Thursday, December 13, 2007

Training is my Anti-Anti Drug

Lately classes have seemed more intense. Perhaps it is the disappearance of the walking breaks instituted during summer's debilitating heat, the smaller class sizes of late, or -most likely- I'm training more than ever and am consequently more tired and sore when going to class.

Being insufficiently rested has resulted in a number of consequences, the two most prominent being the rising importance of coffee and pain relievers in my life.

I've always been in a constant battle with coffee, I love it but I don't like the accompanying highs and lows depending of my caffination. I don't like the gurgling stomach I get if I have it before training, but I like not feeling like curling up to sleep in the meditation room.

Pain relievers are a little different. I think I've mentioned before that I like to avoid taking medicine if I can. Serious illness and injury are one thing but otherwise I like my body to take care of itself. But near-perpetual soreness and semi-injury are testing my resolve on this point.

I don't want to feel dependent on coffee or Advil to provide me with energy or cure my aches and pains. I want to know my body well enough to push it harder but not too hard, because I know that will make me stronger in the end than relying of a caffeine fix to give me faux-chi or anti-inflammatories to make me feel less stiff and more flexible. I don't want to be an addict!!!!! So how to solve this? I already get more sleep than most people I know. My job is low impact. Do I really just need to train less? Because after a downright excruciatingly painful set of kicks last night I need to reassess what I'm doing. Or maybe I need to crush my pride or whatever is holding me back and embrace the drugs......

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Level 2 Basics

Heng Cheng and I finished learning a brand new move tonight. The one with the longest name on the chart. Heng De told us to remember it like this:

Bow stance (Gongbu) with a Pair of (Shuang) Palm Strikes (Tuizhang) followed by Back Sweep Kick (Housaotui) and Bow Stance (Gongbu) with [something we don't know -- somebody help?] (Liangzhang).

So here goes: Gongbu Shuang Tuizhang Housaotui Gonbu Liangzhang.

To celebrate this occasion, I'm posting the names of level 2 basics.

PinyinEnglish
Stances
SiliubuFour-Six Stance
SanqibuThree-Seven Stance
Strikes
GouquanHook Punch
ZhiquanStraight Punch
BaiquanCurved Punch
Kicks
FutoutuiAxe Kick
QiandengtuiFront Thrust Kick
Zuhequan QiandengtuiCombination Punch with Front Step Kick
CechuatuiSide Kick
BiantuiRoundhouse Kick
Qianbaitui HoubaituiFront Crescent Kick and Back Crescent Kick
Qiansaotui HousaotuiFront Sweep Kcik and Back Sweep Kcik
Mopan SaotuiMillstone Sweep Kick
Movements
Tixi Pubu Loushou Gongbu ChongquanLifting Knee Followed by Pubu and Gongbu Punch
Chuanzhang Lihetui LiaotuiPiercing Palm Followed by Inside Crescent Kick and Lifting Kick
Gongbu Shaung Tuizhang Housaotui Gongbu LiangzhangBow Stance with Pair of Palm Strikes Followed by Back Weep Kick and Bow Stance
Liyu DatingCarp Straightens Body
Wulong JiaozhuBlack Dragon Coils Around Pillar
Jumps
Bawang ZhaikuiJump with Backwards Punch and Cartwheel
XuanziButterfly Kick
XuanfengjiaoTornado Kick
Tengkong DanfeijiaoSoaring Single Flying Leg
Tengkong ShuangfeijiaoSoaring Double Flying Legs
Tengkong WaibailianSoaring Outside Waving Lotus
Tengkong TantiSoaring Spring Kick