Sunday Practice

 

I arrived on the beach a bit late this morning. The sky was super clear and the sun was already above the horizon. I shot this image as soon as I got down to the water's edge with my phone camera.

The Details:

It's 59 here at the house. Sunrise was at 6:59, low tide at 8:38. There was plenty of hard packed semi-wet beach to practice on.

The Practice:

I started with a round of Bagua Zhang's Old Eight Palms tuned into opening my body and mind cultivating with nature's energies focused on the distant horizon.

Breathing in Qi is in me,

Breathing out, I'm in Qi.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into feeling the expanse at the ends of my postures and forming Jin in my fingers.

Next I did a round of Anyo Apat tuned into the quality of my postures.

Next I did a round of Kusanku Kata tuned into extracting as much agility as the form offers. I went really slowly and spent a few moments in the lower postures like the Zen Dashi and Crane Stances.

Next I did a round of Taiji Dao reciting the names of postures out loud as I remembered them.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

Saturday Practice

 

I shot this with my phone camera as soon as I arrived on the beach. Sunrise get's earlier and earlier, day by day and getting down to the beach 10-20 minutes before sunrise on the off chance that there will be an amazing display of color is getting more and more challenging. It's also the end of the season here in NSB. We are heavy into packing for our migration to Leyden. Today was 152 sunrise beach practices this season and like everything else that I do on a daily basis eventually it becomes common place, ordinary and challenging to maintain a beginners mind set and maintain a high level of appreciation and gratitude for being able to practice the material that I practice at this age and of course where I'm practicing. It has been a life long dream of mine to live by the sea. 

With gratitude and appreciation!

The Details:

It's 60 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:00, low tide at 7:42. It was cool on the beach with a steady breeze from the west. I dressed for it and had my hood up and gloves on.

The Practice:

I started down by the water's edge with the first half of Master Ray's 30 Warm Ups and then #8-10 of The 10+. I did a full session of the Swings and Song Gong.

Next I did a Round (right side) reciting the Taiji Classics out loud as I started the Round. I payed close attention to "Neither excess, nor deficiency". To assist I imagine that I was being pulled when I was forward weighted as in a Bow Stance and pushed when I was shifted to the back leg as in Roll Back. 

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo tuned into my postures.

Next I did a round of Chinto Kata tuned into agility and quality basics

Next I did a round of Arnis Cane Anyo's 1-4 on both the right and left sides, working on the #4 on the left side. I used my wooden broadsword. These 4 Cane Anyo's lend themselves to being done with a broadsword. When I do these with a cane I keep track of where the imaginary blade is. 

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

Friday Practice

 

I shot these images with my phone camera. It was super clear and a rare chance to see the sun rise above the horizon. 

The Details:

It's 64 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:01, low tide at 6:45. It was a bit cooler but less windy than yesterday. I kept my jacket on and put my gloves on too! 

The Practice:

There was plenty of hard packed and semi-wet beach to practices on. I started out down by the water's edge with a combination of The 10+ and a few of Master Ray's 30 warm ups too! I did a full round of the neck stretches that I've added after #3 and then switched back to #4 - 10 with a full session of the 'swings'.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into the effects of long term daily practice and the will and self-discipline that it takes to persevere and how that develops indomitable spirit over time and how doing a 'Round a Day' keeps ones gate youthful longer. 

Next I moved up the beach towards the dunes to do a round of Anyo Apat tuned into the kick/punch sequences and overall agility that this form helps with.

Next I did a round of Wansu Kata tuned into the stretches from extending the kicks all the way to muscle lock.

Next I used my wooden broadsword to do a round of Taiji Cane tuned into the new moves in Part III and the changes at the beginning and end to accommodate the broadsword. I was aware of the blade and tip throughout the form.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

Thursday Practice

 

I shot this with my phone camera after the sun made it's appearance and before the color was completely washed out.

The Details:

It's 73 here at the house. Sunrise at 7:02, last low tide at 5:50. It was warm with a very strong wind coming from the S S/W and then swung around to the south. There weren't any noseeums, but the wind was an issue. Luckily nothing blew away....Yay!

The Practice:

There was plenty of hard packed sand to practice on so I started out down by the waters edge with a combination of The 10+ and the first half (upper body) of Master Ray's 30 warm ups. I've been attracted to this warm up combination for a while now. It just feels right! I've been freely moving between these sets as it suits me on that particular session.

After my warm up I moved further up the beach towards the dunes to see if could get in the lee. It worked a little, until the wind swung around to the south. 

I did a Round (right side) tuned into "In every movement my entire body is light and agile (spirited)".

Next I did a round of The 21 (Taiji Qigong) tuned into opening my body and mind. I used Hun/Haah breathing throughout the qigong and added the side to side bends and breath hold ala Master Choi.

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo tuned into the opportunities to train agility with the throw stance work.

Next I did a round of Seiunchin Kata tuned into the stance work and quality basics.

Next I did a round of Taiji Double Dao with my Dragon Canes

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was heading back to the house. 

Notes:

Bill is coming over around 11 and we have to prepare the house for Laurie coming at 12:30

Wednesday Practice

 

I shot this with my phone camera a few minutes before the sun appeared. I love the various shades of pink. The surrogate (camera) can only approximate what I actually saw. There was so much more nuance, but this image is representative of the color that was only there for a few moments before it washed out.

Once the sun pops over the horizon the color disappears, you can count on it!

The Details:

It's 69 at the house. Sunrise was at 7:03, the last low tide was at 4:56.

The Practice:

I started with The 10+ and then at #3 I switched over to the first half of Master Ray's 30 warm ups. I think that they give a superior stretch to neck, shoulders, arms and back. The combo takes a little longer but I suspect the bang for the buck is substantial. It also just feels right!

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into opening from arm pit to hip. I also tuned into dropping my Yi and Qi to the soles of my feet and feeling 9 joint harmony as the Jin rises up from feet to leg to waist to spine finally forming in my finger tips.

Next I did a round of Anyo Dalawa tuned into adjusting the quality of basic techniques.

Next I did a round of Seisan Kata tuned into quality basics, full extension and more focus.

Next I did a round of Taiji Jian with my wooden broadsword. I recited the names of postures out loud throughout the form.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

I had a 8:15 appointment at Stuarts for the Lexus. Getting her ready for the trip home next week. Don't blink, time flies.

Tuesday Practice

 

                     I shot these images with my phone camera shortly after arriving on the beach.

The Details:

It's 67 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:04, high tide at 9:58. There was no discernible wind. The noseeums were bugging me. Luckily I had long pants, socks and a long sleeved top on but they still were biting my neck and face. The little buggers!!

The Practice:

The main thing I've been thinking about is how long term consistency feels. I believe it's the same paradigm no matter the endeavor. First it's new, that makes it easier to approach, next it becomes regular, familiar and occasionally more difficult to approach, finally it becomes so regular and consistent that it changes and becomes so ordinary that it is regularly more difficult to approach. The length of time that you've been able to consistently do something has an affect on how that practice feels. One of the things that will come up is questioning if it's working. The most common inner dialogue is "With this amount of effort I should be better than I am"! There's a tendency to then change lanes, or choose a different path that will be easier and quicker to the goal. Think of it like walking the Appalachian Trail, if you haven't seen a mile marker for awhile, you may think you're on the wrong trail and decide to backtrack and take a different route. That can waste a lot of time. This is very common in martial arts training. There are those that change paths every few years thinking that they are not making fast enough progress.

"Choose your path, follow it with heart" Don't give up and change paths easily, but don't stop studying and refining either. 

I started with a combination of The 10+ and Master Ray's 30 warm ups tuned into consistency.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into longevity of practice (I'm in year 49) and consistency (I practice every day). With consistency comes questioning what you're doing and how you're doing it. 

Don't think, just do!

Next I did a round of Anyo Isa tuned into consistency and longevity of practice. I learned this form in 1986 from Sifu Lee Lowry one of my mentors in Modern Arnis.

Next I did a round of Naihanchi Kata tuned into the changes that I'm making and full extension of techniques. 

Next I did a round of Taiji Dao with my wooden broadsword.

I finished with Healing Qigong as I was heading back to the house.

Monday Practice

 

                                I shot this image with my phone camera soon after arriving on the beach.

I shot this image with my Canon on a tripod shortly after sunrise.

The Details:

It's 67 at the house.  The sunrise was at 7:06, high tide at 9:08. There was no discernible wind and very little beach to practice on.

The Practice: 

I started with a round of Wuji Hundun Qigong. I needed a change from The 10+ and it was time to review and re-connect with this qigong set that I learned from GM Duan Zhi Liang back in the early 2000's.

I did a brief session of swings before doing a Round (right side) tuned into sinking my qi. I dropped my Yi to the bottoms of my feet throughout the round.

Next I did a round of Anyo Walo tuned into full extension of punches and kicks.

Next I did a round of Sanchin Kata tuned into the changes that I'm making to that form and connecting my mind to breathing and moving from the T'an T'ien (Hara).

Next I did a round of Taiji Double Dao with my Dragon Canes tuned into the 'blade' of the canes.

Next I did a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

                                                                         Oopsie!

Sunday Practice

 

I shot this with my phone camera as the sun was rising. I wished I had brought my camera rig....Oh well!

The Details:

It's 62 here at the house. Sunrise at 7:07, high tide at 8:16. The tide was high and there was very little beach to practice on. No discernible wind.

The Practice:

I practiced in very soft and deep sand again. It made for a challenging session. I find that I'm unconsciously adjusting my footing and placing my weight very evenly on my supporting foot. I'm also using higher stances in the deep sand.

I started with a full round of The 10+ tuned into opening my joints

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into 'Swimming in Air' and opening (song) the space between my armpits and hips.

Next I did a round of Anyo Anim tuned into agility

Next I did a round of Sunsu Kata tuned into the changes that I'm making and the overall quality of my basics and postures.

Next I did a round of Taiji Dao tuned into the tip of my wooden broadsword.

Next I did 'Level Push' repeatedly with my left hand including the knife flower and change step.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

Notes:

Very few tourists on the beach this morning. The high tide keeps the riff raff off the beach....Yay! It's all good except the lack of hard packed sand to practice on.

We're having brunch with Al and Claire at the Bakers Table at 11:30

 

Saturday Practice

 

I shot these photos with my Canon on a tripod. I had several Pelicans cooperate with composition. Thanks Peli friends.

There were several squadrons of Pelicans cruising the waves just offshore.

I captured these little cutie pies just before sunrise. There were some beautiful hues of light pinks on the horizon, ala Maxwell Parish!

The Details:

It's 62 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:08, high tide at 7:24. There was no discernible wind and very little beach to practice on. I didn't notice any noseeums.

The Practice:

The tide was rising and there was very little beach to practice on. I ended up practicing in deep soft sand, not my favorite but I made due with what I had.

I started with a full round of The 10+ tuned into waking my body and mind up. I've been feeling a bit tired lately. I'm at that point in the season that I'm so used to practicing at sunrise on the beach that it's become very, very ordinary. I have to keep reminding myself of where I am and what I'm doing. It may be easier to access the 'feel good' chemistry if I was training intermittently. Consistency is challenging on many levels. 

Next I did a Round (right side) tuned into opening (song) from my armpits to my hips. I also tuned into forming Jin in my finger tips and connecting my Yi to the horizon. 

Next I did a round of Anyo Anim tuned into adding more snap to my punches and kicks

Next I did a round of Kusanku Kata tuned into agility and stretch. This Kata is substantially more challenging in the deep soft sand. I adjusted accordingly!

I finished with a Healing Qigong as i was returning to the house.

Notes:

The sand was too deep to practice in so I didn't do any weapons training. My left foot has been bothering me. Better safe than sorry? I haven't been doing as much weapons training or musical practices since injuring my right thumb practicing three finger triplets on my bass guitar. I'm working up White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane along with Eight Days a Week by The Beatles for possibly playing with Awesome Possum.

Friday Practice

 

                                      I shot this with my Canon camera in RAW (CR2) format

                                    This is the same image shot in JPEG (compressed) format.

The Details:

It's 57 at the house. Sunrise at 7:09, high tide at 6:32. There was no discernible wind and there was plenty of beach to practice on. It was cool but with my hood up and gloves on I was toasty warm and cozy.

The Practice:

I had limited time this morning due to the regular video meeting with Jeff from 8-9 am on Fridays.

I started with a round of Wild Goose Qigong tuned into natures Qi all around me.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into Mushin State of Mind and Wu Wei

Next I did a Standing Meditation session tuned into cultivating natures energies. I used Holding The Moon and Play Guitar postures to connect internally and externally with the horizon. 

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I headed back to the house

Notes:

A shorter practice this morning; I needed to get back to the house because, I have a standing video meeting with Jeff every Friday morning from 8-9

I got to the gym to do resistance training twice this week and it felt really good to get back to building lean muscle mass (LMM). Having house guests changed my schedule so I ended up missing the gym last week altogether. I've been very consistent about going to the gym this season. First three time a week then twice. Last week was the first week that I've missed since November 2023. Yay! Resistance training is an essential part of longevity training after 40, definitely after 70!! 

Thursday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 61 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:10, high tide at 5:37. It was cool on the beach, the sea was flat with no discernible wind. I didn't notice any noseeums.

The Practice:

I left my exercise sneakers with my orthotics in the pouring rain yesterday afternoon. It'll take days for them to dry out. Ugh!!

I used my 'go out' sneakers without orthotics and I seemed to be able to get away with it.

I was later than I wanted to be. I've been dealing with an inordinate amount of self-speak, attempting to negotiate a 'day off'. alas my way is to adjust, to rest, to modify, to change just enough to keep consistent. IMO consistency is more critical than intensity, unless you can be consistent at that level of intensity. Anyway I've been having to use more self-discipline to get out to sunrise and the gym than I think is healthy. It's time to adjust!

I started with a modified warm up using The 10+ tuned into consistency of 'doing them'

Next I did a Round (right side) tuned into the horizon, soft and smooth, and expressed  Jin in my fingers and hands.

Next I did a round of Anyo Apat tuned into agility and the quality of my basics and postures

Next I did a round of Wansu Kata tuned into adding for Jin at the focus point of my punches and kicks

Next I used my Dragon Canes to do Arnis cane warm ups and Arnis and Taiji basics and sequences from the forms.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was heading back to the house.

Wednesday Practice

 

I shot this with a Canon camera on a tripod soon after arriving on the beach. I brought my camera because it was very colorful when I looked out the backyard but by the time I got to the beach most of the color had faded away. I was still happy to have my camera rig.

About 1/2 hour after sunrise the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and delivered a moment of color and a splash of red on the wet beach too!

The Details:

It's 71 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:11, last high tide at 4:35. It was warm with an intermittent south wind.  

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10+ tuned into adjusting my frequency to match mother nature.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into counter balancing and using head butt when angling forward as in "Part the Wild Horses Mane". I'm still working on the three positions for 'Press'; Wrist, Forearm and Palm. I'm finding a comfortable position in all three variations. I prefer the Wrist and Palm.

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo tuned into developing agility with the Step Behind and Turn stance work

Next I did a round of Seiunchin Kata tuned into the quality of my postures and techniques

Next I used my Dragon Canes to do a round of Taiji Double Dao (broadsword)

Tuesday Practice

I shot this with my Canon on a tripod after the sun was up in the clouds.

I shot this with my phone camera shortly after the image above.

Interesting clouds this morning.

The Details:

It's 68 here at the house. Sunrise at 7:12, low tide at 10:15. It was warm with very little to no wind. I didn't notice any noseeums but I did have sweat pants and long sleeves on. I was overdresses....Again. It's supposed to be 89 later this afternoon. Well it is April 2nd!

The Practice:

There were lot's of tourists on the beach this morning; Low tide, less wind and warm temps attracted the masses.

I started with a full round of The 10+ tuned into the horizon and the overall energy of the beach at sunrise.

After taking off my jacket and then my long sleeve technical top I did a Round (left side) tuned into

"Rub the Neck on the Collar"

Counter balancing and jin forming in my fingers

Next I did a round of Anyo Dalawa tuned into the accuracy of my postures.

Next I did a round of Seisan Kata tuned into the quality of my basic, punches, kicks and strikes.

Next I did a round of Taiji Cane tuned into the changes in Part III. First I did the form with my wooden broadsword in my right hand and then I got up to the end of Part IV with my left hand.

I finished with a Healing Qigong as I was returning to the house.

Monday Practice - Day 8,311 -

 I shot this photo with my phone shortly after arriving on the beach. As the sun rises earlier and earlier I'm having more trouble getting down to the beach 10-15 minutes before sunrise. It is better for the photos that have the actual ball of the sun above the horizon. But I still prefer to get down there before that, so that I can see the whole deal, before, during and after the sun actually rises above the horizon.

The Details:

It's 65 here at the house. The sunrise was at 7:14, low tide at 9:17. There was very little breeze and lot's of beach to practice on. It was warm and I ended up taking my jacket off after my warm ups. For the second day in a row, I was overdressed.

The Practice:

I started out with a full round of The 10+

Next I did a Round (right side) tuned into "formed in the fingers", expressing Jin when it rises up to my fingers. I initially got this idea from William C. C. Chen and have been contemplating it ever since.

Next I did a round of Anyo Isa and Naihanchi Kata tuned into the quality of my basics in Anyo Isa and the changes I'm contemplating in Naihanchi Kata.

At this point I really needed to use a bathroom (too much coffee this morning!) so I did a Healing Qigong while I was rushing back to the house.

After a much needed bathroom break I resumed my practice in the backyard.

I did a round of Taiji Staff, Monkey Staff and Low Family Staff tuned into my Jin extending out to the tip of the Staff.