Long Zhua Gong

[Shaolinstudent]

How would you go about conditioning your hands and arms for Lungyingquan. I have heard some sites say lifting clay jars until they are full of sand or rocks. Is this the authentic way to train your hands and arms? Or are there different methods of doing so?

[Lai See]

Ask your teacher.

Simple.

[Ao Qin]

For the Dragon student, I'd recommend;

Initially, years and years of three star blocking (hitting trees / arms, etc) - you'll need a good sifu to teach you this though. Once you "get it", then you only need routine maintenance to keep the skill up. After 10 years or so.

Lots of chin-nah (cum-nah) work - working with actual people - much more important than lifting heavy jars. It's very hard to grab a guy and subdue him in real life.

Hit lots of bags & be creative with mungbeans, socks, phone-books, dummys, and whatever else too. Find a sifu who can teach you how to take care of your hands and avoid the arthritis thing.

Probably the most important thing, in addition to all the external methods you mentioned, is constantly practicing your "kung fu grip" (Ben Stiller)... - my teachers walk around all day practicing this in one form or another. You can do water hand, or iron hand, or whatever, but what you really need (in relation to this question) is the ability to grab something and not let it go, or, the ability to destroy whatever you are aiming at. For a Dragoner, there are endless exercises you can do all the time (like when you're driving) - and that is what will bring about the seizing skills, etc. - kind of like a baker or construction worker - whatever you do physically all the time, will be with you when you need it - money in the bank earns interest, etc.

That is what Chut Sing San Sao (7 movements which can be broken down x7) and your forms are for (try with light hand weights too) - but it's very boring, repetitive work - dynamic tension - tense, relax, swallow, spit, etc. Do it long enough and you will be able to grab something and not let it get away, or cause pain, etc.

Or...just lift jars all day - that probably works just as well too! But, Dragoners (in my opinion) need to be able to have at least two skills - grab a guy (and hold / control him), and / or smash / repel him with forearms or hammerfist.

Hope that helps somewhat...

ta - ao qin

[Shaolinstudent]

Yea that sounds like the real but yet more painful way to do it. Hey do you know if the bad guy in Prodigal Son if the style he was doing was authentic Lungyingquan?

[Lai See]

Yea that sounds like the real but yet more painful way to do it. Hey do you know if the bad guy in Prodigal Son if the style he was doing was authentic Lungyingquan?

I should slap myself for biting, I really should.

<wanders off shaking head>