KF Newsletter 2016-5

Annual Black Belt Grading

This years grading was held at the Woolston Club, Bowling Pavilion. It was an excellent venue with plenty of space and good ventilation. Those in charge were very efficient in their various duties of organising groups of students to fight the candidates, first aid, materials and tidying up. The dinner at the Joyful Restaurant was excellent and we had close to two hundred people attending the awards function afterwards at the Woolston Club. It was a very good night. The candidates did well overall and all of them were promoted to their new ranks. 

1st degree:

Mr Mike Barthelmeh - HQ

Mr Daniel Dunne - University of Canterbury

Mr Ricky Tiong - University of Canterbury

Ms Corrin Vedder - Invercargill North

Mr Doug Haselden - Lincoln

Mr Scott Connelly - Lincoln

2nd degree:

Linus Lim Laoshi - Sydney

Mr Chris Allan - Lincoln

Mr Robert Wilson - Lincoln

3rd degree: 

Mr Wai Hoe Chan - Kelburn / HQ

George Pope Laoshi - Winton

4th degree: 

Kelvin Joyce Laoshi - Parklands

Andy Lane Laoshi - University of Canterbury

Events:

22nd Dec: Last day of regular training at HQ

4th Jan: Normal training resumes at HQ

14th Jan: Prof. & Mrs Wally Jay’s birthday Hawaiian party

28th & 29th Jan: SOTC Level 2 Instructors’ Retreat

11th Feb: Auckland GMC KF & BB Seminars

18th Feb: Canterbury KF Grading + Advanced

21st Feb: Canterbury TC 6 & 5 Ex Grading

25th & 26th Feb: Picton* & Regional KF & TC Seminars & Gradings

4th Mar: Canterbury & W. Coast combined training

17th, 18th & 19th Mar: SOTC Auckland Student Camp

25th & 26th Mar: Wellington* KF & TC Seminars & Gradings

8th Apr: Canterbury KF Grading

11th Apr: Canterbury TC 6 & 5 Ex Grading

22nd & 23rd Apr: Wellington* KF & TC Seminars & Gradings

Special Awards
 

Alan Logan Laoshi received a special award generously contributed by Mr Alistair Kidd, for his services to Chans Martial Arts this year. 

Ms Monika Mazurek-Finch was the deserving winner of the Penelope Lake Trophy for her spirit and effort in training even though there were other good nominations.

Jeff Humm Laoshi from HQ was promoted to 1st degree for his incredible spirit and efforts in teaching. He started training as a child when our main class was at training at Heaton Intermediate. He left training and but returned to train at Parklands branch and then at HQ during the last decade.

Ms Linda Miller and Mrs Michelle Clarkson were both promoted to 2nd degrees for teaching, making equipment, renovating the old HQ and for the thoughtful cakes and cookies at gradings and tournaments.

Training in the holidays

I would like to remind everyone to think about security when travelling, and leaving the dwelling with security arrangements. It is also important to eat and drink sensibly during the festive season as no amount of training can negate over indulgence.

It is best to stretch every morning before breakfast. Tai Chi Exercises and forms daily would be beneficial. Those who do not practice Tai Chi yet should go through the limber up routine, practice a few forms and some specialty techniques every day. This way you will come back primed and ready to hit the ground running. Even though this has been a tough year we have been making very steady progress. Next year should be a very good one if we can keep the momentum going. I for one am looking forward to much more improvements in the new year
 

Best wishes to everyone for a very Merry Christmas and safe and Happy New Year.
May Chi be with you,
Grandmaster SC Chan 2017

KF Newsletter 2016-4

Annual Camp

This years camp at St Peter’s College, Newmarket, Auckland had one hundred students and instructors attending. Commander Mr Tim Smith and his team did a great job making everything run efficiently. We worked on all our fundamental techniques with the usual emphasis on perfecting the side kick. The black belts spent a lot of time on the circle form and sensitivity drills. They also worked on energy release and pressure points techniques. Mr John O’toole and Mr Wai Hoe Chan helped those 1st grade and below to revise the syllabus. Mr Rob Wilson and Mr George Pope took the 1st grades through a comprehensive fitness assessment for their probable nomination as candidates for 1st degree. The feedback was that almost everyone had a very fulfilling camp weekend.

We have Moved

We had to move out of our HQ at Wilsons Road North on the 2nd of September. HQ students had to train at the local branches until we started at the Woolston Working Mens Club on Hargood Street on the 5th of September. So far, the facilities at the Woolston Club are very suitable for our classes with plenty of car parking.

Garage Sale & Auction

A big thank you to the Lane family and the members who helped with sorting and the auction and Sonya Laoshi for selling some stuff online. We have sold the old building and will need big hand to move everything left at Wilsons Road into the containers on the the 8th and 15th of October at 1pm.

Events:

8th Oct: Working Bee / No classes at HQ

11th Oct: Cant TCC Ex Grad

15th Oct: Working Bee / No classes at HQ

22nd Oct: Cant Grad

29th-30th Oct: Wellington Grad & Sem

4th-6th Nov: Auckland SOTC Instructors Camp

12th-13th Nov: Dunedin Grad & Seminar

25th-26th Nov: Annual Instructor Meeting & BB Grading & Awards

3rd Dec: No classes at HQ

6th Dec: Cant TCC Ex Grad

10th Dec: Cant KF Grad

21st Dec: Last day of regular training at HQ

28th Dec: Skeleton Class TCC/KF 5:30pm/7:00pm

4th Jan: Normal training resumes at HQ

Black Belt Candidates:

After careful consideration of technical skills, spirit, attitude, participation and overall effort the following have been invited to grade.

1st degree:

Mike Barthelmel - HQ

Daniel Dunne - University of Canterbury

Ricky Tiong - University of Canterbury

Corrin Vedder - Invercargill North

Doug Haselden - Lincoln

Scott Connelly - Lincoln

2nd degree:

Dr Linus Lim - Sydney

Mr Chris Allan - Lincoln

Mr Robert Wilson - Lincoln

3rd degree: 

Mr Wai Hoe Chan - Kelburn

Mr George Pope - Winton

4th degree: 

Mr Kelvin Joyce - Parklands

Mr Andy Lane - University of Canterbury

Shifu, Laoshi and Instructor

The traditional role of the Kung Fu teacher is to be the master of the students, who are the disciples. Shifu means ‘father of the skill’ and Toode is the apprentice. Ideally, the half a dozen students live in with master‘s family to learn, train and help with the household chores; in a loving relationship as that of a parent and adopted children. Of course in some cases students were treated harshly and exploited as we have in some abusive families in other cultures and times.

In the late eighteen hundreds, many urbanised kung fu masters had bigger schools and the students do not live in with the master. Some enlightened masters, such as Hou Yuen Chia of the Chin Wu school, decided that they should be addressed as Laoshi or teacher instead, in order to define the relationship more accurately and perhaps reduce the opportunity of abuse. Laoshi is still held with very high regard with strict protocols and is still respected as a surrogate parent of the student.

In our modern era, the role of our Shao Chi Chuan instructor should be that of Laoshi. We should now change to address all our instructors Laoshi as it is more meaningful. Even though most of our instructors have been assuming that role, its connotation is that of just a coach. 

Here are a few simple guides: Your direct teacher or mentor is your Laoshi. Other teachers can be David Laoshi or Barry Laoshi. Master instructors should still be addressed as Master Kinney etc. Assistant instructors and senior male classmate is Shi Xiong (older brother) or senior female classmate is Shi Jie (older sister), junior male classmate is Shi De (younger brother) and junior female classmate is Shi Mei (younger sister). Hopefully in using the correct terms will remind everyone of the appropriate relationships. 

Best wishes to the candidates and I hope to see everyone at the Black Belt Grading.    

May Chi be with you,   

Grandmaster SC Chan