Week in Review - Monday 1/23 - Saturday 1/28/2012 - Sifu

Good morning all,

I'm a bit late with this again...skiing with the grandkids on Monday, music with Ryan at my place after my Tuesday morning classes, first of the month office stuff, blah, blah, blah!! Anyway....I gad a great week last week of classes and life............. 

Here goes:

FYI:

- Lot's of folks calling in sick the past couple of weeks. Must of had 15 sick calls last week! Not as many this past week, but still got one or two per day

- Lot's of staff on vacation this month:

Read - the entire month

Sensei Kratz - will be back next week 

Phil - back week after next

Bob - ?

- I'm away in March from Saturday 3/10 returning to teach class Tuesday 2/27

NOTE: As I post my impressions about the classes that I'm teaching you'll notice that I'm greatly affected by who shows up, I use that mix of people to develop the curriculum for that particular class. I reflect on the people that show up, staff, senior students, students, beginners, new students, intermediates...aptitude, attitude, skill sets, communication skills....you get the picture it's a bit complicated. Let's just say that it matters to me who show's up and when I thank students for coming to classes that I'm teaching, I mean it!

Some clarification about class sizes:

- Group class = 4 or more students 

- Semi-private = 3 or less 

- Private = 1 on 1

- I've arrived at a new anagram for a tiny classe: SBHQ = Small But High Quality :^)

Now to last weeks classes: 

- Monday night classes have been posted to the Blog with a couple of video clips too!! Thanks Angus, Dennis and Luke

- Tuesday morning Staff training - A SBHQ  class - Sandy and I worked the Dance on her A & B side - reviewed the single and the double broadsword forms and worked on the short cane set

- Tuesday morning Tai Chi - nice classes of regulars - worked on vertical push hands, wrote it out on the board to explain all the yin/yang implications...its complicated to say the least...very sophisticated martial arts / philosophy melding ...love that ;^)

- Tuesday afternoon youth Karate class - Colleen led the class and she posted notes up to the Blog....I think?

- Wed. afternoon youth Karate class - Sensei and Thomas assisting - Sensei led the class through the 10 and basics and ended with free sparring - great class

- Wed. Tai Chi class - well attended with Marcia and Phil assisting - 30 warm ups - standing meditation - qigong - 90 degree stepping - work on the form - my current favorite class of the week ...again! Love those tai chi newbies!

- Wed. Arnis - SBHQ - Justin worked with Scott and I worked with Phil - reviewed the stick anyo and worked on the tai chi cane form - reviewed empty hand anyo 1, 2 and 3 - worked on the 'flow' drill then went on to the 6, 8 and 12 count drill - went on to work several tapi tapi techniques - good class

- Thursday morning Bagua - a SBHQ class - we worked on the Cheng T'ing Hwa set concentrating on change #8 The Monkey

- Thursday morning Tai Chi - good size class - went through the 30 qigong warm ups - standing meditation - qigong - worked the form concentration on Single Whip, Downward Deflect Parry and Punch, Carry Tiger to the Mountain, last kick sequence in part II, Bend Bow Shoot the Tiger - GREAT class!

- Little Dragons - A SBHQ class  with Colleen assisting - Sailor and Grace attending, Willow called in sick. 

- Youth Karate - good size class with Colleen, Scott, Thomas assisting - 

- 2 person class - A SBHQ class - Scott, Colleen and Thomas - we worked on the tai chi stick form and the first part of the 2 person stick form

- Adult Karate class - Med size class with Colleen assisting - started with the ice pick knife drill - Colleen led the 10 and stretching - line work combo's - finished with kata

- Saturday Tai Chi - Read leading - I came in at 9 for a round

- Saturday first (youth) Karate - good size class with Colleen, Scott, Thomas assisting - I led the 10 - worked on basics, SD and kata 

- Saturday second Karate - huge class with lot's of help - Scott led the warm ups - worked SD, basics and kata .....great class, great end of the week

Many thanks for all that you do day to day, week to week....greatly appreciated!

Please stay in touch if your not coming in to classes on a regular basis. Talk soon.....

Week in Review - Monday Jan 16 - Sat Jan 21 - Sifu

Hi all,

Sorry this is late but I had a very busy beginning of the week skiing with the Grandkids on Monday and another busy day yesterday.

Here goes the week in review:

Happy Chinese New Year to you all - Wishing you all the best health and prosperity in the Year of the Water Dragon

- Good classes Monday night - notes at the Staff Blog

- Tuesday morning I came in really late for the 7-8 class, but still meet briefly with Bob, Read, Sandy and Marty - Had a nice Tai Chi class with the regulars

- Wed. afternoon was good size youth Karate class with Thomas assisting

- Great Tai Chi class with good assistance, was nice to see Jeff C. in class 

- Very small Arnis class, but high quality! Worked various Tapi Tapi techniques  I worked with Thomas all night and Justin worked with Phil, we all had some great stuff going and a nice visit by officer 'Sensei' Kratz;.)

- Thursday morning had a nice Bagua class with Bob, Sandy and Read worked some detail on the Cheng Ting Hwa set, changes one and two 

- Good T'ai chi class with the regulars and a special surprise when Nancy Lamore returned to the training after a knee replacement (saw her again this morning too!)

- Thursday afternoon started out rough for me with a dental emergency - at 3:55 I was sitting in the dentists chair, the Little Dragons class starts at 4:00!!! Yikes! Ended up ok! Good LD class with Colleen assisting and three students - they did well

- Regular Youth Karate class was well attended with good help from Thomas, Scott, Teryn and Colleen. 

- 2 person class was Read working with James on the dance and I worked on the tai chi solo form with Teryn, Thomas, Colleen and Sensei.....great stuff!

- Had a nice evening Karate class with Teryn and Colleen assiting

- I missed classes on Saturday - Sensei led the youth karate classes - he wrote some notes that I've posted to the blog - Chelsea was promoted to 7th Kyu - Yellow belt - Nice job with her everyone! It's great to see her excelling in our Karate world.

That's it from here....keep checking the Staff Blog .....it's being updated very regularly! 

Week in Review - 12.23.11 - Sifu

It's been a good week!
Student On Break:
A number of our college kids are home on break. I got to see Lily on Wed. and meet her new friend Julian and yesterday started off with Max and Becka in the Bagua and Tai Chi classes and then Teryn in the afternoon/evening classes.
We recently had a Saturday visit from Colin Frederick's too! He brought the Baji back to the table....great job Colin;^)
One of my favorite things about teaching martial arts is to see 'old timers' come back in the room and participate in the training / teaching...it's so cool!!


Getting Sick:
I started to feel a cold coming on, on Tuesday...I thought I was outrunning it but then it caught up to me after my Wed. afternoon/evening shift. Yesterday I again got pooped after my morning shift (but had a great Bagua and Tai Chi workout) and then really faded in the afternoon/evening.

Many Thanks:
Thanks to Scott, Teryn and Angus for leading the Karate class last night and to Marcia and Sensei Kratz for the afternoon help.....you guy's are the BEST!!

Reminder:
No Classes this coming Saturday Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve

Happy Holiday's to you and your families!

Peace,
Sifu