New Class Hours

Just wanted to let everyone know that Kong Hoi Kung Fu - Sil Lum Mountain has new class hours. Please go to our website www.konghoikungfu.com for details.

All Day Tourney 2009 Prep!

The all day event went great for all the Lai Tong Pai practitioners that participated. I was excited to see everyone there. This was the first time Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association has had an all day workout geared specifically for an upcoming tournament. I think everyone learned a great deal. We went through forms, weapon forms, luk sao and continuous sparring in preparation for the 2009 CACMA National Kung Fu/Tai Chi Tournament being held on May 2, 2009 at the Charlotte Convention Center. I hope everyone had a great time. I know we will have more of these sessions in the future for other upcoming national events. Maybe we can take a few pictures of the event to post next time. Take care everyone!

Sifu Anthony

A Master Weighs In

My good friend and Tai Chi Master, Alan Lumder, wrote about rooting:

Rooting is fundamental to effective technique. The Chinese say heaven and earth which means that the legs are solid and the upstairs moves lightly. Rooting can be both static (fixed) and moving. It is best for your students’ to start developing their roots with standing exercises. You may want to consider the following:

Have your people start with fix postures. Use holding the ball or a move from your forms. Start with holding the move for 1-3 minutes. Let them feel the energy drain from upstairs and settle into both legs. It is a process of relaxation. Make sure that their posture is good. Knees must not exceed the toes. After a while they can visualize energy orbits. They should work up to 15-30 minutes. By holding postures, they can work out the energy movements. In time the entire body becomes light and balanced.

When they can hold fixed postures, work on their forms. By doing the forms slowly, using empty steps, and proper body mechanics, they can develop moving roots. The need to be focusing on their legs, where they are now, and much less on destination.

Been a while

Lets talk root. Rooting is the first step of your foundation training. Moving root is where you want to be. How do you develop this? Easy, do your forms and it will come. There is no shortcut. Pondder on this.

Chris

Been a while

Challenges

Have you ever thought "The sword is my weapon, I don't do the staff all that great" or something to that effect? This goes against the Shaolin way. We strive to prefect all of our skills despite our limitations. Does this mean we will achieve greatness with the staff? No but it means we never stop trying and never give up.

Living the Kung Fu Life

I live the kung fu life. I am proud of my accomplishments and I had my new employer comment that he hired me because of my martial arts. Go back and get to the five excellence's of this blog. I strive to get through school, work hard and still practice.

Good to be back,
Chris

The 8 ways

Look at this symbol *. We know this as the astrix or envision a + with and X through it. This represents the 8 ways. 8 Way stepping or walking th circle, its all footwork. Look into your forms and you will see these patterns exist. The Tai Chi form (108) starts with the first 4 moves in this pattern + and the second 4 in X pattern.

Look close and you will see.

Chris

6 Harmonies

Wrist-Ankle, Elbow-Knee, Shoulders-Hips, Heart-Mind, Mind-Chi, Chi-Eyes. These are what my Sifu calls the 6 harmonies. When the body is in-sync (the first three) then the techniques are going to be crisp and effective. When the Heart controls the Mind, then the Mind will control the Chi, then the Chi will follow the eyes for focus.

Look for these harmonies in your forms. They exist in every form you do. the slower you do these, the more you will find how it all works.