CMA 20-04 09th Dec 2020
Black Belt Grading and Awards
The annual Black Belt grading started with a chilly morning for the candidates. The 1st grades were well prepared and performed with strong spirit all day. The 2nd and 3rd degrees wrote very good essays on the higher principles Shao Chi Chuan and were able to answer the oral questions very well. The 1st grades too had to answer the oral questions on technical matters, training responsibilities and protocols.
There was great support by Instructors and students from Invercargill to Auckland and places in between. It was great to see the endurance and determination of the 1st grades and the skills demonstrated by the seniors in the advanced forms and other tests. It is also heartening to see the enthusiastic participation by the students and instructors who had come to the event.
Over a hundred instructors, students and guests celebrated our 45th anniversary with a very nice dinner at the North & South Gourmet. After dinner we adjourned to HQ for the awards with short speeches by Master Kinney, Master Simons and myself.
Mr Dave Clarke, talked about the Penelope Lake Award which was instituted after the tragic death of Penelope to commemorate her, as well as to honour a person who has given more than the call of duty in training for the year. Jo Lake, one of the assistant instructors at the Terrace Tai Chi Chuan Branch taught by Aaron Lavack Laoshi is this year’s very deserving recipient.
We congratulate the following for their good performance and successful promotion.
1st Degree:
Nick Scott (Papanui)
Kent Gallagher (Greymouth)
Brendon Russ (Greymouth)
3rd Degree:
Mr Chris Mackenzie (Cashmere)
Mr David McQueen (North Canterbury)
4th Degree:
Mr Philip Marshall (Kelburn)
Mr Nick Haslett (Papanui)
Mr Nic Morrison (HQ)
It was a very nice get together to mull over the performance of everyone at the grading, events during the year, our 45 years of training and the direction for the future over a few drinks.
Once again, I would like to thank the students and instructors for their support at the grading and their outstanding loyalty in the past 45 years. Our future depends on your enthusiasm and continued support to continue improving and growing Chans Martial Arts.
Christmas & New Year
We will be breaking up for Christmas and New Year Holidays very soon. HQ will have its last training for the year on the 22nd of December and have the 1st day back on the 5th of January. If your classes are not yet running by the 5th of January, you can ask permission from your chief instructor to train at HQ till your regular classes resume.
It is a good idea to have a plan for training during the holidays. A three 30 minute sessions a week with: 1) stretching, 2) patterns & 3) bag work, will help to keep you in good shape and to hit the ground running when classes begin in 2021.
Focus in training
Continue to work on centre axis control, and on the ‘rounded’ shape to get more relaxed in your techniques. Enjoy your feel of sequential flow, leverage and delivery. Try not to blast, pull or push in the side kicks. Train with balance support and slowly extend your leg fully with 20 or more repetitions a time.
The simplest way to work on the ‘fighting mentality’ is just by visualising your opponent in all your drills. The sustained mental focus in training can calm the mind in a way that is similar to our breathing exercises. The advanced practitioner should work on Yi and Qi once the above are mastered.
These are the essentials of “The Stress-Free Way.”
Finally, we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Better New Year!
May Qi be with you,
Grandmaster SC Chan