International Shou Shu Association

Sooo. When I was in my early twenties I realized how lucky I was that nothing bad had ever happened to me. My girlfriends and I were always running around Stockton and San Francisco at all hours of the night, and by the grace of God nothing bad ever happened. It did however make me realize that IF something ever happened there was no one to take care of me, except me. At this a friend who was taking Shou' Shu' said to call and make an appointment for a free lesson. I did and the first time I actually hit and punched something it felt great! So I joined the Stockton school under Shun Shifu Delage. He was an amazing Shun Shifu and ran a great school.

One of the Gurrero brothers gave me my first few lessons, was it Hector or Oscar? Of course when they read this I'm sure I'll get a call clarifying. Then I became Shifu Pott's student. I haven't seen Shifu Potts in some time but if he has a lot of patience he earned it teaching me.

Looking back when I was going through the ranks I used to think there wasn't anything I couldn't do. Now that I've been teaching for a while I have to believe this was Shun Shifu Delage's doing more than my ability but either way I loved it.

I went five days a week, three camps a year. After one grueling camp in particular I called Shun Shifu Delage and said "I'm taking a break"
SSD "How about you just cut back to two or three days a week?"
Me: "two weeks"
SSD: How about you cut back to one or two days a week?"
Me: "one week"
SSD: "Don't do it."
Me: "whatever"
So one week turned to two weeks, two weeks turned into eight years. Yes, you heard me, eight years.

Coming back wasn't easy. I was still young enough and physically fit enough but walking into a new studio as a brown belt who didn't remember anything was stressful. It must have taken me two years to get back up to speed. Again it wasn't the physical challenge but the mental one.

After I snapped out of it I was lucky to be taught by some excellent Shifu's and even by Da' Shifu who was always around and would give me a detail here and there. A few times I was really fortunate and he gave me entire lessons on couple of moves.

As a Shifu I taught in Burson until shortly after Da' Shifu's death in 2002 and have been teaching and running Sheng Chi with Shun Shifu Weaver in Valley Springs since then.

In all that time I've seen a lot of students come and go. I have also been fortunate to see many students stay :) But you can be sure, when someone calls and says they want to teak a break I hear Shun Shifu Delage's voice in my head.

Shifu Liz