Alan Armstrong

While politics and belt ranking disagreements continue, the title of "Masters" has been passed on to the "Golfing World" Masters has a conatation with slavery, so in some community's it doesn't sit well. In the U.K many years ago, the youngest boy was called Master, followed by his surname; example: Master Smith. Point being, attitudes change. Calling Chuck Norris, "Master Norris" might sound a tad theatrically pretentious. After all masters have been abolished in America. Belt ranking (eventually) transforms in to a marketing tool for the style and the practitioner. Master is an Asian title for very high respect so is "Guru" such as "Guru Dan Inosanto" Master Wong (on YouTube) uses the label to his advantage. Well done Master Wong!!!! Could be said that Master Wong is being self righteous or elevating himself, No! Asian martial art students will call him Master Wong anyway out of total respect; if the name fits...

Martial artists are potentially dangerous just like everyone else. They "the martial artist" may have more awareness of dangerous situations than those that focus on other less lethal pursuits such as playing Bingo. Second hand smoke from cigarettes are more lethal than martial artists because the smoke is lethal in nature whereas the martial artist is only potentially dangerous. I know if there was threatening behavior towards the general public and my karate instructors where in the vicinity, with out a doubt they would stop the threatening behavior in it's tracks. The general public would be more likely to become bystanders than active martial art combatants against antisocial behavior. Most common or normal everyday objects or things can be twisted or warped in to a lethal weapon. Experienced Martial artists have more potential to deescalate than perpetuate lethally dangerous situations due to reading the warning signs of dangerous situations. Many martial art styles are NOT lethal in nature as they are self-defense based. If a martial art style was based on being lethal and anti-social in nature, then it would soon be dis banded as a threat to the civilian populations wellbeing. This imaginary anti social MA style would attract so much negativity, that the chances of it surviving in a society would be close to zero. A martial art style and it's practitioners needs the acceptance of the society on many levels, starting from the public and going up the official ladder also. In conclusion martial artists are not trained with the intent to be lethal, therefore should not be labeled as such.

Go to see a doctor LLLEARNER; treating yourself with karate may or may not be the answer, a doctor would be able to set you straight with the best advice.

I believe martial artists to be warriors. Not modem day warriors with fighter jets, tanks and machine guns but more like samurai warriors or medievalist types like knights. Going even further back in time with Spartan warriors, are very much akin to martial artists; with minimalist ways of training and fighting. Could also consider martial artists to be peaceful warriors. The military consider everyone that is none military to be civilians. Personally I consider everyone that are none martial artists to be civilians; including military personnel. The reason for this is that... Once a person leaves the military they usually become a civilian. Martial artists deal with conflict face to face. Not with sophisticated weaponry. Martial artists never run out of bullets. Martial artists also need to deal with strategys and on going muscle strains, twisted ankles, bruises, joint pain, perhaps some cracked or broken bones at times. Neck whiplash, head trauma, migraine headaches, back pain, pinched nerves, black eyes, bloody noses, cut lips, bleeding knuckles... Martial artists can suffer from traumatic stress and not be treated for it, whereas it is recognized and treated if that person is military. Yes, I consider martial artists to be weekend warriors and many other days of the week included.

Had a conversation with a Tai Chi master, some twenty years ago. The type of profound exchange of words that I would never forget. Trying to pick this Martial Art Master's brain on understanding Tai Chi. I wanted to know from him, why practice Tai Chi for forty years. He told me it was preventative medicine referring to gentle exercise. So I asked him if I could get the same effects from walking he replied "Yes" I went on to explain that I often go for a walk to relax me. He told me that if you need to go for a walk to relax, then it is too late. He went on to explain that I was suffering from "the too late syndrome" Many of his students were referred to him to practice Tai Chi from their physicians. If these very same students were practicing Tai Chi earlier as "preventative medicine" then they may not have needed hospital treatment and to now practice Tai Chi as a "therapy" "The too late syndrome" can be applied to many aspects of life. Not reacting quick enough or perhaps not at all. Martial arts can start off to be preventative medicine and end up as a therapy? Which category are you in right now?

Weekend warriors are also (colloquially known as) military personnel in the United States such as the Army National Guard, Air National Gaurd and the Air Force Reserve. Over doing a sport or activity can also be considered a Weekend Warrior injury, usually resulting from over estimating one's own abilities.

The saying about the lazy man "he will find the quickest way" By no means is Wing Chun a lazy man's martial art, (1) many females students practice it at all ages and (2) it is a kung fu style that can be continued far in to senior years; health permitting (3) Wing Chun is introduced to young school children as in Foshan, China. Wing Wing is a martial art style that needs daily maintenance. Twice a week for two hours is sufficient for many martial art styles but not for Wing Chun. This fact should be enough to dispel the lazy man label. Therefore the lazy Wing Chun martial artist is the one that didn't do the homework, that just showed up for class twice a week. The Wing Chun forms can be practiced very slowly taking as long as 1 hour to complete. Or the forms can be practiced as a dynamic tension exercise, similar to a "Chi Kung" workout; also other variations can be emphasized, focusing on Wing Chun principles and the self defence techniques.

Re: Wing Chun as a none traditional kung fu style, is because Shaolin styles are heavily influenced by animals and insects for their attributes. Wing Chun has been semi influenced by the snake and crane but the triangle linner principles and the no nonsense techniques have dispensed with an flowery techniques. Also Wing Chun doesn't contain healthy postures or exercises, actually Wing Chun has many bad health aspects contained within the system, while traditional kung fu practices and promotes healthy martial art skills. This none healthy aspect of Wing Chun could help perpetuate the lazy man label. Many martial art styles do connect themselves with health and fitness whereas Wing Chun is a come as you are style, super human acrobatic activities are not required. Wing Chun can easily accepts people from other martial art styles or the mature student due to the efficiency of motion or lack of it. Whereas aerobic styles are very demanding on the mature martial artist's body.

Wing Chun is known as "the lazy man's Kung Fu" is this true? Is this a true or fair statement or just a fallacy, to discredit Wing Chun? Wing Chun is considered to be Kung Fu but not a traditional style of kung fu, why is that? Is the growing popularity of Wing Chun due to the movie industry, producing a new generation of lazy martial artists or a more efficient type of fighter?

Might sound a little ironic or funny how to cross train Wing Chun and JKD. As Wing Chun is known as the Parent style of Wing Chun, how is it possible to cross train in them? Perhaps to know the difference first would be a clue how to cross train them. The major difference between the two styles is that there is no fake set ups in Wing Chun and JKD techniques are based on them. If you would like to add to the similarities and differences, please be my guest.

"Weekend Warriors" a term used for sports people that practice occasionally usually on the weekend. They suffer from all types of tears and pull to muscles due to not being conditioned enough, or possibly over doing there chosen sport. Knees and ankles suffer from "Weekend Warrior" aspirations. As martial artists, the term "Weekend Warrior" sounds like it fits perfectly but perhaps not. Having a physically demanding job always fitted in with my martial art practice. Those that work in an office for example, need more conditioning due to long periods of inactivity during working hours, on top of that, the martial art practice it self. Three years ago, I had to hang up my martial arts Gi. My knees were not able to keep up with my JKD teacher's demands; couldn't walk properly for about three months. The reason for my knees to not be able to keep up with the rest of me was because of a lack of conditioning. Sure I knew how to throw the kicking techniques but my knee ligaments became weak over time and just couldn't cope. I know this is the reason because I have taken the time to condition my knees. Taking the chance of a recurrence, I did the same JKD kicking that put me out of action. The very next day, I was expecting not to get out of bed, very pleased to say there was no ill affects to my knees. A week later I put my knees through the same harsh kicking practice, still no problems. Overcoming my own "Weekend Warrior" syndrome payed off. The moral of this story is that overlooking my/your conditioning will/could lead to "Weekend Warrior" injuries. It was a lesson I needed to learn the hard way; please don't make my mistake!

There are many videos of Master Wong on YouTube teaching Chinese martial arts, such as Wing Chun and Tai Chi; as well as JKD and self defense. When I first discovered his presence on YouTube about a year ago (he has been teaching for about 15 years) I thought this guy was a renegade monk (that traded his orange robes for a trendy track suit) straight out of China to convert the U.K into a martial art boot camp. He is quick witted with a crude sense of humor, to get his points of view across, on how to treat your enemies. Never seen this unusual language mix of Chinese terms in a redneck urban way of teaching martial arts before, till now! He seemed a bit extreme and fast talking like on a caffeine and sugar rush, creating healthy controversy on what techniques work and those that don't. He has alot of energy and enthusiasm for his martial arts that reminded me of Bruce Lee somewhat, not lacking in the confidence area also. More importantly, Master Wong has an undeniable similarity to Bruce Lee in the small guy vs everyone attitude, with dedication and practice. Many times he has told people that their techniques won't work because they are not strong enough. That there enemies are gorillas and not fairys! Or uses cave man time and modern times analogys that nothing has really changed that much. No shortage of emotional content within his martial art techniques combined with a boxing breathing style. Started watching more of Master Wongs videos and surprisingly noticing myself agreeing with his points of views. The more Master Wongs videos I watched, the more I agreed on his comments and points of views. Watching his videos for me is like, what's not to agree with, he is telling it the way it is. Master Wong has a down to earth approach about him when explaining his martial arts principles, he uses people bigger than himself for example opponents and uses himself as the attacker when the supposed victim is smaller. Master Wong is making alot of noise, this is just his style I suppose. He swears at his students and seems at times abusive to them and yet they seem to respect him all the more for it. As if this is the way martial arts has been taught and passed down through the centuries. Master Wong seems like he has traveled through time in a mystical way and ended up in Ipswich? (Ipswich that also reminds me of Ipman) I'm guessing Ipswich is a great place as any to train in, there most definitely seems to be a track suit fashion explosion there and Master Wong could be in-directly responsible for it. Master Wong also reminds me of Mr T, that they both share similar attitudes, also Master Wong has a charisma of 'Yul Brynner' the actor from 'The King and I" There is most definitely many qualities that Master Wong posses that makes him an outstanding teacher being knowledgeable and enthusiastic just for starters. Where does Master Wong comes from? Vietnam! Arrived in the U.K at around 11 years old. There has been some negativity about Master Wong, because of those that need linage as proof of authenticity... I'm certainly not going to discredit him in any way shape or form for that, he stands on his own two feet and in many ways has tried to unravel alot of the martial art knots (single handedly) that has restricted styles in recent years. From my standpoint he is a refreshing new face in the martial arts world, marketing him self, using the internet as a way to put his ideas out in to the world at large. Also he is very interactive within the martial art community in an unpretentious way. Have read some negative views on his techniques not being authentic, sorry cannot agree on that one. Master Wong at times uses Chinese Wing Chun terminology while demonstrating techniques, this adds to the impact, very much like a Japanese karate (Kia) Master Wong has his own interpretations of the form "Sil Lum Tao" different to all the other Masters of Wing Chun and all the other masters are different also. Actually I like Master Wongs version equally as much as the other masters. If Wing Chun is a living breathing changing and evolving martial art then Master Wong is adapting it to be in the now! Grapplers for instance are wiping the floor with traditional Wing Chun kung fu martial artists. The reason for this is because the style becomes more important than the practioner. As Master Wong is also a JKDist he understands that the person is more important than the style "so do what you need to save your neck" Also MMA's are wise to the Wing Chun tricks of the trade. Master Wong raises many points and the realitys that are apparent problems in the 21st Century for Wing Chun-ners. Another down to earth Wing Chun practioner is (Grand) Master Wong Shun Leung, a student of Ip Man and teacher of Bruce Lee, died in 1997. He was known as "king of talking hands". He made an instructional film called "The Science of in Fighting" I look forward to watching more of our contemporary Master Wong videos, how about you?

Thanks for sharing excellent topic.When I train someone a solid punch I look very close to see if there is any reverse shock evident. If there is a bounce back then the energy has not hit at 100% efficiency. Also any twist of the punching bag indicates a loss of efficient energy. The evidence of a push motion or too much of a tap is observed then more adjustments in form and technique need to be adjusted or questioned. A good way to describe how a Wing Chun punch should be done, is described as the way a hammer hits a nail, we all know what happens when it hits and slips the center of the nail; ouch! Wing Chun punches coming out from (a stationary position) the center line also along the centre line connecting with the target is done with a type of whiplash motion (such as what a snake does when it strikes at it's target) throwing the neck backwards. It does create a powerful fast punch but can have consequences on the back of the neck by damaging it. This is why a forward motion with a step forward coordinated with the punch and curving the spine and head forward is preferred. In this way the total spine is activated instead of only a small section behind the neck. This all conforms with the triangle strength and the forward force of the Wing Chun style.

There are a few topics worth investigating regarding hip flexibility, that is your ROM range of movement and hip decompression exercises, also understanding how and why to pandiculate.All of these topic can be explained by experts on YouTube. Also on YouTube, would suggest looking into Tai Chi Chuan and how modern sports/science/medicine tries to explain how it works, as in less (muscle) energy used creates more power. Personally I know it is Chi power but there are many sceptics. Tai Chi and chi kung is all about harnessing the power of chi. Guinness book of records for the fastest amout of punches thrown in one minute is held by a Wing Chun man. Relaxation in movement is the key to gracefulness and speed both necessary in Tai Chi and Wing Chun. Practicing Tai Chi slowly is also training muscles to move fast such as in Wing Chun the truth in irony is also Tai Chi. Western reasoning and Eastern reasoning are very different. For example we in the West have been investing in the bigger the better such as with cars. While in the East have been investing in the smaller; Micro technology and compact automobiles. Western outer space vs Eastern inner space the balance is yin/yang=Tai Chi=grand ultimate. Eastern reasoning also states that outside has no inside and inside has no outside. This implies that every time an atom is split there will always be something smaller and the further we travel through outer space we will discover another greater space than the one we are in; this is the way of yin/yang=Tai Chi=grand ultimate.

Machida's dad is a Shotokan master, I would guess that (the front kick) would be something he learned at a very young age from his father and not from anyone else.

Had a chance to express my point of view to the none student of mine for ignoring him and his question. He was very understanding and apologized for his interruption during my class. I explained about his original question on the whys; fair enough. Also showed him a technique used against a larger opponent as he is alot bigger than me. I grabbed his left wrist with my left hand while with my right hand grabbing the skin of his tricep also on the right side and pulled him face down to the floor. A few days latter he showed me the bruise I made on his tricep. Of course I apologized. He was totally impressed with the bruise and technique. Seems like I made an impression on him because a few days after that, once again he showed me the bruise and it looked like a Yin/Yang symbol with the two dots on either side of the black and white symbol instead of being inside. How bizarre, a bruise imitating a Chinese martial art symbol made with a martial art technique that resembles a Yin/Yang tattoo.

Hi again LLLEARNER! I happen to notice that all of your MA is Japanese based. Tai Chi is very different from all of your chosen MA styles. Perhaps if you can't find a Tai Chi instructor then look maybe at finding a Sifu in any style of 'Kung Fu' nearby. All Kung Fu schools practice Chi Kung; martial art exercises. I'm raising the point that Japanese MA styles are usually hard and Chinese MA styles are usually soft. Japanese MAs have their virtues and equally Chinese MAs have their virtues also. Having a Yin/Yang approach to MA finding softness in the hard and finding the hardness in the soft, is a way to appreciate the best of both perspectives; Japanese and Chinese.

Because people have realized that it isn't useful. Bruce Lee even came to that conclusion and that is why he developed JKD. When ever I hear someone say that they do Kung Fu, I actually laugh. Bruce Lee would say that Kung Fu is just a name.

Have seen a few athletes traing in my neighborhood that have become anorexic. Shame really to witness it. They train very hard towards a direction of malnutrition and ill health. Dehydration is a serious health issue. Fighters dropping unrealistic body weights to pass lighter weight class requirements is very dangerous, that can cause death in some circumstances. Possibly I might over hydrate sometimes, nothing a trip to the WC can't fix. The reason I try to over hydrate is to keep my muscles more flexible while stretching them out for kicking.

Than looking at the difference perhaps first look at the similarities. That being said, we are all human with all the same moving parts. MA styles differ depending on what parts of the body they use to attack and defend with. MA styles differ depending on there intent such as military uses or sports and self defence. MA styles differ on how they train within their style. MA styles differ on what groups consider important such as kicking or punching, grappling or throwing; or a combination of two or more major aspects of combat. MA styles differ in hard or soft techniques or a combination of both. MA styles differ in traditional vs contemporary approaches. Wearing traditional clothing and practicing with ancient weapons, holding on to and practing ethical values compared with today's contemporary MA styles that use modern training methods combined with whatever works techniques and have contemporary attitudes. MA styles differ due to cultural differences, depending on one country to another or borrowing one country's MA styles and adapting it with there own needs or preferences. MA styles can differ focusing more on health benefits as opposed to focusing on combative techniques. MA styles can differ due to vertual or reality based practice. Movies vs street use is just one example. MA styles can differ in the use of acrobatics and agility compared to more stable flat footed stiffer martial artists. MA styles may differ due to emulating animals and insects while other styles base their techniques on human-bio-mechanics. MA styles can differ due to body shapes such as Somo wrestlers and most every other martial art. MA styles can differ comparing hobby enthusiasts with those that have religious affiliations. MA styles differ in many ways and are also more alike if we care to look for the similarities.

[Hi scohen0300 in response to your off thread question] It is not unusual for (native English speakers) students to teach abroad. Contact your local college and ask how you can be certified to do this. Many students do this (TEAFL) Teaching English as a Foreign Language over the summer holidays while on their college break From what I know, is that a 3 month intense course should cover it. It doesn't matter what nationality you are to teach English, as long as you are certified. I'm not certified, but as I am a NES I just do conversational English with none native English people. Foshan is no stranger to foreigners from all over the world, learning Wing Chun. There are hundreds of small Wing Chun schools there. Wing Chun is now an international martial art, most every country has schools. Perhaps a Wing Chun school in Foshan is set up for foreigners, including staying with a host family. You could help a Wing Chun student in Foshan to stay with you for a short period of time also. Remember that martial arts in China is not about fighting it is about making friends! If you have any more questions just ask, I'm happy to help. All the best

If stretching isn't on the agenda before a class, to get warmed up fast by getting psyched up. Another trick is to do hip decompressions and all joint rotations. While standing on one leg "stack your hip one on top of the other" NOTE: Strengthen leg lifting muscles and weaken the other side of them for flexibility and pliability Light stretching during class mid warm up "pandiculate the muscles that you will need to prep before physical action. NOTE: Tired muscles stretch better because they are warm and also because your willpower is stronger than they are; remember to breathe deeply and relax harder as if pretending to go to sleep. Full out end of class stretching to maximize your flexibility. You are doing this so that when you have your next class you will be more flexible than the last... NOTE: Stretching with a partner will increase your flexibility more rapidly than stretching alone. Your part is to relax while being stretched and your partner is doing all the tension effort Yin/Yang wisdom.

Bookmartialarts.com Has plenty of places to train in. Personally I would look to train Wing Chun in Foshan. You could also look into teaching English while you are there to help with costs. Have fun and don't forget to Wright!

Thank you jennie98 for your comment and welcome to KarateForums.com Hi ninjanurse! Is Maslow great or is he fantastic. Either way his comments and observations are very insightful.

Don't count calories but I do eat my five a day plus consume HTML 1L (fat free) milk a day. Use only olive oil for cooking with. Try to burn up as many calories as I consume. Perhaps what I do differently is: I have a blood and urine test done every four months, this way I can adjust my diet to improve the next test results. Take pills to control my cholesterol and one aspirin a day to keep my blood more on the thinner side.