way too many commas

I wanted to write a blog about Kung Fu and Tai Chi after the recent discussions we’ve been having about the differences and similarities. I have never given much thought to this idea before, on the one hand I saw Tai chi and Kung Fu as entirely separated, they both have similar core truths (they are called “universal” for a reason) but ultimately are different styles, or on the other hand, my Tai Chi complements my Kung fu and my Kung Fu complements my Tai Chi, as I develop in either I get stronger in both.  But our discussions have made me start to pay closer attention to how they are different, not just the fact that they are, and aren’t.  From my notes:       The biggest difference between Tai Chi and Kung Fu is Momentum. The way they both utilize the  6 harmonies is exactly the same, and yet completely different. In Tai Chi all 6 harmonies are moving together, and working together to achieve the intent. In Kung Fu the 6 harmonies are moving togethe...

Current Problem: my horse stance needs to be lowered in my sword form Solution 1) just be mindful, and do it lower Solution 2) lower my high-back stance in the previous move to make the transition easier Solution 3) change the timing of the elbow in the move to see if that allows me to sink lower Solution 4) look for a spot in other school form repertoire that has a similar core movement/idea that can help me figure out additional solutions Investigation 1) this does not feel feasible, I notice I am sitting up higher subconsciously, but on purpose. My body knows that I need to be sitting a bit higher if I want more power in my strike, why is this? How can I change the intent of my strike to facilitate a deeper stance with equal power as what I am feeling now? Investigation 2) this helps, a step in the right direction Investigation 3) leaving the elbow behind allows me to connect it to my hip/stance/settling I’m aware of this now. I also need to work further on understanding the path of...

I wanted to write this blog after our in-person class but I never got around to it then so I’m finally getting around to it now. I learned SO MUCH during Sihing Ward’s warm up from that class I wanted to document some of the things I was thinking about. 1) When we were doing the exercise at the beginning, just relaxing and taking stock of our joints... I completely skipped over my spine. I have 24 vertebrae in my spine and I skipped over all of them. It makes me have gratitude that I have no pain in such an important part of my body that I didn't even spare it a second thought. However this is also making me realize I had a HUGE blind spot in my awareness of my body 2) When I did try to devote some attention to my back during the rest of the warm up, and the rest of the class I realized that I don’t think about my back in terms of my spine, I think of it as the connection of my hips and my shoulders, i.e. I conceptualize it as two vertical bars connecting my shoulder to my hip on m...

It is something that must be done daily, usually multiple times daily to keep mediocrity at bay. It is repetition of practiced motion. So practiced that it becomes ever easier to do it without thought, and only mindful repetition allows me to make progress and gain the benefit.  I think about Kung fu a lot when I’m brushing my teeth. Especially this past week.  I had a cleaning recently and the dentist I had mentioned that I must be right-handed from the condition of my teeth on one side of my mouth compared to the other. She explained that the angle of your dominant hand changes the way you angle the brush on each side of your mouth.   I decided to become ambidextrous. It has been extremely awkward so far. I feel like a little kid again trying to exert control over my arm and having it go rogue no matter how much I scrunch up my eyes. I had a moment of self-reflection after starting this (literally, I was standing in front of the mirror after all). I realized that I am n...

I’ve been trying to focus on a particular section of my Broadsword form recently. When I was building the technique I was looking at it from a Big Picture perspective: unwind from the previous move and cut leaving the sword low to create a false opening.  Now I am trying to refine the details, trying to optimize it, but my left hand is causing me all sorts of issues. I know I want it to be involved and I know I want it to have rotation and rigidity, but what path it’s taking to accomplish that has so far been eluding me.  - I have tried expanding during the technique but that throws off the motion of my hip paired with my sword - I have tried rolling with the motion of the blade but that changes my stance, which makes the false opening less open. - I have tried changing the angle of the sword during the transition but that wrecks the way I pivot into my stance The more I play with it the more I realize I have created something with very challenging vectors. The wall that I see...