Ten Things I Learned from Training Kung Fu

[Iron_Eagle_76]

The following are my top ten things I learned from Kung Fu. Feel free to add to or make your own list:

1. Stance training is emphasized more in CMA and is becoming a forgotten treasure.

2. Basics are the heart and soul of any good martial artist and should be practiced daily regardless of skill level. Kung Fu established this for me.

3. Internal and external are interchangeable and are the yin and yang of Kung Fu, one cannot exist without the other.

4. A return to the beginning is a new journey with old knowledge.

5. No matter what one masters, one will never glow like Leroy from "The Last Dragon".

6. Kung Fu, by it's very definition, is a skill of anything. True Kung Fu practioners realize that cross training is simply improving one's Kung Fu, not disrespecting it.

7. A true master is one who opens their mind, heart, and soul to all possibilities, not just the ones that exist in their own sphere.

8. MMA gyms could learn more from Kung Fu and other traditional arts than many think.

9. Kung Fu and other traditional arts could learn more from MMA gyms than many think.

10. I still believe very much in Bruce Lee's philosophies:

I saw a poster here recently who had in their sig a very true to life statement, that Bruce advocated cross training, weight training, hard sparring, and using what is useful and discarding what is not. Unfortunately very few people listened to him because they kept doing things in a stagnant and unevolving matter, yet still hung posters of him in their schools and called him a hero of Kung Fu.

That which does not evolve dies and becomes stagnant. Water in a pool that sits becomes stagnant and filthy, but water that flows stays pure and is always evolving, always changing, always adapting. Be like water, my friends.

Happy New Year to all you Kung Fu Weenies!! May you grow and prosper in 2010.

[Dragonzbane76]

11. that there is true joy found in the simplest of things.
12. that no matter how much you know there is always more to know. (a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step)
13. that at some level all MA's cross paths no matter style or tradition.
14. We are what we make ourselves to be. Be it weapons or peace givers.
15. and the number one thing I found in kung fu was myself.

happy new year and prosperous training to you in 2010

[Fa Xing]

I saw a poster here recently who had in their sig a very true to life statement, that Bruce advocated cross training, weight training, hard sparring, and using what is useful and discarding what is not. Unfortunately very few people listened to him because they kept doing things in a stagnant and unevolving matter, yet still hung posters of him in their schools and called him a hero of Kung Fu.

You're welcome

Great post. Honestly my list is not all that much different from yours...I'll post it in a bit.

[Lucas]

great list, ill add a few things ive learned

17. with hardwork and dedication, you CAN accomlish more than you may have thought in the beginning. a new horizon can appear at any moment.

18. my journey in martial arts is no different than anyone elses journey in any other endeavour in life.

19. there are many different types of martial artists, not stylistically speaking, but personally in regards to goals and aspirations.

20. its truly never to late to start.

21. not everyone 'gets it' and while i may believe i do 'get it' to others out there i am likely as clueless as those who appear clueless to me. its all a matter of perspective and experience.

22. most importantly for me personally (because thats who matters in my studies) there is no greater reward from martial arts than having your practice help you develop and grow as a person, mentally, spiritually, and physically.

[sanjuro_ronin]

[Lucas]

you gotta ask yourself one question.....

[sanjuro_ronin]

I've also learned that

[sanjuro_ronin]

Even with your hands up, this can happen

[Iron_Eagle_76]

Or you could look like this:

[sanjuro_ronin]

Yeah he was skinny and not a very good actor and he may have not been a very good fighter either.
BUT, He knew that fighting is how we learn to fight, he knew that every systems has its limits, he knew that strength and size matter and he created JKD, a system know by all MA and he was known by almost every one.
Who the **** are you and what have you done?

[Iron_Eagle_76]

Yeah he was skinny and not a very good actor and he may have not been a very good fighter either.
BUT, He knew that fighting is how we learn to fight, he knew that every systems has its limits, he knew that strength and size matter and he created JKD, a system know by all MA and he was known by almost every one.
Who the **** are you and what have you done?

I am an avid collector of unicorns. So you can pi**ss off!!

[sanjuro_ronin]

I like unicorns too

[sanjuro_ronin]

I have also learned that respect leads to a very wonderful thing

[David Jamieson]

1. practice
2. practice
3. practice
4. practice
5. practice
6. practice
7. practice
8. practice
9. practice
10. practice

[Tao Of The Fist]

1. practice
2. practice
3. practice
4. practice
5. practice
6. practice
7. practice
8. practice
9. practice
10. practice

I think you forgot

11. practice harder