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The right development of the practitioner

One of the major differences between 6 Dragons Kung Fu and most of the other martial arts can be identified in the psychological and physical development of the practitioners (especially in relation to solo-workout).

Tools, training types and methods of execution are based on a single assumption: always reach the maximum personal performance. It does not matter whether we are experts or novices, the exercises always aim to force us to give the best:

In individual training
With the partners

In each of these 2 inseparable phases, we allow the practitioner to cover what the other part cannot fulfill.

Individual training

For example, in the individual part of the training we adopt:

Moving targets (read Basic tools: the Hanging Speedball)
Reactive mannequins (read The 6DKF’s PVC wooden dummy)
Other special tools (read Basic tools: the cloth)
…

The goal is to:

Allow us to eliminate all the limits imposed by the relationship with other human beings (respect, fear, necessary caution, etc.)
Express the totality of our potential without being uselessly subdued by the weak (or strong points) of our partners

The point is that our martial growth cannot be determined uniquely by the group of training we have chosen (or, worst, we have found):

To face more advanced / aggressive practitioners it’s a fantastic thing – It helps us to understand how hard can be a fight, it can lead us to learn from them and to always reach our last resources; unfortunately, on the other side, we risk to become their victims (this, psychologically, can destroy our self-esteem and technically, limit our improvements)
To train with novice partners that are easy to win it’s a good thing – It helps our self-esteem and allows us to experiment with things that otherwise would be impossible to directly test against an expert; on the other side, to always dominate is extremely deleterious (we could think to be already enough strong losing important lessons and opportunities to growth)

To limit the bad part of group training we can adopt inanimated training objects, they:

Do not suffer pain, fear, etc.
Offer constant performances
Do not disregard appointments
Are available anywhere / at any time
Do not get tired
Do not create competition
If broken can be quickly replaced
…

Find ourselves and our real capabilities

A good individual interactive training is important as much as the one with partners. It is in fact due to it if we can learn to:

Move us to the best of our speed (without being subject to the eventual slower pace of partners)
Fight at 100% of our power (without fear to hurt anyone)
Achieve the most lethal targets with the right intensity and accuracy (without risks)
Addressing prohibitive fight conditions that could not be replicated with human opponents (in terms of number of simultaneous attacks, motion speed, the directions of aggression, etc.)
Act in the total absence of emotions / distractions (without being distracted by interpersonal relationships)
Give, without hesitation, the best of us (without being subject, for example, to the eventual psychophysical superiority / inferiority of the companions)
…

The big part of the exercises that we propose have no fixed parameters, they are calibrated on who runs them:

If the practitioner is able to give 50 he can give 50 + 1
If he can give 100 he can give 100 + 1
…

When the individual training is instead limited to mere passive strengthening training (lifting weights, running, hit immoveable / predictable / slow targets, etc.), our skills growth is penalized and subjected only to the quality of our collective practice.

Let’s repeat it another time: to engage (for example) sparring only with companions better than us is equally castrating as to engage only with companions worst than us.

In 6DKF the part of the work we do by ourselves allows us to overcome our limitations at every practice session and allow us to end each day with the serenity to have given the best on several occasions.

In conclusion, at the flank of collective training (that is indispensable, read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons), our method:

On one hand, allows the practitioner a constant reflection about his skills
On the other, gives him the opportunity to gradually build a personal style

In-depth articles

The difference between 6DKF and other martial arts – What differentiates the 6DKF from other styles of training, combat, etc.
Physical performance in martial arts – How to reach the peak performance during our workout

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

In your opinion, what are the limits of group-class training?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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