Problems with "traditional arts" part 2

[Gerry Seymour]

Would you change the kata? An oblique kick to the knee isn't a teep to the face.

Actually, once they are past a certain point, I'm okay with the students changing the kata. So, yeah, I'd adjust the kata for someone who can't physically do what I put in there. I allow stuff like a rear hammerfist instead of a rear elbow, too. I'm pretty lax about that. If the thing they do makes sense (and I often make them explain a different choice, as well as the pros and cons of it), then I don't much care.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

It depends. I look at kata as the fighting version of animal walks.

What are animal walks? (And if you say "the non-fighting version of forms" I'm sending ninjas to your house.)

 

[Poppity]

I know this thread looks dead but as a quick post... I accept that in traditional CMA you have a level of reverie to those who came before you and this ancestor worship is a bit of a usp for CMA. I think the issue in CMA in particular is that some teachers and branches want the reverie without the gong Fu or hard work, without the skill and ability, they just want their ego massaged and to be the big I am.

I think it is this ancestor reverie that makes CMA particularly attractive to certain people making it more prone to mcdojos and is why CMA is often so poorly represented in competition. I am not saying all CMA is like this only that CMA is more susceptible because of the importance it places on lineage.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

What are animal walks? (And if you say "the non-fighting version of forms" I'm sending ninjas to your house.)

Bear walks, gator crawls, duck walks, monkey walks, froggers, etc. Great exercises that also build specific movement skills.

That reminds me - I never did send you that video on shrimping. I’ll try to do that when I get back from D&D tonight. Remind me if I don’t.

 

[Flying Crane]

Bear walks, gator crawls, duck walks, monkey walks, froggers, etc. Great exercises that also build specific movement skills.

That reminds me - I never did send you that video on shrimping. I’ll try to do that when I get back from D&D tonight. Remind me if I don’t.

Dungeons and Dragons?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

What are animal walks?

Tiger:

Dragon:

Horse:

Bear:

Chicken:

...

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Dungeons and Dragons?

Yep. On Tuesdays I DM. On Thursday we’ll be starting a new campaign where I get to be one of the players.

 

[Flying Crane]

Yep. On Tuesdays I DM. On Thursday we’ll be starting a new campaign where I get to be one of the players.

Nice. It’s been decades.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Bear:

...

I think drop bear and I had some different animal walks in mind. The ones I was thinking of look more like this:

 

[drop bear]

I think drop bear and I had some different animal walks in mind. The ones I was thinking of look more like this:

I was thinking chicken attack.

But our version and wangs version is pretty much the same thing.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Bear walks, gator crawls, duck walks, monkey walks, froggers, etc. Great exercises that also build specific movement skills.

That reminds me - I never did send you that video on shrimping. I’ll try to do that when I get back from D&D tonight. Remind me if I don’t.

You keep telling me to remind you. Haven't you figured out yet that I need somebody to remind me?

Thanks for that. And I'll go looking for those walks. I probably know some of them, but not by those names.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Tiger:

Dragon:

Horse:

Bear:

Chicken:

...

Thanks for that. I couldn't watch them all. My knees hurt from just watching that dragon form. Those look like they'd be fun to train (wow, there's something wrong with saying that!).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think drop bear and I had some different animal walks in mind. The ones I was thinking of look more like this:

Okay, I used to do a simpler version of that kind of thing to work on ground movement. As he says in the video, a good workout, too.