The Heart of a Lion Can`t go far on the Legs of a Chicken - Foundations!

[BearBear]

I am wondering if anyone would like share some of the foundation training, methods, exercises and theories of their art.

methods to develop the various attributes of balance, stability, speed, strength, power, relaxation, flow etc etc

the "Gongs" if u will. the foundations and "guts" of ur skills techniques

maybe an exchange fo difference exercises and drills etc..

just an idea

thanks

BearBear

[David Jamieson]

http://www.davidjamieson.com/kunglek/pics.htm

some stuff, not a lot. picture wise that is.

cheers

[BearBear]

Thanks for the url :)

[firepalm]

I will speak to this one, as a friend in China once mentioned about training in general & the shortcomings of those in the west; incestant training on basics, basics, basics... It is not just enough to do basics & training once or twice a week but it should be hours & hours a day! If you are not doing this then you neither realize the full potential of yourself or Chinese martial arts. Most want to do a little training here & there & then 'play' spar, few really know what it is to train.

Just my two cents! :cool:

[David Jamieson]

firepalm-

that is a very good point and indeed, it is the basics that are the root of all the rest that comes after.

I think that people get bored with that kind of training when they begin learning Kung Fu. But later, if they stick with it, they realize that training the fundaments is the foundation to everything.

no root = no power :)

thanks for bringing that up.

cheers

[Lau]

Excellent thread!

And the truth really is that you will only see and understand the importance of the fundamentals after you train longer. For me these are the fundamentals. But they might be different in styles other than mine.

- Footwork. although stepping may seem boring it is the foundation of the style. And it is more than stepping. It teaches the center of balance/power. It should also be combined with breathing patterns. Air should make your weight sink in a stance while lack of air (after breathing out) should make you move/step quicker and lighter. It also teaches correct body posture for the style and the use of the hips.

- Basic form. Most styles have a basic excercise. We have a form called straight step punch. It is only 3 moves. But all basic elements are in there. If I have a problem in a form, most of the times it can be traced back to this basic form. It teaches the use of power/ breathing/ footwork and the proper way of relaxation combined with the basic techniques of the style.

Eat your vitamins and practice your basics!

Regards, Lau

[BearBear]

great posts everyone thanks..

lau: can u describe the 3 step straight punch form .. if its a "trade secret" then understandabel if u decline..

as always u have to learn to stand before walk before run.. and breathing ... how to form a proper fist (suprisingly some schools don;t teach it just punch out and back - usually they have no contact, no hitting equipment, no breaking etc - sometimes students of 3 or 4 years study have such poorly formed fist or structure and alignment that they would do much more harm to themselves then their attacker if any...)

lookig forward to learning more from everyone

thanks

[Lau]

No problem with sharing. It looks dead easy. The core is a left spearhand, a right punch and a pull with the right hand. Repeat until you are against a wall, turn and go again. But than you start to include all the pak mei principles into it. So it takes a lifetime to perfect it. And I still feel I'm just beginning...

Regards, Lau

[BearBear]

Thanks lau :)

[David]

Lau, I assume you alternate sides or is the left always the spear?

-David

[Lowlynobody]

Air should make your weight sink in a stance while lack of air (after breathing out) should make you move/step quicker and lighter.

Lau - Doesn't air in the lungs allow you to step quicker and when you strike you breath out with a short shock breath and sink? Just curious. Feel free to correct me.


Lowlynobody.

[Lau]

David,
We always have a left spearhand and the left foot in front. But I've seen other schools training all possible variations with hands and feet.

Lowlynobody,
For this I've also seen different variations. So I cannot say which one is right and which one is wrong. Imo air in your lungs makes you heavy while with no air in your lungs you are light so you can "run arcross the clouds like the spitits in the skies". It's like playing the lion dance. If the head jumps he needs to breathe out to make himself light. While punching I've seen pressing the air into the dan tien while sinking, but I've also seen breathing out while you sink.

Regards, Lau

[Lowlynobody]

Please don't take it as me saying "this is right" and "that is wrong". If you can punch a hole in someone with what you do then don't stop :)
I have heard of what you are talking about. I haven't seen it demonstrated though.
So you are pressing air into the Dan Tian so as to produce the shock outwards in every direction?

Lowlynobody.

[Lau]

Hi Lowlynobody, Are you a student or training brother of Sifu Garry?

"So you are pressing air into the Dan Tian so as to produce the shock outwards in every direction"

Yes, that is one part I believe (But I still feel like a beginner in the art). Air is pressed into the dan tien. Then the energy wants to come out. The main path out is through your arm. On the other hand power is used downward and backward through the legs. Thus the balance of power is generated.

The other part is lowering your weight so your stance is strong. This is used for every pulling technique.

What is the YKM perspective on this?

Regards, Lau

[BearBear]

This may seem really dumb.. but just a thought about the air in or out makes u "heavier"

stand infront of electonic scales.. fill lungs with air hope on , not the digital measurement, hope off.. empty lungs of air, hope on note measurement..

compare.. no doubt will be minutely differences..

and of course more for fun / interests i guess..

ok ok .. im extremely tired and bored... but hey just a thought :P

Silly Bear

[Lowlynobody]

Yes, Garry is my Sifu.


Air is pressed into the dan tien. Then the energy wants to come out. The main path out is through your arm. On the other hand power is used downward and backward through the legs. Thus the balance of power is generated.

YKM would always have air in reserve. The breath is never let all the way out. We breath out through the nose with short breaths for each strike and breath in when we step or when clawing inwards. I have a feeling that the shock from the Dan Tian can be produced both ways - breath out or breath in. The ging expands out in all directions (with the use of fau chun tun tau) - down the legs and up out the hands.

We also sink in out stances when we pull in as well as sinking on some stikes.

Hope that helps.



Lowlynobody.

[Monkeymaster]

Lau ... this is what we call reverse breathing in our style Bak mei. which is the same as pak mei, right?

My eyes lit up as soon as you said the part about the spear hand with the left and punch with the right. I wish I had a dime for every time i did that technique. lol

Does your school have a web site? Just got through looking at Sifu Gary's site.. very nice. Love to see Bak Mei.

A Bak mei saying for your guys. I think only the Bak mei artists will really get this one...

"you punch, I block, fight's over."

Let me know what you guys think. My sifu says that one a lot. And it makes so much sence when he demonstrates that theory on you.

my Sifu's school www.mauryskungfu.com
my ShiJiao's school www.looangfoopai.com

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"is it ok to monkey around in a monkey kung fu school?"

[Yum Cha]

Hi Lau, did you get that long-winded email I sent you in reply?

I'll agree that Jik Bo is left spear, right punch, pull. At senior level, we do it both sides, but juniors only one sided.

Ever try doing one set of three moves on the inhale, and the next set on the exhale. Tell me if it makes any sense to you.

Our basic Jik Bo is the three moves mentioned, but I have seen it adapted and converted into combinations of 4, 5 or 6 by different people. I prefer the shorter version.