Reasons for doing Kung Fu and the effect that Kung Fu has on a person.

[The Xia]

First of all, Kung Fu gives you fighting ability. You also reap health benefits and are delving into a deep art with a rich heritage. Whatever style you practice, you make it your own. As Bruce Lee said, you learn to "honestly express yourself". You are placed in control of yourself. Kung Fu is also fun and can be practiced into old age. Achieving a high level of skill requires an enormous amount of self-discipline. Training hard changes character. Achieving a high level of skill in Kung Fu gives someone insight. Combine all of these aspects with Mo Duk and you have an improved person.

[The Xia]

I'd also say that the same can be said for other TMA.

[SPJ]

Reasons to practice CMA or any MA;

b/c it is fun but also hard work or sheer labor, fine tuning your body every step/posture of the way.

The effect;

actually, there are a lot of study and trials and errors, too. it is also a lot of brain work. analysis etc.

In Ba Gua, we started with 8 big stances. then 8 basic palms.

then 8 big palms/mother palms and then 8x8= 64 palms.

why and how you do each stance----

drill them over and over every day.

--

why? that is how you get to be skillful or proficient.

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[red5angel]

I went through I think all the reasons

1 - That starry eyed bruce lee worship

2 - because I wanted to kick some ass

3 - because I didn't want to get my ass kicked

4 - so I could beat Masterkillers quadrapalegic mom into a stupor more deep then her typical drunk.

[SPJ]

"A punch is just a punch"

"A punch is not just a punch."

"A punch is just a punch"

When you first started out, you see a punch just a punch.

after a while, you started to know that, there are requirements for the rest of the body, every thing has to be there for the punch to work. the area for strike has to be opened, etc.

after some more while, you started to know that, a punch is simply a punch, the rest just come with it.

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[SPJ]

What I meant to say;

in the beginning, it is fun to practice and we think we know what we are doing, punch and kick away.

in the middle, we started to notice, there are more to every posture, there is breathing, body alignment, shifting weight, jin generation, stepping, timing, ways to open the opponent's arm, retract/retreating/exit strategy, tactics, ---

in the end, you just flow or move as you breathe without thinking all the other stuffs, --- everything is just part of you.

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[The Xia]

So what reasons do people here do martial arts?

[YouKnowWho]

So what reasons do people here do martial arts?

To learn some "deadly" skill in order to handle some MMA guys. Whoops! Sorry! MMA was not even born yet back in my training time.

[Fuzzly]

I started because I needed some physical activity. I was always interested in MA, and my best friend had been doing them for a couple months. He invited me to a class, and I've been hooked ever since.

Not only am I am the best shape I've ever been in (not saying much, lol. Also, discount my knee surgery hehe), but I find that I have a lot more self confidence than I did before I started.

[BlueTravesty]

I love CMA, but I think the reasons I love it could very well apply to any martial art style.

Because the rush of endorphines after a sweat-drenched workout is quite addictive.
Because the pain is just the Muscles' way of saying "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time!"
Because when my abs are sore, my legs feel like jelly and my arms are like lead weights, it makes landing that shot to the head all the more satisfying.
Because I can tap into the same work ethic I use to get me through on the job, and apply it to Martial Arts.
Because I can tap into the same worth ethic I reap from Martial Arts training and apply it on the job.
Because the class I took (and hope to still meet with) is a great bunch, without the Ego problems I've experienced in other circles.
Because when I push through a horse stance (possibly the second most painful experience I've ever had.) and I finally stand back up, I feel like I'm on top of the world.
Because I want to learn something that I can practice and have fun with, and learn a little about fighting too. (Oh wait I forgot, it's kung fu- all we do is forms )
Because I'm a nerd and I like weapons

That's about it there. In a nutshell, I do it because I love it, and there's no excercise activity I'd rather do. Sure, I do cardio, calisthenics, etc. (and probably weightlifting soon, since I'll be using my newfound spare cash to join a gym.) But that's all the name of improving my kung fu. Oh yeah, and that "health" stuff I keep hearing about too. Spiritual reasons have little to do with it. There are better places for that.

[qiphlow]

because taiji is freakin' awesome, thats why!

[Sifu Darkfist]

i do not know any different, i cannot remember a time before doing Kung fu except to say it was painful to my little boy body.

[Wood Dragon]

To learn to fight.

[Anthony]

"Kung Fu gives you fighting ability"

Not necessarily. All the training in the world doesn't guarantee that you will become a great or even decent fighter.

"You also reap health benefits"

You mean like just eating healthy or riding a bicycle or going to the gym? Alot of other things give you health benefits. Any physical activity can either benefit or hurt your health.

"......delving into a deep art with a rich heritage"

Sheet metal workers are also delving into a deep art with a rich heritage. It goes all the way back to blacksmithing. You must mean the rich heritage of a half made up history.

"Kung Fu is also fun and can be practiced into old age"

Just like almost any other hobby. The benefits of Martial Arts also lessen with age. I don't know any Kung fu "masters" that have been any better off into their old age than anyone else.

"Training hard changes character"

Or, you can just skip all the hard training and simply change your character if that's your goal. Why do you need training....it's silly. You want to be a better person? So.....just be a better person.....duh. Kicking and punching and doing push-ups is somehow supposed to make you not cheat or steal or kill someone? If hard work (as you imply) makes you a better person there would be alot more saints in America. Where are all these great people in Martial Arts that you speak of. Can you name any of these better people. Chan Tai San is a known master on this forum......let me know what you think of his morality (according to what you and me read here). I can name a hell of alot of s.cum bags in TCMA off the top of my head. I have to try hard to think of any good people.

"Achieving a high level of skill in Kung Fu gives someone insight"

I can tell by all the silly arguing and c.rap talking in the TCMA community.

Xia.....do you get paid to start threads on this forum or somehting? Just curious.

[Royal Dragon]

Sheet metal workers are also delving into a deep art with a rich heritage. It goes all the way back to blacksmithing. You must mean the rich heritage of a half made up history.

Reply]
Most metal workers haven't the foggiest clue abut the history of thier craft prior to their basic introduction ot it.

In my case, metal working probably didn't exist prior to the 1980's, when I started learning to fix dents on cars.