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| Excerpted from Stephan
Berwick's "The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". Appearing in the
June issue of Kung Fu Qigong Magazine |
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| 1. Turn your basic movements - regardless of style - into
perfect jewels. If you accomplish this, you’ll have a good chance of
becoming an advanced practitioner sooner than you may expect. Like good
WuShu or even western boxing, extreme basic training is the only real secret
for excellence. |
| 2. Train your body athletically. Probably the most lacking
aspect of modern practitioners, your overall physical condition, regardless
of style - internal or external - is crucial to sustain long periods of
often painful training. |
| 3. Emphasize "fa jing" in your techniques. Top Western
boxers exhibit fa jing as much as top Asian martial artists. Start with
traditional Chinese styles to learn this crucial use of energy. |
| 4. Strive for versatility and a wide exposure to different
disciplines. After some years developing a specialty, force yourself to
obtain at least intermediate skill in a few other styles completely
different from yours. |
| 5. Train for both combat and beauty of movement. Contrary
to popular belief, a serious practitioner can achieve excellent fighting
ability while looking fantastic. Always remember that top western boxers are
as engaging to watch as contemporary WuShu athletes. Don’t be scared of one
or the other. |
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| Author's Byline: Stephan Berwick is a
Washington, DC based martial artist who was mentored by Bow Sim Mark and
studied under Zhao Chang Jun and Bai Wenxiang in China with Donnie Yen.
After working in Hong Kong films for two years for Yuen Wo Ping, he became a
disciple of Chen Taiji Master Ren Guang Yi. Mr. Berwick can be reached at
stefanb@erols.com or at 703-820-4319. |
