
Try Our Kung Fu Lessons Online Free first. Generally speaking when a person decides they want to train in something like Kung Fu or any martial art for that matter. They will do what comes naturally to them. We call this a reaction. A response is something you train and it becomes a habit over time.
Which one do you think is better to use?
If you guessed it’s better to use a reaction rather than a response you would be wrong.
You won’t need to worry about perfecting your technique in this kung fu lesson. The goal of the lesson is to focus on producing responses rather than producing reactions.
What exactly do I mean when I say that you should focus on creating responses rather than reactions? The behavior or reaction I’m referring to here is known as flinchingβ¦ For example, when someone is going to punch you, or when you are chasing someone’s hands rather than responding according to your training.
A reaction is something that, in its most fundamental form, is something that you probably already do naturally. When practicing martial arts, it is best to replace natural responses with those that have been trained.
Kung Fu Lessons Online Free – Developing Better Response
The footage used for the introduction of this video was taken from a different video that I had shot with Jamie. Be on the lookout; she plans to show you more of that video later this week, so keep an eye out for it.
To do this exercise properly, the person who is practicing turning their reaction into a response needs to be able to cycle punch and block with a Tan Sao block.
You can refer to the Wing Chun lessons inside Enter Shaolin’s training portal to learn more about the Tan Sao.
The person who is faking the punch should throw their punches in random intervals, so the person practicing does not get caught in a pattern.
The Difference Between Response and Reaction
If you’ve ever felt triggered or overreacted by something, then you’ve probably heard the phrase, “response vs reaction.”
This is an important distinction to make, as the former involves an automatic, almost reflexive response to the situation at hand.
A response, by contrast, is deliberate, based on reasoning and thought, and aims to produce the desired outcome.
While reaction can be a useful way to cope with a stressful situation, the response is the preferred choice in many instances.
Responses are less reactive, but they can be more direct and aggressive. They also don’t have the concept of long-term consequences.
When used incorrectly, responses can actually lead to regret or guilt. They can also take the wind out of a situation, whereas responses create a calm environment that allows the other party to respond to the situation without too much hassle. Although they are both valid, not all responses are the best options.
Learning to respond without reacting requires practice. The process of recognizing when to react and when to respond is an ongoing one.
Practicing being present and conscious of the context will help you determine which choice to make. You will feel more in control and show greater strength and compassion in the process.
This may sound easy, but it’s hard. Practicing being present is the key to learning response without reaction. When you’re aware of the situation and the space between the trigger and your response, you’ll be more likely to make the best choice.
Kung Fu Lessons Online Free with Enter Shaolin
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Very nice thank you for sharing will us this at my school.
You’re welcome!
Well done! Keep it up please.
Thanks! π
Well done Larry on your own video!
And just as well done Jamie on your improvements!
This is a very good exercise on a very important concept, responding as opposed to reacting.
But watching Jamie’s moves reminds me of a few things that I was taught.
Forward energy.
Forward energy helps to maintaining the pressure on contact, so when your partner/opponent breaks contact, you could automatically follow in with a punch or a palm, without having to have second thoughts.
It was visible from Jamie’s movements, that she wasn’t projecting forward energy, so whenever Larry broke contact, Jamie’s hands would shoot up, in reaction to what her brain has gotten used to do, a Tang.
And it’s also obvious that Jamie’s Tangs aren’t projecting forward energy.
I hope I don’t seem like I’m trying to discourage anything here, just reviewing my own observations and maybe help point out something to help Jamie get better (at punching Larry LOL)
And I’m aware of not demanding too much from beginners, but with applying forward energy, I think it’ll help to develop good habits as well as training to get rid of bad ones.
Thanks a bunch to Larry and Jamie for your demo, please keep them coming.
This really helps us a lot as we get to see what to avoid and how to improve.
I can use this to show my brother how he looks like when he tangs, lol.
Hey Danny how’s it going? And thank you!
You are correct Jamie isn’t using forward energy yet. I like to introduce one concept at a time. This goes back to reactions vs responses… You are also correct, by having forward energy you can more easily feel when someone breaks contact with you.
I found that teaching a person forward energy to early in their training can actually create a bad habit of forcing forward or forcing to the left or right, which is different than forward energy projection….
It really all goes back to the C.O.P. Technique…:-)
LOL! Nothing discouraging! Like Larry said, this drill was not about forward energy and we learn one step at a time. Trust me when I say it is enough for my brain to rewire ‘your hand should do this’! We have done other drills where I have practiced forward energy. It will take some time to remember to just innately do it. Baby steps! π
Excellent …
Great location. …
You guys make a valuable point.
It is extremely hard to rewire what one knows to what is new but it can be achieved.
Well done….
Thanks and keep up great work.
It’s much appreciated.
Your Welcome Maryanne, you know what they say “practice makes perfect”
Thank you Maryanne! And yes, it is hard to rewire, however not impossible! Just will take some time. π
Awesome Larry and Jamie, well done on the video.
Thanks Eric!
Thank you Eric!
Larry and jamie are perfect couple π
it so very hard to make it
thank very much for being so generous. it was my long time desire to learn kung fu but all those ” references” i got seems so hard to learn.
in here , you can explain effectively all the reasons behind why it is important to do such move. it gives further encouragement to learn this.
again , THANK YOU so very very much.
GOD bless us all
Hi Odie, we are glad you are enjoying our training. π
Larry and Jamie good video i’am on to it
Thank you! π
Thank you John!
Awesome, I can also see a benefit to limiting the amount of responses you might want to practice, especially as a beginner. This way your response will be automatic and natural. Keep up the good job guys. Your a credit to Martial Arts.
Hey Dean! Thank you for the feedback, we are glad you enjoyed this lesson and found it of value to you.