I trained behind Hannah in the line on Tuesday. She's got chi. She would yell out Beautiful! once in a while to cheer everybody up. I felt like I was supposed to respond her with something. At one point, I said Can't Help It back to her. She turned back and smile at me.
So lets do this.
"Beautiful!!!" - "Can't Help It!!!"
Friday, March 16, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Thought Points
I don't have any kind of cohesive lesson or insight. Just a few thoughts:
1. It felt good to train last night, after missing a week of training.
2. I realized I like when visitors watch us train-- it makes me recall my first weeks at Temple, where I was utterly out of my comfort zone, but at the same time felt like I had finally found this place and these people that made sense to me. It makes me wonder what that person sitting there watching is thinking, and reminds me how far I/we have come.
3. I had to rush out last night to meet some friends for drinks back in Brooklyn. I'm pretty sure I left Temple too early though: As soon as I got to the bar, I started doing the Leg Sweep, like that's a completely normal thing to do. I felt kinda cool and kinda dorky, but mostly dorky. I am OK with that. But I'm not sure if the proprieters of the bar were.
4. My new strategy for healing my Shaolin Butt Sword is to make my butt stronger. It is my understanding that once a tendon is loose, you can't really tighten it again. The only thing you can do is strengthen the muscles around it. Any insight, anyone?
Love, Buns-of-Steel!!!
1. It felt good to train last night, after missing a week of training.
2. I realized I like when visitors watch us train-- it makes me recall my first weeks at Temple, where I was utterly out of my comfort zone, but at the same time felt like I had finally found this place and these people that made sense to me. It makes me wonder what that person sitting there watching is thinking, and reminds me how far I/we have come.
3. I had to rush out last night to meet some friends for drinks back in Brooklyn. I'm pretty sure I left Temple too early though: As soon as I got to the bar, I started doing the Leg Sweep, like that's a completely normal thing to do. I felt kinda cool and kinda dorky, but mostly dorky. I am OK with that. But I'm not sure if the proprieters of the bar were.
4. My new strategy for healing my Shaolin Butt Sword is to make my butt stronger. It is my understanding that once a tendon is loose, you can't really tighten it again. The only thing you can do is strengthen the muscles around it. Any insight, anyone?
Love, Buns-of-Steel!!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Shifu has a million eyes
I was so excited to train last Saturday because a grueling work week prevented me from attending class last Tuesday and Thursday. But I was dragging ass, especially during xiebu after chuji quantao. I was in the last row of people, and my knees felt like they were going to buckle as I slowly pivoted and crouched down.
All the way from the front of the carpet, I heard Shifu's voice -- "Ellen! You still don't get it!" -- and then this orange blur shot across the room and then towards me, ending up right next to me. I felt Shifu's eyes staring at me as I struggled through xiebu, so I dug into my dwindling reserve of chi and extended as though my life depended on it. And then Shifu left me alone.
Never assume that Shifu can't see you from across the floor. But mostly, be honest with yourself. There is no need for Shifu to push us into extending as fully as possible. We should do it all the time.
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