lowereastside

IMHO - and this comes from my Kung Fu training - you have to attack the attack. The closer you get to your opponent - IMO - the Blocks become less useful - At close range - against someone with skill - very very difficult to get the Blocks off. Again it depends on whose throwing.

This is an ongoing problem - that's been going on for years. I've seen it all to often - someone takes a seminar - and the next thing you know their qualified to teach. Look in the 1970's - when the Kung fu craze hit - how many Karate schools all of a sudden became Kung Fu schools - and this is going on and on with the Ninja craze......... I'll give you one better - a Tae kwon Do school that switches organization's - the new organization lets the Instructor keep his old rank - 5th degree black belt and permission to teach under the new banner. However, the instructor is far below par in skill - compared to the other students in the organization - some don't even have the same rank. This happen at the school of a good friend of mine - some years back. The problem is it's never going to stop. It is what it is.

oitsuki says -" @lowereastside I agree, they are not so old, in fact, the MMAA are always evolving. That leads me to the next questions: it is because they are not so effective or because we don't have found yet the PERFECT MA?. I don't know. Maybe there is no PERFECT MA. Although the human being it more or less the same nowadays that 1000 years ago, the food we take is not the same, the weapons are not the same, etc. Maybe that is what boosts the evolution on the MA. " PERFECT MA?. - Let me put this way - you can be a high school baseball - a pitcher - striking out everyone you face - well I guess your PERFECT. Then that high school player faces a college level player and he is not so PERFECT - then he faces a minor league then a major league player and that person becomes less and less PERFECT. When I can beat everyone on this PLANET - ME and my MARTIAL ARTS will be PERFECT. oitsuki - nice post and your bringing out valid points. My take is that things are always changing - evolving. And systems just started to add and add -lets develope another Kata(s) - 5 katas/Forms are not enough we need 10. Take the staff - I learned 1 staff form - however, there are styles out there teaching 5-7-10 staff forms. For crying out load it's a stick - plain and simple. I have a friend who studied 7 Star Praying Mantis - he learned over 60 forms - In our conversation one evening he confided that there were only 4 core forms - that each generation added. Even in my style of Praying Mantis things have changed - From 1 form to 4.forms - and some instructor's just keep adding more. Sometimes evolution is good and sometimes it's not. This is one of the reasons MA have lost some of it's effectiveness IMHO. When I started Kung Fu I spent the 1st year just on the basics - before learning the 1st form - then spent another 4 years just on the 1st form ( The form was taken apart and then put together ). Also the developmental and basics have gone out the window for most part. Listen I could write a book - there is so much more to say. I was lucky I guess - to find the right teacher for me. I teach 14 students - 12 are teachers of other arts ( Karate - Kung Fu.... ) the average 30 years of experience - After a couple of classes - i'm not kidding - they shake their heads saying why is it that what i'm teaching is not in their previous MA training. Why because - things are either held back or lost or the student can't pick it up........I hope that I kinda answered your question. Sometimes ( for me ) it hard getting my point across in writing.

Martial Arts - Its all Homogenized. Most of the Kung Fu styles today are not that old - I'm talking about 150/200 years old - not 3000/5000 years old. The sytle of kung Fu that I practice - IMHO was put together by my Grandteacher - still effective but not that old. And I will say the same with karate - still effective but not that old.

IMO Home Study - for a reference it's ok - Home Study without any previous knowledge - not my cup of tea.

Chunmonchek says - " Just curious, what Gung Fu and Karate system(s) do/did you train?" I Trained in Goju Karate circa 1968 - @ present Southern Praying Mantis.since 1973. I started with Western Boxing circa 1963/4.

Many have a specialty kata - And there is nothing wrong with this. I look at Katas/Forms in terms of not only movements - but getting your body to respond in a certain way. In most kung fu systems - You must first get the stance - the whole body stance. Then ask yourself - what is this Form/Kata trying to cultivate. On the surface some will say - they are developing kicks - blocks - strikes - stance and so forth. And lets not forget applications - and for some systems this is enough - but not for others. I don't have a specialty Kata/Form - But that's me. One must look beyond - the physical moves. And sometimes you can't - it is what it is. When I studied karate - it was basically block- kick-punch -. But this is not true with all karate. Having a specialty kata kinda limits oneselve. In the kung fu style that I practice - the 1st Form teaches not only the applications but 1-The Body Structure (ex. Stance....) 2-The different energies 3-The Breath. The concept of Eat , Swallow , Sink , Rise , Spit from both External/Internal. The second Form and third Form and fourth Form teach different concepts - It's like building a house - 1st you have the foundation then you put up the walls - then the individual rooms then the details and so on.... For me all the Forms have equal value. I hope I'm making some sense of this.

In many systems of Kung fu and in other martial arts - private one on one training is essential - Styles that are based on sensitivity for example - need to touch hands with the teacher or seniors who have the touch/juice. When someone gets in with raw power - one can see it - However, when one gets in with a soft energy - you must feel the energy - this can only be done in small groups -semi private or private. JasonW you are lucky to be learning in a private setting - getting to feel the techniques 1st hand - In most karate and even kungt fu schools one is thrown into a large class and your lucky if the Teacher touches hands with you - if at all.

It depends on the school - when I started Karate way back in the day - I was put up to spar on my 1st day of training. Back then most of the schools followed this pattern of sparring on the 1st day. And it wasn't light sparring.

When I first met my Teacher's Teacher - ( Si Gung ) - I had heard so much of this man's ability in Kung Fu - that when I met him I said to myself this man knows Kung Fu? - Getting to know him - YES this man knew Kung Fu.

Kusotare wrote - " but it doesn't dominate the class. It's something we cover in class but in the most part it is to teach you how to do it (in your own time) outside the Dojo. " The same in my class - a lot of the developmental stuff - I will teach it in class and hope they will do it at home on their own time. I teach 2 x a week - if I was teaching 5 x a week it would be different.

sensei8 said "Letting go here means about the same thing as when a parent(s) lets their child/children go; leaving the house on their own." Very Well Said - "

Darksoul - Good Luck.

Question? - How much weight are we talking about in the practice of hojo undo/body conditioning. - the reason I ask is that in many styles of kung Fu to much weight/lifting ( 50 lbs or more) is counter productive. Again this only applies to certain Kung fu styles - and karate. And different teacher's ( like mine ) have different points of view on this subject.

If your asking 3 months to train in a particular Martial Art/Combative - I would pick Boxing/Self Defense. Assuming your asking that a person can only devote 3 months of total training time in any form of combat arts.

Look - we all have our EGOS - Every Time You knock someone's ability in Martial Arts - or knock a particular style - or Teacher of a particular style it's about Ego. It part of our nature - Putting ourselves on top of someone else. Look - I'm Guilty of this - there was a time that my Teacher and Style was the best and everything was second rate. However, getting older and wiser - My ego is not as big - But it's still there - One of the hardest things in life is being Honest with our selves - Martial Arts is no different.

I wanted more than kick- punch - I wanted Spiritual Enlightenment - Mental Awareness..............so on. However, this was all to take my fighting to a different level.

"Thanks for sharing it." Your Welcome - Sensei8

Found this Wing Chun Documentary on U-Tube

It depends - Maybe not in the beginning - but as time goes by. My Kung Fu Teacher is one of my very good friends.

You should always respect the Higher Grades - Many of the seniors sometime stop training - and their level is not quite up to par - However they show up for special functions such as Chinese New Year Celebration......The respect is still given to these Seniors even if their Martial Arts is not quite up to par. However, remember that respect is a 2 WAY STREET.

This is my opinion - on this subject. I teach Kung Fu - no belts. The style that I Teach is very hands on - 10 years is the goal - 2 of my Senior Students have learned my curriculum - They know all the Forms - empty hands and weapons - The training methods - the medicine ( herbs, message, etc). But what i can't teach them is my internalization of the system - my experience. IMO for them to grow/take it to the next level - they had to be on their own - They had to teach their own students - and this they did. We still keep in touch (friendship) - And every so often we check up on each other's progress - The advancement they have made would not have been possible if they still were with me. For me it's the 10 year rule - however everyone is different for some it may take a little longer. But there comes a time when the birds must fly the coup.

IMO - just to young - not in a Dojo or Gwoon. Maybe teaching your own kids at home - you can give it a shot. One of my students runs a full time Kung Fu School - and teaches Kids - he will not take any student under 5 years of age.

"Is it realistic to train for multiple attackers?" Yes it is - back in the day my Teacher trained us to deal with multiple attacks - later I found out that he had more than 1 encounter with multiple attackers. I have done the multiple attack thing in my class - But I don"t do enough of it - This thread makes me think maybe it's time to get back to it.

My Classes run - depending on the location from 1 1/2 to 3 hours.