Information on Loughborough

Decoding Chinese Forms - The Hidden Meanings Behind the Flash

Martial Arts Clubs

Decoding Asian Forms - The Hidden Meanings Behind the FlashBy Stefan Verstappen

Asian styles are often criticized as being impractical, showy and lacking in practical application. The criticism is usually heard from the eclectic styles that focus on street fighting and self defense and it is true that a Tai Chi or White Crane form will do you small good in a cage fight. But then again combat is not only what forms were designed to teach. Forms are the heart and soul of a style containing not only fighting techniques, however also the strategic and philosophical principles of that style.

Asian forms are some of the most complicated and confusing because they contain hidden meanings that, like a puzzle, can only be solved by persistent study. Although each form has its own specific applications and interpretations the following keys may help you to decode the secrets of the classical Asian forms

Hiding Techniques

One way in which Asian forms differ from the better known Japanese and Korean forms in that the latter use the principle of keeping only what was useful in combat and have tended to discard those movements that where not. Watching Japanese and Korean forms being performed one can recognize the techniques being used. In contrast, when watching Asian forms many movements appear strange and theatrical and the combat applications are not always clear. One reason is the notoriously secretive attitude surrounding the Asian styles. The old masters were said to have hidden their greatest techniques by changing them to make them incomprehensible to anyone that did not possess the key to understanding the style.

A Asian folk tale may provide a clue as to why the old masters were so secretive and it goes like this. Once there was a young man who gained a reputation by visiting different martial arts schools and defeating the instructors in sparring contests. When he arrived in a town or village he would first discreetly enquire into the local master's whereabouts and then secretly spy on the master during his practice. After several days of spying he would have learned the master's style, strategy, strengths and weaknesses and then he would issue his public challenge. Knowing what to expect, the young man was able to defeat many teachers and thus gained his reputation. One day the young man arrived at a village nearby the mountains in which a Taoist Monk who was also a Kung Fu master was said to live. After inquiring among the villagers the young man learned that the Master practiced early every morning in a clearing. Rising before dawn, the young man went to the clearing and hid in the bushes where he could secretly watch the old monk as he practiced. After several days of spying the young man felt he knew the monk’s secrets and he challenged him to a contest. The old monk obliged to meet him in the village for a sparring match the next day. During the match the young man was soundly beaten and made to look the complete fool. Confused the young man asks, " I studied your technique for days, however when you fought you used movements I had never seen, how is this possible?"

The monk replied, "It is wise to use the strategy of `Know your Enemy' however several days ago I sensed someone was watching me so I employed another strategy. When I practiced I changed the movements so that the real techniques were hidden, and when you challenged me I guessed it must have been you who had spied on me earlier. I knew what you would expect and, so I was able to turn the advantage against you."

Whether the story is true or false the tendency to keep the real applications of a form secret is still apparent and many teachers are reluctant, or at greatest unclear, in explaining the real purpose behind the movements. One method of hiding technique is by `blending' the techniques together. In Japanese Katas there usually is a `stop': a pause after each technique to show precision and focus. In Asian forms the techniques are often blended together without a pause between the end of one technique and the start of the next. It is this blending of techniques that give Asian forms their characteristic fluidity, and their mystery, since without having trained in the style you would not recognize many of the techniques being performed.

These masters would teach the hidden applications to only a select group of students, referred to as `Closed Door' sessions. During the regular `Open' class all students would learn the same movements, however only the most trusted students would be taught the true applications behind the movements. In this way the style's most important techniques were kept secret from outsiders and those not deemed worthy of the knowledge.

Breathing Techniques

Many Kung Fu forms contain breathing exercises called Chi Gung which combines deep abdominal breathing, dynamic hand movements, and visualization. In the so called `Hard' styles the hand movements are performed slowly using dynamic tension. In `Soft' styles the hand movements are done relaxed with the focus on visualizing Chi (Internal Energy) flowing throughout the body. Some breathing exercises include vocalizations. Striking with a Crane Hand is usually accompanied by a crane call produced by a sudden contraction of the diaphragm, similar to a technique taught in modern voice classes. A more curiousvocal technique is a long descending wail that starts in the falsetto range and then descends through the octave to the bass range. The sounds made during a form are designed to show breath control. Unfortunately Bruce Lee made these vocalizations famous and now no moron’s pantomime of kung fu is complete without the obligatory whining and wailing.

Conditioning

There are several ways in which physical conditioning exercises are incorporated into a form. In the Asian forms the stances tend to be much lower than they would be in real combat. Maintaining low stances throughout the form is excellent for developing leg strength, endurance, and provides cardiovascular benefits. Another conditioning technique is to exaggerate the movements which requires greater effort and flexibility. For example, in the Long Fist form the arms are held stretched out away from the body and the techniques are large and exaggerated. This works the muscles in the shoulders as well as the waist and relies on gravity resistance much like a modern Pilate’s routine. For more strenuous conditioning, weights in the form of heavy brass or iron rings were worn around the forearms. Kicks are also done higher in a form than would be done in application. When practicing forms many kicks are aimed at head height, although in self-defense, most teachers admonish against kicking higher than the solar plexus. The high kicks in a form help to increase flexibility and balance.

Finesse

Finesse techniques are usually found in weapons forms and are meant to demonstrate the performer's expertise in handling the weapon. Like a gunfighter spinning his revolver on one finger before holstering, these techniques are almost all show however do require considerable skill. Weapons such as the sword, spear, and staff are routinely spun about the body, passing the weapon from one hand to another, behind the back, overhead, and around the neck, in what are known as Flowers. The finesse techniques are incorporated more for beauty than combat although some are surprisingly effective.

Symbolic Gestures

Forms occasionally include movements that are symbolic of the style. Some represent the origins of the form or religious influences such as the famous Kung Fu bow done by pressing the right fist to the left palm. This is said to have originated in the Shaolin temple and represents the Buddhist principle of non violence, the open palm stopping the fist. Another possible meaning is that it is a secret hand sign left over from the times when martial arts were taught in secret societies. In this case the fist represents the sun and the palm the crescent moon. In Asian writing the moon and sun symbols written together spells “Ming” which was the reign name for the last native Asian dynasty the Ming Dynasty. From 1644 to 1911 many secret societies were dedicated to overthrowing the Ching dynasty and restoring the old Ming. The hand signal was a way for members, many of whom were martial artisans, to recognize each other.

Little known in the West is the relationship of Asian Opera and Kung Fu with both arts exchanging techniques. Asian Opera schools devote much of their curriculum to Kung Fu and gymnastics. Asian Operas usually have battle scenes where the performers must wield and spin weapons and battle several opponents in choreographed fight scenes similar to those found in modern movies. Jackie Chan and Samo Hung both learned their Kung Fu while training to be Opera performers. While Asian opera incorporated kung fu techniques, Kung Fu also borrowed many dramatic techniques from the Opera.

One of the most famous characters in Asian Opera and Kung Fu schools is Kwan Gung. Kwan is the both the god of war and the patron saint of martial arts. He is characterized by his use of a particularly heavy halberd called a Kwan Dao (Kwan's blade) and by his long black beard. A statue or picture of General Kwan is usually found in every Kung Fu club and in earlier time a rusty old Kwan Dao was often displayed in front of the club's entrance like barber’s pole. When using the Kwan Dao in a form there are several dramatic gestures that have no practical applications however have obviously been adopted from the theatre such as a pause in the form in which the practitioner pretends to stroke a long beard.

Other examples of dramatic gestures are found in the animal styles. Each style will incorporate movements that embody the characteristics of the animal such as the graceful open arm hops and turns of the White Crane, the facial grimaces and ape-like gestures of the Monkey, and the hypnotic bobbing and weaving of the Preying Mantis. Some of these techniques have a combat application while others are for aesthetic reasons only.

Conclusion

Long before written language heroic tales of great deeds and battles were acted out in pantomimes in front of campfires as a way of passing cultural traditions onto the next generation. In a sense Asian forms are a continuation of this ancient tradition. The next time you practice a Kung Fu form know that you are also a part a cultural tradition the goes back before history began.

Stefan Verstappen is a writer and martial arts practitioner who has lived and traveled throughout the Far East. He is a frequent contributor for Black Belt, and Inside Kung Fu Magazine and author of , The Thirty-Six Strategies of Ancient China, Blind Zen, Little Warriors and Asian Business Etiquette. Author's website: http://www.chinastrategies.com You can e-mail Stefan with questions and comments to sverstappen@yahoo.com

,

About Kung Fu

Martial Arts Clubs

About Kung FuBy Nancy Tian

Kung fu is well known in the Asian history. Over its long history it has developed as a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline and art. Many people believe that Kung fu is a term which describes a single martial art, like Taekwondo, Judo, or Aikido. Actually, Kung fu is a general term which includes hundreds of styles of Asian martial arts. Kung fu styles are various, such as Long Fist, Eagle Claw, and Taiji Quan.

Some people mistakenly regard Kung fu as a soft style compared with Karate or other hard styles. This is not true. As a matter of fact, each Kung fu style contains both hard and soft techniques. Also, many people believe that Kung fu is an external style and Taiji Quan is an internal style. While most Kung fu styles emphasize external development, all styles of Kung fu contain both internal and external components.

Kung fu is better than other forms of exercise for promoting health and fitness. In swimming, jogging, and karate, for example, the fitness acquired diminishes as one grows old, however in Kung fu it is enhanced. This is because Kung fu is more than physical exercise; it develops the inner faculties of vital energy and the mind. A Kung fu practitioner will exhibit more zest and vitality in both work and play than anordinary person, and have calmness of mind and clarity of thought even under demanding situations. Many studies suggest that elderly people who exercise can live longer out of hospitals than do ones that don't.

There is a lot of variety or diversity in Kung fu. There are literally hundreds of Kung fu styles. Kung fu breaks down like this there are internal styles, external styles, hard styles, soft styles, northern Asian Kung fu and southern Asian Kung fu. However hard styles are always external and soft styles are always internal styles. Northern Styles tend to be more about distance fighting or sparing and Southern ones tend to be more about close in fighting. Karate is evolved from Southern styles of Kung fu. Northern Asian Kung fu has more kicks and the arts are more sportish while southern Kung fu had more hand techniques.

Click to find more about Martial Arts

Click to find more about Kung Fu

,

Major Martial Arts Styles You Should Know Of

Martial Arts Clubs

Major Martial Arts Styles You Should Know OfBy Rob Wumout

Thanks to the many kung fu movies made recently, more people are getting to hear about judo and karate as forms of martial arts. However, there are various other styles of martial arts as well.

For this article, we will focus on four major styles of martial arts which are: Japanese, Korean, Asian and Philippines styles. Though all of them shared certain similar features, they are very different.

Let us discuss these four essential styles of martial arts in greater detail:

The Japanese style of martial arts: One such example is Judo where it is often deemed as a cardiovascular workout which helps people to remain fit and healthy. Based essentially on the belief of creating perfect harmony of mind and body, the Japanese style of martial arts would focus on self defense.

It relies on the knowledge of being aware of the attacker's strength and using the same against him. It uses throwing and twisting techniques and even when the opponent is mightier than you, you know how to use his strength to your favour.

Considered to be a mild form of martial arts it is never taught to attack or hurt any opponent, which is the essence of other forms of martial arts. There are various techniques used in this art form where the nervous system is pressurized to do some action during the self defense activity.

The Korean style of martial arts: This art form was initially developed for the soldiers in war field. They perfected the art to the extent that they were at one point in time known as the greatest soldiers in the world. As is evident, this art form is purely combative unlike the Japanese form, which is aimed more at protecting oneself more than attacking an opponent.

Philippine style of martial arts: Also known as FMA or Filipino martial arts, the Philippine style puts in place a system on systems approach to fighting. Martial arts exponents of this style are known for their fighting ability with weapons and bare hands. In this style of martial arts, a wide range of weapons and tactics are used. Weapons range in sizes, materials and methods of use.

The Asian style of martial arts: One of the most well-known Asian style of martial arts is known as Tai Chi which is used both for sports as well as for self defense reasons. Some schools teach this art using a weapon whereas some do not preach the use of weapons. Learning and practicing this art style is considered to bring about a certain amount of mental peace and quietness to the practitioner.

While there are plenty of different types of martial arts to choose from if one wishes to learn the art, it is always advisable to seek out the right martial arts for oneself. Visit http://www.martialartsmagic.com right now to find out how you can ignite your fighting skills with some of the greatest martial arts styles around.