Kung Fu Phot'ing

[shanmonster]

I just received a crop of photos from the kung fu Olympics a while back. Bradley Mullins is the photographer. Here they are, should you like to check them out:

It's a fook fu race between me and Gerald. He hammed it up, bigtime, which made me screw up even more than usual. I think he's doing his Bruce Lee impression here.

My form may not look so hot here, but I think I finished second or third in this high-speed front kick competition.

They're not laughing with me. They're laughing at me. That plastic doohickey is really heavy! And I'm supposed to do a whole wack of tiger claw attacks while wielding two of 'em.

One slips! My kung fu is weak.

Team Estrogen. From left to right, Meredith, Colleen, me, and Linda.

I'm not sure what I'm doing here, but it's not terribly impressive. It looks like a very pathetic arrow stance. I do much better soon.

See? This was from the sliding front kick competition, I think. I did much better on my next try, but it was neither photographed or counted for the competition. Next year, I want to win this one.

An action shot from the jumping front kick competition. I made it through the first round, but then my kung fu was weak. I'll do better next time.

I finally get to rest. From left to right (back row): Rory, Colleen, Justin, Meredith, me, half of Linda. Front row: Pete, Sean.

Comments

[lickthefrog.livejournal.com]

I love how you're smiling in most of those pics. You rock.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

We're taught to smile when it hurts. Hee!

[phil-in-a-box.livejournal.com]

Hehe, that looks like all kinds of fun!

(1) What's fook fu? Is it a string of techniques (I hate to use the word "routine"--sounds to much like cheerleading) or a single technique?
(2) What's a sliding front kick? (That doesn't sound like any of the techniques I learned in karate, and I can't quite make out what's going on in the pic.)
(3) How was the high-speed front kick competition judged? Was it kicks per minute, or time from command to execution to recoil, or something else I haven't thought of?
(4) DANG. That's a very high front kick--if that's weak kung fu, I'm frightened.
(5) "Team Estrogen"--*laughing*

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Fook fu is a form, or kata, in karate terms.

A sliding front kick begins from a fighting stance. The rear foot slides forward and the front foot kicks, landing in a low arrow stance (zenkutsu-dachi). The line in the back was our starting point. That should give you an idea as to how far we went. My personal record is around 15 feet. This photo shows a mere 11' 6".

The kicking race was judged by kicks per minute. I did 83, which tied me for second.

The high kick is 6'6". If I'd jumped more, I'd have gone much higher. Next time I'll do that.

Team Estrogen rocks. I don't think any of the other kwoons have a strong female contingent.

[liquid-quaalude.livejournal.com]

i took karate as a kid..sometimes I miss it..because it sure was a wya to get the anger out of me.
you are very beautiful btw.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Aw, shucks!