Kung Fu Lesson – How To Relax While Striking & How To Properly Turn Into A Cat Stance

We are pleased to welcome you to another edition of Sifu’s Corner, the segment in which we respond to your questions and provide additional information.

Leave your question in the comments section below if there is a particular kung fu lesson that you would like to see or if you have any concerns that you would like Sifu Phu Ngo to address to you in the form of a video.

In this Sifu’s Corner, brother Markos wanted A Kung Fu Lesson on two things.

1. How can we tense yet be relaxed to make our strike more effective?
2. How to properly turn in a cat stance without losing your balance in the Bil Gee form?

Don’t Be Tense Be Relaxed

Sifu Phu explains in this kung fu lesson that when we tense up, we are not contracting our muscles but rather our tendons. It is in the very last second of your punch that it snaps, and while this is taking place, your body should be and feel as relaxed as possible.

Also, you shouldn’t make a fist because when people do this, they tend to tense their muscles and squeeze too tightly. If you don’t make a fist, you won’t do this. Instead, make a light fist without clenching your fingers.

First, make a fist the way you normally would, and then picture the inside of your hand to be open and loose.

It will take some time and effort on your part, but in due time, as your muscle memory is strengthened and you become accustomed to being calm, it will feel completely natural to you.

Don’t have angry fists, have cool, calm, and collected fists. 😉

Don’t Move From Your Shoulders

Another piece of advice that Sifu Phu shares are to avoid moving from your shoulders or throwing your body around.

There are many reasons why these are not good practices, but the main point I want to make with this episode is that if you are doing either of these, then you are disconnecting your body and causing your muscles to tense up.

Inject Your Punch Instead

There are many other reasons why these are not good practices, but I want to focus on this one. Instead, move from your waist and keep in mind to drive from the shoulder to the elbow to the wrist, having the wrist torque and turn to the point of contact.

Move from your waist while remembering to drive from the shoulder to the elbow to the wrist.

When you use the waist along with your wrist this is called the ‘wraist’.

The trick is not to let your tension get out of control, but rather to show that you are intense. It is imperative that we snap our punches rather than thrust them in order to be successful.

Instead of pushing your punch into your opponent, which is what the vast majority of people do, think about injecting your punch instead.

Sifu Phu also makes the point that if your structure is poor, your body will automatically compensate by using your muscle.

Kung Fu Lessons Inside Our Training Vault

Check out the videos that are located in the member’s area under the headings “Ngo Dac Na” and “C.O.R.E. Training” to learn how to improve the structure of your body and the strength of your tendons. You have access to a wide variety of exercises that can help you improve the control you have over your wrists and strikes.

You have to learn to relax and in general be in a relaxed state. Personally, Sifu Phu’s Qigong and Tai Chi have helped me be less stressed and more relaxed.

If you haven’t already worked these into your weekly schedule, you should do yourself a favor and begin doing so right away.

First, you should work on learning the 10 Qigong exercises, and once you have them committed to memory, you can move on to learning the Tai Chi form.

I cannot stress enough how much these two things have helped me leap in bounds not just in my Kung Fu but also in my life as a whole. And the benefits do not stop, they just keep growing and growing!

Now on to the next question about how to keep your balance while turning in a cat stance in the Bil Gee form…

The most important thing to keep in mind is the structure and alignment of your body. Do not slouch when you are turning because this will cause you to lose your balance immediately.

Instead, maintain an upright posture. Imagine yourself as high as Heaven and as low as Earth.

Next… Do not worry about your feet. Your feet do not matter, what matters is you should turn your hip first. When your waist moves, your feet will follow after.

If you want to create proper pivoting, you should not step first and then bring your body over. If you do this, you will be off-balance in your cat stance, which will prevent you from creating proper pivoting.

Instead, we move our hips while maintaining our structure (high as Heaven, low as Earth), and then we follow our movement with our feet.

So keep your structure right and turn with your hips and let the feet follow in turn.

Watch this video to see the rest of Sifu Phu’s tips on this Sifu’s Corner:

Let us know if you have tried Sifu Phu Ngo’s tips he shared today and how it has helped you in the comments section below.

Related Kung Fu Lesson Questions

What Is The Average Price Of Kung Fu Lessons?

The average monthly price for public classes is approximately $200, though some institutions may charge less. The cost of private lessons is typically quite high, with the lowest end starting at approximately sixty dollars an hour.

There are some teachers who charge more than $140 for an hour of private instruction. The price of training completed online can range anywhere from fifteen dollars to one hundred and ninety-seven dollars each month.

What Is Taught In Kung Fu?

While there are specific things that are trained depending on the style of kung fu you are training in. The basic training looks something like this in no particular order.

• Forms
• exercises
• sensitivity training
• chi development
• stretching
• weapons
• applications
• sparring

If you have a burning question you would like Sifu to address on the next Sifu’s Corner, please comment below too!

Blessings & Happy Training,

Jamie Pelaez
& The Enter Shaolin Family