What I learned in class today...

So vhat's so bad mit der kick vit der shin? Kinda partial to those meself.

Oh yeah,pushing against the wall. Pardon my thick head.

 

I landed a hit once with my shin and it hurt quite a bit, even with leg guards! So I try to avoid them when I can and only use it if in close-range during sparring.

Thick head pardoned. Please pardon my vague descriptions.

 

DAY 7: In which many techniques are developed. And cloud hands makes one's bones cold.

To begin today's post, I was in the hospital yesterday evening. Well, more like the urgent care clinic. See, I pulled my left arm yesterday morning after nearly fainting and catching myself by grabbing for the nearest thing to me-- a doorframe. With all 207.5 pounds of my weight on my arm, it is no wonder that I pulled it! I headed to the clinic only because I wanted to play it safe. The last thing I need is another injury to set me back.

800mg of ibuprofen, a pack of ice later and a good night's sleep with the arm elevated, the arm is okay, but still weak and unable to bear weight.

So guess what we did in class today?

I briefly told Paul about my arm and a fellow student complained that I was always injuring something: my knee, my ankle... and I really felt embarrassed and hurt. Also, I had the urge to put my foot in his face but Paul hurriedly began class into Cloud Hands and Catching Swallow's Tail. We sort of moved back and forth in our rows across the classroom floor, working on Cloud Hands the most, seeing as that was going to be the next part after Single Whip. At first it seemed that I was to make circles with my hands and 'The Karate Kid' came to mind (the old version). Paul, of course, corrected this notion (I kid you not this guy can read minds!) and said that the waist turns the hands. Upon correcting myself, Cloud Hands came much easier and I discovered the injured part of my left arm feeling very cold. Shortly thereafter, the pain wasn't nearly as bad as it was. In addition, coming out of the tension that built up in my whole shoulder over the night, my scapula was opening up and popping like crazy. It felt REALLY good! Of course my arm still hurts a bit and I don't dare lift anything heavy just yet... but Cloud Hands made it cold and it feels better. So... there may be something yet to this whole TC thing!

What else did we-- oh yes. We also went through shoulder strike. Paul told us the story of a TC practitioner going up against some hot-shot guy in China and totally blew apart the guy's sternum using shoulder strike. In essence, Paul said towards the end of class "once you have the basics down, you can forget the form and incorporate the moves into whatever else you do." Which, as I have discovered, is perfectly true.

Also, we went over the move just before Shoulder Strike (it's the foot sweep along with the bringing of hands together... I should know this terminology but I don't, lol). Paul demonstrated with us that the move is to twist a person's arm so that it locks their joint up into the spine before pulling them down (stepping) and then going into Shoulder Strike. And by golly, I know something akin to this move in Hapkido. Paul said, "I just need to jerk just a little bit and I'll rip everything out of his shoulder here" he said, pointing to the area around the scapula, closest to the spine. I was half-expecting the kid to breakfall (who was the same kid that made the injuries comment at the beginning of class. Karma? Maybe.) .

Ah, speaking of injuries, my knees felt FANTASTIC today!!! There were a few times that I felt pressure, but it was mostly because I didn't pivot my leg the whole way to release the tension. Once I did, it was total gravy.

We went through the form up to Ward Off, at which point Paul made us hold the position. And by golly, I was so relaxed my bones were supporting me and I seriously stayed like that for a whole three minutes while Paul ran around correcting everyone's left arms.

I happened to stand in the front of class today so Paul stopped in front of me to demonstrate the point that, if done correctly, Ward Off can literally ward off an attack. He pressed on my arm with one hand at first, then two. At first I had my elbow up too high (thus rendering my Ward Off useless), but after angling it down 45 degrees, I was a brick wall and could not be moved. Well.... brick wouldn't be the best description since I was pretty darn relaxed... Maybe bamboo wall would be better.

Interestingly enough, while this struggle was going on, my left arm held up surprisingly well and I felt no pain. It was only after Paul let go and the class went on that I felt pain returning. Overall, however, I think it'll be just fine. I just need to ice it again today and kick back with it.

So that's what I learned in class today. :hat:

@ El Medico: I have paid your respects. And Paul's face lit up with a big grin and said, "oh really?? That's amazing! The internet is such an amazing thing!" And was just so excited.

 

DAY 8: In which I discover that I've been punching wrong this whole time and Iron Fist is discussed.

Today was a good morning! Got to work on homework a bit before class and thought I'd be totally distracted from today's activites in class (because for once I actually LIKED my assignment, lol). It turns out I'm not so easily distracted once I focus.

We jumped right to the first set upon starting class. Paul explained that "Peng never taught us warm-ups. 'Everything is in the set'". So... no more Qi Gong?
Also, push hands are also in the set, too, according to Peng. HMM!

Highlight: I almost got through the whole of the first set in its entirety today! I got up to the punching portion (I think it's after 'brush knee', 'play pipa') and Paul pushed on my blocking hand and I was solid. Then he pushed on my fist and I discovered that my punch (even going slow) wasn't as powerful as it ought to have been. I shifted the energy from the floor through my fist, but something seemed still amiss. After class was done I immediately ran next door and wailed on the punching bag for a minute, trying to figure out what the heck I was doing wrong. Upon finding myself still in a state of confusion, I ran back to Paul and asked him to show me how to punch again.

Apparently, the power in the punch does NOT come from rotating the fist and THEN hitting (which is what I was doing). "In Shaolin Punching, your fist connects and then you drive it by turning your fist" (Jet Li's Fearless came to mind, with that moment when the fist rotated AFTER hitting the body).

So... so I learned that today.

I also learned that, with play pipa, one must strike flat and not with the heel of the hand (I asked about it). Paul went on to explain about some-really-important-guy-whose-name-escapes-me and how he was the last known true master of Iron Fist. There is a picture of him breaking bricks with the flat of his hand and--wait I have internet. Lemme see if I can find him. *looks*

Ah, I love the internet. Ku Yu Cheung was the man's name. Anyway Paul told us the story about this guy busting bricks with the FLAT of his hand, not his heel. So... that was most interesting. Paul also went on to say "with the flat of the hand, if someone is coming at you very fast and you have a flat hand, moving slow and you hit [your opponent], you will hit like 80mph."

I noticed a lot of today's lessons, aside from correcting us on the form, had to do with real martial applications of what we were learning. Which has helped me immensely!

And I gotta say, even though I wasn't wailing correctly on the punching bag, I hadn't done it in a year and BOY did it feel good! If I didn't have homework and class to attend to, I could probably wail all day on the bag.

MOAR bagwork, I say, MOAR!

Sorry. Childish moment.

I did not get to Apparent Closure today (though the rest of the class did). Bummer. I guess I'll have to work on it next class. And my knees feel great and even my pulled arm doesn't hurt!

Also! Early-morning class practices to begin I think two weeks from now? EXTRA AWESOME!

I had breakfast this morning and I am WIRED.

Wee! :hat:

EDIT: I almost forgot! We also covered 'Four Corners' today! Paul exposed us to it in hopes that would get coiling and spiraling a bit more. Apparently it's in the third set?? Awesome!

 

Excellent that they teach you punching straight away - some Taichi folk NEVER get round to punching.

Sounds like you are learning a lot about TaiChi AND about yourself.

 

Day 9: In which much weight-shifting is practiced and FaJing* is discussed.

Today is a short post, due to my need to get homework done for my other classes (also, I REALLY LIKE to write BUSINESS PLANS, I've discovered).

Off topic- I got to watch 200 Pound Beauty the other night. If you haven't seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend it.

"Sir! It's flawless!"
"That's the only flaw; it's too natural." Classic!
Also, *belts out* "MARIAAAA!!! AVE MARIAAAAA!!"


Back on topic.... so TC class went really quickly, but all we did was Qi gong, practice more Ba Gua (for training us how to open the Qua, only), some Fajing and how TC can easily be applied to the FaJing. (we would use our hip to throw our elbow out, throw punches, etc. I seriously half-expected Paul to ask us to spar... which I certainly wouldn't have minded if he did!)

And we worked on the first part of the first set only, up to Crane Spreads its Wings. Most of today's focus was weight-shifting by tilting our pelvis and pulling through the leg, rather than pushing down with the back leg to shift our weight. All in all, I think I've got a pretty darn good grasp on the concept. At the end of class I had the greatest urge to go throw my elbow on the bag in the other room, but wound up working with Paul on correcting my sinking motion. Apparently I am still messing up my knee by sinking my weight to the right (ie, pointing my knee right) when the sinking should be just straight down. Once I had that down, Paul could NOT move me! He also worked with my hands and said, again, if I am relaxed and round out my shoulders a bit, even the hands cannot be moved. Again, I was totally soft on the outside, solid on the inside and could not be moved.

Also! I got to a point in the class that my body felt just so HEAVY and I first knelt down, then fianlly sat as Paul lectured us on rotating our hands. My hands, legs, back, head, EVERYTHING just felt so heavy. I then realized that my body was simply in a relaxed, almost sleepy state. I asked Paul to confirm this and he said, "yes! That is what you're going for!"

So that's what I learned in class today. And now, off to another class in an hour! :hat:

*FaJing? Someone correct me on my spelling because I'm SURE that isn't right.

 

I guess the correct spelling is minus the "g",but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.Both ways seem to be used including in writings by well known English speaking Chinese insructors.

Thanks so very much for paying my respects.I'm gonna tell ya,I think you have found not just a knowledgeable instructor,which unfortunately is rare enough among the ranks of TC teachers,but one who is very open in his teaching.If the pulling through the leg is what I think it's a very good sign he's already showing this.Not to mention showing how the kua can be used to issue force.I'm very impressed.I realize I'm just a faceless wall of text but let's just say my teachers would be impressed that I'm impressed.Not that I'm any great shakes myself.My point is blessed art thou among those seeking TC instruction.

I suppose I should now quote the obligatory "When the student is ready..." but that stuff makes me reach for the bo chia!

The pull down movement between Raise Hands and Shoulder Stroke usually is not formally named.Ah,Shoulder Stroke.Quite useful,and I don't mean in just push hands,either.Always came in quite handy.

Ha ha!Got a little weary,did we?Cheng,Man-ch'ing said if you could do one round of just his short form correctly w/total relaxation you'd be so tired you couldn't do a second round.Among other things you're releasing a lot of the unneeded residual tension we carry around every day.In your case having to deal w/so much pain for so long you probably have gobs of it.

The Iron Palm master in the famous photo was reknowned in his day.I think he was one of the original instructors in the Ching Woo,but some of my history is getting hazy so don't quote me.

I can't believe your KMA instructor didn't notice you punching in a funky manner.Oh,and shin guards?Only used 'em playing soccer.Take care of your arm.Sorry about that.

I'm really enjoying your classes,by the way.Now where's Lou?He hasn't come in the TC forum in ages.He should come in and tell us how things are going in his classes.Would be interesting with both of you relating your early training.

 

I'm really enjoying your classes,by the way.Now where's Lou?He hasn't come in the TC forum in ages.He should come in and tell us how things are going in his classes.Would be interesting with both of you relating your early training.[/QUOTE]

I to am really enjoying this blog and have been comparing it to Lou's beginning here, and would like to have heard how he is getting on.
Regards
Peter

 

Thanks for your support, y'all.

Day 10: In which frustration does no good.

After expending my energies until 2am in a lame attempt to put my hectic life back in order by cleaning the apartment, I got up this morning and felt that my efforts were utterly worthless.

I got to class on time, but it seemed everyone else was running late. I sat down and attempted some meditation through prayer. And, for a short moment, I felt relaxed, but when I stopped praying that feeling of worthlessness came back. I felt angry and frustrated so, with other students coming in, I went to the MMA room next door and wailed on the bag for a few minutes, kicking, punching, stepping and hitting, doing everything short of kihaps (because I didn't want to scare off my classmates).

I finally stopped, panting, and gave the bag a big hug. A classmate came in, then, and asked "wow! What are you fighting?"

And with a wry smile I replied, "just today."

Class began shortly thereafter. Qi Gong was implemented, then came the steps.

Suffice to say, being frustrated did me no good in remembering what we were practicing today. I remember we finally got to Apparent Closure today (yay!), but I don't know exactly how we got there other than play pipa, brush knee, something about a punch and an open hand coming together for the punching portion... yep. The details are fuzzy and, in some way, I strongly believe my lack of knowledge comes from my frustration taking over... which I do regret.

All in all, it was a good class, but I am still struggling with "crane spreads its wings" due to improper weight-shifting in my right knee. Which hurts.

So.... I hope that, as the day goes on and gets better (because if it doesn't the world is gonna have to go back to bed), I can remember a bit more of what we practiced today.

Paul told us that some-important-guy-who-teaches-TC said once that one must smile while doing the set. "Smiling opens the body up."

I think, while that may not have been directed at me personally, I feel it certainly applies. New Goal: smile.

 

Day 11: PUSH HANDS!

My morning started off with math.
Yes, math.

You see, I wasn't doing so well in my previous math class (which met on a completely different day at a completely different time). To make a long story short, I was placed in the wrong math class to begin with (one level up), so now I'm bumped back down and math class meets M-TH, 8-8:50am.

Because I had to chat with my new professor, I got to TC a few minutes late (starts at 9am)... to find the lights were dimmed and Robert (the teaching assistant), going through the set to the tempo of really weird yoga music.

I sort of shrugged within myself and jumped into the set... but it just didn't feel right. The music and the lighting was distracting. I felt tense, and I was almost preparing myself to strike at anything that might've come near me, for I felt some fear at the odd change.

And at that point, I wondered where the heck Paul was and, if Paul didn't arrive soon, whether I'd miss much if I left class early.

Just then, Paul came into the door, shrugging off his jacket and turning the lights on. At once, I felt a sheer wave of relief wash over me and I wanted to shout his name for joy.

Of course, I refrained and restrained myself.

REAL class began, then, with Paul telling us to grab a partner.

"PUSH HANDS!!" I whispered excitedly to my partner, who was more than a little confused.

So we then proceeded to work on Push Hands, mostly trying to find the others' sense of balance. Robert was at least helpful by saying if we held our hands too close to our core, we could easily be pushed over. I then proceeded to do so repeatedly with my partner. (The poor guy was a sweet gentleman and did not push back, by the way).

We then went over, for the rest of the class, over the transition between Crane Spreads Wings and Brush Knee/Play Pipa. Repeatedly, we went over and over this. At one point I figured out why my knee was carrying so much weight during the Crane movement; my back wasn't in proper posture, my knee was splayed out to the side and my hips were not tilted far enough.

Paul briefly went over Four corners with us, too and the Ba Gua stretching moment (mentioned in earlier posts). He explained that Ba Gua has generally been associated with people that are smaller in frame than larger people. "The key," he explained, "is to make oneself small by coiling in tightly." He then used this illustration to demonstrate how that particular change between Crane spreads Wings and Brush knee/Play Pipa can be much more powerful by coiling.

Essentially, if we're using these movements in a fight, we'd deliver our hits with more power and more speed, as well as aiding in our evasion by making ourselves into smaller targets.

Pondering upon this, I realized that THAT was the key to making me more successful in TKD. One of my other TKD instructors, Anthony, stressed that our stance should be lower, ie, making ourselves into smaller targets!

And, amazingly, I coiled just a little tighter, by utilizing my back and pelvis properly, bringing my knee parallel with my point of balance and.... my knee didn't hurt!

So. Coiling benefits me by:
1. Helping me to be more powerful when I unleashing the coiled energy
2. Making me quicker in my movements
3. Makes me a smaller target
4. Aids my weight distribution
5. Improves balance.

So that's what I learned in class today. :hat:

EDIT: Forgot to mention I worked on Push Hands with Paul after class... SO MUCH FUN! And I think, were I to have the wonderful opportunity to do Push Hands with any of y'all, I'd probably hold my own fairly well (before El Medico or someone else probably throws me, haha).

 

Day 12: in which there are NEEDLES!!!

Robert taught most of the class after Paul had to leave 15 minutes in. We covered NEEDLES IN THE OCEAN! It was really interesting and fun. Also, I have never felt my neck and spine pop and crack so much! It felt pretty darn good, though.

Day 13: In which 'chi' is extensively discussed (but not really??) and I really mess up on Four Corners. Also, bagwork is discussed, too.

This morning was a sleepy one and, after math class, woke myself up by wailing on the bags next door. At first, I was REALLY SLOPPY; my footwork was a disaster and my kicks were terrible. Gradually, however, I was soon heart pumping and really giving the bag what it had coming, with my form and technique coming to light.

Interestingly enough, my rear-horse kicks still have great aim (which was something I always struggled with under Grandmaster Yoon) and, by applying what I had learned about proper punching technique... I moved a 300+ lb. bag about five inches across the floor with a single punch.

Of course, I did all of this hitting and striking with a great amount of anger and frustration in my movements... so by the time Paul arrived (late once again; they keep ripping up the freeway area where he drives) I was really wound up tight and it was hard to get back to the light, airy feel that I was supposed to have in my body. Because I was so wound up tight inside, my lungs shut down and I had to use my rescue inhaler to open things back up again.

We started into going back over the movements up to single whip, when a student asked about 'chi'. Paul explained that he never really payed attention to the teachings related to 'chi' and said that he could teach us anatomy and physiology, but he could not teach us how to develop 'chi' and Peng had done.

Paul told us the story of one of his previous masters going to a competition in China, in which he broke the femur of a guy throwing a punch just by tapping him with his hand. Which.... which just sounds like it hurts!

Everything has energy or 'chi', in essence. Learning how to sense it is a natural part of the training with the set... it is learning how to project it and control it that is the hard part.

So we then, after going through the form again with this in mind, went over Four Corners, which I botched up badly due to switching my right legs and my left (I think I was facing the wrong direction, lol).

After class, a few of us students went back to Paul and pestered him with various questions relating to 'chi'. Paul explained that the Fajing can be applied to manipulating 'chi' and really messing people up, simply by relaxing the hand and then extending the fingers can deliver a hit by a simple touch. One student asked "is there a way to practice with someone to see if [chi] really work(s)??" and Paul sort of laughed and said, "no, not really. You'd injure someone." He related a story from one of his previous schools he trained at that the objective of bagwork was to not move the bag, but move everything inside it. In a sense, the bag was supposed to absorb all of the energy. "I've been told that the best hit is to hit something and not have it move at all."

And suddenly, I felt very foolish with my bagwork before class.

I asked if this sort of bagwork had any application in other styles. He said "oh yes!" He explained how a specific style of Northern China, people kick with "floppy feet". What they are doing, upon impact, is releasing the energy through their legs when they kick, creating lasting damage.

So that's what I learned in class today (and the previous one, too!). :hat:

 

Hey Tian, just wanted to say nice blog! Haven't been on here in a while, so it's great to come back and see you still kicking things.

I haven't had a chance to try Tai Chi myself, although my Aikido sensei practices it, and it looks quite cool. We came in early for class one morning to see him running through it with his ipod playing, and mum was like "what the heck is he doing?"

 

Day 14: In which I have ZERO energy and wind up on the sidelines.

Due to both a complete lack of sleep and a lack of breakfast (because I ended up falling back to sleep at one point and missed my timeframe for getting to campus on time), getting up to get to class was hard-- and actually doing the form was even harder. I've been having a great amount of stress in my life and I just feel like someone bludgeoned me with a great big hammer in my head, body and spirit.

I even wanted to wail on the bags today, but I couldn't even bring myself to do that. I got through one QiGong exercise and... I had to sit back down, throw my jacket on and huddle in a corner.

Eh.... this is a lame entry. Sorry.

On the plus side: being on the sidelines allowed me to observe my fellow students. They were few in number today, but they, like me, have really come a long way. I'm proud of them (even the one who continually teases me about my poor health; he's actually pretty good at TC).

Paul thought my sitting on the sidelines was due to my knees, but I told him it wasn't. Though my knees were, in fact, hurting, it was not due to QiGong. Just about everything hurts right now.

So... so I've been training hard.
And I need a break.

Gonna go work on homework and catch up on math.
Next week: a better entry.

 

Wow, alot of Info

Tian Tian and all who contributed.

Tai Chi has been on my radar for some time now. I am trying to find the right tradionalist style school to attend. And in my area I don't think that is going to happen. LOL.

But what I wanted to say is that this thread has given me alot of information to think about and process. Thank you so much.

Tian Tian, you posting your class experiences like that really have given me insight as to how a class might go or what to expect. Also I have loved your personal dialouge. Very nicely done.


Thanks again for all the info you guys. I always like to get alot of information about something before I jump into. Cynical? No. Just cautious. LOL

 

Day 15: In which the usual occurs with my knee and balance is sought.

Today I'm going to try a new approach in my post. Bear with me.

1. Went to class.
2. Was uncomfortable in the pants I was wearing because they made my legs look funny.
3. Went to class anyway.
4. Did some Qi Gong, swinging arms, etc.
5. Class began, v. low in attendance at first.
6. Began working on first 4 movements in the form (Paul's theory that he has learned is EVERYTHING we need to know is all in the opening moves).
7. My phone rang.
8. I made this face:
9. Went to get phone and went to the hallway.
10. Attempted patience with the hooligan on my phone.
11. Wasted 20 minutes of class doing so.
11.5 Did some stretches with my legs while on the phone.
12. Came back to class, v. frustrated with hooligan.
13. Started into Single Whip; frustration disappeared.
14. Paul started lecturing on something, but, as usual, my attention wandered.
15. Tried to work on balance.
16. Failed.
17. Tried again.
18. Fell short of being perfectly on balance.
19. Tried working on weight shift as we went into Crane Spreads Wings.
20. Stressed out my knee.
21. Played Pipa, stressed knee.
22. Played Pipa again, knee was screaming.
23. Finally got to the punch portion.
24. Realized that I was far too close to the wall.
25. Ended up (lightly) hitting the mirror.
26. Somehow got to Apparent Closure.
27. Looked at myself in the mirror and realized that my upper arms look really funny.
28. Realized that I wasn't paying attention again.
29. Did something in the second set (Tiger something). Totally off balance on first try.
30. Second try was better.
31. Class end.

Also, I accidentally cut a dime-size portion out of my left thumb last night while making dinner... it is still bandaged as of today.

So what did I learn today?
Phones are distracting.

 

Hope you're feeling better than you were on the 13th.

Hit the bag if you want.Seems to be good therapy for you anyway,just relax and breathe afterwards.And no reason to feel foolish about your bagwork.I get what Paul's speaking about but that doesn't negate "regular" bag work.Over time you may eventually find that using it for a warm up prior to TC form practice may be detrimental and you may wish to do it later.

Pa Kua has had some leading figures who were big and/or stocky,just for your info.Really big,just look up Wang,Shu-chin for an example.

OK,burn some incense and do push ups 'til it burns out in pennance for answering the phone during class-unless you thought it was a real emergency.

Oh,and as to this-"Began working on first 4 movements in the form (Paul's theory that he has learned is EVERYTHING we need to know is all in the opening moves)."

STOP TELLING SECRETS!!!

 

It's more like a possible way a class should go.That's why I'm impressed w/her teacher,not 'cause we're lineage cousins.He's both well versed AND very open in his teaching,a combination which is all too rare even in the so called traditional circles.

Yes,exercise great caution when looking into TC instruction,most people are merely teaching slow motion choreography and most of those don't know enough about even elementary alignment to warrant their mantle of instructorship.

 

I'm sorry I didn't know!

Also, I really thought it was an emergency, because, generally, only my work calls me that early in the morning.

That name sounds familiar; I know Paul made many references to a very big, stocky guy early on in class (and even brought a picture once! Maybe I forgot to write it down...?)

In other news...

Day 16: In which class is ridiculously short due to a doctor's appointment that I'm going to be late to right now. Sorry, everyone!

We worked a bit more on Ba Qua stepping, but it was a particular stance that I'd never seen before, involving an L-step and a T-step. The objective was to really open up the qua on extension and pull, not push, up through the back of the leg. Paul was a bit fuzzy when we first started, saying he hadn't done it in forever.

We then started in on cloud hands, which is when I had to go.

Now to go find my ride... or maybe if I meditate long enough I'll just be there.

 

DAY 17: In which Four corners is reviewed. And apologizing keeps one humble.

I have a headcold today. It was a blistering 32degrees F last night, with crazy high winds and RAIN. Oh heavens, the rain! I wondered if the world hadn't turned upside-down and if I was back on the coast again!

Anyway. I have a headcold and was therefore late to class.

We worked on Four Corners. At the end of class, I bowed to Paul and apologized profusely for being so late.

We also had a midterm handed out.
And I went to get breakfast and left it somewhere in the common area.

Clearly I am not here, mentally, today.

I am reduced to keysmash: fjdkslafjklsdajfkldfjklfffffffffff.

Wednesday will be better (hopefully)!

 

Day 18: In which I learn how to repulse the monkey and T.Y. Peng is 60 years old and moves like he's 17 in a video.

Highlights of class: We watched a video of T.Y. Peng and discussed his AMAZINGLY FLEXIBLE movements. Seriously, the man is awesome. No wonder Paul mentions him so frequently.

We also talked about the magical "10,000 hours" of time spent towards something will make you great in it. Supposedly. i wish I could say that about math.

We also went into the second set and I learned how to repulse the monkey.

Not too bad of a day, kinda slow.


Day 19: In which the monkey repulsed me and royally screwed my knee.

I got to class a few minutes early; one of my classmates (who has continually teased me about my knees) asked me how I was feeling. I said, "pretty good!" and he seemed really pleased and didn't tease me further as he usually does.

I did some light Qigong and then Standing Pole meditation... Paul corrected me on my hand position when he walked in the door, but I was otherwise doing it right.

At the beginning of class, Paul had us try and touch our elbows to our big toe... I got about a foot away. This move is good for stretching the spine and making one highly limber.

We then went through the first set, focusing on making our outsides soft and our insides hard as stone. I was feeling REALLY good, knee, wise. My weight was where it was supposed to be, I was moving through the set with really good movement and, for once, felt I was really getting it!

And then, we got up to Repulse the Monkey and my moment of triumph disappeared. I think I stepped straight back instead of a 45 degree angle and, upon shifting my weight to step back, pulled it. It felt like someone took the tendon on the inside of my right knee, pulled it out and let it snap back like a rubber band.

I sat out for the rest of class because there was NO supporting my weight. As I sat, I could feel little cold needles above my knee... which I'm sure isn't good.

i went back to my classmate and told him, "you jiinxed me!" and he laughed and said, "I'm so sorry. I hope you feel better."

Which.. is awesome. This is the same kid that has teased me repeatedly in class. I made a vow to myself about a week ago that if he teased me once more I was going to tell him something along the lines of "grow up and get over yourself".... but the fact that I refrained from doing so and he came back around and wished me well.... that's just awesome.

Paul asked if I was okay and I told him what happened... he said we'd have to work on my posture. "From now on, your movements must be exactly precise." We're going to go over things Wednesday after class.

At the moment I've got my knee iced and elevated.

It's gonna be a fun week.
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ALSO!!! MIDTERM QUESTIONS!!! Would any of y'all like to take a stab at them? I'm curious to know what you think; there are no right or wrong answers!

1. how is the kwa and waist utilized in the biomechanical function of the transitional movement?
2. Describe the process of silk reeling as found in the transitional and final postures.
3. Why is single weight a major principle in TC-discuss agility, speed and power.
4. How do you establish a root in main stance of SanTi?
5. How do you project energy from Fajin?
6. Relate the concept of yin and Yang in the application of the postures.