There are many ways of training the body. Many ways to become ‘fit’ but what are you becoming fit for? A marathon runner, a weight-lifter and a gymnast are all fit but if they tried to swap disciplines they wouldn’t really be any better at each others sports than the average person. Specific kung fu conditioning exercises give you a body that is strong, flexible, able to cope with high levels of pressure and will last you well into your old age.
In kung fu we train the body to be able to cope with both the physical and emotional rigors of combat. We train to develop the ‘kung fu body’ and the ‘eagle mind‘. So what are they and what kung fu conditioning do we need to be able to achieve that?
What is the ‘kung fu body’?
The kung fu body is a body that is free of unnecessary tension, flexible, able to withstand severe forces and able to generate great power with effortless ease. Moreover, it is a body that will last the whole of your life, not to start falling apart when you are only in your forties. All our training is aimed at developing the kung fu body. The training comes not just from standard Western exercises but learning to control and master your balance, posture, breath, focus and so on.
Physical Conditioning
These are the basic exercises you do to develop your physical strength, particularly in the legs and core muscles. These include squats, leg raises, flying cranes, press-ups and so on. These exercises are easy to find anywhere but I will add posts of how to do them in a naturally powerful way in due course.
Flexibility Training
These increase your mobility and enable the body to withstand the forces that act upon it. A flexible body is one that is not allowing a build up of tension to prevent full freedom of movement. Flexibility prevents injuries and allows your posture to be properly aligned. In short, flexibility feels great and is the cornerstone of most Eastern exercise systems and with good reason.
Static Power Training
These develop the physical structure so that the body is extremely stable in fixed positions. This is the most overlooked yet vital of all aspects of kung fu conditioning. Never neglect your stance training.
Pushing a well balanced and rooted student
Static power training means learning to stand still in various positions and allowing your body to relax in that position but without allowing the physical structure to collapse at all. Gradually this releases excess tension and allows each part of your body to add to the support of the whole.
Static power training is a vital part of most respected kung fu styles and delivers great health benefits to add to the additional martial power.
Movement Drills
These train you to move your body as a whole rather than using just, say, the arms and shoulders. It’s crucial that you learn to use your legs and waist in all your movements. You learn to feel the connections between all the body parts and use them so as to spread the movement and impact forces through all your muscles rather than just a few.
These can be done with any of the kung fu movements or forms. It is best to select something simple to start with and do it with full focus ensuring that all movements are powered by the legs and directed by the centre and the power flows through relaxed arms. Gradually you learn to use your body in a relaxed, powerful and very efficient way. Do the movements slowly to ensure that all the parts of yourself are working together and no part is rushing ahead.
T’ai chi – balanced, flowing movement
Breath Training
This teaches you to use your breathing to maintain your physical energy and to release and prevent internal blockages. Your breath will help you to release unneeded tension and direct power to where it’s needed. Your breathing brings energy into your body and supports you from the inside. It enables you to develop your internal power and to release tensions and stress. Without good breathing practices a kung fu body is simply not possible.
Mind Training
Your mind controls your body so the more focused your mind becomes then the more powerfully it can control your movements and other physical functions. There becomes no lag between thought and action. Your mind inhabits your body and your movements mirror your thoughts.
The mind needs to become more disciplined so that it can remain focused on the task at hand. Instead of allowing it to be at the whim of the ego – forever moving from one topic or worry to the next, you must learn to train it to stay still in the here and now. Learning to meditate is one of the most empowering things you can do with your time.
These are the main areas but there are others such as specific conditioning exercises, balance training, sensitivity training and so on. Each of these building blocks needs to be trained regularly so that, when you need it, you are able to bring all that you are into everything you do.
Eventually your mind, breath, body, spirit, power and so on will all merge together to enable you to achieve your purpose with effortless ease.
In my classes we spend the first part of each session doing kung fu conditioning exercises and the students soon learn that they need to practice them regularly at home as well. However, the results come quickly and they find that even within a few short weeks they are able to achieve things they may never have thought possible before.
Find out more about kung fu through the classes I run or sign up to our site to learn the wealth of material we have here.