A question for kungfu guys who've fought/ trained alive

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
1

What in your kung fu has proven most useful, and what hasn’t worked well for you at this point?

Generalities first, specifics next.

Many have talked about this in vague terms, never really seen anyone specifically lay it down.

No training methodology talk here. Technique and approaches to technique. No one cares if you thought chi sao/tuishou was the same as fighting, help your kung fu brothers out with the fruits of your labors.

In taixuquan:

I mostly have been finding that a move generally has a narrow number of useful techniques, the style has the tools that you would expect.

That said, the school of thought that strikes more wing chunish doesn’t seem to work, while the school of thought that sticks to the chen stylish approach to striking works much better(go figure, since the style has strong similarities to chen style).

Also, the school of thought that has hooking feet everywhere works, imo, disastrously badly, while the one that lets the foot point forward when it needs to, and hook where it needs to, seems to be much more effective at entering for the throw and way more fluid in footwork itself.

The first step as a strike, common in some circles, is almost always unsuccesful. The fajin version, which is almost more a throw, thus far seems more logical, but it is a move I’m still not happy with, though I intend to focus on it shortly in drills I practice.

2

Practice with an open mind and the willingness to except that my “style” or any “style” has flaws and shouldn’t be taken literal has proven most useful. I use the “styles” as a template to develop myself as a martial artist. I use the classical Shaolin to create a base, with all the weapons and forms and concepts and theories it gives me a foundation to able pick up other art forms easier. I’ve been filling the holes over the years with other systems such as Chen Tai Chi, Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Boxing and BJJ. It sounds like a lot but I got nothing else to do anyways and I can afford the opportunity; I spend my mornings and afternoons at another school learning and then run mine in then evenings.

Laziness doesn’t work well for me.

3

I keep it tight.
I stay away from the big large actions.
I don’t kick above the waste, in fact, rarely above the knee.

4

[QUOTE=Shaolin;1030092]I’ve been filling the holes over the years with other systems such as Chen Tai Chi, Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Boxing and BJJ.[/QUOTE]

Could you define the holes and whick styles you used to fill which holes? Thanks.

[QUOTE=David Jamieson;1030093]I keep it tight.
I stay away from the big large actions.
I don’t kick above the waste, in fact, rarely above the knee.[/QUOTE]

I’m with you on most kicks, though I’ll occasionally go higher, but very rarely.

5

Use circular or angular evasion against straight-line attacks.

Keep your hands up and your chin down.

Move. Really, just stay very mobile at all time.

Use circular hand strikes only when the opponent is advancing & you’re moving away from his force or if he’s been stunned, otherwise use straight-line strikes.

Of course these are just a few points and there are no absolutes in combat, but these generalities are a good idea most of the time.

6

[QUOTE=cerebus;1030104]

Move. Really, just stay very mobile at all time.

[/QUOTE]

Agreed. I think a lot of people think that fluidity in form is all the fluidity one needs, and then, in fighting, they don’t move as soon as they hit one hitch. I’m sure most of us have been there at one point or another.

7

Comfortable stance, footwork, footwork, footwork, protect oneself at all times,

as for techniques from Kung Fu: Upset punch from clinch, jab, cross or straight punch, serpent punch (very similiar to upper cut) Mantis sticky hands, Elbow strikes, Knee strikes (we have two sets known as elbow sequence and knee sequence where these are learned) roundhouse kick, hook kick, side thrust kick, front thrust kick (teep in Muay Thai), various spinning kicks though I neve liked turning my back, spinning back fist, others I am probably forgetting.

There are techniques I was never good at but have seen others use, Eagle Wing comes to mind (ridgehand). The main thing is getting some good contact sparring going and experimenting what works and what doesn’t.

8

Core basics for the win, always.
If there is one lesson I have learned in the striking arts is that if your strike doesn’t inflict enough damage to compromise the opponents ability to **** you up, you are in a world of trouble.

9

[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1030115]Core basics for the win, always.
If there is one lesson I have learned in the striking arts is that if your strike doesn’t inflict enough damage to compromise the opponents ability to **** you up, you are in a world of trouble.[/QUOTE]

So, what strikes from kung fu do you favor, and which not?

PE aside, of course.;):smiley:

10

[QUOTE=KC Elbows;1030119]So, what strikes from kung fu do you favor, and which not?

PE aside, of course.;):D[/QUOTE]

There is no such a thing as a “kung fu strike”, but I favour overhands and cross, hooks and uppercust because they suit my body type and power production platform.
Or in english:
I have short, stubby arms and need to get inside and hit people.

I don’t do any other specialised fist than the PE, I don’t do finger strikes but do wrist strikes and backfist and “knife and ridgehand” strikes.
Elbows too of course.
Pretty much anything anyone learns in the first year of MA training.

11

[QUOTE=KC Elbows;1030119]So, what strikes from kung fu do you favor, and which not?[/QUOTE]

Favor:

  • groin kick, head punch combo.
  • garb on opponent’s shirt, raise up leg, pull out a dagger from the boots, and stab that dagger into opponent’s heart combo (same as groin kick, comb hair, hammer fist combo).
12

[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1030145]Favor:

  • groin kick, head punch combo.
  • garb on opponent’s shirt, raise up leg, pull out a dagger from the boots, and stab that dagger into opponent’s heart combo (same as groin kick, comb hair, hammer fist combo).[/QUOTE]

With the above information in mind, if I see you coming down the street towards me, then I will cross to the other side of the road.

This is called my “survival to live a long life, combo”.:smiley:

13

be able to take an ass kicking. you fight you get hurt, can u keep going after you take some real damage? how is your recovery mid fight from getting clocked hard, or getting ur ribs rocked and your breath taken? will you keep fighting if someting minor breaks, or throw in the towel?

14

[QUOTE=KC Elbows;1030090]What in your kung fu has proven most useful, and what hasn’t worked well for you at this point?

Generalities first, specifics next.

Many have talked about this in vague terms, never really seen anyone specifically lay it down.

No training methodology talk here. Technique and approaches to technique. No one cares if you thought chi sao/tuishou was the same as fighting, help your kung fu brothers out with the fruits of your labors.
[/QUOTE]

Chow Gar and Wing Chun,

Move into an on coming comitted attack and neutralize there and then by strikes. Wether the moving in is angled or just goes through the opponent, will depend on who the enemy is (strength/size, etc.), and how he attacks you.

I believe that a mindset of not-going back and finding your way through to an un coming attacker, is a treasure of some TCMA methodologies, as it impacts the attacker when he is most vulnerable, hence it is an opportunity to finish the encounter there and then.

This is very useful if you may be facing other attackers, or if you need to get out of there really quick.

I hope that this answers, at least partially, your question.

15

I use standard punches (jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts - call em by their chinese names if you want).

kicks are usually stoppers and jammers.

I head hunt as far as targets go.

I don’t go for the constantly mobile thing and prefer a stick and move routine as far as footwork goes. Kinda like a larry holmes approach. no immobile, but not running around for position either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHSTSh-ypcw

16

[QUOTE=Lucas;1030151]be able to take an ass kicking. you fight you get hurt, can u keep going after you take some real damage? how is your recovery mid fight from getting clocked hard, or getting ur ribs rocked and your breath taken? will you keep fighting if someting minor breaks, or throw in the towel?[/QUOTE]

That’s an “intangiable” dude, its an unknown factor that I have seen work against those that THOUGHT they could take a punch.
Sure the ability to absorb punishment is crucial in a fight, problem is that it is an unknown factor to a good extent.
Fact is, anyone gets it in the right place and they are out.
I think you mean ones ability to get hit without really getting hit.

17

[QUOTE=Lucas;1030151]be able to take an ass kicking. you fight you get hurt, can u keep going after you take some real damage? how is your recovery mid fight from getting clocked hard, or getting ur ribs rocked and your breath taken? will you keep fighting if someting minor breaks, or throw in the towel?[/QUOTE]

And this is related to the thread how?:smiley:

Care to share what from kungfu you use or do not find useful?

18

Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
be able to take an ass kicking. you fight you get hurt, can u keep going after you take some real damage? how is your recovery mid fight from getting clocked hard, or getting ur ribs rocked and your breath taken? will you keep fighting if someting minor breaks, or throw in the towel?

you must be speaking about sport fighting. a street fight doesn’t last that long.

19

[QUOTE=hskwarrior;1030166]you must be speaking about sport fighting. a street fight doesn’t last that long.[/QUOTE]

For the sake of this thread, it doesn’t matter. If someone found something useful in their kung fu for either, or not, is what is relevant.

There really is no place for a street vs. sport argument in here, because nothing about the thread places a higher value on either thing, the value is in what the person posting found useful and why.

20

7* Praying Mantis

I find a linking technique called “tu sau” or “intercepting hand” incredibly useful.

We trained it as a sweeping type of motion where your palm starts under the arm near the pit, fingers up, and the back of your hand travels down the length of your arm as your other arm is withdrawn (I’m describing the details of this technique because in a very popular book by a very popular man, he had this technique dead wrong and people who read that book might not know what I’m talking about) - it can be used to move from an inside position to an outside position and vice versa. It’s a great technique for setting things up. I use it in Judo and BJJ all the time and I of course use it in live hands training in mantis.