And we’re back!

You may have noticed that the blog has been running on auto-pilot for the past couple of weeks. Rest assured that we didn’t abandon it, I was just offline because my wife gave birth to our first little one! Everyone’s doing great, but I was a little wrapped up with baby things for a while.

We’ll be returning to our regular programming of training-related content (more than just inspirational quotes).

Firefighter Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Run

Today Sifu Berman, Sihing Al, Sihing Frank, Ariel and I teamed up to run the Tunnel To Towers 5k Run. This wasn’t just a regular 5k road race though, it was a tribute to local firefighter Stephen Siller’s heroic journey to the World Trade Center on 9/11. About 25,000 runners, many of them firefighters, came out out to retrace his footsteps, honor his memory, and raise money for charity. From the race’s web site:

Stephen Siller, beloved husband and father of five, was a firefighter from Squad 1, Park Slope Brooklyn. On 9/11, he was off-duty, and on his way to golf with his 3 older brothers.

When Stephen heard on his scanner that the World Trade Center had been hit, he turned his vehicle around and headed towards the site. When his truck was prohibited from entering the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, typically of him, he raced on foot towards the site with his gear strapped to his back.

He was last seen alive on West and Liberty Streets where he, more than likely, went looking for his Squad, all of whom perished. The Tunnel to Towers Run retraces Stephen’s footsteps on that fateful day.

In running along his path, we honor the memory of all the Firefighters, Police, and EMS workers who performed their duty that day. In running this race, we are reclaiming still another part of the city for all our heroes and for all of those who died on 9/11.

They will never be forgotten!

Kids kung fu now on the semester plan

We recently reorganized our kids kung fu program so it syncs with the public school calendar. The fall semester, which runs from September to December 22nd, just started (and we’re still accepting new students) and is going great so far! We hope this solution minimizes conflicts between family vacations, summer activities, and the trappings of a busy modern life.

Do you know any kids ages 5 - 14 who could benefit from improved confidence, discipline, and activity? Send em our way!

Disclaimer

Since this blog appears on the Yee’s Hung Ga Brooklyn web site, I want to throw out a general disclaimer before we get rolling:

This is a personal weblog related to kung fu training and the happenings at a kung fu school in Brooklyn. All content published in this blog is the opinion of the author and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. The personal views of the writer are his own, and do not in any way reflect the views of the site they are posted on, the Brooklyn Branch of Yee’s Hung Ga, or the Yee’s Hung Ga International Kung Fu Association as a whole.

The intention of the blog is to do no harm and any information presented is advice, not counsel. The author may not be held liable for damages or injuries of any kind allegedly caused or resulting from information published here. Before beginning martial arts training, or any type of exercise program, it is recommended that you consult with your physician for authorization and clearance. The information contained herein is not intended to, and never should, substitute for the necessity of seeking the advice of a qualified medical professional.

Site Updates

We just rolled out some long overdue upgrades to our web site - a complete redesign, new pictures (with more to come), streamlining of information, and the addition of this blog (which will make future updates much easier). We’ll be using the blog to post school news and updates, but it will also be a brain dump of sorts, with lots of thoughts and anecdotes about kung fu training. So stay tuned!