Special Needs Hip Hop, Some More Hip Hop and I do Kung Fu

Monday.
This place I work, asks me to stay late and cover T every week, who I haven't seen since the week before the Emmy's. And before then it was every other week. In an effort to be extremely flexible, and a model employee... I eagerly say yes! Every time, while I sigh on the inside.

This class is...special. And by special, I mean it is a special needs hip hop class. Which every week I am not prepared for, and I have to make it up on the spot. 

If you remember my down syndrome diva story, you'll know that the group has two divas, in which one of them told me she needed to work on her solo. So of course the other had to as well. I'd put in enough time already that day, so much I wanted to flee the building...But there was no redirecting them.

"Ok." I mustered up my last bit of cheeriness. "Well do it really fast."

About 4:29 into the first solo, I began to question that the endless twirling and hair flipping might be all improvised.  Finally it ended with a dramatic split and the next diva handed me her CD.

I have no idea, Van Halen? Jimmi Hendricks? Whoever those guys are that play rock and roll? And at 4:59 I knew that she was making it up as she went along. There were signs. Repeated air guitar moments, when she came and and tried to sit on my lap, movement that really did not go with the song... I thought about fading out the music...But what would the repercussion be if  I did that? I finally asked during some snap, touch your toe, steps.

"Are you making this up as you go along?"

"You know it Baby!" And we clocked out just past 5 min and 30 sec.

Dear Lord. I just wasted 10 minutes I'll never get back.

Tuesday
So after Monday and watching some TED Talks. I decided I wanted to quit all my jobs. I didn't. But seriously, I was wilting on the inside from lack of inspiration and purpose. So I decided to go take my first dance class since... well I won't even tell you. I took hip hop. It was awesome. And I'm pretty sure the only reason I could keep up was because of Kung Fu :)

Tuesday Later
Back to Kung Fu. Wildly swinging fists. High kicks...though I didn't even care about fighting today. So I paired with gentlest, mild-aged lady who comes to Fu to escape her terrible job. Though the Sifu made sure I didn't go to fast and hit her by accident in the face.

Now that I think about it, maybe all of us are at Kung Fu, deep down trying to escape something... dun dun duuunnnnn! Haha. Seriously. The only thing that I look forward to is Kung Fu. Don't know how I made it in life for so long with out it.

Here is a picture from tonight of me sort of refusing to do Horse Stance correctly... that's like the only thing I don't like about Kung Fu lol. 

Horse Stance

Argentinian Tango, Gymnastics, and Kung Fu

ARGENTINIAN TANGO:
This is literally the 7th different introductory paragraph I've written for this post. And I'll just come out and say it. I probably was a bit too eager and enthusiastic in trying to connect with M and T, the Russian couple, from Russia. But now I am committed, in an unofficial barter contract, in which on the receiving end they are teaching me the Argentinian Tango.



 (Video is legit Argentine Tango, at least this is how the Russians do it.)

When the three of us work together, it's almost as if I am speaking Chinese, and they are speaking Russian, (even though we are both speaking English). And when you are standing as close as you do in the Argentinian Tango, that's quite a lot of decibels of Russian flying into your ear. And you have to stand really really close-

(SIDE STORY- This boy I went on dates with in HS tried to teach me ballroom at 6am this one time for an audition at my University, and I didn't know you had to stand so close in the waltz. The whole time I was thinking, "Are you sure your wife is okay with you dancing like this, with me?")

You guys know I always go in for the side hug, (save for those two people ;) Well in the Argentinian tango it's a boob hug embrace all the way. All the same I nodded, yes'ing, most eagerly, promising to practice all my steps. And so it will continue next week.

GYMNASTICS:
For the second Saturday in a row I found my self at the Gymnastics academy, kind of bummed out at the hours of wandering time I had before Kung Fu. I already spent enough time wandering the mall this week in between inconvenient teaching hours. So I decided to resume my Gymnastics training from September.

And after being spotted on some terrible back handsprings, I finally did some good ones. I really should just stay committed to my gymnastics training. It would make me better at Kung Fu, Dance and who isn't impressed by that one person who can do back handspring and back tucks? I'd be a shew in at any audition ;)

KUNG FU
I go public in Kung Fu March 22. And I will make a promise to my blog readers that by March 23, no matter how good or bad the performance is, I will post a video on my blog. (And if it's good, on Facebook lol.)

I spent Saturday fighting A, the Sifu's wife.  She's my height and youngerish, (like late 20's/ early 30's). I wouldn't say that our fighting is effective, no it's not at all. R finally came over to show us how it's done, and in faster than a second I was staring at ceiling. It happened so fast I hit my occipital lobe area lol. You don't want to meet R in a fight. I was standing there and he took me down before I knew what was happening.

My Favorite Martial Arts Story

The was a Karate Master named Mas Oyama, who hailed in the martial arts world known as "God's Hand". He sliced bottle-necks, broke rocks, killed bulls in a single blow, defeated hundrerds of martial arts masters around the world. He was one super human fighter.

He traveled to Hong Kong to meet a legendary Tai Chi master. When he arrived the Master was frail and looked as if he belonged in a nursing home. Oyama thought the Master would never except his challenge to fight, but the Master offered to spar with him. Oyama believed he could defeat the old man easily and quickly.

He was was unprepared for the task at hand.

 The Master was able to neutralize all the Karate attacks Oyama could deliver, using smooth circular, arc-like movement and techniques. On the other hand, when the Master counter-attacked, it was with a force that could not have come from a man his age. It was all Oyama could do to evade him, using linear, sometimes awkward movements. Seeing NO sign of fatigue in the old man, and having exhausted all his techniques, Oyama gave up, admitting that he could not beat the Tai Chi Master.

Oyama stayed with the Tai Chi Master to train and revise his personal Karate style.

There was an old saying in 19th century Chinese martial arts circle, "Tai Chi is the hardest kung fu to master, but once it's understood, it is the master of all kung fu's..." 

http://indomaster.nl/taichi-karate.html
Source that I partially plagiarized from lol