May
  2007   

Karen Garofalo standing in the backyard vegetable garden.   

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May 1,  Tuesday,  2007

Walking and Taijiquan in the morning.  Home repair projects. 

Weightlifting then teach pilates from 4:30 - 5:15 then teach yoga from 5:30 - 6:45 pm. 

Dragon Body - this imaginary beast is common in Chinese fables and folklore. The dragon could fly high, riding the mists, contracting and twisting it's body like a snake through the clouds. Xingyi places high importance on this for every transitional movement in the art should embody the spirit of the dragon, expanding and contracting, striking out with mystical prowess.

Chicken Leg - this is one of the most basic fundamentals of the art of Xingyiquan. A chicken can run very quickly and stop suddenly, keeping it's weight on one leg, ready to peck. Xingyi's five elements all encompass this theory by stepping forward onto one leg before it issues it's strike much like a chicken does. By mastering this, you can advance, retreat, turn and change forms very quickly because the weight is always ready to transfer.

Eagle Claw - while the hands are relaxed and held in gentle curves when in transitional movements, when striking, they must become like the fearless bird of prey's attacking talons, digging and grasping with an iron grip. This is especially seen in the beginning movement of Pi Quan when the hands draw down towards the Dan Tian. This is also very important in Xingyi, for many of the art's applications consist of grabbing with one hand while simultaneously striking with the other.

Bear Shoulders - bears are large animals that can can generate a great deal of power from their great rounded shoulders. The Xingyi practitioner must mimic this to obtain maximum power in his art. By rounding the shoulders and hollowing the chest, the body actually "gets behind" the arms and hands, so when you strike, the power doesn't come from the arms, but from the whole body.

Tiger's Head Embrace - the tiger is a very regal beast. They are powerful and strong animals that exude the finest and most fearsome aspects of nature. In Xingyi, the head must be held erect and slightly back, but spiritually, it must also capture the imposing manner of the tiger, letting it's blank cunning show in your eyes and it's ability to pounce. 

-   Xonghua Xinyiquan
http://www.emptyflower.com/xingyiquan/index.html

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May 2,  Wednesday,  2007

Work from 7:30 to 2 pm for CUESD.  Reading First Grant and EISS grant budgets and other projects. 

Chores and shopping from 2-4. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting with dumbells, teach power yoga class from 5:30 - 6:15, then teach Sun Taijiquan from 6:30 to 7:30. 

"The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all
the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art."
-  William Morris

If you practice Xing Yi (Shape-Intent Fist), here are some tips for training. For simplicity, let's classify training into 3 levels.

At the first level, you train Ming Jin - your Obvious Power, your Physical Power. Basic 5-Element drills repeated correctly again and again and again, help you to achieve this. Xing Yi should look/be clean, crisp, neat, precise, exact - as Sifu says: "Exactly like Xing Yi". Body movement initiates from the dantien, hands & feet arrive simultaneously. Your whole body works as one concentrated unit. Qi/Mind/Intent continues, project your energy on through - project far.

At the second level, you train An Jin - your Hidden Power, your Secret Power, your Inner Power. Standing meditation, sensitivity drills, energy projection and proper postural alignment with body awareness to "feel" your energy running when repeating the basic 5-Element drills help you to achieve this.

At the third level, you train Hua Jin - Spontaneous Power, Neutralizing Power, Mysterious Power, Very Freedom Power - a whatever is required type of energy. More practice, more time, more experience help accumulate this power. Meditation is key in this stage. The heart/mind/shape become unified - alignment of body, mind and spirit. Understanding nature. Understanding the essence.

Ming (2nd tone Pinyin)
An (4th tone Pinyin)
Hua (4th tone Pinyin)
Jin (4th tone Pinyin)

The ongoing training process is one of refining your power and energy feel, fine-tuning so to speak. Proper guidance and complete instruction from a qualified master is best.  

Tony Bujas
http://www.shouyuliang.com/newsletter/v4n3/v4n3a1.shtml

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May 3,  Thursday,  2007

Walking and Taijiquan from 5:30 - 6:30. 

Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 4 pm.  Finish Toyota Family Literacy Grant, EISS-PLIC grant claim, talk with Wes about Reading First S&EB, textbook management policies. 

TFFC Gym:  Teach Hatha Yoga from 5:30 - 6:45. 

"Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable."
-  Goethe

May 4,  Friday,  2007

Reading, writing and research in the early morning.

Walking, Taijiquan and Staff Exercises starting at 8:30 am. 

Work on post-holing a trench for water pipelines into locations within the sacred circle.  Work on installing 2 more new raised beds (cutting wood, painting wood, assembling wood boxes, setting and leveling wood boxes, filling boxes).  Pruning and water in the garden. 

Reading and writing at home.  Play my harmonica. 

Work on continuing to learn more about the the Sun Style Taijiquan International Standard Competition 73 Form.

Working on the following four webpages:  Sun 73 Form,  Taijiquan Glossary, Hsing I Quan, Staff Weapons.

December 2007  
November 2007  
October 2007  
September 2007  
August 2007  
July 2007  
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007 
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007 
December 2006   
November 2006 
October 2006 
September 2006 
August 2006
July 2006  
June 2006   
May 2006    
April 2006    
March 2006    
February 2006    
January 2006   
December 2005     
November 2005  
October 2005  
September 2005   
August 2005  
July 2005   
June 2005   
May 2005   
April 2005  
March 2005  
February 2005   
2005   
2004   
2003 
Index  

May 5,  Saturday,  2007

When I woke up my right knee was very sore and painful.  Probably injured doing all the gardening work I did yesterday.  Lots of up and down, up and down, kneeling, up and down, kneeling, working .... 

Shop in Chico for Mother's Day presents for Karen.  This year, she is both a Mom and Grandmom.  A special year. 

Work in the garden on the raised vegetable beds, organizing, new piplines, and watering. 

May 6,  Sunday,  2007

Up at 3 am.  Revised 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days.   Redefined my goals and objectives.  Clean off my office desk and reshelve books in the Green Room. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Walking, Taijiquan and saff weapon exercises starting at 6 am.  

Set up 3rd raised bed.  Plant raised beds.  Made tomato cages.  Dug trenches and set down pipelines.   

Reading and writing at home.  Play my chromatic harmonica. 

Work on continuing to learn more about the the Sun Style Taijiquan International Standard Competition 73 Form.  Today I focused on Part 5, Movements 41-50. 

During the past week, I made major improvements to the Sun 73 Form,  Taijiquan Glossary, and Hsing I Quan webpages.  

This weekend, I read:

Xingyiquan: Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics and Spirit.   By Liang, Shou-yu and Yang, Jwing Ming.  Boston, Mass., YMAA Publications Center, 2002.  Index, glossary, 280 pages.  ISBN: 0940871416.  New and revised edition of the 1990 publication: Hsing Yi Chuan.  MGC.  

Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969)

First, in 1914, the small-movement Hao style (of Wu Yu Hsiang) was taught by Hao Wei Zhen to a famous hsing-i master called Sun Lu Tang, after Sun did him a good turn in Beijing. Sun, like many hsing-i and ba gua people after him, was intrigued by tai chi's idea of softness. Sun combined the soft-body method of tai chi with the rooting and tantien techniques of hsing-i and the stepping methods of ba gua. He subsequently wrote a series of internal martial arts books stating that the three internal arts are of one family. This unification becomes the first of the tai chi combination styles and the only one widely known to be based on the small-movement style. Tai chi, hsing-i, and ba gua share an incredible number of crossover techniques; in these cases, each of these arts are essentially executing the same fighting application, but with their own particular flavor. These styles usually use the basic form sequence of the Yang style, but in numerous specific movements covertly or overtly incorporate elements of hsing-i and ba gua, such as:<br /><br />1. Substituting a hsing-i or ba gua arm/hand movement for its specified tai chi movement. For example, a rounded horizontal Ward Off tai chi movement could change to something more like a vertically oriented rise and drill hsing-i/ba gua move, done with the softness of tai chi. Tai chi's Fair Lady Weaves the Shuttles becomes more like hsing-i's Pounding Fist. These substitutions occur throughout combination forms. In effect, a hsing-i/ba gua technique is done in a tai chi way.<br />2. Ba gua footwork is often substituted for tai chi footwork. A ba gua "toe out" step being used to change directions or turn the body around is the most obvious giveaway, as this movement does not exist in traditional tai chi.<br />3. The presence of the hsing-i animal form movements within the tai chi form.<br />4. The palm is formed in a hsing-i/ba gua way not that of tai chi.<br />5. The obvious rising neck of hsing-i can be seen, which is not normally done in tai chi.<br />6. Stances utilizing 60/40 balance of weight on each foot begin to come into play, rather than the 100/0 balance of the Yang style.<br /><br />As tai chi mutated into new styles--Chen to Yang to Hao to Wu to Combination styles, each new style changed its form movements slightly or significantly. These core changes were not originally made for their health benefits to the general public, but for their ability to pass on the original teacher's martial skills to the next generation. Two competing partisan points of view are held about the effective result of these changes. The first is that it is the earlier style that contains all the original material and that the new was a watered-down version of the old. The opposite view states that the new model improved the old, taking it to new heights with new material, eliminating the deadwood of the parent forms.<br />1. Stances Unlike the Yang style, the Chen style utilizes stances where both feet are not pointing in the same general direction. Chen style also often utilizes forward stances with 55/45 percent leg weight distribution. Yang style classically uses 100/0 weight balance of the legs (that is, 100 percent of your weight is on you front leg, zero percent is on your back leg), and only the forward bow stance. The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armor that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances in question were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armored opponent. By the time Yang reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armor became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armored foes had passed. Yang and his students had to deal more with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other. Yang was also teaching people who had clear training in Northern Shaolin, which uses bow stances. By capitalizing on what they already knew

http://dynamicbalancingtaichi.blogspot.com/2007/04/psychological-security.html

The art of teaching is clarity and the art of learning is to listen.

(Vanda Scaravelli)

What you know does not matter - what you do matters.

Here is where Karen plans to put some heirloom tomatoes,
and in the new bed behind her. 

One vegetable bed planted. 

Bringing water spigots to the Sacred Circle. 

Biographies    

Reginald H. Blyth  
Han Shan
Sun Lu-Tang  
Chang San-Feng  
   

May 7,  Monday,  2007

Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 11:30 am.  Reading First Grant meeting.  

Eating less, reducing stress, and exercising. 

Get materials ready to teach string figures class.  Reading and writing at home.  Play my harmonica. 

Karen and I drive to Redding for shopping and dinner. 

Work on the Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage and practice the 73 Form.  Today I focused on Part 5, Movements 41-50. 

May 8,  Tuesday,  2007

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4.  Teach GATE class on string figures to 3-5 grade students. 

Eating less, reducing stress, and exercising. 

TFFC Gym: Teach Pilates from 4:30 - 5:15, teach Hatha Yoga from 5:30 - 6:45  

Reading and writing at home.  Play my harmonica. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage.  Today I focused on Part 5, Movements 41-50. 

Walking, Taijiquan and Staff practice at daybreak outdoors. 

Finding time to rest a little.  Eating less, reducing stress, and exercising. 

Reading and writing at home.  Play my harmonica. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage.  Today I focused on Part 6, Movements 51-60.   

TFFC Gym: Weightlifting, teach Power Yoga, teach Sun Taijiquan.   

Work for CUESD from 8:30 to 2:15.  Teach GATE class on string figures to 3-5 grade students. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

TFFC Gym: Weightlifting 4:30 - 5:15, teach Hatha Yoga from 5:30 - 6:45  

Reading and writing at home.  Play my harmonica. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Off Work at CUESD. 

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on trenching for water and electrical lines.  Fill 2 new raised beds.  Work on leveling the Hsing I and Bagua training area, and mowing in that area. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Play the harmonica for fun. 

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Trenching project progress. 

Teach at TFFC:  Taijiquan 10-11, and Hatha Yoga from 11-12:15. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on trenching for water and electrical lines.  Fill 2 new raised beds.  Work on leveling the Hsing I and Bagua training area, and mowing in that area.  Mowing lawns, watering, planting vegetables. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Play the harmonica for fun. 

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on trenching for water and electrical lines.  Fill trenches with dirt.  Plant 2 new raised beds.  Work on leveling the Hsing I and Bagua training area, and mowing in that area.  Mowing lawns, watering, planting vegetables.   Karen and I completely cleaned up the teahouse area and watered there. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Play the harmonica for fun. 

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.
Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.
Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny."
- Gandhi

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Teach Kevin's 3 Tai Chi Chuan classes at TFFC.  Yang style taijqian, 1st Section. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on trenching for water and electrical lines in sacred circle.  Filling empty trenches. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Play the harmonica for fun. 

TFFC Activities:  Weightlifting (back, hamstrings), and teach spin cycling from 5:15 to 6 pm. 

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4 pm. 

TFFC:  Teach Pilates from 4:30 - 5:15, then teach yoga from 5:30 - 6:45 pm. 

Reading and writing in the evening. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

"Practicing Taijiquan is the same as other Qigong practices: from regulating the body, breathing, mind, Qi, and spirit, it aims at the goal of eradicating the layman nature and returning to the original pre-birth nature, from Taijiquan practice to comprehending the meaning and goal of life. It the goal is not as such, then it is near sighted in Taijiquan practice. From regulating the body, you are looking for the comprehension of your body's physical structure and function. From keeping the body loose, soft and calm, you are searching for the higher level Gongfu of internal vision."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming: The Root of Taijiquan</span>. By Yang Jwing-Ming. Boston, Massachusetts, 2003. References, glossary, index, 270 pages. ISBN: 0940871432. Page 91.

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4 pm. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting from 4:30 - 5:15, Teach Power Yoga from 5:30 - 6:15, then teach Sun Taijiquan from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.   

Reading and writing in the evening. 

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4 pm. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting from 4:30 - 5:30, teach Hatha Yoga from 5:30 - 6:15.

My right knee is still a bit swollen and sore, and my whole body is a bit sore and achy from all the extra exercise this week.  I taught 11 classes this week at TFFC.     

Reading and writing in the evening. 

Reading and writing in the morning. 

Meet with Charles Allen and Karin Matay, Red Bluff Union Elementary School District, at 7:30 am. 

Get supplies at Home Depot. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting: back, arms, leg presses. 

Gardening and home improvement projects.  Sacred Circle: trenching, pipelines, electrical, planting 8 Italian cypress trees, filling trenches.   

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising.

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

I now add only one entry to one of my two blogs each day.  I alternative between the two blogs.  Each blog gets a new post every other day.  This seems easy enough to do. 

The first is stretching your hip adductors. This large muscle group, which fills your inner thighs and pulls your knees toward each other, includes the pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and gracilis.

Rest, relax, read, walking in the garden with Karen in the morning. 

Teach at TFFC:  Taijiquan 10-11, and Hatha Yoga from 11-12:15. 

Shopping and lunch out in the afternoon with Karen. 

Mowing lawns, trenching, plant potted Italian cypress trees, watering, repairing injured tree trunks and painting tree trunks.  Photo shoot in late afternoon.   

Fix Karen's computer audio. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

"The True Man breathes with his heels; the mass of men breathe with their throats.
Crushed and bound down they gasp out their words as though retching.
Deep in their passions and desires, they are shallow in the workings of Heaven." - Chuang Tzu

According to the World Book Encylopedia: “The primary colors in light are red, green, and blue. When red and green lights are mixed, the result is yellow light. A mixture of blue and green lights forms blue-green light, and blue and red lights form purple light. Combining all three primary colors in light in the proper proportions results in white light.”

As it is with mixtures of red, green and blue light, so it may also be with feeling, thinking, and action in sitting-meditation -- the reality of practice is likely to involve no clearly defined red, green, and blue, but mostly a lot of murky yellow.

Originally light is pure, like nothing, but when we think about light we call it white and analyze it into red, green, and blue.

There are two kinds of thinking, at least -- thinking, and thinking about. Thinking in sitting-meditation, thinking that concrete state beyond thinking, is not thinking about.

Gudo Nishijima taught me when I was in Japan how to think ABOUT things, in four phases, following Gautama's four noble truths -- the truth of suffering, of origination of suffering, of stopping suffering, and of the way of stopping suffering.

That is why I write now of red, green, blue and white; of feeling, thinking, action and enlightenment; of four Alexander directions; of four vestibular reflexes responsible for regulating postural tone.

There is no red, green, blue and white; no feeling, thinking, action and enlightenment; no four directions; and no four reflexes.

In 1906 Sir Charles Sherrington wrote of the fiction of simple reflex. The four reflexes, then, are a convenient fiction, along with the four categories of feeling, thinking, action and enlightenment.

There is no somersault.

Or is there?

http://the-middle-way.blogspot.com/2007/02/2-from-feeling-to-thinking.html

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Gardening and home improvement projects: Trenching, planting shrubs, filling trenches, watering, mowing, pruning.   Finish fifth raised bed.     

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiquan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Last Sunday at UP, while we were doing zhan zhuang or "standing like a tree", the little yellow flowers of the tree that shaded us-- which I suppose is an acacia ree but I'm not sure-- kept on falling. It was a beautiful sight. It resembles the falling of snow. (It doesn't snow here in the Philippines, though). But it distracts us from meditating and from listening to our master's lecture. It also caught the attention of passers-by.


standing like a tree--
little yellow flowers
fall like snow

http://tenthousandsteps.blogspot.com/2007/03/last-sunday-at-up-while-we-were-doing.html

Kung Fu Masters - Sun Lu Tang
http://quanfa.blogspot.com/2007/04/kung-fu-masters-sun-lu-tang.html

Skin: The skin of taijiquan is its outer form. There are different styles of this form. But as Yang Chengfu said of the art he had mastered: "Taiji is all one." Many people are interested in only the form. It is an excellent exercise for people of all ages. The long Sun style I personally practice takes from five to twenty minutes to perform, depending on what I am working on. Other styles are much shorter. The shortest one I know of that is worth your effort is only 37 dynamics long. My Sun style is 98 dynamics long.

Flesh: Whatever style you use to learn the skin of taijiquan, it will prepare you for the art's flesh which is the substantive changing of the body. While the skin will serve as a good daily exercise, the flesh of taijiquan improves your physical reality. This will enhance your pursuit of any physical art -- soccer, dancing, rock-climbing, anything which relies upon the body. You will discover that the words "centered", "grounded", "whole", "mindful", and "relaxed" are tangible, practical, demonstrable qualities.

Bones: If you can demonstrate the skin and the flesh of taijiquan, you can pursue its bones. The bones are the martial expression of its dynamics. Unless you have truly changed the body, this would be a useless pursuit because the bones require the flesh. The bones of taijiquan require that you make each dynamic meaningful and then powerful. This can be extended to sequences of dynamics. The practical aspect of these bones is the usefulness of taijiquan in self-defense.

Marrow: But the bones are useless without the marrow and the marrow is the mastering of the two-person exercises. If you have made the dynamics a part of what you are, if you have changed your body in the very real way that internal boxing changes it, and if you have made the dynamics themselves martial, only the two-person exercises will teach you how to express the reality of taijiquan.

http://xiong-shan.blogspot.com/2007/03/body-of-taijiquan.html

Bear Mountain    Xiong Shan

Psoas Muscle

http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2007/04/06/174/

The Chinese word Gun (Chinese: 棍; Hanyu Pinyin: gùn) refers to a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the Qiang (spear), Dao (sabre), and the Jian (sword), called in this group "The Grandfather of all Weapons".

There are various kinds of gun and these include (from olden days):

• Monkey Staff (Chinese: 猴棍; Hanyu Pinyin: hóugùn)
• Biangan (Chinese: 鞭杆; Hanyu Pinyin: biāngān)
• Mad Demon Staff (Simplified Chinese: 疯魔棍; Traditional Chinese: 瘋魔棍; Hanyu Pinyin: fēngmó gùn)
• Tianqi Staff (Simplified Chinese: 天齐棍; Traditional Chinese: 天齊棍; Hanyu Pinyin: tiānqí gùn)
• Staff of Five Tigers and Goat Herds (Chinese: 五虎群羊棍; Hanyu Pinyin: wǔ hǔ qún yáng gùn)
• Nunchaku (Simplified Chinese: 二节棍; Traditional Chinese: 雙節棍; Hanyu Pinyin: èrjié gùn; literally "two section staff")
• Taiji Staff of Thirteen (Simplified Chinese: 太极十三秆; Traditional Chinese: 太極十三杆; Hanyu Pinyin: tàijí shísān gǎn)
• Taiji Quarterstaff (Simplified Chinese: 太极大秆; Traditional Chinese: 太極大杆; Hanyu Pinyin: tàijí dà gǎn)
• Taiji Staff (Simplified Chinese: 太极棍; Traditional Chinese: 太極棍; Hanyu Pinyin: tàijí gùn)
• Staff of Eight Trigrams and Seven Stars (Chinese: 八卦七星竿; Hanyu Pinyin: bāguà qīxīng gān)
• Staff of Eight Fairies (Chinese: 八仙棍; Hanyu Pinyin: bāxiān gùn)
• Flail (Simplified Chinese: 梿枷; Traditional Chinese: 槤枷; Hanyu Pinyin: liánjiā)

The types of gun normally used nowadays for exercises and competitions are the bailangan (Simplified Chinese: 白栏杆; Traditional Chinese: 白欄杆; Hanyu Pinyin: bái lángān) and the nangun (Chinese: 南棍; Hanyu Pinyin: nángùn).

Traditionally, the gun is made out of a material called wax wood, rather than bamboo as many people might think. Wax wood is strong, yet flexible, making it ideal as a material for the gun. The gun is fashioned with one thick end as the base and a thinner end near the tip, and is cut to be about the same height as the user. Today, more modern versions may be purchased made with metal and rubber parts.

For a demonstration of the wax wood style gun characteristics and techniques, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iOO1rfBo4

Chinese martial arts taijiquan improves balance, coordination, flexibility, muscle strength, and cardiovascular health. It integrates the physical external and the meditative internal. Besides these benefits taijiquan may help fight shingles, a painful skin condition. One in five people who have had chickenpox will get shingles later in life, usually after age 50, and the risk increases as people get older. Health experts are encouraged by the positive results of taijiquan, even though it remains unclear how it affects the immune system and keeps away various infections diseases, like influenza and pneumonia.

http://www.medlaunches.com/health/chinese_taijiquan_prevents_shingles.php

A new study suggests that Chinese martial art taijiquan offers benefits beyond improving fitness and balance: It may help prevent shingles, a painful skin condition.

    The study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society quoted by the media Monday. 

    Taijiquan, becoming increasingly popular in the West, is well known as a good low-impact exercise for older people, but researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) find that it can also affect the immune system.

    Though it remains unclear how it affects the immune system, health experts are encouraged by the positive results.

    "One in five people who have had chickenpox will get shingles later in life, usually after age 50, and the risk increases as people get older," said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. "More research is needed, but this study suggests that the taijiquan intervention tested, in combination with immunization, may enhance protection of older adults from this painful condition."

    One hundred and twelve healthy adults took part in the study between the ages of 59 and 86. All participants had previously had chickenpox.

    For three months, half of the group took part in taijiquan classes, and the other half attended health education classes. Six months following the study, the taijiquan group showed nearly twice the immunity level to shingles than did the health education group.

    In addition, this group reported significant improvements in physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality and mental health. Both groups showed significant declines in the severity of depressive symptoms.

    "These are exciting findings, because the positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases, like influenza and pneumonia," said the director of the UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology.

Feng Tao

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-04/09/content_5951567.htm

The term Taijiquan is short for Taiji Quanfa which can be translated into „supreme ultimate fist technique“. Every movement in Taijiquan is based on martial considerations. A Taijiquan practitioner moves in a particular way that gives him the best advantage in a given combat situation.

The term Taijiquan originates from the 19th century, although Taijiquan as a martial art is said to have a history of many thousand years.

If Taijiquan is practiced daily, it will improve the conscious control of the practitioner’s body and thus increase his or her functional ability, enjoyment, and quality of life. Skillful practice of Taijiquan requires a shift in awareness away from a self-centered point of view to a heightened sensory awareness which again will create a fundamental shift in the practitioner’s perception of the world. When all the elements of the performance flow together, Taijiquan will become an extraordinary artistic performance, where body and mind are one and a new perception of life comes forth. This may explain why Taijiquan has been so popular for such a long time. It effects practitioners at the core of their being and can change their whole life.

Living Touch

http://www.livingtouch.com/30/taijiquan/

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Gardening and home improvement projects: trenching, painting, clean up.  The ditch started running around 11 am, so I had to move hoses all afternoon. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiquan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting and teach spin. 

Five Tigers Swarming Sheep Staff (Wu Hu Qun Yang Gun)

1. Opening Movement
2. Empty Step, Push Palm
3. Empty Step, Tap Staff
4. Reverse Lift
5. Insert Step, Martial Flower (1)
6. Insert Step, Martial Flower (2)
7. Reverse Insert Step, Martial Flower
8. Bow Stances, Press Staff
9. Reverse Step, Back Staff
10. Right Bow Stance, Embrace Staff Under Arm
11. Jump and Swat Down
12. Jump and Kick
13. Swing and Chop (Left)
14. Swing and Chop (right)
15. Swing and Chop (Left)
16. Step Up, Martial Flower, Diagonal Flying Kick
17. Balance and Gaze at the Moon
18. Front Leg Sweep
19. Tornado Kick
20. Shake Foot, Left Bow STances, Carry Staff on Back
21. Lift Knee, Embrace Staff
22. Side Vault Over Staff
23. Martial Flower, Reverse Step, Carry Staff on Back
24. Bow Stances, Press Staff
25. Insert Leg and Balance
26. Tap Staff Left and Right
27. Reverse Step, Carry Staff on Back
28. Throw from Behind, Catch with Opposite Hand
29. Reverse Step, Flip Hand, Chop
30. Swing, Reverse Step, Carry Staff on Back
31. Left, Right, Tap Staff
32. Swing, Strike, Turn, Bow Stance, Tap Staff
33. Bow Stance, Point Staff
34. Insert Step, Tap Staff
35. Swing, STrike, Turn, Bow Stance, Tap Staff
36. Engage the Throat
37. Balance and Gaze at the Moon
38. Pump Steps, Carry Staff on Back
39. Close Foot
40. Double Heel Kick to Sky
41. Empty Stance, Tap Staff
42. Throw from Behind
43. Double Kick Staff
44. Empty Stance, Staff Lifts Back to Slap Palm
45. Closing Movement

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Gardening and home improvement projects: Sacred circle electrical and trenching.   Install two more raised beds, watering from ditch, mowing, weeding. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiquan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting, teach Pilates, then teach Hatha Yoga. 

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thought. With our thoughts, we make our world."

~The Buddha

Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 4:00. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting, teach Hatha yoga, teach Sun Tai Chi Chuan. 

Wu De - Martial Virtue

Sun Lutang said: "You should do the most hard work with calmness of mind, instead of showing off or boasting of your skills. The virtue of martial art should always be the first in your mind, keeping yourself respectful, modest, and with no quarrels with others. Self-control is the basic training for the boxing exercises."

Brotherhood of United States Marines, Core Values:  Honor, Courage, Commitment. 

The precepts of Bushido (the Way of the Warrior ) stressed absolute obedience to the code of conduct and the way of life based on virtues of honor, loyalty, courage, duty, filial piety, sacrifice, integrity, discipline, compassion, moral rectitude and incomparable fighting spirit.

"It is said that a calm and stable mind can achieve anything. This is an idea that I hold strong to. If we are not thinking with our wisdom mind then we are thinking out of impulse and reaction, like most animals do. This thinking out of impulse is known as the "emotional mind" (xin). The martial arts are very much a tool to shape reaction, both mentally and physically. Through diligent practice, and study of the martial virtues one can begin to act from the wisdom mind.
The virtues fall into two categories; morality of action, and morality of mind. Of those that are associated with action, there is:

1. Humility
2. Respect
3. Righteousness
4. Trust
5. Loyalty

1. Will
2. Endurance
3. Perseverance
4. Patience
5. Bravery."  
   -  R. Scott Moylan, Wu De Quan 

"PHILOSOPHIES FOR TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING"

By MASTER FRANK A. PALUMBO, JR.

http://www.americankangdukwon.com/palumbo1.html

1. To strive for perfection of character
2. To defend the paths of truth
3. To foster the spirit of effort
4. To honor the principles of etiquette
5. To guard against impetuous courage

Herman Kauz

Shao lin Wu Shu is:

Steady as a nail,
Cocked like a bow,
Turns like a wheel,
Fast as the wind
Light as a leaf,
Heavy as metal iron
Moves like a wave
Quiet as a mountain.
 

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4:00. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting and teach Hatha Yoga. 

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Gardening and home improvement projects.   Work on trenching in Sacred Circle, watering, finish new raised beds, mowing. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiquan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting and teach Gentle Yoga.   

Walking, Taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning.

Teach at TFFC:  Taijiquan 10-11, and Hatha Yoga from 11-12:15. 

Eating less, reducing stress, exercising. 

Home and garden projects:  Sacred Circle work and new raised bed for radish growing. 

Work on practicing the Sun Taijiuan 73 Form, and developing the best Sun Taijiquan 73 Form webpage. 

Walking, taijiquan and staff practice in the early morning. 

Finish electrical work to sacred circle, fill trenches with dirt.  Mowing. 

Walking, taijiquan, and staff practice in the early morning.

Indoor Green Room work projects.  Painting.  Trenching in Sacred circle for last placement of a hose bib. 

Memorial Day in USA.  Time to recall and honor the efforts by all the men and women in the Armed Services of the United States of America.  Time to recall the joy at the end of wars.  Time to salute those who gave their lives in honorable battles.  A time to hope for peace, and a time to wish that all American soldiers in battle are returned home.  

We are in Iraq and Afghanistan because many Americans wanted revenge against radical Islamic terrorists who killed 3,000 people in America on 9/11/2001.   Angry Islamic factions torture and kill scores of people every day in the unstable conditions in Iraq, caused, in part, by the unwise American invasion of that country.  The sadness, horror, death and destruction go on and on .... crazy, violent, unmerciful, useless, unproductive men. 

No doubt, military men need a salute of appreciation at times.  But, putting them up on a pedestal, worshipping their essential character, praising and cheering killers ....  in a way its insurance against them turning on us, kissing their asses and buying their favors, hoping they won't point their cannons at our own homes.  

Veterans Day, Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, Presidents Day ...  We have too many holidays honoring warriors and leaders of warriors.  How about a Peace Day for a change!

I have a suggestion for an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of American.  I hope you will consider refining and sponsoring this amendment.   

XXVIII (28th) Amendment:  War Powers Authorization by Public Vote

The President of the United States and the Congress retain the power to take immediate military actions in response to serious and imminent threats to the security of the United States of America. 

When we have a political or military situation that is not an immediate threat to the safety and security to the people of the Unites States (e.g., Vietnam, Gulf War, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.), and involves and requires a serious decision about a major commitment of United States military resources, then:

1.  The proposal to take military action must be put to a popular vote.  At least 66% of the voters must approve the proposed military action.        

2.  If the proposed military action is approved by 66% of the voters, then all adults over 18 years of age living in the United States will pay an annual War Tax.  This tax will be no less than $50.00 per person and no higher than $200 per person per year, depending upon their income.  Every adult will pay the war tax - no exceptions.  All adults will pay the annual war tax for a minimum of four years. 

3.  Improve the short term and long term benefits for those in military service during the approved military action and for all veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States of America who served during the approved military action.   

4.  The approved military action will be only for a four year period.   At the end of the four year period, the the military action (War) can proceed only after a second 66% approval by popular vote for another four year period. 

Arguments in Favor of the 28 Amendment:

1.  Many Americans delight in blaming elected officials and bureaucrats, or the political party they have a knee jerk dislike for, for questionable military actions like in Iraq (Republicans) or in Vietnam (Democrats and Republicans).  Now they will have to point the finger of blame towards themselves for voting to approve military actions that will cost billions of dollars and will result in death and destruction for hundreds of thousands of people. 

2.  Many Americans are just "sunshine patriots" who object to increased taxes to pay for military wars (or all increased taxes) and object to serving, and have never served nor their children served, in the United States Armed Forces.  Their "contribution and commitment" to real military efforts are to tie a yellow ribbon on a tree, put a bumper sticker on their car, cheer for the political party in power that they like, and watch a TV clip on a Memorial Day service.  With the 28 Amendment they would have to, at least, vote themselves for the military action (War) and pay themselves for the military action (War) for four years.   

3.  The 28 Amendment in no way takes away the authority of the President and/or Congress to take immediate action to respond to serious and imminent threats or attacks  against the United States of America.  Our recent pre-emptive invasion of Iraq is clearly a case where many months of political action preceded the invasion of Iraq, and Iraq had not declared war against the United States; therefore, a it would have been a situation that would come under the 28 Amendment requirement for a popular vote.

4.  Requiring a 66% approval by popular vote is appropriate considering the seriousness of the decision.  In many States, we require a 66% approval rate just to increase taxes on property.  Spending billions of dollars on a military action and destroying the lives and property of hundreds of thousands of people is a far more serious matter than increasing property taxes to pay for improvements in public water and sewer systems. 

5.  Placing a time limit on the approved military action (War) is reasonable.  If the facts show that the original reasons for entering a war were incorrect or fabricated, then the voters can choose to not approve continued military actions.  Even with the 28th Amendment, 66% of the voters might have approved a military invasion of Iraq in 2002 because of the 9/11 revenge frenzy; but in 2006, far less than 50% approved of the war in Iraq and would not vote to approve continuation.  Also, knowing of the aversion of our typical "sunshine patriots" to paying any additional war taxes themselves, we might not have gathered 66% of the popular vote in 2002 to invade Iraq in the first place.  

6.  Everyone should pay for a military action (War) that 66% of the voters approve.  It should not be just the middle classes, the wealthy, and the corporations that pay for a war.  A poor person, or a retired person, or an unemployed person's vote counts just as much as a wealthy person's vote.  Everybody, including illegal aliens in the U.S., should pay for the approved military action for four years.  We should not make somebody else, or our grandchildren, pay for a war we approved. 

7.  In this country, local police officers get better pay and benefits than the men and women in the federal armed forces, and our military veterans.  Which job is more dangerous: issuing a ticket for not wearing a seat belt in Moline or going on patrol in Baghdad?  The 28th Amendment makes improving the pay and benefits for the men and women in the Armed Forces, and for their families, and for veterans a top priority.  Those who shoulder the burden of war should be rewarded; and the lazy "sunshine patriots" will just have a few less toys to play with on the Fourth of July.     

8.  Joining in coalitions with other countries to combat terrorism or other threats to international security, or joining with efforts to support United Nations resolutions, makes good sense.  We should listen to the good advice of other countries around the world.  However, if we choose to go to war in a situation where an imminent threat to our own security is not arguable (e.g., Bosnia), then the decision to take serious and involved military action should be made by popular vote as per the 28th Amendment. 

9.  Would we not prefer an open public discussion, open debates, and a popular vote decision on such a serious matter as going to war?  I am quite content to let our elected representatives make decisions on most matters of government, and to respond efficiently and effectively to emergency situations.  However, a decision for the United States to go to war, when no imminent threat to our security is evident, is too grave a matter to leave solely to our elected federal officials and their supporting bureaucracy. The American voters should stand up and be counted as to their willingness to wage war, and to support their own decisions with personal sacrifices appropriate to wartime.  

Thank you for your consideration,

Mike Garofalo

Red Bluff, California

Sent to:

Barbara Boxer, United States Senator, California
Diane Fienstein, United States Senator, California
Wally Herger, United States Congressman, 2nd District, California
 

Finish filling all trenches in Sacred Circle area, watering, business in Red Bluff.  Nap and reading.
Teach at TFFC:  Pilates and Yoga. 

Work for CUESD from 7:30 to 4:00 p.m..  End of Year meeting, Inservice, and lunch with library and media services staff.  We share lunch at Casa Ramos.  Follow up on EETT4 meeting from last week. 

TFFC: Weightlifting, teach power yoga, teach Taijiquan. 

Pulling Onions:

-  Pulling Onions, by Mike Garofalo

What you believe matters less, what you do matters more. 

Work from CUESD from 7:30 to 4:00 pm.  EETT4 grant, paperwork, orders, web work.  Friday is the last day of the school year in CUESD. 

TFFC:  Weightlifting, teach yoga class. 

Feedback from Readers in May, 2007:

"Michael Garofalo has created a wonderful, informative website."
-  Flow Like a River, http://www.smileforachange.com:80/river/

"By the way I am astounded at the amount of information you have in your database/website."
-  Vic in Danville, IL, 5/8/07

"Eine der umfangreichsten und tiefgreifendsten Fundgruben, die ich über Taiji bisher gefunden habe.  Ein muss für jeden Englisch sprechenden Taijiler." 
Taiji-Netzwerk, 5/15/07

"Dear Mike,
I want to thank you for the wonderful, beautiful, and inspiring quotes and thoughts on your website.  I have been using some of the quotes and ideas to help give inspiration to my monthly newsletter.  I send it out to many people, and would like to mention your link and even say a few words about you if that is all right with you.  The focus on nature, the garden, and the mysticism of all life is really unique and beautifully presented.

I often find favorite poems there that have helped me in my life; I pair the poem with a great photograph either from the web or my own collection, which leads writers into an essay about creativity, inspiration, and gratitude, for instance.  Thank you for your hard work, and I wish you well in your own creative journey.
Blessings,"
-   Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., Author of "Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story & Don't
Call Me Mother," www.memoriesandmemoirs.com, 29 May 2007