Kungs / skills / feats of strength are they needed?

[ginosifu]

We all have read about or seen videos of or even practiced ourselves, those skills of legend. Iron Hand, Fingers that can break through a watermelon, walking along the edge of a bamboo basket, Iron Body, Dim Mak, fingers that can break a walnut etc etc etc.

In todays modern society the average person does not have the time to invest in these type of specialty skills. As teachers do you feel the need to teach these skills to the average person? In my personal experience, to truly master these skills a person needs to spend 2-3 daily practice sessions (morning, noon and night), 7 days a week, 365 days a year for a minimum of 5-10 years for each skill.

I have been training for over 20 years and all of my teachers have expressed the fact they have spent this amount of time perfecting their skills.

If you are a sifu, then I think you should spend time to perfect whatever skills you have. However, I feel that the average student can not or will not spend the time needed to perfect these specialty skills.

Your thoughts

ginosifu

[IronWeasel]

5 years are going to pass by anyway...

You might as well gain the skill.

[bawang]

In todays modern society the average person does not have the time to invest in these type of specialty skills.

if your students dont do these what do they do in kung fu class?

[Dragonzbane76]

it's easier to buy a gun to defend yourself and probably save your life in a better fashion than learn MA's. These things you speak of are dying and hanging on. It is sad to see such things go to the way side, but they always live on in the evolution of things.

[bawang]

it's easier to buy a gun to defend yourself and probably save your life in a better fashion than learn MA's.

the rifle is part of the traditional 18 weapons.

[ginosifu]

if your students dont do these what do they do in kung fu class?

Fighting drills / self defense / Shuai Jiao / San Shou !

Bawang: we do normal strength stuff like push ups / kiu sao / Horse stance etc but this just bare bone basics.

ginosifu

[IronWeasel]

it's easier to buy a gun to defend yourself and probably save your life in a better fashion than learn MA's. These things you speak of are dying and hanging on. It is sad to see such things go to the way side, but they always live on in the evolution of things.

Sure, but if a guy is messing with you in a bar, you might want to just punch his lights out, instead of executing him.

...moderation.

[Dragonzbane76]

haha i'm not talking of the i'm in a bar issue... you have witnesses in a bar. if the guy takes it to far you can file charges. Or try your hand on beating the crap outta them, and then get charged yourself.

anyways, i'm talking of self defense. I'm not going to execute someone for starting a fight. Now if they are on my property in the middle of the night and have no right to be there and give no indication of reasoning well it's a little different.

[bawang]

Fighting drills / self defense / Shuai Jiao / San Shou !

Bawang: we do normal strength stuff like push ups / kiu sao / Horse stance etc but this just bare bone basics.

ginosifu

nice man u guys have good training for class. but i think iron hand and iron shirt are very important for kung fu. theyre just fancy names for basic conditioning skills they very important and theyre not esoteric or specialist at all mang.

[bawang]

i think the problem is time. when i have summer vacation i do some training and warmup, bam half the day is gone.

[Lucas]

i dont carry a gun with me. i cant leave myself in a situation where i have to rely on a gun, because if you dont have it on you, and you put all your eggs in that basket, well...

even people who do carry guns, if you say you have access to it at all times, without exception, you are either lying, in some field of law enforcement, or you are paranoid as all hell. but for a portion of people who do carry, you still wont have it on you at all times.

i agree it is important to know how to weild a variety of firearms, knives and assorted objects as weapons.

from a self defence standpoint you must address the aspect of being unarmed.

now with that frame of mind, do you need specialty skills? no.

do they add a certain degree of benefit if you are unarmed? yes. depending on the skill and your level of development and ability to apply.

soemthing like iron skills is great because its generally applied without thought, it just is part of your body.

[bawang]

i tink its sad that many kung fu people can play with swords, but if u mention gun they get scared. they dont see swords as weapons but as toys.
gun is part of traditional 18 chinese weapons and firearm should be continuation of chinese martial arts.

if u want to evolve kung fu firearm training is the next step

[sanjuro_ronin]

Sure, but if a guy is messing with you in a bar, you might want to just punch his lights out, instead of executing him.

...moderation.

The pussification of real MA (tm).

[ginosifu]

now with that frame of mind, do you need specialty skills? no.

do they add a certain degree of benefit if you are unarmed? yes. depending on the skill and your level of development and ability to apply.

soemthing like iron skills is great because its generally applied without thought, it just is part of your body.

Thanks for the input Lucas. Would feel the students can better benefit doing more self defense / fighting drills while they are in class instead of trying to teach them specialty skills?

Example:

I used to force all my students to do IP at the end of class hoping it would spark some interest, but after 5 years or so not even 1 person stuck with it. So I have stopped now and throw hands up in the air and give up.

ginosifu

[TenTigers]

i dont carry a gun with me. i cant leave myself in a situation where i have to rely on a gun, because if you dont have it on you, and you put all your eggs in that basket, well...

even people who do carry guns, if you say you have access to it at all times, without exception, you are either lying, in some field of law enforcement, or you are paranoid as all hell. but for a portion of people who do carry, you still wont have it on you at all times.
.

Someone once said to me,"I can go to my car and get my gun."
I said, "I have my Martial Arts with me now." -end of discussion.

btw-it wasn't a heated argument or a fight, it was a just discussion.