Bring your family & friends - help make a difference in our community!
As you may know, most of Littleton's parks were severely damaged during this winter's ice storms. The town is struggling to get them cleaned up, so Plum Blossom Academy has decided to pitch in and clean up Conant Park, which is located near the school.
Every person we can get to help will make a huge difference! And lunch refreshments will be provided for free at the park.
Date: Sunday, 4/26/09
Time: 11am until you're tired
Location: Conant Park on White Street in Littleton
What to bring:
Jeans, boots & work gloves
Bug spray/sunscreen
Any lawn tools you may have (chainsaw, saw, rake, wheelbarrow, etc.) - not required
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Plum Blossom 13 Movement Tai Chi Form Workshop
The Plum Blossom 13 Movement Tai Chi Form is a short choreographed set tying together the 8 movements from the Beginner curriculum.
Randy Brown, founder of Plum Blossom Academy, will be running a workshop on this form that is open to members of Plum Blossom Academy as well as the general public.
Date: Friday, May 8, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Plum Blossom Academy: Littleton, MA
Member Cost: $25/person
Non-Member Cost: $35/person
Randy Brown, founder of Plum Blossom Academy, will be running a workshop on this form that is open to members of Plum Blossom Academy as well as the general public.
Date: Friday, May 8, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Plum Blossom Academy: Littleton, MA
Member Cost: $25/person
Non-Member Cost: $35/person
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Adults/Teens Women's Self-Defense Course pt I
Our Women's Self-Defense Program is comprised of some of the most efficient and effective self-defense training you can find. We go the extra mile to bring you material that has been tested and will realistically work in the situations you may find yourself in. Our program is built on principlesrather than trying to memorize tens or hundreds of techniques that you'll never remember when your life is on the line. The principles you will learn and use are simple, easy to remember, and the training provided in one seminar could save your life without requiring countless hours of practice, use of a weapon, or strength to over power a stronger and larger male attacker.
Date: May 3, 2009 - 2pm to 4:30pm
Cost: $50/person $25 off if you bring a friend or family member
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Speed Kills
In martial arts there is a significant importance placed on speed. Why shouldn't there be, this trait is often times what gives one fighter an advantage over another fighter. The problem is that speed in training actually has more negative effects than positive.
All too often speed is the culprit that inhibits learning and growth in training how to fight. This is easily explained by the emotional state of the student who is stressed out, in unfamiliar territory, confused, and/or trying to multi-task. Once a student can slow down they will see that there is much to learn when you play things out slowly.
Do not mistake this as advocating an abolition of speed as speed is a necessary component when introduced at the right time in the training process. Speed is used heavily to test skills to determine if one has attained them but has to go away if failure is the result or if new material is introduced.
A great example arose in class this past weekend - a moment came up in Footwork training where two students were going too fast for their skill level. One had never done the drills at all before last week and was as green as a zucchini. At the speed they were going they were wandering all over the ring with no concept of where they were and why they were moving, just moving for the sake of moving. They were failing to use all of their new footwork skills we trained earlier in the class.
As a student when you are learning footwork think of it this way - if I say freeze, can you explain to me the reason you stepped there? The advantages and disadvantages of that position? What the last 3 moves were that landed you there? And what your opponent has to do from here to counter you? If not then you are going too fast for your skill level and need to slow down. Slowing down the footwork allows you to see your mistakes and either do it over again or move on, knowing the next time not to repeat your previous mistake.
This principle applies to almost all other aspects of fight training and is not restricted to just footwork. When going fast you have no ability to analyze and are throwing your training to the Fates. As a rule of thumb - Fast as you can, slow as you must!
Speed increases with skill not the other way around.
All too often speed is the culprit that inhibits learning and growth in training how to fight. This is easily explained by the emotional state of the student who is stressed out, in unfamiliar territory, confused, and/or trying to multi-task. Once a student can slow down they will see that there is much to learn when you play things out slowly.
Do not mistake this as advocating an abolition of speed as speed is a necessary component when introduced at the right time in the training process. Speed is used heavily to test skills to determine if one has attained them but has to go away if failure is the result or if new material is introduced.
A great example arose in class this past weekend - a moment came up in Footwork training where two students were going too fast for their skill level. One had never done the drills at all before last week and was as green as a zucchini. At the speed they were going they were wandering all over the ring with no concept of where they were and why they were moving, just moving for the sake of moving. They were failing to use all of their new footwork skills we trained earlier in the class.
As a student when you are learning footwork think of it this way - if I say freeze, can you explain to me the reason you stepped there? The advantages and disadvantages of that position? What the last 3 moves were that landed you there? And what your opponent has to do from here to counter you? If not then you are going too fast for your skill level and need to slow down. Slowing down the footwork allows you to see your mistakes and either do it over again or move on, knowing the next time not to repeat your previous mistake.
This principle applies to almost all other aspects of fight training and is not restricted to just footwork. When going fast you have no ability to analyze and are throwing your training to the Fates. As a rule of thumb - Fast as you can, slow as you must!
Speed increases with skill not the other way around.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Workshop - Lian Bu Quan (Continuous Step Boxing)
Lian Bu Quan (Continuous Step Boxing) is a well known form in Chinese Kung Fu. This form was the single fighting set taught to Chinese Army soldiers in WWII to train them in Hand-to-Hand Combat techniques. The form is one of the most widely proliferated sets from China and due to it's streamlined efficiency for fighting it was added to many styles of Chinese Kung Fu as a basic level form.
Randy Brown founder of Plum Blossom Academy will be conducting an open workshop for both Adults and Children of Plum Blossom Academy and outside martial artists interested in learning the form and function of this famous piece of Chinese heritage. This workshop will cover step by step the movements of the form to include the fighting applications.
This workshop will consist of two parts. Part I will cover sections 1 and 2 of the form. Part II will cover sections 3 and 4.
Part I -
Date/Time: April 18th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Cost: $25.00
Part II -
Date/Time: April 25th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Cost: $25.00
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