Eagle Claw Master

[drunken boxer]

Well I didn't ask all these questions to Sifu on the course because mostly there was no need. And there were better questions and answers asked at the end of the course! If we ask Sifu Anthony Spinicchia nicely something tells me he may be able to remind us of a lot of them in due course.
(I'll try and say what I remember of them on the other Eagle Claw thread).

So:

1. Will it be possible to specialise in for example eagle claw the wya people do with monkey etc?

2. I practice Shaolin Kungfu from Sifu. I also practice Taijiquan and Xingyiquan from my other school, with Sifu's blessing and encouragement.
Taijiquan and Xingyiquan are closely linked. I believe Eagle Claw and Shaolin are closely linked.
Eagle Claw and Xingyiquan are definitely linked.
Would then Eagle Claw be an ideal art to train skills that would benefit both my Shaolin and my Taijiquan/Xingyiquan training?

3. Did the Eagle Claw practitioners of old have specific methods of developing force? If so would we learn/use these or would we simply use our Golden Bridge and One Finger Shooting Zen,

4. Soon the amount of 'other' arts that Sifu has taught will include:
Taijiquan, Tan Tui, Eagle Claw, Wing Chun.
Does sifu have plans to teach any other arts for example Baguazhang or Praying Mantis?

5. I believe, based on my own direct experience, that it can be beneficial for a Wahnam student to attend other kungfu schools some times, particularly if they do no live near a Wahnam school, or a any Wahnam brethren to train with. When I was in this position I went to a couple of schools, only the ones who had combat efficiency and who used kungfu in their combat (not kickboxing). In these classes I found the partner work useful but I also felt the chi coursing through me as I did the patterns, because they were genuine kungfu patterns. Even though I suspect the other members in class did not feel this, or if so to a much lesser degree after a long time practising. I believe it is not only safe/ok but beneficial for some of us to attend such classes, am I correct?

1. This was answered beforehand when I asked the instructors in the London class, Nick and Martin - they said that specialising in something meant focusing on it and practising it a lot, so of course its possible to specialise in Eagle Claw.

2. After I wrote it I thought this one was so obvious, of course learning Eagle Claw from Sifu will benefit the practise of Taijiquan, and any other art and this was confirmed by Marcus Siheng and the quote from Sifu.

3. Yes Sifu said that Horse Stance training would have been the preferred method for force training in Eagle Claw, even though San Ti and 3-Circle Stance are favoured in Xingyi. He also showed us a marvelous force training set performed in Horse Stance with Eagle Claw movements, a little bit like One Finger Shooting Zen - I'm sure there will be videos of this soon, check them out!

4. Sifu said he may teach one or two other specialised arts like this in future, though which ones and when I don't think is confirmed yet and I wouldn't like to say more, the announcements will be appear in good time when it happens I'm sure.

5. I realised that this question is not really relevant to me as I am not in this situation any more, happily I now have the privelege of training with the London class every week, thanks guys! For those who are in the situation, Marcus Siheng has already given a very nice answer I think!

I have made a new thread to discuss one particular set of topics that are very close to my own heart regarding Eagle Claw and what Sifu said about them here:

http://www.wongkiewkit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8676

[Jonny Say]

Thanks for sharing Paul, I can't wait to see the Eagle Claw "version" of One Finger Zen you mentioned.

All the best from Scotland