Pranam (Greetings) everyone. Since joining the program last Friday by the grace of Sifu, I looked around a bit through the cirriculum to kind of get the lay-of-the-land so to speak. It's incredible to hear (and read) Sifu explaining with precise terminology concepts that my previous Teacher(s) described rather vaguely if they even hinted at them at all. I went to the very first standing lesson today. In particular, understanding/using the chain beginning with the heels to knees to pelvis etc to lift the crown-point was incredible. I'm accustomed to a feeling of "hanging" while standing thus far. Setting the posture from the feet up today, I could feel energy keeping my posture straight and strong (without tension).
I began training in Zhan Zhuang about 9 years ago. I started with Yiquan and Xingyiquan and then progressed in the last year to a Taiji "5-element" set. The way Sifu Kelley taught that first lesson made me feel like I was continuing forward - and at the same time starting over completely fresh with my standing practice.
As an avocation, I'm a percussionist. Sifu's vocabulary and concepts have even begun to change how I approach drumming. As fired up as I am, I'm going to force myself to stay at one (maybe two!) lessons per week.
Namaste
Jeff