morgothan’s kung fu repository

Over the past two weeks I have been increasingly focusing on my Shaolin curriculum. This culminated in yesterdays class in which I ran through everything I needed for my Black Sash test and more. I figure if I can maintain the rate I am going now I should be set to test by the end of the month. Then I will focus on Hsing Yi, as I should be able to get my Black Sash in that by the end of October. Then all of November and December to work on Pa Kua. I still am not 100% on being able to do this, but if Sifu is insisting on me getting my Sash is all three styles, the I must give it my all, and not let him or more importantly myself down.

I was recently given the opportunity to spend a year in Germany for work. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but there is a good chance starting January of next year I will be in Germany, and consequently unable to continue my training at China Hand Kung Fu Academy. Because of this Sifu has decided that I “need” to get my black sash prior to me leaving in January. This means that I need to focus entirely on my training, and get ready for the tests. I say tests because although I am most proficient in Shaolin Sifu wants me to test in Shaolin, Hsing Yi, and Pa Kua. This may prove to be one of the most difficult things I will have done at the school. I am confident that I can test for my Black Sash in Shaolin, but I am still a little shaky on Ba Sil, and Ja Sil, from Hsing Yi, and as for Pa Kua, we ll I am shaky on pretty much the entire system. So I will need to focus on them, but I can not let my Shaolin suffer for it. This will be an intense couple of months. My current plan of attack, is to focus entirely on Shaolin in September, and test at the end of the month for my Black Sash, Then Hsing Yi in October, and finally Pa Kua in December. Hopefully I can clean up each system in only a months time. What ever happens this should be an entertaining couple of months.

Yesterday for reason I would rather not get into, I needed a release. I needed to feel. Yesterday also happened to be the last day Shane was going to be at the kwoon before he goes back to college. The two events made it abundantly clear that our fates where to be intertwined. I asked him if he wanted to spar, and I ask one of my instructor to ref the fight. Since Shane didnt have his cup with him, I elected not to throw any kicks, to simply work on hand techniques. The fight was good, it was exactly what I needed, I was able to work out a lot of stress, and I even got thrown to the ground once, giving me the pain or getting hit that I wanted. After about 45 minutes of the sparring session, my left glove ripped from a strong strike to Shane’s cage. This singles the end of the fight. After cleaning up from that, Shane and I did some two person sit ups, passing the bricks back and forth between the two of us. This laster till the end of the intermediate class. The beginner class was about to start, and I still felt like I needed to hurt. I asked Sifu if it was ok to work out the class extra hard, which he of coarse said it was. We also had a new student, which made it all the better. I started out with something simple, horse stance exercise, for about 15 minutes. Then onto 5 minutes of nonstop burpies, then 5 minutes Helen Kellers, Then some stretching, then 5 minutes of sit ups, and ended with kicking drills for everyone. So today my body hurts. I jambed my thumb, my knuckles are cut up, my abs are sore, and my legs are tiered. Yet I still feel like I didnt push myself as hard as I should have. My body needs to be punished. Maybe on thursday when I go to Krav Maga with Tim I will finally get the abuse I deserve.

So as you all know I am in the middle of Dragon Phoenix. The hardest and most complicated form in the entire shaolin curriculum. This week due to unforeseen circumstances I was unable to attend class, and this week coming up I will be in Egypt for work. So in the middle of the form I am forced to take a two week break from training at the kwoon. Well I guess I will just have to kick it into overdrive when I get back if I want to finish this form by the end of the summer.

This week I have been continuing to learn Dragon Phoenix. I am not about 1/3 of the way done with the form from what I have been told. The last line I learned is very crazy, very complicated, and very difficult to do correct. It involves a lot of spinning both the swords around my body in awkward ways, changing direction, and all in all doing things the human body was not meant to do. My shoulders are sore, my wrists hurt, and my legs are getting tired. This form is intense. As soon as I finish it I will try and record it to post it up here. I warn you though, since I will have just finished learning it, the form will more then likely look somewhat sloppy. But I still want to get a recording of it, and if I am going to record it for myself, I mine as well post it.