Hello AMAI Family!
In this blog series, we will post reminders of what the students worked on during the previous week. This gives you or your child ideas for how to practice at home between classes. If you need extra help on any movements or sections of the form, talk to your instructor about adding a Private Lesson for one-on-one review, or a Virtual Membership onto your current membership to unlock videos that break down every section of your form and every technique!
Last week was the seventh week of our Fall 2021 Quarter. The Lil Dragons are learning Nan Quan and the BBC students are learning Crane Style. Check out our YouTube channel for form videos to watch in between classes!
Lil' Dragons: The Lil’ Dragons continued working on their Nan Quan form. Many of them got to walk like some of their favorite animals! Try walking like a tiger on all fours staying as low to the ground as possible. Walk like a crab by sitting with hands and feet flat on the floor, push up and hold yourself above the ground and walk around for a fun warmup! This week’s technique focus was a Block Block Punch! Practice your Block Block Punch at home by using the two blocks to stop a bad guys incoming punches and then punching them away in a strong bow stance!
BASIC Program: Students in the BASIC program reviewed their Five Stances Form this week, focusing on Section Three. Our technique focuses this week were Cat Stance Flash Palm, and Line Kicks. This means that we worked on timing quite a bit. At home, go through your form each day and see if you can time your stances and strikes together to add even more power to your strikes. Isolate your Cat Stance Flash Palm technique by sinking into your cat stance as you push forward with your flash palm. Try and hold your cat stance for 30 seconds. Challenge stay low in your stance as if you were sitting in an invisible chair.
Kids BBC Program: This week, the Kids BBC students reviewed Sections 1-2 and began focusing on Sections 3-4 of their Golden Crested Crane form. In our warmups this week, we ran through our test endurance, try and knock out 20 flat palm pushups crunches for 45 seconds 25 jumping jacks and a 1 minute horse stance. This is a great way to warm up at home and prepare for your test!. After you warm up, try to practice the whole form start to finish, including all of Sections 3-4.
Adult/Teen BBC Program: This week, Adult and Teen BBC students reviewed Sections 1-3 of their Golden Crested Crane form. We practiced the Section Four application drills which included defending from a punch towards the stomach, as well as stylistic training to strengthening the fingers. At home, you can work with your application drills by shadowboxing on an imaginary opponent and add in other Crane Style moves from your form and with the hand tools we’ve practiced in class.
Foundation Weapons: In Foundation Weapons class this week, students practiced Sections 1-4 of their 16-Step Straight Sword form. At home, see how much of the form you have memorized, and try to practice each section 5 times before trying the whole form start to finish. Work on your Inward and Downward Parry and practice creating a 5-move shadowboxing combo out of the techniques you have learned.
Advanced Weapons: In Advanced Weapons class this week, students reviewed Sections 1-4 of their Yin Shao Staff form. At home, try to perform the entire thing start to finish, memorizing the pattern of the movements. Try to begin adding performance energy into your practices a few times. In addition, keep working on your shadowboxing skills, creating 5-movement combos out of the techniques you've learned this quarter or in previous studies.
