Instructor Prof. Dr Alejandro Aragon Zavala (centre) with
students. Well done to all

It was a nice warm Saturday morning, luckily not too hot for a traditional Mexican summer. The students started to arrive at about 11:45 am, but all of the Aragon-Fragoso family were there from 11:00 am. The table with our Ren Yi Wu Kwan table cloth had to be set, the hall was carefully cleaned and the youngest Mexican students (Alexa and Maxi) were nervously reviewing their forms and techniques.

Everyone is getting ready, Instructor Prof. Dr Alejandro Aragon Zavala is explaining what is going to be evaluated

The grading started at 12:30 pm with a group of eight students. The instructor evaluated the following aspects of their training: basic techniques, kicking, terminology, history of Tang Sou Dao and our school, free sparring, forms, breaking, attitude and spirit, flexibility and attendance and perseverance. Everyone did extremely well, giving their best effort and doing a really excellent grading.

Franco Arias-Celma and Jaime Posadas-Torres are asked to perform chorng duan chuen chee (middle punch) in ping ma bu (horse stance). Notice their spirit and effort!

First, basic techniques were assessed, with their names in Chinese and Spanish. Most of the students got that right, although a few had trouble remembering the exact description of the technique. "The practice makes the master" is a Mexican saying (which I believe has international roots as well) so "never mind, next time you will remember more names," I said to them.

Franco Arias-Celma performing chean chuai ti (front thrust kick), the foot should extend forward with toes pulled back to finish the kick		Juan Cristian Garcia-Vargas is getting ready for sparring

I was particularly impressed with the speed and strength of their kicking techniques, when it came to assess this part of the grading. However, breaking was not easy, as the right shape of the foot needs to be used as well as hitting in the exact spot on the breaking board.

Young 4th ji student performing chuan ti (roundhouse kick) for her
grading. She was asked to perform breaking with
three different kicks

		Sparring was next, and here is where nervousness became notorious, especially for those who had never done sparring in an event like this. However, I really liked the fact that the more experienced students helped those who were nervous, making an outstanding sparring session.
Victor Cansino-Mongragon and Juan Cristian Garcia-Vargas free sparring (tooi-ta)

Young students performing pinan er duan (pinan form two)

All the group doing chee pen ee thau (basic form one)

Forms came at the end, but not without doing five minutes of Ping Ma Bu while waiting for their turn to perform their forms. If they are to spend at least ten or fifteen minutes in Ping Ma Bu for their red belt gradings, why not start now and practice? Nobody complained, and all did extremely well, with just one membership book dropped from Alexa's head at the end of the five minutes!

Young students with Rafael Martinez-Zapata in a
ping ma bu stance for five minutes - well done!


Franco Arias-Celma and Jaime Posadas-Torres performing
ping ma bu, waiting for their turn to do forms

The students who did their grading and the grade they were promoted to were:

Alexa Aragon-Fragoso, Green Tag 5th Ji
Maxi Aragon-Fragoso, Green Tag 5th Ji
Rafael Martinez-Zapata, Yellow Belt 8th Ji
Jaime Posadas-Torres, Orange Tag 7th Ji
Victor Cansino-Mondragon, Yellow Belt 8th Ji
Juan Manuel Montoya-Cruz, Yellow Belt 8th Ji
Franco Arias-Celma, Yellow Blet 8th Ji
Joaquin Sanchez-Gonzalez, Orange Tag 7th Ji
Juan Cristian Garcia-Vargas, Yellow Belt 8th Ji

Meditation at the end of the grading session

Their belt was given to them in a very emotive ceremony on Tuesday 7 August, where each of them was called by the instructor and their belt was handed out to them, saying a few words about how they felt and what their commitment is for the next grading. I also said a few words to each student and gave feedback on what I had seen during their weeks of training, their strengths and weaknesses, and why they were there now receiving their first Tang Sou Dao belt.

Expaining what the colours in our Ren Yi Wu Kwan
emblem mean

Congratulations to all.

TANG SOU!

Instructor Prof. Dr Alejandro Aragon Zavala