Training at Er Zu Temple began on February 19th. Now, I'm in the midst of my third month. Continuing to train and develop my understanding of Shaolin. Not only am I listening to the guidance of Zhang Shifu, but I'm also challenging my Chinese by reading the official Shaolin Duan Wei books.
The challenge with learning under a new master/teacher is that I have to reevaluate my basics all over again. Throughout the few months, I've been going back to "fixing" various issues with my stances, punches, kicks, and more. This has all been a mental and physical challenge.
Luckily, I've been able to tap into the experience of other students and Zhang Shifu to better my basics.
All Stances ~ 步法
Feet in a Straight Line ~ 一定要一条线
The stances in Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu all have the feet in the same line. This is due to various ideas on how to use the stances. Each stance has it's strong point and weak point. Examples would be the Horse Stance being strongest from the side. Bow Stance being strong from the front.
Horse Stance ~ Ma Bu ~ 马步
Four Flat Points ~ 四点平
Thighs should be flat, 90 Degrees.
Back should be straight.
Shoulders should be level.
Eyes should be looking forward.
The idea is that the hips don't go backward, but rather down. As if sitting on a stool. The width of your Horse Stance does depend on the person. A good guideline to start off with is, "三半步" "three and a half feet". Meaning, keep one foot pointing forward. With the other foot, measure out three and a half "foot lengths". This is where your feet should be in a horse stance. Another general guideline is that your feet should stand outside your shoulder width.
Bow Stance ~ Gong Bu ~ 弓步
Close the Hips ~ 收胯
In Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, the bow stance is a higher stance than the rest. This is due to the requirement of "closing the hips". Keeping the hips closed acts as a way to protect the groin. Other styles, like Long Fist, will have their hips open. This creates a lower and wider Bow Stance.
Conclusion
These are just some of the tips that Zhang Shifu has given me during my time here. I am continually learning more and more. The reason that I put so much emphasis on saying, "In Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu..." is to make clear that different styles of Kung Fu have their own standards for moves and stances. Taiji Quan, Baji Quan, Wing Chun, Hong Gar, Choi Li Fut and others each have their own theories behind their standard of movement.
This was a revelation to me during my training here. As during the years of self-practice, I had forgotten this. Which has led to some bad habits forming over time. So, I think it is important for those practicing any style of Kung Fu to have a clear idea as to what the style's requirements are.
📿Johnny
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