KC Elbows
02-15-2002, 03:17 PM
Because of some health problems, I've been completely unable to do any external kung fu or rigorous workout. This has sucked, but I've been doing tons of chi kung and doing what movements could be done extreme slow speed, and doing what we call spirit boxing(imagine an attacker, attacking, no set attacks, and defend/attack), but doing it very slow, which is much harder than I'd imagined(to maintain the imagination for long periods and slow movements of an imaginary attacker take some practice).[Note: I'd rather be sparring, but that would be very bad right now]
Anyway, my teacher had something to take care of Tuesday, and he called me and asked "Can you practice?" and I told him I wasn't doing well, and he was kind of quiet. Anyway, I asked him if he needed someone to teach the class, and he said yes. I told him I was OK to do that, and I'd go out there and take care of that for him(to be honest, I missed going up there so bad, I was looking forward to having some part in practice).
I went up there in my work clothes(business casual), and was doing some chi kung before anyone arrived. Well, my teacher ended up being able to reschedule what he had to do, so he arrived there at the same time as a bunch of others, and one person commented on my being the well-dressed fighter, and my teacher said, and I quote:
"He looks like the old masters, you see pictures of them practicing in regular clothes."
Which made chi kung really difficult(DOWN ego! BAD ego!) So he tells me I can go, and I tell him I'll stay and do chi kung, so he starts class.
Half an hour later, he comes up while I'm doing a movement called the rat. He watches for a minute and says "Hm. Good rat." My ego did a double leg takedown, and since I don't crosstrain, I had to poke it in the eyes, which, contrary to what I had been told, worked.
Finally, he comes over and says"Show me your internal form", which is the core form to our system, everything else comes from it. I didn't know any of it, and I told him so. He did that "I'm sizing you up" look and said "Do this" and did the first three steps, nice and slow.
So I did them. Over and over. Both sides. Every day.
I forgot to post this earlier, but this form has been my goal for three years, and I love it! Plus, my teacher said that I am the best student he could ask for, I'm always there for him and I'm experienced and don't put him up on some crazy pedestal. We're good friends, which is something I never pictured possible in my chung moo days.
Anyway, no chance of making this long story short. Happy practice, hope you all do ten times as good as I did this week, and let me live vicariously through all of your sparring stories for a little while. :D
Anyway, my teacher had something to take care of Tuesday, and he called me and asked "Can you practice?" and I told him I wasn't doing well, and he was kind of quiet. Anyway, I asked him if he needed someone to teach the class, and he said yes. I told him I was OK to do that, and I'd go out there and take care of that for him(to be honest, I missed going up there so bad, I was looking forward to having some part in practice).
I went up there in my work clothes(business casual), and was doing some chi kung before anyone arrived. Well, my teacher ended up being able to reschedule what he had to do, so he arrived there at the same time as a bunch of others, and one person commented on my being the well-dressed fighter, and my teacher said, and I quote:
"He looks like the old masters, you see pictures of them practicing in regular clothes."
Which made chi kung really difficult(DOWN ego! BAD ego!) So he tells me I can go, and I tell him I'll stay and do chi kung, so he starts class.
Half an hour later, he comes up while I'm doing a movement called the rat. He watches for a minute and says "Hm. Good rat." My ego did a double leg takedown, and since I don't crosstrain, I had to poke it in the eyes, which, contrary to what I had been told, worked.
Finally, he comes over and says"Show me your internal form", which is the core form to our system, everything else comes from it. I didn't know any of it, and I told him so. He did that "I'm sizing you up" look and said "Do this" and did the first three steps, nice and slow.
So I did them. Over and over. Both sides. Every day.
I forgot to post this earlier, but this form has been my goal for three years, and I love it! Plus, my teacher said that I am the best student he could ask for, I'm always there for him and I'm experienced and don't put him up on some crazy pedestal. We're good friends, which is something I never pictured possible in my chung moo days.
Anyway, no chance of making this long story short. Happy practice, hope you all do ten times as good as I did this week, and let me live vicariously through all of your sparring stories for a little while. :D