siu lum fundamentals...

[mysteri]

i'm curious as to what you all feel are the fundamental martial practices one should train as a siu lum exponent. in jow ga, we do very basic stance work, breathing,strikes, kicks, and kum la all within the first two years of one's training. i think horse stance training is very important as it sets the foundation for the rest of one's martial path. it is an over-looked practice as many of us(myself included) sometimes become too lackadaisical and impatient to steadfastly train this skill. its not till a few years after trainin that i actually now understand and appreciate the value of proper and steadfast horse training. its the perfect way to progressively temper ur body, mind and spirit, over a long period of time. much is to be learned about oneself during such training and the benefit is for those who dare to venture. what do u all think? conjuring thoughts...

[Cang Long]

Mysteri,
Thinking about your question one way to answer it would be to say that Shaolin science and more specifically in this case Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen is best applied after thorough and exhaustive steps of moving to the points of a triangle and those points would consist of Philoshophy, Methodolgy and Comprehension. Once again in this particular case the Philosophy and methodology contained inside are referred to as Samm Mo Kiu and this must be experienced to gain the greastest posible advantage to the insight it can provide the practitioner to apply the principle knowledge of what is taught.

Also something from the museum to better answer your question might be:

According to the research of the Ving Tsun Museum as stated by Master Meng:

"What is Shaolin? Before looking at the technical expression of a martial art, you have to understand the essense of Shaolin in the first place.

I. Three Treasures of Shaolin
A. Chan
B. Martial Arts
C. Health

For a martial art to be Shaolin, it has to address all three treasures of Shaolin. Each of these treasures can be broken down:

A. Three Treasures of Chan (Also refered to as the three refuges)
1. Buddha (Master)
2. Dharma (Teaching, doctrines)
3. Sangha (family/community)

B. Three Treasures of Shaolin Martial Arts
1. Gong Fa (Specialized Skill)
2. Tao Lu (Sets/ patterns)
3. Ge Dou (Fighting)

C. Three Treasures of Health
1. Essence (Jing)
2. Energy (Qi)
3. Spirit (Shen)"

This may only be part of the answer you were looking for but I hope it's a start.

Lastly if you haven't already might I suggest reading Mastering Kung Fu featuring Shaolin Wing Chun

[mysteri]

thanx for the reference cang long. i've read that before, very helpful.