Funny.

Tom: So, Master Yang. Are you going with Jon to the competition in Taiwan?
Dr. Yang: No! ...Jon is going with me!

Hrm.

"So.. free time. Are we really free?"
"You're free to roam around in your cage."

Everyone laughed, but we all know how true it is.

We are all here, stuck in the mountains with no access to civilization. Although the group here is great, it would be nice to escape for a bit. Dr. Yang gives us free time on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. However, how free are we? Last Saturday he took us on a tour around his land. Then on Sunday, we were driven to see the redwood trees at the Avenue of the Giants. Last night we had an extra hour to make up for lost time. We were invited to his house for a movie. To spend time at the house with everybody is nice and all, but it doesn't seem like the time is ours at all. When asked, we can't disrepsect him and deny his invitations. Tomorrow we are supposed to be free all day. Right.. he already has plans for us to make dumplings with him for half the afternoon. And again.. a movie at night.

I'm enjoying myself here, but at the same time I feel trapped. I tell people that I am having a great time, which I am.. but I still need to consider if I am ready to devote myself to this program. Luckily, I still have 14 more weeks to figure things out.

Four Corners (pictures)

Training WC Four Corners









Definitely Not Goofing Around

Some Training Pictures

A few more pictures of the Retreat Center


Training (WC Four Corners)







Right after training. Playing around

It's a Tony.. the workaholic

My First Week

March 25
Today we used a jackhammer to break up the concrete around Dr. Yang's house. It was my first time using one. They're heavy, but fun. We tried to break up the floor but the process was super slow. Hopefully we will get more done tomorrow.


March 26
Jeff left to go home this morning. We were sad to see him go. It was nice to meet him and i will miss his personality and cheerfulness. To go along with the negativeness, it rained today, too. This made working outside a drag. Luckily the guys working on the garden had a Bobcat. They helped us out in tearing up and moving the concrete. With the Bobcat, things went about 10x faster. After helping out a little outside, Patrick and I went into Dr. Yang's house to clean up. We vacuumed the staircase and cleaned all the floors. We also cleaned all the guest rooms in Dr. Yang's house in preparation for the summer seminars. Tony took pictures of the rooms.

Dr. Yang and Tony went to Costco to go shopping today, too. They came back with a van filled with food and tables. They also got us a stereo system to put into the cabin. Yay.

March 27
We got our first break since Monday today. We've basically been working/training non-stop for almost four days now and Dr. Yang's house still needs work done on it. At 3:00 PM today, my first week will have been completed. Just 14 1/2 more to go until I return home :)

Chopping Down Some Trees

Yeah. Work today was fun. Chopping trees down. My arms feel like they're about to fall off. I can't wait for forearm conditioning staff drills tomorrow... Everybody was exhausted by lunch time. Most took naps.


After lunch and break, we went back to work. Again, burning wood and chopping stuff down.



Tom chopping down a tree.

After work we trained again, white crane four corners.

Sunday's Road Trip

Dr. Yang asked us if we wanted him to take us on a tour to the Avenue of Giants on Sunday. By him asking, I mean, he wanted to take us on a tour and we said okay.

Here are some pictures from our trip for now. Time to go back to work for me. More stuff tonight :)

Friday & Saturday

March 21:
After lunch we were assigned to move and burn some wood. Patrick and I managed the bonfire while the other guys cut down a tree and moved the wood over to us. Managing the fire wasn't too hard. It got pretty big and was extremely hot. Standing next do it for too long burned my legs through my jeans. We had to make sure there was a constant fire by walking around it and fanning it as much as possible. This made our clothes smell of smoke. After about an hour and a half, we switched roles. Carrying branches up a hill and throwing them into a pile was a little bit harder than managing the firepit. No, it was a lot harder. The hill was pretty steep and the branches were very heavy. Luckily for us, Jeff had a chainsaw and Tom had a machete. Patrick left around 5:00 PM to prepare dinner and we worked for another 40 minutes or so before cleaning up and heading back to the cabin.

We started to train at 6:00 PM and did White Crane four corners until 8:00 PM. I got to train with Tom for practically the whole time which was fun. We kept pushing each other to be better. Tony was leading the session and also hopped in to train with us. Practicing with him was a good time but challenging, too. We would start slow and pretty controlled and then speed up until we were beating each other up... or I should say until he was beating me up. I could definitely feel myself improving with the drill. After training was dinner, cleaning, then upstairs to bed. I talked to Angel for a bit about training in Boston and Andover. I helped him out with his chin na, then we went to bed.

March 22:
We had to wake up at 6:00 AM again for discussion and then meditation. I fell asleep during meditation so I have to get spanked sometime in the near future. After meditation we had breakfast and then training. We were late heading over to Dr. Yang's house for training so we were punished with 50 push ups. We started our training session with taijiquan fro 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Tom and I worked together on learning how to develop feeling as well as learning applications to the taijiquan form. At 9:00 AM we switched over to kung fu. We stretched for about an hour or so, lead by Tony and Mike, and then at 10:00 AM Tony took over for stance training and staff conditioning. At 11:10 AM we had to go to work, the same as yesterday: cutting trees down/burning wood. Dr. Yang and Tony left to go into town so Angel and I volunteered to take care of lunch. We got back to the cabin at 12:00 PM and prepared and cooked for 6. We made noodles, rice, and egg rolls for everybody. It was surprisingly good for having no preparation time or basically winging the whole cooking process. After lunch, I washed my dishes and then took the clothes down from the hanging lines. As I walked inside, Tom gave me my YMAA CA Retreat Center t-shirt. Light blue with the Retreat Center's logo on the front.

Getting some fire wood for the night




Free time


Tony.. say Chee!


Dr. Yang took us for a walk around the property at 3:30 PM. It took us over 2 1/2 hours to visit everywhere. We went up and down the roads and hills, trying to avoid ticks and poison oak plants.

Pictures from our hike.

Poison oak

Solar panels

We got lost trying to find a trail. Patrick knows.

Trees

About an 800 foot decent on rocks

The creek


Tony taking a nap

Jeff showing off Jin Ji Du Li

Climbing trees.. horizontally?

Heading back up to the trail from the creek

Resting (Mike, Tom, and Tony)

Resting (Angel and Patrick)

Patrick found a rock and showed off his magic skills

First Day at the Retreat Center

Patrick and I woke up around 7:00 AM yesterday morning and planned to be at the airport around 8:00 AM. Our plane was delayed about 30 minutes and we didn't arrive at Eureka/Arcata until around 11:30 AM. Dr. Yang was there waiting for us when we got there and picked us up. On the way to the Retreat Center, we went food/supply shopping at Costco. We loaded up the back of the truck with lots of stuff and headed out. As we drove toward the center, we passed lots of scenery. We drove by everything, ranging from farms with horses and cows to mountains filled with giant redwood trees. Unfortunately my camera was in my backpack the back of the truck, so I could not take any pictures.

We arrived at the Retreat Center around 1:45 PM and helped Dr. Yang move all of the supplies into his house and into the cabin. Afterwards, Dr. Yang made lunch for Patrick and I. Noodles with vegetables. Right after lunch we had about 15 minutes to unpack and then we went to work at 3:00 PM. We moved wood around and raked some leaves in order to prepare the Retreat Center for Dr. Yang's seminars in July. Training started at 6:00 PM, basic cover/repel drills and four corners. Dr. Yang had me help him prepare the food for dinner at 5:30pm and then I went to go train. Around 6:50pm, I helped Dr. Yang cook. Rice, vegetables, pork, and mushrooms. Dinner was at 8:00pm and then we all helped to clean the kitchen and eating area.

There are six students living here plus one who is a resident nearby. Myself, Patrick, Tom, Angel, Mike, Jeff, and Justin. Tony is also here to help Dr. Yang out.

We woke up this morning at 5:50 AM and went downstairs for discussion with Dr. Yang. At 6:30, we came back upstairs for meditation. Breakfast was at 7:30 AM and then training started at 8:00 AM. We started with taijiquan with Dr. Yang until 9:00 AM when Tony took over for kung fu. At 10:00 AM, Angel and I went to go help Dr. Yang prepare for lunch. Once everything was ready, we went outside to work. Our job for today was to pull out all the weeds in the area Dr. Yang set for his organic garden. After an hour or so, Angel and I went back to the cabin to make lunch. Noodles with chicken, vegetables, rice, tomatoes, and cake and pummelo for dessert.

It's now 2:40 PM. We just finished lunch and cleaned up downstairs. Patrick and Angel are upstairs with me but are napping. Everybody else is downstairs chatting. We have to get back to work at 3:00 PM but I hope to take a few pictures before then. More to come later :)

Flight to Eureka/Arcata

Los Angeles International Airport - Terminal 3

In the plane, getting ready for take off

Pictures from the plane heading to Eureka/Arcata

Arriving in California

The plane took off at 9:30 PM EST and the next 6 1/2 hours for me were a blur. I was constantly falling asleep and waking up, not knowing what to do. I didn't want to turn the light on to read because I did not want to wake the girl next to me who was fast asleep. Sitting in my window seat, I looked out and could see the lights of cities and towns beneath me.

I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport around (LAX) 1:00 AM PST at Terminal 4. I received a call from Patrick, another YMAA CA applicant almost immediately after I got off the plane. He was at Terminal 6 getting his luggage, so I walked over and met up with him. Patrick had flown over from Miami, Florida this afternoon and was exhausted from traveling. We got a taxi and drove to our hotel, the LA Adventurers All Suite Hotel. The weather here is different. I left a cold and wet Boston for a warm and dry Los Angeles. Also.. there are palm trees everywhere.
Logan Airport

It's now almost 2:45 AM and I need to get to bed. Our wake up call is at 7:00 AM and we plan to be back at LAX by 8:00 AM to check in. Good night.
LA Hotel Room

Heading Out to California

I woke up this morning at 8:04 AM. My alarm had already been going off for 4 minutes and my backup alarm had about a minute to go before it would attempt to get me up. I turned the first alarm off and got out of bed, excited for the oncoming day. The day I would leave for california. Because I had been procrastinating and had put off laundry, I had to go downstairs and wash my clothes so I could pack. I brought everything down and threw a load in. When I returned upstairs to my room, I found my second alarm going from my phone, playing Pearl Jam's Yellow Ledbetter.

My morning was made up of me basically running around my house trying to figure out what to bring and what not to bring with me. I threw all of my kung fu gear into my luggage bag, loaded up some food and electronics into my carryon bag, and then waited for the laundry to finish so that I could finish packing. By noon, I was just about ready to go. Luggage was set, I just had my laptop to put into my backpack.

At 1:00 PM my friend April called me up to go get lunch with her. I picked her up from the Sunoco gas station near my house and we went to Whole Foods for some sushi. I got a mixed pack with 10 pieces consisted of 5 different types of sushi. April got a vegetarian pack. We went back to my house to eat and hang out. Around 2:30 I dropped her off and then went shopping for a few extra pairs of socks that I did not have.

3:00 PM came along and I remembered that I had to swing by Yang's to drop off a few food containers for Mr. Fazzio and Jamey. I stopped by the bank to deposit some checks and then headed over. My last visit to the school before leaving. I felt sad because I would not be back for a long time and would not see anybody for 3 1/2 months. I chatted with Mr. Fazzio, Jamey, and Inga for a little bit before leaving. Hugs for everybody.

Mr. Hsieh, a family friend picked me up around 3:45 PM and we headed to Logan Airport. We arrived at Terminal B, American Airlines, around 4:15 and then I checked my luggage in and went through security with no problems. It didn't take too long to get to my gate, B31, and I sat down and started waiting for my flight around 5:00 PM. Boarding was supposed to begin at 6:30 PM but there were problems with our plane. My flight was delayed to 9:30 PM.



--I'm now sitting in Logan Airport around gate B28 waiting for my flight. It's 8:55 PM here, first class for my flight, #223 just got the okay to start boarding. The terminal is pretty quiet, next to the Logan Airport radio playing soft rock and the occasional traveler walking by. I guess it's time for me to turn off the computer and head over to my gate.

Teaching, Saber, and Cat

Today was my last day teaching at YMAA Andover. All of the classes ran smoothly and were pretty normal. With it being Review Week, Mr. Fazzio played the review game with the kids. In the Advanced class the question of, "What religion is practiced at the Shaolin Temple?" One of the kids stood up and answered, "Chinese." --- So I guess I practice the religion of Chinese now :P

I got a card from Dana. It's awesome.
Front

Inside
Note: My mustache & eyes and Dr. Yang's hair

She also wanted a recent picture of my cat... so Dana, here's to you.
Riceball



Saber class tonight was fun. We did some four corner drills solo and with partners. I got hit a few times in the leg but also got my partners back. After class, I had a talk with Mr. Keisel. He wished me luck and gave me some advice. He also said that the word I'll be hearing most for the next 3 1/2 months will be, "Lower." Great. I can't wait to be exhausted and have my legs feel like stone then have Dr. Yang tell me to get lower. I'll most likely come back with super strong legs.. or none at all :P

Well, time to finish up packing.

Last Adult Class + Other Stuff

My last adult class tonight. It was interesting, a mix of legs and arms. We did legs by doing some pad work: heel kick, sidekick, and roundhouse kick. After that we switched to arms and worked on reaction training. I had a great time getting punched.. a lot :)

After class, Mr. Fazzio had organized a send off gathering in the child watch room. He had made brownies for everybody. They were delicious. Brownies in a fitness gym is probably one of the best ideas I've ever seen too. Along with brownies I also received a going away card and a tai chi saber. It was there, standing there amongst everyone, that it really sunk in, "I'm going to be leaving in less than two days and I will basically be leaving my life behind." I felt both excited and scared at the same time.

Going Away Card

Tai Chi Saber

Thank you to everybody for the card and saber. Mr. Fazzio, Mr. & Mrs. Keisel, Daniel & Olga, Jamey, Jon, Bryan, Scott, Grace, and Inga. Your comments and support mean a lot to me.

Some Thoughts

Mr. Fazzio invited myself, Inga, and Grace to his house for dinner on Saturday night. Various topics came up, including California. I'm glad that I have his support in my decision to go. I was given a lot of great advice and feedback on my life for both the present and the future.

I have to say, one thing really stuck in my mind from that night: the subject of teaching martial arts and having it be "pure" or "corrupt." For myself, I believe in teaching for the love of teaching. If I enjoy doing it, then I will continue to do it. To go along with this however, I will only teach those who really want to learn and are willing to put both time and effort into training. If a student slacks off for the majority of the time, I don't believe I should waste my energy on them when there are others who deserve so much more. This idea of teaching to the dedicated students only, for me is a little unreasonable though. Especially teaching at a school where many of the students do not feel they need to put any effort into martial arts. There is also the business factor to running a martial arts school. This for me will be an issue in the future. If I am accepted to Dr. Yang's 10 year program and go through all of the training, what will happen when I get out? I will most likely have to open up a school of my own. Although this idea is nice to think about, I also have to think about the business side, where money will definitely be an issue. So many things depend on money. Be it used to rent out an area for my school, buying/printing for uniforms, decorating, etc. I do not want money to control my reasons for teaching. I wish to find a balance, where I can still teach to teach and not have to worry about financially supporting my business.

Another topic that was brought up also stuck in my mind. The fact that I'm the only Asian applicant within Dr. Yang's program. I know that with the modern American mindset, the factor of race should not matter too much. However, in our discussion from Saturday night, Mr. Fazzio made many convincing arguments towards the supremacy of Asians, specifically the Chinese, within Chinese Martial Arts. We looked at previous generations, the present generation, and our current students and came to the conclusion that for the most case, Chinese practitioners picked up the movements a lot faster and were able to make them flow a lot nicer than others. We couldn't come up with a reason for why other than, "they came up with it and practiced it for so many years... therefore it was made for them." To go along with this... the fact that I am the only Asian in the program, I think, puts a lot of pressure on me. Although I probably shouldn't, I feel that Dr. Yang's knowledge to be passed on rests on me. I feel that if I am accepted and if I pursue this path, then I will have to work and train my hardest to become his top student and aid with his goal for the preservation of Chinese Martial Arts.

Although there is a lot that rests on me and there may be many to pressure me to/from this program, it is ultimately my choice. With this being said, if I do not follow this path, I hope Dr. Yang will understand. I really should remind him once I get to California that this 3 1/2 months will only be a trial period for me and not a full head on commitment. I don't want to make any promises I cannot keep and don't wish to get anyones hopes up.

Lots of stuff going through my head. I kind of just typed out whatever came to mind..

On another note, tonight will be my last adult class before I leave. I am excited and sad at the same time. I know for a fact that I want to go to California to experience it. However, leaving Andover behind will be difficult. I basically grew up at YMAA Andover and have an emotional connection to the school, the teachers, and many of the students there. I'm just going to have to suck it up. Plus, I'll be back in 3 1/2 months. That's not too bad.

Final Saturday Classes

My last time teaching Saturday morning classes. We did lots of kicks in the Advanced class. First with a partner, then on pads. It was a good class, I don't think I could have asked for a better group of kids to have been there. Ryan, Evan, Ben, Matt, and Piper. I was able to have them do more advanced things and still keep their attention. The Beginners/Intermediate class also went well. No troublemakers showed up so it was a good class as well. Ben, Nick, Julian, Garrett, Sarah, Natalie, Bridget, Ian, Zach, and Henry. The instructors set up an obstacle course for them. Being Hops, Kicks, and Jumps week, they had to get over and past various objects standing in their way. After class, I told everybody I would be leaving for California. Ben gave me a goodbye hug.

I took a few pictures and videos:
Julian & Miss Donahue

Ryan about to perform

Ryan practicing Lian Bu Quan

Other videos available at
http://www.youtube.com/poasmu
(to see forms, you must be a friend)

Friday's "Lasts"

My last demo team practice. We greeted, stretched, and watched a giant truck go by the window. Mr. Fazzio let me experiment with the team today to try to get them to learn how to kick and work together as a team. I had them form three lines in a triangular shape so that they could kick down the sides and try to stay together as they went around. Afterwards, I was allowed to take a few pictures with the team.

Mr. Fazzio & YMAA Andover Demo Team

Me & YMAA Andover Demo Team

For the sparring class only Bryan and Jon showed up. Instead of a traditional sparring class, we put on our hand pads and took a few full contact 1 vs.1 rounds against each other. Jon slammed my shin pretty hard with his knee. I didn't have shinguards on and it hurt... After our striking rounds, we pulled the mats out and spent the rest of the class on the ground, grappling. Jon broke me again, but this time my neck. It was a good day.

Class Stuff.. And Then Some

Today was my last time teaching & training with Scott for a while. The Junior classes ran how they normally would have with Mr. Fazzio teaching and us on the side as assistants. However, today Scott got to lead the Teens class. One of the teens in class, who is usually a loud and enjoys to mouth off, was surprisingly well behaved today. Instead of complaining about having to do push ups, he did them all without saying a word. Also, instead of rolling his eyes every time an instructor spoke, he was extremely focused. It seemed as if for once in his kung fu career, he actually cared.

The adult class went smoothly as usual. Instead of the usual 50 regular push ups, Mr. Fazzio only had us do 25. However, we had to do panther walk push ups next. For those who don't know what panther walk is, it's basically moving push ups. Hopping forwards, backwards, or to the side. Instead of going down the room in a line, we had to hop forwards then backwards, counting each of these as 1 push up. And then repeat 25 times. Afterwards, we had a kicking class. Mr. Fazzio had us pair up with a partner who was close to our own rank, so me and Scott went together. We had to face each other in horse stance and trade off kicks. Front toe kick (40 each leg), heel kick (40 each leg), wai bai (30 each leg), low nei bai (30 each leg), low ramble kick (30 each leg). This was exhausting. The whole time, it seemed like I was trying to keep up with Scott. We would challenge one another and kick faster and faster each time until we couldn't anymore. Pad work after was a relief. Less endurance and more technique/power training. Heel kick, side kick, spinning side kick, round house kick, knees, flying knees. When we finished with the pads, I got to work with Scott on Kong Shou Dui Gun (YMAA Bare Hand vs. Staff Fighting Set). Scott finished up the bare hand part and we got to practice both sides together.

Tomorrow will be my last demo team practice and sparring class. I will miss the demonstration team. I'll also miss getting beat up by the regular Friday class group. To go along with "lasts", Saturday will be my last time teaching morning classes. I will definitely miss teaching those two classes for I have found myself growing attached to some of the students and their energy and enthusiasm. I hope to get some training pictures for my memory as well as to post here.

A Week Left

One more week until I leave for California :)

Saber Seminar at YMAA Andover

Introduction To Saber - 6 weeks, ages 14 and up

• In this course saber etiquette will be taught, in addition to basic solo and matching drills. Through learning these basics, a student will be able to grasp the crucial essence of this weapon.
• Instructor: Mr. Chris Fazzio
  
• No experience is required.
• Starts On: Tuesday, March 11, 7:00-8:00 pm

More information and registration (pdf) at: http://www.yangsfitnesscenter.com

Training in Amesbury

I went to train with Scott at YMAA Amesbury today for my first time. I arrived at 1:00 pm and didn't leave until 6:30 pm. I finished teaching him Eagle Claw and he finished teaching me White Ape. I'd say it was a very productive day and training for such a long time gave me an idea of what it will be like in California.

YMAA Amesbury: http://www.ymaakungfu.com

The Master's Journey Begins

Today Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming will begin the next chapter of his life by driving across the United States from Massachusetts to California. I wish him the best of luck and will be joining him on the 20th for Pre-Semester Training / Working Camp.

YMAA CA Retreat Center

Retreat Center Mission
The main purpose of the YMAA CA Retreat Center
is to restore and preserve the traditional Chinese
arts and culture at the highest standard.


http://www.ymaa-retreatcenter.org/