Here's a link to the site for the Wujido Institute in Dallas, where I take Shaolin Kung Fu. I've been going there since August 2000. It's been a really good experience for me. I thought I was in shape before, but the first couple of months were really tough. Now I'm amazed at what a difference there is in my strength, endurance, balance, self-confidence.

I like the sense of accuracy of control of my body that I've gotten from practicing Shaolin. I guess it's a little like gymnastics, except it's very purposeful.

Actually, I'm taking Tai Chi now, at the Wujido. I injured my shoulder doing indoor rock-climbing, or maybe it was doing cheerleader lifts with my daughter. Anyway, I tore the biceps tendon, and had to get it tied down. So now I have a Titanium screw in my shoulder. While he was in there, the Dr. Buford took the opportunity to grind down my acromial bone spur that was pinching my rotator cuff. There's a video of the procedure, but I haven't digitized it yet.

So, I'll be doing Tai Chi at Wujido instead of Kung Fu until August, probably. But that's not a bad thing. I had wanted to check out Tai Chi, but was caught up in getting my next belt in Shaolin. I like Tai Chi, and I can already tell that it will improve my Shaolin abilities when I return to that.

2003 May 24

My first update in about a year! Of course, my shoulder is healed. I went back to Shaolin in November, I think. Anyway, I did Taiijiquan for about six months. What a great class! I'm glad I was able to do that, because I got a lot of benefit from Taiijiquan at the Wujido. I'm much more rooted now, and I can feel the muscles in my legs for turning my waist now, they're much stronger than before.

It's taken me a while to really get back up to speed in Shaolin at the Wujido, though. I went through a period where I was sick a lot, and then I screwed up my knees a little, and couldn't practice as much as I need to. But I started doing posting, which I learned from Taiijiquan, and now my knees are better, so I'm not afraid to practice the low stances.

I benefitted a lot from Taijiquan, but I'm glad to be back in Shaolin at the Wujido. The first couple of classes when I got back into it, we did a lot of breakfalls, throws, and combat rolls, and I thought "Ah, yes!"