Practicing Southern Style forms along with Northern style ones?

[taichi4eva]

My uncle taught me Goju Ryu Sanchin this past weekend. I was wondering, for a person coming from a background in Northern Shaolin and Mantis, would it be counterproductive to practice the Sanchin set too?

[David Jamieson]

I learned a Southern system alongside Northern.

I found that they in many ways compliment each other and what one is lacking, teh other fills.

just my viewpoint.

[GeneChing]

You might as well ask "for a person coming from a background in violin and tuba, would it be counterproductive to practice the guitar too?" Some people will say that you should only practice one style and perfect it. There's some logic to that, but it only really works in a perfect world. It presumes that the art that you are practicing is a perfect fit to your body and your character. That a huge assumption, especially since your body will change as you age, so you might have to change what art you practice. Certainly, as a beginner, you must stick to one style for a while to build a firm foundation, but as a true student following the warrior path, you must explore.

[SimonM]

Although Gene makes a valid point David also does. If you already have a foundation built crosstraining is generally helpful and there are many elements in south that are lacking in north and vice versa.

Crosstrain away!

[David Jamieson]

i can understand how taking on too much from a beginning point can be counterproductive to the whole.

But, basics are basics pretty much regardless of style and it is that which opens the door to exploration with a good foothold.

my personal kungfu path has been a lot of revisting of those basic things that make kungfu kungfu.

mind you, i think the basics should be revistsed on a regular basis simply because that's where a great deal of the most important material is.

[taichi4eva]

As much as I like northern Shaolin, I like the power generated from Sanchin. I was wondering are there any northern style forms that are similar to it.

[Mulong]

Fanziyingzhaoquan has a fuhuquan-lu (hiding tiger fist-way), which falls into this characteristics. :)

[SergeTk]

As much as I like northern Shaolin, I like the power generated from Sanchin. I was wondering are there any northern style forms that are similar to it.

There is a style, which is based around this form and Goju Ryu Karate believed to be derived from it. Its' called Ngo Chor Kun or WuZuquan in Chinese , Five ancestors in English.