At the Opening to the new CCBA library

August Moon 2014

I actually brought our homemade lion head to play with the real lions

And I expanded my wheels on the Kung Fu bus idea from a song where children will follow along to something you can perform in a traditional setting.

The same goes for my Pirate Oar/Stick Form.

Now I need to work on the Cutlass part too. And of course I need students to learn my new system to see how they pick it up. This stuff is more for older kids and teens really. And of course adults. For kids, just do the songs, some drills, and play play play. Or as Noah says, "Do my own Kung Fu."

Drumming

Here is a video of Noah learning to do the lion dance and Kung Fu drumming at 20 months. Actually the beats are pretty and you can learn them with chopsticks on a pillow if you want to try mimicking at home Then all you have to do is get used to the weight of the real sticks, the size of the real drum, following the head, and playing in the center of the drum.

Hooray and up she rises

I've been working on a PIrate Kung Fu song. I tried it out in Chinese at Little Panda and it actually looks and sounds quite different now. Heer he is (above) doing stuff while I sing an early version
And below is me doing the English version in the humid Florida summer heat.

Wheels on the Kung fu Bus

Eventually I hope to be making some quality edited videos. But for now, here are my cute kids doing the first five animals for wheels on the Kung Fu bus. You can do a lot with those first five animals in terms of training, applications, and of course, fun.

Kung Fu Slide show

Captain Morgan does not often play gong...

It has gotten to that point in my parenthood where I now play the gong for Woo Ching White Crane at lion dances.
Well I don't often play gong.. but when I do, I make sure I do it like Captain Morgan.

(Note: The actual application of this stance is to keep the the gong stand from tipping over. I did not actually consume any alcoholic beverages that day, or any day since Christmas actually.)

Wake Up the Earth

 Parade time, Jonah did most of his action moves the parade actually started. Wearing himself out prematurely

 Noah Paraded most of the way after he actually got out of the wagon

 Then we ducked out early to try some other activities

 I want one of these for training.

Noah switching heads

Lion Dance with Marty Walsh and Michelle Wu

Home made Flat faced Taiwan style lions.

We'll be using these heads for the Wake Up the Parade. That way both of them can be heads, I will be both tails, and I can carry them back home or put them to the side with ease when they decide they want to play in the playground etc. Hopefully the other Kung Fu playgroup kids can make there own versions of these too. It wasn't that hard. I still would like the option of a longer tail though because I want to get into these heads too lol!

Cheung Family Kung Fu

The wheels on the Kung Fu bus.

Little Kung Fu Class In JP 2

The Itsy Bitsy spider Kung Fu song.

Homemade lion heads

My Year Nian golem monsters.
I made you in fevered frenzy, a love affair in the attic with paper and flour.
Unfortunately because I let your paper rot, you have an unpleasant smell.
Too bad I cannot set you on fire at least
Instead I must cast you aside without ever having been paraded, or opened and blessed, or indeed even painted.

You were to be so much more than the two dimensional cardboard masks I made, which I can still keep. Because they don't take up too much space. Plus I can let kids color them in at the Connolly Branch library on April 7th and give them away.

You on the other hand were going to be the real deal. Ugly but real and three dimensional. In fact, from a distance you do look like lion heads. You just need a little paint and.....
No! you have to go! I have no space or time for you. (Except maybe in the basement, Noah is old enough to paint you. Really when they are older they can use you)
No! No. It wouldn't work. It would be easier to make new heads that are less ambitious then to try and fix you.

I can't set you on fire because it is a hazard.
But I will set you on fire in my mind to burn there forever as an idea, a potential.

Kung Fu Journals

Well I can't figure out how to rotate the pictures.

But here are the kids first Kung Fu journal entries.

Also David, (Noah's lion dance partner) drew him a picture as well. It looks like a shark-mobile.

Events

Asian American and Pacific Islander/Mother's Day event I created with the help of performers from Wong Keurng, Kwong Kow Chinese School, Rutsibo Taiko, Aki who I met through a sing along group at Thom Boston Metro, and of course Woo Ching White Crane, whose uniform I am wearing in the photo.

Grace (my significant other) Instructing for Gund Kwok all women's Lion and Dragon Dance Team.

Woo Ching White Crane on the Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade. My son was in the junior lion's tail for this picture but also performed the head as well.

  Woo Ching White Crane performers pose in Sonia Chang Diaz

Me and my kids for and August Moon Performance with Woo Ching White Crane

 AAPI and Mother's day with my son

 August Moon

 Sometimes for our Kung Fu playgroup we incorporate sledding. Walking up the hill is good for Stance! In better weather the class is held behind those trees in the back, where the Pinebank Mansion used to stand overlooking Jamaica Pond.

 Spring Festival?

 Spring Festival? August Moon? I don't remember.

 This is Warming up for Spring Festival

 In group we practice with Foam sticks but when it is only my children with me we do use real wooden sticks for practice.

Instruments are part of the Lion Dance and Kung Fu experiemce

Stick form

A performance at August Moon in Chinatown for the Kung Fu Federation.