SHAOLIN TEMPLE FIGHTING SKILLS - PART TWO

INVEST IN YOURSELF

At the Shaolin Temple, we get up every morning at five-thirty, and go for a run up the mountain. This is like putting money into a saving’s account. If we do not have the stamina then we will not be able to practice the skill. When we come back from the mountain, we practice five basic stances, five basic kicks and stretching.

Learning martial arts is no different from learning maths or English, if we cannot add two plus two then we cannot progress to algebra, if we cannot read the alphabet then we can never read Shakespeare. This is the reason we study these very basic skills. Only when our body is getting stronger do we then start to learn some internal and external forms, and only when our master feels we are ready do we progress to studying fighting punches and kicks and then start to fight in the ring.

THE IMPORTANCE OF QI

We also practice body conditioning. I specialise in Shaolin Steel Jacket. The reason I specialise in Shaolin Steel Jacket is because I am small – not much taller than 5ft 6 – so when I fight, I have to go into my opponent, and they are nearly always taller and heavier than me, which - without my body conditioning skill - would give them an advantage over me.

 I know it is difficult for many Western people to believe in Qi. Science still has not found a way to prove or disprove it. Excluding the Western understanding of the bodies anatomical system such as the nervous and respiratory system, within the human body there are a network of pathways which we call meridians, they carry Qi through out the body. They are like small rivers which when the body becomes stressed or ill become blocked. The Chinese believe in preventing illness rather than waiting for it to happen so we practice Qi Gong to keep a healthy flow of Qi running through our bodies. Sometimes I think we look after our cars, better than we look after ourselves. We don’t wait for it to break down before we give it gasoline, water, oil, or take it to the garage for a check up, so why do so many of us do that with our bodies?

BODY CONDITIONING

If we only want to keep healthy, then we will continue to practice healthy forms of Qi Gong all our lives, but if we want to be fighters then we learn to master the Qi and direct it into different parts of our body. The analogy I use is to compare it with the wheels on a car, they are useless without Qi – air – but by pumping simple air into its tyres the car is transformed from a vehicle with a powerful engine that can go nowhere to a vehicle with a powerful engine that can go everywhere.

Body conditioning gives us the confidence to come up against our opponent even if he looks bigger or stronger than us. With the Shaolin Steel jacket technique I put my Qi into my back and my torso and then I am confident that I will be protected from blows. My back and torso is like steel. It is my armour.

PLANTING THE FIGHTING SEED

All of this training is the planting of the seed. You plant an apple seed you get an apple tree. We plant a fighter’s seed, this means we set our motivation; we want to become an excellent fighter. We train hard - this is the cultivation - and then, after years of training, we start to become the fighter we always wanted to be.

THE FIRST FIGHT

But usually when we first go to fight, we are disappointed in ourselves. Training and fighting are very different. We may be good at training but that doesn’t make us good fighters. As Bruce Lee said, if you can’t hit your target, then what does it mean? And in the beginning, you may find it hard to hit this target who is no longer a pad, a bag or a fellow sparring partner but a determined fighter who wants to win as much as you

Nothing can prepare you for your first fight. But if you have trained consistently then you will know you are strong. You know you did everything to be the best. Doesn’t mean you will win but you will have the confidence to win. If you don’t have confidence then you can never win.

ARE THE SHAOLIN FIGHTING SKILLS FOR YOU

We all want to win. It feels good. But we must remember it is just a stopping point on the way, it is not our ultimate destination. And the Shaolin fighting skills are not a dream, and they are not a film, they are a life. So ask yourself, do you love the Shaolin Martial Arts? If you do then you must continue to train. Through hard training you will begin to understand that you are much more than you thought, through Qi Gong you will have health and energy, through meditation you will develop control over your mind. You will ultimately win the war over your ego. This is the highest martial arts of all, and one, which may take you many lifetimes to achieve.

Shifu Yan Lei offers a graded path of Shaolin Training for health, martial art, self-defence and fighting. For more details visit: 

www.shifuyanlei.co.uk

 http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/dvd_latest_release.htmlhttp://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/dvd_latest_release.html

What is the Most Revolutionary Idea in Fitness?

Simple—the idea that you get something for nothing.

Is that realistic?

In a word, No.

The truth of the matter is that it takes work to accomplish ANY goal, whether that goal is weight loss, shape and toning, or becoming president of the United States.

And the harder you work, the better your results.

Sure, people will tell you that you need to work smarter, not harder, and there is some truth to that. However, a well-planned training program incorporates hard workouts interspersed with easier ones or even periods of rests. But you need those hard workouts because they are key to ultimate success.

You also need to think in terms of a total workout, incorporating training, exercises, and drills that improve stamina and endurance, stress the cardiovascular system, strengthen all muscles of the body including those of the core, improve balance and coordination, improve reaction time, make you faster, and increase your flexibility. In addition, individuals who are training for a specific sport or event must also include sport-specific conditioning into their fitness routines.

This is the basis behind the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s (NASM) Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Model and also the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) Integrated Fitness Training (IFT) Model.

~Lori Dotson, CPT, CPFT, PES, BA, MS
President, DotsoFit, LLC

Copyright © 2012

U.S. FDA Approves First Artificial Pancreas Outpatient Trial

Did you hear the great news about the first artificial pancreas outpatient trial in the U.S. being approved by the FDA? I hope so and I also hope you can help ensure that progress like the artificial pancreas continues to improve the lives of those with diabetes by simply sending an email to your members of Congress. We need you to send an email to your legislators asking them to sign on to a letter acknowledging the important research contributions made by the Special Diabetes Program. The impact JDRF Advocacy can have on diabetes issues is only as strong as the support we receive from you, as a T1D advocate. Once you take action, please be sure to tell your family and friends and share this link (http://bit.ly/xUq1Dc) to the action page on your favorite social media sites! Oh, when you’re done taking action, you can get more information about the trial at JDRF Blog Post. Hasan Shah JDRF Advocacy

Related Links
Artificial Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 vs Type 2 Diabetes
Herbs for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

SHAOLIN TEMPLE FIGHTING SKILLS - PART ONE

EVOLUTION OF FIGHTING TECHNIQUES 

The Shaolin Temple in Henan province, China, was founded by a humble Indian Buddhist monk called Batuo around 495 BC. In 517 BC the Bodhidharma travelled from India to the Shaolin Temple, where he founded Ch’an Buddhism or what is more commonly known as Zen. The legend is that when he arrived at the temple, he discovered the monks were weak from practicing sitting meditation all day, so he conceived and taught them a series of internal and external exercises to increase their health, strength, and vitality. These later developed into what we now call Shaolin Kung Fu and Shaolin Qi (Chi) Gong.

Throughout the history of the temple, there has been a steady stream of monks bringing the best skills from the Asian world, combining them with ancient Shaolin skills, and then refining these modified skills for optimal effectiveness. The Shaolin Temple Fighting techniques are not pages from a history book but are something that are as alive and relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. Bringing Shaolin martial arts to the West is another chapter in the Shaolin book, and as a 34^th generation fighting disciple from the Shaolin Temple, I continue with this tradition today.


THE ART OF WAR

At the Shaolin Temple, as well as studying the art of meditation and Qi Gong, we also study the art of war. Long before guns, tanks, and bombs were invented, Shaolin martial arts were used in war. The monks had to find ways to change their body from vulnerable flesh, blood, and sinew into powerful invincible weapons. Not just their legs, arms, torso, and head, but also their internal organs, and most importantly their mind.

MIND = HEART = MIND = HEART

The Chinese character for mind is the same as it is for heart. In China we do not split them into two like you do in the West. Wherever your heart is so your mind will be. It is your heart or mind, which makes your world, everything comes from it. So when you train in the fighting arts, you must practice your heart at the same time as you practice your body. You need to understand yourself and be brutally honest. What are you good at? Improve this skill. What are you no good at? If you think you are good at everything then you don’t know yourself. Only when you know your own strengths and weaknesses can you control yourself. Only when you know your own strengths and weaknesses can you then go on to study your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and ultimately control them. This is the way to win a fight. This is also the way to win a war. But in war we are fighting with an enemy, in martial arts we are fighting with our own ego and our own inner enemy. We come up against this enemy continually in our training - when we feel tired, impatient, lazy, or we lose faith in ourselves or what we are learning. We especially come up against this when we are a new student.

Next week, in part 2 I show you how to become the best martial artist you can be.

Start training today at: http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/dvd_shaolin_offers.html

Chapter 1 Teaser

Over a year ago, I began writing about my experiences as the parent of a child newly-diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and after shelving the story for several months, I finally published it last fall. It's short, less than 50 pages, but it tells a story and it is educational as well (Buy the Book). I published it for myself more than anything else. There were some experiences and feelings that I wasn't quite ready to share with the world, such as my struggle with depression and the hardships I endured at my job at the time, and thus, did not get included in the final publication. Nevertheless, I still feel that the book is a worthy read for anyone who has been touched by the disease or who simply wants to learn more about it. When the time is right, I would like to some day publish the story behind the story, but for now, some of those memories are still too fresh in my mind and too painful to put out for the whole world to see.

Today, I'd like to share the first couple of pages of that book with you in hopes that you might consider a purchase to help a struggling new author like myself. At $5.95 and free shipping through Amazon Prime, it costs about as much as a Venti mocha latte with an extra espresso shot. Again, I regret that I did not publish the longer version that touched upon the core of my emotional experiences, but I need more time before I can release that version. Here goes...

Chapter 1 Diagnosis
The girl lay near motionless on the hospital gurney, her labored breathing barely audible over the constant beep of the monitors, a skeleton of a child clinging to life, dark rings circling her eyes, cheeks sunken like Edvard Munch’s The Scream from a century ago, a terrifying sight to any parent.

“What is it? What’s wrong with my daughter?” I asked the resident physician.

“Diabetes, ma’am, your daughter has diabetes,” he replied flatly.

“Okay, so what else can it be?” I said, disbelieving.

“Ma’am, this is the classic presentation of type 1 diabetes,” he said, now in a tone of great sadness.

Noticeably relieved that she did not have cancer or some other serious disease, I quietly wondered why the doctor and two nurses standing nearby seemed so sad. I vaguely remembered a kid from my childhood who would visit the school nurse each day before lunch for an insulin injection, an inconvenience maybe but not a big deal. I found myself lost in thought for several minutes.

Less than an hour earlier, clad in my over-sized black and white vertically-striped jersey, black knee-highs, and silver whistle, I was readying myself to referee my 9-year-old son’s soccer game when I could barely make out the muffled jingle of my cell phone in the distance. I jogged over to my bright yellow duffel, the one they give all coaches and referees, and clumsily fumbled through spare clothing, stakes, and flags in search of my phone. Had the call come any later, I would have missed it completely as we were only moments away from the coin toss and official start of the game, the final one of the season.

“Hello?” I said, completely unprepared for the words that would follow.

“Lori, now I don’t want you to panic, but they are taking Kaitlin to the University of New Mexico Hospital by ambulance…” my husband Rick began.

“What? Why? Is she okay?” I immediately interrupted.

“Just stay calm. Drive safe. And meet me near the ambulance entrance on the south side of the hospital.” He said in a steady voice, always the calm one.

I immediately disobeyed. Frantic, I uttered some unintelligible words to the coach about refereeing the game and taking my son home and then scooped up my duffel and scampered over to my vehicle, shaking and crying, not really understanding what Rick had just said. I hopped into my Honda Pilot and backed up without looking, robotically going through the driving motions, feeling like I was watching this all unfold on television, a true out-of-body experience.

As if transported by H.G. Wells’ time machine, I suddenly found myself near the ambulance entrance to the hospital with no recollection of how I go there; to this day, I do not remember the seven-mile drive from the soccer fields down to UNM Hospital. I briefly caught a glimpse of my precious daughter as they wheeled the gurney inside, bags of fluid hanging high above her soft blonde head, a white sheet draped over her tiny trunk.

Entering through the side door, I nearly collided with Rick who apparently saw me coming and must have sensed my shock and confusion because he guided me over to an isolated glass room in the ER where they had just taken Kaitlin.

“She’s okay, Lori. Just calm down. Everything is going to be okay.” He reassured me.

For the next four hours we stood in the ER while the doctors and nurses attempted to stabilize my daughter. Only in hindsight did I realize just how serious her condition actually was. My ignorance was truly a blessing in this case.

Kaitlin was admitted to the hospital with a severe case of ketoacidosis, a condition most common in people with untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus, formerly referred to as juvenile diabetes, and also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. Common signs of diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, include extreme fatigue and weight loss as the insulin deficiency causes the body to metabolize or literally eat away at its own muscle tissue rather than consume glucose for energy, leaving a fruity smell on the breath as if the person has just drank a bottle of wine. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, abdominal pain, excessive thirst, and frequent urination. In advanced stages, the person has shortness of breath, literally gasping for air, and may even begin vomiting. Left untreated, DKA can lead to a coma and even death.

For four hours we watched the digital display on the monitors in the ER, her blood sugar hovering around 400, her heart rate and blood pressure persistently high, a body under stress. At one point, I recall asking the doctor why they had not given her any insulin because that much I knew about diabetes—that she needed insulin. He replied that they needed to stabilize and rehydrate her before they could begin to treat the diabetes.

To buy the book, go to Buy the Book. Thank you.

~Lori Dotson, CPT, CPFT, PES, BA, MS
President, DotsoFit, LLC
Copyright © 2012

MOTIVATION

I am MOTIVATED

Just like you, sometimes I struggle with this.  What keeps me going is how good I feel from where I was when I was injured.  I have worked too hard to fix myself to ever give up on me…that is MOTIVATION!   I have progressed to modified workouts instead of straight up physical therapy and believe me I still throw in a bit of the PT just to keep me honest.  As I have shared and you know how I feel…Life is too short not to be my BEST ME…so even on those days that feel hard and hand me a “I do not want to  attitude ”…I DO IT.  That inner voice talks pretty loud, and on those days, I truly feel like I am having an out of body experience going through my workout…but…the important thing is…I AM DOING IT.  

Off topic, but not really…I came down with the bronchial flu…a not so fabulous share from hubby that has set me back going on 2 weeks of no workouts…YUCK YUCK YUCK…I would love to say more about how frustrating this makes me feel.  Why do I share this…hmmm…well, I write what pops into my mind and I am relating this to motivation because I am motivated to get back on track once my energy is where it should be.  I am no super human and this past week has definitely proved that, but boy am I determined and motivated to get back to it.  You see, my lifestyle motivates me…I miss my workouts, even on the hard days.  There is a saying that goes…”You regret those things you do not do”…Well, I know that if I do not maintain my physical fitness, my body will suffer the consequences.

I Want a Long Healthy Happy Active Life with Hubby

I have so many motivators in my life…My Faith in God…this is HUGE…I have respect for this gift of life in this body and it is up to me to take the BEST care of ME always…One Life, One Chance, No Rewinds…WOW…this gives me goose bumps.  My fabulous husband motivates me to take care of ME, to be my BEST ME for him…crap, I want to feel sexy, alive, and all those things not only for myself, but for him.  We have a common goal of living a long, happy, healthy and active life together. My children motivate me…WOW…I have 4 now and I want to be my BEST for them, spending time, having laughs, watching their lives unfold as they journey into adulthood…they are already there…AMAZING!  My Grandchild and future grandchildren are motivators…how cool it will be to be a fit and trendy Grandma…I want that for them…I want to be able to sit, play and move around with ease and scoop them up in my arms with confidence and strength.  My parents and family motivate me…I want to be a healthy example for them, to enjoy the wisdom of my parents, and share in the lives of my siblings; My friends motivate me…you know in this life, seriously, true friendship is a rare gift and I cherish a couple that I can call my gems in life…a chosen sisterhood.

My clients and those I touch on a daily basis to live healthy lives motivate me. I receive emails of gratitude and celebrate success stories everyday…and you know what…I am just the voice to provide the MOTIVATION…truly it is each person that has to make a personal choice to change…and when this happens, that is exciting and MOTIVATING for me personally. Wrapping this up, I am a collector of motivational posters and sayings and I share this information on my Stay Healthy Facebook page on a daily basis.  I get so excited with a new find and how it moves me to be a better person and I think…if it speaks like this to me, then I am definitely going to share it.  I began a Pinterest account…OH MY…this is absolutely the BEST place to find motivational posters on every topic under the sun…no kidding…check out my board specific to MOTIVATIONS! 

This blog has been a bit everywhere in my life, but when it comes to Motivation, it is such a grand word, and even more than that, it is one to think about deeply.  So….does feeling sexy in my clothes MOTIVATE me…a big YES, but it goes much more beyond that and each day could bring a different motivator, but overall…I am Motivated to be a healthy person…and I am Motivated to Motivate…Can I say that…does that make sense…I hope so. 

My Workout of the Day:

Recovery Period:  Recovering for 2 weeks from the flu…not happy but necessary to prevent relapse

Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date Cookies...YUM!

My Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup with splash f/f vanilla creamer & Stay Healthy Harvest Muffin

Juice/Shake Combo

Juice/Shake Combo with Egg Whites

Lean Turkey Spaghetti Sauce with veggies served over Quinoa

2 Stay Healthy Oatmeal Date cookies

Click Here to Check out My Pinterest Account and GET MOTIVATED!

Motivation of the Day: I Will Do This for Me

Newly Added to the In My Kitchen Page on the Blog

 Stay Healthy Caramelized Onion Bella Pizza Recipe

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED TO SUPPORT STAY HEALTHY FITNESS WITH A SHAKE DONATION…I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

STAY HEALTHY!

March 2012 Newsletter

My March newsletter featured the following professionally written articles and videos:

Weight Loss the Mindful Way If you’re trying to lose weight and not succeeding, part of the problem might be that you are eating mindlessly. Mindless eating means that what, when and how much we eat runs counter to both the body’s true needs and our own health goals.  Great Gluten-Free Grains If you must avoid gluten because of Celiac disease or if you’re interested in adding different whole grains to your diet, experiment with these gluten-free options. In their nutritional profiles, these ancient grains surpass the staples of wheat, corn, oats and rice in the American diet.  Build Muscle With Light Weights, Says Study Many fitness experts maintain that exercisers must work within the 8- to 12-repetition range to initiate muscle hypertrophy. However, a study published in PLoS ONE (2010; 5 [8], 1–10) suggests that low-load, high-volume strength training can also impact muscle growth.  Potato Millet Casserole Potatoes get a nutritional boost when combined with millet in this filling casserole. The nutritional yeast lends a cheesy flavor, along with B vitamins. Look for yellow, large-flake nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your health food store. The preparation method of this recipe is based on a traditional Lebanese dish called kibbi. Transverse Plane Lunge with Low Dumbbell Reach Trainer: Anthony Carey, MA

~Lori Dotson