A discussion on kung fu

[InfiniteNow]

Iron Bhudda? Say what?

There are a series of positions taken from the monks where ____ Buddha is the name. Legend has it that these 49 postures (I Chin Chings) were practiced 49 times each everyday. As you move through, they get progressively harder and more difficult, requiring more concentration. Any monk (or anybody for that matter) who practices these regularly will have a body like iron.

 

Each position has a name, but the ones with Buddha in them that I remember are:

Sleeping Buddha

Laughing Buddha

One legged Buddha

 

Chinese martial arts have a cool history whereby each move is given a name, and the name helps you to remember what the move is. For example, "grasp the sparrow's tail" or "black tiger yanks the heart" or "feed the chicken the rice." Again, something is lost in the translation, but when the name is applied to the move, it clears many things up.

 

We would work these I Chin Ching sets up before tournaments since there would be a large crowd wanting demonstrations. Also, we used a special training called Iron Shirt (Sun Yi) that tenses every muscle in the body at once (or, as many as your concentration will permit). Then, we'd do stuff like breaking a board across our throat and things like that.

[InfiniteNow]

Good point Rac. That's because there is no "all." It's dynamic, and each new practitioner will bring creativity and new ideas with them.

[InfiniteNow]

Of course, wiki has something on this too. :phones:

 

Iron Shirt training

 

Iron Palm training

[InfiniteNow]

So could you "feel" the Chi InfiniteNow?

Is that considered 'some' proof??

 

I felt myself aware and in that moment. I felt awake and sweaty. For lack of a more scientific term to describe why (although, I could argue muscle activation and blood flow and neural activity and the like), we called the aggregate of those things movement of chi.

 

Not sure your point. I believe in it, but I'd also like to support my belief with fact and science before I ask anyone else to accept it as something more than belief.

[InfiniteNow]

But this is a Martial Arts thread.

So lets bring out some punching bags! :)

Indeed! :friday: (but we call them "kick shields." :) )

[InfiniteNow]

I've considered some Jujitsu also... good to have ground skills considering most fights wind up there pretty quickly. Let me know, if you decide to give it a shot, what you think.

[InfiniteNow]

Sweet Kung-Fu Video!

That is pretty sweet. I enjoyed it. Not so sure that the Bruce himself would have (I don't think it was rage generating his incredible power, but his peace... that's just my take though).

 

 

From the link:

This is a music made by someone else (not me). I like how the guy made Bruce Lee seem angry and in a state of powerful rage!!

[acblflitwpatwt]

I like kung fu styles that involve finger strikes. (Tiger style)

[InfiniteNow]

I like kung fu styles that involve finger strikes. (Tiger style)

Tiger is more claw and palm specific. Wouldn't finger strikes be more specific to the mantis system (single finger), or even crane (multiple finger)?

[Rebiu]

I like kung fu styles that involve finger strikes. (Tiger style)

Beware!! Finger strikes are a risky move when the combos are flying.

 

When I lived in Hawaii I had a Tongan kickboxing coach who threw a hard round kick to the inner thigh using the point of his toes to strike. I asked him how on earth he kept from breaking his toes when he did this and his response was that he had Tongan toes and showed me his short and very thick toes.

 

I have seen him incapacitate opponent’s leg with this kick but could never emulate it because my toes are long and skinny.

[InfiniteNow]

I have seen him incapacitate opponent’s leg with this kick but could never emulate it because my toes are long and skinny.

For the fingers, do finger tip pushups. Not on the pads of your fingers, but the points. As you get more adept, start lifting fingers. Start by doing the same pushups w/o your pinky touching. Then, w/o your pinky or your ring finger... then, w/o your middle finger, ring finger, or pinky!

 

You can also get a plastic trash can, fill it with gravel, and jam your extended fingers into it repeatedly each day for a few weeks.

 

For the toes, you could get a cinder block and kick it with ever increasing intensity for a few weeks. Trees would work too. Or you could get into a pushup position, way up on your toes, then have someone sit on your legs just by the ankle.

 

Trust me, your long skinny toes and fingers will do some serious damage if you train like this for any length of time, especially in areas of soft tissue. For a while, I could jam my extended finger through all manner of objects and it was great for showing off at parties (and scaring the hell out of anyone who was talking trash!) :)

[Rebiu]

For the fingers, do finger tip pushups. Not on the pads of your fingers, but the points. As you get more adept, start lifting fingers. Start by doing the same pushups w/o your pinky touching. Then, w/o your pinky or your ring finger... then, w/o your middle finger, ring finger, or pinky!

 

You can also get a plastic trash can, fill it with gravel, and jam your extended fingers into it repeatedly each day for a few weeks.

 

For the toes, you could get a cinder block and kick it with ever increasing intensity for a few weeks. Trees would work too. Or you could get into a pushup position, way up on your toes, then have someone sit on your legs just by the ankle.

 

Trust me, your long skinny toes and fingers will do some serious damage if you train like this for any length of time, especially in areas of soft tissue. For a while, I could jam my extended finger through all manner of objects and it was great for showing off at parties (and scaring the hell out of anyone who was talking trash!) :)

Thank you for the interesting information. Conditioning will greatly increase the durability of any weapon. I have seen kickboxing footage where one fighter checks a low round kick so that the fighters shins meet and the kickers shin breaks. I suspect he failed to adequetly condition his shin.Leg breaking video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2385444173539017771&q=kickboxing+leg+break"

[Rebiu]

I see that you study Kung fu

Do you have any experience of knowledge of Sanshou and its ongoing war with Muay Thai.

[InfiniteNow]

I see that you study Kung fu

Do you have any experience of knowledge of Sanshou and its ongoing war with Muay Thai.

I try not to involve myself with the tribal crap. I train to improve myself, and feel that the competition between systems is archaic nonsense. We are all struggling to improve ourselves, and it's stupid to think that one system alone will work for everyone.

 

Even a journey of self-discovery will sometimes incorporate the path of another traveller.

[InfiniteNow]

I disagree.

 

Bruce had a temper.. He was a Dragon.

It wasn't cut and dry.

Yeah... I've been thinking about that post some since I submitted it. I think you're right, that he did have a firey ranging furnace inside of him, but I wouldn't call it a temper. I really see his power coming from his peaceful ability to channel that heat appropriately and when needed, instead of wasting on any given thing that comes with any given day.

 

But yeah, I know what you mean, and have been thinking about it a lot.

[arkain101]

Bruce Lee had unique training.

 

As I understand it he also developed his own method of fighting that mixed all of that he had already learned.

 

As a teenager he was in gangs, and in common knife fights where he lost many friends.

 

I think he also gained alot of power from the fact he must have faught without an ounce of fear. Which must have developed from his intense upbringing.

 

I read alot about B.Lee and he is quite an inspiration.

 

I also think that some people have stronger nural systems. We operate off of voltage do we not? The harder we 'try' the stronger we can become.

 

I think some have are stronger in their 'trying' ability than others. Be it voltage or even Chi? I dont know but I have always found strength comes from within. I think bruce was exceptionally fit in this manner and it was a large part of his abilities.

 

Just my quick thoughts