Shaolin Sparring I

[Skillking22]

Nice video. Hoping to see those moves being done in full speed.

[phildog2000]

i did WU ZU Quan Nan shaolin for about two years and we did a bit of sparring similar to this, a little faster and a little more aggressive but similar. Very good

[pedro90]

as a fellow practicioner of kungfu this somewhat baffled me. im used to sparring and getting hit and using grappling trapping and throwing. I saw none of this or in any other vids. i have actualy never seen any of wong kiew kits students sparr anyone else besides there school or someone trained the same way. True internal force cultivation is a big part of kung-fu( as it should) but ive never seen any of his students train under more realistic levels. are there any tourny vids? or full contact?

[FlowingZen]

Yes, we spar with other stylist. Friendly sparring. As such, vids are not always appropriate. Sooner or later, one will pop up on YouTube.

[Bastion83]

bought your Sifu's books on both Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan. Both very useful.

[Capemasta]

I think this is a great way to train. Although its slow, its spontaneousness is what trains you. Teaching in a pre-arranged, situation-by-situation manner, it will only get confusing. Teach the student how to move and react on their own, then they'll learn how to perform in ANY given situation. Bravo

[NinjaKrow]

As an MMA fighter that practices Muay Thai, you might expect me to say "DUHDUHDUH! You need to put on pads and just beat the shit out of eachother! BJJ is the BESTEST EVER LOLZ!" But this is not the case. I REALLY want to learn these traditional styles. They really put the "Art" into martial art. They're so fluid and graceful, and they would most certainly supplement my training! Thanks for putting this up!

[KrausePupil]

not sparring.

[slimslam3]

Yea i consider this more of a drill then a spar, but that doesnt mean its shitty or not a valuable way to train.

[JizzyIzDaBest]

dnt lisn to these h8rs uv obviously slowed dwn the stances as its only a spar i like the positioning of the bodies very strong stances however if you slow it a bit more use its as a spar and stretch as it will elongate your moves and increases speed slightly in a real fight other than that well done good body movements positioning etc...

[MistaGent]

FlowingZen, do you consider this REAL sparring? No insult is intended, but my view of sparring is a simulation of a REAL fight... the closest thing you can get to actual physical combat. There should be absolutely no telegraphed movements or katas (if one uses katas). I would consider this "shadow boxing" or "choreographed drills".

[FlowingZen]

Thanks for the comment. Please read the article quoted in "About This Video". It explains my view of sparring.

[wizaad]

in my oppion, sparring is a modern excuse for beating on one another like school children. the point is that you will never really know how you will react in a real situation unil you get in one unpadded, no rules, and possibly with live weapons. to think that padding up and beating each other is a simulation of reality is just insane, no personal offense to you Mistagent but i see al l sport and modern arts do this and what do they gain, touchy flinching and bouncing around wasting energy.

[wizaad]

in reply to my own comment, i think that "sparring" is neccessary to development but i believe it should be done with the right mindset and with constructive (or destructive if thats the goal) goals in mind. any way good vid ^_^

[wizaad]

additionally most modern sport arts think speed and strength are the keys to power, wrong, (hint its the opposite) although i have seen some of the arts like Bjj stress technique. but sparring is not real fighting, if it was a random dude pulled of the street or a skilled warrior handed a club or just told to beat you, thats sparring that teaches in my oppinion. when its with a constructive partner,slowed down and there are goals in mind then it is something more and you gain infinitely more.

[MistaGent]

In your comments you have put many words in my mouth. You have assumed too many variables and details about my philosophy of sparring and its purposes and goals. You have generalized me into a mainstream category.

[wizaad]

my apologies. sometimes i speak in generalities of the common thought of somethings. i did not intend to specifically target you. actually i really was just stating how i felt about mainstream sparring in boxing and other sport arts. i did not mean any offense and i apologize again if you thought i was trying to generalize you. acutally you take a very healthy and constructive stance on sparring. i wish more people could actually see sparring in that sense.

[34thshaolinstudent]

My advice is: whatever style u do, do not waist time with pre-arranged sparring. It will tame you. Trust me. U'll begin to see an opponent as ur playing partner who won't "hit you for real"(a fearless fool). Rather, sparr with "live" moves or teach or learn individual applications instead. Cuz outside the movies, only a fool is fearless.

[FlowingZen]

Thanks for the advice, but I'll choose not to use it.

[kelvioss]

ummm ok.. first... although you are doing the skill but no force or strength.... so its not exactly sparring..

[FlowingZen]

Thanks for the comment.  First of all, there is force. Turn up your volume. You can hear the clashing of our arms. Secondly, there are many different kinds of sparring. This is one of them.

[kelvioss]

i forgot about force...

[beauch]

"Sparring?"

[bigistrickis]

calibansfury, most "real" martial artists try to train for what you are most likely to encounter in a real situation. Someone that can punch like Tyson would be EXTREMELY rare. Tyson could knock the **** out of any man alive. Be a little realistic.

[yeee941]

Interesting

[Waya80]

to flowingzen I love the video, I also love your answers you have given to deonvan (who I believe is asking questions of a sincere person). Just by those two things I believe your teacher has done excellent job of teaching you to use more than just your body, but to combine all 3 aspects of one person. To that I bow to you and I bow to him.

[FlowingZen]

Thank you for the kind words.

[Hihey9989]

Awesome vid!! Alot better form than mine... got a lot of work to do apparently

[latestart]

I think I posted a comment, but it doesn't seem to be appearing, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself: I appreciate your openness about your art and your willingness to display it here on youtube. I have a few questions if you don't mind (It may span several comments, so I apologize in advance): How advanced in the art are these students (e.g. beginners, senior students, etc.)?

[latestart]

oops, sorry for the duplicate posting

[FlowingZen]

The video shows me and my junior classmate in 2005. I'm on the right at the start, and he's on the left. We're both instructors under my teacher, but I have an additional ten or so years in the arts. That being said, I would say that both of us are nothing when compared to our teacher, or even compared to some of the more senior students in our school.

[latestart]

Great, thanks for the prompt reply, and I'm really looking forward to seeing if you could possibly get some full-speed sparring footage with other stylists.

I followed the link provided in the description, and it seems like a great way to approach sparring. I'm glad to see such a commitment to preserving traditional CMA.  Thanks again, and I hope we can talk more in the future.

[FlowingZen]

To answer your question: Sure, I'm prepared for full-speed sparring with other stylists. Unfortunately, I don't have any videos yet. (It's not always appropriate to take videos of friendly sparring.) As soon as I get my hands on some good videos, you can be sure that I'll post them.

[deonvan]

Hi Mr. Anthony I heard that the Five animal Kung Fu is use to develope chi only. Not really for fighting is that true? And if you don't have chi and you are a strong hitter does the Five animal kung fu still work for fighting?

[FlowingZen]

Hi deonvan. In my school, the Shaolin Five Animal Form is for fighting as well as for training the spirit of each animal: the speed of the Leopard, the internal strength of the Tiger, the spirit of the Dragon, the elegance of the Crane, and the softness of the Snake.

[deonvan]

Thats it Mr. Anthony, I'm very excited about being your student or Wong Kiew Kit. Is their a website that explain all about this. I don't care how much the price would be if it $1,000 or $2,000 a month I don't care how much it cost for a precious art like this. AND I MEAN IT! Also I hope this is not too personal how old is Mr. Wong Kiew Kit? Did he just turn 60 years old in June 19 that is what I heard?

[FlowingZen]

You can find information about my teacher's seminars on his website (shaolin dot org). My teacher, Sifu Wong, is 63 years old, but he is healthier, stronger, and has more energy than a 20-year-old.

[yeee941]

Sounds like my teacher Sifu Tang. Nice vid btw

[FlowingZen]

Thanks for the kind words. And congratulations on finding a good teacher. Cherish him.

[yeee941]

Your welcome,um what Rank are you.. I am bad at guessing ranks.

[FlowingZen]

In my school, there is no rank. I have 15 years total experience, but there is a saying in our school: "It's not who starts first; it's who finishes first."

[SeijiiNakamaru]

Not to sound rude, but isn't that a bad saying?

Shouldn't it be "Slow and steady wins the race"? Well, I'm only saying that because it makes your saying seem like its alright to be careless.

Not that there is anything wrong with being careless, but there just isn't any space for mistakes in fighting.

I hope I didn't offend you, and I'm sorry if I did.

By the way, I liked your video ^.^

[latestart]

Interesting. Thanks for the video, and I commend your openness about your art and your willingness to put it here on youtube without disabling comments and such. I have a few questions if you don't mind (this may span several comments, so I apologize in advance): How advanced are these students in your style? Would you say they are prepared enough for full-speed, full-power sparring with someone from another style (with necessary safety precautions taken of course)?

[FlowingZen]

Thank you for the kind words. The video was taken on Doctor's Lake in Jacksonville, Florida.  And yes, it's beautiful there.

[deonvan]

I saw the website of Mr. Wong kiew kit. And I also see your video. I really like it. But please don't get me wrong if I say this. Can it really be used for real fighting and self defense? And also against multiple opponents? Because it look very flowery when they spar. What happen if some aggressive person like Mike Tyson go at you? I was thinking of being a student or just attend the course but I wanted to hear your opinion first. Sorry if I offend you somehow. I apologize.

[FlowingZen]

Don't worry, I'm not offended. Yes, Genuine Shaolin Kung Fu can be very effective in real fighting -- if you train it well.  I've used it on the street and in friendly sparring against other martial arts. The techniques may look flowery to an observer, but once you experience them, you can understand how powerful they are. But don't take my word for it. I encourage you to learn from my teacher or one of his instructors, and then decide for yourself whether what I say is true or false.

[FlowingZen]

As for Mike Tyson, that's not a fair comparison. He's a world-class boxer and would beat most anyone, regardless of the martial art they practice. However, a Shaolin Kung Fu practitioner would have no trouble holding his or her own against a boxer of a similar skill level. On the other hand, a skillful and experienced Shaolin practitioner could handle a more skillful boxer by using tactics and exploiting the weaknesses of boxing (using powerful low kicks to the knees & groin, for example).

[calibansfury]

Please let me know the martial art that will let a 150 pounder take down Tyson. I'll sign up! Any high level martial artist might have a chance at landing a fatal or maiming blow to someone like Tyson, but as FlowingZen says, it's not a fair comparison. If Tyson comes at you in the street, may heaven (and a trachea crushing knife hand) help you, because that's about all you got.

[Daeron15]

it´s good to see that there are still people who practice and preserve this millenary martial art good stuff ^^ btw that place looks really nice haha where is that¿