Traning at Home

[wingchun100]

Obviously this is not ideal, especially for a style that requires you to feel things, but...life happens, and sometimes you cannot go to class. That is the case with me right now. Even though the class itself is free, it costs extra gas money to go there, and I am in such a financial rut that I won't be able to go for a while.

I had some ideas, but I was wondering what you all do when you don't have any training partners. Here is a rundown of some things I had in mind:

1) Practice forms. I know all 3 empty hand and the dummy form, although I do not have a completed wooden dummy yet. (However, that will be happening soon.)

2) Do 1000 punches. I don't know where the idea for that number came into my head, but it's there. I figure even if I practice half of that, I'm good.

3) Practice kicks. Not sure how many. I did not put a number on this because sometimes when I kick, I still lose balance. I figure it would be better if I practice fewer kicks that are GOOD, as opposed to aiming for 500 per day, and I am off-balance for half of them.

4) Punch the wall bag. This can obviously be combined with item 2.

5) Practice doing simultaneous blocks and attacks with a pivot. Anyone who has read other posts of mine know that I still pivot with the weight sometimes going back to my heels, which of course will make it easy to uproot me. That's why I considered this for solo practice.

6) Shadow boxing. For a while I was doing five 3-minute rounds every other day, but after a while it got boring to me because I can imagine people attacking me only in so many different ways. It just got redundant and boring to me.

So that's what I got so far. Any other ideas?

 

[guy b]

double end bag

wall bag

heavy bag

pole

Anyone who has read other posts of mine know that I still pivot with the weight sometimes going back to my heels,

Since you sound confused on this, I would get some instruction before trying to practice at home

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Obviously this is not ideal, especially for a style that requires you to feel things, but...life happens, and sometimes you cannot go to class. That is the case with me right now. Even though the class itself is free, it costs extra gas money to go there, and I am in such a financial rut that I won't be able to go for a while.

I had some ideas, but I was wondering what you all do when you don't have any training partners. Here is a rundown of some things I had in mind:

1) Practice forms. I know all 3 empty hand and the dummy form, although I do not have a completed wooden dummy yet. (However, that will be happening soon.)

2) Do 1000 punches. I don't know where the idea for that number came into my head, but it's there. I figure even if I practice half of that, I'm good.

3) Practice kicks. Not sure how many. I did not put a number on this because sometimes when I kick, I still lose balance. I figure it would be better if I practice fewer kicks that are GOOD, as opposed to aiming for 500 per day, and I am off-balance for half of them.

4) Punch the wall bag. This can obviously be combined with item 2.

5) Practice doing simultaneous blocks and attacks with a pivot. Anyone who has read other posts of mine know that I still pivot with the weight sometimes going back to my heels, which of course will make it easy to uproot me. That's why I considered this for solo practice.

6) Shadow boxing. For a while I was doing five 3-minute rounds every other day, but after a while it got boring to me because I can imagine people attacking me only in so many different ways. It just got redundant and boring to me.

So that's what I got so far. Any other ideas?

Put some specific movement practice in there. When I wasn't able to train with others, I spent a lot of time keeping up footwork, working on timing between hands and feet and weight shifts.

I also took the time to do a lot of work on thinking through scenarios. I find that when I'm working with a partner, I don't stop often enough and just analyze where our bodies are and what other options I might have. Working alone, I can leave my imaginary training partner in any position I like for as long as I like while I contemplate the physics and possibilities of the situation. I'd often place myself in both positions (attacker and defender) and try to feel the weight shifts, imagine the impacts, and look for better interactions from both sides. It takes a lot of imagination and a strong commitment to keeping it realistic, but my understanding and application improved because of it.

 

[wingchun100]

double end bag

wall bag

heavy bag

pole



Since you sound confused on this, I would get some instruction before trying to practice at home

I have some instruction already. Thank you.

 

[wingchun100]

Put some specific movement practice in there. When I wasn't able to train with others, I spent a lot of time keeping up footwork, working on timing between hands and feet and weight shifts.

I also took the time to do a lot of work on thinking through scenarios. I find that when I'm working with a partner, I don't stop often enough and just analyze where our bodies are and what other options I might have. Working alone, I can leave my imaginary training partner in any position I like for as long as I like while I contemplate the physics and possibilities of the situation. I'd often place myself in both positions (attacker and defender) and try to feel the weight shifts, imagine the impacts, and look for better interactions from both sides. It takes a lot of imagination and a strong commitment to keeping it realistic, but my understanding and application improved because of it.

That is a good idea. When I did the shadow boxing, I was imagining it as a more or less constant barrage of attacks. However, the problem was they were the SAME attacks over and over. I thought of the idea a while back of going to YouTube and just typing "Street fight" into the search engine. There is no shortage of videos like that. I could observe and get ideas for other ways that someone might attack.

 

[guy b]

I have some instruction already. Thank you.

You are asking for advice about pivoting on a forum

 

[wingchun100]

You are asking for advice about pivoting on a forum

Yes...yes I was, but I was not "confused." I have a clear idea of what I am doing wrong and was asking advice on how to fix it.

 

[Cephalopod]

Is there anyone from your class who lives in your neck of the woods who might want to drop by for a little extra training?
You just can't beat mano a mano.

 

[Juany118]

Put some specific movement practice in there. When I wasn't able to train with others, I spent a lot of time keeping up footwork, working on timing between hands and feet and weight shifts.

I also took the time to do a lot of work on thinking through scenarios. I find that when I'm working with a partner, I don't stop often enough and just analyze where our bodies are and what other options I might have. Working alone, I can leave my imaginary training partner in any position I like for as long as I like while I contemplate the physics and possibilities of the situation. I'd often place myself in both positions (attacker and defender) and try to feel the weight shifts, imagine the impacts, and look for better interactions from both sides. It takes a lot of imagination and a strong commitment to keeping it realistic, but my understanding and application improved because of it.

Foot work, footwork, footwork.

I actually made a "diamond" out of PVC tubing (using Kali sticks as the baseline length) so there are times when I will simply practice proper footwork moving in, out and laterally, 360 degrees around it. You would be surprised, when starting out, how often you will not step around but over the pipes when very close. In a real fight that means you are tripping yourself on your opponent's leg. It's also useful to do this with a partner, both of you "dancing" around it because you have to learn timing as you move back and forth in opposing directions. It gets even more fun if instead of a set pattern you have one partner lead the general direction because that helps you learn to read body language if not leading and how to hide telegraphing if leading

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

 

[KangTsai]

What type of kick do you lose balance on?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Foot work, footwork, footwork.

I actually made a "diamond" out of PVC tubing (using Kali sticks as the baseline length) so there are times when I will simply practice proper footwork moving in, out and laterally, 360 degrees around it. You would be surprised, when starting out, how often you will not step around but over the pipes when very close. In a real fight that means you are tripping yourself on your opponent's leg. It's also useful to do this with a partner, both of you "dancing" around it because you have to learn timing as you move back and forth in opposing directions. It gets even more fun if instead of a set pattern you have one partner lead the general direction because that helps you learn to read body language if not leading and how to hide telegraphing if leading

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Do you have a picture of the diamond you made? I have some vague memory of the footwork from some of the FMA I've dabbled with, and can't help thinking that's the part that's most useful to me right now.

 

[Juany118]

Do you have a picture of the diamond you made? I have some vague memory of the footwork from some of the FMA I've dabbled with, and can't help thinking that's the part that's most useful to me right now.

Just got home, I'll post one tomorrow, but essentially it's simply 4 pieces of PVC pipe connected by four 90 degree connectors. The length of each side is equal to one of my Kali sticks. I don't glue them because there are some footwork drills that only use a triangle as well. In class we will just place the Kali sticks on the floor but I had some extra PVC lying around after another project so figured "what the hell, don't need to buy another 2 Kali sticks for a quintet.

 

[KPM]

Simpler solution. Get some painter's tape and just tape out the pattern on the floor. It sticks pretty well for as long as you want it, and peels up nicely when you don't want it any more! It will stick to carpet or flooring. I use it for Silat Langka patterns.

 

[wckf92]

There's a lot of different legwork and footwork in the gerk jong's...which are basically different sized triangles made of posts sticking up out of the ground.

@wingchun100 for your loss of balance when kicking...IME the fastest way to fix this would be a lot of single leg training (i.e. post training). Even when doing your wallbag training, train it on one leg.

 

[wingchun100]

Is there anyone from your class who lives in your neck of the woods who might want to drop by for a little extra training?
You just can't beat mano a mano.

I wish. I live in Stillwater NY. Most of my fellow students live closer to my Sifu, who is about an hour away.

 

[wingchun100]

Just got home, I'll post one tomorrow, but essentially it's simply 4 pieces of PVC pipe connected by four 90 degree connectors. The length of each side is equal to one of my Kali sticks. I don't glue them because there are some footwork drills that only use a triangle as well. In class we will just place the Kali sticks on the floor but I had some extra PVC lying around after another project so figured "what the hell, don't need to buy another 2 Kali sticks for a quintet.

I would like to see this drill in action too so, aside from a picture, a video would be interesting, if possible.

 

[wingchun100]

What type of kick do you lose balance on?

Primarily on the side kick, even though I do it only as high as the knee. There are some people who will go as high as the waist, but I don't like to do that because I always think, "If I were fighting a grappler, this would be like handing them my head." Hell, even if someone DOESN'T train in grappling, I think they could take advantage of it.

I'm not saying my self-imposed "no kicks higher than knees" rule is right for everyone. It is just the one that seems right for me, given my balance issues.

 

[wingchun100]

There's a lot of different legwork and footwork in the gerk jong's...which are basically different sized triangles made of posts sticking up out of the ground.

@wingchun100 for your loss of balance when kicking...IME the fastest way to fix this would be a lot of single leg training (i.e. post training). Even when doing your wallbag training, train it on one leg.

Different schools use different terminology. I know "gerk" is for legs, but the term "gerk jong" escapes me.

A-Googling I will go.

 

[wingchun100]

Got it. Somehow I don't recall ever seeing these before!

 

[wckf92]

Got it. Somehow I don't recall ever seeing these before!

just FYI...your image doesn't show up? Did you 'attach' it or 'copy/paste' it into your reply?