Robyn's Travels

Kung Fu: It’s all about the wind-up!

So in many types of martial arts, you learn about stances, you learn about strikes, you learn about forms.  You learn the advice of how to hold a good leaning stance. You learn the proper positioning of each movement. 

Tonight, Shi-fu held a mini lecture mid-way thru class.  Today’s lesson - wind-up.

When dealing with sports, you typically associate wind-up with baseball pitching.  But it is evident in all sports.  Fishing? Yes. Soccer? Yes. Long jump? Yes. It’s no different in Kung Fu.

When you transition into a stance or a strike, you need to wind-up in order to generate the power needed to move.  Seems logical, but you’d be surprised how you go thru the motions of learning martial arts and not winding-up before a punch or strike. So the focus of our drills tonight involved winding-up. For instance, I had to practice using the scoop of the arm and the additional step of the foot to power thru a sau chue. I used wind-up to transition between the new sequences of Ng Lun Choy by stepping into each movement.  It isn’t easy to do at first, but you can tell why it works as you slowly master it.

Reflections from Today’s Choy Lay Fut Workshops

This Sunday, I was able to attend two Choy Lut Fut workshops with Sifu Daniel Tomizaki. The morning workshop involved Choy Lay Fut Applications. In this class, we utilized some of the ten elements (strikes) by applying it with self-defense techniques.  For instance, I learned Kum Jong, which is a palm strike to the neck. The applications class was wonderful because you saw how the strikes could be used in both a defensive and offensive motion against an opponent.

The afternoon workshop involved sparring.  So the techniques we used earlier for application was now being tested in “free-form” fighting. Only in the last couple of weeks have I worked with sparring, but this was my first intensive experience.  I had partner sparring where we would take turns repetitively attacking our partner so we get used to blocking and counter-attacking. It is extremely hard trying to determine how to block and strike the opponent’s open range with the most effective strike instantly.  This will take a LOT of practice.

What surprised me is when we then worked in groups of three people, where one person would attack with three strikes, and then the other person would immediately attack in the same format.  I was not used to having two people surround me and attack as I try to defend myself.  As a result, I had a psychological flashback to the bank robbery I experienced over a year ago.  A few minutes later, I emotionally broke down and tried holding back tears. My partner noticed I was not doing well and suggested I take a break.  I took some time, and explained to my Shi-fu what had happened.  We talked about it and I composed myself, eager to return to sparring.  I was still a little shaken, but able to finish the rest of class.  

After the workshop was over, I talked to instructor Steffani Tomizaki, who reassured me that such traumatic experiences will have an effect in triggering emotional responses while training. She said to not fight it, but instead recognize when it happens and to inform my sparring partner and shi-fu when it happens, so that I take the time to overcome it and work thru it.  That conversation really meant a lot to me, and I felt much better. 

Overall, I gained so much from these workshops.  I am so lucky that I was able to attend these two classes, and I will use the skills learned today to improve my Choy Lay Fut training.  These workshops further reinforced that I chose the right path… I truly love Choy Lay Fut!

Choy Lay Fut Lessons: Ten Elements, Butterfly Strike, and Fighting Stance

This week, I learned and practiced the ten elements (or ten strikes) of Choy Lay Fut. My instructor and some of the advanced students came up with a way to better memorize the ten elements, by categorizing them as: 2 linear, 3 rolling, 2 uppercut, 3 swinging.

Broken down:

• 2 linear: chuen na (shooting arm bridge, to seize), chop (panther fist)
• 3 rolling: kum (circular over the head as slapping deflection), gwa (block and elbow/roll into downward backfist), ding (elbow strike)
• 2 uppercut: pow (both arms circle over and back), jong (shield armpit and punch from below hip)
• 3 swinging: sau chue (inward sweeping punch), kup chue (elbow bent and hand to ear before executing straight-arm downward strike), biu jong (outward shooting forearm strike)

In addition, I also learned the butterfly strike where I move from horse stance to cover stance, as my arms move in a circular fashion.  As I complete the strike, I do a side front kick and land back into a horse stance before repeating on the other side.

I also got to do light contact sparring, in which I learned to better my fighting stance.  I basically need to stand sideways in a relaxed position, then bend my knees, then lean to the back an inch or two. Simple as that, even though I often overthink it.  

This 4-day practice week was wonderful!