Hung Ga and cross Training

[HungGarEgg]

Hi everyone! :) :D

I've been doing Hung Ga (at Yee's) for about a year now and am wondering what other art I should cross train in? :confused:

Any experienced Hung Gar people have a decent suggestion? What are some of the weaknesses of Hung Gar vs another style?

Anybody else from Yee's on this forum?

Thank you!

[SIFU RON]

Hi everyone! :) :D

I've been doing Hung Ga (at Yee's) for about a year now and am wondering what other art I should cross train in? :confused:

Any experienced Hung Gar people have a decent suggestion? What are some of the weaknesses of Hung Gar vs another style?

Anybody else from Yee's on this forum?

Thank you!

I am not familiar with Yee's Hung Gar , however Hung Ga is the strongest style in Kung Fu I learned from my late Sifu ( Ark Y Wong ) I found no weakness within it ,those of us that leaned it became stronger fighters. Not many people learn to use Kung Fu for combat. I never found a reason to cross train. However today is different . My best to you.

Sifu Ron

My best to you/

Ron

[SifuYui]

As a former YHG sifu, the best suggestion I can give you, from my experience, is touch hands with people NOT from YHG and see if your stuff works. You can read about my post-YHG journey on the New York Hung Ga FB page. You can also PM me with any questions about my YHG experience.

Good luck with your training.

Best, Yui

[SoCo KungFu]

As a former YHG sifu, the best suggestion I can give you, from my experience, is touch hands with people NOT from YHG and see if your stuff works. You can read about my post-YHG journey on the New York Hung Ga FB page. You can also PM me with any questions about my YHG experience.

Good luck with your training.

Best, Yui

The emphasized part is probably the most important advice you will get here. We can all speculate, but you'll never truly know your deficiencies until you cross hands with as many different people, from as many different systems, in as many different venues (traditional martial arts tourneys to San Da to at least hard sparring with MMA types) as you possibly can. Find your deficiencies and seek out those that can help you shore them

And avoid advice from anyone telling you there's no need to cross train. Those are people that aren't constantly trying to test, refine, expand their skillset.

[sanjuro_ronin]

As a former YHG sifu, the best suggestion I can give you, from my experience, is touch hands with people NOT from YHG and see if your stuff works.

Best, Yui


This is spot on.

[HungGarEgg]

Thanks for the replies guys! I think it's only healthy to train in more than one art? I also want to take up Boxing - just simple boxing :D

I feel the only thing missing is hard sparring/sparring at the current school. Apart from that, it's a really good school! We only spar for 10-15 mins a week and also slow/sensitivity spar for about 10-20 mins a week at the end of qi qong and drills. Training/conditioning is VERY tough at yee's! I think there should be more sparring at the particular branch I go to. But there are so many other aspects to Hung Gar and fighting is only one of them! :D

The other art I'm considering is Judo - Shui Jao is largely missing from Kung Fu these days which is a shame really.

Sifu Yui, that's really kind of you! I will send a pm if that's OK sir.

So, it's either Boxing or Judo (or both?! :confused:) - hard decision.....

Thanks a lot guys

[Jimbo]

IMO, Judo is an excellent art to supplement your HG training, as long as you have a strong basic foundation in your HG. I would not suggest taking up both Judo and boxing at the same time, though. If you join a good club in either method, you will realize that just one of them requires hard, time-consuming training. Also, there is a learning curve. You don't want to overload. So if you have the time and the funds, take up either Judo or boxing, and after you've developed a good base and proficiency in the one art, then perhaps look into the other.

[SifuYui]

Happy to answer any questions you may have HungGaEgg. PM me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yui

[SIFU RON]

Happy to answer any questions you may have HungGaEgg. PM me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yui


that's good advice , Jiu-Jitsu is another option , boxing is very good to know, as is wrestling. It all depends on what is at your disposal. MMA might be agood way to go also. It mostly depends on the teacher you learn from, there are a great deal of well experienced people n this form

I wish all of you a nice Thanksgiving.

[SifuYui]

Going back to your original question HungGaEgg, my post-YHG journey showed me some of MY weaknesses, one of which was in the throwing arts. It's interesting that you mentioned Shuai Jiao because that is one of the styles I delved into. I studied with Marcos, Junior, Bobby, and Dixon, who studied with Jeng Hsing Ping. I can tell you that I really enjoyed being tossed and throwing people. It made my body stronger and my sensitivity more acute.

As other forum members here have said, don't get pigeon-holed into a box of "Hung Ga" only (one art only). Trust me, every style has their weaknesses and Hung Ga is no different. But it's different for each practitioner and it's up to you to find where your "weaknesses" are...

Good luck in finding your "weakness", that's the first step to becoming stronger/better!

Best, Yui

[HungGarEgg]

IMO, Judo is an excellent art to supplement your HG training, as long as you have a strong basic foundation in your HG. I would not suggest taking up both Judo and boxing at the same time, though. If you join a good club in either method, you will realize that just one of them requires hard, time-consuming training. Also, there is a learning curve. You don't want to overload. So if you have the time and the funds, take up either Judo or boxing, and after you've developed a good base and proficiency in the one art, then perhaps look into the other.

Agreed, Judo is an awesome martial art but my heart is set on boxing :/ But I will only take up one new art otherwise it'd just be overload.

[HungGarEgg]

Sifu Yui, I've just sent you pms but not sure you've received them as I can't see anything in my sent folder...

[SifuYui]

HGE,

Yes, I received them and just replied. I hope you got it.

Best, Yui

[TenTigers]

I have been training in Martial Arts for over 40 years, the past 30 being in Hung Ga. However, I also trained in Shuai Jiao with the same group as Yui, and I found it to be a terrific addition to my Hung-Ga. (I had previously trained in hapkido and Jiu Jitsu, so I was no stranger to falls and throws and joint locking, so the transition was somewhat smoother) This also led me to want to explore ground fighting on a deeper level, which brought BJJ into my training. Previously, the only groundfighting I had learned was from Shuai Jiao, and wrestling, and being a "Sifu," I wanted to be a better instructor to my students, so I decided to enroll in a BJJ school.
You had mentioned western boxing as well. I think this would be a great idea..BUT..I advise you to read Jack Dempsey's book on Boxing first, as his structures are more aligned with our arts.

http://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.php/107333/Vzryvnoii_udar_i_aktivnaya_oborona.pdf

[HungGarEgg]

I have been training in Martial Arts for over 40 years, the past 30 being in Hung Ga. However, I also trained in Shuai Jiao with the same group as Yui, and I found it to be a terrific addition to my Hung-Ga. (I had previously trained in hapkido and Jiu Jitsu, so I was no stranger to falls and throws and joint locking, so the transition was somewhat smoother) This also led me to want to explore ground fighting on a deeper level, which brought BJJ into my training. Previously, the only groundfighting I had learned was from Shuai Jiao, and wrestling, and being a "Sifu," I wanted to be a better instructor to my students, so I decided to enroll in a BJJ school.
You had mentioned western boxing as well. I think this would be a great idea..BUT..I advise you to read Jack Dempsey's book on Boxing first, as his structures are more aligned with our arts.

http://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.php/107333/Vzryvnoii_udar_i_aktivnaya_oborona.pdf

What a coincidence! I was actually on Amazon looking for a good book on boxing :) I already have "Chinese Fast Wrestling for Fighting" (by Liang, Shou-Yu). Jack Dempsey's book looks really good! Thank you sir! I'll buy a paperback version as I like to collect MA material.

Unfortunately, there are no Shuai Jiao schools where I live however there are plenty of good Judo schools. I also plan to take a Judo class every now and then in addition to boxing as Shuai Jiao is largely missing from our Hung Ga classes. Initially though, my focus will be on boxing in addition to Hung Ga :D I think Judo is a very underrated and awesome martial art and includes ground fighting as well :) Much obliged!

[David Jamieson]

Thanks for the replies guys! I think it's only healthy to train in more than one art? I also want to take up Boxing - just simple boxing :D

I feel the only thing missing is hard sparring/sparring at the current school. Apart from that, it's a really good school! We only spar for 10-15 mins a week and also slow/sensitivity spar for about 10-20 mins a week at the end of qi qong and drills. Training/conditioning is VERY tough at yee's! I think there should be more sparring at the particular branch I go to. But there are so many other aspects to Hung Gar and fighting is only one of them! :D

The other art I'm considering is Judo - Shui Jao is largely missing from Kung Fu these days which is a shame really.

Sifu Yui, that's really kind of you! I will send a pm if that's OK sir.

So, it's either Boxing or Judo (or both?! :confused:) - hard decision.....

Thanks a lot guys

There is nothing simple about boxing. It will fill that empty sparring spot for you, really quick.
Learning to wrestle is only going to serve you well too.

[TenTigers]

um..did you click on the link? It's the entire book on pdf

[bawang]

western boxing is older than hung ga

[SteveLau]

HunggarEgg,

Just cross training with other sports like soft gymnastics and Tai Chi will do. Because one problem that Hung Gar students quite often has is that they have hard techniques and conditioning anchored in their body and mind. Such that there is not much softness in their skills. As a common comment goes, they move like stiff robots.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[HungGarEgg]

um..did you click on the link? It's the entire book on pdf

yes sir I did, I actually read some of it too. I would just like to buy a paperback version as well as this book used to go for £100's when it was out of print and also I would like to collect a few good marital arts books :) I also don't like the idea of printing an entire book - would just like a physical copy as well that I could read away from a computer screen.

[HungGarEgg]

western boxing is older than hung ga

Really? wow :eek:

[David Jamieson]

Really? wow :eek:

Yes, Olympic sport‎: ‎Since 688 B.C.E

That's almost 1200 years before even Shaolin!:eek:

[Jimbo]

Among Judo's most basic, yet greatest aspects, breakfalls, can be life (or body) savers in themselves. Just this morning, on my early-morning walk, I tripped and fell. In the semi-darkness, the nasty bump in the street I tripped over was nearly invisible. I walk at a brisk pace, and when I tripped, the bump caught both of my feet and I fell straight forward and down, FAST. My body instinctively did a Judo front fall, almost perfectly, in spite of not having practiced it in decades. No injuries except for slightly skinned/bloody palms, skinned knees, and a slight elbow bruise. And most of that wouldn't have happened if that paved street hadn't had an extremely rough, 'rocky' textured surface. As it was, I got right back up and continued on, barely missing a beat. A wrong fall would have possibly caused serious injuries. I was really glad that nobody saw that. :o

Even if something like that happens only once during your lifetime, it's well worth the benefits of having trained how to safely fall, regardless of your system or style. Not all aspects of self-protection involve fighting or being attacked by other people or animals.

[boxerbilly]

western boxing is older than hung ga

Well, I would agree with most western arts have a longer written history. That may mean they are older or it may mean, other places either did not record things in writing or glyphs or those things were lost.

But if I go by what you suggest then yes, western arts are the older arts. Also, Martial Arts is a western term.

[bawang]

Well, I would agree with most western arts have a longer written history. That may mean they are older or it may mean, other places either did not record things in writing or glyphs or those things were lost.

But if I go by what you suggest then yes, western arts are the older arts. Also, Martial Arts is a western term.

your karate is older than hung ga

[boxerbilly]

your karate is older than hung ga

Everything is a lie.

And I do not know how far Hung Gar goes back. My Karate. ITF . Isshin Ryu and Shaolin Kempo is not even 100 years old heck maybe 50-60 years for one ? I don't care to count.

Okay, ITF is Shotokan. So I guess we could say that is is maybe 100 years old.

[NYShuaiJiao]

Hi -

I've met many great YHG practitioners and would be happy to speak with you about Shuai Jiao

You're welcome to try one of our Shuai Jiao classes on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in Brooklyn

Feel free to email us at info@shuaijiao.us

[Kellen Bassette]

Everything is a lie.

And I do not know how far Hung Gar goes back. My Karate. ITF . Isshin Ryu and Shaolin Kempo is not even 100 years old heck maybe 50-60 years for one ? I don't care to count.

Okay, ITF is Shotokan. So I guess we could say that is is maybe 100 years old.

Isshinryu was founded in 1956. Most classical Karate was systemized, in the 1930's. You could stretch to the 1920's if you really tried.
Modern Hung Ga was arranged about 1870.

[chaossentry]

I have trained a few years in Hung Ga and continue to do so. My branch decends from Lam Sai Wing. I can honestly say this is something I have considered because in the culture from which kung-fu comes from. Most are suggested or pushed into a system because of body type and mentality. It works towards are strength's but doesn't negate or remove the weaknesses.

Hung Ga I enjoy immensely but I also see that it doesn't improve my speed or agility. If it existed I would do a Snake system with high amount of panther to compensate the balance.

I myself will be looking at a ng mui system to give me more balance or choy li fut to focus more speed with leopard emphasis.

[TenTigers]

The footwok and agility are all there, you only need to see it and extract it from the forms and drill.
The speed is there as well.
As my Si-Hing once admonished me, "don't simply practice the form. Use the form to train your gung-fu."
If you want speed, train quickness. If you want agility, train it.
Hung-Gar has shuffles, step throughs, jumps, hops, etc.
If your teacher hasn't taught you these concepts and methods, then ask him.
Or....