New student, lots of questions...

Discuss shaolin longfist, white crane or other styles. Theory, practice and applications. Please stay on topic.

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New student, lots of questions...

Postby rich251076 » Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:09 pm

I am a 31 years old and a bit out of shape. I am interested in taking up a form of kung fu which will help my health, flexibility and also teach me acrobatic movements to some degree, with time. I am also interested in weapons training in sword, pole and maybe one day, whip chain (<- is this something taught?), just for the enjoyment of it - is Northern style long fist - what I am seeking?

I live in central MA just outside Worcester. I wondered if anyone knew of a YMAA teached who taught nearby?

My other option is to attend the Boston center - I see Dr Yang will be leaving - is the center remaining open? What classes would be recommended for an adult begginer and what would the initial content be like for the first 6-12 months of training?

I had considered Wushu - type schools in the area, but feel these move away from traditionalism and application of techniques - how much does the longfist style differ from what is taught in Wushu and does 'Sports Wushu' borrow a lot from this?

Well I had done many years of Karate as a teenager, and I am just looking to find a more fluid art and get back in good shape, and well, enjoy the experience.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

R
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Postby rich251076 » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:41 pm

Anyone!!?
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Postby nyang » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:16 pm

31 is not too late to be training very acrobatic or physical types of exercise, altho admittedly, it's not the ideal age. i've seen ppl in their 30s or even 40s doing very physically demanding things. it's partly a matter of correct and proper practice, and knowing your body. everybody's bodies have different limitations and in different areas. just be careful not to overstrain or overdo anything, because injuries will be more and more of a pain when you get older. and after a certain age, you must just accept that your body will not physically be able to do what you were capable of before.

as an example, a common case of improper training is in Iron Sand Palm, where ppl just smash away, and while your hands might get stronger while you're young, if you don't balance it out with more yin-oriented training, you have a higher chance of getting arthritis, high blood pressure, and damaged nerves as you age.

but that example aside, the same concepts apply for general training overall. if for example, you train too much of your legs without letting them heal properly, especially if you partially damage something and continue to train on it, you may find yourself with a serious knee, hip, or ankle injury suddenly. some of these injuries you wont even feel until you get older. you just have to be more and more careful as you get older, because injuries are easier to come by and take much longer to heal, compared to younger years. and once you're stuck with an injury, you're stuck.

if you're just starting out from being out of shape, the general rule is to slowly and gradually condition your body. you can't jump straight into an intense workout, or else you will increase the risk of injuries, maybe permanent ones. also, if you workout really hard one day of the week, and you can't move from muscle soreness for the rest of the week, that does not help either because it becomes an irregular training schedule. you need to just slowly build up. give it at least 3-6 months before you start seeing results. 1 year, minimum, to start feeling more up to speed with the training.

so, getting back to your post, for health, nothing can beat Taijiquan, and that is something you will be able to do in old age as well. there are also things like Qigong training, 5-animal sports, Taiji Ball, and Pushing Hands, which are all very highly beneficial to strengthening the body, joints, and muscles. Yoga is also very good for opening up joints and circulation.

for flexibility and acrobatics, modern Wushu or regular gymnastics classes are well suited for it. at YMAA, as well as many other traditional schools, we tend to focus more on other aspects of the training, although we do also train stretching and jumping. as you said, modern Wushu tends to move away from traditionalism and application of techniques, because it is more performance-oriented. many of the stances, and basic fundamentals are the same in both traditional and modern Wushu, but it's the overall training style that differs. traditional training will initially focus much more on basics, rooting, conditioning, foundation, etc before moving on to any sequences or weapons. it usually takes much more time and patience.

at YMAA, there is heavy emphasis on basics for the 1st level: stances, footwork, hand forms. the 1st level usually takes about 3 months to get up to a good level. staff sequences are not introduced until 2nd level, and sword is not introduced until 8th level. but there are separate classes and seminars that teach purely weapons basics, so it's not necessary that you learn everything in sequence of the levels. the whip chain is something that we don't teach until a student finishes the 10-level curriculum, as it is considered a non-standard weapon. in our standards program, we focus mainly on the weapons: staff, saber, sword, spear, short rods. if you're looking to learn weapons just for personal enjoyment, look into YMAA seminars or private lessons. otherwise checkout some other schools and see what their programs have to offer. YMAA has a very standardized program and we try our best to maintain quality by training weapons only when a student is deemed qualified. we currently don't have any YMAA schools in central MA. our schools are listed here http://ymaa.com/training/schools. it might be worth checking out a few Wushu schools and traditional schools in the area, as making a commute all the way to Boston can be a bit hassling. try to take what you want from the schools, as each school usually has something specific and special to offer. if you can make it to YMAA Boston, you are definitely more than welcome to join us in our training :) YMAA Boston will remain open and seminars will be held in the summertime by instructors, and in February 2009 next year by Dr. Yang.

it sounds like Northern Long fist could be a good fit for what you're looking for. Northern styles emphasize a lot of jumping, kicking, and acrobatic-style movements. in terms of weapons, many different weapons are included in many styles, so it's not necessary that you learn only weapons from Northern Long Fist.

any background in martial arts tends to help, although you might have to break some habits. different styles and different teachers often have different training philosophies. you should analyze what you learn from time to time, and take the best from each school and training system. the basic theories, concepts, and principles should remain the same throughout all martial arts systems.

hope this post helps and answers your questions,

--
Nicholas C. Yang
Yang's Martial Arts Association
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Postby rich251076 » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:53 pm

Thank you so much for the reply.

I did purchase the Shaolin Long Fist Basics and Forms DVDs over the past week, these together with the information provided has definately helped to answer my questions and give me a feel for the style.

I can see where Wushu borrows a lot of material from. I think that Long Fist contains just what I am looking for and with practice would bring me the strength flexibility and enjoyment I want out of a martial art.

I think a trip to Boston once a week or more, could be well worth it and I would like to make a trip in to check out a class.

Thank you again
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