Strength and Fitness in Jook Lum

[Lost Oath]

Hello,

The following question was asked by a friend of mine in another forum and was left un-answered. Hopefully he'll get better luck here:


I wonder, has any school added fitness and/or strength training to its curriculum? If so, what did you add? If not, why?

Peace,

[Cung-Fu]

Traditional teachers seem to frown upon strength traning. Most schools never add it to the curriculum, at least not in a meaningful way.

Although that doens't prevent me, nor anyone, from strength training themselves.

[Vash]

Being fit only adds to martial effectivity. However, most schools do not have a fitness regimine included in the curriculum due to time constraints.

[yu shan]

Having strength helps

[red5angel]

I think it's a waste to throw it in a class. If one wants to strength train I say go for it, I do myself and it doesn't seem to hurt anything as everyone claims it will. However I do it on my own time and don't want to waste precious class time not doing kungfu. It's bad enough I have to stretch and warm up!:p

[Ou Ji]

Make sure you do plenty of stretching if you lift. Weight training tightens the muscle so you want to do some extra stretching to compensate. In MA short tight muscles - baaaaad, long loose muscle - goooood.

Except maybe for WC where you don't have to move too far. :D
(All in fun, guys)

BTW, I don't think the old masters were training for MUSCULAR strength. That's western mentality.

Super tendons,
excellent Qi.
When you're old,
how strong you'll be.

[red5angel]

Ou Ji, I'm not sure I'd agree with you on the muscle tightening thing, and there has ben research to show otherwise. Certainly your muscles are tight right after working out, but I experienced and increased flexibility when I began weight training way back when. what I have found however is that if your muscles are large, they can get in the way, just like a fat gut can stop you from doing complete situps!

I also think there is a balance to be had. All the best most capable martial artist I kow have some muscle mass. What I mean is they workout on weights a few times a week, and do body mass type workouts almost everyday. It increases your stamina and strength as well as your elasticity.

[jo]

Wanna wotk out? Got to a gym.

Practicing your form? You should do that at home.

Use your time at the kwoon to touch hands with people,
develop the skills that require two participants.

Root, timing, movement, body position, sensitivivty.....

Use your time at the kwoon wisely.

[red5angel]

Practicing your form? You should do that at home.

Assuming your teacher follows you home everynight or lives next door? The school is for practicing your kungfu period, not just touching hands but getting input on forms and such. Of course interacting should be a large portion of what you are doing at a school but not all of it.

[Jook Lum]

Hello, Are you still going to jack`s? I sent you a pm awhile ago
to find out if you were still going I was going to visit Jack`s and see how your training was going.

Let me know.
JL

[red5angel]

Hey JL, I had to take a couple of months off for an injury but I am back at Jacks and working out! Training is going well, how goes it over at Master Marks?

[Ou Ji]

red5angel
I lost a little range of motion when I started really lifting. I wasn't stretching enough and started feeling like those muscle heads that have to turn their whole bodies to look to the side.

Some of the problem was the bulk I put on. It really threw me off. I was going to mention it but then all the big guys and bodybuilder types would jump me saying they don't have a problem with the weight/bulk. I'm thin and when I pack on 10 lbs from lifting I feel good but my KF degrades.

I plan on hitting it again but not as intense and push harder on the stretching. What I really want is the tendon strength those little chinese guys have. Most of the masters are definitely not power lifters or body builders but are strong as h3ll and hit like a ton of bricks!

[red5angel]

its a must to stretch for any sort of exercising. I never had to stretch anymore then usual though and I also worked out with a gymnast who herself was pretty muscular.

All in all the only flexibility problems I found I had were when I really started to put on mass, after going from about 165lbs to about 185 lbs or so. The muscle was big enough to start getting in the way just a bit, but I found that in general my flexibility actually increased.

The key is doing it properly. Many people get in the habit of cheating, by not doing full range of motion and that is extremely important.

[Jook Lum]

Things are alright! Do you go on Monday and Wednesday or
only one day at Jack`s?

[red5angel]

I do mondays at Jacks. I'm training at another school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and so really only have time for the one day.

[Lost Oath]

First of all I want to thank everyone for replaying. And now for the questions! :)

I agree that traditional teachers never added fitness and strength training to their curriculum but hey, guess what, times change. And with it peoples mentality (i.e western mentality).

I think that we have to open our eyes to see what's out there.. New "Western MA Styles" that not always play by our rules.

Now I'm not saying forms isn't the most important thing - it is. It is the root of our traditional MA system we all chose to follow, but would it really hurt adding something as running or press to your curriculum?

I am not talking about making strength and fitness training as part of the regular classes but how about a one week lesson which is all about strength and fitness?

In my opinion the result would be students following a stress scale to achieve certain level. Just like they need to chive certain level to pass a level test or whatever...

Your thoughts and replays are welcome.

[red5angel]

Well, like I said, while I am a proponent of some minor weight lifting, running and conditining, I don't think it should be a part of class except for what is "built in" in doing forms work, stance work etc....

I myself lift weights 4 nights a week, and try to run atleast 5 nights a week. It's certainly been of benefit to me.