InsaneTigerCrane

sevenstar's got a point. body conditioning is very important and the mind cant tell the body to do some something that it's not conditioned to do,but the body can't be conditioned unless the mind has the WILL to put the body through a process of conditioning.

maybe sevenstar is right about the spiritual aspect. i have studied shuai chiao, as well as other (quote) styles, that are particularly influenced by shaolin. which like sevenstar said, shaolin styles usually have some religious/spiritual training along with it. though spirituality may not be one of the goals in some martial arts styles such as shuai chiao, or savate or whatever. i think you misunderstood me because i know that it's not a main goal. my sifu never stressed spiritual beliefs to me, and he also made sure things of that nature were not brought up during training. however my point is that it doesn't mean that it couldn't be or shouldn't be a MA goal for ANY MA style.

linear is faster in terms of attack, but i think delta 1 has the right idea.

hard style's escentially are hard in the sense that they practise and use priciples of hard chigong. things like making the body hard and tough so that it can withstand great impact. they can even go as far as getting so hard they cant be cut.anyway's hard styles usually tend to be more agressive and use direct paths of energy. it's just hard and in your face bambambambambam.....like getting hit by iron bars. soft styles however have a different approach. these styles i hear generally take a longer to master because they use a lot of internal energy. energy flows more in circles, always changing always moving. the technique is soft but when they hit they can be more devestating because they can damage you from the inside and disrupt your chi.

the purpose is to harmonize mind, body and spirit THROUGH martial arts. martial arts is just a path to achieving this. once you have become proficient in the mastery of your art, and you are in total and harmonizing control of your mind , body and spirit, then it will be easy for you to be proficient in anything else in your life.

the mind tells the body what to do.

i have the same problem you do. i can tell you from experience. the most important factor in gaining muscle MASS is what you put into your body. in your case it's a little more about how much you put in. professional body builders eat anywhere from 5 to even 7 times a day. plus all the supplements they take. to start i would just increase my meals to 4 times a day they dont all have to be big meals, you just have to keep feeding your body for it to grow. then i'd pick up some cheap whey protein (the key is protein), then take creatine powder everyday, after yoou eat, and on work out days directly after your workout. i promise you'll get bigger.

best way to learn true fight technique, is to simulate as close to the real thing as possible. you have to simulate everything from speed and power of real fight, to the adreline rush you would get in a real fight situation. that way you can really find out what works and what doesn't. so put the full gear on and go at it. you can practice slow to start so you can get a feel for the movement of energy, and to understand flow, and rythym. then you can learn how to break rythym.

i'm with dingyuan check out wushu.

drunken monkey is right. i studied yang jwing ming institute northern long fist. i was told that it was partially developed to have long range tactics for the northern people of china who supposedly are generally taller and therefore have longer limbs than most people from southern china. i'm kinda iffy on the truth behind that, but it sounds cool.

saw it done on t.v. a few times.

never heard of frog style either. can't wait to hear whats next perhaps the deadly tadpole style hey?

i don't know anything about twin dragon, but i really like your quote about how people should say what they mean. thats good advice.

traditional stances are cool, but i'm going to have to go with bruce lee on the by-jong. best on guard balanced and mobile stance hands down. my sifu used to argue a lot on the importance of keeping your feet flat and staying rooted so your dont get knocked off balance, like in more traditional stances. still, i'm with bruce lee on this one. the by-jong allows you to be more mobile, and faster.

my sister loves kung fu as well. she rocks.

maybe 10 12 percent tops.

wing tsun i hear is very practical. also shuai chiao, hung ga, and long fist are very practical styles.

it's safe to assume that not every chinese man must know kung fu. but if you want to know if these people in the restaurant do, just ask them. keep your tone curious, so you don't seem like your stereotyping. you've been studying for 14 years i'm sure you can defend yourself if he gets mad at you.

forms are designed to build your mind body coordination. your mind tells your body what to do. everything from timing to intensity, right down to the exact placement of each finger. it all helps your overall coordination, which is a factor in a self defense situation(coordination that is). however i don't think that someone who knows 10 forms should be considered better than someone who only knows 5. some people have better natural coordination than others.

thundering mantis. ( all time old school favorite). INSANE mantis kung fu.

e. the best if i achieve half as much as my sifu, it's an accomplishment.

i had a similar problem for a while. if it's too cold and rainy up there in seattle, you might want to find some type of garage. for about a year i trained out of two 10 x 20 storage units that were side by side. i took off the panneling in between them to make more space. i payed 40 dollars a month for each of them. not bad for a completly secluded (sheltered) place to train.

rings are very beneficial when you use them during drills and forms. i trained with them for a long while. it's hell on your wrists, but eventualy your speed will increase greatly and your arms will be tough which is real good for blocking techniques. also after youv'e been using them for a while, all the rubbing it does on your arms will also cause the hair on your arms to rub off a bit.

i keep agreeing with sevenstar in these forums. but if i were you i would take a good look at my fist and it's motion, then figure out for myself which is the best way.

i agree with sevenstar. do them both, you already stated that they are both beneficial. why ask this question when ideally you should want the benefits of both. What''s with the slow sparring?