Shaoliners...

[Kansuke]

don't p!ss yourself now...

I'll try to control the fear...

[uki]

I'll try to control the fear...

very good daniel-son, but trying is not doing.

[uki]

by embracing practice and training that focuses on natural body movements without over-extension, one keeps themselves according to the principles of nature... there is no striving, nor over-exertion... all things are inter-dependent on everything else - the butterfly effect.

best to practice what you can do when old, while you are young.

[SnowDog]

some of my 'why'

that is one of the beauties i find in form practice itself. this is something you can definately do far into old age, being physically limited will always play a part, but as long as you are relatively ok, you can do form work till you die.

personally ive already started to incorporate more 'internal' aspects to my form practice. playing with the movements more, developing my own twist to the routine(s)(2). feeling how my body responds over all to the practice. the forms themselves are still martial in intention for me, but are becoming less so, as i focus recieving my martial development from other sources.

there is something intimately wonderful about becoming more in tune with any form of movement.

dancers know exactly what this feels like. as do many martial artists. but keep in mind, and this is what a lot of people tend to forget/ignore, that particular element is the same for any physical endeavor, IME/IMO. this is where you see people equate form work to dancing. well in part they are correct, and in part they are so far off base, but thats not something you can easily explain and be not only understood, but experienced, but you can apply this to more than dancing; race car driving, sky diving, rock climbing, pole vaulting, speed skating, sex, fighting, forms, running, etc.

stalking for example, (and i dont mean the ladies) have you ever spent countless hours just learning to stalk quietly? to be able to walk through the woods as silently as possible. to be able to tread on concrete or tile without making any sound, regardless of footwear. when you get to a point where you actually notice a shift in your skill, you can sneak up on dogs and cats, other people, birds, etc. the exact same intimacy is involved here as it is in evolving and developing your form(s), IME.

thats one particular element that I myself fell in love with. i am a martial artist, but i dont fight unless i need to, im talking real fighting. ive put my time in sparring and training, and while self defense has always been a major factor in my studies and training, there has always been and always will be the artistic self expression through movement. this is something you'll find a lot of martial artists have in common. some dont even know it yet! lol.

This was a great post

[kfson]

by embracing practice and training that focuses on natural body movements without over-extension, one keeps themselves according to the principles of nature... there is no striving, nor over-exertion... all things are inter-dependent on everything else - the butterfly effect.

best to practice what you can do when old, while you are young.

Ignore this man.

[GeneChing]

dancers know exactly what this feels like. as do many martial artists. but keep in mind, and this is what a lot of people tend to forget/ignore, that particular element is the same for any physical endeavor, IME/IMO. this is where you see people equate form work to dancing. well in part they are correct, and in part they are so far off base, but thats not something you can easily explain and be not only understood, but experienced, but you can apply this to more than dancing; race car driving, sky diving, rock climbing, pole vaulting, speed skating, sex, fighting, forms, running, etc.

This is quite random, but supports Lucas's point. Well, sort of...

Shaolin monks spur world's best vaulter
By Duarte Mendonca and Rob Hodgetts, CNN
Updated 1132 GMT (1932 HKT) January 28, 2016

Reigning European vaulting champion Jannis Drewell started the sport when he was eight years old.


By Duarte Mendonca and Rob Hodgetts, CNN
Updated 1132 GMT (1932 HKT) January 28, 2016


"The highlight of my career was (winning the European Championships in) Aachen. There will be no other competition that will be more important for me than Aachen. It was my dream when I was a child to compete in Aachen and now I've won in Aachen."


Thomas Bruesewitz, who was second in the final, performs on his horse Airbus in Aachen last August.


Lisa Wild performs on her horse Robin. The Austrian was third in the women's vaulting final at the 2015 FEI European Equestrian Championship. Germany's Corinna Knauf was champion.


Germany's RSV Neuss-Grimlinghausen won the squads vaulting final freestyle test at Aachen.


Story highlights
German vaulter is current world No. 1
Wears Shaolin monk costume when competing
Drewell won European Championships in 2015

(CNN)Ever tried emulating the jumps, spins, kicks and aerial antics of the Shaolin warrior monks? How about on horseback?

It works for Germany's Jannis Drewell, whose Shaolin kung fu-inspired routine won him the European vaulting championships last year.

Vaulting is gymnastics and dance on a moving horse, while the Shaolin monks are feted for their acrobatic and explosive martial arts moves. Combine the two, and if you are Drewell you become world No.1.

"The Shaolin monk routine was the idea of our national trainer Kai Vorberg -- he saw the movie 'Kung-Fu Panda,'" Drewell told CNN.

"He said it was great, but we needed a costume and then he saw a picture of the Shaolin monks in the newspaper. I then tried to learn how they move and bring it onto the horse -- we've got a choreographer who helps me," he says.

The 24-year-old's hard work has clearly paid off -- his high-flying performances earning victory in all three of the World Cup qualifying rounds he has entered this season, in Salzburg, Austria, Mechelen in Belgium and on home soil in Leipzig.

'Dream' win

Drewell, who will start as favorite for the World Cup finals in Dortmund in March, was stunned when he clinched the European crown and achieved his "dream" in Aachen last August.

"I did not really realize that I had won this because I did not hear the guy who told us and I stand there and I get the marks, and I'm OK, that's good but I don't know how the others were like," he told CNN.

"Then my coach comes and says, 'Jannis, you are the European champion' and I'm like: 'WHAT?' 'Yeah, you are the European champion ...'

"There was so much emotion in one moment, it's really difficult to explain."

But how, exactly, do you get into vaulting in the first place?

"My mother was a coach in vaulting for long years and so I always had to go with her when I was a child," he added.

"I loved working together with horses, but only riding was kind of boring so I thought I have to do something more. So yeah, when I was eight years old I started vaulting."

Drewell's mother Simona is now his trainer and lunger -- the person who holds the reins and keeps the horse cantering in a circle.

The vaulter, lunger and horse must be in perfect symmetry to achieve the best results.

"You have to like the horse and they need to like you," adds Drewell.

Dressing as a Shaolin monk also helps.

There are more pix and even a vid. I just cherry-picked the pix with the funny costumes.

Drewell should have invested in our monk robes instead.

[David Jamieson]

This is quite random, but supports Lucas's point. Well, sort of...



There are more pix and even a vid. I just cherry-picked the pix with the funny costumes.

Drewell should have invested in our monk robes instead.

Goldie copper pants there balancing on her horse has a really powerful looking ass.

Just a comment.

Nothing more.

[GeneChing]

There are more photos and a vid if you follow the link. We acknowledged Drewell in our Web Fu section of our MAY+JUNE 2016 issue.

Shaolin monks spur world's best vaulter
By Duarte Mendonca and Rob Hodgetts, CNN
Updated 12:55 PM ET, Thu March 31, 2016


Drewell on his horse Diabolus at the 2015 FEI European Equestrian Championship in Aachen, Germany.

(CNN)Ever tried emulating the jumps, spins, kicks and aerial antics of the Shaolin warrior monks? How about on horseback?
It works for Germany's Jannis Drewell, whose Shaolin kung fu-inspired routine won him the European vaulting championships last year.
Vaulting is gymnastics and dance on a moving horse, while the Shaolin monks are feted for their acrobatic and explosive martial arts moves. Combine the two, and if you are Drewell you become world No.1.
"The Shaolin monk routine was the idea of our national trainer Kai Vorberg -- he saw the movie 'Kung-Fu Panda,'" Drewell told CNN.
"He said it was great, but we needed a costume and then he saw a picture of the Shaolin monks in the newspaper. I then tried to learn how they move and bring it onto the horse -- we've got a choreographer who helps me," he says.
The 24-year-old's hard work has clearly paid off -- his high-flying performances earning victory in all three of the World Cup qualifying rounds he has entered this season, in Salzburg, Austria, Mechelen in Belgium and on home soil in Leipzig.

'Dream' win

Drewell, who will start as favorite for the World Cup finals in Dortmund in March, was stunned when he clinched the European crown and achieved his "dream" in Aachen last August.
"I did not really realize that I had won this because I did not hear the guy who told us and I stand there and I get the marks, and I'm OK, that's good but I don't know how the others were like," he told CNN.
"Then my coach comes and says, 'Jannis, you are the European champion' and I'm like: 'WHAT?' 'Yeah, you are the European champion ...'
"There was so much emotion in one moment, it's really difficult to explain."
But how, exactly, do you get into vaulting in the first place?
"My mother was a coach in vaulting for long years and so I always had to go with her when I was a child," he added.
Jessica Mendoza: Teen dreaming of 'unbelievable' Olympic debut
Teen dreaming of 'unbelievable' Olympic debut
"I loved working together with horses, but only riding was kind of boring so I thought I have to do something more. So yeah, when I was eight years old I started vaulting."
Drewell's mother Simone is now his trainer and lunger -- the person who holds the reins and keeps the horse cantering in a circle.
The vaulter, lunger and horse must be in perfect symmetry to achieve the best results.
"You have to like the horse and they need to like you," adds Drewell.
Dressing as a Shaolin monk also helps.

[GeneChing]

I really didn't know where to post this but I remembered the Jannis Drewell news and figured the equestrian stuff should go on the same thread.

Well-bred Shaolin Kungfu breaks through
By AAP
9 hours ago

Former Sydney galloper Shaolin Kungfu finally lived up to his impeccable breeding and hefty price tag by winning at Doomben on Wednesday.
Shaolin Kungfu ($3) continued the good recent run of Chris Waller's Gold Coast stable when he cruised home in the muddy conditions to win the Cowan Restoration Maiden (1600m).
The gelding was a $300,000 buy as a yearling and is by champion sire Fastnet Rock out of the mare Gypsy Dancer, making him a half-brother to the 2004 Magic Millions Classic-Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero.
The win took Shaolin Kungfu's prize money to only $30,000 but Waller's Queensland stable foreman Paul Shailer thinks there is more to come.
"He is one of the horses who have done well since coming to Queensland. We have had five winners in the past couple of weeks and we have 20 horses in the stable at the Gold Coast now," Shailer said.
"I think Shaolin Kungfu might get a bit further and we will just work him through his classes without getting too excited. After all it has taken him 14 runs to win a race."
Peking Road ($2) also lived up to her wet-track breeding when he narrowly won the John Lyng Group Handicap (1050m).
The mare is by Hidden Dragon, one of the state's best-known wet-track sires, out of Vainroc who is by another noted sire of mudlarks in Easy Rocking.
"She travelled well but we only just got there," said winning jockey Brad Stewart.
Peking Road's trainer Stuart Kendrick got a double when Valfrieno ($2.50) won.
"Valfrieno is a horse of plenty of potential and I think there is a better race in him," winning jockey Robbie Fradd said.
Natural Force ($5) also lived up to his breeding when he won a maiden (1350m) in a slogging finish.
"He is a half brother to Arki and Where's That Dragon who are both huge horses. But as you can see this one is only tiny. But they all like the wet and that was the case again today," said trainer Kelly Doughty.

[GeneChing]

Okaaaay, time to split Shaolin Equestrians from our Shaoliners... thread. Just because...

There's an embedded vid of Shaolin Kungfu's win behind the link.

Jockey Robbie Fradd rides Shaolin Kungfu to win his maiden at Doomben racecourse in Brisbane. Photo: Dan Peled/AAP Image.
Racing
Gold Coast certainly agrees with Chris Waller-trained Shaolin Kungfu
Tom Boswell, @TomBoswellGCB, Gold Coast Bulletin
October 20, 2017 7:00am
THE Chris Waller-trained Shaolin Kungfu could return to Sydney looking for redemption if he continues to shine in Queensland.

Shaolin Kungfu is starting to turn his career around after Waller sent the four-year-old to his Gold Coast stable hoping to inject confidence into the gelding that was winless after 13 runs.

He got it.

Shaolin Kungfu won a Doomben Maiden (1660m) at Doomben on October 4 with Robbie Fradd in the saddle and will line up again today in the Attwood Marshall Lawyers Class 2 (1400m) at the Gold Coast from barrier six.

“This is the whole purpose of the Gold Coast stable being open for Chris,” Waller’s Queensland foreman Paul Shailer said.

WATCH SHAOLIN KUNGFU'S WIN

“A horse like this could gain any sort of confidence from winning one or two up here.

“Hopefully he will gain enough confidence, meet his grade and be able to go back to Sydney and be competitive in Saturday races.”

Shaolin Kungfu is a half-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Dance Hero, Australia’s best two-year-old of the 2003-04 season.

Dance Hero won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the Golden Slipper in a *career that amassed $3,940,800 in prizemoney.

Shailer said Shaolin Kungfu would be hard to beat on a soft track at the Gold Coast today.

“He is looking good,” Shailer said. “He has improved since his run at Doomben the other day.

“He is coming back from city class and the provincial class is going to be in his favour.

“His work suggests he will be very hard to beat. He has thrived in the Queensland climate, lost his woolly coat and he looks great.”

Shailer said he dropped Shaolin Kungfu back in distance for today’s race on the advice of Fradd.

“He just did a little bit too much within himself in the running last start,” Shailer said. “Hopefully he will be able to settle a lot better.

“He was just doing just a little bit too much in the running, he was pulling a little bit. Robbie said he was a little aggressive so I think coming back from a mile to 1400m he can relax a bit better.”

In-form jockey Luke Rolls has the ride on Shaolin Kungfu today.

[rett2]

Just came up in my suggestions (you might want to mute the music). To me it well illustrates Lucas's ideas in this thread about aspects of training you can learn young and take with you as you age.

Lucas
some of my 'why'

that is one of the beauties i find in form practice itself. this is something you can definately do far into old age, being physically limited will always play a part, but as long as you are relatively ok, you can do form work till you die.

personally ive already started to incorporate more 'internal' aspects to my form practice. playing with the movements more, developing my own twist to the routine(s)(2). feeling how my body responds over all to the practice. the forms themselves are still martial in intention for me, but are becoming less so, as i focus recieving my martial development from other sources.

there is something intimately wonderful about becoming more in tune with any form of movement.

dancers know exactly what this feels like. as do many martial artists. but keep in mind, and this is what a lot of people tend to forget/ignore, that particular element is the same for any physical endeavor, IME/IMO. this is where you see people equate form work to dancing. well in part they are correct, and in part they are so far off base, but thats not something you can easily explain and be not only understood, but experienced, but you can apply this to more than dancing; race car driving, sky diving, rock climbing, pole vaulting, speed skating, sex, fighting, forms, running, etc.

stalking for example, (and i dont mean the ladies) have you ever spent countless hours just learning to stalk quietly? to be able to walk through the woods as silently as possible. to be able to tread on concrete or tile without making any sound, regardless of footwear. when you get to a point where you actually notice a shift in your skill, you can sneak up on dogs and cats, other people, birds, etc. the exact same intimacy is involved here as it is in evolving and developing your form(s), IME.

thats one particular element that I myself fell in love with. i am a martial artist, but i dont fight unless i need to, im talking real fighting. ive put my time in sparring and training, and while self defense has always been a major factor in my studies and training, there has always been and always will be the artistic self expression through movement. this is something you'll find a lot of martial artists have in common. some dont even know it yet! lol.
01-20-2010, 12:40 PM