Chinese New Year Celebrations

[ironfenix]

This past weekend I went to Tampa to do chinese new year with my Shifu Art D'Agostino. It was a blast! I got to meet and spend time with Shifus Kevin Brazier, John Scolaro, and Steve Ottaviano. These guys are really intense. And Kevin is according to my shifu, one of the foremost historians of praying mantis history in the world. I spend a couple of hours talking to him and left with my brain just filled with info. I wish I would have had a tape recorder. I think he is writing a book, or translating one I think.

Anyone have any new year stories?

We did a 4.6 mile parade.

[kejia nu ren]

what a treat! i'm quite jealous

the NYC Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade is going on this weekend but instead I'll be joining the PongLai family in Asheville for the So. Appalachian Tourney and the New Year Celebration going on there. Hopefully this trip will motivate me & get me on my way to finding a new teacher/school in NY, as I've been putting that off for a while

Year of the Dog - it's a wonderful year for weddings, much to my parents' excitement..and much to my dread.

[yu shan]

So Miss Kejia, does your parents have anyone in mind? Before you do it, sit and have a talk with me and 18 Elders! We all look forward to seeing you in North Carolina.

Israel- Shifu invited me and my guys down for the parade but I was already locked into New Years Shows here. I here you all had a great time, we are a pretty good bunch of folks arnt we. Anytime you can get Art, John, Kevin and Steve together your in for a good time. I can vouch for Kevin`s vast amount of knowledge. Steve and I spent some quality time with Kevin a few weeks ago, my head is still spinning. He shared many things with Steve and I, I particularly enjoyed the stick fighting stuff he shared with me. We had some good shows here, my guys are pretty new with lion this year. We make sure everyone has a good time. BTW, I`m hoping to be down in Tampa for the night parade in Y-Bor City. Steve had alot good things to say about you iron.

[18elders]

Iron- we appreciate you and your wife coming out and doing lion with us. It was a blast. What better way to start your lion dance training than with a nice 4 plus mile parade and then a show after that and 5 more the next day!!!
We had another show monday morning at 9 a.m., i was on my second wind for that one and pulled off another trick i didn't do in the other shows.
I still have john's shoe print in my shoulders from the shoulder stance during the parade.

Nice to have all of us old timers together with Art, we always have a great time together and many laughs.


My son wanted to know when the next show was( he is 5 and did lion all weekend also), I told him the shows were all over and he said "can't we practice so we will be better"!! I got a good laugh out of that one.

We will think of you during the Y-bor night parade!!



Thanks again for coming out.

[Oso]

I'm jealous too.

I think I'm gonna try to stay down there for a whole week in April. Jim hooked me up w/ a sweet place to camp.


FYI for John, Steve and Jim: We are hoping to see Shifu Paollilo saturday. I've not spoken w/ him myself but my co-promoter said he had. Just thought you might want to know.

My son wanted to know when the next show was( he is 5 and did lion all weekend also), I told him the shows were all over and he said "can't we practice so we will be better"!! I got a good laugh out of that one.

That's cool! Almost makes me want to have a son...almost...

I do get a chuckle everytime I review the tapes from Sept 04 and watch you working with him on...was it BBLW?

Cute kid with a world of kung fu at his feet...lucky guy!

[ironfenix]

My wife got to get on a horse, and lion dance, and do a firewalk. Wish you could have been there Yu Shan. Like you said, these guys are great. I think I went over some stick fighting with kevin but I don't know if it is the same stuff. Almost like a two man stick fighting drill done hardcore. Really cool though! When I was done 18 goes "how many times did he hit your fingers?" Really lets me know how much I still have to learn. Loved it though. My wife thought 18's son was the cutest she's ever seen. Now she's thinking about having one. Thanks alot 18 J/K

Yu Shan, are you coming up for the whip chain seminar in april?

[K.Brazier]

Had a great time. Nice to see the fellowship among Mantis family.

I have to give thanks to my first Mantis shifu Arthur. He is the seed of Tampa Tanglang from which we all grew out of.

My wife would like to get my son(6) into the lio next time...only 6 more days and they will be joining me in the states.

BTW, Jim and Isreal both started the same stick drill.
It is a good base to learn long stick fighting.

Kevin

[yu shan]

Yes, I need to give thanks to my first Mantis Shifu, Arthur D`Agostino. He has influenced so many of us, and guided us to where we are today.

[mantid1]

Kevin

Does this drill use a short stick like the escrima sticks?

I asked about it before but no one seemed to know about it.

Is this the same drill you have on yours clips page? I think It was called tiger tail or something like that.


I was taught a complete system of the short stick fighting that includes blocks, strikes, single and two person drills, locks including most of the major joints, chokes, controlling techniques and of course striking. Hundreds of technique in the system. I just got started on the two stick drills but decided to wait untill I had a better handle on the single stick stuff.

It was supposed to be out of Taiwan. I was just wondering if it was the same. Do you have a "system" or just the drill or two?

Thanks for any info

[yu shan]

Mantid1

You have addressed this to Kevin so I will not answer for him. All I will say is it is not short sticks, I do know which form it is from. Good stuff!

[mantid1]

Thanks Yushan.

My mistake.

BTW I am planning a trip to Tampa in June. Maybe we could meet down there. I would like to meet Kevin.

Still in the planning stages. I will let you know. But, I could see the family vacation being planned around this:-)

[18elders]

Tell your wife anytime she wants to babysit let me know
Actually she may have fun, he loves to fight all the time(spar).

[ironfenix]

Steve,
I am pretty sure my wife would. She loves kids. I don't know about sparring, that guy looks like he is a scrapper! Hey what was that second trick? Maybe I have to go to the Night parade to see it.

Mantid 1
I know I saw that drill on a clip site some where. It is really nice though.