I am currently in BC visiting family. I prepared myself for this mentally in terms of my training because I knew that it would be difficult to just drop and start doing setups in the middles of a family gathering. And unfortunately, privacy or alone time is limited. As is space. And so far it's been raining non-stop. And so my reps are happening in our bedroom. Any time I go in there, I make sure I do at least something. And my forms are done as repetitions in very small sections. Although not ideal, so far so good!
Sippin' Coffee, Takin' Notes
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Fatigue
Saturday, March 15, 2025
The Need For Good Leaders
The Tiny Tigers age ranges from about 5-7. So they're pretty young. Easily distracted and need help staying focused. And that's on a good day. Lol.
Even so, everything about the most recent Tiny Tigers class felt extra "high-strung" for lack of a better word. It wasn't that anyone was being "bad" per se. But it felt like the class was just abnormally "amp'd" up and I, as an Instructor, felt like I was on constant high alert.
I think I realized afterwards why this was.
Due to the roads, it was a small class. Only 6 kids. Which you'd think would have made things easier. But I realized later on that 5 of those 6 kids were actually our "more rambunctious" ones. We have a few kids in the Tiny Tigers that require a lot more hands on by the instructors. A lot more redirection. A lot more help paying attention and re-focussing. Great kids! Just a lot more high-maintenance, so to speak.
And they happened to be 5 of the 6 in that class, making the ratio of leaders to followers completely out of whack. I think I realized, from this class, just how important it is to have good leaders in a group...and to have enough good leaders to support the rest. The leaders not only set a good example but their energy also tends to keep the class grounded.
Without good leaders, without good examples for all of us, it can be easy to lose control and let chaos reign.
Saturday, March 8, 2025
A Good Day
Friday, March 7, 2025
This Might Be One To Just Scroll By
Disclaimer: I recognize that as I worked through this blog, it started one way, changed to another, shifted back, then did a 360, and then landed in space where it currently floats without any gravitational pull. But perhaps this is important for me to recognize that I just might be in a state of flux or maybe even a void. I don't see this as good or bad just yet...simply what it is. But as I publish this I really don't know where I was going with any of it so take it all with a grain of salt. Although I started last nights meeting with a thumbs up, I must admit I left feeling like some things discussed weren't sitting well with me. I haven't figured out why just yet. And so my headspace is also a little clogged.
Saturday, March 1, 2025
A Good Start
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
A 3 Step Approach
Teaching children can be tricky and is much different than teaching adults. Adults will more often have a longer attention span and can handle a bit more theory within the lesson. Adults have typically made the choice to be there and to learn, where as kids, on the other hand, are really only interested in having fun. So we either need to find a way to make the content fun or we hide the content inside the fun.
I have found some fairly consistent success with a certain approach that I’ve been utilizing for a while and I thought it might be worth sharing. This is definitely not the only approach, but hopefully it’s one you might be able to add to your repertoire. As I go through these steps, I will also share the example of a recent lesson where we worked on the roundhouse kick.
Part 1 - The Knowledge. Fun.
Part 2 - The Focus. Funner.
Part 3 - The Application. Funnest.
The Knowledge
This portion should come first and needs to be kept short. It can be used as a refresher for the older students, and/or as a brief introduction for the newer ones. You really only have their attention for maybe about 3-4 minutes here, max. Although this would be considered the “theory” portion of the lesson, it cannot just be talking, and needs to be balanced with doing. In fact, the doing should lead the lesson, not the talking. They also still need an opportunity within here to move and have some fun as well.
Roundhouse Example. We stayed set up as a full class with an instructor at the front. The Instructor immediately had them go into a bow stance (they did NOT start with talking) and had them do a few roundhouse reps. Then, while still in a bow stance, they started to refresh the class on the components of the roundhouse and took them through a few more reps in a “step-by-step” format, challenging their balance and having some laughs with it. They finished with the last few at full speed once again. This portion was kept short but active.
The Focus
This portion is a specific aspect that you want to work on and would also likely be the bulk of the lesson. So within the overall lesson, what will your main objective be for this particular class? Ideally, this is an activity where the student isn’t repeatedly TOLD what they should be working on, but rather is a fun game or challenge by which they will have no option BUT to work on said skill.
Roundhouse Example. We partnered the students up and had them find a dot along the ponywall. The first partner held the wall for stability while doing a roundhouse kick, up to and including the 3-point. While holding that 3-point, their partner then placed a bean bag on their ankle, from which point they were challenged to complete the kick (slowly) as many times as they could without dropping the bean bag. As far as the students were concerned, this was a “don’t drop the bean bag game”, which for them was a fun challenge. But in actual fact, they were working on their proper 3-point, their body alignment and hip strength.

The Application
This portion comes last and should be the most fun. We want to end the overall lesson on a really high note. This is also the students opportunity to apply what they were just working on and for the instructors to see how much of it potentially sunk in. I think of this section as “organized chaos” and should be fast paced with smiles and pink cheeks by the end. At this point in the lesson, I would be looking less to correct any of the students, and more just taking mental notes of what needs work the next time.
Roundhouse Example. We separated the students into groups lined up towards the heavy bags. They were challenged to run to the bag and then had to do 1 or more roundhouses at the direction of the instructor at that bag. The first round may have been a low roundhouse. The second, high then low. Third, high, low, high. And so on. The final round they got to do their best flying roundhouse.

By the end of this particular class, I was really impressed by how their technique was looking in the Application portion. Everyone was pivoting and getting that proper body alignment that they had gotten used to along the wall, and many were implementing really good 3-points as well, especially when challenged with those different height kicks. And they were having a blast at the same time.
What truly made me realize that this approach had some benefits, was when Sihing N Csillag planned their next class on the side heel in the same format. It was essentially the same general setup, with different content, and the students didn’t even notice. At the same time, they were able to reiterate some of the similar skills between the roundhouse and the side heel (ie. the pivot and body positioning) and by the end of the second class we were seeing some really amazing progress. Sidenote: This is now making me take a good look at what lessons might work really well back to back.
When we discover a successful drill, our instinct tells us we need to replicate it exactly so that we get the same result. But what tends to happen is we will use it over and over to the point that it becomes old and boring, no longer having the same effect. Instead of copying the drill itself, I’m trying to figure out what made that drill successful and then replicate the approach. I think if we can figure out how to do that, the potential for successful drills, and successful classes, become endless.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
FWAAAAAAP!!!
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Project Kindness
First off, thank-you to Todai Bauer for putting "Project Kindness" together. This was such a lovely idea and keepsake.
Secondly, thank-you to everyone for submitting their kind words.
This project was valuable to me in many ways.
As I read through the comments that others made about me, I found it interesting how many of them followed a common theme, many people even using alot of the same descriptors. And it made me feel good to hear these things from several people. They can't all be liars...😂. But it was also somewhat curious how there were a few outlying comments. Things that I don't really see in myself and so it was interesting to have some of those things pointed out as well.
Something else I found really interesting was that I could almost hear a specific voice in certain comments...as if I could hear the person speaking to me. I think this might be due to becoming familiar with how people "talk" through their blogs. When I felt I could hear a voice, it seemed to have an even greater impact. And sure, I might have had the wrong voice, since they were all anonymous...but even so.
As I wrote my own comments for my fellow team-mates, some of them came very readily to me, while others I found more difficult. It's easy to say nice things about people, generally speaking. Especially about the people in this group. But as I tried to really pinpoint something truly unique about each of them, I became very aware of which of my team-mates I had obviously created bonds with, and those that I need to get to know better. Oddly enough, for certain people, this realization came as a bit of a surprise. So above an beyond the original intent, this project has inspired me to try and make some deeper connections and to reach out more to my team mates.
Once again, thank-you Todai Bauer for organizing this initiative.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
2 Minute Blog - Topic #1 - Superpowers
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
A Revisit to My Achilles Heel
We talked about this quite a bit in class tonight, but I need to recap and also add some of my more personal thoughts...frustrating as they might be.
So I looked back, and I have no less than 45 blogs (since I started blogging in July of 2020) that are about the side heel. Most are about my struggle with this kick. The odd one is about how I think I might have figured something out. But then it typically reverts back to a struggle. In any event, the side heel has, historically, been a big challenge within my kung fu. In fact, the very second blog I ever wrote was titled "My Achilles Heel" and was about...you got it...the side heel.
I still don't feel confident or competent with my side heel. I think, at most, I have the pieces lined up. I know what I'm supposed to do. But I still haven't yet been able to connect it all. And I think that sounds pretty sad at a brown belt level. There are times where I think I might be getting close, usually when just throwing them in the air...but then you put a target in front of me, and everything I thought I knew, or had figured out, changes. Everything is just slightly off. I can't feel that release of energy....or that nice full extension. I always feel jammed. Technique seems to have disappeared. Just all in all really poor.
And what's more frustrating, is that my partner, or an instructor, will say..."that one looked good"...or..."that one felt strong (on impact)"....or.."yup that was a good one"....but to me....none of them "feel" that way. They all feel disconnected....choppy...weak...soft....incomplete. And because I can't seem to determine which ones are good...I also can't seem to develop a baseline to work with or something to aim for. And I've been feeling stuck here for quite some time....bascially since that very first blog.
Sunday, February 2, 2025
"See Ya"
Friday, January 31, 2025
The Spear
Here are some tidbits about the spear that I think are interesting. Some you might know, but maybe you'll learn something new!
- Primarily used for thrusting and jabbing while also very useful for blocking.
- Used both in war and hunting.
- Main advantage is reach and having the ability to remain a safe distance from your opponent during combat.
- Most have a tassel at the base of the blade. I already knew that a function of this tassel was to blur the opponent's vision and distract...but I did not know that it is also intended to stop blood from running down the shaft and making it slippery or sticky. Ew.
- The lengths can vary from about 8ft to 20ft.
- Under 8ft are commonly referred to as "spiked staffs". From 8-13ft are known as "short spears". And over 13ft as "long spears".
- Spears used for war were made of hardwood. Wushu spears are typically made of wax wood, making them more lighter and flexible, and thus suitable for performance. These performance spears are sometimes called "flower spears".
- Chimpanzees have been known to make and use spears as well!!!
- Known as "the King of Weapons" in Chinese culture.