Hello everyone. I will be in Shanghai for a year starting this September and I have found a school called Longwu Gongfu which offers Xingyi Quan classes. However, they are only offered once a week, one hour per lesson. Without intending to sound ignorant, is one hour a week adequate instruction time to begin learning this art, or is it more than enough for a beginner like me? When I was very little I took Shotokan classes for a while, and I remember the dojo had class five days a week. Perhaps that has coloured my expectations on how often one should train when learning a martial art. That's why I'd appreciate your advice, as I realize the situation with Xingyi Quan might be very different. Thank you for any help! Sebastian
Personally, I dont think its worth it, unless as an adjunct to another class. Though, I'm sure you can find a more regular xing yi class in the area. Maybe someone can recommend, you could post a request on emptyflower forum. If you can make it down to Taigu, Shanxi Province, North China, check out Dai family xin yi, Master Yang Fansheng (Fan Sheng), he has some great vids on youtube.
If Hsing I is what you want to learn, then once a week is worth it. This is of course assuming the instructor is a good one. You practice what you learned the other six days. However, it would seem you would be able to find a more regular class seeing as how you'll be in Shanghai.
It all depends on how much you practice outside of class. If you practice an hour a day outside of class, it should be plenty. If you don't practice at all, it won't be nearly enough.
I was going to say that to Yohan, also Hsing Yi is very easy to understand and apply. There are usually 5 elements there linking form and then 10 or 12 animal styles. The animals with the exception of chicken an swallow, that I know of, there are no forms of animals that have a bunch of moves in Hsing Yi. I mean Hisng yi is known for keeping things simple. The Swallow and the Chicken are usually if in the style you train consider the central focus of Hsing Yi. This being you will see some do like monkey at the ends of Chicken or at the end of Swallow do the Dragon. While it is up to you how much you learn. What you will learn is where Jing turns into Fajing an how. It is known for simple fact that the Chicken of Hsing Yi, is where many systems gained there knowledge of Fajing. While there are and where other systems out that had developed Fajing! The known idea that Fajing went into the military and returned in different system of Martial Arts of China via Hsing Yi. So you really understand that Fajing was not even allowed to be taught to foreigner in China. Like the crossbow would not leave the land of China for sometime. Why i tell you this, if you seek depth in fighting, than ask the teacher does he teach and understand Fajing. The 5 Elements are an integral part of the medicine of TCM. In Hsing Yi they are taught as a method to derive how to attack and defend along with the medical usually. The elements relate readily to organs an tissue so that one can learn to be like a puzzle piece and apply elements to the space that is left by the opponent. The applied method to fighting in Hsing Yi is very simple if you over think it you miss it.
this is not about hsing-i per se yet pertains to once-a-week classes. when i took wing chun the classes where only held on thursday nights. yet was not a major problem because other students and self practiced together outside class several nights a week. if you can find classmates willing to do same (especially more experienced ones) might not be a problem. getting a book and/or video is no substitue for classes yet might provide some reference material for helping remember some techniques and forms. again this is not a primary method of learning just a way of having some visual reference.
Thank you everyone for the advice and opinions! I will do a more in depth search of Shanghai martial arts schools and see if I can find another school that offers more classes per week in Xingyi Quan. Meanwhile, I will stop by this school in question as soon as I'm there and get more information on their classes and the teacher, and sit in on a class as well. I had the thought myself that as long as the once-a-week class had a good instructor I could practice myself the other six days. I'm surprised to read Xingyi Quan is simple to understand, but that's encouraging. I don't really know what to expect as far as training goes when it comes to concepts like 气 and 劲. Also, deciding on the next method of attack according to the 五行 seems a bit involved, but I'm sure that is all learned in due time during training! I'll find out soon enough.
That's enough if what they offer is quality material, but I doubt that's the case. So shop around and she if there is someting else available. However, you must train Kung Fu every day, like any Qigong practice anyway, without overdoing it. GL.
Stiffnready, thanks for the link. I've watched all the Xingyi Quan videos I could find on YouTube but it's hard to figure out what I'm looking at without having an idea of what is going on behind it. That site is great for explaining. Durkhrod Chogori, thanks for the advice, dude. Your nick is very interesting. Did you make it up?
The videos on www.emptyflower.com, I don't think they are any where else actually. The guy in them is considered the person that first taught American's Hsingyi.
