Shaolin in CT

[shaolin_animal]

Hello,
I am a new member of this site, and I noticed looking at some past messages that there seem to be alot of people that practice Shaolin Kung fu in Connecticut, that can't get to a good school. I have the same problem. Unfournately I have studied alot from books. I realize that this is a bad way to learn, but maybe people that don't have teachers, and have to study on their own could put their advice and ideas on this page for the best way to learn. I try to memorize the form and applications from these books, and practice them each several times a day. I also do alot of training techniques suggested by these books. Every now and then I go back and try to look for things to correct in my practice of the form. Does anyone else have advice on practicing by yourself?

[daodejing]

Stancework. And find a buddy who's studied enough martial arts that they can correct your stance and posture. Its essential to the foundation.

The other thing, which in my opinion, is essential to the foundation, is falling. But its hard to learn that properly without a teacher.

Also, maestro made a thread about new or origninal training methods, theres some good stuff in there.

[Swordless]

I always found it very difficult to learn from books, because I look at the forms and think, 'Okay, here's posture#1, then here's the next posture, but how do you get from one to the other?' Without being able to see the entire movement, it's hard to tell whether you are flowing through the form correctly.

Nowadays there are some cheap instructional VCD's and DVD's available via internet, on ebay I think, but other places as well. That might be a better option than books alone.

[JamesC]

Just thought I would recommend someone. Try the Wing Lam branch out there in CT. The school is run by a very talented instructor of Sifu Wing Lam's. I know that the he teaches Hung Gar and possibly Bak Sil Lum. Check him out, he is definitely worth it.

Just in case you have heard of the series Kwoon, the instructor is O, or Subitai from that series. He's very good.