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 […]
Martial arts: the perfect mental attitude The mistake that causes certain defeat Once a great master said something like: “Never respond to a provocateur with another provocation, even if he deserves it. Do not let his weakness becomes your weakness”. What does this mean? It means that answering instinctively and specularly to a hostile behavior […]
After watching the first exercise of the water movements, we pass to a third one relating to the movements of the earth. The practice we are going to describe has the intent to make our soft movements unstoppable (beyond the execution speed). To start we need: A vase / pail that can withstand a certain […]
The 6 Dragons Kung Fu method and goals The goal of our school is to create a bridge between: 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 reason for this multidisciplinary […]
A 4-hours session (middle-high intensity) An example of a daily advanced individual session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s training performed in a small space (2x2m, 4 hours, without special / specific tools): 10 minutes of body conditioning (hitting ourselves with bare hands, read Body Conditioning: the slapping and Conditioning to pain: hitting our body) 10 minutes […]
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 […]
After watching the first exercise to control the soft power (belonging to air movements category), we pass to a second one related instead to the water movements group. The practice we are going to describe does not involve incredible difficulties but requires access to a body of water (a lake, a river, the sea, a […]
Martial arts: a serious choice, a crucial path Even if we often don’t think about it, martial arts can touch some of the most serious aspects of the human being: 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 […]
The target that we choose and the target we reach There is a big difference from what a beginner thinks he / she is able to do and what he truly can do. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home […]
Back pain: causes Back / cervical pain due to contractures /Â slight inflammation is typical of: Mental stress – Even if we do not mind it (until it is too late), our mind can force our muscles to constantly contract during a stress moment (household quarrels, economic problems, adverse work environment, no free time, etc.) Bad […]
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 […]
A 1-hour session (middle-high intensity) This is an example of a novice daily session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (1 hour, with a master / instructor, training partners, including some special / specific tools and exercises): 5 minutes of warm-up (running, stop and 2 kicks, running, stop and 2 punches, repeat, read How to correctly […]
A tribute to Shi Yan Zi, a real master. Info:Shaolin monk of the 34th generation.
In any combat situation our mobility (active or passive, positive or negative) is critical, more in our movements we are able to be unpredictable, fast and constantly balanced, more chances we have to prevail. In the 6DKF there are several methods of moving: Upper mobility (with upper limbs) Lower mobility (with lower limbs) Stable anchorage […]
As we have seen, there are several categories of exercises for the development of the “soft power”, the first one we analyze belongs to the group of air movements. The practice we are going to describe is called “wind wake” and it is (initially) simple: Let’s take 2 strips of cloth with a length equal […]
A skill is acquired if we don’t realize to possess it Each capability that we do not possess appears to us as special. However, what distinguishes a simple amateur from a real martial arts practitioner is being able to express one or more abilities: Note – This article has been asked by one of our […]
Why is toes conditioning so important? In 6 Dragons Kung Fu , the principal uses for the toes are (in order of relevance): Improve explosive mobility – The most common, important and underestimated application (to move, hit, etc.) Help (partially) to “grab” – To do not allow the opponent to move (eg. blocking his foot to the ground), to […]
A rotation exercise to improve the lower limbs’ performance in combat In this tutorial, we are going to see an effective exercise to gradually increase leg strength. 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 tribute to Chiu Chi Ling, a real master. Info:Grandmaster of Hung Gar Kung Fu.
How long does it take to achieve excellence in martial arts? Let’s start with a fact: the ancient Shaolin monks spent a large part of their days practicing Kung Fu (read Ancient Shaolin monks vs modern ones). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
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 […]
A 5-hours session (high intensity) An example of an advanced daily training session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (5 hours, individual, including some special / specific tools and exercises): 10 minutes of self-infliction of blows with 2 short sticks (modulating the intensity in relation to our conditioning level) 10 minutes of free running / parkour […]
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 […]
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 […]
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Our training sessions do not only serve to increase our knowledge / capabilities (technical, physical, etc.) but also and above all to eliminate what we do wrong. Understand where are the errors (in our minds, in our style, in our body, etc.) is the first step to be able to fix them. Ourselves, our companions, […]
The evolutionary training steps of a true martial arts practitioner The more we train, the more deleterious it is to stop. 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). For a real […]
The third type of sparring that we analyze is body defensive automation. This type of confrontation must be run at a moderate speed based on the level of the contenders and always with controlled power; the idea is to develop skills such as precision, timing, reflexes, adaptability, body control, body conditioning, pain control (etc.). Let’s […]
Manage the fighting rhythm in relation to that of our opponents is one of the fundamental keys to prevail in any fight. During each type of combat, the body of the contenders continuously passes from positions favorable to the defense / attack to positions “unfavorable” (in relation to the one of the others): Distance Dislocation […]
A 5-hours session (high intensity) An example of an advanced daily training session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (5 hours, individual, including some special / specific tools and exercises): 10 minutes of extreme body tension and immediate relaxation (concentrating on the Qi flow, read The use of Qi in the 6DKF’s meaning) 20 minutes of various […]
Close quarters combat The second type of sparring that we analyze (read Sparring type 1: slow motion fighting) is close combat. This type of confrontation must be done with the right care because, depending on the intensity, can have different levels of risk. The idea is to develop skills such as timing, reflexes, speed, counter-attack, […]
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A first approach with sparring The first type of sparring that we analyze is the slow-motion fighting. This kind of “clash” is the least dangerous, it favors technique, balance, tactics and strategy but completely excludes speed, stress, conditioning and power. A note by Master Kongling – Sparring is very different from street fighting (read The 6 […]
Unlike what happens in many other martial arts, the 6DKF’s practitioner begin right away to approach / familiarize with the use of weapons. We can choose whether or not to master the different types of weapons (from Ninjutsu, from Shaolin, etc.) but we can not exempt ourselves from learning the use of the fundamental ones. […]
We continue the discussion of the previous articles related to speed and vibration to pass to their evolution. The idea behind the concept of vibrating our limbs at the highest possible frequency is to be able to extend and increase the maximum speed that our body can express. In fact, with the vibrations we gradually […]
Sparring: what is and its purpose Kung Fu sparring: a realistic view Sparring is the most realistic simulation of a real fight (read The 6 types of martial clash) but it happens in a safe, respectful and controlled way (read Dojo (guan): rules, respect and etiquette). Note – This article has been asked by one […]
After seeing something about the opponent study, we see now some specific applications and elaborations of the data that we may collect about him. Here is a series of concepts to think about in the configuration of our strategy and tactic preparation: Knowing the pace of our opponent allows us to predict where he will […]
How to exploit the opponent’s errors Continuing the discussion about fighting strategy (read How to study an opponent) we start to talk about how to use our enemy’s errors against him. There are endless ways to use at our advantage the opponent’s: Mistakes – Everything he fails to do, he does wrong, etc. Habits –Â Even […]
The necessary and sufficient conditions to implement martial arts for self-defense What the unprepared (or dishonest, read Recognize a good / bad master: 5 characteristics) instructors do not say is that in a real fight (read The 6 types of martial clash), martial arts are not automatically effective. Note – This article has been asked […]
After seeing the 10 most common fight mistakes (for a novice) we continue the discussion exposing the relative solutions: A low guard may be a personal choice, a tactic or a preparation to a technique, a guard “lowered” for distraction or superficiality is the worst error we can do; for those who are not very […]
Understanding who we are facing The wrong approach to an unexpected self-defense situation Let’s imagine a street scenario where an unknown aggressor wants to beat us: many (bad) self-defense instructors tell us to do not waste time and to attack in the most rapid / aggressive possible way: is it correct? Note – This article has […]
It’s not the years, belts, titles or certifications to make a warrior but the actual hours of true intense dedication. In 6DKF, hours of practice can be counted on workout clothes. Clothes crumpled, faded, ripped, patched and stained indelibly, this is a tangible sign to recognize the true practitioner, the one that has never given […]
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 […]
In 6DKF, as we have amply pointed out earlier, the exercise with the fabric cloth is one of the most important practices (to know how to perform it, we refer to previous articles about it). In order to effectively run our training sessions with this basic tool we want now to see a number of […]
A tribute to Evan Tai Chi Leung, a real master. Info:Founder of SCTM HK, Principal Trainer of HK CQC & Strato CQC.
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: […]
When the fight is real, everything changes In the street (read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons), the difference between a good fighter and a novice, dies in the ability to control natural behaviors like: Panic Adrenaline Instinct … Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners […]
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 […]
We continue the discussion (started in the previous article) about speed with the asynchronous and circular vibrations. The basic asynchronous vibrations: 1) Let’s open our arms laterally and through our elbows, we have to vibrate our forearms up and down (the arms are bent at 90 and our hands are closed as “spoon” with the […]
The secret to build real speed After making all the necessary premises about the exercises related to speed development (read Find the maximum speed that we can express), we move on to describe the first: the vibrations one. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see […]
Combat: when speed can make the difference Only when our technical level and our instinct start to become calibrated is time to think about speed development (read How to learn to fight: all the steps). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend […]
The duration of a fight greatly influences its outcome, if we are not able to maintain the same performance from the beginning to the end of the clash is useless to waste time studying the most effective martial techniques. From the (pure) physical point of view we must be able to: Attack / defend with […]
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 / […]
After seeing how to prevail in the ground fighting, we want to go deep with some more advanced tips about the combat tactics (“advanced” because they require some skill, concentration and experience that a novice normally does not have). Here are some ideas / points of view (almost always valid) that can put us in […]
How to check the quality of our training A good way to seriously analyze the quality of our preparation in 6 Dragons Kung Fu (martial practice, health care, nutrition, meditation, etc.) is to do not dwell solely on what we have done but also about what we missed. The attention to the details is useless […]
A 4-hours session (high intensity) An example of an advanced daily training session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (4 hours, individual, including some special / specific tools and exercises): 10 minutes of body extreme tension and immediate relaxation (controlling the flow of Qi, read The use of Qi in the 6DKF’s meaning and ) 30 […]
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 […]