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Post by GM-Neal on Apr 12, 2006 11:59:51 GMT 8
For those who want to use the Sams and say that if Shaolin is a traditional Chinese art all the students need to wear them, I have a question. Have you done your research? If you have, you will know that those who practiced martial arts in the monasteries wore a GI like uniform and those that practiced outside of the monasteries wore their every day clothing. They did not have a special uniform to go out and practice in. Sams are a creation of the movie industry and what it wants to present as a traditional uniform. As for the ranking system within Chinese Martial Arts, there are only four traditional levels. 1st Student, 2nd Disciple, 3rd Master, 4th Grandmaster. That was all; there were no belts, no sashes. Everyone knew who was who and respected their elders and those who outranked them. This was practiced throughout all aspects of their lives from sleeping quarters to the eating halls, to the daily chores that needed to be done. Only when your master thought you worthy to move to the next room did you move into that room. There have been statements made that some traditions need to be done away with or changed. My reply to that is. "If you forget about the traditions of the past, you have no compass for the future." When I normally practice my material away from a formal class, I personally wear just a pair of GI pants and a t shirt. Food For Thought
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Post by Colin Wee on Apr 12, 2006 12:41:30 GMT 8
I started with a chinese variant and they had what seemed to be two systems: the belt colour we wore and the time we joined. Kind of like a dot com. Made for some interesting though airy conversations. Colin
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Post by Ron Goninan on Apr 13, 2006 9:07:08 GMT 8
Interesting discussion. Colin what aspects of Chinese Gongfu did you/do you study?
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Post by Colin Wee on Apr 13, 2006 9:19:14 GMT 8
I have no clue.
My original teacher taught me an eclectic style borrowing from a chinese art, hapkido, and taekwondo.
Colin
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Post by Ron Goninan on Apr 14, 2006 10:11:44 GMT 8
Colin,
Thanks for the honest reply. It would be interesting to discover what are the origins of the Chinese component of your art.
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Post by Colin Wee on Apr 14, 2006 13:30:39 GMT 8
I intend on paying my old master a visit when I return to singapore - if I have spare time. I owe him a gift for saving my life. As for the Chinese component, I guess I could ask him. Colin
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Post by Ron Goninan on Apr 15, 2006 15:02:13 GMT 8
Colin,
What percentage of your art is Chinese Gongfu?
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Post by Colin Wee on Apr 15, 2006 15:25:39 GMT 8
Colin, What percentage of your art is Chinese Gongfu? My current style is 100% traditional taekwondo. As for my first style. Hmm. Maybe 20%? It was all integrated into a mish mash, but yeah ... it was there. Colin
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