Friday, February 12, 2010
Life Long Learning and Practicing
I'm sure you can see that this guy is no more in his 20's or 30's or 40's. For Traditional Wushu, you can start practicing at any age until you're old you may still find yourself being able to continue practicing. It benefits your health a lot. Traditional Wushu is truly meant for everybody who are interest to learn and practice it.
You can check in my older post with a title "northmantisx - video (qarqui quan)". The routine that I'm performing is our Malaccan version. If you were to compare the routine played in both of these 2 videos (I mean the one that I perform with the one above), for sure you can see the difference between them. They are actually the same traditional routines but being different versions. Malaccan version is more similar to the Penang ones because our mantis wushu lineage is from Penang. Anyway you can still find the varians between us. Eventhough I am a Malaccan mantis wushu practitioner, I used to make reference with the mantis boxing texts from Hong Kong. So, what I can summarize here is that each place has got its own version, and this does prove that traditional wushu do correspond with changing environment. Or to be exact, it would be the word "Localization"
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Even Fist
When you punch forward, do always check whether your punch is correctly performed. And you should know where to focus your force upon. Refer to the illustration below.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Adaptability of Traditional Wushu
Traditional wushu is known for its high adaptability to current culture, physical environment and to individual’s need as well. To elaborate these, let me start with the age aspect. To learn traditional wushu, one can actually start at any age and practice it until old age. You can start as early as ten years old and it’s not too late if you start learning when you are in your 40’s. What I’m trying to tell here is traditional wushu caters a wider range of age compares to competition type of wushu.
Secondly, traditional wushu can be tailored to your own physical body structure, your present health conditions, and also which I had mentioned above, your age as well. There are peoples who prefer to practice forcefully and fast. There are also peoples who prefer to practice fast yet in a light manner. While some may prefer to do it full force in step by step manner. And yet another group would rather have it going light and easy. There are nothing wrong in those 4 ways of practicing. It’s entirely up to you to decide whichever suits you the best.
As I had told you in my earlier posting of full-stance practice and soft practice. So, if you think you can afford wider stances when you’re practicing the routine, just go ahead and keep up with your good work when you have a bigger space for training. But, if your small home is the only place available for your wushu revisions, then just opt for soft practice and you are still practicing anyway.
Due to the adaptability nature of traditional wushu, it does prove its sense of mass appeal. Thus, breaking away from the perception that traditional wushu was only meant for the young. For me, it meant for everybody who are interested.
I had learnt Taichi in the past and I can tell you frankly, Taichi is actually much more difficult to master compares to traditional wushu. If you were to follow a 30 years back old wushu syllabus, Taichi would be the last form for you to practice. In other words, it is meant for advanced practitioners because the requirement for each of its form is high indeed. So, do not think that Taichi is easy when you saw its’ movements are slow and easy to follow. He fact is it’s never been easy at all.
Secondly, traditional wushu can be tailored to your own physical body structure, your present health conditions, and also which I had mentioned above, your age as well. There are peoples who prefer to practice forcefully and fast. There are also peoples who prefer to practice fast yet in a light manner. While some may prefer to do it full force in step by step manner. And yet another group would rather have it going light and easy. There are nothing wrong in those 4 ways of practicing. It’s entirely up to you to decide whichever suits you the best.
As I had told you in my earlier posting of full-stance practice and soft practice. So, if you think you can afford wider stances when you’re practicing the routine, just go ahead and keep up with your good work when you have a bigger space for training. But, if your small home is the only place available for your wushu revisions, then just opt for soft practice and you are still practicing anyway.
Due to the adaptability nature of traditional wushu, it does prove its sense of mass appeal. Thus, breaking away from the perception that traditional wushu was only meant for the young. For me, it meant for everybody who are interested.
I had learnt Taichi in the past and I can tell you frankly, Taichi is actually much more difficult to master compares to traditional wushu. If you were to follow a 30 years back old wushu syllabus, Taichi would be the last form for you to practice. In other words, it is meant for advanced practitioners because the requirement for each of its form is high indeed. So, do not think that Taichi is easy when you saw its’ movements are slow and easy to follow. He fact is it’s never been easy at all.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is Traditional Wushu Ugly? (In Comparison to Modern Wushu)
I have a friend being a coach for Taichi Boxing who used to says that traditional wushu is not as beautiful as modern wushu. I knew what he meant . There are no high jumping and gyrating kicks. There are no elegant postures to make you feel like Jet Li in the Wong Fei Hong movies. Only primitive forms performed by elder folks. That was his point of view.
For me, I would prefer to look at a wider perspective. In order to appreciate the beauty of traditional wushu, one needs to approach it, learn it, practice it and to understand what is the purpose and function of the form. When comes to this, I always remember what Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect said. He said an effective building must fulfill 3 aspects namely: Utility, Firmness & Beauty.
Utility is the purpose or function of the form that we put it into practice.
Firmness is the system that serve and support the function of the form. For example, one wushu form must be correctly performed with coordination between handwork and legwork in the right timing. So strength can be exerted to the maximum.
And lastly, Beauty or the aesthetic part that would spontaneously manifest itself when the form is correctly performed.
So, for traditional wushu, in order to appreciate its beauty, you must practice it right and feel each of its movement. In other words, you must experience the process in accomplishing the form.
While modern wushu happens to be on the contrary. The aspect of beauty/aesthetic always come first and the rest be put behind. I think this is the major reason that differentiates modern wushu from traditional ones. For modern wushu , the form that you perform can be without utility/function. As long as it is beautifully performed to gain as many points as possible from competition judges. We can’t blame it because that is the format of modern wushu competition. And every participant must comply to such requirements. Any way let this be seen as another stage or era of wushu development – it is its nature to evolve with time.
So, here we should emulate what the karate-do peoples been doing. They not only promote the modern form of karate throughout the world but at the same time have been very earnest in their effort to preserve the traditional form of karate-do as well.
For me, I would prefer to look at a wider perspective. In order to appreciate the beauty of traditional wushu, one needs to approach it, learn it, practice it and to understand what is the purpose and function of the form. When comes to this, I always remember what Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect said. He said an effective building must fulfill 3 aspects namely: Utility, Firmness & Beauty.
Utility is the purpose or function of the form that we put it into practice.
Firmness is the system that serve and support the function of the form. For example, one wushu form must be correctly performed with coordination between handwork and legwork in the right timing. So strength can be exerted to the maximum.
And lastly, Beauty or the aesthetic part that would spontaneously manifest itself when the form is correctly performed.
So, for traditional wushu, in order to appreciate its beauty, you must practice it right and feel each of its movement. In other words, you must experience the process in accomplishing the form.
While modern wushu happens to be on the contrary. The aspect of beauty/aesthetic always come first and the rest be put behind. I think this is the major reason that differentiates modern wushu from traditional ones. For modern wushu , the form that you perform can be without utility/function. As long as it is beautifully performed to gain as many points as possible from competition judges. We can’t blame it because that is the format of modern wushu competition. And every participant must comply to such requirements. Any way let this be seen as another stage or era of wushu development – it is its nature to evolve with time.
So, here we should emulate what the karate-do peoples been doing. They not only promote the modern form of karate throughout the world but at the same time have been very earnest in their effort to preserve the traditional form of karate-do as well.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Traditional Wushu For Me.
I regard traditional wushu as a cultural art and that’s how I’m going to promote it. Besides that, I‘m practicing it as my way of fitness exercise regime be it in full-stance practice or soft practice. For each session of training, I will perform up to 15 routines plus another 3 more as “cool-down” practice. So, altogether would be 18 routines in total. I had listed down those 18 traditional routines in my previous posting and you can find it out there. By the end of each training session, I’ll be sweating all over. So, that’s how I maintain my body weight through the years.
Anyhow, I’m more relax nowaday during my practicing. I mean I’m slowing down a little my movements. I do not practice the way I’m practicing when was in my 20’s then. The reason for that is I had hurt the veins in my arm repeatedly whenever I’m pushing myself harder. It’s actually an old wound since my lante 20’s. I hurt my arm during work for having to lift heavy items like antique furnitures. I thought it was just a small matter then until the pain last for 3 weeks. Then only I realized that I had really hurt my arm. So I went to consult a traditional chinese medicine practitioner. He advised me not to push myself too hard during my martial art training or else I could expect the worst to come. So, I took his advise and started to slow down a little in my training. From then on, those pain in my arm had all gone.
Anyhow, I’m more relax nowaday during my practicing. I mean I’m slowing down a little my movements. I do not practice the way I’m practicing when was in my 20’s then. The reason for that is I had hurt the veins in my arm repeatedly whenever I’m pushing myself harder. It’s actually an old wound since my lante 20’s. I hurt my arm during work for having to lift heavy items like antique furnitures. I thought it was just a small matter then until the pain last for 3 weeks. Then only I realized that I had really hurt my arm. So I went to consult a traditional chinese medicine practitioner. He advised me not to push myself too hard during my martial art training or else I could expect the worst to come. So, I took his advise and started to slow down a little in my training. From then on, those pain in my arm had all gone.
My Lineage
Wang Lang(王郎)
The founder of Praying Mantis Boxing at the beginning of Qing Dynasty in China
↓
Taoist priest named Sheng Xiao (升宵道人)
↓
Li Zhijian (李三剪) (1810 – 光緒十七年)
↓
Wang Yunsheng (王榮生) 生於(1854 – 1926)
↓
Fan Xudong (范旭東) (1841 – 1935)
↓
Luo Guangyu (羅光玉) (1889 – 1944)
He was invited as an ambassador for mantis boxing by the central committee of Shanghai Chinwoo and later was transferred to Hong Kong Chinwoo. He is a prominent figure in both the mantis boxing and Chinwoo history
↓
Wong Kam Hong (黄锦洪) (1917 – 1991)
He migrated from Hong Kong to Penang. Having teaching in Penang Chinwoo for a while before founding his own Penang Tang Lang Martial Arts Association.
↓
Yong Boon Toh (楊文道) (1917 – 1993)
He is my master. Being a coach in Malacca Chinwoo Athletic Association since 1970’s until his death in 1993. I joined Malacca Chinwoo in 1990.
↓
Tan Soo Chong (陈書张) (1951)
He is my senior brother who taught me on behalf of my master who already in his 70’s then
↓
Shervmen Loi (雷彬) (1973)
And finally me, who start practicing this form of wushu from 1991 onwards
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
No, You Don’t Have To Do Full-Stance Practice All The Time
As you’re learning new routine, to practice it frequently is a must. Anyway not everyone would have that sufficient space for such a revision. I’m one of the example. My house is small and there are only about a 15ft passageway in my living room. But still I’m able to practice in a “soft” manner. What I mean here is I perform only the handworks. As I proceed and retreat, I will be in the standing/walking stance or posture. So, I’ll be using less space to complete the routine. Even though you may not perform it in a 100% manner as t may seems, but for sure this way of practicing will help much in perfecting your handworks. And, yet you must keep on practicing to get the desired result. Also you need to take note that, 80% of Seven Stars Mantis Boxing are comprising of handworks. If you are able to be good at handworks, then your mastery of the art are also 80% - imagine that!
Another point I want to discuss here is when you’re doing soft practicing, do not rush to finish the routine. It’s better to slow down a little and concerntrate on the quality of your handworks. With a little slowing down will surely do a great help in your effort to pay attention to each detail of your hand movements. Namely the usage of wrist, the sinking state of elbows, the relax stage of your shoulders and the manipulation of your fingers. So, this is benefit of soft practicing.
Another point I want to discuss here is when you’re doing soft practicing, do not rush to finish the routine. It’s better to slow down a little and concerntrate on the quality of your handworks. With a little slowing down will surely do a great help in your effort to pay attention to each detail of your hand movements. Namely the usage of wrist, the sinking state of elbows, the relax stage of your shoulders and the manipulation of your fingers. So, this is benefit of soft practicing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
