How would you like to learn Jujitsu from Barack Obama? Or maybe a good solid class in Shotokan Karate from William Jefferson Clinton? No…well, how about, I’ve got it…Kung Fu as taught by Nancy Pelosi!

You may think I am having a little fun with you, but there is a dark underbelly to all this. When the government decides to take over a business, you see, it tends to destroy, corrupt and confound that business. And I am talking any government, and any business.

Kung Fu, for instance, thousands of years old, has been spreading long life, health, good physical conditioning, and some of the best darned self-defense imaginable. Then along came Chairman Mao, and the death of Kung Fu was at hand. The vehicle used for the destruction of the one of the greatest arts the world has ever known was called The Cultural Revolution.

During the Cultural Revolution Mao decided to purge society of elements that he deemed dangerous, or corruptive, or whatever. Thus, the population was carted off wholesale and killed, 70,000,000 of them. If you were intelligent, talented, or stood out in any manner, you were dead.

If you were a school teacher, wore glasses, or had written a book, you were dead. If you spoke against communism or played the violin, you were dead. If you knew Kung Fu, you were dead.

Once the Revolution had run its course, the country began to rebuild, in the image of Mao. Funny thing, as China tried to catch up with a world that was still possessed of talent and intelligence, it discovered that there was a market for this thing called Kung Fu. Unfortunately, they had a problem, as they had killed off Kung Fu.

So, what does a government do when it has killed Kung Fu, and then found that it needs it? Simple, you hire a few coaches and have them make up some Kung Fu. So they hired a bunch of coaches, the ones who hadn’t known enough Kung Fu to be killed off during the revolution, read any manuals that survived the book burnings, and make up some Kung Fu!

And they were intent on making sure that the Kung Fu didn’t have anything harmful in it. You don’t want people able to actually the thing for self defense. Heck, you don’t want them having a real Great Revolution!

Happy New Year, Solstice and whatever else you practice.

I have a few additions to my schedule at Hilltop Yoga:

Yoga

Saturdays 8:30 a.m. Just B power yoga** (same)

Tuesdays, 7 a.m. Just B power yoga (starting Jan. 5)

Tai Chi

2 p.m. Beginners Tai Chi (starting Jan. 16) (preregistration by Jan. 10, $110 – contact me)

3 p.m. Tai Chi 2 (drop-in)

SPECIAL HOLIDAY DEAL

Saturday, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2

For my regulars. Come to class and bring a 1^st-timer friend, your class is free.

Be safe this holiday season.

Namaste.

(History)

Tai Chi class with Wayan this-morning.

The upstairs studio at The Yoga Barn, stands open along the full length of two sides, and overlooks a large rice paddy in the full swing of growth – millions of green shoots proudly stretching up to the mid-morning sun. Behind the paddy, in the distance, the thatched roofs of Balinese houses pop up out from behind the protective stone walls of the family compounds.

This is my life. A little explosion of happiness spreads through the vessel that is my body.

The class crosses it’s legs, puts its hands in front of it’s many hearts in Prayer Pose, closes it’s eyes, and meditates.

Tai is body, Chi is the Buddhist word for energy. Tai Chi there-fore, is a bonding of the body and the mind. I try to relax into it, and bond mine, meld myself together, so that I can be a whole, together, person.

The class moves through four beautiful Tai Chi sequences, a slow graceful dance, breathing and absorbing the energy which flow serenely through the open space of the room, through muscles, and joints, and minds. And out again to join with the entire world.

“Relax, feel it rather than think it.” Wayan says.

“When you think, you become stiff and disjointed.”

As he says this, his slow, fluid dance becomes the dance of a crudely mechanized robot.

“Don’t think (it is) hard, think (it is) easy. Then it will be.” he says.

I try to concentrate on feeling it, over thinking it. But the concentration is too thinky.

I breathe.

And try my best to go with the rhythm of the dance.

I am a small child.

On the ChiFusion support forum for my advanced training students, a few students asked me about “trembling” during Tai Chi practice. One student wrote about a recent experience:

I’m a beginner, about 4+ months into ChiFusion, no previous experience with Tai Chi or Qigong. I’ve worked through Levels 1 and 2 … Yesterday I did my Level 1 early in the morning, then mid-morning began my Level 2 routine. … I then started Lifting Water, and after a minute or two, my hands and forearms started trembling uncontrollably as I raised them. This didn’t feel like fatigue, rather like my arms were over-excited or something. It felt like a surge of pressure or energy that had nowhere to go and caused a shuddering sensation as I lifted my arms. When I tried to relax my arms to quiet the shuddering (still lifting), my legs actually started shuddering too!

This alarmed me a bit, as I’ve not had this happen before, so I stopped exercising, and went into my relaxation routine (Embracing the Pearl and Falling Water) and everything calmed down and I was fine. This morning I performed both Level 1 and 2 routines with no trembling/shuddering.

Another student wrote:

I’ve been doing [other styles of] Tai Chi for about a dozen years now … that is similar but usually just with my fingers. They will begin to flutter as I move through my [non-ChiFusion] Tai Chi forms. I’ve heard that, in fact, it’s a result of the energy in your system. It’s not harmful and I’m told it’s relatively normal.

That’s why I brought the question up. It doesn’t happen all the times but it was rather disconcerting the first time I saw it.

It only happens after I’ve gotten into my routine after about 15 -20 mins.

I actually had trembling as well when I was a student. When I became a teacher, I looked at the experience in great detail to find out what was going on. Trembling is a complicated issues in Tai Chi and Qigong, because many different situations can cause it.

Assuming it isn’t just simple muscle fatigue, with trembling I usually look for:

1. Increase in energy flow through meridians
2. Increased flow encounters a blockage in a meridian
3. Overflow of vessels into meridians (storing too much chi or storing without meridian preparation)
4. Misalignments in movements
5. Physical problems (pinched nerves, misalignments, dehydration, and other medical conditions)

For #1, if you are relatively new to advanced chi training, sometimes the body isn’t accustomed to the increased chi flow. This can cause trembling. The trembling goes away though once your meridians become habituated to the increased flow. Assuming you are practicing regularly (5 to 6 times a week), the trembling shouldn’t last for more than a few days, certainly no longer than a week, as the body adjusts.

For #2, the trembling is caused when increased chi flow encounters a blockage in the meridians. Ideally, the increased flow will remove the blockage and the trembling will go away. This can happen in a single practice session, but may take a few days or a week. But if the blockage is really stubborn though, it may last longer. If it does, other intervention (acupuncture, Qigong massage, herbs) may be needed to help with the blockage.

#3 happens when students work on chi vessel storage Qigong or Tai Chi BEFORE working Qigong to improve meridian circulation. Unfortunately, this is quite common among Tai Chi students outside our ChiFusion program. (It should be rare among ChiFusion students who’ve never done Tai Chi before, because we work on meridians first before working on storage).

The reason it is common is that Tai Chi is usually taught as a vessel storage practice. The idea here is that if you work on Tai Chi storage and store enough chi, it will “overflow” the vessel reservoirs and automatically flow out to the meridians, and automatically improve meridian circulation by forcing the chi out the vessels.

That’s the theory. In my experience, it usually doesn’t work quite that smoothly. In the first place, most students cant get enough storage to happen to make that “overflow” work for them, at least not until a few months or years of practice. Then when they do get the overflow, the meridian system is often not prepared for the increased chi flow. The overflow becomes a bull in the china shop, causing all sorts of problems as it encounters blockages and discontinuities in the energy system. Trembling is often a major sign here.

This is what happened to me as a student. And unfortunately, my meridian system never seemed to “right itself” using this method. It always responds the same way to the increased chi overflow. And as the student becomes better and better at storage, the overflow becomes more regular, and the trembling becomes a regular feature of the student’s practice.

Prevention is the best medicine here – work on circulation BEFORE working on storage. (We talk about this both in the “Energy Pathways” section of our advanced training, plus in our Complete Chi Health webinar that we occasionally hold for people on our mailing list. We discuss how you can structured your practice and how we’ve structured the ChiFusion program to do this.) If you’ve seen some of the introductory videos to the sample lessons in our course, I mentioned how I started over at one point, stopping everything I was practicing and going back to the beginning. This is part of the reason I did that. I needed a meridian system “reboot”, to give my meridian system a chance to right itself after stressing it out for so many years.

#4 can happen when there is a physical or energetic misalignment in a movement. If a particular Qigong or Tai Chi movement always causes trembling, or it always happens at the same place in your practice, that can be a sign. Whatever limb or part of the body is trembling, try adjusting the movement or posture. Often times, an inch or two can make a big difference. If the trembling goes away when you make the adjustment, then it was probably #4.

#5 are usually physical problems that are not a result of practice, but practice can bring them out and make them more obvious. Pinched nerves often cause trembling. The irony of course is that while you might experience trembling in your hands, for example, the pinched nerve is usually NOT in your hand. It might be in your spine, neck, shoulder, or elbow. Spinal vertebrae that are out of alignment might not even be noticed by you during your regular day, but Tai Chi might be showing them to you.

Believe it or not, dehydration might also cause trembling, and again, you might not notice it during the day, but Tai Chi can bring it out. There are many more physical causes and medical conditions that can cause trembling. (Actually, I’ve just been emailing with a new student who joined us that has Essential Tremors, a medical condition that causes trembling in some postures.) So if the trembling is persistent, you might want to have this checked by a chiropractor, osteopath, medical doctor, or other health professional.

For the first student above, I suggested that his experience was most likely #2 above. He should monitor this for the next week or so. If the trembling comes back and stays around, it might be something else. But if it has happened just once, and stays away for a few days, it was probably #2.

For the second student, it’s a little more complicated. I suggested that it’s probably #3, based on a few things he said: that he has been practicing Tai Chi for a dozen years, it happens during his form, and it happens after about 15 or 20 minutes in. I’m wondering if it takes him that long to build up the storage in a practice session until it overflows. And if it happens sometimes and not others, he might just be sometimes hitting the “high water mark” for overflowing, and sometimes not.

But it could also be #2 with a stubborn blockage, #4, or #5. If it was #2, he should probably notice the trembling as he practices the meridian work in Level 1 of his new ChiFusion program. If it’s #4, he might want to see if it’s reaching certain postures in his practice (rather than just practicing for 15 to 20 minutes) that is causing the trembling. Keep in mind that I can’t give medical diagnosis, but #5 is the least likely in my opinion, though it’s a possibility he should check out.

Trembling is so complicated that it’s hard to know exactly what’s happening without some experimentation and observing on each student’s part.

.

To all my students and future students,

Some exciting schedule changes are coming for the New Year.

I will be adding a Tuesday, 7 a.m. power yoga class on the Hilltop Yoga Old Town schedule. Get your day going with some vinyasa, tapping your inner power. This should start the first Tuesday in January.

A new Tai Chi beginner’s class is starting Jan. 23. It will be 12 weeks this time. From 2-3 p.m. Learn the Cheng Man Ching short yang form, Qi gong, and practical applications.

Now, to my regulars who come to my 8:30 a.m. Saturday class. I’m thinking of changing to a 5 p.m. Sunday time slot instead. Would you come? If not, would you mind sharing why? Should I change it? My Saturday would turn into a $5 apprentice class. That allows teacher trainees to get some classroom time. But you get a different teacher every week. The apprentices currently teach at 5 p.m. Sunday. We are thinking of swapping the classes.

Let me know your thoughts.

It is true that for centuries Tai Chi has been useful in decreasing chronic pain. Now in light of several years of research and preliminary studies it is believed to hold firm in today. Let’s begin by defining Arthritis; a general term that describes pain and or stiffness. This pain and stiffness often leads to inflammation (heat and swelling) in one or more joints or muscles of the body. There are more than 100 forms of arthritis. Some of these are Rheumatoid Arthritis (related to autoimmune disorder affecting 1% of population), Osteoarthritis (related to the hips and other joints), Psoriatic Arthritis (related to psoriasis) and Still’s Disease (most common with children but has also been diagnosed in adults.) Many forms of medications and alternative therapies are being used to treat this condition. We know that the use of these medications decreases symptoms tremendously. Exercise however, is of key importance in decreasing the often debilitating pain from these forms of arthritis. Tai Chi revealed that this century old tradition is both restorative and easily supplemented into any workout routine.

The restoration can, with practice build into a form of internal meditation and quiet. Regular maintenance through restorative exercise will assist in decreased daily stress that if left unattended will tremendously impact your pain. It is important to note that keeping the body active is important when you struggle with chronic pain. Remember that staying mobile / flexible, aerobic- (taking a walk) and building muscle strength- (any form of light weights) are key in your physical, emotional and mental well-being. Bear in mind that any type of exercise program needs to be done with the approval of your healthcare professional. Also, be aware of the limits that you have set for yourself. Again, Tai Chi is said to improve arthritis suffers pain. It does this by lowering stress and providing a boost to emotional health.

This is going to be the weirdest tai chi lesson you have ever had. I’ve never had a lesson in tai chi, you see, but my tai chi chuan is the best. I don’t mean to be self serving, but let us see what you think after you have read how I came up with my tai chi.

I began my study of tai chi with a book, Lee Ying Arng Modified Tai Chi for Health. I spent hours a night memorizing the form, trying to figure out the applications, trying to figure out what it all meant. And, it didn’t mean much.

So I went through Chen Man Ching, and Chen and Yang and Wu and Sun, but they all spoke this gobbledegook that didn’t make sense. So I began doing my Karate, I had near ten years experience in karate, and the thing started making sense. I was using karate power to wake up the form, and it worked, and then I was able to translate what was happening into Tai Chi power.

More important, I was neglecting all the bushwah philosophy and mysticism in the books and using physics. The martial arts, you see, are taught through the memorization of random strings of data. In physics you look for a reason, and a logic, and you define a concept.

Now, legends say tai chi was created in a dream by san feng after he watched a crane and a snake fight. Or, it was started by a general in Chen village, who was tired from war and wanted to make up routines for the children. Neither of these concepts have much verifiable validity, but, there is something there.

Maybe the general was old, couldn’t do the martial arts proper, and so he moved slowly, so as not to hurt himself, and actually came up with something. And the vision of the snake and the crane, though I like physics I would not dare to disclaim the value of visions, which are dreams and inspiration, and at the heart of mankind. Still, whether rehabilitation of the infirm, or big dreams, tai chi does not make sense without physics.

So this is what I want you to do, I want you to go to a library and get a book on physics. Make it a simple book, kids pictures for illustrations, that sort of thing. It would really help if it was about a motor.

Now, read that book, and start asking yourself what terms are the same as in tai chi. Rooting is grounding, where is the generator, and so on. Do that, and when the face and guts of your tai chi chuan start to alter, do not come whining to me.

I am often asked how is it that I am able to cope with all the stress that goes on in my life. People often say “I don’t know how you do it!  I’d go crazy!”  I do take these comments as complimentary.  But I also think people tend to underestimate themselves. My response to them is usually,  ”You’d be surprised at what you can handle when you don’t have any other options.”  That’s also where God comes in.  When things seem impossible, I know it’s God who is giving me strength to not drive  voluntarily into a brick wall. 

*ok here’s my little disclaimer:  I would never drive into a brick wall…….. on purpose.  If you really know me, statements like that are all part of my sick sense of humor.*

Nobody is immune to stress.  Everybody has different ways of coping with stress.  Some coping methods are good. Some are bad.  And some are just kind of odd. My husband’s way of coping with stress is by doing Tai Chi. A very good method. He does this every morning.  He is very interested in martial arts and has been doing it for the past 13 years.  He also runs 4 times a week.  He has been trying to get me to do the Tai Chi for the past 12 years.  I’m still not interested. But that’s ok, because like I said, everybody has a different way of coping with what life throws at them.

I prefer running. I never run immediately after a stressful moment has hit its peak. Like right after Matt throws a full glass of juice at the wall, I’m not in the mood to do a 5 miler. I think of the running as maintenance.  It gives me energy to face the day.   When I go too long without running, I find myself becoming moody.  Lately, I’ve been getting bored with the running which could possibly explain my irritable mood these past few days.  Time for me to get out the old bike trainer.

Another way I am able to cope with the stress is by doing this blog. If nobody ever  read my blogs, I would still write them.  It’s good therapy.  I know that someday in the future I will take a look at the blogs and say “Wow, I forgot how hard life was then.  We made it!” 

As I mentioned earlier, people may sometimes have odd coping methods.  My odd coping method begins after the kids are in bed. I pop in an “Everybody Loves Raymond” dvd and watch it till I fall asleep.  That will take anywhere from 10 min to 2 hours. I have seen each episode countless times.  John still can’t figure out what the appeal is.  Especially with that show.  He hates that show. Not me.  I explained to John how our lives are full of surprises, noise, and chaos. I just want to sit down and watch a program where I know exactly what is going to happen.  I can always count on Ray being helpless, Robert being jealous, and Debra being irritable.  I can always count on the father-in-law being repulsive.  Best of all, I can always count of the mother-in-law being intrusive, critical, and loud. I find all of this hysterical.  John finds the show stressful and annoying.  I would like to note that the characters in this show don’t reflect our family.  I happen to have the best in-laws anybody could ever ask for! I just enjoy the predictability that comes with watching those dvd’s.  It’s my escape and it makes me laugh.

No drinking – Failed. Lasted a total of 5 days. Will cut down a bit from now on, but I ain’t gonna become a monk!

Daily exercise – Qualified success. Did 6 days out of 7, including a good 2-3 hour session today. Will continue as much as I can.

Something new – Done. Travelled first class (see below). Not overly impressed.

Other than that, I found focus in what I’m doing, and am somewhat at peace with what the future holds. It might get a bit random, but it’s all good practice.

Here’s the latest newsletter…you’ll find the student trap quite intriquing.

Happy me!
Happy you!
Happy everybody!

It is god freakin’ friday,
and that’s my day off,
and that means…
I get to work out all day long!

HAH!

Ever tried that?
See how long you could work out?
That would be so cool…
working out so long and hard that
the arms fall off,
the legs change into worms and try to crawl away.
The head dissipates into so much psychedelic mush…
Hmmm,
maybe I’ll start right after this newsletter…

Let me make a couple of announcements
before we get into the martial arts.

Okay,
fair warning,
mail takes longer for the next couple of weeks.
Orders will reach you within three days,
not two.

And,
I decided to put the latest dvd on a new site,
I’ll push it at the end of the newsletter,
and that said…

The reason I teach,
aside from the fact of better body,
calmer mind,
higher spirits,
and so on…
is that
when I teach I learn.
I push something out of my mind,
give it to somebody else,
and there seems to be a little blank space left
that the universe must fill.

So I’m teaching this guy the other night,
we’re doing some tai chi,
absorb and expel,
he comes in
and I slide his hands aside
and prepare to push
and launch his body upward and away,
and he starts putting his weight in his body
preparatory to my pushing him,
and
I don’t push,
I step to the side,
break the technique,
and he falls almost on his face.

Now,
I broke the technique to make a point…
don’t fall into the student trap.

Look,
I’m going to go afield with this anecdote,
but there was a fellow back in the last century,
High ranking karateka,
(I think it was Stan Schmidt..S. Africa?)
and he couldn’t beat his instructor,
some Japanese guy with one of those Japanese names.
Now,
this was actually written up in the mags,
an interesting part of a bio article,
but
though Stan couldn’t beat his instructor
Stan’s student,
who Stan always beat,
could beat Stan’s instructor.

Do you see it here?
A always beats B
B always beats C,
and C always beats A.

That’s not logical.
That’s like saying
I will step from the top step to the second step,
I will then step down from the second step to the third step,
I will then step DOWN from the third step to…the top step.

That’s not the way the universe works!
That’s…Escher!

And, that is what I call
The Student Trap.
Simply
the student didn’t just learn the martial arts,
he learned how to be the eternal dummy
to his teacher.

Now,
it’s a trick of the mind,
I encountered it at the Kang Duk Won,
I used to always beat this one student,
he got promoted,
started beating me,
and I realized that it was just his self confidence,
so I went back to beating him.

No student trap for me.

And,
when you get these guys who make people dance around and fall
on the internet,
with just mystical hand motions…
they have trained their students to be receptive,
and,
they can’t do these mystical things
to people other than their students.
Instead of teaching,
they are setting up
a big student trap.

Oooo,
look at mystical master!
I want to pay him money!

Well,
I’d love to have money,
but I want to do it
by teaching the martial arts,
not hypnotizing some fool
who came to me for instruction.

So that brings us back to yesterday,
and when I broke the technique
and stepped out from under
the student who was preparing for the technique
and
broke the student trap.

Preparation is a ridge in the body,
and it is something to be manipulated.
Push or pull,
you have to empty your body of ridges,
explosions,
planes of energy,
spirals and corkscrews,
or anything that can be energetically imagined by a person
in conjunction with the martial arts.

You have to even make your intention so slight and whimsical
that it yet transmits the power,
but can’t be detected,
or used against you.

And I told my guy
that he should do the technique,
but don’t let the technique start doing him.
Be responsive,
aware,
but not predictable.
Even in the middle of being a dummy,
be able to move in any direction.

As the Japanese say,
‘sit squarely in the room,’
which means
be able to move in any direction
with equal ease
from any point in the room.

Balance.

You know?

Do it to your form,
be able to move into any position,
from any other position
without having to adjust your body
or prepare it
in any way.

Okey doke,
time for me to push the website
and the new course.

I decided to call the new course,
Amazing Fighting Drills.
I don’t know how much of these drills
are on the various courses,
but not all of them,
and they are spread out.

The purpose of these courses
is to help you think in the middle of combat.
Not to react,
which is moving
because somebody else is moving,
and,
if that has happened,
it is already too late for you.

To be aware,
to have the ability to analyze motion as it happens,
with no reaction,
and change in the middle of
even the most intense combat.

How do you do that?
Well,
do forms for a couple of decades…
it only took me some 22 years,
and I only know of a handful of people
whoever got that ability.
Or,
do some forms matrix style,
a month or so,
thoroughly understand them,
and then
do the Amazing Fighting Drills.

Increase awareness
increase perception
be able to think
in the middle of combat.

What the Amazing Fighting Drills do
is hand you a problem
martial arts style
until you can solve it,
then they cut down the time and distance involved
until you can solve it,
and then cut down the time and distance some more
until you can solve it,
and,
somewhere in there,
you start getting ahead of the attack.

Not reacting…
not perceiving and acting…
but actually seeing the intention,
seeing what is going to happen,
and then happening in front of it.

And,
here’s the juicy,
it ain’t mystical!
I explain it using straight physics,
and if you can’ understand physics,
are willing to greet a little frustration,
you can do these drills.

They aren’t hard,
what’s hard
is to change the way your mind works.

Okay,
here’s the deal,
Monster was getting too overloaded,
too much stuff to sell.
That’s why you may have seen
a couple of courses come and go,
they crowd the site,
and obscure the matrixing message.
So I open news sites,
and,
I see if there is a bigger market somewhere.
Blinding Steel
was originally designed
so I could ad in knife magazines,
for instance.

So I really want to see
if I can get some of these MMA types
into matrxing.

There is a huge market there,
and
no offense to anyone
but I haven’t seen a lot of smarts.

By this,
I mean they aren’t thinking of martial arts
and dissecting motion
and analyzing what is happening.
Instead,
they put their minds on hold
and try to outmuscle,
out ground and pound
out leg bash,
and so on.

I don’t mean offense,
but most of the fighters are same old same old,
and only a few show the art.
Anderson Silva,
his last few fights
was not reacting,
but floating in front of his opponents
and using the kind of perceptions
the true art grows.

Youtube Cung Le,
there’s some true art there…

So,
how an I help MMA fighters
get the true art?

A huge market,
a chance to get matrixing
to that population,
a chance to raise martial arts abilities,
and so on.

So the new site follows the Monster model,
but it is reworked,
pushing physics,
instead of matrixing.

And,
if that doesn’t work,
I’ll change everything.

I don’t want a gimmick,
I want an accurate
and representable science
that works
and elevates those who study it.

Physics today,
matrixing tomorrow.
Or…?

So,
the name of the site is

Punch ‘Em Out

You’ll see some of the stuff that has come and gone,
you’ll see a line up of the classical that makes sense,
and you’ll see
Amazing Fighting Drills.

As always,
I welcome any input,
whether its broken links and typos,
or..
‘OhmygodIcan’tbelieveyouare…!

Now,
I think you better put the cat out,
or at least take the lighter fluid away from your kid…
heh!

HANAKWANMASS!

Al
=o)

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.
George Washington

All the leaves are brown

and the sky is gray

I did some Kung Fu

On a winter’s day…

Here on the Island winter has come, big time. The other day there were freeze warnings!! OMG. This is one reason I was so hesitant to move out of So CA. Northern Ca gets cold. We have a fireplace in our Apt, which can not be used because they need to do some repair on the chimney. I’m starting to feel like I should complain, it has been a while…Sigh, I hate being put in that position. I guess people know that, and is why they take advantage of my kind, gentle nature,  then I have to go off on them…sigh, However…

I digress…(^_^)

Winter Fu, yes, as I do not have a school building any more. I have been teaching at the City Park and Rec dept. That is rather nice, it is warm, once you are inside. The 14 some students I had when starting the Tai Chi class have dropped to 5 or 6. They found out Tai Chi is not so easy. It takes work and practice and effort and is not all soft and “Zennie”. Also I do let things slide so much I make them repeat and repeat. Even then I am not hard, I let them make mistakes and do not expect it to be perfect. Those who can handle it stay, those who can not leave. Those who stay find what they need, those who do not, look elsewhere. I keep a certain standard for everyone, no matter what they are looking for, there is a meeting ground of compromise. This is what I’m saying about Kyudo practice. The teacher sets the standard, it is up to the student to work within that standard and find what they want, need, if they can not, they move on. Anyway, this the Monday night class.

On Weds, I teach in the Park, it is cold, sometimes very cold. We have lights from the tennis court but other wise, it is cold and dark. Not for wimps. This is a combined Kung Fu and Tai Chi class. There are only 3 students. One is new, the others have been with me for years. It is good to practice outside, it develops a firmness of spirit as well as a connection with the environment. Felling the wind blow through one’s hair, smelling the leaves, grass and dirt, Hahahah. Seriously though one really needs to move and build one’s chi in order to stay warm. It is a challenge on an different level.

At my Shifu’s School even though we have space inside to train, we generally train outside all year unless we need light. Then work inside so all , or the individual can see. On the other hand, we do not have snow here, so even this cold and complaining in wimpy. My classmate’s students in Canada train outside at times during the winter, in the snow, that is serious. I did that when training in Karate, running barefoot, OMG I hated that!

We will have a challenge of that sort this weekend, not the snow, but the chilling the webbos cold  and rain with the with the Kyudo Alliance Seminar in town. The warehouses are not heated, other than RSD has a oil space heater. However as I said to Senpai, in Japan they do not have heaters other than that as well, yet they train. It will train and harden our spirit, Yosh!!!

On Sat, it is my class at the Jujitsu Dojo. Always small, generally two. There is no heat there, but it is not out in the open so it is a compromise. Other than getting up to be there by 7:30 it is enjoyable to be there in the morning and training with the earth Chi raising. All the same teaching, but in different venues, makes for different challenges. In the forms, in the meditation, in the stretches.  Just like living, everyday is a different challenge, every shot in Kyudo is a different challenge, every sitting in meditation is a different challenge. Hot or cold, rain or snow, we have to carry on…

This is why we train, to live fully, to adapt, to ganbatte…even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, to connect with the universal light and ganbaru!

(^_^)

_/|\_

One of the oldest martial arts on the planet is Shaolin. It was brought from India by a fellow named Bodhidharma, and has been an inspiration to martial artists the world over. Interestingly, Shaolin evolved into an internal art atop Wudan Mountain.

I know there will be those who disagree with my theory here, but I hold to it, as I have watched students evolve, and the evolution of art from Shaolin to Wudan mirrors what I have seen students go through. Indeed, as students peel layers off the art, so do they peel off the levels of blinders within themselves, and attain the truly miraculous.

The beginning students learn to expend energy from the tan tan, to spread that energy throughout the body and make the body hard. Arms become like iron, stances become as if permanent fixtures to the planet. This, however, is all based on explosion, and outward expulsion of energy.

As a student progresses through varieties of art he may encounter the concept of absorbing energy. The physical act of guiding a punch, instead of blocking it, mirrors the concept of drawing energy in, instead of just expelling it. This progression of art is often from Shaolin Kung Fu, through the sticky hands of Wing Chun Kung Fu, and, eventually, into the push hands of Wudan Tai Chi Chuan.

And, even if the student stays within one art, he will evolve into the soft. The unfortunate fact of aging, of the body no longer being able to expel the tremendous force of some of the hard arts, will draw the student into the softer arts. He will punch so that he doesn’t get whiplash, he will use his legs so he doesn’t suffer hip injury, and he will become softer in his approach to the art.

As these progressions of age and art occur, students learn to be softer, using their minds and their bodies to use less effort, and yet retain the abilities they have gained from the hard arts. Instead of violently thrusting energy through their bodies, they use the energy slowly, and focus it. Thus, the blinders slowly come off, and awareness seeps in.

Instead of exploding energy brutally through their bodies, the students seep the energy through their bodies. They learn to guide this energy with their awareness, and the smallest of their motions contain ideas of energy. They learn that the crude body energy they used when they were young and robust was…unaware.

Finally, the transition is made in full, and the Shaolin adept becomes the Wudan sage. Instead of reacting with violence, the Wudan master observes his opponent, and moves with him, drawing in whole body energy and transforming it to his needs. Yet, though there is wisdom in the Wudan Gung Fu, there is no disdain, for the true sage knows the need for his early Shaolin, he knows the benefit of understanding energy on low levels if he is to transform it to high levels.

Good evening!!  It’s not quite 8 o’clock but I’m ready for bed.  To recap…

This afternoon I snacked a bit.

  After work I headed to the gym and did a one hour Body Flow class (a mix of yoga, tai chi, and pilates) and then did 30 minutes on the stationary bike.  I enjoy the Body Flow format, but I don’t like the room at this gym.  It’s next to the basketball courts.    Imagine trying to do savasana and then hearing someone body slam another person into the wall.

I tried doing bird pose (resting your knees on your elbows and lifting your feet from the floor), but my shoulder couldn’t handle it.  Then, I tried showing the husband and I REALLY messed it up. UGH!

Once I got home from the gym I immediately set to making dinner.  I took last night’s pasta, added the last of the leftover ham, and a splash of merlot.

On the side was a salad I put together at the grocery store on Sunday.

Very satisfying!!  But, I was really just killing time until dessert.

Two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies microwaved to gooeyness and topped with fat  free vanilla ice cream.

It was super yummy!! 

Now, I’m sitting at home, catching up on the Dollhouse and icing my knee.  They’ve both been killing me.  Part of the reason I haven’t run in a week.   And yes, that is a bag of frozen brown rice I have on my knee. LOL

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO CARE FOR MY POOR KNEES?

P.S. Angela at Oh She Glows had some great tips for making healthy choices over the holidays.

So I’ve been thinking…

This blog thing needs some kind of structure. I don’t want it to be just a load of ramblings. It needs a framework, or a timescale, something to keep it moving along and keep it interesting (if you know the whole Julie & Julia thing you’ll know what I mean). So for starters I’m going to stick with the weekly report. Maybe not in the format I did yesterday, but at least a summation of what I’ve accomplished that week, so I know where I’m at. And for the moment I’m going to set myself 2 tasks;

1. To do something new every week (of a reasonable standard, not just take 2 sugars in my tea instead of 1)

2. To create a new recipe every week (did I mention I’m quite into my cooking)

So there it is, my first two weekly tasks. I may add or subtract as I go along, I don’t know yet. Or I may abandon the idea in favour of a 1 year mission starting January 1st. You never know. Could even be a bit of both.

ps. Today I’ve emulated this garlic and cucumber dish I had in Hong Kong recently (did I mention I was in Hong Kong the other week learning some Tai Chi – not something I usually do, let me assure you, and probably part of the reason I want to do more with myself now), and I’ve decided this is going to be a week of Tai Chi (practicing what I learnt in Hong Kong). Let’s see how it goes.

The I Ching(my version is that of Brian Browne Walker) is an excellent text for anyone pursuing a taoist vision of life, or practicing tai chi as a way of life. It is a “guide to life’s turning points,” and of course,life is turning or changing all the time. But it is a philosophy of character and correct behavior, a way. It is a pure, truthful, innocent approach to life, not a Macchiavellian, or temporal success tome.

I’ve “consulted” the I Ching recently, and it has been dead on with advice. I was bummed out about not getting a date with someone recently, and it said not to be ruled by the desires of the ego, by desire. We all want things, including me, but to allow our desires to control us throws us out of balance.

I’ll often ask the I Ching for a lesson of the day. Yesterday, it was sui, following. Do not argue with what is, simply follow the progress of truth. Make it possible for others to be loyal and helpful to you by following inner truth. Quietly accept the way things are. Acceptance is the most fundamental philosophy of the I Ching.

I interpret acceptance in two ways. First, it is wu wei, non action, not trying to agressively take control of a situation, allowing things to resolve themselves, sometimes with just a little bit of a gentle nudge here and there, very much like the 8 ounces deflecting the thousand pounds concept of tai chi. But premeditated manipulation of things is not good. It is also a recognition of the temporal quality of agressive action, and most of the time, its futility.

But I also interpret acceptance as when we accept things like a gift. We have to learn to be accepting, and as an extension, grateful. Life itself, with its ups and downs is a gift.

Today, I received ting, or the cauldron. The cauldron is the image representing the mind and our thoughts, and my lesson from the I Ching today was to sit in meditation and purify my thoughts, beause it is what is in the cauldron of the mind that is your offering to the higher power, and the quality of your asistance from the higher power is in direct relation to the quality of your offering.

Our thoughts are so tainted and mudied and dirtied, often without us realizing it because we give free reign to our thoughts and imaginations and desires and fantasies. But when you make a conscious effort to clean it up, to purify it, to make of it an ofering, first you realize what a mess it is in there, and then you realize how cool it is to clean it up a little and make it presentable to a “higher power.”

Walker says, give up the incessant demands of the ego, …fears, desires, strategies to control, harshness towards others, all this repels the higher power and blocks your nourishment.

So, see what’s in that cauldron of a head of yours, purify it, and be open to the assistance of the Creative.

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There have been many discussions surrounding the spiritual nature of Yoga or Tai Chi and the possible conflicts with certain religious beliefs.  Of course, many were able to conclude that they could practice Yoga or Tai Chi purely for the physical benefits without interfering with their religious beliefs.  But, I have wondered if one can fully engage these practices without overlapping into what I will call the consciousness of these forms. 

Breath and it’s circulation is a primary function of Tai Chi.  How, breath can be made to permeate the bones even, to strengthen the sinews and “wash” the marrow.  However, the breath is an important function in reaching altered states of consciousness in various religious practices around the world and was even expressed in the bible when Jesus blew breath on his disciples.   Reaching these levels of altered states of consciousness takes one into ecstacy.

Ecstacy, meaning the trance, frenzy or rapture associated with mystic or prophetic exaltation.  If one continues to fully practice Tai Chi or Yoga, will they not eventually reach this state of consciouness?  Can one study these forms without ever reaching this level?  Maybe they can, since intent has a lot to do with where one will reach.  However, I suspect those that intend to remain in their religious belief that conflict (they believe conflict as I can see not conflict) with Yoga or Tai Chi forms will eventually quit the practice to avoid reaching ecstatic states of mind, at least through these forms.    I found this video showing Li Mu Bai, the character in the film Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger, training and noticing that he appears to be in a perfect state of ecstacy while training.  

Shoes in the martial arts world have, typically, never really been fashionable. As a kid, I remember being able to get  a pair of “kung fu shoes” at Alpha Beta (old school grocery store) for about a $1.99. But never were they something that everyone here in the U.S. was rockin’. I’d see them around every once in a while, especially in less affluent communities.

Back in the day, you could get these and a loaf a bread for $2.50...

These were cool because these simple cotton shoes with a hard plastic sole were the same shoes Bruce Lee would wear in his films. These were also the shoes all the kung fu fighters in the old school Shaw Brothers flicks were sporting. Sometimes you could find these with hard white cotton soles. Even though all of the film stars wore them, these shoes are horrible to train in. The soles have no grip and even less foot support for demanding quick action foot movement. You were lucky if they didn’t fly off executing a kick.

Today’s version of these old school classics are stylish, yet remain as simple as the originals.

Old School Re-Do.

This goes for most other martial arts shoes as the big names like Nike, Puma, and Adidas, have all jumped into the martial arts shoe game with their version of foot support for the practitioner. For the most part, kung fu shoes or martial arts shoes never really made a fashion statement or their mark in pop culture until now…

Here’s my review of these new school kicks…

For Tai Chi

This is a simple white canvas shoe with a  slim rubber sole. The laces add overall support and the padding around the ankle is helpful but could cause some irritation if worn with a low cut sock. These aren’t usually worn by martial artists doing tough training. These are for Tai Chi and moving meditation practitioners. I remember seeing old people in Hong Kong wearing these types of shoes up early doing Tai Chi and playing chess in the park. Perfect for the retirement home…

Sticking with the canvas shoe..this is the Feiyue.

Universal Shoe

Feiyue is probably the most identifiable martial arts shoe out right now. This is a rugged canvas shoe with a medium sized rubber sole. The grip is superb on these kicks. Once they are broken in, they feel like a glove on your foot. This brand is based out of Shanghai, China and is easy to find all over, especially in Northern China. The extended lacing system provides incredible foot support for all intense training exercises.

Hi Tops aren't recommended for training.

The flexibility and comfort that Feiyue provides for martial artists, allow for long training sessions without discomfort. As mentioned, the rubber sole provides exceptional grip for all surfaces. The only downside to these kicks is, over a few months practitioners can expect to see the rubber detach from the canvas as the glue on these tends to fade. Feiyue doesn’t have the best Quality Assurance as they are mass produced. Martial artists can find these usually around $15 U.S, but if you’re in China and know how to say “Tai Gui le” (that’s too expensive!) you can get these for dirt cheap. Two pairs for $40 Kuai. (That’s about $5 U.S. a pair).

Gaining popularity outside of the martial arts community.

Feiyue has stepped outside of their martial arts roots and have been producing a casual shoe for civilians. They have been gaining momentum in France and of course the Asian market, but I have yet to see them in abundance here in the states.

Good looking. Definitely not for training. This is a kick it shoe.

Next up is Rubber Duck.

Same as the Feiyue.

This is the Rubber Duck version of the Feiyue. In fact, it is a Feiyue, but with much higher Quality Assurance. Minus the stripes and a well glued on sole. Here in the states they retail for around $45 U.S. For some odd reason they are heavier than the original Feiyue which is extremely light. Martial artists and civilians can get these in Navy, Army Green, Grey, Black, and White. I believe Rubber Duck is based out of Denmark, but don’t quote me on that. I got these from a friend of mine who is a rep for Rubber Duck. I have yet to give them a proper training session.

Sewn on label instead of stripes. Your choice.

A good light weight summer beach shoe?

Steering away from the canvas, let’s take a look at the leather martial arts shoe. First up, Nike.

Sleek, but any good?

This is a leather martial arts shoe with a thin rubber sole. Medium to heavy in weight. This shoe is more for the mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, boxer or kick boxer. High ankle support for quick movement but difficult to perform lower stances. Hi tops generally take away from the flexibilty and range of motion the ankle demands for a lot of traditional martial arts maneuvers. Standard lacing system provides great foot support. Nike may have dropped the ball on this one as far as functionality goes. I wouldn’t recommend these for long training sessions as there is not much air circulating in and out of the shoe. The sole is more for indoor training, so grass and dirt are out of the question. I’d say this shoe is more for the weekend warrior and not the daily practitioner.

More functionality from Nike.

Here’s something with a little more versatility from Nike. A leather shoe with a smooth rubber sole with some grip on the bottom. The laces on the side are short, which is nice for sparring but offers less support for the ball and toe region of the foot. The wrap over flap is useful in sparring and bag training but can pinch at the front of the ankle during low stance work and depending on how tight the shoes are tied, could pinch all the time. Low cut at the ankle for good range of motion. Horrible design though. They may look narrow but once broken in, without that lower lace support, it will feel like you’re wearing a flipper instead of a martial arts shoe. The side lacing system is popular on their soccer shoe, not sure why they imported it into their martial arts shoe.

Adidas…

World Class, but do they work?

Here is a really lightweight leather shoe from Adidas. Nice upside covered lacing system, great for sparring and bag work. Narrow toe design. And a really thin rubber sole. Almost too thin. The sole on this shoe is its downfall. There is simply no grip. During sparring practice it is very easy to lose focus on your opponent because you’re trying not to slip and slide on your planted foot during a kick. Soft cushion around the ankle, low cut for more movement. Simple overall design and good stitching placement at the toe for low stance work. This leather breaks in very nicely and grips the foot. The only problem is the sole…Too thin and too slippery. For indoor use only.

Patent leather, not always a good look.

This is basically the patent leather version of the Adidas shoe above. Although the grip on these is a little better. Still an indoor shoe and for those practitioners who do demonstrations and competitions this would be ideal on a mat. Flash is cash, as they say in the strip clubs. But flash or shine on a martial arts shoe only says one thing about its wearer, looks are more important than usability. The leather is a bit thicker on this model as it is slightly padded. An OK training shoe but not sure it could endure months of hardcore training indoor or outdoor. Pricey as well.

Firepower Shoes.

Um...

The Firepower brand is ususally known for its punching equipment, gear, and bags. I wouldn’t consider them a shoe giant in martial arts by any means. This shoe is basically a cheap knock off of the Adidas. The sole has sharp edges which is not ideal for any martial artists, as most martial artists use all parts of their feet in combat and training. I would make the effort to save a little more money to buy a better quality shoe than settle for these. If you take you’re martial arts for a joke, it’ll come back and haunt you.

Last but not least, Puma.

Puma - Providing International Flavor.

Puma has a nice leather and rubber sole shoe. The overlaying flap is secured by a hook and loop. This makes for an unorthodox style of comfort and support. Padding on the top is good for sparring and bag training. Little comfort around the ankle as the rim is padded slightly. Sleek design, similar to their driving shoe. Different texture grips on the bottom for security on one or two feet. Not necessarily an outdoor shoe, but I don’t have any reason to believe that they wouldn’t hold up. Traction is important, which this shoe has. The tightness of the leather design and extra padding could lessen the room needed for the foot to expand during performance.

Generally, you’re going to want a shoe that is versatile and is comfortable. If you train daily and for longer than average hours, I would go with a canvas shoe. Canvas provides comfort and breath-ability. Canvas is lightweight and durable. Grip is also important, especially on a mat. If you train indoors for a short amount of time, I would go with a leather shoe. The thin rubber soles on the leather kicks works well on gym floors or polished surfaces.

Really study your training regiment and ask yourself what is ideal for what you do. Every shoe offers something unique.

Martial arts shoes have come a long way since the old kung fu movies and are now specialized and highly fashionable. These are just a few I decided to review, there are numerous styles by a number of manufacturers. Do your research as always.

-MR

]]> http://terrepruitt.com/2009/12/05/cardio-party/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:22:09 +0000 terrepruitt http://terrepruitt.com/2009/12/05/cardio-party/

Cardio Party Mix 1, this is the main workout that is on the Beachbody DVD by Chalene Johnson. Its the Turbo Jam DVD with five workouts on it.

Timer says 43:26 total time and 3:51 for the warm-up

Warm up starts at about 3:24.  And all the warm-ups that I have seen are basically the same.

“Roll them shoulders”.  Then some bobs and weaves and punches and jabs.

Then there is the “Punches & Wheels” section for 7:12 minutes.  Then for 7:28 there are “Squats & Kick”. 

Then the next portion is called “Speedbags” and that is a series of movements, punches, hips, and a variety of things including speedbags for 7:18.

Then the “Turbo” is clocked at 1:30 including 15 seconds of jumping rope.  The Turbo is where you really push it and give it ALL you have.  It is moves that you are familiar with but done at high speed!  The break is 21 seconds.  A break does not mean stop, it just means get water and mop off — but KEEP MOVING.  And Chalene reminds you of that.

The next section, “Recovery Dance Party” is timed at 6:04.  This section goes into the next a bit. 

The timer shows that the “Finale” starts at about 4:44, but, it really doesn’t start until about 3:44.  So at about 3:44 you start the “Finale” which is not anaerobic like Turbo, but it is the final little push before the DVD takes you through the cool down. 

The next to the last bit times at 3:00 Finesse / Cool Down.  Chalene calls it a “stylized way of doing kicks and a few stretches.”  So you do a few steps starting with one leg then you do it on the other side.

The next section is called Tai Chi / Stretch and timed at 1:38. 

So with this DVD you really get about 35 minutes of Cardio if you don’t count the warm up.  To me it is good to know how much cardio or aerobic workout you are going to get so you can plan accordingly.  If you want to get 45 minutes of cardio in and you grab this DVD thinking, “Eh, 43 minutes is close enough.”  Well you are actually only getting about 35.  It is important to warm up and cool down so it is great that these DVDs contain that.  I just like to have a breakdown of how long the warm up and cool down is.

I really enjoy my Turbo Jam DVDs.  I hope my descriptions will allow you to make an informed choice so that you will know what you are getting and enjoy them as much as I do.

Open to all Shaolin-Do Black Belts and SDA Members of any rank!

Saturday, March 20th, 2010 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (lunch break from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)

Lexington Catholic High School
2250 Clays Mills Road
Lexington, KY 40503

Grandmaster Sin Kwang Thé has agreed to teach Ban Liang Hua Kung, the 10,000 Lotus Blooming form, at his annual spring seminar on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 in Lexington, KY.  There are no prerequisites for learning this material so everyone should be there. Show our support and thanks to Grandmaster Sin Thé for agreeing to teach this high level form! DVD’s must be preordered and will be handed out at the seminar – no exceptions! The SDA  reserves the right to refuse admittance to anyone for any reason. Please wear a gi, like Grandmaster Sin Thé’s, to the seminar!

The following text is from Grandmaster Sin Thé, describing Ban Liang Hua Kung: It is the most internal of all the internal systems. It goes inside your body so you feel every movement of your muscles and them with your chi. It was created by the Shaolin monks specifically to complement Liu Hsing, the Meteor Fist. However, unlike Liu Hsing’s furious blasting movements, Ban Liang Hua Kun’s movements are more subtle and use your chi to make every muscle in your body turn alive. Arguably it the most difficult and challenging material that has been taught so far, yet it’s implications are not limited to martial arts fighting skills. The greatest benefit is its life-changing aspect.

Through Ban Liang Hua Kun training, you will have a new outlook on life. Science has long discovered that if we humans knew how to use every inch
of our muscles, then we would become stronger than a tiger!

To register, print up the registration form and send it in by March 12

http://www.shaolin-do.com/events/seminars/2010/20100320.pdf