I am learning so much about teaching martial arts. Here's the scenario yesterday:
Me: Okay kids, practice test. Here's the first question. What's the name of the first form that you learn and what does it teach you?
Cute, Mopsy Kid: I don't know.
Me: Didn't you study your test questions like sifu told you last week?
Mopsy (throwing arms to the sky): But I can't read yet!
Sigh.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
And now, Later
I promised I'd write something for beginners about kung fu and the business of kung fu and finding the best schools. That was about a month ago, and I've had plenty of time to get settled. So here it is, finally.
About once a week on every martial arts forum in the known universe, a new registrant will open a thread titled "Help me choose a school" or something to that effect. They'll ask for a list of, a rating, and personal opinions on, every martial arts school in their area. (Sometimes they will forget to say what area. This makes it so much more fun for people trying to help them.)
And on most forums, people will try to help and list the schools they know. Here's the problem: each forum member has his/her own focus in the martial arts realm. One does wing chun, or praying mantis, or kyokushin, or Olympic tae kwon do. And their experience revolves around that art. So their information will be limited, or biased at best. The other problem is, the level of experience and knowledge differs from member to member, so you may be getting information from a first-year judoka or a twenty-year ranked sensei, but you really don't know. Meaning, that information can be totally wrong.
So, if you're really interested in learning a martial art and don't know where to start, go ahead and join a forum and ask, but also pick up the Yellow Pages and use Google to find out all the fu that is really available in your area. Then, physically go and check out the schools that interest you! (You're gonna have to go to a school to work out, so now is a good time to practice going.) I know I sound a little sarcastic but I have seen some newbies pick people's brains on forums and never actually go to the recommended schools to check them out -- and then complain that they didn't find anything good in their area!
Once you go, here are things to watch for:
Attitude
- motivated, not mean, instructors
- motivated, happy, relaxed students
- confident but not pushy sales reps (instructors are usually the sales reps BTW)
Appearance
- a clean and neat school (no funky smells, things put away)
- clean and neat uniforms on students (or just clean)
Good Business Practices
- no "pushing" potential students to sign, sign, sign
- fair and reasonable contract options (including a no-contract option)
- delivery of services promised
- tuition rates at local market standard
Things to watch out for:
- bad attitude & appearance
- constant pushing or upselling of goods and services to students/potential students
- contracts longer than 1 year.
- "Black Belt Club" or other guaranteed black belt contracts (usually a higher fee)
This is a pretty abstract list, but those are the basic things that beginners should watch for. If you have never seen or experienced a martial art outside of a movie theater, you do not know what to look for to see if an art is "good" or not. So you have to pay attention to your gut, to your observation of the school, and to how the school does business with you. I can just about guarantee that a sifu who follows good business practices is also a sifu with good teaching skills.
What else to watch for? Well, if you're determined to learn a "traditional" martial art, remember that true traditional arts are taught alone, not in conjunction with other arts. For example, a school that teaches both praying mantis and shotokan, particularly within one curriculum, is not traditional. Its teachers may have come from traditional backgrounds but the combination is all-new.
Learning just one art can take 10+ years, so beware any school that claims to teach several martial arts "as one."
What if you have your heart set on learning a particular martial art, but it isn't taught in your area? Unless you're willing to move to a new city or travel to the Shaolin Temple or Thailand or whatever, you may just have to settle for what's available. This is not a bad thing. Pick the school you like best and study hard, develop discipline and skill -- these two attributes will translate easily to any martial art you study.
When I was in college, I became fascinated with tai chi, but it was not widely taught outside major U.S. cities at the time. Instead, I took judo, which was offered by the college -- and I met a crowd of martial artists from various disciplines who were having the same problem finding a place to study their arts. I spent my senior year learning basic judo throws and learning about arts I'd never heard of, who taught them and where.
When I began studying Yang tai chi and later, northern praying mantis, I brought those rudimentary judo skills with me. They complement what I'm learning now. So I don't regret settling for that judo class.
So:
1. Physically check out the schools you're interested in;
2. View them with a critical eye as described above;
3. If you can't get the art you want, choose the best school available.
About once a week on every martial arts forum in the known universe, a new registrant will open a thread titled "Help me choose a school" or something to that effect. They'll ask for a list of, a rating, and personal opinions on, every martial arts school in their area. (Sometimes they will forget to say what area. This makes it so much more fun for people trying to help them.)
And on most forums, people will try to help and list the schools they know. Here's the problem: each forum member has his/her own focus in the martial arts realm. One does wing chun, or praying mantis, or kyokushin, or Olympic tae kwon do. And their experience revolves around that art. So their information will be limited, or biased at best. The other problem is, the level of experience and knowledge differs from member to member, so you may be getting information from a first-year judoka or a twenty-year ranked sensei, but you really don't know. Meaning, that information can be totally wrong.
So, if you're really interested in learning a martial art and don't know where to start, go ahead and join a forum and ask, but also pick up the Yellow Pages and use Google to find out all the fu that is really available in your area. Then, physically go and check out the schools that interest you! (You're gonna have to go to a school to work out, so now is a good time to practice going.) I know I sound a little sarcastic but I have seen some newbies pick people's brains on forums and never actually go to the recommended schools to check them out -- and then complain that they didn't find anything good in their area!
Once you go, here are things to watch for:
Attitude
- motivated, not mean, instructors
- motivated, happy, relaxed students
- confident but not pushy sales reps (instructors are usually the sales reps BTW)
Appearance
- a clean and neat school (no funky smells, things put away)
- clean and neat uniforms on students (or just clean)
Good Business Practices
- no "pushing" potential students to sign, sign, sign
- fair and reasonable contract options (including a no-contract option)
- delivery of services promised
- tuition rates at local market standard
Things to watch out for:
- bad attitude & appearance
- constant pushing or upselling of goods and services to students/potential students
- contracts longer than 1 year.
- "Black Belt Club" or other guaranteed black belt contracts (usually a higher fee)
This is a pretty abstract list, but those are the basic things that beginners should watch for. If you have never seen or experienced a martial art outside of a movie theater, you do not know what to look for to see if an art is "good" or not. So you have to pay attention to your gut, to your observation of the school, and to how the school does business with you. I can just about guarantee that a sifu who follows good business practices is also a sifu with good teaching skills.
What else to watch for? Well, if you're determined to learn a "traditional" martial art, remember that true traditional arts are taught alone, not in conjunction with other arts. For example, a school that teaches both praying mantis and shotokan, particularly within one curriculum, is not traditional. Its teachers may have come from traditional backgrounds but the combination is all-new.
Learning just one art can take 10+ years, so beware any school that claims to teach several martial arts "as one."
What if you have your heart set on learning a particular martial art, but it isn't taught in your area? Unless you're willing to move to a new city or travel to the Shaolin Temple or Thailand or whatever, you may just have to settle for what's available. This is not a bad thing. Pick the school you like best and study hard, develop discipline and skill -- these two attributes will translate easily to any martial art you study.
When I was in college, I became fascinated with tai chi, but it was not widely taught outside major U.S. cities at the time. Instead, I took judo, which was offered by the college -- and I met a crowd of martial artists from various disciplines who were having the same problem finding a place to study their arts. I spent my senior year learning basic judo throws and learning about arts I'd never heard of, who taught them and where.
When I began studying Yang tai chi and later, northern praying mantis, I brought those rudimentary judo skills with me. They complement what I'm learning now. So I don't regret settling for that judo class.
So:
1. Physically check out the schools you're interested in;
2. View them with a critical eye as described above;
3. If you can't get the art you want, choose the best school available.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
A heartfelt request
My "kung-fu cousin" Krissy, who studies Wah Lum in the Tampa, Fla. area, posted a special request over on Dragon's List. I'm adding it here for those who may have missed it the first time.
Details available on the MySpace page created for Justin. Many good folks have donated, but Justin is not out of the woods yet. If you don't have money, please send some good mojo his way instead, as it is equally appreciated!
"On Sunday evening, November 12, 2006, Justin went to the ER for what he thought was pinched nerve in his neck. He had been having horrible headaches and some numbness on the left side of his body. After a cat-scan it was discovered that he had a 4cm BRAIN TUMOR, that had to be operated on right away. He was immediately admitted to the ICU.
"Justin had surgery today, November 16, 2006, at 6:30 a.m. The surgery took 8 hours and he came through it with flying colors. He will be kept in a medicine induced coma for a few days, and then they will be able to determine what damage, if any, was done due to the surgery. (This can include personality changes, loss of motor/speech skills, memory loss, seizures, etc.)"While Justin does have insurance, it only covers 90% of his medical bills. He is a truck driver for Anheuser-Busch, so if he is affected by seizures from the surgery, he will have to look for a new job. He is a newlywed, and although his wife, Rosie, works as a CNA at a nursing home, she will be forced to take an upaid leave of absence once Justin gets out of the hospital to care for him.
"If you can find it in your heart to donate anything towards a trust account that we have set up, it will be greatly appreciated. Even $1 would help, because remember they add up!"
Details available on the MySpace page created for Justin. Many good folks have donated, but Justin is not out of the woods yet. If you don't have money, please send some good mojo his way instead, as it is equally appreciated!
Friday, November 24, 2006
The 20-Year Man
There's a story told in tai chi circles of a student who went to a tai chi master and asked how long it would take him to master the art. "Ten years," said the master. "Then I will study twice as hard as your best student so I can master the art faster," said the student. "In that case," said the master, "It will take you twenty years."
Everybody wants the ultimate fighting move. The one that not only takes out opponents of every size, but also impresses members of the opposite sex.
So many people sign up for martial arts training wanting to learn as many fighting techniques as possible in the fastest time possible. "Give me more forms." "Teach me the next technique." Most commercial schools indulge this want by promoting students as soon as they can mimic the necessary movements.
I'm not going to criticize the practice here; commercial schools have to make money to stay in business, and to make money they have to retain students. It's a cruel reality of the free market system. But students need to be aware of this fact: you may have the movements memorized, but real understanding of what you just learned can take months and even years to achieve. The more you practice and study, the faster you will achieve understanding.
The tai chi story is both a warning about impatience and a parable about real mastery of an art. Hurry through the techniques to get to the next one, and you'll have to double back and relearn the techniques to understand them properly. Dedicate yourself to understanding an art from the beginning, and you will probably progress much more slowly than the average. But you will insist upon gaining a deeper understanding of the skills you learned, and twenty years won't seem nearly enough.
So how does that work? You practice as hard as you can but it still takes twice as long to master the art? The key is practice with intent.
Zen and the art of baseball
A common question in the martial arts world among students is "How many forms do you know?" Mostly, beginners ask this. Intermediate students might ask, "How many techniques have you learned?"
Just remember before answering, that quality is always better than quantity. I think baseball is a near-perfect analogy to this.
There isn't much to baseball on the surface. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. That's it.
Of course, if you're a fan of the game, you know there's much more to it than what's on the surface. You throw the ball -- what pitch do you deliver? You hit the ball -- there's a dozen adjustments to make depending on the pitch you think will be thrown, and the pitch that is actually thrown. You catch the ball -- distance and timing are everything.
Baseball players spend years, even decades, perfecting the techniques needed in their main playing positions. Hitting, catching, or throwing. And most are known for particular specialties: a fast baserunner. A home-run slugger. A tricky changeup.
Nobody makes fun of a professional pitcher who has three good pitching techniques. So there's no need to compare how many forms one student has over another, or how many techniques one knows.
I remember early on in my studies, a fellow student who had a habit of bragging about his soccer skills, pestering instructors for more techniques, and hitting hard and uncontrolled in body conditioning and sparring. One day he complained loudly about having to do a block-punch combination yet again. "What is this, a karate class? We should be learning more complicated techniques," he said ... or something to that effect (his grammar was as good as his soccer skills). Well the instructor said "go" while he was whining, and next thing he knew, his partner's fist was sailing toward his nose. Later on, talking through the bloodstained bandanna someone lent him, it was clear he hadn't gotten the message. "I could've blocked that better with a mantis technique."
The message here is, practice each technique with full concentration and intent, no matter how simplistic it seems. They are in the curriculum to teach you important basic principles that apply across the board at every skill level.
You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.
Everybody wants the ultimate fighting move. The one that not only takes out opponents of every size, but also impresses members of the opposite sex.
So many people sign up for martial arts training wanting to learn as many fighting techniques as possible in the fastest time possible. "Give me more forms." "Teach me the next technique." Most commercial schools indulge this want by promoting students as soon as they can mimic the necessary movements.
I'm not going to criticize the practice here; commercial schools have to make money to stay in business, and to make money they have to retain students. It's a cruel reality of the free market system. But students need to be aware of this fact: you may have the movements memorized, but real understanding of what you just learned can take months and even years to achieve. The more you practice and study, the faster you will achieve understanding.
The tai chi story is both a warning about impatience and a parable about real mastery of an art. Hurry through the techniques to get to the next one, and you'll have to double back and relearn the techniques to understand them properly. Dedicate yourself to understanding an art from the beginning, and you will probably progress much more slowly than the average. But you will insist upon gaining a deeper understanding of the skills you learned, and twenty years won't seem nearly enough.
So how does that work? You practice as hard as you can but it still takes twice as long to master the art? The key is practice with intent.
Zen and the art of baseball
A common question in the martial arts world among students is "How many forms do you know?" Mostly, beginners ask this. Intermediate students might ask, "How many techniques have you learned?"
Just remember before answering, that quality is always better than quantity. I think baseball is a near-perfect analogy to this.
There isn't much to baseball on the surface. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. That's it.
Of course, if you're a fan of the game, you know there's much more to it than what's on the surface. You throw the ball -- what pitch do you deliver? You hit the ball -- there's a dozen adjustments to make depending on the pitch you think will be thrown, and the pitch that is actually thrown. You catch the ball -- distance and timing are everything.
Baseball players spend years, even decades, perfecting the techniques needed in their main playing positions. Hitting, catching, or throwing. And most are known for particular specialties: a fast baserunner. A home-run slugger. A tricky changeup.
Nobody makes fun of a professional pitcher who has three good pitching techniques. So there's no need to compare how many forms one student has over another, or how many techniques one knows.
I remember early on in my studies, a fellow student who had a habit of bragging about his soccer skills, pestering instructors for more techniques, and hitting hard and uncontrolled in body conditioning and sparring. One day he complained loudly about having to do a block-punch combination yet again. "What is this, a karate class? We should be learning more complicated techniques," he said ... or something to that effect (his grammar was as good as his soccer skills). Well the instructor said "go" while he was whining, and next thing he knew, his partner's fist was sailing toward his nose. Later on, talking through the bloodstained bandanna someone lent him, it was clear he hadn't gotten the message. "I could've blocked that better with a mantis technique."
The message here is, practice each technique with full concentration and intent, no matter how simplistic it seems. They are in the curriculum to teach you important basic principles that apply across the board at every skill level.
You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Take pride in your school
I trained for a couple of years at our system's main school in Orlando. It is a big facility with open pavilions and a tile floor in the main training area. About once a quarter, one of the big Saturday events is cleaning day. The school is cleaned top to bottom, all the equipment is cleared off the floors and spray hoses and mops are used to scrub the concrete and tile. This is an effort in which all the instructors participate, from head instructor to the most junior, and some students who volunteer to help out. And one will also see si gung among the crowd, with his shoes off and trousers rolled up just like everyone else.
Which is why it's galling to see some students or instructors lounging around on the benches while the sifu cleans our school.
Students don't always know that the volunteerism is appreciated. That's where instructors should be setting the example. Students aren't usually asked to help clean because they pay full tuition and I guess sifus are uncomfortable requiring them to donate extra time to a mundane activity. But the instructors are receiving extra training, often at no extra cost. Plus there's a leadership element that they have been entrusted with. Plus they're representing their school. If you're proud of your school you won't let trash sit around or avoid cleaning the floor.
Maybe the excuse is, "Well there are already three people cleaning right now, so I don't want to get in the way." Fine, but it always seems to be the same people cleaning and the same people lounging.
If you're a student but you see cleaning needs to be done, ask the sifu if you can help. He may say that he or someone else will take care of it, but believe me, sifus appreciate that you asked. If you're an instructor, you already know what you need to do. I hope nobody thinks they're too good for cleaning. I hope I'm completely wrong in my observations.
Which is why it's galling to see some students or instructors lounging around on the benches while the sifu cleans our school.
Students don't always know that the volunteerism is appreciated. That's where instructors should be setting the example. Students aren't usually asked to help clean because they pay full tuition and I guess sifus are uncomfortable requiring them to donate extra time to a mundane activity. But the instructors are receiving extra training, often at no extra cost. Plus there's a leadership element that they have been entrusted with. Plus they're representing their school. If you're proud of your school you won't let trash sit around or avoid cleaning the floor.
Maybe the excuse is, "Well there are already three people cleaning right now, so I don't want to get in the way." Fine, but it always seems to be the same people cleaning and the same people lounging.
If you're a student but you see cleaning needs to be done, ask the sifu if you can help. He may say that he or someone else will take care of it, but believe me, sifus appreciate that you asked. If you're an instructor, you already know what you need to do. I hope nobody thinks they're too good for cleaning. I hope I'm completely wrong in my observations.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Something for later
Today is one of those days where there will not be enough time to do everything. It's still early morning and I know, already, that I won't get my workout in and I will be running full-tilt until well past dark.
But I want to write something about learning kung fu for the first time -- how to go about it. And about seminars and workshops and pay rates, which are frequent hot topics on martial arts forums. So, when I get settled in next, I'll write something.
But I want to write something about learning kung fu for the first time -- how to go about it. And about seminars and workshops and pay rates, which are frequent hot topics on martial arts forums. So, when I get settled in next, I'll write something.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Learning curve
So this weekend I'm teaching a basic stance drill to a couple of students, having them follow me through the exercise. I turn into dun san ma (hill climbing stance) and look around at the student behind me, and his stance doesn't look right at all. So I have them follow me through the exercise again to see if he's just uncomfortable with the transitions, and when we turn into dun san ma, his stance doesn't look right again.
Then I look at my own stance and realize ... it's me. He's mirroring my own screwed-up, uncomfortable stance.
I know what I'll be working on this week.
Then I look at my own stance and realize ... it's me. He's mirroring my own screwed-up, uncomfortable stance.
I know what I'll be working on this week.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Mauled by a jaguar
Or not.
This week's achievements:
- Got an 8-year-old to pay attention & stay engaged in class for 85.56 minutes. He zoned for the last 5 but compared to past weeks the improvement is tremendous.
- Did not get beaten too badly in sparring class. My si hing was clearly holding back though. A lot.
- Did not gas out by the second round.
Saturday was a pretty lousy day with an ocean storm spinning over (the weathermen studiously avoided saying "nor'easter" but c'mon, it had all the elements). Sunday & Monday were still quite windy so I forgot about jogging and just did some calisthenics & stance work. This morning I got my jog in. Slow improvement.
This week's achievements:
- Got an 8-year-old to pay attention & stay engaged in class for 85.56 minutes. He zoned for the last 5 but compared to past weeks the improvement is tremendous.
- Did not get beaten too badly in sparring class. My si hing was clearly holding back though. A lot.
- Did not gas out by the second round.
Saturday was a pretty lousy day with an ocean storm spinning over (the weathermen studiously avoided saying "nor'easter" but c'mon, it had all the elements). Sunday & Monday were still quite windy so I forgot about jogging and just did some calisthenics & stance work. This morning I got my jog in. Slow improvement.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
King of the hill
Like I said below, my morning jogs are pretty short, but they always end on top of the hill above my house. It's a nice place to stop because there's a little park surrounding a Revolutionary War memorial, with a view down into Cambridge. A little paved area tucks around behind the war memorial and against an old tree, and there's enough space to do forms and be partially hidden from the houses surrounding the park.
I got up there about an hour earlier than usual -- it's tough to drag myself out of bed, especially when the weather is getting cold and it's still dark out -- so the sun was just climbing into the sky. And in the spot where I usually do my stance work -- next to the big tree, looking down into Cambridge, right where the sun shines and warms you up -- was an old man doing chi gong.
He was finishing up his workout, doing deep knee bends and stretching up. So I hung back and stretched out on a park bench a little ways away and caught my breath from the run. He did his last breathing set and walked back to the sidewalk, and nodded hello, and I nodded hello back.
It was crisp this morning and my hands got cold as soon as I stopped running, but doing bai fut sow beside the tree warmed them up again. The wind is not so bad from this side of the memorial, either. The view is great. I think I've found the right spot.
I got up there about an hour earlier than usual -- it's tough to drag myself out of bed, especially when the weather is getting cold and it's still dark out -- so the sun was just climbing into the sky. And in the spot where I usually do my stance work -- next to the big tree, looking down into Cambridge, right where the sun shines and warms you up -- was an old man doing chi gong.
He was finishing up his workout, doing deep knee bends and stretching up. So I hung back and stretched out on a park bench a little ways away and caught my breath from the run. He did his last breathing set and walked back to the sidewalk, and nodded hello, and I nodded hello back.
It was crisp this morning and my hands got cold as soon as I stopped running, but doing bai fut sow beside the tree warmed them up again. The wind is not so bad from this side of the memorial, either. The view is great. I think I've found the right spot.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Peak performance
Here's the thing.
I warm up, do some jogging, jump rope, do some stances, stretch a little bit, and after a half hour finally I'm ready to practice some kung fu. So I pick a form, or just a couple techniques out of a form. I'm all ready to work just that selection for an hour. Thing is, I usually peak in about 15 minutes -- meaning, the form or technique I'm practicing looks and flows best after about 15 minutes of practice, I get the most information out of it within that time. Then it just degrades from there until within about 30 minutes it looks just like it did when I started practicing.
If I go to another form or technique, I get nothing from it and no noticeable improvement.
Now I read magazine articles all the time where tai chi masters and professional wushu players alike talk about practicing nonstop from dawn till dusk, the majority of that being forms work. But the more experience I get, the more those articles sound like BS. "Oh, we practice 26 hours a day! Americans are too lazy to do that!"
Nah, not hardly. We have full-time jobs and often families. And if our kids do martial arts, no matter how good they are at it, school takes priority.
So I pay more attention these days to "quality vs. quantity," in magazine articles and in my own practice. I progress better in skill if I don't wear myself out doing hours of repetitive work. (If I were 10 years younger that might be different.) I read training articles from several different disciplines -- running, boxing, gymnastics -- and updates from sports medicine journals.
Past 30, an athlete of any skill level needs to pay attention to a few things. Don't push through pain. Know the difference between isometric and isotonic conditioning. Know the difference between aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Become familiar with the term "core." Understand how all these things intertwine with kung fu practice.
15 minutes of practice a day is way better than no practice. Most students do 3 classes a week, max. Nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to improve at kung fu, practice every day, even if only for a few minutes. But make those few minutes quality ones. No distractions, no TV. Do just one or two things, three max. Such as, train stances or work on your newest technique. The improvements will be noticeable, maybe not right away, but sooner than you think.
I warm up, do some jogging, jump rope, do some stances, stretch a little bit, and after a half hour finally I'm ready to practice some kung fu. So I pick a form, or just a couple techniques out of a form. I'm all ready to work just that selection for an hour. Thing is, I usually peak in about 15 minutes -- meaning, the form or technique I'm practicing looks and flows best after about 15 minutes of practice, I get the most information out of it within that time. Then it just degrades from there until within about 30 minutes it looks just like it did when I started practicing.
If I go to another form or technique, I get nothing from it and no noticeable improvement.
Now I read magazine articles all the time where tai chi masters and professional wushu players alike talk about practicing nonstop from dawn till dusk, the majority of that being forms work. But the more experience I get, the more those articles sound like BS. "Oh, we practice 26 hours a day! Americans are too lazy to do that!"
Nah, not hardly. We have full-time jobs and often families. And if our kids do martial arts, no matter how good they are at it, school takes priority.
So I pay more attention these days to "quality vs. quantity," in magazine articles and in my own practice. I progress better in skill if I don't wear myself out doing hours of repetitive work. (If I were 10 years younger that might be different.) I read training articles from several different disciplines -- running, boxing, gymnastics -- and updates from sports medicine journals.
Past 30, an athlete of any skill level needs to pay attention to a few things. Don't push through pain. Know the difference between isometric and isotonic conditioning. Know the difference between aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Become familiar with the term "core." Understand how all these things intertwine with kung fu practice.
15 minutes of practice a day is way better than no practice. Most students do 3 classes a week, max. Nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to improve at kung fu, practice every day, even if only for a few minutes. But make those few minutes quality ones. No distractions, no TV. Do just one or two things, three max. Such as, train stances or work on your newest technique. The improvements will be noticeable, maybe not right away, but sooner than you think.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
It's not trivial
This morning before kids' class started one of the younger students came up to show me the praying mantis he found in his backyard a couple days ago. It was a big specimen with a dark green iridescent hue. Unfortunately the student didn't punch any air holes in the container, so the mantis also had an iridescent funk, kind of like a freshly turned mulch pile.
Sifu went over our last test scores after the class had left, pointed out errors in the written section mostly. "You have to know these things," he told us. "You're teaching now."
"So we should spend more time on the trivia?" I asked. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to say.
"It's not trivial," Sifu replied.
See? Bad choice of words. The written test is kung fu history, details on the style's theory, lists of forms and concepts. A student only has to answer about five written questions, but he has to study 50 questions before the test. They are short answers, like trivia questions. But they're not trivial.
This week I'll think about how to incorporate those questions into the class. Asking one of the questions at the end of class is OK but it probably shoots out of the student's mind as soon as they're dismissed. So maybe a 5-minute "think break" during forms training instead, so students don't feel put on the spot.
Sifu went over our last test scores after the class had left, pointed out errors in the written section mostly. "You have to know these things," he told us. "You're teaching now."
"So we should spend more time on the trivia?" I asked. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to say.
"It's not trivial," Sifu replied.
See? Bad choice of words. The written test is kung fu history, details on the style's theory, lists of forms and concepts. A student only has to answer about five written questions, but he has to study 50 questions before the test. They are short answers, like trivia questions. But they're not trivial.
This week I'll think about how to incorporate those questions into the class. Asking one of the questions at the end of class is OK but it probably shoots out of the student's mind as soon as they're dismissed. So maybe a 5-minute "think break" during forms training instead, so students don't feel put on the spot.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Jump up high
A guideline of blogging is to get good at it, one should blog a little every day. Even if you don't have much interesting to say. So here is my little blog with some totally uninteresting stuff.
Yesterday's workout:
Yesterday's workout:
- I jumped back and forth over a heavy bag for 90 seconds.
- I threw weighted jabs for a minute and a half.
- I jumped rope for 1/60th of an hour.
- I did a wall sit for 45 x 2 seconds.
- I kicked some targets for 270 seconds divided by 3.
Plus a regular warmup and 3 sets of 20 leglifts without puking, and a little practice with the gim.
Hope you were entertained.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The knees are creaky
First, congratulations & best wishes to my kung fu brother & sister, Marlon & Leesha, who were married Friday night. Two of the best people I've ever met.
Kung fu in general draws good people from all walks of life. It draws its fair share of kooks and frauds too, but the folks who tend to last are people of genuinely good character. Hell, even if they don't stay with it, people try it out because they look for a positive experience. Most of my close friends I met, either directly or indirectly, through martial arts.
I'm giving the knees a rest today. Since last year I put on about ten pounds -- okay fifteen, but I dropped five pretty quickly by laying off the ice cream. And I've got a little extra time on my hands these days. So I've increased my workouts and added about 6 miles a week of jogging to the schedule. But it's clearly time for new shoes; even though the mileage is pathetically low my knees immediately got cranky. Working out yesterday, low stances were just agony so after a few attempts I gave up on them completely and just worked on upper-body stuff. One of these days I'll admit that I'm no longer 19. Probably when I'm dead.
Kung fu in general draws good people from all walks of life. It draws its fair share of kooks and frauds too, but the folks who tend to last are people of genuinely good character. Hell, even if they don't stay with it, people try it out because they look for a positive experience. Most of my close friends I met, either directly or indirectly, through martial arts.
I'm giving the knees a rest today. Since last year I put on about ten pounds -- okay fifteen, but I dropped five pretty quickly by laying off the ice cream. And I've got a little extra time on my hands these days. So I've increased my workouts and added about 6 miles a week of jogging to the schedule. But it's clearly time for new shoes; even though the mileage is pathetically low my knees immediately got cranky. Working out yesterday, low stances were just agony so after a few attempts I gave up on them completely and just worked on upper-body stuff. One of these days I'll admit that I'm no longer 19. Probably when I'm dead.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
UFC on Spike TV
Tonight's event? Nice, so far. Offering a main event for free? Genius marketing scheme by Dana White. Scheduling the fights before bedtime? Brilliant -- kids everywhere are practicing the triangle choke on their siblings and begging to go sign up for MMA.
That was a wicked choke that Ed Herman just got put into.
I'm going away to drink more beer and watch more fights.
Update: Well, I'm glad I didn't pay money to see that fight. I'd say Tito figured out Shamrock's game pretty well, LOL.
Shaking hands on national TV was a nice thing, though. And it's about time Shamrock retired; while it's true there are several fighters out there well past age 42, he's already hit the top of his game and no one is going to take away his laurels as a hall-of-famer. He should go ahead and just coach. But hire a good business manager, Mr. Shamrock. You're a great fighter, but from what I've seen, not so much in the brains department. So let somebody else do the books, so your gym stays in business and you have a little money to retire on.
That was a wicked choke that Ed Herman just got put into.
I'm going away to drink more beer and watch more fights.
Update: Well, I'm glad I didn't pay money to see that fight. I'd say Tito figured out Shamrock's game pretty well, LOL.
Shaking hands on national TV was a nice thing, though. And it's about time Shamrock retired; while it's true there are several fighters out there well past age 42, he's already hit the top of his game and no one is going to take away his laurels as a hall-of-famer. He should go ahead and just coach. But hire a good business manager, Mr. Shamrock. You're a great fighter, but from what I've seen, not so much in the brains department. So let somebody else do the books, so your gym stays in business and you have a little money to retire on.
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