Seattle Wushu Center

My glutes and abs are feeling it 🤣. Time to rest, stretch and take it easy today, and back at it tomorrow.

Happy Wednesday! Thought of the day as I watch my Oasis Mini draw it's designs.

Oregon and nearby Washington friends! Don't miss this seminar with Kathy Long in Hillsboro Oregon, August 10th!

G.B.'s first time with the plastic ax throwing. Not bad! First stick under the bullseye, 2nd throwing knocked the first one off but he got the bullseye! He
was so stoked ! Focus determination and control 😊

Half the kids show up 20 minutes early to practice forms and are allowed 10 minutes of throwing before class starts, but only after they do their forms! 😊

Big shout out to our newest top fan! 💎 Norm Lane

In Tai Chi, it's said that in order to expand you must first contract, and in order to contract you must expand fully. Contracting is not a negative with connotations of slipping backwards . Rather, it is a gathering of energy, self awareness, which can then allow the body (and mind) to expand.

"Once set in motion, the whole body is unified and must be light and filled with Spirit" - Nei Ye, Inner Training, 4th Century BCE

From the archives, a seminar announcement at Seattle Wushu Center, for Sifu Kathy Long, from 2018

From the archives, Sifu Restita and a few CWTA Tai Chi team classmates at the Can-Am Internationals back in 1999

"Play is the work of childhood", I love this! People have often asked me why I teach such young kids when they're not learning "real" martial arts. I teach my kids real martial arts, but in a way they can understand!. The repetitions are achieved through different "gamified goals"....and even the serious discipline of being silent when teachers and giving instruction, is done is a way that is 1. Presents a goal 2.has rules to follow and 3. Has a sense of accomplishment and 4. Teaches kids that not all "rewards" are monetary or desire based. Feeling good about accomplishment is a reward too!

Some people in the past have even suggested that I give up teaching kids because the kids arent learning "real" martial arts. 😡.

If you don't want to teach kids because your art "is for killing and maiming only and not quotes for kids", then good for you but leave me to do what I do, (and just admit you don't know how to teach kids! 🤣🤣).

Please allow your kids to play! It is how they learn and explore their environment!

Teaching kids stuff teachers think are easy but difficult for kids:
Upward strike (upper block or similar in other arts) is seemingly an easy technique for older kids and adults, but can be challenging for very young kids. I had to figure out a way to get the little ones to not rest their fist on their head, straighten their arm completely, or bring their arms around in a huge arc.

Yayyy for painter's tape. I drew little "pinky rockets" and asked each 4 pm Mighty Mites class member, to look for the triangle that their pinky knuckle makes, and point it to the sky, sort of like a rocket. I then took the tape and put it exactly where it should be for their "pinky rockets".

The concentration the kids had as they practiced, was awesome as they made sure their pinky rocket markers were "taking off ". 🤣🤣 Granted, this little'un can bend their arm just a smidgen more and straighten the wrist but at least the placement is there and it's just her 4th class. Just 10,000 more to go until getting it down. 😊

Then one of the kids called the markers "pinky points". I like that term better. 😊

(For my friends out there wondering why our upward strike doesn't have more on a bent arm, our method of Kajukenbo has a slightly more extended arm than a traditional Karate "Jodan uke".)

We are closed today, classes resume Saturday July 6th on the usual schedule. Have a fun and safe 4th of July, students, friends, and colleagues!

Badass Sifu Kat!

Photos from Sifu Kat's Kung Fu San Soo class this past Saturday

Pre-Show poses from a couple members of the Li Hengda Dance Academy, at their performance "Rhythm of Dance. My Tai Chi students Linh (kneeling on right) and Tammy (not pictured) are performing tonight.

"Where da Kajukenbo Sistahs at?" 😊