nothing and no one

the september daikon festival is coming up over at the honbushin. this year, as part of my taiji demonstration, i'm forcefully volunteering my class to perform the first form in front of a live (as opposed to what? dead?) audience. i'm going to be performing with them, calling out the movements. there is one awkward part of the form where everyone turns around. usually in class, at that point, i run over to the back of the room so everyone can see me (today, it was more like limping). but i can't do that at the performance. so i opted to just call out all the movements, and hopefully, that will be enough.

i also want to do the sword form, though i need to polish up on it, particularly with my recent bum knee.

i've been trying to systematize the ideal taiji training regimen. not like i'm going to apply it, particularly on the senior class, because i don't know if they'd be interested in it. most people like to do forms, which is fine. personally, i'd like to get at the heart of taiji, become really good at it, so that i can understand (thoroughly) issues like rooting and fajin. and maybe, while i'm at it, kong jin. confirm if it really exists.

a lot of the training should be pretty static. begin with zhang zhuang, or pile standing. postural training solo. and then, adding vectors: for example, practicing ward off posture against an immovable object, like a wall. or practicing roll back while pulling on a large rope attached to a wall. then, testing posture with a partner; having a partner apply pressure to various parts of your body (by pressure, i don't mean swinging a bat or even punching; just gradual steady pressure to test "structure") while you maintain a stance.

that's the beginning stuff. developing a core, an "infrastructure." after that, i'd work on more dynamic aspects: transitions, for instance. performing forms smoothly. maintaining core while in movement. applications of the movements...

...more nonsense on my to do list.

***

this evening, i will meet, face to face, kendall. he was my friend from like the first or second grade. he used to live down the hill from me. i lived in a culdesac at the corner of this "block." if i rode my bike down the right (from my culdesac), i'd plummet down this sharp hill (at least it seemed sharp) on holaniku street, and eventually reach his house.

i remember one day when it was raining pretty hard, the two of us playing with some hot wheels cars on some plastic runways and ramps... i THINK it was the first time i had ever played with him (outside of school), AND the first time i actually played with a "friend" period.

anyway, by the third grade, he moved away, moved to town. i know he went to st. patrick's, maybe some other schools out in town. but we managed to keep in touch, largely due to his efforts. i would sleep over at his house (he lived in a variety of condos, from the "admiral?" to that big one with the brown railings on kinau...). we would venture across town, i remember us going to "froggies" back when it was still around on the corner of king and (?). weird, but i have these strong memories of creeping through the adult section aisle, seeing pictures of hairy women with large breasts, and smelling the scent of old paper... i have this warped association now of all of those things: the late 70's, old paper smell, large breasts. no wonder i used to be a bookworm.

... it's a pattern for me. friends leaving. but much as it was difficult for me, i always sensed that it was much more for him. after all, i never moved away...

well, in any case, it will be neat to see him again, after 20 years or so...

[facebook is to blame!]