With a clean bill of health from the doctor as far as my ankle was concerned -- by which I mean the pain I have I will have to live with and that I won't be getting anymore surgery -- I decided to resume my search for a martial arts school in New York.
The school is on the corner of 2nd ave. and Houston St. in the Lower East Side. It couldn't be less assuming however. With two doors marked "9", one locked and the other chained shut. Both covered in graffitti I wondered if I had the right place. Luckily I was able to find the school's website on the web browser on my phone. Found the phone number and called. Sure enough I was at the right place and Frank tossed down a nerf football which had the door key shoved in a tear in the side. Door number one it was. Up three flights of stairs and I was there. A small space that after close examination seemed to also function as his apartment - there was a curtained off bunkbed above a desk in one corner. The walls were covered in photos, memorabilia, books, and martial arts gear.
Upon the recommendation of Scott I sought out an internal martial arts teacher and at the top of the list was Frank Allen at the Wu Tang Physical Culture Association.
Frank teaches Hsing I, Tai Chi, Pa Gua, and Chi Kung. The difference among them all I'm not certain of but I do know that they are all internal as opposed to external forms of training. Hsing I and Pa Gua are hard styles whereas Tai Chi is a soft style. Based on what Frank said, Hsing I sounded the most appealing.
Class was an hour long which doesn't feel long enough as we barely got through a few basics. A lot of attention is spent on posture and the precise placement of hands and feet. Breathing is key -- breathing into the entire waist: belly, sides, and back. Frank talked a lot about energy flow: down the center, up the sides, out through the limbs. Shooting from one hand to the other "like the deathstar".
Overall I quite enjoyed the class and will definitely be back.
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