More Mochi

Saturday after Taiji, was the New Year Festival for Japan Town.....since New Year's this year will not be on a weekend....Japantown decided to have it's Celebration a little early.  Usually, Mochi Pounding is a big part of the New Year's Celebration.........they had it earlier for the winter festival..........but this time they had Mochi Pounding and Taiko Drumming followed by a Jazz Band........always good...free music and food is a good way to start the New Year!!

Mochi Pounding and Taiko are an important part of the Japanese New Year Celebration.

Hammer Time!!

Hit it again!!  Mochi pounding was always a community affair...a way of bringing people together to work together then eat and celebrate.

Everyone was asked to participate...........and now the finished product....Mochi!!

Next the important part.....rolling the mochi into little balls so that we can eat them....yummy!

While we were eating the mochi.......live rock music was provided........makes everything taste better........the Japantown Merchants know how to throw a party!!

Then on Sunday, it was time for the San Francisco Wushu Team"s New Year Banquet....hey our team know's food!!  Went to Jumbo on Noriega to eat seafood.....lobster, crab, walnut prawns, scallops and vegies, crispy chicken, peking ribs, snow peas and scallions....and we finished it off with long life noodles.......gotta have that to start the year off properly!

Jumbo  was the resturant  that the SF Wushu Team decided to have it's New Year Celebration...........and it was good.........lots of seafood........and long life noodles at the end!

All in all it was fun to get together.........2008 was a year for change......in every way, economy, politics, gas prices, direction of the war, ........returning of many students but also, many new ones too.  It also, means the end of old ways and ideas..........for the next year, students will concentrate on fewer forms and doing them well, spend time on application, and learning the importance of body alignment and the development of power.  A new direction you ask....yes, modern wushu's influence on traditional wushu cannot be underestimated......often means teaching more forms and less time spent on application........forms emphasize performance not basics............as long as it looks ok...........ah, but in the long run not enough...form but no substance.  Do it well, do it correctly, and use it properly.......leads to good form and understanding of the techniques.  Something to think about.........as I sum up my experiences in teaching this year this is some of my thoughts for future training.................you cannot make everyone happy, but you have to be true to your teachings....the role of the transmitter of culture is to make sure it is passed on the way it was meant............and not adapt things to make it easier or more palpatable for the student.  Kung-fu is developed from the work not by taking shortcuts............................while one cannot move a mountain in one day....persevere and even that can be moved! 

Ok, have a good one see you all in the New Year!!