Right View

 I am going to start recording my thoughts everyday. To make an effort to really do it. I have tried this with just writing it down mannually, but I know these pages will be lost. And I am saddened by the fact that I have started to feel as if maybe my thoughts and experiences don't matter. So in a way, my lack of recording is almost like a form of suicide. And so I feel I need to climb back to a mental state that I was in before and make goals for myself that revolve around my life as it is now. 

We rented chickens and that has sort of been one of my main daily tasks, watching them, as if they were Shao and Dai at the playground. and following them around gave me something to do, but it also took away from my work out time. In any case, they will be going back to the farm where they came from soon. Which in some ways makes me sad. But I also think they have had enough of our home and would appreciate the change in scenery. 

I am going to have to make a strong effort to have the right view. In other words, to have the right perspective of my life as it is now. A positive one. And I have to have goals for myself that make sense

and to do exactly what I want to do instead of just going through the motions of life. There are certain things that are possible, but don't make sense for me to pursue. In any case, as this blog is called "Kung Fu Dad" and thinking back to my previous times in life and what my goals were then... it actually appears that much of what I wanted has come to me seemingly without effort and perhaps that is part of my problem in terms of my "View". But i wiull make a stronger goal to practice and work out everyday to become good and better and a Master at what I do in a way that it is unquestionable. and that is an effort that does not require me to depend on this or that. I just have to make the time to practice. Which, I do. But the way I do it... is like more sad and haphazard compared to the way I used to. And so I have to do things knowing that I am doing exactly what i want and that I am doing it for myself.  

Basically I need to schedule my time better and put forth more effort in my down time, and record my thoughts everyday. To take up space and care about myself. 

Refrain from Divisive Speech

 It seem sI have to concentrate to a harsher extreme on the eightfold path. Otherwise everything will fall apart.

Standardization

 I have always been against Standardization. Maybe it is because I always valued diversity and also the environment that I learned Kung Fu in... had a schedule for forms and levels etc. But it was more of a guide. And it was ten years long. And we sort of didn't complete it. It wasn't so much that my Sifu was holding back on us. And I recognize this much more as I teach. Sometimes you can skip ahead... and sometimes you can't. But I want to try to have a standard curriculum that is shorter. Like just basics, walking basics, Luk Lik and then Sup ji. Not to say I am getting rid of the other forms.. and not to say I won't have other things added in. But it would be cool to really focus on this. I mean technically I feel like the basics in and of themselves could be their own system. And you just add in tid bits of Sanda moves from the forms and do various grappling drills an dplay fight. But its cool if say there was a meeting of 200 people and they did Sup Ji. 

For a while I wanted to take luk lik out. But this forms opening is the easiest to learn and aspects of it appear in other forms so... it kind of is necessary if you are going to do the whole system. (which most people won't) I also think if someone practices off and on for like ten years and learns luk lik and sup ji... and then is shown Joi jong... they would be like "Woah." 

I mean yes of course... I want a school like the one I learned in. But I could see a closer and more achievable goal of having several centers at varoius chinese schools and community centers and colleges or whatever that were clubs that taught basics, luk lik, and sup ji. In conjunction with whatever people like. MMA, HEMA, whatever. 

And then when those clubs gather... would be cool to all do the same form.

Now for a tournament...It would be cool to do forms like this. 

First you do the traditional form or basics. And that's just like a signal that you are part of the group, and maybe you are judged or graded on it... but it's only a fraction of the performance. So this section is like Karate. I say Karate instead of Wushu because in Wushu you can cerate new routines. 

Now after doing the traditional form. A beat drops and you can take those same moves and remix it adding in all kinds of difficult moves from any martial art or dance or whatever. Doesn't matter. And you can be judged on this creative portion on difficulty of moves creativity, practicality whatever. But this is a way to not "hold back" people who might be better at flips etc. but not as good at the traditional techniques that can often be very simple. 

Then for fighting, I feel like you should have to show that you know the techniques by performing them. That way its no surprise when someone throws a bunch of cups at you... but other than that, maybe the sparring is sort of a light version of MMA. Why light? well, maybe some events could offer full on fights, but for general gatherings I would say maybe light sparring with submissions would be better. Maybe even just points for submissions too instead of winning outright. Which sounds weird... but it shifts the focus slightly more to striking even though the strikes are light. There can be gloved and ungloved sparring too. Why so complicated? Mainly, its tto try and bring back that Kung Fu look into the fighting. Which people do want to see. But every time a low sidekick to the knee is thrown we realize why those types of techniques aren't really appropriate for sporting events even when they are legal. 

Ideas for writing

 I can't just write stuff anymore. I need some sort of outline or plan for a cretaive project, that has limits and borders. And I think it has to be short story type stuff. Anything longer and I get lost. I have been toying with the idea of the character "Heruka Chinatown" for a while. I have been toying with many ideas for while and have given up on them but I noticed that my mind will play out these imaginary scenarios whether I will write them down or not.... so I might as well write them down even if it is for my own entertainment. 

Okay here is an idea for a place. 

Peach Orchard Park. 

Peach Orchard Park is a fictional Housing project on the edge of Boston's Chinatown. This is a good place to start. How can you write about people and characters if you don't have a place for them to live. 

Peach Orchard Park. POP for short. Maybe there are sevral prominent Families in this area... the five families. The Kwan's the Zhang's the Liu's the Zhou's the Wong's and the Mah's. Okay Six families. Myabe I should add the Zhuge's... I'll think about it. Maybe other groups like the Man. The Yue.

Maybe this housing project looks more like how I wished it would look. Its like an arcade with blended businesses and housing. I mean, that's what some places are anyway... but the businesses face in like a mall, instead of outwardly with heavy traffic going through it. And there are little parks or wooded areas. Willow Woods, Oak tree lane, Koi Fish pond.... ok... I think I know the real versions of what each one of those places is. 

And people. 

or Perhaps businesses first.

Bao's and Golden Triangles

Heruka's School of Arts: Martial and Aesthetic

Wok Hei

Diu Seem Dance

Church of Tao or Maybe Santiago.

That's good for now. I think I have to draw these places to be honest. 

Bamboo Towers: Giant Forrest of Housing Projects grown from Smart Bamboo

Peach Orchard Park

 I stared out the window from my darkened cave like room into the Peach Orchard in the middle of the City. There were apples and other fruit bearing trees as well. But the Peach Orchard is why the garden part of this housing project was not paved over or built over and was at the founding of this building complex of low income housing and businesses on the edge of Chinatown. 

    In the mornings there was not really a lot of activity on my window facing side. A person would pass by now and then. Later on the day care centers would release classrooms of children to play among the orchards like little monkey kings. Biting a peach here, through them at each other there. 

But right now it was all quiet. Staring out from darkness into the sunlit area was almost like staring from a place of meditation, peering into another world. But instead ot was a physical window I was staring out of. 

It had only been a week since I took my place at this property, that used to be a Kung Fu school. From my perspective, an ancient Kung Fu school where I had learned as a child. I then stumbled through time and space and various dimensions... so I was no longer the child that had moved away from this area only a decade or so ago. Instead I was an old man by appearance and went by the name Heruka. I had lived for centuries, millenia even, having taken many forms. 

But right now none of that really mattered. I was just a strange old man from some sort of religious group that was going to start teaching Kung Fu in this little space again.

I unlocked the door and stepped outside into the peach orchard. On the other side of this little courtyard, cars drove by. Some of them driving at the appropriate slow speed for a residential area, but some of them going much too fast. A friend, who had been  an older grown up looking woman to me 10 years ago... whom I now saw as a young woman. I waved to her as she passed by, and she nodded, somewhat awkwardly to be honest... probably wodnering who I was. Behind her, her mother wondered aloud in Hoisan Wah, 

"Are they making another Kung Fu school here? What happened to Sifu Wu? Did this Lo Fahn learn from him?"

Lisa, the young woman, turned to her to admonish her but stopped short when I said, "Hai le Hai le yes yes yes..." chuckling, "in a way yes and in a way no... but pretty much yes."

"I haen't seen you before?" Lisa looked at me, suspicious... and not to be all creepy I just shrugged and said, 

"We're still fixing some things inside but will open up shortly."

"What happened to Adam? And the others? And all the kids? Are they still over at the school inside Santiago?"

"Yes I said, this is a new school. And will be only for adults.

Copy Cat

 Shao likes to do 10 forms by himself for his practice, with me observing, and not so much correcting, but just counting down the forms. I guess I should just be happy enough with this. Maybe when we are the same size, which will be soon, he will be more interested in various sparring drills. Or maybe not. Maybe he doesn't like the sparring stuff because he is out of shape (but so am I) and perhaps it just has to do with fatigue. Anyway, whether it is practical to only do forms or not, a lot of people just do forms. So what's the big deal.  With Dai, it has been difficult teaching him. But recently he has taken to doing "copy cat" In other words, I was just doing basics or stretching and he came over and started copying me without me asking him too. Weird right? Well not weird but weird for me because getting him to practice has and still is like pulling teeth. But as long as he can do copy cat and talk and have conversation while we are practicing he is fine with it. Is his technique always correct? No. But maybe he has to go through this stage where he develops the basics better while talking, which will help improve his forms and sparring. His forms he already knows. I mean he knows a few I had taught him and abandoned etc. Maybe we should just start running through them more often. I could use the practice too. 

Sword of light

 Scene

Peter sees Ming performing Kung Fu in Chinatown. He goes over and talks to him. Gives him advice on fighting. 

Ming asks him how to pick up women. 

Peter tells him the 4 Chinese rules of women and then jokes that he’s just kidding it’s all bullshit. But he’ll try to set Ming Up 

Scene

Peter meets with Karma  at her office. He is a community member that took a job with China International Association, a new organization that has become important in Boston’s Chinatown community.  

Peter brings  Take out.

Conversation etc. Drugs her and  begins searching apartment for certain Documents to bring to Uncle Tso 

(documents are statistics to the then soon to be built Tianamen Tower. (now already under constrcution with Offices already complete. Ucle Tso has offices there. Tianamen Tower, in addition to housing and commercial space it will have a quantum Transporter that can have whole communities instantaneously travel from China to the U.S. and vice versa. The problem is it only works 95% of the time fully. The other 5% the people seem to be trapped in limbo but this is covered up and it is said that they just go to other transporters. However, copies of people can be recreated without full memory and this is enough to make people believe that  they are okay. This documents have not been released to the public and could be damning to the Tianamen Tower project, which will be built in Chinatown. Furthermore President Trump plans on using the tower with Beijing to cycle through residents that are not “working out.” I.e., many people will be sent to China from Boston. Trump plans on using these transporters to secure the borders by having only a small way into the country. Also plans on having towers in Major cities to ship undesirable parts of the population to other parts of the world. Plans to use certain groups to build towers and other construction in the first place through training educational boot camps. Shape up or ship out!)

 Karma realizes she is drugged and texts her niece “Red Flower” which is an emergency code. 2nd niece calls the police and also begins a process that they had agreed upon earlier. 2nd niece goes to one of the family associations and takes a red cloth from behind the altar (something which nobody usually touches, and goe sto deliver it . Police come. Peter evades them by using Kung Fu Mind Trick. Plants Oxy in the room and has the police believe that it belongs to Karma. They believe Karma has overdosed and they take her into custody and into a hospital. 

Scene 2: 

2nd niece takes the T out to Malden. She calls Karma’s phone and she hears the voice of a thick Boston Irish accent for answer. She thinks that this is suspicious and remembers old stories about police corruption and also Mystical Kung Fu powers that people from China International Association possesses. A man tries to abduct her but  Ming (Luke) steps in and helps  fights them off.  2nd niece dials a code throws her phone at one of them and runs, grabbing Ming to come with her.  

The phone creates a small explosion. Ming is surprised. 

Ming: Are you lost? Do you have your mom’s number? We should call the police.

2nd niece: No police. I have to find Mistress Rose

Ming: Mistress Rose?

2nd Niece: She is in Malden somewhere. He sleeps in a different house every night. (she pauses suddenly inexplicably trusting Ming even though she does not know her) I need to give him this. (she shows Ming the red flower.)

Ming recognizes the flower as something he had seen once as a boy. You use it to tie onto the horn of a lion head.  His uncle Joseph had showed him when he was  making lion heads and selling them. The business never took off.  

Ming: My aunts name is Rosemary

(Ming decides to take her home. )

Scene

Ming is having dinner with his Aunt and Uncle, Joseph and Rosemary and introduces 2nd niece and explains, showing them the red flower. Joseph becomes silent. Rosemary  begins praying on a rosary.

She finishes and lights incense before a Statue of Mary (our lady of Victory) holding a sword.

(Rosemary or Rose was once a warrior of the swords of light.)

Joseph: You have to do what is right, and find your destiny. I can’t stop you, but I can’t really help you either. We have taught you Kung Fu up to this point in life, just for health and self defense. Remember those slow movements with the sword Auntie Rosemary taught you?

Ming is very confused. 

Joseph: you never liked them much, but you remember yes?

Ming nodded:

Joseph: They will lead you to a higher level of Light. They are part of the form called the sword of light. The power has to come from within you. I have never learned it but to me the moves do nothing.  and usually only a woman can manifest these powers. Auntie Rose was able to do amazing things when she was younger. but she put the sword aside, believing it was God’s calling  for her to help the worked in other ways. 

Rose: I taught you all I know Ming. There’s no more I can teach you, if you have the power as your mother did, it will manifest itself. But I can give you the sword she practiced with. (Rose produces a wooden Tai Chi Sword. Ming takes it thinking his Aunt is crazy and what the hell is he going to do with this but he doesn’t want to be impolite) 

Rose: Carry it with you from now on. Now we must help this young girl 2nd niece, is that really what they named you girl? I am sure that the meaning of this is that Karma is in trouble. We must rescue her. 

(Rose looks at Joseph) Do you think you can call in a few favors.

Joseph: I’ll rustle up some volunteers

Back story (may or may not be known to viewer

( two rings. one light, one dark, yin and yang. But they sometimes switched and intertwined. If the one ring met the other and got to close they could be pulled in together, ending both people. Ming’s mother in a rage, had stabbed her lover, Ming’s father. While she held her hands to his would the ring slipped into his body. Ming’s mother felt lost without the power of the ring and ran off into the wilderness somewhere. Ming’s father hadn’t been seen either. He was not a practitioner of the swords of light  and nobody knows what effect the ring had on him. )

Scene

Han: Hey Uncle

Long nods:

Joseph: Are you young men busy?

Han: (shrugging) Sorry we could not see you more often in Church. But business is going well. 

Joseph: Whenever business fails who is the first person you call to have you bailed out.

Han: Actually I call a lot of other people first. 

Joseph: But you is the first to actually answer?

Long: (Punches Han) Uncle is a good man. And we are just gangsters selling drugs and robbing people. But we still owe him. He has always helped us out even though we have turned away from god and still tries to instill good morals in us. 

Han: Look, I know you’re my godfather and all… but seriously I’m helpless. Maybe you should try and help someone else. 

Joseph: This time I need you to help me.

Long: Why us?

(Joseph opens a bag.)

Joseph: Sometimes being a good Christian means you follow a higher law. 

Han and Long stare inside bag. and look at Uncle Joseph: Uncle Joseph what the-

Long silences Han with his hand over his mouth.  and waits to hear Joseph. 

Joseph: Jesus said, if you do not have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. …. 

Scene

Han, Long, Rose, Joseph, Ming, and 2nd niece go to rescue Karma.

 and blow up the transporter being built at Tianamen Tower.

Rose encounters Peter. She recognizes his spirit. (maybe unknown to viewer he is Alicia’s lover Ming’s father with a changed appearance.) Peter shoots them both dead. 

Second niece hacks into system and plants several bombs. She is captured. 

The bombs cause some damage but not much. 

Han Long and Ming escape with Karma. 

Later Peter decides to let 2nd niece go against Uncle Tso’s wishes. 

Uncle Tso sends for him and tries to talk to him. Peter agrees with whatever he says but throws the phone down smashing it. He feels his side where he was stabbed and where the ring is and tries to cut it out. He successfully does so, the magic healing powers of the ring allowing him to do so without spilling blood. He puts the ring on his finger.