Why Snake Form?

Most people in the local Kung Fu community know me for performing Snake Form in tournaments (before I stopped competing) and performances.  People that did not know me in the early days of teaching probably are not aware of why this started.  I know so many amazing forms from Chan Tai San that could have been the form of choice but that is the one that ended up being my signature form.  Here is the quick story behind it.

The year was 1989 and I had been teaching my class for about a year.  We were happy to perform and promote our classes to the public whenever the opportunity arose.  One request that year was for a Kung Fu demo during a Chinese New Year celebration.    Of course we were happy to perform at the celebration.  The follow up request was to see if we would be able to include a Snake Form to celebrate the Year of the Snake.  Sifu had taught me a Snake Form and there was enough time to fine tune it to an acceptable level for performance so I agreed.  The performance went off as planned and I felt very comfortable with the form.

The following weekend there was a tournament that the class decided to attend so I pulled out the Snake Form again because it was the one I was focused on during my most recent training.  I did well in the tournament and with a healthy schedule of other tournaments coming up in the following weeks, I just decided to ride it for the stretch.  That stretch became a year and the next thing I know it became my form of choice.  I did throw in other forms on occasion just for the change but always returned to Snake.

There were a few things that I think caused me to keep using the form:

• It felt like it suited my body type
• It became a bit of a challenge to prove that softer forms can still do well
• A few instructors that saw me at tournaments encouraged me to keep going with it because it was a nice break from seeing the same old forms all the time
• A very nice compliment from a person in one city that told me that the main reason they came to the tournament the second year was to see me perform again
• Biggest reason - when Sifu came for a visit, my brother's students and I thought it would be nice to do a show for him...when I performed Snake Form, Sifu jumped up from his seat and was clapping and yelling that it was Snake Form!!  After the performance he told me how happy/surprised he was with the improvement in the form since teaching it to me.  With that kind of reaction, how could I not continue?

Yes There Is a Purpose

With the evolution of martial arts, it is impossible to avoid changes to techniques in traditional forms over time. This could be due to imitation of another individual, incorrect execution, incorrectly remembering the technique, misunderstanding of a technique, overemphasis of a technique (changing the form to match the application of the technique), rushed learning leading to imprecision, or shortage of knowledge in the instructor leading to their own flavour of execution. In fact, I have seen instructors change forms over time to something they believe is easier to execute or "looks better" when they perform. Unfortunately, this takes away some potentially important details in the style.

Instead of changing forms, I would encourage martial artists to think about what they are doing. In my experiences, there are purposes for executing a technique a certain way and for specific hand positions. The purpose could be defensive such as defending an area of the body, striking to a blind spot as a defense (Fut Gar students will be very familiar with this concept), protecting from follow-up techniques, or as a backup in case your technique is unsuccessful. The purpose could be offensive such as setting up your next technique or could a hidden meaning. Before changing a technique, I believe it would be much more useful to ask what all the potential reasons are for doing something a certain way. This not only will help preserve your style but also take you through the exercise of self learning something you have not specifically been taught.

For those that make changes because it looks better...yes, I have heard this reason. An experienced martial artist appreciates a form done correctly and done well. Changing a few moves will not make a difference. Instead of adding flash, it is probably much better to practice your forms until you are known for your precision and outstanding execution.

Frustrating But Funny

Just an fyi for any of the students who have tried to email me recently. Someone (not one of our students) sent through a couple of huge files to me and completely locked up my email account. It should be fixed soon but you probably got bounced messages if you tried to reach me in the last week or so.

How is this funny? I can only laugh because my first thought was "this is what happens when you give old Kung Fu Instructors an email address"

Be back in touch soon!!!

5 Staff Hints

I would like to begin this post by reiterating the importance of staff in Kung Fu which I wrote about in a previous post. It is further reinforced when you look at the list of weapons forms taught in Fut Gar Kung Fu. I previously also wrote about defending with your staff. There are a few other hints in using a staff that will help you in your training.

1. In my post about defending with your staff, I mentioned a dead staff. The other side of it is the live staff which is the staff that is on top when there is contact. If you are in this situation during an exchange, you can choose to attack if you see an opening or wait to see if the opponent moves. When you are in the live staff position, almost any move by the opponent will create an opening which you can attack.
2. During your execution of techniques, keep your staff close to your body. An experienced opponent will be able to separate you from your staff if they can get their staff between your staff and your body.
3. Be very aware of where the end of your staff is. This applies to other weapons as well and basically is getting to know your weapon length so you can control it properly. You will also learn to be aware of your surroundings and which techniques will work given the space and environment restrictions.
4. Keep your hands at the end of your staff. When blocking or striking, your back hand should be at the end of the staff to fully use the length of your weapon. There are some techniques that would be exceptions to this hint but in general this is true.
5. Slide your front hand for power. Gripping your weapon too hard to allow movement in your hand will limit the power of your strikes and blocks. As you strike or block, allow the staff to slide through your hands for additional power.

Happy Training.

2 Updates

Just to keep everyone informed JP has been working on updates to the school site and it has been updated with some of the newer content that was previously missing. Take some time to scan through when you have a chance.

The other update is Silvia has a new site to display some of her art.

The 1 Question To Ask Yourself

How do you motivate yourself to go to class or train when there are so many reasons not to. Whether you are thinking to yourself; I'm tired, I don't feel good, I had a bad day, I forgot a change of clothes, I am not mentally up to it today, I am busy, I would rather be shopping, I am sore from last class, I don't feel like driving to class, I don't want to go out in the rain or any other reason that can prevent you from training, there is one question that will remind you of the importance of pushing yourself to train.

That question is "On the street, would an attacker care that [insert excuse here]?" The answer to this question is no. An attacker does not care that you are tired or did not stretch yet or are in your dress clothes or that you wear glasses or any other reason that you can think of. I am not saying that we do not need an occasional break from training. My students know that I believe we all need short breaks during our lifetime of training but there are times where there is a decision on whether or not to train when it is time to leave for class (instead of staying on the couch) on a given night. Those are the nights that you need to ask yourself the one question.

Lack of Weapon Control

During today's class we did a bit of extra work on weapons. During the class I remembered an incident that occured at a tournament about 4 or 5 years ago. As usual I was acting as a judge in one of the rings but the next ring was open so some students were using it to warm up and get a bit of last minute practice in. As my ring wrapped up I told the other judges to take a quick break before the next division started. As I was walking to the organizer's table, one of the students in the next ring stabbed his spear right at my face. I reacted and grabbed the spear head just before it stuck me in the face. The student stopped practicing but probably did not realize that a slower reaction would have ended up with him stabbing a person in the face. I have a few thoughts on this incident.

• First, the student was not taught proper respect for martial arts as it was clear that he was using the open ring as a chance to show off his techniques.
  
• Next, the student was not properly taught by his instructor. This was not a junior student and he should have known to be aware of his surroundings, especially when performing weapons forms.
• The student showed little respect for other competitors as he flung his weapon around without regard for the other students that were stretching and warming up.
• No student is good enough to utilize stabbing techniques without looking - there has to be something wrong with either the way he was taught or the way he learned.

I would like to stress that those performing weapons must be aware of their surroundings as well as understanding the distance required to perform techniques without placing anyone in danger. The person practicing the weapon form is responsible for control of their weapon.

The Origin of the Dreaded Chow Butt Attack

Many of the students of my class have seen it in action and the lucky ones have experienced it live. Of course I am speaking of my butt attack. The attack of throwing my behind into my opponent's solar plexus. How does something like this happen? As silly as the technique is, it comes from sound martial arts fighting theory. The following are the things that lead to the development of this technique:

• Feel the fight and flow with it. To maximize the speed of your techniques you need to stop thinking and just execute. Too much thinking adds brain processing to the technique before executing and every slight hesitation can cost you a fight. Fut Gar Kung Fu as taught to me by Grandmaster Chen clearly defines what to do in specific situations to eliminate the necessity of deciding which technique to use.
  
• Don't resist pressure. This theory is the reason I originally spun around to attack with my backside. Having a technique blocked gave me momentum to spin in the opposite direction.
  
• Always look for opportunities to attack. Just because you are in a disadvantaged position does not mean that you should stop looking for an opportunity to attack. Very successful attacks often are executed at the time when the opponent least expects it.
  
• All body parts can and should be used as a weapon. Although the butt attack is taking it to the extreme, I have always been taught that you can use anything as a weapon.
  
• It worked. When a technique works it is natural (and encouraged) to continue to use it until it no longer works.
  
• Have fun when you practice. OK, this is my own theory but those in my class have seen that we have always run the class this way.
  

The Right Time to Exchange Punches

While watching students fight as part of their training, instructors often break up the fighting to explain that it is incorrect to rush in and exchange punches with your opponent as this shows a lack of technique and seems to not serve a purpose. Generally, Kung Fu training teaches you to block and counter, grab and counter or avoid and counter. This is definitely ideal if you are able to fully disarm a strike while executing a strike of your own. Of course this is generally not the case for most students. I believe there is a correct time to exchange punches as long as you take into account a few things:

1. What are you exchanging? Are you taking a light jab to the cheek while executing strong hook punch to the temple? I would be happy to take this exchange which would likely end the fight. This is an easy decision to make if you are able to make it at full speed.
   
2. What will be the result of your strike as far as body positioning? By this I mean that throwing your strike turns the opponents strike into a glancing blow therefore reducing its effectiveness even if your strike is not a knockout punch.
   
3. When are you making the exchange? This is the point that is normally forgotten. Each combination by an opponent has a main (knockout?) strike. If they throw a jab followed by an uppercut, the uppercut is the punch intended to do the main damage. This can be followed by other techniques. Assuming you can make your first strike the knockout strike, I would suggest that your hard strike be executed right after the opponent's knockout strike. If someone is throwing a 4 strike combination with the first strike being a hard strike, each following strike is a bit weaker than the previous. Take your best strike in exchange for one of the opponent's weaker strikes. This timing will not only give you the upper hand in the exchange but also surprise your opponent as they are expecting you to continue blocking. This assumes you do not believe that you will have the opportunity to execute a clean technique on this particular opponent because as previously stated, it is ideal to execute a clean strike.

These theories take some practice but with experience, you will be able to feel for the right timing during the fight.

What Does This Move Do?

When learning kung fu at my school, the students often ask about the applications of a technique. How is the technique used in a combat situation? This is a good question but when I was a student I was often given the answer "What do you think it does?" This is not an attempt by the instructor to avoid the question or an indication that they do not know the answer. I do know what the techniques are for and I can feed the answer to the students but prefer to have the students think. My real answer is that the application of a technique is correct if you are able to execute it the way you believe it should be used. Although there is an intended purpose for a technique, I do not believe that there is only one answer to the question "What does this move do?" I prefer students to think about the technique and try to figure out the answer to the question first. I am there as a guide for those that really cannot think of an answer and will happily discuss the advantages or disadvantages of a potential application. I would like to encourage all martial artists to think beyond the obvious and look for the "hidden" techniques of a style. Ask yourself questions such as why do I circle my arms twice instead of once or why do I raise my knee when executing this technique. Thinking this way will bring out new possibilities in your fighting.

Weapons Forms of Fut Gar Kung Fu

In Leung Tin Chiu's branch of Fut Gar Kung Fu there is a heavy focus on staff work. This agrees with the theory form my previous blog entry about the most important weapon in Martial Arts. Here is a list of the weapons forms as I was taught by Grandmaster Chen Rong En.

• Double-ended Staff
• Shooting Star Chasing the Moon Staff
• Tiger Taming Staff
• Left Handed Staff
• Flying Dragon Staff
• 2-Person Flying Dragon Staff
  
• Dragon Well Sword
  

There have been other forms that Grandmaster Chen has taught but they were not from this style. Years can be spent just training in the proper techniques and applications of these forms.

The Power of Blocking

When learning how to use their martial arts for fighting, students are tempted to find their best method of landing their strikes. To actually disable your opponent, you must eventually throw an offensive technique.

My theory on fighting is to begin by learning how to block effectively. Learn how to defend all angles. Learn how to react to different types of strikes and different types of opponents. Learn how to block so effectively that you do not have to think while doing it. If you are able to hold your position in a fight and block everything your opponent is throwing without panic or thought, you are able to free your mind to look for openings that come up. An offensive technique usually will leave an opening but defenders are so busy worrying about blocking techniques that they often do not have the presence of mind to also look for an opening to reverse the momentum. Imagine how easy fighting could be if you did not have to worry about being attacked but just had to throw an appropriate technique when an opportunity presents itself. This is exactly what good blocking will provide for you.

I would like to encourage students of all forms of Martial Arts to spend time focused on the blocking techniques within their styles and how to execute them properly. I believe it is important to spend time seeing a variety of attacks and identifying which attacks give you a problem Once you know your own weaknesses you are able to work on techniques that will cover up those areas. When your blocking is automatic, I guarantee that you will see openings quicker and feel comfortable attacking them.

Building Basics To Help Learn Advanced Techniques

James commented on a previous post about building into fancy techniques instead of trying to learn them upon starting your training. This is very much the case in good martial arts training. All techniques build from the basics and development usually happens in stages.

The Kung Fu practitioner always starts their training by building their stances. This is not done as a punishment, there is a point to it. Strong stances will allow the practitioner to maintain balance upon impact, drive from the legs to generate power and maneuver while staying solid on the ground. From solid stances, the practitioner is able to execute a powerful kick while someone with weak stances may lose balance when kicking because they are on one leg.

An example of the importance of stances came during a Kung Fu demo for the Hainan Association members. I was performing Black Dragon Sword when I stepped on a quarter of an orange that their lion dance team had left on the floor. Instead of slipping and falling, I slid across the floor standing on one leg as the technique required a crane stance. As I stopped sliding, I continued the form. The members of the Hainan Association did not realize anything had happened but one of the lion dance team members ran out and picked up the orange as I continued the form.

To continue on the along the road of progression mentioned earlier, once the person has learned how to kick properly and spent the appropriate time to be solid while kicking, they can easily move on to jumping kicks. The actual kicking technique is the same but the practitioner is now in the air. From here, the practitioner can build into spinning kicks, jumping spinning kicks and aerial kicking combinations. This is one example using kicking as the progression but the same can be done with hand techniques as well.

To illustrate how knowing basics can help with learning forms we can look at the components that make up the techniques. As a person learns a new form they will be entering into some unfamiliar ground. It is difficult enough to figure out how to move their hands without worrying if their feet are in the proper position in the stance. Add to that the proper speed of execution, transitioning between stances and intricate smaller motions to get to the next move and the forms can become very confusing. Knowing all the basics allows the practitioner to focus completely on transitions between the techniques and remembering the sequence of techniques.

How Long Does it Take to Become an Instructor?

As I speak with people I often am asked how long it would take them to become an instructor in Kung Fu. I am always amazed that people expect an answer to this question. I am not sure how I am expected to know the answer to this question. We should probably equate this to some other questions.

• As a person begins to take skating lessons, do people ask them when they will become a professional hockey player?
• How about stopping someone on the street and asking them how long it would take you to get to Florida? Ask that question without specifying how you intend to get there.

I am a Kung Fu instructor, not a psychic. There are way too many variables that play into the equation. Without training with a student for a while I cannot judge things such as athletic ability, retention, coordination, attitude, motivation, determination, attendance and patience. This does not even account for family commitments, work commitments, injury or unexpected circumstances. Let's just say that becoming an instructor will happen when it happens. I would encourage everybody to be patient, work hard and let things happen when they do.

The Traditional Way to Learn Fighting in Kung Fu?

In today's Kung Fu schools, you will often see free sparring as part of the training. This is the way that many classes practice fighting. Although this is not ideal, it is a way to simulate having an attacker who has some level of Martial Arts ability. I once had an old instructor watching classes who commented that in his day they would never do free sparring. In his school they trained on individual techniques from their forms and followed that up with 2 person set exercises that simulated a specific attack. Through constant repetition they were able to train their bodies to react in a certain way to an attack. I prefer free-sparring as a training method but do have some thoughts about the differences.

• Free sparring does not necessarily teach your style. Unfortunately, I have seen too many schools that teach free sparring as more of a kick-boxing style that incorporates none of the techniques in their forms. Free sparring without use of your style's techniques is useless.
  
• Free sparring does not allow for practice of all techniques, especially dangerous techniques such as throat punches.
• Free sparring is easier to use today due to the availability of good protective equipment. Years ago there may not have been the same equipment available and therefore some of the practice could not be done safely.
• Practice of individual techniques is a great way to train your body to react to specific attacks. I think it is great practice but does not involve different ways that lead to that situation. More is needed if you do not use free sparring (longer 2 person sequences or 2 person forms).
• In Fut Gar Kung Fu and our school we do have 2 person sequences that are quite complex that incorporate some of the more important techniques. These are fun and interesting but do not cover all techniques. Other training is necessary to complete the training.
• Free sparring taught properly will allow students to incorporate the techniques of your style. Unfortunately, there is work needed in many schools to train students not to hesitate to try new things. Most students are afraid to try new techniques because they are afraid to embarrass themselves or get hit while trying the techniques. Sparring should be done in most cases as a no winner situation so the fear is eliminated.

A Day in the Life of a Kung Fu Student

This was an article that was written back in the late 1980's that described my time training with Grandmaster Chan Tai San. This was taken from a Chinese/English newspaper called the Connection.

10 Elbows of Fut Gar Kung Fu

Students of Fut Gar Kung Fu will be familiar with the elbow techniques contained in the forms. Elbow techniques are so important to the style that there is even a form that focuses on building these techniques (Chin Jaang/Whole Elbow also known as Loong Jow/Dragon Claw to some). Here is a list of 10 of the elbow techniques contained in the forms:

1. Kai Jaang - Standing Elbow
2. Waang Jaang - Horizontal Elbow
3. Gung Jaang - Forcing Elbow
4. Pow Jaang - Cannon Elbow
5. Cup Jaang - Covering Elbow
6. Bau Jaang - Wrapping Elbow
7. Chum Jaang - Sinking Elbow
8. Tit Jaang - Slicing Elbow
9. Jing Jaang - Center Elbow
10. Hok Jaang - Lifting Elbow

How Good Is Your Fighting?

While training in Kung Fu it is natural to wonder how good your fighting is. How do we know how good we are? Who should we compare to? How do we measure? We train initially in basic techniques, then learn forms, then learn how to apply the techniques and combinations, then practice applying them in set exercises and finally try to use the techniques in free fighting practice. It is difficult to know how good you really are.

One way to measure is to compare yourself to the other students in your school. This gives you a good idea of how your fighting ranks but this is not perfect. You could be the best fighter in the class but later realize that nobody in your class can fight or you could be frustrated about being the worst fighter in your class only to find out that it is because your class is the best group of fighters around. Since this does not work, you then need to attend tournaments to test yourself against other schools or in some cases, other countries. Does this guarantee that you can measure yourself? It is better but still not perfect because the best fighters might choose not to compete. In the end, it doesn't really matter. What matters is you are good enough to survive a life and death fighting situation.

Since I started training with Grandmaster Chen Rong En I found that he has an interesting way of rating how well people fight. He generally wins in free fighting situations, even at his advanced age so he measures by counting how many times you block him before he hits you. We have had discussions about people he has tested. He will say this person is not able to block me at all but this guy is pretty good because he blocked my first 4 attacks before I hit him. This is him speaking about instructors that he has met over time.

Why is he able to fight the way he does? It goes back to one of the fundamental theories about fighting in Fut Gar Kung Fu. The theory is that every technique has a counter and in turn that counter also has a counter. The person that wins the fight is the person that knows (and is able to execute) the most counters. So Grandmaster Chen started by learning the entire Fut Gar style but followed up by dedicating the next 3 years working with his Sifu, Leung Tin Chiu perfecting the execution, setting up of techniques and the theories behind the fighting of Fut Gar Kung Fu. This is the reason why he automatically executes a technique when someone attacks and unloads a barrage of attacks in return without effort or thinking. He has an answer for any fighting theory question including the very annoying what if questions that students often ask :)

So how good is my fighting? 4-5 blocks before getting hit by my Sifu, Grandmaster Chen. This rates quite high on his scale.

Does Martial Arts Build Character?

I received a question on my views on whether or not the claim by some that Martial Arts builds character outside the class is true. My answer is a definite yes and no...it depends on a variety of factors including the student, the instructor and the school.

My belief is training in Martial Arts will build something in everyone beginning with a person's weaknesses but this is not necessarily anything to do with character. It could be completely physical or mental. For example, if a person has a bad memory, this will be the limiting factor in their training and all other areas of training cannot progress until the memory improves. If another student has limited endurance, they may not have the opportunity to test their memory because they are exhausted before they get to that point.

So what areas are built through Martial Arts? These include:

• Humility - during training a student will discover that there are many better Martial Artists in the world and even a frail old man may be able to defeat them in a fighting situation
• Patience - Martial Arts is all about repetition and a typical Martial Arts school will force a student to pass certain gates before progressing to their next level of learning
  
• Persistence - nobody will be able to do everything without failure but with persistence everyone is able to succeed in learning and performing techniques taught by their instructor
  
• Self discipline - certain points in a student's training will require their own discipline which was covered in my previous blog entry Fighting Through Monotony
• Respect - for tradition, for other students, for instructors
• Confidence or courage - students that have learned how to defend themselves will be much more confident walking down the street at night, students that have performed in front of a crowd will be less likely to be intimidated by speaking in front of a crowd and students that have seen a punch coming straight for their face is less likely to be scared in a non-physical, confrontational discussion
  

Given this information it would seem that I believe that the absolute answer is yes, Martial Arts will build character. My qualifiers are the attitudes of the student and the instructor as well as the school itself.

• Does the student want to learn with an open mind or are they at the school with the attitude that they pay their money and therefore are entitled to certain things?
  
• Does the instructor treat the class like his/her Martial Arts family or is this a business to them?
• Does the school push students through their program so they can sell a franchise to that student or does the school recognize based on actual level of the student?
• Does the instructor believe in tradition or is it purely fighting that is important such as in boxing or Mixed Martial Arts? Furthermore, does the school have a tradition and lineage that is discussed?
• Why is the student there? Is it because their Mom signed them up or did they truly want to learn Martial Arts for their own reasons?
  

Generally, the students will build character when they join and attend a Martial Arts class regularly but signing up only gives the opportunity to learn and build character. The student still needs to make sure that they work hard and listen while they are in class.

Chinese New Year Demo

Our school performed at the Hainan Association's Chinese New Year dinner this past Saturday. Unfortunately, due to video camera difficulties, we were unable to get the first 2 performances in our demo. It is too bad because it is always nice to have some footage of the newer members of our demo group. Here is a video with a a mix of the forms we were able to capture on video. Unfortunately, the video quality was not great because it was with our backup camera.



For those that were not filmed, here are a couple of pics that at least prove that you were on stage.



Here is a nice picture at the end of our part of the show.



Thanks again for everyone that helped out and Michael for his guest appearance. You all did a great job!!!