May

April 25, 2013

Dao vs. Qiang (Broadsword vs. Spear 2 Person Fighting Set)

Saturday, May 14th @ Shaolin Center SF. 10am-1pm .

1 partner has a broadsword, and 1 partner has spear! Learn distance, timing and application of the spear and broadsword in this dynamic 2 person fighting set.  You will learn the basic techniques of the spear and broadsword, while gaining insight into your own experience of body awareness and timing.  2 person weapon sets are essential for developing empty hand skill, coordination and overall body awareness.

Spear and/or Broadsword is recommended.  For this training set, we recommend a wooden-broad sword.

 

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June

April 25, 2013

Stone Monkey (Shih Hou Yi Shou)

Saturday, June 15t @ Shaolin Center SF.  10am-1pm 

Introduction to the Monkey system with the Stone Monkey.  We will teach the full form and application.  Within this form, you will learn monkey style rolls, short rolls, medium dive rolls ,and full dive rolls.  Monkey is famous for bone breaks, elusive footwork and ferocious striking, you will also get a feel for the creative playfulness and spirit of the Stone Monkey.

Elbow and knee pads recommended.

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July

April 25, 2013

Liu Xing Quan (Meteor Fist) (Yin-Eagle)

Saturday, July 20th @ Shaolin Center SF: 10am-4pm.  Student testing: 8am-10am

Sung Dynasty Eagle Claw Form, taught by the Elder Masters.  This internal fighting training is the yin side of Meteor Fist.  It is a 36 posture Eagle form focused on the metaphor of the great General Yueh Fei.  Increase your spirit, meditative will, focus, and unlock the metaphorical training of Eagle and Yueh Fei.

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August

April 25, 2013

Shaolin Sparring Application and Theory

Saturday, August 17th @ Shaolin Center SF 10-1PM 

Get ready for a full 3-hours of sparring! No weight classes, all experiences and backgrounds.  You will walk away from this class twice as skilled and twice as confident. Unlike regular class sparring,  we will be taking the time to go further in depth and introduce distance, timing, rooting, snap power, combinations, fakes, slips, footwork and more!  You will awaken your application and form practice to real-life  resisting opponents, speed, distance and timing.  This class is meant to be a creative lab to explore your material in a safe and creative environment.

This class will also compliment the down/ground sparring class.

Full sparring gear required. 

Replace emotion with spirit, replace fear with focus, replace brute force with skill.

 

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The best martial artists understand form training, and use it.

As a beginning student, you experience a lot of form training or Tao Lu from day 1.  Most beginning level students can feel overwhelmed with the amount of material we present.  And, as they progress through their first few ranks; they may start to wonder how much choreography and form practice occupy the training before the real fighting starts.  How do I use this stuff?  Does it work?

The upcoming seminar for lower belt applications will cover the following points.  We will introduce ways to think about your form training going forward, show hidden applications, spar, theory and spar. Bring all sparring equipment.

Sculptures of Shaolin Monks near Pattaya, Thailand.

There are 3 main steps to have your form training solid, and then to start using it:

1) Best way to learn new material and condition-Time to eat bitter. 

Tao Lu is essential at all (especially beginner) levels to introduce theory, flow, combinations, application and movement, conditioning, and spirit of that particular training.  It is an incredible way to link pieces of material together without having to list hundreds of individual movements in a numbered check list of techniques.  It is far easier for the student to learn “Black Tiger Tao Lu” then a,”Tiger List Numbers 1-800, appendix B”.  It is also a great link from masters of the past to connect and teach spirit, emotion, meditation and intent.  Once the form is learned, condition it into your muscle memory and start learning to use it.  For example, if you are learning our beginner tiger Tao Lu, then you better be able to do your finger tip push-ups (tip-as in the TIP of the finger not the flat!), hold your horse and cat stance in proper posture for minimum of 2-minutes, palm-tear strike, powerful kicks with ball of the foot, knuckle push-ups, and complete the form with full power, snap and spirit.  If not, the beginning form training is not complete!

2) Application and Spirit-Listen to your form

The form itself will have hundreds of applications within.  Some are very easy to recognize, and some are hidden.  The form itself is not necessarily meant to be literal move-for-move in a fight (although it can!).  You can take combos, individual techniques, theory and spirit from the training to call-on in fighting.  If you have a solid understanding (step 1), the application, conditioning, foot work, mechanics, etc.  Will come with ease, and it will flow naturally in a fight.  If you have not taken the time to truly develop and listen to your form, the application will look like forced-choreography and your sparring partner will easily overcome you.  Before you start application, you have to eat bitter and take the time to learn the form/conditioning or else your Tao Lu training will never speak to you.  Further, once you bow, you are making a commitment to that form…If your spirit and intent/heart are not into the form for that moment, then you are still missing a key component.  Intent, spirit, will, and heart guide and complete your Tao Lu, and it is even more important in a fight.  If the mind and intent are lazy, it is easy to manipulate and trick. Stay focused in your Tao Lu so you do not lose focus in the fight. Also consider the following areas that are present in ALL forms, and have applications or understanding in the following areas:

-Striking

-Chin Na

-Pressure Point

-Ground fighting (incl. Chin Na)

-Energetics

-Chi Kung and Meditation

3) Combat

So you know your tiger form inside-out.  You have been conditioning, rooting, stretching and gaining power and speed.  You have thought a lot about the possible applications and even tried to use some in sparring.  Great! Now is the time to make it work for you.  Think about your body type, height, etc. And how the form will make YOU the most effective fighter, modify the applications to fit your height and style.  Pick a few applications a week and try them in sparring every day against various opponents that are out of your weight class.  Do not stop until you can successfully get in your application on the majority of your opponents.  Once that is achieved, move on to the next application.  Also think about power and speed, for example;  if you are short and smaller framed; consider the power and distance you need to generate in order to put the bigger guys down with that particular application.  Check your distance and make sure you are throwing techniques within range.

See you at the seminar!

 

 

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Kung Fu Hustle reviewed in SF Travel.com!

March 3, 2013

Check out the review and mention for our Kung Fu  Hustle from SF Travel.com! 
http://sftravel.com/blog/2013/02/26/kung-fu-hustle.html
One day per week, you can enjoy the most vigorous and unique tour to reach San Francisco’s Coit Tower.  San Francisco’s Shaolin Chinese Center offers a weekly opportunity to walk and jog from Chinatown up to the heights of Coit Tower views. [...]

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April

December 14, 2012

Chi Hsing Chien – 7 Star Sword
Saturday April 13th, 10AM-1PM
Chinese straight sword training.  This form compliments the more elegant ‘skewer the sun’ sword training with a more ‘choppy’ and  dynamic spirit.  7 Star Sword is famous for its unique angles, agility and ‘tapping of the 7 stars’. This training is required for 2nd blacks, and [...]

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March

December 14, 2012

Hidden Application, Intent and Purpose
Saturday, March 16th 10AM-1PM
Expose and learn the hidden applications of your lower-belt material.  This class will deep dive into the conditioning, purpose, intent and physical application of ALL lower belt material.  Students will have then have the opportunity apply with partners, free-spar and more.  We will also introduce Yin aspects and [...]

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February

December 14, 2012

Ying/Yang Stretching and Conditioning
Saturday, February 23rd 10AM-1PM
Explore Negative and Positive Conditioning within this dynamic class! Faster and deeper conditioning with lease time invested! Get a further stretch, increase strength and have fun! The best way to get fit for 2013!

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January

December 14, 2012

Shaolin Ground Fighting and Sparring Concepts/Strategy
Saturday, January 19th 10am-1pm.
Within this class, students will be introduced to various sweeps, falls, rolls and take-downs.  Once on the ground, the class will shift to ground fighting concepts and strategy.  Students will also spar multiple rounds with various partners (standing and ground), exploring distance, timing, application and fighting technique.
This [...]

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