morgothan’s kung fu repository

Since I started learning double edge form, I decided that I *need* my own double edge to work with. This as with all other martial arts purchases was not something to be bought on its own. I decided to pick up a sword maintenance kit. The kit comes with some oil, a little hammer, some talk in its own hammer like bag with a stick, some papers, and a bit of balsa wood. Im not quite sure how it all works, as I am not a sword smith, nor where there promised directions included. I will figure it out though, I can not imagine it is all that complex. Rub the oil on, put the powder to soak up the excess, wipe it off, etc. Along side these two wonderful product, the sword, and cleaning kit, I also purchased an 8.5 pound IRON long shaft. Let me tell you something, you have not done a staff form, until you have done it with iron. After about an hour of doing the form my shoulders could bare no more. Although once I picked up a wooden long shaft, I was able to wing that thing around like no bodies business. Furthermore when I picked up my spear to do the spear form, that too was much easier to manipulate. I believe I have found a new form to add to my daily todo list.

Soon my shoulders will no longer be weeping, but screaming in vengeance.

So I have been continuing to learn double edge, and working on spear. However I have also really decided that I am going to up my stance training to ridicules levels. My ultimate goal is to be able to do a good horse for an hour straight. I think if my legs can handle that I will be in good shape. So to work on this I have been doing horse a lot, instead of sitting sometimes I kick out my chair at work and get into stance. So where am I going with this. Last Thursday it fell on me to instruct the beginner class again. I was planning on doing horse for a while, longer then the usual minute of each four horse drill. So I decided to do three minutes each. Not to much more. But one of the students kept breaking his stance, and not putting his heart into it. So I said for every time you break stance the class has to stand here for an additional 30 seconds.
When all was said and done, we stood in horse for almost 20 minutes. After words I had them to 50 toe kicks each leg, unicorn stance drills, and then finally we did form. Gung Li. Which I had them do very slow, and corrected each form, and made sure they where all deep, and all around painfully correct. Of coarse I did it as well. I would never ask the class to do something and not do it myself with them. So after class everyones legs where shaking and everyone said it was a great workout. I told this story to the instructor who’s class I covered. To which he said, “You know you are on track to being the hardest and most hated instructor at the school. You have a lot more potential then I do.” Coming from him, the guy who routinely makes us do Iron leg sweeps, and one legged squats. This is quite the compliment.
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Since Saturday I have started working on two new forms. I finished one side of Chin Na 6, and have started working on double edge. I am still bringing my spear with me to every class, as do to the nature of spear, I do not want to take a break from it. As I will be forced to relearn it. Chin Na 6 is very interesting, has a lot of arm locks and presses, but it just end abruptly. Its like there was more to the form, that no one remembers. As for double edge, its very interesting, I think I am going to like it a lot. I am looking forward to buying a new sword so I can practice at home.