Yeah, but will I learn how to fight?
Yes, and no. If all you are looking for is fighting skills, then you have come to the wrong place. We value peace over fighting. The highest level of Kung Fu is called Transcending the Fight, or winning the fight without having to fight. We do this by learning very high level fighting skills.
One thing that separates us from many other martial arts schools is that we do not do Free Sparring. This is where students put on pads and the instructor tells them to just fight. I feel that this is not very responsible and actually slows down a students’ growth. From my years in martial arts I have seen and participated in a lot of free sparring, and it all looks the same with the same few moves. The biggest problems with it are that it teaches aggression rather than a calm and focused mind, it teaches bad habits, and students tend to tense up in the body and the mind. All of these go against what it is that we do here.
I understand why some schools participate in free sparring. It is designed with a set of rules in order to keep everyone safe. In this, it has become a “sport” rather than a martial art. Punches are only allowed to the front from the waist to the shoulders and kicks are only allowed to the front from the waist up. In this, about 95% of our moves would be considered “illegal”. Free sparring is a point based system that turns into more or less a game of tag. This type of training could get you hurt very badly in a real life scenario. In real fighting there are no rules.
In our classes students learn application of moves and how to use them effectively in a safe environment. Forms practice gives students the avenue to practice movements at speed and with power using the mind to visualize an opponent. For sparring, students learn Tai Chi Push Hands. The simplest way to describe Push Hands is trying to make your opponent move their feet without moving your own. Students are able to develop listening skills with their bodies and minds and apply techniques they have been working on without risk of injury or the need for expensive sparring gear.
The ways that we move in fighting are very different than what most people are used to. In addition to using advanced geometry rather than a straight line, we also move as a shadow of our opponent. To quote the Tai Chi Classics, “If my opponent come at me with hardness, I counter with softness. If my opponent attacks to my left, I move to my right.” Everything is based on the principles of Yin and Yang. We dissolve to emptiness, sense the opponent’s movements before they move, use their force against them, and move from a relaxed body and mind.
Everything that we teach is rooted in Tao philosophy, which is all about harmony and balance. Students learn critical thinking skills, empathy, compassion, and most importantly about themselves through this. Through Tao philosophy students learn to value their uniqueness as well as the uniqueness in others. These are very important skills that teach students how to solve problems peacefully rather than just resorting to base violence.
The skills taught at Dragon Phoenix are skills that can be applied to most anywhere in life. Whether dealing with frustrating people, playing sports, learning in school, doing chores, or simply moving through life’s challenges. We dissolve to emptiness while finding balance and harmony in all that we do. Kung Fu is not just a thing that is done, it is a way of life.