Stretching with Shifu

(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!

Aaaaand we're BACK

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.

Unsolved Mysteries

This week I dub "Unsolved Mystery" week. If you had read my previous blog entry, you would know that I mysteriously hurt my back and was quite unable to explode my chi to the fullest during forms testing. What was even more weird was that on Wednesday night, while I was sleeping, I managed to seriously sprain my ankle. I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating ankle pain. It felt like someone dislocated my ankle by dragging me across gravel road with a 4x4 truck. I couldn't walk for most of Thursday and Friday. I had really wanted to train Level 1 on Thursday and Friday. I tried to do a gong bu during the day and it nearly killed me.

I haven't had any Shaolin injury till this week. I definitely haven't sprained my ankle for well over 10 years. I am an avid runner and cross country runner. Our ankles are made of steel. We train them to be.

This leads me to believe that there is something happening to my body that I am not aware of or I am doing something wrong and my body is rebelling. One thing led to another and I believe it is a combination of the way I am stretching and how I regulate my chi. For all the extension we do, I don't nearly stretch enough before and afterwards to maximize strength, flexibility, and enhance recovery. All that is going to change. I bought a really cool stretching book that shows all the anatomy of the muscles so you can understand to stretch better. It's actually been really helpful for my back. I never realized that I haven't been stretching my lower trunk at all!!

Here is also a helpful link for everyone about cause of injury and preventive exercises, i.e. stretching.

Stretching Reference

It's a good read and as you can see, Hamstrings Inflexibility, Gluteus Maximus or Adductor Magnus Inflexibility, and Hip Flexor Inflexibility all can increase Lower Back Injury.

I have also uncovered another "Unsolved Mystery", it is "the Shaolin Butt Sword." This topic has been talked about quite a bit, and I believe it is the Adductor Magnus muscle. Here's one stretch that may help prevent and alleviate the infamous Shaolin Butt Sword.

With my newfound knowledge, I will be stronger than before!! I am going to stop blogging and go stretch!! :D

Wall Stretch? Anyone?

Poorooop.... Pooorooop... Poorooooooop...

(That's cricket sound in Thailand.)

What happened to the good old wall stretch or just helping each other stretch in general? Is it because we are too lazy to clean up the walls and mirror after the class? Is it because self-stretch benefits more? Is it because we don't want to touch other people's stinky hairy legs?

Two years ago when I first started, I thought it was mandatory to help other people stretch. Now it looks like stretching alone is preferable.

I like to wall stretch because I think my flexibility improved significantly because of it and also because I get to learn people names and then torture them...

Can anybody tell my why we wall stretched at the first place? And now we don't do it that much anymore?

Poorooop.... Pooorooop... Poorooooooop...

Sleeping Style Saturday

So today was interesting; Sifu had us run. I've never done that before. But during tenkong fanyao I guess we weren't getting out of the way fast enough, so he made us run around the temple a couple of times. Then we did tengkong fanyao, still weren't running out of the way at the end, and ran around the temple several more times. I guess some of us just didn't get it, because we repeated this at least four times. Tengkong fanyao: "get out of the way faster!" Then: "Run!" Finally we were moving at a speed he liked and got to move on to yangshen yunshou... (if one considers that a reward. If you're like me, that's the one you always kind of hope he'll forget about..... ) It was a good reminder to get the heck out of the way once you finish a movement. Sometimes you don't make it all the way to the end of the carpet (more chi!) but no matter where you stop, you need to hurry to get back in line.

Stretching today, Heng De was looking for some help with his straddle. I was reluctant because last night at dinner Branden had mentioned that De needs really strong people pulling his legs and then he can stretch a lot farther. That's not me. Between the sweaty grip and the tired arms I was pretty ineffectual. So on the second round I traded with Leo who was stretching with a different group so that De could have strong dudes pulling him into his stretch. I looked like he got a lot further; I should have just done that in the first place. Meanwhile I went and stretched with Chan, Esther (yay she's back), and the other Hannah. And I had another training first. I was getting down there pretty easy, trying to relax, and my hip cracked and felt like it just popped out. And not in a very comfortable way. I sort of torque-d it back in and tried again with a slightly different posture but it happened again. I don't know if it was a tendon popping around or what, but I decided that was enough, even though Chan said it was probably a good thing that stuff is popping around. I am getting much more interested in my flexibility, or lack thereof, rather than my power. If I want to get my pubus lower I might have to just give in to the popping on all my stretches.

Summertiiiime...and the stretching is easy.....

Tonight was the biggest class I've been in for a long while. 44 people! The long lines were especially welcome today because it was H-O-T. It was my first really hot training of the summer and it was more than a little- well, ok, it was totally freaking exhausting. I was sweating buckets. I opted to risk throwing up from guzzling water because I figured if I didn't I would end up throwing up from dehydration/overheating. Well, ok, not that much, but I definitely can't wait until I reacclimate to training in the summer and the hazy/wooziness goes away. It was still a great night. Lots of people. Lots of chi. Lots of slippery floor.... Did I mention it was hot? But-

Summer training means warmer muscles means further stretching and less soreness! Hooray! Even though I have to relent and buy a new cotton uniform - I love my airwick ones but I'm poor these days and can't keep trying to keep the same two clean for every class- I am really excited out the super sweaty heat wave that's coming. Maybe that straddle split isn't too far off! Of course, as I was warned with Bikram yoga, (which, if you're wondering, I haven't gotten around to trying yet) I can't let the heat fool me into over-stretching. There's still the potential for injury if I'm not conscientous. Even so, I am very happy; because in addition to further stretching ...wait for it... I'm not sore right now! Even after sitting through soup and the train ride home. I'm not tightened up or stiff or anything. It's such a beautiful thing! I had pretty much reconciled myself to being in a perpetual state of tight muscles unless I just did a good half hour of stretching. No longer. Summer is my friend! Now if I can remember to bring a towel for after class we'll be in business.....

While stretching, how close do you sit to Shifu? Why?

(Another guest entry from Quantou aka Branden. Enjoy!)

I realized the other day that I was always doing my stretching on the opposite end of the floor from Shifu. We are always supposed to "stretch our bodies, stretch our minds" but sometimes I want to recuperate from the line drills. By being farther away from Shifu I feel like I am not being watched so closely. I still stretch but probably not as hard as I would if he were sitting right in front of me.

Lately, in order to get into the front of the line quickly for waibaitui, I have been doing the second half of my stretches right near Shifu. It has helped to continue the chi thoughout the stretch time. I believe stretching is one of most important aspects of our training, but also one of the most difficult. I just keep thinking...Come here beautiful toes -- I WANT TO KISS YOU!

Shaolin Inches

Last night, I did wall stretch with Heng Mo and Niederwelt. When we were stretching Mo out, she asked me to move her leg back two more inches. I guess I was a little overzealous and pulled her right leg back more like five inches. When she said, "Hey, that wasn't two inches," I replied, "Shaolin inches."

Those inches can mean so much. Either we push harder and go farther, or we maximize what we do in the space that we use. For instance, Quantou reminded us to go to the End of the Carpet every time we train last month in his guest entry. For me, I learned this lesson yet again last night when Shifu sent me to the side for taking too many steps in between my waibaituis. This was not the first time he has warned me against doing too many steps. I heard it both times in his evaluation of me during the two times I tested. I've been busted before for the same thing during lunbi caijiao.

Why do I take too many steps? It's not necessarily me doing kicks sleepy style and trying to waste space. Most of the time, I am stumbly. Part of it, I think is due to my flat feet, but mostly it has been my eternal struggle, learning how to control my body as I try to kick harder and higher while going faster and trying to maintain balance. I know I can't be complacent with the status quo hence the constant adjustment.

So I got bopped to Kung Fu Kindergarten for the first time in ages, and while doing basics again for Shifu on the side, he pulled me out with a few others to work with Heng Li on lunbi caijiao. I was a little surprised, but not upset. When Li watched us do our caijiaos and then lunbi caijiaos, I was pleased because he did like that I remembered to keep my head up and foot extended light as a feather, unlike when I first started at Temple. But I did need to work on a few things like not hunching over and returning my body and shoulders facing forward after rotating my arm and kicking. And I think I am finally getting what it means to pop, although still lots of fine tuning to do. Always.

Kiss Your Foot!

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

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

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

Stretch Harder!

Last night in class, I learned some new stretches.

First, I stretched with Neo and Ren. We did this one stretch that's good for the hamstrings and the back of the legs in general. I sat on the floor with legs out straight in front and feet pointed up. Ren sat facing me, with her feet against mine, and her feet pushed down against mine, so mine were bending towards me. In the meanwhile, Neo put his back to mine and leaned backwards onto me, so that I was folding in half at the waist towards my legs, and back straight, as always. See crude illustration number 1 below:

Fig. 1

Next I met up with Branden who taught me yet another stretch, this time for two people. You basically sit with your legs on the floor in V formation facing each other. You grab ahold of each other's forearms. Then, the person assisting in the stretching places his feet closer in along your legs, leans backwards and pulls you and your arms back towards him, so you lean forward and your legs stretch out wider. And then you can reposition yourselves and go the other way to torture the other person! See crude illustration number 2 below:

Fig. 2

It's good to mix it up!