Last week was a good week.

Chi Kung class: This class is addressing a few challenges in my black belt testing. First is the flexibility test. Sifu Olsvik has assigned us a number of daily stretching excercises which will open up our hips. I've been working diligently on these exercises. Its amazing how inflexible most of us are, even with our kung fu training. Mrs. Crawford and I compared notes - we were both stiff and sore in areas of our hips that the kung fu stretching does not address. I am a little more excited than her about all this, probably because I have started to feel a little more flexibility, and she has not noticed that yet. Second is strength and endurance for the horse stance test. Again, Sifu Olsvik assigned us 20 minutes of modified horse stance daily. I admitted in class, that I am struggling with this one as I am so used to multitasking, that 20 minutes of simply standing in horse stance (don't have a TV) becomes guilt-ridden and unbearable. Anyhow, he said it had to be done, and the results, at minimum will be an effortles five minute horse stance in the black belt test. I'm not sure whether any of the sihings at Friday's class noticed, but Sifu Olsvik stood in a beautiful horse stance for a very long time - it had to be at least 20 minutes - still as stone, sturdy and relaxed! So, I need to renew my effort on this exercise. The third is breathing and, through the routines and exercises, a better awareness of my centre. It's helping with my Lung I & II, and sound focus. Coincidentally, Sifu Laurie brought her netti pot to Shaolin class on Saturday, and gave us a demonstration. Daily use of this device is supposed to reduce swelling and clear trapped allergens and other germs from the sinus passages, thereby making the proper breathing technique much more efficient, or, as in my case, it makes it possible. So I went to Sangsters Health Centre and bought one, and used it. Sure is weird, but not all that bad.

Orange Belt Class on Wednesday: I'm sure Sifu Prince is usually an excellent teacher. But he really outdid himself at this class. We practiced Hsieh Chein, which is a very weak form for me, partly due to the backward shoulder roll (bad for my left shoulder), and partly because sound focus is something I do not do well at, if at all. Sure enough, Sifu Prince had us belting out our Hsieh Chein, and lots of sound focus. This class was a high quality class. I benefitted greatly from it, and I noticed that ALL of the students improved their forms in Hsieh Chein, Hung I, and Long I with Sifu Prince's guidance.

Our Journals: I do go out on a limb a bit, expressing my inner stuggles etc. I've always felt it would be helpful to others, to tell it how it really is for me, because if I am struggling, then more than likely, ten other people will have the same issues. But after last week's entry, I feel that I benefitted more than anyone else. The response from the students and sifus was overwhelming. Who would have thought that other people, students and sifus alike, had struggled with the same things, and really cared whether I got past these obstacles? Its a strange sensation, and I feel almost guilty and uncomfortable, because it now feels like the focus is on me. With this kind of support, I HAVE to give it my all, and if I don't succeed . . . And I worry that the other sihings are getting as much out of this support as myself. I hope that they benefitted from the board breaking practices as much as I did; and that they also needed to review and practice the close-combat and takedown basics covered in sihing class.

The Sihing Class Five sihings attended. It had to be at least 20 sifus also in attendance. And it wasn't a matter of them being there for something else; no discussions or other business was attened to, no meetings, no bag work or situps and pushups off to the side; they were all totally focused on the sihings, advising and guiding us through our class. That was really awesome.