Checked out a new school last night
So me and a friend went and checked out a new school last night. It's a Wah Lum Tam Tui Northern Praying Mantis school and is very traditional. There were only 5 people in the entire class including two instructors.
We started with some breathing exercises. Then we did some stance drills to warm up. Then we did some shaolin style exercises.
1. While standing, bring your right leg up and rest your right ankle on your left knee and then lower youself like you're sitting in a chair with your leg crossed. We held this for about 30 seconds and then did the other leg.
2. Then we did a pose where you lay on your right side, you bring your left up in front of you with your foot on the floor. Your right elbow is on the floor and you lift yourself up with your weight balanced on your left foot and your right elbow. WE held that for 30 secs then did the other side.
3. We did a sideways plank position where basically you hold your body in the shape of a "T" laying on it's side. All your weight is on one arm and the side of one foot. Try to keep your mid section as straight as possible. We held on one side for 30 secs then did the other sid for 30.
4. Then we did a head stand for about 30 secs.
5. Then we did hand stands for about 30 secs.
After that we worked on a form for a little bit then we worked on some chin na for a little while.
It was a pretty good class. It was very traditional. And at the end the instuctor demonstrated a Bagua form that was very cool.
At the school I go to now we do a lot of cardio type stuff. Kicking and punching drills and then line drills before we spar and then work on forms. The focus at this other school appears to be more on breathing exercises, stance drills and forms.
That's about it. I like the new school but there are a lot of things that I like about my current school and I can't really see myself attending two different kung fu schools. My friend and I discussed just going for a month to really get a feel for it. Not sure.
Today I work on my forms and then a full body workout.