Time For Intense Focus And Caution...

I have been having trouble with my knee for a few days now. 

I've had trouble with it since I was a teenager, so I am not surprised.

Certain moves in the form are twisting my knee out of alignment. Some of it is me not opening my foot properly before a turning move, and a few points are my feet sticking to the floor too much.

I've discussed it with the head instructor, and I will be focusing 90% on my footwork until I am able to work through this. I also will be wearing socks to reduce friction when I have to rotate my weight-bearing foot.

I really don't mind if this slows me down. Better to get it worked out properly and committed to muscle memory, rather than to do damage to my ability to move.

Inch by inch, so be it.

With respect, thank you for reading.

Thank you to the teachers and students who have gone before me.

Keep moving.

Dan

Grasshoppers In Dragon School...

 

Grasshoppers At Dragon School

Today at school was very good, in several ways.

First, the master of our art in the US was there. I got to meet him briefly. It sounds like I will be working with him roughly around February - near my birthday - for advanced training and guidance on progression. I do have long-term goals for learning martial arts, with the intention to be of service to others. I feel that this will be a good thing.

Second, our Head National Instructor was there. He has an excellent sense of humor, and was teaching me some seemingly minor positional changes to my forms that lead to much greater engagement of my body core in what I'm doing. It's amazing what a difference small changes make in strength, structure, and engagement.

I worked out quite well, but my knee was still giving me grief. Our Assistant National Instructor helped me with some stretching exercises. I still am certain that the damp, rainy weather we're having right now is part of it. I've felt most storms coming in that knee since I was at least thirteen years old. However, it did improve. I will keep doing this particular stretch daily going forward.

It still amazes me, the kindness of this school. They work with people of all races, genders, ages, and conditions with kindness, consideration, and compassion. This really is a community, and so far, I have enjoyed meeting every person I've connected with here. I am grateful to be able to learn here, at this particular school, at this stage of my life.

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

Thank you for reading.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

Rumor Has It...

 ...that the Master will be in town soon, and we'll get to meet him.

In this case, "master" is used as a title, and an indication of mastery of the art of Oom Yung Do, and meant with great respect.

I'm looking forward, actually, to see what this will be like. I don't know if the master will be evaluating students, teaching, or demonstrating, or just here on a social call. Somehow, I suspect it will be a bit of all the above.

I never in my wildest dreams thought I might meet of even speak to a master of a martial art. I thought such things in my life were relegated to the movies.

On another note, both practice and weight loss have had a tricky side this week. I really worked out hard on Tuesday, and my right knee was a little stiff and sore on Wednesday morning. I went and trained on Wednesday as well, and I was pretty sore afterwards. I've really been using the herbal recovery formula, and took the day off on Thursday for my wife's birthday. That helped with the sore knee. To be more accurate, my right knee has been stiff and achy, no sharp pains.

I worked out fairly solidly this morning (Friday), and that seemed to loosen the knee up a bit. I'm moving better now, and feel like I'm on the mend. 

However, Thursday off didn't help for weight loss at all. I was down to 303.8 Lbs on Wednesday & Thursday mornings. While I was off, I took my wife to her favorite dentist in Orange county. That resulted in me eating restaurant food twice in one day. I tried very hard to eat light, but the restaurant menus had no good options for that. Even skipping dinner, one day of eating in restaurants and not practicing put me at 308.6 Lbs this morning. That's about two weeks of weight loss gone in one day, for perspective. I feel like the Universe is warning me ahead of the holidays.

At the end of practice today, we did a walking meditation called "baghwa" walking. It involves controlling the breath and doing mental energy work, or pulling in Chi from the Universe. It's wonderful stuff, and leaves me feeling calm and energized.

I also took in the Jade dragon poster (I ordered a 24" x 36" print) in to a locally-owned custom frame shop here in town. The frame I chose is a green and bronze faux bamboo, with a natural hued linen matting, and low-glare, slightly matte finish glass. I'm so looking forward to hanging it in the Jade Dragon Lounge, AKA my home dojo. I'll post a picture of it hung after it is on the wall, but here's the image:

Jade Dragon Poster

Thank you for reading.

I bow to my instructors, and all who have preserved, improved, and passed down this art before me.

Thank you for reading.

With Respectful Regards,

Dan

My First Virtual Tournament...

Saturday I attended my first virtual tournament at Oom Yung Doe.

Tournaments in Oom Yung Doe are conducted in the manner of traditional martial arts tournaments prior to Westernization.

These tournaments are not sparring competitions. They are a series of demonstrations of various martial arts forms taught by the school.

Participants are judged on how well they have improved in their technique and form.

Everyone is cheering on the other participants. Good will is in the air, and the energy is very positive.

The demonstrations are amazing to watch. Participants are of all ages, races, and gender, and respect is not even a question. I am in my early 60's, and have watched demonstrations by students easily ten years senior to me and that left me envious of their ability to move in ways that I can't yet.

I know everyone there has worked diligently to achive these forms, and I feel privileged to be in their company.

The atmosphere is a microcosm of what I would wish and hope for greater society to become.

I demonstrated a short form of Tai Chi called Tai Guk Chung. (Update 11-14-2025: I looked it up in the study guide.)

We should get our results and access to videos of the demonstrations around November 22nd. I'm looking forward to it.

With respect,

Dan Stafford,

Bamboo Grasshopper.

The Jade Dragon Lounge Dojo...

The Dragon Lounge Dojo...

Space is all what you make of it,

Dusty wasteland,

Or useful living.

In this space something living is being created,

Learning,

Spiritual,

A suitable form,

A desired outcome,

Small treasures added each day.

The Dragon Lounge is being born,

A place to dance with Chi,

Find the center of my time and space,

Moving in meditation,

Soft as mist,

Hard as jade,

Hoping to fly.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford

© 11/08/2025

The Tired Horse...

The Tired Horse... 

Always working,

Always learning something new,

How can a thing grow old,

When it lives in a space of endless nuance? 

Tonight we started learning the barest inches of dagger form,

Tweaked our Tai Chi Chung,

Then practiced horse position,

As low as you can,

Halfway up,

Repeat until theee reps past burning quads.

Flex it out,

No,

Snap it out,

Front snap kicks.

Repeat,

Tired horse.

After meditation,

I practiced the rubber legs form,

But I don't think I will ever let myself,

I can't imagine,

Plopping down on a seat,

Not ever again.

My horse has earned a rest.

The Sun will rise again tomorrow,

But for now,

The stars can twinkle.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford

© 11/04/2025

The Latest Moves...

 

The Blues Of Feeling Better

So the latest, of course, starts with lots of practice. I try to get at least five one-hour sessions in per week.

The fun side: I'm getting a lot better at moving around. It feels like I've shaved five years off my gait in two months. I've also lost 30-32 lbs since late April of this year. The pants are looser, which is better for kicking.

The bluesey journey is that I think I'll be fine-tuning these moves for the rest of my life. One thing to be sure of; Martial Arts instructors will ALWAYS find something you can fine-tune a bit more in your technique. Grasshoppers may grow and change, but to the masters of the art, they will always be their grasshoppers.

I love the energy work, and I love the physical activity. To be honest, I love the challenge of building muscle memory, strength, balance, and timing.

I'm starting to learn my third form, but am also still working on perfecting the first two. I'm also building foundational muscle strength with specific exercises.

We have a space at the front of the house where we had a full-size air hockey table. I sold it off to make room for a small "dojo," so that I can practice at home when school is closed. That air hockey had been played maybe ten times in ten years. We'd though our granddaughters would play it when visiting, but not so much. Then they moved out of State.

I still need to change out the lamp overhead for something lower-profile, and fill the Wavemaster so I can bring it in and start practicing strikes, punches, kicks, and blocks. However, here's the space as it sits today.

The padded, interlocking floor tiles I added today.

Life is, of course, all about the journey. I also grew up reading superhero comics. I enjoy the aesthetic.

With respect,

Dan

Bamboo Grasshopper