5 Tibetan Rites

Well I was increasingbthenreps if these exercises until I got to 21...and the  I skipped a day and honestly.. I realized that to do this first thing in the morning, I had to leave the reps at 3. I realized I was avoiding doing it because it was too much. And I figured I can do 21 reps later in the day...and if I miss it...then no biggie. I meditate afterwards and today I started doing some BJJ exercises but slow...like Tai Chi and mixing in some Kungfu moves and Yoga stuff too. It was a pretty good warm up and not too intense. Put some pushups in there too but more like Yoga. Just holding it. It's cool to do the BJJ stuff when you are barely awake because you go to your back. And some of those Hung Gar like external chi Gung moves actually look a lot like they were meant to be chokes using Gi like clothing...Han Fu. I added in some standing Tai Chi Esque Drunken leg holding exercises and Wushu kicks too. You know I think there are certain drills that I can totally integrate with other sparring games I have created to make push hands more fun or relatable....but all if those ideas are really for in person learning at a Moh Goon style setting. Which just isn't going to happen in the next couple of years. But its fun to dream and work through stuff in my mind. Stick fighting cab totally be done with social distance...but considering we never had much formal sparring...why am I obsessed with it? The traditional forms and  basics...they were good enough for me. And lion dance...which can totally be done socially distanced...is really the major interaction that we have done with the community whether it is Chinatown or the suburbs. 

gansfeld effect.

I did a semi failed attempt at the gansfeld effect...and will do the same tonight.the blindfold was not as instructed and I did not use head phones...and I will do the same thing tonight because now uts lare and what am I going to do. But interestingly I did have some intense dreams afterwards. I actually saw my Sifu and he taught me some Drunken fist....but what is interesting is that this encounter was not like you would imagine in a movie and if anything, is kind of a reflection of the difference between my experience of Chinese America and also China and  hinese culture or vs. What you usually see on TV or as represented by China as well. Of course everyone has a different perspective but of course my dream is probably going to reflect mybspecific Childhood and experience. Which will differ from even say...my kids....especially bow that they are living in a different place and I can't take them to Chinatown regularly and yes even Chinatown has changed.  But anyway what was weird was that we in a tiny convenient type of store...a store I have never been too, but have fantasized about owning especially once the pandemic kicked off. Yes...you will find my "fantasies" kind of...maybe depressing? Or odd? Like what I find very comforting about Chinese culture is not the antique shit that looks like it should be in a museum I would make a museum to the old Chinese restaurants of the 80's and Gambling chips and dice that were all around the apartment and the smells and cloths and looks of my father...and yet in this dream I saw my Sifu and not my father...and it wasn't flattering. We didnt practice on a mountain or some shit. We were in a dark small room on sacks of rice...probably because I thought the ultimate business would be a a small room that you could reach Kung Fu out of, but also sell rice and toilet paper and just random items that people needed. Anyway, he showed me some moves...which I kind of forgot if I'm honest...but the concept was if I could use the Gung Lik he had in his youth or maybe half of it but in that direction of training, in a drunken form....that's something nobody has even seen before, not even in a movie...so maybe I should work on that. These are all concepts I have thought if before and si ce mybSofu recently passed... basically none of this is weird or spiritual per se....and I did the Ganfeld effect on myself so of course I'm gonna have weird dreams.... nonetheless I'm gonna go ahead and give it a go again tonight ..cause why not? (And maybe partbof me is kind of thinking in a spiritual manner too) why not do it right? Ehhh....I tried but I only have time now so...it is what it is. I also spent some time drawing pictures with Dai and I took the concepts from the dream to write a little story. More Fantasy. Dragons and what not. But still the sacks ofnrice and a Moh goon which is a boat in a harbor...kind of in the Naga Realm or spirit world... ot sure why I had to make that clear...maybe I should have just made it more ambiguous. But anyway...I have always dreamt and fantasized, but my dream and fantasies are tied to my class (or perceived class) and experience. And it's annoying that uts mostly a magical.mountain or something where things get passed on on a movie. Not that I am against mountains and beautiful nature ...but actually that is so cliche. Oh...I also just so happen to live on a mountain. Maybe you spirit place has to be somewhere your not. Well let's see what the static and blind fold bring about tonight 

sirens

I have been hearing a lot of sirens recently...and every time I haircut I look out the window....and then I realize where I am...the siren sound is actually some kind of alarm they use for my kid's virtual schooling toilet them know that time is up. My son probably only knows sirens through this context as I dont think I have ever heard police sirens in the. Neighborhood we live in. I have seen police going by...sometimes very fast... through this wooded area of deer and trees. I once saw 5 cruisers...they were chasing a teen that may have attempted to enter someone's home illegally to steal something. Though if he had a good lawyer that is extremely difficult to prove. As far as I can tell no actual crime was committed. Just suspicious activity. Would you believe he got caught days later (if it was indeed the same teen?) There was video from that Amazon doorbell camera thing.   Anyway, I don't hear sirens around here but I jump everytime my son's school alarm goes off. Why not make a fun sound? Why the siren sound. Like seriously what the f? 

Rice Pot Baba

My son wrote a story making funny me...it has illustrations...and actually it's pretty awesome. I'm thinking g he should read it for our Facebook live Kung Funclass tomorrow...which will be focusing on Lion head movements. I suggested we translate it into Chinese and use that as his entry for the speech contest for Chinese school, but he wasn't having it. We'll see. Might have to hustbdrop out of that speech contest. He just got angry when I tried to get him to memorize the speech I wrote with him. And I was like wtf where is this even coming from just let's try to memorize it. But I see him write a story like that fairly easily for fun and I'm like...why should I spend so much time and emotional energy and dumb speech contest whose purpose is just to learn the Chinese. If he isn't with it then forget it. Anyway...let's see if he read the rice pot story tomorrow. 

practice?

I had promised myself to work out more...but this whole week I haven't really touched the rowing machine...nor have I done the basics and mein lei jum which was supposed to be my base...nor have I done the forms I had promised myself to do...so why do I FEEL as if I have bee. Practicing more? Weird right? Is it just because the weather is warmer? Like my circulation is better because of that. And before I had been practicing more...but it was cold...so I just didnt feel as uncomfortable, loose, relaxed, blood and circulation going well. Or is it really all just mental? I have been making the kids practice. So maybe that's what's been making me feel like I have somehow been progressing. Well...I guess I will continue to plan on practicing. I have been doing the 5 Tibetan rites every morning. Maybe because it is something new...it is helping a lot more than if I practiced something my body is sort of used to. Or maybe that's what it is period.

stress

Is anyone stressed out for no reason? Or maybe you are actually stressed out for good reason. But me...I feel that I am stressed out for no good reason. What do I do? I feel that I will be in this place of semi in betweenness for at least 10 years....or maybe...this in. Between ess is actually just life. But I feel like it is an in betweenness. It is a break...it is a vacation actually. And I have found thatboften...nothing stresses me out more than a vacation. It is a feeling as though one has no purpose. Someone will say.." then do this and this for me...do such and such a thing and I will pay you. That is what you should do." But I do feel as though I have other purposes than these things and that I would be a fool to give over all of my time to these tasks that are not my will ot my own or my path...not really. 

I have been thinking that I need to spend more time on meditation, and mybKung Fu oractice... which many people have always scoffed at, as pointless....as if other things are so full if meaning and "point"

How can whole.gentes of movies be made about a thing and a practice that is pointless...and whybis itbthat my particular goals are pointless.

Perhaps I am just using these practice as a meditation to find out what such a point is. 

In any case, I will be trying to do more of this and finding my way on a  balanced middle path.

diu

You mo gau lun hai Chau. Yee ga ga jai hai mm lun Seng dooku shu. Jing do ngau ho lun Mah fan. But go ngau seeing jee...lee gau Mun tai hai mm hai kui ga main Tai wah jri hai ngau dei ga tai faht. Kui mm serng John dee Gung fau...mm Gum hoi gau gau camera...you MRI Ah Mun tai? Kui do Jong Hok gun yeah je. Gum Mun Tai hai mm hai ngau dei you fong song but ha...mo gum gun jerng...king do kui gun jerng? Mm jee. Ke sut kui yongblee gau Fong faht dooku shu...hai ho hau Moh. Wun wait kei ta gau dee hol sang jong gau gun kui. Kung jong hai to kei ta hok sang king gun gai....ho day mo. Gum yee gau kui jun hai fail sai Lee but leen....you do gok dark do mm.hai Mun Tai. Ho gau kui mm jo. Hai mm hai seen? Gau sai jai moh mut Mun tai...kei gwai....

safety net

I think I am forming a new idea for a political platform....not to say it won't get tweaked...and not to say that it might have holes in its logic but here goes.

And yeah people will probably think its nuts at first.

1) The Federal Bank

I remember learning about this in highschool as what Andrew Jackson would call "the Hydra Headed Monster"...but Jackson was wrong about a lot of things...like genocide...

We all have social security numbers if we are citizens. And banks have been bailed out constantly for bad behavior...and can even be owned by foreign entities buy bailed out by our government...so wtf?

Now if I really ran saying to create a national bank to replace all of the banks in existence people will think that is crazy. And maybe it is true that it might be like adding too much cold water to a fishbowl.

But just because that is my platform doesn't mean that that5 what happens. We all have to sit down and figure out a balanced way to make it work. So yeah...that is my platform, let's argue and discuss until we come up with the middle ground...but that's what I think we should do. Not FDIC to back up these monstrosities, but cutting out the middle man...which brings me to my next platform point

2) UBI

Yes if we all belong to a federal bank then it's easier to push a button and give everyone 1K a month after they are 18 years old. The money comes from where Andrew Yang said it would...the data freedom thing...no I don't fully understand it...and yes, everyone gets it even if you are a billionaire. No it's not about earning it or fairness. It's about running a country and  building a society. And unlike what Yang said.. I DO want this to replace welfare, foodstamps, and other programs. Because its easier. Yes there are problems with that. But their are problems with the system now. Why are we afraid of problems? 

3) Universal Public Housing

I grew up in the projects. ButI feel that there should actually be a less co.fortable more communistic feeling public housing...for everyone. That's right...now homeless people. But that doesn't mean everyone gets an apartment. Part of the housing will involve so e kind of work to keep it...weird right? Since I said there is UBI. And why is it for everyone...including the rich? Yes...a billionaire cab gst this public housing too. Which is not really a home or a house...but shelters in strange places on the side of the road. People who get work cutting lawns or whatever and stay in them one. Ight and move on. Maybe it should be REQUIRED for everyone to serve 2 years where you live in this housing...and maybe some sort of police/social work is part of the assignment. Maybe it is part of your highschool education and maybe it is funded with our military budget. 16-18 are good years. But also if you run into hard times you can return to this system until you get back on your feet...and maybe many elderly choose to retire into this system. The system we have now has people locking up other people when both of these people should really be doing a completely different job. Maybe partbifnthis training is medical training

4) Universal education 

Just freaking use Khan academy as a base, more trade school, bring in the private sector to pay for some stuff, get kids working earlier but in a reasonable way, doing tasks for society. Maybe even medical work. Maybe even police work. Yes I said kids....with the way AI is progressing, it might be possible...probably already is possible. 

5) Universal.Healthcare

But as a base line treatment. Like yes...rich people can still pay for the better stuff. That's not fair....but that's what gets those fancy drugs funding to be created. So don't touch that aspect of health care. Just add in a baseline. So it doesn't cost a ridiculous amount to get stitches. Train kids to stitch  up animals or something. Train everyone to be a medic. That's not crazy. I wouldn't want to be the first one... but why not test on animals then? Is that cruel? If you eat meat then you can't complain. If you know you WILL have to treat someone at some point when you are age 16-18 or 16-24 even...then you will do it.

6) Democratize the judicial system and supplement with artificial intelligence 

Yeah...you guys will hate this one...but a written law, since Hamurabi...has bern a form of artificial intelligence. A way to take the pressure away from the person dealing out justice by having a non human thing to refer to.. a code...a law. And there were societies in the hemisphere that did things differently and arguably better. Justice should not mean revenge and punishment. Just because we have been doing something for a long time...doesn't necessarily mean it is the best way. We cab draw from other systems and countries that are further along than we are. This also means no more privatized prisons...which we are moving away from anyway. Also fined are easier to enforce...(because of UBI and Federal Bank) and Fines are not as deadly to certain groups because of UBI and Universal housing. Also there is that young group of 16-24 year olds living in Universal housing and other Universal housing people who can be in charge of guiding society as teacher/police/social worker/medic types. Not to say we replace the private sectors version of those professions. In fact the one can be training for the other. 

Again...people will say this is nuts butbsonis our system now frankly...and so is the platform's of the people in power now. And my opinion isn't written in stone...I'm just tired of hearing politicians and media argue about nothing. Here are 6 solutions to almost ALL the problems. Just haven't mentioned how it solves all the problems yet...and it virtually leaves most of society as it is to be honest. It's only some internal redecorating and reorganizing. 

Shoot I didn't even mention race because if you think about it...a decade or more of this and how much you wanna bet the 16-24 year olds all mix anyway and race will be a thing of the past? 

I didn't mention Police reform because how much you wanna bet that 16-24 year old group helps buffer and solve all of that organically.

I didn't mention foreign policy...because actually this list has nothing to do with that. 

Environment 

Yes the environment is important and as with anything should be given an important place in any decision. 

Taxes...I didn't mention it because actually this has less to do with creating new programs as with rearranging the programs we already have in place. 

The biggest one is that Federal Bank and that will meet the most resistance. Fine...just work around it like I said, platform doesn't mean final outcome. 

sword

Well our Kung Fu practice started out okay

 Dai dai doesn't have to participate today because he has dance. Shao chose our wali g path. I was almost going to let him get away with just bringing the baseball bat on the walk and swinging it around and having him do his sword form once...and thatbwould be it. But he didn't bring the bat. Usually the bat is actually an incentive to get him to walk.  He chose a more dangerous path to walk in terms of having to watch out for cars. I'm not sure why he did this but I allowed him to chose because it was just me and him...and because I didn't know any better. There is more traffic than there was and we won't be doing that again.  We got back and did some sword fencing drills with old canes that I was supposed to throw away. Ut instead, left leaning again trees. We moved on to free style sword fighting with the canes and he swung wildly at my to the point where I was nervous he would let go and hit our windows despite the fact that we were outside. I tried to explain to him.why he shouldn't do that, but I didn't force him to stop. But after a while it was simply testing fate and I said to love o  to doing the two man form...which we did once and he didn't seem to want to do ut more times in order to get better at it. So I moved on to his form that he usually performs...which looked particularly terrible, but it might have been because of the weight of the cane. So I switched with the nice looking prop sword we have. It looked better but I had a correction on how to get it better by using more ding lik. He used the sword as a cane, ruining the point, and complained and whined.....and basically is refusing to do the form one more time. On the up side...he is playing outside with rocks and that is better than screens. So despite the fact that he has homework to do, I am going to let him "win" and get away with it because he is playing outside, using his imagination as opposed to sneaking of and playing screens like an addict.....oops he just came in. Guess it's time to start homework.

Kung Fu Writing

My older son has trouble writing...or right now...schooling in general... and even Kung Fu ing. I told him I wanted him to start journaling. I dont even care what he writes about. The point is he had to get used to gathering his thoughts on paper without fear and anxiety. I noticed he even got stuck when being asked to draw something. But drawing was not a problem for him before. Interestingly, if he just does freestyle Kung Fu by himself, not in front of an audience, he will not be at a loss for moves. His moves may get repetitive, but he can play and play and duck and swing and cut with his weapon of choice, the baseball bat. But in terms ofnwritingbor even speaking, he tends to be more repetitive. He will want to repeat what he has heard online or read somewhere, randomly actually. But when I try to get him to drill in Kung Fu, to do the same thing over and over, to develop skill and strength, he finds this extremely boring and won't do it. Weird huh? I guess journaling is. Form of repetitive freestyle. For whatever reason

..he just doesn't want to do it. But I am going to have to start getting on him to do this simple task in addition to his school work. Because I know that after he has written more the writing will just come. He will he able to respond immediately to simple written questions. 

a three hour tour

So yesterday we went for a nice little Sunfay hike. There were different trails. The white box trail was the easiest one. It was a mile hike or so.....but then suddenly we were following yellow squares and the number of squares did not really seem to have a meaning and we continued and then there was an Pope pine clearing and aha...white squares again...only these squares looked more like...well white the original white squares should have looked like. "Are we almost there?" Dai dai asked. I guess some mommy's or daddy's would say, "just a little but longer honey" but seriously why lie, "I have no idea you just have to keep walking so we can get out of here." Was my answer because it was the truth and really you shouldn't lie to kids..or adults for that matter. It just confuses everything. And if the path is just one option....then don't question it...just do it until we get out. People reassured us that indeed we were going the right way and finally we came to be passing old people with canes and young children and we knew that it could6be that much longer. "WE'RE NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN MOMMY!" said Shao. Then we came to the pipe line clearing and gravel and the parking lot. "Shao...we're here" he laughed all the way to the car and laughed the whole time he ate the Royal Farms fried chicken, "I'm so happy I can't stop laughing"

I think we all had nightmares that night. So in a way it was like an haunted house...or haunted woods...which I assume are cancelled this year because of Covid...so you know...two birds with one stone.

Nam On Long hui Tai Tung Chuen

The title of this post is an idea for a form I am creating. A work in process that will basically be a Kung Fu form trying to encapsulate my Sifu's story. An intro? A trailer...bot that detailed. The form is not going to be super long. I have a separate one that will be more about certain fighting techniques. The title...needs work. And I think I will make the form on my own first and then show it to my Si Hing when  I have time and see what he thinks....but it's more for me...I plan to practice these forms every day as a way to remember and basically by doing so....I know this is sort of crazy and old school but it's what I am going to do. The more I thought about it... the more I realized that because of the events of his life....there will be some pretty emotionally heavy aspexrsbto this form. So the question is...should these forms be secret? But actually that's ki d of dumb. Most people will not understand that form anyway.....so it will be a lot like a traditional form. In other words....practiced often with secret meanings but yes also performed publicly. 

Sifu's passing

I'm going to start writing my blog again...because I really have no excuse not to. I was working on a book, butbI keep starting and stalling and part of it was I wanted to keep the rough drafts more current...but to tell the truth I will probably just start all over. My Sifu, Woo Ching, recently past away recently and that has been occupying much of my thoughts recently...with regards to my Kung Fu and also with regards to my writing. The most famous martial arts masters...like say Wong Fei Hung...or Musashi...are famous mostly because if literature. Writing, stories, movies. And so I do think it is important to write that book about my Sifu. I had collected stories and they are scattered around on this and other blogs. But maybe it is important to collect something that is specifically for the school. There should be an English and Chinese part to it...but honestly....those do not have to be translations of each other...just separate versions of a story collected into one book that gets passed on to students... maybe even a "secret book" and interestingly...for me...this book would actually not be a collection of techniques as most people would assume....but of stories. In fact, I had always felt that the techniques associated with stories were stronger in terms of being able to teach something and pass it down quickly. Our art contains such stories from times past that so far as to he foreign.. but also events more recent where my Sifu or a Si Hing was just recounting something that happened to them...and the story has a physical technique as well as a life lesson to go with it. That kind of stuff is important for the next generation to have access too.