Seminar with Mike Martello Sifu

Seminar with Mike Martello Sifu

This weekend was another seminar with Mike Sifu. The plan was "Six Roads of Mantis," a compilation of basic techniques in most Mantis styles like Qi Xing, Mei Hua, Liu He, Ba Bu and Chang Chuan Tang Lang. And also JiBenGong and applications.

Because at the two days, Saturday was for all levels and on Sunday only advanced were present, only a small group participated in the seminar, it was more intensive training, and all participants felt this as very positive. Also, I had the impression that Mike Sifu was not only accepting this situation but took this as chance to give everyone as lot of corrections and tips as possible.
On Saturday, we were able to learn all 6 Roads of Mantis, and then still techniques / applications from the Pai An (press and slap) Partner form. These techniques took Mike as occasion to explain applications and the importance of Shen Fa and Bu Fa in applications.
It was very exciting to see how Mike turns the simplest technique in an extremely effective attack situation.
At the end of the first day Mike then showed some ShuaiJiao techniques which caused a lot of fun.

The actual end of the day then was at home with us for a nice BBQ. Launch was the showdown of Nemo versus Picard, a second time Picard could decide for himselve! ;) But we have eaten very well and entertain us very nice, because once again a few new faces and stories were there, like Markus from Hanover, Puja from Cologne, Christian from Oxford and Ben from Hamburg.
After a lot of interesting stories were exchanged and when the students tired and satisfied found their way into the club rooms, Mike took the opportunity to give me a little (until deep into the night) Extratime. Or, in other words, there were a few very enlightening, practical instruction!

On Sunday, then gave it an even smaller circle still more intensive lessons. The 6 Roads were once again deepened and Mike added the applications to practice. Again, Mike was not tired to stress the essence of applications: applicability of the fight is only be achieved if the techniques were alive and practiced with intention, if timing and step work is correct and if the connection to the body exists! It was Topnotch!
After Mike then in a small Intermezzo did some QinNa with me, the Idea took place, and the second training session that day was QinNa. Even more than before Mike wanted us to be "Relaxed" and to use "Circular Movement". It was fun as always.

With two large pizzas we closed the day and Seminar! And all with the firm intention, to join the next seminar in October, when Mike is going to come with 3! other teachers from China!

A warm thanks goes out to all participants for joining and of course a big thanks to Mike Martello Sifu!

Group flow

A great example of large group training and not breaking group energy flow...
truly important for our group to feel and get energy from the group and club...

Mike Laoshi

Yang Tai Chi, 24 form

1. Commencing (Qǐshì)
2. Part the Wild Horse’s Mane (Yémǎ Fēnzōng)
3. White Crane Spreads Its Wings (Báihè Lìangchì)
4. Brush Knee and Twist (Lōuxī Àobù),
5. Hand Strums the Lute (Shǒuhūi Pípā)
6. Step Back and Repulse the Monkey (Daojuan Gong)
7. Left Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Zuo Lan Quewei)
1. Ward Off (Peng)
2. Rollback (Lu)
3. Press (Ji)
4. Push (An)
8. Right Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (You Lan Quewei)
9. Single Whip (Danbian)
10. Wave Hands Like Clouds (Yunshou)
11. Single Whip (Danbian)
12. High Pat on Horse (Gao Tan Ma)
13. Separate Right Foot (You Dengjiao), Separate Right Foot
14. Box ears (Shuangfeng Guaner)
15. Turn Body and Separate Left Foot (Zhuanshen Zuo Dengjiao)
16. Snake creeps down left (Zuo Xiashi Duli)
1. Single Whip Squatting Down, Snake Creeps Down,
2. Golden Cock Stands on One Leg
17. Snake creeps down right, Golden Cock Stands on One Leg (You Xiashi Duli)
18. Fair Lady Works with Shuttles (Yunu Chuansuo)
19. Needle at the Bottom of the Sea(Haidi Zhen)
20. Shoot Fan (Shan Tong Bei)
21. Turn Body, Deflect, Parry, and Punch (Zhuanshen Banlanchui)
22. Apparent close up (Rufeng Sibi)
23. Cross Hands (Shizishou)
24. Closing (Shoushi)

Click on the image to enlarge, you can print it out and use it as a support.

Seminar in Germany

Hello Everybody,

I like to invite all my fellow belgium Kung Fu Brothers and Sisters to Germany.

Mike will give an Seminar about some Tang Lang and QinNa. So I hope a lot of you will join and we can have some fun together (like BBQ etc in the evening!).

Here is the schedule:

Sat, 30 August, 12-5 pm
Tang Lang, Jibengong, QinNa
50 Euro

For those who are interested in staying over Night, there will be an extra Training with Mike Sifu on Sunday. (30 Euro) You can put your head down to sleep in the Clubs room: plenty of place, shower and mats.

Please send me a small note if you want to join!

Hope to see you all at the 30th of August!

Greets Jochen

Message from Mike Laoshi: Beijing to Belgium Update

Dear All:

Hope all has had a great Summer so far.... The camp was a success with the high point of 38 people attending and training... Everyone trained hard and ate well... Hot long days but great as usual like last year... Thank you all who attended and trained hard... 

 I will return Aug 6th and hope to see everyone in Training Thursday Night at the Docks....

Zhang, Yu, Sun and Rene all say hello and will see everyone end Sept and really hope many join us for the training Camp in October....

They are really excited about traveling to train with everyone, so please extend your Hospitality to them... 

Okay and see everyone very soon...

best,

laoshi

Happy Birthday Dieter! (our Kung Fu brother back from China! Wu Tan Martial Arts Camp)

Value of training basics? (a short notice)

Teacher Mike has been teaching Magaly and I the details of Erlu Maifu Quan, a long fist form. Once we get the corrections, we go often training by ourselves and helping eachother. Corrections were on alignment and correct movement. For every move, we try to work on the applications. Even though we are novices. It helps us to execute the moves with the right intention. When a move is executed with the correct martial intention, it looks more beautiful. Whenever there is extra time, we would do other drills. I would practise Tongbei and Magaly Shaolin.

Before in Beijing, I wasn't very convinced with Magaly's Shaolin form, only because there wasn't enough time for her to go through the form properly. Also, we didn't trained enough on the basics. Thus all movement were sloppy and looking ineffective. But recently, I saw her practicing the Shaolin form, and although not perfect, I could clearly see more crisp movements and strong rooting in her form. Suddenly, the form looks interesting.

This is a positive experience for us as students, it encourages us to train the basic (Ji ben gong, Long Fist) more.