What you want out of CMA?

[SPJ]

This is inspired by the other thread.

Pick up fighting skills or methods?

A form of exercise for fitness and health?

Estoric aspect, balance in moves and show of "power"?

History or legends?

Theory and practice?

Source for meditation, why we fight and how we fight etc?

Competing for belts, recognitions, profits?

MA as a business?

Or---

:confused: :D

[Oso]

All of those equally.

[SPJ]

when I was a little kid, I was clumsy. I walked heavily because I was afraid I would fall. I swayed my arms fast and heavily and knocked things off the table. I was a menace. Or Parkinson disease?

Then MA coaching helped me to balance and walk and move in a balance way.

I started with Tan Tui. My relatives knew Shuai Jiao. I got thrown on the ground all the time. So I started to learn Shuai Jiao, too. I saw the Central Police (Taiwan) Shuai Jiao matches. It was fun and fun. Shuai Jiao is challenge for my rooting or balance, too.

Then I learned several northern styles. And Tai Chi, Ba Gua in college.

CMA have helped me all these years and part of my life.

But I know that when I get old I will get Parkinson disease.

:(

[MasterKiller]

I originally wanted to lose weight and get some exercise.

After I lost the weight I wanted to get good at forms.

After I got good at forms I wanted to become a better fighter.

I'm still working on that one...

[Indestructible]

Iron Sand Palm Circles, at the moment.

[Oso]

I was a scrawny kid and got beat up a lot.

when the opportunity to wrestle came I jumped at it. the same a year later for kung fu. mostly to learn to fight.

wrestling taught me that I like competing. winning it good but trying to win is better.

then I realized, with the help of my first teacher, that you cannot have the ability to fight...to hurt someone...with out a philosophy/ethics system to moderate your responses to people/life.

then I realized that the chi gung would maybe help me live longer and be healthier. Also chi gung helps to heal the damage you take from the fighting.

then I realized that bosses suck and for me to be happy I would have to be my own boss. after some thinking I realized that I really like teaching...and I really love kung fu...so I should teach what I love. sadly, it's very difficult to get that started and to the point where I don't need another job. I don't want to make a million bucks...just enough to live well and happily.

only lately has the history become interesting to me.



SPJ, do you think that chi gung can help you fight that later in life?

[Reggie1]

This is inspired by the other thread.

Pick up fighting skills or methods?

A form of exercise for fitness and health?

Estoric aspect, balance in moves and show of "power"?

History or legends?

Theory and practice?

Source for meditation, why we fight and how we fight etc?

Competing for belts, recognitions, profits?

MA as a business?

Or---

:confused: :D

Yes to all of these, except (for right now) MA as a business. I really don't compete right now, but I'm a pretty competitive person, so I can see myself wanting to compete in the future.

[Chief Fox]

I want to be a better person.

[SPJ]

Qi Gong and meditation may help some general body functions.

I duno about a specific neurological disorder. Parkinson disease is thought be due to degeneration of Dopamine neurons (nerve cells) in certain part of the brain.

I also swim.

The language barrier mentioned in the other thread.

Even for Chinese native speakers, there is also a barrier in CMA study.

The Chinese terms used in CMA are not your daily vocabulary.

If you do not have an old dictionary such as Kang Xi Da Chi Dian. The dictionary from emperor Kang Xi of Qing dynasty. I do not even know how to pronouce them.

Granted, this would be the biggest hurdle for any one interested in CMA.

My trick was to use a common term in my notes.

So I keep a log of Chinese terms with common terms in several styles of CMA I practice.

Sort of Kung Fu dictionary you might say.

Each term is still defined differently in each style. So not only in meaning, but also terms are style specific.

:D

[Oso]

sounds like a you should turn your notes into a dictionary.... :)

[PangQuan]

For me personally my studies began with philosophy, then history, then actual physical study.

through my literary studies I decided to go with CMA due to the overwhelming amount of humane phylosophy that is deeply entwined with CMA.

Sure I want to be able to fight, to defend my self, to defend others.

But further than that, I would like to better know myself. And through learning more of my nature and spirit, my actions themselves become effected.

When actions are effected sub conciously due to phylisophical and moral beliefs, then ones nature becomes more externally noticable.

These are the mental qualities with which many of us have idolized or looked up to at some point in life.

Now of course qualities such as these are not only cultivated through martial arts. But can be found in any field.

I just happen to be fond of the martial way of life. So this is the field I have chosen to apply the majority of my life efforts at, in order to further myself as a person.

This is one of the specific reasons I chose CMA as opposed to several other martial arts availabe to me in my area. The amount of literature involved with CMA and ethical stand points is quite large.

Of course these words left by past masters and current ones are only empty representations of one persons view, they never the less serve a point. They spark interest, and questions. Questions that must be answered within ones own self.

When you have no where else to turn to but yourself for your answers then you are able to more accurately understand the answers when they are made apparent.

Of course one can learn the martial techniques and not even care one iota about the art.

Much like the wood worker who simply creates use full items out of wood, compared to the wood worker that transforms wood into a reflection of his soul.

They both have created a chair, both chairs serve the same purpose and meet the end goal. A place to sit. But only one of the chairs is a direct transmision of one mans self discovery through the love of an art and his pain filled devotion to himself.

In a sense it is not the man who is drawing something from his wood working, but it is the wood working that is drawing something fromt he man.

Its not so much of what I want from CMA, but what does CMA want from me?

Time shall tell, my sweat and blood will listen and my actions will reveal.

[SPJ]

The link of life philosophy and MA practice is very tangible at best.

A lot of MA styles do not have philosophy per se.

Sure the Daoist and Buddhist monks practice MA but not all of them.

Techniques, apps, theories and principles are all interwined. One thing with many facets of understanding.

I asked a lot of why, how, when, where, what etc.

What is a Peng? Use your forearm to move upward and/or outward (Chen). In Wu style, they would flip the hand outward, too. So you Peng with the palm, too.

How? Move your arm inward and close to your center first and rotate your waist the opposite direction first.

Why? you protect your center front and yield by rotating your waist.

When? the opponent attack your center front with hand or foot.

Where? You move to the side of his attacking hand or foot first with steps and/or rotating the waist. Where to Peng the opponent? his upper arm, open chest, rib side etc.

My point is that where is the philosophy in all these?

May be yield first or extend his attacking arm so as to expose his upper arm, chest etc.

Oh, we may Peng with every part of the body, as long as it is inward first and then outward.

The inward moves and positioning are called storing the Jing or Xu Jing.

The outward Peng is then called releasing the Jing or Fa Jing.

Xu Jing may be slow and retaining like drawing a bow. However, Fa Jing has to be lightening fast and focused like release of an arrow.

etc etc.

:D

[Pork Chop]

oooohhh just to:

crush my enemies

see them driven before me

and to hear the lamentation of their women...

[PangQuan]

lol
.......