Beginning Vacation

After a few minor hiccups my vacation is off to a nice start.

My flight out of Eureka was at 6 in the am last wed. We left the retreat center a few minutes late and raced to the airport. Ricardo was going to do the driving but because we were running late, I stepped up to ensure a speedy arrival. Thankfully I caught my first flight on time. My next stop was Los Angeles, Ca where I originally had a 3 hour layover...that turned into a 4 hour layover as there were apparently some difficulties with the airline (US Airways). The airline arrived an hour late at my second layover in Philly, Pa and subsequently I missed my connecting flight to Wilkes Barre/Scranton. This is the 3rd time I've had problems with US Airways. They wanted to put me in a hotel overnight and catch another flight the following morning. This was hardly an option as my vacation is precious...so much to do so little time! Thankfully I made a phone call to Rebecca, my girlfriend here and she made the 2 hour journey to pick me up...I ended up being the one driving back.

I spent the first couple days seeing her, my dad and family. One day on the way to my dads house for lunch, we were rear ended. The driver responsible was tailgating and when we went to make a turn he slammed right into us. Ouch! so we had to cut lunch short and went to the hospital. I had some minor neck pain and got x-rays and examined by a doctor. Nothing serious (Thank the Dao!) just some whiplash.

My remaining vacation plans? Training, visit my kung fu teachers here, visit friends and spend lots of time with my dad, grandma, Rebecca and her family. Providing no other hiccups, its should be a nice vacation.

End of the First Year

The first year has ended here at the Retreat Center. Its gone by so fast it’s hard to believe its over already. Its been a great year of training and learning under Shifu. We’ve all made much progress in this first year and I look forward to the 9 years remaining. Based on the progress we have made in this first year, I have confidence that we will attain our goal of preserving and further developing the arts. I want to thank everybody who has believed in us and those who have helped to make this dream a reality. Most importantly, I want to thank Shifu for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.

(More to come...)

Learning Sequences

We’re now learning Long Fist and White Crane sequences….lots of pain and lots of fun. I like Long Fist…even though I’m shorter and Long fist is ideally for taller people. White Crane is awesome though, pure bad ass. Of the 2 Styles I think at this early stage I do better at Long Fist but I prefer White Crane. High level White Crane jing is crazy to watch and even crazier I’m sure to be hit with. We’re getting punching bags soon so we’ll be practicing our jing on them. Gotta condition the fists and get used to jinging it up on the bags…and later on each other lol.

My Magazine Article

A few months ago I submitted an article to Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine titled The Ability to React: Essential Training in Martial Arts. This past month it got published! Jon took the pictures for me as I did for him with his article. At the moment I’m working on another article and should be done within the next couple weeks.



(July/August issue of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine)

Mr. Meowgi....The Killer!

Our pup Xiao Hu (Little Tiger) now has a little kitty friend…well, we’re hoping they become friends. Xiao Hu wants to play with the kitty but the kitty seems a little suspicious. They are both very curious of each other so I think in time they’ll become good buddies.
The Cats name is Mr. Meowgi the Killer (Or Killer for short…or Mr. Meowgi for short depending on the moment lol). He’s an awesome little guy, really affectionate and friendly. But like Xiao Hu, don’t let his friendliness fool you. He’s to become a trained killer…of mice.



(Jon took this picture....I havent taken any yet so I stole this one. Thanks Jon!)



(Ok so I finally took a picture...Xiao Hu is such a happy pup he just wants to play and have fun, He doesnt even notice Killer glaring at him in the background, plotting his next attack)

Question about Qigong

Everyday after training my disciple brothers and I sit together with Shifu for a group discussion. We discuss many things related to martial arts, qigong, meditation, life and just general questions or thoughts we may have. Recently I posted on my blog an invitation for anybody interested in participating in these discussions to submit any questions they would like me to bring up.

One such question I received: How might qigong exercises and herbs help in treating or curing depression, phobias, low energy states, low spirit, self pity etc. Do ancient Qigong documents offer any advice?

Qigong exercises including massage are beneficial in promoting the smooth flow of energy throughout the body resulting in a better sense of well being. Qigong and exercise in general all help the blood (and qi) to circulate throughout the body and promote various “feel good” chemicals released in the brain. Qigong, massage and various forms of exercise can all be good steps in lifting our mood developing a sense of well being.

In addition to Qigong, it is important to develop a calm, stable mind. Often we can get caught up in certain patterns of thinking that lead to disruptive, negative, mental and emotional states. It is important to develop an awareness of how our thinking influences how we feel, and make the necessary changes. Shifu therefore strongly recommends daily meditation as well as the study of philosophy to both cultivate a peaceful and stable mind and develop a healthy view of ourselves and the world. Qigong Embryonic Breathing Meditation by Dr. Yang is a recommended book on meditation.

Training Progresses

Training is such a blast. As we’re no longer running the mountain with weight (that phase of leg conditioning is over), our time now is devoted largely to basic Long Fist training which includes fundamental stances, footwork, punches and kicks. Most of what we’re doing at this point are moves derived from Lien Bu Chuan, the first Long Fist sequence. Shifu (Dr.Yang) leads this training and does a great job to ensure that we’re thoroughly exhausted by the end of it. Above all else, I enjoy this training the most. This is my favorite part of the day!

One area that we’ve all noticeably improved in is our stance work and sense of root. Previously we held mabu (horse stance) while standing on single bricks (long way up). We fell so many times in the beginning. As we continued to train, our stability improved and we’ve since progressed to training on 2 bricks. Just yesterday Shifu encouraged us to try 3 bricks! After a few uneasy attempts (meaning terrifying falls!), many of us actually managed to maintain our balance. Standing on 3 bricks and doing jing (martial power) on 3 bricks are 2 different things, but it’s a start. If anybody is interested in developing a greater sense of root for stance work, training mabu on bricks is a great and practical method.