Brea Shaolin Kung Fu – Bowing
Right hand is clenched, left hand is wrapped around or over right fist.
This is the general martial greeting of kung fu as well as many other martial arts styles. It is known as bowing. A greeting of mutual respect and peaceful intention. The right fist is a sign of rigorous practice and a strong and willing martial ability to defend or attack!
The covering of the open left hand is a sign of virtuous and disciplined wisdom or self-disciplined restraint.
Brea Shaolin Kung Fu – Sparring
Everything that is taught at our school is designed for sparring – for the martial purpose of defending yourself and others and ultimately controlling your opponent(s). The demanding regimen of punches and kicks, exercises, stances, forms, San Shou and Chin Na are all done to not only learn and develop proper movement, but to also sap the student’s energy before sparring begins at the end of class. With exhausted bodies, the student is forced to rely on technique and proper breathing during sparring instead of trying to out-muscle or out-speed his/her opponent. Speed and strength are certainly important to fighting ability – but good technique is superior and sparring when there is nothing in the tank draws it out of the practitioner.
Because sparring is the ultimate expression of our art… spend time thinking about it and studying the higher rank. When sparring, understand that your fellow kung fu brothers and sisters are not going to kill or injure you like someone outside of the school might in a street fight or if they broke into your house. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to try new techniques with them. Learn from both your victories and failures on the mat. Study your forms – what are the purposes of each movement? Pay attention in class when Sifu is teaching techniques. Practice and drill down on movements you are interested in developing during San Shou and Chin Na before implementing them in sparring. Don’t give up if they didn’t work perfectly the first few times. If the movements survived hundreds of years of use in actual combat, there is certainly something to them.
Sparring is the closest thing to real-world fighting we have – without beating each other to a pulp. It’s purpose is to prepare you for anyone outside of the school… both untrained and trained fighters alike. You MUST have the attitude in class that you are training for a potential life or death situation. Imagine invisible opponents in front of you during kicks, single step movements, forms, etc. Do not give up during sparring or cower should you be bested in an exchange. Roll out or do our best to escape or counter the situation before being forced to bow to your opponent to stop. Having purpose and intensity in your training at the school will make you a very formidable opponent outside of it.
Yes, incalculable benefits are derived from this training beyond those of fighting. Much of the valuable philosophy of our martial arts can not be taught and understood with words, but only learned through the resolve of consistent effort and the skills that result from it. Fantastic physical fitness is a given after many years of consistent training. Confidence and character are earned – not given simply by putting on the uniform. All of these are the result of training with sparring in mind.
It’s hard to imagine a class that doesn’t begin with “Dynamic” stretching. This Dynamic stretching is accomplished via stretch, offside stretch, and wall kicks. These stretch kicks are intended to heat the body by circulating blood flow, while at the same time strengthen certain muscles and stretch other muscles to enhance flexibility. As mentioned in previous posts, it’s not recommended to do “Static” stretching (holding stretches) until the body is warmed up, however, this is definitely a recommended post-workout addition. For those of you who might be naturally “tight” or who just want to find something to do before class to get your body moving, below is a sample set of movements designed to loosen various joints often used in training.
These movements are typically done both clockwise and counterclockwise, as performed. The repetitions of each movement can be as many as you feel useful – five each way is a good minimum. As you feel the joints open and the circles becoming easier, make them bigger/wider. First, the toes, ankles and various joints of the feet are moved in gentle and careful circles to essentially massage and get the kinks out (if they are there). As per the video, the same applies with the knees, hips, spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists/fingers, and neck. The warm-up offered in the video is fairly simple and hits the major joints, but their are additional warm-up exercises as well.
A body that is loose and mobile offers its owner more flexibility, functionality, and speed for martial purposes. Just as important, a flexible and supple body delays the onset of old age and its by-products. The older you get, the more attention must be placed on keeping the entire body loose, but strong. It’s a good idea to incorporate exercises like these and the Eight Golden Treasures in your daily morning routine. Even better, find time to add in some kicks, forms and exercises afterwards for a full workout to start your day and keep father time at bay.
When you are told you may test, it is up to the student to determine for themselves if they are up for it – testing is not mandatory. Keep in mind the following:
“80% Of Success Is Showing Up.” – Woody Allen
Whether you like or dislike Woody Allen and his body of work, his success as a comedian, actor, director, and playwright can not be denied. His quote above should motivate you both in and outside of the school. He went on to say, “People used to say to me that they wanted to write a play, they wanted to write a movie, they wanted to write a novel, and the couple of people that did it were 80 percent of the way to having something happen. All the other people struck out without ever getting that pack. They couldn’t do it, that’s why they don’t accomplish a thing, they don’t do the thing, so once you do it, if you actually write your film script, or write your novel, you are more than half way towards something good happening. So that was my biggest life lesson that has worked. All others have failed me.”
If you want a high level of fighting ability, robust physical fitness, constant self-improvement, self-confidence, and more – then show up to class. Using this principal of “showing up” will also serve you well in the other important areas of your life.
Paranoia: an unreasonable feeling that people are trying to harm you, do not like you, etc.
A little paranoia is a good thing to have. A healthy amount will keep you aware of your surroundings, mindful of those who might mean to do you harm, and prepare you to act in the event something unwanted happens. An unhealthy amount of paranoia will likely require medical attention as you can’t think or focus on anything else. A little paranoia will keep you prepared for the unexpected.
As always, the lessons you learn in class are applicable to real life. When classmates are swinging weapons around, you need to keep an eye on those weapons and not get too close if you can avoid it. If a student comes in to train and seems off, be particularly focused and careful when you begin practicing San Shou, Chin Na, or Sparring with them. If the class is full and everyone is tightly packed for Kicks or Forms, keep an eye on where everyone is so you don’t hit them and they don’t hit you. Little lessons like those and the many more you learn in class can really benefit the student outside of the school.
Outside the school, if you’re in a place where the energy just doesn’t feel right or you hear something that seems off, take preemptive action and keep your distance or simply leave, especially if you’re with friends or family who are not trained. If someone you don’t know interacts with you and you sense they don’t seem very balanced emotionally or mentally, be careful. You don’t need to talk with them – feel free to walk away – while always keeping an eye on where they are. Even if you’re out having lunch at a restaurant, try to find a place to sit where you’re back is covered and you have a clear view of the entire establishment. These are just a few examples of a little paranoia.
Be aware of your surroundings and the people in it. Although it may take a little time and energy, it has the potential to keep you and your loved ones safe.
“I can’t seem to fall asleep after training in late classes. My body just doesn’t want to shut down.”
This is not an uncommon thing to hear between classes and there are a number of reasons one might have that issue. Unfortunately, the medical community has yet to come to any conclusions as to why it’s difficult for some to fall asleep after exercising at night. It does agree, however, that to fall asleep, both mind and body must be in the right place – one of relaxation and comfort.
The issue is that kung fu training greatly stimulates both the mind and the body. Learning new things and giving 100% focus on making them work correctly requires significant mental energy. Sparring, san shou and chin na also require a great deal of concentration and increases the hormones’ cortisol and adrenaline in the body, which is our way of coping with higher levels of stress. These hormones can keep the body in the “fight or flight” state long after class and prevent easily falling to sleep.
The strain of hard physical exercise found in training can also keep the body humming long after class is over. This is typically an issue for those not in peak physical shape – their heart rates simply don’t return to normal rapidly enough. In fact, beginners or those just getting back into training may find there heart rate still high long after class is over. This rapid blood flow can impact getting the body in a place of “relaxation and comfort”. However, this issue will gradually go away as you get in shape and the exercise will provide a better night’s sleep once you finally conk out. If you’ve maintained a consistent training schedule and have gotten in good shape, training at night and falling to sleep afterward is typically not a physical issue – it’s probably more of a mental one.
Here are a few ideas to help you on your way to easy slumber after evening classes:
At the end of the day, those people who work out (be it early in the morning or late at night) will have a deeper and more meaningful sleep than those that don’t. Also, sleep is incredibly important for recovery for those who regularly train.
Brea Shaolin Martial Arts
“Strive to remain calm and steady even in a crowd of people rushing here and there. You are a warrior. You should lead those that are less settled, not follow them. This state of mind will only come with practice and time.
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), founder of Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship. The Book of Five Rings Trans. D.E. Tarver
Brea Shaolin Kung Fu Uniform
Keeping your training clothes clean and ready for future classes can require more effort than the typical washing. As you know, most classes command a good deal of sweat from our bodies and that sweat collects bacteria as it reaches the surface of our skin. That bacteria is often caught in the fibers of our uniforms – often causing them to smell a bit. Here are a few tips to help keep your clothes fresh and clean:
Hopefully this helps you and and the kung fu brothers and sisters you train with.
Training in Cold
As we enter the fall season and the not-to-distant winter, it makes sense to talk about training in cold weather. Training in the cold is typically not as pleasurable as training in the heat, but then it also doesn’t have the physical problems associated with training in high temperatures and humidities. Although it may take a little time to warm up and get the blood moving in your body, once it is warm you should be fine to train. Here are some tips to help make your training better and prevent sickness during the winter.
We train indoors and don’t have to worry about snow and wind, so working out in a cooler room should be no big deal. The steam coming off of your body and those of your kung fu brothers and sisters will quite likely heat up the room during class!
Brea Shaolin Kung Fu – Training In The Heat
This summer had some particularly hot and humid days. Training in the heat, like training in the cold, is just another one of the challenges each student needs to accept and, oddly enough, is an important part of the school’s curriculum. Violence can happen in any season and training in the various extremes of temperature is just another way of being prepared. Additionally, learning and understanding the capabilities of your mind and body during difficult training conditions is part of the learning process. That being said, there are a some things to note about training in the heat.
First, classes are typically adjusted somewhat to account for the heat. Although they aren’t dummied down per se, classes held in extreme heat will focus on things that don’t overly press and fatigue the body. Before class, Sifu or the instructor will remind the students about the physical symptoms of heat exhaustion (general fatigue, weakness, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and an increase in body temperature) and tell them that they can bow out of class to get a drink should they feel the need. Just a gulp or two is all that is needed once or twice during class. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious physical issues that are not taken lightly. It is better to take things a little easier and train the next day, than to push yourself and be out for a week.
Second, one of the biggest issues during the heat is hydration. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before and after class. Sports drinks with electrolytes can be particularly good for post-workout rehydration. There is water available for students after class, but when the weather is hot it’s advisable to bring your own bottle of water or other drink to ensure there is plenty to drink. Having a little ice in the bottle to cool it down helps, although making it too cold with a lot of ice is not typically advisable as it can shock the system.
Third, this one is fairly obvious, but train in the light kung fu t-shirt instead of the kung fu “jacket”. The t-shirts are both lighter and breath better. Be sure to bring a towel to dry the sweat off with and light, breathable clothes to change into after class.
Fourth, it is often less hot in the later classes (7-8pm during the week) and the earlier classes (10-11am on Saturday). There can be a substantial difference in both heat and humidity between the 5-6pm class and the 7-8pm class. If you have the flexibility, try going to a cooler class.
Lastly, if you are starting to have symptoms of heat exhaustion or to cool off when class is over, take something cool and put it around your neck – this works wonders.
Brea Shaolin Sparring
If you’ve seen enough martial arts movies, particularly kung fu movies, you will notice that the writers/directors like to show the most skilled characters casually catch a falling cup from a table, snag a flying dart out of the air or quickly catch a punch with their open hand that was flying toward their head. Many times, the skills displayed are exaggerated, but sometimes what they show are very real. This skill is generally given the term of “reflex action” or more simply “reflexes” (although not the dictionary’s definition of reflexes). While catching a falling utencil out of the air is not something we train for at our school, many will find heightened reflexes a nice by-product of kung fu training.
Reflexes, in the martial arts nomenclature, are, among other things, the ability to react very quickly to a stimulus such as fists speeding at your chest, feet flying at your gut, elbows rushing to your head. That being the case, sparring at the school is the ultimate developer of quick reflexes as your desire to avoid getting hit/swept/thrown outweighs slow thinking and slow action. It demands awareness of what is going on around you and your surroundings as well as instantaneous reaction to an action. There is definitely no daydreaming during sparring. Partner forms such as dui wushu and spear vs. sword and the training of san shou also develop the students reflexes. Peripheral vision, sense of touch and sound, even a sort of sixth sense all come into play during those exercises and most all of the training, which is why martial artist’s reflexes are at a higher level than most.
Without awareness and concentration of your environment, there is no way to utilize and exhibit martial skill. However, if you are aware of something that is happening quickly, you must respond quickly and with exactness. If your opponent feints an attack to your head so that he/she can take out their primary target – your knee, for example – you must both see and feel the attackers intention and react appropriately. If you’re outside of the school and something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts and be prepared to react quickly to what might come. Awareness of your surroundings is the first step to developed reflexes. The more you train, the more heightened your awareness. The more your train, the faster and more coordinated your reaction to an action will be.
So don’t be surprised when you open the refrigerator and catch that falling container before it spills on the floor… it’s just one more benefit of your kung fu training. If it falls to the floor, there’s only one answer, clean up the mess and train more.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
“There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue.”
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659-1719) Author of Hagakure
When you come to the school to train, your focus should be on giving everything you have in that class. Pay attention and concentrate on what you’re doing and what is going on around you. Otherwise, you won’t get the most out of your time. Even worse, you can get hurt or hurt one of your kung fu brothers or sisters. The same principal applies to the other areas of your life. When you’re at work or school, focus all your energies on those things alone. When spending time with your family or friends, do your best to focus on those people. Carefully determine what you spend your time on and give them your full attention…. then it follows that, “If it’s important, do it every day. If it’s not important, don’t do it at all.”
It’s test day. Hopefully, over the prior few weeks you have practiced and re-practiced all that you will be tested on. On test day, however, there are a few things for you to do and know to help you have a successful test:
Do your best and enjoy the experience.
Brea Shaolin Kung Fu
All classes at our school are scaled – beginners learn and practice what is appropriate for beginners and more advanced students learn and practice what is appropriate for their rank. Besides the obvious reason of this is how it was done traditionally, there are a number of reasons for this progression.
First, it certainly does not make sense for students in their first week at the school to do the same level of work as the most senior students who have been training for years. The new students would become overwhelmed and exhausted – perhaps question why they signed up in the first place. By the same token, if the more advanced students had the same workload as the new students they wouldn’t be pressed enough to fully develop their bodies and skills. Thus, students can expect to be pushed more with less rest and more intensity after each rank is attained.
Second, there is another purpose for the lower rank resting (besides catching their breath). It is important for them to watch class and observe what the higher rank is doing. They will clearly be able to see the different speeds, powers, balance, etc. between the various ranks and hopefully learn and be inspired to advance themselves.. Movements, forms, and techniques they will soon be learning will be done before them and will help in their learning if they choose to pay attention.
Third, like most things in life, the basics are the foundation that all advanced skills are built on and without a sound foundation of basics the more difficult aspects of kung fu won’t come. Therefore, new students must put in a good deal of practice in the basics to develop competency. Once they have demonstrated ability to properly execute what they’ve been taught, then the student can move on and learn other techniques that may seem more awkward and demanding. Should students learn too much, too fast there is a chance that they can forget details of the movements taught or even the entire movement. There is even a chance of injury. This is why there is a natural progression of learning and development at our school.
Always keep in mind that the basics must always be drilled and that more difficult and advanced aspects of kung fu come in time. Don’t mistake more advanced looking techniques or forms as more advanced kung fu. Being able to properly execute techniques – be they “beginner” or “advanced” in sparring with relative grace and ease is the ultimate expression of kung fu skill.
If you have a nagging question about how a technique is applied or if you are doing a part of a form correctly, ask the high rank. Traditionally, before or after class you should find the highest rank available and ask your question. If the highest rank is busy talking with someone else or training, then find the second highest rank to ask your question to. It goes down the line to the third highest rank and so on. No matter how trivial or insignificant you feel the question might be – the high rank have been around for awhile and it’s their responsibility to pass on what they know to the lower rank.
There are many reasons to train, but for most, the ability to defend oneself with a high degree of skill is the most compelling. Our school teaches fighting arts that were created by martial geniuses hundreds of years ago – before the advent of firearms. Back then, being able to defend oneself with your bare hands or weapons could mean the difference between life or death. Martial fluency can only be attained through a serious attitude and consistent, hard work and proper instruction. Coincidentally, the original meaning of “kung fu” actually refers to any skill achieved through hard work and practice – not necessarily martial arts.
Learning to play a musical instrument is quite similar to learning our school’s kung fu. In the beginning, you will likely feel awkward with the instrument and there will be growing pains as you take direction from your teacher. You may even have second thoughts as to continuing. You familiarize yourself with the basic notes and a few simple chords and begin learning to read music. This is painstaking and can take weeks and month of daily practice. As you progress, basic songs and musical pieces are learned and practiced and more advanced chords are learned. Years go by, you continue to practice the basics and your instructor continues to push your abilities by teaching new techniques and musical pieces. You begin to feel pretty confident about your playing and happily perform the songs you know for friends and family. Many more years of diligent practice pass and you feel quite comfortable with your instrument and enjoy playing and practice more than ever. It truly gives you joy. You advance with even more difficult and challenging music, can play with your eyes closed, and can even replay music simply from hearing it. You have become better than you ever thought you would and feel as fluent playing music as you do talking. That is musical “kung fu” and an incredibly similar path is followed at our school to attaining martial fluency. With no question, both musical and fighting ability become more fun – more addictive – the better you get.
Both musical and martial fluency are available to those willing to dedicate themselves consistently for years – there are no short cuts. The only difference is that martial kung fu requires more sweat!
It’s always more fun to workout with your friends! As a thank you for bringing a friend into the school, we have created a friend referral program!
It goes like this….
Super Simple! You have friends who’d love to learn how to defend themselves and their loved ones, as well as get and stay in great shape. On top of it all – they can have fun doing it. Get them to the school and let sifu know they’re friends of yours!
Humility is a key attribute to attaining both a high degree of martial skill and a high degree of martial morality. It is also a very shaolin trait.
Our school doesn’t focus on punching (such as western boxing). It doesn’t focus on kicking (such as some tae kwon do). It doesn’t focus on chin na/grappling (such as aikido and jiujitsu). It doesn’t focus on shuia jiao/wrestling (such as western wrestling and judo). It requires training and development in all of those skills and then some. Because of this, our school’s kung fu is very comprehensive, complex and demanding of the student. It also requires a student to remain humble as they learn and develop… excellence in all of these disciplines undoubtedly takes time.
Because of the comprehensiveness of our art, students will find certain parts of training more difficult than others. This is mostly due to natural abilities and athleticism that were brought to the school on the first day of training. Some will find kicks particularly difficult because they’ve never kicked anything in there life and may be relatively inflexible or unbalanced. Some will find shuai jiao to be quite hard as they’ve never had to wrestle anyone before. Whatever it is, EVERYONE has strengths and weaknesses. Humility allows your ego to accept that others are better than you at certain things at various points in your training. Kung fu is all about the process… the training. Where you are at the moment is what matters – not where you think you should be.
In addition to individual strengths and weaknesses, everyone has good days and bad days. Perhaps you didn’t have a good night sleep, had an exhausting day at work or school, or skipped lunch and breakfast. Maybe you were just having a “bad day”. Your humility will accept that you are not perfect and that your training effort (read: consistency) is more important than your performance on any given day. It will allow you to accept “off” days as they are and get you back in class the next day.
Humility is equally important outside of the school. Understanding your own weaknesses and need for improvement is reason to never take anyone for granted should an altercation occur with someone. There are always going to be others out there who have trained hard in their respective martial disciplines or maybe you’ll encounter someone with friends lurking nearby. In such an event, you need to lose your arrogance, sink your chi, and calm yourself for what you’ll need to do. Remember, avoiding a fight shows superior technique when the only thing on the line is your “ego” – for someone who trains hard to defend him or herself, walking away from a fight shows great humility.
“Don’t be bound by any specific form, but be free flowing to form your own rule. Normally there is always a limit for everything, but your unlimited boundary now becomes your limit.”
Stretching is an important part of Kung Fu training regardless of style. Proper stretching will enable greater flexibility of movement and also help prevent damage to the body during hard training. Contrary to popular believe, the best time to stretch is not at the beginning of a workout, but rather at the end, when the body is warmed up and a lot more pliable. This is the time to focus on stretching areas of the body that retain tension and tightness. On top of adding flexibility and reducing muscle soreness, this kind of stretching will make you feel great and likely help your sleep.
Please remember that stretching by itself is not a cure-all for problems in training. Contrary to hype in modern martial arts, doing the splits and being extremely flexible doesn’t necessarily increase your martial skill. In face, if stretching is done incorrectly, it can actually harm the body parts it was intended to help. However, when stretching is done correctly – with care and consistency – it will greatly benefit a student’s training.
A major component of your training is the kung fu brothers and sisters you train with. What they can teach you to do, or in some cases not to do, is vital to your progression. Also, as you have no idea what size, body type, strength, speed, weight, fighting skill, etc. of a potential aggressor, it is extremely valuable to have many types and qualities of training partners to prepare for potential physical encounters outside of the kung fu school. Those kung fu brothers and sisters closest to your rank and ability level are particularly important. Should you train for years, these training partners will indeed be thought of as your kung fu “brothers and sisters”.
First, in the beginning of your training you must carefully observe the higher rank. Who they are. When they bow. What they do. How they do things. Your body will not likely be able to copy or handle the physical training that is required of the higher rank, but that is to be expected. While you are resting and they are training, focus on the little details that are likely common with the highest ranks and that may be lacking with the lower ranks. As you progress and learn more, there will be less time to observe as you will have more to practice. Spend your rest time observing not only how the higher rank do things properly, but also how the lower rank might be lacking in certain areas. Upon being one of the advanced students, you likely will have little down time to view the lower rank, but when you do it’s your responsibility to observe their weaknesses and help them either during or after class.
Second, having a mixed class (as our school does) provides a variety of different bodies to work with. Children will be able to practice defending themselves from both younger and older children, as well as adults, which can be invaluable to their self-confidence and self-defense. Women can defend themselves against other women and men. All students benefit from training with students of various sizes, skills, strength, and speed. Should a hulking giant grab your neck – you will be prepared. Should you face someone with boxing skill – you won’t be surprised. Ultimately, each student becomes aware of how to deal successfully with aggressors possessing superior height, weight, strength, and conceivably skill, although skill is what matters most as your training progresses. For this reason, students should hope for a flourishing school with full classes.
Lastly, your kung fu brothers and sisters will be with you suffering through the hard practice and learning this very old and often complex art. Together, you will share the pains that go along with this training and much like a military unit or sports team, there will be a camaraderie that develops into long-term friendships.
Use Kung Fu ethics to balance personal judgment
Use Kung Fu technique to become fully rooted
Use Kung Fu practice to assist those in need
Kung Fu must not be used for evil purposes
A hero adopts a hero’s ways
Virtuous warriors have their duties
The Shaolin Way
In their earliest uses, sashes were pieces of cloth wrapped around a practitioner’s waist to hold up their pants. Later, as time progressed, the cloth was made wider so that not only would it hold up the pants but it was also used to practice breathing techniques by always pressing tightly on the dan tien (a few inches below the belly button.)
The color of these sashes was usually black since, in China, that was the easiest and most accessible color of dye used for clothing. In the early 1900’s, the Japanese would begin to use belts as a distinction of rank, black being the highest. In the mid-1950’s, many international kung fu associations also began to use ranking distinctions but they kept their original sashes and most adopted the black sash as their highest rank.
Our school’s ranking is as follows:
Brea Shaolin Kung Fu 