Hung Gar Sifu won't let me train until...

[username19853]

Until I can hold a low ma bo/horse stance for 30 minutes! Challenge accepted!

He said this is a hung gar tradition for students to be accepted.

Any tips for training to accomplish this, besides just practicing horse stance?

[sensei8]

Exactly how low?? I'd work into getting as low as necessary slowly; one stage at a time. Most assuredly, I'd start and end each training session by stretching by whole body as well as strengthening both my lower back and legs.

30 minutes isn't as short as one might imagine, especially at first...slow and easy.

[Lupin1]

Stretching and squats. Build up slowly and in intervals. For example, start with 2-5 minute intervals with five minute breaks in between. Slowly increase the intervals and shorten the breaks.

If you do it while you're watching TV or listening to an audiobook or something, it makes it go faster and takes your mind off of it.

[DWx]

That's a bit extreme before you start training. What's his rationale? Or is it a bit of gate keeping?

I guess just build up longer and longer periods holding the stance, work leg strength via weighted squats, lunges, deadlifts etc.

[bushido_man96]

Stretching and squats. Build up slowly and in intervals. For example, start with 2-5 minute intervals with five minute breaks in between. Slowly increase the intervals and shorten the breaks.

If you do it while you're watching TV or listening to an audiobook or something, it makes it go faster and takes your mind off of it.

I think this is a good idea. But, I would also consider doing it at times with no distractions, because that may be the way he decides to test you. That way, you learn how to take your mind elsewhere when your legs start to hurt.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Tests of character, endurance and perseverance like the one mentioned in the OP are less common than they used to be. Depending on the instructor and the style the test can anything and continue as long as the instructor sees fit. This used to be the way a teacher would select the kind of people who make good students, but mostly people who would not use the skills they learned to cause trouble or give their teacher and school a bad reputation for thuggery.

Testing potential students in any way, especially physical efforts have become a rarity since paying for instruction has become the norm. As one would expect, the student is paying and each student represents additional income. Therefore the instructor/school must always consider whether or not rejecting someone is an affordable loss.

Students can also decide if they really and truly are willing to invest their time, effort and money learning from said instructor. If yes, then by all means go ahead and practise until you get it or close enough . More often than not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that one has shown that one has the patience and mettle to train and the will to continue even if the hurdles get higher.

In Western (Euro American) thought, people often focus more on specific goals. Sitting in a stance, for instance. They don’t are how, just that it is the goal and it must be reached.

Eastern thought(China, Korea and Japan), people usually try to see what can be gained or learned(one’s strengths, weaknesses or endurance limits) from training towards the goal. These benefits and lessons are seen as much more important than how well or if the goal is achieved.

In short, it doesn’t matter if you can’t do it or not, what matters is what you learn each time you try as long as you keep trying. The desired result will come eventually and much along with it.

[bushido_man96]

Tests of character, endurance and perseverance like the one mentioned in the OP are less common than they used to be. Depending on the instructor and the style the test can anything and continue as long as the instructor sees fit. This used to be the way a teacher would select the kind of people who make good students, but mostly people who would not use the skills they learned to cause trouble or give their teacher and school a bad reputation for thuggery.

Testing potential students in any way, especially physical efforts have become a rarity since paying for instruction has become the norm. As one would expect, the student is paying and each student represents additional income. Therefore the instructor/school must always consider whether or not rejecting someone is an affordable loss.

You make some interesting points here about how the student/teacher relationship used to get started and how things are now. A lot of the logistics have changed, too, be it for better or worse (just the way the world seems to be now). I think it's more difficult to do things "the old way," but still not impossible. It really depends on if one is willing to only teach one or two students at a time, probably at their home. Or, if one is wanting to try to reach out to as many students as possible, and try to make a living doing what they enjoy, it's easier to do in the more school oriented setup we see more of today. I have seen over the course of my years of instruction in the "new way" in the school/dojo setting that when all is said and done, a very small percentage of the students you start with end up staying with you. But, to me, I enjoy the chance to teach what I know to someone, no matter how talented they might be, or how long they might stay. And in the end, for me, the few dedicated ones that do stay over all the others that have come and gone, is very rewarding. I sure do wish all of them would stay. I just hope that I can impact every student positively in some way, whether I get them for a short time or long time.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Nowadays the student is usually paying money for being taught and therefore, more likely to consider cost as a deciding factor. The school, style and instructor’s reputation will not be of any importance if a potential student knows the price is too high.

Before martial arts schools as businesses became the norm, potential students sought out or were referred to instructors based students on mostly skill and reputation of said teachers.

If the teacher/school was reputed to train the skills the student wanted to gain, then testing would be more readily accepted. Now that most people pay for their training, the mere notion of being tested before being allowed to train is enough to make a large number of potential students look elsewhere. This is in part because of the consumer mentality people have developed. Especially in our most modern societies.

People have grown up being told constantly that the right amount of cash can get you anything almost instantaneously with a guarantee; and most of all the least amount of hassle or effort.

Personally, there was always some sort of character, skill or willingness to learn test for every dojo joined. Only the first one, which was neither in Japan/Okinawa had no “entry test”. Even though students in Okinawa and elsewhere pay dojo and training fees, instructors, especially if it is the main dojo (hombu) still want to have a good idea of what kind of people they will be sharing their skills with.

None of them would ever be happy to learn later on that they have trained a thug or troublemaker. You can’t blame them for discriminating and being carful who they teach, even if they are paid.

[bushido_man96]

Those are all valid points and concerns. I, too, don't like the idea of passing skills along to those that would abuse them. The idea of testing a student prior to taking them on is interesting, but I'd be torn between actually implementing something like that or not.

[username19853]

Well here’s a disappointing update. LOL.

Apparently I misunderstood the Sifu. He said he can only accept me as a student if I already had 2 years worth of experience in Hung Gar, specifically.

I thought that was such a bummer! After looking up the next closest Hung Gar place, it’s 5 hours away! Not sure how his school works, but hey, it’s his school. I’m sure it would have been fun.

I joined a Muay Thai place shortly after the OP.