SELF-DEFENCE
True martial art skill takes a long time to develop, whereas for practical self-defence we are interested in techniques and strategies we can use immediately, along with a view of common everyday items (such as car keys and umbrellas) as potential weapons.
We are foremostly interested in survival, relying first on our common sense observational skills to spot and avoid potential danger in advance. Psychologically, we understand the need to fight only as a last resort, yet doing so with full commitment if that is really necessary and there is no other way to evade or diffuse a situation.
Our culturally conditioned thinking can block our true survival instincts, and much of our training is about reversing that conditioning. This is why many people freeze when they are attacked, from victims of domestic violence through to experienced martial artists even. In Hung Leng Kuen, this is as much about how we approach self-defence; although we know our classmates are also our friends, we must learn to see them as real attackers so that we can experience something like a fight-or-flight response many times in training. Your teacher can also give you this experience directly, which might well happen if he sees your difficulty is due to an attitude of mind, rather than a problem with your technique.
The short video clip below show a few self-defence applications, designed to show methods that can in part be learned fairly quickly, as well as a taste of what takes longer. The most spectacular looking techniques aren't always the most effective.
Learning a martial art is not the same as learning self-defence. So, if you wish to study any martial art, you should examine what your true inclinations are. Self-defence is often best learned through a short course of lessons that covers key areas in a concise, systematic way. Private instruction can also be very efficient in tailoring the approach to you as an individual, addressing your key fears and areas of concern. Any enquiries on this are welcome.
More about:
Curriculum (Overview)
Beginners (Basic Training)
Forms (Shaolin Animal Forms and Weaponry)
Chi Kung (a.k.a. Qi Gong)