Chinese Tumbling

[Super_Kick]

Hi everyone,

I am embarking on a training journey for the reasons laid out in "Mok Gar, Taijutsu and Neijia" in the Southern Chinese Kung Fu Forum. Part of my training will involve tumbling.

Can someone please outline the various tumbling techniques found in Chinese styles for me? Is it similar to the rolling, flips etc. found in Japanese Ninjutsu? Or perhaps more similar to Systema style techniques?

Thank you brethren,

B

[Super_Kick]

Sad that none of you seem brave enough to reply.

[ginosifu]

Hi everyone,

I am embarking on a training journey for the reasons laid out in "Mok Gar, Taijutsu and Neijia" in the Southern Chinese Kung Fu Forum. Part of my training will involve tumbling.

Can someone please outline the various tumbling techniques found in Chinese styles for me? Is it similar to the rolling, flips etc. found in Japanese Ninjutsu? Or perhaps more similar to Systema style techniques?

Thank you brethren,

B

CMA - Most all Chinese kung fu systems have their own personal tumbling systems. However, not all are in depth, some are just covering the basics and some go deep into tumbling and breakfalls.

Most TCMA schools do not go into those "Back Flips" and "Cartwheels" and gymnastic or Movie style flips. Mostly basic rolls and tumbling.

ginosifu

[mickey]

Greetings,

One of the styles that have managed to maintain tumbling into this century is the Eagle Claw System (Ying Jow Pai). Here are some floor work moves that are used in some Chinese styles:

Forward roll

Backward roll

Corner Roll

Reverse corner roll

Side Roll

Cartwheel/Single Hand Cartwheel/Aerial

Butterfly

Back Handspring: Can be done without hands (backflip). Depends on how far you want to take it.

Forward Handspring: can be done without hands as well. Depends on how far you want to take it.

Kip up

The thing that I noticed that differentiates Chinese tumbling and Western tumbling is in the centering. The Chinese use the navel area whereas the Western approach uses a higher center, more like the chest area. I once saw footage of Tong Fei using both methods to bring himself up higher in the air during an aerial somersault.

I hope this helps,

mickey

[bawang]

a magical journey where you do backflips sounds great. but first you should do squats.

[XinKuzi]

Go learn some Shuai Jiao.

[YouKnowWho]

Go learn some Shuai Jiao.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBiQZcE3HLs

[pateticorecords]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2t3sm_kung-fu-tricks_sport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAyYz9sy0Io
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6akulareVQ

[RenDaHai]

in relation to kung fu tumbling is great for you to learn if your younger.

In all flexibilty and power generation the spine is the centre. All the flips and stuff can increase both flexibility and explosive power around the spine. Ofcourse, if you mess them up they can severly decrease flexibility and power around the spine....

Back bends, cartwheels

For the cartwheels put hands next to feet and wheel on one spot to increase sideways flexibility. Eventually put left hand behind right foot and wheel on the spot and go fast. Then take hands away.

FOr the back bend keep the lower back straight by pushing the hips foreward. Without stretching the lower back it is naturally close to its maximum compression flexibility, pushing it further can cause one of the vertibrae to displace inwards...perminently. You want to increase the bending ability in the middle and upper back.

But, don't do these alone.....

[TenTigers]

Here are a few tumbling skills that would help you on your journey :
1) tumbling down a hill
2) tumbling down a flight of stairs
3) tumbling down the. Street ..._

[r.(shaolin)]

Martial arts 'tumbling' was used in performance martial arts as part of plays and entertainment gymnastics. Its history is long and is connected to Hua Fa Wuyi 花法武藝. However, in context of traditional Shaolin wushu, 'tumbling' is not an appropriate term in that these leaping, flying and ground maneuvers are combative and practical. Generally, as Mickey points out above, they are generally done differently from the 'tumbling' of modern Chinese wushu. The 'old school' manoeuvres are not for 'show' and as well, they are less about 'break-falls' and more about evasion, countering and attacking.

As a point of clarification, one traditional term for these tactics is: 落地盤龍 (luo di pan long) translated as, 'dragon tactically drops to the ground'.