding schedules. My practice works with athletic and driven clients, and begins with establishing goals and identifying the hero-figure that will play the catalyst in unlocking the "new and better you".
Something You Maybe Didn't Know
In addition to being a coach and doctor I am also a musician with the Jazzlib. The Jazzlib is a true-school hip-hop crew composed of 3 MCs and 1 DJ. We've been active since 2011 and have performed throughout Canada, the United States and China. We just released a new double album this year that goes by the name of Behind Bars Too. The name of the album is to pay homage to the sport of gymnastics. The album contains gymnastics references throughout and sends its utmost respects to the recently deceased Elena Shushanova. In addition to gymnastics, the Jazzlib seeks to enlighten the minds of its listeners with conscious, profound, inspiring, light-hearted lyrics, and to put it simply make the dopest of music to nod your head to. The instrumentals are characterized as funky, jazzy, dark, and dramatic. We have just been selected as nominees for the 2019 YYC Music Awards. You can catch the Jazzlib on all online music platforms. Give us your vote if you like the sound. See ya!
At this time in my life I had moved out on my own so that I was closer to university. I was training 21 hours a week as a gymnast, a full-time student at the University of Calgary studying engineering, and if that wasn't enough I was also coaching gymnastics in any and all of the spare time I had left. I was no longer able to train Kung Fu under my teacher/sifu, so I shifted to training at home on my own. It was a difficult time for me trying to manage everything. I felt as though everything was suffering just a little. During this time I still maintained and embodied a clear and defined vision of my heroes who at this time were still Goku, Alexei Nemov, Yang Wei, Ivan Ivankov, Jordan Jovchev, Jackie Chan, plus the newly added Hiroyuki Tomita - a great and highly stylized men's gymnast from Japan.
I transitioned from engineering, into physics, and then into philosophy & eastern religious studies, not quite sure what my professional future entailed. I simply studied that which interested me seeking to broaden my horizons and eventually find what would be the right fit. My studies continued to be difficult to manage with my training and coaching, so after four and a half years and a nearly completed BA I reached the decision to put everything on halt and focus solely on my gymnastics training. I had these lifelong dreams that had been fueled by the aspirations to model my lifelong heroes, and so I came to the decision that I must give it all or nothing. The only logical answer to me was to go 100% all in. I upped my training hours to 36 per week and my skill and fitness improved considerably. My goal was to secure a spot on the senior national team and begin competing internationally with the hopes of qualifying a team to Rio. These were the most fulfilling and challenging years in my entire career.
With all the hard work and improvements I had upped my national ranking but still ranked shy of what it would take to be selected for senior national team. In addition, as it stood our current team was ranked in a position that would likely not even qualify a spot for the Rio Olympics. With this knowledge and more importantly knowing that I had given it my all and achieved great pride and glory along the way, I had the peace of mind to retire altogether from competitive gymnastics. I realized that it was not the end goal that mattered as much as it was the dedicated journey towards it. It was through this journey that I had refined my character and achieved unbelievable feats that have set me up for an entire life of happiness, pride and discipline - not to mention physicality and body awareness. Even if I were to have been selected to senior national team and given the opportunity to compete at the Olympic games, I'm certain that its value would only be equal to that of every training moment that led up to it, and I consider myself thankful that I had already achieved the majority of those moments by this point.
With retiring from my competitive career I transferred the drive I had for my own personal success and placed it into my coaching. I became dedicated to my coaching, seeking to give to the younger gymnasts all of my knowledge and experience and inspire them in a way that utilized my talent of connecting and working with children. There were a lot of things I felt as though I had learned too late or avoided and put off too long in my own training. These things had brought me some regret and perhaps been the reason I did not achieve the international success I desired. I also had the privilege of working alongside seven world-class coaches, a couple of which were Olympians themselves. All this knowledge compounded with my own personal insights and discovery gave me a strong foothold to one day become a world-class coach myself. In addition to coaching I also enjoyed training on my own recreationally. Training recreationally allowed me to take my time with the simpler things. To put it metaphorically, instead of sprinting through the park I was now able to walk, smell the flowers and breathing the fresh air that was gymnastics.
Completing my Study in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Having goals to develop into a professional coach, I still had a drive to complete my university education and I decided to focus in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was passion of mine that I could apply to my coaching to assist my understanding of biomechanics and conditioning and also use it boost the health and performance of my athletes. With all of my previous experience in the field with Tai Chi and wiring functional movement, as well as receiving acupuncture, massage and other TCM therapies, I excelled in my studies and after 5 years graduated from the Chengdu University of TCM with a perfect 4.0 GPA. My education had provided me with a comprehensive knowledge base of TCM herbs & herbal formulas as well as a large amount of hands on clinical knowledge. This combined with my undergrad in eastern philosophy I had a huge sense of confidence in both my knowledge and abilities as well as an immense excitement to begin my practice and help not only elite athletes, but athletic-minded everyday people to achieve their goals and unleash their hero within. I now treat out of Beacon Hill Chiropractic & Massage, and also treat on site at the Calgary Gymnastics Centre to assist the competitive athletes busy and demanding schedules. My practice works with athletic and driven clients, and begins with establishing goals and identifying the hero-figure that will play the catalyst in unlocking the "new and better you".
Something You Maybe Didn't Know
In addition to being a coach and doctor I am also a musician with the Jazzlib. The Jazzlib is a true-school hip-hop crew composed of 3 MCs and 1 DJ. We've been active since 2011 and have performed throughout Canada, the United States and China. We just released a new double album this year that goes by the name of Behind Bars Too. The name of the album is to pay homage to the sport of gymnastics. The album contains gymnastics references throughout and sends its utmost respects to the recently deceased Elena Shushanova. In addition to gymnastics, the Jazzlib seeks to enlighten the minds of its listeners with conscious, profound, inspiring, light-hearted lyrics, and to put it simply make the dopest of music to nod your head to. The instrumentals are characterized as funky, jazzy, dark, and dramatic. We have just been selected as nominees for the 2019 YYC Music Awards. You can catch the Jazzlib on all online music platforms. Give us your vote if you like the sound. See ya!
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