Kung Fu tonight...

[spaced]

starting Kung Fu classes tonight, but one thing that has been puzzling me is...im a starter, probably the only one where every one else will have been there some time. How can I be involved in their class and vice versa if im a beginner. how does it work? I cant learn stuff that they are currently doing, and they cant do beginners stuff as they have already done it. confused!!! help!!

[asciwhite]

Hi there spaced, I was taught Kung Fu at a very early age by a man called Neville Wray, our classes were mixed but the beginners were pretty much with the beginners with our instructor giving us our exercises to practice.If you don't have a partner then he/she will find you one. Now, from what I can remember, our beginning classes were purely about working out, we're talking press ups, sit ups and one awful lot of running outside, through Kingston, onto the fields and running for miles bare foot!!! you will be taught the very basics which usually starts with the greeting, you are going to have so much fun, and possibly you may even learn how to block,punch and kick, but all in good time.... please keep us posted to how it all goes....

[spaced]

im sure im the only beginner.

[asciwhite]

Don't worry at all about being a beginner! your instructor will be there to keep an eye on you. How did you come by the class in the first place?

[alfiebrady]

Best advice I can give you is not to worry about it - certainly not before it's even started! And afterwards, you'll probably be too tired to be confused. Also, it shouldn't be like other martial arts where grading is very much part of the teaching structure ("belts are just for holding your trousers up") - so you may find yourself partnering up with someone who began training before you, but is comfortable with a starter. And who's to say there won't be someone who joined last week? Answers to your previous question would have told you that you'll be starting off with body conditioning before learning technique. If you want to worry, worry about how you'll be able to get out of bed the next morning!

[spaced]

an ex colleague, told mr about this Kung Fu club near me (in Surrey), so I emailed the instructed and have been in contact with him for the last week via email. After confirming costs etc, told him I would start tonight.

[asciwhite]

Here here! alfiebrady, spaced! get ready for the workout of a lifetime! so training hasn't changed then alfiebrady? my training was 25yrs ago and by the former world champion, fond memories.....

[spaced]

so it will be some time before i start learning basic techniques? is this weeks, months?

[asciwhite]

spaced, go to your class and concentrate, you will learn a great deal.....

[alfiebrady]

spaced, just go with the flow. Try not to expend your energy and breath on questions - you'll want to save those for the press-ups, leg raises, sit-ups, etc. You might think, "I could do this myself, at home...", but you need the conditioning to do the technique. E.g., you may start with the punches; after a while your arms will feel like lead weights. Your shoulders will be straining to keep them up. And if you stop after too few, you won't have learnt anything. Go. Do. Enjoy.

asciwhite, nothing's changed - not in centuries! p.s. we never had to do any running. Streets of London not great for bare feet.