What is Hung Gar Kung Fu?
 

Hung Gar Kung Fu is wonderful and practical ancient Chinese martial art.  It’s a close range hard style containing empty hand forms, weapon forms, Chi Kung breathing, isometric training exercises, and the Chinese lion's dance.

 The Hung Gar style uses the movements of the five animals for self defense and to develop the body, mind and spirit. These animals include the snake, crane, leopard, tiger and dragon. Each animal movement has its own specialized attribute.

 As humans we can learn from the attributes of each animal and anyone can do this. The system is considered by some to be very practical and easy to learn because it uses eighty to ninety percent hands which mean it is easier to apply especially in adverse weather. The hallmarks of Hung Gar are deep low stances, notably its "sei ping ma" or horse stance, strong hand techniques, notably the bridge hand and the versatile tiger claw.

The student traditionally spends anywhere from months to three years in stance training, often sitting only in horse stance between a half-hour to several hours at one time, before learning any forms. Each form then might take a year or so to learn, with weapons learned last. However, in modernity, this mode of instruction is deemed economically unfeasible and impractical for students, who have other concerns beyond practicing kung fu.

Hung Gar is sometimes miss-characterized as solely external; that is, reliant on brute physical force rather than the cultivation of chi; even though the student advances progressively towards an internal focus.

Iron Wire training also called Jung hey, builds internal power and is essentially a combination of chi kung ( meditative breathing and energy work) with isometric exercise particularly dynamic tension. Although weights were often used in traditional practice, brass or iron rings on the wrists were also used. If properly practiced it can increase strength considerably and promote a stable root. However as with both most forms of chi Kung and most forms of isometric exercise it must be practiced regularly or the benefits are quickly lost.

 Benefits gained with regular practice include reducing stress, depression, hypertension, and blood pressure, breathing and heart rates, pain and inflammation, headaches and anxiety. Regular practice also improves flexibility, balance and posture, discipline, strength, circulation, immune system function, ability to relax and sleep concentration and memory, mental outlook and weight management.                            

 
 
 
 
What is Tai Chi  

T'ai Chi Ch'uan or Taijiquan; often translated "supreme ultimate fist or ultimate harmony"), commonly known as T'ai Chi, Tai Chi, or Taiji, is a ‘soft’ and/or ‘internal’ Chinese martial art.  Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese discipline followed by millions of people all over the world.  It is a system of exercises with both physical and mental benefits that everyone can practice regardless of age and physical abilities. Every student learns to practice according to his/her ability and within his/her natural range of movement.  The movements are extended, natural, gentle, graceful, and relatively simple and easy to learn. Tai Chi is also a martial art, where embodied within the slow and gentle movements are powerful vigor and force. No matter what your age, Tai Chi is a complete martial art that can not only be used for improved health and wellness, but also for self defense.  Some call it a form of moving meditation, others the fountain of youth and still others say that it has changed their lives in a wonderful way by bringing passion back into their lives. It is like living in the spring of your life! We promise you will love the results!

            Benefits of moving slow quoted from ARTHRITIS TODAY magazine:

Tai Chi- although it is considered a moderately aerobic exercise – is done slowly and smoothly which helps to protect your joints. Take a look at the physical and mental benefits that practitioners of Tai Chi – and studies – say these gentle movements can give you.


                 

Tai Chi Reduces:

STRESS

DEPRESSION

HYPERTENSION   BLOOD PRESSURE  

BREATHING AND HEART RATES  

PAIN AND INFLAMMATION  

OSTEOARTHRITIS

POST SURGERY RECOVERY

HEADACHES  

ANXIETY   

 
Tai Chi Improves:

FLEXIBILITY

BALANCE & POSTURE

OSTEOPOROSIS

STRENGTH

CIRCULATION

IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION

ABILITY TO RELAX & SLEEP

CONCENTRATION & MEMORY

MENTAL OUTLOOK

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

 
 
Tai Chi is Endorsed by Several Health Promoting Organizations
 
·       American Academy of Family Physicians
·       American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
·       American College of Rheumatology
·       American Cancer Society
·       American Geriatric Society
·       American Heart Association
·       Arthritis Foundation
·       American Federation for Aging
·       Harvard Medical School
·       Mayo Clinic
·       National Institute on Aging
·       National MS Society
·       World Health Organization
 
 
 
Tai Chi History
 

            Myth versus fact is a common question when searching for the history of ancient things and the origins of Tai Chi are even today still somewhat uncertain.  Since Tai Chi cannot be carbon dated we must search for other clues in the rare, sometimes cryptic texts of ancient peoples.  Ancient Chinese texts are difficult to decipher with ‘old style’ characters and metaphors intended to ‘indirectly’ express or hide concepts from the outside world.  Even today we still protect what is personal and valuable to us from others.  Valuable family artifacts and information is ‘carefully shared’, sometimes without written records, only within families and perhaps with few other trustworthy persons.  Tai Chi as we know it today is only a few hundred years old, however the old forms of Tai Chi that were cherished and carefully guarded by monks, special families or heads of state are believed to be at least 1,200 years old.  Tai Chi is a derivative of an older Chinese art known as Qigong (pronounced ‘chi kung’), estimated to be well more than 2,000 years old.  Tai Chi Ch’uan (often translated ‘ultimate fist or ultimate harmony’), Tai Chi for short, developed primarily as a martial art in order to promote health and especially the self-defense of the Buddhist and Taoist monks in their monasteries.  Intensive meditation and stillness, academics, gentle craft, and a mild life made for soft, weak monks that were easily overcome by bandits.  Tai Chi allowed the monks to maintain their health and their livelihood.

      So when it comes to deciding on which class is right for you consider your goals and the amount of effort you are willing to apply to reach them. We recommend trying an introductory class to experience what it is like to practice Kung Fu or Tai Chi. That way you will have more information to help you make your decision. Please feel free to call us and ask questions about our curriculum and how it can meet your needs. Our number is 716-822-0222. We look forward to meeting you!    

  

 

 




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