Kung Fu Dorks Unite!

A Brief Interlude

2011-08-02T21:49:00.005-04:00

In a fit of nostalgia I spent this evening cruising through the Kung Fu Dorks blog archive. It's almost embarrassing to see how hard I used to train and look at myself now. My training over the past year or so has been haphazard at best: a couple months of every other week training punctuated by a three-week frenzy of kung fu hysteria. Sometimes I am working like a maniac, others I am just plain lazy. But every time I go back to Temple I am reminded how much I love kung fu and how much it has meant in my life.

I stopped blogging- why? I'm not sure. All us dorks are still around; maybe the internet has finally lost its novelty... Blogs are not so hip, if they ever were hip? I guess in the end I thought I had run out of things to say, and I'm not especially fond of when my posts became "Dear Diary" moments. Reading back though, I am realizing that this blog was good for helping me anchor my training in consistent reflection, even when we were talking about Chuck Norris Action Jeans. It's easy to train without thinking and lose the thread of your journey. Blogging didn't make me train more, but it did help me get more out of my kung fu by doing some cyber meditation at the end of every class and getting to share the saga with my compatriots.

This post is quick and dirty and not especially articulate or insightful, but just throwing down this bit of fluff makes me feel tapped back into training - and I haven't even been in three weeks. Sharing our thoughts through the blog, even though it is just with the same people we train with every day, helps magnify the amazing community of friends and Shaolin family the temple has provided. Possibly no one will see this post because the blog is all but dead these days, but it's nice to breathe a little life back into it, even for a moment, and know that the rest of the dorks are out there carrying on. So to sum up: yay kung fu dorks and yay memories. Amituofo, kids.

Battle for the Soul of Kung Fu

2011-03-13T09:04:00.004-04:00

A great article on the current Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kung Fu. Does anyone know anything about the people in this article? Yang Guiwu, Hu Zhengsheng, and Shi Dejian? And the new temple that Shi Dejian built? I'm really happy that not all Shaolin wisdom has been lost to the new touristy-side of the Shaolin Temple in China.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/shaolin-kung-fu/gwin-text

Watch the video and look at the picture slide show too. Pretty amazing!!

Amituofo!

Dumb, but fun!

2011-02-25T10:27:00.004-05:00

Maybe some of you are old enough to remember the '80s classic, "Gymkata," a dumb action movie starring gymnast Kurt Thomas, who sports a cute almost-mullet. In this scene, he wanders into the town square where there happens to be a pommel horse type structure that he employs to defend himself against a crowd of attackers. I remember enjoying this movie when I was a kid.

Watch his technique -- aside from the unbelievability of having a pommel horse right there, do you think his gymnastic manoeuvres would translate well into actual fighting? Obviously he's a strong guy, but can his kicks be that effective without getting his full body behind them? And what's up with those random backflips?

Discuss.

(Thanks Wawa & Dave for the video.)

Faster and Higher

2010-12-11T23:15:00.005-05:00

As my 4th year anniversary of training at temple approaches, I have been reflecting lately on what these 4 years have meant to me. I have changed so much these 4 years and I have also changed very little. My chi and stamina can be extraordinary at times and other times, like last night, very lackluster. I am still inflexible. I still haven't achieved a middle split or a side split and I definitely haven't kissed my toes. I am afraid to acknowledge it. There is a 4 year plateau. Who am I kidding? There's a daily plateau. How do you break through that ceiling and climb above? Many have quit or left the the temple to pursue other endeavors, training, and start families. Why do I choose to stay? How do I reconcile the many hours I spend a week kicking and jumping? In my mind, it is the best form of exercise; the best form of meditation. Relationships, love, and friends have come and gone from my life. Only One thing has remained constant - my dedication to training at the USA Shaolin Temple. I stay not because I don't have anywhere else to go. I stay because there's so much more to learn.

Keeping Track of Oneself

2010-10-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

One of our fellow dorks found this video review on YouTube of Shifu's book, The Shaolin Workout. I like whoever this guy is -- a former military guy who wanted to get into shape and stumbled across the book randomly and had some thoughtful things to say about it. He comes off as quite a regular dude.

"vonhismean" says the following at one point:

I'm tired of feeling out of shape. I'm back to doing this every day, and that's kind of the reason I'm doing this YouTube video....and when I tell people I'm going to do something...it makes me keep track of myself and I feel like other people are watching me....Maybe I'll tend to do better.

Is that perhaps why we sometimes blog? It's a way to think things out and be accountable to each other, and more importantly, to ourselves.

Anyway, check out his video:

Hells, yeah!

2010-10-26T18:57:00.000-04:00

Last night an aerial saved my life...watch...

Life continues

2010-10-13T14:04:00.006-04:00

At the end of last night's class, in addition to the triple Amitoufu's we got a little speech that I thought was a good reminder to myself. It went something like this:

Today is October 12. Tomorrow will be October 13. You can go on crying, saying that you hate yourself, that you are not good. But your lives continue. So move forward and keep laughing.

Kung Fu is Everywhere!

2010-09-28T11:31:00.005-04:00

Reading an article about the influence of China in India in the Financial Times this morning, I saw a great photo of a young Muslim girl from the Indian city of Hyderabad learning kung fu:

Here are a few more from the same photographer, Krishnendu Halder of Reuters:

New Temple. New Life.

2010-09-14T01:42:00.004-04:00

Almost four years ago we moved the temple a couple of blocks down Broadway. With all the help from students and disciples, we finished renovating the space within a few months - almost all DIY. During those months, I spent a lot of nights learning about construction and myself.

Last week we bought a piece of land in the town of Fleischmanns in Upstate New York. The place came with a few run down wooden structures, a big grassy field and a huge forest. This is to be the site of a new Shaolin temple - a place to practice Chan Buddhism and to train Shaolin martial arts.

Over the weekend, I had a glimpse of what is to come. We spent two beautiful days cleaning up the lawn and a couple of buildings. I am looking forward to many more amazing days making the place our own temple.

Heart Sutra

2010-08-13T08:50:00.005-04:00

A few of us had taken to memorizing and regularly citing the Heart Sutra earlier this year. I continue citing it in my head whenever I want to slow down and focus. Recently, I happened to read through its translation carefully again. And one more time I thought to myself - what beautiful words they are. I especially like this part:

... in the void there are no forms and no feelings, conceptions, impulses and no consciousness: there is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind; there is no form, sound, smell, taste, touch or idea; no eye elements, until we come to no elements of consciousness; no ignorance and also no ending of ignorance...

I understand that it's called heart sutra because it's the heart of all teachings in Chan Buddhism.

When I attended a meditation retreat in Thailand earlier this year, I was taught that meditation is a way to achieve exactly the same thing. To realize that all earthly things, tangible or not, are not real. And therefore, to keep my heart and mind empty of distractions and emotions.

This might feel impossible and impractical for our today lives. But to me, just realizing that there's such a teaching helps me to keep my heart flat (more on heart flat in the next post) and put things in perspective.

Life is basically very simple.

Age ain't nothin' but a number

2010-07-30T08:21:00.004-04:00

I really enjoyed reading this article from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch about this 62 year old man who continues to train harder every day!

Like fine wine, man improves with age
By Harry Jackson Jr.
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 12:00 am

If Spartan soldiers still trained today, they'd do it in J.R. Moore's basement.

"I call it 'The Dungeon,'" Moore said.

"They say when you reach a certain age, you're done. Well, I'm stronger now than I was at 50, and I was stronger at 50 than I was at 40. That's what I'm telling people, age is only a number; you can always get stronger."

Step into the basement and find the walls lined with exercise weights and pictures of prize-winning bodybuilders, hundreds of both.

In the midst of the photos are proverbs and sayings. His favorite is "Steroid free since 1947."

"I was born in 1947," he said, laughing.

And while his body is in superb condition, the closest he has come to competing has been as an impersonator of Macho Man Randy Savage, a professional wrestling icon. Moore stands about 5 feet 10 inches and has the same muscular, prize-wrestler build. He still has the replica of the championship wrestling belt.

Every few minutes he takes a drink from a bottle of water.

His meals consist of oatmeal every morning, tuna, salmon and fruits and vegetables for lunch and dinner. He sleeps eight hours a night. "Gotta get sleep," he said.

Although he worked at an earlier age in a gym that closed years ago, he has never had professional training. And he still practices the simple resistance exercises that he used in the '60s.

"I'm old school; I compete against myself," he said. "Every year I try to do more than I did the year before. And the only person I have to impress is me."

Why? "I love it; I just love it," he said, curling up a big, smooth muscle from his left biceps.

With all of the memorabilia, weights, photos and benches in the room, something is curiously absent: no electronic entertainment, no TV, no radio, no stereo, no treadmill or other modern "essential."

"I don't want any distractions," he said.

The closest thing to an exercise machine is a 30-year-old bench-press stand that catches the weights when he's done so he doesn't need a spotter.

He ignores trends. One of his three exercise benches he bought when he was 15.

He likes to experience every move he makes. He spends 90 minutes a day exercising.

"This is training," he said. "... Sometimes I have friends down here working with me, but that's it."

A large, institutional clock hangs on the wall.

"You want to work? Compete against the clock. You can't cheat the clock."

Some of the signs on his wall testify to that: 1,033 pushups in one hour in 1990; 1,261 squats in an hour in 2005; 148 bench reps totaling 4,380 pounds in 2008.

One secret to longevity is to stay healthy, he said. So he rarely lifts more than 40 pounds per arm.

"I never lift heavy," he said. "You have to avoid injury. One little twinge and I stop.

"Repetitions. Just repetitions."

The light reps also take care of aerobic workouts, he said; he doesn't do roadwork.

He demonstrated his warm up: "Here, sit here and for three minutes." As he sat, he punched, not hard, about 45 degrees upward.

"You can do this sitting on the couch watching TV," he said. "You can do this from a wheelchair.

"Here, you try it."

A short time later, not three minutes, he was laughing.

"See that's tough, ain't it? But you made it to 45 seconds, next time, do 50 seconds, and keep going.

"You'll just keep getting stronger."

Moore is not so unusual, other than his intense enthusiasm, said Dr. Scott Kaar, an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at St. Louis University. Someone who works out continuously will continue to get stronger, he said. "Keep working safely ... avoid injury, and there's nothing that says you can't continue to (stay strong) your entire life."

Start slow, check with your doctor and don't overdo it, he said.

Meanwhile, Moore said he has no plans to quit; as long as he sets his own records, he plans to break them.

"It's my thing," he said. "Everybody should have a thing, something they love."

He took another drink. "People make it so complicated. They say when you get old you go down hill. Well I'm going uphill."

Blister-ing Heat

2010-07-08T06:29:00.003-04:00

Here's a good article about blisters from The Washington Post that I read just now. I was going to put a picture of a foot with a blister, but really, it was just too grody. Read this so that you can hopefully avoid such nastiness!

Blisters: How runners can avoid or, if necessary, treat blisters
By Vicky Hallett
Thursday, July 8, 2010

This time of year, the heat in Washington is blistering. Literally.

Because high temperatures and oppressive humidity make you sweat so much more, your feet are likely to get wet when you're walking, jogging or hiking. That moisture isn't just uncomfortable; it's also the source of friction. "That's why it's so hard to take off wet clothes," explains Mary Mundrane-Zweiacher, an athletic trainer from Dover, Del.

There's the rub that can result in blisters. According to an article in the June issue of Podiatry Today, the uncomfortable bumps are the most common sports-related foot ailment. They usually fall in the boo-boo category: Although you whine about them, you're probably not going to seek medical attention.

Even if you are able to use an afflicted foot, a blister can throw off your gait. "You're going to try to avoid pain, so you're going to try to run without putting pressure on that spot," Mundrane-Zweiacher says. Landing differently can mess up your body's natural shock absorption system, creating a domino effect of problems up your leg.

That's why Stephen Pribut, a Washington podiatrist specializing in sports medicine, advises you take it easy a day or two after a nasty blister. A short break is unlikely to destroy your training regimen, and you won't risk having to cool it for a much longer time.

The worst-case scenario, of course, is that your blister gets infected and you don't do anything about it. "Then your foot could get gangrene and fall off," Pribut says. That fate is fairly unlikely, since you'd be in enough pain by then to visit a doctor and get a prescription for oral antibiotics.

But doesn't not getting a blister sound like a preferable course of action? Here's how to keep them at bay.

Prevention

Start by checking your gear. Everyone has probably experienced new-shoe woes at some point: They're stiffer and more likely to rub you the wrong way. Specialty running stores try to ensure you have a proper fit, which will minimize these problems. But even in the perfect pair, you should avoid going too far in your first few runs, says Chris Farley, owner and general manager of Pacers, a local chain.

Sock choice is key as well. "Wearing socks made of cotton with new shoes is a recipe for blisters," Pribut says. Or as Farley puts it: "Cotton is the enemy." Instead of cotton, which captures water and compresses unevenly, go with a wicking fabric such as Coolmax or Smartwool, which makes for a less bumpy ride.

And don't consider going without socks. Farley, an avid racer who has twice cracked the top 10 of the Marine Corps Marathon, can tell you plenty of bloody horror stories.

Trusted, tested footwear can still act up on seriously swampy days, so for those runs, Farley takes extra precautions. His feet get a liberal application of Body Glide anti-chafe balm, and he uses an anti-blister powder to keep his shoes dry. He also recommends toting a spare pair of socks so you can change.

Mundrane-Zweiacher's favorite way to avoid blisters is by monitoring her foot temperature. If she feels excessive heat building up in her shoes, that's a sign to stop. Even though she's a regular runner, the method has kept her blissfully blister-free for years.

Treatment

Most active people are bound to experience the agony of the feet, so it helps to know how to treat the condition correctly. Ideally, that means doing nothing.

Blisters are basically tears between layers of skin that fill with a clear fluid. As long as they're intact, they're not infected. That can change if you get a hankering to pop the blister or stab something into it. And ripping off the top layer of skin, which might seem like the next logical step, is just asking for trouble. "It's acting like a raincoat," Pribut says. Once it's gone, you're much more susceptible to infection. Plus, it'll hurt like crazy.

A better plan is to ice the area, which can reduce the swelling, Mundrane-Zweiacher says. Then give the blister relief by surrounding it in a doughnut-shaped pad or moleskin.

Draining the blister is a last resort that's best performed by a pro. But if you feel you must do it on your own, don't rely on just anything lying around the house. Sterilizing with alcohol or a flame isn't particularly effective, Pribut warns, so your best bet is to get a needle from the drugstore that's sealed in packaging. Try to pierce just the top layer of skin. Going any farther will be painful and possibly cause other damage.

Then keep it clean, put a Second Skin or Duoderm bandage on it, watch for signs of infection (yellow fluid is bad) and hope for the end of summer.

Speed!

2010-06-25T23:54:00.008-04:00

"Work on your speed!"

Lately I feel like the sentence has been directed at me quite frequently during the basic drill. I thought I got it. It's not that I need to move from one end of the carpet to the other faster. It's that I need to do more kicks faster. And the key to kick faster is to relax. This might not sound sensible but it worked for me. A lot of the kicks that we do are for blocking. The power should be on the way down. With these kicks, there is only a split second that I activate my legs, butt and hip to propel my kicking leg down. Then it's back to being relax into the next kick.

I felt like I got pretty good at it. But of course, training never stops.

Today I was told to work on my speed again - this time with Xubu.

What? Xubu? The empty stance?

Hearing that, I made my steps between stances faster. I almost ran from one end to the other. But that, of course, wasn't what Shifu's speed meant. Speed is never moving from point A to B faster but putting more power into each stances.

Fortunately, I was shown how to do it. I was to snap my arms, body, legs and head from looking back to the front faster. Doing it this way, I felt my stance 10 times more powerful and also about 11 times more exhausting.

I thought I had Xubu in the bag. But no. I need to train harder.

Gongbu vs. Warrior I

2010-06-08T23:26:00.003-04:00

I have no idea Kungfu and yoga has so much in common! Look at this warrior I pose. It's exactly the same stance as Gongbu! Back foot firm on the floor at 45 to 60 degrees. Back knee straight. Pelvis and body square to the front. Front thigh parallel to the floor. The only difference are the hands, arms and neck.

Gongbu/Warrior I is a wonderful stance and possibly the hardest to do correctly. It strengthens and stretches various parts of hips, legs and ankles. It also opens up the pelvis and chest. With hand-legs-arms coordination, it's also an introduction to self awareness.

For the longest time, I could never make my back knee straight. I thought it was impossible. It turned out I simply didn't tighten the right muscles (specifically my hamstring and butt.) Only when my back knee is straight, I was able to turn my hips and body fully forward.

Now I just have to focus on stepping into the correct Gongbu all the time!

PS. This site tells an interesting bit of why seemingly peaceful yogis named their poses warriors.

Kung Fu Dorks Unite! now is on Twitter

2010-06-01T07:42:00.001-04:00

We've joined Twitter. Follow us at @kungfudorks.

Be flexible!

2010-05-18T20:06:00.001-04:00

This odd little clip actually came from my mother. Watch till the end -- it's pretty nutty!

The New Dork

2010-03-09T21:52:00.003-05:00

Where are the New Dorks?!

:) Leo

Shaolin, the Original B-Boy

2010-01-21T10:06:00.005-05:00

(Reblogged from Angry Asian Man, who grabbed it from here).

Recycle!

2009-12-29T14:40:00.004-05:00

Fellow Kung Fu Dork Jaka emailed us a great tip this afternoon. He suggested rather than throwing our used feiyues into the trash that we recycle them by bringing them to a Nike store, especially since there's one located a block away from Temple at 21 Mercer St. While this blog makes no specific endorsement of Nike sneakers or the company as a whole, reusing/recycling products such as sneakers instead of letting them go to waste by sitting in a landfill is something we can definitely get behind.

Supposedly, the recycled bits don't all go towards ridiculously-priced sneakers (though these are pretty hot); they are also used towards building synthetic surfaces and padding for courts, tracks and playgrounds.

Important Note: Nike can’t recycle shoes with metal parts, so be sure to cut off the eyelets on your feiyues.

You can read more about the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program here, and maybe you too can find somewhere nearby to drop off those grubby shoes!

Remember, every little action we take can make a difference, whether we use reusable water bottles during class, wash our uniforms in environmentally-friendly detergents, or find alternate uses for those pesky plastic grocery bags, like for stretching!

CHI!

The Wonder of Epsom Salt

2009-11-05T17:23:00.006-05:00

I remember the first time I took an epsom salt bath.

Scratch that. The bath itself was unremarkable.

I remember the day after I took an epsom salt bath for the first time. My muscle soreness significantly and magically decreased as if I had spent 2 weeks recovering. I was hooked. Cartons of it later, I finally did my research (aka googling).

Image source: Warwick Salt

Turn out epsom salt is not salt salty?

English is so weird. It's like when I learned that there's no coffee in coffee cake...

Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate compound. Magnesium helps the function of muscles and nerves and reduce inflammation. Sulfate helps body absorb nutrients.

And best of all, our bodies can absorb both of them through soaking.

You can read all about it at Epsom Salt Council.

Apparently, there are more ways to use epsom salt than just soaking to reduce muscle pain and bruises. It can remove splinter, exfoliate skin, volumize hair, feed plants, reduce constipation, etc.

I have no idea a $3 carton of something can do this much. Now only if it would totally get rid of my all-over muscle sore not just reduce it, the world will be perfect.

Front crescent kick followed by back crescent kick, an exercise for my behind

2009-09-29T23:25:00.006-04:00

I was pulled aside last night while doing Quianbaitui Houbaitui. I always had problem with this move since the first day I learned it. Over time, I got worse and worse at it. Yesterday, I had an opportunity to re-learn to kick from Heng De, Heng Jing and Shifu himself.

My problem was with the back kick. With my right leg, I turned my body too much that I couldn't maintain a sidekick position. With my left leg, I didn't extend enough that my body is too upright and I couldn't extend my legs and hips....

To practice, I was told to hold on to a column, kick like Biantui, maintain my upper body position and continue kicking with my hips and butt...

It looked really easy but it's not. After about 3 wiggles (or my so-called kicks), I could hardly hold my butt up. I started to wonder whether my butt was that weak. I watched Miao Shi, who's visiting from the Austria Temple, and she looked like her butt was in pain too. So it's not just me.

I should continue doing this exercise to strengthen certain muscles and get used to sideway extension.

2009 Retreat in Mexico!

2009-08-18T23:23:00.007-04:00

Those three days went by so fast I don't know how to summarize them.

Actually I do...

More Chi! Train Harder!

The first evening we got to the monastery we were greeted and shown our simple but clean and comfortable rooms. The weather was nice and cool. A couple of hours later, it was time for dinner in a large dining hall. We were served a lot of fresh tortillas and delicious spicy food, buffet style, cooked by monks in the monastery.

The next morning, we were woken up at 5:30 with a loud gong to start training at 5:45. Because there were so many attendants (110 people!), we were divided into 3 groups: Qi Gong, beginner Kungfu, and not beginner Kungfu. I went with the Qi Gong group to wake up my bones.

We had breakfast at 7:30.

For two hours after nine, we trained Qi Gong and Tai Chi (in a beautiful grass lawn under a brilliant sun!).

Then lunch.

Then I passed out.

At 4:30, we trained Kungfu for 3 hours. I repeat 3 hours of Kungfu!!! I must say I was impressed with all the chi. Even after those exhausting 3 hours, a lot of people kept practicing and stretching! Me? I was done.

After Kungfu, we sat in a circle around Shifu and he told us stories and philosophies.

That night's dinner was the most delicious meal ever...

Day 2: Scroll up the the 3rd paragraph and repeat.

Day 3: Scroll up again, shuffle the paragraphs and read.

We finished up day 3 with Shifu giving all the attendants certificates and us taking group pictures - this was where we busted out our best moves posing.

Through out the whole retreat, we were very warmly welcomed. We were given gifts, taken out to towns, and treated with very special water. All of us even got a ride back to Mexico City. Our brothers over there are super nice and awesome!

Here's one of the things we learned:

I still can't completely decode my own drawing so maybe you can help me...

P.S. If you are curious to see what we did in Mexico before and after the retreat, see pictures here.

There's the CHI!

2009-08-14T19:41:00.000-04:00

Train More. Think Less.

2009-07-10T16:33:00.003-04:00

While having lunch after training today, we buzzed in two of our long time Shaolin brothers - Hannah T. and Chris E. Chris came to say goodbye before moving to Ohio. We had a mini Buddhism class talking.

We discussed how most injuries happened when you started thinking. How your body is smarter than your head. The conclusion is that while training - don't think - just do it.

But is this true?

Training is action meditation. But what's meditation? I think it's being present and focusing on the action, and the surrounding. Thinking about a meal after training isn't part of the meditation. I understand that. How about thinking about the space between the person in front of me and behind me in the line? Or how I should always keep my weight on the standing leg while kicking? What does that count as? Is that part of meditation? Is the goal here to have nothing in your head at all or some sensible things are OK?

I think it is. I think any positive thoughts involving the present is my meditation.

Roll with it, baby!

2009-06-30T00:09:00.003-04:00

Tonight's class started awkwardly for me -- a last minute trip to the toilet at 6:59pm (I had to pee!) ensured I missed the opening Amituofos. I washed my hands and dashed out quickly to get in line only to experience a moment of fear -- Han started off class with somersaults galore. Ever since tweaking my shoulder sometime last summer, I've been loathe to do anything that might injure my shoulder further. But with the rushed start, I didn't have much time to deliberate. I knew I didn't want to begin by chickening out and going to the side, so I went for it. I rolled and rolled and rolled myself into dizziness. Wheeeeeeee! It was kinda exhilarating, doing one after another down the carpet. We kept doing different versions of somersaults, and I kept pushing myself, and by the end (or at least until we started the next basic), I was delighted.

We maintained a good pace throughout class, doing all kinds of combos that Han seems to favor. Then she threw the pork chop pads at us and told us to partner up. Everyone quickly formed pairs, leaving me and Jian as the last couple. I have to admit, I then experienced my second moment of fear that evening. Well, maybe not fear, but definitely hesitation. I instantly recalled one time when some of us dorks decided to go on an outing to a fencing school, and being paired up with him and getting clobbered! If you don't know Jian, he is built like an ox in stature and sometimes in temperament in that he will persist and not let up. =)

So, Jian held the pad first and we had to futotui our way down the carpet. He proved to be a most excellent partner despite the height differential, encouraging me and giving me helpful pointers all the way. He coaxed me into audibly injecting chi with every kick, and I went with it, yelling and kicking hard. It too was great fun, especially hearing the others call my name. Thanks so much, Jian, for your chi!

Sometimes, you have to just shrug off your inhibitions and Roll with it, baby!

Absence makes the blog grow duller

2009-06-22T16:22:00.005-04:00

While I searched for an old post for reference in my last post, I found this lovely poem from Heng Cheng. And since we haven't been keeping up the chi here, I thought I would republish it:

Oh KFD Bloggers! Where did you go?!
Your posts entertain me and work is so slow.
I know that you’re busy. You all have real lives.
Boyfriends and girlfriends and fake baker-wives.
But I know you’re still training; I saw you last night!
Yet no posts appearing? Now that just ain’t right!
I’m sorry; forgive me. I shouldn't complain.
But there’s something so lovely in sharing your pain.
So turn off the gchat, and turn off the phone,
And come back to blogging, I feel so alone!
It might not be pretty. It won't need to rhyme.
Just mention caijiao and we'll have a great time!

Fresh Wave for my Sweaty Uniforms

2009-06-22T16:12:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you but I have been battling this mildew in my training gear especially the t-shirts.

My latest discovery is Fresh Wave - odor neutralizing all-purpose cleaning additive. Thanks to Heng De's Mom.

I used it twice - adding a cap to my normal laundry. I think it works! My uniforms smell noticeably less. The thing is quite pricey. But I will do whatever it takes to smell like roses.

New Daoxiaomian place!

2009-06-01T00:40:00.004-04:00

Another guest entry from Heng De.

Ok for those of you who don't know, Zhou found a Chinese noodle place on the South corner of Doyers and Bowery that's fantastic. They have hand-pulled noodles, knife cut (daoxiao), and even pan fried. I don't know if they have any vegetarian broth but the pan fried gives options for vegetarians (Leo was asking about this).

Their Daoxiaomian is better than the one on Eldridge I think, but I haven't tried their hand-pulled noodles yet. The restaurant is a lot cleaner than the other hole-in-the-wall daoxiaomian places, and the service is also extremely friendly. The first time I went with Shifu, they went and got beer for us from a place around the corner. They also offered cilantro without us even asking for it. They even serve you tea, I think it's jasmine (it's sweeter than what you normally get at restaurants).

I went there Saturday and the girl recommended I try the soup with tendon and tripe instead of just beef. It was like number 1, but with the different broth and daoxiaomian. I liked it a lot more. And it's only $5!

I asked, and she told me the place closes at 10:30, so I suggest we add it to our list of after-training dinner spots.

Fashion Do - Feiyues When Not Training

2009-05-11T12:54:00.004-04:00

I saw this picture in The New York Times Travel section this weekend. The article was about how affordable Portland is. The picture was to point out that Portland can be easily navigated by bike. But it's not the bike that caught my eyes, it was the shoes.

From NY Times

Most of us have more than a few pairs of Feiyues at home - probably a good pair for training and multiple holey and raggedy pairs. I wear these old pairs sometimes on weekends when I knew I would be doing some kinds of Kung Fu (almost every weekend). I once wore it to a physical therapy session and got a compliment ("They are cute!")

So as a self-appointed fashion guru, I say wearing Feiyues casually is a DO.

Post-Testing Speech

2009-04-22T11:24:00.003-04:00

I like the speech we got after the testing session this year. It went something like this.

Our basics improved. (Yay!)

But we need to train harder on the Level 2 basics especially the jumps. We need more air and jump higher! (More Chi!)

Confidence is the key in life and training. Be relax and slow when you need to. Be fast and explosive at other times - just like doing forms. If we go at the same pace all the time, we either get out of breath or no Chi.

Mistakes are bad and good as long as we know what they are and learn from them.

Keep training what we know when we learn new things. We got two analogies here. One was bricks in buildings. If we don't have bricks, we don't have buildings. The other was syllables in sentences.

Something about "I am handsome"....

Ceshoufan Craziness!

2009-04-02T14:18:00.001-04:00

Sometime last summer, I somehow tweaked my right arm/shoulder rotator cuff area. I'm not entirely sure how I did it (perhaps practicing kung fu, carrying luggage, or monkeying around), but it's one of those nagging injuries that keeps hanging around because it's pretty impossible to avoid using whatever muscles/tendon(s) are inflamed, kinda like the infamous Shaolin Butt Sword. Anyway, pretty much at the end of last year, I decided to put a personal moratorium on ceshoufans, figuring it wasn't the best thing in the world putting all my weight on a gimpy shoulder while doing a cartwheel.

My progression through learning the Level 2 basics since the beginning of November finally came to a point where I could no longer avoid doing ceshoufan. I had put off learning Bawang Zhaikui (jump with backwards punch and cartwheel), but it then became the last one on the list. So, after a few times of awesome Eric working on loosening my arm muscles and being faced with having to learn Bawang Zhaikui if I ever wanted to start learning Xiao Hong Quan, I bit the bullet. I then did my first shaky cartwheels of 2009 this past Monday. Scary!

And it paid off -- at the last part of class, during forms practice, Shifu sent Lukas and then Carlos to start Xiao Hong Quan. Emboldened by having done Bawang Zhaikui earlier in line that evening, I asked Shifu if I could join them. He first asked if I had finished learning the basics, and I could honestly answer yes! So he allowed me to join the new Xiao Hong Quan-ers, and I triumphantly ran across the carpet to start the new form.

During last night's energetic Level 2 class Han had us do Bawang Zhaikui as well. But she added a nice challenge, which the competitively friendly bunch ate up -- if we did the ceshoufan with both hands, we had to do 10 v-ups (kinda like sit-ups, but you're lifting your legs too). A one-handed one required only 5, and if you did the holy aerial, i.e., no hands, then no v-ups! Man-oh-man! People were giddy, trying to avoid doing all ten v-ups. I found the chi so infectious, I went right into it without too much thinking, figuring my gimpy shoulder wasn't really doing all that much in terms of weight distribution anyway, so I kept that hand off the ground. And it worked! I did my first one-handed cartwheel (albeit wobbly) ever! I tried it again, and succeeded once more on my third try.

This is probably the first instance where I can think of an injury actually helping me achieve something. Maybe I'll have to screw up my other shoulder just to get the aerial. =P

FIRE!!!

2009-03-31T22:54:00.008-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about how every time I tell Shifu about an injury he just says "no problem. train harder." I know that we are supposed to work through the pain, accept it and use it to make us stronger but most times it still distracts me.

I'm still dealing with my shin splints. They're getting better by the day but there are definitely days where I don't warm up enough and they really hurt. It's the kind of pain that seeps into my subconscious and affects my confidence. The other day I got sick of the pain holding me back. I was so frustrated I felt on fire! It was my turn to do Xuan Feng Jiao. I took a deep breath took my strides and launched! I have no idea how well I did the kick but I felt on FIRE!! I could feel my Dan Tian pulsating! I had energy in every part of my body! I was relaxed but had an incredible desire to move! My turn came again and again and again. I didn't want to stop. Then we stopped jumping and moved onto the next move. At that moment I realized that my shins didn't hurt anymore. Shifu was right!! I trust Shifu's advice implicitly but I don't usually understand it until much later. In the immortal words in Rick Moranis in Spaceballs "when will then be now!?", I wish I got his lessons a bit faster. Now when Shifu yells "FIRE" at us I'll let loose the nitros and CaiJiao until I puke!

Everybody Hurts

2009-03-31T09:41:00.002-04:00

Tornado Alley

2009-03-17T15:06:00.010-04:00

I don't usually get to lead Level 2 lines. There are far more talented and chi-tastic people who should be up front. Last night, in Level 2, I found myself up front. Nothing was particularly special until we got to 旋風腳 (Tornadoes). It was my first time leading while doing a tornado and for some reason, I felt an unbelievable build up of chi. So, I said, "What the heck! I'm gonna bring it!" I wanted to see how many tornadoes I can do in a row. First time down the line, I got two, third time down, I got three. I lost count how many tornadoes I did. I was in Tornado Alley and storms were touching down all over the map. What I do remember is kicking myself in the teeth(they still hurt by the way). After a few times down the line where I was combo-ing 3 tornadoes in a row, Hwalan, who led class, stopped everyone and said, "Leo, can you show us what you're doing?"

I then proceeded to break down my technique for the tornado and show how I was able to get it using exercises and drills I've developed for myself. As all of you know, I've been tornado obsessed ever since I started Level 2. In order to perfect it, I've been doing my drills over and over again. They have helped me create the storm and I hope I was able to share it last night.

There was one final lesson I forgot to mention to class. And that is, "You gotta want it! You gotta really really WANT it! Every time you fall, you are getting closer to learning how to fly!"

Amituofo!

Can't Help It! - Second Anniversary

2009-03-16T14:19:00.006-04:00

If you ever wondered what the heck people yell out while training, I have a history for you - at least one of them.

Can't Help It!

I can't claim to come up with the phrase. Shifu did. But may I say the dorks popularized it because we can't help being so beautiful?

The Kip-Up

2009-03-12T12:05:00.006-04:00

I make no exaggeration when I say, "the kip-up epitomizes my existence." Let me explain. Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to do the kip-up. I was exposed to Kung Fu at a very young age and Kung Fu soap-dramas was all I watched. They always did amazing feats with their bodies but there was one move that always astounded me, the kip-up. To go from being flat on the ground to standing on two legs in a mere flash. To be defenseless and then all of a sudden, ready for battle. I tried on my own many times with my tiny body. I flopped helplessly over and over again. I thought it must be magic. I gave up.

When I started training at temple, the fiery desire to do the kip-up was ignited anew. I saw it on the list of moves that you get to learn in Level 2. I couldn't wait to learn it. I passed the test for Level 2 almost 1 year ago which means I've been trying to do the kip-up for almost a year. This past week, I got it.

There's a split second where the mind must erase all doubt. Only then will you be able to get up. That infinitesimal fraction is the most important thing. It is the division of greatness and mediocrity. The whole world is in that space and in that time. I could spend lifetimes there and not even begin to bear witness to its genius. It is through that darkness can you then be bathed in light.

The journey of learning the kip-up has been absolutely wonderful. New challenges, new thrills, new paradigms have been enveloped by it. These days, I can't wait to fall down, so I can kip-up back up again.

"In rain during a dark night, enter that darkness." -Shiva

Amituofo!

This Is Why I Train

2009-03-10T23:41:00.009-04:00

It changed over the year. At the beginning, it was to stop thinking - for at least two hours during class. I was obsessed with my doomed relationship and self-pity. I was on a verge of depression. I learned to be present and mindful of things around me rather than just stayed in my own head.

And then I got over it.

I opened up and got to know more people at the temple. I realized I did not have to pretend to be accepted and liked. I could have friends I liked and liked me back for who I was in New York City! At the time, I trained because I was lonely. I wanted to make friends. I learned to open up and be comfortable with myself.

And then I started liking myself. I didn't need to be around people to not be lonely anymore.

Then it's because of Kungfu. I kept training because I wanted to be good. I wanted to kiss my toes and do all kinds of cool things other people can do. I liked learning and pushing my body to do things I never imagined doing. I remember the first time I did Ceshoufan. I had a surgery on the left shoulder not more than a year prior. I was mortified. But I did it. I liked the rush I had after the class - the feeling of accomplishing something difficult. I learned to be humble and confident at the same time.

And then that stopped too. I have been training only in Level 1 with the same routines over and over. I hardly do anything new anymore. I learned to find ways to improve what I know. I keep telling myself I can always learn - not a new move or a new form - but about myself. But that sometime wavers.

I still keep training at least 3 times a week. And I ask myself - why? What do I like so much about being there that even crumbling knees cannot stop me?

I think it's the positive energy - the chi. It's infectious. It makes me a positive and happy person. Maybe I do believe that through training I will one day understand myself. Or maybe I'm just addicted to pain.

Why do you train?

Pushing the Limits

2009-02-25T08:11:00.006-05:00

Pushing the Limit is a NY Times series of articles and multimedia profiling athletes who confront an opponent that must be mastered, not beaten.

I found this week's article really encouraging. It is about a runner that has gotten better with age, not worse. Matt Carpenter's training philosophy is similar to ours. "Go out hard; when it hurts, speed up."

Link to Article

All My Remedies

2009-02-21T16:33:00.007-05:00

I can't imagine the days that I am free of knee pain. I have been living with it for so long. The pain level fluctuated over the years depending on how much I trained. I tried all kinds of magic potions and nothing seemed to work. This is like a curse. It's like "great flexibility comes with great pain."

My first knee pain was accompanied by a lower back pain in the middle of learning Erluquan. I went to a chiropractor. He said I was fucked. My built-for-child-bearing hips weren't straight and therefore screwed up my knees, spines and neck. I kept going to have my spines adjusted and popped for about 3 months with neither lower back or knee pains going away. So I stopped.

Then I went to an Orthopedist. He felt up my knees for about 2 seconds and pronounced my knees Chodromalacia and gave me a prescription for physical therapy for 3 months. So I went to a physical therapy for 3 months during which I hardly trained at all. The therapist ordered me not to do anything i.e. no walking on the beach, no wearing flipflops, no high-heel shoes, no swimming, no biking, no long walk, no running, and no kungfu. I listened to him 75% of the time. I exercised my knees and iced them half religiously.

After the 3 doing-nothing months, I went back to my orthopedist. The pain still didn't go away. He sent me to an MRI. The result showed that everything was fine except that I had huge inflammation under both kneecaps. So he injected Steroid into my knees. The pain went away completely for 3 days and came back when I went back to training.

I stopped going to that doctor.

Not all was lost however, I found out that my problem was the inflammation under the kneecaps. I just have to get rid of it. Patricia (Heng Zheng) told me about Arnica Gel - a homeopathic that helps reduce inflammation. I started using it religiously. It's great for bruises and other kinds of swell but not my knees. I also started using knee braces while training. They reduced impact on my knees a bit during jumping but they are very cumbersome for moves like Xiebu or Zhengtantui.

By this point, my knees are so swollen that I could not bend my knees totally. I grew up sitting with my legs folded and squatting. I could not do either of that anymore because it would hurt too much. I was losing my Asian squat...

I started taking Glucosamine with Chondroitin and MSM -- without any pain reducing result. I also got into a habit of taking Ibuprofen before training so that I could do certain knee-crunching moves with out too much pain.

Recently, Natalie told me about FlexNow - a supplement made from Shea Butter - that she took and had successful anti-inflammation result. So I started taking that too.

Shifu suggested that I stop using knee braces, stop jumping and do more stretching and kicking. So I did just that. In the past two weeks I only trained Level 1 classes and got out of the lines when other people jumped.

Currently, with all these supplements in my body and no jumping, I think my pain level went down a notch. The pain is still there especially when I walk down the stairs. I still can't totally fold my knees but my Xiebu becomes a little more comfortable. So I guess I'm heading toward the right path.

During my last 2 years combating this knee problem, the only time that I was totally pain free was toward the end of my India trip. I did not train at all for about 5 weeks. I had no problem running up and down steps. I hope it doesn't come to choosing between training and my knees. Hopefully, I will find a middle ground where the knees can make peace with Kungfu.

Pubu Bootcamp

2009-01-28T23:37:00.004-05:00

I was asked to teach Pubu last night. So automatically, I taught my students like how I was taught - rotating arms and jumping into it on one side, then rotating arms in reverse and jumping into another Pubu on the other side. And of course nobody understood what I was doing.

Shifu told me to show my poor students slowly. I did. And got extremely confused. Eventually, Shifu laughed, told me to stop and showed me how to do it.

And here's how: see page 196 to 197 in The Shaolin Workout.

Start with arms by your sides and feet together, body up straight. Cross your arms like when you start Tsabu or Fanyao - right arm on top. Rotate until the left arm is by your ear and right arm by your thigh. Eyes follow the right arm. Cross the arms by your sash and lift your left foot. Go into Pubu on the left.

From there to go into the next Pubu, keep your back foot in place. Come up from your front foot and take a step so that your feet are together. At the same time cross your arms with the left one on top. Rotate to the left until the right arm is by your ear and left by your thigh. Tug arms and lift the right foot. Eyes follow the left. Go into Pubu on the right.

Repeat on the other side.

A few pointers that Shifu gave us: cross arms at your sash height - not at your chest. Lift your leg high and point your toes before going into Pubu. While in Pubu, keep your body up and reach pass your front foot. Chamber the other hand in fist at your waist.

Pain is weakness leaving the body!

2009-01-24T00:07:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, I engaged in kip-up madness. Because of a tweaked right shoulder, I've been avoiding using my arms to assist in propelling me forward. I think I made some significant progress, thanks to Jian's pointer that I use more of my head to push myself up. Scratch that, I know I made some progress because man, have I felt it in my abs, neck and back muscles lately. I almost didn't train tonight's L2 because of my stiffness, but happily, Mo urged me on. Glad I did cos it loosened me up, I think, but then again, I'm sure I'll feel some other pain tomorrow, like maybe in my hips due to learning biantui. :)

Here's a video I found on YouTube showing how to do a kip-up using no hands. I plan on watching this a million times. And then practicing it a million more.

Poppin' and Lockin'

2009-01-08T23:40:00.007-05:00

Poppin' and Lockin' - the sound my hips make when I do CeTiTui (my bad De) and WaiBaiTui! Ever since the one day in L2 when Shifu had us practice CeTiTui with a partner holding our hips in place I've been focusing on alining my hips properly. An unfortunate side effect seems to be my hips being slightly out of socket now. Small price to pay I guess for correction... I assume that eventually they'll just slip back into place once the motion becomes normal but for now I guess I've got a new instrument to play with.

More Chi!!
Pop Harder!!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-02T17:52:00.001-05:00

More chi!

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

2008-12-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Level 2 class was thoroughly satisfying for me. Only eight people showed up last night so I knew we were gonna work har-dah. And, it was my first Khalid-led class. At first, I was a little anxious because I have heard that he loves jumping (which my cranky knees don't always love) and I've seen the explosive level of chi he exhibits usually. But, to my delight, he slowed it down to a calm pace and went over a smaller group of basics with greater attention to details. Sort of a less can be more approach. Not that we had less chi, but that it was not as frenetic and more exacting.

We did some stuff I hadn't tried before, including the so-called jumping lihetui, which is gonna take me some time to wrap my mind around. In particular, we spent a good chunk of time on punches, which can be overlooked sometimes. Khalid reminded us to be graceful with our punches, again not lacking with the explosive chi, and maintaining our balance and fluidity. He told us to envision some of the best fighters like Muhammad Ali, who move swiftly and quietly, but stun with their punches.

For the last part of class, he decided to teach me, Mike J. and Carlos what I consider to be one of the truly awesome basics of Level 2 -- xuanzi aka butterfly kick. Up until this Level 2 class, I had been learning some new Level 2 basics, but all of them seemed to be a slight variation of things we already kinda knew, whether it be a combination of Level 1 basics (e.g., gongbu shuang tuizhang housatui gongbu liang zhiang) or a new kick or punch. But xuanzi has always seemed distinctly Level 2 to me. If done correctly, xuanzi makes you look like you're floating in the air as your legs fly up above the rest of your body. It had always excited me to see the more senior students practice them before Level 1 class started, but I wasn't sure of the possibility of myself ever executing one. Then, my friends who got to Level 2 before me started learning it and only then did I think, hey, maybe that'll be me in a little while. And finally, last night, I reached that point.

At first, after Khalid broke down the move for us, I found myself thinking way too much about each step individually. But then he went off to check on the others working on their respective forms and left us newbies alone to practice. The three of us kept taking turns over and over again, trying to take the thinking process out of it and beginning the building of our muscle memories. It became clear to me that my mind was weighing down my ability to fly and whip my legs around, so I just went for it, with encouragement from the guys. And finally, by the time Khalid came by at the end of class to check on our progress, he said to me in his quiet way, "You got it."

Not that I've perfected it, and that's it. But that I was off to a good start. And that's all I needed to hear last night.

Kung Fu Dork Profile #9

2008-12-08T14:49:00.011-05:00

(Editor's note: Please welcome Lukas as a new contributor to our blog! Also, if you are interested in being featured in a Kung Fu Dork Profile, please contact one of us! You'll notice we've tweaked the questions a little.)

Name: Lukas

Temple Name: Mr. George Lucas (I think. Sometimes Shifu yells that when I have a lot of chi but maybe it's a coincidence.) ... but I don't like it.
Occupation: Camera Operator

Borough: Manhattan

Chinese Sign: Ram/Sheep

When was the last time you trained? 12/5 Friday night L2! I'm not so good at waking up "early" these days.

How is your commute to the temple? 8 miles by bike! Which on a good day is about 30 minutes, but it's usually about the same on the subway.

How did you learn about the temple? I saw a special on Shifu when he first came here around 1994. I remember I was watching Wimbledon at my Grandparents' house when it came on. I was entranced. I couldn't believe someone like him was here teaching Shaolin's secrets! I didn't know how or when but I knew someday I would HAVE to train with him!

When did you start training? June/July 2007.

What is your favorite move? This is a perfectly dorky question! Zuopan is pretty dope ... I don't know it's hard to pinpoint a favorite. There are plenty that I struggle with that force me to focus and become obsessed till I figure out the basic mechanics of them. Aerials are definitely one of them. Pubu drills are my nemesis!

What is your most feared L2 basic move? I don't fear any move but I think it will be a tie between Xuanzi and LiYu DaTing for most difficult for me. My back is not very flexible yet and in order for me to do these the way I want to it's going to require a lot of diligence and maybe a few hours on the rack!

What injuries have you had from training? Ha! There is quite a laundry list for me. Over the years I've torn my meniscus in my left knee and had surgery to remove about half of it. I've probably torn the right one too but I just deal with it, plus they say physiotherapy is usually all you need anyway. Too many doctors run to the knife and unknowing patients comply because they trust their doctors. . . . you might guess that I wasn't happy with my knife toting quack--I mean doctor. Prior to I sprained both knees. I partially torn a ligament connecting my collar bone to my shoulder trying to roll out of a join lock. Recently, as most of you know from my whining, I've developed shin splints. With the help of a lot of sound advice from my brothers and sisters I'm recovering pretty quickly - thanks!

What's the most important lesson you learn from training? How to make my weaknesses my strengths in all aspects of my life.

How many uniforms? 3 total - 2 blue, 1 orange.

How often do you buy new feiyues? Are they white or black? Depends on what move I'm working on. Saotui or FanYao; one pair/month. Black is verbotten!

Straddle or wall stretch? I like both.
Favorite place in New York to train outside of class? Wherever my friends are. When I want to be alone for meditation or Tai Chi I like to go to the hill that overlooks the Harlem Meer.
Best place to eat after class? Nice Green Bow is really growing on me! I like anywhere we can do family style! It makes us all feel like family.
Movie you wish they'd show at movie night? Jet Li's "Fist of Legend" -- I love that movie! I also think we could see more films like PING PONG or TOP GUN -- movies where people realize their potential even if it's not Kung Fu related. Though if we did do a Shaw Brothers marathon I'd love it!
What's your dorkiest kung fu quality? My affinity for talking about Kung Fu, training and martial arts in general.

Sore No More?

2008-12-05T10:42:00.006-05:00

I’m not that sore.

(Knock on wood.)

(Actually, let’s knock on wood a second time just in case.)

It’s so weird, but 4 days of training in a row, after a week off, and I’m not feeling as stiff or pained or injured or throbbing as I have come to expect in my training experience. I felt a little bit drained physically last night, but I still felt I had a lot of chi. My back hurts a little, but that is probably more from my soft mattress than the kung fu. Why do I not feel, well, frankly, worse?

(Knock on wood a third time for good measure. Also maybe throw salt over your shoulder or whatever other good superstitions you have at your disposal.)

Talking to Sucheela last night I wondered, “Am I not pushing myself hard enough?” I mean, one can always push harder and train farther, but I don’t feel that I’m taking it easy on myself these days. Admittedly, sometimes I don’t get in as many kicks as I should going down the carpet. But that’s because I have been focusing on putting maximum chi into each one. And while those things should be united, not exclusive, I certainly can’t pin that as the source of my non-soreness.

Why am I worrying? Not being sore is a GOOD thing. Why question when good things come to you? Maybe I’m too cynical and I am expecting a dreadful backlash. Maybe I don’t have enough confidence in my ability to increase strength and stamina. It’s sick, I was almost excited last night when I thought I felt some shin splints starting (they weren’t). I guess, the real answer is twofold: 1) my body is ready to push through to training at the next level, and 2) I am not used to exceeding my own expectations. I guess that means I should set them higher and then I won’t be so disconcerted when I am able to sleep like a log without waking up doing caijiaos. That's what we call "normal."

The Heat is On - Winter Style

2008-12-04T11:17:00.007-05:00

Winter is my favorite time of year to train. It’s dark and cold out so you aren’t tempted to skip class to go lounge in the park or do some other activity. At 5:00 it looks like nighttime so, for me anyway, training feels like a small detour on the way to bed. But the real joy is that it isn’t hot. Yes, I have made the breakthrough discovery that wintertime is colder than the rest of the year. And even though the giant heaters are often blowing unpleasantly during class, it's still preferable to sweltering 100 degree temperatures outside. Winter means no labored breathing in the nearly solid wall of humidity. Only one uniform required per class. No “Shaolin Showers.” And there is less desperate over-hydrating during the stretching break.

Imagine my astonishment then, when last night, about 30 minutes into class, I went to femininely blot some of the perspiration from my brow (ok, swipe the pouring sweat from my face like the Neanderthal man) only to find there wasn’t a dry spot left on my uniform to absorb it! It wasn’t mid-August, drenched-like-a-rainstorm-soaked, but it was significantly more sweaty than I am accustomed to as of late.

At the water break I unabashedly, and gloriously guzzled my entire bottle of water, without any nauseating consequences for the second half of class. What was going on here? Was it actually Summer and I just blacked out for 7 months? No. It was simply the extra-chi class fueled by the always-exciting N’ou-taught class and the presence of the long-absent Hwalan.

Also, at the beginning when N’ou had me demonstrate caijiao. It took me back to my first L2 class when he had me demonstrate lunbi caijiao and my brain completely froze. It’s nice to know that if nothing else, your basics are developing and strong, and it’s an especially good mindset to have while training.

Another source of inspiration was that even though I was extra sweaty, nothing hurt. I’m sore from training after the lazy-food-fest of last week, but no injuries, no unbearable hip pain or shin splints. No phlegmy flu hampering my lungs; no bad lunch wreaking havoc in my stomach. I was training unhindered and was able to execute my movements, (I felt) with much more chi and much less angst than usual. So even though it wasn’t my typical Winter training session, it is a class like last night’s that makes me excited to roll in again tonight and continue the fun, sweat and all.

Stretching with Shifu

2008-12-02T01:46:00.004-05:00

(Amituofo! A guest entry from our class leader tonight, Shi Heng De.)

So tonight when I was about to call everyone back into lines after stretching, a bunch of people were doing cetitui stretch after Shifu had been doing it with Randy and Khalid. So I thought, "Hey, that looks good, let's all do it."

Luckily for me I was the odd one out, so I asked Shifu to stretch me. So I paid attention to his technique. I got as sideways as I could, straightened my leg, and just relaxed. It would be great if everyone knew how to stretch people like he does! So he raised my leg up to where there was pretty good resistance (not from me -- I was relaxed, but from my leg), but I wasn't dying. I was still able to flex my foot even more. That's not to say I wasn't getting a good stretch though. Believe me, I felt it!

Maybe I should not train for 5 days in a row more often: I hit the middle split tonight and was able to extend my back up off the floor too. I know I'm gonna feel it tomorrow though!

But, anyway, he held that for just a few seconds, then brought my leg down and told me to relax more. Then he shook the leg around a bit to help it relax. He said, "Now can go more." And when he brought it up a second time, it did go up more.

After the second round, he told me to relax again, and then, using his chest against my foot, pushed my knee to my shoulder, still on the sideways axis. This was to counterstretch, and we do the same thing when we do zhengtitui stretch, or the butterfly stretch after middle splits.

When he did my other side, the knee-to-shoulder stretch really pushed it for me (my left hip can't open up much) and my right (standing) leg started to bend without me even realizing it. Shifu noticed and gave a light kick to my shin to remind me.

Oh yea and I didn't even tell him when to stop or anything; he just stopped because he could feel it himself. After you stretch with other people a lot you start to be able to feel their bodies just from holding them and looking at them I think. So stretch together more! :)

So to me it was the same as how we do multiple rounds for straddle stretch or anything, or how I get in my stretching machine around 6 then go out a bit, then a few minutes later come back again and go more. First round relaxes and opens you up a bit, but subsequent rounds are where you really go further. And each time, Shifu didn't hold it for that long. Maybe it was because we were in the middle of class and it was a time thing, or maybe that's just a good way to do it.

Try different things and see what works for you! Be honest with yourself and push yourself! Train harder!

Leftovers

2008-12-01T21:55:00.005-05:00

I've been away from training for a week; my sister was in town and though I did intend to bring her to a class, what with Thanksgiving and sightseeing we didn't make it to the Temple. Consequently I was really excited to come back tonight. There was a lot of HEAVY eating over the last six days, (when people come into town I like to take them out eating + Thanksgiving = lots of eating and more food still in the fridge) and I felt like there was sludge running through my veins, sludge comprised mostly of butter and heavy cream. It was definitely time to train.

Class was great. Randy and Khalid led the lines setting off each move with synchronized super-power. At stretching Sifu joined in and showed us the real meaning of flexibility. During forms we broke into groups for each form and spent the rest of class urging one another on. It was great to clear out all the blocked energy that had been building up and fermenting. And as I stretch out some shenanigans that cropped up in my knee, and avoid eating all the leftovers in my fridge, I feel very post-Thanksgiving thankful for being able to train and for having such a great group of people around me.

I hope to keep the ball rolling as I move towards Christmas and another 10 day vacation so that when I come back I can feel the same level of chi that I felt tonight. Those are the kind of leftovers I really need.

Whaaaaaa..!!!??!!

2008-11-25T00:15:00.007-05:00

It was two minutes to seven and none of the regular teachers was at the temple. I was playing with the idea that maybe Shifu would teach us tonight or maybe Richu would teach and I would get to learn Tongbaiquan.

And then the clock pointed at 7. Shifu turned around and said "Sucheela - start the class."

And I went Whaaaaaa....!!!??!! Meeee...????

And then it's all a blur. I remember hearing Shifu saying random things. I also remember having the class did all the moves that I could think of and the clock only said 7:30pm. Good thing people like Richu and Cheng remembered all the basics and "whispered" them to me.

Anyway, the hour passed. We stretched, did a few more rounds of basics and then forms. I taught Ellen, Mike J, Lukas and Zang Tixi Pubu Loushou Gongbu Chongquan (which I thought I did best of all the level 2 basics), Zhiquan and Baiquan. On the other side of the columns, Shifu taught Cheng, Le, EZ, and Eric Tongbaiquan.

I am embarrassed to admit that I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted to learn a new form too!!!

Then I realized I was learning something as well. Shifu didn't teach me the form but he taught me something else. He taught me about leading, about trusting and believing in myself. He showed me how wonderful training is from the other side of the line and how all of us can make training fun/challenging/exciting.

Huuggggeee thanks to everybody in the class tonight for being so supportive and chi-tastic!!

Kung Fu Ping Pong?!

2008-11-23T19:18:00.000-05:00

Another Family Affair

2008-11-20T23:08:00.005-05:00

Feeling a little sad at the end of my brother's visit, I went to the temple on Tuesday night for a shot of action meditation. The class was extremely small and fast with Joshua and Chris E. leading the line (welcome back Joshua!). The Chi was high but everybody was tired. However Shifu was in a good crazy chi mood the entire class. He came up with funniest bits while we did the basics. He showed off his super stretch during the break, encouraged and corrected us while we had one-on-one teaching sessions. And most importantly, he mumbled "hmmm alotta chi" at the end of my Dahongquan!

It was as if he was compensating for my blahh. I know it's just me trying to reach out but like other people said - things are what you want it to be. I wanted the temple to be there for me that day and it did. By the end of the class, I was sweaty, smelly, and exhausted - but I was happy to be there.

A Family Affair

2008-11-17T13:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's class was quite a lot of fun. Sucheela's brother was there, as was Zu's sister, and Zhou and Lukas both had friends trying class. I also discovered that one of the new girls I taught later in class was Zhi's sister. It was a big class with lots of chi and I enjoyed it immensely: except the whole coughing up a lung thing.

I'm no longer infected with any disease (hooray!) but the winter air is still congesting my lungs, and when I start breathing heavily the coughing and hacking being. I apologize to everyone I disgusted yesterday. It's completely involuntary. My body is trying to de-phlegm itself and I'm simply along for the ride.

In spite of this, I really did have a good time. I felt flexible (from having three days off) and energized (again, three days off) and really enjoyed the enthusiasm the group carried through the whole class even when Sifu gave us no walks.

I'm really happy to get back to the no walking breaks. I feel like I get mentally weak when I have these expected rests. I want to push myself without stopping. God knows sometimes the thought of that walk is the extra boost that helps me get through the fifth round of jumps, but really, you don't need it. Especially in a class that large. And with the weather taking a sudden dip back to regular November temperatures, too much stopping and there's going to be some cold muscles and accidentally injury. I only hope that when my sister comes for Thanksgiving we can pull together a class with equally awesome chi; it will be my second sister I drag to training, I hope she is as enthusiastic as my last.

Strawberries & Cream

2008-11-13T11:28:00.003-05:00

I've been to a few Level 2 sessions now, and want to post my few early observations. It obviously is a new game with new moves to learn and the bright orange uniforms, but there are so many intangibles as well.

- The overall level of chi is elevated. Maybe it's partly due to the orange that makes the room sunnier, but it seems like all the players involved are more energized. The Level 2ers are generally people who've been training for a while and have manifested a long-term commitment to kung fu by virtue of them being there, so the chi is not necessarily greater, but of a different quality. There is a greater sense of group dynamic whereas in Level 1, a lot of newer people are still figuring out their individual energies and abilities to commit. During my short while in Level 2, I've heard a lot more laughing and seen many smiles. People are more relaxed, yet more intense at the same time, if it makes any sense. I really like this feeling of being the newbie again, and hearing every one else who knows me giving me encouragement so that I don't pass out.

- Speaking of passing out, I am finding myself struggling while doing basics in Level 2. Conditioning my body will be even more important, and I'm hoping that my attending Level 2 a few times a week will push it in ways I have yet to see. After being in Level 1 for so long, I kinda fell into a groove in terms of pushing myself due to the overfamiliarity with how class was run. Now that it's new all over again, I have to learn a different way of pacing. For example, basics generally run close to an hour in Level 2, and that also means no walking time! Awesome!

- In the three Level 2 sessions I've attended, I've had three different great teachers -- Han, De and N'ou. Back when I first started training (at the old Temple) we would occasionally have different senior students leading Level 1 class (Jie, Gu, N'ou, Zhou, Tiao, etc.), but in recent times, at the current location, Shifu and Xu teach most of the Level 1 classes. So it is wonderful to have this rotating cast of teachers. They each infuse a different style and energy which really keeps you on your toes, so to speak. This probably means very little predictability, so you really have to be AWAKE!

- And because these senior students are leading class, this gives Shifu the opportunity to really watch what we are doing. I've often felt his gaze, but am even more aware of it now. As I've been stumbling around at the back of the line, I'm partly worried that he's watching me and thinking, Did I make a mistake in promoting her to Level 2? but I gotta just ignore that thought and run with it all. And not collapse.

- I also love that with Level 2 comes a new sense of adventure. For example, I am now committed to the idea of trying straddle and side splits which I had never really done prior. Yeow! Also, before and after class, I watched my friends pull out the mats and trampoline and do all kinds of jumps and flips with varying degrees of success. In particular, after class I found it inspiring to see Leo, Richu and Han working on butterfly twists. It was great to see them keep trying over and over, despite tumbles and face plants and talk of strawberry bruises. People are learning to fly higher and want to help each other soar.

- Speaking of strawberry bruises, this morning I woke up and looked down at my ankle and saw I grew one of my own, probably from all the lunbi caijiaos N'ou had the newbies do on the side for a while. Love it!!! Evidence that I'm growing again!

- Oh, and can I say, handstand pushups?!!?!?

I know Level 2 is a whole different challenge. I am excited and honored to finally be part of the process, and I can't wait to express my chi at a whole new level!

Negation

2008-11-12T22:44:00.005-05:00

When N'ou walked in tonight, I felt a burst of excitement; it's been awhile since I've been in a class he taught, and I missed having his style in the mix. Sadly, pretty early on in class I managed to tweak/pull/or otherwise distress something in my left quad and I felt gimpy and debilitated the rest of class. Still, I soldiered on and tried not to be too melodramatic in my sighs of anguish/pain. Probably it's another sign of my atrophy over the latest period in the kung fu saga and I deserve this pain.

It's frustrating because, mentally, my chi has returned. Today I was back to training even though I'm working at staving off a bronchial infection. Slightly sick training wasn't unusual in former times, but the last few weeks (okay months) I latched onto any bogus reason not to show up to class. However, since I felt my haphazard training contributed largely to my prior illnesses, I knew I needed to show up tonight.

Still (to digress) sick three times in 1 1/2 months?! It's totally unprecedented. I usually get one cold a season. Never the flu really, and rarely to I get fevers or any other dramatic symptoms. But since coming to NY I have gotten sick very often. Some was adjusting to a new climate, new allergens, even new water. And some is moving to a city that's much more congested, spending time cramped in on public transportation, and lots of dirt floating in the air. But darn it, I'm from hardy country stock and I'm supposed to be robust and healthy, not hacking like an old lady all the time. Now with my leg gimped out I feel like some caricature of a grandma hobbling and coughing around the city.

Probably it will feel better in the morning, but I will still give it the night off tomorrow. And maybe it's greedy to want to train and not be sore. You can't have everything in life I suppose. I made it through without having to stop, and I didn't get sick from the slight nausea. It's all in my head, I always make it through class. So maybe that's the lesson all of this ties in to: who teaches, the pain of an injury, hangover, sickness, a long absence, none of it has yet caused me to pass out, throw up, break some body part, or give up before the class finished. And if I've gone this long without giving up, there should never be an instance where I'll have to. So no more thoughts of "God, I'll never make it through tonight." I always do. Those thoughts are a waste of chi that could be directed, as now, to rebuilding my quad as it rests under the heating pad.

Don't Cramp My Style!

2008-11-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

I don't want to speak too soon, but I do feel like I'm at the beginning of another good training phase. All day I wanted to train. When the 4:00 blues hit, I still wanted to train. And when I walked to temple, I still wanted to train. When I got home, I got right back to blogging; two nights in a row! Good things are definitely in store.

I am still working at getting back in the swing of things. Yesterday, while not the hardest class of late, I did experience something I had thought was far behind me: stitches in my side. I learned long ago when running, and then again when I was a swimmer, that despite appearances, you can train through such cramps, and you end up stronger as a result. I applied the same philosphy to training kung fu, but I was extremely happy when I put the days of double-me-up stomach cramps behind me.

Last night I felt the chi from the first "Line up!" And Sifu even gave me muttered encouragement during caijiaos. But the amped up popping and extension caused me to start feeling those side stitches before we got to cetitui, and they didn't leave for the rest of basics. Luckily, they weren't too severe and I was able to finish class with the same chi I started (relatively). Still, it's a sign how my strength and endurance have dropped off. This time last year I had just finished my training mini-marathon. I really miss that fitness and chi-level, even though they came with a fair amount of soreness.

Luckily, as Spenser says "there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought." So I have never really lost my chi or my endurance because it is always there waiting to be rediscovered. Or, for a less esoteric reference, someone said (maybe Bruce Lee?) that kung fu isn't learning, but reminding yourself of things your body forgot. (Something to that effect. I'm better with 16th century literature I guess.) In any case, I'll do my best to not have those concerns either way, by not forgetting/losing/regressing anymore, but always moving forward, as we're taught.

Life Skillz

2008-11-12T09:45:00.002-05:00

From the Daily News, "Wanna-be thugs nabbed after Karate Grandpa shows them his chops." Diogenes Angeles, 57, "kept his karate skills sharp by practicing every day, saying he knew they would someday come in handy."

Chi, yeah!!

(Picture courtesy of Daily News)

Ninja Kittens!

2008-11-12T08:04:00.001-05:00

Weighty Issues

2008-11-10T23:47:00.007-05:00

I simply haven't been able to get back into my training routine. And it's been going on so long that not training is really my routine. I can't remember the last time I consistently did 4+ days a week continuously. But never fear, I have found the solution. A scale.

Now before you start posting lots of comments about how scales are bad, you're not fat, blah blah blah, let me clarify some facts.

I don't need people to tell me I do or don't look fat -- that's not the point of this post. Yes I know I'm tall; yes I know muscle weighs more than fat; and yes I know my hobby is baking cupcakes so that would account for any extra poundage. But the trickiness of buttoning my winter coats made me want to take a look at the scale, and muscle or no, what I saw was a quite a lot more that what it should be.

And yes I know weight is a number; and yes I know muscle weighs more than fat and yes I know there should be fewer cupcakes in my diet. My greater concern was it was a clear sign of how little I've been training, and that does makes me feel low on the self-esteem, the lack of follow through in my training. Also, I am very much concerned about what that extra weight must be doing to my joints every time I jump. It's not just a few vanity pounds when comparing last year to this, and I really don't need to handicap my jumping height or make any part of training that much harder on my knees and ankles and back.

So this is a lesson I wanted to share, don't let a passion for frosting and cake distract you from taking care of your body: both in how much you consume and how many nights you take off to bake more. Not only is one's body a temple and all of that lovely stuff, when you line up, it's all you have to work with; and lighter, well-conditioned things are so much easier to make work for you. Plus, think how much higher you'll jump.

(No, these aren't my feet.)

Orange Crush

2008-11-03T17:57:00.002-05:00

It is no longer an object of fancy for your humble Narrator; I finally got the call to the big leagues, to wear the orange robes, and no, I couldn't wait to try them on, as evidenced by the photo above. :)

It has been a mighty struggle for me, especially from the time I blew out my knee to not passing erluquan during testing six months ago. Well over a year had transpired since I finished erluquan, and I had to find ways to understand why I needed to be in Level 1 for another six months after not being elevated to Level 2 this past April. Of course, one can always polish and refine what one has learned, and one can become stronger, but the challenge also became a mental one.

Mainly, I had to fight to maintain my motivation. This was not about going to class and having Shifu motivate me with his barking. Rather, this was about me pushing myself, in spite of myself. I have witnessed several of my dearest friends who started after me get to Level 2 ahead of me, and while yes, I know it's about the individual journey, and not comparing yourself to others, most of us have enjoyed success in our lives largely due to a competitive sense. I wanted to be able to train with my brothers and sisters, learning new things together, like we used to. I admit to feeling traces of jealousy at times when hearing my fellow dorks discuss new moves. I felt bad for feeling simultaneously proud and envious of them for progressing through subsequent Level 2 forms while I remained stuck on erluquan. And so, when I cried like a baby after last certificate ceremony, it was for a multitude of reasons, none of which were hugely attractive.

But I had to keep reminding myself that I'd get there eventually. Maybe it'd take me a little longer than others, but I needed to keep plugging away. While I was recovering from my knee injury and couldn't train and missed my friends for two months, I remember thinking, geez, I can't wait to train kung fu again. Just to be able to caijiao and mabu again with my peers would be a wonderful thing! And it goes to show that it's not about how high you kick, or how fast you fly, but that you're doing it, and you try and try again to do it better. The action is meditation itself -- it's not about what you're doing, necessarily, but the doing itself.

We see people come to train at Temple with varying skills. Some so very amazing and lithe, others needing much training. But we judge not how well people do in terms of ability, but how hard they try, vis à vis their expressions of chi. I hope, for me, that ability to express my chi never dries up. As long as I can move my body, I hope to keep moving forward.

Thanks to all of you who've been so supportive. I am so glad to have had you along for my ride. All week long before yesterday's ceremony, I promised myself I wouldn't cry again, yet surely I did, but at least this time they were tears of happiness. I was one of the first Kung Fu Dork bloggers to write; I am the last of the bloggers to move to Level 2, and to that, I say, better late than never!

So, in five minutes, I shall depart my laptop, and jump on the subway, for what will be my very first Level 2 class, which promises to be scary and fun and challenging. I cannot wait to train harder, to learn new things, and to continue forth with the next chapter of my journey of getting to know myself.

CHI!

Congrats!!

2008-11-03T12:29:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to everyone who passed their forms!

It was a pretty gratifying ceremony, with tons of cheers and a few (happy!) tears. I'm still mildly curious if there was a Xiao Hong Quan mix up. I can wait another 6 months to find out though. After all, I did add an extra move to my form during testing, and sadly the error was not just chalked up to my expressing myself :)

I'm just hoping the confusion related to faulty record-keeping is not a foreshadowing of any dubious voter-calculation activities which may want to rear their ugly heads tomorrow.

One more time: Congratulations!

AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

Food for Thought

2008-10-28T22:36:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday, after testing, Sifu's comments were that we were getting sloppy and slow. Not exactly the summary one hopes for. "Sifu!" I wanted to cry, "I had the stomach flu! I've barely eaten for 5 days!"

I managed to refrain. my only goals going into testing were to not pass out or throw up. But his words stuck with me, especially as he repeated them to the seven lonely people that showed up for Level 2 Monday night. He added, "No more. Starting today always be strong. Always be sharp."

"But Sifu!" I wanted to cry, "I had the stomach flu! I've barely eaten for 5 days!"

I couldn't bear being a disappointment, but instead of protesting, I shut up and began class. It was awesome and totally bizarre. After ten minutes we were still working on caijiao. By 7:30 we had gotten through three basic moves. By 8:00 we had finished going over 6 moves, all L1 basics.
You can imagine the intensity with which we were executing and fine-tuning the details of every kick. It wasn't at all frustrating but instead rejuvenating to get the tough love and be forced to go back and do those very first basics upon which we constantly build. During stretching, Sifu made a side comment, "Push yourself -- if it was easy everyone would be a master."

By the end of class something clicked. I didn't need to cry my excuse to Sifu because it didn't matter. I should have approached testing with as much chi as ever. Sure I had been sick, but I was kidding myself if I couldn't admit that part of the problem was the week I took off before the bout of illness. Before that I had taken another week off from an earlier bout of flu. There may have been sickness mingled up in there, but I was indulging it and more than the dehydration from stomach flu, the only 2 days of training in a span of nearly three weeks was more to blame. You can only lie to yourself just so much, before you realize your making excuses to make yourself feel better about something you feel guilty having done. I needed some time off; that was fine. But that was my choice and I can't milk an illness to justify that choice. You have to be confident in your decisions and then won't feel the need to justify them later.

So I can't go in and say, "I had the stomach flu!" and then settle for making it through without passing out and throwing up. That's trying to cover the fact that I was not feeling right about my choice not to train before that point. I needed to have gone in there with the highest level of chi I could muster. The same goes for class. I choose to come. As Sifu says, "Don't waste your life. You come to temple, then train harder." So I shouldn't come to training without giving it 100%. Even if physically or mentally I'm not at my optimum place, I can give all of whatever I have. Doing that, I'll have nothing to regret, nothing to reprimand myself for, and there won't be any reason not to be proud of every choice I make. I won't need excuses and I won't to worry if Sifu thinks I'm training hard enough; I'll know I am through being honest with myself and he'll see it. So, to sum up this public moralizing, let's try to do what we profess and train harder.

A few words from Heng Ji (Branden)

2008-10-24T23:44:00.003-04:00

With testing coming up this weekend for most, I thought a little reflection might be appropriate.

- If your body is strong but your mind is lazy, you lack the mental discipline and focus to train harder and push your body further.

- Finish stronger than you began.

- True happiness come from a life that is fulfilled.

- A truly happy life is a life of action, not distraction.
True happiness comes from mastering and polishing your life.

It comes from self-respect and self-confidence, from developing harmony and balance so that you can savor 'THIS' moment, here and now, for the beautiful gift that it is.

- Happiness is spreading peace and love to the people around you.

That is the warrior way.

- Be fully mindful of the moment.

- Commit yourself to training everyday.

Good luck to everyone!

It's good to be back

2008-10-15T01:34:00.006-04:00

Taking a break has its own benefit. For one thing, my knees were pain free until I started training again. But it's good to be back. To see people I know and with whom I have at least one thing in common. To feel welcome.

Tonight was my third class after being away for one and a half months. The pain and stiffness were still there. The flexibility hasn't come back. The first 20 kicks still hurt like hell. But it's OK. There was chi in the air. At the front of the lines, there were Xu, Khalid, Zhou, Randy and moneyfoot. It was beautiful and inspiring watching them training - especially when it's time for Tengkong Fanyao.

After the class, Heng Zhou's parents and sister showed up. They were such delightful people. One bit of wisdom from Zhou's mom that kept coming up in my head: She said she learned a lot since Zhou he started training. It's not because he brought anything new to the table. It's because they started talking more about the meanings and reasons for things. Subjects that everybody already realized but never brought up. Just by talking about it makes you learn.

Test Prep

2008-10-06T12:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was disciple ceremony, and as a result, class was cut a little short. But not before I was able to pound through some forms with re-ignited chi.

It was strange, I didn’t get all that much sleep, and I was pretty sure I was coming down with a cold (confirmed today) but there was no way I’d skip out on class before Disciple Ceremony, especially when I had only been to 3 classes this week. Heng Mo and I met up to walk to the train together and both of us were feeling a fair amount of indigestion from the unaccustomedly obscene amount of meat we ate at Qbertplaya’s BBQ birthday the day before. Our one consolation was that, at least the meat might give us chi (if we didn’t get sick first…).

I guess it worked because we both agreed that it was an excellent class. When forms time came I was able to attack them with a level of chi that I had been lacking since coming back from China. Or maybe we were both just feeling the chi in anticipation of Disciple Ceremony. But it was a relief, because with testing coming up, feeling exhausted during forms is not a good sign. Only so much endurance can be regained in 3 weeks. I am really looking forward to testing both XHQ and DHQ, but they are not walks in the park, so I will need all the preparatory chi I can get!

Back to Back

2008-09-30T15:54:00.005-04:00

I love our Shaolin community. When packing up after work yesterday I saw two new voice messages on my cell. The first, was from fellow dork Heng Mo’s boyfriend, who was locked out of their apartment. (Mo and I also happen to be neighbors so I have her keys. Sadly, I wasn’t around to be helpful. Still, it was a nice reminder of our compatriotism.) The second was from fellow China-traveler Livia, who had just finished taking day class. The contents were, roughly, “Oh my God class was so rough! I know you trained yesterday, I wanted to see if it was as bad for you!”

Livia has more chi than several people combined, so if she was tired you know it must have been rough. No worries, Livia, you were indeed echoing my sentiments from Sunday. As I touched on in my last post, because of weird jet lag, I was up at 6 am Sunday, so decided to hit training and get it out of the way. In spite of appearances, we didn’t actually do that much “training” in China. We learned a lot, we hiked a lot of mountains. But none of it was really comparable to training an intense 2 hour class. And combined with the amount of un-nutritious eating and hours and hours of being sedentary on buses and trains, well, it didn’t spell for a triumphant return to training. All in all, her message, combined with the previous day’s training, left me with an ominous feeling as I headed to Level 2 last night.

As 6:45 rolled around and warm bodies remained scarce, I was really wondering where everyone was. I knew that Sunday I would probably be the only lunatic to come train. (Actually, Zhou was there too. More chi!) And I knew Monday might be somewhat sparse, but again, only one other China comrade, Richu, was in attendance. Now, I am not feeling superior for being stupid/crazy enough to train two days back to back immediately after disembarking a 13 hour flight. I was scared about what would happen if I started procrastinating. Plus, I missed it. And, in the end, despite the dubious mindset I went in with last night, class was more mentally enjoyable than it had been for awhile before leaving. I couldn't move so well this morning, but that's the price you pay.

Tonight, I'm not training, making sure that I get back in the swing methodically and without injury. (Plus I am still not totally unpacked…) But mentally, I would still love to go. There are lots of folks I have yet to see since returning, and there is much to review, both from the trip and in preparation for impending testing. But rest is probably wise.

Long story short, it hurts, but it’s great to be home!

China

2008-09-29T13:31:00.006-04:00

Well, I know everyone was hoping for consistent, exciting updates from our journey into the Middle Kingdom, and when it became apparent that wasn't going to happen, began eagerly anticipating the promised deluge of posting that would follow quickly on the heels of my return. Now, you're patiently making excuses for me (jet lag, unpacking) for why I haven't yet provided the details on the China training. You're reading this now with joy and wondering when the heck I'll get on with it and talk about training. Here's the thing, there is just too much to even begin trying to capture it all in blog posts. Even when I leave out the stuff not strictly kung-fu related there is more than I can wrap my brain around telling everyone, and I feel inadequate to convey what happened without losing a lot in translation. I'm overwhelmed just thinking where to begin.

I can tell you that I learned eagle claw and sword, and that others learned tiger, mantis, and 7 star fist. But just from that I could devote an entire post to describing what eagle feels like, or what it's like to be taught by an instructor who doesn't speak any English. I could wax poetic for pages about the wushu schools, and watching the armies of children training on expanses of bare dirt doing rapid fire caijiaos and butterfly twists and intense stretching exercises. I have a whole post in my head about watching our instructors at Sifu's brother's school do 10 backflips in a row and suicides on a cement floor, jumping higher than any of us could if we had a sprung floor under us. I could talk about how we couldn't drink the tap water so I was never fully hydrated. How it felt to train with perpetual low grade indigestion.

Then there's all the spiritual moments. Climbing Drum Mountain at the Shaolin Temple; seeing the places we hear about in Buddhism class. I want to talk about the irony of watching a monk talking on a cell phone and the different feelings and thoughts that evokes. Or seeing the classic monk-coming-down-Bell-Mountain-stairs-on-hands-and-feet. Then there's the experience of meeting our Sifu's Sifu and how surreal that felt.

I can talk about the bizarre jet lag that had me training yesterday, about how totally whipped I was in class and how much endurance I lost in two weeks. the list is endless. So why don't I? Instead of summing up all the things I COULD talk about, why don't I just talk about them, you wonder? Besides it being an overwhelming amount of blogging, besides not wanting to bore the pants of everyone, and besides feeling unable to do it justice, honestly, I myself haven't totally absorbed everything or straightened out all my thoughts and feeling about everything I did and saw. Note the excessive run-on sentences in this post.

So, while I set it all in order in my mind, I invite you to ask any questions that I hope I can compile into a single "Answers here" post. For the rest of it, expect lots of anecdotes and references to crop up as I move forward in my posts. I beg your patience in this endeavor. In a way it's like looking at my photos, looking at them all en masse can never convey the experience and deadens your senses, whereas seeing one picture has its own story and its own impact it couldn't otherwise have. At the same time, the single picture isn't enough to express the whole trip. So as I move forward it will be like seeing the photos a few at a time, and I think it will provide the best story.

Learning to Fly

2008-09-26T09:22:00.007-04:00

Before we learned to walk, we all repeatedly fell down over and over again until we were able to develop our muscles and coordination to the point where we can balance ourselves precariously on two feet. It is after millenniums of evolution that humans have become one of a handful of creatures that has chosen to walk on it's hind legs. And now, I'm on a quest to further that evolution. I want to aerial, butterfly twist, and TengKongWaiBaiLiang as my only mode of travel from Point A to Point B.

I feel like a child learning to walk again. Oooo...boy! I sure have the bruises to prove it too. On Wednesday night Level 2 class, I walked in and both John and Heng Ji (Branden) said to me, "So you landed an aerial, eh? Let's see it!" They proceeded to pull out the big mats for us to play on. We had about 20 minutes worth of jumping and fumbling through the air trying our best to land our aerials and butterfly twists. None of us landed it but it was nice to have the mats and not have to worry about landing too hard on the ground. It does pose an interesting question. Is it better to learn how to land it on a mat, build the confidence there and then land without it? Or is it better to venture out onto the real surface where we will be doing the aerial anyway? I suppose it comes down to personal preference. Do you want bruises now or later? You are going to fall a few times. It's a fact. It's overcoming that fear of self-preservation. It's letting it all go and just fly. During class, I put that philosophy to the test. Heng De let us do BaiWangZaiKui for about 10 minutes. I think the way I was falling was scaring some people. "Leo, when you ~~land~~ fall, it's like seeing and hearing a sack of potatoes fall on the ground. Ka-Boom! But you do it with no fear though. I don't know if I can do that..."

My body is still a little battered today. I am not sure if it is from the falling or my muscles getting used a new way of coordination and use. I would like to think it's the latter because if I let my fear control me, I will never be able to fly. It really isn't about the falling down. It's about the getting back up and trying again after you just failed. But maybe I should invest in some protection, just in case. A wearable airbag. I sure could use that!

Even though I wince in pain every step I take, I can't wait to get out there and learn to fly again.

Riding on the Wings of Victory

2008-09-21T21:10:00.009-04:00

The Aerial. I did it. I landed one.

After seeing it all my life in kung fu movies, tv shows and acrobatic tumbling routines, I did something on Friday I've never thought I would be able to do. I landed my own aerial.

It's not that I never thought I would be able to do it. Lots of people can do it. Most of the senior Level 2's can. I remember one of my first classes at the Temple when Heng Li was leading the line and we were doing 側手翻 (CeShouFan). He did aerials oh-so-casually all the way down the line. And if you know Li, when I say "casual", I mean FULL of chi. :) My fancy took flight and I told myself, "If I trained harder, maybe I'll get there too."

It's been a year and a half since that day and I have evolved physically, mentally, and spiritually. I've been feeling and witnessing exponential growth within me. Friday was the day I tasted my first freedom and learned to fly. That's exactly what an aerial is. It's suspended animation gliding through the air. It's as if a mini-worm hole was created and the laws of physics and gravity no longer applied. For that split second, time stopped and the world ceased to exist. I was in a moment of total amazement and bliss. The next second came and the world came rushing back. All I heard was the class exploding in clapping and cheers. I landed one. My very first.

I've been on the cusp many times. But, right when I get to the vertical point, doubt would creep in and I would reach out my hands and fall back down. Not holding out your hands to touch the ground takes courage and fearlessness. You have to believe that your head won't get smashed on the ground. You have to believe that your body has enough momentum to carry you over the 90 degree point. You have to believe in yourself.

I've had horrendous pain in my neck and spine in the past two weeks. I'm not really sure how I got it but it just wouldn't go away. Now I know what that was. It was the blossoming of my wings of victory.

So long, farewell.

2008-09-12T10:37:00.004-04:00

I can’t pull two thoughts together for this post because I’m going to CHINA tomorrow. It’s so exciting, intimidating, and downright exhausting thinking of what is in store for us there. I hope to be able to keep the blog fairly well updated with the training over there. But if not, expect a deluge of posts when we return in two weeks. I am going to go with no expectations except for adventure, and hopefully, will come back with all kinds of brilliant philosophical and kung fu insights. Or at least come back with some fun souvenirs and good photos.

Training last night, I got to thinking about how different classes will be for everyone still here with so many of us gone. And I realized, that while taking 21 people out of the mix will affect the numbers somewhat, there is such a strong group of new folks that the absence of those China-bound will not be felt that drastically. And while, I like being missed, I am glad to think that temple won’t be a ghost town while we're away. See you all soon!

Aaaaand we're BACK

2008-09-09T22:38:00.004-04:00

Last night, the first half of L2 was an hour and 15 minutes long. Not the first time and I'm sure not the last. but then, we only had six minutes of stretch break before we started again. As the third to go in the wall stretch, I had just enough time to sit down before I heard "Line up!" no great tragedy. I was actually able to waibaitui much stronger having not just strained my hip flexors in the stretch. But when I woke up this morning, I felt the full force of what had happened. Absolutely ZERO stretching.

I go through phases stretching. Sometimes I come home and it's the first thing I do. Or I do it hot from the shower, or when I wake up. Sometimes I have a routine, sometimes I just hop out of bed, touch my toes and run to work. The hour before training I spend a good bit stretching. It feels great after sitting at a desk all day. My recent laziness, culminating with no stretch last night, resulted in an unforeseen level of soreness today. Some muscle around my knee that never hurt before was berating me the whole walk to work. I forgot how quickly you return to sore muscles when you take time off. More importantly, I forgot the crucial message I always give first timers - you MUST stretch. So I'm going to keep this short so that I don't get too comfortable here, and I'm gonna go make amends to my now VERY sore legs.
I do love it though. It's a sign I'm getting back in the groove.

Sloth Style

2008-09-08T23:55:00.007-04:00

Last week, I became a master of a rare animal form- one so closely guarded, only a few people have every had the chance to see it, let alone learn it. But I can now name myself amongst the few who have perfected this rare art: sloth style.

In the past we've talked about how KF can be so addictive, that you go into over-training mode without realizing it. You have to take a serious step back and assess yourself when you might be injured. It got to where the only way I could keep myself from training, and rest my body, was to leave all my gear at home.

Then somewhere in the middle of the summer I got deluged with activities and obligations and I was only making it three times a week. "That's okay," I told myself. "Three is still plenty to maintain." then I needed a week of rest. Or two. And I was still only getting three a week. "That's okay. You need to let your brain reboot also." Then I hurt my back and it all went downhill. "That's okay, you don't want to seriously injure yourself, you want to be healthy for the China trip." The voice in my head continued to smother my guilt. A back injury is really hard to push through, because it affects nearly every move you do and you end up so frustrated and in pain that it really is a downer to even come to class. But I knew I couldn't use that excuse forever. Still... "That's okay," the voice in my head continued to reassure me. "Reboot yourself. You have the rest of your life." Stupid devil on my shoulder. Never listen to that little voice. It's the siren song of your doom.

Suddenly, China deployment is this Saturday and I only trained ONCE last week. What the heck?!?! I came to Level Two ready to punish myself, but I realized I lost the chance weeks ago. Somewhere in there, I crossed over from the training addiction to the laziness addiction. Now, I'm glad I realized some balance in my life, and got other extracurriculars going. And I really had a blast this summer. But ONCE? It's amazing how quickly you find the joy of sitting on the sofa and reading for hours, or wasting a lazy sunday in the coffee shop and the park.

This is exactly why I over-trained. Because I knew as soon as I allowed myself the possibility of not training just because, that I would rapidly slide into sloth. Moderation is not a strong point of mine, and balancing in the middle has always been tough. Now suddenly I am slow and heavy and sloppy; my endurance is shot. I'm not sore, but what does that get me? I have to be
representing in China in just a few short days.

Hopefully, tonight's training will help kick start a successful week's prelude. While it won't have me back jumping higher and moving faster, at least I can re-coordinate and sharpen what I've got. And heck, whatever happens, I'm gonna be in Ch-Ch-Ch-China! Maybe everyone else will be learning mantis and tiger, but I'll show them something they never saw before. Sloth Claw!

Sources of Inpiration

2008-09-03T12:14:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Cheng, for your inspired call to action! I've been half-writing this post in my head for a bit now without committing any words on my keyboard, but now your poem compelled me to push it out... :)

Anyway, now that I've been training for a bit over 2.5 years now (and still stuck in L1), I am not learning anything "new" per se, so I strive to improve what I already do know by trying to make things sharper, doing actions faster, and so forth. Something that has been sort of a nemesis to me is trying to avoid taking steps in between kicks. Shifu has called me out on it so many times, and it really hit me hard this past Spring. I think I've made some progress in erasing this terrible habit of mine through a long process of almost having to re-learn by observing others, by changing my sense of balance, and by reminding myself that it's not about doing it fast, but doing it correctly. Constant evolution!

Recently, at the 100 day ceremony for Heng Ju, I saw Niederwelt's 5 year old niece Nina spinning cartwheels like it was nobody's business -- she effortlessly did one after another without any pauses or steps across the green carpet much to the amusement of herself and others. It really was ceshou-fun!

The next week I attended a day class and while we were doing ceshoufans during basics, I heard Xu call to me not to take extra steps. Buoyed by my memory of Nina a few days earlier, I tried it out, and wheeeee! boy, did those ceshoufans come whipping by faster! In fact, I felt like I was moving so much quicker that I almost lost my sense of balance and came tumbling down. I guess like with everything, I'm just gonna have to readjust and recalibrate. Oh, and maybe attempt ceshoufan again from the other side...yeahhhhhhh.......

Speaking of observing others, in recent classes I attended, I have noticed a new young fellow who has yet to learn all the basics, but does the most wonderful tenkong fanyaos. I don't know his name (yet) but I am inspired by how fluidly he leaps into the air and rotates. He is gazelle-like and strikes me as a dancer. I shall have to study his movements more and hopefully something will seep into my own labored tengkong fanyao.

It goes to show that you never know when you'll find something from which to learn.

Wispy Participation

2008-09-02T22:32:00.007-04:00

Because Summer is busy, it's true-- I haven't been around too much, and I miss my regular 3 or (that wishful) 4 classes per week. And because Cheng cared enough to write a rhymy poem, I wanted to participate in our blog with some non-rhymy musings.

Tonight's class was great. I'm easing back into it after "maintaining" a saddening 1 x per week "schedule". It's more like catch as catch can while work is so busy, and while weekends camping in Vermont are beckoning. I used to feel guilty when I couldn't make it to class, but I don't anymore. I love training when I can train, and while it is of personal importance to me that I maintain a balance in my life, Temple will always be a part of that balance.

To wit: Last week I learned something interesting in a Buddhist workshop that Cheng and I attended: Guilt can be transformed into what they called Intelligent Regret. While guilt eats at you and drains your sensibilities, intelligent regret is steeped in mindfulness and helps guide your future choices toward a more elegant outcome. Intelligent regret highlights the misstep as a lesson to be learned instead of bogging you down in the unhelpful darkness of self-admonishment.

It made me really happy to train tonight, to be back, to see everyone, to move my body, however sluggishly. The choice I made to prioritize training is reinforced by the way I feel when I train. Coming to Temple is a self-perpetuating cycle of awesomeness. If I could insert a checkmark here, I would.

Oh man, a checkmark would just be so perfect.

Absence makes the blog grow duller

2008-08-29T09:57:00.005-04:00

I know I KNOW! We've been horribly absent from the blog of late. Aside from a quick, humorless note here and there complaining about my back or some such thing, posts have been haphazard at best. So, while I draft up a nice long new post that will hopefully supply hours of amusement my sparking a firestorm of comments, here is a mea culpa ode.

Pain in the Back

2008-08-21T11:52:00.005-04:00

I’m the first to admit, I’m of a melodramatic nature. The refrain of my childhood was my mother saying, “Stop being so dramatic.” So when I reach some physical or mental barrier in kung fu I really do try to reign in the grimaces and groans and involuntary gesticulations of frustration, pain and exhaustion. Everyone is tired. Everyone has pain. Everyone makes mistakes.

This is what my intellect is telling me. But my emotional reactions are, as I said, involuntary, and so controlling them can be difficult. Half of the time I don’t even realize that I am doing X melodramatic thing. Still, I don’t want to look like I am trying to prove something or enlist sympathy through my expostulating, so I am trying to learn to identify and control it. I don’t want to be making excuses even if they are subconscious scowls of pain.

That being said, where’s the line from mind over matter, and when is it ok to say, “I’m hurt.”? Saturday and then last night, Xu and the Sifu both asked me if I was all right. Going to show that however much I might try, my lower back pain has reached the un-hide-able point. I don’t want to be macho and deny that I am in pain. But I don’t want to be a pansy about making excuses. My penchant for melodrama can easily lead into whining and self-indulgence. My back hurts. But it isn’t so severe I shouldn’t be able to train. And if I make the choice to train then I should train. I shouldn’t be half-assing it.

There’s always going to be something bothering me; that’s part of the cycle of building muscles and flexibility. If I’m soreness and pain free I probably haven’t been training very hard. If I am unable to push through my aches without drawing attention to myself, then I need to acknowledge the weakness in my mind or body.

Sometimes I expect too much of myself. But I can’t stand knowing that I could have trained harder but I was being lazy or scared or weak-willed. Or melodramatic. Last night, the pain was not hindering me so much as a mental incapability of pushing through. I got really frustrated and trained worse than my two week back saga warranted. And that got me more frustrated and I was really struggling just to focus on the task at hand. And when a clock is mental and not physical, that makes me feel even more frustrated because the only thing tripping me up is me. Notice the recurrence of “frustration.” It took all my energy to control the melodramatic outburst that was violently bubbling under the surface. I don’t WANT to be irrational. And I recognize when I’m doing it and still can’t seem to flatten my heart.

Tonight I am skipping training to go get acupuncture which I am hoping will benefit both my physical pain and my mental build up. Because more than pain, I am tired of psychoanalyzing myself; I just want to train.

Everybody Sign In?

2008-08-19T23:25:00.010-04:00

We have all been through those days when somebody forgot to sign in. Shifu would ask who didn't sign in. And I would have all these thoughts going through my head:

I signed in. No problem. It's not me.

Did I really sign in? Did I forget today?

So I walked in. Said Amituofo. And then did I sign before changing or did I change before signing?

Oh phew.... Somebody else. Not me. Yay!

Have you ever wondered why Shifu is so militant about signing in? My theory is that this is just one of the rules that he likes to enforce (other than no shoes in the temple, no talking during class, etc.).

Livia offered an interesting theory today. She said the sign in sheets are on the stool facing the main altar. Whenever we sign in, we bow to the altar unknowingly paying respect to the place. That's why when we forget, Shifu makes us do it.

I guess this is one of the things at the temple that you can make it into what you want. I see it as just one of the rules. Livia sees it a little deeper.

And here are words from Livia:

Bowing

Today after class Sucheela, Cheng, Natalie, and I were talking about Bowing to Sifu. As a matter of fact today was the first time I did the whole bowing thing. I just felt it was right. Also I'm planning in becoming a disciple if Sifu accepts me. We were talking about how if you want to bow you do but if you don't you don't have to. But then I mentioned something that I noticed a long time ago which is that Sifu makes sure that you sign every class and when you sign you Bow. The way the sign in sheet is facing the altar and you have to bend to sign in therefore you bow. And I think is cool even if you don't know you are bowing because regardless you are.

Amituofo.

A note on Sleep

2008-08-13T14:31:00.003-04:00

I find when I don’t train I sometimes get insomnia. Not surprising; my body’s got too much pent-up energy; my brain is still going a-mile-a-minute. But oddly, I find that when I do train a lot, while I sleep like a log, I sleep fewer hours and wake up much less exhausted. The last few nights after training I’ve been going home and watching the Olympics until about 1 am. Then, angry at myself, I set my alarm for 8:30 (the absolute latest I can wake up and still get to work) expecting to hit snooze three times. Yet, strangely, I end up waking up at 7:15, all in one piece, and ready for the day.

Maybe it’s just a sign that the rest of my life is no longer stressing me out and making me, contradictorily, perpetually exhausted and insomniac. But I theorize that, once I hit a reasonable training routine, I don’t simply acclimatize, but my body is getting stronger and my mind is clearer, so both need less rest. In either case it’s like getting three extra productive hours a day. And with those, who knows what I could do? Train more? :D

The Savage Lotus

2008-08-04T15:00:00.009-04:00

It's been awhile since my last blog post. I've been really busy with film making this summer. Writing, directing, and shooting. One of the reasons I joined the Shaolin Temple 15 months ago was that I would get some martial arts experience under my belt for acting. Little did I know, I would also love being behind the camera directing and choreographing my fellow kung fu actors as well. Here's the 72 hour project I've told so many of you about. You basically write, direct, and put together a 5 minute short in the span of 3 days. You don't sleep the whole time and you get a film out of it. I still haven't recovered from it. And that was in June!

Our film was disqualified from the competition because a random person not on our team looked towards the camera at the end of the film. It was a huge blow to the whole team's psyche at first, but after realizing how much fun we had while shooting, we realized this is only the beginning. I will make plenty more. And I can't wait!

So without further ado, here it is! Please enjoy! Oh and our very own Heng Ying (Hwalan) plays a character in it. :D

Times are Changin'

2008-08-04T14:46:00.007-04:00

Training on Sunday was weird and wild. We started class 10 minutes late. (I can't remember the last time we started class that late) There were only 14 of us and I was the most senior person on the roster. In fact, I was the only person that was there from Level 2. I remember starting my training at the temple not so long ago and looking up to the Level 2's for technique and chi. And one of the newer people (I'm so embarrassed. I don't even know his name) pointed out to me that I am that person now. Not only was class small, there were also a group of Chinese people observing class. I don't know about you, but for me, any chance to perform in front of a group pumps up my chi. :P

I have to say, I was flying down the line. The newer level ones were definitely not used to being so near the front of the line. They weren't even quite sure what move was next. Should I have slowed down more and given them more of a chance to catch up? I am not sure. The person leading needs to set the pace and tone. It's also up to them to set the chi. Every time I went down the line, I could hear the Chinese group point and whisper, "Oh, that is this move, and this is that move."

Maybe Shifu heard it too because he was really paying very close attention to everyone's form and technique. Most people didn't make it out of the first half of the class before being sent to KFK (Kung Fu Kindergarten). Shifu had us do the first form at least 10 times. That's including all the times he told us to start over from the beginning. By the end of the first half, only me, Livia, and Julian were left.

Second half of class? Well, let's just say we got our own little piece of carpet and stayed on it for the rest of the class. It was really fun to push myself. But, in my unsettled heart, I wanted to start teaching. I wanted Shifu to call me over and say, "Leo, teach them Caijiao!" Now, I know Shifu picks people to teach for a reason and he hasn't picked me yet. It's probably because he feels I need to work on my forms and technique much more before I'm ready. Every time I'm in Level 2, I feel like my technique is one of the worst. I would say to myself, "How is it possible that I can't do this one kick that I've been doing for over a year?! What's wrong with me? Am I just not cut out for Shaolin material?" Then I realize that as with everything, caijiao is a kick we could work on forever because we could keep on polishing ourselves forever. It never ends. We could always use more pop and extension in our lives. I know Shifu wants to teach me this. And I feel that I still haven't learned it yet...but times are definitely changin'...

Weekender

2008-08-04T10:37:00.006-04:00

Saturday was my first weekend class in what felt like a million years. The last day class I did was on a Monday and that was three weeks ago. I forgot how it feels to have training be the first thing you do after getting up, and not being preoccupied with what you have to do afterward.

It was a small class, 15 of us, and I remembered the first time I ever led line: it was also a weekend class, a class of 12, and I thought my head would explode.

This time I was leading line as well, but I felt much more prepared to do so. Leo was on the other line and for the first few rounds of caijiao we were kicking in perfect synchronization. It was lots of fun, and in spite of the small class I felt we would be able to keep the chi going. I thought so anyways. But all that chi meant we were pushing ourselves really fast, and by ceshoufan I was, irritatingly, barely holding myself up. And when we finished the first half of class it was only 11:25!!

The second half of class it started getting darker and darker, and finally, a thunderstorm broke. I felt rejuvenated. Maybe because it broke the heat and humidity, or it eased up the air pressure, but it really lifted my flagging chi, and made the intimidating 1hr and 20 minute second half of class much more attack-able. And when class was over, it felt wonderful to not have to go home and get ready for work the next day or actually run off TO work itself. I think Saturday might be my favorite day to train. I mean, every day, is my favorite day to train... But Saturday is my most favorite.

Senioritis?

2008-07-31T13:29:00.006-04:00

On Tuesday night a Chinese TV station came to film class. Not the first time I’ve been in a class with cameras, but the first time Sifu asked me to let them interview me. I’m not super comfortable being on camera, and especially not 30 minutes into a very sweaty class, but it turned out ok. The interviewer asked me how long I had been training, and when I told her she said, “Two years? That’s a long time!” And I had to wonder, is it?

I don’t feel like I am a senior student, and I’m definitely not when you look at those folks who’ve been around 5, 10 and more years. At the same time, though, on Tuesday, Jing was the only one in that bracket. After him, Sucheela and I were the most “advanced” on the folks training, and consequently I ended up running KFK while Sifu talked to the TV people. While I felt totally un-qualified to do so, someone needed to go keep things running in the back (I just didn’t want the the back line to be abandoned on TV), and so in effect, I was qualified, if only by default. Thankfully Jing came and helped, and it went smoothly; and I think Sifu was glad we stepped up. Still, I still felt slightly hubristic taking that initiative, do I subconsciously have a case of Senioritis? Not in the sense of being lazy, but of thinking too much of myself?

Anyone worried that I was acting on ego can rest assured that I wasn't, and if I had, my ego was suitably demolished in L2 last night where my xuanzi seems to be getting worse again. Yet, I was still somehow leading the line. I think it all stems from the fact that I want to step forward before Sifu has to tell me to do so.

In L1 Tuesday Sucheela took the initiative to start us all on waibaitui; I went to help out KFK; some people always jump to the front of the line as soon as Sifu says “line up”. It all comes, not from a ego-driven desire to lead, but a desire to anticipate a need for action. Because that’s what we’re learning in kung fu: to train our bodies and minds to react faster and faster. To not stand around waiting until Sifu yells “GO” at you three times, but going straight into your movement or form. To do everything with chi and enthusiasm. So I guess I do have Senioritis in the sense that, the longer I train, the more I learn this lesson.

Not just hot, hot-ER!

2008-07-29T14:09:00.005-04:00

The last week or so has been a welcome break from the heat plaguing me at home and abroad. Unfortunately, in spite of lower temperatures outside, temple had still been stifling hot and the sweat was flying off my soaked robes. Last night, however, the cooler air finally made itself felt in the Temple, and it made a wonderful difference in class.

It’s amazing how much the heat and humidity can really sap your energy, even if you are well hydrated and rested and the rest of it. Being in that oppressive haze of heat makes your breath shallow and your body unresponsive no matter how psychologically you feel the chi. A sudden break of a mere 5 or ten degrees makes you feel like a new person. You can jump higher, kick more times, and explode more in forms.

Watching the weather report this morning, they’re forecasting another heat wave beginning this weekend. I can’t help feeling that the USA Shaolin Temple L.A., or some such place where it’s always 72 degrees, would be a really good idea.

Deep Clean

2008-07-23T13:06:00.005-04:00

Last night was another chi-filled, sweat-filled, Level 1 class. Miraculously, I wasn’t too sore from Monday; and while my legs were a little tired, and the mugginess made it hard to catch one’s breath, overall I felt strong. After class, we did an intense cleaning of the turtle tank, which we’ve been putting off for way too long.

While cleaning out the hidden grossness that settles in the rocks at the bottom, I thought it was an apt allegory for this past week and a half. We change the water often enough, but there’s still lots of filth hiding in the bottom and the filter becomes clogged and the water becomes murky all too quickly; I realized the same sort of think with my training and my life in general. Breaks here and there are important for refreshing your body and mind, but if you don’t do a major overhaul every now and again, you miss stirring up and cleaning out the mess that settles and hides further down. You tidy your room, but you still need an intense spring cleaning. You take days off from training, but you need to also give yourself long breaks. So I guess I am extolling the importance of routine maintenance plus the 10,000 mile check up. You can’t only do one and not the other. And if you do neither, as sometimes happens to me… well... you’re gonna pay for it eventually.

Once we finished the tank, and it was shiny clean, the turtles were swimming around gleefully and there was a relief on all sides that there wasn't hidden dirt left hanging over us. So maybe that's why I've had trouble getting back into my groove. And also why I didn’t feel sore on the second day back (as one usually does after a week off). I was actually getting some necessary deep-healing done both in body and in mind. I thought I had it together but there was some unseen dirt clogging up the works. Now that it's cleaned up I can train harder!

Absence Makes the Chi Grow Stronger

2008-07-21T23:26:00.001-04:00

I always start a post that follows a long blogging drought with, "I haven't been blogging but that doesn't mean I haven't been training..." But this time that's not the case. Today was my first class in *gasp* a week. Six days with no training may not seem like a lot to a regular, un-crazy person, but for me it's an eternity. Even in the past mad weeks of being all over the planet I was training at least three times a week. (And still feeling slacker-y.) I had really planned to take advantage of my newfound free schedule and get back in gear. But for better or worse I had a lot to do last week, a rough workweek, and I just felt... well... burnt out. And lazy. As soon as you have a few evenings off you start to think.. oh.. so this is what a normal life is like. Sure is nice. Doesn't hurt my butt sword...

But I knew that today I had to get back. Not training really wacked-out my body and my brain. Thing was, I had made plans tonight that I didn't want to break. So I got on the gun at work then slipped out for day class. It was quite a welcome back. I barely had a moment to warm up before I was speeding away at the front of the line with Randy. It was HOT. And definitely strenuous, but all the "resting" paid off because I had so much chi it was incredible. I know the first day back after a short break is the easy day, but I felt a mental and physical rejuvenation that were not what I was expecting. It's nice to take time off, but it's better to come back. Freak. Addict. Dork. Call me what you will. To quote my favorite bad western movie, "There is no normal life; there's just life." And my life involves multiple weeknights sweating caijiao - aaaaand a few week-long breaks every once in awhile.

No clever title - just glad I'm blogging

2008-07-12T00:29:00.005-04:00

I almost didn't make it tonight. I hadn't been to L2 in a week and a half, and a riotous end to my workday made me feel more like finding the nearest bar and drinking myself tight (which at this stage would take approximately 2 1/2 beers...). I knew I would be sans most of my dorks as well, and even as I was on the carpet stretching I contemplated claiming illness and going home to pass out in the park. Around 6:50 Leo pointed out to me that I was essentially the most senior person present and that I would potentially have to lead class - Xu had already showered and changed, though I am fairly confident she would have thrown her robes on rather than the ludicrous option of having me to teach L2. Luckily, or maybe through circumvention, N'ou appeared at 6:55 to get us all sweating and panting appropriately.

There were only ten of us in class and a large proportion of newer L2 folks, so I think N'ou took pity on us/was appalled by our basics, because he spent a lot of time stopping/slowing us down to work on execution and technique for our basic moves. Funnily enough, this was just what I wanted. When the brief and unlikely idea was proposed that I might have to lead class I thought "what would I do?" I quickly decided that rather than act under the pretense that I was advanced enough to provide qualified corrections, that I would lead us all through basics and then spend the second half of class doing a "technique workshop" where everyone would have the chance to just pound away at various basic moves. Thankfully that task did not fall to me, but N'ou trained us in a similar vein. Level 2 is not like L1 where you spend a week learning one basic and you spend a year getting kicked back to KFK if you start messing up, so it was definitely nice to have a class where we were simply grilled through our sloppy habits and reacquainted with our pop and extension.

In the end, I was glad I came if only to get a two-in-a-row this week. I am trying very hard to get back into the correct training and blogging groove, but in spite of post-class happiness, getting myself there initially has been a struggle. I know once I get on a roll it will sort back out; starting the roll is the tricky part. Probably blogging at 1 am is not conducive to my rolling into class tomorrow though...

Many Happy Returns!

2008-07-11T10:10:00.004-04:00

Last night was my Shaolin two-year anniversary. Hard to believe. I remember when I began and seeing the people who had been training for two years and thinking "Wow, I hope I can stick it out that long and be even half that good. They are so hardcore..." It's weird to imagine that I might now be that person in the eyes of people just now starting their training journey; I generally still feel like such a beginner. Last night, though, I felt everything come together in a remarkable way.

To begin with, it was a big class just like the good old days: 36 people! Maybe it was the size, because I felt like training was easier than usual. Or maybe it was the heat giving us a break, or that I was chock full of sugar. My endurance was up, nothing seriously hurt- anniversary chi? Certainly part of it was the great people training beside me. Not only were many of my fellow dorks there in force, but several of the old guard, who usually only show up to L2 were there as well. Xu was teaching, Han and Khalid both turned up, and I felt exactly in the right place: the middle.

Two years is no small feat for me, and though I hope to have many more ahead, in taking stock of my training I felt very satisfied. I could sit and list all the moves and forms I've learned, list my weight loss and muscle gain, tabulate out the total amount of $$ spent on tuition and uniforms and countless feiyues, the hours spent in Temple, but none of that would really convey what has happened in the last two years. Training has given me so much perspective on myself, taught me so many things beyond kicks and stances, and provided me with a new path in my life.

I like to think that even if I had to leave tomorrow I would be able to continue to cultivate what I've started there, but I know it would be hard. Coming off of several busy weeks of being in and out of town and having house-guests, I haven't been able to train my usual schedule, and it was hard to get my lazy bum to class last night. As soon as training started though, I felt 100% better and everything began to slide back into place. So maybe it will take a few more years before I am genuinely carrying the temple everywhere. Until then I am simply thankful for how much I've gained, the opportunity to gain even more, and for the ability to share this time of my life with all the amazing people I've met there. Amituofo!

More Chi! More Fun!

2008-07-11T09:53:00.007-04:00

I would like to think that because of the last post, we had a lot of people showing up last night both for training and dinner, including a new student - Cyril - who just started training on Wednesday. Last night also marked a second anniversary of the our own super chi dork - Heng Cheng.

At the head of the lines, we had the old-timers Khalid, Han, Eric All Night, De, and Doctor Dan. Followed them closely with equal chi are (used to be) long hair Christopher, Leo, Cheng, Rob, Shi, Ellen, Ra (Jin) and me. The lines moved very smoothly and quickly despite a big class with lots of new students.

I love it. I love training. I love training with a lot of people. I love training with a lot of people with a lot of chi.

I'm so super happy. Can't wait to train again this Saturday!

the Importance of Being Oldest

2008-07-09T12:22:00.006-04:00

At dinner last night after the class, we talked about how a lot of people don't show up to Level 1 classes anymore after they passed to Level 2. And how much more fun and more chi the class is when older (Kungfu age) people train.

I think with the style of Kungfu that we train, students become better, movements more natural, the more and longer we train.

This is why it's always a treat when people who've been training for a long time show up to train with us in the class. They are inspiring and full of chi.

But since we are not monks, living in the middle of nowhere, we have other obligations in life as well. Some of us physically moved. Some moved on. Some just have to deal with life vs. training schedule.

For those of us who are still training, I just quit my job and won't be working for a while. You'll see me more regularly at the temple. :)

June Finale

2008-06-30T23:28:00.007-04:00

My family is in town; I haven't had a proper night's rest in two weeks; I've been traveling all over, gone to two weddings, and didn't get any food yesterday until 4:00. Whine whine whine whine. I didn't think I was gonna be training, THAT'S for sure. But when my siblings decided they wanted to just bop around the city this evening I decided to end the four day training drought and get my body and mind a step closer to normalcy. Maybe I would pass out/throw up/ really want to die, but I needed to do it.

Turned out to be a very hot, fast, and excellent class. I thought that the dehydration and exhaustion were going to be near-insurmountable hurdles. But while there were definite moments of dizziness and fuzzy brain, the 4-day-off-flexibility and healed joints counter-acted my tiredness and I had a lot of fun going down the line. My jumps actually felt stronger, my kicks were high, and mentally I was totally there, making myself laugh with silly training jokes. (At one point, I had a visualization of Eric having a fight with a giraffe.) Even at the end when I knew liyu dating was coming and I questioned my body's ability to make it, I was able to shake the cobwebs out and go for it.

I'm especially glad I returned to the groove because tonight my little sister will be joining me in class and I want to be back in gear. Good to know that reservoir chi is always there even when you least expect it.

Balancing Act

2008-06-26T13:39:00.009-04:00

I’ve had some difficulty maintaining a regular blogging schedule in spite of my declaration to be more consistent. I guess I just don’t want to bore everyone with the same thing over and over or mindless filler blogging that hasn’t a real point. I’m usually so tired at night that when I blog, I wake up and find a whole mess of stream-of-consciousness writing staring back at me.

I’ve sort of hit an era of transition in my life, and I’m trying to let training carry me through it, but not distract me from it. This distinction was brought again to my attention over the last three days training. I was away for 5 days at a wedding so I was definitely suffering from withdrawal, but on top of the happiness in returning classes have been additionally great. N’ou has been back bringing extra chi to L2. Tuesday’s class was the most chi I’ve felt in a class possibly ever; there are lots of new people making classes bigger and Randy was there to help push me further on my handstands and straddle split. Last night, the demo team was in full force learning a sword form. It feels like the beginning of a new stage of my training journey, and one that I want to maximize and fully immerse myself in.

As I’ve said before, I am somewhere between wanting to be amateur and wanting to be a pro kung fu trainee. Do I want to be on demo team some day? That would be rad. But I don’t want to lose focus on those things I’m trying to sort out in my “real life” as well. Training is a big part of my life, but unless I’m angling to be a Sifu, it can’t be the only part. I’m trying to tell myself to balance the addiction with other goals. But then, if I had done that the last three nights I would have missed some great classes. It’s all about balance, but if you’ve seen some of my forms, you know that’s something I need work on both literally and figuratively…

Roller Coaster Chi

2008-06-24T11:26:00.006-04:00

Last night was one of the most difficult classes I've had training. Not because of Heng N'ou who was teaching or the hot and humid air. It's this unbearable pain and pure frustration.

After each of the jump, I almost broke down in tears.

I guess it's time I admit my limitation.

I started hurting my right knee over a year ago. And just recently I felt myself stronger. I was able to stop using knee braces and go through classes without pain. I felt chi through the roof and I could train as much as I wanted!

But it came back - the pain - with vengeance. This time it moved to my left knee. What did I do? What should I do now? I want to keep training because it's one of a few things I have that keep me sane. But this pain and frustration is driving me even crazier. This is no-win.

I guess I'll just go insane for a few weeks until my knees heal then.

Pondering Caijiao

2008-06-17T23:53:00.004-04:00

For the first time Shifu had me teach Caijiao today. I took it as a compliment and an ultimate validation of my training progress. Think about it. This was the awesomest Heng Li's job. And for one class, I got to do it.

Although I don't think I was as good a teacher as he had been, I'm still feeling giddy.

Watching my two brand new students kept trying, I was reminded of how my Caijiao must have looked like when I first started. And I found a new appreciation for my training progress.

.........

But now thinking about it while writing this post, I start to doubt myself. Why do I need any validation from Shifu to appreciate my own progress? Why couldn't I realize that for myself? I mean I train hard and I like training. Why can't that be enough?

OK. I guess it was enough. I am happy with my chi. Outside confirmation is good. But the only real confirmation is from myself.

This is difficult.

I guess I'll just train harder and stop thinking. For now.

Moving Forward One Caijiao at a Time

2008-06-13T11:00:00.009-04:00

I think I’ve mentioned before that sometimes during class, when the going gets tough, I remind myself that this is as hard as it can get. Every class will be a little easier, because every time I am making myself a little stronger. I think I’ve also mentioned how I know that this is a completely inaccurate and illogical rationale.

Last night though, when Sifu was saying “challenge yourself, move forward not back” I realized just how very inaccurate and illogical my rationale really was. Before, I was thinking it was off because some days you have more sleep, better nutrition and so on and so on. But last night I realized (or re-realized) something else. That if you are always pushing yourself, training will always be hard, no matter if it's L1 or L2. If you're training with the same intensity then you'll always be pushing yourself to that next level. Sure if I kicked as low as I did when I first started, training would be a breeze, but because I’m pushing forward, kicking higher, stances lower, popping harder, it's still just as tough as that very first day. I’m moving forward.

This made me think of one of Sifu’s other axioms, “nothing is difficult, nothing is easy.” I usually focus on the “nothing is difficult” part because telling yourself that nothing is easy isn't really an inspiring though. But in light of my other musings, it’s GOOD that nothing is easy. The day a class becomes easy is the day I'm not pushing myself, not training hard. The pain and difficulty are marks that I’m keeping my resolution to train harder. This all feels familiar, maybe I’ve blogged it before, but it’s a point worth reiterating. At least, I have to reiterate it for myself for when I feel lame still being tired during tengkong fanyao even after doing it for 2 years... But then, enjoying the never-ending ass-kicking is part of what we love about training, right? :D

Is there a muscle-milk-melon?

2008-06-12T09:58:00.005-04:00

Last night's class was infinitely less tragic than Monday's heat-fest. There was a big group, lots of chi, and 5 people on line doing staff during forms. After class we had watermelon again thanks to Heng Mo, and I must say, it's my new favorite post-training snack. I never used to be much of a fan but after sweating through a hot class it's the only think I want to put in my body except 3 gallons of water. As much fun as I have going to dinner, the inevitable noodles, meat and tea don't really sit well with me after class, especially late at night. The sugar and water of the watermelon are just right. But I also feel like I should be putting protein back into my body for my muscles to rebuild. I know we've covered this before, but what is your ideal post-training meal - specifically for a night class? Extra-specifically in the dog days of summer. I'm curious if other people feel woozy whenever they walk out of Thai Son...

Unexpected Results

2008-06-11T14:06:00.006-04:00

For those you who trained Monday night, you know how unbearably hot it was. I wasn't even sure if I was lifting my leg up in caijiao or if I was in a psychedelic dream about to be awoken by an alarm clock. It was my first HOT L2 class. And wooo-boy, the welcome committee sure rolled out the red carpet of steamy hotness. But something unexpected happened. With lack of oxygen and a weakness in my legs, I was able able to land almost all of my tornado kicks. It was as if, the heat stifled my brain over-thinking the move while also giving me extra flexibility by suppressing the stretch reflex. Everyone, myself included, was surprised. Over and over, I twisted, kicked, and landed on one leg. Angular momentum was set. The speed was optimal. My greatest surprise, however, was that I landed it with ease, like a graceful danseur with complete aplomb.

Even though it was a really tough class and everyone was drenched by the end of it, I long for another hot day of psychedelic tornadoes! To be continued...

Heat Wave Level 2

2008-06-10T09:36:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to everybody that made it through the class last night! It was tough - not necessarily tiring - but tough even with the fan working, and a few extra walks and water breaks. During the second half of the class, 6 or 7 of us rotated through forms for almost an hour. That was probably the longest hour I've ever had training.

It was so hot and muggy last night, I tried the one-arm-exposed uniform for the first time. I noticed an extraordinary lightness on my right arm doing Erluquan - which contains a lot of right arm movements. Thinking about it, I realized that I got used to training with the sleeves. Without one of them, my arm felt much lighter. Imagine if I'm used to training with other weight. How much more awesome I would be?

Maybe Richu walking around with 2 tons backpack and ankle weights is on to something.

Great Expectations

2008-06-10T09:20:00.006-04:00

In spite of Al Roker's predictions to the contrary, I did not think yesterday's weather was as stuffily, scorchingly hot as Sunday. That, combined with taking class in the evening, I thought must lead me to predict a training session less fraught with sweat and heatstroke than the day before. And since Sunday I had a pretty good time in spite of all that, I anticipated a Monday class that was hot, but not unbearable.

After the first half hour I was looking for a place to be privately and violently ill. My final jumping spinning lihetui almost left me on the floor I was so dizzy. If Han had told us to do liyu dating I would have gladly jumped out the window rather than the inevitable throwing-up on the carpet that would have occurred. By the time we hit forms, which we did for an hour - unheard of lately in L2, I was so totally drenched in sweat I was Shaolin Showering everyone in the most unpardonable fashion. There wasn't a single dry spot left on my uniform, my hands were all pruned from being so sweaty. As a result I was uncontrollably chugging water even though I knew it would add to the gurgly feeling in my stomach. I was totally disgusted with myself, literally and figuratively.

Was everyone else feeling this pain? Clearly everyone was hot, but the 12 other people in class were trucking admirably along whilst I wallowed in self-pity. Probably I was suffering under the shattering of my built-up expectations that class wouldn't be so awfully hard. It's summer, best get used to it. Just goes to show you shouldn't ever expect anything; just go train. And if you need to throw up, well, we have two bathrooms for that.

Tropical Heat Wave

2008-06-09T09:14:00.004-04:00

I have been blogging rather sporadically of late. Writing posts when I don't have much to say and not posting when something of interest actually happens. I decided this is probably partly a result of getting out of my training rhythm since testing. For some reason after testing my schedule got thrown off a little and it's been hard to fall back in to my 5 days a week routine, which, has seemed to throw off all my other living rhythms and thus my blogging. I've been training about 4 times a week, but never the same days, and me, I like routine. But what with a butt sword, or a messed up neck, or too much work, I end up doing doubles on Fridays just to make up for missing a Wednesday and a Thursday. It feels a little forced.

So in an effort to recapture consistency, I decided to just train as much as my body would let me, until a pattern re-establishes itself. Yesterday, I woke up right at 10 (which is as late as I can wake up and still make class) so I decided to go, even though I hadn't eaten, and even though the weathermen had been telling us all week how it was going to be 96 degrees. Putting on my uniform before class I was already sweating, but I saw that I was probably going to have to lead at least one of the lines so I pushed thoughts of heatstroke out of my mind. Sure enough I was in the front, and too soon, I was in front of the single line Sifu created.

It was HOT. And contrary to recent form, Sifu didn't let us walk until after ceshoufan. I was drenched, but reminded myself that the summer I first began walking breaks didn't exist, and I was way weaker in those days, so by God there's no reason to wimp out now. Still, even after stretching, a change of uniform, and spending the second half of class teaching I was dripping wet all over. I drank three bottles of water, versus my usual 1/2. I was proud of all of us who trained through that hazy day. It was great chi having some other Austrian friends visiting as well and keeping us all inspired. I was really glad I got out of my hot apartment and trained; the last time I was that dripping I was still working on five kicks. It was a good catalyst for evaluation of my progress, and helped recapture the way it felt to train when I first started. Plus, the watermelon after class was the most delicious thing I ever tasted.

Monday Mix Up

2008-06-03T10:54:00.006-04:00

Last night at training I was without my usual crew of dorks; no De, Richu, Sucheela, or Mo! Very unusual on a Monday night. What’s more, none of the usual suspects for teaching were there either, and in the end, Randy was called on to teach class. I’ve never had a class with Randy, but I love his chi when he leads line so I knew it would be a great time. He really got our chi going, and that, combined with my being in the front of the line, pushed me really hard the whole class.

One thing this class did bring to light, was how much, I get in a zone and block out everything else that’s going on. Not that I’m kicking people or whatever, just that I am in my own world. When Randy asked me to break down my xuanzi for the people who never did it, I for no understandable reason, started explaining tornado. Weird that I would go there because my tornado is even worse than my xuanzi. I guess I have worked really hard at turning my brain off during class, so now when called upon to start working, there were some neurological misfires. Maybe I don't need the brain OFF, just muted.

In any case, it was a great night and I sweat more than I have in awhile. -‘Course it was also 80 degrees or so- Still, at the end of class I really felt I had trained as hard as I could and that’s the most any of us can ask of ourselves. Afterwards we didn't get Thai son or Marco Polo, or even Korean, we went and got Malaysian food. Delicious, but what a crazy mixed-up night!