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Styles
Winthrop Chinese Martial Arts practices Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin consists of internal and external styles. Shaolin systems teach empty-hand techniques and weaponry through predetermined combinations, routines, or movement of sets. These are called forms. The students learn the basics by practicing the routines until the movements in the routines can be executed naturally based on instinct. Then, two or multiple man sets are practiced to train responses and applications of techniques learned from the forms. The practice sets/routines are not only practical in application but are also graceful and artistic in nature.
The external style practiced is Northern Shaolin. The internal styles practiced Baguazhang, Yang style Tai Chi, and Xing Yi. Meihuazhuang and Wing Chun could be classified as either external or internal depending on the focus of your training. All styles have an external focus as well as an internal focus. Below are small descriptions of each style to better educate you on what we offer.
Meihuazhuang
Baguazhang
Yang Style Tai Chi
Xing Yi
Wing Chun
The Northern Shaolin style of kung fu is one of the most prominent traditional styles of Chinese martial arts. The northern styles of kung-fu generally emphasize long range techniques, quick advances and retreats, wide stances, kicking and leaping techniques, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility, and aggressive attacks. The fluidness of the movements combined with acrobatic techniques are trademarks of the Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu forms.
The Northern Shaolin martial arts are characterized by quick transitions between extended postures like the horse, bow, drop, cat/empty and dragon/crossover stances, as well as jumps, high kicks, and acrobatics that are largely absent from the Southern Shaolin martial arts, which are characterized by relentless hand techniques delivered from less mobile but more firmly rooted stances. It is believed that the distinction between Northern and Southern is due in part to geography and genetics. The Northern terrain was considered flat and easier to do jumps and kicks and Chinese of the North were considered taller with longer legs. Southern Chinese were considered shorter and lived on rocky terrain. Their style developed with more hand techniques and less leg work.Meihuazhuang means plum blossom fist or post. The basic training routine for Meihuazhuang known as the Jiazi serves as the foundation upon which other martial arts skills are built upon. The structure of the Jiazi is strange in that it is not necessarily composed of “fighting postures/stances” but 5 static stances called zhuangbu and moving steps called xingbu. Zhuangbu and Xingbu provide foundational skills for the practitioner.
The static stances (zhuangbu) are composed of 5 stances — Da, Shun, Ao (Rao), Xiao, Bai. Each stance is held motionless for 3—5 breaths to develop the chi and strength. Through the cycle of relaxed, expanded stances, the muscles and tendons are stretched and strengthened. The joints “open” making them stable, strong and flexible and the limbs become coordinated with the body.
The Jiazi serves to train the collection and flow of qi, bring about correct postural alignment and body relaxation, lower the center of gravity, strengthen the body, develop light and rapid footwork and focus the mind. Jiazi training helps achieve the correct body posture alignments to ensure a smooth flow of internal energy and harmonize the coordination of the arms, legs and body. The moving steps (xingbu) improve the coordination of the body and at the same time, develop attack, ambush, outflanking and retreating techniques.
The static stances and moving steps are linked together to form the basic structure of the Jiazi. The basic pattern of the Jiazi contains eight directions, arranged according to the four cardinal directions and the intermediary diagonal directions. This pattern is known as the Simen or, literally, the “Four Doors”. The five stances are performed in each of the directions (also referred to as “corners”) and the overall pattern created resembles a plum flower in full bloom. These “corners” are connected by the moving steps which act like the stem and branches of the plum blossom.Baguazhang is literally translated as Eight Trigram Palm. This style is one of the three internal styles of China. Bagua generates chi (internal energy) for both health and combat purposes. Baguazhang uses palm techniques exclusively.This makes Bagua distinct from Xing Yi and Taiji styles, both of which incorporate fist techniques.
Baguazhang’s movements imitate the Taoist symbol of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). Techniques are demonstrated while walking low in a static circle. The practice of circular walking has three intentions: 1) confuse the opponent, 2) exhaust the opponent, and 3) absorb natural chi evenly from all directions. The health benefits of this circle walking helps with the cultivation of chi. This practice helps ensure longtime practitioners are not only excellent fighters but also live extremely long lives.
Baguazhang is intended to be smooth and coordinated, with the body employed as a whole. No reliance is placed on using muscle power generated from a single portion of the body. The source of power in Baguazhang is the Dantian, or lower part of the abdomen two inches below the navel. The Dantian is considered to be the 'receptacle' for chi in the body.
Baguazhang has a heavy emphasis on coiling and uncoiling movements. This art helps develop the ability to rapidly change directions to evade the opponent while using the hands to distract the opponent from devastating kicks and throws. Long hours of practice condition the palms to penetrate flesh, grapple joints, and to violently disrupt the flow of chi.Tai Chi has been practiced in China for centuries as a martial art, as exercise, and as a means of improving the flow of internal energy within the body. In America, it is usually practiced as a form of meditation and exercise. Because of Tai Chi's emphasis on correct form and feeling each movement, it is practiced very slowly and gently. Completely non-impact, yet involving the entire body, Tai Chi promotes strength, stamina, and flexibility, while tempering the joints of practitioners. Because the whole body moves as one, Tai Chi cultivates the link between mind and body, enhancing balance and coordination. Practitioners develop confident ease of movement.
The Taoists felt that stagnation was the cause of disease and aging. Nature moves unceasingly, and movement prevents stagnation.
Tai Chi was developed as a martial art/movement and breathing system that exercised all the joints and major muscle groups while circulating the chi, the internal energy. It is this circulation of the chi that prevents or mitigates disease and debility.
As a martial art, Tai Chi uses the theory of "four ounces of strength against a ton of force" to repel the opponent without the need of force against force. Tai Chi uses the opponent’s own energy against him, while the Tai Chi practitioner exerts little or no force controlling the opponent. Where the opponent attacks, you become "insubstantial"; where the opponent is weak you attack.
Yang Style Tai Chi movements are slow, even, gentle, big and large. Yang Style is the most popular style of Tai Chi practiced around the world today. Continuity, without break or pause, is the key. The hand form is loose and open for the most part; fists are not clenched during punches. The Yang form develops softness and strength at the same time.In the art of Xing Yi there are two different training stages: the Twelve Animals and the Five Elements. The Five Elements are taught first and the Twelve Animals are integrated later for advanced students. The Five-Element system is further divided into two main branches, the He Bei and Shan Xi styles. CMA focuses on the Five-Element style.
The Five Element based systems have five basic forms: Splitting, Drilling, Crushing Pounding and Crossing; these Five Elements form the foundation of Xing Yi. The basic energies of the Five Elements are then expanded into Twelve Animal forms. Training in all systems centers on repetitive practice of single movements that are later combined into more complicated linked forms.
The direction of movement in Xing Yi forms is predominately linear. Practitioners walk through the forms coordinating the motions of their entire bodies into one focused motion. The arms are held in front of the body and the practitioner lines up his or her centerline with the opponent's centerline. A familiar adage of Xing Yi Quan is that "the hands do not leave the [area of] the heart and the elbows do not leave the ribs." There are few kicks in the style and the techniques are predominately percussive in nature. Great emphasis is 'placed upon the ability to generate power with the whole body and focus it into one pulse which is released in a sudden burst.
The techniques of Xing Yi are characteristically aggressive in nature and prizes economy of motion and the concept of simultaneous attack and defense. As the name implies, the form or shape of the movements is only a physical manifestation of one's internal state [intent]. A fundamental principle underlying all styles of Xing Yi Quan is that the mind controls and leads the movements of the body.Wing Chun is a Southern style of kung fu developed when several grandmasters of the Shaolin temple systemized the best parts of the Chinese martial arts, to form a martial art that was practical and faster to learn than the other styles. Wing Chun aims to deflect force in combat rather than meet force. Wing Chun uses a centre line theory that is based around attacking vital targets along a central line of the body. Two weapons are taught, the dragon pole and butterfly knives, which are used as a pair. Wing Chun also uses the wooden dummy to practice striking and blocking techniques. Wing Chun also uses a partner exercise called Chi Sao, where two partners practice various arm exercises together, to gain better reflexes and response to attacks.