Synchronized Chi!

(The one on the right is Randy...)

Tonight, during forms practice, Randy got on the carpet at the same time as me and suggested we do a form together. So I selected yiluquan and called out the beat, which I hadn't really done before. As I yelled Zou! I tried hard to find an even pace that I could maintain throughout the form while sneaking glances to make sure I wasn't rushing through too fast or herky-jerky without him.

I found it invigorating and tons of fun synchronizing my chi with Randy. It felt like a performance for the others in line watching us. It became a special opportunity to shine and do our best and get everyone's collective chi up. Yeah YEAHHHHHHHHH!

To Train or Not to Train

It was a decision today to come to the class. My nose is still stuffy. There are things to finish at work. I didn't train for a week it would be difficult and I would die. But it would be good for me to train - and most of all I missed the company of my fellow Kung Fu Dorks...

Made it through the training. It wasn't as difficult as I had thought. There were a lot of chi going around. The stuffy nose cleared with a few blows into my uniform. :P

There were two new guys at the class today (Assante and Simon?). They joined us for dinner after the training. One of the guys kept saying that we trained at a great temple with great people.

I was proud.

I love training here and hanging out with people I train with. It's nice to hear somebody else from the outside confirm it.

Kiss Your Foot!

Last night's class was muy fantastiche! After Sunday's fun class with Zhou, I walked around Monday and Tuesday before class with a sore right butt cheek and inner thigh, presumably unrelated to the Shaolin sword, but more due to the over-pubu-ing I did as a result of learning more erluquan. Yesterday's class managed to loosen that all up, so now I feel great. Also, during basics I decided to test the Shaolin sword that's been living with me for the past month and a half or so and did just about everything, and it felt pretty good. No residual ouchiness. I am pleased that I am recovering and that my being careful was not for naught.

Training lately has been interesting; Shifu has been shaking it up a bit. I mentioned how last week, he spent the end of class while we were lined up dispensing philosophy. Yesterday, after stretching, he made us line up and led us through an extra 20 minutes or so of additional stretch time, working our legs for kicks such as zhengtantui, cetitui. We stretched our hips, our hamstrings...we did straddle, splits...and each time, he wanted us to try going lower and lower each stretch...Grab your leg...Use your elbow...Kiss your foot! Be youthful like children filled with energy. Pain is life and all that. Needless to say, all of our legs were jelly after that extended stretching period.

Then, at the end of class, thankfully we did not do mabu-gongbu when we lined up. He spent a few minutes dispensing more philosopy. Doctor yourself, he said. I am Doctor Handsome Shifu, which led to giggles, but maybe was appropriate given the point of his lecture. Happiness is the best medicine, he advocated, and it's best to brush away stress and not let things bog you down. And if you're happy, you're healthy. If you're happy, all is good.

Sunshine Sunday

Today Heng Zhou taught class. We were about 25 strong including quite a few faces I hadn't seen in a while, so it was energizing. Zhou, who's always great at mixing it up, did a neat twist on basics before we got in line to practice forms. He had us all line up in two lines as if we were going to drill basics again, so people got in line according to how fast they normally go, but then he reversed us and had the rear of the line lead as we did a quick set of some basics (so all of a sudden, I was 3rd!). He wanted those usually in the back of the line to get a feel for the kind of chi the front of the line has to generate. By the same token, I hope those who are usually up front gained a little perspective (or reminder) of what it's like to train at the end of the line, where sometimes one has to deal with crowding.

After that exercise and after we practiced forms for a bit, Zhou then broke us up into groups according to how far we had progressed in the various forms and made sure a lot of us learned a bit more, so I'm happy to report I got a little further in erluquan. Yay!

And, of course, at the end of class, Zhou engaged us in his signature madcap exercises including my personal demon, alligator jumps (pushups) across the floor. Whenever we do them, I remember how my very first day training way back when, Zhou taught, and I couldn't do more than one push forward, but now I can go the full length of the carpet, albeit slowly. I know I have gotten stronger as a result of training, and am proud of the results.

I don't usually come on Sundays because I usually like to get training out of the way on Saturday so I can loaf around the rest of the weekend, but I'm glad I got my butt out of bed this morning!