Here I Stand - Building Your Foundation

USPA NEWS - In this third of five articles, you will taste the efforts from Kung Fu class as you rise above the challenges you´re faced with. These classes will build more than your mind, body and soul...

Classes Prepare The Heart, Body & Mind

Attentive optimism, excitement and fun are all rolled into one as students timely appear for their Here I Stand class with Sifu Armand Doucet. Though it is already quite warm from the summer heat, the sweat has not begun to drip from the brows of every student, but it will. Sifu calls them to begin partner warm-ups and stretching. After a time, he gathers all into a circle of faith. This is where Sifu imparts nuggets of wisdom into the hearts of each student, intending to help guide them in the right direction.

This brings me to one of my favorite quotes, “I heard a story about two farmers who desperately needed rain and both of them prayed for rain. But, only one them went out into his field and prepared to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain?“ - Facing The Giants by Kendrick Brothers Production

We must always be ready to gladly receive whatever God chooses to give us. Think of your body as a metaphoric field. Have you prepared your fields to receive the rain? Do you trust that God will send the rain? Everyone that participates in Here I Stand Kung Fu classes is there to prepare their fields to receive rain.

Sifu may say, “OK, it´s time for us to go prepare our foundation´s. Let´s gather in a circle in wide legged stance touching foot to foot.“ At this point there are a variety of exercises Sifu may pull out of his tremendous training tool chest. Today it is the ten pound ball and two three pound balls that will be passed from person to person like a hot potato while staying in wide-legged stance. Ten or twenty repetitions to the left then the same on the right. The bigger the class size, the longer students stay in wide-legged stance. Sifu may say,

“Focus on the ball and your technique. Don´t worry about the tiredness or pain in your legs, they are your foundation. If your foundation is weak everything else will crumble too. Hang in there, just a few more seconds. You can do it.“ A brief thought; is this an exercise of disciplining the mind or the body? If you said mind, your are correct. To make a movement turn into a muscle memory you must first train the mind to accept the movement and the body will follow in time.

A Shaolin proverb states "I don't fear the 10,000 kicks you've practiced once. I fear the 1 kick you've practiced 10,000 times.“

Now that we are sufficiently warmed up and the sweat is pouring off of our brows, the real work can begin. From here on everything you learn strengthens your foundation and builds the cornerstones of Kung Fu. This is where a student begins preparing their body to train for three major disciplines taught by Sifu Armand: Chinese boxing of Wing Chun, Shaolin 5 Animal Style Kung Fu and Gwi Long Sao (Ghost Mantis Hand). Our journey to attain peace, at times, may only be found on the other side of war. Not by our choosing, but by the enemies´ demand. Let us go prepare our fields (bodies) to receive the rain (lessons).

See you in two weeks with part 4 of Here I Stand - Warriors Of The Light

To sign up for classes in either of Here I Stands´s two locations contact Sifu Armand

Address: Here I Stand Kung Fu
13 Farrar Ln
Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917

Phone: (401) 300-2539
Website: http://www.hereistandkungfu.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HereIStandKungFu/

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