Dear Friends, From seminars, to competitions, demo’s and other activities, don’t miss out on the action!
School Closings Kungfu Sash Test Recap USA National Kungfu Team member Kevin Qin’s Kungfu Seminars Recap Kungfu/Tai Chi Competitions Resources For Home Practice Student of the Month – Justin and Reagan Li CMAA Black Belt Max Bruni Festival of Nations The Most Powerful Kungfu in the Universe Tai Chi Posture and Power Harvard Health Ranks Tai Chi in Top 5 Best Exercises! Happy Halloween From CMAA! CMAA School Cleaning CMAA Holiday Dinner Party
School Closings CMAA will be closed November 24th for Thanksgiving!
Kungfu Sash Test Recap
Great job you guys. It was wonderful to see so many students making progress at various levels. From Emily, who at 4 yeas old earned her white belt, to Max, who at 15 earned his black belt, the sash test was a clear demonstration of the martial arts journey. While we have many siblings and classmates in one group, it also showcased our martial arts family emphasis. I take a lot of pride in seeing our students connect, become friends and treat each other respectfully. Great work everyone, you are on your way to greatness!
USA National Kungfu Team member Kevin Qin’s Kungfu Seminars Recap
I was fortunate enough to train with Kevin Qin about 6 years ago. We trained together at Omei Wushu under Lu Xiao Lin. Though I spent several year training there from 2003-2007, our paths didn’t cross until I returned to the area in 2010. Since then it’s been great following his success on the national and international competition scene. Though many of the concepts Kevin talked about were things we’ve addressed, I always see immediate improvement from students when they come to a seminar focused and ready to train hard. I hope we can apply that same exact mindset to our regular practice sessions! I look forward to having Kevin come visit us again soon!
Kungfu/Tai Chi Competitions Competitions are great for those looking to challenge themselves. Personally, I always disliked competing itself, but I knew it made me better so I forced myself to compete annually.
Competitions offer several benefits. For example, they are good for short term goal setting, “I want to feel confident doing my entire XXX form by the competition date”. You can also get an idea of how your Kungfu skills compare to others from a 3rd party observer (judge). Also, its a great way to bond with your teammates. In addition, for some medals are motivating, and for others the fear of NOT getting a medal is motivating! For those of you interested in competing I wanted to get some upcoming competitions on your radar. Please check with me to find out which one is right for you!
New England international wushu championships and USA traditional wushu team trials in south Windsor, CT Nov 5th. https://maleeschool.com/2016-championships/
Sat Dec. 3 UMD. This tournament is one of the best one the east coast. High level competitors and well organized. This tournament is good for those who have competed before and are looking for a better stage to show case their talents! http://terpwushu.org/tournament/info.php
2017 5th annual Kungfu wushu tournament. This Tournament is good for those looking to get competition experience! The date is yet to be announced but its usually toward the end of Spring.
Festival of Nations It was a huge honor to be asked to help promote the beauty of Chinese culture and perform on behalf of China at the Festival of Nations. The Chinese population is an incredibly important part of our local community and it is very meaningful that we can showcase this incredible culture for all to enjoy! I am very proud of The Chinese Martial Arts Academy and their ability to help demonstrate a very exciting element of Chinese culture. I am sure we will continue to improve and do better in the future!. We made it on to the front page of the Times Union and had several mentions on their online edition. Please enjoy the show!
In addition, CMAA will be continuing to refine our performance as we ramp up to this year’s Chinese New Year celebration. I hope to include more students into that performance so please stay tuned for details about that!
Check out CMAA's full demo here!
Student of the Month – Justin and Reagan Li
If you come to some of the earlier classes you’ve seen these two. One has just recently come in to his own. Years of focused training and some natural talent allow the older brother to jump so high he seems to float and then land with the lightness of a feather. His younger brother has also been working hard for a year now. Although he’s more focused on fun, when it’s time for in class competitions takes it very seriously and will always try his best. You may have guess it, this month’s Students of the Month are – Justin and Reagan Li!
Shifu: Why did you start Kungfu? Justin: I started Kung fu 2 years ago and my little brother started 1 year ago
Shifu: What is your favorite thing about Kungfu? Justin: My favorite thing to do in Kung fu is doing jumps and kicks and Reagan likes doing cartwheels.
Shifu: What is your favorite food? Justin: My favorite food is sushi and my brother's is pizza.
Shifu: If someone wants to learn kungfu or has already started but wants to get better, what would you tell them? Justin: I would tell them to just ask shifu and he'll just teach you step by step even if it takes his time away he'll still help you to improve.
Shifu: When you're not at CMAA what kinds of things you like to do outside of Kungfu? Justin: I really like jumping so I'll to to the track and jump the hurdles or just try to touch the rim of a basketball hoop. My brother likes watching tv and eating food.(this is actually what he said).
Shifu: Anything else (advice, a joke, or personal information) you’d like to share with everyone? Justin: One tip I'll like to add is try to go to Kung fu everyday. My brother says if Shifu says something you don't know then just say "OK".
Look forward to seeing you all soon. Keep up the great work!
Check out some of Justin's jumping skills!
CMAA Black Belt Max Bruni I am incredibly proud to announce CMAA has a new black belt- Max Bruni. Since joining Max has proven to be one of the MOST consistent and hardest working martial artists I've had the honor of working with. Not only does he train almost every day, but he often stays for 2-3 classes in a row. Another martial arts instructor recently watched Max perform and commented on how impressed he was that Max clearly put his heart in to his form. In addition, the quality Max possesses that I am most inspired by his is willingness to help all his kungfu brothers and sisters. He takes his role as a senior student very seriously and works just as well with a new group of 4 year old white belts as he does with a demo team of black belts. He's an incredible young man, and I am so excited to see where he goes with on his martial arts journey!
Enjoy Max's Black Belt video!
Tai Chi Posture and Power Though the presenter is obviously not a native English speaker, I feel he is able to clearly demonstrate some of the unique subtleties of Tai Chi posture and power as compared to what he calls “general power”.
Resources For Home Practice When it comes to practicing Tai Chi, the easiest thing to do is just get to class. Once you’re in the car the hard part is over, you know you’ll get a dedicated training session in. We can go over questions, troubleshoot problems, discuss the nuances of the routines or simply review the forms. However, one of the best things you can do is practice at home throughout the week. At first Tai Chi may seem challenging, but in the end it all comes down to consistency. Here are some online resources to help newer practitioners with the forms we practice in class! http://www.martialartsalbany.com/home-practice-tai-chi/
The Most Powerful Kungfu in the Universe One of the greatest aspects of Chinese martial arts is that they go beyond physical techniques of punching and kicking, and really encourage a holistic approach to health and wellness transcending martial arts as a sports to martial arts as a lifestyle.
Harvard Health Ranks Tai Chi in Top 5 Best Exercises! "We can not start over. But we can begin now and make a new ending." Happy to see Harvard health http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-of-the-best-exercises-you-can-ever-do
Happy Halloween From CMAA!
Good times with Bruce Lee, a witch, batman, some ninjas and princesses...
CMAA School Cleaning Please bring home ANY personal belongings by Thanksgiving 11/24! There are many unclaimed jackets, sweatshirts, shoes, swords, staffs and bottles. I will be removing all items from the school for either donation or the dump. Afterwards, you can bring back anything that you feel must be left at the school. Thank you for your assistance in helping to keep things organized!
CMAA Holiday Dinner Party Great food, and better company: We are finalizing the details of our annual holiday dinner party and will have more information soon! Stay tuned for details.
Summary As usual please stay tuned for more exciting action at CMAA!
Best,
Shifu