Learning by leading

There comes a time in some students training that they are asked to take a leadership role in the school. Depending on the teacher and the student, this time may come after only a few years of training while it may also take a lot longer. What is important to understand for the student is that this time presents a rare opportunity to grow and develop and also is an important way to ‘put back’ into the school. The most common form of learning in most schools is learning by following, at least early on in a student’s training life. Quite often, it is all too easy to mentally ‘switch off’ while following someone else and this laziness is an impediment to efficient growth and development.

At some stage, the teacher may select a student to take the class for a set of forms or training routines. This presents an opportunity to learn by leading, which is a more advanced and challenging form of learning as it  requires avid concentration, focus and self reflection. For some students, being required to lead the class can be a daunting and even frightening experience and the list of difficulties that students may encounter are limited only the variety of students themselves, however some of the more common concerns I have heard include:

• Confusion around what they should be doing or whether they are doing it right;
• Uncertainty around whether the class will follow;
• Uneasiness and discomfort that they are being singled out among the many;
• Apprehension around how the teacher or their fellow students will regard them;
• Fear of mucking it up!

The best thing about learning through leading is that it helps the student to confront and overcome their unique range of fears and apprehension. With good support from the teacher and fellow students, getting up and leading the class will slowly, but surely, chip away at your fears while also deepening your understanding of your art.

Learning how to Quit

Today I learnt that one of our oldest students had decided to quit. While this came as no surprise to me as the students attendance was sporadic at best, what did come as a shock was that he had not told our Sifu. When I heard this I was quite sad as Sifu treated this person as a son over many years. Years ago I remember the parent of a young student of mine bringing their child to class one day, just to tell me in person that they had decided that the art was not for them. I can’t remember who that person was, their gender or age, but I do remember the importance. It was important to the parent that the child understood that when someone has put time and effort into teaching you, the very least they deserve is to be told in person that you no longer wish to learn anymore. It is more than good etiquette; it is decency, consideration and respect for others.

Wushu vs Wushu

Identifying traditional Chinese martial arts from Modern Wushu can be difficult for someone new to the pursuit. What is often shown in cinemas and on television is modern Sport Wushu; yet the general public don’t realise that this has more in common with modern gymnastics than traditional Chinese martial arts.

Since the 1950’s the Chinese government has taken it upon itself to interfere with traditional Chinese martial arts by standardising, simplifying and modifying forms of many of the styles for the purpose of encouraging competition and promoting the health benefits of these arts. As a result, a significant amount of confusion has arisen- from the general public though to ardent students of Chinese martial arts themselves. Adding to this confusion is the Government electing to label the modern-day martial- sport “Wushu”(lit Martial Art); and oxy-moron in the most pure sense.

Some key differences between Sport Wushu and TCMA:

Sport Wushu:

• is primarily focussed on developing technical ability in difficult routines, as well as aesthetic beauty and poise. In TCMA, the emphasis is on developing fighting prowess.
• forms almost always include run-up’s (akin to Gymnastic Floor Events) before executing a series of aerial techniques. In TCMA, there are no run ups.
• is typically void of all but the most elementary of fighting applications.

The objective of Sport Wushu is to win points by exhibiting the lowest of stances, fastest of manoeuvres and most technically challenging of routines; cleanly and focussed. There is no requirement to develop internal power, understand the martial art application or study the martial virtues (Wu De / Mo Duk) that accompany TCMA. Hence, sport Wushu is like a beautifully decorated, but completely empty vase.

The objective of TCMA is, when necessary, to fight. Period. It was never for health or exercise benefit, points, trophy’s or winning. Sure, many who train in TCMA talk about the health and well-being benefits however these are, and always have been considered by-products of good, regular and consistent training.

Some people might think they see similarities between the two. For example, strong low stances could be considered a common element of Sport Wushu and TCMA. This kind of reasoning shows inordinate attention on the superficial aspects of TCMA training. In Sport Wushu, strong and low stances are to impress judges and win points. In TCMA strong stances allow the legs to relax and generate energy up to the body for the purpose of fighting. Therefore in TCMA the legs (stances) are developed in a more functional way than with Sport Wushu training which can be thought of as one dimensional, for aesthetics and to win points.

Consider for example, the 42 Competition Tai Chi form –the standard Wushu competition form which combines movements drawn from the Yang, Wu, Chen, and Sun styles of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. It was created in 1989 by Li De Yin for the Chinese Government’s Sports Committee. The techniques within the form are borrowed from traditional styles however I doubt whether any of the founding teachers in those styles would be able (or inclined) to perform the techniques in the manner prescribed by the Chinese Sports Committee. The emphasis and purpose of the movements within the 42 form are focussed on developing physical athleticism alone, totally void of the internal doctrines that make tai chi chuan an effective Chinese martial art.

Finding a good teacher and school

In 2009 I found myself living abroad and a long way from home. To help keep me motivated and maintain a regular training programme, I accepted a few students and taught them basics. At the end of that year I returned home, however not before helping one of my students find another teacher in which to continue his kung fu training; he was quite a committed student, and so it was the least I could do to help him out.

A few months prior to my departure, I encouraged my student to visit local kung fu schools and instructors, reporting back to me his findings and experiences. I would research whatever information I could find (normally online) and together we would put the pieces of the puzzle together for each option. Through this process, we stumbled across some questionable instructors and engaged with some very good teachers as well. In the end, we found a reputable school and teacher who came across as open and sincere. Sensing that this particular Sifu would be wondering why my student had suddenly 'walked through his door', I contacted him explaining my students predicament, endorsing his sincerity and keen interest in Chinese martial arts. Soon after, I met (and briefly trained with) one of this Sifu’s intermediate level students who impressed as an honest and decent person with a sound grounding in the fundamentals of his style. I returned home content that my student had found a decent school in which to continue his training.

This short article offers some thoughts on how to find a good kung fu teacher and school.

The Internet Age has revolutionised the way the martial arts community connect. As with most things in life, there are benefits and drawbacks, and while the internet has certainly helped to connect martial artists from the four corners of the globe, it has also given birth to a whole new breed of “Online Kung Fu Grandmaster Professors”. Finding a teacher has indeed become easier thanks to the internet, however finding a good teacher has become equally more difficult.

Here are some pointers to help students identify a good martial arts teacher and school:

• Research the teacher, the teachers teacher and their style. Good sources of information include the internet, books, the friends (word of mouth).

• Politely ask if you can attend one of their classes. Participation is important because it gives you insight into the class structure from a students perspective.

• Pay attention to the way students interact with one another. Is it a polite, friendly and supportive environment or are new students left wondering around looking lost. Do the senior students look after the beginners or do they intimidate? In a good school, there should be cohesiveness that binds students and teacher together like a 'family of friends'.

• A good school that has been operating for five or more years should be starting to produce some good quality students. If not, beware. It could mean high student turnover which is a red flag for something not quite right in the school. If students with 2 years experience are teaching beginners, again, beware. It takes several years to acquire the basics and then even more to perfect them to a level worthy of teaching others.

• As you observe the class in session, are the senior students ‘heads and shoulders’ above the beginners? Can you see a definite progression between senior, intermediate and junior level students? This clear progression of level should be easily observable in any good school.

• Is the school a commercial operation or is it not for profit? There are good schools in both camps however it pay's to find this out early, particularly if you are on a limited budget. Even the most traditional of Commercial schools need to make a living and there is generally only one way to do this - by selling. I have also known not for profit schools that teach rubbish. A commercial school does not necessarily infer lesser quality instruction, only that there is an additional motif for the schools existence to consider.

• A big part of martial arts is learning how to fight, and the closest and most safest way schools can simulate this is by contact sparring. Sparring is a training tool to stress test skills learnt, it is not fighting. Fighting is what you might see on the street or in a bar between two people who want to 'knock each others head off'. Sparring should be controlled, respectful but challenging enough for both combatants to gain valuable personal insights from. If the school does not participate in sparring then ask why. If the reason sounds 'flowery' (e.g. our techniques are too dangerous) then perhaps find another school or ask if they intend to bring sparring in and when. Otherwise, you may need to find a school that does encourage sparring.

On MMA

The advent of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as a combative sport is the latest fashion in the modern martial arts world. I don’t begrudge those who pursue this sport, only to caution that recent research by Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden has shown that repeated hits to the head are potentially damaging to the central nervous system (no surprises there). Furthermore, injuries which are not treated or given time to heal properly accumulate, ultimately resulting in permanent impairment. While I enjoy watching MMA bouts, particularly for the skill and precision of a good ground game, I must admit that I lose interest when one fighter starts pounding the other’s head into the canvass. In the interest of safety, this barbaric practice should be banned from the MMA game outright.

Chasing Rabbits

An all too common phenomena in today’s modern martial arts world are students who concurrently train under multiple teachers across multiple martial art styles. I have never really understood the reason for this as martial arts, has never really came naturally for me. Learning one style is challenging enough, I could not imagine how difficult it would be to learn two or more.

I don’t deny that there will be a select few people who are talented enough to learn multiple martial arts concurrently, and to a proficient level. I am not talking about these individuals. Teachers, like students, thrive on motivation and there is nothing more motivating to a teacher than having a motivated student. A student who asks questions, researches the history and tradition of the art and focuses on their teacher’s guidance. Conversely, students who spread themselves too thin by learning multiple styles from multiple teachers, reduce their energy available for any one style. Commitment to training in each style is diluted, as is commitment to their teacher. This may de-motivate the teacher’s willingness to teach the student, leading to a divestment in their commitment to the student over time. Why would a teacher commit their valuable time and energy to a student that has not shown the same commitment in return? Especially when there are other students who are committed.

I do believe that reduced commitment from the student does result in reduced commitment from the teacher (i.e transmission of the art from teacher to student will exponentially reduce over time). The real tragedy occurs when that same student, unready and without their teachers blessing, branches out and teaches the uninformed public. This is watering down the style.

Contrary to what some may say, there have been very few martial art teachers in history who were very proficient in more one style. Certainly, if you look back over history and count the number of such talented martial art teachers who possessed excellent skills in more than one style, it would not be proportionate to the number of “partial artists” in today’s’ modern world. Jigoro Kano, Morihei Ueshiba, Gichin Funakoshi, Choi Hong Hi, Yang Lu Chan, Wu Chien Chuan and Wong Yan Lam were (are) all highly regarded for their proficiency in just one style.

I liken the practice of learning multiple arts concurrently as chasing more than one rabbit. A person who chases two (or more) rabbits catches none. The solution is to catch one before turning your attention to catch the other.

When Less is More

I was recently asked how one is supposed to excel in Hung Gar given that there are so many forms out there? Furthermore, if one is to specialise in say only some of those forms, then which one’s are best to focus on?

The answer to this depends on what the teacher and student intend to get out of their training. Forms are ultimately, a collection of techniques unified by an established sequence and infused with principles.

If the purpose of learning kung fu is just to fight, then forms practice would not be a key focus of your training*. Certainly, you could break down techniques and ideas in those forms for the purpose of training to fight, but then why learn the forms in the first place, why not just learn paired drills instead?

Indeed, beyond a hundred or so years ago, forms training was rare. Forms are a relatively modern phenomena that have evolved over the last few generations. I believe that the reason the Hung Gar style has so many forms is partly because of it’s popularity, and in particular, the vast number of people that the art has passed down through over recent generations; naturally with each generation of teachers; new forms are added. Choy Lei Fut is another good example of this phenomena where there are a countless number of forms.

Back to the question of how one is suppose to excel in all of Hung Gar’s forms, the simple answer is that one is not. The key is to identify those forms which match your training goals. While there is definitely an over-lap between forms, it is fair to say that each has it’s specialty. In the Hung Gar that I am familiar with we begin with, two basic Four Directional forms (Sei Mun Kuen and Lau Gar Kuen). Next is Wu Deep Jeung, Fu Hok Sheung Ying Kuen, Tiet Sin Kuen and Sup Saam Cheung Gwun. That’s six forms in total which are spread out over the course of between 8-10 years depending on the student’s commitment. The selection of forms that we study is also a function of the other lead style we train, Hap Gar Kuen. I have no doubt that if we only trained Hung Gar, then our Sifu would have taught us more forms from this style, however, as our system aims to develop both styles concurrently, having too many forms in any one style would upset the balance that our Sifu sets out to achieve.

Forms training is an interesting and rewarding way to teach and learn Chinese martial arts. It provides a medium to communicate techniques and principles in a pre-defined, codified manner that then enables students to take-away drill and study in-depth.

There are people who ‘collect forms’, training them ‘superficially’ where little thought is given to what the techniques mean and the ideas contained within the set. I don’t begrudge people who do this as there are many who see forms as exercise or enjoyable past time. I do hope however that these people understand that they are only training the ‘skin and bones’ of the form, and that without a deeper understanding, should not teach those forms under the guise of martial arts; lest the end result will be nothing short of a performance dance routine and a watered down martial art.

* The exception to this would be forms that seek to develop the internal energies required for efficient fighting. For example the Hung Gar form- Tiet Sin Kuen or Wuzuquan - Saam Jin Kuen form.