The New Year

Well another year has began. We lost two more 1st generation disciples because of different reasons. Ricardo had some visa problems so he had to return to Portugal, and Tom got in a car accident and is now unable to train so he was sent home by Shifu. In the other hand we gained three 2nd generation students. The new disciples are all pretty cool, i haven't had any problem with any of them. they seem to be taking their new lifestyle well, and they appear to be training hard. I sense that they will be a good addition to our brotherhood here at the YMAA retreat center. In a more personal level, I am feeling good, the new training is difficult, but i am enjoying it very much. Like i mentioned earlier, we are done running the mountain which has given us enough time to do many new things. Some of the new training includes practicing sequences, basic staff conditioning drills, basic bag work, hitting wooden poles for arm conditioning, balancing skill, and staff stinging to build accuracy. We are also still doing all the old training, especially arm conditioning because Shifu says, that we are not ready yet. I feel like this second year is flying by. As i predicted it has been much easier than last year because I am becoming more accustomed to living here. My mind is more focused, and I can meditate better and for longer periods of time. And my physical body is stronger and I can endure more straneous activity without injury. I think that the training has deffinetly payed off so far, and am anxious to see the final result of the ten years. Shifu has even asked Jon and I if we wanted to start small circulation, but we both refused and told him we needed some more time. But since he asked us this he must feel that we are ready.....or maybe he was just testing outr morality?. Shifu is really amazing and sometimes i think he has powers....lol seriously. Sometimes The guys and I would talk about something during dinner at the cabin, and the next day Shifu would bring up the same subject. This and other things have happened on many ocasions. He is very good at sencing energy. And I am glad that he is my Master. I Wish that one day my GongFu can be as good as his, and to one day be as humble as he is.
My magazine article came out this month as well, it is my 1st, and I am very exited. The magazine is called (Kung Fu Taichi magazine) and the article that I wrote was about "Basic TaijiQuan practice". I hope that all the readers will enjoy it, and please tell me if you liked or disliked something, it will help me in the future...thank you.

by the way sorry for not posting anything for SOOOOOO long, I will try to blog more.

PNM