David

That's monkey style, but I have a feeling it was done in a film. Duck, bee, horse, fish, elephant, ape and more styles are out there. Rgds, David

People with qigong stand better, move better and feel better than people without. All these things apply to Karate. Most qigong is done softly, with no muscular emphasis. Soft practice leads to greater speed when you need it. Here's a qigong practice to start you off. http://www.geocities.com/bgaughr/lifting_sky.htm Do it for a week or two and see what you learn about yourself. If you want, continue the same for a month or two before looking at other methods. If you've had enough of that one, move onto something like "carrying the moon". Google it. Best to do just one practice at a time in the beginning because they all have depths of self-observation and alteration of form to get through to maximise results. It's good stuff. Rgds, David

Amen to that!

I basically agree with the first 2 posts. Striking a balance (haha) between common sense and the little voice on your shoulder egging you on to extremes is difficult. My most recent injury was a sprained shoulder from sparring. Could I let it recover? No. It wasn't until 2.5 weeks after the sprain that I finally managed to stop pushing it and gave it a rest (only in the painful rotation angles) for 2 weeks. Pain is required to de-sensitise you to the shock of pain in a real-life encounter. This should not be underestimated. Potentially painful training scenarios should not be avoided because the risk of pain is not an helpful excuse when martial development is at stake, and the expectation of pain is good for your will/intent. Damage will have debilitating echoes down the road. I think physio-rehab is one of the least successful areas of health practice. Look after yourself inasmuch as you can. My teacher provides ointments for flesh and bone which have been handed down over the generations. Rgds, David

There's a White Crane site with a few San Chien demonstration clips on it. http://www.fujianbaihe.com/fujianbaihe/index.html Rgds, David

"Dog Boxing ... focuses on going to the ground, being taken to the ground, taking one to the ground and fighting on the ground." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0870409247/002-8363374-7072054?v=glance

Started in late '97 but was lazy/inconsistent until about 2yrs ago. Southern mantis is peculiar in that you get nowhere without partner-training. Moving resistance exercises, sticky hands & sensitivity training, power training and conditioning all require a partner, before you even start thinking about applications practice. Rgds, David

Can't see much of the kind of thing I'm into in Sydney apart from http://aaron.net.au/pak_mei/ No-nonsense shorthand kung fu. Southern as opposed to your Northern background. I can't vouch for the school but the system rocks. i say that because it's related to the Southern Mantis I do . Bak Mei would give you more options for close-in work and your eagle-claw would get used in the pressure-pointy way you probably know and love. Rgds, David

The first principle of meditation and the first thing you have to get to is a state of being an observer of the noise in your head rather than a participant in that hubbub. Each time you realise your mind has wandered, drop the train of thought that caught you, without judgement or emotion. Buddha is said to have begun with the breath-counting method. The method is counting each breath from 1 to 10 over and over. If you lose count, detach from the loss and start the count again without regret or blame. The state of observing is a step on the ladder, a glimpse at the amount of mental work that needs doing and a taste of the power you have in potential. Rgds, David

I use it whether it exists or not.

Zhan Zhuang is cool - I do that when I need a bowel movement NOW . I do some t'ai chi / qigong coupled with a little yoga for a general feel-good practise. The kung fu forms all begin with iron body qigongs. The first form is solely for that (think Karate sanchin) and puts amazing tension in the fingers and arms to develop them. Love it all! Rgds, David

Hi Folks, My 1st post here. Actually found this place whilst searching for Kuk Sool in my area... Ovine describes Southern mantis, and tan tuey Northern. Northern mantis is not known for being a weak style! It was the first of the hybrid styles but with a lineage back to Shaolin meaing that it's perfectly integrated. Southern mantis is not thought weak, either. The powers taught in it are the highest of any art - dim mak, iron throat, testicle retraction, golden bell, shock power, short power - you name it it's got it. Northern and Southern *are* very different but can sometimes appear similar in application if you only look from the waist up. Rgds, David