Star Wars Tai Chi

Star Wars Tai Chi from John Leo on Vimeo.

Very similar to the 42-Step Straight Sword I learn. Who'd have guessed tai chi belonged to the dark side?

Guns and Sharp Swords in the Hands of Young Children

Last kids classes before their grading this morning, so no messing and lots of form practice. Both of my two are grading, S to her green belt and J to her 2nd brown (or is it 3rd? I've lost track and I never remember to sew the badges on her sash!). She is doing the first part of the straight sword form that I learnt around 5 years ago in the adults class and haven't really done since, and she looks pretty good at it to me. I'm wondering if I should buy her a special small sword - she's currently using a stick as both of my straight swords are too long for her to wield properly (marginally too long for me too if the truth be told). I'll have to see what I can find in the corners of the internet...

Grand Rewards for Special Occasions

Thursday night was the last class for a while as me and the girls are off on our holidays to the land where they grow Maltesers (at least that's what my youngest thinks - she's going to be a bit disappointed when we get there and can't find any malteser trees - maybe I should tell her we've missed the harvest?). Very busy class, probably because the grading is coming up. Tried to go through kwok sau thay with about 12 people which is not easy. Also taught a bit of pole (in kung fu, not tai chi this time!) and some chang chuan.

After the class T had to get straight off, but N and I hung around to go through a few things. Then down to tai chi which was almost entirely straight sword work - again a relatively busy class, so not much room to really go for it unfortunately.

No classes for me for a while now, and I'm missing it already. Hope the terrace of our apartment is big enough for some practice.

Upper Class

Managed to get out at lunchtime and do some practice - quite an intense session with quite a bit of wing chun and a couple of more open forms.

Then Thursday night kung fu - I got to teach the senior students, first taking everyone through choy li fut, then splitting them up and rotating round the different groups. I think I handled it fairly well, the trickiest bit was teaching part of the biu jeet that's really hard to explain (although physically not the hardest part to do, strangely enough). Then afterwards more bokken vs pole with T, this time with me trying the pole part - quite tricky!

Down to tai chi, went through a small section of the sword in fine detail, then practised the

relevant applications. Went through the 2 person pa kua set too. D slipped in the promise of some revision of the tai chi fan in the near future which I'm looking forward to.

Setting the Pace

Mainly Choy Li Fut in Kung Fu, which made a nice change, followed by trying to teach the "two step" bokken set, which initially filled me full of dread as I thought it was pretty sketchy, but actually turned out much better than I'd expected and even got a rare "good" out of T when we showed him what we'd learnt.

A scary stick drill paired up with T that put my knuckles in a lot of danger, then sparring with the padded sticks at the end. For some reason I am absolutely hopeless at stick sparring, I think it's partly that I feel constrained by the limited targets you're allowed to aim for and partly that you're not allowed to use your free hand to grab or block your opponents stick. If it were a real free-for-all I think I'd do better.

Arrived at Tai Chi just in time for D to ask me to lead through the short yang form while he observed. This is a first in Tai Chi, and although it wouldn't make me bat an eye-lid in kung fu, and although I've been doing the yang form for longer than anything else in martial arts, this filled me with fear/paranoia that I was going to get it wrong. Thankfully after the first few moves I managed to relax into it a bit and concentrate on my tan tien a little, so I think it wasn't too bad. It was however at a (relatively) fast pace as I was still a little hyper from kung fu, which was commented on as a bit of a change for most of the tai chi guys who tend to take it fairly sedately. (I wish I knew the long form well enough to try to go through it at a faster pace. I've heard that it can be done in around 10 minutes if you step it up a bit....).

After that I taught one of the new-comers to the advanced class a portion of the sword set (teaching is another first for me in tai chi), then we all went through some drills from "Living Pole" which I haven't done for a long time. Anyway, by the end of the night I was feeling a little more confident about my Tai Chi than I have done for a while.

Scary

Thursday night kung fu. Spent the whole lesson with the kids and beginners again going through siu lim tao and the first stick set. I'm trying hard not to get frustrated by it, not sure I'm succeeding yet. After the class we went through Char Chuan briefly just to check I'd remembered it OK, then the first 2 bokken sets, which, as ever, I couldn't remember in isolation but managed fine as soon as I was actually paired up with someone, when instinct takes over.

On my way down to tai chi one of the teenagers, L, was in the foyer just being picked up by her dad, who had their dog with him - a young husky I think. Anyway, the dog was terrified of me! This was a first for me, usually it's the other way round - when I was a kid I was very scared of dogs, it's only after a few years of martial arts that I've started to feel a bit more comfortable round them (one of the happy side effects of studying kung fu does seem to be that it has generally made me calmer and more able to cope with things I used to be afraid of). The dog was cowering behind L, even though I wasn't conscious of being at all threatening - in fact when I saw how afraid it was I tried crouching down to make myself smaller and less frightening - but it didn't seem to work - it didn't want anything to do with me. Obviously I'm getting pretty scary!

Tai Chi was a little frustrating, we went through the sword form and the pole, but there were quite a few of us so space was extremely limited and in the sword form in particular we became so crowded into one corner of the room at one point that it was getting quite dangerous. We also paired up to practise the shoulder push, I was working with A who is a good foot taller than me so it was fairly difficult for both of us

JCVD

Guilty secrets revealed - but it seems I wasn't the only one to watch Kickboxer when it was on Channel 5 the other night! The whole class at Kung Fu had a bit of a discussion about it yesterday. The consensus of opinion is that his reverse spinning hook kick looks pretty good (if you can get past the whole eighties/trousers pulled up to the armpits thing), but he over uses it.

Got down business after that, working on the real deal rather than that showy film stuff. Chum ku, kwok sau thay and li pi.

Staggered down to Tai Chi loaded up with all the pads and sticks, since T is away for a couple of weeks I'm taking the classes which means I have to lug the kit about.

First off we went out into the garden and did the Yang style long form. The pub next door to the training hall was having a seventies karaoke evening outside, which was more than a little bit off-putting, but I did manage to block out "Dancing Queen" and "I Believe in Miracles" etc enough to get through the form, actually better than I normally do. Maybe a sound track is what I need.

Then I used the last of the light outside to teach the final bit of the pole set, before we retreated indoors and went through the 2-person sword - one of my favorites. Might have gone better to a bit of "Firestarter" or something though....

The Great Outdoors

Very warm for Thursday evening's classes - so hot in fact that some people had called T and told him they weren't coming because it was too hot - honest, if nothing else. The real problem is that the windows of the hall we train in don't open, so it's not only hot but very close.

Chum ku, char chuan, the beginnings of a wing chun 2-person set and then some kwok sau thay in the class, with some bokken afterwards. Talked about what we'll do over the holiday period in terms of classes which usually get fairly small because everyone with kids is away. It looks like we'll just run the Monday night classes through August and encourage those who normally only come on Thursday to swap to Monday just for the month. And I'll take the classes when T is away, which will be a first for me.

The Tai Chi class was in the garden, which was really nice, both for the fresh air and for the fact that there was quite a lot more room than when we're indoors, which given that we went through sword and then pole was a good thing. We also learnt a neat application for part of the Yang form that I haven't seen before involving breaking an arm and then some ribs. Tai Chi's not quite the gentle hand waving that so many people think it is.

Throwing yourself at the ground and missing

Three kids classes on Saturday as usual, but without either of my two there, as they had gone off camping with the other half and some friends. All three classes felt fairly subdued for some reason, and the first two were both quite small, which somehow seems to make them harder work. In the second class we practiced a few kicks leading up to jumping front scissor kicks. It was going pretty well for me, achieving some pretty high kicks by my standard (above my head height, I like to think), then I tried them on the other leg....and aggravated my existing groin strain really badly, to the extent that for the rest of that class and all through the next I could hardly lift my left leg at all.This didn't stop me staying on at the end to go through some stuff with T though - the rest of the wushu two-person pole set, the two-person Tai Chi sword and some sword applications that T is thinking of teaching to the advanced kids who have done the kung fu sword set.

Then T taught me a new throw, which is actually an application of a bit of the first kids set that I hadn't understood. It's a scary sort of throw to be a victim of, and involved me generally getting "rag-dolled" around for a while, but because it tended to be my shoulder that contacted the ground first giving me no chance to put my arm out, I much prefer it to being thrown by the wing chun application throw we usually do. Then it was my turn to try throwing T about, and I must admit it worked pretty well. I'm not sure if it's easier than the other throw or if I'm just getting better at throwing because I'm not so freaked out by making close contact with an opponent as I used to be.

After the class, nipped home just long enough to grab some lunch and numb my leg with Tiger Balm, then in the car and off to Derbyshire to meet up with the family for some outdoors fun. Despite sleeping on the ground Saturday night my leg held up well enough for a four mile hike on Sunday, which is promising for training tomorrow.

The Comeback Kid

Despite finding breathing a bit of a challenge on occasions, I decided to venture to Kung Fu on Thursday night, thinking that the Dan Dien breathing and general "chi" cultivation would do me good. And sure enough after the first couple of minutes I was fine (although I seem to have pulled something in my left thigh - quite how I did that during my days on my sickbed I don't know).

Went over the first section of the Choy Li Fut Celebration set with the Orange sashes, then through some Wing Chun (Chum Ku) with the Blues. We were then supposed to go through some bokken/miao dao with the whole class, but T and I had brain fade at first and couldn't remeber which sequences were in which set until after the class had offically ended (although most people stayed on in the hope that we would recall it eventually). What is it with the bokken sets?

Arrived at Tai Chi just in time to go over a portion of the straight sword set that I've always been a bit rusty on. I really want to find an opportunity to practice the whole set in a vast space so that I can really do it justice. My garden isn't really quite big enough (not to mention I'd probably impale at least one of the kids), but I can't really do it in a park 'cos I'd probably get arrested....

After sword we did some more Hsing I, including a new two person drill for practising "pi". Woke up this morning to find my forearms covered in bruises, which hasn't happened for a long time.

Never Too Late

Despite still being in Birmingham auditing at 6:00, I decided to dash to kung fu this evening, and against all the odds I arrived only about an hour late and in one piece. Straight in to a bit of kwok sau thay, then kicking, sparring and some bokken with T and young J.

Felt much fresher than usual going down to tai chi, presumably because of an hour's less exertion than normal, and had a very enjoyable lesson, doing the long form as badly as ever, then some sword and some Hsing I (also as badly as ever - I enjoy Hsing I but I think it really doesn't suit my body type). For some reason my inadequ

acies didn't seem to annoy me this evening, they seemed vaguely amusing instead. Not quite so the inadequacies I discovered during my audit earlier in the day.....

Last Chance Thursday

Thursday was my last Kung Fu session before the grading at the weekend, so I was hoping to spend much of it revising the higher sashes stuff like choy li fut, wing chun pole and so on. That hope was quickly thwarted though by it turning out to be one of the biggest Thursday classes I can remember, with close to thirty there, including half a dozen from the kids class wanting one last practice before their grading on Saturday too. Also a couple of first-timers. So plenty to keep me busy. I did manage to briefly go through Biu Jeet and the knives after it was over though, along with the kids wushu pole set, which was very rusty!

Tai Chi was two-person sword, we got right to the end of it this week, with me actually making a useful contribution for a change, suggesting a small footwork subtlety to D when we were working together that he liked so much he taught it to everyone else. Then we did some Hsing I for the first time for an age, which was good. And a promise of more to come next week...

Keep Calm

Kung Fu tonight. Quite a big class, and at one point we were all doing Bokken together, which was a bit fraught, although I don't think anyone actually whacked anyone else.

The class was interrupted at one point by a really p*&sed-up guy who wandered around the hall challenging us to fight him and claiming he would kill us all. T eventually managed to persuade him to leave, staying calm and collected and reasonable sounding (but firm) throughout the 5 minute episode. I was really glad that I wasn't in charge of the class at that point because I'm not sure I'd have handled it quite so well. And just how out of it must you have to be to go in to a room full of 20-odd martial artists (some of whom were wielding swords and poles) and try to start a fight with them?

Anyway, after that interlude we got back to training, I went through Siu Lim Tao with the beginners and the first two person set, then went through the Mantis two person set with the purples. Plenty of kicking in today's lesson too, I decided to go for it during the Zi Chi drills and was doing them as fast and high as possible, so I was distinctly flagging by the end. Then after everyone else had left I ended up going through one of the kids wushu sets with a couple of people who come to the Saturdays too to help them catch up in time for the forth-coming grading.

Down to Tai Chi, today we did the long form and I managed to get to do what I've been meaning to for a while, which was sit and watch and write some notes. Who knows if they'll make sense when I look at them tomorrow, but it's a start. Then more sword form and a bit more of the two-person sword which if my favorite, finishing off with the two person pa kua.

At the end I was still so hyper that I managed to persuade P to fight with me and we did a bit of Mantis vs Pa Kua sparring. Inevitably enough he won, (next time I'll choose Wing Chun I think) but that's not the point. Hopefully I can persuade him and D to make it a habit and we'll have a scrap at the end every week....

Good to be Back

Back to business tonight after a couple of weeks lay-off, reminding me just how much I love Kung Fu. Went through Chang Chuan quite a few times, then some 2 person stuff, including the new version of the basic wing chun throw with cat stance rather than mountain stance. I think I'm starting to find the new version easier, although you have to put it on pretty quickly for it to be effective.

After the rest of the class had gone I went through Li Pi with T a few times, then we did a lot of work on the Butterfly Knives, both single and 2 person. By the time we'd been through the 2 person set a few times we were really going at it, metal on metal making very impressive sound effects, I wish I knew whether it looked as cool as it sounded.

Down to Tai Chi and straight in to 2 person sword which is one of my favorites, so good stuff there too. The only bad news of the night is that Master Wu has postponed his visit to England and therefore there won't be a seminar/grading next weekend. Slightly mixed feelings about that because I wasn't sure I would be ready for the grading anyway, but it's definitely a shame about the seminars.

Rap it up - I'll take it

Thursday's Kung Fu - T introduced a new routine for doing stance work which was pretty good, similar to chang chuan really. Then I got to do single and 2-person pole with the purple sashes who'll be grading on it soon, and revise Choy Li Fut a few times, then Mi Chong. So basically all my favorite forms in one night! I also went through a two-person double sticks drill with the beginners, which is fun, and only got my knuckles rapped once.

One of the guys who use to train with another part of the school in Bath is going to show me his Double Sai form next week. I've always wanted to learn the Sai's, and didn't know that Wutan had a form for them, so there's something to look forward to for some point in the future, hopefully.

Downstairs to Tai Chi, managed to get a short break between which helps a lot, then short form to the left. Single person sword this week, learnt a few more moves, feeling quite comfortable with it this time (I should be as this must be about the fourth time I've been taught it). Double pushing hands to finish, which was difficult as always - not least because everyone else there is about a foot taller than me.

Eye Opener

Thursday - Kung Fu. It was generally a good lesson, plenty of Wing Chun again, going through Siu Lim Tao and Chum Quoi. Then the sparring. That was going quite well too, then, paired up with a young lad (don't know exactly how old, I'd guess about 12 or 13?), I blocked with a "golden rooster" to a turning kick he was trying, somehow my shin made contact with his knee and suddenly he was in a heap on the floor! He was very brave and didn't make a sound but it had obviously hurt him pretty badly, and for the rest of the evening he couldn't put any weight on it, so had to sit out. T had to give him and his mum a lift home because he couldn't walk. No idea how it happened really, but I feel really sorry for him. Hope it was nothing that a bit of rest and ice can't fix but we'll have to wait and see - knees can be quite tricky....

Quickly went through Mantis 6-punch after the class before rushing down to the Tai Chi class, which now starts earlier, so I barged in halfway through the Yang Long Form - it was really hard to concentrate and adapt to the pace without the short break I normally have between the classes. This will be a test of my ability to focus I guess. Went through some more of the sword form, then started going through the 2 person sword again, which I love! S managed to pick up a hand injury from someone's sword (looks like stigmata!) - but that wasn't my fault, I promise.