that place has got some really cool looking videos that I would love to learn some forms from. I need to work on what I"ve got for now, though…which is my school, my Qigong book and my Wing Chun video. I can see working on all of those at once. I’m not really learning a whole lot in school now cuz most of it is building up my foundation for good stances and getting the kicking and punching down, so working in the Qigong and a little Wing Chun shouldn’t be too difficult.
sounds like a good idea.
How good are you with the basics you’ve gotten so far, I wonder
“I’m not really learning a whole lot in school now cuz most of it is building up my foundation for good stances and getting the kicking and punching down…”
So (needle-and-thread), you think that building up a good foundation for good stances and getting the kicking and punching down is not really a whole lot?
Someone asked about the style Matt Damon does in Bourne Identity. He said on Jay Leno that he trained in philipino martial art KALI. “it was vicious” 
Pretty cool, can’t wait to see it.
What I meant was that it’s not a lot mentally to learn and remember, but believe me, physically it is kickin my butt, and it does take up some time cuz I practice at home to get everything down.
As I think about it…I have been wondering how I would work everything in, particularly the Qigong because I basically want to work out when I work out, whether it’s Qigong or Kung Fu, so I don’t know if it’s ideal or not, but the Qigong is going to be done either immediately before or after working out, whichever way is best to go with that. I’m not looking in to developing any iron palm or stomach or anything that serious, just to help with my internal strength, energy and health.
Perhaps there is Qigong in your school’s basics.
Originally posted by dragontounge2
thats right wooha. If you try to kick some one in the head its the same as punching some one on their feet. Kick in the head when thier down;).
Does your school practice over the navel kicks. if you do its not a practical style and would deffinetly not recommend you use that crap on the street unless you want to get kicked in the balls. have you done a form yet? what about stances? punches? whats up?
I don’t agree with that at all. kicks, while I wouldn’t reccomend it, can be used high, and quite effectively if you have proper speed and timing. In addition high kicks are great as training aids - If you can kick high with power, you can ALWAYS kick low with power. just because you can kick low doesn’t mean that you can kick high. Do you consider longfist as an impractical style?
You gotta look at the broader scope of things. Will you fight from a thighs parallel horse stance? heck no, but it’s part of the training. When you fight, will you chamber your hand to you waist, or will you protect your head with it?
Originally posted by Sleemie
Can you do me a favor, then…I’ve tried to find a school in my area, but have had no luck. Since you’re in that circle, do you think you could find a school in my area? Maybe through one of the associations or something. I’m in the Northern Virginia area, specifically Fairfax. I can go with just about any area inside of Washington, DC, and SOME parts of Maryland, but I’m not willing to travel too far. I’ve already gotta travel 25 miles one way during rush hour traffic to my school, and I’m not willing to go any further than that.
Talk to Merry Prankster - He knows of most of the good schools in that area.
I do like the look of Wing Chun because of the techniques and hand movements…it looks like it’s a lot more practicle in terms of fighting and self defense. It also looks like it’s something that you can apply in a fighting situation a lot sooner than my Hung Fut. Maybe not in a tournament, which I don’t care about, but in real life, which is more important to me. So, although I like my hung fut style, I’m open to checking out a wing chun school to get a better feel for it. Not saying I’ll change, but am open to checking it out.
That pretty much sums it up… [/B]
If you think that hung fut is not practical, then you either should stick with it and see if it’s possible that you are missing something, or move on because it’s likely that the teacher is no good - or at least no good at teaching self defense. ALL styles have practicality.
Learning qigong from a book or video is not advisable, as you can harm yourself. Talk to your sifu and see if qi cultivation is included in your curriculum. since you are in an external style, you may not get into that type of thing until you reach advanced stages.
7*
“…it’s likely that the teacher is no good - or at least no good at teaching self defense.”
Generally, that is a logical deduction. However, it is Completely inappropriate here, as far as the actual.
I No_Know why you did not address that Sleemie has been to not much more than two classes.
The School Sleemie is attending has sparring classes. There are at least five levels of sparring. Sleemie hasn’t learned enough to take sparring there yet. Sleemie could start sparring after taking and passing a test on the School basics class material.
Hung Fut is not an external style. External/Internal if you have to.
I agree, which is why I stated that he should stick around for a bit first.
I never said Hung Fut was impracticle, I just said that in terms of applying the techniques to real life fighting that Wing Chun is probably more easily and quickly adaptable. In fact, my school even admits that the Hung Fut Techniques have to be modified for sparring. However, my primary purpose in taking Kung Fu is not for fighting, although the fact that it will help in that area is a major plus. I like Hung Fut because I’ve always liked the Shaolin Animal styles. Thus far, I’ve only learned the basics, but when I was younger I learned some Hung Gar and Praying Mantis, so I have a feel for what the style is like. I’ve decided to go ahead and stick with my Hung Fut, which is actually a very good style in terms of classical Kung Fu, and our Sifu is one of the more respected Kung Fu folks around in terms of his abilities and his school.
modified how?
as for wing chun - that will depend on the practitioner. some will find it easier, some will find other styles easier. That’s for the individual to determine for himself.
I think if you look at just about any of the Shaolin Animal styles they have to be modified for sparring. I think a lot of it is obvious, because you’re not going to use a tiger claw or crane’s beak or snake hand or manitis stricke while sparring, especially with gloves on. If you do sticky hands, then you can use those techniques, but sticky hands is not sparring. If you do regular sparring with equipment, gloves etc. you have to modify the techniques that are in the form. Even the delivery of the punch
(everything pretty much becomes a punch with your fist in sparring, as opposed to using the animal techniques) has to be changed to be more direct. With sticky hands, you’re told to use the techniques that you’ve learned in the forms, with sparring they have to teach you how to apply the techniques to sparring.