Monk Spade

Well we've started the Monk spade. I have to say it's the most physically demanding form yet... Generally our forms require a lot of physical endurance but this form feels like I have a bar bell I'm attempting to do kung fu with. A weird combo of 'pumping iron' and fluid motion. It's a pretty tricky combination for me.

A lot of the guys in our class are not struggling as much with the physicality of it as my sister and I, but I have faith. We've kept up with them thus far, this will just be a bit more of a slow run from the beginning and a fast sprint later on. Once we've built up some more of the upper body strength we'll be set. The trick with this weapon seems to be that you have to use your whole body together to get the coordination and flow. And being as I'm not so strong, I just have to use my whole body. So in this sense I'm a bit ahead of the game. I don't have enough arm strength to be using just my arms to swing it around my head.

This is me being positive about the whole situation. About half way through every class I'm hoping for rain, just so we can have a class off from practicing the monk spade. Our shifu has an interesting approach to training. We don't start off slow and work our way into building up the strength. He approaches with the attitude that the more you practice it the stronger you get. All I can say is that I hope tomorrow my arms have recovered a little. My poor triceps.