It’s been a while since we did a white crane seminar and I know we were all itching to get back into it. Even if we have all been practising, coming together to do it offers different opportunities for learning. On your own, you can only go off what you remember and what you think yourself. In coming together with others, even though they have been at the same seminars as you and learnt the same thing, you can see when someone has picked up something you did not, or has focused on a different aspect of the form or even just an individual movement.
You might not even pick up these perspectives directly, which is why it’s important to listen to other peoples’s questions and Sigong’s answers. For example, Paul asked a question about the left hand in the movement (I think) Golden bell hangs upside down. For me, it was a great question, because I hadn’t been looking at or thinking about the left hand in that movement at all!
This seminar we got to spend more time on the later parts of the form, which was really appreciated. I think people have a lot more questions and uncertain changes in these parts now that we have done the earlier parts a lot. I definitely need to see the new section again now I have tried it a few times, though. I keep wanting to stop my posture when it is like Controlling the tiger and listening to the wind blowing, so the tassel never flows around for me to catch behind my back. I need to catch that flow and the energy coming out of the previous movement on one leg.
After the seminar I was approached by a group of residents from the square that I practise in when I am outside — they said to me, “you’re here all the time, would you like to help us maintain this space?” I definitely benefit from using the square and it felt good to put something back into the community so I spent an hour doing some honest labour and removing weeds from between the flagstones. Fortunately they gave me a tool to use so I didn’t have to do it with my sword…
Thanks Sigong for getting me outside — once you get over the barrier and take yourself out to practise, who knows what else can happen!
by Lee Baylis
Student Comments
Nice new part to the White Crane Sword today, familiar movements but different, which is always a little bit harder to modify. Enjoying practicing the form, and the tassel seems to behave better now that practicing White Crane and Green Dragon at same time. Thank you Sigong for breaking it all down for us and making it accessible.
Christine
Great to see the warm up in the form! I think that’s all of them now… Also a lot of time on the later sections today which was really appreciated! Thanks Sigong for bringing us along!
Lee B
Great to be back with the White Crane – seems like ages since the last seminar. Got a lot of things cleared up.
Thank you, Sigong.
Paul H
Another great morning was spent with one of my favourite but difficult forms. Also, the guidance given by Sigong and my seniors in the breakout rooms is very invaluable. Thank Sigong for your continuous support for all of us.
Earl