If you mean speaking, pretty. Reading not so much but it helps.
Unfortunately, my Cantonese is CMA oriented only.
__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)
Originally
Posted By: Unkotare
Important for your training?
”
Yeah... beides myriad of argueable reasons, our GM is a native Cantonese speaker & has found over 40+ of teaching, it's easier to have us learn the names of the techniques in Cantonese than he try to adapt a English equivilent. I mean after all... it's a CMA. Why fix what ain't broken?
He says "Chaap Choi", we all know what he means rather than school "A" going by this term, "B" by this term, etc... Chaap Choi is Chaap Choi.
__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)
Technique commands, names of sets and counting reps are all in Cantonese for the same reasons as above. Unfortunately the acupuncture school uses Mandarin for all the herbs etc., yet all the herb shops here are Cantonese.
So i'm trying to learn the characters for the most relevant things.....
Any comments on Wade-Giles vs Pinyin???
__________________
"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought the fool, than to open it and prove it so." KungFuTze
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." T. Geisel
Originally
Posted By: bobblehead
Technique commands, names of sets and counting reps are all in Cantonese for the same reasons as above. Unfortunately the acupuncture school uses Mandarin for all the herbs etc., yet all the herb shops here are Cantonese.
So i'm trying to learn the characters for the most relevant things.....
Any comments on Wade-Giles vs Pinyin???
”
Yep to all...
Pinyin is easier I think for Mandarin, but Cantonese I like W/G because it can notate the tones a little better than Pinyin (at least my perception).
Bahk Mei = White Eyebrow Bak Siu Lum = Northern Shoalin
Bak Choy = Cabbage-y veggie that's good with garlic sauce
Chaap Choih = Stabbing Punch
At least in my simple brain it works that way for me...
__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)
My teachers run a fairly large 'commercial' school, teaching both french and english kids (as this is quebec) but their french isn't so good. so primarily, they teach in english, senior students translate in french, and the students learn the canto versions for themselves as they progress... But we don't harp on it. Plus the vocab is easier in english: It's just much easier for everyone to know what a "roundhouse kick" is rather than "coup de pied circulaire".
As for Pinyin (once you know it) it is a vast improvement over W/G or Yale romanization, but of course it only works on Mandarin, which is a whole lot simpler than cantonese... and for us, since we're a southern style, it's all cantonese, anyway.
__________________
What is the sound of one hand clawing? -- chanh buddhist proverb
Last edited by mok; January 21st, 2008 at 10:29 AM.
My Barcelona dialect Spanish is practically non-existant & my Castillian needs work. I don't understand a lot of what this guy is saying.
I do understand exactly what he says when he calls a technique name (chap choy, gwa choy, etc...) & his body motion explains enough of what I'm not getting linguistically to me. I could go to his class in Barcelona & survive reasonably well.
__________________
Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
********
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)
I wouldnt say its important to understand or use the names of the moves but i do think it helps in terms of training. For example, in lung ying theres a few techiniques.
Kup Cheung- cover and palm
Boi Gim- block and reverse hammer fist
Cau Pek- grab and hammer fist
Now knowing KUP means to 'suck' in canto it helps the pracitioner to know that the motion of the palm should have a sucking motion backwards after it has made contact.
Same goes with BOI GIM. BOI in canto is the 'rear end, or back' and GIM 'sword'.. so when you do the boi gim you can imagine holding a typical chinese sword and smashing the knob into your opponents face.
CAU PEK- CAU in canto can be 'mix, twirl' and PEK means to 'chop'. So during the techinique you twirl your hand in a circular motion to hammer fist your opponent.
So yeah, i dont think its an essential to understand the meaning of each word. But it does help you do the technique and understand it better.
I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893
