A view from inside the head

Of a lion.

 

I haven't been inside a lion head for pretty much the last 5 years or so, but is a great feeling, even if I wasn't dancing. We pulled a couple of lions down yesterday for the Lil Leopards class, and had them take turns sitting inside a head with us. They snapped the mouth, blinked the eyes and wiggled the ears. I really loved seeing the excitement in their faces!

 

Lion dancing takes hard work, the very definition of Kung Fu. It's great to see the I Ho Chuan team learning about it and the history and meaning of the dances. Lion Dance is a major part of our school, and it's wonderful to see new faces finding a passion for it.

 

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Boot camp 2014

Saturday July 26 is our annual boot camp. It's a day that tests your mettle, while sharing comraderie. It's a full day that gives students a taste of many different things, and the fitness test at the end is a great marker for where you are at. I have attended for many years, both as a student and an instructor, and it is an amazing day. I encourage you to give it a try if you haven't yet. It's another safe place for us to explore our abilities, and perhaps find an avenue we haven't yet explored. There is always something new and exciting at boot camp!

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Holy hips batman!

For several years, my right hip has not been engaged. So a lot of my stances haven't been where they should be. However, I have been working on it and thought I had the issue licked. Apparently not! I had my kwan dao mini form filmed, and yikes! That hip is absolutely awful! It's embarrassing really.

But, that same week, Sifu Dennis said the same thing with my Tai Chi. What is a girl to do! Practice, break it down, and practice some more! I have really concentrated on the "Ker chunk" of my right hip going into place for all my forms. Mostly Tai Chi, but that seems to have helped a lot. And on another note, I think I might know why my right hip isn't cooperating. I believe that it's due to the broken ankle 5 1/2 years ago, which I compensated for and which has now become a bad habit.

So, now to fix it!!! Mindfulness, and lots of practice.

 

 

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How The Blind See Beauty (as shared by my oldest daughter)

It really touched me to have my teenage daughter share this with me. Our culture emphasizes external beauty, and we are bombarded with fake images, so that we fight with our self esteem on a daily basis. I am so glad she found this video, as it reminds us of what beauty should be.