Combat training (from beginner to expert level) An execution example of 32 trapping drills In this video (connected to Trapping: 4 EASY to LEARN Techniques (video)), we show 32 practical examples of training drills for trapping (in the particular case, Master Kongling uses the 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s wooden dummy, read The 6 Dragons Kung […]
Trapping: 4 methods to face a punch (from beginner to expert level) In this video tutorial, we demonstrate, in sequence, 4 examples of trapping methods: from the most simple to the most complex to execute. In Kung fu (Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, 6 Dragons Kung Fu, etc.), “trapping” is a term that indicates: A […]
A free mini-guide about the basics of combat The video list (in order): How to clench my fist to punch (video) The perfect fighting stance (video) The secret for strong punches The secrets of a perfect front kick … Note – This playlist will be updated constantly. Become a monthly Patreon donor if you want […]
There are various types of kicks but they all have common points In this tutorial, we want to list some of the core principles and some useful / simple tips for a perfect front kick; in fact, as for a Karate kick, a Taekwondo kick (MMA, etc.): The physics is the same The human body […]
The secret of power punching With this tutorial we continue the series about the basics of fighting, before continuing, anyway, it is important to see the past explanations: Guard stance (see The perfect fighting stance (video)) Clenching the fist (see How to clench my fist to punch (video)) In the most practical possible way, we […]
A trapping method to slow down or stop a fast fighter Continuing with the trapping topic (read Trapping’s basics: move and hit), we move to a slightly more complex type of interaction: “control and act”. Note – We do not repeat what we have already said in the past tutorial. This is the path we […]
How to clench the fist (to punch with the knuckles) These are the steps in short (for a more detailed explanation read How to tighten the fist): Let’s start with a completely opened hand Let’s attach our straight fingers one by one Let’s bend the fingers downward making the upper phalanxes touching the lower part […]
What is the perfect guard stance? The perfect guard stance does not exist, the stances are like any other fighting technique, there are: General rules to know (read The guard stances in 6DKF) Tests to perform (sparring, times of reaction, etc.) Different contexts of application (read for example A self-defense trick: the secret guard stances, […]
The attack is the best defense (sometimes) We continue with the trapping topic (read Trapping) with the first simple type of interaction we teach, the one we call: “move and hit”. A note by Master Kongling – Let’s imagine to face an adversary with a certain martial arts preparation, trapping is almost useless against a […]
How to face a punch in the abdomen The first thing to say is that breathing is one of the most important tasks in the economy of any kind of fight: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes […]
The greeting in Kung Fu The first thing to say is that in most martial arts the greeting is a form of respect demonstration: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course). […]
The unpredictability of unstable harmony in combat The abnormal wave that leads the ship to inexorably crash against the rocks. Normally, the fighting styles that use soft (liquid) structures do not combine with those that use the rigid (solid) ones and vice versa but 6 Dragons Kung Fu tries to trigger a sort of “unstable” […]
Chin Na: twist the elbow The twisting of the elbow is a very versatile technique and once set, it is easy to apply; the only difficulty is the understanding of the initial displacement of the arms. Before starting, it is extremely important to read (we have to know what we are doing and how to […]
Preserve the integrity of the fingers In a lot of cases, the not-practitioners do not know how to close their fists and especially do not understand what are the risks of an incorrect displacement of the fingers: The least serious ones range from a sensation of discomfort to an inferior technical effectiveness The worst ones […]
What is Gong Bu? In Kung Fu there are several versions of the “arrow stance” (Gong Bu, or Deng Shan Bu or Mountain Stance or Mountain Climbing Stance), the one that we are going to describe has much in common with those of Tai Chi ones (read What is Tai Chi and what is its […]
Chin Na: twist the wrist The twisting of the wrist is a very effective technique but until we understand its principles it will not work as expected. Before starting, it is important to read (we have to know what we are doing and how to train safely): Chin Na Dojo (guan): rules, respect and etiquette […]
Combat training (intermediate level) An example of execution of Hanging Speedball exercise In this video, we show a practical example of the Hanging Speedball (read Basic tools: the Hanging Speedball) exercise (in the particular case, Master Kongling practice with an advanced configuration, ideal for intermediate / advanced practitioners). This training is one of the fundamental […]
The fundamental concepts of the basic fighting stance In combat (as we said a lot of times, read Which guard stance choose and The guard stances in 6DKF), it does not exist a perfect guard stance for every type of: Scenario Opponent Weapon involved Preparation level Tactic … Having clarified this (given that many students […]
What is the Soft Touch in 6 Dragons Kung Fu? The Soft Touch is the capability to instinctively regulate the type of “state” of our body structure (solid, liquid, etc., read 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch) and the intensity of the contact with an element of the fighting scenario. It […]
What is trapping in martial arts and what is it for? Trapping is a type of interaction widely used in Wing Chun (under the name Phon Sao, read The basic Wing Chun techniques [MINI-GUIDE]) and in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do (read The basic Jeet Kune Do techniques [MINI-GUIDE]): Note – This article has been […]
Chin Na: finger grabbing Finger grabbing is a very simple and effective technique but it cannot be effectively applied in all the contexts. Before starting, it is important to read (we have to know what we are doing and how to train safely): Chin Na Dojo (guan): rules, respect and etiquette A scheme to quickly […]
How to minimize the damage of a frontal fall The last of the three main controlled falling techniques (read The backward breakfall, and The lateral breakfall) is the frontal one and it is a relatively easy technique (if compared to the acrobatic falls of Kung Fu). If on one side it can prevent bad damages, […]
A free mini-guide about how to fall safely Understanding how to limit / nullify the effects of an unwanted fall can often make the difference between life and death: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung […]
What is a “throw” in martial arts terms? The “throws” area grappling techniques that, more or less violently, allow a fighter to hurl on the ground his opponent. They are widely used in a lot of martial arts (Kung Fu, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet Kune Do, Ninjutsu, MMA, etc.) and there are various kinds: Related to […]
How to minimize the damage of a lateral fall If the backward breakfall (read The backward breakfall) is the first controlled falling that is taught, the lateral could be for sure the second one. If we are able to perform the backward, we will not have problems learning the lateral one. To execute the involved movements we […]
An explanation of the most important concepts of Tai Chi Even if 6 Dragons Kung Fu has a lot of differences with Tai Chi (Taiji), it is very useful to analyze the core concepts of this incredibly complex and fascinating style of Kung Fu. Probably the teachings that we are going to share cannot be […]
How to minimize the damage of a backward fall In a lot of martial arts, the backward breakfall is one of the firsts controlled fallings that are taught, it is very simple and effective but it must be performed in the correct way. To execute the involved movements we do not have to be incredible […]
How to minimize the damage of a fall Continuing the discussion about the basic principles of controlled fallings (read The fundamental concepts of the fallings) we go a step forward to talk about breakfall technique. Breakfalls are the first fighting techniques that are taught in 99% of martial arts courses, they are specifically created to: […]
What is rooting in Kung Fu? The 2 crucial aspects related to rooting In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, when we talk about rooting (as in Tai Chi or Wing Chun) we refer substantially to two things: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
The 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s Method to solve problems Reconnecting to the previous article (read Accept problems to find solutions) we see now a simple, effective and “scientific” method to solve any kind of life problem: In the 6DKF’s Method, there are no magic tricks, only a rational mindset Sometimes what stop us from winning […]
Chin Na: break a clenched finger This type of fingers compression is very simple and easy to apply in a static situation; the only thing to understand is the application’s direction of the force. Before starting, it is extremely important to read (we have to know what we are doing and how to train safely): […]
What is diaphragmatic breathing? Also called “ventral” or (erroneously) abdominal, it is used in many fields: Sport Martial arts (read ) Lyric music Meditation … As the name suggests, the diaphragmatic one is a type of breathing that involves an active control on the contraction and relaxation movement of the diaphragm (making it stronger and […]
Are flexible weapons for attack only? Flexible weapons like the Nunchaku (or erroneously “nunchuks”) are very versatile for the attack but in martial arts, we rarely see them discussed in defensive terms. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study […]
Learn how to kick in the most simple and direct way In our Kung Fu, there is a wide variety of kicks (with different types of impact, loading, breathing, trajectory, etc., read All the fighting techniques of 6 Dragons Kung Fu) and in this tutorial, we will try to explain one of the most importants, […]
How to execute the Chin Na techniques The learning path A complete study of Chin Na (read A free home study Chin Na course for beginners) includes: The learning of the theory behind the techniques The practical application in gradually less cooperative contexts The study of the methods to resist / counterattack Note – This […]
So far we have analyzed the Dragon Motion mainly in terms of body conditioning, in this discussion we want to start talking about its practical applications within the combat mechanics. We made the first mention of the usefulness of this particular type of movements in the article “The 6DKF Dragon Motion: the swirling movements” (and […]
The fundamentals aspects to understand about Chin Na’s effectiveness After having seen what Chin Na techniques are (read Chin Na), let’s see the necessary capabilities at their base. Some important premises before starting: Not the first step – If we want the Chin Na not to be reduced to a “trick to amaze friends” it […]
What is Chin Na? In many Kung Fu styles (but not only), there are particular types of advanced interactions with the body of the adversary named “Chin Na”. These fighting techniques (with significant differences between schools / styles / masters) aim at: Control / immobilize / force the opponent to surrender Paralyze / hurt / […]
Flexible weapons basics: step 2 After having acquired a basic ability in rotating the elastic rope circularly (on the cube faces, read Stance and basic rotations of the rope), we can quickly switch to the most crucial and practical “8” revolutions: the ones that describe in the air a curved symbol of the infinite. Note […]
At the base of Kung Fu’s flexible weapons: the rope After a first intuitive approach with the rope (read Learn to use basic weapons), we pass to the basic exercises. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn […]
Martial arts: how to learn any kind of technique We have already pointed out the best way to learn a technique (related to fighting, strategy, etc.) in the tutorial The best way to study technique: 10 tips, now we want to go forward and propose a practical and functional scheme to acquire theoretical knowledge and […]
In terms of power, many of the better performing parts of our body are unfortunately also those that are normally be excluded from (active) involvement in the combat activity. We are talking about the devastating force that can be triggered for example from: The abdominal muscles The dorsal muscles The lumbar muscles Combinations (even of […]
The most important fighting technique: the punch The first things to say are that: In any realistic combat system, the striking capability comes first (especially with the upper limbs); all the rest represents a second step (throws, joint levers, etc.) Punches are simple, fast and safe, in one word effective If we are not seriously […]
In-depth study of martial arts can be compared to the painstaking work of a university researcher, we must: Have the foundation for understanding and applying Gather all the necessary (correct) information Analyze and understand the theory Apply the theory to the practice Re-process the theory and the practice adapting it to us It is not so […]
Exploit the upper part of the body as a “source” of movement After introducing our main sources of movement (read Mobility, balance and direction change), let’s dive into the details of what we define as “upper mobility”: the one that starts from the upper half of our body (head included). Note – This article has […]
We have already had occasion to introduce the swirling movements of the Dragon Motion ( “The 6DKF Dragon Motion: the swirling movements” and “The Dragon Motion: a first insight and 4 exercises”), we see now some details about how to improve our practice: We need to smooth out all possible angles and rigidity, the body […]
We have already spoken in the past about the concept of energy release ( “The metal sphere: how to release the force of a punch or a kick”) and persistent movements ( “Persistent movements: examples and learning”), in this discussion we want go over and explain directly how to develop the connection between power and […]
The best shots we can deliver within a combat are those that release energy through the softness (eg. in combination with our muscle chain). As we have repeatedly mentioned, the softness is not the only way that we use to attack or defend (every situation has different choices to be taken) but it is certainly […]
What is Ma Bu stance? In martial arts (Kung Fu and not only) there are several versions of the “horse stance” (Ma Bu), the one that we are going to describe has much in common with that of Shaolin ones but to avoid confusion (discussions and overlaps), we only correlate it to 6 Dragons Kung […]
How to choose the right guard stance After introducing the concept of “guard stance” in 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read The guard stances in 6DKF), we will now review some of the most important questions that we have to instinctively answer when choosing the position to be taken. We will never stop to repeat it: […]
In 6DKF there are no single / fixed guard stance. Positions are several (moving, standing, on the ground, etc.) and change depending on: The practitioner (aptitudes, defects, etc.) The Environment (soil, freedom in movement, etc.) The situation (danger level, type of aggression, etc.) The opponents (the difference in height, style, etc.) To help of the […]
Combat and Persistent Movements: examples and learning What do the Persistent Movements consist of in 6 Dragons Kung Fu? They are a sort of “unstoppable” and “rational” force based on dynamic adaptation. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes […]
What are the Persistent Movements? Persistent Movements cannot be directly acquired. A good practitioner of 6 Dragons Kung Fu, after years of daily practice, comes to acquire the ability of “Persistent Movements”. This specific attitude includes within itself various capacities (that, with time, are activated in combination and automatically): States exchange – Abruptly and instinctively stiffen / […]
What is a breakfall? Learn how to fall properly is (should be) at the base of every serious martial art training. In this article, we are going to explain the most important concepts related to the contact with the ground. In particular, any martial artist should be interested in ground contacts as a result of: Projections […]
We conclude the discussion on how to climb a 2.5m wall of rock; if we have followed all the instructions we should have a good physical preparation and the ability to manage, evaluate and avoid possible dangers. Before starting: Let’s do some stretching and warming exercises Let’s do some running tests on the wall without […]
After taking into account the necessary physical preparation (without which it is impossible to achieve the result) we start to see the technique to climb our wall (made of stone, 2.5m high). Preparation: Let’s do extensive stretching and warming (important) Let’s wear shoes with a sole as much as possible “prehensile” Let’s choose the wall […]
As we have seen, we must be in good physical shape to be able to climb without help a 2.5m wall, now let’s see some more specific exercises to be performed as a consequence of those already mentioned. Exercises to be performed for the 50% of the time (the initial half) with the 25kg vest […]
Climb over a wall with bare hands can be more or less easy in relation to the following variables (independent of us): The height of the wall The slope of the wall The wall surface type (eg. stone, live brick, etc.) … As well in relation to some other closely related to us: Our weight […]
What is the most useful fighting skill? Not without a bit ‘of irony, we want to ask a question rather absurd: What would be the ability that “potentially” (brought to the highest level conceivable) could be sufficient (eg. for an old man or a child) to win against every kind of opponent? Note – This […]
Speed, power and precision: how to mechanize and optimize our moves In martial arts terms, when we talk about muscle memory we refer to the capability that our psychophysical system has to facilitate, accelerate and / or improve the execution of a certain move (eg. a kick, a throw, a defensive step, etc.). Note – […]