Last night I attended my Kung-fu class. My attendence has been poor recently, partly due to getting a cold which lasted almost two weeks, but mostly due to the demands of being the father of a newborn son. However, I am planning to get back into training on a regular basis, hopefully training kung-fu twice a week at my club, plus some additional weight training at home.

Last night the class was small, but intensive. We warmed up with grinding arm (Chy Sau), which soon tired my shoulders and arms. We then did some forearm conditioning and sensitivity training, which is like one step fighting applications, i.e. one person attacks, and the other reponds with one of a series of techniques.

After this we did some form work, mostly concentrating on the Sarm Bo Jin second stage (Yee Kup sarm bo jin, which is used to develop the Gen/shock power), the two person fighting form, and some basic drills, such as hammer hands drills, palm strikes etc. I never remember the names of these drills. One if very circular in nature, the application being a block, palm strike to side of head, neck hold then push / strike to neck. The others being linear in nature, driving forward with hammer fists, palms, finger strikes etc.

One of the final exercises was triple finger strike then a block going down to one knee. This was a killer for me, being so out of shape at the moment. Also the heat did not help.

Good news is that I had no problems with my ankle (twisted ankle and chipped the fibula in November last year, still gives problems at times). Shoulders and legs are aching today.

Feels good to be back in training, but will I be ready for the grading in a month's time? Maybe if I do not miss a lesson. Right now I feel that this is my last ditch attempt to get fit, and lose the belly fat that I seem to have accumulated over the last few years. So my goals are:

Improve Fitness, to be able to run 7 minute miles
Increase Strength, core strength for fighting, and build muscle
Lose Belly Fat, and reduce over all fat, to become a lean, mean(ish) fighting machine.