STAIRS

I am moving forward, Day by day things are improving. They maybe only the slightest change, but over time small things add up to substantial changes. For instance at the movie theatre last night I was able to decent the stairs without feeling like I would miss a step and fall. My right knee was able to hold my weight without buckling, Stairs have been my challenge over the last year. The walls in my house have become my balancing point, I have worn a line in the paint on the walls on either side going into the basement. We live in a split level home so I do a lot of stairs a day. Some people do push ups to challenge them, to get there numbers up, I do stairs. You would be surprised how many stair cases do not have banisters on them. A total nightmare for me. I am not there yet however. I still cannot balance carrying a cup of liquid down the stairs without spilling it.I loss half my cup of tea on the stairs on the way down, our entertainment centre is in the basement. I still have to resort to sitting on my bum and sliding down to save my tea. So my push ups are only at twenty good one a day but ask me about stairs and I can tell you they are great. This also relates to forms. The sword form I'm trying to learn has a few spots in it that needs half turns without stepping out of your stance. I can work up a sweet just thinking about it , but they're coming. So yesterday at our meeting for I Ho Chuan I was trying to talk about numbers and couldn't bring myself to say " I do stairs" I am telling you all now and hope you cam relate somehow to this challenge I have set for myself.

HELP

After last weeks I Ho Chaun class, I was sure I would never be capable of learning the Tai Chi Sword.Although there was a lot of learning going on I could not take anything in. Everyone was so helpful and encrouraging but all I could feel was a panic attack coming on.Things have changed for me over the last year and one of them is the way I learn. A small group or one on one in a quiet enviroment works the best. I know from teaching over the years the one thing that I became aware of is that people learn in different ways, some are visual others vocal and some have to process both ways to get the end result.I felt disconected from what my feet were doing to were my hands and the sword were. While the rest of the sword holders are reaching the end of the form I'm struggling near the beginning. I know I can do it, this last few months I have been relearning a black belt form off of a video that Master Brinker made of himself preforming it which I found very helpful. I'm sure I have watched this video over a hundred times.... Is there anyone out there who has recorded the TAI CHI BROAD SWORD, I would be forever grateful to you. Swallowing my pride and talking myself out of a panic attack I am humbly asking for help, Sifu Linda Shipalesky