From a master

Today we have the interview from a person that practices wushu, she is my teacher in the video I made about wushu (someday I will finish the edition work and you will watch it).

1. Why did you decide to practice wushu?

When I was five years old i needed to be on a physical activity, I did not know which one I will chose so my mother inscribio me into ballet classes, one day after a ballet session I saw my brother practicing wushu and immediately I knew that wushu would be my destiny.

2. What do you like most about wushu?

I liked that wushu is an activity that develops different skills in the person who practices it, not only physical skills but it also modify internal stuff, like the mind and spirit. Wushu is not a sport, wushu is a life-style and if you follow it with discipline and passion you can live with the advantages it offers you.

3. Do you need something to begin or only courage?

Yes, yes, that is all you need. You just need the will and the strength to always improve and keep the routine, because it is a hard routine. You must have discipline to make things the best way you can. Remember that wushu is an active activity so if you have a disability that does not allow you to keep the routine of exercises you might not be a great wushuist.

4. What is the most difficult part about wushu?

The most difficult part is the discipline and the routine you need to follow, because if you don’t practice even for one day, your physical condition decreases one week of work. You also need to make the activities with all your effort.

Thank you very much; do you want to add something to the people reading this?

You’re welcome and for all the people practicing wushu or want to do it, good luck and give your 100%.

Wushu kicks

In this post I am going to mention some taolu kicks. Before you try to make them, it is important that you stretch to avoid injuries. Look out on YouTube for some of these flexibility and taolu exercises, if you cannot do it as well as the video, do not worry, try to make your best and with discipline you will make it someday.

An important part of taolu is the kick. People who practice wushu develop great control of their extremities specially the legs, I mean, they hit very good with the arms too, but because the humans have less control with the legs the difference between a normal leg-control human being and a wushu fighter leg-control is most noticeable.

These are the basic kicks with their description:

- Front Swing: with the arms straight to the sides you give a step and you raise your other leg so it rich the front of your eyes.

- Snap Kick Punch: in this one, you make an arm punch and at the same time you kick to make your leg parallel to your arm.

- Cross Body Swing: similar to the front swing but you do not elevate your legs in a straight line, you do it to the opposite side ear. If you kick with the left leg, you try to reach the right ear.

- Side Kick

- Outer Crescent Kick: with the arms straight, you rise your leg directing it to the same side arm of your leg.

- Double Kick

- Inner Crescent Kick: with the arms straight, you rise your leg directing it to the opposite side of the leg.

I had some technical problems and I am not going to be able to upload the wushu video, sorry but it is going to be for the next week.

If you have questions about the kicks go to the web site below.

Bibliography:

http://wushu.ucc.ie/kicks1.html#outer

Wushu

Hello everyone, it is time to talk about another Asian martial art. In the next 2 or 3 posts this blog will be about wushu, the descendent of the ancient Chinese martial art. The old Chinese discipline is known in other countries as wushu but it is also a term to refer to the modern exhibition and full-contact sport developed since 1949.

The legend says that the Chinese martial arts originated 4000 years ago in the Xia dynasty and it was the Yellow Emperor Huangdi who introduced the earliest fighter style. This is like the mother of many of the martial arts practiced nowadays.

The modern wushu is divided in two disciplines that are taolu and sanda. Taolu is a performance of a serial of wushu moves, where the competitors exhibit their skills making those techniques; these are difficult forms of kicking, jumping, punching, balancing and others specific moves that are judged and if it is well done, the competitor receives points.

Sanda is the full-contact mode of wushu. Sanda is a combat between two competitors using similar the techniques of taolu and it is not a routine that the participant made before as happens in taolu.

Today I made my first video trying to learn the basics of wushu, but before you can watch it I have to edit it, so you have to wait until next week. I have to say that if you look out in you tube for wushu videos; you might be not very impressed. You have to see a real life performance to appreciate the work behind the fights.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_%28sport%29

From an expert

It is time to get a little involved in the practice of kendo. Kendo is a martial art with the objective of getting more points by hitting your opponents in certain points with a bamboo sword named shinai. To do so, you have to hit your opponent in the men (the helmet), in the kate (the wrist), and in the do(the middle body). To every target there are so many techniques to attack. I am not going to cover those. Every attack and defense has a series of moves that you have to follow as best as you can. In a formal event, there are judges that are responsible of giving the points that decide who is the winner. These judges check the kendoist from entering the room until they leave it, and I mean everything, kendoist have a way to take away their equipment and leave the room.

Now I show you an interview with a 4^th kyu rank student named Dario Chapa.

Why did you decide to practice kendo?

I was motivated because it was something completely new for me, and after every class I began to admire the elegance, the code of behavior needed in every exercise and the respect that you must pay to everyone. Also my sensei (teacher) and my companions were and are like a family so it was a very good place to be at.

What do you like most about kendo?

I like everything, but if I must choose I will pick that kendo is way to grew up, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Do you need something to begin or only courage?

Yes, only courage and will, but you must have always a good spirit and a proper behavior, because in kendo discipline, respect and honor are more important than strength and talent

What is the most difficult part about kendo?

The most difficult thing is to improve, it might sound weird but my first class was the easy one, of course this is because once you know how is really done you realize all your mistakes, and you never actually finish learning, this is one of the reasons of why this is a life style, there are less than 4 people in the world who actually can master kendo at a 100%

Thanks for your time Dario, I hope this motivates more young souls to join the kendo life style.

No problem men, everything to motivate people to do good things.

Well this is the end, for the next martial art we are going to have another specialist (well, she is a student but compared to me she is a specialist) but this time is for kung fu…or wushu, I don’t remember but I think they are related, so if you want to ask her some questions leave it in your comment. By the way, for those interested, there are kendo courses in the Gimnasio Nuevo Leon and the ITESM.

Special thanks to Dario for this wonderful interview. Check out his blog: http://behesef.blogspot.com/