Summer Kung Fu Self-Defense Intensive: 9 and 10 August 2008
Montreal, Canada
Days 17 and 18
Summary
We are closing in on the end of the 2008 Summer Kung Fu Self-Defense Intensive and only 4 more classes remain. Hence, much of what I had to say has been said and the remaining classes will run through much the same body conditioning routines as has been practiced of late.
We will be working through various combinations of basic punches in isolation, in combinations and in conjunction with the stances that alter and support the basic punches so I will refrain from detailing all the combinations reviewed for each class.
For the remaining class summaries, I will write about any new techniques we study as well as address any thing I notice that require a bit more elucidation. As usual, please feel free to raise any question about thing we looked and that I did not include in the summary.
Day 17
On Day 17, I introduced the Rolling Fist in conjunction with the Back Fist, and I explained the subtle variations in how they are thrown and what they are meant to strike. After getting a feel for the two punches, their similarities and differences, we worked in pairs to practice the fists on targets as well as how one would block them. As always, I would like to remind you that you must be prepared to alter your technique because opponents will not always provide the “ideal” attack profile.
Day 18
On Day 18, we took advantage of the outdoors to take a closer look at moving Horse Stance (advance and retreat). Although it appears easy, you should have noticed by now that not all is as it seems. Try to focus on fluidity and balance. Also, remember that if you drop your height just a bit when you move, the momentum generated from the downward movement can be added to your lateral movement - just a little “pepper” in your movement. Even so, if you do not “drop” a bit, your movement will still be correct.
Blocking
I introduced a semi-awkward blocking-stance moving routine in order to reinforce the importance of moving “automatically” and not having to think about your feet when your concentration needs to be elsewhere. Starting in a Horse Stance position, the series went as follows:
downward block while stepping into twisted stance:
opening up to Horse Stance and doing another downward block:
jumping back while doing another downward block.
Of course each of these blocks can, and most likely will, be done in isolation in order to address an impending attack. It is unlikely that an attacker will advance with three moves that require three downward blocks in a row. Having said that, if you are developing your martial imagination, you can see opportunities to use the downward motion to effect different strikes.
Focused Sparring - Free Blocking Exercise
At this point, much of what you have learned has knitted together into thin strands of related moves and gestures with the relationship between one to another not easily visible - yet they exist none the less. The Focused Sparring - Free Blocking Exercise put two students facing each other in a Horse Stance while one threw straight punches and the other blocked using any block that naturally occurred. If you missed your block, your partner was close enough to hit you (just slightly). The dynamics of this exercise are such that a continuous, controlled attack forced you to react with different blocks and as such, you were able to experience how blocking and body movement were related. I believe that you were really able to touch what lay in your subconscious as you worked your blocks.
The only controlled variable was the attack must be a straight punch, thrown at the chest. A critic might observe that there is not much “reality” in this exercise but I beg to differ. In order to learn, the attack must be a constant until such time as the formulae for blocking becomes imbedded in your system. Once you process how to deal with a straight punch and the various ways you might naturally react, you can start to look at follow up movements. If the attack variable was not consistent, you would be flailing around trying to avoid random attacks without being able to move away - and that is unrealistic. In any event, as we move on in later courses more attack variables will be introduced in combination culminating into an open, free, punching-blocking practice.
I would appreciate any feedback on this exercise; how did you feel? What did you learn?
We will be looking at this type of practice in each of the remaining classes (a kind of live (dry) fire exercise if you will).
You should do your utmost to attend these final classes as much “practical” review will be undertaken.
Troy Marquis, BA, Sifu
Tai-Mar Kung Fu Self-Defense - Autodefense
Montreal, Canada
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I found the focused sparring - free blocking exercise very useful because it introduced the pressure under which one would have to block while using proper blocking techniques at the right timing. I believe the horse stance increased the feeling of intensity during the blocking, even though I forgot I was in horse stance!
-Bo