Sifu and JRRMAS Staff member BL practice Grand Master T. T. Liang’s T’ai-Chi Dance. Sifu is on the receiving side of Part ThreeLesson 1:When practicing, at first go slowly,Concluding your gestures with your whole body ONE unit!pausing slightly as you synchronize your movementsas the Yin/Yang flow and exchangeThe Dance is truly marvelous and infiniteas you learn to SEE with your touch,and not merely your eyes!Lesson 2:The eye is easy to fool, but to fool the touch of a T’ai Chi Ch’uan Master, is very difficult, indeed!Once you know the ‘sequence’ of a solo or two person set, then try practicing with your eyes closed. Remember to meditate on the principles, your balance point and your breathing!Practicing with your eyes closed is an excellent way to practice anything from solo forms to Trapping Hands and Chasing Hands, as well as any of the Pushing Hands and Da Lu variations.
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Bagua Zhang, 1st Yin Fu Set, Change #3
Sifu and JRRMAS Staff members BL and WF practice the third change in the first Yin Fu Set.Lesson 1:Because Bagua Zhang is moving meditation with a focus on correct body mechanics,T’an T’ien breathing The mind is controlling the bodies movements, with low single leg squats for strength and flexibility and standing on one leg for balancetwisting the limbs and trunk for circulation.With all of the ‘principles of Bagua Zhang’ that are going on simultaneously, regular DAILY practice of Bagua Zhang WILL: improve and maintain your overall health and well being!You will become Stronger (in your overall constitution), more apt to be Centered (especially in high stress situations) Calmer in your approach to everyday life More apt to have a positive attitude in general and especially towards life little surprises!Sifu
Modern Arnis Empty Hand Form 2 – Anyo Dalawa
Sifu practices Modern Arnis Empty Hand Form 2 – Anyo DalawaSifu regularly had his Modern Arnis forms corrected by Prof. Presas himself…usually in Sifu’s living room or front yard after one of the East Coast Camps or after one of the many Seminars that Sifu organized for Prof. Presas.Many thanks to Prof. Presas for sharing his art with me! I honor his effort in the most meaningful way I know…. I practice the material!
Sparrow Hop
JRRMAS student helper SM feeds a Side Kick (light) to White Belt RH so that he can practice the ‘Sparrow Hop’. RH holds a body shield and allows the power of SM’s Side Kick to move his body backward by allowing his front foot to replace his back foot. If it’s a really powerful technique the receiver might have to ‘Hop’ back two or three times in rapid succession.Lesson 1:This practice will help the student to develop the ability to ‘see’ the kick coming and study what it looks like when someone kicks at you. He will get the timing, body movement, distancing, and nuance. In normal life we rarely have a kick (or punch) coming at us…and never in a way that we can really study it. So the body shield (and focus pad) holding is invaluable in ‘seeing’ techniques and thus being able to defend against them.Lesson 2:Holding a body shield for kicks and punches will help the student to emotionally acclimatize to the physical feeling of being kicked, without being hurt. The student will slowly gain confidence and will be able to deal with powerful kicks effectively.
World T’ai Chi and Qigong Day April 25, 2009
A couple of photographs that JRRMAS Staff member WF sent me this morning from our Studio’s gathering for World T’ai Chi and Qigong Day this year at Beacon Field in Greenfield .
WF lead the group through the ’round’ of T’ai Chi Ch’uan…..Thanks Wayne!
An amazing story about one of our students!
This week end one of our best young students Scott M. a Green Belt who also assists with the Youth Karate-Do classes, accomplished an amazing feat for a truly worthwhile cause….outstanding Scott! We are all very proud of you. Those of us that have lost loved ones to cancer (my Dad in 1992) are very grateful and appreciative of you and your teammates efforts…..Go Green Wave!
Why they Relay
The Green Wave Team is comprised of current members, alumni, and friends of the Greenfield High School cross-country and track teams. Last year, one of its freshmen, Scott, asked if some of his friends and teammates could form a Relay For Life team to support his mother, Sharon, who was recovering from breast cancer. The cross-country and track teams had experienced devastating losses during the previous year and the athletes understood the importance of his request. Eli and Luke had lost their father,Ken, during the last weekend of the cross-country season and Marcus lost his younger brother, Logan. Ryan learned that the cancer courageously endured by his mother, Mary, was terminal and CJ and Austin supported their mother, Carlene, as she began her battle against breast cancer. Joined by cross-country and track alumni, the team members decided to run every lap of the Relay For Life. Scott and several other members ran the twenty-six miles that constitutes a marathon distance while most ran at least twenty miles. This year, the Green Wave is running in honor of cancer survivors Carlene and Sharon, and in memory of Ken, Logan, and Mary. Like last year, the team plans to run every lap. Parents and alumni will host a spaghetti supper and meeting of hope and remembrance for team members the night before Relay at Greenfield High School. How can one team experience so much loss? This team has spirit, energy and a serious commitment to run every lap in honor and in memory of their loved ones. Be sure to give them applause (and plenty of water) as they run their way to finding a cure! Go Green Wave!
NOTE: REPRINTED from The Relay News June 2009 edition – Thanks Sharon
American Karate-Do, Wallace Roundhouse Kick Exercise
JRRMAS Staff member DG demonstrates his excellent kicking form. This is an exercise I learned from Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace back in the 1980’s and has become an intergral part of the American Karate-Do curriculum for both the Youth and Adult groups. Lesson 1:Doing the kick slowly gives you the best indication of your kicking ability. Your knowledge of the kick will be revealed by going slowly. This knowledge includes:Kicking knee position, Supporting foot position, Hip position, Upper body position Slow kicking will also reveal :Your stretch, Your strength And most importantly your balance. Slow kicking is healthy for practitioners of all Martial Arts and for praticioners of all ages!Slow kicking is a tried and true method that has come down through the ages. Many thanks to Bill Wallace for pointing us in the correct direction!
T’ai Chi Ch’uan – solo form – part 5
Sifu and the morning class practice the solo form. This is what I’m calling Part Five of the solo form from the second Wave Hands Like Clouds to the third Wave Hands Like Clouds.Again this clip uses the music and Grand Master T. T. Liang counting as a training aid.
Tuesday’s Youth Karate-Do Class
A group photograph of the Youth Karate-Do class this past Tuesday. We did an ‘open workout’ where the students have to use their own initiative and creativity. This was an excellent group….hard working, productive and focused. They were inspiring each other, while researching and examining the ‘Art’…. What more could a Teacher look for?
A big congratulations to JS for his recent graduation from High School! All the best luck to you!!
American Karate-Do, Line Work “smoothing out the combination”
JRRMAS Staff member DG talks about smoothing out the combination. DG is the newest American Karate-Do Black Belt. He was promoted in January of this year and is doing an excellent job with the programs that he is helping with on Staff. He is currently involved with the Little Dragons, Youth Karate-Do and Adult Karate-Do programs. DG is often seen hosting free-sparring clinics/sessions after classes on Monday and Thursday evening. He is having very positive effect overall on the three Karate programs at the Studio.Coming up shortly, I’ll be posting a video clip of DG practicing/demonstrating the ‘Wallace’ slow Roundhouse Kick exercise….stay tuned as his skill and ability in kicking is truly remarkable!Lesson 1:When the Cross (rear hand) retracts, it’s like pulling on a lever that drives the rear knee up for the Front Kick. In a combination the moment the first technique starts to retract the next one starts it’s journey to the target and as that new one starts retracting, it set’s the next technique into motion and so on…… Smoothing out the relationship between the techniques in the combination. Feints and fakes and minor timing changes (broken motion) can also be added to the combination to increase the chances of creating an opening that you can take advantage of.