What part?

[Tim Nichols]

No offense intended.  I took it as a serious question. 

There probably will be a TKD guy come in with exactly that question about setting up his legwork with specific kicks, and it will be a serious, honest question.  Given his background, why wouldn't he ask that question?  If he's not wondering how his kicks fit into all this, how serious a student can he be?

When you come in off a different base art, you have a certain set of ideas as to what is important.  Some of those things will be; others not so much.  I once saw a clip of a boxer asking a Systema guy a question about power generation.  The boxer gave the standard from-the-ground-up explanation, and asked how the Systema guy's punching method fit into this.  The latter responded by delivering a punch of some power while standing on tiptoe, on one food, right next to the target.  "How are you generating power from your feet?" wasn't the right question in that case...

The way you learn how to ask the right questions?  By the way they chuckle when you ask the wrong ones...

The comparison to Christianity is exactly on point.  He who walks with the skilled will be skilled -- and it's just as true of martial art as of carpentry or Christianity.

[Sihing73]

Hi Tim,

No offense taken, I was only kidding. Sometimes people need to adjust to my sense of humour 

I think that the more one understands the better one is, of course. What I think the reason is that many do not give all the answers right away, aside from protecting their rice bowl, is that in order for one to make the art their own, they need to feel how it relates to their body mechanics. The only way to do this is to practice and feel the energy. It seems to me that no two people will ever be able to do things exactly the same way. Therefore, it is only by practice that one will learn to apply any art from their own physical structure.

I remember a guy once explaining to me that if you practice throwing 1,000 punches every day that your body will naturarlly, over time, refine the delivery and make your puncing more efficient in line with how YOUR body does things. Seems to me that makes a lot of sense.

I remember my old Judo coach telling me that it takes 10,000 times to begin to learn a technique and 100,000 times to approach mastery of that same technique.

I like the concept of the footwork being the base upon which all else is built. I also think it is a stroke of genius to have the Leg Set as the warm up as it continuosly builds on this base.

[Art Kidwell]

 
I'm beginning to see this as a very distinct line of de-markation between the skilled practitioners who join our Family and the rash beginners who come looking for the "Bruce Lee" pill that makes them superhuman in 90 days . . . so I'm thinking that creating a couple of different threads addressing each of those criteria is apropos.  It might even help to direct our efforts to develop a beginner's program

So,
1. Beginning practitioners
2. Seasoned practitioners

You'll see them soon.

Peace,
Art   

[Royal Dragon]

I have been doing Shaolin based (The really old stuff) martial arts for over 20 years. Although the last few I have been dabbling more  in the KTS. The  question of proper fist position allways comes up from beginners, and even mid level practitioners. The answer is not clear cut to them. They are looking for a defined "Correct"fist position. However in reality, when you have examined many arts and seen many different fist positions used, you discover there is no over all *Correct* fist position. There is only correct for that fleeting moment.

The human body has many shapes, surfaces and contours to it. Once you realize this, the correct fist shape is determined at the moment of use. You use whatever position generates the best aligned, and strongest connection to the opponent at that moment to facilitate maximum power transmission with your strike.

I use the vertical fist from my Tai Tzu, the horizontal fist from my general Shaolin, and the diamond fist from my KTS with the focus on what ever knuckle surface best gets the job done during that particular application, at that moment. It takes some time and study to figure it all out and have it become instinctive. In reality it is a study all in and of itself that will take the beginner years to fully answer.

For now, just hit them with a good centered diamond fist and a straight wrist so you don't fold it under impact.