A brief outline of the adult programs taught at CSA.
- Southern Shaolin / Hakka Gung Fu
- Tai Chi Chuan
The Southern Shaolin and Hakka martial arts studied at Countryside arts are famous for “lightning hands”- sudden or explosive movements that disappear as quickly as they appear. Combined with a relentless forward pressure designed to overwhelm and pierce through the opponent, these arts are especially valuable for self protection as well as self cultivation.
Unlike styles that emphasize passive defense ( point sparring) or other sport oriented goals, these methods operate foremost on the experiences that prove a fiercely aggressive, high-precision offense is the absolute best form of self defense.
Regardless of which path you train, mantis or white eyebrow, you are guaranteed nothing short of a deeply engaging practice. True understanding comes from pressure and these classes will help you build this awareness.
We understand that technical training leads to tactical fighting. This assurance allows for steady living.
Short & Sweet Selling Points of Hakka Fist.
- Explosive “Startle Power” (Geing Jak Ging): It trains your body’s natural, hardwired reflexes—like the sudden twitch you make when touching something hot—and channels that involuntary speed into devastating, high-velocity, targeted strikes.
- Simultaneous Attack & Defense: You don’t block and then strike. We rely on efficient, overlapping movements that intercept an opponent’s attack while delivering a counter-blow at the exact same moment.
- Acupuncture boxing: A specialized technique of precision and conditioning, where the fingers and individual finger knuckles (Phoenix eye fist) act like needles by concentrating force onto a single point to penetrate vital anatomical targets and nerve centers.
- The Four Pillars to express the many methods (Float, Sink, Swallow, Spit): These systems coordinates your breathing, spine compression, and core expansion to generate massive, whip-like force from a short distance without needing a massive wind-up. Good gung fu acts suddenly not by just relying on being fast and brutish but through calculated aggression.
- Ruthless Efficiency: Built entirely for practical combat, it strips away flashy, theatrical movements in favor of direct, short-to-medium-range strikes aimed at vulnerable areas. Even when “playing” these arts are naturally aggressive.
- Strength in structure: Forged by a dedicated strength training program, the southern boxer develops iron bones, deep muscle-tendon power and body coordination. You will engage specialized calisthenics,weight training and mobility- both as solo and partnered exercises.
- Classical weapons: Southern Mantis and Pak Mei both maintain a strong pole curriculum, flaunting several well preserved historical training modalities. Both arts also use bladed weapons such as butterfly knives, straight sword and certain sabers. There are more unique weapons particularly within Pak Mei, like the tigers fork, guando, tonfa etc.
Alongside the Hakka Methods we also preserve Yang Family Tai Chi, both courtyard and the hidden fist family methods.
The most widely practiced (and misunderstood) martial art in the world, founded in the 19th century by Yang Luchan—nicknamed “Yang the Invincible.” Taichi doesn’t not have its roots in New age hope. Yes, taichi is famous globally for its profound health and rehabilitation benefits, the more complete traditional family system is a highly sophisticated and martially effective internal combat art; if practiced correctly. Infact good taichi should resemble it’s older cousin, the bamboo forest temple southern mantis system. While Juk Lum Southern Praying Mantis appears to be blisteringly aggressive and Taiji Chuan seems deceptively unengaging, in reality, both arts are deeply rooted in the exact same internal concepts. Both styles completely reject raw, muscle-bound strength in favor of a primed, highly aligned body and central nervous system a powerfully mobile yet heavy, stable structure. They utilize a distinct sensory sensitivity— “sticky hands” (Chi Sao) in Mantis and “push hands” (Tui Shou) in Taiji—to effortlessly stick to, absorb, and redirect an opponent’s momentum rather than fighting against it. These are the method of listening, understanding and responding.
Ultimately, both systems use the continuous, fluid and relaxed nature to hide a devastating trap, by transforming that absorbed and stored energy into a sudden, explosive discharge of close-range power (Fa Jin).
Taiji is practiced in a far less aggressive manner making it a solid choice for the older or just less martially inclined student looking to train at a more modest pace.
Short & Sweet Selling Points of Yang Taiji Chuan
- The Ultimate Counter-Art: It operates on the principle of “using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.” Instead of clashing head-on, you absorb, redirect, and neutralize an opponent’s momentum before launching a explosive counter-attack.
- Hidden Explosive Power (Fa Jin): Behind the slow, meditative practice forms lies the ability to instantly discharge a sudden, whip-like concussive force from any distance, catching opponents completely off guard.
- Whole-Body Mechanics: It trains the body to move as a single, connected unit. Power is rooted in the feet, directed by the waist, and expressed through the hands, making strikes incredibly heavy and difficult to block.
- Advanced Grappling & knockdowns: The style features a massive arsenal of close-quarter chin na (joint locks), body checks, and takedowns hidden inside its graceful, slow-motion sequences.
- Rehabilitation & Resilience: While built for combat, its deep emphasis on alignment, breath control, and low-impact movement naturally restores joint mobility, corrects posture, and builds elite physical longevity.
Follow the links below for additional information on the individual systems.
