Shaolin monk

[7slicetoastie]

Hello all again,

Today I try my hand at box pleating I have been a thai boxer and mma practitioner for over 15 years so love martial arts. I love the models of God of Thunder and Fujin so try my vey own take on this with a very simple box pleat idea ( my first one ) and try to show a Shaolin monk..stripped to the waist with kung fu trousers on

It's a square of paper 37cm x 37cm of baking paper

I try a very simple 32 x 32 grid and collapse 2 long legs from the corners till they meet..then two arms from the other 2 corners and use the middle to form the head..

I unfold some of the pleating to indicate kung fu trousers..and then my clumsy attempt at the torso for muscle structure and some shaping to indicate eyes and a face

Although it looks quite evil in how it's turned out in the head

Again it's not perfect but my first attempt at box pleating and some shaping..

Please let me know what you think..also any ideas how I can improve expecially the torso and maybe how to elongate the arms ( different grid ? different idea to create the arms as they are 4 units too short methinks )..hehe I know what you are thinking..poor man's spiderman meets MC Hammer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qandrem/80 ... hotostream

Thanks again for your time,

Cheers,

Q

[Joe the white]

Hey there. Its not bad for a first attempt, and the lower body looks pretty good. You could try a 48x48 grid (3rds, then each third into 16ths) and it should give you more room to work with, especially on the arms and head.

[7slicetoastie]

Yes thank you for the advice..

I will try again this time with the 48 x grid..I may switch the direction of the arms so that I have the end of the pleats for fingers of the hand ?

Anyway will post pictures a soon as I've started shaping..

Version 1.0 lounging back while he waits for me to sort it out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qandrem/80 ... hotostream

[7slicetoastie]

Well we'll have to draw a line under this one and say box pleating 1..me 0

I just don't understand box pleating enough to add 4 more units onto the arms for now..even with a larger grid as I'm still dealing with the same diagonals

But I wont leave the poor fellow unfinished..

Hes transformed a bit and changed disciplines

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qandrem/80 ... hotostream

[Joe the white]

I think he looks much better as a Muay Thai boxer . My cousin took a PE elective in college on the subject and his instructor was pretty fierce. In order to show the power behind the moves he often demonstrated them on the students, leaving my cousin with a dislocated jaw. Wouldn't be my teaching method, but Muay Thai is a pretty hardcore external martial art. Personally I prefer internal styles like Tai Chi and Baguazhang, but Muay Thai is appealing for efficiency.

[7slicetoastie]

Thanks Joe..yes there are some idiots in Muay Thai as it is pretty hardcore so attracts sometimes the wrong people as it's all about fighting and ring craft..I like Tai Chi and Baguazhang too..but there are also some pretty hardcore camps of these disciplines too..I've seen some pretty impressive practitioners who do take downs and mma style using the soft internal forms..pretty amazing

[HankSimon]

Which schools of Tai Chi do you like? The Chen (sp?) style was a difficult, 'combat' style. Don't know if it's still taught anywhere ... takes too long to learn. I'd consider the Chin-Na joint locking techniques, and Bruce Lee's one-inch punch to be part of the soft styles.

[Joe the white]

I learned Yang style (and Arnis) from Ron Boyd when I was at college. I wanted to take his Aikido classes, and it seems he has Bagua classes now as well, but I live an hour+ away from his dojo. Aside from that though, my instruction is supported by quite a few books and DvDs, its no substitute for a sensei and class to work with though. Most of the Dojos nearby where I live focus on Karate, MMA, and Taekwondo, and I don't think they're in it for more than the fighting from the visits I've made to check them out. There is a nice Shaolindo place, which covers everything including iron-shirt training, but it is far more expensive than I can manage at the moment and its not really my thing. I'm also a fan of accupressure, but I'm not into the Dim Mak type stuff.

[7slicetoastie]

Oh you did Arnis ? My instructor in MMA was also really into Escrima and I did a lot of that while training so is very similar ?

I don't know enough about Chinese martial arts..mostly South East Asian ones..but from what I've seen is really fascinating..I like the new format of Chinese martial arts in San Shou

[Joe the white]

It is essentially the same thing. We mostly sparred with rattan sticks, but the style is applicable to most linear weapons.

[7slicetoastie]

Hi !

I'm back..still not given up on the Shaolin theme..if successful I'd like to do a whole series of these in classic poses..have a whole wu tang clan of them !

This time I used less paper for the neck and shoulders meaning I think I've got the proportions right for forearms

Kind of already folding itself and shaping..

I'm taking it slowly and seeig where the paper takes me each time I unfold one of the layers

Let me know what you think

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qandrem/80 ... hotostream

Cheers,

Q

[Joe the white]

Looking good, quite a few layers there for possibilities. It'd be nice if you could get the series of models to balance in their stances.

[7slicetoastie]

Yes that's my plan to have them stand on their own....taking it easy by doing more and more each day..going to have to select poses which balance though as without the help of a brain and muscles some of the poses I'd like to try will be impossible..I've got a set of 4 shaolin monks in teracotta in 4 classic poses pride of place on my TV unit which I'd love to re-create but 2 of the best ones will be impossible as they are on one leg..think I'm almost done on the head and neck area and some shaping for the chest..then the arms next to hold in a classic horse position ( this time having forearms helps ! ) great thing is that the way the model shapes itself I can add shoulder blades on the back..will make for some interesting pics from the back for some of the other poses I have in mind

[7slicetoastie]

Well I've finished the Horse stance and picked a suitabe pose for the Tiger style..now working on the crane

Let me know what you think !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qandrem/

Cheers,

Q

[HankSimon]

Cool!!! Ready for a stop-action Tai Chi movie... then Origami Jackie Chan!