switching kempo/to Pong Lai Kung Fu

[mambi]

Im Switching from former to later and so far I find it difficult to adapt to the more circular motion even though Kempo did include some. Im Also 54 yrs on this earth and have read elsewhere on this site that to start at any age other tha 18 years old is a waste of time. I at times question, and have been sugested, that its time to go to soft styles and maybe I should . Ive had 4 years of Kempo and found that I can more than hold my own for the first 30 to 60 seconds of any encounter.Since any true fights have been found to last 14 seconds I question the validity of the age thing. Any feedback would be welcome.

[yu shan]

Welcome to the board and to the family bro. So you must have hooked up with Shifu Matt Melton in Asheville. Good choice he has skills. I come over that way often so I look forward to meeting you. Age, I think we get better and smarter, see my bio.

[mambi]

Right: M.Melton s got my respect. Those kind of initial gut feelings are best listened to. . Ive heard about the Nashville School from him and appreciate the encouragement and the welcome . Am particularly glad to hear acknowledgement that age is a variable not the determinant. Thanks bro !

[Yao Sing]

It will take a while to adjust from Kenpo to Mantis but don't give up. It took me a while.

I just turned 52 and I've been recently sidelined with a back problem but I fully intend to get back into it as soon as I can. I know I can't expect to move like I used to but that doesn't mean I can't make it work.

[Yao Sing]

Wow, another Dennis Decker student. We had one on here a few years back. Seems he ended up with quite a following.

I met him around 1974 when I was training in Shorin Do Kenpo.

[Three Harmonies]

At 54 how many "true fights" do you anticipate finding yourself in?? Train for fun, to learn something, and get in shape. Do not worry so much if you are able to kick everyones ass. Unless you go looking for it that is
Cheers
Jake

[mambi]

Yao are 52 and sticking to it.! l .What we get out of it this age is hard to convey. Though its clearer now than it was when I was 30. Three Harmonies : Nice place Seattle . A brother lives out there. The beauty of this best exeplefied: I went back to Cuba,place of birth , hadnt seen n over 40 years and I met up with a fellow kempo practitioner and I was treated as being one of the group like family though superior in some ways.As long as one maintains humility and respect about your practice and the other persons !! By way my Kempo was by way of Tracy to a small dojo here in Asheville. Now to kung Fu. Beginers Mind once again.. Don t really concern self with kicking ass. I hear Kung Fu means hard work? and thats fun ! Bizzare.

[yu shan]

Mambi, good mind set sort of how I feel about my training. I lost the ego and the thirst for fighting a long time ago. I do enjoy standing in front of my elders and exchanging. There is so much to learn and so little time. It is a treat for me to pass this stuff on to my students, they are so apprecitative... most of them anyway. So what has Matt taught you so far?

[mambi]

the very basics.Still getting to know attitude. he is definely straight up and reasonable. Also works diligently Teaching terminology , first forms and adapting from kempo.. Wishing to assist school suceed... Good energy.. gi gong breathing.. lots of info well structured

[ironmantis3]

Welcome to your new challenge man. I think you will have a blast. I think I had a similar problem when I used to work out with some kenpo guys a few years ago. But the opposite. I found their moves to be too rigid after studies with kung fu. Then one day I was at a seminar, the only kung fu guy present in a crowd of kenpo fighters. The master presenting the material walked up to me and we started talking. One thing I remember him telling me was that most of his students don't see it, but all martial arts eventually become "soft." I watched how he moved during the remaining couple hours of the seminar and sure enough there were few straight paths. Many of his counters and redirects where circular motions, but they were so fast and subtle you really had to look for it to see what was going on. And nothing in the material that he presented could really be considered "hard." There was little force on force to say, it was like being in a tai chi or aikido class.

Anyways guess what I just wanted to say was have fun and enjoy the ride. Use the new data to see what can improve your kenpo.

[mambi]

Goes full circle! no pun intended. paradox hard work but fun. Cant seem to get away from it no matter how the limits increase with age. Had to sit out the throws the other nite due to med issues but Sifu was more than cool about it yet keeps it real. Guess thats the point. With all the BS out there this is the one place that you can count on if we are sincere. heres to you.!

[phoenixdog]

I think you will find it very rewarding to go from kempo to mantis. Even though southern tiger is very evident in kempo, I have always thought that there were certain mantis elements in kempo. The kempo hand on guard hand is very similar to hard mantis hand. The kempo eight blocks,eight strikes like a condensed kua.
Just a thought brothers.