Is Self Defense a Myth?

[bawang]

The skill of nightwalking is not easy at all. It requires incredible hip flexibility and lower back strength and flexibility. It is not as simple as going to the gym and isolating one muscle group. It doesn't just give you strength and flexibility it gives you the skill of walking silently in low profile. Now since the invention of electricity this may not be as useful as it once was. But I guarantee you will find it hard.

Eagles wings is not as simple as just shoulder raises with weight. It is both striking and lifting power. YOu cannot get into a strong stance and simply lift the weights, you must strike them into the lifted position and raise stance simultaneously. When you first try this you will feel like you have ripped all your muscles. It is effectively 'throwing' weight, not lifting.

Parting water you cannot isolate the delts in an excercise because it is as much about passing that strength through the wrist and fingers.

I do all these gongs erryday FOO. do u walk the walk?

It is not as simple as going to the gym and isolating one muscle group.

LOL "to build powerful strength, one must lift the weight over ten thousand times" - shaolin fist poem LOL

LOL "each external gong targets a specific muscle group. for small tools, the arms. for large weights, the legs and torso" LOL

[RenDaHai]

LOL "to build powerful strength, one must lift the weight over ten thousand times" - shaolin fist poem LOL

Why are you laughing, at what point did I say you don't have to do it 10,000 times. The exercises are not as simply replicated as you make out.

You do not learn a backflip by just exercising the individual muscles, you must do the movement to. This is true for all the moves.

[bawang]

Why are you laughing, at what point did I say you don't have to do it 10,000 times. The exercises are not as simply replicated as you make out.

all shaolin external exercises are simple. your ego doesn't want it to be. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

my point is, you do not train a single one of them. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[RenDaHai]

all shaolin external exercises are simple. your ego doesn't want it to be. ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º)

They are simple, very simple. But you can still do them wrong. All of Shaolin Gong Fu are simple skills, they just require a huge investment in time and effort. There are no secrets to the methods other than dedication.

[bawang]

They are simple, very simple. But you can still do them wrong. All of Shaolin Gong Fu are simple skills, they just require a huge investment in time and effort. There are no secrets to the methods other than dedication.

and if you actually trained them, you wouldn't be wondering about goal of kung fu. because you would know.

[RenDaHai]

and if you actually trained them, you wouldn't be wondering about goal of kung fu. because you would know.

I have never wondered about the Goal of Gong Fu. I have gone into detail on it before.

This thread says self defence is a myth. Looking at the skills 'Gongs' in many styles, looking at the techniques passed down clearly there are many that ARE designed for self defence and NOT for battle. But there are some for battle too, and some for assassination and for many other things.

Gong Fu I have described enough before. Wushu I have described on this thread.

Is Self defence a myth? No. Are there any parts of Wushu designed for self defence? Of course there are, simply look at the techniques.

[bawang]

I have never wondered about the Goal of Gong Fu. I have gone into detail on it before.

This thread says self defence is a myth. Looking at the skills 'Gongs' in many styles, looking at the techniques passed down clearly there are many that ARE designed for self defence and NOT for battle. But there are some for battle too, and some for assassination and for many other things.

Gong Fu I have described enough before. Wushu I have described on this thread.

Is Self defence a myth? No. Are there any parts of Wushu designed for self defence? Of course there are, simply look at the techniques.

you talk about technique, you talk about forms, about ancient battles, ninjas, and backflips. if you pick up a weight and lift it, you wouldn't be living in fantasy. kung fu will be a reality.

[RenDaHai]

if you pick up a weight and lift it, you wouldn't be living in fantasy.

Ahaha, you think lifting weights is hard? You try meditating for 6-7 hours a day, every day for months on end.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Ahaha, you think lifting weights is hard? You try meditating for 6-7 hours a day, every day for months on end.

I do that everyday, its called sleep.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the term "self defense."

It's used across the board to sell martial arts, but I doubt it really has much to do, historically, with traditional war arts. We all know "self defense" has long been used to persuade Western parents into putting their kids into a MA program, but are we drinking our own Kool Aid?

If you think about it, "self defense" is almost counter intuitive to the mindset of fighting. The military drills, conditioning and desensitizing of orthodox Gong Fu seems awfully far removed from anti-bullying and protecting yourself from rapists. I'm not saying those are bad things, but are we really to believe that comes from the same art as forging the body and mind into a weapon?

What kind of person is going to start a street fight with me? More likely than not it will be an Alpha male type. It will probably be an aggressive person that feels they are stronger than me. Putting yourself on defense starts you off with a losing strategy...you really need a mindset, not unlike the aggressors, to deal with this type of aggression.

Sure, it's a cliche that the best defense is a good offense, but do you really think your going to deflect and parry your way to victory? Going to save it all up for the one big finish? The attacker, is generally in a better position than the defender.

I think if you look at it objectively, the whole "self defense" thing isn't really what the tradition was.

Don't use the term "self-defence" anymore.

Self protection is better IMO.
In short, what we are doing is, quite simply, learning to fight.

[bawang]

Ahaha, you think lifting weights is hard? You try meditating for 6-7 hours a day, every day for months on end.

I do both. because it is required of me. I don't pick and choose, I don't make my demands on shaolin kung fu. shaolin kung fu demands of me. I don't change tradition, tradition changes me.

that is why you have failed, my son.

[David Jamieson]

Meditation for 6-7 hours a day for months on end is not really doable by people who go to school or work.

Meditative state of mind is what's important. If you can give even 15 minutes a day to meditation, it is good for you.

These things aren't something you wear as a badge either. lol
Just do them. NO point in arguing about it. Just take it or leave it.
Don't try to substitute personal experience for reality either.
Should work out...

[Syn7]

Don't try to substitute personal experience for reality either.

Word......

[Jimbo]

Meditation for 6-7 hours a day for months on end is not really doable by people who go to school or work.

Meditative state of mind is what's important. If you can give even 15 minutes a day to meditation, it is good for you.

These things aren't something you wear as a badge either. lol
Just do them. NO point in arguing about it. Just take it or leave it.

Very true.

If the purpose of meditation is to transcend the ego, then doesn't over-concern over the length of one's meditation sessions as compared to others defeat its very purpose in the first place? Being able to go 'deep' into that state for even 10 minutes is far preferable to much longer sessions where such a state may or may not be reached or maintained.

Also, expanding on DJ's first point, it is MUCH easier to live with a newfound spirituality when one is secluded away from the pressures and responsibilities of making a living, etc. The true test of what you've gained isn't how you can maintain it in isolation in a temple (or ashram, retreat, cave, etc.) setting, but how you can maintain it under the pressures of everyday life.

[Drake]

Ahaha, you think lifting weights is hard? You try meditating for 6-7 hours a day, every day for months on end.

That's called being a lazy *****.