After Sunday training, which was working on a nice technique for opening up a guard and then some form work, I managed to catch up with M at the Pen. It is good to know bar people... I also happened to come across my SCA household, Quinteria, (ender long story here about what Quinteria is within the bla, bla who really wants to know). So needless to say, my friends in garb were surprised to see me and there was much fun catching up.
The result on this is that I have now got people willing to come out to my place and have a yurt making session! Yea, my misery will have company, not to mention help! There is something magical to having a yurt however. It is a portable house with an instant sense of history. There are somewhere pictures of my yurt n its full glory but I don't know where they are. For a guide, my yurt is 6m across and 3m high in the center, it has a green canvas roof and will have a red gum door frame. Inside there is space to safely have a fire and separate areas for dining, sleeping and relaxing. Not bad for a fancy tent!
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Wine and Cheese
Saturday night was Styley's wine and cheese night and what a night it was. There was a heap of people there (for the space) which was great! Lots of whine and cheese and even a 4 shiraz tasting comp, aim, guessing the price order of four bottles of wine. We were told that the prices were about $5, $10, $15 and $20. It was an interesting result, all but one put the most expensive wine as the worst. It may have been that it was the youngest, and was meant to be cellared, it may have been because it was over priced. The one person who got the more correct order of anyone else had never drunk wine before, also interesting.
Another interesting point of the evening was it was the first time I had been in the same place with Xiao Ma in social company, it was painful... The worst thing was she acted the same as she always had, but I wasn't in the same place... so when she was casually flirting with other people, I was slowly/inwardly, going insane. We talked the next day, I got a lot of things out, we still get on, I am still not happy... The party was great however, and there are pics avail at here
Another interesting point of the evening was it was the first time I had been in the same place with Xiao Ma in social company, it was painful... The worst thing was she acted the same as she always had, but I wasn't in the same place... so when she was casually flirting with other people, I was slowly/inwardly, going insane. We talked the next day, I got a lot of things out, we still get on, I am still not happy... The party was great however, and there are pics avail at here
Monday 25 June 2007
星期六的课 and soccer.
This lesson was preceded by gong into town to buy mu Chinese tutor soccer boots! At the request of his uncle, we were going into town to buy soccer boots and clothes with $100. It didn't make too much sense to either of us as I have posted under the title Soccer all the times that he has played in the last ten years! If you check the logs his boots haven't caused any problems at all! Anyway we went and boots and ball were bought though no clothes as they were too expensive on our budget. This meant that when we went to training we had a brand new soccer ball and boots to trial. It was the first time in about 4 years that I have kicked such an object and nothing much has changed, after half an hour I am still good to kick on but my partners are tired of running.
So once warmed up with ball kicking, students started to arrive. Most of the lesson was devoted to forms and their brake down. The focus of this was on loading up a punch to be powered by the legs. I did this by pairing off people and getting one to push (punch) and one to resist. The pusher took a cat stance as low as possible allowing their weight to be carried by their standing leg only. The resister would then smother the pushing hand of their partner and apply as much force as necessary/possible to help their partner direct their force, up, out, and under their partners center of gravity.
I then put this into a technique/response to a left right boxers attack.
Many spills and thrills were had.
So once warmed up with ball kicking, students started to arrive. Most of the lesson was devoted to forms and their brake down. The focus of this was on loading up a punch to be powered by the legs. I did this by pairing off people and getting one to push (punch) and one to resist. The pusher took a cat stance as low as possible allowing their weight to be carried by their standing leg only. The resister would then smother the pushing hand of their partner and apply as much force as necessary/possible to help their partner direct their force, up, out, and under their partners center of gravity.
I then put this into a technique/response to a left right boxers attack.
Many spills and thrills were had.
Sunday 24 June 2007
A dinner with a difference!
Friday night I took out two of my tutors. One of the BeiJing JingCha and my Engineering student tutor. It was an interesting dinner. We went to Lisboa in Woden, it was interesting to see two Chinese people eat dips and bread. Not the normal fare on the mainland of China! I decided to order the dips because after 10 minutes of explanation I couldn't get across exactly what hummus was. They don't teach abut chick peas in professional English at university in China it seems. For dinner we had a series of starters, mostly finger food as it covered the greatest number of categories of "food never before seen". I then learned that Chinese don't usually eat with their fingers in fact it can make them quite uncomfortable, though not so bad they chose to starve.
While we ate there was the usual conversation about this and that, only all in Chinese! Of what I could hear however I was able to understand about %60! I was chuffed. This was mostly because the get to know you chit chat is a large focus of what I have learned all semester. It was good to know that I have learned a useful set of vocab!
While we ate there was the usual conversation about this and that, only all in Chinese! Of what I could hear however I was able to understand about %60! I was chuffed. This was mostly because the get to know you chit chat is a large focus of what I have learned all semester. It was good to know that I have learned a useful set of vocab!
Monkey King!
Thursday night I found myself at a loss. I had three and a half hours till the start of class and I didn't want to go home and waste a heap of petrol. So I ended up going to see Hou at the Cha Guan. It was good, though as seems to be usual he was on his way out. This time he was going to the Asian Book-room to serve tea at a book reading of the Monkey King. (the text that became a tv series ages ago). Though I hadn't read the book I enjoyed myself greatly. I was able to contribute due to my Chinese philosophy teaching through martial arts and my knowledge of the series shown on the ABC. The only problem was that the reading/reviewing went on for a couple of hours longer than I thought it would, and I had promised dinner to Hou to go through some of what has been going onto me the past couple of weeks.
This meant that I basically missed training. I wasn't happy about this but there are certain people who need to know what is going on with me for my benefit so when I get a chance to tell them I feel it is prudent to do so.
Over dinner (jellyfish, followed by fried jiaozi and shang tung chicken then Singaporean fish) we chatted about out plans for the future, looking at food, tea, industrial materials and other things. It was good to catch up properly. The upshot of this meeting is a tea tasting scheduled for the 7th of July! It will be good. I am going to Sydney next weekend and will also be able to get some more tea stuff in then.
This meant that I basically missed training. I wasn't happy about this but there are certain people who need to know what is going on with me for my benefit so when I get a chance to tell them I feel it is prudent to do so.
Over dinner (jellyfish, followed by fried jiaozi and shang tung chicken then Singaporean fish) we chatted about out plans for the future, looking at food, tea, industrial materials and other things. It was good to catch up properly. The upshot of this meeting is a tea tasting scheduled for the 7th of July! It will be good. I am going to Sydney next weekend and will also be able to get some more tea stuff in then.
Wednesday 20 June 2007
星期三的课
Suprise!
On arriving at training I was greeted by a very familiar face, 阿蛇 was standing at the gate to welcome me. He is my senior student that I haven't seen in a while because of life issues that kept him away and then he suffered an attack of cognitive dissentience that made training impossible for him to continue until his circumstances changed. I don't know if they have yet changed enough but having him turn up at the hall was a good sign if ever I saw one. He stayed for tea and left when I started class, but it was good to see him again.
I used this lesson to expand some of the material taught in the course into different applications and principles. Alternative ways to get to some of the same points, using some of the principles frequently taught by the Shifu Dave of BFD at the yearly multy style camp, organized by Bai Long Zai Xia and Shifu Dave.
On arriving at training I was greeted by a very familiar face, 阿蛇 was standing at the gate to welcome me. He is my senior student that I haven't seen in a while because of life issues that kept him away and then he suffered an attack of cognitive dissentience that made training impossible for him to continue until his circumstances changed. I don't know if they have yet changed enough but having him turn up at the hall was a good sign if ever I saw one. He stayed for tea and left when I started class, but it was good to see him again.
I used this lesson to expand some of the material taught in the course into different applications and principles. Alternative ways to get to some of the same points, using some of the principles frequently taught by the Shifu Dave of BFD at the yearly multy style camp, organized by Bai Long Zai Xia and Shifu Dave.
How cool is this guy!
I have recently started listening to a lot of Ben Kweller, and I came across this clip about 5 minutes ago.
When was the last time you saw a performer walking through an audience because there wasn't a sufficient stage?
When was the last time you saw a performer walking through an audience because there wasn't a sufficient stage?
星期一的课
The majority of this course was devoted to course revision. Went over forms and pressure points that were discussed and put some of them into practice.
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Finished My Exam! First Semester OVER!
Think I went well, will find out after exam release date... Will post again then! (on this topic).
Monday 18 June 2007
六月十七日的课
Bai Long day course,
Was a good course. It had some good techniques and some new methods of getting to pressure points that I liked, learned two new forms Hung 1 and Hung 2 and had a great time. One of my followers on the path of Gong Fu Cha brought along a set and we partook in some quite enjoyable Tie Guan Yin at the lunch time break (for me between grading one of my students and cutting sticks for techniques later in the day). A good time was had by all. Grading was successful! I now have another white sash!
What I can post about however is the dinner after the event, not a great big event only 5 of us chose to kick on (I had planned to organize it but I was studying). It was a great meal with good company. I have pictures!
The top three are the food after some attacking on the first and last. We were at a SiChuan restaurant, that serves very nice traditional food.
The first is the remainder of Chilly Chicken, 4 different kinds of chilly with 3 different peppers and carraway seeds very nice, quite hot the chilly was flamed so had a caramel characteristic to the flavor. V. nice will order again. Next on the order is SiChuan Beef. Not as hot as I would like but it the spices were quite strong. However they didn't interfere with the flavor so much you couldn't taste the meat. The third was sliced pork in hot pot. It was a lovely broth with a good texture of vegies to balance the fall apart in you mouth meat. Was a very good meal.
These three are of us! The first two are three of my students who came along, the one in the middle graded that day. The last is of me and one of Bai Long Zai Xia's students, who brought along the Gong Fu Cha to the course.
The evening ended at my place over more cha and Gong Fu (general) talk!
I might expand this post to detail some of what we learned but not so as a guide to teach anything, I don't do that over the web, not good practice in my mind.
Was a good course. It had some good techniques and some new methods of getting to pressure points that I liked, learned two new forms Hung 1 and Hung 2 and had a great time. One of my followers on the path of Gong Fu Cha brought along a set and we partook in some quite enjoyable Tie Guan Yin at the lunch time break (for me between grading one of my students and cutting sticks for techniques later in the day). A good time was had by all. Grading was successful! I now have another white sash!
What I can post about however is the dinner after the event, not a great big event only 5 of us chose to kick on (I had planned to organize it but I was studying). It was a great meal with good company. I have pictures!
The top three are the food after some attacking on the first and last. We were at a SiChuan restaurant, that serves very nice traditional food.
The first is the remainder of Chilly Chicken, 4 different kinds of chilly with 3 different peppers and carraway seeds very nice, quite hot the chilly was flamed so had a caramel characteristic to the flavor. V. nice will order again. Next on the order is SiChuan Beef. Not as hot as I would like but it the spices were quite strong. However they didn't interfere with the flavor so much you couldn't taste the meat. The third was sliced pork in hot pot. It was a lovely broth with a good texture of vegies to balance the fall apart in you mouth meat. Was a very good meal.
These three are of us! The first two are three of my students who came along, the one in the middle graded that day. The last is of me and one of Bai Long Zai Xia's students, who brought along the Gong Fu Cha to the course.
The evening ended at my place over more cha and Gong Fu (general) talk!
I might expand this post to detail some of what we learned but not so as a guide to teach anything, I don't do that over the web, not good practice in my mind.
星期三和星期六的课
These classes were basics classes, aimed at getting a couple of people ready to grade, at the course the next day. For methods etc, see previous lessons.
Basics are so much fun!
Basics are so much fun!
It doesn't hurt to ask.
Friday night, no real plans... I have run out of white tea I'll stop at the Canberra center and cruse around and see what pick up at the tea shop (not the one I usually go to as it was out of bai cha also at last check).
Well I went to Dendy and checked out what movies were playing, did this and that finally decided to go by the tea shop...
While closely examining some yixing tea pots I heard a voice from behind me talking in Chinese... to me... That doesn't happen to me very much, who...
I turned around and saw who it was. It was another Chinese student, from third year (I am first) who I met when I was invited to a Chinese 5 class to make up for a public holiday. I had seen her around campus since then but haven't exchanged anything but polite nods or recognition etc. Seeing her here was quite a surprise, I went over and chatted to her for a while talked about the pots (over priced and inconsistent in quality) and China etc... It was a nice discussion. Then I left.
The encounter stuck in my mind... having recently parted ways with 小马 I am on the "lookout" for people of the opposite gender to spend time with. The very reason that my friend M and her girlfriend are the first that I contacted when the parting happened. I like female company, I don't get enough of it. The problem being that I don't have many female friends, I have male friends and I have done stuff with them it's not quite the same though. So this encounter stuck in my mind, I was planning to go out again that night, probably to a knightsbridge or somewhere similar see what was doing on the town dance a little come home and study. However I kept coming back to the tea shop and finally decided to go back and ask her out. It has been 9 years since I have asked someone out, it was a challenge. But I decided that it would be a challenge that would be good for me, the best part was that I didn't really care if she said no. I barley knew her from Eve, I had met her once and seen her around a couple of times. All that I knew was that she had in an interest in Chinese culture and Chinese tea. That would do for a start, GO!
So now that I was home I had a shower and washed work off me, dressed up a very little and headed out again. I found a park went down and did the deed.
She said no, sorry I am seeing someone... (I did see her at a cafe the other day with a couple of other people but nothing definite)
I said; Oh... Not to matter, could I have 100g of long jing please... (I had forgotten that I used the last of that also).
Well not at all heart broken I wend and saw a movie, "The Italian" looked alright. I didn't feel like going out clubbing straight after asking someone out, made the though of the act feel kinda' cheap, which I don't think it was. Movie was good, had a glass of wine before hand to celebrate the asking out of a lady, as a sign of a new era of my life beginning. I had been with 小马 for almost 9 years ended as well as it could, she left to free herself and also in her opinion me. I didn't want to split and still don't but I now understand enough to start to move on. This was a very good sign that I am getting back on track.
Well I went to Dendy and checked out what movies were playing, did this and that finally decided to go by the tea shop...
While closely examining some yixing tea pots I heard a voice from behind me talking in Chinese... to me... That doesn't happen to me very much, who...
I turned around and saw who it was. It was another Chinese student, from third year (I am first) who I met when I was invited to a Chinese 5 class to make up for a public holiday. I had seen her around campus since then but haven't exchanged anything but polite nods or recognition etc. Seeing her here was quite a surprise, I went over and chatted to her for a while talked about the pots (over priced and inconsistent in quality) and China etc... It was a nice discussion. Then I left.
The encounter stuck in my mind... having recently parted ways with 小马 I am on the "lookout" for people of the opposite gender to spend time with. The very reason that my friend M and her girlfriend are the first that I contacted when the parting happened. I like female company, I don't get enough of it. The problem being that I don't have many female friends, I have male friends and I have done stuff with them it's not quite the same though. So this encounter stuck in my mind, I was planning to go out again that night, probably to a knightsbridge or somewhere similar see what was doing on the town dance a little come home and study. However I kept coming back to the tea shop and finally decided to go back and ask her out. It has been 9 years since I have asked someone out, it was a challenge. But I decided that it would be a challenge that would be good for me, the best part was that I didn't really care if she said no. I barley knew her from Eve, I had met her once and seen her around a couple of times. All that I knew was that she had in an interest in Chinese culture and Chinese tea. That would do for a start, GO!
So now that I was home I had a shower and washed work off me, dressed up a very little and headed out again. I found a park went down and did the deed.
She said no, sorry I am seeing someone... (I did see her at a cafe the other day with a couple of other people but nothing definite)
I said; Oh... Not to matter, could I have 100g of long jing please... (I had forgotten that I used the last of that also).
Well not at all heart broken I wend and saw a movie, "The Italian" looked alright. I didn't feel like going out clubbing straight after asking someone out, made the though of the act feel kinda' cheap, which I don't think it was. Movie was good, had a glass of wine before hand to celebrate the asking out of a lady, as a sign of a new era of my life beginning. I had been with 小马 for almost 9 years ended as well as it could, she left to free herself and also in her opinion me. I didn't want to split and still don't but I now understand enough to start to move on. This was a very good sign that I am getting back on track.
Thursday 14 June 2007
小猫喝很多酒
This event was going to start at7:30 ish, so I decided to turn up at about 8, I had some things to do and wanted to also eat etc and relax on my own as I had not been alone for a while. I sad down and went over some characters etc and then... again... this time I couldn't stand, I was stuck in my seat... Not...Happy!!!
I kind of fell onto the table and then used my arms to straighten, as at this time I valued mobility more than anything. I went and did some stretches etc to no avail, I did some exercises, to no avail. I found all the liniments that I thought would help and went and lay down on a hard surface...
...1/4 a tube of deep heat later...
I can move!, oh wait hold that thought... no, no I can't...
...2/4 a tube of deep heat later...
I'm doing it, I'm really doing it!
Stretch... *CRACK*
Stretch... *CLUNK*
Stretch... *Click*
AHHHHhhhhhhhh...
So where is this place...
There was a plan at this party to get one of my nearing (17 3/4yo) adulthood students experienced with alcohol. This didn't seem to be a very bad thing. He was in consent, and had someone I though keeping him under control.
When I got there I found I was wrong. The person in control (100kg ish) had given him (60kg ish) the same amount of alcohol as he had had himself. When I turned up, there was a problem.
So I spent most of the night keeping 小猫 out of danger of injuring himself or others. Others mostly or property eg falling into a plasterboard wall and leaving a hole. This didn't happen but it was a pretty sure thing at one stage.
But in spite of this, I did have a good time got to talk with many of my students in a different environment and also got to meet (better) some of their other halves. Another good night well had, by some more than others perhaps. Monday's class, 小猫 couldn't remember much of what happened though there is enough phone video he knows it was... interesting.
I kind of fell onto the table and then used my arms to straighten, as at this time I valued mobility more than anything. I went and did some stretches etc to no avail, I did some exercises, to no avail. I found all the liniments that I thought would help and went and lay down on a hard surface...
...1/4 a tube of deep heat later...
I can move!, oh wait hold that thought... no, no I can't...
...2/4 a tube of deep heat later...
I'm doing it, I'm really doing it!
Stretch... *CRACK*
Stretch... *CLUNK*
Stretch... *Click*
AHHHHhhhhhhhh...
So where is this place...
There was a plan at this party to get one of my nearing (17 3/4yo) adulthood students experienced with alcohol. This didn't seem to be a very bad thing. He was in consent, and had someone I though keeping him under control.
When I got there I found I was wrong. The person in control (100kg ish) had given him (60kg ish) the same amount of alcohol as he had had himself. When I turned up, there was a problem.
So I spent most of the night keeping 小猫 out of danger of injuring himself or others. Others mostly or property eg falling into a plasterboard wall and leaving a hole. This didn't happen but it was a pretty sure thing at one stage.
But in spite of this, I did have a good time got to talk with many of my students in a different environment and also got to meet (better) some of their other halves. Another good night well had, by some more than others perhaps. Monday's class, 小猫 couldn't remember much of what happened though there is enough phone video he knows it was... interesting.
Uralba Open
The event of the year if you are my of my Father's generation. On the Queen's Birthday long weekend my Uncle holds a golf tournament on his farm. It is a good day though usually miserable weather. I have been mostly absent for the last 10 years for one reason or another. Last year was the first time I had been back and for that matter seen most of my Fathers side of the family for about 10 years. I also wasn't there for too long. I arrived at 11pm ish and left the next morning reasonably early. It was a good night.
This year I went out with my tutor. I saw this as a good opportunity for him to learn about Australian families and especially good for him to experience genuine Aussie slang. I don't use slang normally in my every day speech, partly because I work at a university partly because I find it cumbersome to have to repeat myself at ant time. This makes it hard for me to talk to my Chinese tutor in common slang as I just can't think of it unless it is coming at me. He also learned a little about golf. After a while he even got the ball going further than the stick. It was strange to me to see someone who had never played golf before as I grew up with a seasonally adjusted set of clubs from 3/4 -15. I played a little...
After this I took my tutor home and went back home myself to prepare for my next event.
Then getting out of the car... it... did... it... again...
This year I went out with my tutor. I saw this as a good opportunity for him to learn about Australian families and especially good for him to experience genuine Aussie slang. I don't use slang normally in my every day speech, partly because I work at a university partly because I find it cumbersome to have to repeat myself at ant time. This makes it hard for me to talk to my Chinese tutor in common slang as I just can't think of it unless it is coming at me. He also learned a little about golf. After a while he even got the ball going further than the stick. It was strange to me to see someone who had never played golf before as I grew up with a seasonally adjusted set of clubs from 3/4 -15. I played a little...
After this I took my tutor home and went back home myself to prepare for my next event.
Then getting out of the car... it... did... it... again...
Good night well had.
Getting back to my weekend posts!
Saturday class has been posted, what was not mentioned is that from there I went home and about 30 minutes of cleaning and packing I was off and en route to LongZaiXia's house. I had 4 swords, one walking stick, three bottles of single malt whiskey's and a Chinese chess set.
So I went helped with some house work (hanging a cabinet and sanding a door frame), trained read, watched telly and played chess. It was a good night. Oh and for those who were interested, the Glenlevet 15yr French oak was quite nice, though would have loved to have tasted the 18yr FO I think it would be much fuller. Though as a lover of Islay whiskey Speysides are almost always going to have an element of that.
There was a down side to the night, I slept very soundly that evening, though the bed on which I slept was out to get me. I woke up fine, did some more training, fiddled with this and that but when I got into my car to leave I felt a twitch... in... my... back...
It was awful, but once in my car it went down and seemed to settle. I went and picked up my tutor and went home to study. Got out of the car... there... again... Straightened up stretched a little, seemed to settle down. For a while all was well.
Saturday class has been posted, what was not mentioned is that from there I went home and about 30 minutes of cleaning and packing I was off and en route to LongZaiXia's house. I had 4 swords, one walking stick, three bottles of single malt whiskey's and a Chinese chess set.
So I went helped with some house work (hanging a cabinet and sanding a door frame), trained read, watched telly and played chess. It was a good night. Oh and for those who were interested, the Glenlevet 15yr French oak was quite nice, though would have loved to have tasted the 18yr FO I think it would be much fuller. Though as a lover of Islay whiskey Speysides are almost always going to have an element of that.
There was a down side to the night, I slept very soundly that evening, though the bed on which I slept was out to get me. I woke up fine, did some more training, fiddled with this and that but when I got into my car to leave I felt a twitch... in... my... back...
It was awful, but once in my car it went down and seemed to settle. I went and picked up my tutor and went home to study. Got out of the car... there... again... Straightened up stretched a little, seemed to settle down. For a while all was well.
Styley, Geekman & Who
Had a wonderfull night last Friday. Finished work then rode* over to Styley and Geekman's as I haven't seen them in a while Styley having been in NZ for weeks. Catch up was good, a lot has happened since I saw them last and home baked lazania was great. After dinner we wondered off to the shops to buy filling for muffins or "muff'n stuffin' " as I now like to call it. DEM' WAS GOOD! I don't know how much of what was used but one had cherries (out of jar with a nice sauce) and the other had rum, rum and rum soaked rasins! As seems to be usual in the Geek house they were a compramize of methods from two experienced muffin geeks/Geeks. I am asking Styley here if she has any photo's of the muffins we made, porbably not but just in case... If not might have to make some more tomorrow!
This was followed by drinking... you guessed it rum (it made me want to watch Pirates 1 again... alot) but finally I turned to my usual wet nurse, whiskey, while being visually stimulated by Dr WHO. It was a good night. Followed by a morning of eating muffins and drinking filtered french vanilla coffee.
*I got to park my bike downstairs in the locked underground carpark, not that great in its self but I love riding out of those things, is soo coool... (ok over it now... kinda)
This was followed by drinking... you guessed it rum (it made me want to watch Pirates 1 again... alot) but finally I turned to my usual wet nurse, whiskey, while being visually stimulated by Dr WHO. It was a good night. Followed by a morning of eating muffins and drinking filtered french vanilla coffee.
*I got to park my bike downstairs in the locked underground carpark, not that great in its self but I love riding out of those things, is soo coool... (ok over it now... kinda)
Tuesday 12 June 2007
星期一的课
Even though I only taught the technique to one student this lesson was about how to through "broom" sweeps. These techniques are quite effective and fun to use however it is very easy to fall on your butt and get pounded even if you take the balance of your opponent! Because of this the techniques I taught were aimed at being able to defend yourself while you are falling on your butt and using the change in level to your advantage. The main points of which were being able to control where you land and keeping your self guarded.
Some of the other things mentioned were things like "don't do this unless you slip etc or you are in the ring as it is hard to escape if you're on the ground" and "get up as soon as you can if you do find yourself here in real life as you're better winning by 100m than any other way" I think you get the idea.
Some of the other things mentioned were things like "don't do this unless you slip etc or you are in the ring as it is hard to escape if you're on the ground" and "get up as soon as you can if you do find yourself here in real life as you're better winning by 100m than any other way" I think you get the idea.
星期六的课
Form focus lesson.
This lesson I picked apart the way people were doing certain techniques in the beginning forms. I didn't go into great detail about why I wanted them to work on the moves that I was correcting beyond that they were doing them wrong. I gave them the corrections and set them to repetition drills working on the problem moves. This might seem like a less productive way for students to learn but there is a natural order of things, and a reason for its existence. Bai Long Quan has a strong tradition of forms, they are the core of what we teach. We learn many different forms some form other styles most (in my branch) original. The idea behind learning the forms is to better understand how to use the moves that we teach. There are at least a three levels involved in this. There is the direct application, indirect application and what may be called the incidental application.
The direct application is straight forward, the punch is a punch, the block is a block this is taught to beginners. The indirect application, which becomes a little more abstract, it might be use the block as a strike, and the stance as a kick. Then finally the incidental application, this becomes harder to recognize again, here you might use a stance to grapple and a punch to block. To make it more interesting, all these different types of moves and different combinations may be taught initially as one technique (with direct application only). Usually the more simplistic a move seems, the more interpretations can be made from it, because basics are at the heart of techniques.
To keep all the levels, the forms have to be learned in a standard way. The students need to learn the coordination of the basics before they can be situationally adjusted to take on new meanings. This requires each of the moves is to be done in a specific way, usually the most basic form. This allows the students to progress their knowledge naturally. Developing the coordination and understanding of technique until they can change the circumstances and application of the moves to reveal more refined interpretation.
As an example of different levels of interpretation one move I focussed on was one where you drop into a stance while moving to your left from standing position, doing two blocks as you land, one to the left and one to the right.
The first level of this might be moving away from one attacker to block a technique using distance to give you an advantage and toward another attacker to block a technique gaining advantage by charging down the attack.
The second level might be using the blocks to attack, possibly two attackers possibly one. The The third level might focus on the subtle balance changes to used to start the movement that disguise you intentions until you are in a position to act.
The idea of the three levels here is that you can thing about the first one without needing to think about the second or third level and they are still there but you can absorb them in your own time. Once you're savvy with the blocks, you're free to think about what else they could be.
This lesson I picked apart the way people were doing certain techniques in the beginning forms. I didn't go into great detail about why I wanted them to work on the moves that I was correcting beyond that they were doing them wrong. I gave them the corrections and set them to repetition drills working on the problem moves. This might seem like a less productive way for students to learn but there is a natural order of things, and a reason for its existence. Bai Long Quan has a strong tradition of forms, they are the core of what we teach. We learn many different forms some form other styles most (in my branch) original. The idea behind learning the forms is to better understand how to use the moves that we teach. There are at least a three levels involved in this. There is the direct application, indirect application and what may be called the incidental application.
The direct application is straight forward, the punch is a punch, the block is a block this is taught to beginners. The indirect application, which becomes a little more abstract, it might be use the block as a strike, and the stance as a kick. Then finally the incidental application, this becomes harder to recognize again, here you might use a stance to grapple and a punch to block. To make it more interesting, all these different types of moves and different combinations may be taught initially as one technique (with direct application only). Usually the more simplistic a move seems, the more interpretations can be made from it, because basics are at the heart of techniques.
To keep all the levels, the forms have to be learned in a standard way. The students need to learn the coordination of the basics before they can be situationally adjusted to take on new meanings. This requires each of the moves is to be done in a specific way, usually the most basic form. This allows the students to progress their knowledge naturally. Developing the coordination and understanding of technique until they can change the circumstances and application of the moves to reveal more refined interpretation.
As an example of different levels of interpretation one move I focussed on was one where you drop into a stance while moving to your left from standing position, doing two blocks as you land, one to the left and one to the right.
The first level of this might be moving away from one attacker to block a technique using distance to give you an advantage and toward another attacker to block a technique gaining advantage by charging down the attack.
The second level might be using the blocks to attack, possibly two attackers possibly one. The The third level might focus on the subtle balance changes to used to start the movement that disguise you intentions until you are in a position to act.
The idea of the three levels here is that you can thing about the first one without needing to think about the second or third level and they are still there but you can absorb them in your own time. Once you're savvy with the blocks, you're free to think about what else they could be.
Friday 8 June 2007
NJ said
Thanks NJ!
I can't believe that I didn't notice these earlier, but to be honest I haven't looked back over what I have written for a while and not in detail since I posted it.
So to add the corrections.
我今年我是二十五岁。我想我应该生大学。 现在我在(because it shuld come before the location)国立大学学习。我(still need the 学?)的 专业汉语。我有四位老师。我还有三个中国朋友。他们帮助我学习汉语。 他们跟我学习英国。我也教他们功夫茶。 他们都很景气我懂功夫茶。他们都来自 中国北方，不懂功夫茶。
I can't believe that I didn't notice these earlier, but to be honest I haven't looked back over what I have written for a while and not in detail since I posted it.
So to add the corrections.
我今年我是二十五岁。我想我应该生大学。 现在我在(because it shuld come before the location)国立大学学习。我(still need the 学?)的 专业汉语。我有四位老师。我还有三个中国朋友。他们帮助我学习汉语。 他们跟我学习英国。我也教他们功夫茶。 他们都很景气我懂功夫茶。他们都来自 中国北方，不懂功夫茶。
Thursday 7 June 2007
星期三的课
The main aim of this class was to build sensitivity in peoples arms. However I started with a great exercise called 1000 punches. This is where you punch as fast as you can for 1 minute, then take a minute break, then punch again for 1 minute then rest for another minute... Do this 5 times. When I do this, I use a set of four punches to count as one, head head, body body, for example would be one, then I aim to do at least 50 in one minute, doing this 5 times, 1000 punches. Good fun, one dayI will try it with kicks...
The sensitivity drills I will explain another time.
The sensitivity drills I will explain another time.
Monday 4 June 2007
Appreciate it and it is good.
Appreciation, a state of happiness. I have been thinking lately, have had lots of reasons to think. I have recently decided that in order to be content you need to be able to appreciate anything, and everything. If you can do this then you can find value in any situation and effectively never be disappointed. There is not limit to this theory, even if you disagree with something if you can see the benefit of it (and there is always one, feel free to test me) then it can't be all bad so it must be some good and there fore good for something and so appreciated to some degree. It does go in reverse, and it is easier to go in reverse as you don't need as good a reason. "I don't like it" will be very hard to argue with when someone is of that opinion. Even if you can see the benefit in what they don't like. Governments have used this logic for many years to justify wars. And a lot of good has come from wars, medical techniques, engineering developments, transport methods, many recreational drugs, (goes both ways I guess, so I am not a user) sharing of culture, sharing of common goals. There is nothing like a war to bring countries together. (sigh...)
星期一的课
Today's lesson was another basics lesson. I taught a Shotokan 8 directional punching drill, and went through the finer points of it, and then went onto forms. With warm-ups that was all I taught. It was a good lesson, great detail was discovered. Such as how the forms teach you how to balance your movement in order to apply techniques in different directions. Also, how when you let hard techniques flow they instantly become useful to all you training; internal, external, hard and soft.
The principle of the lesson. Examine what you are doing to find its true purpose.
The goal of the teacher. Practice your forms!
The principle of the lesson. Examine what you are doing to find its true purpose.
The goal of the teacher. Practice your forms!
汉语课文
Corrected version of exercise, I have been given these corrections by word only not on the page so I don't know if they are all in how they should be.
我今年十二十五岁。我想我应该生大学。现在我国立大学在学习。我的是专业汉语。我有四位老师。我还有三个中国朋友。他们帮助我学习汉语。他们还跟我学习英语。 我也教他们功夫茶。他们都很景气我懂共复查。他们都是从中国北房，不懂共复查。
我今年十二十五岁。我想我应该生大学。现在我国立大学在学习。我的是专业汉语。我有四位老师。我还有三个中国朋友。他们帮助我学习汉语。他们还跟我学习英语。 我也教他们功夫茶。他们都很景气我懂共复查。他们都是从中国北房，不懂共复查。
Will be the only one dancing!
Next week I have decided to go to knightsbridge, for the funk night. If I am in the mood I am in tonight I think I will dance a hole in the floor... solo! Last week there were two people dancing, or one dancing and one taking up more floor space than allowed, next week I think I will try to get a dance atmosphere by dragging along some dancers. I wish me luck!
再见！
再见！
Sunday 3 June 2007
I'm not only dancing!
Study is frutile while listing to the White Stripes. Frutile being the unlikely combination of fruitful and futile. While I go get up and dance I am going back and forth between the table and the dictionary. I am practicing my 100 word composition for my final exam on the 19th. I decided to leave the bag with my study stuff at work over the weekend as I wanted to free my mind from the guilt that it makes me feel and work in a free form, making up sentences using any words I wanted not just the vocab that I have been given. This means that I explore different structures and formations not yet covered by the text.
This is one example of a 100 character paragraph that I have written. For my 朋友老师 please correct anything you see in the comments or via e-mail. Otherwise I will come and ask you anyway!
我今年是二十五岁。 我想了我应该开学作学院。 现在我学习在国立大学。 我的专业是汉语。
我有四位老师。 我也有三个中国朋友。 他们帮助我学习哈眼汉语。 他们也跟我学习英国
我也教他们功夫。 他们都很惊诧我们 很惊诧我知道功夫茶。 他们都是从北芳中国来，不行功夫茶。
I don't know how bad this is (or good) as I am using a different language structure to what I have mostly practiced. I figure if I use the most confusing language to me then I will learn the most, and better prepare for my exam.
Look in the comments for my mark (I hope).
This is one example of a 100 character paragraph that I have written. For my 朋友老师 please correct anything you see in the comments or via e-mail. Otherwise I will come and ask you anyway!
我今年是二十五岁。 我想了我应该开学作学院。 现在我学习在国立大学。 我的专业是汉语。
我有四位老师。 我也有三个中国朋友。 他们帮助我学习哈眼汉语。 他们也跟我学习英国
我也教他们功夫。 他们都很惊诧我们 很惊诧我知道功夫茶。 他们都是从北芳中国来，不行功夫茶。
I don't know how bad this is (or good) as I am using a different language structure to what I have mostly practiced. I figure if I use the most confusing language to me then I will learn the most, and better prepare for my exam.
Look in the comments for my mark (I hope).
祝贺！
A couple of things to go into this post, one birthday, one death, one year in Australia.
In order of appearance.
一姐 turned 17 on the 23rd, there was a party which was great while was there, but apparently turned bad some time after I left.
上星期三 白天龙 passed away. I like to mark this occasion as it reminds the students of where the style has come from and makes them think about what it means to be a part of the Bai Long Quan family. I think it is a good feeling to have the support of a Gong Fu style behind you, as with it you know there is always something positive in your life, no matter how much is going wrong. If Daniel K. Pai didn't teach what he taught, there would be none of what we have. I think it is an occasion worth marking, and it is so marked.
One year in Australia is to mark the arrival of the student who doesn't turn up to his own lessons! Who held a BBQ in celebration of his being in Australia one year. It was a good afternoon with lots of meat! Good person to know, knows how to cook!
In order of appearance.
一姐 turned 17 on the 23rd, there was a party which was great while was there, but apparently turned bad some time after I left.
上星期三 白天龙 passed away. I like to mark this occasion as it reminds the students of where the style has come from and makes them think about what it means to be a part of the Bai Long Quan family. I think it is a good feeling to have the support of a Gong Fu style behind you, as with it you know there is always something positive in your life, no matter how much is going wrong. If Daniel K. Pai didn't teach what he taught, there would be none of what we have. I think it is an occasion worth marking, and it is so marked.
One year in Australia is to mark the arrival of the student who doesn't turn up to his own lessons! Who held a BBQ in celebration of his being in Australia one year. It was a good afternoon with lots of meat! Good person to know, knows how to cook!
星期六的课
Today's lesson started with me trying to cancel it from the beginning. The student who wanted me to start the classes was running a BBQ. He has only turned up to two of the classes I have run FOR HIM on Saturdays but there have been excusable reasons, I guess, if you count getting shingles that left him looking like an aborigine in police custody and a couple of other things. Because of the BBQ, I was trying to relocate it to his house. But we encountered a problem with contacting the transport of one of my student so I ran the class at the park as usual. It was a good lesson, I learned that 小猫 who has been training with Kyokushiin Karate know's how to though a thigh kick. He was practicing it last Karate lesson and I asked him to show me what he learned. I should have asked him to show me what he was taught as I haven't ever been hurt by a Kyokushiin shin kick to the thigh. They haven't been in the right place, but his was and it hurt! I asked him where he was told to kick and he said he wasn't given a target other than the thigh, I asked him why he kicked where he did, he said, because that is where you told me to attack a muscle. I had no further questions, my leg was sure he knew what he was doing! I have been kicked by a number of Kyokushiin Karateka and it has never worked like that, I have been kicked by others who knew where it worked best, the latter was what I received today.
Because of this I worked on ducking and weaving in my actual class. Looking at ways to move under attacks and retaliate. This was going to work my legs and help push out the bruise that was forming on my leg! Was a good lesson. We ducked and weaved under round kicks and round punches. Was good for legs!!!
Because of this I worked on ducking and weaving in my actual class. Looking at ways to move under attacks and retaliate. This was going to work my legs and help push out the bruise that was forming on my leg! Was a good lesson. We ducked and weaved under round kicks and round punches. Was good for legs!!!
making up for a bad score 28/31
Just to see who actually reads this. Feel free to comment on what I put down here, grammar corrections, "Bullshit"titles to things that I say, I like to be questioned on what I say and I appreciate being corrected on what I write when I make mistakes. There are a couple of reasons that I started this blog, they are, getting better at composition as 今年我开生大学 and I want to test my ideas on a broader audience. If you are a gong fu student, and you want to ask me a specific question regarding a lesson, ask I would be happy to answer. If you are a student and think something I said was crap, tell me, tell me why, I want to know. I don't like believing crap and I don't like teaching it. If you can convince me that it is crap I will also post a retraction and correction of said mistake, with references. Most of the time I talk a level above practical learning more at the level of principle, this is because I don't what to teach online rather than discuss online.
In short comment, it isn't hard and I like the challenge. This goes double if you are a student of mine, as I am always trying to teach better classes. If there is something you want to learn, I can't always read it on your face.
In short comment, it isn't hard and I like the challenge. This goes double if you are a student of mine, as I am always trying to teach better classes. If there is something you want to learn, I can't always read it on your face.
功夫女
I love this site, I haven't read it too much and though I disagree with some of what they say, I love it! That they are saying it is good enough for me, I don't care if they drink good tea from mugs/normal cups, that they know another way is good enough for me, I know my choices are best only for me. I have not looked too heard but this is the first sight I have found a site that is also about GONG FU CHA, not that mine is only about gong fu cha, but there is another! 我很高兴他们喜欢功夫茶。I linked this site a couple of days ago now but I am still excited every time I am on the net that it is there. Hmmm, gong fu cha is good.
Friday 1 June 2007
现在六月！
I didn't get my quota for May yet, onlt 28 out of 31! I am very dissapointed. So probably is 小猫，but I guess we will just all have to cope. Not wanting to stay home last night, after training I went out to Knightsbridge for their funk night. It was great, their DJ was mixing live and it was great to watch him start from backing track right through to a really complex compisition that had about 15-20 different samples that you could watch him put in and loop etc. Will be going back next Thrus.
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