RISE OF THE DRAGON 7 WEEKS TO GO

Countdown continues | Week 3 Chronicles

Join us on the journey as we build towards the grand event, the Rise of the Dragon, with intense training, thrilling demonstrations, and inspiring stories.

Week 3, Day 1:

The countdown to the rise of the Dragon continues. On Saturday morning, during the last weekend of school halftime for An and T, training went on as usual. The day started with a morning 3K run, followed by advanced weapon training at the temple, where An, Lan, and T under the guanine of DaGe honed their skills in preparation for the rise of the Dragon. At 9 am, Thea joined us, excited to receive her new white sash and to work on her lazy girl routine and neck hanging. Lan volunteered her time to encourage Cassie to take up her new weapon, reigniting her passion and helping her get reacquainted with the stick form she studied with us last spring.

After morning training, we had a hearty breakfast loaded with protein and power oats, which boosted my energy levels. I brought as much enthusiasm to the temple as possible, hyping everyone up for the day ahead. After breakfast, I worked on finalizing the Week 2 blog with Lan’s assistance, organizing the videos and photos to complement the post. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to check it out for adventure, motivation, and amazing content.

As everyone else arrived, the day officially began. At noon, as part of our countdown, we went live on Instagram, peaking at 400 viewers. We tackled 100 push-ups, each set featuring a different variation. It was a fantastic workout and a lot of fun. Make sure to watch the video; the link is below. After the push-up challenge, we had a surprise: a power cut that led to us singing Happy Birthday as ShiMu brought out a cake for TC, celebrating his first birthday with us at the temple. We had a cake ceremony, followed by gift-giving, and TC was thrilled with his presents. There's a whole blog dedicated to TC and his birthday—don’t miss it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7rAH_3IMfU/

Towards the end of class, something incredible happened. ShiMu announced that my debut TV show, National Treasure, in which I fight Louis Fan, had aired in China. She even managed to find a short clip, which we showed to everyone still at the temple, including Lao Lung aka Big Narstie. We watched it together, and I was just as curious as everyone else to see what it was all about. The clip was impressive, and everyone was thrilled. We’ll be posting the full-length version on our YouTube channel and sharing it with you all as soon as it’s released by the broadcaster.

Following the live session, training continued until lunch. After lunch, Lan the Dragon Warrior was tasked with overseeing the temple, working on Chinese with Anne, and focusing on learning to say "I don't eat meat, I'm vegetarian" for our trip to China. Meanwhile, ShiMu organized a surprise birthday outing for TC: we took him to Windsor to watch the Queen's Cup Polo Tournament, giving him a taste of traditional English culture. Despite the chilly weather, it was exciting to see the athletes on their horses playing polo.

After the tournament, we enjoyed a celebratory meal, and TC chose pizza. We indulged while playing a game of Dobble, then headed home for some much-needed rest and to prepare for Sunday.

Week 3, Day 2: Sunday, Fun Day

The day started off a bit slower than usual. I completed my home workout with a 20K bike ride. Meanwhile, T couldn't fit in his 3K run because he was busy packing for his return to Wales. Once T finished organizing his things, I headed to the gym for my own workout. T met up with TC at the temple for his final training session for a couple of weeks, focusing on his sword form. Anne, who usually trains on Sunday mornings, was absent due to a special football tournament and ceremony. It was a fantastic event and a great learning experience for her. Although her team didn't win, they made it to the finals and secured 2nd place, which is a great achievement and motivation for the next tournament.

After T finished his training and I arrived at the temple, we had a lighter-than-usual breakfast club. T had his meal, but TC and I decided to have some fruit since we were still full from the previous night's pizza. Niat arrived early with T. I hadn’t seen her in four weeks due to my travels to Georgia and her recent illness, so it was fantastic to see her progress. She had been working closely with the Dragon Warrior, getting bonus Zoom sessions and special attention at the temple. Lan helped her develop her forms for the Rise of the Dragon, with TC assisting by putting together several forms for her, including the traditional form Liao Huan Quan, a great beginner's form with lots of kicks, punches, stances, and fun movements. She also worked on her animal form, Xiao Long (the Snake), and an exciting Lion and Drum routine. During my last trip to China, I brought back a yellow lion, and we’re thrilled to work on a lion dance routine to share at the Rise of the Dragon.

Niat joined Lan’s practice, learning to play the drums with our DIY drum kit. Speaking of which, we are looking for volunteers—mature children between the ages of 6 and 10—to support us during the Rise of the Dragon event by playing the drums under Niat's lead. If you know anyone interested in participating but not ready to fully get involved with the temple, let us know. Drop a comment or reach out to the Dragon Warrior or me, and perhaps we can make it happen.

The training continued throughout the day. T conducted a vertical jump test with everyone for a new video he will post on his Instagram next week, which promises to be fun. Shumoo arrived at 1 pm as the sun came out, and we wanted to create new content for our fans. We shot over ten videos, having a blast in the process. Some were successful, some not so much, but they’ll have you cracking up. Afterward, we sat down for lunch, and Niat led us in some riddles, which was rather fun. Niat, if you have any riddles to share, drop them in the comments below.

Niat and Camille continued their training, and Jigar, who visits from Coventry every Sunday, finished his Guangdao work before heading home. As the day wrapped up, everyone tidied the temple and prepared for Monday.

That’s right, Adin joined Jeeba on his trip to the Temple this week. I've known Adin since she was a little girl, and now she's a mature young woman who sometimes accompanies Jeeba on his travels from Coventry. While Jeeba participated in the Kung Fu practice, Adin got a workout in. She even took part in T's vertical jump test, so be sure to watch out for her in the upcoming videos. It was great to see you, Dini, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

T headed back to Wales, and Lan took me up to London Liverpool Street to meet her parents. TC continued creating content in the sun, while I focused on editing, book writing, and enjoying a relaxing stretch while sun gazing in the courtyard, reflecting on how amazing life is right now.

It was a productive and enjoyable Sunday, filled with hard work, laughter, and camaraderie. Looking forward to another great week ahead!

Week 3, Day 3: TGIM

Monday, TGIM! The start of a new week. With T back at school, I jumped into my routine: a 10K cycle, flexibility and core work, social media interactions, and then an hour of cardio at the gym, where I get my steps in and work on some edits to share with the world.

After the gym, I headed to the temple to meet TC and discuss this week's plans. He was excited and already in his orange robes, shooting morning content in the valley for the temple community. He's working on traditional and animal forms, which will soon be live on the temple training app and website. Now you can train with us wherever you are – at home, in the gym, at the park, or in person at the temple.

I helped capture some photos of his scorpion movements in the temple courtyard, then cooked us both a meal. Over lunch, we discussed future goals and got pumped for our gym session. We hit Monster Gym for a push workout where I smashed out over 10 reps at 140 kg. DG pushed himself to the limit, getting a serious pump. We finished the session upstairs in the boxing chamber with some core movements and kung fu fan techniques.

Aydin had an exciting day ahead, while TC returned to the temple for his regular Monday routine. I met ShiMu in Canary Wharf for the opening ceremony of the new BYD store, where we were invited as special guests. We captured some great content and will share a video before the end of the week. It was a fantastic event; we met many old and new faces and checked out the new BYD cars. I was particularly drawn to the BYD Seal, which boasts the world's safest and most powerful electric battery, the Blade Battery. It goes from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds and charges up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The car was slick inside and out. Who knows, with the work we do bridging the gap between China and the world, maybe BYD (Build Your Dreams) will want to collaborate with us long-term, and we might have our very own BYD vehicle.

In the evening, I returned to the temple to work on the edit from the show, completed my 10 for 10 100-finger push-ups, and went for an evening stroll in the valley. By the time I got home and my head hit the pillow, I was out cold.

Tuesday: Day 4, Week 3, and it was packed.

Woke up with the sun and knocked out a 10K while FaceTiming T, who was prepping for his second day of exams. Got a good stretch in before heading out, greeted by sunshine. Decided to explore the valley, wandering for over three hours, creating content, sun-gazing, and soaking in nature.

Back at the temple, had an exciting meeting with Professor Penny Jane Burke about my book. We're gearing up for the launch and the Rise of the Dragon event, with the UNESCO chair offering her guidance as we develop the book together.

Then it was a 7-mile cycle to meet Costa at the Edmonton Boxing Club for an hour on the bags. Afterward, I rode to the Edmonton branch of Lun Feng for some soup noodle supplies, a staple in my weekly diet.

Returned to the temple in the afternoon, unpacked, and prepared dinner. Spent the evening creating fun content that I'll share with you all at the end of the week—can't wait to see how it performs!

Post-dinner, headed to Monster for an evening core workout. Managed another 2 hours non-stop on the cardio machine, fully focused on editing while watching Dragon Ball (currently on episode 99—Goku vs. Tien Shinhan is epic!).

Stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the content as much as I enjoy creating it!

Wednesday, Day 5, Week 3

I started the day with my usual 10K run. Instead of stretching at home, I took my yoga mat to the valley and found a peaceful dock by the lake. There, I stretched, edited some work, meditated, and did 100 finger push-ups. Afterward, I walked for a couple more hours before arriving at the temple to meet TC at 10 am.

We dove into some volunteer work, discussed his upcoming show in Russia, and handled some administrative tasks, including booking everyone for classes. Remember to use the booking service so I don't have to chase you down, allowing me more time to focus on class prep and training.

I also sent out a Father's Day newsletter. We're celebrating on Saturday the 15th, and we'll go live on Instagram. Anyone can bring their father or any significant male role figure for a free training session at 11 am. Use the code MVP24 to book in or reach out via the Temple Training app.

Lunchtime came quickly, and after our soup noodles, we met Lan at the gym. She had been at the visa application center, preparing for our East China trip. We had an intense leg workout, capturing amazing content with TC and me in our orange robes and Lan in her Temple uniform.

Back at the temple, Lan worked with Thea on Chinese drum rhythms and named our new lion, Leo. Dion and An joined us for an hour of Kung Fu jump kicks, exploring different movements and capturing incredible content.

Primo arrived for the "hour of power," where we focused on handstand work, straight arm strength, and personalized hard qigong elements. He even experienced laying on the bed of nails.

We wrapped up the day with dinner and an hour of stretching while watching "Wheel of Life" in a candle-lit chamber, using Nats donated stretching machine for deep straddle stretches.

After everyone left, I headed to Monster Gym for a couple more hours of cardio while working on my edits. Fun fact: I spend hours editing on my phone, so I found that walking on a cardio machine helps burn calories and avoid the "slouch on the couch" posture common among phone users.

Day 6, Thursday, Week 3

Throwback Thursday, as it's popularly known today, turned out to be another fantastic day. I began with my usual routine: a 10k run, some amazing edits, and then a long, three-hour hike deep into the valley, immersing myself in nature. If there's one new thing you should try, it's getting lost in nature. The positive impact on your mental well-being is extraordinary.

After my hike, I returned to the temple to prepare lunch. Drawn by the beautiful weather, I ate in the temple courtyard, basking in the sun. I made plans for the afternoon and went straight back to the valley. I spent another two hours walking, sitting, stretching, and writing for my new book, which will be released at this year's Rise of the Dragon event. Tickets are available now, so grab yours while good seats are still available.

Back at the temple, I found TC working with Kam in the courtyard, focusing on the Iron Palm technique. I shared some wisdom with TC, encouraging him to use every session to also help himself. I challenged him to advance from palm striking the head of the bottle to chopping the bottle at its body, emphasizing that life is about the journey, not the destination. As Goku says, "We must want to go even further beyond."

Kamil wrapped up and headed home, and An joined us for a small session. The three of us worked on acrobatics while Anne took breaks to practice Da Hong Quan Er Lu, a powerful yet short traditional form. If you're interested in learning it, check out the new program TC and I have put together, now live. Remember, you can train with us anywhere, anytime—at home, in the gym, at the park, or in person at the temple.

After some acrobatics, I sent TC and An on an 800-meter run to the valley. To even the playing field, TC had to wear a 10 kg gravity vest. Upon reaching the valley, their task was to complete a flexibility assignment. TC set a new record by kissing his foot, a feat he hasn't achieved since he was seven years old. This accomplishment inspired him to recreate a famous photo from a morning session in the Pagoda Forest, which we’ll visit during our China trip. Who knows, maybe by then he'll have reached this goal and can recreate the photo 15 years later.

We met back at the temple at 7 PM after I took a bike ride to collect some post, circling back through the valley. We prepared food and set up the ring for some kickboxing practice, focusing on kick combos and drills. We wrapped up for the evening, took down the ring, prepared for the weekend classes, and then headed home for some much-needed rest.

Day 7, Friday

TGIF—Thank God It's Friday! Today was another incredible day with the sun shining and the sky bright blue. After my morning routine of countless steps, miles racked up, flexibility work, meditation, and form practice, I headed back to the temple where I met TC. We reflected on the week, set goals for the weekend, and outlined targets for next week, as we approach the Rise of the Dragon and our Journey to the East China trip.

I had a meeting with Professor Penny Jane Burke, a UNESCO chair who will be giving a keynote speech at the Rise of the Dragon event this year. She is also helping me complete my book. I’m extremely grateful to have such an inspirational figure be part of the project, making it even more unique than it was already going to be. I’m excited to share the book with you; it's now in its final stages before going to print.

In the afternoon, TC and I headed to Monster for a back workout. We tore it up with our regular program: 100 pull-ups, 10 sets of 10 on the minute, followed by an intense rack pull session, building from a 20kg bar up to 340kg. We finished with cables, bicep curls, rows, and single-arm rows. Instead of heading upstairs to hit the core, we decided to return to the temple courtyard where the sun was shining. We not only did a core workout but also filmed some power workouts to share with our community.

The early evening continued with TC and me working on our projects in near silence, the beauty of birds singing and the temple environment making it an incredible experience. Before we knew it, the day had passed, and the evening was upon us. After a long stroll through the valley, working on this week’s blog to share with you all, I headed home to meet Shimu. We caught a movie and had some downtime before entering week number 4.