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What You Will Learn
Almost everyone who enrolls in a martial art school does so thinking they will be learning many different postures or techniques from which they may draw upon should they find themselves in a fighting situation. The study becomes one of seeking some magical move that will enable them to defeat any opponent. Such thinking is not consistent with genuine Kung Fu There is no magical move. However, there is a magical way to move. The difference is subtle yet profound.
The idea of learning some magical move presupposes that sometime during a fight an opening will exist that will allow you to actually use that move. However, a fight is highly unpredictable. It is impossible to know exactly how the situation will unfold. Any particular move, no matter how powerful, is worthless if, due to circumstances, you are unable to execute that move. Given that there is an infinite number of possibilities in a fight, you would have to memorize an infinite number of techniques to cover the bases. Clearly, such an approach is unworkable.
Rather than trying to teach specific moves, the goal of Kung Fu is to change the basic nature of the way you move. Having the ability to move according to Kung Fu principles will enable you to move appropriately to whatever situation you may encounter. Once a few principles are understood, you can literally put your own techniques together "on the fly" during a confrontation. You will have the ability to effectively respond to any possible combination of your opponent's moves.
Sequence of Training
The curriculum at The Kung Fu Academy is divided into 4 modules. Each module must be completed to satisfactory standards before beginning the next module.
Module I - Body Conditioning
In module I you will learn an entirely different way to use your lower
body, legs and hips, as your source of power instead of your upper body,
arms and chest. Stance work plus basic blocking and punching comprise
the bulk of your study in Module I.
Approximate time to complete Module I: 3 to 6 months
Module II - Form
Module II expands on Module I as you continue to learn how to use
your entire body in a coordinated and holistic manner in order to begin
issuing the effortless power of Kung Fu. You will learn a choreographed,
fighting like series of moves in this module.
Approximate time to complete Module II: 6 to 12 months
Module III - Function
In module III you will learn how to use the moves you learned in the
previous modules in a realistic fighting scenario. All the pretty moves
in the world will do little good if you are not able to use them for their
designed purpose.
Approximate time to complete Module III: 12 to 24 months
Module IV - Formlessness
Module IV takes you beyond the memorized movements you have learned in
all of the previous modules. In this module you will learn to "go
with the flow". Fighting is a completely spontaneous activity. Any
attempt at posturing, posing or trying to use a programmed set of memorized
moves will, in all probability, lead to your defeat. Module IV will teach
you how to make your own techniques, on the fly, that are completely appropriate
to whatever situation in which you may find yourself.
Approximate time to complete Module IV: Lifetime