Ancient Wisdom for The New You: October 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

2 Students Earned Their White Sash in Tai Chi Today

Today at 5:00pm two students began the test for their White Sash rank. One student has been training with me for about 10 months and the other has been training with me for nearly two years. Both have put an incredible amount of time and effort into their training and it was very obvious during the test.

During the test they were required to show proficiency in the following:

Yang Tai Chi 24 form
5 directional stepping
Zhan Zhuang Qi Gong
Tai Chi Qi Gong set
and more...

At about 6:30pm the test was complete and both students had passed. Below are some pictures of them receiving their sashes.

Laura receiving her White Sash after the Test.

Laura receiving her certificate.

Rhonda receiving her White Sash.

Rhonda receiving her certificate.

Learning to tie their new sashes with a little help from someone who has done it before.

Laura showing the new certificate with me.

Rhonda showing her new certificate with me.

Congratulations, ladies! You did an excellent job earning this rank. Keep up the good work!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Fundraiser for a Shaolin Master's School

While I was training in China there was a Shaolin master at the school who was unbelievably skillful and powerful. His passion for his training and his heart for his students were inspirational. He had the admiration and respect of every student, whether they were training under him or not. His dream is to start his own school and while I was in China he did, with the blessing of his headmaster. Recently, however, his business partner has left him in a lurch and he is about to lose his school. This school is the life dream he has poured his heart and soul into since he was a child training at the Shaolin Temple and it seems a great injustice that he should lose it because of another man's greed. Below is a link to a fundraising drive put together by his students who don't want to see their master lose his dream. Whether you are an avid martial artist or simply believe in people realizing their dreams any contribution you can make is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

To find out more about this master and his school, or to donate, click here.

A Picture of Shifu Shi Xing Long and four of his students in China.

Tai Chi Compass Wall Hanging

Traditionally cardinal directions are used to teach Tai Chi forms. It helps students understand which way to turn when moving from one movement to the next. Most forms start "facing south". Although, it is not important to face actual south, hanging this piece on a wall in your training area will help orient you. Always start your form facing this piece. If you step to the left, you have stepped East. If you then step forward, you have stepped South. If you turn right, you have turned toward the West. That is the footwork for the beginning of the Yang Style 103 Form. Using the cardinal directions makes instructions easier to follow, which makes this piece ideal for practicing Tai Chi or learning Tai Chi via distance-learning technology.