Barefoot practice of Chinese Martial Arts?

[KabutoKouji]

Yang Jwing Ming is a proponent of root training and that is done in shoes on the ground first, then on one set of bricks to get you off the ground to work on rooting through the bricks and eventually ending up on 2 or 3 sets of bricks to gain a better root. Rooting is important to CMA, .

I have to say I'm very glad to be wearing shoes when we have to do that Crane stance that has you with the back foot laces down on the ground

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I'm equally comfortable training barefoot or with shoes. I've done plenty of both. I do think the time I've spent training barefoot has done a lot for the general good health of my feet, so I don't think I would want to give it up to train exclusively in shoes.

 

[Ben S]

Since I am at the opposite end of the spectrum so to speak, having only studied Chinese MA, I cannot imagine practicing my art barefoot. Not sure there are any HUGE pro or cons either way. I like training with shoes especially living in Ohio if I have to use my art it will likely be with shoes on.

wingerjim - But your avatar (picture) is barefoot - haha.

 

[wingerjim]

wingerjim - But your avatar (picture) is barefoot - haha.

Funny, it also has a karate uniform and I do Wing Chun, no uniform or belt. lol

 

[Flying Crane]

I have to say I'm very glad to be wearing shoes when we have to do that Crane stance that has you with the back foot laces down on the ground

I don't know what stance this is?

 

[KabutoKouji]

I don't know what stance this is?

I'll try and find it's proper name - it's a transitionary looking stance - similar to the stance at 'turn the body and circle the fist' in TaiJiJuan - except even more weight is on the front leg, and the back foot is supposed to have almost no weight on it, though it is touching the ground, laces down.

 

[KabutoKouji]

actually no it's not really transitionary, it's just that I was incorrectly 'opening the gate' of the front foot too much while doing it because the drill was to come up from the stance into a front snap kick and then back down into it, so I left my front foot 'open'

it is pretty much like this stance:

except the back foot is more directly behind and not out to the side - the laces of the shoe of the back foot are facing downward to the ground

 

[Ben S]

[QUOTE="KabutoKouji, post: 1826379 - weight is on the front leg, and the back foot is supposed to have almost no weight on it, though it is touching the ground, laces down.[/QUOTE]

KabutoKouji - I've never learned tai chi, but read recently that something about one executing conscious unequal weighting in the stance (ex- 70% weight on the rear leg and 30% on the front leg) can develop internal energy. It's hard to confirm something something like that since you're the only one who feels it. I can definitely confirm leaving my practice with more energy than I started with - it happens all the time. Maybe it's more of a redistribution of the body's energy. Li Zi Ming's says - "When cultivated to the highest level of proficiency, circle walking serves to regulate physiological functions by balancing metabolism, improving the physical constitution and enhancing the overall health.". Do you ever experience anything this from your tai chi practice?

 

[Ben S]

Funny, it also has a karate uniform and I do Wing Chun, no uniform or belt. lol

I wish I'd learned Wing Chun earlier on my martial arts path - I'm 63 now. Can you say anything about your practice - is it something you get a lot out of as a solo, or is it really brought to life when using it with a partner?

 

[KabutoKouji]

[QUOTE="KabutoKouji, post: 1826379 - weight is on the front leg, and the back foot is supposed to have almost no weight on it, though it is touching the ground, laces down.

KabutoKouji - I've never learned tai chi, but read recently that something about one executing conscious unequal weighting in the stance (ex- 70% weight on the rear leg and 30% on the front leg) can develop internal energy. It's hard to confirm something something like that since you're the only one who feels it. I can definitely confirm leaving my practice with more energy than I started with - it happens all the time. Maybe it's more of a redistribution of the body's energy. Li Zi Ming's says - "When cultivated to the highest level of proficiency, circle walking serves to regulate physiological functions by balancing metabolism, improving the physical constitution and enhancing the overall health.". Do you ever experience anything this from your tai chi practice?[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but certainly standing in very inbalanced stances does seem to energize and strengthen the legs a lot, when I finish 'Embrace Moon To Chest' for 6 minutes (which is pretty much 99% weight on back leg) I do feel very energised and in fact usually find doing pressups easier pretty much straight afterwards (even though paradoxically I have been holding my arms up in front of me in the same position for 6 minutes, so they should feel 'tired').

 

[Ben S]

K - Sorry, I come from years of training in a zen martial art and we learned to pay attention to this stuff. Some people despise this kind of conversation. To answer you - yes - this is exactly what I meant. It's different for every martial art - something about the focused 'INTENTION' seems to bring energy to the whole body. In your example, you have to very much 'intend' to hold Embrace the Moon for that length of time. It makes sense that your muscles, tendons, fascia, etc. would be affected, but a sustained, strong mind focus on what the body is doing always seems to produce an energizing effect. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Xue Sheng]

K - Sorry, I come from years of training in a zen martial art and we learned to pay attention to this stuff. Some people despise this kind of conversation. To answer you - yes - this is exactly what I meant. It's different for every martial art - something about the focused 'INTENTION' seems to bring energy to the whole body. In your example, you have to very much 'intend' to hold Embrace the Moon for that length of time. It makes sense that your muscles, tendons, fascia, etc. would be affected, but a sustained, strong mind focus on what the body is doing always seems to produce an energizing effect. Thanks for the reply.

Look at Xingyiquan and Dachengquan (Yiquan)

 

[wingerjim]

I wish I'd learned Wing Chun earlier on my martial arts path - I'm 63 now. Can you say anything about your practice - is it something you get a lot out of as a solo, or is it really brought to life when using it with a partner?

Sure Ben. I actually started almost 6 years ago at the age of 47. The empty hand forms (3 of them) and the dummy form can be learned from videos but let me qualify my statement of learn. Anyone can watch a video and somewhat mimic it and this is learning to copy those forms. What I believe must be taught by an instructor are the finer points that make it imitation to application. You also bring up a very valid point about contact. Yes WC is very much practiced with a training partner(s). My Sifu wants us to mix up with everyone on-site each class. This way we learn from more experience and less experienced. We learn from tall, short, wide, narrow, strong and weak. To me the essence of WC is in the reaction after years of tactile contact with a training partner, so I believe you can "learn" the forms but you can only "apply" them after being trained. Good luck Ben.

 

[Ben S]

Sure Ben. I actually started almost 6 years ago at the age of 47. The empty hand forms (3 of them) and the dummy form can be learned from videos but let me qualify my statement of learn. Anyone can watch a video and somewhat mimic it and this is learning to copy those forms. What I believe must be taught by an instructor are the finer points that make it imitation to application. You also bring up a very valid point about contact. Yes WC is very much practiced with a training partner(s). My Sifu wants us to mix up with everyone on-site each class. This way we learn from more experience and less experienced. We learn from tall, short, wide, narrow, strong and weak. To me the essence of WC is in the reaction after years of tactile contact with a training partner, so I believe you can "learn" the forms but you can only "apply" them after being trained. Good luck Ben.

Makes sense, especially regarding the instructor and partners. Maybe I'll 'get my feet wet' with a video and see if I can get a feel before trying a class. Thanks.

 

[Ben S]

Look at Xingyiquan and Dachengquan (Yiquan)

Sounds like what I'm after - t's a 100 mile round trip to Boston for me and makes it hard to attend regular classes of any kind. But perhaps worth trying. Thanks.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Sounds like what I'm after -


Sounds like what I'm after - I know it's a lousy excuse, but it's a 100 mile round trip to Boston for me and makes it hard to attend regular classes of any kind. But perhaps worth trying.

There use ti be a Yiquan/Dachengquan guy in Boston Chinatown who, and I am not making this up, taught in the back of a store in Chinatown. But I do not know if he is still around. As for Xingyiquan.

Xingyi Monday and Friday in Boston Chinatown with Zhou Xuan Yun from 6:30 to 8:00

These are old listings and you would need to call these folks

Leung Kay Chi
616 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-4459
www.Jiannshyongkungfu.com
Yin Style BaGua
XingYiQuan
Chen TaiJi
Yang TaiJi

Bow Sim Mark (Note: this is Donnie Yen's mother)
246 Harrison Ave.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 426-0958
HeBei XingYi
BaGuaZhang
TaiJiQuan

Adison Martin
47 Walk Hill Street
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 791-6009
[email protected]
www.adisonmartin.com
TaiJiQuan
BaGuaZhang
XingYiQuan
Qigong

There is also another guy in the Boston area who is also supposed to be real good, but his name escapes me at the moment, I will have to look him up.

Also this guy, but I know absolutely nothing about him Kenneth Burns

 

[Ben S]

Sure Ben. I actually started almost 6 years ago at the age of 47. The empty hand forms (3 of them) and the dummy form can be learned from videos but let me qualify my statement of learn. Anyone can watch a video and somewhat mimic it and this is learning to copy those forms. What I believe must be taught by an instructor are the finer points that make it imitation to application. You also bring up a very valid point about contact. Yes WC is very much practiced with a training partner(s). My Sifu wants us to mix up with everyone on-site each class. This way we learn from more experience and less experienced. We learn from tall, short, wide, narrow, strong and weak. To me the essence of WC is in the reaction after years of tactile contact with a training partner, so I believe you can "learn" the forms but you can only "apply" them after being trained. Good luck Ben.

wingerjim - You've sparked my interest in wing chun again. I've found a school in Portland ME (Portland Kung Fu) that seems well-liked and with a good lineage. It's 100 miles away, but I make the trip several times a year. I'm going to talk with them and get myself up there and try a lesson or two. Until I do, can you recommend a good video that I might use to get myself started? Something with forms and techniques presented clearly enough so that I could try and get a feel for the art before training with a real instructor? Thanks.

 

[Xue Sheng]

wingerjim - You've sparked my interest in wing chun again. I've found a school in Portland ME (Portland Kung Fu) that seems well-liked and with a good lineage. It's 100 miles away, but I make the trip several times a year. I'm going to talk with them and get myself up there and try a lesson or two. Until I do, can you recommend a good video that I might use to get myself started? Something with forms and techniques presented clearly enough so that I could try and get a feel for the art before training with a real instructor? Thanks.

Why are you always looking to places 100 or more mile away

Wing Chun in Boston approximatley 40 miles from Rockport

Wing Chun in Allston approximately 40 miles form Rockport

Martial arts reasesrch institute - Pin Sun Wing Chun- Kung fu- in Salem approximately 25 miles from Rockport

 

[oaktree]

Would love to train with bow sim mark her wudang sword and fu Baguazhang is legendary.

 

[Ben S]

Why are you always looking to places 100 or more mile away

Wing Chun in Boston approximatley 40 miles from Rockport

Wing Chun in Allston approximately 40 miles form Rockport

Martial arts reasesrch institute - Pin Sun Wing Chun- Kung fu- in Salem approximately 25 miles from Rockport

Well, it's up to me isn't it? Quick answer - I spent many years living in Boston and don't resonate with that city. I appreciate your kind recommendations of teachers based around my location, but with all due respect, you are assuming that I would immediately accept ANY teacher you recommend as my superior - you really know nothing of my level of ability as a martial artist.