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February 4704
Tuesday Class
John, Lorna, Joe, Jonas, Bob, Lizzie, Scott
© 4704 New Moon
01: Wednesday
Clearing and mild...
Stepping with my tea, trying to work the kink in my left hip out...
Two sets of 24 Form, wondering about how I'm doing...
Some chen... gao tan ma up through—
Ii know the weight shift at the downward punch and the elbow jing aren't right— not exactly... Wish I could call pictures of this form to mind.
I need to practice being accurate— precise? in my strikes... as in karate, being sure of the target and hitting it.
Got to set up some targets for weapons practice, too. Guess I'll have to set up the side yard as a practice area now... Got to.
02: Thursday
Sunny and mild. Cool and breezy.
Practice was all undisciplined today...
I haven't quite found the trick of the spinning turn in the chang dao form... it's an interesting move, obviously for a close quarters manouver— how in heck do you spell man-ooo-ver?! Brain dead!
I felt my xin jia yi lu was way below par today...
It's a funny day...
Had to pull the ties on my moccasins tight so they wouldn't fall of during chang dao practice. It is time to get new shoes— past time.
Today needs a good tango.
Class tonight! Looks like only me and Joe and Lorna; maybe John. Early call: 7:00...
Later:
We worked on rhythm and flow...
We worked on dan bian...
We drilled on you ca jiao/zou ca jiao, trying to understand how it works so the rhythm would be right...
You've got to know the apps... When you step over, the peng in your crossed hands is blocking and pushing your opponent back, then, quick as lightning, you snap out a kick to his knee and block anything incoming with the outward snap of your hands...
"Shun not the squid." This means that "squid hand" doesn't incorporate shun chan. It's a simple, direct move into "squid form." Keep that in mind.
03: Friday
04: Saturday
05: Sunday
06: Monday
I can't believe I haven't written anything since Thursday. I certainly don't feel I've been away from taiji— maybe it's that there haven't been many moments when I wasn't thinking of it, and so I didn't realize I hadn't written anything here.
Pale sun and wind. It's cold: 40º. But while I practiced, snow flurried about...
Here's a good question about two-handed sword technique: On the downward cuts, is the forward hand on top pushing down— is it the same as bo technique? Sword is different because of the blade, but even so, control can't be so very different... hmmmmm....
Today I practiced my advancing steps. Thursday night in the driveway after class we practiced chang dao. I got to watch Jonas's thrusting technique. Very smooth and powerful. He just seems to slide forward very fast, like a cardboard cutout on wheels.
A few weeks ago when we had class at John's, Jonas helped me with advancing stepping, and gave me an exercise to practice. Forward stance with peng in the back leg; lift the leading foot and let the peng push you. It seems easy enough, and yet it is very difficult...
But today, just for one sequence, I think I felt I had it just right.
07: Tuesday
Sunny and cold and windy. I didn't want to go out to practice: the mild weather is turning me into a wuss.
Stepping with my tea... I still have a long way to go before Chen stepping will be a relaxed exercise...
Some Chen...
I wouldn't've believed it, but today practice gave me a headache. It was all the questions I think. there was so much to remember from Thursday night, and what with trying to make corrections and trying to do everything better, I ended up questioning every move— it wouldn't've been so bad if I could get over wanting to be perfect by the next lesson!
I must have thought up a hundred questions. All good ones. And I could ask them in class. but in the end, only practice will answer them fully.
Last week, Jonas correctd a couple of my bad habits— he correct all of on indiviudual things... It's Art. You work and work and work, trying to do a little better each time, and each time you do a little better....
But there's no end to it. Only a journey of discovery that goes on forever. A quest for perfection...
If there were an end, would it take you back to the beginning?
Later:
Chang dao at John's! Jonas, me, Scott and John.
It's coming together. We have most of part B now, and a better understanding of how the form works.
One thing is becoming obvious: the length of the weapon is going to make a huge difference. There's a move in part B that requires us to move the weapon upright— hilt end up, between us and the opponent— the length of the blade will make that move... very tricky. Timing will be critical.
08: Wednesday
Sunny and cold...
It's very difficult to understand the chang dao move without a real partner.
09: Thursday
10: Friday
[ Letter ]
11: Saturday
Cold. Nor'easter brewing...
I drew my mop handle chang dao and took out the overhead porch light. Glass the length of the dojo!
The "folding turn" where the dao goes hilt up between need work...
Some Chen...
We're up to fan shen er qi jiao. We proceed apace. Jonas says he's been rethinking his attitude towards our "school" and he feels an added pressure to make sure we all train hard. I don't see that that has to mean go faster... but I'm sure we'll find our balance again soon.
12: Sunday
Snow. Lots of snow... blizzard.
The kicks in you/zou ca jiao are easy if you aren't also doing the blocks... grrrr! Why is this so difficult?
I feel stiff today. Not achey, just stiff. Maybe because of the unusual cold. It's 22º. I've been spoiled.
13: Monday
Sunny and cold. 24º in Shangri-La. The snow swept up easily.
Stepping with my tea— xiao jie ling jing! in the deep Chen steps...
"Rubbing" practice... easier today, but my timing isn't quite there yet. Even so, my fa-li works better, and my kicks— though when I concentrate too hard on the peng in my hands, I sometimes forget to kick.
Gao tan ma through fan shen er qi jiao... better...
I'm trying to "smooth things out" as Jonas wants us to do... get the rhythm right, the phrases and the pauses— like music.
We spoke for a few moments at the end of class about the concept of getting inside the enemy's head. Jonas agreed that "aping" another while doing the form is good training for that.
14: Tuesday
Cold (35º) and sunny. Excellent practice weather.
Bo katas in my head on waking... Chounokun...
I need to get the side yard set up as a practice area. The porch is too small— I've outgrown it!
Chang dao... I begin to understand... almost I "see" my opponent...
I need space!!!
I need practice targets!
I wonder what it would be like using a real chang dao...
Jonas has been in communication with Thomas Chen who is a Qi Jiguang fan, too— I think they both think they're the reincarnation! anyway, Mr. Chen has translations of Qi's books and information about Ming infantry costumes and equipment, etc., that he is going to send to Jonas.
Furthermore, Mr. Chen has recommended Jonas get in touch with Scott Rodell because Mr. Rodell is trying to recreate General Qi's maio dao form. I think Jonas was quite flattered by the suggestions...
Guess he should be. And he probably has a right to feel puffed up, too. He's worked long at hard at his training and he's good.
15: Wednesday
Sunny and warm— 55º!
We're up to shou tou shi, named move #39. It takes about eight minutes to get there at a moderate pace.
Last night before class Jonas did the form with me. I followed along as best I could. He "makes different music" each time now. It was very interesting to note the new rhythms and fa-li...
One thousand repetitions at 8 minutes per... 8000/60 = 133.3 hours. At two hours a day, it's only— 10 weeks. Do-able.
I wonder if I can discipline my self to do it— keep up the pace during the hour, I mean. Seven reps morning and night, without let up. Hmmmm......
But then there's the chang dao. Can't forget that... or the weapons....
I wonder.
16: Thursday
Sunny and 60º. There's still ice on the pond and snow covers the meadow, but it's a beautiful day.
Stepping with my tea...
Chang dao...
I can envision part A now— mostly, so I've begun working out the last of part B. There are a few sticking points, like the defense for part A's two jodan (overhead strikes). Seems like part B is completely on the defensive there, but I could be missing something...
Lots to think about... and I'm getting tired now— it's been a couple of hours working on this... I should change my shoes and do some Chen.
Some Chen...
My legs are very tired. Sections one through shou tou shi and section five. Three times...
Almost I think I begin to understand.
Jonas posted the rest of his essay about traditional training on the blog...
I was very disturbed when he first brought the subject up. All the talk of "Japanese methods" and "traditional methods" frightened me because of my bad experience with the dojo's training methods. I mentioned this when Jonas talked about this stuff in class over the last few weeks. I got quite emotional...
But now that I've read his essays, I understand. I like the method he has described, and it's a method, a Way, I not only can, but want to embrace. Not only that, but I as I read, I "heard" his sincerity. Jonas is a difficult person to get to know, and because of that it has been difficult to know if he can be trusted. But from what he has written I now feel I can trust him— I know I can trust him to teach me.
I must remember to ask Jonas is he will allow me to link to those essays.
17: Friday
Wind and rain. Strong winds even in Shangri-La, but mild still: 55º
Early I awoke from sweet, unremembered dreams. The sky was getting some light in it, the night felt still and soft. Peaceful. As if I was enveloped in... kindness. I fell back to sleep...
And woke to taiji, knowing I have been given an extraordinary gift: a teacher I can trust. I have read the essays over and over. They prove it. Whatever "the Japanese way" or "the Chinese way" may be, those ways don't matter; "the Jonas way" is a Way I can and do want to live with. No wonder my dreams were sweet.
I've been much hurt over the years, and from time to time I still feel the rawness of some of the wounds. But now... I feel there is some healing. I am healing. And that is Jonas's doing, somehow. Certainly there is nothing else in my life causing this feeling.
I am healing. I don't understand it; I don't understand how it could happen. It doesn't make sense. But it has happened. It is happening...
I hope I can return the favor someday.
[ Letter ]
18: Saturday
19: Sunday
20: Monday
21: Tuesday
22: Wednesday
23: Thursday
24: Friday
25: Saturday
26: Sunday
27: Monday
28: Tuesday
Copyright © 2006 New Moon
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