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- Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
- Path: sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!srhqla!gaff
- From: gaff@sr.com (Jon Gaff)
- Subject: Forms: some observations.
- Message-ID: <1992Nov21.045350.13829@sr.com>
- Reply-To: gaff@srhqla.sr.com (Jon Gaff)
- Organization: Silent Radio, Los Angeles
- Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:53:50 GMT
- Lines: 48
-
- I am a student (as longtime netters are aware) of the Shaolin system
- taught by Sin Kwang The via the Soards and their Chinese Shaolin Ctr.
- organization... One of the things that I have found enlightening about
- the sequence of forms tught starting from the beginning level to the
- brown belt level (where I'm at now) is that each form teaches concepts
- and skills that you will need to grasp before you can successfully
- master/understand the next form in the series. An example of this
- in the weapons forms area would be that we learn nunchaku as a
- prelude to learning short stick (a 3-ft approx. rattan stick)
- which is a prelude for sword in brown belt. The nunchaku teach
- you how to focus your concentration and kinetic movement skills
- while to keep from knocking yourself out. But the key concept in
- nunchaku is to think of the two separated lengths of the weapon
- as really one piece and use the resulting kinetic energy
- accordingly instead of only thinking of the weapon as something
- you spin around to look flashy and intimidating. Mastering
- the "connectedness" between the two sections of the nunchaku
- is a sensible lead in to the more sword-like kinetic motions
- that underlie mastery of the short rattan stick as a weapon.
- The short stick teaches you how to move the stick in sync
- with the movement of your body mass and to then be able to
- deliver that mass/power via the striking edge or end of the
- staff. All the circles and cross-swing motions in short
- stick lead in to the kinetic principles behind using a blade.
-
- In the empty hand forms we learn, each form focuses on a
- particular aspect of power delivery. The tiger linkage form
- we learn in yellow belt teaches tight, circular, powerful
- strikes and intense forward movement. Yer basic tigerish
- qualities. The next form (usually) after that is a very
- relaxed bird form that teaches the concepts of delivering
- relaxed power via expansion and contraction and rising and
- sinking. A real eye-opener because you only "get it" by
- relaxing as much as possible, then learning where and just
- how to tense up as you pull in to deliver the focus of the
- power generated from expanding/relaxing/raising up.
-
- All in all, I've been impressed by the structure and method
- behind the series of forms taught. Each one creates the
- mental/physical foundation upon which the next piece of
- material can rest the most securely. and so on...
-
- Gongfu = time & effort (effort & time, actually, but anyway...)
-
-
- --
- Jon Gaff / SilentRadio head tech support bozo.
-
-