Basics

[Xue Sheng]

It is a common mistake that students of the martial arts spend too little time on the fundamental practice, in order to move on to forms, which can create injury. In China we say that building your martial skill is like building a house; the strength of the foundation determines the quality of the building and the number of years it will last - Zhou Xuan Yun (Wudang Daoist) form Kung Fu Magazine Article - 09/29/2009

I agree with this statement whole heartedly and I think you will find this problem across the board in all martial arts these days and, IMO; this is especially evident in Taijiquan today. Also after the various things I have been reading the past couple of weeks I do believe I am also very guilty of not training my basics like I should and I am going back to basics to rectify that problem starting tonight.

So, am I the only one here or are there others that need to go back to basics to get to where they want to be or use to be?

And/or how many of you feel that the lack of a focus on basics in favor of “cooler”, “more flashy” or just plain easier training is hurting martial arts today?

 

[Flying Crane]

I can say that in the past year and a half that I've been training with my sigung and my sisuk, my understand of, appreciation for, and desire to work on, my basics has increased dramatically.

I've reached a point where anything that resembles flash and cool and wow, almost makes me break out in hives.

and I hate to say it, but i've become hyper-critical when I see people of high rank who lack a good foundation and good basics. I think it's something that has become overlooked in much of the martial arts today, to the point where people are unaware of it. I think a lot of people pay it lipservice and even believe that they have good basics and a strong foundation. But they don't, and they do not even realize it.

 

[clfsean]

I do basics daily... either taiji or CLF.

There's nothing flashy in CLF, only basics performed very well at high levels. Flash to me equals questionable or dubious application.

With taiji... I'm marvelously a beginner so that's really all I have & take great pleasure in doing just that... basics.

I'm also enjoying in standing Sam Tai Sik from Ying Yi Kuen (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA... sorry inside joke) that is really building up the root & connections that are helping with the TJQ & CLF.

Basics, basics, basics... if you have no basics, you have no substance.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I've reached a point where anything that resembles flash and cool and wow, almost makes me break out in hives.

You should see me after I watch bad Taiji preformed by a self-appointed master

 

[Xue Sheng]

I do basics daily... either taiji or CLF.

There's nothing flashy in CLF, only basics performed very well at high levels. Flash to me equals questionable or dubious application.

With taiji... I'm marvelously a beginner so that's really all I have & take great pleasure in doing just that... basics.

I'm also enjoying in standing Sam Tai Sik from Ying Yi Kuen (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA... sorry inside joke) that is really building up the root & connections that are helping with the TJQ & CLF.

Basics, basics, basics... if you have no basics, you have no substance.

I have to get back to some basic basics in CMA... MA BU (in the language of the chosen)

which leads me to....

Sam Tai Sik from Ying Yi Kuen

So... when are you going to stop using that devil talk and start on the basics of real Chinese (Mandarin)

 

[bluekey88]

I'm guilty of it...and I always find myself cming back to the basics. In fact, what I'm finding as i get older and mature as a martial artist is that I'm starting to see the beauty in the basics and am less interested in the flash.

However, that being said...I need to drill them more than I do.

Peace,
Erik

 

[Flying Crane]

You should see me after I watch bad Taiji preformed by a self-appointed master

I've been on a bit of a rant over on Kenpotalk. Not making myself the most popular member over there...

 

[Flying Crane]

I think what often happens is that people see an obligation to practice basics, so they approach it with the attitude of an obligation: distasteful, boring, etc.

With this approach, people tend to just "get thru" the basics so they can move on to the more "interesting" stuff. They don't give the basics the attention they need, and just go thru the motions without getting any benefit from the practice. They can then claim that they practice basics all the time. Well yeah they do, but it's all slop with no attempt to get anything out of it. May as well skip it altogether.

 

[ATC]

Well at my age all I can practice are the basics. I think everyone comes back to basic at some point in life for one reason or another.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I think what often happens is that people see an obligation to practice basics, so they approach it with the attitude of an obligation: distasteful, boring, etc.

With this approach, people tend to just "get thru" the basics so they can move on to the more "interesting" stuff. They don't give the basics the attention they need, and just go thru the motions without getting any benefit from the practice. They can then claim that they practice basics all the time. Well yeah they do, but it's all slop with no attempt to get anything out of it. May as well skip it altogether.

My Sanda sifu was all about basics, more so than any other sifu or teacher I have trained with. And he also liked to discourage you from training by telling you how boring the training is. But in reality, although he was being truthful, he was actually just testing to see if you were really interested in learning.

And after 30 years he still trains basics regularly.

What surprises me about my lack of training basics of late is I enjoy training basics. Sure some of this is due to injury but there are other things I could be doing.

 

[Flying Crane]

My Sanda sifu was all about basics, more so than any other sifu or teacher I have trained with. And he also liked to discourage you from training by telling you how boring the training is. But in reality, although he was being truthful, he was actually just testing to see if you were really interested in learning.

And after 30 years he still trains basics regularly.

What surprises me about my lack of training basics of late is I enjoy training basics. Sure some of this is due to injury but there are other things I could be doing.

one of the best things that my sigung and sisuk have done for me is make me be aware of my basics no matter what I'm training. Every step of every form, what's happening with my stances, am I generating power in the proper way, am I rooted properly, am I rotating fully, etc. So while we spend a good deal of time practicing basics all by itself, I have come to understand how everything that I'm doing is still basics, as long as I pay attention to it properly.

 

[teekin]

I'm guilty of it...and I always find myself cming back to the basics. In fact, what I'm finding as i get older and mature as a martial artist is that I'm starting to see the beauty in the basics and am less interested in the flash.

However, that being said...I need to drill them more than I do.

Peace,
Erik

Interesting, I find the same thing in Riding. I am less interested in the upper levels and the tricks ( all the PSG and above collected movements) than I am at teaching horses good solid basics. I am even more satisfied when I can take a wrecked horse and fix it simply by giving it solid basics.

Very very few people know how to train solid basics however and very few riders want to put in the time and money that is required to set them in stone. The boring factor again. Well to the people who don`t understand the nuances it is likely boring, but to those of us who do understand the intricicies, complexities of the puzzle it is far from boring. But it takes time, experiance and the ability to learn from your mistakes to appreciate those complexities. This doesn`t sound like the Twitter generation to me.

As I said in a different thread I am one who Must understand the theory behind the application for anything to make sense and be workable. I expect that anything worth learning will take time, and it`s not the end result that matters it`s the journey.

Lori

 

[KELLYG]

I think that basics need to be constantly looked at. Some of the things that you learned at white belt, for example, you really don't understand at that time. It takes experience, and going back and reviewing the basics to get the full understanding of what you may have just been mimicking originally.

 

[Flying Crane]

I think that basics need to be constantly looked at. Some of the things that you learned at white belt, for example, you really don't understand at that time. It takes experience, and going back and reviewing the basics to get the full understanding of what you may have just been mimicking originally.

personally I don't think it's something to go back to, rather it's something that ought to be a constant and consistent from day one.

 

[KELLYG]

Flying Crane,

I dig what you are saying but sometimes I don't get things the first time, I have to re-visit things to get the full effect.

 

[clfsean]

personally I don't think it's something to go back to, rather it's something that ought to be a constant and consistent from day one.

It's like I tell my students... "it's going to be boring and tedious for a while". Many don't make it past boring & tedious to get to the fun stuff.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Here are a couple of posts from my blog The Instinctive Edge regarding basics!

Basics, Basics, Basics!

and

Working Out With



Basic and fundamental skill sets are some thing you cannot get enough practice of. This is irregardless of the system you train in. Typically the finest practitioner's of any system are the ones who do not neglect their training on the basics of their system. Make sure you go over and over again the movements that form your fundamental skill sets!

 

[Flying Crane]

Flying Crane,

I dig what you are saying but sometimes I don't get things the first time, I have to re-visit things to get the full effect.

I think I understand what you are saying, I'm just choosing a little different language to emphasize a meaning that you may be implying anyway.

I'll ask tho, what do you mean by "re-visit"?

 

[Steve]

Happens in BJJ all the time. Very common for guys around blue belt to collect techniques, the flashier the better. But just about everyone seems to go back and revisit the basics at some point. I know that I have.

Roger Gracie is about the most dominant jitiero around right now and he wins just about every match by improving position to mount and then ezekial or cross collar choke for the tap. Both submissions are among the first anyone learns.

 

[KELLYG]

I think I understand what you are saying, I'm just choosing a little different language to emphasize a meaning that you may be implying anyway.

I'll ask tho, what do you mean by "re-visit"?

Emptying my cup and re learning it as if it was the first time that I saw it. Some times bad habits creep in when you are not looking.