Fun 7* Exercise

[MightyB]

Hi everyone,

I've found that 7* seems to be a little right hand heavy. I'm a believer in a balanced approach- so I like to find ways to bring the left hand into the game. The way I've been doing that lately is to re-learn Dou-Gong (I believe the translation is Conceal the Hard) as a left handed form. Dou-Gong is probably the most right handed form I know- so the process has been fun and challenging.

So, if you practice 7* and know the form Dou-Gong, try it left handed and see what you think.

Have fun,

The B

[monkeyfoot]

I sometimes play forms both sides but just for fun....very hard but beneficial in the long run.

[EarthDragon]

nice suggestion mightyB,
we to train all our apps and workouts from the left and right handed postions to keep the brain thinking. Some techniques I have been used to doing from the right side actually got better than my left as I was not holding onto those celluar- memory engrained movements in my head.... I always try to start this type of training (double sided) way to not instill one sided favortisms.

[Codeboy]

I tried doing that with Sup Say Lo but it was more because the muscle burn on the right upper thigh was so huge from sitting in that dansig (sp?) like stance for so long!!

Hey Mighty B, sorry I missed you at Sifu's Christmas party the other day. My wife and I had to cut out early so I didn't get a chance to introduce myself. Not sure how late you were able to stay but hopefully you had a good time.

[MightyB]

Hi Codeboy

I was trying to figure out who you are- I asked CM and he had no idea. Anyway- I'll be up between Christmas and New Years so I'll see you then.

[Codeboy]

Yeah, he probably wouldn't know me by my online forum name :D

I'm usually at class on Tuesday and Thursday for sure. I think I'm the only guy named Mark at the school now so that should narrow it down.

[holymantis]

Hi Codeboy,
the Sap Say Lo can be done moving so you can train both left and right sides.

regards roy:D

[Codeboy]

Exactly! That is what I was saying. I trained a little bit of that form both right and left handed so I could give the thighs a rest :D

Especially after doing a lot of repetitions and then hitting part 11 on that form. To me that is hitching the leg up, doing a fung sao (sp?) and then doing the throat grab in the really low stance. Ouch :eek:

[MightyB]

I don't mind Sub Sa Lo, but it's a drill pattern. I'm not so sure that it could teach you how to take a left handed lead.

I like Sub Sa Lo though- as a matter of fact- the first major movement out of Sub Sa Lo is the first thing I teach if I decide to teach any self defense applications to the MMA Judo crowd I hang with now. Block, shin stomp, punch the face- it's beauty is its simplicity. After that it's only inside outside forearm blocking with tight hands (my version of 10 and 2 for driver's ED enthusiasts out there) palm strikes (I prefer them to fists), push kicks, shin stomps, and thai style round kicks. I have a pretty simplistic approach to chin na- basically do 1 or two gross motor skill locks-- offensively, defensively, against a punch, against a block. A couple of escapes, and the simplest takedowns, unless they're judo enthusiests then we do more throwing and some cool ne-waza (not 'cuz I'm an expert- they show me more than I show them- I just like the workout)

Anyway- Sub Sa Lo is good, but it's not like pulling off a left-handed Dou Gong

[Codeboy]

Well, since I'm still relatively new, I haven't got to Dou Gong yet. I'm not sure if Sifu always teaches certain forms in a particular order or not, but so far I've done (forgive the spelling) Tom Toi, Tu Jin, Gung Lik Kuen, Sap Say Lo and I'm now working on Chop Choi. I have tried a few of them left handed and it still amazes me how absolutely pathetic I feel doing things left handed!

[MightyB]

Don't try to do too many forms left handed. It'll just mess you up. I play lefty with Dou Gong and that's about it.

Chop Choi is one of my favorite forms. I seen a demo tape of Brendan Lai doing apps out of Chop Choi and was amazed. Even though it's considered somewhat a "beginner" form, it's still sweet and probably is one of the more aggressive forms you'll ever learn.

Have fun,

The B

[Seppukku]

So, what was your take on Brendan Lai's Big "Fifth" Fist? Personally, I like the 6-fist, but I'm a bit old fashioned.

[Codeboy]

Yeah, I really like Chop Choi so far. It has a lot of really fun movements and interesting applications. If you know Casey from the school, he tells me that it is still one of his favorite forms.

I have seen a few of Brendan Lai's videos on Youtube, especially Bung Bo. I don't think I have seen his Chop Choi though. I will have to look! I guess he would be our kung fu Great Uncle? He was one of Sigong's classmates, right? Too bad I never had a chance to meet him :(