Deconstructing Kung Fu

[bawang]

You shouldn't worry too much about modifying any form you know

when i do forms, it looks like im kickboxing.

[hskwarrior]

when i do forms, it looks like im kickboxing.

why are you kicking boxes?

[Pork Chop]

Found this vid today while looking up a mantis form referenced in another thread:
http://youtu.be/xh_Bt0Pljn4
I'm really liking the first part: slip, up-parry, straight punch.
The follow up is a little awkward, even in the video.
I think I would look at the downward press, hop-step, bring the knee up & stomp as a clinch, hop-step, and lead knee instead - but with my muay thai background, I'm biased.
If I was a mma guy (or even as a sanshou guy), after the parry & punch, I would probably go for a high single - coz you're already in perfect position.

[Pork Chop]

I doubt anybody's checking this thread anyway; but I found another cool vid.
These guys are kung fu cousins to the first school I trained at:
http://youtu.be/Y_xAf_P8Bt4
There's some of that that I'm not a huge fan of; but there's some stuff that's nice.

[-N-]

I doubt anybody's checking this thread anyway; but I found another cool vid.
These guys are kung fu cousins to the first school I trained at:
http://youtu.be/Y_xAf_P8Bt4
There's some of that that I'm not a huge fan of; but there's some stuff that's nice.

Their "Japanese" kung fu is better than what I've seen from a lot of people.

[-N-]

The follow up is a little awkward, even in the video.

Not just the followup, even

[dirtyrat]

Found this vid today while looking up a mantis form referenced in another thread:
http://youtu.be/xh_Bt0Pljn4
I'm really liking the first part: slip, up-parry, straight punch.
The follow up is a little awkward, even in the video.
I think I would look at the downward press, hop-step, bring the knee up & stomp as a clinch, hop-step, and lead knee instead - but with my muay thai background, I'm biased.
If I was a mma guy (or even as a sanshou guy), after the parry & punch, I would probably go for a high single - coz you're already in perfect position.

the up-parry occurs 1st, followed by the slip & straight punch. although in my 1st kung fu style, we would actually used the slip 1st followed by an uppercut to the arm (using the "slipping" hand as a measure) instead of an up-parry. then we follow the arm with maybe a phoenix-eye punch to the arm-pit. our choice in footwork is also a bit different. not such a big movement.

[Pork Chop]

Not just the followup, even

Yah the thrust kicks just aren't doing it for me.
In muay thai, we have stomps from the clinch ("dirty" technique) - front of the knee, side of the knee, top of the foot - but they're close range stomps; not so much "thrusting".
If he did a knee then a downward stomp, or a knee & then a penetrating step through (like to set up a "cut" or a hip throw); I think I could see it working better.

[Pork Chop]

the up-parry occurs 1st, followed by the slip & straight punch. although in my 1st kung fu style, we would actually used the slip 1st followed by an uppercut to the arm (using the "slipping" hand as a measure) instead of an up-parry. then we follow the arm with maybe a phoenix-eye punch to the arm-pit. our choice in footwork is also a bit different. not such a big movement.

I'd like to see it in action.
I've punched incoming punches before, when I had trouble getting the angle on a good parry. I've never seen it with an uppercut.
I like to parry and do head movement at the same time - kinda like extra insurance.
Shots to the armpits hurt; they were a big target in bareknuckle boxing.

[dirtyrat]

I'd like to see it in action.
I've punched incoming punches before, when I had trouble getting the angle on a good parry. I've never seen it with an uppercut.
I like to parry and do head movement at the same time - kinda like extra insurance.
Shots to the armpits hurt; they were a big target in bareknuckle boxing.

i'm sure you could figure it out with by practicing it some friends.

we had two types of ready stance: neutral (self-defense) & fighting (sparring). we mainly trained on the neutral stance, because my teacher's focus was self-defense.

yes, you would use a head movement with the slip, but we kept our movements tight. often times we would just turn the foot out (same side as the parrying hand, of course) from the neutral stance & turn the head and shifting the weight.

with the uppercut, you would strike with the proximal interphangeal joints (sorry, my medical background's kicking in) instead of the main knuckles (metacarpal phalangeal joints). the target is that sensitive spot on the elbow. you could hit the wrist as well, but then you would be using the metacarpal-phalangeal joints. you would using the parrying hand as a measure. its not so much a power shot; just to distract his mind.

[Mike Patterson]

I doubt anybody's checking this thread anyway; but I found another cool vid.
These guys are kung fu cousins to the first school I trained at:
http://youtu.be/Y_xAf_P8Bt4
There's some of that that I'm not a huge fan of; but there's some stuff that's nice.

That's Masaki Senga. He was trained by Hsu Hong Chi (my teacher) in the 70's. What they do is not exactly what he was taught through Tang Shou Tao, but he has incorporated some of the concepts nicely. I had seen this vid myself once before when surfing about and it made my smile. Thanks for bringing it up again.

[SPJ]

Some other threads got me to thinking about this -

Prior to 1880, JuJitsu was just a collection of favorite techniques practiced by thugs (described this way by Kano himself - you look up the articles). It was associated with criminals and the Yakuza and really wasn't something that a civilized person would do. He changed all that by finding a single unifying principle "ju" and then codified the main body of techniques and Kata. He took out the most lethal moves and yada yada yada... Olympic sport.

I say we reverse engineer TCMA starting with analyzing forms.

My theory is that a TCMA style was a collection of favorite dirty tricks. Look at any form. Even if you perfect the whole form, out of that form of say some 50 techniques, you'll probably only find 3 or 4 that are personally applicable to you. Those would be your "go to" techniques. If you perfect those techniques against a living opponent, I think you'll find your true martial ability growing in leaps and bounds.

Thoughts and discussion.

we walk one step at a time.

we also learn

or practice one move or one posture at a time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2JlPEbfitI

[David Jamieson]

I think if one practices mindfulness and awareness they increase their potential overall in any endeavour.

Many people are not mindful of their practice and come at it from ego or from someone else's direction.

We can all increase strength and conditioning.

We can all have a toolkit that serves us for our fighting needs.

If you compete, great! If you train in solitude, great!

Simply be aware.