Training over the past few days has been pretty good, though compared to the usual scarcity of training in my schedule, considering how much free time I have, just about anything constant is good. Thursday was a fairly heavy day (by my standards), in which I did 750 strikes, some standing and some turning. Friday was comparable, with 850 strikes and twice as much standing practice (same amount of turning). Yesterday was relatively lighter, with only 350 strikes, with about the same amount of standing and turning. Today is looking favorable, though I'm still not done. My striking practice is proceeding apace, and happily I can say that in the last three days I've done no less than 10 minutes per day of turning and 2 min. of standing (1 min. in Lion posture on each side). I've been trying to incorporate more standing into my regimen for some time now, though it has been about as intermittent as the strike-training sessions, which typically constitute the large part of the regimen. Up until now, circle-walking hasn't figured very prominently in the training schedule at all. I'm changing that.
From what I've heard, the stated goal of any serious YSB practitioner, according to He Jinbao and other higher-ups in the organization, is one hour of turning per day. And from accounts I've read from those who have attended any of the seminars, He Jinbao will typically have people spending at least an hour on it on any given seminar day. So, if I'm to get the most out of a seminar once I eventually get the chance, I'll need to be capable of doing that. Which leads me into the main topic of this post: goals.
Short-term goals (next couple of weeks):
1. Finish my goal of 10,000 Inside Pushing Strikes - Even though this is Dragon system material, and I plan soon to take up Lion full-time, I am continuing with this for a number of reasons. Partly, because it is still Yin style, and any Yin style training is arguably good training, or at least better than not training. Mostly, because I am stubborn--I've been working on this goal for some time now, continually restarting it, and I want to finish it. Primarily, as an extension of the previous reason, it's because I set this arbitrary goal as a test of my commitment, not my ability. I knew I could do it, if I only worked hard enough and consistently enough. What I didn't know was if I was capable of working hard and consistently at it. This is meant to prove that to myself. Maybe it's a pride thing. I don't know. But I do know that keeping commitments to other people is easier than keeping them to myself, since we're always willing to cut ourselves a little slack (who's to know?). Knowing this, if I can keep this commitment to myself, then I know I can keep it to someone like He Jinbao, since I don't want to disappoint him with any half-assed efforts and thus waste his valuable time.
2. Improve my circle-walking practice - Like I said, this has never been a particularly constant or prominent aspect of what little training I've done up to this point. That has to change. At the moment, 10 minutes is about as long as I can go before my arms give out. From this point, all of my developmental circle-walking will be with the Lion representative posture. My goal for right now is to continue doing at least 10 min. per day, trying to increase that to 15-20. My walking stance right now is a reasonably comfortable mid-level--once I'm more sure of myself in making certain that my stance is structurally correct I will start lowering my stance to really work my legs.
3. Increase the time spent doing the standing-strengthening postures - As I'm getting back into the Lion system, most (if not all) of my standing will be in Lion. Over the past few days I've been averaging about 2 min., meaning that I spend about 1 min. in the stance on each side of my body. I'm not really going for distance right now, so each session of standing will continue to be 1 min. per side. However, I intend to stand for an increased number of such sessions every day, and I'd like to get that up to 10 min. per day, for the short-term.
4. Start fully training Lion system - This has already been touched upon above, but it deserves its own explanation. Once I finish my goal in doing the Dragon system Inside Pushing strike (as detailed above) I plan to begin working totally on Lion system material, as it is not only the best way to truly begin my training, being the most developmentally strenuous system, but also so that I can be more or less on the same page as practically everyone else practicing YSB, since He Jinbao starts pretty much everyone on Lion so they can get the proper foundation. When I started out in Dragon it was partly because the description of its methods and "personality" appealed to me, but also partly, I suspect, because I wanted to be doing something different from everyone else at the time. Now, however, I'd much rather be in a position to get better feedback from others by virtue of the fact that they have already worked extensively in what I'm doing.
Mid-term goals (next few weeks-months):
1. Tentative training goals - Increase standing time to 20 min. per day. Begin standing in at least two of the remaining 8 Lion postures. Increase turning time to at least 30 min. per day. Begin stationary drilling for the three basic Sweeping strikes (though probably mostly sticking to the first, the Rising Sweeping strike).
2. Secondary (vague) training goals - Improve arm and leg strength, waist strength and flexibility, as well as all-around physical endurance.
(After securing employment)
3. Resume attending local YSB study group (assuming it still exists). Would that the meetings were free, and I suspect they would be, if not for the fact that the group's facilitator has to reserve the space, requiring money. Since I plan to resume training the Lion system, I'm going to need instruction and correction, and that's best obtained with the help of others. It's probably been about two years (or more) since I've last been to the study group, so I'm a little worried at this point as to whether or not it actually still meets. I still remember a fair amount of what I learned there, though I still would really like to get some corrections and advice again. In reading Jim Lindsay's blog I've taken a number of points of advice to heart. One of these is that group meetings and seminars shouldn't be the place where you do the most work. They should be for getting instruction, correction and advice, as well as being able to test applications and the like with other people. The greater part of the training is solo. In the past, however, I was more likely to do the majority of my training at the group itself, for an hour every Saturday morning. Usually I'd be so overwhelmed by how exhausted I was that what I learned was probably minimal compared to what I should have been getting out of it. Lesson learned.
4. Buy the full set of Lion system dvd's. I already have the applications dvd for the Sweeping strikes, so that helps. Also, look into getting a dadao (or reasonable substitute) and a straight sword (in anticipation of the upcoming jian dvd), as well as the YSB saber and (eventually) straight sword dvd's.
Long-term goals (next year or so):
1. Be able to do at least 30 min. of standing per day, including most, if not all, Lion standing postures. Be able (hopefully) to turn for an hour while holding the Lion posture, in a moderately low stance, without lowering my arms. Gain a halfway decent amount of experience with the Sweeping palm strikes (as much experience as can be had in a year of constant training), as well as exploring the other 7 attacking methods in the Lion system. Begin learning some of the forms at the "learning speed", at least enough to know the movements.
2. Attend a seminar. By the time the next fall tour comes around I should have enough money to attend. Hopefully, unlike this year, there will be a seminar in Portland at that time. I'm probably not going to make much substantial progress until I actually have the opportunity to learn from (and be corrected by) He Jinbao himself. I look forward to being tossed around like a rag-doll for the sake of greater learning opportunities.
Some of these, particularly the longer-term goals, will probably change somewhat as time goes by. I remember that it wasn't all that long ago that my goal of doing 10,000 Inside Pushing strikes was a long-term goal. That probably contributed, psychologically, to my inability to actually accomplish it in the last five years that I've been trying to do so, because it was always something that I'd "get around to eventually." That's not gonna cut it. Not this time.
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