# Hung Ga Workout



## Pezzle (Dec 31, 2008)

Random question, actually, wasn't sure where to post this. I've been going to Hung Ga (Well, more like Ark Y Wong's 5 Animal 5 Family System) instead of Taiji for about 4 weeks now, twice a week.

I was wondering what a lot of standard practices in the art did for you calorie-wise. I am trying to lose weight and want to factor in caloric deficits for the days I go to class. 

I know it'll differ day-to-day esp since I'm newer and can't go through a whole form set yet. A lot of what we're doing is tiger boxing right now, which I have fallen in LOVE with btw. 

I am especially trying to factor in stance training (holding horse and 'scissor' stances or going through and holding each stance as you transition to another).

Any ideas? I Just don't know where to begin calculating it. My heart beat, sweat, and buzzing painful warmth in my legs/triceps/bicpes/traps n' lats kind of tell me I'm doing SOMETHING right at least.


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## HG1 (Dec 31, 2008)

Pezzle said:


> Random question, actually, wasn't sure where to post this. I've been going to Hung Ga (Well, more like Ark Y Wong's 5 Animal 5 Family System) instead of Taiji for about 4 weeks now, twice a week.
> 
> I was wondering what a lot of standard practices in the art did for you calorie-wise. I am trying to lose weight and want to factor in caloric deficits for the days I go to class.
> 
> ...


Have you talked with you Sifu about this?  He/She would be the first place to look for advice.

Keep in mind that the first priority of martial arts training is to get better at performing martial arts.  Any other benefit is secondary like fat loss or good grades.

Just curious, how long were you doing Taiji before you started 5 Animal 5 Family?


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## Pezzle (Dec 31, 2008)

I still go to Taiji like once a month, but I did it for six months before I started 5 Animal 5 Family.

I'll ask my Sifu on the 5th, I was just wondering if anyone knew off the top of their heads now. I know it's a secondary benefit, but it's just something I'd like to factor in so I know my caloric intake is properly adjusted.


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## kfman (Jan 1, 2009)

Hi Pezzle,
The more active you are during your workout will obviously burn more calories. If you are a beginner and cannot do the entire workout you may burn less but as time goes on you may burn more. BTW, who is your Five Family instructor?


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## Pezzle (Jan 2, 2009)

kfman said:


> Hi Pezzle,
> The more active you are during your workout will obviously burn more calories. If you are a beginner and cannot do the entire workout you may burn less but as time goes on you may burn more. BTW, who is your Five Family instructor?



Sifu Louis Diaz. Love him to death, I do. =)


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## hungfistron (Jan 8, 2009)

Stretch, do your forms as many times as you can when you find the time, and watch your favorite program and try to hold your horse stance.

Watch the weight dissipate


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## Yoshiyahu (Jan 8, 2009)

Do your forms really slowly like three times daily really slow. Do it so slow that the time it takes you do one form is tripled. If it takes you one minute or three minutes to do a form fast it should take you three to six minutes to do that same form. Do it really slow and at end of each strike snapped it really fast with power.


Also Do some Shadow boxing really fast using the techniques from the forms. Imagine or meditate that your fighting an opponent or three enemies. An Imagine how you use the form on one enemy and also two or three foes. Do so really fast and hard with full power. Do this for five to ten minutes a day. Start off with maybe one minute then work up to three then work up to five and maybe stop at twenty minutes of shadow boxing.

Also practice the Forms really fast as if you had a opponent in front of you!





hungfistron said:


> Stretch, do your forms as many times as you can when you find the time, and watch your favorite program and try to hold your horse stance.
> 
> Watch the weight dissipate


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## jow yeroc (Jan 16, 2009)

Yoshiyahu said:


> Do your forms really slowly like three times daily really slow. Do it so slow that the time it takes you do one form is tripled. If it takes you one minute or three minutes to do a form fast it should take you three to six minutes to do that same form. Do it really slow and at end of each strike snapped it really fast with power.
> 
> 
> Also Do some Shadow boxing really fast using the techniques from the forms. Imagine or meditate that your fighting an opponent or three enemies. An Imagine how you use the form on one enemy and also two or three foes. Do so really fast and hard with full power. Do this for five to ten minutes a day. Start off with maybe one minute then work up to three then work up to five and maybe stop at twenty minutes of shadow boxing.
> ...


 

Pretty good advice.  You learn muscle memory and breath control.  Also don't stop doing tai chi.  This can supplement the hard training nicely and help to strenghten your legs, train and improve your balance, sensitivity, and focus and to implement yi(intention), and sung(sink, relax), etc.


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## HG1 (Jan 18, 2009)

Pezzle said:


> I still go to Taiji like once a month, but I did it for six months before I started 5 Animal 5 Family.
> 
> I'll ask my Sifu on the 5th, I was just wondering if anyone knew off the top of their heads now. I know it's a secondary benefit, but it's just something I'd like to factor in so I know my caloric intake is properly adjusted.


Did you talk with your Sifu?  

Try this to get your heart rate up.  Sit in horse, hands in chamber.  Jump  high in the air & rotate 180 degrees.  Land softly in horse, now facing the wall behind you.  As fast as you can jump & rotate back to the original position.  Keep moving quickly & work at increasing the duration of the exercise.


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## Pezzle (Jan 22, 2009)

HG1 said:


> Did you talk with your Sifu?
> 
> Try this to get your heart rate up.  Sit in horse, hands in chamber.  Jump  high in the air & rotate 180 degrees.  Land softly in horse, now facing the wall behind you.  As fast as you can jump & rotate back to the original position.  Keep moving quickly & work at increasing the duration of the exercise.



A lot of the drilling we do gets my heart rate up (we have a VERY long hall to drill up and down) and I know two very short forms that I practice now. And I'm working on holding my horse stance. So far I can hold it for 45 seconds, which is an improvement from the 15 when I first started but it really isn't so great.

My Sifu really gets into it with me. He pushes me beyond my comfort zone every class and gets my heart pumping. Sometimes during the day classes I'm the only one there and I get some one-on-one time with him. It's neat =)

@Jow: Tai Chi is like riding a bike for me, it seems. I can just slide right back into it, and I tried to apply what I learned in Tai Chi to my Hung Ga training. It helps immensely.


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## Pezzle (Jan 28, 2009)

So now, I'm working pretty hard. I go to classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday consecutively plus I sometimes attend the open workout sessions on Monday evenings (this leaves Saturday and Sunday open for ice skating and hockey practice).

I am SORE after every class and I'm working up a pretty good sweat. I can do a whole VERY short form.. I'm very bad at writing transliterated Chinese but it's a sort of salute form. Here's a video of the late Grandmaster Ark Y Wong performing it: 



 so at least I have a whole form, however short, memorized to practice.

Otherwise I just do line drills at home and practice basic techniques and combinations that will help me in my forms. For some reason I'm REALLY into tiger style, I don't know why I just eat it up. I love the way my forearms feel after 2 hours of tiger drills.

Also my flexibility has skyrocketed. I can do a butterfly stretch and bring my forehead to my toes now. When I first started (40 lbs ago) I could barely even think about doing that much less try.

Sorry I'm ranting I'm just kind of in love with this art.


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## kfman (Feb 1, 2009)

Hi Pezzle,
Unfortunately, the first seven moves of the Salute (basically the salute of the Salute) were not shown in the video of Ark Wong you posted. I have seen some people do the Salute and leave out moves five and six. There's a DVD available of the Salute and Small Cross with explanations of applications at: http://www.choylifutmokhung.com/ ...... keep up your good training.


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## kfman (Feb 1, 2009)

I forgot to mention since you love tiger .... the main tiger form is the ninth form to learn which is after the snake and darn dao.


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## Pezzle (Feb 8, 2009)

It doesn't mean much to everyone else, but I tested for and received my white sash (First Rank, we start with no sash) yesterday. Yaaay. 

EDIT: Sorry for not replying sooner. I do know the first seven moves of the salute itself, but couldn't find a proper video referencing them.


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## kfman (Feb 8, 2009)

What did you have to do for your sash?


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## Pezzle (Feb 8, 2009)

kfman said:


> What did you have to do for your sash?



It wasn't much. The test was more of a formality than anything I think, because the environment is very much a "I've been watching you and I think you're ready to 'graduate'" sort of thing.

I had to do some basic drilling, mostly stance drills and holding various stances for about a minute each, not too bad. A lot of line drilling practicing various maneuvers. Press block punch, double punch, triple etc, a few tiger drills (black tiger method) and such. I didn't have to know the salute form for this sash, the white sash is very basic and easy to get. I'll get my stripe in 3 months, since I only have to know the first half of the two forms I already know in full (Jun Tao/Won Hop Kuen if I wrote that right). I'll use the 3 months to perfect them as much as I can. 

Gets tougher after that though, I can definitely see that. Have to do both of the aforementioned forms PLUS Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen. I love it. I've done part of Gung Gee and it's really awesome, makes me feel good on the inside.

Also as a matter of celebration, yay I've broken my plateau and I'm down to 238 from the 280 i originally started at. I think all this Hung Ga I've been doing is helping


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## kfman (Mar 7, 2009)

Hi Pezzle,
What are you learning now? Are you doing the Small Cross yet?


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## DergaSmash (Jul 13, 2009)

Another way to use your Hung Gar to get a really good workout is to get a good form down. My favorite as a beginner was Lau Gar Kuen. Get it down really well, so that when you prectice it you can do it relatively fast, but more importantly, visualize each technique as a fight finisher. Put maximum strength in each one without sacrificing technique. Once you can do that, just repeat the form for 15 minutes. Then move up to 30 minutes when you are able. If you can do a good form non-stop for thirty minutes with good form/stances/footwork/power, you're probably already where you want to be in terms of shape.

BTW Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen is a good one too.


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