Greg Newton
01-21-2012, 10:06 AM
I've a series of videotapes John McSweeney did back in the early eighties for a TV show in the Chicago area. It is all simple and practical stuff and based on human movement patterns. One of the things he taught was Kung Fu Windmills.
According to McSweeney, who trained with Jimmy Wu back in the sixties when he was collaborating with Ed Parker, windmills were a very basic training tool that few understood. To do a windmill you stand in a horse riding stance and keeping your palms open, roll up and outward as if deflecting a punch or grab. You alternate arms in a continuous motion like a windmill. To do the inward windmills you reverse direction and parry aside that imaginary punch or grab.
If you've ever seen the original Karate Kid, this is similar to the blocks Ralph Macchio was practicing in the boat, EXCEPT he was doing them linear, whereas you want to block in circular pattern. A circular block or parry deflects the energy of a punch as opposed to meeting strength with strength.
McSweeney said that practicing the windmills not only enabled you to parry and block, but it also started the motion for the circular strikes he taught.
Since I mentioned Ralph Macchio and the original Karate Kid, anyone remember the Lipton Brisk Dojo commercial with the claymation puppets featuring Karate Kid, Bruce Lee, and Arnold (Mr. Miyagi) from Happy Days?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG3f9T92KsU
According to McSweeney, who trained with Jimmy Wu back in the sixties when he was collaborating with Ed Parker, windmills were a very basic training tool that few understood. To do a windmill you stand in a horse riding stance and keeping your palms open, roll up and outward as if deflecting a punch or grab. You alternate arms in a continuous motion like a windmill. To do the inward windmills you reverse direction and parry aside that imaginary punch or grab.
If you've ever seen the original Karate Kid, this is similar to the blocks Ralph Macchio was practicing in the boat, EXCEPT he was doing them linear, whereas you want to block in circular pattern. A circular block or parry deflects the energy of a punch as opposed to meeting strength with strength.
McSweeney said that practicing the windmills not only enabled you to parry and block, but it also started the motion for the circular strikes he taught.
Since I mentioned Ralph Macchio and the original Karate Kid, anyone remember the Lipton Brisk Dojo commercial with the claymation puppets featuring Karate Kid, Bruce Lee, and Arnold (Mr. Miyagi) from Happy Days?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG3f9T92KsU