Wish to Cross Train Xing Yi... Online...

[drewtoby3]

Okay, so you guys here are open minded. I have been taking Hapkido lessons for the past six years, and am close to being a black belt. I wish to start cross training in a year or so, but am unable to find Xing Yi anywhere close to me. Nor would I have the time to take any additional arts formally during school semesters.

Why? I work part time, take violin lessons, am a full time engineering student, take hapkido lessons, ect.

Hapkido focuses on powerful strikes, while Xing Yi tends to focus more on speed. I think it would make a good pairing. Thus my interest in Xing Yi!

So if I am to cross train it would have to be on my own time. Preferably at a slow and steady pace whenever I can make time.

So far I have found 3 potential website programs after a while searching. Can you review them and recommend one if you think one is good?

Also, feel free to make any comments or ask any questions!

1) Clear's Xing Yi: This is an online program that ends in a live seminar to correct any possible mistakes, as well as to review. Just looks a little bit hard to sign up for.

Site: http://www.clearsilat.com/xing-yi

Demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4SJjp6tJw

2) Online Kung Fu School: Purely online program that allows for you to test and receive correction, or pay extra each month and receive video correction each month.

Site: http://onlineschool.spiritdragoninstitute.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=603&Itemid=392

3) Ken Internal Martial Arts: Looks like the site is experiencing some issues at the moment

Site: http://internalarts.typepad.com/ken_gullettes_internal_ma/2012/07/four-years-later-the-online-school-for-tai-chi-hsing-i-bagua.html

[clfsean]

Nope. Having studying Xingyi for a little while, it's not something that can be done online much like most martial arts of serious value & content. You need a teacher. Your notion of Xingyi focusing on speed is off base... way off base. That kinda shows you need a teacher to guide you from San Ti & Wu Ji up through the elements & forward. That's not even making contact yet.

If a teacher isn't in your area, you need to make arrangements to travel to one sporadically, study hard and MAYBE get videos from them on what you've studied with them for reference while you plan your next visit to study with them.

Sorry but that's the honest truth.

[lowereastside]

My Advise - try to find a qualified Teacher.

[bushido_man96]

I will say this. If you have some experience in a style already, and you feel like looking into some online training or other media, then do so with a focus in mind. Don't approach it in the guise of "learning a style" online. Approach it as a training opportunity that is separate from any other opportunity, like a single class. Just keep in mind not having a teacher to give feedback is tough on your training. If anything, try to have a good partner.

As for this statement here:

Hapkido focuses on powerful strikes, while Xing Yi tends to focus more on speed. I think it would make a good pairing. Thus my interest in Xing Yi!

I've never heard a teacher say to do strikes with power and not speed, or vise versa. Power and speed are related, not separate. Speed and technique, along with strength, produce power. Therefore, I'd be willing to bet that Xing Yi is really a speed focused style more than any other style is.

With that said, if you are looking to increase your speed, I would look into other facets, like plyometric training to develop explosiveness in your techniques. There are also some books out there on speed training which might benefit you more than looking into this other style. That's the route I would be more willing to go with.

Best of luck in your endeavors!

[danbong]

Hapkido focuses on powerful strikes, while Xing Yi tends to focus more on speed. I think it would make a good pairing. Thus my interest in Xing Yi!

If you think hapkido focuses primarily on powerful but slow strikes, you do not have a good grasp of hapkido concepts yet. Yes, there are very powerful techniques that take time to execute. Those tend to be techniques that rely on large circular body movement, such as the spinning heel kick and the spinning backfist/knifehand. However, there are many techniques that are much quicker that are used to set up those powerful but slow strikes: eye pokes, throat strikes, kicks to the knee. My hapkido instructor would tell us "stun and blow" meaning quick light strike, then powerful but slower strike.

As far as learning on line: don't do it. Especially if what it is covering is significantly different that what you are experienced in. you absolutely need the immediate feedback from a live instructor.

[tallgeese]

Couple of things.

First up. The consensus opinion is true. To truly learn an art you'll need an instructor. However, depending on your previous experience, taking bushidoman's advice is also applicable. If you're just looking at adding to your tactical tool bag, you can pick up things from video and on line sources. But you have to have a solid grounding and understanding of fighting to grasp that.

It depends on what you're looking for.

Lastly, be sure that you're not looking at just one aspect of "slow" strikes or "fast" striking. Power and speed go hand in hand in effective execution. However, you can elect (and should) to train one of many attributes with a single drill.

If you shadow box and throw slow, precise, structurally perfect strikes then you are working on one thing. If you are on a heavy bag bombing away, you are working on another. Do not confuse training method with tactics or make generalizations about an art based on a limited viewing of drills used in that system.

Particularly in progressive or eclectic systems you're liable to get an incorrect read on what they are about based on what training method they are using that day. The drill can be the same, the movement identical, but the focus completely different on a single aspect of the fight.

Just a reminder.

[AndrewH]

Wasn't Xing Yi the Gold Lion's son on The Man with the Iron Fists?