Kung Fu on a Yoga mat

This is not the first time that I have toyed with shortening the space of the traditional forms I do. That is to say, doing the forms in a smaller space. I did this practicing inside... and also when teaching large classes. I adapted a form so that I always face the class. The reason why I did this instead of basics was because the form was more dynamic and fun. I also simplified some of the jump kicks so you still got the feeling of jumping up into the air and yelling "Hai!" while doing Kung Fu.... but I made it so any kid could do it pretty much on the first try. I mean not well necessarily but they could do it without hurting themselves or kicking their neighbor.

But I rarely brought a "yoga" mat with the intention of staying on it the whole time. The mat is actually a pvc "straw" mat for the beach. Someone was throwing it out. I had played with the idea of the mat as a magic carpet and wanted to create something for I book "Pirate Yoga Fu" which sort of got absorbed into Lions and Dragons and Drums... and then cut.

You would open a portal through magical Kung Fu moves and be able to step through it to other Universes or something like that. I was going to use a stick or sword too.

But today I did this just for myself. I felt like I was headed to the beach because I didn't bother to put on a shirt (I would just have to waist water washing it.)

I Yoga Fued and meditated and also just chilled out. I didn't eat breakfast so I wouldn't have to digest.. and it was nice doing moves, pushups, stretches and then just gazing at the clouds. Like a real vacation. A cheap one too.

Then I figured I would do the forms on the mat in a more or less stationary position as a warm up. I mean you do exert your self and you get in cardio too, but you won't pull something like you might if you run and jump doing the real form. The truth is, the real forms are kind of brutal on your body.

After all that I decided to do Walking forms. I had done running forms in the past, where I free style and use the form techniques but I try to use the whole field. This time I did it walking. It's just too hot. So it kind of had the concepts of Bak Gwa, like that medium speed walking type fighting... but it wasn't the same as Bak Gwa at all. Each technique brought you almost to it's own system of movement. All this was a warm up to do the actual form... performance style. But then when it came time to doing the actual form. I was tired. I mean I could have done it, but past experience told me that I also could have pulled something. Not like "i'm injured for a week" type of a pull, but why even strain? Instead why not build up to that. Yeah I've been doing Kung Fu for years... but it's been a while since I did so much Kung Fu. I mean I was out there for hours. Yeah a lot of it was just chilling but still. It was more to pass the time than to get it done.

But I realized that eventually I think I want to teach this way. Stationary or indoor Kung Fu... I mean I remember so many issues from people being in each others space. Having a Yoga mat is like having assigned seating. But to do just Horse Stance meditation for two hours. Well people can still do that. But other people can follow along doing form moves too.

Learning the form... that would be more like a lesson. One on one. with someone. Doesn't have to be me. Theoretically Noah could teach quite a few forms now.

And then for getting use to moving more... the fields.. or the woods, or even the side walk. Just go for a Kung Fu Run..

and then yes of course performing the forms should be part of it too as well as play sparring. All of which can be done outside.

The point is, I don't really need a brick and mortar school. I do need students or members to have a bigger team or group if I want to go that route. But in terms of training, a brick and mortar room, even if it is free, is not necessarily better. In some ways it can hole you back.

"Defiance", "Django", and "Stranger Things"

I've been binge watching TV on Amazon and Netflix. And I just realized that all three of these are throwbacks. Django is a total throwback to the 70's, Stranger Things the 80's and Defiance has a very 90's feel.

I started watching Defiance and realized  that although it is meant to be like a Western Sci Fi... there are total elemnets of it that feel like Chinatown. Mostly that's because it deals with Alien Immigration where the immigrants are actual Aliens with strange rituals. I'm not saying Chinese people do what is done in the show, but that i feel like that's how Chinese and many other immigrants were perceived. But also the Earth born aliens... I don't know there is a total Jook Sing like thing about them. Anyway I'm hooked on the show. But it isn't the best thing ever. It's just decent. Graham Greene, who was in Twilight and also Dances with wolves is in it. And that was enough for me to continue watching.

The throwback to the 90's is mainly in the music they play, usually a cover, and they make these songs that when I heard them on the radio just seemed like stupid background.. now seem like ancient cultural heritage.... which technically it would be given the time and circumstances of the setting of the show... in a post apocalyptic future earth. It really has me thinking about telling some Chinatown stories in a Sci Fi fashion.

Then Grace really wanted to watch Stranger Things. Which is more than set in the 80's. It looks like it was made in the 80'sand it has all these big time 80's actors... except now when editing, instead of doing it by hand with actual film and tape the cuts are cheaper and easier to do so there are more of them and they are faster. I wanted to say they made an 80's horror film with modern technology except CGI and other trends towards different special effects.. but CGI actually does play a role too, but you barely notice it. I hardly watched horror films growing up, but this one is good. I feel like there are references to Akira, ET and probably a bunch of other teen horror movies I never saw. I mean the music and Title come on and you feel like you have just returned to the 80's

The benefit to doing this type of thing, revisiting old ways of movie making, is you can really do better than the originals if you spend some time on it. Which brings me to Django.


Starting off, right from the theme I loved Django. It is your real classic Cowboy movie. Except with more blood and although everyone is talking about the Slavery aspect of the story... it's really not like that. It just happens to have a black protagonist who of course starts out as a slave. But it doesn't FEEL like a "slave" movie. The truth is that all of these older westerns somehow managed to edit slavery out.

But the movie is very Tarantino in that not only do you see Western references but it feels like references to Anime referencing westerns that were referencing Samurai movies. Tarantino said he thought it was better than Roots. compared to Levar Burton's Roots? I think he might be right. And even compared to the newer one. Now Roots has a bunch of stuff that Django doesn't because it's focus is a dramatization of a historical time, to tell a history.

That's not what Django is. In fact Django is so white I don't really know why people were focusing so much on it being something that White people might not want to watch. That shows being very uncomfortable with your own history.

Django has a very NORSE aspect to it. And it is FUNNY too.

When Django really comes into his own, then you start hearing the hip hop style music as he kills a bunch of people. They way I heard about it on Howard Stern or whatever you hear about it being about Killing a bunch of White People. But it's a Western. He is killing bad guys. Who happen to be white, and because he has to. He isn't indiscriminant. There was more blood then the old time westerns.. but more shooting? Well maybe a higher body count. But if you like Clint Eastwood and Nevada Smith and all that type of stuff... trust me you will like Django. WIll I show it to my kids? Jonah will be scared. But honestly? I may very well show it to them.

Yoga Fu video

This is the video I spoke of making in my other written post.

Yoga Fu

So the kids are away and I am going to be doing some basic Kung Fu at the Jamaica Pond Softball Diamond. I was planning on just doing the meditation and stretches that I started off with when I started White Crane Kung Fu at age 14. Of course before then I had done Wushu and even Ballet, so I had other stuff in my head, I didn't start from nothing.

So then I realized it was foolish to be married to these particular stretches especially if others might want to join in. I mean those stretches are pretty difficult for a lot of people (I do them for my children's classes though because I am hired to be Chinesee and I'm not sure how salute to sun would go over.)

But I realized this was an opportunity to develop my Yoga Fu.

I know there is already a martial art based on the Yogic moves. It's called Kalari.

I also know a lot of the moves in Kung Fu already have similarities to Yoga.
And I had explored this before in my writing. In fact in my upcoming book, Lions and Dragons and Drums, I was even going to have a section with diagrams etc that merged Yogic moves with Lion Dance. But I went with just describing it.

I fooled around in front of the Go Pro doing some Kung Fu with ethe Salute to sun as a base. Basically I just wanted to show how you can do that. A) do all the Kung Fu on a Yoga mat. So that means you can do it at home. and B) use the salute to sun as a meditative stretching rest in between the Kung Fu moves.

I feel like it's more efficient. To stretch on your rest, than to stretch... then do basics.

And I realized that watching videos of people teaching techniques.. I rarely follow along exactly. So I just did some stuff that is difficult to follow along with but introduces a concept. Then I said that you do the Saliute to Sun, followed by a set of basics. The 4 basics I am talking about are chuen (A streight punch that is classic Kung Fu/Karate except that we turn our waist. If we didn't turn our waist, I don't think I would be so married to these moves. Because then any move is good. But since we turn our waist, there is a very relaxing, stretchy aspect to the motion, plus you can use it as cardio.

And then another salute to sun, and then POWs. This is like an uppercut excpt it isn't. In fact it looks like a disco move... except again we turn our waist. Again there is a loosening relaxing stretchy aspect to this move and it also opens up your lungs. You get the drift now. Another Salute to sun and then cups.

Cups are just downward windmill like motions. I wanted to say to sets of 100, but to start... 30 should be fine, until you get into the routine.

One more salute to Sun, and then Been Ngau. This is a backfist hook... or it is just swinging your arms out horizontally as you turn your waist. It is a lot like the drum move that Daniel San uses to defeat Chozen in Karate Kid II. Except even more emphasis on turning the waist.

Anyway, later on I fooled around more and discovered if I didn't do these moves... there are a lot of other options to work on too. A lot of other ways to approach Yoga Fu.

What is missing from this is the sparring idea. (Which honestly.. you can get from play fighting. It seems weird for adults to play fight. But it is totally natural for children. We take fighting too seriously. It either has to be a sport where there is competition... or it has to be life and death. Kids play fight all the time and so we associate play fighting (with sticks or hands or whatever) with child's play. We are insecure in our ability to KILL it seems. But real fighters fool around doing stupid bonehead type games all the time. Drinking is often involved. And sometimes it is true it escalates.

But I will say that Tigers, or Chimpanzees or real killers in nature that kill to eat every day without the benefit of projectile weapons or traps play fight all the time. Yes they do the ritualized fighting and posturing as well, but they also play and that is how they stay sharp. Old animals probably don't play much... but I'm just pointing out that the fighting skills came from play, so no need to overthink your sparring with rules and complex methods. Just do it often with out thinking.

The strategy comes later when you are by yourself and unable to play and so you run through your weaknesses.... with Yoga Fu.


The Yoga Fu also misses moving, since you are on a mat.

Yeah forms cover that. But forms are hard to learn.. especially over you tube. I am showing some forms.. and if you can learn them, then you are worthy. Mostly they are for friends that already know the form but have forgotten.

But the true way to get good is to break apart the techniques and just move with them. Use the whole field, Go backwards and forwards in circles. Go slow and fast. Go into the woods on the trails. And frankly, the four moves mentioned above are enough. Add in a variation here and there, something cool you saw on You tube or in Kung Fu Panda.. and you have you self a fine workout and muscle memory that is able to produce strikes.

Of course I've seen people who are self taught, or even traditionally trained who are missing something. Missing a lot actually, even if they themselves are talented.  But the answer isn't in the moves themselves so much. More in the mentality behind the practice and training. But hey not everyone will get it anyway and whether you get it or not will not effect your ability to compete in the modern environment. Or even the ancient wild environment either. Projectile weapons and traps have long been a more effective way of killing prey... whether your prey is for food or a competitive tribe or species.

Before the missile and IED was the Bow and arrow and the various hunting traps. And before the bow and arrow there was the throwing spear and the fish hook or at least the net I think was a very early invention. If not, then driving animals off a cliff, or the old crushing an enemy below with a boulder.

So taking that into account.. than martial arts is really for something else.

Revere Beach

Today me and the children took a trip to Revere beach. I forgot to bring the Go Pro, but then life is not All about videos. Even if I was making big bucks from videos it wouldn't all be about videos. Besides a lot of what I saw that was funny I wouldn't have been able to capture. Like a Seagull taking off with someone's package or Peppridge Farm Gold Fish Snacks... teh family chasing after the seagulls with shovels and the ensuing drama.

I also watched as a woman taught someone else's son how to float. It was kind of touching. The Father and son were black and I suppose it was rather obvious that neither knew how to swim, and the white woman could not take it any more and decided to show the boy at least how to float.

Part of me felt guilty that my kids are not great swimmers either. But this boy was much older. And I was thinking about that boy that drowned. Now if he knew how to swim he still could have drowned if there was an under tow or something like that. But still swimming is one of the life saving skills more important than Kung Fu.

I was equating what I was watching here to Kung Fu or humans sharing information. I mean swimming is a big deal. It was a big deal for our ancestors and it is a big deal today.

But it is interesting that Kung Fu is more mystified and there is the whole bowing to Sifu thing, when what this woman just showed the boy could easily save his life, it was not too hard to learn, and was passed on just like that. Imagine if Kung Fu was passed on like that?

Perhaps some basic fighting is... or tricks and applications... There is plenty of stuff online and in books and a lot of people tend to treat that as diluted or wrong. But is it?

The kids made Sand Castles and cities and we even played Go in the sand, rocks against shells.

I lay on the beach and realized that the way most people lie on the beach is backward to common sense. They lie on top of a towel (For what?) and try to get burned or tan or whatever. But I realized, you are going to get sandy anyway so why not lie on the sand and put the towel over you to protect you from the sun? That way you don't need to bring all the other equipment along.

Anyway it was pretty fun and relaxing on the beach. I even closed my eyes because I could hear both children playing with each other. Fighting, squawking at Seagulls or what have you. And of course when I didn't hear two I checked and they were right there.

We took the T there and ate a packed lunch (too early) so we bought Pizza afterward too. The Pizza wasn't great. I would have like to get Kelly's Roast Beef or whatever the name of the place is... but the walk was too far down. We'll definitely do it again before summer is over, that is, the kids and I by T. It's just too easy not to do it.

Saluting sun and stone tools.

I brought the kids outside today.. not so much to work out. I had been doing that but what with Tenacity and various things I stopped. It was just to get them not to wreck the house. At first Noah built his boat outside and I was doing Yoga on a Yoga mat like a full on hippie.

Actually the reason why I am getting into my sun salutation is again from reading that "Once Upon a time in the future" where the guys, whether it is Arjun or whoever, does the meditating while the sun rises. Now you could say, Why don't I just do Kung Fu meditation?

Maybe it's because the Sun Salutation is simple, or easier or new... but that's what I do. I also know that Yoga doesn't draw as much attention. And I feel more comfortable doing some sort of standing meditation when I am outside.

Anyway I didn't get through it anyway because the children started beating each other. So we ended up going to the park.

And there, instead of practicing, we looked for stones and glass to knap into arrow and spear heads.

We've been watching "The First Peoples" and "Becoming Human" and we've been kind of obsessed with stone age tools made by neanderthals, Homo Erectus, and Homo Sapiens.

We're sort of just playing. But I think these glass bottom "tools" might ending up being something cool to like give to someone as a reward. I mean belts are kind of lame, especially if you didn't make them yourself. Well anyway for now it's just something we do. I haven't figured how to but these sharp stones and glass onto a stick yet. I mean we could watch a DIY video.. and have in fact but it's sort of been a spontaneous thing.


I moved to the side and did some working out. Mostly calisthenics and a bit of basics and free styling.

The boys were sword fighting with sticks... and technically doing better than I was. At least they were sparring with another human being of equal (more or less) skill. Of course to get to the next level, that takes drilling and practice and all the Kung Fu exercises. But everyone always criticizes just drilling it seems. That it's not realistic. But the most realistic is what my boys were doing... just playing like little wolf or lion cubs... except they were using weapons. I just let them do what they did.

Soon it was time for breakfast and we headed back inside. Was this training? We were all somewhat lazy...or perhaps I should say relaxed. But it was something.

Mahabarat

Sometimes you get the feeling that the Universe, or maybe just one of your ancestors... and for me I always go to my mother, is trying to tell you something.

Itw as a while ago that I turned on Arjun.. a UTV cartoon which Disney did have something to do with after all, and watched it on my own. I then told Noah about it and we watched it together.

My favorite scene was when he kills the fish while looking at it's shadow. It was so cool that I started googling Arjun and learned about the Mahabarat.

It turns out for that particular scene... the cartoon was way cooler than the original story.

I won't say it's my favorite cartoon. I actually thought it was weird because at the end.. Arjun fights like Bruce Lee. And the Indian characters are drawn... well anime was a big influence you can just tell. Especially when you look at old artwork depicting the Mahabarat. Some Indians look more like East Asians.. but it was weird to hvae everyone looking like that.

Anyway, Noah loves the movie and we are watching it again.

Then... it turns out that I had bought a book from the library, "Once Upon a Time in the Future"  by A.K. Kulshreshth. I had brought it to Florida to read. I wanted to bring a book I could lose and not care about. I didn't even finish it... or even read it really.

I only started reading it now. Turns out that is all about the Mahabarat. I only knew what the hell I was reading because I had already seen Arjun.. and I had already looked at a lot of the mythology on Wikipedia.

Reading that book now.. I realize it is a lot like what I was trying to do with Kung Fu and Love. And mean... if you put those two books together there are a lot of similarities. While I'm sure he had a better support team... I mean an editor and he worked with an illustrator.. I mean I've never heard of the book. I want to suspect it is one of those fringe type novels. The author live sin Singapore. I mean yes he is at a higher level than me..... also this book thing also seems to be something he is doing for fun. He is really an engineer... but still I had never read anything like Kung Fu and Love, until I read this book. It was a bit inspiring.

So that's not the only thing. At Outside the Box we only got to watch two performances. One was classical Indian Dance. The teacher performed by herself. Much like me. It was just her and music. It made mne realize using pre recorded music could really carry you far when you are dealing with large speakers and your drummer would otherwise be a 6 year old.

Plus she showed me through this classical dance that... well skill is very important. It was interesting because a lot of the dance was in the face. Amazingly so. I'd never seen something like that, and I ended up having a conversation with her students. I wanted to collaborate with her, but I lost the paper with her contact. But in a way, the stuff I'm working  for the Lantern Festival is already partially inspired by her dance. Why? THe choreography was both traditional.. but she said it was a new dance.

Also, while watching her, I thought, "If she was not so good, the moves she was doing through out the whole dance... would look ridiculous." What I mean is that she wasn't doing back flip after back flip. Every move she did, theoretically everyone could do. That is to say they could do some copy of it, although not well. But it takes years of practice and true artistic flare to make that move into something that people will watch and be drawn into another world and stare fascinatingly at. Basically the type of Kung Fu I do is pretty similar because it is not like we do fancy move after fancy move. There are only a few acrobatic moves if any per form.

But what I am going to do for the lantern festival is actually something completely different.

I choreographed new moves. But more on that later. Maybe in another blog.. the Chinatown one.