Journey to a new style...

[Gyakuto]

That’s not a bruise, it’s a beating-induced tan!

Sounds like you had fun. I hope you dished out as much as you took?

Isn’t you shodan grading coming up soon?

 

[_Simon_]

That’s not a bruise, it’s a beating-induced tan!

Sounds like you had fun. I hope you dished out as much as you took?

Isn’t you shodan grading coming up soon?

Haha...

I definitely did, handled myself well.

And yes yes! In 7 weeks

 

[Stuarto]

Haha...

I definitely did, handled myself well.

And yes yes! In 7 weeks

Simon, thank you for sharing your journey. I had some catching up to do but your story is very inspiring. I started training in Kenpo a few months ago after years of wanting to get back into MA. It has been a lifelong dream to get in and stay with it. Finally, I have committed myself to my own journey. Your story which spans years encourages me to stay in it and keep going. I am looking forward to following your journey and will occasionally post updates about my Kenpo journey. I have no doubt you will do great on your Shodan test!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Attended a 2 hour sparring seminar on the weekend with a full contact Shorinryu group (who knew??), which their 7th Dan instructor came down from Japan to run. In a word... brutal . Was one of the most challenging and intense seminars I've done in a long time.

It was AWESOME haha. Been awhile since I'd done something like that, but like I've mentioned I'd like to keep my full contact roots by doing the odd fight night and seminar etc. This one focused mainly on kumite combos with kicks: spinning kicks, leg kicks, crescent kicks, disrupting stability and deceptive movement and technique.

Also worked on the concept of soft blocking which was utterly fascinating. I even got called up to be his uke, he wanted me to hit him, as hard as I could, he let a few in then did this incredible soft wave-like redirection with his body, I legit could not hit him and was trying hard to. Couldn't get anything in!

Did free sparring rounds near the end, and after a few rounds the main instructor singled me out and wanted to spar with me. Honestly the first word that came to mind was....... well it'd be blocked out on the forum haha. But readjusted my mindset and was such a great opportunity. He beat the crap out of me but in a good way haha. At one point swept me, but swept both legs at the same time and floored me (and he explained to me why that happened). Learned so much (no I really did!).

My bruises are just lovely haha. So all in all am incredibly proud of myself. Always anxiety-provoking going to a new dojo, new environment, group of people etc let alone a sparring seminar where you don't know the lay of the land, but they were the best and incredibly welcoming to me.

View attachment 31517

Spared one of my xingyi teachers once. I was going light, when he said “I don’t feel like I’m sparing unless I get hit.” So I hit him, twice. He proceeded to beat the tar out of me. One of the coolest beating I ever had

Sounds like you’re having fun

Enjoy the training

 

[_Simon_]

Simon, thank you for sharing your journey. I had some catching up to do but your story is very inspiring. I started training in Kenpo a few months ago after years of wanting to get back into MA. It has been a lifelong dream to get in and stay with it. Finally, I have committed myself to my own journey. Your story which spans years encourages me to stay in it and keep going. I am looking forward to following your journey and will occasionally post updates about my Kenpo journey. I have no doubt you will do great on your Shodan test!

Thank you so much Stu, I really appreciate you taking the time to read and to comment! That's fantastic mate, each our own journeys are unique like our fingerprint, so honouring it and not comparing it judgementally with others' I think is key to it being enriching and nourishing on many levels.

And yes please do keep us updated, it's really nice hearing not only the trajectory that other people take, but what specifically they're enjoying about it and what captivates their own inquiry. Cheers

 

[_Simon_]

Spared one of my xingyi teachers once. I was going light, when he said “I don’t feel like I’m sparing unless I get hit.” So I hit him, twice. He proceeded to beat the tar out of me. One of the coolest beating I ever had

Sounds like you’re having fun

Enjoy the training

Hahaha I love that . Yeah a beating that's done in the right spirit is quite informative haha.

Cheers mate, yeah still exploring this crazy journey and keeping open to nuggets that lay in it..

 

[windwalker099]

Many yrs I made a switch after losing a match...
In hindsight kind of mistake....


small story of the encounter

"Would you like to test your White Crane against my student?

My first encounter with the style and its teacher was on a hot, humid summer day in Korea. The teacher, a medium-sized Korean man, didn’t stand out much—except for his eyes. People often talk about the 'eye of the tiger,' Mr. Park had the eyes of a shark—cold, jet black, and seemingly devoid of emotion.

In Chinese martial arts tradition, firsthand experience is the only real way to understand something.

At a gym on the US Army base, Camp Casey, near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a test was being conducted between two very different martial arts philosophies. Tibetan white crane, vs Plum flower mantis.

The student, Mr. Cho—who I didn’t know at the time was one of Mr. Park’s top students and would later go on to work as a bodyguard for foreign heads of state—stood about six feet away from me.

We saluted each other and assumed our respective postures. Confident in my Tibetan White Crane, a long-range style, I anticipated a favorable outcome.

As soon as I started to move, Mr. Cho covered the distance swiftly, dropped low, and lightly touched my face with a quick flick of his hand, using the mantis ‘dill sow’ or mantis claw technique.

We both smiled, understanding the likely outcome if the match continued—one not in my favor. I saluted him and turned to Mr. Park, who watched quietly.

I would later become his student for some five years.

Another match, different day, as some say.

A hot, humid summer day in Korea, during a typical six-hour training session, the shrill cries of the cicadas were interrupted by a young GI, much like myself, who had been watching. He asked Mr. Park if he could spar with me. Sensing the GI’s intent, Mr. Park instructed me to 'knock him out, real kung fu way.'

Having had many encounters before with White Crane, I felt confident. This seemed no different—just a new opponent using a different toolset, one not fully tested yet.

The GI's style resembled kickboxing, with the fluidity of a boxer, quite unlike the Taekwondo ('TKD') typically taught to most GIs in Korea at the time. His kicking style, footwork, and hand techniques were notably different.

The match itself wasn't good.

While I was able to throw the kickboxer into the bleachers nearby.
Got knocked down a couple times in the process....not good...
Found out, I was trapped by the training...itself..

Took a break from training .

My time was up in Korea, receiving (PCS) permanent change of station orders to Hawaii.
Left Korea, with a lot of reflection on my mind.. The first time I had lost a match in such a way....

In Hawaii, attempted to return to my old Tibetan White Crane practice with a noted teacher, Cheuk Tiang-Tse, who had a gym there."

My path ongoing, a friend would introduce me to a taiji teacher feeling it might help my practice.
The teacher noted for fighting..... Honolulu, Hi.

Something I added to my training, never fully committing to it..


Until meeting my last teacher in China..some 20yrs later..

An old man at the time teaching a rather unique method of taiji..

His method and skill set, resonating deep inside
Dropped everything else to follow it.



An on going practice..

 

[_Simon_]

Many yrs I made a switch after losing a match...
In hindsight kind of mistake....


small story of the encounter

View attachment 31534




"Would you like to test your White Crane against my student?

My first encounter with the style and its teacher was on a hot, humid summer day in Korea. The teacher, a medium-sized Korean man, didn’t stand out much—except for his eyes. People often talk about the 'eye of the tiger,' Mr. Park had the eyes of a shark—cold, jet black, and seemingly devoid of emotion.

In Chinese martial arts tradition, firsthand experience is the only real way to understand something.

At a gym on the US Army base, Camp Casey, near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a test was being conducted between two very different martial arts philosophies. Tibetan white crane, vs Plum flower mantis.

The student, Mr. Cho—who I didn’t know at the time was one of Mr. Park’s top students and would later go on to work as a bodyguard for foreign heads of state—stood about six feet away from me.

We saluted each other and assumed our respective postures. Confident in my Tibetan White Crane, a long-range style, I anticipated a favorable outcome.

As soon as I started to move, Mr. Cho covered the distance swiftly, dropped low, and lightly touched my face with a quick flick of his hand, using the mantis ‘dill sow’ or mantis claw technique.

We both smiled, understanding the likely outcome if the match continued—one not in my favor. I saluted him and turned to Mr. Park, who watched quietly.

I would later become his student for some five years.

Another match, different day, as some say.

A hot, humid summer day in Korea, during a typical six-hour training session, the shrill cries of the cicadas were interrupted by a young GI, much like myself, who had been watching. He asked Mr. Park if he could spar with me. Sensing the GI’s intent, Mr. Park instructed me to 'knock him out, real kung fu way.'

Having had many encounters before with White Crane, I felt confident. This seemed no different—just a new opponent using a different toolset, one not fully tested yet.

The GI's style resembled kickboxing, with the fluidity of a boxer, quite unlike the Taekwondo ('TKD') typically taught to most GIs in Korea at the time. His kicking style, footwork, and hand techniques were notably different.

The match itself wasn't good.

While I was able to throw the kickboxer into the bleachers nearby.
Got knocked down a couple times in the process....not good...
Found out, I was trapped by the training...itself..

Took a break from training .

My time was up in Korea, receiving (PCS) permanent change of station orders to Hawaii.
Left Korea, with a lot of reflection on my mind.. The first time I had lost a match in such a way....

In Hawaii, attempted to return to my old Tibetan White Crane practice with a noted teacher, Cheuk Tiang-Tse, who had a gym there."

View attachment 31533

My path ongoing, a friend would introduce me to a taiji teacher feeling it might help my practice.
The teacher noted for fighting..... Honolulu, Hi.

Something I added to my training, never fully committing to it..


Until meeting my last teacher in China..some 20yrs later..

An old man at the time teaching a rather unique method of taiji..

His method and skill set, resonating deep inside
Dropped everything else to follow it.



An on going practice..

Fantastic, thanks for sharing, a fascinating journey you've had thus far!

 

[Gyakuto]

As a Buddhist I've practiced slow, deep breathing during meditation for decades and agree as to it's importance.

Fukushiki koryu or tanden soku?

 

[Gyakuto]

@_Simon_, it seems you earned your shodan? You kept it quiet (I like your humble style). But tell us about it.

 

[_Simon_]

@_Simon_, it seems you earned your shodan? You kept it quiet (I like your humble style). But tell us about it.

Yeah I really am super humble! It's important you all know that.

Haha

No not yet, it's in 3 and a half weeks time . My training has really ramped up, but I'm now currently sick. Possibly pushed too hard or just other stresses, so training is slightly derailed at the moment which really annoyed me, but all good I'll have to tone things down and make sure I'm well recovered.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Yeah I really am super humble! It's important you all know that.

Haha

No not yet, it's in 3 and a half weeks time . My training has really ramped up, but I'm now currently sick. Possibly pushed too hard or just other stresses, so training is slightly derailed at the moment which really annoyed me, but all good I'll have to tone things down and make sure I'm well recovered.

Your technique execution isn't going to improve that much over the next 3 wks. If your open to unsolicited advice, I suggest you cut down on drills as far as reps, speed and power is concerned and just work on relaxation and control. Especially true in kata. Not only will this give you smoother performance (often much liked in shodan tests) but also keep you fresher during the length of the test. The tendency is to try too hard, only adding pressure on yourself and roughness in execution. IMO, relaxed control is key. Let your years of training and practice do their own thing. Good luck.

 

[Gyakuto]

Yeah I really am super humble! It's important you all know that.

Haha

I take what I said it back

No not yet, it's in 3 and a half weeks time .

It’s taking an age!

My training has really ramped up, but I'm now currently sick. Possibly pushed too hard or just other stresses, so training is slightly derailed at the moment which really annoyed me, but all good I'll have to tone things down and make sure I'm well recovered.

I had two flat mates at University (also medical students). Malcolm was a crammer, working with such intensity the month before an exam…it was incredible and he would never accept anything less than distinction passes. David, on the other hand, worked consistently and moderately hard throughout the year but crucially, he stopped his studies about a week before his exams and did pleasant, social things like go to the cinema or hikes and he too, always earned distinctions in his exams. I remember Malcolm banging on my door one evening and asking tersely, “Where the f*ck’s David this evening? We’ve got a professional exam in less than a week!” Much to his annoyance, I replied, “Oh I think he’s gone to the theatre.” which would inflame Malcolm’s anger at himself for leaving his revision to the last minute.

They both earned distinctions but crucially, Malcolm burned out by year three and started getting only B’s in his exams, whereas Dave continued down the distinction path.

Take this hiatus you have as a time to decompress. Your mind will still be processing and ‘chunking’ what you’ve learned over the last few weeks and your body will be healing and getting stronger despite the apparent lack of training. It will not hamper your progress…quite the opposite.

 

[_Simon_]

Your technique execution isn't going to improve that much over the next 3 wks. If your open to unsolicited advice, I suggest you cut down on drills as far as reps, speed and power is concerned and just work on relaxation and control. Especially true in kata. Not only will this give you smoother performance (often much liked in shodan tests) but also keep you fresher during the length of the test. The tendency is to try too hard, only adding pressure on yourself and roughness in execution. IMO, relaxed control is key. Let your years of training and practice do their own thing. Good luck.

Very good advice, and very much appreciated. Yeah I was definitely going to taper off my intense training about 2 weeks out or so, especially the week of. And we very much value smoothness and relaxation in our style so I do need to keep this in mind. I guess I like to really intensify training leading up to it, and I often try to peak above what's required, because often in gradings or tournaments the anxiety and stress/tension really saps a great deal of extra energy and can get exhausted much quicker, so I like to take that into account.

It also makes the day that much extra special and emotional, knowing how damn hard I've worked for it

Thank you so much I appreciate your thoughts

 

[_Simon_]

I take what I said it back

It’s taking an age!

It is indeed!

I had two flat mates at University (also medical students). Malcolm was a crammer, working with such intensity the month before an exam…it was incredible and he would never accept anything less than distinction passes. David, on the other hand, worked consistently and moderately hard throughout the year but crucially, he stopped his studies about a week before his exams and did pleasant, social things like go to the cinema or hikes and he too, always earned distinctions in his exams. I remember Malcolm banging on my door one evening and asking tersely, “Where the f*ck’s David this evening? We’ve got a professional exam in less than a week!” Much to his annoyance, I replied, “Oh I think he’s gone to the theatre.” which would inflame Malcolm’s anger at himself for leaving his revision to the last minute.

They both earned distinctions but crucially, Malcolm burned out by year three and started getting only B’s in his exams, whereas Dave continued down the distinction path.

Take this hiatus you have as a time to decompress. Your mind will still be processing and ‘chunking’ what you’ve learned over the last few weeks and your body will be healing and getting stronger despite the apparent lack of training. It will not hamper your progress…quite the opposite.

That's very helpful, thanks mate. I still will do the training but will definitely taper off soonish hehe. But very good point, destroying myself is NOT helpful!

 

[_Simon_]

Fiiinally finished my essay! I..... may have gone over the 1000 words. By... alot . But this is not surprising haha

 

[Gyakuto]

Fiiinally finished my essay! I..... may have gone over the 1000 words. By... alot . But this is not surprising haha

Great stuff! Editing down is usually straightforward: remove superfluous words such adjectives, tautologies and the really obscene swear words.