Quads & Glutes & Core Some More

Due to the issues with my knee ligament, I have been working a lot on things that strengthen the muscles around the knees and the legs. This includes holding the position in the picture below for extended periods of time. As of today, I'm up to four minutes and thirty seconds.

Also I do calf lifts with my knees bent to 45 degrees the entire time, facing a wall or half wall, with my knees held against each other. The wall is to place your fingertips against for stability. I'm up to 35 of these. 

There are also several custom exercises and stretches that I do to strengthen the ankles. 

Last night in class, I also did the dragon pearls again. These are arm, hand,  and core exercises done in a horse stance. 

I started feeling a cold coming on at work this morning, so I let the school know, and I am practicing at home for now.

Tonight I did my main leg exercises, several upper body full-range-of-motion isometric exercises, and on-the-floor core exercises. I finished with a set of knee pushups. 

Considering that I will be turning 64 in a month, I am very grateful to be gaining strength and mobility instead of losing them. At this age, this is the main point. Self defense is a side benefit to being able to preserve my ability to move on my own in my future years.

I feel like I started again just in time.

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors.

I bow to the flags of our nation and art.

I bow to the masters, students, and martial arts practitioners who have passed this art down to us through the millennia.

Thank you All.

Regards,

Dan Stafford

Happy New Year 2026!

New Year's Ball Drop with fireworks

WE had class for two days this week, both Monday and Tuesday. Last week was the same. The holidays have come, and the year is gone. Happy 2026 to all of you!

This Monday and Tuesday, I worked a lot on Horse stance and knee strengthening exercises. I also did the dragon pearls, and Jhoong Bong staff practice. National Instructor Ben taught me stretches specific to Jhoong Bong practitioners on Tuesday evening.

I also started learning blocks and thrusts, strikes, and switching figure eight directions.

As for weight, I was down to 299 lbs on Christmas morning, and back at 309 lbs by the Monday after Christmas. As of New Year's Eve morning, I was back down to 306 lbs and falling. On this level, I'm glad the holidays have passed.

We also did a lot of core exercises yesterday evening on the floor, which I think is at least partially Pilates. When we did these last week, I was sore around the abdomen until yesterday morning. Today, I'm a little sore in the quads, shoulders and pecs, and abdomen, but the good kind of sore where you know the exercise did what you were trying for.

We're getting rain right now, and since the only place at home with enough room for Jhoong Bong practice at home is the back yard, I'm out of luck. At least until the sky dries up.

Keep moving, eh?

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors and fellow students, to our past masters of the art, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

 

A Jhoong Bong Staff For Christmas

 

Jhoong Bong Staff For Christmas

My new Jhoong Bong staff arrived yesterday. It's a bit of a Christmas present to myself. I plan to stick with it until the Bo is a part of me.

Jhoong Bong Staff hung up

Practice yesterday and today was different. 

On Monday, it was largely stretches and strengthening exercises combined with energy meditation and breath work. This was much more of a workout than it sounds like. I broke a solid sweat by the end of class.

This evening, Tuesday, 12-23-2025, it was core exercises and kicks. A lot of it was done on the floor. 

I haven't tried many of these moves before, so I was starting from zero, referring to the core exercises, which are based on Pilates.

Thje kicks are another story - and towards the end, we were allowed to pull out the Wavemaster and practice on it, which was good. I was remembering my Tae Kwon Do & Karate classes from several years ago. Remembering, but having to rebuild the strength to get back to where I was then.

In all, it was a very good pre-Christmas workout.

I left a card for the staff at the school, hopefully they will find it.

Unfortunately, we're getting very rainy weather for the holidays, so I haven't been able to take the new Jhoong Bong outside and practice with it yet. I feel a little like a kid who got new electronics as a gift, but without the necessary batteries.

Still, it's good. The Jhoong Bong is very light weight. I'm looking forward to it. I think I'm going to call it "Dazzle."

I hope all of you reading this have a wonderful holiday and New Year!

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors and fellow students, to our past masters of the art, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

Celebrating 12-20-2025 - A Date Which I Will Remember

 

Jun Bo at Christmas

Today, Saturday was a wonderful day.

However, to set the stage, we have to look back at Friday, December 19th. 

On Friday, work was interesting, but not difficult. This was good, because I got out on-time, and made it to school on-time and returned after four days out to recover from doing too much with the pearls. My back had been one big cramp for a couple of days, and I had let it settle back down for a couple of days more.

Lesson: Never work a group of rarely-used small muscles more than one day in a row. Always take a day off between and do different exercises.

On Friday, December 19th of 2025, I worked on leg-strengthening exercises, and then on Jun Bo. It was my second round of training. Basically, in English, we would call the Jun Bo a quarterstaff. It's about 6' long in my case. I just really love the feel of working with this weapon. Learning to spin it and control it feels good physically. I was really feeling a workout in my shoulders, upper back, chest, and bicep/tricep muscles. It was a good, slight soreness afterwards, the kind that you know is building strength.

I love working with the Jun Bo enough that I ordered my own online. It was a very reasonable price, and it's a really nice-looking hardwood Jun Bo from what the pictures show online. It should arrive sometime Christmas week.

Today, Saturday, 12-20-2025, I stepped onto the scale, and I was at 299 lbs. I have not been this light since 1999. This is despite a few holiday meals.

Getting up off our couch or low chairs is now much, much easier. A lot of things are. My clothes are also all much looser-fitting.

Finally, I was also able to work with the pearls again today, though I only did two sets. I'm feeling good.

I came home and decorated the front room inside our house for the holidays. I got the wreath put up on the front door, and Christmas flowers in the planter on the front porch. I also put some magnetic decorations on the car.

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors and fellow students, to our past masters of the art, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

Overdone.

 

Workout Sore

I overdid it in class - worked with the pearls on an exercise to strengthen the small muscle groups in my back along the spine. I had a serious talk with those back muscles, and now they're seriously talking back to me.

Mental note: Treat it like weightlifting. Don't work the same muscle groups two days in a row, especially not groups of small muscles that rarely get used.

My bad, but it'll make me more aware.

It also tells me that these muscles need strengthening, but carefully.

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors and fellow students, to our past masters of the art, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

Wow - I'm Really Enjoying Jung Bo Practice!

 

Gong Bo

I got a thorough workout with my pearls today, and then National Instructor Ben started teaching us Jung Bo, which is a six-foot hardwood staff. I absolutely love it!

There's something about the staff spinning that, when it's going properly, just feels fantastic. Plus, it's something I can do without stressing my knee.

I didn't think I would want to do weapons training, but this one makes the most sense out of all of them. I often carry a walking stick when walking around the neighborhood because we have coyotes, and lot of people walk their dogs. 

I am totally going to dive into this one.

Also to note, there is a small ritual to observe when you pick up a weapon to train with; First, you bow to the flags in the room. Second, you pick up the weapon. Third, you bow to the instructor teaching you the weapon forms.

When returning a weapon to storage, you bow to the flags, place the weapon in its proper place, and then bow to the flags again.

Also, I picked up my new gi (uniform) from the tailor shop with the patches added to the sleeves and the pant legs hemmed up. Today was the first day I wore mine to school. Also National Instructor Ben presented me with my first belt, and taught me how to tie it properly.

It was one of my favorite days in school so far.

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors and fellow students, to our past masters of the art, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan 

The Synchronicity Of Pearls

I definitely was having trouble with my knee in class this evening. However, National Instructor Ben brought in an upper-body workout that I can push hard on while my knee is in the process of healing.

They're like bean bags, but what's inside is larger than your typical bean bag filling. I suspect they're a large type of organic seed, because we had to write dates on them. Apparently, they're only good for 4-6 months.

We were given two each, one for each hand.

Then we walked through a series of exercises that work the hands, arms, and torso.

I didn't know this when I prompted Google Gemini to create the jade dragon poster, but these workout tools are called "pearls." 

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors.

I bow to the flags of our nation and art.

I bow to the masters, students, and martial arts practitioners who have passed this art down to us through the millennia.

Thank you All.

Regards,

Dan Stafford