Mixing things up

It was so nice out I thought I'd mix things up, give the trampoline a break, and go outside for awhile.

Did all 8 of the Jiang Rong Bagua palm changes (both directions),
a little of the Xingyi 5 element fists,
the beginning of the Guang Ping Tai Chi set,
and some standing stance practice that included:
Universal Post, Horse stance,
Half Horse Stance, and Chin to Toe
(though that's just the name not what I can actually do).

Progress so far, Looking forward to the future

So, after Christmas I bought a mini trampoline. Not a particularly nice one. It only cost 30 bucks at Walmart, but it may well have changed my life forever. I had started wanting a mini trampoline sometime before Christmas. If you asked me now I couldn't tell you why though. Sometimes good things just happen because they're supposed to.

Anyways, I started bouncing on that thing, and discovered a feeling I only got on my best days of doing Tai Chi or Bagua. A full body tingling as every single cell in my body is squeezed and massaged. In Chinese martial arts they call it chi. After all the research on rebounding I'm inclined to say that feeling is getting the lymphatic system going. I've been bouncing for over a month now, and while I haven't yet lost any weight I have definitely added some muscle to my arms and legs. My tummy has also tightened up considerably and is slowly shrinking.

I'm quite in love with rebounding, and I've been researching the different types and brands of quality rebounders out there. When we get our tax return back I'm going to spring for one of these. The top brands for those who don't know are: Needak, Cellerciser, ReboundAIR, JumpSport, and Bellicon. Now Bellicon is the Cadillac of the bunch with a silky smooth bungee bounce. It costs 800 bucks though, and the bands need to be changed out every two years or so. JumpSport is also a bungee based rebounder, and it seems nice enough. Just not sure that a bungee bouncer is right for me. The other 3 are all spring based bouncers, and of the 3 I think the Cellerciser is the nicest and most likely to last. That's the one I'm leaning towards right now.

When I get my new rebounder I'm planning on using this blog more frequently to track my progress.

TKD

So, the biggest news lately is that Tyler has started Tae Kwon Do. He was a little unsure at first, but has really opened up lately. He is doing his first tournament this saturday in the newly created novice division. He has only been to 6 lessons! His instructor is very excited for him, and has already talked about Tyler to his master. I'm excited that Tyler finally has something to do that doesn't involve watching TV or playing nintendo. The difference in him just since he started is amazing. He is much more outgoing, and learning to speak up and say things like "yes ma'am" and "yes sir". I think he's going to do great in the tournament. We just need to practice his form and little more this week.

As for me, I'm still chugging along at my Tai Chi. Last week I was in Houston for Omni Training, and still found a way to practice every morning even though there wasn't room in my hotel room to practice. There was a small park adjacent to the hotel that I went to. It doesn't sound like much, but for me to have that much commitment to doing the form every day is actually a big deal.

The weather here is really looking up. This week is going to be sunny and in the 70's. Basically San Diego weather without the beach. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a long, hot summer(with less rain than last year). Would be nice to go for non-muddy bike rides once in awhile.

Crossing the "finish" line

Well, on Monday I finally did it. I went through the entire Guang Ping Yang form in it's entirety. What a great experience it was to say I accomplished something I had been dreaming of for 10 years! It's said that a form must be practiced 1,000 times before it becomes yours. That is, that's when it becomes natural and you no longer have to think about the movements, they just happen. Then you can really begin the real work of perfecting them. I'm hoping, either this weekend or next, to videotape myself doing the form so that I can use it as a point of reference where I was at the beginning compared to later. Also, I can use it to look for flaws in my technique and posture and maybe get feedback from fellow Guang Ping'ers. I'm so happy to have discovered Tai Chi and especially Guang Ping. Guang Ping is still relatively small and obscure compared to Yang so it feels almost like a family. I also like that it's a style stripped of all the fluff with definite martial intents.

Now that I've completed the form I've set other goals for myself. Starting this weekend I'm taking one unique movement (of which I counted 37 in the form) and focusing on it for an entire week. This means standing still in the postures of the movement, doing the movement with my eyes closed, repetitions of the movements, learning it's martial applications, and relating the movement to the I Ching. Also, in the middle of April I'm officially starting a 100 day Chin to Toe Challenge with myself. I'm hoping to accomplish this goal by my birthday in July. Now if I could just get rid of this cold!

In other news, we had a great weekend in Washington DC visiting with Dan and Stefanie and seeing the sights. It was great to see them and the girls again. I had wondered if it might be awkward since it had been so long since the last time we saw them, but it was like old times right from the start. Highlights from the trip for me were: doing a soduku puzzle with Savannah the first night(and her giving me a thank you note the next day for helping her), feeding a squirrel out of my hand, and seeing the Declaration of Independence. I only wish it hadn't been so cold and windy out. I also think we need to go back for another weekend because even though we saw alot, there was even more that we didn't see.