The devil in the details

[SanHeChuan]

A mother teaching her daughter how to cook a ham, cuts off both ends of the ham before placing it in the oven. The daughter ask the mother why she does that. The mother replies that she didn't know why, that's just the way her mother did it. So the daughter goes to the grandmother and asks her, why she cut off the ends of the ham. The grandmother replies, she had a small pan.


In Kung Fu in is important not to mimic movements mindlessly. Understanding the greater intention of the movements, the various ways it can be used, and the details in it's execution are necessary for achieving the full potential contained in the technique. Otherwise it is likely that you will not be able to apply the technique effectively. Those who only practice forms often fall into this trap when they neglect to practice the application of the techniques contained within.


This is why it is important to train with a teacher who knows why he practices the way he does, and to train with many teachers who will give you various perspectives and place emphasis on different areas. No teacher can know everything, and some are even unwilling to convey every detail.


"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." - Tao Te Ching

[sanjuro_ronin]

A mother teaching her daughter how to cook a ham, cuts off both ends of the ham before placing it in the oven. The daughter ask the mother why she does that. The mother replies that she didn't know why, that's just the way her mother did it. So the daughter goes to the grandmother and asks her, why she cut off the ends of the ham. The grandmother replies, she had a small pan.


In Kung Fu in is important not to mimic movements mindlessly. Understanding the greater intention of the movements, the various ways it can be used, and the details in it's execution are necessary for achieving the full potential contained in the technique. Otherwise it is likely that you will not be able to apply the technique effectively. Those who only practice forms often fall into this trap when they neglect to practice the application of the techniques contained within.


This is why it is important to train with a teacher who knows why he practices the way he does, and to train with many teachers who will give you various perspectives and place emphasis on different areas. No teacher can know everything, and some are even unwilling to convey every detail.


"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." - Tao Te Ching

Very true, one of the versions ot eh Iron Wire I know has almost minimal movement of the legs ( little stepping) and another has quite a few steps.
When I asked the Sifu of the "limited steps" why, he said, quite simply, he had a small place to train in Taiwan and found that this way it could be done in even the smallest of rooms.

[SimonM]

My sifu's version has minimal stepping (I do it on my balcony without modification) and when I asked him about the differences he said his was the mainland version, the HK one having experienced significant ornamentation.

[David Jamieson]

I have one form that can be played in several different ways.

In one version, you can play the whole form in about 16 square feet (4'x4')
In another version you can use longer stepping in the mobile parts of the form and you use even more space.

Add to that the dynamic tension that can be applied or not and the length of time to play it out which you can shorten or lengthen.

also, this form has been thoroughly picked apart and put into it's components by myself and my training partner over the last 6 years. It's the one form that I understand the best and I still get stuff out of it every time I practice it.

tcma practice is cool that way.

[sanjuro_ronin]

My sifu's version has minimal stepping (I do it on my balcony without modification) and when I asked him about the differences he said his was the mainland version, the HK one having experienced significant ornamentation.

I am working on something that you may like, I will keep you posted.