The power of breathing has been emphasized by many arts for many centuries. The energy that comes from proper breathing is truly remarkable. Proper breathing can be used in so many ways for so many things.
It can be used for meditation in Yoga, or to restore health and bring mental and physical well being in Tai Chi. These forms of breathing develop that mysterious energy we have within ourselves known as Chi. Breathing can also me used to develop maximum striking power and to create a cushion to absorb a strike. This is the subject of my post today!
On the everyday level we can breath in three basic ways.
1. Clavicular breathing is the most shallow and worst possible type. The shoulders and collarbone are raised while the abdomen is contracted during inhalation. Maximum effort is made, but a minimum amount of air is obtained.
2. Thoracic breathing is done with the rib muscles expanding the rib cage, and is the second type of incomplete breathing.
3. Deep abdominal breathing is the best, for it brings air to the lowest and largest part of the lungs. Breathing is slow and deep, and proper use is made of the diaphragm.
The third example of the above breathing methods is the type that is used in the most profound ways. This type of breathing is truly magical. When I started Kung Fu San Soo my instructor emphasized loud explosive breathing in our hand forms, strikes and kicks. At first, I had some resistance to this loud and noisy use of the breath.
After 14 plus years of doing this I can totally agree with the benefits of training this way. As an example, try this:
Stand in front of a heavy bag HOLD YOUR BREATH and strike the bag as hard as you can. Then, strike the bag and exhale your breath at the impact of the strike. Can you feel the difference in the power that you are generating. There should be a profound difference between the power of the two strikes.
Explosively exhaling your breath upon impact of the strike can dramatically increase the power of that strike!
Another benefit to this type of breathing is to be able to absorb the energy of your opponents strike. As an example try this:
Stand facing your opponent and HOLD YOUR BREATH while tightening up your body and have him strike you in the abdominals. Feel the impact of his strike. Now, let him strike you there again but this time explosively exhale your breath on impact. Did you notice how much easier it was to take the strike when doing this?
This knowledge about how to breath has saved me many times when training in Kung Fu San Soo and helped reduce the injuries I have sustained over the years!
Next time you train remember the Power of Breathing!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Benefits of Hand Forms
Hand Forms are our most ancient training tool and were the most important part of martial art training in old China. They would prepare you for learning the techniques and help with everything from stances to physical training. They are the most important tool to developing solid stances and foot work along with proper strikes, kicks, breathing, and balance and there is nothing that teaches movement patterns in the same way. Form practice is and has always been the quickest way to advance in Kung Fu, in every way. It has also been the most neglected.
When the art we now call "San Soo" was brought over from China by Grandmaster Jimmy H. Woo, it underwent some changes to make it easier to learn for Westerners. Traditionally, San Soo forms were longer than the 26 move hand forms we do today. Grandmaster chose to break the original hand forms into smaller pieces to suit the Western audience. He also showed a way to combine our short hand forms together to recreate the original long hand form style of practice.
It is not known if combining hand forms together in this manner recreates the original long hand forms, but it was, and still is today, the way taught by Jimmy H. Woo to practice doing long hand forms. It is believed that the original long hand forms consisting of 102 total moves: 100 fighting movements and two salutes.
Recently, with the help of my teacher, Master Robert Phillips, I have developed a comprehensive and easy to learn method of teaching hand forms to those of you that are not enrolled in a Kung Fu school. I have put the training methods into two different eBooks. The standard eBook is set up move by move with easy to understand descriptions and images to help you learn quickly. The deluxe eBook contains everything that the standard version has plus video clips of each move to make learning even easier. We currently offer one hand form in these formats and will be adding more soon.
For more information on these eBooks, click here go to The Phillips School of Kung Fu San Soo Website.
Doing your hand forms regularly can develop both your inner and outer strengths and can be very meditative as well as providing the physical challenge to those who want complete balance, strength and power.
When the art we now call "San Soo" was brought over from China by Grandmaster Jimmy H. Woo, it underwent some changes to make it easier to learn for Westerners. Traditionally, San Soo forms were longer than the 26 move hand forms we do today. Grandmaster chose to break the original hand forms into smaller pieces to suit the Western audience. He also showed a way to combine our short hand forms together to recreate the original long hand form style of practice.
It is not known if combining hand forms together in this manner recreates the original long hand forms, but it was, and still is today, the way taught by Jimmy H. Woo to practice doing long hand forms. It is believed that the original long hand forms consisting of 102 total moves: 100 fighting movements and two salutes.
Recently, with the help of my teacher, Master Robert Phillips, I have developed a comprehensive and easy to learn method of teaching hand forms to those of you that are not enrolled in a Kung Fu school. I have put the training methods into two different eBooks. The standard eBook is set up move by move with easy to understand descriptions and images to help you learn quickly. The deluxe eBook contains everything that the standard version has plus video clips of each move to make learning even easier. We currently offer one hand form in these formats and will be adding more soon.
For more information on these eBooks, click here go to The Phillips School of Kung Fu San Soo Website.
Doing your hand forms regularly can develop both your inner and outer strengths and can be very meditative as well as providing the physical challenge to those who want complete balance, strength and power.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
When To Use Your Stances
There is a lot of information out there in the Martial Arts community about fighting stances. Each discipline has their own stance to fight from.
In Kung Fu San Soo we do not begin an attack out of a stance. Most of us are taught to stand in a relaxed, non-aggressive looking position that we can immediately move from into an attack.
This is important for a couple of reasons.
Once your attack has been initiated is where the actual Kung Fu San Soo stances have a serious impact. Most of the time we move in at 45 degree angles to the opponent which means that if, for example, you are stepping outside your opponent and striking at the same time you will be by him and behind him before he can counter.
In the mean time you have used your block to attack his striking arm, hopefully breaking or damaging it so that he can’t use it again as a weapon. From there (behind him) you can quickly pivot into another stance (which, if done correctly will generate maximum striking power) to finish the fight.
Here are some tips in using your stances:
Stances, when used correctly and at the appropriate time, along with striking the proper targets, will enable you to quickly eliminate any threat to you or your loved ones.
Happy Training!
Tony
In Kung Fu San Soo we do not begin an attack out of a stance. Most of us are taught to stand in a relaxed, non-aggressive looking position that we can immediately move from into an attack.
This is important for a couple of reasons.
- When we move to strike it comes from a position of surprise since we are not telegraphing our intention to attack. This keeps the opponent off balance and unexpecting.
- Also, since we aren’t in a rigid, set stance we have more options in which to meet the incoming opponent because we can move with his movement rather than be crossed up because our stance is set.
Once your attack has been initiated is where the actual Kung Fu San Soo stances have a serious impact. Most of the time we move in at 45 degree angles to the opponent which means that if, for example, you are stepping outside your opponent and striking at the same time you will be by him and behind him before he can counter.
In the mean time you have used your block to attack his striking arm, hopefully breaking or damaging it so that he can’t use it again as a weapon. From there (behind him) you can quickly pivot into another stance (which, if done correctly will generate maximum striking power) to finish the fight.
Here are some tips in using your stances:
- Use stances only as a means to generate power and to close the gap with your opponent.
- Use your stances to drive through your opponent and take his balance.
- Use your stances to pivot your hips from one strike to another to generate maximum power.
- Make sure you are planted as you punch or are driving your balance toward your opponent as you strike.
Stances, when used correctly and at the appropriate time, along with striking the proper targets, will enable you to quickly eliminate any threat to you or your loved ones.
Happy Training!
Tony
Monday, June 05, 2006
My Favorite Thing About Kung Fu San Soo
My most favorite thing about Kung Fu San Soo is the infinite variety of attacks one can use to subdue the opponent. As you progress in this art, and learn to master more and more of its’ fighting techniques, you have more and more weapons to choose from and use during a fight.
Just like an artist that paints, as you learn more and more of this art, you are only limited by your own creativity as to how to best create your fighting reality. One of the most powerful aspects of Kung Fu San Soo is the ability to change direction and adjust your choices at any given moment to what is actually happening during an altercation.
If, for example, you move in to block an opponents attack and your block changes his direction to something you didn’t expect, you can continue to flow into another fighting technique without a second thought. The way Kung Fu San Soo is taught creates the ability to flow from one technique to another with minimal transition time.
I think the key element here is that we are learning different TECHNIQUES in our lessons rather than specific fighting routines. When I first started in San Soo I learned just a few techniques, and practiced them over and over until they worked well for me. Sometime into my fourth year of this art (brown belt level) I started to become more adept at “freestyle” fighting. It just kind of happened for me back then and that is when the full impact of Kung Fu San Soo training hit me.
I was moving and flowing from one technique to another instantly without even thinking and regardless of where my opponent was positioned, I had something learned from my endless arsenal of San Soo techniques to flow into and finish the attack.
My instructor had told us from the beginning that Kung Fu San Soo was like learning the letters in the alphabet in our early stages of training and like learning to read and write this alphabet as we moved up in experience. He said when we reached the Black Belt level we start to fully articulate the language of San Soo we have learned into our own creative and personal fighting style.
This is why, during our presentations to the public, our fighting techniques can look completely different from one San Soo fighter to the next. I often here the comment that is looks like we have so many different styles in our presentations but in reality it is each learned San Soo fighter using his/her techniques in an ever creative and personal way
I look forward to learning and perfecting more and more Kung Fu San Soo fighting techniques and incorporating them effortlessly into the San Soo fighting reality I create for myself.
Just like an artist that paints, as you learn more and more of this art, you are only limited by your own creativity as to how to best create your fighting reality. One of the most powerful aspects of Kung Fu San Soo is the ability to change direction and adjust your choices at any given moment to what is actually happening during an altercation.
If, for example, you move in to block an opponents attack and your block changes his direction to something you didn’t expect, you can continue to flow into another fighting technique without a second thought. The way Kung Fu San Soo is taught creates the ability to flow from one technique to another with minimal transition time.
I think the key element here is that we are learning different TECHNIQUES in our lessons rather than specific fighting routines. When I first started in San Soo I learned just a few techniques, and practiced them over and over until they worked well for me. Sometime into my fourth year of this art (brown belt level) I started to become more adept at “freestyle” fighting. It just kind of happened for me back then and that is when the full impact of Kung Fu San Soo training hit me.
I was moving and flowing from one technique to another instantly without even thinking and regardless of where my opponent was positioned, I had something learned from my endless arsenal of San Soo techniques to flow into and finish the attack.
My instructor had told us from the beginning that Kung Fu San Soo was like learning the letters in the alphabet in our early stages of training and like learning to read and write this alphabet as we moved up in experience. He said when we reached the Black Belt level we start to fully articulate the language of San Soo we have learned into our own creative and personal fighting style.
This is why, during our presentations to the public, our fighting techniques can look completely different from one San Soo fighter to the next. I often here the comment that is looks like we have so many different styles in our presentations but in reality it is each learned San Soo fighter using his/her techniques in an ever creative and personal way
I look forward to learning and perfecting more and more Kung Fu San Soo fighting techniques and incorporating them effortlessly into the San Soo fighting reality I create for myself.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Advanced Balance Training Tools
Hello, today I would like to talk to you about one of my favorite tools for enhancing my balance for Martial Arts. It’s called the Bosu Ball. I have been using one in my training now for a long time and I credit my “drastically improved” over-all balance to using this wonderful tool.
The Bosu Ball work directly on the Stabilizer Muscles and can help strengthen and coordinate the entire musculature including the muscles of your body that you don't see. Everyone has heard the expression that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The human body is no different. Muscular imbalance or inadequacy of even the smallest muscle can cause the entire system to fail. This is why I think the Bosu Ball is so important to Martial Artists.
For you San Soo Fighters out there I have uploaded a couple of video clips to show you how the Bosu Ball works when doing some of our simple warm-up exercises.
To see the video clips go to:
http://balance.kungfutrainingsecrets.com/down-bosu.html
and
http://balance.kungfutrainingsecrets.com/up-bosu.html
You can see that the body wants to sway and move when doing these warm-ups on the ball. The goal of course is to be able to do the warm-ups with power while minimizing your body sway. In the future, I will be creating a downloadable eBook called “Extreme Balance Training” using the Bosu Ball to help Martial Artists improve their balance.
Get a Bosu Ball, give it a try and give feedback on your experience with it at: tony@kungfutrainingsecrets.com
Enjoy!
Tony
The Bosu Ball work directly on the Stabilizer Muscles and can help strengthen and coordinate the entire musculature including the muscles of your body that you don't see. Everyone has heard the expression that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The human body is no different. Muscular imbalance or inadequacy of even the smallest muscle can cause the entire system to fail. This is why I think the Bosu Ball is so important to Martial Artists.
For you San Soo Fighters out there I have uploaded a couple of video clips to show you how the Bosu Ball works when doing some of our simple warm-up exercises.
To see the video clips go to:
http://balance.kungfutrainingsecrets.com/down-bosu.html
and
http://balance.kungfutrainingsecrets.com/up-bosu.html
You can see that the body wants to sway and move when doing these warm-ups on the ball. The goal of course is to be able to do the warm-ups with power while minimizing your body sway. In the future, I will be creating a downloadable eBook called “Extreme Balance Training” using the Bosu Ball to help Martial Artists improve their balance.
Get a Bosu Ball, give it a try and give feedback on your experience with it at: tony@kungfutrainingsecrets.com
Enjoy!
Tony
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Getting or staying in shape?
This question was asked at the Kung Fu San Soo Community Network
Tony and everyone,
We are on the mat from 1 1/2 to 2 hours in our San Soo workouts. What keeps you from getting winded during the workouts? Do some of you jog, lift weights do calisthenics? We don't do hard core stretching and calisthenics like they do in most Tae Kwan Do schools. So what are your thoughts?
My answer was:
That's a good question and right up my alley because I specialize in fitness for martial artists. In order to be able to sustain yourself for 2 hours you'll need to be doing a couple of things for yourself.
1. Make sure you have enough fuel in your body to start off with. What I mean is that the food you eat before your training must last for the duration of your mat time. As an example, when I train on Saturday mornings I have a breakfast of Oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts and a scoop of protein powder thrown in and 1 cup of coffee to sustain the energy of the food. I also plan my meal to be about 1.5 to 2 hours before my workout. This meal gives me the energy to last out there.
2. It would benefit you to get into a training program that consists of 30-40 minutes of weight work. The weight work should be done with good form and have minimal rest between sets (30 seconds or less) You should be working in the 15-20 repetition range for lower body and 12-15 repetition range for upper body.
3. Along with the weight training you should include 45-60 minutes of cardio training on your equipment of choice, i.e., treadmill, rowing machine, bicycle, elliptical, etc. When you do your cardio work you want to incorporate interval training into the workout. An example of interval training on a treadmill would be: fast walking for 5 minutes then running for 2 minutes, back and forth until you have reached the desired workout time.
These techniques will allow you to build up maximum stamina for a 1-2 hour range.
If you want to try a mind blowing workout that can Triple Your Fighting Stamina for the 3-5 minute range (I choose this range because that is usually the time we have to show our techniques in a promotion) go to:
http://www.kungfutrainingsecrets.com to see an eBook I created exactly for this purpose. With these techniques you will also become a bigger, stronger fighter in a short period of time.
Good Luck!
Tony
Tony and everyone,
We are on the mat from 1 1/2 to 2 hours in our San Soo workouts. What keeps you from getting winded during the workouts? Do some of you jog, lift weights do calisthenics? We don't do hard core stretching and calisthenics like they do in most Tae Kwan Do schools. So what are your thoughts?
My answer was:
That's a good question and right up my alley because I specialize in fitness for martial artists. In order to be able to sustain yourself for 2 hours you'll need to be doing a couple of things for yourself.
1. Make sure you have enough fuel in your body to start off with. What I mean is that the food you eat before your training must last for the duration of your mat time. As an example, when I train on Saturday mornings I have a breakfast of Oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts and a scoop of protein powder thrown in and 1 cup of coffee to sustain the energy of the food. I also plan my meal to be about 1.5 to 2 hours before my workout. This meal gives me the energy to last out there.
2. It would benefit you to get into a training program that consists of 30-40 minutes of weight work. The weight work should be done with good form and have minimal rest between sets (30 seconds or less) You should be working in the 15-20 repetition range for lower body and 12-15 repetition range for upper body.
3. Along with the weight training you should include 45-60 minutes of cardio training on your equipment of choice, i.e., treadmill, rowing machine, bicycle, elliptical, etc. When you do your cardio work you want to incorporate interval training into the workout. An example of interval training on a treadmill would be: fast walking for 5 minutes then running for 2 minutes, back and forth until you have reached the desired workout time.
These techniques will allow you to build up maximum stamina for a 1-2 hour range.
If you want to try a mind blowing workout that can Triple Your Fighting Stamina for the 3-5 minute range (I choose this range because that is usually the time we have to show our techniques in a promotion) go to:
http://www.kungfutrainingsecrets.com to see an eBook I created exactly for this purpose. With these techniques you will also become a bigger, stronger fighter in a short period of time.
Good Luck!
Tony
The NEW Kung Fu San Soo Community Network!
Hello,
Thank you for visiting Diary of a San Soo Black Belt. I'm here to tell you about a new Blog Site I have created to enhance the gathering of all those people that enjoy the art of Kung Fu San Soo. You can visit it at:
http://www.kungfu-sansoo-network.com
My hope is that this site will become a full blown Kung Fu San Soo community where we can share our experiences and comments about this awesome fighting art!
Thank you for visiting Diary of a San Soo Black Belt. I'm here to tell you about a new Blog Site I have created to enhance the gathering of all those people that enjoy the art of Kung Fu San Soo. You can visit it at:
http://www.kungfu-sansoo-network.com
My hope is that this site will become a full blown Kung Fu San Soo community where we can share our experiences and comments about this awesome fighting art!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Become a Bigger, Stronger Fighter!
Would you like to be able to fight for 3-5 minutes without becoming winded? And would you like to become a BIGGER AND STRONGER Fighter? I have a secret, little known, exercise combination for you that will help you DO JUST THAT!
I have just completed a new eBook that can help you to Triple Your Fighting Stamina and Ad Tons of Muscle to your body.
Click Here to check it out!
Until then,
Happy & Safe Training!
Tony
I have just completed a new eBook that can help you to Triple Your Fighting Stamina and Ad Tons of Muscle to your body.
Click Here to check it out!
Until then,
Happy & Safe Training!
Tony
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