Many of the 2012 sparring clips are on my youtube at: videos We film sparring to see strengths and weaknesses, develop good habits and improve. Sadly they don’t really allow video camera at USWA which had some really good sparring fundamentals and technique sparring.

I still did my rounds with the “Cheng man ching” push hands groups in the DC metro area (Dr. David Walls-Kaufmann’s Lincoln park, Flemming park group, Wu shen Tao push hands, David Chen Memorial park). I started a sparring group at Mainstreet Crossfit gym,

and helping the next generation of fighters at CMAI (chinese martial arts institute) with their sparring program and curriculum at my old al mata with Sifu Burris.

I dabbled a little with Mark Li’s Xingyi Dao group and got the benefits of some of the Dai Xingyi qigong of squatting monkey and drill some linear basic lines of Pi and Beng. Spent some time in training with Nick Masi at his Northern Virginia Shuai Chiao club as well, doing all sorts of fight training and sparring drills for my Lei Tai event.

This was def a good year of sparring and progression as a fighter, despite some injuries here and there. During injury time, I went back and video recorded many of the Taiji warm-up, qigong, and supplementary trainings I picked up from the Yang Taijiquan lineages I am associated with. blog here They are on my Youtube, but some are private and available upon request. That was part of my injury rehabilitation along with my inversion table that did wonders.

I continued with some Muay Thai/Boxing at Vivek’s to help support his new gym called Pentagon MMA link here. Did some cleansing with Bikram yoga, and got some Boxing training at Title Boxing gym as well with my wife Patcharee.

Most importantly I Integrated Yiquan standing meditation at Capitol Qigong again with Shuren Ma’s student Rick Smith. I went there and tried it with Master Ma back in 1998. I respected it and understood standing meditation was the essence to develop real kung fu. The 45 minutes or so wasn’t pleasant. Burning in the legs, aches and pains, here and there holding a posture. I dropped out and opted on my own standing, alone or with other various groups on occasion, but as a discipline, I really was not ready for the stillness and deep standing back then. I wanted to move and train in forms and sparring! The 180 degree flip side of wushu kung fu training of my youth. As I hit 40, I can really value and appreciate the art of standing meditation now more than ever.

about capitol qigong: from website here

“”The history of Capital Qi-Gong has its roots in the Chinese martial arts. The “external” styles of the Chinese martial arts have recognized for centuries that a high level of qi development is the means for vast internal and external power. However, few practioners achieved the desired level of development even after years of effort.

Our Qi-Gong meditation style, the heart of our training program, can be defined as a “purifying internal experience”, during which an individual learns to relax and be natural in the process of building qi. This means that a student of qi does not merely relax the body musculature, but relaxes both mind and body — what we refer to as the whole body. This meditation is called “internal” because the process originates from within and its effects emanate outward to benefit the whole body. It is considered “purifying” because we attempt to clear our minds and cleanse our bodies of blockages; we also call this “natural” or “nature’s way.” This kind of internal exercise yields good health, balance, body wholeness, and improved qi.”"

This is probably one of the more powerful practices I have ever done, comparable to even Tibetan deep sitting meditation like Dzogchen and Tummo, Buddhist Zazen and Vipassana, and including various esoteric Indian yogas like TM, Sahaja, and Kundalini.

Had 9 fights today. sore as hell and I damaged my foot.

I was invited to train with these people and had a blast-

The guys at http://www.grtc.org were pretty good- Scott Rodell trained with Robert Smith, Ken Fish, William CC Chen, and Wang Yien Nian- Michuan Yangjia Taijiquan system. here is a rundown of the Yang taiji class-

Notes from Great river Taoist tai chi training-

1-Stretching exercise- 2 sets of a meditative qigong- bending front way 3 times, left side 3 times right side 3 times.

2- Standing qigong- 30 minutes total – front, left leg, front, right leg, front, balance left leg, front, balance right leg.

3-body conditioning- Spinal twisting hitting body.
-two person- arm hitting outer forearm and inner forearm,
leg hitting- outside lower leg hitting and back leg sweep/hitting.
-Back conditioning using wall.
-self massage- inside arm, outside arm, inside leg, outside leg.

4.-37 Yang short form sequence

5. -San Shou- rules: anything goes. full speed, half power. head gear, mouth piece, MMA gloves, cup. rules- can hit any way, can go to ground, tap out when necessary. throws, punches, kicks, knees elbows, takedown, submission grappling all legal. 5 minute rounds 1 minute break. i got to fight with 9 people.

6. Finished with showing them some post-workout massage. A tai chi massage/myo-skeletal release pattern.

5/14/2006:

Taiji San shou sparring notes: 1. taiji fight stance 2. palm striking and punching drills 3. Transferring weight when striking

Kicks- yang style kicks

conditioning: two person hit conditioning-
A.

1. leg hitting- inside and outside leg.

2. forearm hitting inside and outside.
B.

Hitting person in particular area practice: slow and exact, get feel, how to roll

with a punch as well.

face- jaw

neck- high pat horse

clavicle- chop down

body- body punches, kick to dan tien.

leg- knee kick.

arm.- strike to arm to damage arm.

Points to attack: hitting to off balance.

1. attack from an angle.

2. no ‘head on’ attacks.

1. temples (2) left and right side

2. eyes (2) (orbital bone)

3. chin- 2 (left and rights)

4. throat (center of throat)

5. sides of throat- 2(left and right)

6. clavicle- 2 (left or right)

7. soft rib (2)

8. lower rib (2)

9. center of arm (2)

10 lower dan tien (bladder area)

11. inner thigh (2)

12. Knee (2)

march 31

Class started with doing warm-ups: shakedown hopping/footwork drills, light running with foot work drills, various leg stretches , and some other strength and flexibity drills with boxing attributes.

3 rounds of shadow boxing.

Partner work:
flow drills:
1. slip slip weave weave
2. 3 defense drill- parry, slip, or duck/weave, off the jab, the cross, and the jab-cross combo.

defense conditioning drills: one for one trade off.
1. covering 4 punches to head.
2. covering 4 punches to headand body.

Pre-sparring rounds: changing partners. one for one trade off.
1. jab.
2. double jab.
3. triple lead (jab, lead uppercut, lead hook.
4. jab-cross.

Sparring rounds:
1. jab/double jab round. (head and body jabs)
2. jab cross round.
3. full sparring rounds (all punches)

finsh:
suicides on heavy bag.

april 7
warm-up
15 minutes jump rope
400m run with foot work drills- side step, forward step, back step, karoke, backwards.

3 round thai pad work or focus mitt work for boxing:
1. jab, cross, jab cross, jab cross hook, upper cuts, push kick-round kick, low kick body/head kick.
2. drill kicks- 1,2,3,4,or 5 round kick: Thai style moving forward with skip step.
3. combine 1 and 2.

-stretches
-foot work drills:
1. in-out step left and right
2. forward duck/weave
3. backward duck weave
4. cuban angle step
5. cross over steps (forward, backward0
6. box step (forward, right, back left and back, left, forward, right.
7. box step in a circular motion.
8. circle side step with add 4 punches/change of direction.

pre-sparring drill: 1 for 1
1. jab cross hook attack: other person defense.
2. 5 punch attack: other uses defense.

sparring: 3 two minute rounds with 30 sec. rest, spar different person each round.

close out with a heavy bag round.

april 14
some things we did today:
Pre-sparring:
jump rope
running with boxing foot work drills.
stretching.
shadow boxing.
3 rounds on thai pads.
flow drills- slip slip weave weave.
slip/duck/parry: jab, cross, jab-cross.
Sparring rounds.

April 21
Today we worked on:
warm up:
-running with footwork drills
-jump rope
- 3 rounds shadow boxing with some mitt work in the mix.

-two person attack defense drills: move around and work with different person,
1. jab cross hook vs. defense
2. jab cross hook hook vs defense
3. jab cross hook hook- cover jab cross and counter with cover and two straights to chest.

sparring rounds

closeout heavy bag circuit.

April 28
warm-up: running/footowrk drills.
jump rope and shadow box.

flow drills:
1. slip jab, slip cross, weave hook, weave hook
2. jab cross- 2 cover/counter drill (punch chest)

Pre-sparring: round robin (switch partners 3x)
1. jab sparring
2. cross sparring
3. lead hook, jab, uppercut spar
4. 5 for 5 offense /defense trade off.

Sparring round robin- swtich partner during rounds (go two straight rounds).

close out-
heavy bag 2 min.
speed bag 2 min.

5/5/2012 workout:

Running, jump rope, stretching, boxing attributes warm-up.

3 round rounds shadow boxing with body shots on the guy holding the medicine ball.

Technique of the day: leap frogging with counter straight, and J-hook.
3 rounds with technique using leap frogging (LF) and j-hook.
1. Jab (LF)
2. Cross (LF)
3. J-hook

3 rounds pre-sparring:
1. jab spar,
2. cross spar,
3. jab cross hook: one and one.

5 rounds of sparring: round robin (3 guys)
-4 rounds regular sparring.
-1 round Mexican sparring (up close).

Speed bag round
Heavy bag round.

May 20-
boxing went well yesterday we did the folliwng:

running
foot work drills after running
partner stretching;
various warm ups with boxing attributes:
1. hip rotations (circling waist in guard/drunken boxing)
2. slip slip weave weave drill
3. twist spine- elbow strike behind.
4. neck work- turn head yes, turn head no.
5. knee to check, twist spine.
6. in-out step with jab and jab-cross.

5 round shadow box/bag/jump rope/o r hold medicine ball for punching.

5 rounds mitt work with holder using jabs.

round robin sparring

close out: partner pulling massage/body work
stretch neck, legs, arms, etc.

5/25/2012
Today we worked on:

warm up- running with foot work drills:
running, sideways run, backward, Curb: toe touches, switch lunges., karokes.

partner stretches: wall stretches.
1. front kick leg
2. knee to chest
3. side kick leg
4. back kick leg

boxing attribute drills:
1. waist circles
2. neck drills yes/no.
3. slip slip weave weave switch stances.
4. box step and reverse box stepping.

4 medicne ball/shadow boxing rounds.

3 straight rounds with working off jab glove/focus mitt.

3 straight rounds sparring for each 4 guys.

close out: station training:
circuit: focus mitt, speed bag, heavy bag rounds.

partner stretching: neck, legs, arms and neck drills.

yi jin jin
1. 8 x dan tien breath
2. raise hands out, over head and down in prayer. 8x breath.
3. press palms out breath 8x press and relax hand out.
4. push the mountain- press palm to front and small circle press. press hard/exhale last one.
5. bird say tail- rythmic arms press out laterally- 8x press out hard/exhale last one.
6. press palms clasped towards floor up and down 8x.
7. head toward sky- pressing up overhead 8x up and down 8x. exhale,press hard last one.
8. draw bow-press over head both hands,in balance stance, horse stance, turn to bow stance, curl arm 8x, both sides.
9. spead the claw- rise up on toes and press out with claws.8x- exhale hard press last one.
10. draw the saber- arm behind head twist head to back. both sides 8x.
11. horse stance- (closing of 18 taiji qigong movement) 8x.
12. neck turn drill #2 turn head and sit palm 8x.
13. crouching tiger- lunge into yoga stretch.
14. hit the drum- bend forward tap gb point 49x.
15. stretch the tail- forward, middle, left, right.

4/24
saturday: Boxing. Today we worked on:
running and footwork drills
-jump rope
- 3 rounds shadow boxing with some mitt work in the mix.
-pre-sparring two person attack/defense drills: move around and work with different person,
1. jab cross hook vs. defense
2. jab cross hook hook vs defense
3. jab cross hook hook- cover jab cross and counter with cover and two straights to chest.
sparring rounds
closeout heavy bag circuit.

4/22: Sunday: running 1 mile.
3x:
20 wall balls 10#
50 x jump rope (double unders last 10)
15 push ups
50 x jump rope (double unders last 10)
15 burpies
15 mt climbers
50 x jump rope (double unders last 10)
15 push ups
50 x jump rope (double unders last 10).

4/23 monday:
mile running
10 rounds on heavy bag.

4/24:
ba duan jin
yang long form
yang sword

4/17:
Lesson of the day: reaction/respond/retailiate. Make guy pay and not be ready for your reaction/counter.

1. Cover 4 punches and counter four punches drill.

2. Cover 4 punches, counter 4 punches and bodyshot.

3. Cover 4 punches, counter 4 punches body shot/take down or kick.

4. Cover 2 punches, block and counter strike the 2 hooks. (start slow and work to speed, move around)

5. Strength condition: wall sits, push ups, sit ups, squat kicks.

Taiji-

Ba dua jin:
3 inhales regulate breath

1. clasp fingers over head.

2. Pull the bow.

3. Opposite arms push (up/down press).

4. Circle waist low.

5. coil arms and turn neck (coordinate arms with neck turn)

6. Horse stance punch (eyes wide)

7. Down legs stretch

8. Raise body on calves

close. Regulate breathing.

Long form

Stepping drills:
Square box
Forward
Back, left, right
Waist rotations
Neck drills

3 round Shadow box with equipment: fast feet, resistance. Ands, hand weights.

Pad work:
1. San shou style: jab cross hook hook uppercut uppercut.
Slip counter 2
Cover counter 2.
High low,low-high hooks.

2. Stack:
Jab, slip counter 3,
Jab cross , duck counter 3,
Jab cross hook, slip ,3 counter.

3. Freestyle with attacking puncher to make them cover.
-counter 2 after cover.
-counter 3 after cover.

Flow drill Glove work:
1. Slip slip weave weave
2. Continuous punching: use parry/catch, slip or duck.
Other:
3. Body hook exchanges
4. Duck hook and counter with two hooks to body
5. #4 add two hooks to head after body.
6. Cover body shot- counter 3 uppercut hook cross.
7. Cover 4 counter 4.

Bag circuit: ko.
100 jag cross drilling
15 ko jab cross
15 ko cross
15 ko jab cross hook cross

Strength:
Barbell: dead lifts, snatches, squats, bear complex, thrusters.
Running: track and stairs.
Jump rope: between bag sets.

Stretching set

Taiji and San shou:

Taiji: two joints control and partner stepping drill, ” i control , I control, you control , you control.”
-use of tiger mouth.

Taiji kick as response to a jab and cross, qi-na drill.

Long form training.

San shou:
-Watched a pre-test: which was 3 three minute rounds of exhaustive punch, kick, and throw vs. an aggressive pad holder.
- student is scored on amont of punches, and kicks (punch and kick combo= 2 points, throw=3 point) and student has to get at least 120- 150 points.

Technique training: many rounds switching between various students.
-rt. kick, left kick, shovel low kick throw.
-slip and body punch jab, slip and body punch cross, cover hook-body punch, cover hook and neck throw or under hook throw.

-three rounds heavy pad holder sparring: punch, kick, throw, pad holder who is aggressive and punching, kicking, and throwing.

body conditioning:
-throw drills and carrying student on back across room.
- burpies
- push up drills
- plank drills.
- pyramids: sit ups and push ups.

3/24
Taijiquan: control two joints tui shou continued: roll back example- two hands do different things. when the hands work together, you are susceptible to counter-attack. when you roll back one hand pulls while other hand will split. this uses less force and will move opponent. this is a good example in the single whip “two fishes” transitional movement.

#2: Bow step uses pivot on heel for power in a strike in Yang Taijiquan. This allows for transfer of power and also does not violate the separation of weight issue when transitioning to rear leg. From bow stance you will be able to shift back to empty stance. If you pivot on ball of foot with your bow stance you can not transfer weight into an empty stance.

Likewise, if you have short stance (like in sun taijiquan for instance) you can pivot on ball foot in a strike and have more power, pivoting on heel is not as powerful or stable with a shorter higher stance.

-Boxing: 3 rounds shadow boxing warm-up.
- 3 round focus mitt: freestyle and defense, speed punching, body shot-uppercut.
- 3 round sparring.
-punch conditioning: 100 jab-cross, 10 push ups, 15 jab cross ko, 10 sit ups, 15 ko jab cross hook cross hook, 10 air squats, 50 punches.
- stretching and review sparring video.

7/23
Taijiquan:
two hands vs one drill. anti qi-na against grabs and such.
separate foot drill
parry punch drill
wave hands.

pre-form training’s: choose any one to do before long form. each one helps with an aspect of the form.
1. warm-up: joint loosening.
2. Grasp bird tail drill (pung-lu-ji-an two person drill)
3. four corners push hands (pung-lu-ji-an tui shou)
4. brush knee two person drills
5. separate foot two person drills
6. 8 piece brocade
7. lift hand/white crane spreads wing two person
6. single whip holding- structure integrity drill
7. moving push hands forward and back stepping
8. two hands (wrist and forearm control) drill vs one.
9. step parry punch vs jab cross drill
10. turn chop palm, backfist, parry punch drill on focus mitt (any part of that) as “opposite power” fajin.
11. part horse mane two person drill forward and backward stepping.
12. section: push to fist under elbow as qi-na.
13. section: 7 star, ride tiger, turn lotus kick, and bend the bow.
14. sink the kua drill: Pipa standing left and right side.
15. Da Lu 4 corners.

San shou class 7/24
san show shadow boxing warm up
3 rounds sparring: 3 minute rounds.
3 rounds pad holding: focus on 6 punch combo and head movement.
drilling: takes downs from push kick catches: 1. turn and pic up/dumb and 2. back leg sweep.

7/23
Running drills, hopping, skipping, push ups, sit ups, etc

Pad work:
1. Left up knee
2. Cross and left up knee
3. Left kick
4. Cross- left up knee, left round kick
5. 30 left kick
6. Rt. Kick
7. Jab rt. Kick
8. Rt. knee
9. Jab, rt, kick, rt. Knee
10. 30 rt. Kicks
11. Focus mitt/kick shield: forward step jab, side step rt. Kick.
12. 20 power kicks to kick shield.
13. Strength 1 minute each: sit up, push up, burpies.

7/18/2012

Warm up:

Running, punching sets, kick sets, abs, push ups, etc.

1. Left kicks
2. Add cross, left kick
3. Add second left kick
4. 30 left kicks
5. Rt kicks
6. Hook, rt. Kick
7. Add second rt. Kick
8. 30 rt kicks
9. Jab cross hook
10. Add jab
11. Add cross
12. Jab cross hook, long jab, rt. Kick.
13. Latter kicks drill: 3,6,9,12,15,12,9,6,3. (both sides)
14. 1 minute burpie

8/7:
san shou: defense the hook: duck, cover, or out of range and counters:
1 and 1, rotate new partner.
Kick counter a lower leg round kick: leg cover to protect and leg cover to hurt (knee style).
counters: cover-push kick, side kick, or toe kick. cover-opposite leg round kick to body.
later: freestyle counter kicks after cover.

Taijiquan:
-Repulse monkey vs various wrist grabs (4) with step back.
-repulse monkey as a upward pung and wrist grab vs a punch.
-section 2 practice.
-clarification of ward off after punch as counter to a jab cross.
-angle step and direction for ride the tiger
-ride tiger vs front kick and punch.
-ride tiger vs a jab cross.
- ride tiger as a pull/elbow qi-na technique and counter strike to temple.
-lines used in pipa: supporting hand at angle of the elbow.

2x 3 min. speed intensity pad work:
drilling: 1 and 1
1. front kick catch:
a. catch and yank, take back, lift and dump (expends a lot of energy).
b. catch and yank, take back, lift and sweep foot (less energy).
c. catch leg and lift.
d. pull in, slam shoulder to body for double leg take down.

2. Round kick catch:
a. catch, punch chest/sweep leg
b. palm block catch and yank/sweep.

3. Four hooks clinch drill-
-cover 4 punches/hooks into clinch, wrap arm and knee tap.

Strength condition: Pyramid 10. abs and push ups.

Tai Chi Class:

warm up of joints and basic stretches
Long form 2x
Straight sword 2x
Sword Basics:
-figure 8
-uppercut
-combined figure 8 and uppercut
-walk forward upper cuts (step log to gain distance)
-walk backward upper cuts.
2 sword form details- cut to knee, back step cut to neck.

Saber form 2x

1 hour push hands:
-Lead/follow circles: wrist, elbow, shoulder partner work.
-Waist loosening: brush knee and wave hands partner work.
-Fixed step freestyle
-moving step freestyle.

1/12/2012 San shou with Edward Lawrence
Running drills- side, back, and karoke.
Hopping drill- front/back, switch lunges, forward check kicks, backward check kicks.
Jump knee
Sprints
Shadow box: punch, kick, throws.

2 three minute fast and hard pad work:
Hooks,jab-cross, uppercuts, low hooks, low kicks, high kicks, double body kick, push kick-round kick. Take down: double and single leg variations.

4 three minute rounds of technique sparring.
what worked: punch and body lift, sweep leg. punch or kick and single/double leg.
what didnt work as well: knee taps and major hip throws were less successful.

Shuai jiao: review what worked or failed in technique sparring-
1. Knee taps.
2. Step back head control and under arm throw vs. a double leg.
3. Neck throw.
4. Snake down throw. Sweep leg and single leg turn variation.
5. Weave under arm throw.

Burn out: 20 each-
Squats,
V ups,
T push up,
Squat kicks,
Leg lift,
Hindu push up,
Burpies,
Russian twist,
Plank variations: elbow to push up planks.

Saturday Jan. 14
Warm ups:
Head circles
Stretch up over head fingers clasped
Alternate direction waist/arm circles
Wing arm stretch to open chest and arms.
Circle arm backward- single arm.
Circle waist
Swing arms Body hitting- dantien, kidnets, chest, back, deltoid, shoulder, legs,arms.
Circle knees
Circle ankles
Circle wrists for anti-qina
Bow stance
Drop stance

Form training

Tui shou:
4 corner= two joints control.
Two joints and 3 lesson:
3 joints of fingers.
3 hand joints: fingers, hand, wrist.
3 of arm: wrist, elbow, shoulder.
3 of leg: ankle, knee, hip.
3 section of body: foot, hip, head.
Control any 2 joints, it is the martial essence to 4 corners tui shou.

Tui shou stance/stepping-
1. small stance: self defense and moving step push hands.
2. large stance: good for fixed step push hands.
3. Stepping: when opponent comes in and attacks (yang) step back (yin) and then counter attack (yang).

Walking forward and back ward:
Two attacks and two defense.
Small circle and big circle.
Attacks are small circle and square.
Defense is big circle and angular.

12 planes and coiling: 2 and 3 dimensional: forward, back, left, right, up, down, centered, coil clockwise, coil counterclockwise, high, middle, low.
Front back stepping with coiling.
Defense is small, offense is big to make opponent big.
Up and down- countering big circle. when caught in a high positing press opponent elbow and shoulder (Fair maiden plays shuttles)

Fixed step:
Small circle big circle 4 corners.

Plans are nothing, planning is everything.- Eisenhower

for 4 corners applications:
1.when you have opponents hands high- step behind and apply ward off left or right.
2. Qi-na opponents hand in tui shou with Tigers mouth and step behind/shoulder pung.

Jan. 17 and Jan. 19:USWA- Dave, Marty, Alan, Matt, Lawrence, etc.
usual running warm up- running, high knees, ankle kicks, sideways, backwards, karoke step, jump knees, quick sprints, quick sprint timed punches.
1. in out step drill into 4 lunges, into forward step punching.
2. shadow box, kick, and shuai chiao. works kicks into punches, punches into kicks.

2 rounds each of pad work: speed theme. 4 punches in-out.

kick drills- up and down floor over and over on kick shield (20 minutes)
1. forward front push kick
2. chinese round kick
3. chinese side kick
4. combine them: push kick,round kick. round kick, side kick. etc.

shuai chiao combat drills:switch partners.
1. kick catch- yank and turn with back step.
2. add jab cross (to gloves) kick- other guy kick catches and throws.
change legs, rhythm, speed. etc.
3. round kick catch, push chest and sweep.

strength:
95# barbell: deadlifts, Bear complex, squats.

Kettlebells: 2 x 35#
squats, swings, push ups, sumo dip high pulls, thrusters, over hed press.

Body:
back bends
neck bridges
push ups
pistols

*Jujitsu rolling with alan to work on ground skills and grappling.

2/21/2012:
Lately our training has designed to build up stamina:
1) Usual running and shadow san shou rounds.
2) Technique sparring/ working techniques stations. 3 minute station.
example: station 1: punch into single leg, cover and level change drop stance.
station two- sparring and work hip or neck throw.
station 3- heavy bag round.
station 4- kick catch front kicks work: 1. catchand throw, catch and yank, yank and lift body.
3) 3 straight 3minute rounds with pad work and take downs.
4) strength condition: today sample of stance work-
a. back cross step twist into horse stance.
b. bow stance punch
c. leg wrap to balance stance.
d. drop stance balance stance.
e. cat stance.
f. unicorn stance.

11/8:
Last night class: warm-up running and linear shadow box/throws.
Review level 1 basic pad holding:
1. 1-2 combo
2. Slip jab counter cross (can later add left hook).
3. Slip cross counter left hook (can later add cross).
4. Cover left hook-counter w/ left hook, cross, left hook (3).
5. Cover right hook- counter w/right hook, left hook, cross (3).
6. 6 punch combo training: jab-cross-hook-hook-uppercut-uppercut.
7. Low round kicks left and right.
8. Kick counters: low kick w/ kick check.
9. Kick counter: side kick to body w/hold ball catch.
10. Kick counter: round kick to body w/catch or hold at side and counter punch/sweep.
11. Takedown of the day: Chen lazy tie coat throw: jab-cross enter for throw (lift leg high).

Ideas:
1. Practice for points- punches=1, kicks=2, throws=3. Create more punch-kick combos, search for throws/takedowns.
2. Practice smart- Beijing team trains all day, we only have 1.5 hours 2x a week.
3. Think more creatively.
-stretching closing

Nov. 10:
running, linear drills/shadow box.
2x 3 min. rounds with thai pad work.
2 x 3 min. drill sparring with take downs
2 x 3 min. punch and counter punch partner training.
shuai chiao- single leg shoulder bump.
strength training: push up, plank drills.

Nov. 17. San Shou
warm-up: running, high knees, butt kicks, karoke, up knee jumps, backwards, 5x fast sprints.
line drills:
1. hopping: 2x forward, 2x backward, 2x switch stance, 2x 180 jump, 6x forward with jab.
2. jab cross 2 kicks
3. round kick, jab cross hook.
4. hook cross hook knee seize.
5. front kick, jab cross, neck throw.
6. jab, uppercut hook, full hip throw.

4 x 3 min.
-defense vs aggressive pad holder-striking and takedown counters.

shuai chiao- lu variation of knee seize.
strength training: 10 pyramid situp/push up.

Taijiquan: 11/22.
discussion on coach vs sifu.
1x Long form
Training:
Taiji- yin and yang discussion.
yin first then yang. wu ji standing.
Taiji stances: taiji horse with feet aligned with L1 points.
taiji gong bu: knee perpendicular for structure integrity. push drill.
taiji empty- appear empty but something there- 3 stances. knee bend/kua drill.
raise hands: curved wrist and elbow (yin) raise to yang. Yin to yang. Partner push and pull testing drill.
grasp bird tail- elbow bend to wrist curved (hold ball) as qi-na for shoulder bump.

11/29/11

-Warm ups
-[i]Grasp bird tail qi-na drill[/i]: pair off in stagard stance, opponent will punch- ward off, circle and wrist control, Into:
Ward off to control shoulder and elbow
Roll back horizontally when opponent works to coil escape,
Press attack to chest,
Opponent wards off and palm strikes,
Roll back and push- step and repeat as flow drill.

Cover the application in depth:
Qi-na of ward off: two joint control of shoulder and wrist.
Horizontal lu to counter elbow. Hands close lu, not down and not with hands separated.
Press to chest.

[i]Long form with emphasis:[/i] grasp bird tail with above technique knowledge.
Correct Stance: not locking leg and knee/lower leg perpendicular.

Form correction: yin and yang: principal: cant have two yangs- after push (yang) contract (yin) when turning into single whip. Test with yanking in tie-up.

Body Principle: square up/close on extending arm with opposite arm and leg. angle diagonal open body on Same hand same leg. Test with rooting exercise.
-Diagonal fly- test with body theory. Dont square up!
-Single whip- diagonal open body. Front: test root. From hook hand test root. From both test root.

Dec. 3:
-warm-up with brush knees and repulse monkeys across room.
-24 form
-Long form
-push hands: 4 square (pung ,lu,ji, an: flow push hands drill)

Dec. 6:
Tonight there was many lessons. First was about the learning in stages:
learning everything (quantity) to forms, later: slowing down and refining (quality), asking questions, judging for self, and later letting go and just doing.

Reviewing 10 essence of taiji. House analogy (blueprint- foundation- frame, walls and wiring. Inside and outside).
10 essence in this way: 1st half is of body and second of mind.
Body:
1. Raise spirit and lift head up.
2. Relax shoulders and elbows (opposite of head)
3. Sink chest and round back (sink breath).
4. Relax the waist.
5. Understand substantial and insubstantial in legs.
6. Coordinate upper and lower in body.
Mind:
7. Continuity of movement
8. Use soft inner force not hard external force
9. Coordinate inner with outer
10. Use stillness in movement and movement in stillness.

Training: Long form with that 10 essence principles.

Form detail and testing structure and applications:
1. Cloud hands- anti-qina, fingers and lower arm vs. grab.
2. 3 level punching in turn and chop: head, chest press, body punch.
3. Punch to rib counter: lift hand-catch punch and elbow break, roll back, slide into qi-na elbow, step and white crane shoulder throw.
4. Cross hands never cross, fingers dive anti-qi na.
5. Repulse monkey- coordinated step back wrist qi-na.

Partner stretching:
leg raise, knee to chest, side/round kick, back leg kick.

Bag work- 2 min. each
1. speed bag:
straight punch- hammer fist left, right, alternate arms.

2. Heavy bag- hard hitting

Partner work: theme- lead push kick, rear round kick, lead hook, rear cross.
2 minute round-
kick shield/focus mitt: lead push kick, rear round kick, lead hook, rear cross.

Thai pads: 2X 2 minutes.
1.)lead push kick, rear round kick, lead hook, rear cross., 4 punches, 4 knees-push and head kick, side control-double knees.

2x 2 minutes: clinch/glove work.
1) front knee drilling- switching.
2) pummeling drill
3) lead push kick, rear round kick, lead hook, rear cross- 4 knees-push high round kick. 3 for 3.
4) knee drilling with side knees.
5) clinch sparring drill with resistance, body condition with knees.

San shou throws:
1. parry the jab- shoulder grab- step to side and chop/sweep the leg.
2. duck the jab-cross: counter with double leg or leg/body grab and lift.
3. fire the jab and single leg take down- move forward and sweep/lift.

2 rounds of mexican sparring.

finish with warm -down.
partner and solo neck drills
stretching,
cobra
leg stretches.
spinal twists
floor stretches.
body patting and hitting skin.
deep breathing exercise.

I met Natalia Hill at the US Koushu tournament last year in 2010. Having had lost to her team mate Robert Beaver in an elimination bout, I had joined the Peaceful Dragon school in some post-tournament drinks at the bar to celebrate Natalia’s and other team mates successful competing. Natalia had won first place in Women heavy weight Lei Tai in 2010. I was interested in that the school was a martial arts school that embraces the Chinese “internal” styles of Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan as well as Chang Tung Shen’s style of Shuai Chiao. In 2011, Natalia not only won first place in defending her heavy weight Lei Tai title, she also got first place in women’s fixed and moving step push hands.

Q: welcome Natalia, what other competition awards have you been able to attain in which I may have missed?

I also compete at our local CACMA (Carolinas Association of Chinese Martial Arts) tournaments. I’ve won several push-hands medals, and a couple of forms and sparring medals. I also had a single Lei Tai match at the 2011 spring CACMA tournament, which I won. I’ve done a lot more Tai Chi competitions than anything else.

Q: how many total Lei Tai fights have you done? What is your current fight record?

I’ve had four Lei Tai fights, three at the USKSF tournament in Baltimore, one at our local CACMA tournament. My current record is 4-0, 3 wins by TKO. I’m just a beginner in this area of the arts.

Q: Can you discuss some of the training you and your team do in preparation for competing in Full contact fighting?

I train a little bit with Robert and Carrie from The Peaceful Dragon, and a few other people here and there, but mostly I train on my own. I work out for 30-60 minutes in the morning either in my neighborhood or at the gym, depending on my work schedule. This is a mix of cardio, strength training and stretching. Then in the evenings I work on bag rounds and fighting drills while my daughter is in her kung fu class. After her class, I will either take a class or go do more training on my own. I try to get in at least two sparring sessions a week until the couple of weeks before the tournament. Then I spar less and work on power more. We try not to tear each other up too much in our sparring sessions, so I need time to focus on hitting things as hard as I can. I also mix in some bag throwing and working target strikes on our head-torso bag. I do a lot bag rounds, sometimes cycling between hitting the hanging heavy bag and throwing another heavy bag.

Q: What style of Taijiquan do you practice?
I study Ch’ang-Shih Tai Chi Ch’uan, created by Great Grandmaster Ch’ang Deng Sheng.

Q: what parts of taijiquan do you think have helped you in fighting?
The basic principles of having a relaxed body, good root, and sensitivity to your opponent’s movements provide the foundation of my practice. I’ve learned how to stay relaxed while fighting and have a high degree of flexibility, allowing me to be fairly agile for my size. I also have pretty good root, which helps me deliver really strong punches and keeps me up on my feet in a clench. By staying aware of my opponent’s movements and positioning, I’m able to avoid taking a lot of hits and will often see the weakness in their guard, allowing me to deliver more effective strikes.

Q: Do you think Tui Shou (Push hands) practice has helped you in Lei Tai fighting? If yes can you explain?
It definitely helps me fight. I use my push hands training to help me move my opponent around on the platform. The attention to root really helps me keep my feet planted on the ground when someone tries to throw me or pull me down when they fall. When they get too close, I’ll find an opening and shove them back out into range of my more powerful strikes. I also use my push hands competition experience to help me remain aware of our position on the Lai Tai platform, and then shove my opponent off of the platform when the edge is near. I’ve won two fights in the first round this way, and almost a third. The rule is that if someone gets pushed cleanly off the platform three times in a round, the fight is over.

Q: Can you discuss your thought on competition in push hands though many Tai chi people may put down push hands as competition?
It’s just a fun way of practicing the Tai Chi principles, whether you want to learn to use them in fighting or just for enjoyment and good health. In competition, people all too often get consumed by their ego and it loses many of the Tai Chi qualities as they try to use just force to dominate their opponent. When both people really are trying to stay light and aware and only apply force when there is an opening for it, then it’s ideal and you can see some good Tai Chi principles in action. I’ve had several really good push-hands matches and a few ridiculous shoving matches at various tournaments.

Q: Your teacher Sifu Sbarge and I have chatted on Facebook several times, and I discovered he and I both trained with Bagua master Sifu Park Bok Nam. Is there any Bagua or Xingyi training that has helped you in fighting?
I’m still working on learning our Pa Kua system, so I wouldn’t say that I use a lot of it in the ring. I’ve spent a bit more time with our Xing Yi system. It becomes useful when my opponent is in close to me, giving me short powerful strikes against them before I go back to push hands and shove them out into kicking range.

Q: How do you mentally prepare for a fight?
I do a lot of visualization, picturing myself knocking my opponent out with a variety of strikes, seeing myself get hit and just shrugging it off, imagining the final call of the ref declaring me the winner. When I’m in the final moments before the fight, I just try to clear my mind of doubts and remember my basic plan of attack. Once I’m on the platform, I push all of that out and just try to be in the moment. At that point, it’s all instinct and muscle memory, conscious thought only slows you down. I just want to see my targets and hit them as hard and often as possible, while not taking any bad hits.

Q: I assume since you’re a mother and hold a full time job, you have to have to create a balance of training and regular life. Like myself, we are not getting younger and nearing retirement to fighting age. How do you manage it? What is your day job?

I’m a security/software engineer in IT for a large corporation. My team is scattered all over the country, so we all work from home. This saves me a lot of time that I can put into my training. It also allows me to spend small amounts of time exercising and practicing when work is slow that I wouldn’t be able to do at the office. My daughter has been taking classes through the children’s program at The Peaceful Dragon for the past seven years, so she feels right at home at our kwoon. The layout of the school is such that we have a large area in the center of the school with tables and chairs, often referred to as the “tea-house”, with training studios, locker rooms and offices exiting into this area. While I’m in class or a training session, she’ll usually hang out with her friends in the tea-house, practice in an empty studio, read, or use the wi-fi on her laptop. When there are tournaments or school activities, she’s always involved in some way, since I’m always involved. She really likes to compete in tournaments and go to the various activities. The school is the center of our social lives, and it’s a lifestyle that works well for us.

Q: how many fights did you end up doing over the span of your fight career and what was your fight record?
A: As far as my full contact fight career goes, which I count as kickboxing, sanda and lei tai my record is 20-2. I have also competed in some boxing and grappling events which were fun as well as a few light contact events which I didn’t like so much.
I also received gold and silver medals in push hand events and trained students who have also received gold and silver in push hands.

Q: Name any championship titles you might have:
A: I was the 2002,2003,2004,2005,and 2007 USCKF International champion for full contact lei tai which we know includes punches, kicks, knees , elbows and throws/takedowns as well as the added factor of fighting on the lei tai platform itself which has no ropes. In addition I was the 2003 USCKF world champion for the first USCKF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP which was held in Sao Paulo Brazil.

Q: How much had tai chi and push hands help lei tai?
Push hands helped me tremendously on the lei tai. When you’re dealing with big guys who are trying to knock you unconscious it’s great to be able to move them off balance so they can’t launch their potentially devastating attacks. Someone who is off balance needs to first regain balance before they can think about hurting you. Also there is no way I would have been able to move any of those guys who were always heavier than me if I didn’t practice push hands. Ever try pushing an over 200 lb weight that has arms and legs and doesn’t want you to move it an inch as it’s trying to knock you out while you do so?

Q: What was your strategy for push hands events?
A: In push hands events I always used to focus on remaining calm and keeping my root. I love how the two person training in tai chi helps you to retrain your nervous system to remain calm with another person all up in your space. I knew if I kept a good structure and root and could absorb some of their force then eventually I could redirect it and move them off balance.

Q: What is your current training like these days now as a retired fighter? What kinds of training are you currently doing?
Actually I am planning with a coach and possibly a local fight team to come out of retirement. I am getting the itch to compete again. I love how it pushes us artists to constantly improve ourselves and enjoy taking a lot of the theory out of books and minds and putting it to use in the actual field so to speak which I believe is the ring. I think competition is one of the only ways for the martial aspect of these arts to effectively survive in today’s age. Without the need to defend our lives with our bare hands like times past, we need to search out people and events that allow us to keep the martial side of these arts alive and not always just talk about theory. Win or lose I believe its good for the artist and the art and I look at my fights as just another part of my training.

Q: How did you mentally prepare for fighting on the Lei Tai? I believe the strong mind body connection provided by the internal martial arts really help one to develop focus and intention that carries over into a fight, whether real-world or full contact competition. The same way our forms and standing meditations like I-chuan help us develop a calm and focused mind and body during the most stressful positions, so too can we does this during the stressful and sometimes chaotic experience of a fight with another person.

Q: With the explosion of the UFC and MMA, what do you think might be lacking with the amount of fighters rushing in to fighting in the cage? I believe a lot of these guys are to be respected for their heart and dedication to training in preparation for these events. Not to mention the fact that they are willing to do something that the majority of martial art “experts” and “masters” would never dare do, which is try to test their techniques in an as close to real situation as you can get legally, with everyone watching, with no excuses. That being said I know for a fact that a lot of the guys who succeed for as long periods of time are the ones who have that extra unseen, unmeasured dimension to them. Possibly they gained it through some form of classical martial arts or even yoga, but the fact remains that it separates them and puts them on another level that just going to an mma gym and doing some cookie cutter sytle training will never put you on no matter how many hours you spend or how fast or hard you train it. That’s what I like to call the unseen, immeasurable factor that a fighter can use the internal martial arts to develop, allowing him to gain an advantage in a world being flooded with a lot of new and excellent mma talents.

Q: Do you see any advantages that MMA guys are doing in their training these days (like kettle bells, conditioning circuits, cross training) that might have helped you in your fight events?
Definitely, I respect the MMA guys for their dedication and training ethics as I said before, but the other thing I love about them is their approach to training. They train what works and what has been proven effective. They also take their theories into the ring through competition and sparring very frequently to “test” it out and return back to the lab with the results. This provides them and their coaches with all the data needed to constantly improve their training programs and find which techniques the fighter can actually find success with in a real situation. That’s what I always tried to do and am still doing to develop as a martial artist. No doubt I wish I knew some things back then that I know now with regards to training. Actually there is a video floating around of my first full contact fight in which I remember not even training with a heavy bag or knowing the first thing about preparing for a fight.

Somehow I won but all I really did at in those times were empty hand forms, hold stances and play with push hands. I would have really brought myself to a higher level of performance had I cross trained more. Focusing on the internal doesn’t mean neglecting the physical body which is an important tool in a fighter’s arsenal. Think about a grade a sniper with a broken, rusty bent up rifle. I don’t care what he has as far as skills or knowledge, you’re not going to see it because his tool would be holding him back. That being said I sometimes wonder how I had so much success with such little science behind my training programs. It just goes to show you that you can always improve.

Q: What were some of the techniques you used on injuries when you trained for Lei Tai or after fighting? I would always spend an insane amount of time on stretching and would do I-chuan and different breathing techniques as well as tendon exchange.

Q: Are you currently coaching any fighters? If yes, what are you doing differently than how you were taught? Actually as of now I have no fighters to train. I just started focusing on myself and improving my fighting to be able to compete at a higher level. I have a coach and am looking to maybe settle in at a gym with some guys who don’t mind rolling around or sparring.

Q: any final thoughts on the 3 internals (tai chi, pakua, hsingyi) as effective martial arts in modern times, any additional things you would like to share or add?
I think that the internal arts can be very effective in any full contact forum. People need to just take it as serious as most mma fighters take their training. This means preparing the body for what it will face in the ring, finding strong partners to practice with in tough sparring, similar to your fight, and last but not least we should take some of the techniques from our styles and actually practice them on the pads for many repetitions, round after round if we expect them to work. You see the muay thai and boxing guys do it, as well as the mma guys and it gives results. So how can we expect something to work if we don’t take it as serious as everyone else?
Sorry it took so long, been busy getting back into training. Maybe I will look to fight again soon.

Q: Alex, how many fights did you end up doing over the span of your fight career and what was your fight record?

A: I fought in 7 tournaments, one of those being the world championships. I don’t remember exactly because these tournaments started with a group of fighters in the same weight and they were paired off against each other until the 2 remaining fighters were matched against each other in the last round. If I remember correctly, I had around 13 or 14 fights. I stopped fighting in 2000 with an un-defeated record.

Q: Name any championship titles you might have:

A:I was the 1995 west coast champ, 1995 and 1999 nationals champ, 1996/1998/2000 International champ and 1996 world champ.

Q: what was it like doing Lei Tai in Taiwan?

A: It was pretty amazing to go to Taiwan and represent the US. It was a bit different than before because it was not only my school brothers but also everyone from the US and the camaraderie was great. I met a lot of really good and talented people and was lucky to be able to compete along side them. It was in a stadium, so much different than the hotel hall in Maryland with a bigger crowd. What I still remember were guys from other countries I had fought before who were not there send their wishes through other fighters and judges who came from their country. It was a bit intimidating being in another country but once the fights started, all that went out the window. A major difference was that here in the US, all the fights were in one day so the injuries and aches really didn’t have time to set in. In Taiwan, the fights were spread over 4 days so getting up every morning was a challenge.

Q: How were you able to balance training as a fighter and going to Pacific College for TCM?

A: It was an easy mix. My teacher Mike Patterson was a great tui na practitioner, his teacher Hsu Hung-Chi (from what I have heard and read) was an amazing tui na practitioner and herbalist and his teacher Hung I-Hsiang was an acupuncturist, herbalist and tui na practitioner. So the combination of being a martial artist and healer has a long tradition. I would train in the morning, then go to class and clinic, then come back to school to either teach classes or train again, then finish up my day with studying. The problem was not as much balancing the two but staying awake in some of the classes and trying not to have a visible injury so I don’t have to explain to my clinic patients why their acupuncturist has a swollen nose or shiner.

Q: You were featured with Mike Patterson in Inside Kung Fu magazine on “Mike Patterson’s winning secrets”, where he mentioned some of the training of the Hsingyi team. In the article, Mike Patterson mentioned he had his fighters working on a steady amount of Tui shou (push hands), Rou shou (Pakua push hands), and An Shen Pao (Hsingyi partner drills). How much did the Internal arts play in developing your strategies as a fighter?

A: The Internal Arts were the only training I had ever had to that point so that was the only strategy I had. Our team consistently made a strong showing, even the new fighters, so the Internal arts played a key role to our success.

Q: What is your current training like these days now as a retired fighter? What kinds of training are you currently doing?

A: I still keep up my training, although not nearly at the level as during my fighting days. Training for a fight is one thing, but training for knowledge and longevity is another. The great thing about the Internal Arts is they are not only for fighting or their martial aspect but if you look into them, it is a way of life. The discipline and confidence will transfer into every aspect of life. The forms keep your body supple and the qi gung keeps your body healthy. I teach class here in San Diego a few days a week to a good group of students and do my own practice including forms, meditation and qi gung on a regular basis.

Q: How did you mentally prepare for fighting on the Lei Tai?

A: Everybody had his or her own way. I had my music, movies (Conan was always a favorite), and visualizations of getting up on the Lei Tai and finishing up with having my hand lifted.

Q: With the explosion of the UFC and MMA, what do you think might be lacking with the amount of fighters rushing in to fighting in the cage?

A: Although I really enjoy watching these competitions, the skill and endurance is amazing. However, what I think is lacking is the art. I can only speak for the students at my school and myself, but today there is very little art and tradition taught at these schools. They put out great fighters, grapplers, kick boxers but there is no substance to the actual art. Obviously from my time on the Lei Tai, I really enjoy that aspect of the martial arts but it was more of my own way to test the system that I had learned and apply the combat part of it. But now that my fighting on the platform is over, I still enjoy training for health and longevity. I know quite a bit of MMA fighters that are in their mid 20’s-30’s and are constantly injured and in pain. I treat guys in their 20s for torn ACL’s, dislocated shoulders, hyper-extended elbows. The training might be fun but not the best for the long term on the body. They are missing the yin aspect of training, that part that you keep training after your fighting and young days are over.

Q: Do you see any advantages that MMA guys are doing in their training these days (like kettlebells, conditioning circuits, cross training) that might have helped you in your fight events?

A: Absolutely!! The kettlebells would have been a great compliment to our training. I add kettlebells to my workout regimen now and see an increase in connection and power. This is like a martial art, a full body workout and can only improve your training. As for conditioning and cross training, that is something we always incorporated into our workouts.

Q: On Facebook, you share many articles on western medicine and recent studies, what kinds of western research have you found relevant to your eastern TCM training?

A: More research is going into herbs, vitamins and supplements. Also, much study is going into trying to figure out how acupuncture actually works, whether its cell, nerve, blood vessel mediated or a combination. I think looking at acupuncture through this model can be a bit dangerous though. The use of acupuncture this way and westernizing it too much so that its fundamentally a therapy used adopted to western medicine might loose the basic principles and functions of how the medicine was developed.

Q: What were some of the techniques you used on injuries when you trained for Lei Tai or after fighting?

A: EPSOM salt was a staple in my house. I would soak almost every night. I did some self massage and Shrfu Patterson was a very good tui na practitioner so he kept us pretty healthy. Also, we had different jiao’s (hit medicine) and medicated oils to help heal up quicker.

Q: Are you currently coaching any fighters? If yes, what are you doing differently than how you were taught?

A: No, between my clinic and teaching I don’t have time to coach or train any fighters.

Q: Did you have any special TCM herbal formulas, diet, or receipts in the weeks training for a fight?

A: We had several jiao’s and herbal recipes for various injuries. These were always used after training on injury’s either old or new. Yunan Pao is a great formula to take internally after any full contact to help speed up healing. As for diet…well, I was young and more resilient. I usually walk around 210 and fought at 180 so the months and weeks before the fights were pretty much salad/vegetables, chicken, rice and whey protein with water and protein bars and can I say that the protein supplements have come a LONG way in taste since then.

Q: any final thoughts on the 3 internals (tai chi, pakua, hsingyi) as effective martial arts in modern times, any additional things you would like to share or add?

A: I think the Internal arts are very effective fighting arts. Hsing-I has a 800-900 year history of fighting, Pa Kua and Tai Chi about 400 years I believe. It might take a little longer to learn the fundamentals, but once learned they are very effective. But for modern times of weapons and stress, I think these arts will prove to be more important in terms of health and longevity than self-defense. As I am sure you know very well, we learn the arts so we have control and not have to fight. As my teacher said many times about his skills “it is better to have and not need than need and not have”. That is what I think about these martial arts. We don’t want to fight, nobody wins…even the “winner” might walk away with the worry of injuring someone. So from this aspect, since we are training not to fight, it is the deeper and “Internal” aspects of these arts that makes them important and valuable today.

Alex Shpigel, L.Ac.
ShpigelAcupuncture.com