I just signed up for the TS course, if my payment went through ok. I am guessing that the entire content will be a secret, as it is something you have to pay for. So I wont be revealing anything, but hopefully some of it still comes across, and I'll share my own ignorance freely.
For anyone interested (closing date for sign up is October 20th):
e-courses
Monday, 13 October 2008
Jiu Jitsu
Today I took my Gi with me to work, carried it around with me all day in the boot of my car. At 5pm I made my way over to where the Jiu Jitsu class was last week. On arriving I found that instead of the smaller 10 people training there was more like 40.
I enjoyed the class, I had too much to think about to really keep a great body being - or at least that's the excuse that I'm letting be there. It was cool though, a chance to practice rolling and breakfalls, I know mine need a whole lot of work. We also did a couple of throw on both sides, an O Goshi and another very similar one. I enjoyed the throws alot, enjoyed being thrown and trying to create an attitude of offering and allowing myself to be thrown, and then popping back up as quick as I could.
We also did some kind of arm trap things, I didn't catch what they called them, kind of he punches you block and turn his arm around and help him towards the ground. These were a lot of fun, using "Ba sic bo" (I probably spelled that wrong) footwork and leading to help them down. Then we did a kind of a block turn and allow to fall thing, this was fun too.
It's always nice to find a bunch of people happy to throw you around and happy to let you do some stuff to them, I spoke to a couple of people about my background too and suggested they google Cheng Hsin, it's too hard to try to describe what it is.
The main things I observed about myself tonight:
I enjoyed the class, I had too much to think about to really keep a great body being - or at least that's the excuse that I'm letting be there. It was cool though, a chance to practice rolling and breakfalls, I know mine need a whole lot of work. We also did a couple of throw on both sides, an O Goshi and another very similar one. I enjoyed the throws alot, enjoyed being thrown and trying to create an attitude of offering and allowing myself to be thrown, and then popping back up as quick as I could.
We also did some kind of arm trap things, I didn't catch what they called them, kind of he punches you block and turn his arm around and help him towards the ground. These were a lot of fun, using "Ba sic bo" (I probably spelled that wrong) footwork and leading to help them down. Then we did a kind of a block turn and allow to fall thing, this was fun too.
It's always nice to find a bunch of people happy to throw you around and happy to let you do some stuff to them, I spoke to a couple of people about my background too and suggested they google Cheng Hsin, it's too hard to try to describe what it is.
The main things I observed about myself tonight:
- I'm still getting afraid before being thrown
- I'm still too upright and not just allowing gravity to take me down
- Things go much better when I smile and create an attitude of welcoming the whole event, the whole experience of being there, rather than 'trying' to 'learn' or 'judge'.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Determination
I've been thinking a lot today about the subject of perseverance and determination, meeting that wall that we face when we can't face training and keeping on going. It really seems like this lies at the crux of so many things, not just training a martial art, but doing the housework or all of life itself. I can't quote because I only heard from a friend, but apparently Peter Ralston said that he isn't more intelligent or more talented than someone else, just more determined.
Even just doing 1 hour of Taiji today in the park when my mind wanted to stop after 45 minutes... Its so easy to give in to the mind which says that's enough and not challenge it. After all the mind is just expressing an opinion and it may not even be a good one. Very often we don't listen to people who give us advice, but we always seem to listen to our own. It seems to me to be a good idea to just keep going, keep training, push past the limits of the mind's opinion.
"I tried to practice as much as I could today" - right there, it feels true to me, but it's not. It's dishonest to myself to suggest that I did as much as I could. But I did some, and crucially I did more than I could have. If I do more than I could have all the time then that would be a good start. I practiced rooting throughout the day, falling into my feet as an object in space and on the ground. I did the aforementioned 60 minutes of Taiji and I noticed a lot of mistakes.
I also visited the Jiu Jitsu club nearby, staying for an hour I watched them breakfalling and rolling. It seemed pretty much ok, a very cold room to train in - with air con even in the winter! A hard floor, but a clean square open room. I plan to go train next week, hopefully get alot out of it. Certainly being there made me feel tremendously motivated to invest some quality time in practice. To do as much as I can at home in private, in the gym, swimming, Taiji every lunchtime at work, and grounding with every step.
It is moments like these that feel so pivotal, I could use the opportunity to do what I love and improve myself. Or slip back into old habits, which are so hard to break without motivation. What I do now is crucial, what I do tomorrow when I wake up is crucial, but I am determined.
Even just doing 1 hour of Taiji today in the park when my mind wanted to stop after 45 minutes... Its so easy to give in to the mind which says that's enough and not challenge it. After all the mind is just expressing an opinion and it may not even be a good one. Very often we don't listen to people who give us advice, but we always seem to listen to our own. It seems to me to be a good idea to just keep going, keep training, push past the limits of the mind's opinion.
"I tried to practice as much as I could today" - right there, it feels true to me, but it's not. It's dishonest to myself to suggest that I did as much as I could. But I did some, and crucially I did more than I could have. If I do more than I could have all the time then that would be a good start. I practiced rooting throughout the day, falling into my feet as an object in space and on the ground. I did the aforementioned 60 minutes of Taiji and I noticed a lot of mistakes.
I also visited the Jiu Jitsu club nearby, staying for an hour I watched them breakfalling and rolling. It seemed pretty much ok, a very cold room to train in - with air con even in the winter! A hard floor, but a clean square open room. I plan to go train next week, hopefully get alot out of it. Certainly being there made me feel tremendously motivated to invest some quality time in practice. To do as much as I can at home in private, in the gym, swimming, Taiji every lunchtime at work, and grounding with every step.
It is moments like these that feel so pivotal, I could use the opportunity to do what I love and improve myself. Or slip back into old habits, which are so hard to break without motivation. What I do now is crucial, what I do tomorrow when I wake up is crucial, but I am determined.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Perseverance
Tonight I had a hard return to Cheng Hsin. There were so many things that I noticed myself doing wrong that it is hard to compose a blog entry under a particular subject. I was holding myself up too much, not allowing myself to just fall. I was tensing when going into a sidestep and slap and not rolling along my shoulders right. I was focusing on the future and not the here and now, and I was too focused on the games and not open enough to possibilities. And that's just what I noticed. Added to this I had someone sidestep and slap into my head, and then proceeded to quite possibly break a toe while playing pressure no pressure.
It would be very easy to see tonight as a setback, a reason to quit or to just sit at the computer and not train. But I do want to persevere, to be able to overcome my own boredom, frustration, procrastination and etc. To do this I want to do more even now after driving home and just wanting to sleep. So, I'll leave it there and go do something now.
It would be very easy to see tonight as a setback, a reason to quit or to just sit at the computer and not train. But I do want to persevere, to be able to overcome my own boredom, frustration, procrastination and etc. To do this I want to do more even now after driving home and just wanting to sleep. So, I'll leave it there and go do something now.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
The Pros and Cons of being a student
I'm now a student again. And for the next 4 years, I'll be in the libraries reading books studying and so forth. Its going to be fun, and I get student discount.
The downside of this new lease of life is that I'm not going to be able to make it to week long Cheng Hsin camps for the next 4 years. The combination of working part time and having my girlfriend living on the otherside of the country. It's a pain but...
On the upside, I just found out that I can study Jiu Jitsu all year long for just £30, and Aikido similarly all year for just £30. The Shaolin Kung Fu club is a bit more expensive at £60 for the year plus £30 for insurance. Apparently Shaolin is more expensive because they do more weapons, and sparring. But anyhow, this all seems to be a great deal to me. Its an opportunity to do 4 years of these martial arts and see how I can be effortlessly effective while I do them.
I look forwards to having some fun.
The downside of this new lease of life is that I'm not going to be able to make it to week long Cheng Hsin camps for the next 4 years. The combination of working part time and having my girlfriend living on the otherside of the country. It's a pain but...
On the upside, I just found out that I can study Jiu Jitsu all year long for just £30, and Aikido similarly all year for just £30. The Shaolin Kung Fu club is a bit more expensive at £60 for the year plus £30 for insurance. Apparently Shaolin is more expensive because they do more weapons, and sparring. But anyhow, this all seems to be a great deal to me. Its an opportunity to do 4 years of these martial arts and see how I can be effortlessly effective while I do them.
I look forwards to having some fun.
Friday, 19 September 2008
T'ui Shou Workshop 30/11/08 (UK)
There is a T'ui Shou workshop planned for the 30th of November organised by Cheng Hsin Cardiff in South Wales (UK). I only just found out about this myself as I haven't been keeping in touch.
The workshop is from 11am to 5pm, at Sully Judo Club.
The trainer will be Kevin Magee.
It will cost only £30.
More details including contact details found here: Cheng Hsin Cardiff
The workshop is from 11am to 5pm, at Sully Judo Club.
The trainer will be Kevin Magee.
It will cost only £30.
More details including contact details found here: Cheng Hsin Cardiff
New classes in Swansea UK
The classes running in Swansea (UK) which used to be just on a Tuesday evening for T'ui Shou and a Thursday evening for boxing have now expanded to include Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 7 hours a week total, is this the most Cheng Hsin you can do in a class in one place outside of Texas?
Details can be found here: Cheng Hsin Swansea Classes
Details can be found here: Cheng Hsin Swansea Classes
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