Traditional Kung Fu Style

How many of you guys try and live of up to true traditional kung fu standards that were practiced in the past? Do you follow any Buddhist teachings, and practice Qi Gong to harden and toughen your body? Do you train hours a day trying to reach a masters level that was obtained by Shaolin Monks in the past, or do you believe that in todays society it is impossible to live up to these standards? The time needed to become as good as people in the past have been I don't believe I have. If any of you really consider yourself that good, or are trying to obtain that level of mastery, i would appreciate knowing how you train, and how you find the time.

Andrew

I train when I can train, as smart as I can train, and don't worry about how long they spent every day compared to me. After all, it's likely they had lives, too.

To me, the secret to fitting training in is getting up very early in the morning for my kung fu, and not diversifying my technique too much(in otherwords, I work on a set number of techniques/chi kungs every day, day in and day out, over and over, same three chi kungs, same one form, same two footworks, same set of combos, every day, no matter how long it takes). Then, my workout comes 3/4 times a week, hitting each area.

I really don't believe that many ancient masters lived to be 50, much less 100. I probably have more time than they did.

Regardless, you can only do what you can do. There were times that I practiced 6 hours a day for a long period of my life. Of course, I'm working on much better stuff now, and though I'm not able to work out as much, I am stronger and faster than I was then, and a better fighter, because I am smarter. I don't fight my movement, I plan my workouts instead of just compulsively working out, and my techniques are much subtler.

So, lots of time is good, but you have the time you have. If you like training, then you will learn to train smart, and the time will not be a waste.

My dictionary doesn't seem to have the word 'brief' in it.

"Standards" were exaggerated. You'll kill yourself trying to live upto them.

I agree whole heartedly with Leonidas.

Are you trying to reconcile yourself with your own limitations or something else?

All any of us can do is the best we can. Few people have the inclination or willingness to sacrifice to live up to the legends of the past. I realize that I don't. One day at a time. :)

If you are feeling bad about being less than the legends, try not to.

Yes, the standards of the old guys have probably been exaggerated, but not too much. Assuming you have the time, it's very possible for someone to train, say, 6 hours every day. I've never heard of many masters practicing more than that (maybe 8 hrs). I think it's mainly a time and dedication issue in our time than it is a standards issue, or comparing ourselves to old masters.

It's all about balance.

I'd love to be able to train more but - put simply - I can't fit it in. In modern society it's a matter of doing what you can. I train as hard as I can with the time I have. What anyone else has done/is doing/will do is irrelevant.

I'm out of work at the moment so I get in more practice than most of my kung-fu brothers. I go every day for 3 or 4 hours straight. I warm up and stretch for a half hour to an hour, do qi-gong for another hour and then I work on forms and combos. After all of that I work on iron body and iron palm. Certain days I work on some things more than others. I spar 2 or 3 times a week for and hour or so each time. I have thought about how much the aincients must have trained, but that WAS their lives, training. In our modern western society it is virtually impossible to be able to pratice at such a tremendous rate. I don't let it get me down. I am happy that I get to train at all considering some people only get in a few hours a week. I'm just glad I can someday pass on a piece of history to the next genration, that's good enough for me.

Diu Sao

If people were lined up down the block to kick my ass every so often, I would train all day. If it were my livelihood and what would save my life. You bet your ass I would.

Its doable, you would just have to be smart about what you trained, have a lot of patience. If you dont believe it was done..look up Mas Oyama. His story is not very old, and I think it speaks for itself.

Well Mas Oyamas is a perfect example of martial artist having their skills exaggerated.

Thats stuff about him killing a bull with one punch wasn't exactly true. From what i heard the poor animal was old, diseased, under-fed, unhealthy(pretty much had one foot in the grave) when Mas Oyamas finally got to him. The story about him karoddy chopping a bull horns in 2, that was exaggerted too. The horn was pre cut before he attempted it.

If that was about 50 years ago imagine how badly a story going back 300 years is distorted.

I think if you wat to train on a serious level, you HAVE to have a school. That way you can put a couple of 3 hour practice sessions in during the mornig and early afternoon, and then teach from 4:00 to 9:00 PM.

Better yet, get an instructor to teach for you, and you only run the senior classes where you spend a good couple of hours sparring and drilling with your seniors every night.

Frankly speaking to live the live of those martial art exponents that are personified and overly glorified in movies for the avergae joe who have to work 9 to 5 and take care of their family is DUMB. I am sure people on this forum who are not full time martial artist or instructors have other responsibilty in life that they have to attend to. Its like the moron who tarin religiously in the dojo everyday and told the whole world how hard he must rain to be the ultimate ZEN machine as he continously hit the makiwara. His mother passed away and he didn't even attned the funeral. WHAT AN IDIOT. Frankly speaking, you want to go lead life like Ryu in Street Fighter, go ahead, but don't forget WHY we lean martial arts for... to defend ourselves and OUR LOVED ONES. Peace to all, if I step on anyone's toes.

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How many of you guys try and live of up to true traditional kung fu standards that were practiced in the past? Do you follow any Buddhist teachings, and practice Qi Gong to harden and toughen your body? Do you train hours a day trying to reach a masters level that was obtained by Shaolin Monks in the past, or do you believe that in todays society it is impossible to live up to these standards? The time needed to become as good as people in the past have been I don't believe I have. If any of you really consider yourself that good, or are trying to obtain that level of mastery, i would appreciate knowing how you train, and how you find the time.

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Sounds like what you're really asking is if anybody here is a Monk.

The answer is probably no. I'm willing to bet that MA practice was only PART of their daily regimen which included such things as cooking, meditation, washing up, temple maintenance, studying etc.

And I'll just add the weight of my opinion (not that it matters) and agree with the overexaggerated standards thing.

"Sounds like what you're really asking is if anybody here is a Monk.... (whose) MA practice was only PART of their daily regimen which included such things as cooking, meditation, washing up, temple maintenance, studying etc."

Prankster, you neglected to estimate the amount of internet forum time the monks get. LOL. ;)

Didn't a whole bunch of ancients do kung fu in the winter so that they would keep fit for the spring and summer, when they farmed.

If you really want to emulate the ancients, start farming rice now.

Kung Fu is a lifestyle. I'm sniffing at it.

I'd much rather be a European Knight (warrior hero, conquistadore, explorer, scholarly fencer, dragoon, muskateer, you name it...) than a Shaolin monk any day...