These boots were made for walkin'...

Today when I got to temple I was tired. I took the day off of work, woke up early and did laundry, then spent the rest of the day hanging out with a friend. We started off at Columbus Circle, and over the course of the day zigged and zagged our way all the way downtown. We covered something like 70+ blocks, and when we arrived at Canal around 6 I did not have the chi. I was actually sleeping on my bag as we sat in Starbucks. I used to trek all over the city all the time, but ever since I started my 9-5 I don't get to as much, and I forgot how tiring and dehydrating sauntering around in the sun for 6 hours can be. But I couldn't very well find myself at Canal and Broadway at 6 on a Thursday and not go train. Especially after lugging my bag around all day.

I'm so glad, as always, that I overcame my lameness and trained. It was a lovely night, big class, and lots of people doing a trial so I felt urged on to extra chi. Another inspiring element was the posting of the testing schedule. My name with "erluquan" written next to it reminded me how very near testing is, and how much I want to do well. Even better, lots of my fellow dorks are scheduled at the same time so we'll be there to boost one another's chi. I'm trying to do erluquan all the way through at least once every class to work out the endurance, then do it in pieces so I can focus on refining the tiny tricky bits. It's starting to feel more comfortable. So maybe, when I try it in a class that does not follow six hours of walking, it'll feel even better.

:-D

Last night Shifu pulled me to the side after seeing me doing Erluquan and corrected a few of my moves. Right before he started, he said "Not bad but you need to...bakjdhsfkjewhsadfldjskfjpwoe..."

Not bad!

Not bad!

Shifu said I was NOT bad!

I was so happy - excited - exhilarated. I thought my need of approval has been worked out with my therapist but I guess it's still there. After the class I was told that my face was beaming the whole time - punching - kicking - crouching - or doing whatever I was taught.

Heeee hee heee

I think these are what he told me:

• At the very beginning of Erluquan and at the end when I whip my left hand up to my chest and right hand 45 degrees behind me, my left palm needs to face down rather than facing out to the front. Also don't keep the left hand too close to my chest.


• After the sweep and arms rotation into Pubu, going into Mabu my left palm should be in the same position as above as the right fist goes into chamber. Then as I get up with my left leg and knee up, slide my right fist over left palm which moves to my right armpit. Keep my right arm straight right next to my ear and look left. After 2 skips, to go into Mabu right before the 5-kicks, head should follow my left hand which rotates downward and up. Then look right as I punch with my right fist.


• After the Pubu following Waibaitui, twist my right hand, arm and leg just like I would my left hand, arm and leg after the Pubu following the 5-kicks but the other way.... This is a little confusing but it made sense when he explained it to me last night...

Dork Profile... #6!

Name: Whitney
Temple Name: Heng Mo, Tres Bien, Keeper of Turtles
Occupation: Director of Construction Mitigation
Borough: BK, Holla!
Chinese Sign: Fire Dragon

When was the last time you trained? Last night-- Tuesday, 18 September

How is your commute to the temple? From work: 15-minute walk up Broadway, during which time I do some thinking or make some social calls on my cellular telephone. From home: One stop over the bridge on the Magical Q Train. It is a beautiful commute, no matter how you slice it.

How did you learn about the temple? And what made you start training? A friend, the amazing Heng N'ou, introduced me to Shifu and Temple. I saw Level 2 testing and was left with a deep impression. My then-boss and I met with Shifu a few months later to try and help with a real estate matter. On both occasions, Shifu invited me to train. I felt it was an honor to be asked, but it took me a few more months of incubating the idea before I actually made it to Temple. After 11 years of yoga, and a pervasive blah feeling about my gym membership, I was eager for a new physical focus. Training at Temple fit the bill in every way I could have imagined, and well beyond.

When did you start training? March 2006

What is your favourite basic move? Waibaitui. It is so satisfying.

What injuries have you had from training? Yeah, the Shaolin Butt Sword is still around, having celebrated its first year haunting my butt. Happy birthday, SBS! My latest favorite (this is so embarrassing) is that I have been elbowing my own shin during Cetitui. My alignment is off, but I am working on it. One time Heng Zhou punched me in the lip because I was too close to him in line during Mabu. My parents were at Temple watching, and were horrified. I guarantee it was not worse than what I've been doing to my own shin though.

What's the most important lesson you learn from training? There are humbling lessons in everything. Cleaning the mirrors: if you notice an imperfection, try and fix it. Stand back to get perspective on what needs to be fixed. In line during basics: See yourself in every fellow student-- and see everyone else in yourself, from brand-new and endearingly clumsy, to the most graceful and powerful. We cheer each other on because we are all connected-- everything spreads-- competitive chi, aggressive chi, supportive chi, light-hearted chi, loving chi... Even in the changing room: Come prepared, be on time, honor yourself and your body, and the world, by treating yourself well, keeping healthy and sharp.

Soup or no soup? I love soup. I have a psychological blockage training internal-style, but I'm okay with that. Training encouraged me to lift my 10-year embargo on meat-eating, so I am quite patient with the rate at which I've made changes in what I consume. I've really enjoyed overhauling the wardrobe of my diet.

Shower or no shower? Usually not.
Gatorade or water? Water and emergen-c.
How many uniforms? 2 blues.
Straddle or wall stretch? Before: only wall. Now: Only straddle. The transition has been intense. I like all the moral support during stretching.

Cool down....

I feel like I need some extraordinary post now that I've finished erluquan. ***cymbals, cheering, birds singing, trumpets rainbows, the music of all the heavenly host*** After all the anticipation, the buildup, the anxiety, the debates, and everything that have come up as we have been posting our progress, I want to express some cathartic revelation that has occured. But with discipling and family stuff, it has somewhat lost precedence from the things prioritizing my mind the last 24 hours. Which is not to say I am not SUPER stoked about finishing and the prospect of having three weeks to practice before testing. But commitment to training was a huge part of my becoming a disciple, and I think that I'm re-settling on the opinion that being able to train at all, no matter what I'm working on, is so fun, so challenging, so beautiful, that erluquan in all its glory, can be there or not, so long as I get to train harder. Of course, as I commented to Sucheela, it's easy to say things like that once you're done. :) But I really think that I sort got caught up in tangible evidence of progress instead of recognizing the progress I've already made and enjoying what I've learned (and so much too!) in the past 15 months. And now that I'm done, the places in the form I feel weakest are the parts I've known for some time. (*cough* the sweep). Reminder that I need to remember the present and not always be caught up the future, which is a problem I have in and out of temple. Yay lessons. But, nonetheless, (and recognizing that I need to polish my everything) here are the things I want to make sure to focus on in the next few weeks: sweep, everything about it, powerful but CONTROLLED strikes, deeper stances, especially my pubus, always looking far, not down, and spreading my chi through my whole form, not just in the 5 kicks. Good times are ahead, dorks. No wait, the good times are now.

And for those who want to see some bald disciple pics, go here. Hopefully it will help keep me cooler in training.

Headlines from the front....

NEW YORK, NY: Hannah (now known as Heng Cheng) has finished erluquan. Also she has no hair. More on this breaking story as reports come in....

Girls kick ass!

Interesting read on girls learning boxing in Thailand in Sunday's New York Times.