Shi-Shong Orlando's Shaolin Diary - 2010 - Part 6

Thursday, April 22, 2010
Orlando Cela is an instructor at Wu Dao Kung Fu and Tai Chi

Today was a total “Tiger head, snake tail” kind of day. First, a fabulous 6 am run with the whole group to the Immortals Park; a crisp climb with almost everyone to the top, then back down to the half way landing; two races to the top! Back down to rejoin the rest of the group. On our way back we alternated between some walking and some sprinting – remember that the way back to the school is up hill! We arrived at the school and saw couple of inflatable arches with banners on them. I asked Li Xiang what they were. He told me there was a grand opening for a hotel across the road from the school. That’s another thing about the Chinese I’m amazed about: banners. There are banners, mostly red with white characters, everywhere. I think some of them might say “I’m required to post this banner even when I have nothing to say,” because you see them in the most unlikely places. After breakfast, 9 am class. We started with our usual short run. Immediately after our return from the run, we went on to do a sort of “capture the tree” game of strategy, running, guarding... Very cool! But when it was time for me to be guard, trying to keep a member of the opposing team I kicked too hard and pulled something on my left leg. Really badly! I tried to tough it out until stretching time, when I tried to stretch, massage, you name it. Then the stretching kicks and the 18 Ji Ben Gong showed me that some movements really would be very painful. I did stick to the rest of the training, which was particularly nice because I got to do the forms I know, including Mei Hua Dao, with different groups of students. That was very, very inspiring! The experience of doing the forms you learn at home with the most advanced students and trying to keep up, whilst hearing the others scream “jia you!” (“let’s go!”) and “good!” is indescribable! It was also nice to see Lily use me as example for the younger students once or twice! As a closing for the morning session, we went through the most grueling core session yet. I thought I was in good shape until then. One leg and two leg jack-knives, their variations of sit-ups, jumping push-ups, spinning jumps, Ma Bu squats, and more, more... Needless to say, the afternoon session was a bit challenging, and by the end of the second half of the afternoon class I was absolutely spent, in utter pain and extremely frustrated because my injuries wouldn’t let me do decent stances. At least nobody here can say I didn’t give it my all.