It doesn't have to be traditional to be effective, but alot of Lau Gar people train the style but can't apply much of what they learn. In that sense they arn't training their Lau Gar in an effective way. E.g. Using a punch bag or focus mits, even kick shields to practice Lau Gar specific techniques (not kickboxing ones) is a good means of training although not traditional, its effective and one can still apply their lau gar if they train in such a way. Infact i like to be inventive when training, it makes it more fun when i try to come up with some drills. The standard i have seen is terrible especially in WUMA, OSA, and even some forms at the BKFA nationals. Its not the fault of students, they do what they are taught but something has gone wrong in the teaching somewhere. I don't think half the instructors that teach Lau Gar even understand the main principles, it must be to do with the emphasis or something... To me its effective when somebody applies their lau gar in say sparring or combat, the training they did is irrelevant as long as it works, the training is nothing more than a means to an end. If i had a cloning machine i would clone John Russell and spread him around the country, that way Lau Gar would start producing alot more top quality Martial Artists again.
Right, with you. I think sometimes though it's hard to differentiate between the two. ie whats the difference between a kickboxing side kick, and a lau gar one? I'd agree with you, but think what this means. The instructors of today are the students of the past. So if they are passing on wrong stuff, it's cos they learnt in incorrectly as students. And if students can't be to blame (as you rightly say) then you get regression back to somewhere when someone didn't pass it on... Having not met John, I wouldn't know. He's a bit handy i take it then? He still fight? compete? Anyone know if he did?
Between lau gar side kick and kickboxing very little because a lau gar side kick is a kickboxing sidekick (kickboxing kicks come from eastern arts really, similar kick to karate / taekwando). However they have been put in for comps etc too. A lau gar side kick is really more of a stamping kick to the knee if you want to be really traditional. In kickboxing lessons i can kick as high as i want with my sidekick but in Kung Fu i am advised to keep it below waist height ' A kick above the waist is a waste (waste of energy, balance etc.)', i guess the difference is where that sidekick is targeted (and style principles eg. conservation of energy etc). But like i am always taught how different truly can fighting be when we are of the same species? So lau gar techniques will look similar to those in other kung fu styles and also to those in other Martial styles. I don't know if John ever competed, he i think was always interested in the traditional side, his handy because my instructor learns whatever he teaches and so we learn some of it too. If he competed it would have been pushing hands i think but again i don't know ( i just can't imagine him doing tournaments). He is exceptional from what everybody says, i haven't ever heard a bad thing mentioned. Nice guy, not interested in money, and a great Martial artist.
That was kinda my point... with some techniques, there is bugger all difference between styles, so it's silly to say "this is lau gar" and "this is kickboxing". Kinda confused here. You say he's exceptional, but this reads like you've never seen him spar (or know anyone who has) so exactly what is he exceptional AT? Without wanting to sound like an MMA fan-boy, surely the only sign of effectiveness (which is how this started) is if you can apply them in a fight.
No i havent seen him spar, read it again, i said 'He is exceptional from what everybody says' others who have seen him in action say he is top class. Well different people point out different things, from what i understand people generally rate his ability to perform tecniques well and apply them (his kung fu is often reffered to being like a lasor), his teaching ability and his general skill as a martial artist. Until i train under him on a regular basis i can only comment on what others have said. BTW. These people are reliable sources, people who arnt just going to say his good because they've trained under him and they too are good martial artists. Mr.O would be good to ask depending on how much he has trained under him.
re I attended self defence seminar a few years ago up in Accrington. The instructors were John Russell & Morag Quirk. They both have exceptional Lau Gar skills without a doubt.
Errrrrrrrrrrrr, Im 6ft 5 so I kinda train over him! ha ha..... He's very good with the trad side of things which is kind of sometimes gets lost somewhere along the line a bit more in some other clubs, I like to think I train traditionally, but also practically too! So we get a mix in, where at the thursday class its geared towards stance training, ging training and working on our weapons stuff! Its not really like a class for mixed grades. However, I dont get down there regular, maybe 3 times a year to have a go, the traffic puts me off driving down, plus costs of fuel at the moment, also I teach on a thursday night too! John is very good at what he does, never seen him fight he's over 60 now so it kinda negates his need to throw on a set of gloves and start pounding. I tihnk a good judge of how an older sifu was is by watching his / her students fight as ultimaltey their knowledge and skill has been passed on to the younger students!
John Russell Si Gung, is by far the best practitioner of traditional Lau Gar outside of the Yau family itself. Of course this is just MY opinion! I say that now not really knowing how much Master Yau's children still practice. I have trained with nearly all the Guardians over my past 20 years in Lau, and there is just nobody that compares. The only guardian i've never met is Alex Barowman. Pav, your comment about cloning him is funny, I like the idea, but he would disagree as he seems to have the same opinion of cloning your teachers kung fu as Master Yau does. If we all copied our teachers exactly, we'd end up like karate or God forbid taekwondo.
If anyone wants to come and train with John Russell we have a course with him on sunday 12th of October 12pm to 3pm. Cost is £20 for the 3 hours, anyone is welcome to attend regardless of grade or ability!! The course is at our Liverpool studio. It'll be a great course for people to train in, and a great chance to meet a Lau Gar legend, morag quirk will most likely be there too as she normally does the seminars with john. We only have a seminar with him once a year, and whilst many of us get to train with him on a regular basis, its great for the lower grades and people who cannot travel to birimingham to train with him! If you're interested let me know.
I'll definately be coming. When you say anyone is welcome does this mean anyone who does Lau Gar or anyone who does kung fu?
its open to anyone at all. However we cannot guarantee what he's gonna teach. We normally just ask him to do anything he wants. Its always nice to do something different than syllabus for a change! So if he goes into syllabus then it'll be hard on the non lau gar peeps, but im certain he wont do much syllabus, if any at all; when he does our courses he normally does something different. If anyone has any questions about forms etc then he's always happy to help! From what I have seen he's been going into the gings during lessons, or at least this is what was going on during the summer course and when I trained with him the other week!
