Video Clip Series: Kungfu Training and Mental Clarity

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Review of the UK Summer Camp Weapon Course July 2007

The Butterfly Knives – Part 14
KUNGFU TRAINING AND MENTAL CLARITY

It is amazing that while most other kungfu practitioners take a few months to learn a kungfu set, we only take a few hours!

Most martial artists take a few months to learn a set. But in our school we often learn a set in a few hours, yet can perform it quite well! How do we achieve such a remarkable feat?

There are some good reasons, one of which is that we have mental clarity, which we develop from our kungfu training itself. Some students may wonder, “When did our instructors teach us mental clarity?” Do you know the answer?

We train mental clarity all the time. What actually is meant by “mental clarity”? It means the mind is clear. Clear of what? Clear of irrelevant thoughts.

In our school every movement is a training of energy and mind. Whatever movements you make, whether in form practice, force training or combat application, you have to be relaxed and be free of irrelevant thoughts. When you are relaxed, you generate energy flow. When your mind is free of irrelevant thoughts, you attain mental clarity.

Please note that you can download the video clips onto your own computer and view them at your leisure. Place your computer pointer at the picture or one of the links, and right click. Choose “Save Target As”. Select the directory or sub-directory where you wish to keep the video clip. Click “Save”.

A picture-series of the set can be found here

Jade Girl Combs Hail
The class performs the whole Butterfly Knives Set. This video clip shows the first sequence of the set which includes the patterns “Dragon and Tiger Appear”, “Thousand Tons to the Ground”, “Hide Flowers in the Sleeves”, “Big Boss Offers Wine”, “Fierce Tigers Descend Mountain” and “Jade Girl Combs Hair”.
The size of the video clip is 1.59 mb.
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Performing Patterns in Sequences
This is Sequences 2 and 3. At the learning stage, the patterns are performed one at a time to attain picture-perfect form. At the practice stage here, the patterns are performed continuously in sequences without any breaks between the patterns. Note that the practitioners are not panting for breaths even when the numerous patterns are performed quickly and with force.
The size of the video clip is 1.24 mb.
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Yin and Yang Modes of Holding Butterfly Knives
This is Sequences 4 and 5. In Sequence 5 the Butterfly Knives are held in a reverse yin-mood. You should be able to change from yang-mode to yin-mood, and vice versa, quickly and spontaneously. What advantages you can have between holding the Knives in the yang-mode and in the yin-mode?
The size of the video clip is 1.66 mb.
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Formidable Technique of Reverse Slash
This is Sequence 6 of the Butterfly Knives Set. A formidable knife technique is the reverse slash, called “thou thor tou” (Cantonese). Do you know which patterns shown in the video execute this reverse slashing technique?
The size of the video clip is 1.53 mb.
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Mental Clarity in Combat and in Life
Different sequences of the Butterfly Knives Set are shown in this video clip. Most martial artists take a few months to learn a set. But the practitioners have just learned the set in a few hours, yet they can now perform it quite well. .It shows, amongst other things, their mental clarity, which is attained through our kungfu training. Mental clarity, of course, is very important not only in combat but in daily life.
The size of the video clip is 1.93 mb.
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