Originally Posted by
plummantisgeek
1. ...in korea i was always learning somthing new, now i just practice my forms, basics, and iron palm alone;
2. my teacher would always tell me that just being good at forms dosent make you a good fighter, but i dont know what else to do. should i find another chinese martial arts teacher even though im not very good at what i know now?
3. how many forms is too many forms or too little forms? some people say they know a hundred forms and others are good fighters that only know a few.
4. im kind of stuck not knowing what to do just practicing forms has gotten a little easy so ive started wearing my issued body armor which weighs about 30 lbs, i hear some forms of kung fu wear wieghts like that, but im afraid that could cause damage to my knees. anyway ive already asked a dozen questions so ill end this.
any help would be much appreciated.
Hey, sounds like a great start to your Martial Arts career.
As I'm sure you realise, this is your own trip. Taking ownership of your training and training with active thought on how to evolve and improve it is the hallmark of a good martial artist. Comes down to the principles of training, understanding your lessons, and training again.
1. Training forms and exercises alone is part of the deal. Goes back to making it your own and not relying on others to carry your development. A classic example is Ray's thread "going to fight tonight" Some activity uses a team to carry each individual. I find MA to be the opposite. There is no alternative, if you want to master the forms you have to practice them through the boredom barrier. Just add other training to keep it interesting. Good TCMA teachers are hard to find, it may be awhile.
2. Your teacher is right. I disagree with many of the others here, in that I believe that TCMA, good TCMA, will train you to fight, but it takes time and you have to fight. There is a great argument to take up some grappling and ring fighting, especially considering your current situation and the likelihood of finding some. But, again, you have to make the decision: Do I want pure fighting skills, or do I want more of a mix of martial arts training. What are your objectives, short and long term?
Ft Hood would have heaps of MA, I'm sure. Check the Recreation and Welfare Centre. The gyms probably have bulletin boards as well. Never found a shortage of MA training on Army Bases, for sure.
3. More forms is not more knowledge. As the saying goes, "do you fear the man who has practised 10,000 different kicks once each, or the man that practised one kick 10,000 times?" Good forms have several levels of training. One form can become 5 different executions, with varied pace, and varied sets of combinations between the pauses, etc. Always look deeper.
4. Sounds reasonable to me. The training principle is to work up in the weight at a decent pace, don't over train, and you shouldn't injure yourself. Some of the weight trainers may offer better advice on this one, its just my experience.
Good luck
Guangzhou Pak Mei Kung Fu School, Sydney Australia,
Sifu Leung, Yuk Seng
Established 1989, Glebe Australia