Some general newbie questions

[CMack11]

I'm a beginner studying the 7* Mantis system and had a few newbie questions.

What are outside gate and inside gate? Blocking from each gate?

We learned a dil sau (sp?) technique tonight where we were to block from the outside gate and use the dil sau and grab and pull the arm and I was having trouble remembering my gates.

Another one--Should I be stretching every day? What about situps? I was always taught to rest muscle groups so they can have time to repair and strenghten. I am terribly weak w/ my situps right now. I do them 3x / week right now, giving them 2 days rest on Sunday and Monday. Does this seem OK?

Also, for those who helped me out when I was searching--thanks again! I'm loving class, and get to test sometime this week or next to qualify for the full beginner class (instead of my 2x / week basic class I'm doing now). I'm excited...
Thanks in advance...

 

[Sarah]

Welcome to MT....I can’t help with your Kung Fu, but look around there are some great threads already on stretching...

 

[7starmantis]

Hey CMAck11,
Inside and Outside gate, sometimes refered to as death and life gates, refer to your position to your opponent. Outside gate would mean your on the outside of their "attack range". Think of it like this.... if your opponent took both their arms and held them straight out in front of them, you would be attacking from the outside gate if you were on the outside (elbow side) of their arms. Inside gate would be if you were inside their arms. An inside gate attack would have you intercept a punch on the inside and then attack moving in close with their arm to your outside. Man, this is kind of hard to explain. Am I making sense? Remember that you can ask any of these questions to your sihings as well, they are there to help you. Outside gate requires their arm be between me and them, inside means I am in close and there is nothing between me and them.

As far as stretching, yes I would say stretch everyday. I usually do a little tai chi in the morning to warm up my muscles and then stretch. Be very careful and try not to stretch while your muslces are completely cold, that can increase your chances of injury. AS for your abs, 3x a week is good. Your abs are muscles just like naything else and need time to rest, but the time muslces need to rest is greatly exagerated. I do abs 6 days a week and rest on sunday along with pushups and such. My true weight training I do 3xs a week, but body movement excersizes I do everyday during the week.
You will find your own method, just make sure it is proper and healthy.

Good luck in your training, how are you liking it so far?

7sm

 

[CMack11]

Thanks 7star! It makes sense to me. I had a vague idea of what they were, but the description of the attacker with arms out helped a lot. I planned on asking the sihings, but I didn't get time before I left class.


I am absolutely LOVING my training so far. It's very challenging, but a lot of fun. I find myself sitting in my office going over stuff we did in the last class, or doing willow leaf palm or blocking while driving (admittedly not such a great idea). The way sifu Hughes structures the classes, you have to do a basic class, which is only 30 min / class and only 2x / week. Sihing Leverett (who teaches the basic class) said they really liked my progress so far and are going to invite me to start attending the full classes soon (they call it Black Belt Leadership training), which I'm ready for. I keep wanting to learn more.

 

[7starmantis]

I'm glad your liking your training. I do that still sometimes, go over forms or techniques in my head. Last semester I was sitting in class thinking of all the applications to a staff set I was working on, and I got called on in class, had no idea what we were talking about! It was pretty funny. Luckily for me, I work here at my school now, so if I start thinking about something, I can just go in the other room and actually play the form.

7sm

 

[Darksoul]

-7*, could you write a little bit about your experience with Springy Legs?


A---)

 

[7starmantis]

-7*, could you write a little bit about your experience with Springy Legs?


A---)

I'm not completely sure what you mean by "Springy Legs". Admitedly we spend more time on a physical technique than learning its name, so sometimes I have different names for things than others. Would you explain a bit of what you mean and I'll relate some of my experience. Sorry.

7sm

 

[Darksoul]

-No need to apologize, I should be more specific, though I'll admit I haven't learned the names of forms yet. I think its called 'Tan Tui'. I started praying mantis early september, so I'm still quite the newbie. I guess any experience you could relate about doing forms would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks!

A---)

 

[7starmantis]

There is a tan tui "springy legs routine" set that I learned a long time ago, it was a really good workout on the legs, I remember that much! Forms are good, especially to get you in shape and used to doing the mantis movements. I usually practice my forms in sets of at least three. One time doing it really slow, like tai chi slow. One time powerful, putting alot of power in each tehcnique regardless of speed, and then one time very fast and powerful, trying to do it as perfect as possible. It can really increase your cardio to do them back to back. I find forms usefull for learning a technique and then applying it in chi sau. Some of the mantis forms are very akward feeling at first, but upon learning how to apply them and hook them up in fighting, they are very usefull. I really enjoy learning forms, there are some really hard advanced forms in the 7* system.

7sm

 

[Darksoul]

-Sorry to take so long in replying, but I did figure out that this particular form is actually not in the 7* curriculum. It was added on at some point because of it being a good form for basics. It might be under the Wah Lum school, though I can't remember. I've only learned the first 3 roads, out of the 12, but I like the simplicity. I've seen some of the advanced forms, and yes, they do look difficult. But I look forward to them. Thanks for the info, I like the way you practice.

A---)

 

[7starmantis]

Yes, sounds like you were talking about the tan tui routine from Wah Lum. My sigung also studied Wah Lum so I've learned some here and there over the years.

7sm

 

[CMack11]

We're learning a 'tan tui' form in my class also. My sifu said it's one of the 12 forms we learn. I think we call it (please forgive the horrible spelling) 'sopi lo tam tui', but he called it a 'springy legs' form. He said it was #12 in our '12 roads', but for some reason we're learning it first.

 

[Darksoul]

-Yep, I do believe thats the one I'm working on, 12 Roads. So far I've only learned three of them, though concentrating more on basics and stances. And let me inject a little sarcasm when I say 'Ma Bu' is a lot of fun;-)


A---)