practice advice

[sphynx]

hey everyone,

as i said before i just started my training. well my sifu gave me lots to practice and i know the foundation is quite important. so i had a question on some basics. I am working on centerline punches and shifting. I hung a wall bag against a wider than normal doorframe so i can place my back against one side and strike at the other. I found this to be great for keeping my alignment, which is new to me. also i had trouble shifting because i would always lose where i was facing. how about some input on some other good ways to practice these things??

jeremy

[reneritchie]

Hi,

If your just, just begining, simply repeating the movements is a good start. Try to remember all your sifu's pointers (writing them down as a list in the beginning isn't a bad idea) and then pick one and concentrate on it until it starts to become automatic, then add another, and so on. I'd recommend starting with the horse, getting the standing alignment right, then the straight punch, then the turn, then the turning punch. This ensures that each additional element is built upon a stable foundation.

Practice in front of a mirror is good for checking yourself. Keep referring to your sifu's pointers (adding more as you remember more or s/he offers more) and do it again, and again, and again. If you can really nail the horse and straight vertical thrust punch in the beginning, you'll have *much* less to worry about later (when I learned, we spent 3 or 4 month just on horse and the straight punch before even beginning Siu Lien Tao).

I'd also recommend enjoying it while it lasts. As you learn more, you'll have more to practice, and since time is finite, less of it to spend on any one thing. So, while you have only a couple things to practice, you can really concentrate on them (and have fun, so you'll want to do more 8)

RR

[sphynx]

thanks rene,

actually i didn't mention in there that i do practice yee jee kim yang ma and hoi ma a lot. My sifu mentioned that he could stay in that position for a long time because of the years hes been doing it. so now i stand like that in the shower in the morning, on elevators, when im cooking; all the time :-) i figure it will become second nature so when i do begin other things ill have that much less to worry about.

[Starbuck]

When shifting, pick two spots to focus on, one on each opposite wall. When facing one wall, you should be staring at the spot at eye level. Shift 180 degrees and you should be staring at the spot on that wall at eye level. This helps to keep you from rising out of your stance by keeping your head level. It also helps you keep your balance for some reason, probably because you're thinking about the end result (i.e. the opposite wall) rather than the process of shifting, letting your monkey brain move your body. :D