Monthly Newsletter - November

Monthly Newsletter – November Dear Friends,

From seminars, to competitions, demo’s and other activities, you won’t want to miss out on the action!

School Closings Women’s Self Defense Seminar Homeschooled Families- Daytime Kungfu Class! CMAA Holiday Party Jiang Shifu’s Bday Celebration

Festival of National Kungfu Performance CMAA Selfies :) Halloween at CMAA Kungfu Masters Can Fly

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

School Closings Please note that we will be closed Thursday through Saturday (26th-28th) for Thanksgiving!  Enjoy your family time and travel safely! Women’s Self Defense Seminar

We are a go for the Women’s Self Defense Seminar this weekend! We look forward to seeing you for an exciting day of action.  If you are interested in attending a course in the future, please let us know so we can begin planning for a follow up seminar and make sure your spot is reserved.

Ladies take the time to learn how to protect and empower yourself by taking a women’s self-defense class. You will be shocked with what you are capable of doing. And I guarantee you that you will find a whole new strength and outlook that will improve your life.

I offer you a wealth of information and invaluable tools that can help you build the awareness and the confidence needed in todays’ world. You will learn practical defense against the most common strikes, grabs, and chokes. You will also learn how to strike back utilizing your voice, elbows, knees, foot stomp, eye gouging, and kicking.

Remember life is precious and you plan on going home, whatever it takes.

Sifu Steve Juman JKD instructor

Get all the seminar information and the top FIVE reasons for attending a women self-defense seminar here!

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/womens-self-defense/

Daytime Kungfu Class for Homeschooled Families CMAA would like to offer a daytime martial arts class for home schooled kids.  We are curious to know how to reach out to that community. If you have any information about how I might go about reaching out to these kids (and their families) please let me know!

CMAA Holiday Dinner Party With all the holidays and family get togethers this time of year, we would like to organize a time for the CMAA family to be together outside the school. Please join us for a holiday dinner celebration!

Date: Sunday, Dec. 20th! Time: 3pm-6pm Location: Ala Shanghai, 468 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham, NY 12110 Please reserve your spot ASAP as space is limited!  The cost is $15/kids (12 and under) and $20/Adults.  Please pay in advance by check or cash at the school as we have reserved the restaurant for our group. Deadline: Please register ASAP as the party size is limited and we expect to reach capacity!

Kungfu Sash Test So many great things in this quarter’s Kungfu sash test. In this test we had new students like Alex, Aerial and Clifford just EXCELLING in basics and 5 stance. I was also proud to see JJ returning to Kungfu after taking a break and refocus on making great progress. We also had the largest group of students to date transitioning to blue sash and beginning their intermediate staff routines which is very exciting. On top of which, I was very excited to see advanced student Scott Beiter, who after over 15 years in Kungfu is still making great strides in his wushu and performing better than ever. Excellent job EVERYONE, you are doing great!

Grandmaster Jiang’s Bday Celebration In October we had the chance to celebrate the man who started it all. Happy Birthday Grandmaster Jiang Jian Ye. Thank you for the many years of quality martial arts instruction and positive energy you bring to the world. CMAA Selfies Guess this is what you find on your Ipad when the kids figure out the password… LOL!

Festival of Nations Wow, I couldn’t be more proud of TEAM CMAA! They really stepped it up a level and took their performance to a new level. Though with only one demo practice to prepare, these guys really pulled off something special. Compare their performance to the year before and see just how far they’ve come. Can’t wait to see what they can do come Chinese New Year. I expect something entirely new and exciting!

Just as a comparison, you can see just how much they’ve improved since just one year ago!

Halloween at CMAA With vampires, bats, a prisoner and many ninjas- CMAA had a great turnout on Saturday for Halloween training! Most students chose not to wear a costume but everyone came ready for a typical day at CMAA, full of work and play!

Kungfu Masters Can Fly Summary Watching kungfu movies its common to see the hero’s flipping around, running up walls and across rooftops. In fact, there’s an entire skillset in kungfu devoted to what is known as “Qing Gong” or “Light Skills”. Maybe you’ve seen some real life variations of this art in a Jackie Chan movie, as Jackie is famous for performing his own stunts! Well, it’s not just for martial artists. Watch as these young kids take this skillset to new “heights”!

What’s the origin of all this? My guess is extreme sports enthusiasts drawing inspiration from Chinese martial arts like these!

Mini CMAA Kids Kungfu Commercial Just playing around with windows movie maker for fun. Enjoy!

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

Monthly Newsletter - October

Dear Friends, From seminars, to competitions, demo’s and other activities, you won’t want to miss out on the action!

School Closings Women’s Self Defense Seminar Kungfu Sash Test Kungfu Competition Festival of National Kungfu Performace Old School Kungfu Inspiration Martial Arts – The Journey Halloween at CMAA Yang 24 Tai Chi In Action

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

School Closings All classes will be held as regularly scheduled.

Women’s Self Defense Seminar

Ladies take the time to learn how to protect and empower yourself by taking a women’s self defense class. You will be shocked with what you are capable of doing. And I guarantee you that you will find a whole new strength and outlook that will improve your life.

I offer you a wealth of information and invaluable tools that can help you build the awareness and the confidence needed in todays’ world. You will learn practical defense against the most common strikes, grabs, and chokes. You will also learn how to strike back utilizing your voice, elbows, knees, foot stomp, eye gouging, and kicking.

Remember life is precious and you plan on going home, what ever it takes.

Sifu Steve Juman JKD instructor

Get all the seminar information and the top FIVE reasons for attending a women self defense seminar here!  In addition, please sign up ASAP as spaces are limited and we are expecting it to fill up quickly. http://www.martialartsalbany.com/womens-self-defense/

Kungfu Sash Test Please note that we will be holding our quarterly Sash Test on Sunday, October 4th at 10:00 am.

You know exactly what we will be testing but if you have any questions, check the Sash Requirements page on the website and feel free to clarify things with me during class.http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/

If you are unsure whether or not you (or your child) are ready to test, please speak with me before or during class, via email at AlbanyCMAA@gmail.com or by phone (518) 755-7512. Remember, you will not “get” your sash at CMAA – you will EARN it! There is a big difference. It’s important you (your child) learns the value of their sash- the value of hard work! Let’s stay focused and step up our training so we’re fully prepared for the test!

White/Yellow/Green/Blue: $25, Red/Purple/Orange: $50, Light Brown/Dark Brown/Gold: $75

Kungfu Competition: International Chinese Marital Arts Championship If you are interested in competing, this is a great opportunity. CMAA will be organizing a competition team to participate in the 5th Annual “New England” Kung Fu – Wushu Championship. This year’s competition will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at the Fore Kicks Sports Complex in Marlborough, MA. (aprox. 30 minutes outside of Boston). Yellow sashes and above are encouraged to compete. Everyone is welcome to come and support your team!

Just like sash tests, the true value of competition is still self-improvement. All the fun and team bonding is just a nice extra!

For more information please visit the website here: http://www.kungfuchampionship.com/boston/

For registration forms please follow this link: http://www.kungfuchampionship.com/boston/registration.html

Festival of Nations Come have fun and support your team as a group of your classmates perform at the Festival of Nations. Our group is scheduled to perform around 12pm on Sunday, 10/25. More info here:http://festivalofnations.net/

Old School Kungfu Inspiration! I occasionally come across these two video clips of Wushu Kungfu from the 80’s and although times have changed and Kungfu styles has adapted to new competition rules, the older style is still amazing to watch!

Old School Kungfu in a Movie

Old School Kungfu in Competition

Martial Arts – The Journey Martial arts are a vehicle for individual expression and development. While its study can be fun and exciting, it requires long term motivation, dedication and discipline.  I agree with lots of things this guy has to say about the process.

Halloween at CMAA Don’t forget to come in costume! Check out some of the silliness from last year!

Yang 24 Tai Chi in Action

Many interesting applications for the various postures, transitions and concepts from the 24!

Summary

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best, Shifu

Monthly Newsletter - July

Monthly Newsletter – July Dear Friends,

Summer's here!  From seminars, to competitions, demo’s and parties, you won’t want to miss out on the action.

School Closings Kungfu Sash Test 3rd Annual Kungfu Wushu Competition European Wushu Kungfu Champion Benoit Denolle Returns to CMAA Wushu in Shortlist of Added Events for 2020 Olympics Student of the Month – Sam “The Man” Carusone Chinese Cultural Gala Demo Recap Dragon Girls Documentary Beautiful Tai Chi Performance

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu School Closings CMAA will be closed Friday and Saturday, July 3rd and 4th for the July 4th weekend!

Saturday July, 4th, Combatives will be held as regularly scheduled at 2:00 PM!

Please enjoy the weekend.  All other classes will be held as regularly scheduled.

Chinese Cultural Gala Demo Recap: Thanks everyone for coming out and showing your support.  You guys did awesome.  You were the highlight of the event (in my humble opinion).

Kungfu Sash Test: June 28 Great job to those of you who participated in June’s Sash Test. Due to the New Jersey competition and demo prep we were a little preoccupied with working our old routines and less focused on drilling new forms.  However you rose to the occasion and brought you’re ‘A’ game to the test. Congratulations to all of you who worked hard and performed your best- keep up the good work! 3rd Annual Kungfu Wushu Competition: July 25th If you are interested in competing, this is a great opportunity. CMAA will be organizing a competition team to participate in the 3rd Annual Kungfu Wushu Competition. Yellow sashes and above are encouraged to compete.   Everyone is welcome to come and support your team!  As a smaller tournament with simple organization, this competition has been a good venue for new competitors. Just like sash tests, the true value of competition is still self-improvement.  All the fun and team bonding is just a nice extra!

Online Registration here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UuPl3A43Iy3FKKOSlouTAJfhWWZUCQLb-0Z54kpdDUU/viewform

Date: Saturday, July 25.  Competition begins at 10am sharp.  Location: Hopkins Academy High School Gymnasium. (1.5-2 hours from Albany, NY)

European Wushu Kungfu Champion Benoit Denolle Returns to CMAA

CMAA will be hosting European Wushu Kungfu Champion and good friend, Benoit Denolle for 3 weeks of training, coaching, seminars and FUN!  Stay tuned for all the details, you won’t want to miss any of the action!

If you didn’t get to meet Ben during his year at Union College, please read his article “Why Wushu is My Life Today”: http://www.martialartsalbany.com/why-is-wushu-my-life-today/

Wushu in Shortlist of Added Events for 2020 Olympics

"Wushu has been included in a shortlist of sports seeking to join the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee accepted eight of the 26 sports that sought to be added to the 2020 Games, including a joint bid from baseball and softball. The seven others were bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and wushu, reports Xinhua."

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/sports/wushu-in-shortlist-of-added-events-for-2020-olympics-1010453.html

Student of the Month – Sam “The Man” Carusone You’ll recognize him with his head down to the mat in a full straddle split.  He pushes himself hard during class.  Sometimes he goes so hard I’ve found myself running over to check if he’s alright!  But that’s not the only thing that makes this kid great.  One of the things that’s always made him stand out is that no matter how exhausted he is from conditioning he always says “Thanks for class!” when it’s over.  For his hard work and consistent gratitude, Sam Carusone is July’s Student of the Month!

Shifu: What drew you to martial arts? Sam: I tried many sports, and none of them appealed to me like Kung Fu does. After I train hard, I always leave feeling better about myself."

Shifu: What are a few of the main things you have learned? Sam: Never to give up no matter how hard it is, try to figure out a way to preserve and great things will happen."

Shifu: What’s your favorite part of training? Sam: I really like learning new forms especially with weapons. I can't wait to learn Spear and Straight Sword.

Shifu: What's your favorite subject in school and why? Sam: I love Science! I always have since I was old enough (3yrs.old) to read and research things. I'm naturally gifted in this area. I want to discover something big, find a cure, or just make a major contribution in science for our Earth.

Shifu: If you could give any advice to someone who is interested martial arts, what would it be? Sam: If you don't like to work hard, be part of an amazing team or thank your Shifu for class everyday, than CMAA might not be for you.

Shifu: Anything else about yourself you’d like to share? Sam: I consider myself a lucky kid- God has truly blessed me. I'm healthy and smart, I'm a good friend and I have an awesome sister and a mom who always encourage me no matter what!

Great talking with you Sam!  Keep up the hard work!

Dragon Girls Documentary This amazing documentary follows the life of several girls who have dedicated themselves to the rigors of studying Kungfu in China.  Having trained with several youth teams in China, I was particularly in awe of several young girls I trained with in Nanjing.  Two went on to the provincial Wushu team and only one has turned professional.  They’re stories are very similar.  The documentary is well worth watching. 

Dragon Girls Trailer:

 

Link to Dragon Girls Full Movie: https://vimeo.com/69101024

Beautiful Tai Chi Performance Please enjoy this beautifully choreographed synchronized Tai Chi performance.

Summary

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

Monthly Newsletter - April

Dear Friends, Though we celebrated the Spring Festival almost 2 months ago, it finally feels like its on its way! As always, there’s a lot happening at CMAA!  Please review the following information on:

School Closings Kungfu Sash Test Student of the Month – Laura Prendergast Shifu Lucas Wushu at the United Nations- Flashback! Chinese Community Center Party! CMAA Team Jackets Now Available! Kungfu- Tai Chi Seminar

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu School Closings All classes will be held as regularly scheduled.

Chinese Community Center Kids Kungfu Party! What: Kids Kungfu Party When: Saturday, May 2nd. 5:15pm - 6:15pm Who:  YOU! Chinese Community Center (CCC) students, siblings, friends and family! Where: The Chinese Martial Arts Academy, 3A Johnson Road Latham NY 12110 COST: FREE!

Please RSVP by 4/26 in person, or by email/phone at AlbanyCMAA@gmail.com or (518) 755-7512.

Please join the Chinese Martial Arts Academy for an evening of Kungfu FUN! Our evening’s activities will include a Kungfu performance and light refreshments!  Feel free to bring a brother, sister or friend- or just come and make new friends here at CMAA!

Kungu Sash Test We will be holding our quarterly Sash Test on Sunday, April, 12th at 10:30am.  If you are not sash testing you are still encouraged to come participate and support your teammates (no charge of course).

You know exactly what we will be testing but if you have any questions, check the Sash Requirements page on the website and feel free to clarify things with me during class.http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/

If you are unsure whether or not you (or your child) are ready to test, please speak with me before or during class, via email at AlbanyCMAA@gmail.com or by phone (518) 755-7512.

Remember, you will not “get” your sash at CMAA – you will EARN it!  There is a big difference.  It’s important you (your child) learns the value of their sash- the value of hard work!  Let’s stay focused and step up our training so we’re fully prepared for the test!

White/Yellow/Green/Blue: $25, Red/Purple/Orange: $50, Light Brown/Dark Brown/Gold: $75

Student of the Month – Laura Prendergast

When you imagine a kungfu master in training, images of a young Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan flexing their six pack while striking a variety of Kungfu poses might come to mind.

The reality is, not all martial artists fit that description.  If you haven’t met Laura Prenderagast, let me introduce you.   As graduate of New York University studying Recombinant DNA Technology, Laura easily talks over my head on a variety of science related subjects.  She has competed and won gold in several tournaments over the last few years.  However, it is her consistent dedication that truly impresses me.  In the almost 4 years I have known Laura, she has remained steadfast and focused on her pursuit of martial arts mastery.  I’ve often wondered what motivates her.  As student of the month, I’m excited to find out what it is. Let’s get to it! Shifu: When did you initially get involved in martial arts? Chinese Martial Arts? Laura: I started training in Tae Kwon Do in college, but I didn’t get very far – only to green belt…since then, I’ve trained in Kenpo, and Shotokan Karate in NYC – but made only modest achievements in rank.  I started training in Kung fu at a school in Rockland county in 2005, and I continued to train when I got to Albany – I joined CMAA in 2010.  I think this is the longest period of time I’ve consistently trained.

Shifu: What drew you to martial arts? Why do you continue to work as consistently as you do? Laura: I guess I always liked watching martial arts movies.  I was younger and smaller than all the kids in my classes growing up, so I got picked on a lot.  I wasn’t really cultivating revenge fantasies… later, in college, I started investigating Oriental philosophies – I was drawn to Asian art, and I really liked the fact that the martial arts weren’t about beating people up, but more about discipline and commitment.   I work consistently, because I believe in continuous self-improvement.

Shifu: Is there anything in particular you've had to overcome? Laura: Yes, well two main things: first, the need to be approved of (I’m too old for it)…and second, the urge to be self-critical (cause I’m not sure it improves my technique at all).  Ok, three: keeping my eyes up.

Shifu: What are a few of the main things you have taken away from your time training? Laura: That’s really difficult to pin down.  I like to think I learn something every practice.  I like how you try to get us to focus on basics, like stances and fluidity and power.  I also think that just as there is “body English” there is also “body Chinese” – I can’t prove it, because I don’t actually speak Chinese, but I think that when I learn a form correctly, I might be expressing a philosophical concept correctly (I do hope to learn the language one day).  And I also respect what I learned about the Wushu symbol – that it literally means to “stop fight”.

Shifu: What’s your favorite part of training? Laura: That might be training with the kids.  I absolutely love watching them, seeing them learn, earnestly discussing minecraft, and arguing about who is taller.  They move because they love moving.  They don’t have inhibitions about doing backflips or cartwheels…and they represent so much potential.  It’s a little like getting a blank notebook for Christmas, except they’re writing it themselves. 

Shifu: If you could give any advice to someone (older or younger) who has a passion for martial arts, what would it be? Laura: Definitely keep training.  There are days of high energy and low energy.  Be mindful, and try to do at least one thing better every practice.  Thanks again for your dedication Laura.  It’s an important element to the energy at CMAA.

Shifu Lucas Wushu at the United Nations- Flashback! Lucas Geller, owner of the Chinese Martial Arts Academy in Colonie, was among 35 American athletes and more than 20 of the top wushu (literally martial arts) champions from China’s national team who performed at the United Nations on August 18th. The event, with the theme “Peace, Friendship and Health”, marked China’s 40th anniversary as a member of the UN. (Check out a video of the entire performance here!  Shifu’s Kungfu routine is at 1:04:05!) : http://www.martialartsalbany.com/shifu-geller-united-nations-kungfu-performance-with-jet-li/

CMAA Team Jackets Show off your CMAA pride in style (and comfort!). The new “soft style” CMAA jackets are now in and available in all sizes.  They are $64.99.  The CMAA warm up jackets (wind breaker material) are now on sale from $75 down to $59.99 and available in sizes Adult Extra Small and up! If you are interested please speak with Shifu ASAP as quantity is limited and once we’re out of a size we need to wait until all the jackets are sold to reorder!

Kungfu Tai Chi Seminar More info coming soon!

Summary

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

 

Monthly Newsletter - August

Monthly Newsletter – August

Dear Friends,

As always, there’s a lot happening at CMAA!  Please review the following information on:

School Closings Kungfu Movie and Pizza! Student of the Month Profile – Minyi “The Prodigy” Chen 1 Year FREE at CMAA – NEW Referral Program! Kungfu Competition October in Boston, MA Kungfu Sash Test Recap

As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

Best,

Shifu

School Closings Please note we will be closed and all classes will be canceled Labor Day Weekend on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Aug. 30, 31st and Sept. 1).  Otherwise, all classes will be held as regularly scheduled.

Kungfu Movie and Pizza! Event: Kungfu Movie and Pizza Night at CMAA! Movie: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the original!) Date: Sunday, Aug.17 Time: 5:30pm -8:30pm. Limited: 8-12*

Parents are welcome to drop your children off for the evening and enjoy a relaxing night out!

We will have a minimum sign up of 8 people and a maximum of 12.  The cost is $30 per child under 13 years old, $10 for individuals 13+.  However, additional persons accompanied by a parent acting as a chaperone will be permitted at the rate of $10/child and $10/parent.  Students accompanied by their chaperone parent will not count toward the total number of signups.

Please register by Friday, Aug. 15th.  However, the earlier your register the better as space will be limited!

Kungfu Competition: International Chinese Marital Arts Championship If you are interested in competing, this is a great opportunity. CMAA will be organizing a competition team to participate in the 4th Annual "New England" Kung Fu - Wushu Championship.  This year’s competition will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at the Fore Kicks Sports Complex in Marlborough, MA. (aprox. 30 minutes outside of Boston).

Yellow sashes and above are encouraged to compete.   Everyone is welcome to come and support your team!

Just like sash tests, the true value of competition is still self-improvement.  All the fun and team bonding is just a nice extra!

For more information please visit the website here: http://www.kungfuchampionship.com/boston/ For registration forms please follow this link: http://www.kungfuchampionship.com/boston/registration.html

Student of the Month Profile – Minyi “The Prodigy” Chen

I’d like to introduce you to Minyi (no its not“Minnie”).  You probably know her as the really fast girl who seems to test for multiple sashes every few months.  Minyi is not only a fast runner, and a fast learner she is also a hard worker.  She is very thoughtful in her approach and it has paid off.  Take a minute to learn a little more about August’s student of the month- Minyi “The Prodigy” Chen.

Shifu: Why did you start Kungfu? Minyi:  I started Kungfu because it's a good way to exercise and gain discipline.

Shifu: What is your favorite thing about Kungfu? Minyi:  I love how there are cool weapons that you can train with. I also enjoy learning spear, even though it is really hard.

Shifu: What are your goals in Kungfu for this coming year? Minyi: I HAVE TO get my aerial, and master spear.

Shifu: Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get better at Kungfu? Minyi: There will be times when you don't know what to do, but when that happens just keep trying and never give up.

Shifu: What is your favorite food? Minyi: I love all fruits, ice cream, cake, and dumplings.

Shifu: When you’re not getting straight A’s, helping to lead a Kungfu class or winning piano competitions, what do you like to do in your free time? Minyi: I like to read fiction chapter books, and play video games (I LOVE to play Dragon Story on my dad's tablet).

Shifu: Is there anything you’re not good at? Minyi: I'm not very good at remembering things, and keeping secrets.

Shifu: What’s it like being a big sister to “Turbo” (Minyi’s little brother Yunhan who is one of our youngest Kungfu students at CMAA)? Minyi: It's special. "Turbo” makes a lot of jokes and smiles a lot. He is a really good brother, but he can be annoying sometimes.

Shifu: Anything else about yourself you’d like to share with everyone? Minyi: If I start a really, really, REALLY awesome book, then I will keep reading it until I finish the book, or when I have to do something else (I once finished a 610-page book in a two hours).

Thanks for taking the time to chat Minyi!  Congratulations on all the progress you’re making.  Keep up the hard work, I know we’re going to make some major progress this year.

Kungu Sash Test Recap As always I wanted to say great job to those of you who participated in July’s Sash Test. Congratulations to those of you who put in the extra work over the beginning of summer vacation!

In addition, I would like to congratulate those who chose NOT to sash test. You too demonstrate self-awareness. I know you too were excited to get your next sash and move on to something new but with an honest self-assessment, decided to wait until you knew you’d truly mastered your form. Keep up the hard work, we will test again soon and you will be all the better for having waited.

Save Money with the CMAA Referral Program!

CMAA Referral Program- Easy as 1, 2,3,4,5. 1. Earn $50 when your first referral joins. 2. Earn $100 when your second referral joins. 3. Earn $250 when your third referral joins. 4. Earn $500 when your fourth referral joins. 5. Earn ONE YEAR FREE when your fifth referral joins.

This will be even easier now with our new CMAA flyers.  You can pick them up for free at the school. Just write your name on the back of the bottom info tabs and when people come in with your flyer tab they will be considered your referral!

*Please note that offer applies to annual memberships and new referrals only (as of 8/5/14).

Summary As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!

 

Best,

Shifu

Monthly Newsletter - March

Newsletter – March Dear Students,

As always, there’s a lot happening at CMAA!  Please review the following information on:

School Closings Sash Test Seminar Recap Student Profile Get a FREE CMAA School Shirt!   Save Money with our Referral Program

Please continue reading for the details:

School Closings All classes will be held as regularly scheduled. Save Money with the CMAA Referral Program! CMAA Referral Program- Easy as 1,2,3!

1. Tell your friend about our program 2. Your friend signs up for one of our programs 3. You get $50 on your account or a free ½ hour private lesson and a T-Shirt!

Sash Test Please note that we will be holding our quarterly Sash Test on Sunday, April 13th at 10am.

You know exactly what we will be testing but if you have any questions, check the Sash Requirements page on the website and feel free to clarify things with me during class. http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/

If you are unsure whether or not you (or your child) are ready to test, please speak with me before or during class, via email at AlbanyCMAA@gmail.com or by phone (518) 755-7512.

Remember, you will not “get” your sash at CMAA – you will EARN it!  There is a big difference.  It’s important you (your child) learns the value of their sash- the value of hard work!  Let’s stay focused and step up our training so we’re fully prepared for the test!

White/Yellow/Green/Blue: $25 Red/Purple/Orange: $50 Light Brown/Dark Brown/Gold: $75

Seminar Recap What an amazing opportunity it was to train with a national champion in the comfort of our own martial arts hall.  What’s even better is that Ben has worked with everyone before and had an idea of everyone needed to work on.  I know he was anxious to share his insights and technical expertise with everyone and I am very pleased that you took advantage of his time, energy and keen eye!

Just as when USA team member Brandon Sugiyama and USA Wushu Team Coach Mario Martinez came to visit, it was a reminder that BASICS ARE EVERYTHING!  What makes Ben stand out is his amazing ability to jump, spin and flip through the air.  However, I was excited to see that that was not the direction he chose to take our group.  Rather in the true fashion of a high level practitioner, he brought us back to really focus on the technical precision of the fundamentals.  Although it’s not always the most exciting part our art, the basics are the foundation of your martial arts training.  

FREE School Shirt! Write an online review at Google, Facebook or Yelp and get a free CMAA Shirt!

Student Profile

I’d like to introduce you to Brenna Paxton.  She’s the young woman at CMAA doing inside crescent kicks that are so loud you might have a ringing in your ears after hearing one.  She is hard working and detail oriented.  What you might not know, is that she is also one of the most positive people I’ve ever met.  No matter how new, young, old, fast or slow another student is, I routinely over hear Brenna genuinely praising them for their success, improvements and accomplishments.

Shifu-Why did you start kungfu? Brenna-I wanted to learn self-defense and gain confidence.

Shifu-What is your favorite thing about kungfu? Brenna-I enjoy forms, we get to work together and have fun, while learning and drilling the movements.

Shifu-Who is your favorite martial artist? Brenna-Definitely Bruce Lee. He is an absolutely amazing martial artist. I hope to someday be as good as he was at kungfu.

Shifu-What is your favorite kind of dessert? Brenna-Two words-frozen yogurt:)

Shifu-What are your goals in kungfu for 2014? Brenna-I NEED to get my aerial and a perfected butterfly kick.

Shifu-What have you learned through your experiences doing competitions, demos, and performances? Brenna-I learned to always try my best, and to practice until I got the form at my expectation level.

Shifu-Anything else you'd like to share with everyone? Brenna-Always try your best, and NEVER give up. The more you practice, the more you improve.

Keep up the hard work Brenna!  I look forward to seeing your continued success. Summary Stay tuned for more information on an upcoming Tai Chi Seminar, and new Jeet Kune Do Kungfu classes at CMAA!

Best,

 

Shifu

Newsletter - September

The Chinese Martial Arts AcademyMonthly Newsletter September

Dear Friends,

It’s that time again.  Please visit our website to get all of CMAA’s exciting news!

School Closings and Class Cancelations All Kungfu and CrossFit Classes are canceled Sept 28th as Shifu will be traveling with CMAA competitors to Boston for the International Chinese Martial Arts Competition.

Tai Chi will be held as regularly scheduled. 

Sash Test Please note that we will be holding our quarterly Sash Test on:

Date: Sunday, September 8th Time: 11:00am (Remember early is on time, on time is late, late is unacceptable! Teach your child the VALUE of being on time for important events they have committed to.  Whether is a competition, SAT or job interview it in important to learn these lessons now!).

You know exactly what we will be testing but if you have any questions, check the Sash Requirements page on the website and feel free to clarify things with me during class. http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/

If you are unsure whether or not you (or your child) are ready to test, please speak with me before or during class, via email at AlbanyCMAA@gmail.com or by phone (518) 755-7512.

Register in Advance Please register and pay your testing fee by Sept.6th.  By signing up on at the school you will agree to pay by Sept. 6th or have it charged to your account. 

White/Yellow/Green/Blue: $25 Red/Purple/Orange: $50

Remember, you will not “get” your sash at CMAA – you will EARN it!  There is a big difference.  It’s important that your child (you) learns the value of their sash- the value of hard work!  Let’s stay focused and step up our training so we’re fully prepared for the test!

Tai Chi Push Hands Seminar What:  Tai Chi Push Hands Seminar with Shifu Jiang Jianye When: Sunday, September 22nd at 11:00am-12:30pm. Cost: $35

Pushing hands works to undo a person's natural instinct to resist force with force, teaching the body to yield to force and redirect it. Health oriented TaiChi schools may teach push hands to complement the physical conditioning available from performing solo form routines.

Pushing hands is said to be the gateway for students to experientially understand the martial aspects of the internal martial arts: leverage, reflex, sensitivity, timing, coordination and positioning. Push hands allows students to learn how to respond to external stimuli using techniques from their forms practice. Among other things, training with a partner allows a student to develop 'ting jing' (listening power), the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of a partner's intention. In that sense pushing hands is a contract between students to train in the defensive and offensive movement principles of their martial art: learning to generate, coordinate and deliver power to another and also how to effectively neutralize incoming forces in a safe environment. Competition Recap

CMAA enters students in first competition and dominate!

With ten students participating CMAA brought home 6 Gold Medals, 3 Silvers, and 4 Bronze.  Lead by team leader Scott Beiter, CMAA participated in the The 1st Annual Kungfu Wushu Tournament in Hadley, MA.  Congratulations to all the competitors.  It takes a lot of courage to get out there.  Win or lose I hope everyone drew inspiration from the experience.  Just like sash tests, the true value of competition is still self-improvement.  All the fun and team bonding is just a nice extra!

 

Jump Kicks With our recent success in our first competition it was obvious that our foundation in basics wins gold medals.  The foundation of Kungfu is rooted in stances.  However, as we progress we will continue our jumping skills as a way to showcase our talent in the advanced divisions.  In an effort to works toward new heights, we had a master of jump kicks Master Tom Collins come visit CMAA for a great jump kick seminar.  Take a look at a video of the highlights of the action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvML74J7xFo

Chen Taiji What an experience!  With over 20 years of experience in the martial arts, years of training in China, and a decade of teaching Tai Chi and Pilates, Peter brought to CMAA a wealth of information presented with a unique perspective of Tai Chi and kinesiology.  From ideas of transverse balance exercises and qigong relaxation we certainly got more than just an 8 posture Chen style Tai Chi routine.  Chen 8 will be continued and refined in our Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday Tai Chi classes.

CMAA Chinese Wall Scrolls As you know, CMAA has four large Chinese calligraphy scrolls on the wall.  These four scrolls are special for a few different reasons.  They are not simply Chinese scrolls bought at the Asian Imports store in the mall.  I thought long and hard about what different things we emphasize in the art we practice.  After months of deliberation I found a saying that I thought best encompassed our approach to training Chinese Martial Arts.  On the day of our grand opening Grandmaster Shifu Jiang Jianye presented us with four beautiful, personally handwritten scrolls which read: “Xi Wu Yi Cu Xue” Study the Martial Arts to Promote Learning

“Lian Wu Yi Qiang Shen” Train the Martial Arts to Strengthen the Body

“Shang Wu Yi Qin Zhi” Practice the Martial Arts to Develop Will

“Han Wu Yi Xiu De” Do Martial Arts to Cultivate Ethics

In this case “Wu”, or Martial Arts is the common character connecting all four lines.  This is the same “Wu” symbol that adorns our school’s wall and uniforms.  We are not a school that emphasizes martial arts for combat, but a school that recognizes the inherent multitude of benefits from training in the martial arts.  It is for these reasons that CMAA has students male and female, spanning ages 4 to 84.  It never ceases to amaze me how everyone is benefiting from martial arts for so many different reasons.

Summary

There is so much happening right now.  With so many seminar, tests and competitions right now, I look forward to planning some more “fun” activities (potlucks and movie nights) this October.  Please stay tuned for more details.

Best-

Shifu

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