Im taking Kung fu now.

DeLamar.J

3rd Black Belt
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I really enjoy Kung Fu. The techniques are alot more useful to me than the karate techniques I have been using for about 10 years. I was sparring today and was hit with things I have never been hit with before. I have bruised up shins, arms, and a fat lip. My instructor is a black belt under Gene shacoin(not sure about the spelling).
I have never felt so powerless before while fighting someone. We start to exchange and then smack! right hook to my knee, I never have been hooked in the knee like that, then some long fist technique in the eye, shingy punch in the leg, or xing yi.
Then we do 3 stars, my arms hurt so bad, then we will bang shins. This guy has shins of steel. I feel like such a wuss afterwards because he doesnt even have a mark on him and Im all bruised up. I thought I was good until now. I have realized I have so much more to learn. Im not even going to go into chinese wrestling, all Im gonna say is my neck is killing me.
Chinese arts kick ***! I have trained in alot of arts and chinese is the most hard core IMO. The main thing thats bothering me is my arms and shins, and advice on how to harden them up a little quicker? Just blocking my instructors kicks and punches are killing me. I have never felt such hard bones, they are like steel I swear. He even lets people break sticks on his arms and legs, it crazy.
 
Atleast you are having fun and that is important to a person. Ihope your trainig goes well.

Terry Lee Stoker
 
Don't rush the conditioning, just take your time and your arms and legs will get stronger. I would advise that you use (a good) Dit Da Jow before and after the conditioning exercises to help with the healing process.:)
 
Indeed... what Pantherfirst said (Cheers!!). Sam Sing (3 stars) shouldn't be rushed into on arms or shins. It comes with time & make sure your sifu has a good supply of Dit Da Jow handy for post conditioning bruise rubbing & treatment.

The biggest thing about CMA IMHO is learning flow & continuity of technique. Don't force power or speed. Don't force anything really. If it doesn't work, move on & into something else that will or that will improve your position with your body. It's not about brute force, even with the Shuai Jiao. It's about upsetting & offsetting your opponent while hammering them good... :)
 
since I started this forum you have started 3 or 4 different arts and moved on. I suppose you are still searching, but i wonder, do you actually hold a rank in any style?
 
Han-Mi said:
since I started this forum you have started 3 or 4 different arts and moved on. I suppose you are still searching, but i wonder, do you actually hold a rank in any style?

It's not uncommon for someone to search until they find an art that fits them. The most important thing is finding what's right for them, not how many paths they took to get there.

Good Luck with your training!


jeff:)
 
Could you elaborate on what it is that makes Kung Fu "better" than the karate that you were studying, was it just the techniques or the instructor or the dojo or what?
I've always wanted to study kung fu and so I am interested in the why.
 
Hello, Each art teaches there way of fighting/defending/stances and so on. When learning in a new system things will be different.

It is good you are experience this. Keep in mind real fighting will also be different from what you are learning now. Real fighting has NO RULES, anything goes. Most time non-stop action. Including getting stab,shot,hit with chairs,bottles,etc, and other people around too.

If and when you get in a real fight? You will understand this more......very few people teach "anything go way of fighting" ? Know your laws and how to avoid getting into deeper trouble.

Avoidance is the best, read JUDO FU, Tongue Fu, etc,.......You might live longer.......................Aloha
 
Han-Mi said:
since I started this forum you have started 3 or 4 different arts and moved on. I suppose you are still searching, but i wonder, do you actually hold a rank in any style?
I am a 1st dan in Goju-Ryu Karate. I have been cross training in different arts such as Wing Chun and other chinese styles. I am now taking Kung Fu.
 
silatman said:
Could you elaborate on what it is that makes Kung Fu "better" than the karate that you were studying, was it just the techniques or the instructor or the dojo or what?
I've always wanted to study kung fu and so I am interested in the why.
The techniques just seem more efficient than the karate techniques I have learned. Such as, in Karate you have a front stance, in Kung Fu you have a drop stance and a bow and arrow stance. The Kung Fu stances just feel more versatile. In a karate front stance you feel very commited to the movement, with the bow and arrow and drop stance you seem to have better movement from technique to technique, you could actually use those stances in a fight, the karate front stance just dont feel right to actually use in a real fight IMO, Im sure some will disagree, its all personal preference.
There are many other examples I could go into. Basicly IMO, the chinese arts just seem to have more efficient techniques than most other arts I have studied. The drills are great, everything just seems to fit me better.
I will always have my Karate as my base art because I have been training in Karate since I was 9. The strong Karate backround has also made it alot easier for me to catch onto things, I pick up on how a technique is supposed to feel quite fast, and the deep stances has strengthened my legs for all the stance work we do in Kung Fu.
 
Hopefully you will catch on to some of the finer points as well without glossing over them. There are subtle details in Kung-Fu that take a very long time to truly figure out and train yourself to use at full speed.

Good luck with it and keep it fun for yourself.
 
DeLamar.J said:
I am a 1st dan in Goju-Ryu Karate. I have been cross training in different arts such as Wing Chun and other chinese styles. I am now taking Kung Fu.
thanks, just wondering
 
Exellant J. Stay with it and be patient. I went from Gong Fu to Karate and back to Gong Fu. After using chi gong to recover from old and new injuries I disscovered that Gong Fu contained every thing I needed and discontinued practicing other martial arts. Not saying this would be true for everyone, but for me expediancy is key.
 
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