Current Training Focus

[taltos]

Let's try something. Without mentioning Lineage...

...what is your current focus in your personal WC training?

Not what is taught in class, but what is it that you are currently focused on understanding/overcoming/strengthening/etc?

Proper structure is always a given for me (because I am obsessive), but my current focus is energetics. Not that I have bad energetics, just that I am trying to learn to only use what I HAVE to to control the situation. I have a tendency to "waste" energy by using more than necessary, and I'm trying to exert more minute control over that.

-Levi

[Gangsterfist]

I am always polishing up my form work. I think that you can always improve your forms, and if you ever reach the level you cannot improve them you should experiment with them. I think trying to change a few movements in the forms to be more combat like rather than the qigong beneficials is one way to experiment. However, I am not disrespecting the traditional aspect nor the qigong aspect of the forms. I just like to change things up every now and again.

I also take Qigong now as well on the side. Now that I have been taking wing chun for a while and can start to sense the qigong benefits in form work, I have started experimenting with qigong itself.

Recently I worked on grappling and ground fighting, which IMHO wing chun does not go in that depth to. I think in the last two months I have improved my ground game almost 10 fold. I found that some wing chun foot work can be applied to the ground. I still need some polishing up here and there, and will continue to train it, but not make it a main focus.

My real goal is getting back in shape. The last couple of years I partied a lot and developed some bad habbits. Since new years I have broken a lot of those habbits. I have been on a more strict vegetarian and sea food diet the last 6 months (thats right I haven't eaten red meat or poultry in 6 months!). I exercise regularly now. Except this week I went to the dentist and had some dental work done so I have been taking it easy since I have been in some pain. When it gets warm out I plan on running twice a week a few miles.

Flexability is also one I am working on more extenisvely now as well.

I know that strength and flexability have nothing to do with kung fu skills, but they definately help aid your kung fu skills.

[Ernie]

levi
good post concept

my answer is simple fluid balance [ no peference to this or that posture ,range ,position ], adaptability [ to be able to seamlessly change from situation to situation with out sticky spots or hic ups ]
to never be complaicent
constantly put myself in uncomfortable situations , never right stuff off cuz wing chunsays there is no need to do it .

i want my mind and body in harmony , if i think it my body is allready doing it ,

never limit myself to any box or mindset of a box

don't ever become lazy, don't be afraid to learn new things

in the end i want to be natural , no need for forms or rules , nothing but pure action
for now i'm semi natural with a long road ahead

[taltos]

Originally posted by Ernie
i want my mind and body in harmony , if i think it my body is allready doing it

Excellent comment. I like that.

Gangsterfist... I also play the forms at least twice a day each (morning and evening if I'm busy, more if I have time). And lately I've been trying to increase my flexibility as well, because I reached a plateau in my previous stretching regimen... so I'm trying to "shake it up a bit."

-Levi

[Nick Forrer]

Hi

My current focus is on footwork, specifically dummy footwork i..e cutting in at an angle, using my stance to destroy theirs (taking their position as you would say ernie right?).

But the thing i'm really trying to get is perpetual motion like a salmon swimming up stream, never stopping or staying in a static position, choping and changing angles quicker then my opponent can cover.

Believe it or not this kind of footwork most closely resembles ice skating! Especially since as soon as one foot lands you are immediately pushing off with it on to the other.

It is especially effective when on the inside i.e. when in TAN.

one of my classmates likes to call it the wing chun moonwalk

Regards
Nick

[Ernie]

taking their position as you would say ernie right?).

yep i.e. forward pressure ,eating space and so on

wing chun ice skating = fluid balaced interruptable footwork with purpose

add in 45/60/and 90 degree possibliltes and we might be onto something

pull it off against a skilled boxer,savate man, or filipino with a stick inhis hand trying to hit you

and you really got something

opp's got carried away back to the thread

[TjD]

knives, knives and more knives everythings there. with a little pole thrown in, soon enough my leg's going to be good as new... if not better

[kj]

In no particular order:

• Serious focus on improving my ability and willingness to "listen"
• Remaining patient, calm, and "settled" (in all dimensions)
• Improved utilization of the chi sau "laboratory" for experimentation. Involves intentionally cutting back on the intensity a few notches for the time being, and a willingness to invest a great deal more in "loss" (and let pride be danged)
• Continuous improvement for maintaining and utilizing posture and body unity throughout all movements. Always this.
• More attention to when "enough is enough." Conversely, better perception of when a little more or a little longer is "too much"
• Taking less into my "structure" and redirecting more through changes in stance and footwork (the "4 ounces or less of pressure" idea, even in this)
• Improve my "feeding" of training partners (using my own "good" (sic - relative term) Wing Chun, mixed with appropriate intervals of "sacrificing" my Wing Chun. This requires iterative improvement in reading and interpretation of mutual needs
• Improved recognition and utilization of vulnerabilities in my partner's posture and weighting
• Constantly hone my position, position, position. Did I mention position? LOL.
• Working through and around an endless series of conditions, pains, and injuries (you'll all be old some day too ... if you're lucky )
• Grow the "little idea" even smaller
• More emphasis on control, less emphasis on hit
• More attention to nothing in particular and everything in general (visually, and through other means of perception)
• More basics (sets, stepping, turning, bag work, etc.). Always this, since it works and supports everything else, included the other elements of focus I listed.

That's kind of my arena of focus this week. There's a whole lot more I need to work on too, but I can only chew so much at once, and I have a typing cramp.

Regards,
- kj

[S.Teebas]

Good list KJ, you've inspired me to post something.

Things I'm working on:

** Structural alignment
** Tie Gong (sp??)
** Linking my body for better unity
** Using my centre (finding my centre)
** Coordinating through my centre and responding with it
** Trying to use less brute force, and more technique.
** Moving from an attitude of getting people to throw everything at me as hard as they can and seeing if I can handle it...to more an attitude of progressive resistance training. Making sure I’m doing it right before I go up the next level. (Only going all out every now and then)
** Pivoting, focusing, relaxing, feeling what’s going on.
** Finding tension and finding a solution, relaxing joints and muscles.
** Continuous focus, sticking, footwork - coordination related I suppose.
** Simplifying and economising movement. Trying to use small movements to handle what I would have use large movements previously.
** Absorbing force through my structure, and putting it back in my opponent.

[John Weiland]

I'm working on learning Tan Sau.

Regards,

[kj]

Originally posted by John Weiland
I'm working on learning Tan Sau.

Excellent. (Seriously!)

And you've also managed to avoid a typing cramp.

Regards,
- kj

[yuanfen]

kj on John W:
And you've also managed to avoid a typing cramp.
((Momentary- it will pass<g>))

Working on- stillness in motion

[Phenix]

In the process of turning into energy flow...

[PaulH]

Being a natural born egghead, I gravitate more toward the study of strategies and tactics of WC. It's chess in battle philosophy and consequently I learn to keep staying in the lab. Ernie just loves to burst my pretty bubbles all too often. Ha! Ha!

[Ernie]

Ernie just loves to burst my pretty bubbles all too often. Ha! Ha!

just trying to free your mind