KF Dude

There's a synergistic effect when external & internal methods are combined. I guess it comes down to a belief in chi. If simple physics could explain it then there wouldn't be so much of a debate of it's existence.

It wasn't until I was in the Army did I first fire a rifle. Not knowing what to expect I was surprised at how little of a kick a M16A2 has.

That's why it's so important to make the oponent fight your fight. The high level of fitness a boxer has gives them the advantage in a long drawn out fight.

You asked the same question in the internal forum. I posted my answer there. cast iron stomach - very good Sohan!

It's just a tough, strong palm strike. One inch punches are the same - it's just body mechanics.There is a difference. Iron palm is a specific training. The internal side makes it more that just a strong palm strike. The penetrating power of IP is the result of both external & internal methods. Inch power is type of ging.

Pain leads the mind. The Karateka were hurting the Wushu practitioners so they stopped thinking attack & just defended. It was only a matter of time before one of those kicks landed. It was clearly obvious the Wushu practitioners lacked power to their strikes. The Wushu practitioners weren't accustomed to dealing with full contact strikes. That's exactly what was stripped away from Wushu. It's a standardized performance based art like gymnastics or figure skating.

Don't take the iron meaning literally. Conditioning is intended for impact against another human body. Iron bridge is part of the curriculum in most southern systems. This starts from day one of training with partner arm banging. Iron palm does not involve the forearm.

Anything done to excess will damage the hand. IP primary use is on a human body. I had a period of over zealous training & my hands did hurt/ache when I slept - lesson learned. Internal IP training never stops & becomes the focus. While external conditioning gets scaled back just for maintenance. Good instruction with proper execution will harden the hands without injury. Sifu & SiGung have many more years than myself & have nothing wrong with them. One other thing to consider, Iron Palm is just a really hard palm strike. If you don't have any trained fighting ability it's effectiveness is almost useless.

Southern Shaolin primarily uses in close hand/fist strikes while Northern Shaolin uses kicks & longarm techniques. Southern Shaolin has five animals: Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard & Crane. Not sure about Northern Shaolin. Never heard of scorpion style.

Hung-Ga Kung Fu for the past 12 years.

Over time my bruising became less & less. It's important to use dit da jow & rub out those knots/bruise spots immediately after banging arms. These areas will be tender & you might need a partner to press firmly enough to break up the stagnation. Think of a happy place. Interestingly, a radiologist at work emphatically aruges against any kind of bone conditioning. Yet with decades of arm/hand conditioning behind them, my Sifu & Sigung don't suffer from any kind of degenerative bone disorder, nerve damage or arthritis.

Your root style is so ingrained that it will leave a distinct mark on new movements. Extra effort needs to be taken to correct 'tics' that might be considered bad habits in the new style. Ultimately, the difficulty of transition depends upon an individuals willingness to learn.

My Sifu is a full time instructor with over 25 years of practicing & teaching Hung-Ga. Along with my SiGung, he has just written the cover story article in the 2006 May/June KUNG FU TAI CHI Magazine.

Instead of letting your hard earned martial art skills wither away to uselessness, just devote 5 minutes a day to training. Eventually you'll catch the bug again & 5 min won't be enough. Find another school if the problems there are effecting your motivation to train. Remember you train martial arts for yourself not for anybody else, it's a gift to yourself & let nobody get in the way of that. Keep snowboarding as well.

I can relate to your experience. I've moved away & return every six months to train with my Sifu & training brothers/sisters. I share in your apprehension before participating in class. I'm so used to training by myself. It's always a great experience to "come home".