Chief Fox's training journal

[red5angel]

I figured out something this morning that works really well for me to work into it.

I stretch at the end of my workouts everytime, even if I didn't particularly work those muscles, just to help stay limber. So what I do is a lung of sorts but a really stretched out one. I kep stretching it out, switching legs form time to time. eventually what I do is I lean back so the front leg straightens out. that seems to be making a real difference. It's a small thing but it's helping.

[norther practitioner]

For hips, one of the stretches I do is similar to that.. but more gong bu ish...

pretty common.

[Chief Fox]

Thursday 02/03/2005
I went running at lunch. 4 miles. It was very muddy and slushy on the trail I even slipped and fell on the ice and rolled over in the snow. Still a great and much needed run. My whole attitude on life changes after a good run.

Tonight I'm going to check out that new school with my friend.

[Chief Fox]

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.

[norther practitioner]

wow, more wah lum...

there are two schools in the southern suburbs here.

[red5angel]

hand and headstands for 30 seconds, that's it?!

[Chief Fox]

Originally posted by red5angel
hand and headstands for 30 seconds, that's it?!

Yeah I know. It wasn't very difficult but I'm giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. I think that maybe he didn't want to push us too hard. Just see where we were at. To his credit, he did the headstands with out his hands just his head. He was leaning against a wall but still impressive. Also there was really only one other student there and she was just getting back into kung fu.

[Chief Fox]

Friday 02/04/2005
I was going to do forms and a full body workout but I decided to just make it a forms focus day. I have three forms that I really need some help on. Hopefully my instructor wil have time to go over them tomorrow.

Tomorrow I have Tai Chi and then my Kung Fu class.

[norther practitioner]

what forms are you working on?

[Chief Fox]

I am a bad student because I don't know the official chinese names for them but as i know them, they are:
-Young Tiger (7 star praying mantis form) - this form has some intricate stepping in the begining that I need to nail down.

-Che Chin (I think, northern shaolin form) - This form is so repetitive I get lost in it sometimes.

-White Crane (actually 3 smaller crane forms bundled into one) - This is a long form and I know all of it. I just have to practice.

[red5angel]

I'm just teasin' ya chief. I would guestimate I spend about 20 minutes or so in hand stands and headstands of some sort or another in capoeira but we're crazy like that

[Chief Fox]

Originally posted by red5angel
I'm just teasin' ya chief. I would guestimate I spend about 20 minutes or so in hand stands and headstands of some sort or another in capoeira but we're crazy like that

That's cool. I can take it. It's actually something I would like to work on more.

[Chief Fox]

Saturday 02/05/2005
Tai Chi and Kung Fu class after. I officially have the first part of the tai chi form down and I am several moves into the second part. I'm going to start practicing daily.

Kung Fu class was another good one. Nice warm up although I didn't need it after tai chi then did 3 rounds of sparring. I sparred with a begginer, a mid level student and then an advanced level student. The advanced guy has excellent stances and is so rooted. He is extremely hard to move. After that I worked on some forms. Got some things cleared up by my instructor. It was a good class.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day but I think I'm going to start running on Sundays. I've been doing this work out pretty regular for about 6 weeks and I think it's time to kick it up a bit so I'm going to add a run day with some clubbell work.

I think the motivation issue is over.

[Chief Fox]

Sunday 02/06/2005
Ran 3.1 miles in 25:52. I'm pretty happy with the time. Stetched a bit after the run.

Tomorrow is swim day.

[norther practitioner]

Originally posted by Chief Fox
I am a bad student because I don't know the official chinese names for them but as i know them, they are:
-Young Tiger (7 star praying mantis form) - this form has some intricate stepping in the begining that I need to nail down.

-Che Chin (I think, northern shaolin form) - This form is so repetitive I get lost in it sometimes.

-White Crane (actually 3 smaller crane forms bundled into one) - This is a long form and I know all of it. I just have to practice.

Cool,
I'm working yi lei mei fu again... I'll compete with that this year.
I just started working my competition yang form again... we'll see how well it comes along in the next five weeks.