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Weekly Challenge #27

Calf Raises – 3 sets of 25 to 50 calf raises each day this week. Strong calf muscles can reduce the chance of injury by improving sure-footed movement; they also are critical muscles used when jumping. Try some on a stair or with weights for a challenge!

AND

Helping seniors – Volunteer 1 hour this week assisting senior citizens (maybe even your own relatives!). You could help them with some spring cleaning or something that they might be challenged to do on their own. Helping people is a wonderful form of self-defence, and learning to respect our elders is great too!

Good luck

Philip Woo

Weekly Challenge #26

Extended planks – From a plank position, slowly extend your arms away from your toes as far as you can while keeping your back straight and hold. Doing this for 10 to 30 seconds, 3 times a day is an excellent abdominal workout that will improve core strength. Be sure to pull your belly button towards your spine to ensure good form.

AND

Buy nothing this week – Try to go this entire week without buying anything (other than necessities). Our consumer culture has negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts – and we have the ability to change that! A week of reduced consumerism will help us to reconsider some of our habits. Skip that purchase, pack your lunch – use your discipline! Spend this week living sustainable, not spending. Here’s a great site to read more on this: http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/

Good luck

Philip Woo

Weekly Challenge #25

Go for a jog – Take a 10 to 15 minute jog everyday this week! Jogging is an excellent form of aerobic exercise, and even helps in improving cardiovascular health and bone density.

AND

Forgive 3 Wrongs – Hanging on to negative emotions can be harmful to your mental and physical health. This week, forgive 3 people who have wronged you in some way. Talk to them, call them, email them – any way you are comfortable letting them know that you are letting go of negative feelings. Forgiveness is self defence.

Good luck

Philip Woo

Weekly Challenge #24

Chest Fly Exercises – 3 repetitions of 15 each day should be a nice start! Lay flat on the floor or a bench, and extend your arms out to your sides with elbows slight bent; slowly raise your arms towards each other vertical to the floor & lower slowly. Start with some light weights that you can complete your sets with and go from there.

AND

Spend 5 minutes each day this week learning about stress management. Stress can be very dangerous to your physical and psychological health, so learning how to defend ourselves against it is critical to a healthy and happy life. Start your week by locating the sources of stress; take a look at how you currently deal with stress; make the necessary changes! Here’s a great site to start your first day! http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

Good luck

Phil Woo

Using proper form complete:

35 Push-ups w/clap at top
20 L Pull-ups
20 Push-ups w/clap at top
15 L Pull-ups
10 Push-ups w/clap at top
10 L Pull-ups

Weekly Challenge #23

Core exercise – Lie flat on your back and raise your legs a little bit, then draw imaginary circles with your feet and legs. Ensure that your lower back stays flat to the floor to avoid back injury. Try three 30 second sets a day this week!

AND

Research & discover your family’s history and achievements. Start with your parents, then grandparents and so on. Find out what motivated them, and shaped their lives! Understanding someone helps us to respect them.

Good luck

Philip Woo

Using proper form complete:
50 Push-ups
50 Sit-ups
50 Squats
50 Handstand Shrugs
50 Back Extensions

Weekly Challenge #22

Evaluate your movements – punches, kicks, forms, sparring – anything physical. Examine the movements either in a mirror or record them on video and check for flaws. Critique the smoothness of movement, the economy of motion, or your adherence to technique. At times there is great disparity between what we are doing and what we think we are doing. Often you will find that you are your best teacher.

AND

Find your three worst traits – Write them down, think about how you might change them, and make that change! Looking into yourself and finding your faults is much more challenging than finding faults in others. This type of introspection keeps you making positive changes in your life!

Good luck
Sifu Phil Woo

Synopsis

In Columbia Pictures’ The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

BEIJING, Dec. 14 — For a 26-year-old Iranian woman, Confucius has given her a new way to display her skill at martial arts.

Though she teaches physical education at Tehran University in Iran, the laws there make it difficult for a woman to perform in public.

“Women in Iran usually are not allowed to sing or dance in public, but I can practice martial arts in the park, of course, with a headscarf that covers my hair,” said Akramsadat Seyedrezaei.

In Beijing for the Fourth Confucius Institute Conference, however, she was able to perform on stage – even with other male friends.

“Practicing martial arts has been a popular sport among youngsters in Iran, and I am also happy to make many friends by learning and teaching it.”

Seyedrezaei learns traditional Chinese martial arts at the Tehran-based Confucius Institute, and teaches it to female students in her class at Tehran University.

About 120 Iranian students study at the institute, and the martial arts course has attracted an increasing number of students.

On Friday evening, students from Confucius Institutes in 22 countries including Japan, Thailand, Mongolia and Australia staged a performance featuring Chinese songs and dances, as well as Peking Opera. It attracted delegates from 87 countries and regions.

State Councilor Liu Yandong said at the conference that the institutes had become an important brand of international Chinese language education and a significant platform for educational and cultural exchanges.

Liu, also president of the Confucius Institute headquarters council, said different cultures should respect and learn from each other and seek common ground while shelving differences.

“Languages, as carriers of culture and communication tools, are bridges for different civilizations,” she said, adding that the Chinese government always encourages cross-cultural communication and advocates the study of other nation’s languages.

Liu said the Confucius Institutes should innovate and localize teaching methodology and strengthen overseas cooperation.

More than 280 Confucius Institutes have been set up in higher education institutions around the world, with more than 230,000 students.

(Source: China Daily)