Eagle Claw Kung Fu

[drunkenfist]

I just started training in the Northern style of Eagle Claw Kung Fu and was wondering about it.I don't have much choice only Kung Fu school around here.I think the Sifu is very good but very obsessed on form.I do Tae Kwon Do also but was amazed when he said my punches are bad and my posture is bad.In Tae Kwon Do the master never said anything about any of it.I was just wondering if the system is any good or is worth continuing.

 

[arnisador]

See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1739

 

[brothershaw]

How you punch and kick in tae kwon do, or any karate style for that matter, may be very different from how you punch and kick in eagle claw. You may use your body and hip to generate power differently. So a good way to kick for tae kwon do may be no good for your eagle claw. Also you may be able to duplicate the motions because you have previous training, but you may not have the right energy behind it.
I had some experience in tae kwon do and karate, and it is quite different from how i punch and kick in kung fu. Now I am so used to kicking and punching the way my kung fu teacher has taught me it feels weird doing it the tae kwon do or karate way.( Every once and awhile I go to a karate class to do a little comparison).
A good hard punch or kick will still hurt somebody no matter how you do it, but different styles will have different preferences on how they do things. You may also find trying to do eagle claw and tae kwon do at the same time may slow down yourprogress in both, since they may be more contradictory than complimentary.

 

[7starmantis]

I agree with the fact that TKD and Eagle Claw might impede your progress if done together.
Eagle Claw is a very good system, we get some of it at our school from other Sifus. I enjoy the eagle claw stuff we do.

It can be very effective.

7sm

 

[drunkenfist]

I appreciate the words of wisdom but it's kind of late to turn back now since I started crossing from the beginning.Tae Kwon Do is very simple to me not much to get confused about.I'm the oddball at the dojang anyhow.I took some wing chun classes for a semester at the community college to see if I could take it.I did it for 3 months then asked the master did he see any change in my sparring or movements.He said he did not see anything other than Tae Kwon Do that he taught me.He said my energy was better,my flexibility,and sparring speed and footwork.I just asked my Sifu and he said he did not see any TKD in my work other than the tension in my shoulders.All he said he never saw it done before then said whatever I do to keep doing it because he sees no confusion between the 2.I focus on Kung Fu and TKD seperately so it's not like a mix of the 2.I seem to understand Tae kwon better and vice versa.I was more interested in peoples thoughts on the Eagle Claw system.The master of TKD says every class that I am a great martial artist just keep doing whatever I do on my time.

 

[Victor Smith]

The reason your instructor obsesses on correct form in Eagle Claw is the nature of the system.

Northern Eagle Claw is a combination of the older Chin-Na locking traditions and Northern Shaolin Arts.

When done correctly the 'claws' actually feel like needles digging into the arms, etc. but it takes great work on technique to use the body correctly and sell the system.

It is likely your instructor was trained correctly and really cares about developing the art in fullness.

That TKD or other arts don't take the same approach is simply there are different operating systems involvled. Neither better or worse, just vastly different.

If you really want an art that encompases much of the Chinese traditions and superlative locking, striking and kicking traditions long, very long work on Eagle Claw will give it to you.

But there are absolutely no short cuts.

Pleasantly,

 

[KEMPO DAVE]

ditto Victor's thought.....you will have to unlearn somethings to learn others. Good Luck.

 

[Ma_Kuiwu]

A reason you many not see (or your instructors) may not see a difference in your sparring is due in part to the environment.

When you do TKD sparring you will revert to the TKD techniques purely out of cellular memory. I do this a lot in tournaments or sparring with TSD classes, because if I was to use Mantis correctly I would be pulling people around, sweeping the legs, kicking low, and attacking the eyes and joints. Not a very friendly match is it?

When I do my forms in Mantis, there are not too many "Karate" styled thigs I do except perhaps some of the hip rotations I do when executing side kicks.

Its kind of an unintentional "When in Rome do as the Romans" thing.

 

[brothershaw]

That is true, the longer you do different styles the easier it will be to keep them seperate to a degree. However your progress will be slower than if you did just one, and got more rest and practice time. You also might find an unconcious mixing of some things here and there ( mainly the footwork). Good luck.