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In the introduction, it was suggested that Wing Chun was a different, more technique-based system of Kung Fu compared to the more ordinary systems of Kung Fu that rely as much on brute strength as superior technique. Much was said there to describe what WCKF wasn't. Also immediately above, we introduced the philosophical essence, the very heart, of WCKF. In this section, we describe the component parts, the mechanics, of WCKF. This is best accomplished by describing the component parts of WCKF with an eye to their underlying concepts (remember also that, in the introduction, we said that WCKF was "concept-based"?). Central to the art of WCKF is the notion of the Central Axis (Zhong Zhou [中軸]), or the center line, which is the area of the body, or body zone, in which punches, kicks and grappling (trapping) takes place, while punches, kicks and trapping, in turn, belong to forms (Empty Hand forms). Each of these concepts – these topics and subtopics – will be treated in the following...
The Central Axis
Though the Central Axis is often understood to mean an imaginary line of attack/ defense that extends from the center of the chest of the WCKF fighter to that of the other Kung Fu fighter (or the other WCKF fighter, as the case may be), it actually describes a three-dimensional set of planes, making up a "field", between the two Kung Fu fighters where attacks, parries and counter-attacks take place. The field is laterally narrow because in Wing Chun, the arms, as an integral part of Wing Chun's defensive strategy, are kept tight to the body, i.e., the elbows are not akimbo (i.e., not pointing outward from the body) as they typically are in Western boxing, but are deliberately kept tight in to the front of the body as protection, thanks to the strength and resilience of the forearms especially, against punches and kicks delivered to the body's midsection.
Note additionally that the vertical, 'tight to the body' defensive arm position is also ideally suited to the so-called vertical punch, thus it serves both a defensive as well as an offensive purpose. Apropos the vertical punch itself, its use – as opposed to the typical horizontal punch of the Western boxer – also carries additional benefits since the recoil, as it were (i.e., the effect on the puncher himself), from a vertical punch is diffused into the torso, the residual effect being transmitted downward into the legs, then its remainder is absorbed by the elastic stance of the feet.
This contrasts sharply with the recoil that results from the horizontal punch delivered by the Western boxer, since this latter's recoil exerts tremendous torque on the body of the puncher, requiring a rigid, 'feet firmly planted' (and spread wide) stance on the part of the puncher in order to absorb the torque, otherwise the puncher may himself lose his balance. Worse, if the Western boxer is struck solidly while in such a rigid stance, the body part that is struck will likely absorb most of the force of the blow due to the less than ideal, inelastic stance that anchors the boxer to the surface – see the subsection on punches farther below in the section on Forms and San Sik.
The vertical range of the field is considerably larger than its corresponding horizontal range, as it extends from the eyes to the groin, or basically, it covers the head plus the torso. Thus, viewed in cross section, the field roughly describes a rectangle which, at its base, stretches in an imaginary line from the groin of the one Kung Fu fighter to the groin of the other, and from the eyes of the one Kung Fu fighter to the eyes of the other, and, additionally, from the sides of the narrow-profile bodies of each of the two Kung Fu fighters. In other words, the Central Axis is where the bulk of Wing Chun "action" (punches, kicks, grappling, etc.) takes place.
Forms (Taolu [套路])
There are Forms and then there are Special Forms. This is usually expressed as "there are Taolu and then there are San Sik (literally: "Casual Style" [散式])". The difference is that while the former are complete movements, or routines – and which therefore lend themselves admirably to general training and which further help to concentrate the mind and coordinate the reflexes – the latter are elements, or building blocks, of forms. San Sik (to be introduced farther below) are sometimes called "Free Forms". Thus, once one has mastered the general forms, one can disaggregate the individual general form into its various component parts and then substitute different San Sik, thus individualizing the routine. But San Sik can be entire movements in and of themselves in the sense that in a close combat situation, an accomplished WCKF can deliver a so-called one-inch punch, which is nothing but a San Sik delivered from short range but with all the force of a much longer punch belonging to a form.
Forms are also said to be meditiative, since, in order to perform them properly, that is, in order to perform the entire sequence, or routine, with fluidity, one must internally visualize (or "internalize") the sequence of movements so that they can be executed uninterruptedly. In this sense, the practice of forms is a kind of meditation. In a typical Wing Chun lineage, there are six forms: three Empty Hand forms, two Weapons forms and one "Wooden Dummy" form (a Wooden Dummy (Ye Zhun [葉準]), or stylized human opponent, is a contraption made of wood consisting of a column with "sticks" extending outward from the column, where the column represents the opponent's torso and the "sticks" represent the points on the opponent's arms that offer a "handle" for grappling or trapping – see the image below, but note that Wooden Dummy, as earlier indicated, is treated in a separate article). In addition, forms vary depending on the lineage, resulting in a myriad of possible variations, though we will conventiently decline to open that particular can of worms here!
Fig 3: The Hong Kong wall-mounted version of a Wooden Dummy
Empty Hand (Chi Shou Kong Quan [赤手空拳]) Forms (Taolu [套路])
As indicated above, there are three Empty Hand forms. As is typical for Wing Chun, they are not just three arbitrary – and arbitrarily interchangeable – forms, but each form serves a separate function both within the training and the practice/ implementation of Wing Chun, especially the former. Before the three Empty Hand forms are presented, the concept of Rooting, a concept that is practiced in Chi Kung, but which is in fact borrowed from Taoism, needs to be explained...
Central to all of the Wing Chun forms is the notion of Rooting (Zhan Zhuang [站樁]). Rooting is a somewhat elusive topic to describe, mostly because it is not a procedure that can be performed mechanically, such as performing a turn or a step, or any other ordinary Wing Chun routine. Rooting contains an element of the metaphysical; it is what one might call "mind over matter". This means that to impart to you what is meant by Rooting, I can only conjure up an image for you, the reader, to grasp – it will ultimately be up to the Wing Chun practitioner himself to experiment with the suggested image until he can eventually himself "feel" what the elusive qualtity, "Rooting", is all about.
Think of a tree that is solidly anchored to the ground via a network of roots. Except that we humans aren't trees and we don't have roots – moreover, there is both stationary (static) and mobile (dynamic) rooting, so having real rather than imaginary roots wouldn't be of much help anyway. So think of imaginary roots that anchor you to the ground (or to any other surface where you, as a WCKF fighter, find yourself). Or, if it is more helpful, think of the earth as having a gravitational pull on you, which it in fact does.
But you need to cultivate a sense of this gravitational pull as being much stronger than the gravitational pull that one normally experiences. Imagine, then, this stronger gravitational pull that is so strong that it can, when you allow it to, lower your center of gravity, "nailing" you just a little more securely to the surface. WCKF masters – called sifu – speak of "sinking" in conjunction with Rooting"; this "sinking" is nothing more than a sense of lowering one's center of gravity, of "nailing" oneself just a little more securely to the surface.
Rooting, or "nailing" or "sinking", or 'connectedness to the surface below', needs to be cultivated to the point where it can be regulated, or fine-tuned, at will (called, in the language of the WCKF sifu, Scott Baker – see the next paragraph – "being able to presence the root"), attaching the WCKF practitioner at some times more securely to the surface than at other times. And note that there are many degrees of Rooting, just as there is static and dynamic Rooting, as we have seen above. A rule of thumb for general dynamic Rooting is the "70-30" stance, i.e., 70% Rooting, 30% Projection (see more the reference to Projection (hei [黑], literally "dark") under the treatment of Repulse Monkey – Repulse Monkey being a "back-step" instead of a "side-step" Stepping maneuver – under the Stepping rubric below). Here is a depiction of a classic Rooting stance "Three Nails" Rooting:
Fig 4: The "Three Nails" Rooting Stance
The above-mentioned WCKF sifu (and professor of psychology), Scott Baker, from the US state of Maine, has devised the following handy test to determine whether a neophyte has acquired the necessary sense of Rooting:
"[T]he student kneel[s] on the ground. Then, standing in front of him, the teacher... place[s] his hands on the student's shoulders. The student then places the palms of his hands softly under the teacher's elbows. In this position, the student must relax and root into the ground. Then the teacher attempts to push the student over backwards. If [the student] is rooting correctly, the teacher should not be able to push him over."
Dynamic rooting comes after one has learned to use static rooting well enough that it becomes second nature, meaning after one has mastered the ability to "presence" the root at will. The ability to maintain rooting while in motion is absolutely essential to Wing Chun – indeed, it is essential to martial arts in general, since motion lies at the very heart of the martial arts.
Siu Nim Tao ("Little First Training" [小念頭]) – This is the basic, or fundamental, form on which all other forms in Wing Chun build. Not surprisingly, therefore, the focus in Siu Nim Tao (note that Tao is often written as Tau instead, just as any move, block, etc., whose name ends in –ao is as commonly written as –au)), which is also sometimes referred to as Siu Lim Tao, is on structure, posture and stance, the perhaps three most important aspects of WCKF and which rely on a knowledge of Rooting, as described above.
The stance is defensive, with the feet, slighlty pigeon-toed, barely far enough apart to prevent the WCKF fighter from falling over, with the legs very slighty bent, for the sake of elasticity, and the knees close together so as to protect the groin (the easiest way to come into this stance, called the horse stance, is to stand with the feet pressed against each other, then, with the weight on the heels and keeping the heels together, spread the feet at the toes to a 45 degree angle, then, shifting the weight to the balls of the feet, spread the heels until the position of the feet is very slightly pigeon-toed). The posture: the spine is held straight, the chin slightly lowered (to protect the throat), which has the effect of raising the crown of the head slightly, though some postures require the head to be held level. From this position, a number of hand moves, most involving only one hand at a time, will be performed, but keeping focus on the center line and the posture.
Siu Nim Tao does not involve turns, and thus one says that it does not involve footwork. It does, however, involve hand moves (both defensive and offensive) launched from the 4 "directions": moving forward, moving backward, and with the opponent at a right angle to one's own position, either on the right or on the left. Siu Nim Tao is divided into three stages, the first of which concentrates on performing the hand moves very slowly.
The first moves are naturally defensive, blocking moves involving one hand at a time – with power seated in the elbow and forearm only – but since the defensive and the offensive in Wing Chun are as intimately linked as the Yin and the Yang, every defensive move leads to a positioning where it can glide over into an attack with the other hand. Thus a typical block with the one hand is potentially followed up with a punch by the other hand, though in the first stage of Siu Nim Tao, the emphasis is on the defensive. Each of the moves are performed very slowly and deliberately, and with relaxed arms except for the slight tension in the relevant muscle (tricep or bicep), depending on whether the arm is being extended or retracted, and with focus on posture, structure and stance.
As the practitioner shifts his weight to the balls of the feet, the hips move slightly forward, and the reverse of this applies for a backward movement. This is a fundamental part of Rooting, and it helps to absorb strikes, meaning that it will reduce the chance that the practitioner will be knocked over or knocked down. For defensive purpoes, the practitioner should be aware of his inner gate (the area in between the arms) and outer gate (the area immediately outside the shoulders) at all times. The elbows are kept tucked close in to the sides, slightly in front, when the arms are not being extended or retracted.
In the second stage, both arms come into play, the tempo is increased, the hand moves of the first stage are repeated, but with greater precision, and new ones are added. This stage is a bit artificial in the sense that in a real-life, or sparring partner – or even Wooden Dummy – situation, only one arm would typically be used for a block; the point of performing them with both arms simultaneously is to demonstrate that the move can be performed with either arm, but, additionally, with the speed with which they are performed in the second stage, performing them with both arms gives a greater feeling of balance, and, should one ever be attacked by two assailants at the same time, one would know how to block two strikes simultaneously.
Sliding from the one move to the other, but remaining stationary, is a central part of the second stage practice, since, in actual fighting, sparring, etc., situations, the practitioner glides from one move to the other in response to constantly changing contingencies.
The third stage involves focusing on directing one's movement along the center line. That is, the lessons learned from the previous two stages, once trained to a level of proficiency, are made subsidiary to (become second nature to) the attack or retreat along the center line. In this stage, the arms, when at "rest" are held upright in front of the torso, bent at the elbow and with the palms of the hands facing inward. The elbows are held close in to the body to protect against a strike to the abdomen.
Combination moves are practiced in the third stage. These can be high defensive blocks that shift to a low defensive block with the same arm, or it may be a defensive block with one arm followed up by an offensive block with the other arm, including "escape" moves where the practitioner strikes an opponent who grabs one's wrist; the contingency here is never to try and wriggle the trapped arm free first, but to strike the assailant with the free hand, thus making it easier to retrieve the trapped wrist if the assailant hasn't already, in a reflexive response to the punch, released one's trapped wrist. Parries and other defensive moves are said to take place in the inner gate, while a punch or a kick is said to take place in the outer gate.
These three stages make up the entirety of the Siu Nim Tao form, which demonstrates yet again that Wing Chun is essentially a very simple martial art with a simple – but entirely adequate – repertoire of moves.
Chum Kiu ("Seeking the Bridge" [尋橋]) – Having mastered the fundamentals of the Siu Nim Tao form, the aspirant can then proceed to the more aggressive phase in his learning, having to do with attacking the opponent while maintaining a proper defense at all times. The first priority of Chum Kiu (sometimes written as Chum Ku) is quite simply to breach (or "bridge") the "outer defenses" of the opponent so that one may thereafter fight at close range, for the brilliance of Wing Chun lies in its superior close range techniques. (The US military openly admits that it always seeks an advantage over the enemy, for it is not interested in "slugging it out in a fair fight" – war is not about fighting fair, implies the US military, war is about winning! The US military generally achieves superiority over the enemy via its technological advantage. Still, in concept, the strategy is pure Wing Chun!)
Wing Chun's superiority lies in its close range techniques, that is, its bridging, or entry techniques, are ultimately subsidiary to the business of the close range fighting that characterizes Chum Kiu. Close range work, in turn, involves turning, or repositioning (which sometimes amounts to a pivot, therefore sometimes called pivoting), which is the salient feature that distinguishes Chum Kiu from, say, Siu Nim Tao.
Put somewhat simply, the hand moves of Siu Nim Tao, due to the fact that they are practiced with linear movements (one "wades in an out" of the opponent's range in a more or less straight line with one's mostly defensive moves), can be said to be static, while the same moves in Chum Kiu are said to be dynamic, in the sense that they involve constant repositioning. Another way of saying the same thing is that Chum Kiu requires lots of "fancy footwork" while Siu Nim Tao requires none. Indeed, Chum Kiu is also known as the footwork form. In addition to Turning, Chum Kiu involves Stepping as welling Turning-Shifting (both to be described in separate sections below).
The stance of Chum Kiu is slightly wider than that of Siu Nim Tao, a necessity in order to perform the requisite turns that belong to Chum Kiu without compromising one's balance. Another feature of Chum Kiu that distinguishes it from Siu Nim Tao is that it involves kicks. In southern China, these kicks are directed no higher than the waist, though in the north of China, there is a tradition for higher kicks. This northern tradition means that even in Wing Chun, a northern practitioner typically kicks well above the waist, even to the head, which tends to violate the ultra defensive nature of Wing Chun, since high kicks expose the practitioner to the risk of seeing one's kick intercepted, and with a leg raised to such a high level, compromising spills are almost unavoidable if one is tripped up, but such is the nature of regional habits!
It must be said, however, that high kicks, especially kicks to the head, tend to reduce the chance of an opponent trying to grab one's foot, unless the kick is executed extremely clumsily.
The above characterization of Chum Kiu as specializing in close quarter fighting should not be taken to mean that entry techniques play an insignificant role in Chum Kiu compared to short range fighting techniques, for entry techniques pave the way not only for getting in close to the opponent, they also, when performed properly – and with a bit of luck, or perhaps with a bit of help from an unsuspecting or clumsy opponent – destroy the structure of and destabilize the defensive stance of the opponent, handing the Wing Chun fighter the advantage from the moment he gets into close range of the opponent.
When short range fighting techniques are emphasized in the above, it is because this part of Chum Kiu represents the "chase", as it were, i.e., it is the stage of Chum Kiu that seeks to incapacitate the opponent, which is what Chum Kiu is all about (the sometimes rather violent, even deadly, techniques of Biu Jee are conceived out of an emergency situation where things do not go to plan... where things do indeed go to plan, it all ends with the short range fighting techniques of the Chum Kiu stage).
In Chum Kiu entry techniques (the first phase of Chun Kiu), the WCKF fighter uses primarily his forearms and elbows as well as his knees and shins – rather than fists and feet – to parry, or break, the opponent's attempts to keep the WCKF fighter at a distance. In deflecting the long-range blows of the opponent, while constantly repositioning himself, the WCKF fighter is better able to penetrate the outer defenses of his opponent, bringing himself within range, where Wing Chun excels.
The idea is to quickly penetrate whatever defensive or offensive strategies the opponent offers, including trapping the opponent's arms, where the opportunity presents itself (see Figure 11 for an example of where this does present itself). Then, once within close range, the knees and elbows can be employed to great advantage. Like a first-class football team that "triangulates" the ball from player to player, distracting the opponent while waiting for the right moment to accelerate the play explosively and slam the ball in the net, the Wing Chun fighter clashes and parries probingly with the opponent, constantly shifting his position to maintain an element of surprise while looking for an opening, then exploits that opening rapidly once it appears.
However, if no opening presents itself in a timely manner, perhaps because the opponent is himself an experienced fighter, the Wing Chun fighter then escalates the duel by launching a series of probing attacks that are designed to create an opening, and when the opening does present itself – which it will sooner or later if the Wing Chun fighter keeps up relentless pressure on the opponent, and in such a way that the manner and sequence of the attacks cannot be predicted – he capitalizes on the opening promptly, where possible, making short shrift of the disadvantaged opponent at close range.
In addition, Chum Kiu enables a highly experienced Wing Chun fighter to take on two lesser experienced opponents at the same time, though it would require a very adept WCKF fighter to manage this, and it would almost require that at least one of the opponents was rather inept, unless, of course, the single WCKF fighter was extremely good at his craft (there are probably some Wing Chun courses that teach the aspirant how to tackle this particular problem – there seems to be an "App" for everything these days! – and one can imagine that such an "App", if it exists, focuses on how to quickly assess the relative strengths of the two opponents, so that the WCKF fighter can concentrate his attention on the weakest of the two, while holding the stronger at bay, of course, so as to reduce the duel to a one-on-one affair at the earliest possible opportunity).
The Chum Kiu form, like the Siu Nim Tao form, is divided into three parts: the Ma (alternatively, Mah), or turning stances (stances that permit the practitioner to turn while maintaining proper structure); Bo, or stepping (there are many such steps, see a near-complete list below); and Zhuanyi, or turning-shifting (in connection with performing the various hand moves).
Turning Stances
Regarding the turning stances, or Ma, the most common of these is the Chor Ma/ Zhuan Ma. Note that the static stance of the Siu Nim Tao form is strictly the Yee Gee Kim Yeung Ma ("Two-syllable abduction stance")/ Ji Zi Qian Joeng Maa ("Two-syllable pinching goat stance"), whereas the stances of the Chum Kiu form are dynamic, since they involve turning as well as transitions, or shifts, from one hand movement to another (actually, the Siu Nim Tao form also allows transitions from one hand movement to another, but since Siu Nim Tao does not involve turns/ pivots/ repositionings, the available combinations are quite limited, whereas they are practically unlimited in the Chum Kiu form).
At the same time the Chor Ma turning stance is practiced, the hips, knees and ankles are strengthened, which is absolutely essential to Wing Chun, otherwise posture cannot be maintained, and with loss of posture, the practitioner is vulnerable to a loss of balance. Some masters insist that the most important first lesson of the Chum Kiu form is to strengthen the joints so that posture can be maintained. For example, with the proper posture, the double Lan Sau (see Figure 5 immediately below) can be turned 180 degrees by effortlessly swivelling the body without moving the feet, but by simply shifting the weight from one leg to the other as the legs switch relative position, from leading to following.
Fig 5: Double Lan Sao (defensive arms) executed with Chor Ma turning stance
Note how, in Figure 5 above, the right leg is the front (leading) leg and the left leg is the rear (following) leg in the image on the left, while this arrangement switches in the image on the right. The trick lies in proper Rooting and balance, where the stance is relatively wide (feet far apart) and the posture is very "vertical", i.e., the back is held straight, the hips are tucked slightly forward, eliminating the sway in the lower back, the knees are slightly bent (for flexiblity) and the head is held "level".
Turns, or repositioning, involves changes in the practitioner's stance and in his weight distribution. During a turn, the arms are typically held in a double Lan Sao (alternatively, double Lan Sau, where, as indicated above, the –ao ending may also be written as –au), as in Figure 5 above.
Immediately following the turn, the arms are repositioned from the strictly defensive Lan Sao position to, typically, with one arm lowered at one's side, near the waist (the offense-oriented arm waiting to be triggered if an offensive opening presents itself) and the other in a probing, bridging move such as the Fut Sao or the Fuk Sao, the latter of which comes in a left or a right variant – here, in Figure 6, a left Fuk Sao is depicted:
This sequence subsumes that the practitioner has not yet bridged (breached) the opponent's outer defenses, or has been cast out of the opponent's inner defenses, for once inside the outer defenses, i.e., once at close range, the goal is to attack relentlessly. Note also that the double Lan Sao of Figure 5 can be employed by the practitioner at any time as a distance-generating defense when one is under attack at close range (it can even be used, if the opportunity presents itself, to pin an opponents arms against his body), though as a defensive maneuver from a distance, it is less than ideal, as it exposes the entire abdomen. A good probing move is the Bon Sao which can then transition to a double Lan Sao move.
Note how easy it would be to transition from the Bon Sao of Figure 7 to the double Lan Sao of Figure 6. The Bon Sao can be used both to parry a punch (or a Bon Sao from one's opponent, as in Figure 6) or as a probe that can either set up a punch with the other hand or to transition to a double Lan Sao (or a number of other, positionally-related moves). Below, in Figure 8, is a more textbook correct view of the Bon Sao, with the leading forearm downward bent at the elbow, and with the backup hand at the ready to deliver a punch or to join the leading hand and arm in a double Lan Sao (note that the downward bent leading arm of the Bon Sao provides the greatest amount of defensive cover prior to contact, but in an actual contact situation, such as that depicted in Figure 7, the Bon Sao adapts, the leading arm providing an attack/ parrying function):Stepping
There are, as indicated, many Stepping techniques. Their purpose is in side-stepping an attack, and then using the new vantage point to launch a counter-attack (see Figure 9 below, which is a diagram of a simple Stepping technique involving the launch of a kick). Wing Chun always seeks to avoid a frontal attack (recall that Wing Chun was developed in order to give a delicate young maiden a fighting chance against a grown man), therefore side-stepping frontal attacks, then using the new vantage point to launch a counter-attack, is integral to Wing Chun philosophy. There are numerous Stepping techniques, some of which involve a retreat of sorts (one of which "retreats", one in particular will be discussed farther below).
Fig 9: An example of Stepping
The Stepping technique in Figure 9 above is one of the simplest. Starting at point 1 of the figure, the assailed sidesteps his assailant by taking a step forward and to the left. This is accomplished by placing the left foot forward and to the left in one long stride (this assumes that the WCKF fighter is right handed and –footed, otherwise one would move to the right, reversing the legs/ feet positions accordingly), and then (point 2 in the figure) bringing the back (rearward, or right) leg around in an arc, or roughly in an "L" shaped movement, but with the leg bent at the knee – and with the left foot "planted", i.e., with one's weight resting on the left leg and foot as an anchor and center of gravity (or Rooting, as described above) – as one extends the right leg (point 3 in the figure) in a swift, straight kick, jabbing the heel of one's right foot into the leg/ torso/ head, as the case may be, of the assailant.
Note that in point 3 in the above generalized image – which covers not only a follow-up kick contingency, but also an attack using the arms – the left foot, were the follow-up attack to be in the form of the above-described kick, would remain pointing at 45 degrees to the left, as depicted in point 2 of the image.
A similar reverse "stepping", called The Retreating Monkey (or Repulse Monkey), has the WCKF fighter stepping back and to the side as the center of gravity is lowered and shifted to the rearmost leg (or "rooted in the rearmost leg", as we can now describe it) as the body prepares for a counter-attack, since, in all such "escape" maneuvers (dodges), whether the WCKF fighter moves forward (Stepping) or rearward (Repulse Monkey) in order to avoid the charge of an assailant, the idea, in keeping with the Yin and the Yang of such strategies, is that the dodge – for lack of a better term... one would hardly call Stepping a retreat while that term does indeed apply to the Repulse Monkey – be followed up by an attack, which may be launched at any moment during the dodge, as long as the "planted" leg/ foot is rooted (note that the Yin here corresponds to the sinking/ crouching movement that lowers the center of gravity, while the Yang here corresponds to the explosive unleashing, in the form of a counter-attack, of the force made possible by the very sinking/ crouching movement of the Yin... think of a spring that is first loaded, then released... which only goes to prove, yet again, the 'two halves of one whole' concept of the Yin and the Yang).
Therefore one's center of gravity, given that one must be prepared for a counter-attack at any time (at the propitious moment under the given circumstances), is not clumsily shifted all in one movement – nor with locked joints, as if one were walking on stilts – but rather, is shifted in a slow, gliding, tiger-like, somewhat crouching movement where the center of gravity is at the same time lowered, simultaneously creating better Rooting for the counter-attack, though one's weight during the dodge movement itself (whether a forward or backward movement) can be momentarily rooted on the ball of the foot (or simply on the pad behinnd the big toe) or on the heel, as the need may be, though the forward-motion counter attack, if it involves a kick, needs one foot firmly rooted, as in the Three Nails Rooting of Figure 4 above.
The Repulse Monkey is typically performed with a poised, outward extended but relaxed arm with upturned hand (fingers pointing upward, palm facing forward – for example, similar to the Biu Sao (upper left) or less similar to the Wu Sao (upper right) shown in Figure 7 below, though the Palm Strike (lower part of Figure 7) is not a bad defense-offense position either for the Repulse Monkey, since the auxiliary hand protects the abdomen), called Projection (hei [黑], literally "dark"), since it imagines the protective force of one's chi extending through the body, and, in this case, along the arm and into the hand, then outward, beyond one's body, directed at the assailant, with the other arm close in to one's side, the hand near the hip, palm upturned, fist slightly clenched, ready to launch a counter-attack. (Note that not everyone performs the hand moves of Wing Chun the same, some are wildly diverging; in fact, the move that I have just described (and have seen, at least in online imagery : ) ) might better be called as a cross between the Biu Sao, the Wu Sao and the Palm Strike).
Projection, or hei, belongs to what qigong (and Taoist) adherents refer to as the Second Level of the Nine Physiological Cultivations, though the physiological aspects of this discipline, not surprisingly, would more probably be called parapsychological (if not pseudopsychological!) by the established medical community, who see more of a psychological than a physiological element in Projection... still, as they (you know, "they"!) say, there's more to heaven and earth than meets the eye, as a modern-day Hamlet might have said to his modern-day pal, Horatio, or "whatever works for you", as the current lingo goes, i.e., if it can psyche out your opponent, well, it can't be all bad!Note that the extended arm with upturned hand serves both as a first defense and as an ominous threat which, in itself, thanks to Projection (note that with Projection, the upturned hand/ outstretched arm looks more offensive than defensive, and this is naturally intentional), may cause the assailant to hesitate momentarily, buying the defender milliseconds of precious time during the Repulse Monkey. But if an opening presents itself, the extended hand can become a vertical Palm Strike, where one jabs the open hand, heel first, into the face of the opponent (generally, 'heel of hand to chin' contact), but it can naturally also be used to parry a punch if necessary.
There is another useful aspect of the looming hand of the outstretched arm in this and many other Siu Nim Tao and/or Chum Kiu hand moves (such as the Fuk Sao), namely, that because they extend so close to the opponent's body, the hand appears distortedly large, thus partially blocking the view of one's own body, and anything that the WCKF fighter can do to disadvantage the opponent the better!).
The flexibility of the joints as well as the Rooting extends to the hips and to a string of other key points of the body that make up what are called the Nine Gates: the extended foot, the extended knee, the pelvis/ hips, the lower back, the back and spinal cord, the shoulder girdles (the shoulder joint including the shoulder blade), the elbows, the hands (and fingers), and finally, the neck and head (and eyes). However, in some variants of Wing Chun, one works with the concept of Six Gates, while the concept of the Nine Gates applies to many if not most Chinese martial arts and has its metaphysical foundation in Taoism.
The overarching point of the dodge is that the WCKF fighter is in control at all times – it is not a wild, desperate and therefore reckless dodge. This means that the WCKF fighter, even in a dodge maneuver, remains relaxed, rooted, and in balance. Also, whether one chooses Stepping or a "false retreat" such as the Repulse Monkey in response to an assailant's charge will depend on the circumstances, i.e., the WCKF fighter chooses the option that best fits the given circumstances, though this is of course a matter of judgement which in turn depends on the WCKF fighter's degree of experience and level of self-confidence.
Without going into the diagrammatic details of what the various Stepping moves look like (except for Figure 9 above), here is a list of Stepping techniques (Bo) that relate to the Chum Kiu form (note that there are Stepping techniques that also relate to the Wooden Dummy form, the Pole (aka Staff) Weapons form and the Butterfly Swords Weapons form, and note also that some of the stepping techniques below also relate to other forms in addition to the Chum Kiu form):
Bik Bo – Pressing or chasing steps (Jamming stance, in the Butterfly Swords form).
Bot Gwa Bo – 8 Trigrams stepping.
Chat Sing Bo/ Chut Sing Bo – 7 Star Stepping, based on the stellar pattern of the Big
Dipper (Ursa major) constellation.
Cheung Sam Bo – Long Robe Steps, a term for a method of footwork that is practiced in
various forms, depending on the lineage. For example, in the Yip Man
lineage, it is found in the Butterfly Swords (Weapons) form; in the Pao
Fa Lien lineage, it is found in the Siu Nim Tao (Empty Hand) form,
while in the Lo Kwai lineage, it is found in the Pole (Weapons) form.
Chin Bo – Fighting Steps
Chut Sing Bo (Qixingbu) – Seven Star Step
Dap Bo – Joining Step
Dap Bo Bong Sau – Joining Step Flanking Arm
Mah Bo – Moving (Stepping Horse) Stance
Mah Bo Chi Sau – Stepping Horse Sticking Hands
Mah Bo Lop Sau – Stepping Horse Grabbing Hands
We will not dwell a great deal on Turning-Shifting here, as it cannot be described well (and it would require video (though animated GIF images can be helpful), not two-dimensional imagery, to do it justice), except to say that, as already indicated, it involves the dynamics of altering the attacks and "retreats" as needed – i.e., shifting from one hand move to another, potentially involving some relevant repositioning such as "swivelling" the body, i.e., where the body is shifted without moving the feet (as in Figure 5 above) – depending on the unfolding circumstances. Aggressive probing moves such as Chi Sao (chi sau, chi shou [黐手]), Chi Gerk (chi jiao [黐腳]) and Trapping (qin na [擒拿]) techniques are employed, and lead, where relevant, to follow-up direct attacks such as punches and kicks, the latter of which, at close quarters, is a kneeing.
Chi Sao is a forearm to forarm technique aimed at keeping in constant physical contact with the opponent in an effort to "read" any intended move on the part of the opponent, and in order to search out the opponent's weaknesses. Additionally, since, with Chi Sao, the opponent is stuck to oneself, as it were (remember that Chi Sao means "Sticky Hands") one knows where one "has" one's opponent, which thus reduces the range of surprises that the opponent can spring on one.
These are the main "tangible" advantages of Chi Sao. But Chi Sao also contains an eerie psychological element, since the almost massage-like circular movements of Chi Sao can have a deceptive and almost hypnotizing effect upon the opponent, lulling him into lowering his mental guard, or, it can represent a 'who will blink first' duel of nerves, hence the reference to searching out the opponent's weaknesses. Note that these movements, when both arms are employed, are called Luk Sao ("Double Sticky Hands" [雙黐手]), whereas Chi Sao should properly be written as Dan Chi Sao, or "Single Sticky Hands".*(5)
*(5) It is no accident that of the many Kung Fu martial arts available to it, Hong Kong Airlines has chosen to teach its staff, including inflight personnel, Wing Chun as a means of "neutralizing" unruly passengers, even if the "neutralizing" in question is aimed at pinning the arms of the "rage passenger", not punching his lights out... and you can be certain that the Chi Sao hand move figures prominently in this training!
Trapping is often performed in conjunction with Chi Sao, since with Chi Sao, one "glues" oneself to one's opponent via the forearm. As the name suggests, Chi Sao is ultimately aimed at trapping one's opponent's hands (or arms and therewith hands), for with the hands neutralized, the opponent is neutralized. Chi Gerk ("Sticky Feet") is the lower legs (shins) equivalent of the forearm "Sticky Hands" drills, the Chi Sao and Luk Sao drills. As an exercise, Chi Gerk, as a training technique, has the added benefit of relaxing the legs, which generally tend to be tensed more than is good for the WCKF fighter, since relaxation provides the key element of elasticity that is requisite to a good WCKF stance.
Below is a three-part image showing two WCKF fighters leading off with Chi Sao (the drawing is inspired by the iconic image of a Chi Sao "duel" between Bruce Lee (in blue) and his teacher and mentor, Yip Man), where "Bruce Lee" manages to grab "Yip Man's" left arm while at the same time pinning "Yip Man's" right arm. If you note carefully, the mistake of "Yip Man" in the duel depicted in Figure 8 below seems to lie in "Yip Man"having allowed his right arm to come too close to his left arm (of course "Bruce Lee" is also applying pressure on "Yip Man's" right arm, forcing it inward!), thus making it easier for "Bruce Lee" to pin that arm with the forearm and elbow of the same arm with which "Bruce Lee" grabs "Yip Man's" left arm. Well done!
Note also that "Yip Man", in the first part of the image, has already transitioned from a double Chi Sao to, at the point of contact, a left Fuk Sao (notice the "hook" quality of "Yip Man's" left hand, which is characteristic of the Ful Sao, as depicted in Figure 11 below) combined with a right Chi Sao. "Bruce Lee", in contrast, quickly grabs "Yip Man's" left hand while trapping "Yip Man's" right arm, with his right hand cocked and ready to deliver a punch.
Fig 11: "Bruce Lee" (left) and "Yip Man" in a Chi Sao "duel"
As can be appreciated, any two different hand moves involving a shift, or transition, must naturally be "related", in the sense that the practitioner can relatively easily transition from the one to the other. Indeed, all movements in Wing Chun are fluid, or continuous in nature, never jerky or discrete in nature.
Two-Way Force
At this point, it is necessary to introduce the concept of two-way force (shuang xiang liliang [雙向力量]) as it applies to the Chum Kiu form, for the Chum Kiu form adds something extra to the hand moves of the Siu Nim Tao form, and that something extra makes Chum Kiu an even more effective though disarmingly simple weapon. The idea of two-way force is just another way of saying that as a turn is performed in conjunction with a typical hand move, say, a typical Tan Sao, Bon Sao or Fuk Sao hand move of the Siu Nim Tao form, the force that is being applied to the opponent, due to the turn, is coming from two slightly different angles, and this has the effect of destablizing the structure, and even the stance, of the opponent. Below are depictions of the Tan Sao and Bon Sao hand moves (see Figure 6 above for the Fuk Sao hand move, and note that this completes the second Empty Hand form, the Chum Kiu form)Biu Jee ("Darting Fingers" [鏢指]) – Having mastered the art of breaking through the opponent's outer defenses and having mastered the art of close range combat, the aspiring WCKF fighter also needs to prepare for the eventuality that some things might not, alas, go to plan! This is where Biu Jee comes into play. There are two categories of Biu Jee emergency measures: one for short-range contingencies and one for long-range contingencies, because things can go wrong in either of these relative positions. Of the three Empty Hand forms, this one is the shortest, for the good reason that Bu Jee techniques are only to be used in extreme emergency situations.
Even though the aspirant quite logically can't practice these moves in any realistic manner, the well-trained WCKF fighter who has mastered his Siu Nim Tao and his Chum Kiu forms will easily be able to place these extreme-measure punches, jabs, thrusts and kicks where they need to be placed in order to do the greatest amount of damage in the shortest space of time.
The long-range Biu Jee techniques involve low kicks and and sweeps (a roundhouse type swing with a leg, designed to knock the opponent off balance) in the event that one has fallen – either because one has oneself lost one's balance, or one has been dealt a debilitating blow that causes one to collapse – and one needs to keep the opponent at a safe distance until one can recover enough to stand up and resume the fight from a more normal stance.
The close-range Biu Jee techniques involve the use of the elbows in the face or throat (a smack across the larynx with an elbow punch – in either direction – can send the opponent gasping for his breath), a knee to the groin, the knuckles of a clenched fist jabbed into the solar plexus (or at the larnyx – see the image below), and finger thrusts into the throat (incuding in the soft area under the chin) or, where necessary, into the eyes, hence the name "Darting Fingers". Close-range Biu Jee techniques are not pretty, but then they were not designed for their aesthetics, they represent an extreme "escape" measure designed to ensure one's own survival by, if necessary, ensuring that one's opponent does not survive!
Of course, in the sport version of Wing Chun, deadly techniques or even techniques that can cause lasting bodily harm are never practiced!! The use of Biu Jee stems from its military application, where both parties were locked in a life and death (life to one, death to the other) fight.


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Babies love to be swaddled, but how do you know when it's time to stop?
everything you need to know for your baby
Need some inspiration? We love how these parents introduced baby to the world
all you need to know about that first night at home
discover the many modern ways to shower mom-to-be and baby
our list of supplies and ideas for creating an efficient, comfortable and stylish changing station
tips and tricks to help you simplify the first big hurdle of motherhood
5 tips to help you navigate the situation, overcome fears & create a strong bond with your child
tried-and-true techniques you can use to help your baby benefit from swaddling
everything you need to know about our newest arrival
with this step-by-step guide and a little practice, you'll be a master swaddler in no time
one of the purest, simplest, most gentle and, in our opinion, most perfect fabrics in the world
learn why our diapers are good for more than just baby bottoms.
one nurse's sage advice for any NICU parent
aden + anais celebrates nicu awareness month with a story from rebecca
Be sure to share the details everyone is waiting for with this simple checklist.
real moms share what you really need to pack for the hospital —and what you don't
let the patterns be your guide
a lifestyle-based approach to building the perfect baby registry
a lifestyle-based approach to building the perfect registry
we compiled a list of the top-rated and most useful baby essentials
q+a with Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block
one woman's honest look at her struggle with breastfeeding
follow these 5 simple steps to set the stage for the sweetest slumber

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Be it paddle stirrers, stirrer bars, homogenizing stirrers, gobbing stirrers, we make them all.
We also make complete feeder systems or components thereof such as orifice rings, drain tubes, heating elements, bubblers, probes, thimbles and thermocouple wires, etc.
For making evacuated and clad stirrers, we have state-of-the-art Leak Detection equipment, which helps take us a step closer to zero-defect products.


text:
You Rob, on the other hand, refuse to offer anything.
I sure don't offer any endorsements of Passive Investing. That much is more than fair to say.
I am confident that you will have no trouble putting together a winning portfolio if you put Passive Investing behind you, Schroeder. That's the "system." Your human reason is your friend, not your enemy.


text:
This Ginger Drink Is Spicy, Sweet, and Perfect for Summer - Bon Appetit Magazine
"In Conakry, Guinea, when the kids had a break from classes to buy lunch from nearby street vendors, the food varied, but the drink was always the same. The ginjan, or ginger juice, came in a long, thin, plastic bag. You'd bite off one corner and suck the liquid through the ripped hole. At least that's how Rahim Diallo remembers it…"


text:
Raspberry Pi – first (XBMC) impressions
Last week I received my Raspberry Pi, after three months of waiting. In short: it was worth the wait. I first installed Debian 6 from Farnell's (where I bought my Pi) OS Download Center. I did not play much with Debian, so I did not get a good impression of it. The OS seemed pretty usable on the Pi, though I experienced some hickups while browsing (using the default browser, I couldn't find a package for Chrome). Read on for my first impressions with it and a video demonstrating the Pi's movie playback capability.


text:
On a hot, steamy day in Toronto, at one of the city's premier studios, the stage is set for the filming of Silent Hill, the latest adaptation of a video game, heading a multiplex near you come April. Under the imaginative direction of France's stylish director Christophe Gans, the film tells of a mother, played by Australia's Radha Mitchell, who searches for her sick daughter in the haunted, deserted town of Silent Hill.
A small, exclusive and intrepid group of online journalists visited the set of the film and our own Paul Fischer was one of them, as he interviewed Radha Mitchell, Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Bean and a young and very nervous Jodelle Ferland.
Question: Radha, what was the attraction of doing this film and what are the challenges of playing a character in a video game?
Radha Mitchell: I think the major attraction to me was it was directed by Christophe Gans. And I saw that film and I was intrigued and fascinated 'cause I thought Brotherhood of the Wolf was a beautiful, exciting, strange and bizarre movie. Then I met Christophe and I was charmed, obviously, by him and I guess that's what it was. So then, since we've been making the film, we see the vision and the script comes alive and it's a very visual piece so when you read it you won't necessarily understand what it is but, since we've been working on the film, every day has just been an assault on the senses. And I guess today was just a sample of that. And the challenges, I guess, I mean I've got to run around and call out "Sharon"… And do that in 50 different ways. So there's that aspect. I also think Christophe has a really interesting take on the concept of the video game and you do have a sense of what it must feel like to be sort of stuck in this chase which I guess is the main challenge, keeping that interesting working 'cause a lot of the time we're reacting to things that are not necessarily in front of us and the things that we're imagining and we've got to, you know, imagine them at the same time. So we've constantly encouraged the first AD to make loud noises for us so we can all be scary. And so everybody's had to become an actor on this movie including the crew.
Question: Talk about the way you move through this, since much of the film is about movement.
Radha Mitchell: I think Christophe is very specific in the way that he cast the film. He wanted actors who had sort of some sense of movement which is definitely part of the performances. I don't know so much with my character 'cause I'm playing a more human character. But I think that was definitely part of the choices that people made as actors was to move in a particular way. And you'll see that when you see the film.
Question: Deborah, can you talk about your character?
Deborah Kara Unger: I'm playing Dahlia. She been extraordinary because I think, to Christophe's credit, and certainly the entire crew and special effects and design, he's really, really captured the essence of her and then extended her into the psychological nightmare that would capture the imaginations of the gaming fans. So it was a much deeper exploration than I anticipated. Because I'm a big lurker on all the sites and I love the varying competing analysis on all the different characters, with Dahlia it's been an extraordinary psychological journey for me, as an actor, to embrace this walker between worlds.. And, as a mad and slightly cryptic prophet, akin to obviously the essence of the game, this has been just a delight to play.
Question: How many of you have played in a video game and played it before and then just video game fans before you knew you were going to be in this movie?
Radha Mitchell: Honestly? I'm not a very good player, to be honest. I've tried to play the game and especially to get familiar with the characters better. I mean, it's really an amazing game, having just a limited sort of knowledge of it that I have. And it's got a real sense of sort of poetry and melancholy and things you don't expect in a video game which I guess that's what's attractive to me about it. But, in relation to actually getting through the game I'm always stuck on the fence and I can't get off it. But I mean, I'm sure everybody has a different experience. And Christophe, has been known to spend like two to three days straight in his room, playing the game without leaving, without going to the bathroom.
Deborah Kara Unger: Laurie and I both get stuck by the same store, which is really annoying. And I hear … 'cause I often hear footsteps now and, of course, the sound of destroying the monsters. I like to destroy. I am impressed by the people that get stones and aliens. I mean, who are they? That's incredible.
Radha Mitchell: I haven't got that far.
Sean Bean: I've not seen it. I've seen a picture. I've seen the front cover but that's about it.
Radha Mitchell: But they showed you a photograph of a picture of your character for the game.
Sean Bean: Did they?
Radha Mitchell: Because they wanted the same colouring as the character.
Sean Bean: Who? I do? Yeah?
Radha Mitchell: Yeah.
Sean Bean: I'll have to have a look at it.
Radha Mitchell: And it's interesting because Laurie is playing Cybil and she looks exactly like Cybil in the game.
Laurie Holden: Well, I do now.
Deborah Kara Unger: She does now.
Laurie Holden: I had hair before this movie. They chopped it all off for Cybil.
Question: Laurie and Sean, can you talk a little bit about your characters?
Laurie Holden: Cybil is a woman who grew up in Brahms which is a small town outside of Silent Hill. She's a bit of a lone wolf, in the sense that her mom died when she was thirteen and there was never really a father around. Brams was a very religious community, so I think that because my mother was such a woman of faith and she passed away in a really painful way, it really scarred Cybil. And she's really kind of denounced any sort of religion just because of what happened to her mom. So because of that I think that she's been a bit of an outsider, doesn't have a lot of friends. But that's okay for Cybil because she's found her calling and that is to serve and protect. And, really, she wants to save children. And there are different things that have happened in her conventional life with marriage and kids. She wants to be kind of like the mother of saving the children. So that's Cybil.
Radha Mitchell: It's interesting the way the relationships are constructed in the film. Say, even the relationship between our characters, is not stereotypical. They're buddies and, they're on the journey together. But it's interesting tension between the two characters. I can't give way the plot, but, all the characters are quite sort of fleshed out and mysterious.
Deborah Kara Unger: They're also all psychologically and metaphorically interwoven beautifully. What Christophe has done has been really quite inspirational for all of us as actors and the crew as well. Visually, for the crew, they've had a blast.
Question: Sean(?)…
Sean Bean: I play Chris DaSilva who's sort of quite a successful businessman. They live in a nice house. Things seem to be going well, apart from the child. And I spend most of the time chasing around trying to get on different playing levels, different time levels. But he's a good guy, a regular sort of guy with bit of money, wears nice clothes and drives a BMW. It's all materialistic.
Radha Mitchell: Their relationship has a certain nostalgia as is in the game in that they're sort of separating in different dimensions. And they're kind of passing each other by sol often in the movie. They don't actually connect. So it's kind of, I guess, like the average relationship … [laughs]. It's like a metaphor for relationships.
Question: It seems that horror has a new respect now. If you look at the calibre of talent that is in horror now, it's not the whipping boy anymore. There was a time when it was sort of slumming or considered a poor man's genre. And, in fact, it's not. So I want to find out how you feel about contributing to the genre and if there was anything in particular that you guys are bringing to the table in terms of this new horror?
Radha Mitchell: Well, it's a masochistic pursuit, especially in this film. [laughs] I mean, and I think there's something very elegant about the way that Christophe is directing horror. And, his inspiration is, you know, coming from a very highbrow kind of level in art. So If you're into horror I would say this is the movie to watch because it's elegant horror. That's my understanding of it.
Laurie Holden: I think of this one as a nightmare fairytale. It is elegant and I think of this as kind of a cross between Alice in Wonderland meets Dante's Inferno. It's very high art and frightening and violent and sexy and elegant all at the same time. Which I think is, you know, Christophe's genius.


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Here are a few things I would have loved to hear when I was fresh. They help set a much better mindset.
Your application is never done.
You will be ashamed of your own code when you revisit it a year later, so never judge others code. Instead learn from their (and your old) mistakes.
Never correct a bug until you fully understand why it happen. Chances are that you'll otherwise screw something else up.
Fast programmers aren't necessarily better programmers. They might just write more bugs in less time. Take your time and do it right, you'll get the speed eventually.


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The scholarship offers loan forgiveness for physician assistant students in accredited Physician Assistant Programs. Participating students receive $1,000.00 per month with a month for month practice obligation in rural communities of 20,000 or less population.
The program aims to assist Oklahoma's rural communities and provide financial assistance to physician assistant students enrolled in an accredited physician assistant program.
Applicants must be:
$1,000.00 per month
Academic RequirementsThose accepted on scholarship on or after July 1, 2018, must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. (Those currently on the scholarship, prior to July 1, 2018, must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25.)
Liquidated DamagesIf the physician assistant decides not to repay his/her obligated scholarship loan by practicing in a qualified community, he/she will be required to repay the principal amount, plus interest and liquidated damages of up to 100% of the principal. Interest accrues at the prime rate plus 1%.
Non-Qualifying Communities
Due to the rural aspect of the scholarship, communities near Oklahoma City and Tulsa may not qualify for residency location.
Aneesa SharpMedical Scholarship Programs Coordinator5500 North Western Avenue, Suite 201
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
5500 North Western Avenue, Suite 201 Oklahoma City, OK 73118(405) email@example.com
Physician Scholarships
Nursing Scholarships
Physician Loan Repayment
Physician Resident Placement
Physician Assistant Financial Assistance
Oklahoma Works brings all of our state's workforce resources together, connecting employers, employees and job-seekers to information and programs that help build Oklahoma's workforce.


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By law, outdoor washing and rinsing of aircraft, vehicles or equipment is strictly prohibited.
Unauthorized rinsing, pressure washing, steam cleaning, or detailing of any aircraft, vehicle, ground service or maintenance equipment where the waste water is not contained and diverted to the sanitary sewer system is a direct threat to storm water quality.
Dirt, fuel, oil, lubricants, solvents, detergents, etc. that are used to operate or clean aircraft and other tools and machinery are washed onto the ground and will enter the storm drain the next time it rains.
Dry washing is the most effective best management practice (BMPs) for protecting storm water from aircraft washing.
BMPs for wet washing aircraft or other vehicles, equipment, and tools require:


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Magento 1.8 "form_keys" impact on FPC
Magento 1.8 Form Keys
Since the beginning of time Magento's backend contained a form key that protected against XSS attacks [1]. With Magento 1.8 the form key has entered the frontend for pretty much the same reason: to protect against form submission from another website, using your browser. A malicious attacker can add stuff to your cart while you're in a different browser tab or even complete an order for you. This relies on predictable URLs, because the site will not have access to the actual HTML content in the browser tab where you have your Magento order waiting. Everything sent to the Magento store will however submit your cookies and thus use your session.
Enter the form key
By adding a unique key to each form or to each link that generates an action on the server, the URL or form content becomes no longer predictable. The form key is stored in the session data and validated upon submission to the server. If they don't match - you get a form key error and the action is not completed.
The way it is implemented in Magento 1.8 is not straight-forward for most of the Magento FPC implementations out there and will generate form key errors, because by default they will cache the pages containing the form key of the user that first requested the page and caused it to be stored in the full page cache.
Magento frontend implementation
First of all, the form key is not a separate block which can be excluded from FPC. And to make things worse, it's part of top level pages you will want to cache, like categories and product detail and even the homepage if it contains "add to cart" links (which most homepages out there do). For an example, take a look at app/design/frontend/base/default/template/catalog/product/list.phtml. You will notice several calls to $this->getAddToCartUrl() which is defined in app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Block/Product/Abstract.php. In there you'll see that unconditionally, the form_key is added to the URL parameters.
On the other hand, using a separate block that would allow FPC implementors to mark it dynamic, would incur a heavy performance penalty, because every link that contains a form_key or form that contains a form_key input element, would have delays for loading and executing the block from a separate file and effectively only outputs sixteen characters fetched from the user's session data.
But here's the good part
The good thing is, that a solid FPC implementation should also have code to replace the session ID that is output in some pages with the actual session ID from the currently viewing user. This code can be expanded with a replacement for the form key and this is exactly how Magento Enterprise is doing it.
When a cacheable page is stored in the FPC container, one replaces the form key with a placeholder. After retrieving the stored HTML and before serving the cached page, the placeholder is restored with the form key stored in the user's session or if one does not exist, one should be generated (and subsequently stored in the user's session).
Pages that receive the form key should in general not be cached or at least (partly) tailor to the current user ("dynamic blocks"). This is where the validation code will be called and when done right should no longer generate form key errors.
We know of the following FPC implementations who have patched their code:
- Lesti FPC as of this commit
- Extendware Full Page Cache, version 1.6.8
If you are the maintainer of an FPC implementation or know that an implementation is fixed or not affected, feel free to provide me the details and we'll update the list as soon as possible.
[1] http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/php/secure-your-forms-with-form-keys/
Bel nu! 020 337 5961
Dit artikel is geschreven door Melvyn Sopacua, medior support medewerker gespecialiseerd in performance en migraties.


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Play the latest html5 Emily cooking and restaurant management games online for free on vitalitygames.com. Join Emily for a very special chapter in her life. One thing's for sure her family will never be the same again. Enjoy Emily s Miracle of Life online for free on vitalitygames.com!Emily's only just started her very own cooking blog, when she receives some wonderful news. She's pregnant! Curious to see how she'll combine all her new challenges? Play Delicious Emily's Miracle of Life Deluxe now! Try Delicious Emily's Miracle of Life Deluxe for free it's safe and simple and the Story Line is good! Good luck and have fun!
baby family kitchen service time management youtube


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Simple Social Kitchen
Welcome to the Simple Social Kitchen, where we specialize in natural, health supportive cuisine, inspired by the traditional cooking of the Americas, Southern Europe and Asia.
We believe in using whole foods that are in season and locally grown whenever possible to ensure the use of the freshest and highest quality ingredients. We aim to make simple yet absolutely delicious food that nourishes your body, mind and spirit.


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Since the Animal Adventure Park in New York began live-streaming April the giraffe's impending birth on Feb. 10, 35 animals have been born or hatched at the Dallas Zoo through Thursday.
The animals spanned 14 species, and there are a lot of birds and snakes.
Bolasie, the big-eared Eastern bongo, was born Feb. 17 to mom Hidaya. She's the first bongo to be born at the zoo since 2015.
Chispa the lesser anteater gave birth Feb. 25 to the zoo's first tamandua baby named Corajosa, or Cora for short. Tamandua births are rare in human care, and only three babies survived last year in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo said.
Then there was the first lion cub to be born at the zoo in more than 40 years — Bahati Moja — who arrived on St. Patrick's Day. She was born via C-section to Lina, who had previously delivered two stillborn cubs.
February, March and April were busy months for satanic leaf-tailed geckos, also known as fantastic leaf-tailed geckos. Four hatched during that time. The geckos have camouflage that helps them mimic a dead leaf, which gives them a defense against predators in their native Madagascar.
There's also an African penguin, crested pigeon, green woodhoopoe — a fancy-looking bird with feathers like an oil slick — and 17 white-lipped island pit vipers, all of which hatched Feb. 19.


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Mild By Nature, Thickening B-Complex + Biotin Shampoo by Madre Labs, No Sulfates, Rosemary Mint, 14 fl oz (414 ml)
Flash Deals are limited time, limited quantity promotions, so act fast! Limited to: 1 unit of 1 flash deal product per order. If you order more than one unit or re-order or order other flash deals, you will pay our regular low price. Flash Deals are ineligible from all other promotions.
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Mild By Nature, Thickening B-Complex + Biotin Shampoo by Madre Labs, No Sulfates, Rosemary Mint, 14 fl oz (414 ml)
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Shake before each use. Massage a generous amount of shampoo gently into wet hair and scalp. Work into a rich lather. Rinse thoroughly.
Other Ingredients
Water (aqua), sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium benzoate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyacetophenone, sodium chloride, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, panthenyl hydroxypropyl steardimonium chloride, coco-glucoside, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, citric acid, glyceryl oleate, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, phytantriol, glycerin1, hydrolyzed quinoa, glycerin2, loquat (eriobotrya japonica) leaf extract, biotin (vitamin B7), sodium hydroxide, hydrolyzed corn protein, vicia faba (broadbean) seed extract, helianthus annus (sunflower) flower extract, hydrolyzed flax protein.
1Organic, 2Non-GMO
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Discontinue use if irritation occurs.
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Ingredients:2/3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Steen's Pure Cane Syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tsp ginger
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 - 9" unbaked pastry shell
Sift together sugar, flour, salt and spices into mixing bowl. Add syrup, pumpkin, and eggs; mix well. Stir in evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of filling comes out clean.


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Notify me when this product becomes available:
While we hold as much stock as possible, on occasion this product may need to be cast especially for you by our expert staff. If your order includes this item, it may take a few more days before we ship it.
This product is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue and paints not included.
This pack contains 3 great models than can transform your Landwehr battalion into a mini diorama, or simply give you a differing choice of command.
It has two choices of officer, randomly supplied, and a "twinned" figure of a wounded ensign being supported by his Drummer comrade..includes flagpole and finial
Stirring stuff indeed!
This set contains 2 metal models, representing three command. The officer model is randomly supplied from the two shown. It also contains metal standard pole and finials.
Models supplied unassembled and unpainted. The paper flag is not included.
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On a damp, overcast Sunday in June 1815, twenty years of continuous warfare the Napoleonic Wars came to a violent and bloody conclusion on a... View full product details
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Nestled in the heart of Townsville with old world grandeur and charm, we offer you a variety of versatile venues for intimate weddings for up to 300 guests. With its iconic entry staircase, grand foyer and ballroom our venue offers the perfect backdrop for creating lasting memories. This is an exciting time and we invite you to meet with us to view our venue space and discuss your dream day.
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These are precarious cultural times in Vancouver. As The Globe and Mail first reported this week, MusicFest Vancouver has suspended its operations and pulled the plug on its 2013 festival. Earlier this year, the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company shut down after 49 years as a regional theatre company. Other organizations are fighting to keep their artistic heads above water.
Four years ago, Ballet BC too was facing bankruptcy. It laid off its staff, including dancers and then-artistic director John Alleyne. It was a disaster. But the company returned from the brink with a new artistic director, Emily Molnar, and a new vision. Molnar is a former Ballet BC principal dancer and soloist with the Frankfurt Ballet under director William Forsythe. Back at Ballet BC, she promised contemporary ballet rooted in classicism, and pushed to the boundaries.
She has delivered. And this week, to open its most ambitious season since its dance with collapse, Ballet BC presents In/verse, a program of three works – the world premiere of Molnar's Aniel, and premieres from two all-the-rage international choreographers: American Nicolo Fonte and Italian-born Jacopo Godani, who makes his Canadian debut with A.U.R.A. (Anarchist Unit Related to Art).
Swan Lake, this isn't. Really, when is the last time you read the word "klezmer" in a story about ballet?
Godani, who has been described by Vogue Italia as "one of the most in-demand choreographers in the world," is on the cutting edge of the art form, and exactly the kind of artist Molnar is interested in presenting as she rebuilds her company.
"His work has never been seen in Canada and I have been waiting a long time – ever since I got this job, I knew I wanted to bring something of Jacopo's here," says Molnar, who has collaborated with Godani in the past.
A.U.R.A., set to a score composed and performed by the popular German electro-acoustic duo 48nord, was originally commissioned by Ballet Mainz in Germany. For Ballet BC, Godani has re-choreographed many sections. "It's a world premiere in a sense because he's changed so much. He made it specific to our company," said Molnar during a break from lighting rehearsals this week. "I love that he was inspired to do that."
The program also features a world premiere by New York-born choreographer Nicolo Fonte. Muse, a triptych described as "energetic" and "hopeful," marks the first time Fonte's work has been seen in Canada since Ballet BC presented his Like You in 2005. Set to a recording by the superstar New York-based ETHEL string quartet, Muse was created over three weeks in Vancouver this fall.
"Nicolo paid me personally and the company one of the greatest compliments I could get," says Molnar. "He said, 'I feel like I'm at home. I feel like I can just focus on making the piece I want to make.'"
Molnar's own Aniel was inspired by U.S. avant-garde composer/saxophonist John Zorn's Book of Angels – a collection of short compositions, many of which are named for angels in the Judeo-Christian tradition, including Aniel or Haniel – sometimes referred to as the joy of God or the grace of God.
"I was instantly inspired when I heard the music," says Molnar. "And I felt this would very much resonate with my idea of wanting to create a world that was about joy, about whimsy, about more of the absurd in a playful way."
The Crakow Klezmer Band and the Masada String Trio play the percussive, vibrant music; the work is meant to be lighthearted and playful – more contemporary dance than contemporary ballet. Danced (not en pointe) to music inspired by angels, one can anticipate an air of celebration.
And why not? Even if the three-show run does not sell out (and it likely won't), there is much to celebrate here: the resurrection of a company that did it not by pandering but by pushing the envelope. That is able to tour again – for the first time since its near bankruptcy – outside the Lower Mainland, including performances scheduled for next year at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and the prestigious White Bird Festival in Portland, Ore. Ballet BC – Molnar, in particular – is working not just to keep the company afloat, but to do it with integrity and innovation. It's one thing to get bums in seats. It's another to get jaws to drop. She's trying to do both.
"I think the idea is that we're always working with an artist that has a classical and contemporary understanding of dance, so when you have that as a base, then you're able to go in so many directions," she says. "It's our job right now as people in the art form to keep pushing it forward."
Molnar is doing her job – and then some. If you're in Vancouver this week, consider buying a ticket. Not to help save this ballet company – it's saving itself – but to witness where ballet is taking its next great leap.
In/verse is at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre Nov. 22-24, with performances at 8 p.m.


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The advancement of technologies in recent time has brought about lots of changes inside the medical science field. A clear and simple example of such improved technology is laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery is becoming a highly common process of correcting eye issues. More and more persons are going in for laser eye surgery around the globe, as it is deemed to become secure and very productive.
Laser eye surgery refers to the use of higher high quality and high precision laser referred to as the Excimer. It is actually used to carve the corneal tissue with the eye so that you can support the light rays to acquire refracted appropriately and fall precisely around the retina on the eye. This process helps to quickly remove blurry vision, farsightedness, short sightedness, and other vision impairment difficulties with all the eye. There are lots of things that have to be regarded as prior to figuring out no matter whether laser eye surgery may be the proper option for a patient. Laser eye surgery is usually a surgical process and should be approached inside the similar manner as any other surgery 1 may have. There may very well be several complications before the surgery. However, the complication rate of laser eye surgery is only five percent. Thus the procedure becomes protected and supplies minimal possibilities for failure.
Learn additional right here on opération laser yeux.
Laser eye surgery can not guarantee a twenty by twenty vision. However, it undoubtedly assists to trigger a drastic improvement in the vision in the eye. The need for glasses and contact lenses is lowered. Someone is capable to lead a regular life and carry out day-to-day activities like driving and reading immediately after laser eye surgery in most circumstances.
Stop by this link laser pour les yeux.
Laser eye surgery could nevertheless possess a few unwanted effects. Eye irritations, over correction, below correction are some complications, which could take place. They are generally referred to as unwanted side effects and usually occur soon after the surgery. Progressively these side effects put on off and typical vision is restored.


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During a news briefing on Wednesday, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the administration's case for prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey from the White House podium.
In making the comments, Sanders is disregarding what was previously an important ethical standard — that the Justice Department has prosecutorial independence. The idea is that the Justice Department should decide who to prosecute based on a unbiased application of the law, not political pressure from the White House. This is something that neither Sanders or her boss seem to value.
"The memos that Comey leaked were created on an FBI computer while he was director," Sanders said on Wednesday. "He claims they were private property, but they clearly followed the protocol of an official FBI document. Leaking FBI memos on a sensitive case regardless of classification violates federal laws including the privacy act, standard FBI employment agreement, and non-disclosure agreement all personnel must sign."
"I think that's pretty clean and clear that that would be a violation," she added. "I think the facts of the case are very clear."
Lawyers, however, are in broad agreement that Comey did nothing wrong by sharing an unclassified memo about his interactions with the president with a friend who later shared them with the New York Times.
After Trump first accused Comey of being "a leaker" in June, LawFare looked into Trump's accusation and found that "there is nothing to suggest his actions were illegal, unethical, immoral, or otherwise inappropriate." The piece specifically rejects the claim Sanders made on Wednesday — that because Comey prepared the memo on an FBI computer, he violated the law.
From LawFare:
The information wasn't classified. It didn't plausibly include any "national defense information." Therefore, the Espionage Act is inapplicable.
As Steve Vladeck notes, the only even remotely plausible statute under which Comey's conduct might be criminal is 18 U.S.C. § 641, barring the conversion of government property. But, as Vladeck also notes, in U.S. v. Morison (as well as Carpenter v. U.S.) courts determining whether information qualifies as property focus on the financial value. There's no argument at all here that Comey's memos had financial value.
[T]he argument this qualifies as conversion of government property under § 641 is laughably thin, regardless of whether the documents qualify as government records or not.
Sanders' comments on Wednesday drew a quick rebuke from Matthew Miller, Department of Justice spokesperson under President Obama.
Where is the AG? @EricHolder would've been on phone immediately telling the WH to cut this crap out. I bet Mukasey/Ashcroft would've as well https://t.co/N1wM2khnlL
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) September 13, 2017
Sanders' denunciation of Comey on Wednesday came in response a question about similar comments she made during Tuesday's briefing.
Reading prepared remarks, Sanders said on Tuesday that "Comey by his own self-admission leaked privileged government information."
"His actions were improper and likely could have been illegal," she said. "Comey leaked memos to the New York Times."
Later during Tuesday's briefing, Sanders reiterated that she thinks the DOJ "should certainly look at" prosecuting Comey.
"I think if there's ever a moment where we feel someone has broken the law, particularly if they're the head of the FBI, I think that's something that certainly should be looked at," she added.
On Twitter, Miller characterized Sanders' comments on Tuesday as "suggesting DOJ pursue political retaliation, plain & simple."
Indeed, as special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in the Trump campaign for possible collusion has heated up, Trump and his supporters have repeatedly resorted to smearing Comey and Mueller as a way to take pressure off the president.
After news broke that Mueller is working with an IRS unit that focuses on financial crimes and collaborating with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Trump took to Twitter to attack Comey for prematurely exonerating Hillary Clinton.
Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over…and so much more. A rigged system!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2017
Not only do experts believe that Comey did nothing wrong in that instance as well, but Trump's allegation wasn't even consistent with his past statements. His attack on Comey for allegedly being too soft on Clinton came less than four months after Trump justified his decision to dismiss Comey as FBI director by citing a letter making the case that Comey was actually too hard on her.
And it's not just White House officials who making a public case that Comey did something wrong. On Wednesday, President Trump's personal attorney, Jay Skeulow, tweeted that he thinks it's time for former FBI Director James Comey to get a lawyer.
Will the Department of Justice prosecute fired FBI Director #JamesComey? We discuss on #JayLive. https://t.co/73roS3jSQJ
— Jay Sekulow (@JaySekulow) September 13, 2017
Trump, his press secretary and his personal lawyer all appear to be engaged in a systematic effort to pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to prosecute Comey.


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With risk-free ordering online or by phone, you never pay until you approve the final proof.
We take care of your printing, so you can take care of your customers!
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BIG and VASCULAR: The Perfect Rep Range
What's up guys! It's your favorite super human, animal, bodybuilding action hero…SUPERMANIMAL!!!!!! Ta-Daaaaaaaa!
Got your attention? No? Ok…who wants to get ripped and big at the same time, with blood pumping, skin cutting veins and massive gladiator traps? Imagine triceps bursting through jackets and calves that speak when they walk…Got your attention now? Good. I want to bring up the subject of "rep range" and what exactly is ideal for maximum size growth while maintaining that lean, chiseled appearance. Let's be honest; we all want to look like cartoons but more often than not we end up resembling play-doh. Yikes. No Bueno!
Every gym in the world has that one guy who is always being approached because people idolize him. He's always putting in work. Mornings. Nights. Weekends. He's there till closing the day before a holiday and he's super setting deadlifts with bench presses. His eyes are hidden beneath a hoodie and his ears eluding the world with his ear phones in, because frankly, he's not there to give advice, much less talk. His idea of hitting the bar is a squat rack. People see the gains, the strength, the massive resemblance of a mythological creature, and so it's automatically inferred, "this guy knows what he's doing." Then there's that other guy who reaps at a moment's notice to pollute the world with his work out enthusiasm. The guy who walks around with a gallon of water, brand new wrist straps every week, and some cheap fitness endorsing tank-top purchased on Instagram. He's also the guy telling all the ladies what they're doing wrong and offering them personal training sessions. Sadly, 50% of the time, this Barbie-searching, Ken-wannabe also works at the gym. Who should you listen to? Well it's obvious. The greats don't become great by endorsing social media products. But I'm here to tell you what works for me and hope that you find some knowledge in here that might radically change your routine and physical appearance, simultaneously.
The key to muscle growth is simple. Blood. You see, blood is oxygen, and oxygen enables our muscles to lift more and to expand, which for all you protein counting meat heads out there, means growth over a period of time. Let me explain.
Why is PreFierce by TruFierce considered the #1 pre-workout right now? For starters there are zero proprietary blends, so you know exactly what you're putting in your body. Second, the formula is based on science. Every single ingredient is exhaustively research-backed, and dosed properly. Third, according to thousands of customers their signature gummy bear flavor is amazing. Benefits include:
- Insane muscle pumps
- Increased power and strength
- Supercharged energy without the crash
- Faster recovery time
- Boosts fat loss
- Laser focus
Blood contains nitric oxide, which naturally causes the relaxation of endothelial cells inside our veins, causing them to expand. We call this process vasolidation.
This is why so often many of us, including myself, take additional nitric oxide prior to exercise. The added nitric oxide cause our veins to dilate even more. This is where the magic happens!
A percentage of blood is made up of a yellow substance called plasma. Now I'm not going to give you a science lecture, but you do need to know this; blood plasma contains growth hormones, testosterone,amino acids, nutrients, proteins, and electrolytes, which it then delivers to pertinent areas of the body, whenever requested. When muscles exert energy guess who they call on? BLOOD PLASMA!!!!
The same thing happens when muscles become exhausted, which is why a high protein diet is necessary for muscle growth. The more protein available to plasma for transportation, the better refueling and growth process for the muscle and its tissues.
Additionally, oxygen works as a cleaning agent inside the body, eliminating toxins and bacteria which can cause muscle deterioration. Now, let's add it all up.
The pump is real, but only if you know how to achieve it. It is the most gratifying feeling in all of weightlifting. Muscle hypertrophy is the process of skeletal muscle growth through an increase in cell size, but not all growth is the same. Myofibrillar hypertrophy occurs in the 2-6 rep range, usually when working with maximum loads and is especially pertinent in gaining strength. This won't necessarily get you chiseled, but it will have you looking like you belong in a strong man competition. Think wrestlers and power lifter physiques. Bench pressing 315lbs a few times will not make you look like Hercules, but it's a step in the right direction if your goal is to play O-line in the NFL. The other type of hypertrophy is sarcoplasmic, which occurs in higher reps, usually beginning at 8, and for some as high as 15. The end result here is increased muscle glycogen being loaded to that particular muscle as a result of muscle fatigue, which causes fibers to stretch. This is your typical bodybuilder goal.
Now yours may be different, but for true appearance altering muscle hypertrophy, I've found that simply moving weight from point A to point B doesn't achieve nearly as much vasolidation as sarcoplasmic muscle exhaustion.
I take this principle a step further. I keep my compound movements in the 10-15 rep range and my isolation movements in the 20-25 rep range. This keeps my veins dilated and my heart beating, which gives me some cardio while I'm at it. I rest no more than 90 seconds between sets and I also train with high volume which means tons of sets. For many of you, this is a huge ego check because of the reduction in weight. But you'll thank me in a few weeks when your girlfriends start treating you like that magazine with Hugh Jackman on the cover hidden in the bathroom.
Here's a sample chest workout. Try it out and implement the same principle into your other body parts.
Flat Bench Press (3 x 15, 2 x 10)
Dips (6 x 25)
Incline dumbbell press (5 x 12)
Incline barbell press (5 x 12)
Dumbbell pull over (5 x 12)
Inside dumbbell presses (5 x 15)
Pec Deck flies (6 x 20)
Author: CIRO VISONE
- Top Secret Nutrition Sponsored Athlete
- One More Set Sponsored Athlete
- Owner of Muscle Recon
- NPC Bodybuilder
- INSTAGRAM: @Supermanimal
- Twitter: @Supermanimal


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Yep, that's me, enjoying one of my first trips to Walt Disney World in 1983. I don't think my parents knew what a big impact those trips would have on my life and future career. I ended up working for the company off and on for almost eight years!
Which leads me to two very different thoughts…
(1) I love Disney! I have since I was very little, and I still do today. Having worked there, I have seen what goes on behind the scenes AND I STILL LOVE IT! Miles is still really little, but I want him to love it too. I play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the background when I can and he has a stuffed Goofy. I'll be so sad if he grows up not knowing those characters and that place — Walt Disney World. I'm hoping we can take him for his first trip next year.
(2) EVERYTHING MATTERS. Those family trips to Disney just seemed easy and convenient to my parents since we lived just a few hours away, but they ended up shaping my life. It's a good reminder that every thing we do with Miles will affect him and help mold him. It's scary and thrilling; what an awesome responsibility!


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River rock is extremely popular among homeowner. That being said, river rock isn't the same thing as the gravel you're likely thinking of. River rock is typically one to two inches in diameter and has a smooth surface. While you might have heard that there are many uses for landscaping rocks, it's important to remember these pieces of washed and smoothed gravel are also extremely useful. Considering that, here are five surprising uses for river rock in and outside of your home.
- Creating a River Rock Walkway
Statistics gathered from the 2017 Houzz Landscape Pathways Study found that 38% of those who own a home are currently upgrading pathways, driveways, and similar areas utilizing crushed gravel and rocks. Utilizing this type of gravel isn't the same m Continue reading "5 Clever Ways to Use River Rock Around Your Home"


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The CPSC published a recall on Salsa Cycles Salsa Bearpaw Bicycle Forks due to a potential fall hazard. The bicycle fork can bend or break, causing a fall hazard to the cyclist.
If you own a Salsa Cycles Salsa Bearpaw Bicycle Fork call Salsa Cycles at 877-774-6208 or visit their website online at www.salsacycles.com and click on the "Fork Recall" button for more information.
Recall information is provided as a public service by avid cyclist and Florida bicycle lawyer Jim Dodson. If you've experienced a bicycle component failure and have questions about a potential claim against a bicycle manufacturer, call 888-207-0905 and get your questions answered.


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Classes are held on Tuesday evenings in the Town Hall, Brown Street, Blairgowrie, during the autumn and spring seasons. Beginners and experienced dancers are all welcome. We provide two free taster evenings to encourage anyone new to dancing to give it a try !
NEW Beginners/Improvers Class 7:00pm – 8:20pm
General Class starts at 7.30pm until 9.30pm.
Term fees are currently £22.50.
Payment of the term fee also provides Club Membership.
For visitors and those who can only come to an occasional class, there is a charge of £3 for the evening.
2019 Dates
- 8th Jan – 26th March
- AGM – 26th March. 7:10pm
- 1st Oct – 17th Dec
2020 Dates
- 7th Jan – 24th March
- 6th Oct – 15th Dec