How do you start your classes?

[Sho]

So basically how do you start the classes? Do you start training right away or does your instructor tell something before starting off? Are you told to line-up and wait for further instructions?

In Choy Lay Fut we line-up when the instructor enters the kwoon and commands us to line-up; bow and start stretching. After 15-20 minutes of warming up, we start to practice whatever the instructor has planned.

[Laughing Cow]

Most of us get their before the class starts 10~20 minutes and do stretches, go trhough some movements, etc.

Sifu arrives and sez "Let's start", we stand in front of him no specific lineup.

1.) Warmup & loosening exercises.
2.) Silk reeling exercises
3.) Doing the 1st Form.
20 minutes about.

Than we split into indiviudal training groups
according to level.
What we train and how we train is arranged by consensus, taking breaks are also up to us.

Sifu calls each group up for detailed Instructions and corrections.

Classes are from 1.5 ~ 2.5 hrs.
Very informal.

[Liokault]

We get to class and do seven stars as a walm up till every one turns up.

Then we normaly go into fixed step pushing hands for about 20mins.

From there it would be either stamina or techniques or may be both.

Depending on how long our stamina work lastes we would get the mats out and wrestale.

Followed at the end of class by 20-30 mins of form.

[dezhen2001]

our classes tend to be rather informal...

usualy we arrive 10/15mins or more early and warm up by ourselves, doing some stretching and maybe some qigong. then basically sifu starts the class... we may go through some basics or a form, and then we all go and do our own thing.

in the case of wing chun usually we all just start doing chi sau and then sifu comes around to watch and correct/roll with us. Maybe gives us all a technique to play with etc. at the end we usually do maybe a 20 minute siu lim tao or somehting as he and the seniors come and correct us.

its informal in the sense that u pay for the class and its up to you to train. if u want to have a break and chat or take things easy then its on you.

dawood

[Laughing Cow]

Dawood.

Sounds like our Classes are run very similar.
I have found this format in quiet a few kwoons and I really enjoy it.

We can stay and train after Sifu left too.

[dezhen2001]

yeah... we hire a hall for classes though in like a church building, so have to leave around a specific time... during summer we train in the park though so we can stay as long as we like before or after then :)

usually for example one night is qigong then wing chun and the other is qigong then chen taijiquan... often the wing chun people or taijiquan people do qigong as well, but those who dont arrive early and warm up outside the training area. i know sometimes i meet up with my brothers and do chi sau outside the hall when the qigong class is still running :)

its very relaxed and it suits people with different reasons for training as you get out what you put in, no more no less. its up to you how hard you train, and of course Sifu encourages you but its not forced and is more about self discipline.

dawood

[quiet man]

1. Line-up
2. Bow to sifu
3. 10-15 min warm-up
4. Split into pairs, start working
5. Sifu gives individual or group assignments
6. 30 min before the end - chain kicking, horse stance etc
7. Line-up
8. Bow to sifu
9. Stay long after the training and talk about WC with sifu and other students (one of my favourite things)

[Souljah]

heres my one

7:00 - get there
warm up till bout 7:15
do forms untill 7:30 (just four forms)
7:30 - actual class instruction starts


first off is always footwork: c-walking, crane steps and variations etc.
next is stancework, then usually applied stancework.
then the main practice begins (usually about 7:50)
at about 8:10 or so we take a small breather in which I (and a couple of others) have to do the 'staff' forms.
8:15-20 start doing forms as class
then group application.
end about 9:30 with standing meditation.

greg

[yenhoi]

Our teacher expects you to be there early to stretch/warmup and to be ready and wrapped when class begins. Class usually starts with some sort of hitting the pads. Class usually ends with sparring.

[Sho]

Thanks for the great replies! Keep 'em coming.

Originally posted by quiet man
Stay long after the training and talk about WC with sifu and other students (one of my favourite things)Interesting. Too bad that our kwoon is reserved only for a pre-determined period of time - leaving no time to stay there and train on our own or discuss about whatever.

[Felipe Bido]

1. We get to the park and start to stretch and look at the women walking and jogging by

2. Say hi to Sifu

3. Five element forms practice, until our shoulders and legs hurt

4. Practice 1 or two animal forms, with respective excercise and power drills.

5. Practice applications in a line: One of the students faces the group, we set a technique, and everybody lines up and strikes the student, full force, full intention (Softer and slower if it's a new student). He must defend himself, paying attention to different body types, speed and intention of each student.

6- Sparring

The steps may vary; sometimes we just spar the whole session or don't spar at all, and concentrate in learning new movements and its principles and applications.

[red5angel]

I like to start out by killing one of my fellow students to establish my dominance. Then I spend the next fifteen minutes berating each student as well as instructors on not being prepared for surprise attacks. Typically by this point we are all running around screaiming and trying to get out of the building, well they are anyway, I usually have to chase them and hit them until they pay attention to me. ahhhh good times.

[dezhen2001]

Too bad that our kwoon is reserved only for a pre-determined period of time - leaving no time to stay there and train on our own or discuss about whatever.

we usually end up going to our favourite chinese restaurant for some soup or dim sum after class to relax and talk... or pizza hut/Macdonalds is a good alternative also :D

dawood

[Losttrak]

In our school, a one-hour class consists of mainly body condition, and forms for the first 30-40 min. Then we would proceed to doing miscellanous techniques (kicks, punches, sweeps, etc) for the remainder of the class.

The class I teach outside of school I have upped to 2 hours. Body conditioning cannot be sacrificed... so we still alot 30 min to just strength and flexibility. Then we proceed with combat applications of all varieties and then actual sparring/groundwork. Then at the end of the class I make them do a final horsestance drill to constantly challenge their fortitude. Good to end on a nice painful note...

[Marshdrifter]

Originally posted by dezhen2001
we usually end up going to our favourite chinese restaurant for some soup or dim sum after class to relax and talk... or pizza hut/Macdonalds is a good alternative also :D

Until he moved, a friend and I would always go to Subway
after one of the weekend classes to eat cookies and debate
some sort of issue involving Wing Chun, our school, or whatever.
Never underestimate the drawing power of free soda refills.

I usually get to the school first, so I get to spend a little time
doing the setup stuff like turning on the lights, turning up the
heat, and flipping the on sign. But the rest of the time (roughly
45 - 60 minutes) is spent running through forms, punching the
bag, working on the dummy, staff, and knives, or whatever I feel
I should be working on.

Then class begins, we line up, then start with 30 minutes for
warmup, which can include walking drills, forms, punching and
kicking, etc. Then we pair up and work on whatever drills our
Sifu thinks we should be working on for that day. We rotate
so we can work with everybody. After about an hour of that,
we line up and bow to Sifu. I usually spend another 15-30
minutes working on other stuff, before going home.

[red5angel]

so I am apparently the only one who feels the need to kill a man before each class?

[SevenStar]

judo: bow in, then warm up and get started.

bjj: no formalities - just warm up and go.

I think most styles tend to start with some type of customary bow. In kali, jun fan, longist, muay thai and karate, we had to bow in first.

[Oso]

I only kill in the children's class.
It makes all the other kids pay attention reel good.



1 1/2 - 2 hour class

A-wait for weenie aerobics people to get done with the room.:rolleyes:

150-200 jj's
30-50 pushups
80-100 abs

stretch

stance training

wai gung/nei gung/chi kung

(sometimes I'll forego the stance and wai gung for a new exercise
like brick walking or heavy bag tossing or something they havn't
done yet. for those of you just tuning in, I have a new school in
a new town so no advanced students yet)

forms drill and correction

split up by level for level specific training( could be anything-forms
kicks, applications, conditioning exercises)

sparring or 2 man drills for those not doing free sparring yet
(most of them)

[Marshdrifter]

Originally posted by red5angel
so I am apparently the only one who feels the need to kill a man before each class?
If I did that, I'd run out of training partners. :(
I like having training partners.

[red5angel]

I guess if the numbers are limited. I just make sure that after I am done "warming up" I let everyone know I know where they live and will go looking for them if they don't show up for next weeks class.

[Laughing Cow]

Originally posted by Sho
Thanks for the great replies! Keep 'em coming.
Interesting. Too bad that our kwoon is reserved only for a pre-determined period of time - leaving no time to stay there and train on our own or discuss about whatever.

We normally hit a local coffee-shop afterwards and sit and chat.

Can't wait for Saturday BIIIG Party at a restaurant with everybody there/
Sifu, his Sons(the next generation), his wife and all the students.,

[dezhen2001]

Never underestimate the drawing power of free soda refills. yup, pizza hut is the same but not so watered down here as subway is :D


Can't wait for Saturday BIIIG Party at a restaurant with everybody there/ cool, its always great fun. i cant make it this time as i dont have cash or a train ticket to get to sifus place :( we usually play loads of silly kung fu games, last year i had to demonstrate wudang jian (sword) and yanqing quan (green swallow fist) in front of everyone in the restaurant- i didnt even know them so had to copy my sihing :D

dawood

[txwingchun]

Originally posted by red5angel
so I am apparently the only one who feels the need to kill a man before each class?

No not at all in fact i prefer a swift punch to the throat first. They look at you with fear and suprise as they attempt to breath through the shattered remains of thier windpipe. And the WHAM! I finish the sorry b astard off. Then I being terrorizing the other students.

[dezhen2001]

is your avatar the remains of a partner you decimated before with the throat punch? :D

dawood

[mysteri]

in our normal kids class(usually runs about an hour)- we line up, bow in, stretching and calisthenics for about 15-20 mins.. stance training for about 5 mins..give them a minute water break, then 90% of the time we spend workin on forms.. some times we'll work on specific techniques or drills for change of pace, but generally we don't try to throw too many techniques on the kids..

typical beginner adults class(also usually about an hour)- we line up, bow in, stetching and calisthenics for about 10-20 mins, bout 5-10 mins stance training, then usually we go right into our drills/techniques for the day which will last for the remainder of class.. the same drills and techniques are practiced in the class for their first 1-2 years since their beginners. we usually bow out and begin forms for the remainder of the time until sifu(or the last person w/ a key) decides to leave.(usually1-2 hours later).

p.s. good topic that everyone can relate to..it seems that most kung fu schools run very similarly...

[red5angel]

txwingchun - our methods are similar, I like to palm strike to the face then throat punch. Unfotunately my classmates, those left, are wising up so I may have to change my methods some.

[mysteri]

in our school, it's safe to say that the real training occurs outside of class... the discipline and dedicated will accel(excel?) @ their own pace.

[txwingchun]

Originally posted by dezhen2001
is your avatar the remains of a partner you decimated before with the throat punch? :D

dawood

yes it is.

[txwingchun]

Originally posted by red5angel
txwingchun - our methods are similar, I like to palm strike to the face then throat punch. Unfotunately my classmates, those left, are wising up so I may have to change my methods some.

I understand it can get tricky once they start catching on

[Cheese Dog]

A typical class:

I go in about 1/2 hour early to work the heavy bag or on forms.

At 5:00 the kid's class starts, we bow in. Warmup and light stretches for a few minutes. Then usually forms and applications for about 15 minutes. Then whatever drills our instructor wants the kids to do and sometimes some focus pad work. As assistant instructor I get to hold the pads:p Then we finish up with ground fighting, or standup sparring. If there is a few minutes left at the end we may have the kids play a martial art related game.

At 6:00 the adult class begins, we bow in, usually do some chi gung and warmup and light stretch, followed by pushups, crunches, leg lifts, etc. Then forms for about 1/2 hour followed by applications of forms. Then drills, focus pads, kicking shield and the like. The last 30-45 minutes is almost always either sticky hands, sparring, or groundfighting.