Chum Kiu: Thrusting and Turning
Sun, Nov 27 2011 07:23
| rules, kung fu, form, technique, hitting, practice, footwork, siu num tao, chum kiu, strikes, martial arts, power, Wing Tsun Kung fu, flexibility, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
For those of you that remember my last blog entry about the Chum Kiu you'll realise that words can rarely do justice to something as complex and fundamental as form to a martial art such as Wing Tsun. I'm doing my best to have a go though!
However it is important to recognise that the first "new" section in the form is one which equips a student with the ability to understand the defensive capabilities of the system whilst improving the relationship between moving the arms and body correctly within the IRAS.
A double jum sau allows one to sink not just the arms but the centre of gravity into the stance with the realisation that Chum Kiu operates on two lines not just one as in Siu Num Tau. Using the undualtion of the spine to lift the jum saus along with your centre of gravity parctices balance and structure, particularly when thrusting the arms out into Biu Tze saus.
The relaxtion needed not to uproot the student during Biu Tze sau promotes good balance and control. Usually thought of as an eye strike the technique offers a student solutions to drawing an attackers arms down to the centre of mass.
This is followed by a very tricky idea within Wing Tsun forms. The arms must be folded into double lan sau - elbows kept at 90 degrees in front of the solar plexus, and the full range of motion within the stance is needed to allow you to sink into a 90 degree turn. "Sitting" on the back leg places you into a very traditional Wing Tsun stance with the front leg free to step/kick as necessary. It also reminds us to draw all of your power in and down so you are not floating in a precarious position.
From an application point of view the technique offers various uses. Conceptually it teaches us to turn with power, speed and balance. When grappling this can be useful to shake off attackers looking to grapple the upper body or pin the arms. It also teaches us to move around a solid object or force without pushing against it or into it - this allows the Wing Tsun exponent to be soft and difficult to track by an attacker. It also implies that from the Biu Tze saus you can pull an opponent's head sharply down and to the side destroying their stance and leaving them incredibly vulnerable to counters.
By building up a solid base which can move, the Chum Kiu emphasises the need for balance and keeping the arms moving in proportion to the body. If one moves without the other your power and structure is broken. This leaves you weak and twisted in structure. While this may be less of a problem in more advanced systems and emergency techniques it is important to establish good practice amongst beginners.
From here the opening of the arms with double fook saus invites us to expand the chest and lever apart both our arms and those of our attackers. The three pak saus with tok saus have simple applications to break the balance of an attacker using the disruption of their joints. Followed by three palm strikes the student is given a clear message to attack back in using quick and powerful strikes whilst an assailant is off balance.
Drawing the arm back across the body it is important that as the student splits the arms into a lan sau and sau chong that they return to neutral stance. Skipping this point encoruages bad habits and poor structure. Pausing albeit briefly demonstrates great control. It also reminds the student to focus on holding the lan sau at chest height and not towards the throat or even chin as some people will commonly do.
Moving all the way over to the other 90 degree turn with a lan sau teaches the student the depth of IRAS and our ability to move. The split amongst the lan sau and sau chong as well as the sink into the stance is crucial in teaching the student how to keep out an opponents force. Turning the forearm upwards slightly allows the lan sau to become stronger and more resillient.
Forming a double tan sau reminds the student that Chum Kiu also uses one line and nods towards the lessons of the previous Siu Num Tau. Compression of the double tan into the hip allows the student to push themselves around the own centre and make a bong sau wu sau at a 45 degree angle. It is crucial the student understands to face "forwards" looking over the bong sau and in line with their wu.
These steps are teaching us how to move around a changing attacker not multiple attackers or one which can teleport! Constant referral to the direction of an attack is necessary in all aspects of Wing Tsun. Moving between the double tan and bong sau wu sau three times emphasises the use of three repetitions throught the Wing Tsun forms to teach an important idea. It also shows how we can change easily between very defensive and deep 90 degree turns and more attacking 45 turns which help us slip and evade attacks rather than contain them like the former.
The punch over the top of the final lan sau reminds us to keep our arms over the lan sau to avoid them being trapped by being pulled down and develops power and range whilst in the 90 degree stance. Likewise when drawing the arm across into the fak sau it is important the legs are pulled back into neutral stance and the "whip" of the fak sau is then achieved using the softeness in the shoulder joint to make the technique powerful.
The arm is withdrawn and sunken back into the hip. This ensures the following strike is at eye height but launched from a solid and stable base. Be careful that the hand finishes on the centre line as crossing it will pull the shoulders apart and destroy your structure. The heun sau and return to sau chong signifies the end of the section as inkeeping with the Siu Num Tau.
The fact this is repeated on the other side shows how important the lessons contained within these movements are. Likewise it teaches us to train both sides with the mechanics and spatial awareness handed down by the section. Overall it is an important preparation not just for learning to defend and move coherently but for assigning the weight and balance onto one leg allowing us the ability to kick and step in the subsequent sections. That however is another long and complex blog post for another time!
Happy training!
However it is important to recognise that the first "new" section in the form is one which equips a student with the ability to understand the defensive capabilities of the system whilst improving the relationship between moving the arms and body correctly within the IRAS.
A double jum sau allows one to sink not just the arms but the centre of gravity into the stance with the realisation that Chum Kiu operates on two lines not just one as in Siu Num Tau. Using the undualtion of the spine to lift the jum saus along with your centre of gravity parctices balance and structure, particularly when thrusting the arms out into Biu Tze saus.
The relaxtion needed not to uproot the student during Biu Tze sau promotes good balance and control. Usually thought of as an eye strike the technique offers a student solutions to drawing an attackers arms down to the centre of mass.
This is followed by a very tricky idea within Wing Tsun forms. The arms must be folded into double lan sau - elbows kept at 90 degrees in front of the solar plexus, and the full range of motion within the stance is needed to allow you to sink into a 90 degree turn. "Sitting" on the back leg places you into a very traditional Wing Tsun stance with the front leg free to step/kick as necessary. It also reminds us to draw all of your power in and down so you are not floating in a precarious position.
From an application point of view the technique offers various uses. Conceptually it teaches us to turn with power, speed and balance. When grappling this can be useful to shake off attackers looking to grapple the upper body or pin the arms. It also teaches us to move around a solid object or force without pushing against it or into it - this allows the Wing Tsun exponent to be soft and difficult to track by an attacker. It also implies that from the Biu Tze saus you can pull an opponent's head sharply down and to the side destroying their stance and leaving them incredibly vulnerable to counters.
By building up a solid base which can move, the Chum Kiu emphasises the need for balance and keeping the arms moving in proportion to the body. If one moves without the other your power and structure is broken. This leaves you weak and twisted in structure. While this may be less of a problem in more advanced systems and emergency techniques it is important to establish good practice amongst beginners.
From here the opening of the arms with double fook saus invites us to expand the chest and lever apart both our arms and those of our attackers. The three pak saus with tok saus have simple applications to break the balance of an attacker using the disruption of their joints. Followed by three palm strikes the student is given a clear message to attack back in using quick and powerful strikes whilst an assailant is off balance.
Drawing the arm back across the body it is important that as the student splits the arms into a lan sau and sau chong that they return to neutral stance. Skipping this point encoruages bad habits and poor structure. Pausing albeit briefly demonstrates great control. It also reminds the student to focus on holding the lan sau at chest height and not towards the throat or even chin as some people will commonly do.
Moving all the way over to the other 90 degree turn with a lan sau teaches the student the depth of IRAS and our ability to move. The split amongst the lan sau and sau chong as well as the sink into the stance is crucial in teaching the student how to keep out an opponents force. Turning the forearm upwards slightly allows the lan sau to become stronger and more resillient.
Forming a double tan sau reminds the student that Chum Kiu also uses one line and nods towards the lessons of the previous Siu Num Tau. Compression of the double tan into the hip allows the student to push themselves around the own centre and make a bong sau wu sau at a 45 degree angle. It is crucial the student understands to face "forwards" looking over the bong sau and in line with their wu.
These steps are teaching us how to move around a changing attacker not multiple attackers or one which can teleport! Constant referral to the direction of an attack is necessary in all aspects of Wing Tsun. Moving between the double tan and bong sau wu sau three times emphasises the use of three repetitions throught the Wing Tsun forms to teach an important idea. It also shows how we can change easily between very defensive and deep 90 degree turns and more attacking 45 turns which help us slip and evade attacks rather than contain them like the former.
The punch over the top of the final lan sau reminds us to keep our arms over the lan sau to avoid them being trapped by being pulled down and develops power and range whilst in the 90 degree stance. Likewise when drawing the arm across into the fak sau it is important the legs are pulled back into neutral stance and the "whip" of the fak sau is then achieved using the softeness in the shoulder joint to make the technique powerful.
The arm is withdrawn and sunken back into the hip. This ensures the following strike is at eye height but launched from a solid and stable base. Be careful that the hand finishes on the centre line as crossing it will pull the shoulders apart and destroy your structure. The heun sau and return to sau chong signifies the end of the section as inkeeping with the Siu Num Tau.
The fact this is repeated on the other side shows how important the lessons contained within these movements are. Likewise it teaches us to train both sides with the mechanics and spatial awareness handed down by the section. Overall it is an important preparation not just for learning to defend and move coherently but for assigning the weight and balance onto one leg allowing us the ability to kick and step in the subsequent sections. That however is another long and complex blog post for another time!
Happy training!
A simple workout
Sat, Nov 26 2011 02:42
| stamina, sport, health, fighters, strength, stretching, MMA, martial arts, power, cardio, weightlifting, exercise, Wing Tsun Kung fu, fitness, flexibility, martial arts Altrincham, sparring, conditioning
| Permalink
I've been already toying with my January ritual of getting back into shape and healthy. It seems another year older, another year wiser, another year of good intentions.
I'm the first to admit my willpower and discipline when it comes to diet, exercise and tipping myself that extra 5% or so into being more athletic. The demands of martial arts are sometimes a heavy burden - especially if you let them be. However as a teacher, as somone who practices more than just casually it is perhaps reaosnable that I should set by example.
With this in mind I've been reinventing the wheel so to speak. None of these exercises are particularly complicated, fancy or specific. They are however demanding, effective and designed to promote muscle growth, fat loss and improved performance.
The first concept relates to what. What should I work? The answer as always is as much as possible. Big muscles groups utilising as many joints as possible.
By dividing the body in half to upper and lower, and then in half again to front and back I am able to isolate large muscle groups to focus on each set and rotate them to avoid muscle fatigue and lactic acid build up.
The principle of alternating the upper body one set with the lower body the next, combined with alternating front of body exercies with the back of body exercises means you only have to choose four exercises and the order is dictated by the first one you choose.
The next answer is how much? My response depends on your own aims and preference on volume. For me the German system of 10x10 sets x reps and my preference of using light/body weight is ideal. This can be played with though if you want to bulk up; drop the numbers and increase the weight. If you want to up endurance and leaness up the numbers and drop the weight (ideally bodyweight only).
Here's a guidline to one 8 week rotation: I use a 12kg Kettlebell, a 40lb resistance cable and my own bodyweight.
Day 1:
Lower back: Clean and Press with KB swing (5 Left and 5 Right)
Upper Front: Press Ups
Lower Front: Sumo Squats (KB in upturned grip)
Upper Back: Lat Pull Downs
Day 2:
5 x 2min rounds of shadowboxing
30 seconds rest
Day 3:
Lower Back: Sprawl and tuck jump
Upper Front: Press Ups
Lower Front: Kettlebell Lunges (5 Left 5 Right)
Upper Back: Bent Over Rows
Day 4: Rest
Day 5:
Lower Back: One Arm Deadlift (5 Left 5 Right)
Upper Front: Crusher Bicep Curls (press the palms into the bell of the KB and curl)
Lower Front: Hindu Squats
Upper Back: Tricep Pull Downs
Day 6 & 7: Rest
Start each workout with a light cardio set to raise the pulse - finish with an all over set of stretching.
If an exercise is too difficult, painful STOP! If you can't finish your sets without puking/wanting to puke/decent form STOP! Don't do long term harm learn what your body can do and respond to it.
Let me know what you think. Where improvements can be made. What you'd change.
Happy training!
I'm the first to admit my willpower and discipline when it comes to diet, exercise and tipping myself that extra 5% or so into being more athletic. The demands of martial arts are sometimes a heavy burden - especially if you let them be. However as a teacher, as somone who practices more than just casually it is perhaps reaosnable that I should set by example.
With this in mind I've been reinventing the wheel so to speak. None of these exercises are particularly complicated, fancy or specific. They are however demanding, effective and designed to promote muscle growth, fat loss and improved performance.
The first concept relates to what. What should I work? The answer as always is as much as possible. Big muscles groups utilising as many joints as possible.
By dividing the body in half to upper and lower, and then in half again to front and back I am able to isolate large muscle groups to focus on each set and rotate them to avoid muscle fatigue and lactic acid build up.
The principle of alternating the upper body one set with the lower body the next, combined with alternating front of body exercies with the back of body exercises means you only have to choose four exercises and the order is dictated by the first one you choose.
The next answer is how much? My response depends on your own aims and preference on volume. For me the German system of 10x10 sets x reps and my preference of using light/body weight is ideal. This can be played with though if you want to bulk up; drop the numbers and increase the weight. If you want to up endurance and leaness up the numbers and drop the weight (ideally bodyweight only).
Here's a guidline to one 8 week rotation: I use a 12kg Kettlebell, a 40lb resistance cable and my own bodyweight.
Day 1:
Lower back: Clean and Press with KB swing (5 Left and 5 Right)
Upper Front: Press Ups
Lower Front: Sumo Squats (KB in upturned grip)
Upper Back: Lat Pull Downs
Day 2:
5 x 2min rounds of shadowboxing
30 seconds rest
Day 3:
Lower Back: Sprawl and tuck jump
Upper Front: Press Ups
Lower Front: Kettlebell Lunges (5 Left 5 Right)
Upper Back: Bent Over Rows
Day 4: Rest
Day 5:
Lower Back: One Arm Deadlift (5 Left 5 Right)
Upper Front: Crusher Bicep Curls (press the palms into the bell of the KB and curl)
Lower Front: Hindu Squats
Upper Back: Tricep Pull Downs
Day 6 & 7: Rest
Start each workout with a light cardio set to raise the pulse - finish with an all over set of stretching.
If an exercise is too difficult, painful STOP! If you can't finish your sets without puking/wanting to puke/decent form STOP! Don't do long term harm learn what your body can do and respond to it.
Let me know what you think. Where improvements can be made. What you'd change.
Happy training!
Fighting Fit (and other ideals)
Sat, Jan 9 2010 10:05
| speed, stamina, sport, health, strength, wrestling, martial arts, power, boxing, exercise, Wing Tsun Kung fu, fitness, martial arts Altrincham
| Permalink
Fitness, exercise and performance are all issues that cause much debate in the martial arts and the wider world. The fact it is a billion dollar industry across the globe tells us all we need to know about the incessant hunt for new ideas, products gadgets and to some extent fetishist tendencies of those involved.
How many gyms does your local area have? Even twenty years ago the idea of attending a gym was a rather quirky and niche one. The modern phenomena of the high street “mall” style gym is interesting in itself however what role do they play for the martial artist?
Shouldn’t training alone give you the body you desire? Well that depends if what you desire is a body you can use or one you can flaunt. Professional boxers and wrestlers all have enviable physiques and this come from the training they do and the physical needs they have.
However we can learn a lot from these disciplines in terms of performance and fitness. Imagine having the strength, speed and endurance of a boxer with the subtlety and skill Wing Tsun offers, it is something Grandmaster Kernspecht seems to know a great deal about.
It is no coincidence in my opinion that at the beginning of his WT career GM Kernspecht was a beast of a man, a professional wrestler and martial artist of some repute. These days he places great emphasis on the most basic and challenging of exercises – the pull up. Despite some bizarre preconceptions I have come across, it is very obvious the ancient Chinese have used various calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), fitness tools (ropes, weapons, large iron locks) and challenges to keep a person fitter and more alert. Yoga and tai chi may look like gentle pursuits but they are tougher than some sparring session if you ask me!
Combine the pull up with the Spartan favourite – press ups, and Russian staple – squats the GM’s exercise makes up part of a holy trinity for me in terms of martial fitness.
There is an odd belief or denial amongst some Kung Fu practitioners that their skill and dedication is far more important than having a useful and well maintained body. I am dubious of this. If you don’t take of yourself and maintain your strength, suppleness and ability to push your body how can you survive in a fight?
If you are barely fit enough to break into a jog, lasting punch for punch with any foe (however unsophisticated they may be) is going to go horribly wrong. So what’s the answer then? For me it is keeping a healthy level of fitness and performance as a bare minimum, this is a key to life in general not just martial arts.
If you can spare half an hour a day you can achieve a lot, combine that with your regular training and you’ll be doing ok. These things are all relative, the more you want to achieve the more you must do but it can be fun and rewarding.
Where to start? The answer is in the mirror not the scales. If you look healthy you will feel healthy, a sense of confidence and belief are powerful tools to be used. Talk of BMI’s, ideal weights and body fat are somewhat misleading and not that useful.
Next time you get the chance take a look at yourself in the mirror in your underwear and just notice where your body fat sits, what muscle definition and mass you have and use that as a starting point. The ratio of fat and muscle will dictate the ratio of cardiovascular exercise (CV) and resistance work you will need to focus on. It can be a horrible thing to do but it is necessary if you are serious about your fitness being improved and manageable.
One thing you must always focus on is your goals. If you are martial artist then you need to exercise like one. I spent years trying to use bodybuilding knowledge and ideas to become fitter and leaner and I achieved very little, wasting time, money and effort. “Be what you want to be” as one instructor told me.
If you are a martial artist that means handling your own body first and then being able to handle other people. This means:
• Hitting things (pads, bags, consenting training partners),
• Improving endurance with CV work,
• Testing your “useful muscles” to their limit with weights metal, rubber or bodyweight,
• Maintaining joint mobility and flexibility with form practice, stretches and relaxation.
In my next entry I will be looking various routines and exercises I like and find useful and my plans for getting fitter, leaner and meaner this year and beyond.
How many gyms does your local area have? Even twenty years ago the idea of attending a gym was a rather quirky and niche one. The modern phenomena of the high street “mall” style gym is interesting in itself however what role do they play for the martial artist?
Shouldn’t training alone give you the body you desire? Well that depends if what you desire is a body you can use or one you can flaunt. Professional boxers and wrestlers all have enviable physiques and this come from the training they do and the physical needs they have.
However we can learn a lot from these disciplines in terms of performance and fitness. Imagine having the strength, speed and endurance of a boxer with the subtlety and skill Wing Tsun offers, it is something Grandmaster Kernspecht seems to know a great deal about.
It is no coincidence in my opinion that at the beginning of his WT career GM Kernspecht was a beast of a man, a professional wrestler and martial artist of some repute. These days he places great emphasis on the most basic and challenging of exercises – the pull up. Despite some bizarre preconceptions I have come across, it is very obvious the ancient Chinese have used various calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), fitness tools (ropes, weapons, large iron locks) and challenges to keep a person fitter and more alert. Yoga and tai chi may look like gentle pursuits but they are tougher than some sparring session if you ask me!
Combine the pull up with the Spartan favourite – press ups, and Russian staple – squats the GM’s exercise makes up part of a holy trinity for me in terms of martial fitness.
There is an odd belief or denial amongst some Kung Fu practitioners that their skill and dedication is far more important than having a useful and well maintained body. I am dubious of this. If you don’t take of yourself and maintain your strength, suppleness and ability to push your body how can you survive in a fight?
If you are barely fit enough to break into a jog, lasting punch for punch with any foe (however unsophisticated they may be) is going to go horribly wrong. So what’s the answer then? For me it is keeping a healthy level of fitness and performance as a bare minimum, this is a key to life in general not just martial arts.
If you can spare half an hour a day you can achieve a lot, combine that with your regular training and you’ll be doing ok. These things are all relative, the more you want to achieve the more you must do but it can be fun and rewarding.
Where to start? The answer is in the mirror not the scales. If you look healthy you will feel healthy, a sense of confidence and belief are powerful tools to be used. Talk of BMI’s, ideal weights and body fat are somewhat misleading and not that useful.
Next time you get the chance take a look at yourself in the mirror in your underwear and just notice where your body fat sits, what muscle definition and mass you have and use that as a starting point. The ratio of fat and muscle will dictate the ratio of cardiovascular exercise (CV) and resistance work you will need to focus on. It can be a horrible thing to do but it is necessary if you are serious about your fitness being improved and manageable.
One thing you must always focus on is your goals. If you are martial artist then you need to exercise like one. I spent years trying to use bodybuilding knowledge and ideas to become fitter and leaner and I achieved very little, wasting time, money and effort. “Be what you want to be” as one instructor told me.
If you are a martial artist that means handling your own body first and then being able to handle other people. This means:
• Hitting things (pads, bags, consenting training partners),
• Improving endurance with CV work,
• Testing your “useful muscles” to their limit with weights metal, rubber or bodyweight,
• Maintaining joint mobility and flexibility with form practice, stretches and relaxation.
In my next entry I will be looking various routines and exercises I like and find useful and my plans for getting fitter, leaner and meaner this year and beyond.