CMAA Newsletter- June, 2012

Chinese Martial Arts Academy Newsletter- June, 2012 Dear Students,

Please enjoy another installment of CMAA’s monthly newsletter.

Events:

CMAA Potluck Movie Night (Potluck, Taichi Documentary and Kungfu Movie ) is scheduled for 5:30pm next Saturday, June 9^th.  Please RSVP by THIS Sunday evening, June 3^rd!  The Taichi documentary below will be shown.  Following the documentary we will be watching a Kungfu movie!

Taichi documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwNXaQwjEr4

Kungfu Movie- Reign of Assasins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1XuZXxmwyA

General:

New Clothing in for SUMMER!

CMAA School shorts have just arrived.  They look awesome and feel great!

Discounts-

15% off original CMAA school jackets (with school name and logo in black) Please check for availability.

10% off NEW style CMAA school jackets (with school name and logo in white)!

Reminder - CMAA School Shirt discount:  The original CMAA school shirts, extra soft, with low collar and logo on front and back are now only $25.  (The regular CMAA shirts are still only $15).

CMAA Challenge

A new challenge has been issued for the month of June!  Have you ever heard of “Tabata”?  Learn more about a new method of Japanese conditioning designed to get you in awesome shape – in less than 4 grueling minutes!  June’s challenge will be focused on strength and conditioning.  Read more about it here:

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/cmaa-challenge-june-2012/

CMAA:

Interview with longtime Kungfu student, Scott Beiter:   “I developed a realization within the first year that the full expanse of Chinese martial arts went beyond just Kungfu forms and movies…”  Read the entire interview here:

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/interview-with-kungfu-student-scott-beiter/

KungFu Sash Testing: We will hold our first official Kungfu Sash Testing 6/2/12.  Students who know the "5 Stance Form" (in both directions), Beginner Long Fist, or Beginner Staff are recommended to test for sash promotion.  If you are not sure if you or your child is ready to test, please speak before class.  Testing is required to progress to the next level of forms training.  Also, please note the testing requirements and the small associated fee as identified by the curriculum:

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/  

More great things coming your way- stay tuned!

Best,

Shifu

CMAA Challenge- June 2012

CMAA Challenge- June 2012

CMAA Challenge- June 2012

A new challenge has been issued for the month of June!  Have you ever heard of “Tabata”?  Learn more about a new method of Japanese conditioning designed to get you in awesome shape – in just 4, grueling, minutes.  Keep reading to learn more about this month’s challenge!

The first month’s challenge focused on improving flexibility by following a simple, daily stretching routine.  The second month’s challenge addressed meditation for greater focus and clarity with an easy 5 minute a day meditative practice.  June’s challenge will be focused on strength and conditioning.

“Many martial arts practitioners seem to have an aversion to strength training.  They think strength training = big, “slow” muscles.  They think Bruce Lee, and Shaolin monks didn’t lift weights, and that they shouldn’t either.  Well, without spending too much time refuting this, suffice it to say this couldn’t be more false.  There are a ton of great strength and conditioning exercises you can use to become more EXPLOSIVE!  Many of these exercises target your nervous system and don’t necessarily have an impact on hypertrophy (muscle size) if your rep/set scheme and diet don’t dictate it” - Shifu Lucas Geller (“GET STRONG- Jump Higher!” http://www.martialartsalbany.com/get-strong-jump-higher/)

Want to get in better shape?  Want to be a better conditioned?  Want to get fit without spending all your time at a gym!?  Enter Tabata.

What is Tabata?

Tabata is the name of a Japanese researcher who discovered an interesting way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It's one of those strange training programs that seems to fit across disciplines: it's excellent for bicyclists, speed skaters, Olympic lifters, or the person looking to lose fat quickly.

This training method is so simple, yet so incredibly difficult, that athletes tend to try it once, acknowledge its greatness, and then vow to never speak its name again. What is it? It's simple: take one exercise and perform it in the following manner:

1) For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible.

2) Rest for ten seconds

3) Repeat seven more times!

That's it!

Try the “burpee”.

To perform a burpee with a pushup, you will begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you (1). Kick your feet back, while simultaneously lowering yourself into the bottom portion of a pushup. Your arms will not be extended. (2). Immediately return your feet to the squat position, while simultaneously pushing "up" with your arms. You will perform a pushup as you return your feet to the squat position (3). Leap up as high as possible from the squat position (4). Repeat, moving as fast as possible.

For an example of what it should look like watch this!

(feel free to do a pushup on your knees if you aren’t comfortable with full body weight pushups yet).

For the actual challenge, maintain your current workout program and simply add in 3 Tabata workouts a week!  That’s only an extra 12 minutes of training weekly.  Feel free to consult with me on different exercises ideal for Tabata, mix them up and see how much you improve by the end of the month!

To make keeping time easier, heres an online Tabata Timer you can use:

Enjoy!

For more ide’s on strength training for martial arts please check out “GET STRONG- Jump Higher!” by Shifu Lucas

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/get-strong-jump-higher/

CMAA Newsletter - MAY 2012

Chinese Martial Arts Academy News Letter- May, 2012

Dear Students,

Please enjoy another installment of CMAA’s monthly newsletter.

General:

Class Cancelation

5/19/12: Please note that the school will be closed and that all classes are canceled      5/19/12 for the quarterly school cleaning and Tae Kwon Do school testing.

New Clothing in for SUMMER!

CMAA school Jackets (with school name and logo in white) are available, and they look great!

School Shorts: In preparation for summer CMAA will also provide shorts for Taichi, Kungfu and Sanshou!

School Pants – The long awaited arrival of pants is nearing!  Working on completing an order to get them in by the end of the month.

CMAA School Shirt discount:  The original CMAA school shirts, extra soft, with low collar and logo on front and back are now only $25.  (The regular CMAA shirts are still only $15J)

CMAA Challenge

A new challenge has been issued for the month of May!  May's challenge will be focused on developing the mind.  Read more about it here:  http://www.martialartsalbany.com/cmaa-challenge-may/

Kungfu (Kids, Adult Forms/Kickboxing):

FIGHT! Magazine Interview with Shifu Geller: KungFu For MMA, The Overlooked Art of Sanshou!

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/fight-magazine-interview-with-shifu-geller/

KungFu Sash Testing: We will hold our first official Kungfu Sash Testing 6/1/12.  Please note the testing requirements as identified by the curriculum:

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/kungfu-sash-requirements/

Taichi:

Tulip Festival: As per an early tradition, CMAA will be organizing Taichi in the park during the Tulip Festival on Sunday morning 11am, 5/13/12 (weather permitting).  More details to follow!

Movie Night (Taichi Documentary/Kungfu Movie ): To be scheduled early June.  Stayed tuned!  The Taichi documentary below will be shown.  Kungfu movie will be selected next!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwNXaQwjEr4

Taichi- Moving Meditation by Shifu Geller:

http://www.martialartsalbany.com/tai-chi-moving-meditation/

Many, many new things (awesome) things coming your way.  I will send out another email with more details regarding the events coming up!

Best,

Shifu

CMAA Challenge- May 2012

CMAA Challenge: MAY, 2012

CMAA is issuing a new challenge to our students for the month of May.  This challenge may be accepted in place of April's challenge - or, for the overachievers, in addition to- April's challenge! (For details about April's challenge please see: http://www.martialartsalbany.com/cmaa-kungfu-challenge/)

May's challenge will be focused on developing the mind.  In addition to conditioning the body to be stronger and more flexible, learning and training correct martial arts techniques, and learning basics theories and principles of martial arts philosophy, another important aspect of a martial artists training is developing the mind.

This months challenge will be to complete 5 minutes of "martial meditation" every day.  

The purpose of meditation for martial arts is to keep the mind focused and sharp.  It is imperative for a martial artist to have mental clarity and to stay alert and mindful without being distracted by any one thing.  A martial artist needs to be able to react to anything in the most appropriate way, without a conscious decision to do so.

There are many styles of meditation.  Some may be conducted sitting down, or standing up, eyes open or closed, focusing on something particular or nothing at all.  These differences are less important for our practice.  We are not beginning our meditation practice with goals of obtaining enlightenment.  Our objective with meditation is to simply quiet the mind, to clear the mind of distracting thoughts in order to develop greater focus and clarity.

To complete this months challenge, we will sit down, close our eyes for 5 minutes.  During this time, our objective is to quiet the mind and free ourselves from distracting thoughts.  One simple technique we can include in our practice is called mindful meditation.  We begin by focusing on our breath, inhaling and exhaling.  When distractions come into our minds, we simply recognize that we’ve had a distracting thought and refocus our awareness on our breathing.

Ideally, over the course of time, we will increase our ability keep our mind clear of distraction for longer periods of time, thus increasing our ability to focus and remain focused on something specific.

Please know that the benefits of mindful mediation have been shown to go beyond the time you spend meditating. As you progress with  the this practice it will ideally help you to stay focused on your other daily activities throughout the day at work or with your family and friends.  Our goal as martial artists is to not simply learn effective means of combat, but to use martial arts to better ourselves and live happy and healthier lives.

Good luck and Enjoy:)

Tai Chi – Moving Meditation

During my Tai Chi classes I continually emphasize certain things.  Three areas that I feel are of the greatest importance to the newer Tai Chi practitioner include 1.  Correct posture 2. Correct breathing and 3.  Coordination – coordinating the lower body with the upper body (using your waist), and coordinating the breathing with the movements. Once the practitioner feels confident that the postures are correct (that is to say they maintain good “structural integrity” - toe, knee, hip, shoulder alignment), and they have begun to naturally coordinate their breathing with the movements in a relaxed way, then they should progress to the next phase of their practice- clearing the mind.

Constantly thinking about rocking, shifting, pivoting, keeping the shoulders relaxed, back straight, elbows lowered, order of movements, leading with the waist and doing all this completely coordinated with our breathing can be a very stressful process.  However, with consistent and regular practice this can all be developed to occur very “naturally”.  One we have accomplished this it is time to incorporate meditation into our practice.

Tai Chi meditation can be very simple.  The purpose of meditation for martial arts (we should not forget Tai Chi is a martial art) is to keep the mind focused and sharp.  It is imperative for a martial artist to have mental clarity and to stay alert and mindful without being distracted by any one thing.  A martial artist needs to be able to react to anything in the most appropriate way, without a conscious decision to do so.  That is why we practice the postures and breathing until we can do so without trying, until it become a completely natural state.

All too often I see Tai Chi practitioners close their eyes, droop their heads and loosen their movements so that they fall into a very relaxed but almost sleep like state.  Relaxation in a wonderful part of Tai Chi, but we should not forget that it is supposed to be both a martial art and energy practice.  We should remain alert with a clear and sharp mind during our training.

One simple technique we can include in our practice is called mindful meditation.  We begin by focusing on our breath, inhaling and exhaling.  When distractions come into our minds, we simply recognize that we’ve had a distracting thought and refocus our awareness on our breathing.

We can practice this as we do our individual Tai Chi basics back and fourth down the carpet (very similar to walking meditation), and then progress through our forms from the Yang 10, 16, 24, 48 and so on.  Eventually we will keep our mind clear of distraction for longer periods of time, thus increasing our ability to focus and remain focused on something specific.

So, as you progress in your Tai Chi practice, please keep this next step in mind (or not;)