Overview

Nicholas Yang doing a Long Fist jump-kick at a USAWKF tournament in 1997

Shaolin Long Fist: Long-range Northern Shaolin training
YMAA Boston – Boston, MA – July 26th and 27th, 2008

Long Fist (Changquan) is a very well-known external Northern style with a heavy focus on leg techniques, jumping and kicking. A proper foundation in Long Fist will serve to enhance any external martial arts training. It will also augment training in sparring strategies and reaction. In YMAA's regular training curriculum, Long Fist is emphasized for long-range fighting while White Crane is emphasized for short-range fighting. Learning both Northern and Southern styles complement each other and helps to maintain a balanced practice. This seminar will focus on basic Long Fist punching, kicking, and footwork. Lian Bu Quan (Linking-Stepping Sequence), one of the most popular Long Fist sequences originating from the Nanjing Central Guoshu Institute, will also be taught. There will be discussion and practice of martial applications.

Seminar/Workshop Program

The focus of this seminar will be Long Fist fundamentals. As with any martial art, properly learning the fundamentals will determine the rest of your practice. It is important to build good habits early on in the training process instead of trying to break bad ones later on. Be sure to practice regularly. Topics reviewed will include:

1. Stances
   Building proper leg strength, form, and body structure are absolutely essential to any martial style. Long Fist emphasizes low and long stances, maximizing range, conditioning the body, and building leg strength.
2. Footwork
   Footwork is important for maneuvering from place to place. It is important for adjusting distance to and from an opponent and will be a crucial element of sparring. All of the fundamental stances should be incorporated into footwork practice, ensuring proper rooting, balance, and control at all times. Footwork will include both stepping and hopping.
3. Hand Forms
   Various punches will be discussed and reviewed. We will also cover open hand strikes, blocking and sealing, and strategies for attack.
4. Kicking
   At YMAA, we initially train students in 5 basic kicks: toe kick, heel kick, ramble kick, external sweep, and internal sweep. They are kicks shared by many martial arts styles. We will emphasize proper rooting, power manifestation, and body structure. If time permits, we will review some additional kicks that are typical to Long Fist.
5. Jumping
   Jumping is an integral part of any Northern style. In Northern China, there are many open fields and riding on horseback was very common. It was only natural that many jumping techniques and jump-kicks were developed in the Long Fist system.
6. Lian Bu Quan
   Lian Bu Quan (Continuous/Linking Stepping Sequence) is a very traditional sequence originating from the Nanjing Central Guoshu Institute. Most of the techniques in the sequence can be effectively applied directly to sparring situations. Application of of all the techniques will be discussed and practiced.

Throughout the seminar, Long Fist training theory and proper ways of practice will be emphasized.

Who's Teaching?

YMAA instructors Nicholas Yang, George Dominguez, Aaron Damus and Ben Warner have all studied Long Fist with Dr. Yang for over 10 years and will be leading the seminar discussion and exercises.

Who Should Attend?

Everybody is welcome to attend this Long Fist seminar. Previous martial arts experience is a plus, but not required. Attendance is limited, so register soon. This seminar will benefit:

• Martial artists interested in learning Long Fist (Changquan), a Northern style that includes a lot of jumping, kicking, and legwork
• Experienced martial artists who are looking to develop a deeper understanding of Long Fist fundamental training
• Students who are new to martial arts and would like to try a popular style of Chinese Kung-Fu
• Students who wish to train and develop body flexibility, range of movement, and overall physical health

What Should I Bring?

There are no special requirements for this seminar. We recommend wearing loose practice clothing (T-shirt and pants) and a pair of indoor shoes unless you prefer training barefoot. Street shoes are not permitted on the training floor.

Make a Reservation

Click to Reserve!