Sifu Thai

This was captured during Bryan’s lesson. It’s been a while since I’ve gone through this form at full speed. From the audio, you can tell I was a little short of breath towards the end. My legs started to get heavy during the mantis hop. I need to practice more and regain my strength and endurance. 💪

I think it’d be cool to create another video breaking down the form in slow motion, judging each technique for others to learn.

I’m also impressed with Bryan’s camera work. He’s a budding photographer so I should expect him to hold the camera steady but from previous experience, most people don’t have the attention span to keep the subject in focus and composed in the frame correctly. Kudos Bryan!

馬步 [Ma Bu] Horse Stance

An isometric exercise to develop leg strength, especially the connective tissues of the tendons, ligaments, and fascia. Kicks to the knees are common, therefore must be trained to withstand repeated blows.

If you’re injured, you’re not training.

Duration is the key. Connective tissues are much stronger than muscles. When holding the stance, our muscles tend to give up before the benefits of training the connective tissues are gained. Mental strength is crucial. Yes, practicing the horse stance is a great way to develop discipline.

As portrayed in Kung Fu cinema, it’s often the reason old-school masters would only accept students after they can hold the stance to their criteria. In my opinion, if you can’t hold a horse stance for 1 minute, you’re limited in how hard you can train.

My progression list:

1. Attain proper breathing technique
2. Attain proper posture, depth & width 
3. Attain 1 minute duration
4. Attain 3 minute duration
5. Attain 5 minute duration
6. Set Personal Records (PR)

Ultimate goal: TENDONS OF STEEL

P.S. There are many benefits to Ma Bu that will be explored in other posts. I’m currently in the research/writing stage for a future Horse Stance YouTube video.

What are the benefits you see from Horse Stance training? How do you train your horse stance? Comment below and I might use it in the YouTube video.

#kungfu #kungfutraining #stances #stancetraining #horsestance #mabu #馬步

I recorded a training session with my long-time student Bryan Brunstad. He moved away for a while and recently made his way back to Orange County. We’ve resumed his studies working on removing the rust and getting him back to kung fu shape. He’s also grown tremendously in his photography skills and I enjoy seeing him grow into the respectful, dorky, young adult he’s become. In this session, we worked on learning 柔靈掌 [Soft Agile Palm]. There were a few mistakes that we caught later. The 7 Star Praying Mantis Masters under Lee Kam Wing will spot them immediately. 🤦🏻‍♂️ My bad. We also worked on 梅梅花⼦子午單⼑刀 [Plum Blossom Meridian Single Broadsword] and 五郎⼋八卦棍 [5th Son 8 Diagram Staff]. I hope you guys enjoy the format of this YouTube video.

Here’s a quick tutorial on the last road of 5th Meridian Sword. I like to begin teaching a form with the last road first. There’s a special moment when learning a new form where you reach a point and say “I know this part!” and your body just moves.

I believe that if you clearly define your destination, the journey becomes easier to navigate and more rewarding.

I officially signed up for Amazon’s affiliate program. The doors are now open for weapon reviews, training equipment, and even filmmaking equipment if you guys want to know how I shoot these videos. 

Here’s my first affiliate link: https://amzn.to/2ULhJNm

Yes, it’s for Hot Pockets. 😆

Hot Pockets were huge for me in college. Well, childhood too. My parents were often on business trips so we had a freezer loaded with Hot Pockets, Stouffer’s, and Hungry Man microwave dinners. You’ll just have to watch the video if you want to know how Hot Pockets have anything to do with the 7 Star Punch. 

For people who know me, it fits right in with my sense of humor. I try not to take things too seriously. Shawnie and I have been through our fair share of traumatic events so we’ve learned to reserve our serious attention for things that actually matter. 

This is all new to me so I want to thank anyone who’s reading this. All of this is to propagate the art that gave so much to me. It’s my duty to give back what God gave to me. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of our life. 

-Sifu Dong Thai