My third week of Kung Fu training is halfway over, and as promised, here's a progress report:
I chose to check out the local kung fu academy as an alternative to going to a gym. I did this for three reasons: 1. To get into shape (yes, round is a shape, just not a very nice one for humans). 2. To be challenged. I'm sorry, but the challenge of pushing weights, running or swimming is merely a matter of pushing your limits - you don't learn anything from it (hence I get bored with it very quickly), and overall it's pretty useless - apart from the excercise part, of course (oh, swimming may also help avoid drowning). 3. Because it's situated just around the corner and training hours are work-friendly 18.30 - 20. just enough time to get home, get a little to eat, pack the bag and off to the kwoon. The local gyms are not much farther away, yet so far that it's a mental barrier. And with gyms being open from 6AM to 21PM everyday, it's easier to "go tomorrow". Kung fu is monday, wednesday and thursday - twice a week minimum, so there's no room for slacking.
Ok, so much for justifying myself. Training is part set pieces, part self defence / fighting. I guess this shouldn't be surprising, but I admit I hadn't thought about this aspect when I signed up - but it's actually very good. It's not so much throwing people around as in "regular" self defence, but more block-and-counter using hands, feet, elbows and fingers - whatever it takes to bring the other person down. There's a lot of focus on hitting vulnerable points, such as eyes, temples, throat,neck and crotch. Unfair? Well maybe, but if you need to use it, it's probably because the other guy doesn't have your best interest at heart so why should you care.
The style is adapted from the various shaolin animal styles such as the Crane, the Tiger and the Snake. There are 10 fixed sparring excercises and otherwise free sparring which reminds me somewhat of wing tsun. For the more advanced students there are weapons excercises using sticks, staff and sword.
To "advance" (getting belts of different colours) you need to meet certain requirements. You start out at a yellow belt. To get a yellow belt with a white stripe you need to know and demonstrate the first kata (to sifu's satisfaction) and be able to perform 10 push-ups on finger tips. The katas are a series of moves composed into a tai chi like excercise and consist of blocks, strikes and kicks. Some of the stuff requires a finely tuned balance. From yellow it's on to green, blue, brown and black (I think) at various levels (stripes) - which should take roughly 5 years in all.
Oh, and then there's the physical /gymnastical / tenderising part of training. We start the warmup with 30+ situps and 30+ pushups + varius kicks. The first day of training I could've gone home after warming up - I was that beat. It's slowly getting better (I guess the body needs a little time to figure out, that it needs to be able to do this on a regular basis) but it's pretty hard - and if you don't stretch properly after training ... 'nuff said. And yes, there is even one of those torture instruments to help you spread your legs really wide.
So to sum it up: Basically it's going pretty well. I've learnt the first kata and the 10 pushups on finger tips is almost there. The muscles have slowly begun adjusting to the training and have come out of their regression (tiny, hard lumps that refused any contact with the outside world) and I expect the next couple of months to bring lots of progress.