TigerCrane

For a beginner, I would strongly recommend the staff. It's a good prerequisite for lots of other weapons.

Sadly, frauds like these obscure the true aspects of Chinese Martial Arts.

What I was trying to say is that I've been taught to look towards the direction where my palm/hand/punch is executed. If you do that, then you'll naturally be looking in the direction of your target.

I've always been taught that my eyes should follow my hands.

Nice link! Everyone should take a look at this.

Heh, let's see how his bench-fighting techniques fare against my Tiger Crane style! LoL... he could probably beat the crap out of me.

I think the staff is the easiest and most basic to learn. I have heard that the Kwan Do is one of the hardest weapons to learn.

Isn't it a classic?? Packed with tons of action scenes, comical sound effects, and twists within the great plot it is definitely on top of my favorite movies list. Does anyone else know anything about the Centipede, Scorpion, and Lizard styles?

Has anyone seen or heard of the Kung Fu film "Five Deadly Venoms" before? If so, do the Centipede, Scorpion, and Lizard styles exist in Chinese Martial Arts?

It can be thought of as "Bioelectricity" as well. It is best to learn the Chi Gung exercises and see for yourself, as different people will provide different explanations and theories behind it.

Favorite form for combat? Hmmm... I'll have to think about that. But my favorite form is the Iron Thread Form... I was lucky to see my Sifu perform it.

From what i've heard, you can badly damage your nerves and end up with too much calcium deposit in your hand(s) if you don't do it right. Being curious here... for those who are training or haved trained the Iron Palm technique, did you all start off with a thick phonebook?

Trying to practice the early stages of it... but due to my recent lack of disciplline it will take a little while for me to master most of it. Hmmm, I think I should pick it up again and practice regularly.

Yup, Chi can be transferred through non-flexible weapons as well. As for the gim bending through gaps in armor... that's something interesting that I've never heard of before. Are you talking about the flexible gim? I have a sturdy Tai Chi gim that is slightly - only slightly - flexible.

The idea is that there is a transfer of Chi between the practitioner and the weapon - any weapon. The flexible weapons weren't made solely for this purpose, but the idea is that even though they may seem more fragile compared to swords, they are reinforced by Chi. Let me ephasize that this is strictly a theory, and depending on how much and what you believe with regard to Qi Gong, you may or may not endorse this theory.

One theory that I've heard of is that Chinese weapons like the Dao are flexible (but not originally designed as flexible as the modern ones designed for competition) to create an even greater amount of power and duration when being used right. To make up the weakness of the weapon compared to say, the katana, the Kung Fu practitioners transfer and use their Chi through the weapon, so that the weapon is no different than an extension of the fighter's arm.

It's sad that great techniques and the rich traditions and culture behind CMA are being overlooked because of "McGwoons" and many illegitimate schools that look great on the surface but don't prepare you adequately for practical situations. And this applies to all other martial arts as well. Things have been passed down from one generation to another, so information was bound to be lost or misinterpreted. Perhaps the best thing to do is to train and see if things feel right to you. I recently left a gwoon because I disagree with their training methods and their commercial-like system. Fortunately, I was able to find a school that I am happy and proud to be a member of.

Thanks all!

Thanks! Anyone else?

Hi all! Has anyone ever taken or is taking the Yang Style Tai Chi? If so, any quick and helpful tips for a beginner?

My Sifu has always emphasized the importance of breathing correctly during my junior years. As my Kung Fu brothers and sisters and I advanced to higher levels, he began to teach us forms that require different shouts or sounds. In my opinion, the form with the most dramatic and powerful shouts / sounds is the Iron Thread Form.

I simply stated that it is a tradition. I never said that tradition makes things right. I personally disagree with the tradition of teaching only the selected individuals... skills will become lost if this continues. It is unfortunate that there are still Sifus out there who follow the old tradition. That's why it could be difficult to find a good gwoon, and that's also why it could be really hard for someone to learn the good stuff from a TMA.

You're right that there is no "superior" weapon. That's why in my title I wrote "In Your Opinion".

Well said, HG. It is a Chinese tradition to do so.

I agree. A Sifu and his/her way of teaching can make a big difference. You may think that you took enough Kung Fu styles to judge Chinese Martial Arts... but did you really learn the practical meaning behind the art(s)? A lot of you might be upset to hear this. But a lot of Sifus only really *teach* a selected few out of all his students.