It has been just 4 days of training since I returned to China and I am in more pain than I endured during the whole years’ worth of time I spent here before. My back aches, my knees hurt, I have massive shin splints in both legs, and that all happened very quickly. Now, I stayed in shape during the months I spent back home. I attended a gym and even gained 25 pounds of muscle with the help of Manuel,  a personal fitness trainer at24 hour Fitness in Stockton.  I trained with Manuel for the last 6 weeks right before I left for China.. 


Even with that training I did at home, I am in massive PAIN! The extra muscles did come in handy.  I can do more stuff like pushups and the strength exercises but no amount of training you do elsewhere can prepare you for this intensive training. One reason I felt more sore than usual is that I started extra training from almost the minute I got back to the academy.  From training day 1 on Friday I began to practice my forms because shifu was going to check. Minor details had to be fixed but over all I was still ok with my forms. 


When it was time for mountain run I did not remember the walk to the mountain being this hard. I was exhausted by the time I reached the temple…I felt like a NEWBIE! But when I began my usual routine of bear crawls and hoping up the stairs, the strength I obtained back home helped incredibly. 


On the weekend I went into town bought a fridge, water cooler, some warm clothes because it was freezing here (I just packed for summer time) and other stuff to get used to the PAIN again. On Sunday Sam and I had dinner down the road to celebrate Passover. Monday came and it was time for more…PAIN. Reviewed more forms and when it was time for conditioning, Sam and I partnered up with a couple of new guys in class. 


Conditioning new guys is fun and entertaining. Long story short we conditioned them pretty hard. I told them, more pain you feel here the less you will experience out on the street. It’s true! 


As the week continued the PAIN didn’t cease. Since I came back, Master is making Liu Bin, Sam, Mathieu, and me start extra power training (the sprints and squats plus extra practice on our forms). And at night, Sam and I do extra weight lifting to get in good shape. We do all this while the rest of the people here at the academy are resting and recuperating for the next training day.   


This weekend is the temple performance and Shifu asked me to do my wingchun form. On Tuesday night the Shifus called everyone who was doing a form to rehearse. When I went to do my form, Xiangshifu called me FAT! When I couldn’t bend my arm as much, due to the fact I have more bicep muscle, my own shifu called me fat as well. I was shocked! I said, “NO! More power shifu,” while I flexed my muscle. I’m not too sure they are convinced. I told Liu Bin and he laughed and agreed with me that I am stronger not fat. It’s the middle of the week and I am in a great deal of pain. Hopefully it is because I’m getting back into the routine and not my body saying, “Hey dork, welcome back to HELL!”

My Long Sword form

And I’m Back At the Academy to Continue the Adventure

Saying goodbye is the worst part. It was finally time for me to go back to China to continue my training.



I spent 6 months back home in the USA going to school, work, being with friends and family. But finally it was the day of my flight back to China and I found that it was very hard to hug my loved ones goodbye and leave my home once again. The flight didn’t make it any easier. My connecting flight to Yantai was canceled so I had to stay overnight in Shanghai. Mom told me that the airlines would provide a free hotel room for me that night. So when I flew into Canada after flight #1, I checked on this free hotel room but my airlines told me they have no record of my hotel voucher. That kind of made things a bit irritating but worse case would be to sleep in the airport from 4pm-10am and that did not sound too bad. I got on flight #2, the 12 hour plane ride from Vancouver, Canada to Shanghai. Worst ride ever. I boarded the plane and was assigned to sit next to an older Chinese lady who hogged the middle arm rest and even leaned towards my side.



After 20 minutes the stewardess went on the speaker phone explaining how the plane is being refueled. After another 40 minutes pass and the plane started to make a beeping noise. The stewardess went back on the speaker and said, “Sorry, the plane had a mechanical failure and is being fixed.” I have never heard that before on a plane ride, didn’t help the trip much either. An hour and a half passes and the plane started to move to take off. I couldn’t get much sleep due to the fact I thought the plane would crash and the whole time frame threw me off as well. After about 9 hours of flight, the beeping resumed…I thought to myself, “Was that mechanical failure beeping?” It finally stopped beeping after 20 minutes and I tried not to think about it. I watched a few Disney movies and tried to sleep to make time faster but the chair and lady did not allow me to find a position of comfort. The food they handed out was not good either which only made my stomach hurt. I finally got to doze off to sleep when I was woken up by the plane shaking and breaking from the landing. I woke thinking we crashed!



When we got off the plane, I went to claim my luggage and talk to the airlines. I got my stuff and tried to find my airline. I did not see it anywhere so I thought it would be smart to find an information desk and ask them. Well after walking back and forth about 4 times I couldn’t find the info desk and decided to go to the second floor. I saw the ticket sign and headed over. During this whole search for the airlines, the smell of the airport, the noise, and the pushing and shoving of rushed Chinese people did not help my state of mind. I slowly began to turn into my sister…who cussed out the Chinese people who pissed her off, but I calmed myself down and went to speak to my airline. I went to the first desk who said to speak to the desk a few feet down, the second desk said to speak to another desk a few feet down as well, and before I would allow history to repeat itself, I went to the airline supervisor.



After about 10 minutes of him making calls, checking papers, and checking my passport, he got me someone who would take me to my hotel. While I waited for the hotel shuttle with a few other passengers, a Canadian guy named Karma complimented me on my tattoo. He mentioned how he saw my tat and remembered me from the plane ride from Canada. This guy was a true Canadian, meaning he ended about every sentence with “Eh”, super cheerful and polite...even to the rude Chinese people, and we chatted about his travel plans and my academy plans. We chatted on the bus ride to the hotel and I helped him order some food from the counter. I said goodbye and went to my room. A nice shower, pillows, and a bed was perfect/needed after traveling since 5am that morning. Tomorrow I head to the school. Not quite sure how I feel. Excited, happy, nervous, and sad but I’m half way done and aiming to finish this adventure.

My first meal back in China, Shanghai Airport

Welcome Back

The next day I got a shuttle and went to Shanghai airport. Checked in pretty easily and boarded my plane back to the “escape from reality world”. But I was feeling pretty nervous. Maybe it was a mix of being nervous from thinking of being in pain from the hard training again or nervous about disappointing Shifu since I haven’t actually trained as intense back home.   At the same time, I was also feeling excitement.  Liu Bin emailed me about picking me up at the airport so I was pretty excited about that plus seeing all my old friends. I couldn’t shake the sad feeling I got when I thought about saying goodbye to family and friends, but had to keep going. 

Got to airport and a translator was there to get me and to pick up a new student so there was no room for Liu Bin. It was break time when I arrived at the Academy and I immediately ran around saying hi to Sam and everyone. It was almost time for everyone to go back to class when I saw shifu and Liu Bin. They had a line up to welcome me back and then started class. I asked shifu if I could skip class and unpack and he allowed it. 

After class a translator found me and told me that shifu invited me to dinner to meet his 'kung fu brother' and as a welcome back dinner for me. Only “family” went to this dinner which included, Shifu, Liu Bin, Masters Kung Fu brother, Me, Master Xiang, Jack (head masters brother), and a translator. At dinner Shifu told me how impressed he is with my Wingchun and I told him how I was teaching Wing Chun back home. It was then that Shifu told me he had volunteered me to perform with the other Masters, Liu Bin, and other students at the temple in 10 days. I was shocked but hey I’m back and shifu is putting me to work. 

Then Shifu told me there is a Chinese tradition to cheers each guest so Liu Bin and I did it together by starting with Shibu (master’s older kungfu brother) we cheered glasses and drank, and then Jack, then XiangShifu, and then we sat back down. After that Sarah the translator went home and we continued dinner. I didn’t quite understand what they were saying but shifu would talk to me in English saying random things to let me feel like I haven’t been forgotten. After dinner we walked back to the academy and I felt very safe walking with 4 Kung fu masters and my elder kungfu brother. Had a long day and knocked out before 9.

KC Blog: Grading and power stretching

GRADING

I really didn’t want to grade. I felt so embarrassed to go in front of the whole school and do my basics and my TomBay form. Grading was supposed to be on Monday, but for some reason they switched it to Tuesday. During morning class the people who were going to grade practiced their forms while the rest of the class did acrobatics. I didn’t mind because I am so bad at acrobatics.

The lazy kid wanted to grade but he doesn’t even know how to do the kicks correctly or the 5 step correctly. Sheifu would not let him grade.

Right before grading started Sara, the translator, told me the grading order. All of wing chun would go first, then mantis, then shaolin. I would got right after Xavier who is in my class. I was soooooo nervous. My heart was beating and I did NOT want to grade. I knew I would look so silly. When it was my turn I walked in front of the sheifus and the school. I tried so hard not to smile because grading is a serious thing. Half way through my shaolin basics I got really tired. We have to do like 6 different kicks, the 5 step, and floor sweeps. I tried not to breath so hard, I felt like the sheifus could hear me breathing and I started to become really aware of my breath. After I finished my basics I had to go back out to do my TomBay. I messed up one step right at the end, but when I finished and bowed to the sheifus, Rong Sheifu smiled at me.

I’m really glad graded. The masters take pride in their students and I could tell my sheifu was proud of me. He told me I did really well.

Second class was power stretching. MY FAVORITE! Since it was my last one I asked sheifu to help me do most of my stretches. He was pretty hard on me today, he pushed me waaaaay past my limit. But I love it. It makes me feel like he cares and thinks I can do better. Our power stretching is different than Wing Chung. We dedicate a whole class period to just stretching. Wing Chung has power stretching and power training the same day. 

I will really miss my sheifu. We leave tomorrow…. So sad. I can’t believe it.

Xoxo,

Kc

                                         We have to hold the splits for 6 minutes

November 2011

Kc blog: I got to Spar!

Last Week In Kunyu Shan

This past week I have just been training. Scott wanted me to spar so I practiced at night with Anton and a few guys. I really want to learn the shaolin whip so I have been working hard on finishing my Tombay fist form.

Sparring was intense. I was so nervous; I have never fought before in my whole life! I don’t know how to punch someone! The night before sparring I went down to the training hall with Scott, Brittany and Amitai. I got in the ring with Scott and lightly sparred so I get the hang of it. I thought it was going to be light sparring but Scott punched me in the nose once and in the face twice. It was a little discouraging, so after our spar I went up and got a pep talk from Sam. I felt better after the talk. The day of the fight I was kinda scared what if I disappoint my sheifu? My fight was last, I fought Diane. She is Chinese American, a little taller than me and in a different shaolin group.

We got in the ring and I don’t really know what happened after that. In the video I hear people yelling things at us, but while I was in the ring I didn’t hear anything. I got a couple good shots in but she kept push kicking me. Every time I’d hit her in the face I’d feel bad and ask if she as ok. In the second round   I made her mouth bleed and I felt sooooo bad. My sheifu was impressed with me. I wasn’t very good because it was my first fight, but I wasn’t horrible either.

On Monday I started learning the Whip. Oh man this weapon is dangerous! I hurt myself so many times. I whipped myself in the back, hit my sheifu in the head, hit my arms… but I eventually got the hang of it. It took me two days to get the “flower”. I didn’t finish the form, but sheifu said I should keep practicing the flower and when I go back I will finish the form.

Friday was our last Shabbat in Kunyushan before we leave. Brittany went to dinner with her mantis group so Sam, Scott, Amitai and I went down the street for dinner. It was fun and we had good food. Saturday and Sunday Scott Brittany Amitai and I went to Yantai. We had our last round of shopping and Scott finished his tattoo Sunday. Brittany leaves the same day as Scott and me. It hasn’t sunk in that we are leaving yet… so weird.

Grading is on Monday and I want to grade because I didn’t grade last time. I could tell my sheifu was a little disappointed when I did grade before, so this time I want to do well so he’s proud. I’m so nervous to grade on front of all the sheifus and the whole school. Grading was changed from Monday to Tuesday. Monday night Brittany and I practiced our forms for grading. She videotaped me so I could watch it and see where I need to improve. I HATE watching myself, I get so embarrassed. After we practiced we went down the street again to have dinner. Same group as Friday, except Brittany joined us this time. Scott and Sam shared their roommate stories… a whole year together… so sad it’s going to end. Sam said that he feels like his time at the Shan should be ending with Scott because they arrived almost at the same time and planned to stay one year.

I’ll tell you about grading later.

Xoxo, Kc

Kc Blog: TRICK OR TREAT!

Trick or Treat!

Today is Halloween. A few people went out this weekend to party, but most people don’t know about Halloween or forgot about it. It’s really hard to keep track of the days here at the Shan. I almost forgot it was Halloween today. When I first arrived I brought Halloween decorations from the States and put them up on my door. Everyone was shocked by my decorations, but I think people mostly liked it. When I first put up the decorations Master Guo came to my room for room inspection and laughed at my decorations.

Tonight around 8:30 I went around the Shan knocking on people’s doors saying “trick-or-treat”. I started with Scott and Brittany; she gave me two Chinese cookies. I then went to Amitai’s room and trick or treated at his door. He didn’t have anything to give me so he told me to play a trick on him. I didn’t know what to do so I made him eat the cookies… they weren’t very good so I guess that was kinda like a trick.  I then went to his neighbor’s room they are from India. It’s so funny to see people scrounging around with a little bit of panic in their face while they are looking for things to give me. I told them I wanted something from India when they offered me a Chinese snicker’s bar. They had cookies from India that I tried which were very good. Before I left they told me I had to give them treats. I went to my room and got Hershey’s kisses, peanut butter cups and a few red licorices. They loved the chocolate. Amitai said we should go door to door and trick or treat. I grabbed more licorice and knocked on some doors. Instead of asking them for candy I said “trick or treat” and when they answered I gave them licorice. Backwards I know, but it was fun. Two people gave me treats, David gave me an apple and Kyle gave me a mini mandarin orange. I think people liked the treats. I didn’t knock on everyone’s door because most people sleep around 8pm.  I knocked on my neighbor’s door and they were both in bed. When I told them I had candy for them Forest shot up in his bed with excitement, it was so funny.

It was a fun Halloween. I didn’t wear a costume, I should have put on a mask or something, but I was in my kung fu pants so I was kinda in a costume.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Xoxo,

Kc