more on happiness
Topic: intelligent living
 "We must learn to be happy with what we have and not to live continually awaiting some special gift which we believe will make us happy. One who is not happy with what he has will never reach true happiness. It is necessary to live in the present; the only reality is now; the past and future are never real. Being able to awaken each morning in one's own bed, being able to breathe, to see what happens in each moment, to hear the song of birds, enjoy breakfast, and fully live each small moment; these are the realities."

 

From "The Secret Science", by John Baines (Dario Salas Sommer)

Have you evolved lately?
Topic: intelligent living

I think this applies well to the study of kung fu... 

 

"There are three basic stages to be fulfilled in order to be successful:

1. Motivation
2. Understanding
3. Practice

The result is evolution.

These are the three indispensable steps for the student to attain his goal. His motivation must be powerful; his understanding, deep; and his practice, intense. The result of all this is the evolution of the student. Yet what at first sight seems so simple is arduous and complex to accomplish. The student generally fails at one of the stages and evolution does not take place.

Many times the student reaches the following result:

1. Motivation
2.________
3. Practice

The result is stimulation of mass energy and there is no evolution.

In this case, the individual is carried away by his enthusiasm and skips over the second point, directly proceeding to practice. It is also possible, and this is very common, that his own inability to understand impels him to evade this stage. The result will then be a "stimulation of mass energy," that is, corporeal euphoria, but without the desired result, evolution.

We must realize the fundamental importance of profound understanding on the path of Hermeticism, as this is not a footpath of faith and self conviction. Without authentic understanding, nothing real is gained, only subjective illusions.

Frequently the following situation occurs:

1. Motivation: poor
2. Understanding: insufficient
3. Practice: scant

The result is insignificant evolution.

Occasionally a person's understanding and practice reach acceptable levels but motivation is deficient. In this case the individual lacks the fuel necessary to successfully reach his spiritual goal. "

-From "The Stellar Man" by John Baines

Training and Review
Topic: Martial Arts

Training and Review sessions

Saturday & Sunday

11:00 to 12:00 Ving Tsun Kung Fu (Review for students taking private lessons in Ving Tsun)

12:00 to 1:00 Unarmed Combatives - Stick - Knife (For those studying for SFC rank)

Please try to make it to these sessions as often as possible

-Sifu

Seminar with Master Pete Pajil
Topic: Ving Tsun

-----Original Message-----

From: myvtmi@gmail.com [mailto:myvtmi@gmail.com]On Behalf Of Moy Yat

Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence

Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 2:09 PM

To: Moy Yat Ving Tsun

Subject: September 6th Seminar

 

Dear Moy Yat Kung Fu Family

This is a reminder that Sifu Pete Pajil will be giving a Seminar of

Excellence on Saturday, September 6th at the Hatboro Mokwoon of Moy

Yat Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence. The seminar will begin at 2:00pm.

Because of this, the Chinatown Mokwoon will be closed for the day.

The Hatboro Mokwoon is located at 319A South York Road Hatboro PA

19040, and can be reached at (215) 442 - 8188

Looking forward to seeing everyone there,

Sandy...

Happiness
Mood:  energetic
Topic: intelligent living
 "The greatest happiness reigns when the heart is at peace. It is not a matter of killing one's feelings but rather of training them to be conscious and reasonable. It is a question of introducing into the heart the capacity for reason, without losing the freshness and spontaneity of one's feelings."

 

From "The Secret Science", by John Baines (Dario Salas Sommer)

Chi Sao, It's just a game...
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Ving Tsun

What is Chi Sao?

Essentially it is a game, a game that gives you the ability to deal instinctively with forces applied to your body and also use these forces to create opportunities for striking techniques. Chi - Sao is basically a means to an end, that end being efficient practical combat sensitivity. Unfortunately many people get lost in the game, never moving past it. Many try to become masters of the game. Many try to defeat the game. Few learn the lessons the game is meant to teach and then move on.

The Skills developed in chi sao are useful in the initial clash of combat if there is arm to arm contact.

1. You try to hit me and I block or intercept it.

2. I try to hit you and you block or intercept it.

3. In the clutches, you have grabbed one or both of my arms or vice versa

As you can see this is a very limited set of scenarios?

Your training should not end with chi sao?

How do you deal with a long range fighter?

How do you deal with someone who has a stick/club?

How do you deal with someone who has a knife?

How do deal with a gun? (if the person is within arms reach)

What if you are knocked to the ground?

The Ving Tsun system contains the answers to these questions

In some cases, very directly, the answer is given to you.

In others the answers may not be part of the standard Ving Tsun canon

but using a Ving Tsun way of thinking will get you to the answer.

It cant be just an intellectual exercise,

you have to experiment, find someone to work with

and discover what the system wants you to know.

B.

-----Original Message-----

From: myvtmi@gmail.com [mailto:myvtmi@gmail.com]On Behalf Of Moy Yat

Ving Tsun Martial Intelligence

Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 12:38 PM

To: Moy Yat Ving Tsun

Subject: August 16th Seminar reminder

 

Dear Moy Yat Kung Fu Family,

Sifu Jay Hitchman will be conducting a seminar at the Chinatown

Mokwoon on August 16th starting at 12:00pm. The seminar is entitled

"Training the Muk Yan Jong" and will last around 2 hours. The cost

will be $25pp.

Hope to see everyone there,

NJ COMBAT GROUP
Topic: Martial Arts

Saturdays

11:00am to 1:00pm @ Lindenwold Park

Hand - Stick - Knife Combat Training

at the amazing price of free ninety-nine

come on out and get sweaty

Sifu B.

 

Artemis NYC Seminars
Topic: Martial Arts
Hello everyone,

This is an early-bird announcement regarding this special seminar series with Mike Martello.

For those of you who were able to attend Mike's impromptu visit earlier this year, you have an idea of what an opportunity this is.  For those of you that missed it last time, now is your chance:

Fri Sep 12      6pm-10pm    Jibengong: Foundation Skills
Sat Sep 13     10am-5pm     Shuai Fa: Effortless Throws
Sun Sep 14    10am-5pm     Qinna Fa: Joint Locks
Mon Sep 15   6pm-10pm     Taijiquan vs. Baguazhang: Part 1
Tue Sep 16    6pm-10pm     Taijiquan vs. Baguazhang: Part 2
Wed Sep 17   6pm-10pm     Zhan Zhuang: A Path to Health & Power

Here is the link to the seminar descriptions and instructor bio:

http://www.artemis-seminars.com/martello_september_2008.html


Here is a link to videos of Mike in action (be sure to explore his website):

http://www.wutang.be/gallery/idx_media.html


Please register online, or if this is not possible in the next three days, let me know what seminars you are interested in ASAP, as we will definitely sell out (especially the weekend) once we open the registration up to our seminar mailing list.  Mike has recently completed his 2008 China Summer Camp and is currently on his way to his home in Belgium.  He will be in Seattle the week before our seminars, and then he will be returning to Belgium.  Be sure to catch him while he is here!

In other news:

1. Dr. Painter's Jiulong Baguazhang Fire Palm will be later this year - the last of our 2008 seminars.  We will take the material learned at this seminar and expand on it for our Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb terms.
   
2. Our September & October class schedule is included below - be sure to practice and I look forward to seeing you in September.  Enjoy your month off!
   

Have a great August!

Joshua



Joshua Craig
www.artemis-seminars.com



September & October 2008

Monday    
6:30pm-7:20pm             Taijiquan: Sequence (Instructor: Richard Gibson)
7:30pm-8:20pm             Taijiquan: Qinna (Instructor: Richard Gibson)
8:30pm-9:30pm             Baguazhang: Jiulong Basics (Instructor: Joshua Craig)

Free Trial Class: Sep 8


Wednesday    
6:30pm-7:50pm             Qinna (Instructor: Joshua Craig & Richard Shields)
8:00pm-9:20pm             Baguazhang: Heaven Palm (Instructor: Joshua Craig)

Free Trial Class: Sep 3

Shu Ha Ri / Ti Ren Tian
Topic: Martial Arts

Shu Ha Ri is a term the Japanese use to describe the overall progression of martial arts training, as well as the lifelong relationship the student will enjoy with his or her instructor.             Shu can either mean "to protect" or "to obey." The dual meaning of the term is aptly descriptive of the relationship between a martial arts student and teacher in the student's early stages, which can be likened to the relationship of a parent and child. The student should absorb all the teacher imparts, be eager to learn and willing to accept all correction and constructive criticism. The teacher must guard the student in the sense of watching out for his or her interests and nurturing and encouraging his or her progress, much as a parent guards a child through its growing years. Shu stresses basics in an uncompromising fashion so the student has a solid foundation for future learning, and all students perform techniques in identical fashion, even though their personalities, body structure, age, and abilities all differ.

            Ha is another term with an appropriate double meaning: "to break free" or "to frustrate." Sometime after the student reaches dan (black belt) level, he or she will begin to break free in two ways. In terms of technique, the student will break free of the fundamentals and begin to apply the principles acquired from the practice of basics in new, freer, and more imaginative ways. The student's individuality will begin to emerge in the way he or she performs techniques. At a deeper level, he or she will also break free of the rigid instruction of the teacher and begin to question and discover more through personal experience. This can be a time of frustration for the teacher, as the student's journey of discovery leads to countless questions beginning with "Why..." At the Ha stage, the relationship between student and teacher is similar to that of a parent and an adult child; the teacher is a master of the art. and the student may now be an instructor to the others.

            Ri is the stage at which the student, now a kodansha (high ranking black belt), separates from the instructor having absorbed all that he or she can learn from them. This is not to say that the student and teacher are no longer associated. Actually, quite the opposite should be true; they should now have a stronger bond than ever before, much as a grandparent does with their son or daughter who is now also a parent. Although the student is now fully independent, he treasures the wisdom and patient counsel of the teacher and there is a richness to their relationship that comes through their shared experiences. But the student is now learning and progressing more through self-discovery than by instruction and can give outlet to his or her own creative impulses. The student's techniques will bear the imprint of his or her own personality and character. Ri, too, has a dual meaning, the second part of which is "to set free" As much as the student now seeks independence from the teacher, the instructor likewise must set the student free.            

Shu Ha Ri is not a linear progression. It is more akin to concentric circles, so that there is Shu within Ha and both Shu and Ha within Ri. Thus, the fundamentals remain constant; only the application of them and the subtleties of their execution change as the student progresses and his or her own personality begins to flavor the techniques performed. Similarly, the student and teacher are always bound together by their close relationship and the knowledge, experience, culture, and tradition shared between them. Ultimately, Shu Ha Ri should result in the student surpassing the master, both in knowledge and skill. This is the source of improvement for the art as a whole. If the student never surpasses his master, then the art will stagnate, at best. If the student never achieves the master's ability, the art will deteriorate. But, if the student can assimilate all that the master can impart and then progress to even higher levels of advancement, the art will continually improve and flourish.