dtstiachi

Strong legs will help improve balance. Work on stregthening your legs.

Try sidestepping and let the opponent clumsily trip or fall down because of his momentum. Then get away or handle business.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck.

Congrats Pineapple

Too pricey for a college/graduate school student. Go join a gym. It would be cheaper.

Middleweight

Hey all, This is some equipment that people struggle with. What type of mouthguard would you buy? Would you continue training or would you have a fear of your teeth getting knocked out or messed up somehow? Let me know your feedback. BTW, my braces are being removed in 3 weeks later

What kind of mouth guards do you all wear? (if you wear any)

I stop. My body knows when it has had enough. There is no need to injure yourself. By the way, if you do injure yourself, you will have to take that time off of training in order to get better. Why not stay safe and keep training by listening to your body? Good luck and stay healthy and safe.

Great info. Thank you

Dips mainly work the shoulders, back and triceps. Try some pushups, dumbell flys, and bench presses for the chest.

Here is another excersize for the legs I love to hate stand with your feet 1 1/2 shoulder widths apart and then squat so your knees and butt are parallel to the floor (or as close as you can get them). Then begin to rotate to the left or right using your hips and legs to turn the body. As you look left, you should be moving right, and vice versa. This is another great excersize that will really build up strength in the legs (but you may need a friend to carry you to the car after the class) Any body else do these?

How many Chinese Chair squats (no weights, squat so your rear end is parrallel to the floor) can you all do? How long can you hold it? This is my most hated and accursed excersize, but it has really strengthened my legs. I can do between 25-30 right now. (I also have to crawl out of the studio) I look foward to hearing your comments.

3 sets of 15 right now When summer hits, I will be able to train more.

Hey no problem. Zhuan Zhuang training is also known as standing meditation, standing on stake methods, or posting. Zhuan Zhaung is an excersize that will cultivate the chi flow in your body and will help you in many other ways as far as health and power go. I would recommend you do a Google search onZhuan Zhuang (you will get around 185,000 hits). Another great book dealing with Zhan Zhuang is Chi Kung: Way of Power by Master Lam Kam Chuen. He talks in detail about Zhan Zhuang training and will walk you through the steps. Let me know if I can be of any more help.

Welcome Saotome

I should train every day (or close to it) in an attempt to have a better understanding of my art so that I can one day obtain mastery of it. My responsibility at the school is to respect the Headmaster and the other students and to do my best. I am trying to immerse myself in my style and art so that I can learn it to the best of my knowledge.

Our version of Sparring is called Tue Shou or pushin hands. It is a sensitivity drill that we use to learn to absorb and redirect techniques that are being thrown at us. A follow up question. Is San Shou a martial art form in and of itself? I thought it was fighting for Tai Chi and other internal arts.

Let us know what you discover.

A person might hit me (or try to hit me) 8 times, but it I will only have to connect once with a proper strike and the party will be over.

This is semi hard to explain if you havn't been doing Zhan Zhuang long. Your power will increase because you are hitting/pushing/kicking with your whole body and mabey even some energy from the opponent. Your body will get "very hot" if you practice Zhan Zhuang for any length of time (try holding 1 posture for an hour) you will also find the chi and energy inside your body build and swell to incredible levels. It will give you more power when you strike. (you might not be able to feel it at first, but your sensei, instructor, and friends will certantly know a difference) and it can sharpen your sense of awareness and improve your reaction time.

I agree with aefibird.

Google it ( you will get 126,000 hits for it) Also try the book, Chi Jung: Way of Power, by Master Lam Kam Chuen. Here are some other good websites http://www.yiquan.org.uk/art-zz.html (Zhan Zhuang - foundation of Internal Martial Arts) http://www.qi-journal.com/ (the Ki journal hompage) Also, consult your instructor. If you would like even more info, let me know.

We are taught in the early stages to punch and to punch properly (proper hand, finger, wrist alignment). The Grandmaster has told us that when we get more advanced we wil be able to feel the chi come into our hand and generate more power, but for now. I do hit with a closed fist.

Hey guys and girls, How many of you (instructors or students) have experienced problems with people not keeping their finger nails short? Our school has a requirement that fingers and toe nails must be kept short. Is this the same at your school? Thanks for the feedback.