Hi, I'm looking to learn Shaolin Kung Fu. I had attended a class before but a lot of the time was spent doing physical conditioning. I guess having weekend classes that start in the morning and end in the evening would speed things up. Is there such a thing as fast track Kung Fu training so you practice more intensively and get through the syllabus faster? If so, anyone know of such intensive training taking place in London, UK? Thanks, Mike
What was it about the class that put you off? Conditioning is a important part of martial arts and helps to develop your body to be able to cope with the rigours of training. And then you have to decide what you mean by shaolin kung fu! There are literally hundreds of styles that label themselves as shaolin, its often just a label put to external kung fu schools! Attending a regular class would be better than attending a day seminar once every month or so, you'll progress quicker, learn more and get proper correction in your technique that you wouldn't get if you only attended a seminar once in a while and allow bad habits to creep into your training.
Plenty of McDojos about who will be happy to fast track you through their classes and call you a "Sifu" within a few years.
Hi Mike Conditioning is important. Different instructors deal with conditioning in different ways. I teach Shoalin Kungfu in london. I personally don't spend much time at all in sessions on conditioning. I have a short warm up and then its kungfu all the way. If you don't like the way one school does it. check out some other schools. One thing you will find out however, whichever school you go to, there is no fast track to learning kungfu. Practice, practice, practice.
This! The very definition of Kung Fu means you have to put time into developing the skill. Yet you want to fastrack it? OP, you want artificial ranks or actual skill? However, if you are just looking for a school that focuses on conditioning through Kung fu type exercises (form practice, stance training, bag workouts) more than basic calisthenics, I get that.
Mike Gore - Mushroom might be worth talking to if you want a place to learn kung fu that involves some amount of contact