what recent progress have you made?

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what recent progress have you made?

Postby mixjourneyman on Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:28 pm

This is a thread to discuss ways that you have improved your martial arts over the last couple months.
Detail what small or big changes you have made that you feel made your Gong Fu better.

I'll post mine for November:

1) sinking everything a good couple inches lower than I was able to before
2) getting more range of motion in my shoulders
3) getting my back more straight during circle walking
4) brief glimpses of being able to really harmonize my intent with my movement (as opposed to working on intent and movement, the intent manifests itself as a focus point in my movement).

This has been a really good month for me in terms of martial arts training, though I haven't done as much partner work as I would have liked to do since it is cold out. :D
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Chris McKinley on Fri Dec 05, 2008 1:02 pm

Mine has mostly been through insight gained while playing my new hobby of fencing. Because, like real blades, all it takes to lose is for the opponent's blade to make contact, I've found yet another venue that demonstrates that, with weapons, it's often a much higher priority to move quickly than to move with perfection of technique. In fact, it's often the case that moving perfectly is no longer even a possibility, but something still has to be done to stop the blade from contacting you.

Another insight is just how useful it is to teach movement from the core out. Even with fencing, learning to move the body offline, then gradually add in footwork, shoulder, elbow then finally wrist movement, even though these are in nearly reverse order of actual reactive speed, has propelled my ability to not get hit tremendously. Often, all you really have time for at full-speed is arm movement, yet learning to move the entire body has proven useful for situations where the opponent's blade has not been sufficiently stopped by your blade/arm, so that you then have time to react by moving your body and employing your footwork.

I've also learned another context in which I've found just how useful thinking 3-dimensionally and using figure eights can be for smaller blades. My rapier skill is still in its infancy, while I'm already dominating long-term players with my dagger technique. My goal now is to gain the point control and get used to the weight balance and length of the rapier to a point where I can bring my Kali skill online with it as well.

Another good point is that I'm learning that my 40 year old butt can still move lightning fast, and still typically much faster than my opponents. :)
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby fuga on Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:39 pm

Since starting BJJ two months ago, I have seen good progress in:

-conditioning and recovery
-listening ability while rolling which allows me to change quickly
-not getting mentally stuck - ie, meeting force with force
-knuckle callouses

I am also, like Chris, finding that increasing age (41) does not mean slow movements. I actually tend to think that the younger folks get too stuck on trying to muscle through things or get fixated on an approaching submission or a grip rather than going with where there are openings and opportunities. Sometimes I feel like they are just waiting for me, unable to move, mentally frozen. So I just put them into the position that I want them in. I am sure this will change as I start grappling with higher belts. But nevertheless I feel like my previous taiji push hands work has had immediate direct benefits in my first steps in BJJ.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Bao on Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:10 pm

Good thread Mix, just what we need when trolls are trying to take over the EF.

I can stand longer in san ti now than I ever could before, I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. Maybe I am doing something wrong...

I focus mostly on punching this period. I am hitting pads, kicking protections and about everything I can find, like some towels rolled tightly together. The result is that my bengquan is turning really awesome. But at the same time, I have completely lost the power of my Piquan, which was quite good before. I wonder if it is somehow connected to my san ti practice or the bengquan mechanics. It's very strange. . .
Last edited by Bao on Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Dean on Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:53 pm

I am constantly learning more every day in every way. My balance, strength and coordination are growing stronger as well. While practicing forms I see/ feel areas in need of refinement and am working hard to correct them. I take notes on a daily basis and am constantly looking for ways to better improve my training.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby bailewen on Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:13 pm

Just got back from a concentrated month in China. No work, just training, every day from 6 - 10.

Got corrections on my Taiji form and as a result my form now takes about an hour and a half to finish.

Also, I started learning the Baji spear form. Not the da qiang exercises but the Baji Liuhe Qiang.

Finally, I got a book, on recommendation from Shifu, with all the Taiji songs in one place. All the Wang Zong Yue stuff, the Yang Banhou and Chengfu stuff. Pretty interesting stuff and starting to use it to guide my practice more explicitly.
Click here for my Baji Leitai clip.
www.xiangwuhui.com

p.s. the name is pronounced "buy le when"
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby taiwandeutscher on Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:37 pm

I envy you guys.

Lately, work has kept me so busy that all I can do is try to keep my level. Has been only 5, 7 hrs a week for some time now, no progress possible for me with that, as I'm a slow learner.

Hopefully, the winter break at university for Chinese New Year, where I teach, will allow me to get in real good shape and progress again!
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby David Boxen on Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:54 pm

Without training partners around, I've been doing more quiet sitting and standing, as well as stretching. I don't think I will really be able to notice any progress martially until I can do partner work again, but at least I feel pretty good :)
We are not stuff that abides, but patterns that perpetuate themselves. - Norbert Wiener
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Dean on Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:55 pm

taiwandeutscher wrote:I envy you guys.

Lately, work has kept me so busy that all I can do is try to keep my level. Has been only 5, 7 hrs a week for some time now, no progress possible for me with that, as I'm a slow learner.

Hopefully, the winter break at university for Chinese New Year, where I teach, will allow me to get in real good shape and progress again!

That's still pretty good (5-7hrs a week).
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Dean on Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:25 pm

David Boxen wrote:Without training partners around, I've been doing more quiet sitting and standing, as well as stretching. I don't think I will really be able to notice any progress martially until I can do partner work again, but at least I feel pretty good :)

David, I think you'll be surprised if you continue to train.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby everything on Fri Dec 05, 2008 10:18 pm

more like past year as i'm taking time off right at the moment but:
1. ph has been helping with both judo and bjj
2. some solo progress with mind/body intent work in zhan zhuang - fails in two person work currently - see 3.
3. some two person work with one armed or one contact point in ph - finding minimum effort to "know" and find and control center. ideally incorporates 2 but ain't happening.
4. some solo progress with qigong (least related to martial pursuits at the moment). should help with 2 but ain't happening.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Formosa Neijia on Fri Dec 05, 2008 11:10 pm

Lost 15 lbs. of fat and improved in every area on my bi-monthly health check. All due to fitness training, which is a big part of what I do now.

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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Iskendar on Sat Dec 06, 2008 12:48 am

Went to two very interesting seminars recently, one by Akuzawa and one by Alex Kostic. Ark's stuff has been doing wonders for my spine->arm connection, a weak point of mine (hell, of most people). Been working it into my form and zhan zhuang, and the results are remarkable, it's like a new world has opened up for me. Alex' Systema had less of an immediate impact, but it's a great example of free silk-reeling based movement in combat. Remarkable martial artist, giving me something to aspire to.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby Walter Joyce on Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:00 am

My biggest recent progress is having worked out 5 days a week for the last 6-7 weeks. I go into work and hour or so early and work out for about an hour each day.

They aren't MA workouts, just lots of aerobic (30 minutes on an elliptical runner, 5 minute interval/stress routine) followed by weight training.

Once I get back into a good baseline of physical fitness and lose the remaining fat I'll focus more on MA training, but one step at a time.

It really feels good to be take active steps towards regaining the fitness level and skills I had developed.
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Re: what recent progress have you made?

Postby somatai on Sat Dec 06, 2008 8:24 am

beginning to get very clear on chicken legs and dragon waist, thanks to my xylh training......low basin, low basin,low basin
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