Branch 3: Following Resolutions with Actions

Productive Morning
-work of spirit
-work of relationships
-work of self


Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
                   -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Good Morning World,

This is a follow up on my post from yesterday, where I am continually reducing the fraction of larger ideas/goals to successful actions steps:

1. Took the larger context specific weekly schedule and reduced/specified it into resolution based actions steps.

2. Then began to single a specific day with specific actions.

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I am inspired for my new year; one goal of which was to recommit to my spiritual health and strength.

Today's readings in prep for church tomorrow:

1st Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14

2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

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Found this cool website full of preacher notes:

https://www.workingpreacher.org/

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On a humorous note, words i had to look up because I'm out of practice! lol

Edifying

-to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; uplift:

Admonition

-counsel, advice, caution

Doxological

-a hymn or form of words containing an ascription of praise to God

Have a great day y'all,

Cid

...and now to work out!

Branch 3: New and Old Beginnings

Happy New Year!

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
-T. S. Eliot
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Being one who finds strength in the binary,  I take great joy in beginnings and ends.  The year is complete; there have been joys and sorrows, successes and failures, learning and growing.  As I look back on 2014, I have no regrets.  I feel I pushed myself to live with love and honor; now that i can be more objective, I can see what parts of my life were not the strongest or most healthy and now begin to forge ahead with new and old ideas, plans, and action steps to be and live better, stronger, and healthier.  I am all for New Years Resolutions and took some inspiration from this man:

Pope Francis`New Years Resolutions Suggestions

– “Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.”

– “Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention and love.”

– “Take care of your relationships with others, transforming your faith into life and your words into good works, especially on behalf of the needy.”

– “Be careful how you speak, purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity and worldly decadence.”

– “Heal wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness, forgiving those who have hurt us and medicating the wounds we have caused others.”

– “Look after your work, doing it with enthusiasm, humility, competence, passion and with a spirit that knows how to thank the Lord.”

– “Be careful of envy, lust, hatred and negative feelings that devour our interior peace and transform us into destroyed and destructive people.”

– “Watch out for anger that can lead to vengeance; for laziness that leads to existential euthanasia; for pointing the finger at others, which leads to pride; and for complaining continually, which leads to desperation.”

– “Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker … the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers, because we will be judged on this.”
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Here is the path to the destinations of creating my own resolutions

I took myself out of the immediacy of my current New Orleans life.  Stepped out and ventured back home to California.  I wanted to compare the who I am now to the who I was.  The idea was to see those places and people who first helped inspire the tenants that I would chose to forge my male adult identity.

I reviewed parts of my life with family and listened to their responses, did the same for my brother, and shared my proud love to my sister, who is now a mother, and introduced and welcomed my niece, Giulianna, to our family.

I revisited my college town, the first real steps of building and creating the masculine warrior and poet I now identify as.  I was able to reconnect with good friends, mentors, and God.  And again share my year, and listen to their ideas and responses.

And now, I have returned to my current home and started to have those conversation of the experiences of the year past, with those here, and forging into the new year.  With a more clear mind, I will put myself back in the mix with my New Orleans city and New Orleans friends--share my realizations, listen to their responses, and move forward.
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Happy New Year!  Here are the Topics of Growth of my Resolutions:
-it appears to be a lot, I know, all important and necessary.
-reasonable steps at a time.
-lots of planning, successes, failures, and re-planning.

Scheduling
Writing Projects
Reading Growth
Work/Life Balance
Spiritual Fitness
Physical Fitness/Diet
Solitude/Community Balance
Financial Stability
Romance/Dating/Sex
World News/Political Awareness
Art/Culture Awareness
Friendships
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Steps Complete Thus Far

1. Turning the larger concepts into specific actions, tasks, and goals.

2. Draft #1 of my weekly schedule

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Final Thoughts

I will be coming to a very important milestone in my life, at least according to my design.  I will be 35 in February.  The promise I made to myself was the change in focus from pleasure, in the moment, and rash decisions to  a true ownership of male adulthood: health, education, financial stability--simply a true focus and commitment to my life in the long term.  One truly difficult part of that is my Black and White vs Gray internal and external struggle.  My idea is not to sacrifice all of my binary aspects as the thoughts and beliefs they are, it is more of maintaining an openness and love for those who are not me and shifting my balance of expectations between myself and those I truly care about.

-that is not very specific yet, but it will be over time.  Also i have me working since 7am, and my brain and hands are tired.

Peace,

-Cid

Branch 1: Locks and Keys

My life had found itself collected on a beautiful and challenging path for the last to years with a woman, I still to the moment, have a great love for.  It had found its' apex however, where the understanding of love needed to shift. And, in some sense, it is now a new beginning .

Recent additions to life:
-Teaching American Lit & AP Lit/Comp
-Brown Belt in Kung Fu
-Single/New Apartment
-Reinvigorating my Poetic Spirit

I wrote this piece early yesterday.  It began as a free-verse and went through many shifts, pauses, stops, and changes.  And, at that final moment in time, yesterday, my eyes finally saw it for what it was becoming-- what it  has now become, a "Concrete Poem."

This is a form I have very rarely wrote in since elementary school or workshops in college classes.  It designed itself, however, as I wrote through my 2nd draft in pen and paper and ended up as the following below.

Can you see the images?  What are they?

It is still a draft obviously, but it felt good to take creative ownership of my new space.
Could not quite get the right format below, so I also attached the above picture.
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Through the Gate

It has been a summer-spring of two years,                     

Two years of…                                                   Vertical root                                       vertical feet

Vertical trunk                                     vertical chest

Vertical branches                             vertical hands

        And                                                         and

Vertical leaves                                   vertical minds

gravity cannot

                                                                        water

growth of                                                            be out-longed

                                Still the                                                                 or out-timed.

                                of vertical                                                            to now face

                                Two years                                                           and force.

The                                                                        the

Leaves                                                                  minds

Branches                                                             hands

Trunk                                                                    chest

Roots                                                                    feet

The exiled-exhale of two twined lungs that now push out and away.

Chest concave                                                                   the closing of eyes

Shoulders dissolve and            leading to                     the closing of windows,

Ankles sink                                                                        doors, and  curtains.

Through the gate, keys are re-exchanged and the unlocked becomes

once                                                                                                       again.

Branch 4: New Book on Ba Gua

Today's post is going to start covering one of the new books I am reading: Ba Gua "Hidden Knowledge in the Toaist Internal Martial Art,"  by John Bracy and Liu Xing-Han.

Today will be my notes on:                                           

Introductory Note
Preface Part 1: Intro by Master Liu Xing-Han
Preface Part 2: Intro by John Bracy

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Introductory Note (Key Take-Aways)
-In China, particularly with the internally focused, dawn is a key time to begin the day
-Most of these groups are practicing t'ai chi ch'uan, Ba Gua, or another internal style
-The best time to meet is pre-dawn
-Master Xing-Han, 90 year old, may be the oldest/most senior Ba Gua master alive
-He began in 1917 at the age of 7 under his father
-On the Chinese New Year in 1924, his father invited him to be an "inner door" initiate of the renowned
 third-generation disciple  Master Liu Bin
-Later became a fourth generation "inheritor" charged with maintaining the oral/written records of the
 clan and passing them down to the next generation

Preface Part 1: Intro by Master Liu Xing-Han (Key Take-Aways)
The Internal Styles of Traditional Kung Fu (net chia ch'uan):
     -Ba Gua Zhang, Xing Yi (hsing I), t'ai chi ch'uan
-Master Xing-Han learned the heart of Ba gua was the I Ching
-After many years, he understood that the form of Ba Gua Palm is derived from:
     -adaptation
     -extension of power
     -constant change
-Because of this it always the art and the practitioner to adapt to any circumstance
-Ancient Chinese Taoist: reality/truth is never frozen/crystallized, but fluid
-Trigrams in the I Ching do not represent a fixed truth, but truth as always harmonizing/changing
-The movements in Ba Gua are based in Harmony and change
-Based on effective turns and circles utilizing unique training patterns and unique walking methods

Founder
-Master Dong
-When young, he traveled through China studying from many great masters
-He especially loved training with the mountain dwelling Taoists
-Lore states, one of them (always unknown) imparted him with the greatest secrets of their arts
-Eventually his travels lead him to being a servant in the Forbidden City
-One day, while serving drinks, his great skill in movement was noticed
-He was asked to demonstrate his Kung Fu and then may a palace body guard and martial arts
 instructor
-Thus began his teaching career, hundreds of studets, five were taken as "inner door" disciples
 and received the full body of the art
-His most popular student Cheng Ti-Hwa was very famous and respected
-He was given the nickname "Invincible Cobra cheng" (died in 1900)
-Stories of his death:
     -he confronted a group of german soldiers who were forcing people at gun point to work-parties
      he took out two knives and walked the circle through them, killing many before he was killed

Co-Author of this Book
-Master Liu Bin (one of Cheng's top disciples) was Master Xing-Han's Sifu
-Master Xing-Han began studying with Master Liu Bin in 1917
-Bejing was the birthplace and center of Ba Gua
-There was a North City and a South City group
-He studied, learned and transcribed everything, and become formaly invited into the inner door in 1925
-Japanese invasion of China 1937-1945 / Cultural Revolution 1967-1976
-Both of the time periods above were difficult times for Kung Fu teachers/practitioners
-After 1976 Master Xing-Han returned to Bejing and has taught ever sense
-He has had over 100 formal students, but only one westerner (the author of this book) John Bracy
-Bracy was accepted as a student in 1988 and renamed him Yubg Wei
- Bracy now teaches Ba Gua at hi own school in California with many formal students approved by Xing-Han

Ending Notes of Master Xing-Han
-persist with study and revelation will come in a flash
-consider the riddles of the Ba gua Practice:
     -move forward and withdraw
     -link mind and body
     -practice the method of constant change

-always remember:
     -one move/on stillness
     -for every move there is an advance and a withdraw
      (a change from movement to stillness)
     -merge yin and yang/dragon and tiger
     -one move one calmness

Preface Part 1: Intro by John Bracy (Key Take-Aways)
-First interested in the internal arts in 1967
-Catholic upbringing help lead him to follow the interest
-1981 in Taiwan was introduced/began taining in:
     -Ba Gua, Xing-Yi, Tai Chi, Ti Te-Kuen
-Meet Liu Xing-Han/conferred with formal lineage discipline of the art

-Offers Book Layout Explanation:
    -political/philosophical background
     -difficulty of defining the internal arts
     -metaphysical/symbolic aspects of Ba Gua
     -qi/power training exercises
     -two ma exercises
     -combat applications
 

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Glossary
-Sifu: father teacher
-inner door initiate (disciple): receiver of the whole body of the art
-inheritor: Grandmaster in charge of keep and teaching the art

Branch 4: Choy-Li-Fut and Review of Pa Kwa/Ba Gua

The superior man moves his lips; 
the mean man moves his fists.
         -Chinese Proverb
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This post continues the information gathering of the Southern and Northern Kung Fu Styles.  In previous entries, I spoke from those styles which I have more knowledge or experience with.  Theses two are purely studies and assumptions based on my understandings of self.

Ba Gua is one of my new high interests in learning and developing.  I believe it will strengthen my leopard style and sparring goals.  Being more of an infighter it focuses on using palms, fists, and arms--the "palm preferred" emphasis appeals to me as well.

This is one of the new books I am reading:



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Choy-Le-Fut
-the fist at the end of the rope

Granite Fists whip through the air
at the end of loose and supple arms.

Founding                                                                              
-1836 by Chag Heng
-originally trained at the temple under a deeply respected monk
 by the name of Choy Fook
-after 20 years he returned to his village to create this system
 named in honor of his teacher (fut-Buddha in Chinese)
-At this time, Manchurians rule the Ching Dynasty
-They were corrupt and soon rebel forces emerged
-Chang Heung found it impossible not to get involved
 he began training men in his style to fight
-though referred to as a southern style, in truth it is a combination of both
-the monk he trained under was originally from the north
     -northern traits
          -relaxed circular long arms and footwork
     -southern traits
          -power and low stances

Region
-practiced by 1/3 of the population of Hong Kong
-famous for:
     -combining hard/soft
     -speed
     -balance
     -power
     -extension

Weapons
-many more weapons than most systems
-the two main weapons are staff and butterfly knives

-broken into four main  categories:
     -long: staff, spear, kwan-do, monk's shovel, farmer's hoe, and trident
     -short: broadsword, double edged sword, umbrella, fan, and cane
     -flexible: chain whip and three sectional staff
     -double: x2 broadswords, butterfly knives, axes, x2 daggers, x2 chain whips, hook swords
     (unique weapon: dragon trident: said to be the personal weapon of the founder)

Forms
-average form has from 100-300 moves
-hand & weapon forms are longer
-many tow man forms
-lion dancing
-wooden dummy training forms
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Pa Kwa
-a fighting strategy in 8 directions

walk the circle,
attack from everywhere

Information                                                                                                                             
-means "8 directions"
-thought by some to represent the 8 trigram/changes of I-Ching Philosophy
(more accurately means: "8 different angles of attack")
-strictly an internal system......(?)
-most kung fu systems are created with end goals of self-defense/street fights
-internal systems like Pa Kwa are to develop for fighting high level opponents

The Pa Kwa Circle
-walk a constant circle while continuously on your intent for your unseen opponent
-two main area of protection:
     -the body (big door)
     -the shoulder/arms (small door)
-another feature is the idea of always changing
     -hand techniques emphasize penetrating strikes
     -"tzan zi" twisting motion to deliver power
     -requiring a supple waist

Palms Preferred 
-90% of hand techniques are palm based
-the belief is that making fists automatically tightens the body
(similar ideals to wing chun where the is loose right up to and right after the attack)
-also palm strikes cover a wider radius and therefore is more likely to strike critical areas
- not a high emphasis in stance training
-practitioner remains more upright for movements/strikes
-again, like wing chun. kicks are low and practical

Weapons
-weapons are similar to most other systems
-x2 weapons are popular because they keep both hands, arms, and body moving circularly
-unique Pa Kwa weapons: horn knives, crescent knives,
  and pun gung bi (x2 edged needles easily concealed on the body

Other
-two man forms for circles work
-high focus on sparring and wooden post/dummy work

Branch 4: Wing Chun Review

I went through a series of videos today to review my Wing Chun Techniques.  I was able to get through 25 lessons before I really would need a partner or a wooden dummy.

Speaking of wooden dummies, I looking to buy/build/create one of my own and am open for ideas.

Here are my personal notes from the lessons.

1. stance
2. stance exercise
3. foot work
     step 1: forward step
     step 2: forward hop step
     step 3: cross in front
     step 4: cross behind/spin
     step 5: step in/slide forward
     step 6: step back/slide forward
4. kicks
     -inside
     -outside
     -forward
5. elbow block
6. block 1 (whole body)
7. x3 straight punch w/release

8. inside elbow block down/shift body
   back to neutral/strike with same hand

9. step 1/punch (punchw/whole body)
10. counter to upper-cut: block #2 w/down-chop (then trap)
11. x3 block sequence to: straight p, hook p, upper-cut p
12. block: high/low & in/out (shitch & shift waist)
13. blocking side kick: block inside the kick with outer-forearm
    counter with a steppig forward blocking upper-cut
14. block round house w/iside elbow block (have to shift waist/body)
    counter with x3 chain-punch
15. blocking a front kick: downward palm or x2 palm or forearm
    (shift waist/lock the strike)
16. block/cover, slap down, & punch
17. block, grab w/same hand, punch with other hand
18. block, grab, kick

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Come Back to
-lesson 25
-lesson 26 lapsau

Blocks
-outside
-inside
-catch low puch w/wrist&4arm ->twist body


Combos
-step forward into elbow block -> spinning bfist
-trap-kick, arm/punch trap, and x3 punch

Branch 4: Two Branches of the Kung Fu Tree: Tai Chi Chuan & Wing Chun

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The purpose of Wing Chun Kung Fu is to lead you to be free and relaxed. This can never be achieved if you are tied physically and emotionally to techniques. You must free yourself from dependence on mechanical expression and trust your body, your Kung Fu, to protect yourself…
                       - Moy Yat  (Wing Chun Grand Master)

As previously stated in my last blog, the purpose of these particular posts is the pushing and pulling from Northern and Southern Kung Fu Styles to find what best builds upon my strengths and give continuous awareness tothe weaknesses of my personal kung fu expression.  Today's two styles are Tai Chi (Chuan) and Wing Chun.

From Tai Chi I pull the theory of balancing one's internal/external or one's hard and soft.  The external t focusing on power and strength; the internal focusing on calm/piece/the continuous balance of the kung fu/warrior spirit.  It reminds me to focus on my stillness, breathing, and not getting caught in the pull and impatience of my aggression.

I pull a lot from Wing Chun; it was the first kung fu system i seriously undertook.  Many other styles focus on circular flow.  Wing Chun is aggressive, linear, with a high focus on the efficiency of movement. (like me)  My legs are my weaker expression of kung fu fighting; 60% of Wing Chun attacks are of the hands, focused on in fighting.  Being a smaller man, I do not have the length of extension that other martial arts practitioners do.  The focus on the efficiency of hand movements helps me focus on the openings extended attacks create so that i can use then to find/exploit the attacks of my oppnents.

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Tai Chi Chuan
-the yin and yang of combat

soft flowing yin
hard fast yang

Origins                                                                               
-uses the yin/yang theory to form a high level internal martial art
-founder (popular legend) Taoist Priest: San Feng
-early Yuan Dynasty
-he observed a bird and snake engaging in a fight to the death
     -impressed with the relaxation of both animals
     -sometimes soft and gentle
     -sometimes soft and fierce
     -both focused on breathing

Chen Style
-two forms: old & new
-old style had difficult kicks and hard external actions (not suitable for the old/infirm)
-it was revised for those in the "new form"

3 Major Tai Chi Styles
-Chen: hard, soft, and recognizable kung fu patterns
-Yang: large/graceful circles (more easily understood)
-Wu: smaller circles, more throwing/pushing

(also a seldom used "Sun" Style)
  -founder: Sun Lok Tang
  -combined hsing-i/pa kwa

Commonalities Between All Styles
-soft is learned first (internal/flexibility)
-second, hard/fast/combative
-final stage is the combination of both

Thirteen Principles Common to All Styles 
1.  Peng (ward-off)
2.  Lu (roll-back)
3.  Chi (press)
4.  An (push)
5.  Tsai (pull-down)
6.  Lieh (split)
7.  Chou (elbow strike)
8.  Kao (shoulder strike)
9.  Chin (advance)
10. Tui (retreat)
11. Ku (look left)
12. Pan (look right)
13. Ting (center)

Tai Chi Push Hands
-two types: single handed toy sao & double  handed
-both exercise 4 stages of power:
     -ting ing "listen to the force"
          -feel your opponent next to (across) from you
     -"dong ging "
          -understand and know their force
     -"fa ging"
          -disolve your opponent's force
     -"fat ging"
          -release your own attacking force

Body Mechanics
-power comes from the waist
-whole body must be relaxed
-elbows are always relaxed and down
-shoulders are dropped down
-hips are tucked in (pelvis lifted up)
-chest is relaxed/concave
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Wing Chun
-the shortest distance between two points

short straight strikes to the center-line of the opponent's body

Legend                                                                                  
-girl named Yim Wing Chun wanted to learn martial arts
-caught the attention of the Shaolin Nun: Ng Mui
-Ng Mui was impressed with Yim and agreed to teach her
-the shaolin she taught her had only 3 forms/was only self-defense techniques

The System of Wing Chun
-there are several different styles within the system
-the 3 common/popular styles seen today:
     -"slant body" (practiced by Bruce Lee/Ip Man)
          -3 hand forms/1wooden dummy
     -"side body" (Sifu Fong Sun)
     -"pao fa lein" (Liu Ta-Sheng"
          -10 hand forms/4 wooden dummy

Efficiency 
-aggressive
-concentrates on center-line attacks
-blocks are (essentially) attacks/redirection of opponent's energy for counters
-very close in-fighting position
-no circular movements
-60% of attack techniques are hand techniques
-40% feet (focuses on short low kicks)

Sticky Hands
-Chi sao (think push hands of tai chi)
     -two practitioners face each other
     -connect forearms/wrists in small circles
     -a focus is to develop sensitivity in these areas to
      in order to stay connected and therefor predict an
      opponents attack

Weapons
-traditional forms contain few weapons
     -staff & butterfly knives

-pao fa lein contains the general kung fu aresenal