Lesson 6 – Basic technical exercises: which and why
What we have to perform and why
The daily technical exercise to be performed in this phase (for a full list read How to train in 6DKF: specific exercises) must be the core of your training, without them you are losing our style focus.
Fabric Cloth Training
The Fabric Cloth Training exercise (read Basic tools: the cloth) is probably the most important exercise of 6 Dragons Kung Fu, it is good to:
- Develop reflexes
- Develop spatial memory and intelligence (read The most important skill in combat)
- Develop fighting mobility
- Develop fighting speed
- Develop soft power
- Develop fighting coordination
- Develop precision
- Develop dynamic balance (read The concept of dynamic equilibrium inspired by the Tai Chi)
- Develop stamina
- Develop timing
- Develop abstraction ability (read Become the absolute zero)
- Develop defensive automation
- Lose weight
- Get used knees to fast bend
- Reach more distant and complex targets
- …
Hanging Speedballs
The Hanging Speedballs exercise (read Basic tools: the Hanging Speedball) stay at the base of real combat dynamics and it has been thought for:
- Develop reflexes
- Develop spatial memory and intelligence
- Develop fighting mobility
- Develop fighting speed
- Develop penetrating power
- Develop fighting coordination
- Develop precision
- Develop dynamic balance
- Develop stamina
- Develop timing
- Develop abstraction ability
- Develop offensive automation
- Lose weight
- Reach more distant and complex targets
- Develop the ability to recognize and manage the various fighting distances
- Adjust the blows already unleashed to the motion of the target
- …
Poles Training
The Poles Training exercise (read Basic tools: the pole) is a good exercise to understand contacts concepts within our style, it can be performed to:
- Develop spatial memory and intelligence
- Develop fighting mobility
- Develop fighting speed
- Develop resistance conditioning
- Develop elastic power
- Develop fighting coordination
- Develop precision
- Develop dynamic balance
- Develop stamina
- Develop abstraction ability
- Develop offensive automation
- Develop defensive / offensive combinations (simultaneous, sequences, etc.)
- Lose weight
- Understand the advanced contact concepts of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch)
- Learn the rudiments of combat with multiple opponents (read How to fight with more than one opponent at the same time)
- …
Conditioning
Body conditioning (read Physical conditioning: how it works) is a specific and fundamental work of optimization of each body part to:
- Develop reflexes
- Develop resistance
- Develop speed
- Develop spatial intelligence
- Develop various kind of power
- Develop coordination
- Develop muscle memory / automation
- Develop balance
- Develop stamina
- Develop flexibility
- Develop all the senses
- Obtain an advanced control of your body
- Obtain an advanced control of your mind
- Lose weight
- …
Sparring
Sparring (read How to do sparring) is the last step, the one where you have to connect exercises (physical / technical), theory (techniques / concepts) and personal attitude, the objectives can be:
- Develop reflexes
- Develop spatial intelligence
- Develop fighting mobility
- Develop fighting speed
- Develop fighting coordination
- Develop precision
- Develop dynamic balance
- Develop stamina
- Develop timing
- Develop tactic and strategy
- Lose weight
- Control pain and fear
- Understand, recognize and develop fighting pace
- Understand the physical exchanges of combat (real attacks, pain, etc.)
- Understand the psychological exchanges of combat (insecurity, errors, faints, etc.)
- Understand what works or not and why (specifically for you and in which situation)
- Learn that only those who do not renounce can be considered invincibles
- Partially prepare for real self-defense situations
- …
All that is not contemplated in the “primary” exercises (technical and physical) falls instead in the exercises that we have defined as “secondary” (fight techniques, special abilities, etc.) in Lesson 3.2.
In the next chapter, we will talk about one of the most profound and important aspects of Kung Fu: breathing (for power, relaxation, economy of effort, etc.).
In-depth articles
- The 6DKF’s Solid Contacts – The Solid contacts of 6DKF, the ones common to the vast majority of martial arts.
- The 6DKF’s Liquid and Fluid Contacts – Tension and relaxation of our body parts in relation to our opponent.
<< Lesson 3.5 – Index – Lesson 4.1 >>
Author: Master Kongling
Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.
February 25, 2018 @ 9:39 pm
Can you make an example of “offensive automation”?
February 26, 2018 @ 10:07 am
Yes, an example of offensive automation is something like a consequential blow, such as an elbow blow after a punch.
February 27, 2018 @ 3:52 am
what do you mean with “fighting pace”?
February 27, 2018 @ 9:51 am
The rhythm of a fight. If you have the ability to know, recognize and change it your possibilities to prevail become higher. We will discuss this argument better in future but I want to give you at least a partial explanation:
– If I say to 10 people to start jumping, each of them will do it with their own speed, elevation, etc.
– In this situation this is their fighting pace, if you are able to recognize this you have a big advantage
– You can, for example, hit an opponent when he is in the air and he can not use his legs to avoid your attack… the possibilities are endless
March 3, 2018 @ 12:56 am
the only thing that I do not see as a single exercise is conditioning
March 3, 2018 @ 8:45 am
Yes, you are right but even the others are not single exercises, they have a lot of variants. Conditioning is surely the bigger category (speed, power, resistance, etc.). We will see everything, do not worry. 😉