So, how's your training going?

[KC Elbows]

Well, I've reached the point where I no longer really have a lot of on topic questions.

For instance, I've seen the following discussions about a google times, and I pretty much know my opinions and what evidence makes me hold those opinions:

1) TMA vs. MMA
2) The importance of sparring
3) Good dietary habits
4) How to get the most out of my workout
5) Internal vs. External
6) WC vs. WT
7) San shou vs. san soo
8) Why every one else in the western world is a terrible martial artist except for Member X.

At the same time, I've gleened much of the pertinent info that helps me with my style indirectly from what other members have said, and am not likely to find answers to the following questions due to the lack of other six elbows stylists(although there is one six elbows lurker, he's hiding on you guys: watch out, he's a sneaky ******* :) ):

1) Are the White Rhino techniques meant to attack the head AND legs, or is the upward movement just theory in practice?
2) When I triangle in, should I leave my rear leg further back in order to make the trap more natural?
3) Is "The Rat" a Chin Sau?
4) How should I cover my head when wrapping and performing the peeling elbow?

So, at this point, I'm not really making any new posts all that often. Occassionaly I perform a hijacking, but mostly on OT threads anyway, and I'll respond to other threads if I think I have some answer. I usually frame my answers in silliness, as it's best, IMO, to remind people that, even though I might have an answer, I am still a fighter you've never seen, so take my answers and make of them what you will, go off of the info, not the speaker's rep. Also, I'm a compulsive writer, so I just have to babble in text.

Anyway, to the actual question, and it's really most of what I talk to people about on here anyway, our training. Tell us how your training is going. What have you learned recently? What sort of moves are you favoring?(please don't feel you need to hide your repertoire: when the heck are we gonna KNOW that we're facing another KFO member? Only in Frederick, at the right phase of the moon, really). What do you like about your practice? What don't you like?

For me, things are going well. My training is almost exclusively internal, though I of course do a workout to condition myself and stay in shape. I've been doing quite a bit of conditioning lately, and lost some weight that marraige had put on me. I was doing a lot of squats, but last night I discovered something I'm gonna replace them with. I was running class, and my teacher wanted me to put everyone through a heavy leg workout. So, I had everyone doing a drill that goes from pu bu to gung bu, then back the other way, back and forth. I decided to do a big set of it, which we hadn't really done before, so I just picked a number. 50, each side. It wore out my legs in all the right places more than the 4 sets of 100 squats I was doing before, and hit some additional muscles.

I practice my external sets to keep up on them for when I'm teaching, but now my main focus is on the internal set, the three main standing chi kung movements of my system, and the two footworks.

I'm working on doing the standing sets, which involve doing one of three hand motions, wan sau, pau sau, and chin sau, and doing the taoist breathing along with them. I can maybe do ten this way before I have to do the set without the taoist breathing, as I don't like practicing such breaths to a point where I cannot do them correctly. Slowly, I'm improving.

As for fighting, which is, of course, the preoccupation of every fighter at one point or another, I don't think I worry about it much now. I practice, I spar, and I spar under conditions that challenge me and make me advance. There's probably better here, there's probably worse, it's irrelevant to me. I'm a mean fighter, not in the sense that I'm an unbeatable fighter, but in the sense that I'm mean, the techniques I do are generally simple and mean, then I go for the advanced stuff once my opponent is down. I do my best to be kind to my sparring partners, which is a challenge, as I'm usually quite a bit bigger than they are, so my sense of control needs to be greater than theirs. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't.

Once in a while, I find myself in some secluded corner doing standing chi kung in my dress clothes, and I think of all the pictures of the old chinese practitioners doing the same. I must admit, I like that. I don't worry about whether I am equal to them or less than them or better, I just shut up and do my chi kung.

[Suntzu]

dude… that's alotta words… but to answer your question and waste a few minutes… my training is going pretty good… but I'll really know after this weekend… I've identified a few weaknesses… diet is definitly one of them… I have improved upon some previous weaknesses and unfortunitly i have weakened of few of my strengths... if that makes sense... i've got some new 'tricks' that i look forward to trying out... and i'm back to my old haircut b'cuz the new proved not to do me any good... i have been pushed harder than i've ever been pushed these past few months and i look forward to the next few months ahead... and i also look forward to the cheesesteak and beer i gonna have when i get back Monday b'cuz i'm too thru with salads...

and your on your own about the 'White Rhino' thaing...

[fa_jing]

KC - do you believe in an afterlife? I mean, life after KFO? ;)

[eulerfan]

Ah! Monday was my first time sparring two people. They made short work of me, which is to be expected. But, I found something interesting to play with.

You see, I'm not strong. I rely a lot on dodging and speed. When you are sparring two, it's all about how you position yourself in respect to the other two. So I was really concentrating on moving.

If you get low and take long, wide steps instead of a bunch of short quick ones, you retain a great deal more control and awareness of what it going on around you. It feels like you aren't moving as fast but I was avoiding attacks as well as I did the other way. And I felt like I had much more of a handle on what was going on around me.

There's just no comparisson. I know, I know, you're thinking 'DUH!'

But this was a big realization I just had. I guess I was afraid to do it before but sparring two really forced me to do it this way. Now, I'm a believer.

[Crimson Phoenix]

I'm quite depressed because I have a tendonitis in the ingual region and I have to stop training for 1,5 month...it's been 2 weeks already...not even bagua will do...all I can do is train my arms' muscles endurance sitting while lifting light dumbells for hundreds of times, or do light crunches for my abs...:rolleyes:
And maybe do the basic manipulation of white crane staff...and watch gong fu vids...
It's really depressing...
:(

Euler, on a side note I won't DUUHHH you at all, but use your insight to generate a lil discussion: with what you have just found (longer, lower steps instead of quick, high ones), don't you see a little more sense in all these long and low positions we have to perform while doing northern gong fu? I guess it definitely rang a bell. That's how eventually Italian fencers managed to beat the Spanish fencers back in the days: Italian fencing was all linear, whereas Spanish was circular. Italian fencers were pinned regularly, until they found out how to cross the spanish circle in exactly the fashion you described: by taking a low, long step, you force your opponent to pivot to follow you, and while you retain your ability to strike, usually the sole fact of having to turn to keep your target at range makes you lose the timing to effectively fire at the right moment.
See? Shaolin styles do make sense in a war context :-)

[KC Elbows]

Suntzu-You gotta be careful with the hairstyle, just look at Samson. Go hippy, my friend.:D

I know what you mean by weakening strengths.

Fajing- You mean moderator? Actually, lately, I've been writing huge amounts for short stories and my book. I think forum time after I had already covered all the topics at hand was time for meeting martial artists elsewhere, and time for working on my writing.

Euler- No 'duh's from me. Like I said, I'm a very simple fighter. Just a simple kung fu man. Sounds like you figured out some good stuff. I love when I'm sparring and it's definitely kung fu.

[KC Elbows]

CP- Sorry to hear it. Where is the ingual region? If it's any consolation, injuries for me have often ended up being ways I've found out about shortcomings in my training and fixing them. You're likely only to get to be a better martial artist from the experience, even if it does kind of suck.:)

[Crimson Phoenix]

Thanks KC...
I believe the ingual region is the region where your thighs connect to your crotch, where you can find the hip flexor muscle for example...
Yeah, it does suck, but as you said there is always an opportunity to learn from everything. It's also a reminder that you don't know how lucky you are to train when you take it for granted (unfortunately, this tendonitis happened at a time when I really didn't need such a reminder...)
And even if this near-inactive period is hard to bear, I know that it is necessary because ignoring the pain and keeping on would only make me lose more time later...
Thanks for the kind words :)

[Hau Tien]

My training is also going very well...

I'd been asking several KFO people for tips of diet/cardio/weights, and put everything together into a workout. This workout continually changes, as I discover more things that work better, and discard some of the things that don't work well for me.

I must be doing something right... In the first month of my modified workout/diet I lost 28lbs, going from 246 to 218. I haven't been 218 since I was 18 (I'm 26 now), so I'm quite pleased. I can move faster, hit harder, and have better control. I'm hoping to get down to 200 even... at 6'2", with a bigger-than-average build that'll make me pretty lean.

I just finished the cern chi gwan (nunchaku) form of my system, and am four moves away from finishing Dar Gong (an empty hand 7* Praying Mantis form). I'm also learning the application and broken rhythm for the forms I already know... and that's a LOT of fun.

My sparring has gotten leaps and bound better, simply because my muscular endurance and stamina has increased to where I can spar for a good length of time without wanting to die. Our Sifu has also started to include some ground-fighting, and that is awesome... great to know you can handle yourself on the ground, even if it is just how to get back to your feet.

I'm enjoying our standing meditation set a lot as well, now that my strength is up to where I can complete the movements in a slow, controlled manner.

I've also been learning a LOT on the internal side of things. My Sifu has me and Lisa teaching a Luk Hup Ba Fa class (Liu He Ba Fa in Mandarin) every Tuesday, and it is amazing how much you learn by teaching. I've been focusing on the breath much much more now, and have found my energy levels rising when I do the form.

We've been doing a lot of push-hands work lately... but REALLY aggressive stuff, and I'm really enjoying it. I've gained a huge appreciation for the sensitivity drills that we do. We've started incorporating moves from the LHBF long form into our push hands now... it gets very interesting. Our Sifu says that we're going to focus more on the free-style fighting aspect of LHBF now. That makes me very happy.

That's about it... I'm loving the training a lot! One thing I find is missing is maybe crossing hands (for fun, of course) with some other styles, simply to see what is out there. If any of you happen to be in Red Deer, AB in the future, (I know there's lots of us Alberta Martial Artists on here) let me know, and even if you're not interested in hooking up for some sparring/push hands, we can go grab some food at this great Vietnamese or new Indian restaurant we have here. :)

[Bolt]

I find myself wanting to spend more and more time practicing, as it seems that I'm constantly finding weaknesses and areas needing improvement (plus, I truly enjoy it) -- in addition to learning new things. Been working a lot on applications lately - zoning and "finishing" moves, chin na techniques and the qi gong aspects. On the tai chi side, just working on further development in meditation, chi control and applications.

[Ryu]

Very well actually. Grappling, NHB, street scenario drilling, knife work, de-escalation tactics, etc.
I've gotten off weights and have taken up a lot of body weight exercises, plus pullies, forearm rollers, etc. I'm more cut then before, and have more functional strength actually...
And of course I'm now studying much more criminal psychology, specific crime attacks, and how LEO and others handle different situations, etc. ;)

Ryu

[Budokan]

Not as well as I'd like. I wish things would settle down at the house so I could devote more time to training. *sigh* But lately it's been a f*cking circus around here...

[apoweyn]

i'm with budokan. not much training going on right now. too much real life in the way.

[SaMantis]

Hi everyone,

Training has sucked for me too, lately -- reinjured my back while moving north, so I've had to rehab that slowly, then I twisted the h e l l out of my ankle 5 weeks ago. Plus there's the time it takes to get familiar with a new school.

Last night I had a pretty good workout -- I didn't LOOK good, but I was able to go all out on forms & bag work for the first time in months and that felt really good.

Now I just need to make more time for practice outside of work. Maybe real life could take a vacation for a little while. :)

[SLC]

Egads... my password still works. :eek:

My training is continuing. I believe my perspective is growing to the point of no longer having any expectations from my training. It simply "is". I am no longer an ambitious martial artist, but just someone that tries to learn what he can. I do get better, but it is slow like watching rock grow.

Interesting list and thoughts, KC. I think you nailed it. :)

[KC Elbows]

Budo/Ap,
Yeah, real life's a bear. Last winter it hit me pretty hard, but right now, it's okay. Plus, I'm sooo close to knowing all the forms of my system, and thus to being to the point where I can practice on my own when life makes it impossible to make it to practice.

By the way, Budo, thanks for the writerly advice. It's all going very well.

SaMantis,
Yeah, it sounds like real life could use a vacation.;)

Bolt,
Good stuff. Martial arts is addictive, isn't it?

Hau Tien,
Liu ho ba fa is some cool stuff. The two of you sound like you have a great thing going, teaching, being married, you can talk kung fu over an intimate dinner. You bast@rds.:D

[FatherDog]

Everybody I train with has been training at least three times as long as I have, so my training consistently makes me feel like a helpless child. :(

However, each successive practice, I do better than I did last time, so at least I feel good about that. Long road ahead of me, though.

I need to focus more on cardio and endurance, too. Not enough hours in the day...

[Hau Tien]

Originally posted by FatherDog
Everybody I train with has been training at least three times as long as I have, so my training consistently makes me feel like a helpless child. :(

Ahhh... but practicing with those MUCH better than you gives you a super-high learning curve. I remember when I got bumped up to the "advanced" class (a "senior student" class that is invitation only) I was training with people who had been training for ages longer than me. I felt like a bumbling idiot at first, but you REALLY learn a lot from those people...

I still feel like a klutz compared to some, and a couple of my sihings can still whoop me when I spar them, but when I spar people not in the invite only class, I can REALLY see a difference and a VAST improvement.

Basically, working with those better than you forces you to become better yourself... and fast! :)

Good luck with the training!


Originally posted by KC Elbows
Hau Tien,
Liu ho ba fa is some cool stuff. The two of you sound like you have a great thing going, teaching, being married, you can talk kung fu over an intimate dinner. You bast@rds.

KC... it is great :) I couldn't ask for more :) She's literally half my mass and is able to whomp me pretty good sometimes :)

Intimate dinners come few and far between when we're this busy... usually we end up wolfing down some of my Lemon Garlic chicken on rice in front of the computer before we head off to class ;) But there's ALWAYS lots of kung fu discussion :)

[Lisa]

"But this was a big realization I just had. I guess I was afraid to do it before but sparring two really forced me to do it this way. Now, I'm a believer."

I love it when that happens. You suddenly understand something that you didn't quite understand before. It's things like that that keep me eager to learn more and train harder.

My training is going very well, though it's distracted me from my college classes. I find it hard to concentrate on accounting when I could be having so much more fun training. In the last five weeks or so, I've discovered that I really like weightlifting. So far, I've seen great results from it. I'm starting to get a lot more muscle definition in my shoulders, though that's not something I'm training for intentionally. I've gained some weight, but lost fat. My strength and muscular endurance have improved quite a lot.

The husband and I are still working on putting together a better cardio workout. We were running stairs before. That was working really well, but we won't be able to do it in the winter. The cold air is too hard the lungs. Last night I managed to clear out enough space to practise forms inside. I had to shorten my steps a little, but it worked. So I did ten sets of ten dumbbell swings, then practised forms for a while. That should be a good workout for the winter, I think.

[HuangKaiVun]

I'm dabbling in arts other than my own.

Just as I play different violin pieces all the time, I do different forms in order to broaden my horizons and strengthen that which is already there.

Right now, I'm working on the "san chiem" form of Ngo Cho Kun. It's a beautiful and powerful form that has helped me with my balance and strength.

Soon, it'll be completely memorized. I hope to put it into combat in the next few weeks.

[yenhoi]

My training is on a huge upswing.

End of September I moved into a new house, WITH A BUILT IN DOJO OF MY OWN.

I have:

mats, weights, heavy bag, speed bag, double-ended bag, wall bags, tires, all sorts of ****, all within 30 seconds of my abode.

Its the greatest thing to happen in my entire life. :rolleyes:

Im even getting my very own dummy now. Life is so good.

Plenty of room to train whatever I want, plenty of room for multiple people to PAIR UP and train whatever they want.

Other then the Dojo, since its winter I wont be working nearly as many hours a week (like half as many). Also because of winter I will be cutting back my running/jogging/sprinting/walking outside stuff and concentrate more on forms and grappling.

Physically, I ended my weight training stint when I moved, and my workouts consist mainly of bodyweight stuff, and of course, thai rounds - I am now upto 10, and should be at 15 by feb.

Everything is great! :eek: The only real problem now is making myself NOT train - the dojo makes everything so easy and accessible.

[fa_jing]

my training has ended. I had swelling on my brain due to second impact after a concussion. I am going to take up building model airplanes.

Anybody know of any other forums where I can b!tch and moan?

:D

[KC Elbows]

Fa jing, are you serious? ALL forums are for b1tching and moaning.

No, seriously, do you really have swelling?

[SevenStar]

Mine couldn't be better - well, it always could be, but it's good enough. I'm doing BJJ 4 - 5 days a week, depending on whether or not we drill on wednesday, Judo 2 days a week and shuai chiao 2 days a week, plus I can work it in with my judo. I'm in the gym three days a week, twice on tuesday and friday.

[JusticeZero]

Laterally. I'm learning a lot of new stuff, but not being able to put it into practice. My teacher is still down with a blown shoulder.
I don't know if the new people are going to return - I have serious doubts, since one of them had a martial arts background which included wrestling. A martial arts background, particularly as a wrestler, makes it nigh impossible to learn for awhile - he spent the entire class trying to get ginga to the point where it wasn't utterly crippled, succeeded in getting it as good as "atrocious", and proceeded to, due to his inability to break out of his Eastern and Western movement patterns, fall literally on his behind several times doing the most basic (and basic-looking) of exercises.
Thank goodness I was teaching the guy who had no martial arts background and no notable muscle development. He picked stuff up effortlessly.

[Chang Style Novice]

Just moving along. As I've said before, I consider this a hobby, and treat it accordingly. I'm hitting class 2-3 times a week and in my spare time focussing on that dantien power I started a thread on a couple months back. I'm learning a new two man routine Shifu picked up from Jian Jiangye (did I spell that right) called '9 dragon bagua push hands' too. But slowly.

Can't complain, ya know? You get out of it what you put into it, and unless I hit the lottery or something, I'll have a pretty limited opportunity to put a heckuva lot into it.

[No_Know]

"1) Are the White Rhino techniques meant to attack the head AND legs, or is the upward movement just theory in practice?"

The name tells me the primary attack is rising.

"2) When I triangle in, should I leave my rear leg further back in order to make the trap more natural?"

However, you do it and it's comfortable seems natural. You might have lost actual natural by training it away. Since you're experienced. You might not have natural by just doing it and where ever you end-up is natural. But if you do it and support yourself and are balanced, that's natural. I am thinking that the more you lean into a technique is as much leg as you should have out--balance (counterbalance); stability~.

I don't think it's exactly left back. I think it drags with your momentum, at least some.

"4) How should I cover my head when wrapping and performing the peeling elbow?"

I'm presuming the opposite hand near your shoulder.

[Arctic Dragon]

HI everyone... my first post. :D

I'm starting my training in about 2 weeks, and looking forward to it.
I've had some serious health problems in the past couple years, so to get back into shape, I decided to take up martial arts (I'm very interested in Jeet Kune Do).
Getting into shape while having fun... sounds good to me! ;)

[fa_jing]

Artic: be careful, and have fun! Be prepared to jump rope. :) You can ask questions here or in the "training and Health" forum.