Which workout will give you better health benefit?

[Gerry Seymour]

Really, who says that, ever watch a boxer working out.... or a BJJ guy....believe me, they are not lazy.

Besides, with that way of thinking, all martial arts are lazy compared to Savate

Or Capoeira.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Life is so funny. When you get older, your kicking will get worse (worse balance, worse flexibility). You have to do more kicking in order to keep your body young.

But if you can still kick your leg above your head, you will have confidence that you won't fall down by accident and break your hip during your older age.

This may not be that easy for those who have no MA training. But for us MA people, this should not be that hard to do.

At no point in my life have I been able to kick my leg over my head, even at my most fit and flexible.

 

[Xue Sheng]

The 武坛 Wu Tan, Liu Yuan Chao's students in Taiwan said this. The Baji people don't believe one should skip the compress-release power generation training that Xing Yi people can't care less about it. The Baji people look at this from the power generation point of view which have nothing to do with kicking.

As far as kicking is harder than punching. it's just my personal experience and opinion.

So it was back in Taiwan again, ok, explains why i never heard it in the USA, or mainland China.

Not sure what "compress-release power generation training" is, or I might, just not described in that way. What are you referring to when you say "compress-release power generation training"

 

[Xue Sheng]

At no point in my life have I been able to kick my leg over my head, even at my most fit and flexible.

Actually in TKD and then later in Shaolin Long Fist, I could... but 30 years later, not a chance. Arthritis in the hips took care of that

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Actually in TKD and then later in Shaolin Long Fist, I could... but 30 years later, not a chance. Arthritis in the hips took care of that

My best has always (including in the last few years) been kicking at my own head height. At one point, I could easily round-kick someone my own height in the head (but never much above that).

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

So it was back in Taiwan again, ok, explains why i never heard it in the USA, or mainland China.

Not sure what "compress-release power generation training" is, or I might, just not described in that way. What are you referring to when you say "compress-release power generation training"

You stretch your body to the maximum in one direction. You then borrow the rebound back force and punch out the other hand.

In the following clip, Adam's right arm has strectched forward as far as he can (compress). He then borrow the rebound back force, pull his right arm back, and punch out his left fist (release).

As far as I know, most MA systems don't use this approach.

 

[Xue Sheng]

My best has always (including in the last few years) been kicking at my own head height. At one point, I could easily round-kick someone my own height in the head (but never much above that).

These days I'm working to get back to kicking at waist height

 

[Xue Sheng]

You stretch your body to the maximum in one direction. You then borrow the rebound back force and punch out the other hand.

In the following clip, Adam's right arm has strectched forward as far as he can (compress). He then borrow the rebound back force, pull his right arm back, and punch out his left fist (release).

As far as I know, most MA systems don't use this approach.

Xingyiquan and Taijiquan we do what we call coiling, like twisting a spring and releasing it.

 

[mograph]

These days I'm working to get back to kicking at waist height

I'm working to get back to kicking at ankle height.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Xingyiquan and Taijiquan we do what we call coiling, like twisting a spring and releasing it.

Same idea I believe.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Xingyiquan and Taijiquan we do what we call coiling, like twisting a spring and releasing it.

I believe the differemce between Baji power generation and Xing Yi power generation is the "intend".

- In Baji you try to reach to the maximum effect. You have strong desire to do so.
- In Xing Yi, you let your body to flow. Your desire is not that strong (may be I'm talking about Xing Yi An jing, or Xing Yi Hua jing).

 

[Xue Sheng]

I believe the differemce between Baji power generation and Xing Yi power generation is the "intend".

- In Baji you try to reach to the maximum effect. You have strong desire to do so.
- In Xing Yi, you let let your body to flow. Your desire is not that strong (may be I'm talking about Xing Yi An jing, or Xing Yi Hua jing).

One Xing Yi master told his students to just sent punch out without putting any power into it. IMO, that's not realistic.

Not the same as the Hebei and Wudang Xingyiquan I have trained at all. The reason for standing in Santi Shi and getting the structure is for power in the strikes. I have meant a couple Xingyi shifus who hit like a truck. There is a lot of power in the xingyiquan strikes I trained, but it comes from upper and lower unity and proper structure. But then all of mine comes from mainland.

However this may explain why a gentleman who sent me a video of his teacher, from Taiwan, doing 5 elements, appeared to me to have no power. It was much softer than what I've learned. Heck it looked much softer than the fast forms I learned in Tung Ying Chieh's flavor of Yang Taijiquan

 

[Sifu Ken of 8 Tigers]

Do you really think people who train barefoot have trouble walking in shoes or on normal ground?

I was being facetious in my exaggeration.

My point is that you fight like you train. If you only slide your feet on a smooth floor when you train, it sucks to be you when you need to move on a high-friction uneven surface and your trained reactions kick in.

I always train my students outdoors to some extent. Another trick is to throw a bunch of sticks or other objects on the ground and kick them around while sparring. It completely throws off most people ... until you do it once or twice. If you can practice in a dynamic environment, there will be no surprises when you're outside the comfort zone of a typical training area.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I was being facetious in my exaggeration.

My point is that you fight like you train. If you only slide your feet on a smooth floor when you train, it sucks to be you when you need to move on a high-friction uneven surface.

It's not necessarily as big a deal as you seem to think. Every school I've ever been a part of was a barefoot on smooth (ish) floors place. I've occasionally worn sparring shoes to pamper an injury, and I've had far too many use of force involvements in the ED. Never found the differing footwear or surface to be an issue at all. Not at all.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I was being facetious in my exaggeration.

My point is that you fight like you train. If you only slide your feet on a smooth floor when you train, it sucks to be you when you need to move on a high-friction uneven surface and your trained reactions kick in.

I always train my students outdoors to some extent. Another trick is to throw a bunch of sticks or other objects on the ground and kick them around while sparring. It completely throws off most people ... until you do it once or twice. If you can practice in a dynamic environment, there will be no surprises when you're outside the comfort zone of a typical training area.

I have trained 25 years in cotton soled shoes on a waxed and polished concrete floor which is very slippery. It teaches people control themselves and their movements. If you can kick full force with extension and retract without disturbing your structure on the slippery floor, then that is a very useful skill that actually transfers very well to rubber soled shoes on a high traction surface. I often see people that can kick powerfully under normal circumstances, but when I put them on the floor they just fall down or fail to generate the same level of power in the kick. It seems to work well for training correct structure. The art of stacking and folding…

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I was being facetious in my exaggeration.

My point is that you fight like you train. If you only slide your feet on a smooth floor when you train, it sucks to be you when you need to move on a high-friction uneven surface and your trained reactions kick in.

I always train my students outdoors to some extent. Another trick is to throw a bunch of sticks or other objects on the ground and kick them around while sparring. It completely throws off most people ... until you do it once or twice. If you can practice in a dynamic environment, there will be no surprises when you're outside the comfort zone of a typical training area.

If you never train on a slippery surface, I urge you to try it, it has a value as a training tool.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I was being facetious in my exaggeration.

My point is that you fight like you train. If you only slide your feet on a smooth floor when you train, it sucks to be you when you need to move on a high-friction uneven surface and your trained reactions kick in.

I always train my students outdoors to some extent. Another trick is to throw a bunch of sticks or other objects on the ground and kick them around while sparring. It completely throws off most people ... until you do it once or twice. If you can practice in a dynamic environment, there will be no surprises when you're outside the comfort zone of a typical training area.

Ah, that’s much clearer. Agreed! I train (and teach, when I have students) occasionally on different surfaces and in different clothes, for that same reason.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

It's not necessarily as big a deal as you seem to think. Every school I've ever been a part of was a barefoot on smooth (ish) floors place. I've occasionally worn sparring shoes to pamper an injury, and I've had far too many use of force involvements in the ED. Never found the differing footwear or surface to be an issue at all. Not at all.

With the footwork we (in NGA) typically train, it’s more of an issue. We use a lot of sliding steps for trait purposes, and they become problematic if you’ve never trained on uneven surfaces or with grippy shoes to learn how they adapt.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

At no point in my life have I been able to kick my leg over my head, even at my most fit and flexible.

Bruce Lee's movies forced me to train high kicks. Back in the 70, if I couldn't kick high like Bruce Lee did. I won't get any students.

Today for me to maintain those ability, it gets harder and harder every year.

 

[Flying Crane]

Or Capoeira.

I was in absolutely the best shape of my life when I was an obsessive capoeirista.