An ancient exercise to improve reflexes A big part of the 6 Dragons Kung Fu workout is dedicated to optimizing the innate functions of our mind and body. 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: […]
Martial arts require a lot of energy Any martial athlete who is training on a daily base and intensively, constantly needs a proper energy intake. A poor nutrition attitude can cause serious deficiencies (especially after 30-35 years): It can annihilate a big part of the physical / mental performance It can limit / slow down […]
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 […]
The best way to start a day is to perform a short sequence of awakening exercises. Awakening of the mind (inspired by Shaolin): Meditation by sitting (on our bed or on the floor) 7 complete rotations to the right of the eyes closed 7 complete rotations to the left of the eyes closed 36 rubs […]
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 […]
In the 6DKF the construction of the iron palm is (as already mentioned) the result of a long process of improving, mental (concentration, etc.) and physical (conditioning, etc.); in short, we must treat the evolution of: A passive structure (hardening of the bones, muscles, etc.) An active structure (the control of breathing, Qi, etc.) In […]
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 – […]
Every human body expresses its own potential at the same time in a similar and different from all the others way. As we have already had occasion to say, in a fight no matter how we are quick to move but how we are fast to execute effective techniques, the 6DKF therefore insists on two […]
The Iron Palm skill: second phase Important – Do not read thi article without having read the indications of the first phase Iron Palm conditioning (for beginners). As we said, in our and in many other martial arts, is developed a particular type of hand conditioning commonly known as “Iron Palm”. In our school, even […]
A good exercise to learn how to distribute our weight dynamically is this one: Let’s take a medicine ball (minimum 5 kg) Let’s position the ball on a flat surface, smooth and resistant (our weight + the ball) Let’s take a chair with the backrest and let’s position it in front of the ball With […]
An unorthodox training with a Tennis ball In this article we want to talk about pneumatic ball training, an advanced workout that in some ways may seem “ridiculous” but it really helps to develop and combine high-level skills like: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon […]
A”T” weight and a crucial exercise to master weapons After having seen the risks related to the use of a martial weapon with an incorrect muscular setting (read Prepare arms, wrists and fingers to use weapons), let’s see a fundamental exercise to strengthen one of the most important parts of our arms (that comes from […]
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 fast running (explosive power, maximum speed, short distance, round trip, read 5 running exercises ideal for beginners / warm-up) 10 minutes of power […]
The importance of breathing in combat Breathing is a fundamental task during any type of struggle and can make the difference between prevailing and losing. Good management of respiration is the signature of the expert fighter. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
To utilize even a 1.5kg sword (or any other weapon to hold in hand) in an effective way, as well as having a good technical knowledge we must also have a suitable physical structure. Each sword, stick, ax, nunchaku or other proper or improper instrument has a: Specific weight Different aerodynamic Certain kind of balance […]
Am I too old or too young to start practicing Kung Fu? One of the most recurrent questions (read also Questions / answers about Kung Fu, courses and more) among people who are entering the world of martial arts is the one that concerns the right age to start, well: It does not exist. Everything […]
Legs conditioning for kicks After having seen the characteristics of a good kick (read The characteristics of a good kick), we go on to expose what to train (and how) to allow our legs to kick in the most effective way. Before proceeding to the practical exercises to perform it is important to know that: In […]
How Kung Fu can transform us into a totally new person: the physical changes Kung Fu is not only a martial art (read 6 Dragons Kung Fu: what does it teach?), it is also a style of life and if we truly focus on its rational path of self-discipline (read Discipline is the key to […]
How to do the splits In the previous article (read The easiest method to do the side split), we have described the most simple and effective way to make a good side split. Let’s define now the final details of the exercise (it is useless to say that to read this we must have already […]
How to learn to do the split As we already mentioned, in Kung Fu and in martial arts in general, body flexibility involves a myriad of applications (read Body flexibility and martial arts) but some of the biggest advantages come from the improvement of the opening of our legs. In this discussion, we will see: […]
Training with the Jook Wan Huen An effective tool to improve our martial skills (tactile sensitivity for trapping, Chi Sau, etc. read All the skills of 6 Dragons Kung Fu) is to use the Wing Chun’s Jook Wan Huen. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon […]
What is the difference between speed and quickness? Let’s start with a little disambiguation note to determine the difference between speed and quickness in terms of martial arts: Quickness – It is the time that our natural and “innate” body capabilities need to move our body (eg. we are quick if we can throw a punch […]
An intermediate-level dodge conditioning After having initiated our mind / body to the idea of the dodge motion (read Preparing body to dodge punches (“U” motion)) we want to share an exercise that, at the same time, teaches us to: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on […]
How to dodge punches: prepare the body for the “U” motion Before starting to train our reflexes to recognize and avoid punches, we must accustom our body to the calibrated and explosive movement of a basic dodge (read Dodge attacks). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on […]
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 rhythmic blows on the abdomen muscles (with the fingers at medium intensity / power) 10 minutes of running and jumps against the wall […]
Coordination has to be a constant in martial arts. Here is an exercise that helps us to have greater mastery of our body: Let’s take a pencil / pen and a sheet of paper (A4 size) Let’s create in our mind a state of relaxation and concentration With one hand, let’s grasp the pencil and […]
The second exercise to build a good muscle chain After the first exercise (read Exercise 1 for the abs to develop the muscle chain), it is now time to see the second one useful to condition our muscle chain (read Use the body power: the muscle chain). Note – This article has been asked by […]
Conditioning to pain: a simple but effective exercise After having familiarized ourselves with the concept of “pain tolerance” (read Acceptance and prevention of pain), it is now time to make a new step toward a real impact conditioning for combat. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on […]
A multitasking practice to develop physical and mental coordination In 6 Dragons Kung Fu when we talk about coordination we do not refer only to the capability to master more or less complex motor skills but also to the ability to mentally focus on 2 (or more) different and simultaneous tasks. Note – This article […]
Why condition our body to resist pain One of the most basic aspects that a true martial artist should learn to manage / reduce is pain. We cannot panic or remain powerless at the slightest contact, no matter if: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon […]
At the base of multitasking: mental coordination With “mental coordination” we normally refer to the ability to process information, plan / organize actions and make decisions in a coherent / effective way. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study […]
The most brutal types of fighting After having described the peculiatiries of declared techniques, sparring and sportive fight (read Declared techniques, sparring and sport competition), we conclude the discussion about the 6 general types of martial confrontation with: Self-defense Martial clash War clash Self-defense Normally it is not a voluntarily chosen fight (read Self-Defense: is […]
The first 3 types of fighting Continuing the discussion about the various types of martial clash (read The 6 types of martial clash), let’s start to analyze the peculiarities of the first 3: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home […]
Each type of fight correspond to a specific context Often those who have never had anything to do with it tend to consider combat as if it were a single great discipline: nothing more false and wrong. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
See everything, do not look at anything: the applications As we seen in the past articles (read The overall view: see everything, do not look at anything and What we need to develop the overall view) the overall view is a fundamental skill for any kind of practitioner: In self-defense – To see what happens around us (unexpected aggressors, […]
The basic concepts of stealth walking As Ninjutsu teaches us, the same concepts that we have introduced talking about invisibility in the crowd (read Be invisible in the crowd: divert attention), return in stealth walking: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend […]
An exercise to develop the soft touch skill 6 Dragons Kung Fu has no juggling purposes but a basic level of dexterity is absolutely fundamental: especially managing sharpened weapons. During combat is not so strange to lose the control of ours or opponent’s weapon and this eventuality must be managed in the correct way. Particularly in the […]
Is the overall view a suppressed instinct? Continuing the discussion about the overall view (read The overall view: see everything, do not look at anything) we want to start to understand how to develop it. The first things to know are that: The overall view is a skill that most of the animals possess (especially if […]
How to build a good kinetic chain (for martial arts) The best way to develop our muscle chain (read Use the body power: the muscle chain) is by conditioning the muscle memory (read The muscle memory) of our body in groups: Note – This article has been originally asked by one of our Core Course […]
A very interesting exercise (not for beginners) to develop the ability to grab / catch / dodge / manage human limbs is the 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s Dynamic Water Bottle training. This evolution of the fabric cloth practice (read Basic tools: the cloth) is a workout that implies: A considerable speed and accuracy (spatial intelligence) A basilar […]
Before entering the topic it is very important to say two things: It is not good to play with feeding, it is very easy to lose control and come to pathological tendencies Every choice as to our diet has to be taken with awareness, moderation and by mutual agreement with our family doctor This article […]
The benefits of constant change conditioning After the explanation of what we mean by “constant change” in our Kung Fu (read Same exercises, different execution) we want now to share a few practical ideas on how to make our training: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on […]
The perfect training balance For each serious martial arts practitioner, a good workout program must: maintain, extend and evolve all the skills involved in the discipline. 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 […]
How to kick remaining stable: a few simple tips In this tutorial, we want to share a few effective tricks to immediately improve our balance while kicking (read also How to kick (simple explanation)). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our […]
Reach a target with a dart (or a stone, or a knife or any other object) with calm and concentration is useful but only covers a small part of what we really want to learn. We are not preparing to become jugglers, almost immediately we have to project ourselves in the real context, we have […]
Martial arts: precision training with an anatomical skeleton During our advanced training sessions, we use a life-size human skeleton (similar to the one in the photo) as a training dummy (read All the training dummies). The goal is to get used to manipulating the human rigid internal structure. Note – This article has been asked […]
All disciplines that include the intensive use of physical faculties of the human body (in particular those involving the fight) expose us to the risk of injuries. Potentially even in simple workouts, we are constantly in danger of suffering more or less serious accidents, it is inevitable. This is something from which the true martial […]
The improvement of toe performance As we said in Why train fingers and toes, quite often the importance of the toes is underestimated but their contribution to the economy of a fight has not to be underestimated (for balance, to direct the body inertia, etc.). Note – This article has been asked by one of […]
An advanced version of the fabric cloth training The hanging speedball exercise (read Basic tools: the cloth) is one of the fundamental technical training of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read ). The idea is always to imagine to face real opponents but the risk to get used to the dynamics of the basic version of […]
An advanced practice to build stamina, reflexes, speed and spatial intelligence In our school, after the first 3 basic tools (read ): the next most effective tool to develop good martial skills (read All the skills of 6 Dragons Kung Fu) is certainly the Tennis ball. Note – This article has been asked by one of […]
The secret source: the use of unorthodox methods “Who excels in the use of unorthodox methods is inexhaustible as Heaven and limitless as the Yangtze, the Yellow River” – Sun Tzu. Let’s start with these crucial assumptions: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
Hands strengthening for combat Conditioning: why and how? In martial arts terms, at least basic impact conditioning (read Conditioning check for the impact) of the body is a key aspect for those who want to: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend […]
After understanding what is the dynamic equilibrium, here we have 3 exercises that can help us to develop it (10 minutes each): First exercise (do not drop down) Let’s find a place away from potential obstacles The starting position is standing (we can not move our feet) Let us fall in random directions (right, left, […]
6 Dragons Kung Fu’s equipment: how it is used After having listed the tools we need to start our training path (read The basic equipment for training in 6DKF), here, in broad terms, we want to describe the general use of each of them. A note by Master Kongling – I really want to emphasize […]
What is Dynamic Equilibrium? Before learning how to strike we must learn how to push, before learning how to push we must learn how to lean on. In 6 Dragons Kung Fu (like it happens in many other martial arts) leaning, pushing and hitting are concepts that blend with each other continuously (read 6DKF’s interactions: from the […]
What we need to begin to train in 6 Dragons Kung Fu In this article we want to describe the cheapest 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s training equipment possible. Those who want to start a serious martial path with us (read A full and free online guide to 6 Dragons Kung Fu) should have: Training weapons […]
A wooden dummy cannot move Before starting, it is important to stress that: This is not a classical training and this is not the Wing Chun or Jeet Kune Do’s wooden dummy (read The 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s wooden dummy) The practice with the wooden dummy is an extension of one of the core technical […]
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 tension and relaxation of all the muscles of the body (tension – complete release, tension – complete release, etc. with Qi flowing if possible, […]
How to exploit every occasion to improve our martial skills Beyond the time we can directly devote to training (read Practical examples of daily training time subdivision), the best way to excel in 6 Dragons Kung Fu is to bring it into our daily lives. Note – This article has been asked by one of […]