Congratulations to Daniel, Dylan, and Alfie. All received their 2nd Degree Black Belts on June 4, 2022.

Since 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, let’s talk about them.  From the Chinese Zodiac/Astrological perspective, those born under this sign are considered strong and fearless.  They make great leaders and stand up for what they believe in.  They will often take over projects in their eagerness to finish them, thus they may not always be at their best in a team situation.  They also not only want to complete the task, but to do it right the first time.  Money is not the biggest motivator for a Tiger.  But success in a given endeavor is.  Very often this will translate into wealth.  Surprisingly, the Tiger is a peaceful sign.  Provoking one usually requires a good deal of effort. From a Kung Fu perspective, those who are Tiger practitioners are known for being strong and agile. Their main strategy is to charge and attack directly with brute force to overwhelm an opponent.  The Tiger practitioner relies mostly on their arms but will occasionally use low kicks.  They target any part of the body, but especially those most vulnerable to tearing techniques.  They must be relaxed and capable of speed. Strong stances and the ability to quickly change to another stance is also a characteristic of a Tiger practitioner. In the animal kingdom, Tigers are one of nature’s most feared predators.  Strong, powerful, solitary creatures, they mark their territory and protect it against others.  They can reach speeds of up to 40mph.  Cubs remain with their mothers for two to three years.  Hunting lessons begin around six months of age and by eleven months they are competent hunters.  By approximately eighteen months, they are fully independent.  […]

Studio Closed Today, January 7, 2022 ..too, too much snow! Will reopen tomorrow for normal hours.

Develop a warrior mindset.

The snake is one of the animals studied in the traditional animal forms of kung fu.  It’s a challenging animal to study, as stances tend to be very low, and strikes sometimes look like blocks, and blocks are often strikes.  Movements can be both circular and linear.  Truly, one must work hard to masterfully show off this form. But the snake has also, as all of the animals we study, been assigned a character-building trait, and  that trait is Respect.    …..seems like a difficult fit, right?    Well, let’s think about that from a couple of different approaches. First, from an animal-kingdom approach, the snake commands respect, as it is generally able to conceal itself from its predators, yet is able to attack quickly from its stealth position.  If it happens to be a poisonous snake (and so many are!), the snake’s bite often results in a quick death for smaller prey, with larger prey suffering a longer, more painful end.  Even the very large snakes, which use a non-poisonous approach to subdue their prey, would, by most standards command the respect of animals larger than them.   Overall, though, snakes seldom attack for the sake of attacking.  They are either defending themselves against a real or perceived threat, or they need to eat.  Okay, enough of that scary stuff…. Let’s talk about respect from another perspective.  When we ask the kids what respect means, they generally read off the poster in the studio….and they quote “saying thank you, please, and yes or no, as opposed to yeah, or nah or nope”.   That’s a good start, but there’s more to this idea of respect than […]

Anyone who studies the crane in the wild will see the patience it exhibits, as it stands in stillness for extended periods of time, waiting for its food source (small fish, frogs, insects, seeds, berries, etc.) to swim or float by (or sometimes they actually dig for roots or worms).  Whether the crane stands on one leg, or both of its legs, the ability to be absolutely still requires much patience.  As for defending itself, the crane is adept at using its long wings and legs to keep its attackers away, and will use its beak, when needed, to strike. In our kung fu studies, the crane movements are illustrated by mostly using straight-arm strikes, front kicks, and very focused hand strikes where the fingers all come to a point. Vulnerable, soft tissue areas are targeted with a strong flicking strike of the gathered fingers.  The crane stances require much balance and a strong centering of body weight.  It’s a challenging, yet beautiful, part of the kung fu animal form system. As for the patience aspect, this is the character trait that we associate with the crane.  When the kids are asked what patience means, they usually reply that it means to wait…wait your turn in line, to speak, whatever the circumstances.  And this is a very good answer, because to wait for anything does often require patience. Adults all know patience in the form of taking a deep breath and striving to get through life’s minor, and sometimes not-so-minor, annoyances without saying or doing something they will later regret.  It doesn’t matter the environment—work, home, school, shopping, driving—you name it, there will […]