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IT`S A WRAP!
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009 4:04PM / Members only
... just wrapped "IP MAN 2" with Donnie Yen & Sammo Hung...
... after 21 shooting days in Shanghai...
...will fly back to Germany tomorrow and update you all in my next blog...
... peace out, crew...
... this is what I look like in IP MAN 2... -
NEWS FLASH
Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 3:18AM / Members only
Yeah, I know... I haven't posted anything here in a long time. This is because nothing of great interest (at least to you guys out there, I guess) has happened in my life... in terms of my stunt career and all related topics. I got hit by a couple of exciting events in my private life, but that's another story and... well, private
.This career stagnation is due to a number of things. In Germany, we're dealing with a general depression in film business at present, which - naturally - affects the stunt industry, as well. In numbers, more than 70 movie projects scheduled for the upcoming year got canceled, owing to severe cuts in the government-funded promotion of the German film arts.
We're not in Hollywood, for sure. Of course, this situation sucks big time, and the majority of the German stunt people are sitting around on their butts, twiddling their thumbs.
The few guys that work in live stunt shows or on ongoing TV shows are a bit better off, but these jobs are scarce and competition is getting stiffer.
As a consequence, I'm planning on going back to Asia as soon as possible. The job situation in the flickers has always been much better for me over there. Hope dies last.
Whatever... I'm focusing on my training right now, still trying to improve my humble Wushu skills, and in this connection I've worked with Lara-Katrin Michalzik, an equestrian and horse trainer from Berlin. She's also into Wushu and martial arts and she invited me to a photo session a couple of weeks ago. And by the way... she's completely nuts
Anyway, I'm pleased to present you with the result of that shooting.
I hope you'll like it.
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FINAL THOUGHTS ON MODERN WUSHU TRAINING METHODS
Sunday, May 24, 2009 9:02PM / Members only
PART III
From what I’ve said so far, one might think that I’m against hard training in general... or Chinese Wushu training methods in particular. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love Wushu. I’ve dedicated a large chunk of my life to Chinese martial arts (almost 25 years so far, to be exact).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0MaPZ_7-as
Still one of my all-time favorite Wushu clips... luv it!
I’m not against hard training. Wushu is a demanding sport, and you have to break an egg to make an omelet. I’m against unintelligent and unprofitable training. In this regard, I’m a pragmatist. Life is short... and I don’t want to waste precious time with bullshit.LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
To make this absolutely clear: I’m not talking about the technical content of Wushu here. There is not the slightest doubt that the Chinese are (and always will be) the best in the world when it comes to that.
I’m talking conditioning exercises, endurance & core training, scientific stretching, injury prevention, workout structure... this kind of thing.
But enough of this banter. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. There are numerous exercises & workout concepts in Wushu that belong in the dustbin of martial arts history. A blog entry like this one can’t possibly cover everything, so let’s just focus on the bête noire of Wushu training here -- stretching. I’ll give you a concise list of the worst mistakes (all backed up by valid scientific studies):1. Performing static stretches (splits) before dynamic exercises (kicks & jumps)
This is still done in almost any and every Wushu training class on earth, although it has been proven that a fast, dynamic movement immediately after a static stretch significantly increases the chance of injuring the stretched muscles... the more strenuous the stretch the more likely the injury (Fowles & Shrier 2000). And yet, most Wushu coaches make their students hold the various split positions for as long as ten minutes during the warm-up part (!) of the workout and right before the jumping & kicking exercises. Jeeez!
2. Stretching with a partner
Like it or not, the popular practice of using partners in stretching is outdated & dangerous. The helper does not feel what you feel. If you feel pain and let your partner know about it, by the time he or she reacts, it can be too late. A partner in stretching can cause an injury. If you need someone's help in doing any stretches, you’re not ready for them. Period. If you apt for some kind of a training aid, it is much better to use a stretching rope (which leaves you in control) & go slowly and steadily.
3. Stretching ligaments
If a ligament is stretched more than six percent of its normal length, it tears. Stretching ligaments can be effectively applied only with children. In adults, an age-related rigidity of collagen fibers makes any attempts at elongating ligaments hazardous. When children stretch, their muscles do not contract as strongly as an adult's, and their softer ligaments can be stretched (Raczek 1991). By the way, there’s no need to stretch ligaments to perform even the most spectacular gymnastic or Wushu techniques. The normal range of motion is sufficient. Stretching ligaments leads to loose-jointedness – picture a worn rubber band -- and may cause osteoarthritis (Beighton 1983). One can have tight ligaments and good muscle flexibility or loose ligaments and poor muscle flexibility (Krivickas & Feinberg 1996). So, if you need to stretch anything, then it’s muscle tissue. Leave your poor tendons alone.
4. Doing ballistic stretches
Sadly, ballistic stretches are still part and parcel of the average Wushu class. With repeated bobbing, bouncing, or jerky movements, the momentum of a fast-moving body or a limb is used here to forcibly increase the range of motion. Obviously, ballistic movement cannot be adjusted or corrected once started. Ballistic stretches tend to result in “minute injury to soft tissue involved in the stretching”, which following exercises may aggravate “to the point of serious muscle damage” (Logan & Egstrom 1961).
SO, HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO STRETCH, THEN?
Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Rule of thumb: dynamic stretches (e.g. leg raises in all directions) after a basic warm-up and before the main part of the workout, static stretches (e.g. front-, side splits) at the end of the workout. No bobbing. No partner. Savvy? And please, keep in mind:
You cannot train an adult the same way you train a kid!
Example: I received an e-mail the other day from a young woman I know. She’s been a versatile athlete, successful equestrian & Wushu/Taiji practitioner for many years. She’s flexible enough, too (no problem with the splits and all), and she’s 29. So far, so good. In her e-mail she complained about a familiar problem: a little while ago, she joined the class of a Wushu instructor who happens to be pretty well-known around here. During the training sessions that coach had constantly & forcibly been trying to make her forehead touch her toes (a common exercise done by Wushu & Chinese opera kids in China).
Coaches -- however vast their technical knowledge of Wushu may be -- who do this kind of thing to adults haven’t got the faintest idea of human anatomy, not to mention the science of modern sports training.
The actual usefulness of this particular exercise aside, to accomplish such a feat, not only age, but also the torso-leg ratio plays a vital role. The shorter your legs in relation to your upper body, the easier this exercise. Many world-class ballet dancers, for instance, have short upper bodies and long legs. Those guys are limber mothers, bro... but most of them couldn’t put their toes against their noses or their chins, if their lives depended on it. Their legs are simply TOO LONG! The assumption that with a hard enough training regimen and enough bouncing and jerking ANYBODY (i.e. ANY BODY) ought to be able to pull off this little stunt at some point is just plain silly.
Genetics, remember?
Long-legged girls with short torsos...
Needless to say, that the young woman left the Wushu class after 2 months.... in pain, frustrated, and almost at the point of giving martial arts up entirely. Good job, Coach!Luckily, that girl was smart enough to realize that her instructor had asked for the impossible.
Impossible is nothing? I’m afraid quite a few things are just that...Bottom line: By using a proper stretching technique, you can easily achieve the same results (within your genetic limits) as with the so-called “traditional” methods... minus the injuries.
Relax, I’m not going to elaborate on these techniques in detail here. I’d just like to offer some food for thought, that’s all. There are lots of great websites & books on this topic around. Feel free to drop me a line, if you’re looking for a list of recommendations.
A WORD ON FATIGUEFatigue is the flossy term for overtraining. It is another problem still widely ignored by professional Wushu coaches. Let’s make no mistake about it: OVERTRAINING IS THE ENEMY! Why?
Most training injuries are induced or directly caused by overtraining/fatigue. That’s why.
Strangely enough, there are a few die-hards that insist that there is no such thing as overtraining and, indeed, you don’t seem to have this problem with kids at all (different metaboslim). Some exercise gurus go as far as to say that there is no overtraining, only undereating. Ha! This is ludicrous, and the data tell a whole different story. But they still could be on to something. The actual problem may not be too much training, but too little recovery.
The unpleasant result, however, remains the same.
Once you’ve blown out 25 candles on your birthday cake, recovery becomes of growing importance. The older we get, the more carefully we need to plan our training sessions.... and the rest periods between them.
WHAT MAKES YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO?
I’ve heard from students: “Wow, this Chinese dude had me do this murderous 8-hour workout. I could hardly walk for a week. Fuckin’ A, man...”
Well, big deal. ANYONE can concoct a crazy training program that’s going to make you sore for days. That’s easy! I could just let you perform 100 squats with a barbell twice your body weight, followed by 5 sets of 100 jumping front kicks and have you do the chicken dance 10 times after that.
Will you be sore the following day? You bet. Will your jumping technique improve in the long run? You wish.Wushu success comes with hard, regular, and consistent training (talent & dedication provided). That’s all there is to it.
Martial artists tend to be full of macho shit (I’m no exception to this rule, I’m ashamed to admit), so we seem to have a penchant for the old “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” baloney. Maybe that’s because Wushu guys are confused. Trapped somewhere between tradition and modernity... athletes playing warriors. Dude, we want to be cool so bad.
Unfortunately, it seems that prudence isn’t widely looked upon as cool.
Well... and then again, stupidity isn’t, either.
Train smart.
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MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS ON MODERN WUSHU TRAINING METHODS
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:47PM / Members only
PART II
Okay, last time I mulled over the question why some of the training methods & exercises used in modern competitive Wushu are more often than not diametrically opposed to the latest empirical findings of sports science. Why the hell do I seem to be the only guy who finds this noteworthy? Nobody in Wushu seems to show the slightest inclination to call at least the very worst of these methods into question... not even after winding up on the operating table.
It’s kind of tragic that the most passionate athletes are often the least informed.WHAT MAKES A CHAMP A CHAMP... (AND A CHUMP A CHUMP)?
Before I’m going to single out specific no-go exercises & highly counterproductive workout concepts, I think I need to give an explanation why -- superficially speaking -- they seem to work so well:
In China, where most of the Wushu training methods I’m talking about originate from, the situation is quite unique.
Above all, the country has a virtually infinite supply of people learning Wushu. One Chinese top coach told me straight out that because of this there is no point in catering for the specific needs of the individual student. If one kid can’t cope with the training regimen, who cares? There’ll always be another one who can. Simple as that. Well, this doesn’t come as such a big surprise... I think it’s safe to say that the individual as such has never been too important in Chinese society.
If there’s one thing to be said for those sledgehammer workouts, they are a sure-fire method to separate the wheat from the chaff. And if you’re into the old Spartan only-the-strong-shall-survive thing... boy, this is the method for you.
Can ya stomach THIS, sissy-boy?!
But I fear the main problem is that many Wushu coaches simply don’t have a clue how to teach adults. They just teach you they same way they were taught when they were kids -- when joints & ligaments were still soft and flexible... and you just could get away with a lot of overstress & abuse (because of a child’s far superior energy metabolism).
You know... for kids.
Many Wushu training principles derive directly from Chinese opera or traditional acrobatics, where training usually starts at the age of six or seven. Chen Kaige’s „Farewell My Concubine“ 霸王别姬 and Alex Law’s “Painted Faces” 七小福 show in great detail some of the standard training methods at such schools. Do this to a twenty-something guy without a history in training gymnastics or martial arts and you’re likely to have that fellow crippled before you can say: “Relax! This is gonna hurt a little...”
End of story.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_dkqiQSOj0
This is a short clip from "Red Trousers" 红裤子, a cool documentary about Hong Kong stuntmen. This particular clip makes the correlation between training methods in Wushu & Chinese opera quite clear
Of course, one could argue that it makes no sense for a teenager or a young adult to take up competitive Wushu, anyway. “23?! You’re too old, buster. How ‘bout a little Qigong in the park?” Well, that’s the easy way out, Shifu. But I’m not going to let this go unchallenged.
If your coach tells you you're too old for Wushu, you can always join THEM...
I claim that the key to Wushu success in China is: the vast supply of athletic talent, the young age when beginning a career in sports, and -- most importantly -- favorable genetics.
The training methods, on the other hand, leave ample room for improvement.
THE ROLE OF GENETICS – ARE YOU CHAMPION MATERIAL... AND IF SO, WHY NOT?There are many misconceptions about the role genetics play in sports. Lots of athletes still refuse to face the fact: their set of genes are the single most important factor in the game. Some scientists insist that genetics count for as much as 90% of an athlete’s success. Although such a number is hard to verify, it’s no question that genetics determine to an extremely great extent whether an athlete will reach the top in his sport or not. And what’s more, they determine in which sport you are likely to succeed and in which you are likely to fail.
Genetic factors are primarily responsible for variations in tolerance, responsiveness, and the overall outcomes of training.
You still need to train. But once (proper) training enjoys the status it actually deserves in our equation, we’re going to be able to tell the facts from the bullshit much easier... am I lecturing? Oh shit, I am lecturing!
Duh, never mind.
Example: Most people think that swimming (i.e. a competitive swim training regimen) will give the athlete (any athlete) that typical swimmer’s look the chicks dig so much – broad shoulders, a huge chest and narrow hips. Just like Michael Phelps, right?
Michael Phelps's physique - good for swimmin', bad for Sumo.
Sorry, crooked thinking again. Michael Phelps became a world-champion because he was blessed with broad shoulders, a huge chest and narrow hips in the first place... not the other way round. Owing to his advantageous genetic outfit for this particular sport he ended up a swimmer... and not a weight lifter or a jockey.
Some short dude with narrow shoulders, a chicken breast and the hips of a rhino may do the breaststroke up and down the pool until his arms fall off, but this will not change the unfavorable bone-structure he inherited from his parents one bit.
We need to understand at this point, that willpower as such -- although no contender for Wushu honors can do without it -- has been largely overrated. I, too, wish it were not so.
And yet, I’m convinced there’s a great deal you can achieve and improve within your God-given limits. A GREAT deal. You won’t find out until you’ve tried. Just be realistic about it. No training scheme in the world can turn a Danny DeVito into an Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Apart from their anatomical advantages, the genetically gifted have above-average energy & strength resources (based on heart- and lung volume, fast- and slow twitch muscle fiber ratio, testosterone levels, etc.) and superior recovery abilities that help them survive even the most lunatic training programs and physical assaults of sadistic coaches.
That, by implication, doesn’t mean that most if not all of these top athletes couldn’t have reached their peak condition and athletic prime much sooner and much easier through a scientifically based training (or simply common sense). They even would -- in all probability -- be able to maintain their champion level for a longer and largely injury-free period of time.So, again... why on earth would a sane, health-conscious amateur athlete of average or slightly above-average genetic make-up try to copy an outlandish training system designed by some clue- and conscienceless old sweat for very young, near-indestructible, super-gifted, and sometimes drug-enhanced genetic freaks in an unforgiving, highly selective pro sports environment? A system that sure as shit will result in gross overtraining for him at best, with all the havoc this wreaks on the average body (and mind)?
We can only guess.
(To be continued...)
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RANDOM THOUGHTS ON MODERN WUSHU TRAINING METHODS
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 8:11AM / Members only
PART I
Most visitors of my blog will probably know that I’m also working as a Wushu coach here in Germany.
Because of this side job, I get confronted with one particular topic almost on a daily basis, and it’s gotten to a point where I’m just a hair’s breadth away from losing my famous North German cool.
I’ve been talking myself blue in the face on this topic (my poor students can tell you a thing or two about it), but I still get those doubting looks from otherwise quite intelligent and reasonable folks... which, to be perfectly honest, drives me nuts!
That's my Wushu class... on a good day
Yeah, I’m talking about some of the training methods common in modern Chinese Wushu. Methods that are about as modern as The Witches’ Hammer and are nonetheless still in practice in Wushu training centers across China (and are thus mindlessly copied by eager martial arts students of all ages, nationalities and training levels all over the world).The things I’ve seen... the horror... the horror...!
COMPETITIVE WUSHU TRAINING – UP TO DATE OR HOPELESSLY DATED?I know a lot of people will hate me for saying this. Nobody likes to hear: “Hey, dawg... what you been doin’ for the past 10 years been nothin’ but a load of major bullshit. You coulda achieved the same or better results with much less toil, less injuries and less negative impact on your health.”
Nobody likes to hear that.
It’s hard to admit a mistake, man.
I’m no exception there.
"Hey, gramps! What you've been doing for the past 65 years has been nothing but... uh, forget it!"
As a coach, however, I have the friggin’ responsibility for my students. It’s my goddam duty to get them the best training program available, up to the latest standards in modern science of sport. Shoot me for it.
And yet, watching any given Wushu training class anywhere on this planet makes you wonder if those coaches and athletes have actually ever heard of the latest perceptions in modern sports medicine at all. And if they have, do they give a damn?
Training methods and exercises debunked as health-hazardous and counterproductive -- and therefore trashed by sports scientists decades ago -- are still in use in the average Wushu gym as if time hadn’t moved on since the 36 Chambers of Shaolin.It’s fairly easy to see why a chief coach of a professional, government-funded sports squad in a country like Russia or Mainland China doesn’t get all weepy when it comes to the welfare of his wards. No-brainer. “So you busted your cruciate ligaments, champ? Err, tough tittie... but there’s about 20 athletes waiting in line for your place in the team. Have a nice life and shut the door on the way out!”
Why a sophisticated and committed sports instructor (and let’s make no mistake about it: modern competitive Wushu is a sport, just as much as gymnastics or figure skating) with free access to the Internet or the public library keeps clinging to these prehistoric torture... pardon, training methods ... frankly, that’s beyond me.
Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uXxI1s4J3o
If Wushu is just a hobby for you, don't try this at home!
ACTING AGAINST ONE’S BETTER JUDGMENT – A HUMAN TRAITThe way I see it, there are two major forms of stupidity. The first one is simply a lack of knowledge due to insufficient information. In other words: “I screwed up, cuz I didn’t know any better.”
The second option is far worse and much harder to forgive. It’s when the information is actually available, but – for some reason -- we choose to ignore it.
In modern Wushu training we are mostly dealing with the latter.I know what you’re going to say (I get to hear it from my students all the time): If those well-tried, time-honored martial arts training methods are that bad, why have they produced all those world-class champions?
This is a prime example of crooked thinking. Let me ask you a few questions in return:1. Just because something works (for some people in some situations), does this automatically mean that something else won’t work just as well? Or even better?
2. How much of their success do top athletes really owe directly to the often bizarre training methods imposed on them? Can you number that? Is there empirical data to back it up?
3. If the training method is not the decisive factor regards their athletic performance ... what is?After tracking the available info on these questions for many years, I can’t help suspecting: Most top athletes are at the top DESPITE their training methods rather than BECAUSE OF them.
Plus, for every success story, there are thousands of others who fall by the wayside – but those are never mentioned, naturally.
Fruitful training or useless torture?
I’m not saying those musty Communist-block training systems don’t work. They do... for a small percentage of prepubescent, genetically super-gifted kids. I’m simply saying that today we have way better methods. Methods that work for everyone. And then some.
Just look around. Most professional coaches and athletes in other sports – even martial arts -- have already employed them. But for reasons unknown to the world of sports, Wushu coaches (and students) are still hemming and hawing.I have a hunch what those reasons might be, but I'm not sure whether it's a wise strategy to go to deep into that. That'd be like opening a can of worms, bro...
Anyway, next time I’m going to take a closer look at the vital factors that actually make a champ a champ. Moreover, I will point out the gravest & most dangerous mistakes of “modern” Wushu training and make suggestions how to avoid them by implementing a few simple but effective modifications.
Stay with me, folks... why should I suffer alone?
Stats
- My athletic background as a stunt actor is firmly rooted in the sport of Chinese Wushu (Old School, as it's now called)...
- Occupation: Actor , Martial arts , Stuntman
- Gender: Male
- Total visits: 81,949
