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Hard work
Kung fu literally means 'hard work'.
Deliberate practice
Hard work alone is not enough, though.
Simply working hard will not necessarily lead to progress.
It needs to be deliberate, focused improvement designed to improve your practice
by developing key skills outlined by your
instructor.
The student must implement corrections, study the recommended books, undertake
assignments and challenge their comfort zone.
Versatility
There are many, many different styles of kung fu.
Historically, the Chinese favoured
originality, invention, creativity and surprise.
Every martial arts school wanted an 'edge'.
Each teacher sought to develop their own unique approach in the hope that it
would prove superior to other fighting styles.
The difference between
experienced fighters and beginners is the speed of muscle relaxation, which
is 8 times faster in champion fighters. For an inexperienced fighter, the
speed of muscle relaxation is too slow for the leg or the fist to gain
enough speed when striking a blow. Keeping the antagonistic muscles
contracted automatically slows down the movement.
(Frederic Delavier)
Fit for action
If you watch how Chinese martial artists or sports
people workout, there is no laziness to
be found.
They train hard, they are thorough and they expect
a lot from themselves.
External martial arts
Most styles of kung fu are 'external'
and they workout in a manner that is comparable with any other martial art.
The main difference tends to be the inclusion of
qigong.
Kung fu schools also tend to favour training methods designed to
increase speed through muscle relaxation.
Internal martial arts
The internal martial arts avoid certain external training approaches:
locked joints, tensed
muscles, aggression and
the use of force against force.
These are of no use in neijiaquan.
However, the need for conventional fitness
is just the same. Increased flexibility, suppleness, strength, cardiovascular
fitness and
agility are all
necessary.
Programs for
fighters should consist mostly
of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of
muscles in a minimum time.
(Frederic Delavier)
Extras
Kung fu fitness training often uses:
Wooden & metal swords
Sticks of various lengths and weights
Wallbag work
Heavy bag work
Cardio work
Yoga
Core strength exercises
Cardio
In real life combat you cannot afford to
lose your breath so cardio work is essential in kung fu.
Games like 'the ball game' and stepping drills
will increase your heart rate without the need for more conventional cardio
exercises.
However, if a student is seriously struggling for
breath, they will be taught short cardio sets to remedy this
problem.
10,000 steps a day
Invest in a
pedometer.
If you're not taking 10,000 steps a day then you are far too
sedentary and this will adversely affect your
fitness.
A lazy person cannot hope to make
progress in kung fu.
Weight training
It is quite common for tai chi students to train with weights. But there
are many considerations to keep in mind.
Pumping-up, stiffening, tension and shortened muscles are not good for kung
fu fitness.
Please speak with Sifu Waller if you are planning to undertake weight
training.
Delavier's Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy is worth
reading before undertaking any kind of weight training.
The author advocates a very limited amount of weight training -
specifically tailored to complement your given
martial art - rather than a typical gym/body building approach.
The philosophy of
between-reps breaks consists of doing everything you can to avoid fatigue
instead of seeking it out as you would in body building. Striving for
failure is more appropriate for those working on muscle mass than for those
wanting to increase strength or power.
(Frederic Delavier)
Not body building
Kung fu people cannot afford to pump-up, become injured or shorten their
muscles.
Lifting weights in order to obtain a certain aesthetic 'look' is pointless
in kung fu.
Train for strength and
power, not for vanity.
If a student undertakes weight training, they need to do so in an
informed manner and they must do everything possible
to keep their muscles lengthened.
Foam roller
Invest in a
foam roller.
It is a wonderful way to help release tension in the joints and
muscles.
Learn how to exercise
Instead of simply relying
upon your instructor to make you fit, make an effort yourself.
Take what you learn in kung fu class as a starting point.
Progress from there.
Make a commitment to get continually stronger, faster, more flexible,
healthier.
Research exercise methods and be open to any new approach that does not
interfere with your kung fu.
A different way
We advocate moderation in all
things.
e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very little
fitness benefit and no martial
development.
If you train too much, the body will become tired and
there is an increased risk of injury.
Biomechanical
advantage
Adjust
your home exercise routine when necessary to maintain
biomechanical advantage.
If your training is making you stronger, then keep doing it.
If you have reached a plateau, then change
something.
Just avoid extremes,
over-stretching and
excess.
Strength training
must adapt to the fighter's needs, not the other way around.
(Frederic Delavier)
Eat right
There is no point in committing to a comprehensive kung fu fitness regime
is you're going to eat junk food, smoke and drink
alcohol.
Your body needs its nutrients, protein and healthy
carbohydrates in order to grow stronger.
Tai chi for health
Faced with a major health crisis in the 1950's, the People's
Republic of China turned to the old/classical Yang style tai chi for a solution.
They wanted a form of exercise that could be
performed by students of all ages.
The simplest way to achieve this was to remove
the more demanding fitness component
and the kung fu (combat).
Most modern tai chi classes are
teaching an art that an old person could cope
with...
By definition this cannot
conceivably be a
martial art.
Tai chi fitness
For best results, tai chi should be practiced
alongside more conventional fitness
exercises.
Tai chi offers a unique range of fitness approaches:
Qigong
- serves to keep the muscles relaxed and the joints flexible
- balance, stamina, endurance, alignment, posture,
poise, simplistic coordination, range &
reach
- avoid over-stretching,
exertion or strain
Neigong
- whole-body strength
- ensures
proper use of strength
- connection, better use of mass, subtle adjustments to increase power
- sophisticated biomechanics
Form
- whole-body movement
- teaches agility and
coordination
- nimbleness, balance, memory, timing,
listening to the body
- optimal body use,
proprioception,
mind/body unity, kinaesthetic
awareness, ambidextrous use of the limbs, gait
- works tendons, ligaments, fascia
and muscles
- loose,
fluid and
relaxed
musculature
- ability to change instantaneously
Jing
- whole-body power
- smoothness, control, spontaneity,
unpredictability, stealth, circular, flowing
- kinetic energy
- use of 3 dimensions
- no 'telegraphing'
Partner work and martial
drills
- train the nervous system
- sensitivity,
biofeedback, leverage,
pressure,
softness, stickiness,
yielding, speed, power
- how to respond without thinking
Weapons
- heavy weapons will strengthen the arms/back and teach you to
balance the weight of
the stick by using connection
- encourage a more significant use
of the body when striking
- weapons forms train coordination, mobility, ambidextrous body use
and power generation
You
can use many techniques to gain strength but not all of them are appropriate
for fighting.
(Frederic Delavier)
Page created
18 April 1996
Last updated
5 November 2000
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