Ou Ji
04-20-2004, 06:33 AM
While reading the CLF groundfighting thread it occured to me that some people feel a style of kung fu is a given set of techniues and forms. Others see it as a given set of principles and methods.
The former restricts you to only using the moves that are taught within the style. There is no room to make up groundfighting techniques that fit within the parameters of the style. If you didn't officially learn groundfighting, or it wasn't labeled groundfighting, then whatever you do is not part of the style.
I believe in the latter. Once you understand the principles of the style you can adapt to any situation whether standing, on the ground or underwater. Of course it helps to actually train under those circumstances.
The point is that techniques and sets can be created in the style of CLF just like poetry can be written in the style of Edgar Allen Poe.
So do you study CLF the style or CLF the techniques?
The former restricts you to only using the moves that are taught within the style. There is no room to make up groundfighting techniques that fit within the parameters of the style. If you didn't officially learn groundfighting, or it wasn't labeled groundfighting, then whatever you do is not part of the style.
I believe in the latter. Once you understand the principles of the style you can adapt to any situation whether standing, on the ground or underwater. Of course it helps to actually train under those circumstances.
The point is that techniques and sets can be created in the style of CLF just like poetry can be written in the style of Edgar Allen Poe.
So do you study CLF the style or CLF the techniques?