Falling trees and Rats

The Kung Fu school were we normally train is closed for a short summerbreak , the weather was good so it was perfect to train outside. Okey you have to leave your weapons at home because unlike in China you are not allowed to wave your sword or spear or even a stick around.

There it is the most normal thing to do but here the police will most certainly be called. We did bring our bricks are a much cheaper and more fun way to strengthen your muscles with then going to the gym and lift weights or so. When we were in China Xu Laoshi showed us how to use them.






I am not so strong yet and those bricks felt really heavy but Koen was having no trouble with them. Just have to keep trying, I guess.

It was very nice to do Qi Gong under the trees, with bird sounds and the wind blowing through the trees. Afterwards you feel completely recharged and relaxed. Ofcourse you can do it inside to but it feels so much better outside. We found a relative quiet place and with the 2 of us it feels better then when you are standing there by yourself. Less people are making comments now, perhaps they are getting used to us. On wednesday it was very stormy weather with some rain now and then, but remembering what my mother said a few weeks ago ( to my grandmother as a response to her saying that surely we would not go outside as it might rain) ; " It's good that you did not make me out of sugar". When it isn't cold it is even nice to be in some soft summer rain! Because of the strong wind (8) it would have been stupid to stand under the trees, that would rather uncool to do health improving exercises and then get struck down by a big branch or so, or worse a whole tree. Luckily there is a pavilion near to the small lake that sometimes is used for music performances. It was great, the raging wind through the trees, the bending reeds reminded me of bamboo, I love the moving of the trees, leaves, water and reeds in the wind, that flowing motion as if some unseen force that normally is just playing around softly suddenly is running wild and has to let of some steam, dancing wildly in the skies and occasionally roaring loudly.

I had just taken a picture and put my camera away to continue training when there was a loud ripping noise, an enormous branch of a nearby tree felt down not far from a boy sitting on a bench. We were looking at it with our mouths open but he didn't even seem to blink his eye nor did he feel the urge to move (he was sitting under the trees). Not much later his friends showed up and he kinda waved at the branch. I can only think that he must have been stoned or so. Then it started to rain like crazy and some middle aged people who had been running together, came to shelter at the pavilion. We were just walking around with our bricks and they found it all very interesting. They did some stretching and so did we. After they left we used the smooth metal poles that had just the perfect size for conditioning our arms. I haven't been able to find a nice smooth tree yet and it really isn't nice when you bang your arm into small bits that stick out. The trees here are often covered in green stuff so afterwards you look like the hulk without the muscles. Pine trees or clean white birch trees are nice but until we find them these poles are perfect. You have to build it up slowly and hit in a relaxed way then it even feels rather nice (no I have NO other funny hobbies) and you slowly condition your arms without injuring yourself , after some pushhands it was time to go home again.

The rats in the park are not scared at all this is the second one i have seen.