Iron Crotch

[Drunk Monk]

We chatted as I wrapped up and we got to talking about G2 and her impact on Martial Arts here in the US despite her not being a martial artist. That might be a story someone should visit.

She would demure at such a story unless it was by Sing Tao or World Journal. 

I've been her ghost writer for years so it would be weird in a recursive sense for me to do it.

[Greg]

Poor DM had to spend yet another day listening to my inanities about the martial arts. At least there was pizza.

[Drunk Monk]

Mmmmm Jakes

[Greg]

We'll always have Jake's....

[thatguy]

When the moon hits your eye like a big a-pizza pie - that's a happenstance

--tg

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

When the moon hits your eye like a big a-pizza pie - that's a happenstance

--tg

Once is assault, twice is happenstance, thrice is a conspiracy to commit mayhem.

[thatguy]

Thrice is the best...

--tg

[Greg]

I dreamed Sandy Tu said they were going to be in Los Angeles for two months. I'm sure that's a sign.

[Drunk Monk]

[quote pid="74029" dateline="1726704940"]
Dr. Ivor Yeti
[quote pid="74027" dateline="1726703896"]
thatguyWhen the moon hits your eye like a big a-pizza pie - that's a happenstance

--tg
[/quote]

Once is assault, twice is happenstance, thrice is a conspiracy to commit mayhem.
[/quote]

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action
Ian Fleming, Goldfinger.

This line has always stuck with me, ever since I read it.

[Greg]

I currently have "You only live Twice" on the night stand in preparation to find the iron crotch but in the book.

It all comes around.

[Greg]

Happy to report the footage from the Bryant Fong interview is useable. At first glance, I thought it was too dark and muddy. I didn't even want to look at the files. But they turned out okay. I would have preferred some place more scenic, but beggars and choosers.

[Greg]

A wonderful day writing up questions for my new best friend, Shi Yan Xing.( New friend courtesy of DM) I hope to interview him next week, possibly on Tuesday.

[Drunk Monk]

Yanxing is a cool one. 

I mentioned him a bit in my Continental Shaolin Games report - see https://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php...ticle=1716

[Greg]

Another interview in the books. Or the hard drive. Or whatever the kids say.

Yanxing has a great house on a hill in Lafayette. I'm not sure how many people live there. I met Mary his business partner, maybe teacher as well. We started off with tea and a little discussion. I was fortunate to have brought sandals in my bag because we did swap out shoes. While doing this, I mentioned I couldn't walk around in bare feet because of neuropathy. This caught Yanxing's attention. He immediately wanted to put his Chinese medicine skills to use. They also wanted to feed me because they figured I hadn't eaten. It didn't matter how much I demurred, Mary and Yanxing wanted to feed me. It wasn't really a tea ceremony, more of a sitting around having tea.

The interview was a bit rough. I think Yanxing felt pressure to get it right which didn't help him talk naturally. Eventually, he did come up with some good sound bites. And he played me his chinese musical instrument, which was a great bonus. He uses the instrument as a way of working his Qi.

After the interview, we drank more Tea. This time it's Yanxing's special concoction and he wanted to get my honest reaction. It didn't do a lot for me. It started off tangy and then got sweetish. It kind of tasted like a soup. After that, he wanted to work on my foot. I forgot I have a new odd rash on my foot so we had to talk about that. And my granuloma Aruana on hands and arms. Yanxing put some tincture on the foot and then wrapped it in saran wrap to keep the napkin with the tincture in place. The tincture was on until after pizza. It might have helped. But my foot was back to painful on the morning walk.

All in all, an average interview. I think there are a few bits in there I could use. As usual, I wish for more.

[Drunk Monk]

Chinese tea ceremony is pretty much just sitting around having tea. It's very different from the formality of Japanese tea ceremony, which is painfully rigid. Typically, there's a water cleansing where all the tea instruments are warmed with hot water - the pot, the tiny cups, and the tea familiar (a little clay statue) - over a reed tray, over a clay water collection tray (sometimes an entire table designed for this function, in which case the familiar is usually built in). The first brew is tossed. The second brew begins the infusions. If gongfu cha (literally Kung Fu tea - and yes, it's the same kung fu as in kung fu) is done properly, each infusion will bring out different flavors. It takes a refined palette to get the delicate changes and gongfu cha masters refrain from strong food and drink (no alcohol or coffee) to purify themselves. 

Using music to balance qi is common. Many advocate that martial artists need to practice something yin - music, painting, tea, calligraphy, cooking - to balance all the yang qi in kung fu. GM2 is a strong advocate of this, obvs. 

Here's an old piece I did that covers the 5 types of qigong, just in case I had not shared it with you before: https://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php...rticle=471
Note that the 5 types are not universally accepted as so, although the Chinese have a penchant for 5s. Here's another piece I just wrote about 5s: https://ymaa.com/articles/2024/07/why-do...ve-seasons