What is the makiwara, how it works and what is it for? The Makiwara is a Karate training tool: It is basically a flat and smooth wooden board that develops vertically; in most cases, it is fixed to a wall or to the ground (with a stable base) It is made to do not move […]
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 […]
A first approach with the Wing Chun wooden dummy In this article, we want to describe 5 easy and safe exercises / drills for beginners (but not only). Important premises: Do stretching before starting (read Basic soft stretching and How to correctly perform stretching) These exercises can be performed as a warm-up (read Basic warm-up […]
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 […]
The authentic Wing Chun’s wooden dummy A lot of Kung Fu styles adopted wooden dummies to learn to manage a human being’s similar shape but one of the most celebrated and effective is for sure the Wing Chun’s Muk Yan Jong (or Mu Ren Zhuang). The structure of this fantastic training tool: It is basically […]
The meaning of sparring fighting in martial arts: a free mini-guide Sparring is: A friendly type of fight made in a totally safe environment with a training partner (the goal is not to hurt or to win but to improve, together) In pure terms of combat capabilities, the type of training exercise that makes the […]
7 principles of 6 Dragons Kung Fu to boost martial growth In martial practice, we often lose sight of our goals due to: 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). In […]
Shaolin conditioning secrets Many of the modern equipment that is used nowadays (bodybuilding, MMA, other sports, etc.) often have correspondents in the ancient methods of body conditioning of Shaolin monks (read Physical conditioning: how it works). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
A low-cost, hand-made PVC dummy By popular demand, we decided to publish the assembly instructions (measurements, materials, montage, etc.) of the PVC version of the classic wooden dummy of Wing Chun (Muk Yan Jong or Mu Ren Zhuang). Before proceeding, it is important to underline a few premises (some of which have been already mentioned […]
How to train effectively Let’s start from one fact: the best way to train seriously is not to follow the classic gym courses. In every kind of martial or sports activity, to reach as fast as possible a good level we should: Find a good instructor that directly follows us – Find something like a […]
Understand how dangerous a knife can be The type of sparring we are going to describe is substantially innocuous and should be practiced by almost any kind of martial arts practitioner (especially the ones who thinks that disarming a man with a knife could be easy as learning a few winning techniques). This kind of “clash” […]
A 3-hours session (high intensity) An example of an advanced daily training session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (3 hours, individual, including some special / specific tools and exercises): 10 minutes of sequences of basic blows with the stick (dynamic movement and stationary target, read The basics of short sticks: base strokes and stance) 10 […]
What is the structure of a perfect training session? The development of each single Kung Fu skill that makes the perfect practitioner requires, on average, 5 minutes a day. The problem is that the number of the basic, advanced and special capabilities is high and each of them require a constant practice: To be developed […]
The rules for a safe and effective martial arts learning All students who want to participate in a 6 Dragons Kung Fu course are required to comply with the rules described in this article. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our […]
Kung Fu near me (a free online Kung Fu course) How to train safely:Â training area and external people In this video, we rapidly talk about how to choose / adapt a training area to start your practice (follow our free online Kung Fu course) and how to manage the people around you. Lesson 2 Today […]
Kung Fu near me (a free online Kung Fu course) How to train safely:Â how to start training In this video are described the most important concepts for each practitioner who wants to start a serious martial arts training path. Lesson 1 To introduce all the other courses, I have decided to create this one about […]
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 the difference between martial arts and self-defense? Self-defense is (should be): A way to avoid / limit, as much as possible, violence (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method) A way to preserve us, our properties (and, possibly, also the integrity of all the involved people) A way to solve problems with intelligence (in […]
Legs stretching (for intermediate-level practitioners) After seeing the basic exercises for stretching the whole body and the correct modalities of execution, let’s go to the next step with our basic Tendons Transformation path: the intermediate-level exercises for flexibility. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see […]
Stretching for intermediate practitioners After seeing the basic exercises for stretching the whole body and the correct modalities of execution, let’s go to the next step with our tendons transformation path: the intermediate level exercises for flexibility. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
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 […]
Why is flexibility important for a fighter? Let’s see the principal reasons why flexibility is so useful in martial arts (in combat and not only): All the fighting movements become more fluid, powerful and fast (because they do not find the slowdown of limited joints) The body becomes more resistant and less predisposed to the […]
The power of music As everyone has seriously practiced sports knows: music is an extremely powerful training tool. Listening to the right sounds can make the difference between a lackluster workout and an intense one that leads us to overcome our limits. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course […]
The use of a punching bag To improve the durability of our punching bag we must first understand that: 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). An intelligent installation of the […]
Before starting a warm-up session (for martial arts purposes) Many inexpert people think that phases like warm-up and stretching are a useless waste of time but nothing is more false, wrong and dangerous. Those practices are crucial to: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see […]
Is the iron palm practice good for a woman? Hands conditioning is not a matter of gender, we have to choose our training path in relation to our specific goals: Gain breaking-related abilities Be able to sustain a real self-defense situation … The problem is not being male or female, Kung Fu does not make these kinds […]
Bring the benefits of meditation outside its direct practice 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s 5th Meditation Method can be considered as a part of the 4th Method (read Meditation method 4). While the previous one is a complete meditative oriented activity, this extrapolation can be considered its “portable version”; it serves to bring its type of […]
The Iron Palm skill What Iron Palm is A note by Master Kongling – Iron Palm is included in the original 72 arts of Shaolin temple. Even if many martial arts have similar practices (Karate, etc.), only in Kung Fu it reaches the highest levels of effectiveness (through a painstaking path). In Kung Fu terms, […]
What is the impact of natural talent in martial arts? The first thing to stress is that, when we talk about martial arts (or even sports in general), natural talent is a widely used excuse to justify an absence of real discipline, concentration and preparation. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core […]
The warrior’s breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama) In this article we want to deepen the often quoted “warrior’s breathing”, or “Ujjayi Pranayama” (as they call it in Yoga, the source of our inspiration for this method): Some think that these words mean “breath of the victorious” due to the involved proud expansion of the chest According to […]
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 […]
What are the training dummies for? The idea behind the training dummies comes from an ancient past, since the beginning, they were created to help practitioners to improve those particular kinds of skills that are difficult to sharpen: Both individually Both with a training partner Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core […]
The origin and consistency of the body control methods of 6 Dragons Kung Fu In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, we teach various body control methods and they are inspired by: Yoga Ancient Shaolin methods Qi Gong (read ) TCM (traditional chinese medicine) Modern medicine Direct experience … In our school, we do not teach anything […]
Nunchaku and sparring The Nunchaku is a traditional martial weapon popularized by Bruce Lee (read The real Bruce Lee’s legacy) and is known especially for its dynamic and impressive flow. 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 […]
Breathing: how and when it makes the difference There is no Kung Fu without breathing. Breathing is an extremely important task in Kung Fu and it should never be underestimated. It accompanies and exalts our performances during: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
Finding a guan: the place where we will train One of the questions most often asked to us (by e-mail, [email protected]) is the one related to the choosing of the training area (the “guan”): How big should it be? Where can it be located and where not? … In general terms, we have already replied […]
Jumps are a perfect warm-up for the legs In this article, we want to see 5 types of jumping exercises for beginners. 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). Important premises: […]
Training: effective running exercises In this article, we want to see 5 types of running exercises for beginners. 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). Important premises: The exercises Exercise 1: […]
What to do after training In this article, we want to see 5 types of recovering exercises good both for the beginner both for the expert: they are made to allow us to recover flexibility, energies (etc.) for the next day of training. Important premises: One of the most common mistakes among the novices is […]
Basic push-ups alternatives In this article, we want to share 5 types of push-up exercises ideal even for beginners. 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). Important premises: Let’s do some […]
Ground crawling exercises (perfect even for beginners) In this article, we want to see 5 types of ground crawling exercises for beginners. 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). Important premises: […]
Training time organization without sacrificing social relations, study and work As we said many times (read Tips on how to stretch our training times) daily training is a fundamental component of a serious martial path but not being monks, it must be balanced with all the other activities of our life: Note – This article […]
A free mini-guide about how to train safely following our home study courses The first concept that a martial arts practitioner must understand is that self-preservation always comes first, as in combat as in training: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend […]
How the rule of the three errors works There are several popular sayings (in China, in Arabia, etc.) that refer to the rule of 3 errors: “Everything that happens one time can, or not, happen twice but everything that happens twice will probably happen a third time.” “Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. […]
Warm-up: how to heat our body for training Without any pretense of completeness, in this article, we want to share a basic full body soft warm-up session ideal for a 6 Dragons Kung Fu training session. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
Stretching is a fundamental part of our conditioning Stretching is at the base of every kind of training (martial arts, sports, etc.): 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 these […]
What does Poles Training consist of? The Poles Training is one of the 5 fundamental technical practices of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read ): 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). […]
Prepare the body for the maximum performace Without any pretense of completeness, in this tutorial, we want to share a basic full-body soft stretching session ideal to be prepared for a 6 Dragons Kung Fu training session. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
An exercise for rooting development: preparation One of the most important and difficult things to get in martial arts is balance / rooting (read The concept of Dynamic Equilibrium). An excellent exercise is to train to balance ourselves on car tires, let’s see how to do it. What we need: We need 2 or 3 used […]
A cheap hand-made training dummy In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, we use various kinds of training dummies (made of wood, metal, fabric, etc.): each of them has different peculiarities and workout goals (read for example 6DKF’s speed training with the wooden dummy). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course […]
Explosive movements: how to keep our body active Reconnecting to the topic of the effectiveness of martial arts (read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons), we want to give those who want to approach our discipline a starting point in the development of real physical abilities. For a good martial arts practitioner it […]
Self-defense: when the problem occurs, it is too late to understand In most self-defense situations, 90% of martial arts (both traditional and modern), do not work as we expect. 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 […]
The intensity of training does not depend only on the exercises It is true that there are more / less tiring exercises but the same martial workout, depending on how we handle it, may turn into a normal, heavy or light one. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course […]
A 1-hour session (middle intensity) An example of a daily individual session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s training (1 hour, with a partner but without special / specific tools): 5 minutes of running on the hands (the partner holds our legs raised) 5 minutes of abdominal pressure with the fingers (one on each other, controlled […]
How to master flexible weapons Before proceeding with the study of flexible weapons (read Learn to use basic weapons) we must emphasize that: This path must be consistent and absolutely gradual, not rigid weapons are 10 times more difficult to manage in relation to the others The rudiments that we are going to illustrate may seem trivial but […]
Why it is so important to have training partners As we saw in the article Online learning and martial arts: is it possible?, in every kind of serious martial training, is crucial: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study […]
The first thing to learn in order to exploit our emotions in our favor is to understand the basic setting of the “switch technique”: Emotion activated Emotion disabled We have to handle our mental flow. To effectively use the force of moods (and not to be their victim) it is necessary to follow a precise […]
A 1-hour session (middle intensity) An example of a daily individual session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s training (1 hour, without special / specific tools): 5 minutes of squats (with controlled breathing and hand motion, read Meditation method 4) 5 minutes of free ground movements (rotations, rollings, 4 limbs walking, etc., read 5 ground crawling […]
Perceive the fighting scenario When in self-defense we talk about constant attention (read How to develop the constant attention), we refer to the collection, analysis and processing of the information that governs the scenario within which we are. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see […]
A 1-hour session (medium intensity) An example of a novice daily training session of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (1 hour, individual, without specific tools): 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). […]