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Articles
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: How to Choose a Good Instructor
: Chi Sau, The
Heart of Wing Chun |
| Why is self-defense
important? From the South
Side Periodical April 2004 |
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Q: Why is self-defense
important? |
| A: Let me give
you some rough statistics. 60% - 70% of women in America will encounter a violent
crime in their lifetime. That translates into one of three women that will be the victim
of an assault or rape at some point during adulthood. In this country , a women is raped
every 1.3 minutes, and two-thirds of the victims know their assailant prior to the attack.
Domestic violence is an
increasing problem in this country. Battering is the single greatest cause of injury to
women, harming more women than automobile accidents, muggings and rape combined. Any women
who reads these statistics will respond in two ways: they will get trained or they'll
pretend that it could never happen to them. However, the odds are not favorable and
self-defense can give you an edge. It might just possibly save your life. |
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Q: What is different about
your program from any other self-defense or kickboxing class? |
| A: Well, first of all this is not just any ordinary kickboxing
or self-defense class, since it is based on Bruce Lee's fighting method. Bruce Lee was
famous in the 1970's; he was a movie star but also a Master in the martial arts. One of
the major movies he stared in was "Enter the Dragon" which was recently
re-digitized and is some of the best fight choreographs ever shot on film. Another movie
was "Return of the Dragon", which helped launch Chuck Norris of "Texas
Ranger" fame. Jun Fan
Kickboxing, which is our particular method, is much more than a fitness/cardio class. This
class is based on simplicity, directness, and economy - no wasted moves, no forms, and no
katas to learn. You will learn how to totally express yourself. There will be no
robotic moves; the method deployed is based on natural motion of the human body. Hence, it
is incredibly easy to learn and there is no experience necessary. Whatever stage of
fitness you're at, you will quickly see and feel results. Of course, there are many
fitness-advantages of kickboxing, such as toning, losing weight, gaining balance, better
body mechanics, better eye-to-hand coordination and you achieve a positive outlook on
life. You will feel better about yourself and in turn feel better about your surroundings.
When participating in the class, you will be in a safe and enjoyable environment. One of
Bruce Lee's quotes states, "Play, but play seriously." You will have a great
time in this class, and form new relationships with other women while at the same time
learning how to defend yourself. |
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Q: What is your relationship to Bruce Lee, training-wise? |
| A: I
am certified and authorized to train under Ted Wong, who most people would agree was Bruce
Lee's predecessor. Bruce Lee personally taught him for seven years. I have over twenty
years of training and have been teaching locally since 1993. Jeet Kune Do is a highly
regarded fighting method known throughout the world. I am an international instructor and
have traveled to China and England. I will be teaching a seminar in China later this year.
For those more interested in the Martial Arts aspect, I teach Jeet
Kune Do, Wing Chun, which is a Shaolin art, and Kali-Arnis-Escrima. We have also recently started a Little Dragons Gung
Fu program for kids. |
| Q: Do
I have to wear uniforms or special clothing? |
| A: Uniforms
are not necessary in the women's kickboxing class. However, loose fitting pants and a
T-shirt and tennis shoes are appropriate. |
| Q: What's the tuition for the program? |
| A: Tuition depends on how many classes you choose
to participate in this program. There are no contracts necessary. |
For
more information, you can contact Master David Gallaher
at 239-482-4300, 6-10 p.m.,
Mon. - Fri. |
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How to Choose a Good Instructor March
2001
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| It is vital for
all prospective students of the martial arts to make sure they're getting the best
instructor possible. Distance and cost should be the last consideration in choosing a
school, not the first. You want to find a teacher that is close to the source of
information--lineage is imperative. If you remember playing telephone in grade school, you
start with a statement, and by the time you get to the last person, the beginning
statement is distorted and incorrect. Find out who the instructor's direct teacher is and
how long it took for them to receive their teaching status? I have diligently trained for years to receive my
teaching status, but I personally know others who have received their certifications after
a two day seminar. This is truly an embarrassment to the martial arts. There are people,
wanting to be a black belt or black sash for show and they enter a school that says,
"black belt in one year," and they join for the reason of ego. After one year
they have their new trophy, a new belt, as a token to a lie, a counterfeit of the self
indulgence of the ego. In one year, you are just warming up, please do not fool yourself.
In a year, you are not a master of any authentic martial art. In reality, the black belt
you're wearing will do little more than to hold your pants up. Now, you might be thinking,
"is he saying I can't learn to protect myself in a year?" On the contrary, I am
speaking on an art form that has its sole existence in giving you a black belt. Your
motivation is wrong--Gung Fu is more than a set of routine forms or katas, what Bruce Lee
termed, "the classical mess."
Gung Fu is a process of enlightenment of
one's true self, a way to discover your fears, anxieties, and weaknesses. Your strengths
are more than mimicking animals and reptiles. God has placed the human entity higher than
all the other creatures on the earth. Gung Fu will teach you how to be an efficient
director, economically in your martial arts and in your life.
My best advice to you is to in finding a
true Sifu (teacher) is to research many arts. Books and magazines can help, but you are
always at the discretion of the author of the message. Does the instructor communicate
well with his students? Does the information he is presenting make sense to you? Real and
true information will be understood at all levels. Does the instructor flow well? How are
the performing skills of the class? What is you personal view of the art, could it really
work on the street, or is it for show? Politely ask if you can inquire information from a
few of his students. Ask them how long they have studied and how they like the school.
Make an equal comparison school to school, student to student. It would not be fair if
you, when searching for a school, observe an advanced class at one school and a beginner
class at another school and made your selection based on advanced skill. Save your time
and the school's by knowing something about the art form. If you don't care about the
totality in martial arts, then my school would be out of the selection process.
My teaching, or tao, concentrates on
truth and the truth eventually lies outside of the fixed patterns. I believe, that to be
true to one's self, you must have the total package. You need to be able to punch, kick,
throw, lock, trap, choke, grapple, and anything in between the lines.
Totality fighting at its best, with a
dose of philosophy, that is what the Gung Fu Institute is all about. Totally expressing
oneself to one's full potential, realizing that you look for efficiency of the human body.
You have two arms and two legs, and it really comes down to how well you refine these
tools. Remember, the human is not in bondage to the style, but subdues the fighting
approach, and controls it. I realize that I am not the way, I am just a pointer of the
way, a sort of road map for my students. I am always evolving my Gung Fu. I know there
will come a time when I will meet with my maker in Heaven, but my evolving process will
still spin alive in my students when I am long gone. Some instructors look at martial arts
as a business; I look at martial arts as a passion. I am selective about whom I accept
into my school--good morals and ethics are part of my requirement for a prospective
student. I should be the student's priority, as well, in choosing an instructor.
Unrealistic, fancy, high aerobic kicks, marble floors with gold trim, fancy uniforms with
an out of shape instructor that barks out orders to the students as if they're dogs is not
what a quality school should consist of. A good school consists of unity, friendship, and
camaraderie. Many schools have lost the true essence of what Gung Fu is, was, and will
become.
At the Gung Fu Institute, I train my
students to be truth seekers, and with enough training, they will become truth finders. My
sincerest hope is that your search has come to an end at our institute.
By David Gallaher |
Chi Sau, The Heart of Wing Chun
January 2001 |
What is Chi
Sau? How do you practice Chi Sau? Who has all the answers? These are some of the
many questions that I have been asked during my time as an instructor. I had asked my
Sifu, Samuel Kwok, these same questions and he gave me an article he had written that
answered a lot of my questions. So with his permission I submit this article entitled Chi
Sau, The Heart of Wing Chun to my students and anyone else who would like to gain
more insight to the art of Wing Chun. The reason that I've included this article in the
Jeet Kune Do section as well is that Chi Sau is a very important part in Jeet Kune Do as
well as Wing Chun.
In this brief article I shall try to give you an insight into Wing Chun viewed through the
practice of Chi Sau and at the same time erase some misconceptions that have developed
over the years. Chi Sau is the heart of Wing Chun, its importance cannot be over
estimated. Chi Sau enables a practitioner to investigate technique and use of energy
correctly, without the risk of injury.
Too many people use their Chi Sau to score points by hitting their training partner. In a
juvenile they feel the need to prove themselves. Quite often the contact made is far too
heavy and is directed into the face. This can lead to injuries because of the lack on
control that is inherent in this method of practice. An aggressive attitude of this kind
not only goes against the philosophy of Kung Fu; it is also detrimental to the progress of
the student. It prevents them from attaining a relaxed, confident and realistic approach
to fighting and to everyday life. Another sad development is the isolation this way of
thinking has created among Wing Chun schools. The competition between schools results in
rivalry and animosity which then cause violence between their members when they play at
Chi Sau and influences their Wing Chun.
Wing Chun is a very violent system; it deals with understanding the reality of fighting
and learning to cope with situations where you are faced with a serious physical threat.
You cannot learn Wing Chun merely by rote practice of rehearsed techniques taken from the
forms and by fighting. Chi Sau allows the Wing Chun practitioner to correct the position
of techniques from the three forms in a practical setting, to understand the importance of
the elbow, as well as the changing requirements of energy and strength that are specific
in techniques. To understand the reality of street conflict you must have a balance of
theoretical and practical application. Chi Sau provides the means to achieve this.
There is no fixed pattern of movements in Chi Sau and this relates closely to sparring,
especially at the highest level. Yet Chi Sau should always be practiced with control and
maintained as a separate concept distinct from sparring of free fighting, where the aim is
to dominate your opponent. The main difficulty with sparring is that it does not give a
realistic view of actual fighting, as you cannot use full energy with your training
partner in attacking techniques. Holding back allows your partner to strike back, where,
in a real conflict you won't hold back. This is true even when wearing protective
equipment. When striking to the head, cuts may be avoided but not the internal damage
caused by brain shake at impact.
Chi Sau is only a tool used to hone your fighting skills. This is achieved not only
through the physical training of technique, but by discussion with your training partner
of the details of a movement and how it relates to the principles laid down in Wing Chun.
These principles include: straight lines, simplicity, economy of motion, never use
strength to overcome strength, how stances turning and body shifts are incorporated in a
technique, and the use of tension and relaxation. All of these factors must be dealt with
if a full understanding of a technique or movement is to be achieved. This is something
that must be experienced physically by a student, and not just passed on verbally by the
Instructor. A student can have knowledge of how a technique works, but it is only when
they have "felt" the correct movement and energy inside themselves that they can
be considered to have fully understood it. |
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