Examining a classic stance

[sanjuro_ronin]

[bawang]

once again, this thread is about wanting fighting to look beautiful.

[sanjuro_ronin]

once again, this thread is about wanting fighting to look beautiful.

So about the typical impractical fighting of northern kung fu systems.
Got it.

[bawang]

So about the typical impractical fighting of northern kung fu systems.
Got it.

that's right, northern kung fu is not practical. I can recognize the faults in my kung fu. for many people their own style is their blind spot.

its important go back to tabula rasa, the blank slate. if u forget everything u ever learned about kung fu, u will find the real kung fu.

[MightyB]

that's right, northern kung fu is not practical. I can recognize the faults in my kung fu. for many people their own style is their blind spot.

Bawang, you poor disillusioned soul. Real kung fu is so close to you now, yet you are so far away.

[bawang]

Bawang, you poor disillusioned soul. Real kung fu is so close to you now, yet you are so far away.

you have not deprogrammed yourself. also, kung fu ultimately is an exotic oriental hobby game to you. the goal is to feel good, and look cool.

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, its a shame to you personally. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, it is a shame to my race and my ancestors.

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, you are a weak person, you fulfill the kung fu nerd stereotype. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up. its assumed chinese are physically weaker than westerners, I will fulfill the weak chinaman stereotype. so for me I cannot afford to get my head in the clouds with wong fei hong theme song playing in my head.

[MightyB]

there is nothing beautiful about it. It's about taking the non square fighting stance - and it's still used in boxing, I've always hated when people get lazy and drop their lead arm - and that very stance is the same as the traditional fighting stance - except tcma prefers a southpaw lead.

Now the video highlights some interesting points about the classical stance that I never thought about and it's all about positioning and available targets that you give to your opponent. I personally started to adopt a more square - modern orthodox lead because of a tendency to be a thrower (judo) and a desire to bring in more of my rear hand to play, but after seeing the video, I may revisit the traditional stance.

That's the point of this type of thread.

We get it, MMA guys are demigods and everything we as traditional martial artists do is pointless.

[Golden Arms]

I can't speak for your style but ours works just fine.

[MightyB]

you have not deprogrammed yourself. also, kung fu ultimately is an exotic oriental hobby game to you. the goal is to feel good, and look cool.

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, its a shame to you personally. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, it is a shame to my race and my ancestors.

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, you are a weak person, you fulfill the kung fu nerd stereotype. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up. its assumed chinese are physically weaker than westerners, I will fulfill the weak chinaman stereotype. so for me I cannot afford to get my head in the clouds with wong fei hong theme song playing in my head.

I've fought san shou, and I've fought in Judo Shiai / grappling competitions yet I still like and believe in traditional martial arts. I have my critiques of some things but I still see and know the real deal and TCMA is full of the real deal.

Seriously Bawang... Midland's a stone throw away. You need to see real kung fu. It'd do your soul some good. Make you feel proud of your ancestry.

[MightyB]

I can't speak for your style but mine works just fine.

Awesome! This is a great comparison pic. kind've why I brought this thread up. (and to liven up a dead board with some new discussion. Although it's turning quickly into another Same Ol' Sh** thread).

There are many good practical things in TCMA.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Awesome! This is a great comparison pic. kind've why I brought this thread up. (and to liven up a dead board with some new discussion. Although it's turning quickly into another Same Ol' Sh** thread).

There are many good practical things in TCMA.

Of course and, all kidding and teasing kung fu aside, we all know that.

Some of the classical stance were forward , some balanced and some backward.
It depended on the style of the fighter.
A defensive or counter-puncher would have favoured a different one from a attacker, same as today.

The fact is that with the use of gloves, fighter punched ( and connected) far more often than the "classical" fighters did and fighters today, even more so.
As such the stances and guards changed/evolved accordingly.

[Jimbo]

You really need to get out and actually study kung fu.

Anyone familiar with the orthodox northern TCMA fighting stance will see some similarity to the classic boxing stance - the exception being that Northern kung fu prefers the dominant hand in front.

Yes, when I did northern style, the preferred stance was right lead/southpaw position. But in the main lineage of my CLF, we start from the left lead/orthodox stance, and through stepping and combinations work into the right lead most of the time. That left lead stance has some resemblance to the classic boxing stance, but with slightly more weight towards the front. I personally prefer a variation of this stance, though, and emphasize mobility. Other CLF methods generally seem to prefer the right lead throughout.

[Jimbo]

Of course and, all kidding and teasing kung fu aside, we all know that.

Some of the classical stance were forward , some balanced and some backward.
It depended on the style of the fighter.
A defensive or counter-puncher would have favoured a different one from a attacker, same as today.

The fact is that with the use of gloves, fighter punched ( and connected) far more often than the "classical" fighters did and fighters today, even more so.
As such the stances and guards changed/evolved accordingly.

Not to mention more KOs today, due to use of gloves, which greatly lessened the risk of broken hands.

[sanjuro_ronin]

the classic northern TCMA stance is the modern square fighters stance. u mad?



U MAD?

Here is where you guys are talking pass each other.
Mighty B did NOT say that the MODERN boxing stances is like the classical northern TCMA stance.
He said that the CLASSICAL boxing one was.

[-N-]

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, its a shame to you personally. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, it is a shame to my race and my ancestors.

if you do sh1t kung fu and get beat up, you are a weak person, you fulfill the kung fu nerd stereotype. if I do sh1t kung fu and get beat up. its assumed chinese are physically weaker than westerners, I will fulfill the weak chinaman stereotype. so for me I cannot afford to get my head in the clouds with wong fei hong theme song playing in my head.

Just last week, a couple of us gave a very similar explanation to our students when they asked why we put so much effort in teaching them for free.

The gist of which was, "so you don't give kungfu, your culture, and all of us Chinese a bad name..."