 |
|
|
|
Martial Musing with Sifu Tennet
20th May 2009 - Lets get
physical
Its been a few weeks since I lasted updated the blog, not because nothing was going on but because to much was going on. Anyway more on all that in the next update. Recently I have been talking a lot about the mental aspects of training, motivation, spirit and such things. While these are indeed essential for high level ability, the foundational physical skills are like the foundation of a house. If you look at your kung fu brothers and sisters you will see that those who you look up to have more physical advantages as well as a high level of experience and skill. To be a complete martial artist, don't neglect any aspect of your development. Try and work on flexibility, strength and general body control and coordination at every opportunity.
Strength, flexibility, coordination, relaxation, stamina and conditioning are the foundations that will allow you to train and fight better. Work on these from day one and your progress will be much quicker. I try and work on these almost daily, maybe its a quick stretch of the legs, a jog home after work or using equipment in my garage. Simple tools such as dumbbells, Kettlebells, wrist rollers, rattan rings etc are great home training tools.
9th April 2009 - The tortoise
mindset
In this day of fast living and instant results, its easy to forget that most things worthwhile take time and effort. Just like a tortoise getting to its destination your kung fu will develop slowly overtime. Don't use this as a excuse to be lazy, traditionally it takes at least 3-5 years to get to black belt level, but don't expect that time scale if you are training 2 hours a week. 3 to 5 years of continued almost daily practice is what is required.
It's crucial that you practice outside of class. The most important training is done when your not being watched or supervised. Do a little each day and you will have a fast and interesting journey otherwise you will never reach your destination.
30th March 2009 - How do you rate yourself?
How can you judge whether you are a good martial artist? Can you spar ten rounds and beat your opponents into submission? Are your forms perfect? Do you know every technique in the system and the Chinese terms? Have you won more competitions than you can shake a stick at?
Well if you judge people by standards such as those above then you will not find many good martial artists! What is more important is the spirit and mindset you show in every action you take. Are you calm under pressure, can you resist the opportunity to take advantage of someone or a situation? The moi fa logo has three sets of Chinese Characters inside the plum blossom. They are Courage, Sincerity and Loyalty. These should be obvious in your daily actions and are great markers for your life. If you are mindful of these words and their meaning I am sure you will find enlightenment. Be aware of your actions and the image you set as your peers will judge you and others will follow you.
19th March 2009 - Being a teacher
Recently I have come to deepen understand what it means to be a teacher of Martial Arts. Now I know some of you will be thinking that that is an odd statement so let me explain. Being a teacher does not mean you are the world's greatest fighter or that you have all the answers. Its about being a guide and mentor in a similar way to a father figure. The Chinese wisely call the kung fu teacher Si-Fu which translated means teacher/father. You are there first and foremost for your students and not to stroke your ego or be the toughest guy in the class.
After more than 2 decades in my kung fu family I find I am not just a teacher but a senior student and teacher and I have even more responsibility to teach and pass on the information correctly. As a branch school to worldwide family of instructors, I am conscious that my students not only represent me and the moi fa group but also my sifu and sigung. Actually this motivates me and inspires me to teach and train more than ever and it's great to see more students approaching Black Sash level. The role of the teacher does mean that I am sometimes a fountain of knowledge, sometimes a manager and sometimes the guy everyone wants to beat. What a great job! If you think you can see yourself in a teaching role, why not talk to me about joining the coaching team?
11th March 2009 - its just training
One thing that its good to remember is that we all train in martial arts for different reasons.
Some want to be great fighters, some just love a good workout and others are after the
converted black belt. Don't judge people
just because they train and enjoy it. Humility is one of the character traits of a good martial artist so it
always good to remember
that you don't know everything.
I try and encourage each student to get the most for them out of the training, some are seeking
confidence, some understanding and some trophies. Other are happy to enjoy their personal time away from work, family and other
stresses. Whatever you reasons for training, remember to enjoy the journey. Don't take yourself too
seriously, laugh at yourself, not others.
1st March 2009 - The meaning
of "kung fu"
If you know a teacher and self proclaimed kung fu expert, ask them what kung fu means. If they can't give you a simple clear answer, walk away as they don't know what they are talking about. Kung fu essentially means skill developed over time with effort. Why is it important for a student to understand chef fu, martial fu, bricklaying fu etc? The reason is because it helps with your mindset and training focus. Don't expect overnight results, keep your head down, train hard and regularly and you will achieve the results you require in whatever skills you are aiming to develop. Relax into what you are doing, mentally and physically, then you have a chance of reaching a state of meditation and getting more benefits and enjoyment from your training time.
One of the great things kung fu has given me is the knowledge that if I want to achieve something, all I have to do is work hard, practice correctly and take good advice on the subject at hand. Many people expect instant results but any training worth its salt will take a considerable period of time. Apprenticeships, GCSEs, University Degree's, Learning to drive a car all take months if not years to reach their theoretical black belt level. Don't train hard, train like a machine. Remember repetition is the mother of skill.
20th February 2009 - Don't always
judge things at face value!
I used to think of Seven Star
Praying Mantis as a excellent system heavily reliant on the use of
the reverse punch but with lots of other cool techniques to work
on. I guess I favoured my Wing Chun as the response to use when the brown stuff hit the fan. Over the years a few things have made me re-think
this position. Before anyone gets the wrong idea (back to the title of the blog!!!) I am not saying any style, including wing Chun is inferior.
A few years ago my kung fu brother and I had a chance to quiz our sigung on Bung Bo applications and I was shocked with the
aggression and simplicity
of the claw application. This really made me see the explosive aggression within the system and the quality of our sigung. That was at a Seminar
setting in Hungary but only about four of us got that experience as the
students struggled learning Tao Jeet.
Another occasion was when a student and myself prepared to visit a competition in Hong Kong. Sigung gave us some advice on what to do if we got any
trouble. I don't know if sigung was winding us up or if his wing chun friend had been winding him up but I am very glad we did not have to use his
advice.
Recently I have seen several highly respected self defence
instructors teaching forearm strikes, hammer fists and claws. I really like
"The Alien" as
Mo Teague calls it. Anyway what is interesting is the use of claws and odd looking strikes in kung fu systems. I am sure most people including most
martial artists think of the techniques as a joke but after years in Mantis I now realise they are as much a mindset as physical technique and claws
and palms would certainly be pulled out of the bag before punches and kicks.
As most of you will know I started
the new year with Hernia repair operation, one
month later I hope to start training. I did think that I would be able to revise some forms and slowly work through
training material while I was off 'proper' training but it was not the physical aspects that stopped me. What I did find
was that I lost some focus and motivation. Not that I did not want to do any practice but just very unfocused like
blurred vision. So, if you fall off the horse don't get too upset
if it takes you a while to get back on.
Luckily I have a good group of senior students who helped to keep the classes running in my absence
but what has also been nice is having one of my own teachers taking the Eldon Wing
Chun class for me. I am always amazed and recharged after seeing
Trevor teach and explain the essentials of the Wing Chun system. Hopefully he will keep coming along to Eldon for a few
more weeks while I ease myself back to full training.
|
