The Kip-Up

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!

Pain is weakness leaving the body!

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.

VICTORY IS MINE!!!

What's that? What did I hear you say? Cheng got the what? what? KIP UP?!?!?!

I WIIIIINNNNNNN!!

Ok I don't know what I win and of course I now am moving right on to obsessing over the head flip, but we'll get to that later. The point is, after much hemming and hawing I finally got the kip up. I started landing it on the inclined mat last Friday and after spending lots of time pre class working on it on Monday, Tuesday, and today I finally stood up on the solid ground. Parting of clouds! Trumpets! Choirs of Angels! and so forth... Thanks especially to Randy, Heng De, and Richu for their limitless patience in explaining it to me. And to Mo for getting it last week and inspiring to get my ass in gear. Amituofo!

Takin' it back Old School

Austrian Update: Last night, Heng Xin, Heng Yi, and the entire performance team were out at a mini seminar so Level 2 was about half its usual size, and Heng De ended up being called upon to teach the class. It was fun to train USA style in the temple and I think the Austrian folks enjoyed mixing things up as well.

I felt called on to represent, and ended up leading the line. I loved starting off going straight into caijiaos- here they do lots of running and hopping first. And I felt more in my comfort zone in this more familiar routine. For some reason, though, about halfway through class my chi just wasn't there. I've been struggling lately with feeling weak and choking from lack of confidence, in my head I know that it's silly, but I've lost all faith in my arms to hold me up, feel totally pop-less in my kicks, and cannot maintain my balance on anything from long Level 2 movements to a gongbu or waibaitui. I hear Sifu in my brain telling me to relax, let it go, don't get upset, (Heng Yi says, "Stay happy!") and I want to, but it just has been difficult lately.

The last half of class helped cure me. I did kip ups: for forty minutes. I kipped and kipped and kipped, and while I never got UP, it felt a lot better by the end. Maybe pounding my back into the floor over and over and over again released all the tension, or maybe I just got really determined because everyone here can do the kip up and I want to get it too. But once class was over and I was kipped-out, I felt a lot less strained than I did at the beginning. The guy teaching me, whose name I didn't catch, told me, "It looks very close, you are just really tired now; you never know, the next time you do it might be the time you get it." And that is an inspiring thought.

Day 3 - Kip UP

On Monday night Xu had us new folks have a wild stab at liyu dating. Having never attempted it before, I was mostly left with a head and neck ache. Last night, though, I got to learn it for real. As it turns out the pieces individual are not that complex even when done all together it looks pretty daunting. This made it all the more puzzling when I couldn't do them. I never expected to get the kip up or head flip right away. But I somehow got stuck on my stomach unable to unfreeze my muscles to kick my legs under me. The cylinders would not all fire at once. Still, I'm glad I got to be taught it so I can work on it now instead of throwing down wildly with no clear idea what I'm supposed to be doing.

The unfortunate thing is, I don't get to work on it before class tonight because I have to work late. Yay overtime - boo my 20 days being thwarted already. Ah well. I'll embrace the chance to let my neck rest and look forward to trying it again tomorrow. And seeing Qbertplaya on Saturday!