My first class with Sifu Othal Thomas
Thanks loki for recommending Sifu Thomas.
My first class was learning basic stances ( something Sifu called botbo)and chigun (something to do with moving and breathing ). I learned the first three steps; wah se, Gun se and dio mah (not sure about the spelling).
Sifu Thomas teaches each of us one at a time and he is the only one that does the teaching. One of the students said that Sifu Thomas won't let others teach because people pay to learn from the instructor not a student.
Eventhough I only learned 3 stances I was alowed to try the entire drill along with the class during the class work out. My legs shook so badly I wanted to quit but the class encouraged me not to give up.
The breathing I just don't get yet but, it was my first class and I now know what is expected. Also Sifu Thomas uses a lot of chinese words and he told me to bring a notebook so that I can right down everything that I learn.
I also learned that in his class the word block is no used and if you think that you can block a mantis you are in trouble.
I know Sifu Thomas reads the posts so, Thanks Sifu see you in class tonite.
PS Man am I sore!!! :)
hark fu
no keyword/principle for block
Thanks Again Loki, In class tonight I asked one of my seniors to explain what Sifu means by no blocking. My senior explained it by saying there is no keyword for block in our style and that blocking is slow fighting. Then he also explained how the 18 styles which also are keywords contain no blocks.
I asked about the kwa choi (please excuse the spelling) and he said kwa means to suspend or cover it is up to you what you suspend or cover.
Sifu tould the senior that was enough info and told us to practice.
Loki, what I realized is that movements areonly limited by my own point of view or at least it seems that way.
Sifu seemed to known just how much I could understand. It seems that he wants us to open up to the infinite possiblities. Loki, later and to all who read this post all I can say is that Sifu Thomases point of view makes perfect sense to me. :)
make me humble so, that I may learn
Harkfu
Sticking to the opponent...
Maybe not blocking in the Karate or TKD sense of the word, but there must be a moment, even a 10th of a second where the momentum of the opponents attack is stopped dead, parried, defected, re-directed etc...(unless you dodge and avoid completely, and counter) I call that blocking, or neutralizing the offense.Remember all movements are neither defensive or offensive -each contain potential of the opposite.Just the act of shaving up the inside or outside of the opponents arm right before you mantis grab is blocking that arm from attacking you.
redirection is a principle
Redirection is one of the principles.
I think the point of the statement "no blocking" is that a mantis practisioner doesn't look at a deflection for deflection's sake. Usually contact and redirection are used to take an incoming attack and hook it. In other cases, you use redirection to open up room for an attack. In karate, blocks are practised as single, seperate moves. In mantis this isn't so, and any time what would be considered a block, is used, it's usually used in combination with something else. Meaning, it is not a seperate entity unto itself. "Blocking" may be a component of a larger technique, but not a goal by itself.
Actually, the principles that I can find that seem related include:
From the 12 flexible methods (Baat kung sup yee yau) - from the old Lee Kam wing 7 star book:
5. Deflecting the straight forward punch in accordance with the key word "Hook".
10. Flipping off an attack. (no, not the middle finger)
11. Combining the hands again instantly after the "open arms" blocking movement.
I also see how principles 2 and 3 could include "blocks" as components as well.
From the 8 hards- there's always "ou lau tsoi".
These are just my opinions; I'm just a total beginner, and I'm probly totally wrong.
Hey loki- I might be moving back east, to Baltimore, at the end of the summer, maybe we can hang out when I visit my aunt in manhattan. :
Bravo Loki & Lost Disciple
You are both on the track and have boarded the train.
LD since you are using LKW as a reference here is something you can try; With the help of a chinese to english dictionary translate the chinese characters contained in LKW first book, specificly the 12 flexible and the 8 rigid methods. You will be surprised to find out what the characters really state. The ideas expressed
are not as rigid as the translations. :)
Thanx, Sifu Othal Thomas