History of Kung-Fu
Martial Arts in Ancient China
Kung-Fu is the most ancient of all martial arts and it is possible to
trace its roots back more than 4,000 years. The earliest form of
Chinese martial arts were those practised by soldiers for direct use in
battlefield combat. Ancient legend states that weapons and hand-to-hand
martial arts’ techniques were propagated by China’s Yellow Emperor.
Before he rose to the imperial throne in 2698 BC, the Yellow Emperor had
been a notable general and had already written at length on elevated
subjects such as astrology, Chinese medicine and the Martial Arts. He
developed a form of wrestling called Horn Butting (Jiao Di) where
contestants wore horned helmets and attacked each other with their
headgear. It is said that this same martial technique was employed on
the battlefield, leading to victorious results.
Whatever the truth of such legends, Jiao Di horn-butting developed into a system of wrestling known as Jiao Li
during the Zhou Dynasty, 1122 BC – 256 AD. Jiao Li is one of the most
ancient systems of Martial Arts in the world and was first put down on
paper in the ancient Chinese tome, The Classic of Rites. Jiao Li
extended its wrestling repertoire to include sophisticated techniques
such as joint-locks, pressure-point attacks plus systemised strikes and
blocks. The art was taught to military personnel who also learned
archery, war strategy and weapons techniques. Later on Jiao Li became a
sport accessible to anyone in the Qui Dynasty around 221 BC.
Competitions were held on raised platforms called leitai for
popular amusement and military recruitment purposes. A Jiao Li champion
could hope to win a post as a military trainer or bodyguard to the
court. A form of Jiao Li, called Hui Jiao is still taught today to
Chinese police and military personnel. Shui Jiao is also popular in
Mongol festivals, although they call it bohke.
During the Zhou Dynasty, martial arts began to develop concurrent
with the philosophical trends of society at the time, namely
Confucianism and Taoism. In Taoism the universal opposites, Ying and
Yang, were transposed to fighting systems, resulting in the hard and
soft techniques that are existent in Kung-Fu today. The Taoist system of
divination, the I-Ching contributed many mystical elements to Kung-Fu
philosophy. Meanwhile Tao itself is a cosmic energy, likened to the Chi
power that martial artists sought to harness to boost their powers.
Confucianism meanwhile included the practice of martial arts as part of
its six arts that should be practised in ideal worldly living alongside calligraphy, mathematics and music.
Warrior Monks
The most famous part of Kung-Fu’s history dates from sometime in the
sixth century AD with the arrival of an Indian Buddhist monk,
Bodhidarma, at the newly formed Shaolin Temple. Buddhism had been
brought to China a few hundred years before but Bodhidarma brought the
new religion to the martial arts. Whether or not the monks at Shaolin
were already versed in the martial arts and what exactly Bodhidarma
taught them, is much disputed. The result, however, is not. Shaolin
monks dedicated themselves to Kung-Fu and became a warrior elite whose
fame spread throughout China. They were engaged in countless military
campaigns and are credited as bringing peace to their own bandit-ridden
province. By the 17th Century Kung-Fu experts travelled from far and
wide to learn their secrets. Shaolin Kung-Fu is extremely demanding on
the body. Only by dedicating themselves to hours of rigorous daily
training could the Shaolin rise above the feats of ordinary men. Around
the same time, rival Taoist monasteries, such as the one on Wudang
Mountain, taught different styles of Kung-Fu, classified as internal.
Kung-Fu in the 20th Century
Up until the early 20th century, Kung-Fu continued to be something
practised by the elite, be they military elite, learned men, warrior
monks or the members of a particular family. The negative effects of
European interference in China had brought Chinese national self esteem
to an all time low. First of all, China had been brought to its knees by
a mass drugs trade in opium, perpetrated mainly by Britain and France
in the two Opium Wars, 1839 – 1842 and 1856 – 1860. The Boxer Rebellion
of 1899 was an attempt by the Righteous Harmony Society, previously known as the Righteous Fist Society,
to expel foreign elements and reclaim China for the Chinese. The Boxers
believed that their Chi Gung expertise would allow them to repel
bullets, as it did swords and clubs. The limitations of internal Chi
power were quickly discovered as many died among hails of enemy gunfire.
The failed rebellion only saw more concessions given to the occupying
powers, as the Chinese government were unable to protect their thousand
year old traditions against the humiliation of European colonisation. In
an attempt to recapture cultural aspects that were essentially Chinese
and boost national pride (and health), the government encouraged martial
artists to open up their doors to the (Chinese) general public. Much of
the mythology surrounding the Chinese martial arts was also created
around this time, serialised in popular novels. At this point, many
Kung-Fu organisations were established that are still in existence
today. The Chin Woo Athletic Association was founded in 1910 and a
central governing body for Kung-Fu was established in 1928. By 1932
National Kung-Fu competitions were being held throughout China and in
1936 Kung-Fu was put on the world stage at the Berlin Olympic Games.
The Cultural Revolution and the persecution of Kung-Fu
In 1966 Mao Zedong, the creator of China’s unique brand of Communism,
launched the Cultural Revolution. His aim was to rid China of all
remnants of traditional thought so that it could radically modernise
into a fully functioning Communist State. 80 million speakers
communicated Mao’s revolutionary doctrine to some 400,000 Chinese
through the Central Peoples Broadcasting Station. In a kind of
nationwide hysteria, millions of revolutionary youngsters, entitled Red
Guards, marauded through the provinces, destroying ancient buildings and
artefacts, and torturing and killing people as they saw fit.
Persecution of Chinese traditions hit Kung-Fu hard and no one was safe.
Even the venerated Shaolin Temple was subject to revolutionary purges
and the abbots were made to parade in public with paint slashed on their
robes. Books and ancient martial arts manuscripts were looted from the
monastery and burnt. The extent of the damage wreaked in the turbulent
years of the Chinese Cultural Revolution was on a scale never seen by
the world before and the physical losses can never be repaired.
Those Kung-Fu masters that could, fled overseas, whilst the remainder
went into hiding or suffered harsh reprisals. Kung-Fu continued to
flourish in its overseas setting and many famous masters set up Kung-Fu
schools in Hong-Kong and Taiwan. A lesser number moved to the United
States and Europe. Chinese cultural traditions became stronger in expat
Chinese communities than back home in mainland China. After the tumult
caused by the Red Guards had settled down, China began to rethink its
policy toward Chinese martial arts as a sport. Styles of Traditional Kung-Fu
With its rich history spanning some 4000 years, Kung-Fu has expanded,
multiplied and been refined into literally thousands of styles. From a
single type of martial combat, different masters over the years placed
emphasis on different strikes, stances, philosophies and approaches to
the problem of combat. Kung-Fu styles are classified in a variety of
ways, such as the location of their origin, the philosophy or religion
upon which they are based, the name of their founder or the particular
emphasis they place on combat. Rigid classification can be difficult due
to overlap. For example, a style may be classified by its location and
its combat emphasis, in addition to being known for having sprung form
devotees of a certain religion. Whatever the name or classification may
be, the resulting differences can be great, with one style favouring
kicking while another mostly ignores these in favour of punches. One
Kung-Fu style may feature great acrobatic leaps, while an opposing style
may endeavour never to kick above waist height. Any one particular
style of Kung-Fu will defend its superiority over others with reference
to classical teachings, great exponents and lengthy discourse and
demonstration, if not actual combat. In the past, Kung-Fu masters would compete in open competition to
prove their style’s superiority. The truth of the matter, however, is
that styles do not win competitions or fights. Individuals
do and as the saying goes, ‘there are many ways to skin a cat’. All
established Kung-Fu styles have something to offer the Martial Artist,
depending on what his goals are. If it is a popular, well run and well
taught system of Kung-Fu then it will likely be worth learning. Before
we go into detail on any particular style, let’s look at the main
classifications of Kung-Fu. Kung Fu, also known
as Gong Fu, is an ancient Chinese martial art. Should you be inspired
to learn this art, yet there isn't a school nearby, you can't afford
classes, or your schedule simply doesn't allow it, you can learn it
yourself. As long as you're committed and ambitious, it can be done. It
won't be easy, but it'll be worth it. Part 1 Getting Started
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1
Clean out an area of your home. Since you'll be doing
a lot of jumping, kicking, punching, and basically tearing through
whatever's in front of you (or to the left, right, or behind), designate
an area of your home to be for your kung fu practice sessions. At least
ten feet by ten feet should be plenty.
- If you don't have an empty room you can use, just clear out the
corner of a room and remove any object you don't want to break or that
you can hurt yourself with.
-
2
Get a punching bag. You can hold off on this for a
bit, but eventually you'll want a punching bag. At first you'll be doing
your moves just in the air, but eventually you'll want to have
resistance, which is where a punching bag comes in handy.
- You can hang a bag from your ceiling (if the room makes that
feasible) or you can purchase a free-standing one at most sporting goods
stores.
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3
Find instruction. Simply put, an actual teacher, or
"sifu," is the best way to learn kung fu. But you can also learn kung fu
yourself if you're diligent and persevere. Buy some DVDs, watch some
videos online, or look at the websites of schools. Many have short
videos that offer you a taste of the program, teaching you moves at the
same time.
- It's best to find more than one source. There a few different
schools of kung fu, and you want to make sure you're doing the one that
appeals most to you. What's more, there are some people out there that
claim to be experts when they're really not. Finding more than one
source can help you know that you're doing it correctly.
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4
Choose an area to focus on first. There's so much to
learn when it comes to kung fu – to tell yourself that you're going to
learn everything is quite the tall order. When you're starting off, pick
a focus. Once you get a few stances down, do you want to concentrate on
jumping? Kicking? Punching?
- This makes it easy to write yourself a lesson plan, too. On Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, say, you'll work on stances and kicks. Then,
on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you mix it up with core skills, like balance
and flexibility.
Part 2
Beginning Basic Training
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1
Work on your balance and flexibility. In order to hold the stances in kung fu, your balance needs to be in tip top form. What's a good way to master this? Yoga.
It may seem like it's unnecessary and keeping you from truly
practicing, but what it's really doing is setting you up to be truly
great at kung fu.
- And as for flexibility, every session should begin with a warm up
and stretching session. A warm up can be a light jog, some jumping
jacks, and push ups. Then, stretch out your muscles. This not only keeps
you injury-free, but it also makes you more flexible, getting your
kicks higher and your bends more limber.
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2
Master a few stances. The bare bones of kung fu lies
in the stances. You can't deliver the right moves if you're coming from
the wrong position. These first three aren't meant for fighting, though –
they're meant for traditional kung fu and use with weapons. That being
said, they're an integral part of kung fu ideology. Here's a few stances
you can work on:
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The horse stance. Bend your knees about 30 degrees, widen your
feet a bit farther apart than shoulder width, and hold clench fists in
at your sides, palms up. Keep your back straight, like you're riding a
horse.
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The front stance. Bend your knees and draw your left leg back,
like you're in a lunge. Then, snap out your right fist in front of you,
holding your left fist to your chest. Switch legs, bringing your left in
front. As you do so, switch fists, too.
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The cat stance. Place your right leg slightly behind you, and
lean back on it. Take your left leg and only touch your toes to the
ground. Hold both fists as if you're in a resting boxing position,
protecting your face. If someone were to come at you, your front leg
should be able to automatically come up in defense.
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The fighting stance. If you're looking to practice kung fu
against others, you'll need the fighting stance. This is essentially the
same as a boxing stance – one foot slightly in front of the other,
fists up, protecting your face, knees relaxed.
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3
Work on your punch. When it comes to punching,
remember that most of the force comes from your hips. Just like in
boxing, kung fu has jabs, uppercuts, and hooks. Let's discuss all three.
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The jab. In fighter's stance, left foot in front of right foot,
bend your knees, turn your hip toward your opponent, and throw out your
left fist, immediately followed by your right. As your right comes out,
rotate your right hip, too.
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The hook. Contrary to intuition, you want your hook to start out
small. In fighter's stance, right foot behind, take your right fist,
rotate your hip back, and swing strong through to your left, forming a
hook shape. Remember, the power is in your hips.
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The uppercut. In fighter's stance, lower your fist and bringing
it swinging up, as if you're aiming for your opponent's chin directly in
front of you. With each uppercut, always twist your hips slightly as
this is where your power is coming from.
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4
Work on your blocks. Your block will be different
depending on what you're blocking. But whatever's coming at you, start
with the fighting stance. In this position, you're fully prepared to
protect your face and keep attacks from being effective.
- For punches, jabs, and hooks, blocking is very similar to boxing.
Whichever side is being threatened, take that arm and, keeping it bent,
stop your opponent's motion. With your other arm, you can attack.
- For kicks and elbows, use both arms. Keep them bent and by
your face, but rotate your hips to whatever side is being threatened.
This prevents you from hitting your own face upon the backlash and is
more painful for them.
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5
Get your kicks strong. Kicking is one of the funnest
aspects of kung fu and also one of the easiest ways to see improvement.
Here's three basic kicks you can start with.
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The step kick. Stand in front of your punching bag. Take a step
forward with your left foot, and then hit the right side of the bag with
the inside of your foot. Then, switch to the other side.
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The stomp kick. Stand in front of your punching bag. Take a step
forward with your left foot, and bring your right foot straight out in
front of you, bent at the knee. Then, snap it forward, "stomping" on the
bag, sending it shooting away from you.
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The side kick. Stand in fighter's stance, your left foot in front
of your right. Move your weight onto your left foot, swinging out your
leg up into the air, hitting the punching bag at shoulder level with the
side of your foot. Try to bring your leg in, but stay on your back leg
to practice your balance.
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6
Practice combinations in the air and on your bag. As
you're just setting out, start with doing the motions in the air. Once
you're consistent and have a grip on the move, switch to doing it with
your punching bag. When you start getting worn out, take a break or
switch up what you're doing.
- Once you get really confident, try to find a friend to spar with.
That is, if you have protective gear each other can wear, or pads you
can put on the recipient's hands while the other practices their
punching and kicks.
Part 3
Learning Traditional Moves
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1
Do the dragon. This move is all about being intimidating – the entire time you should be staring at your opponent. Here's how it's done:
- Take up the horse stance, but widen your legs a bit farther apart and bending your knees a bit deeper.
- Snap out your wrist like a jab, but put your fingers in a claw shape. This would be used to dig into your opponent.
- Come out of your squat and do a side kick to your opponent, aiming for their stomach.
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2
Try the snake. In this pose, you slink backwards, and raise your head up when you're striking, just like a snake. Here's how:
- Spread out your legs, right behind your left, resting your weight on your back foot. Keep your knees bent.
- Flatten your hands as if you want to slice through your opponent. Snap out your right in front of you.
- Block your opponent by grabbing their arm, and launching at them with a stomp kick.
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3
Approach like a leopard. This move is a little less direct – it allows you the opportunity to flee if need be.
- Take up a wide fighter's stance, leaning back on your back leg.
- When you're ready to strike, throw your weight forward curl your
fingers and hit your opponent with your palm and the ridges of your
fingers, instead of your closed fist. However, this must be done very
carefully or you could hurt yourself.
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4
Fly like a crane. This move is very passive. With the crane, you wait for your opponent to come to you. Here's how it's done:
- Take up the cat stance, but with your feet close together. This "hides" your foot.
- Raise your arms to the sides, distracting your opponent.
- As he comes near you, lift up that front foot that has only the toes on the ground and launch into your favorite kick.
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5
Pounce like a tiger. This move is swift, hearty, and effective. Here's how to do it:
- Take up a fighter's stance, but wider. You should essentially be in a squat.
- Put your hands in front of your shoulders in a claw-shape, facing outwards.
- Do a combination jab-jab, and then launch into a side kick at throat level.
Part 4
Understanding the Philosophy
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1
Know the two main schools of kung fu. On the days
you're not practicing practice, read some of the classic literature on
kung fu and combat, such as Sun Tzu, Bruce Lee, Tak Wah Eng, David Chow
and Lam Sai Wing. These will teach you about the two schools of kung fu: [1]
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Shaolin. This is the oldest school of kung fu. This type is known
for “external” moves and practices that strengthen muscles, ligaments
and tendons. It is what most people think of when they think of kung fu.
-
Wu Dung. This school is slightly newer and is an interpretation
of the original concept of kung fu. It is known for it's “internal”
moves and practices that strengthen and manipulate chi or life force. It
is more about focus, zen, and internal power.
-
2
Think of the moves as animals. In many of these
moves, it is helpful to think in terms of animals – this is, after all,
the origin of this martial art. It may also put you in the proper
mindset and allow you to tap into your potential.
- There is a story that says a man from New Zealand once dug a 3 feet
(0.9 m) deep hole and practiced jumping in and out of it. Over time he
dug deeper and, little by little, he turned into a humanoid kangaroo.
Not only should you think of animals when you're combating, but when
you're practicing, too.
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3
Meditate.
Japanese samurai used meditation to enhance their fighting skills. They
believed (and rightfully so) that it gave them clarity and helped them
see what the right attack would be. It allowed their minds to clear and
for everything to slow down. The same is still true today. Just 15
minutes or so a day of meditation may help you find inner balance and
power. [2]
- Think of being in a car accident. While it's happening, everything
just sort of slows down. This is the state of meditation. This peaceful,
zen state can be useful in fighting because everything becomes slower,
allowing you to react faster.
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4
Practice, practice, practice. The only way to truly
get in the mind of a kung fu artist is to keep practice. Alone, the
moves may seem silly. You may seem like you're not getting anywhere. But
if you practice every day, meditate, and are reading literature, it can
become a way of life you can't believe you ever lived without.
- Try practicing in the air, against a punching bag, and sparring with
a friend. Seek out the next challenge as you get better and better.
- Always fix yourself and make constant corrections. Review your
source material and make sure you're doing it correctly. Otherwise,
you're not truly doing kung fu.
Reader Questions and Answers
Unanswered Questions
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How can I improve flexibility in my legs?
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Where can I get the books that can help me out to learn shaolin kung fu ?
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How is the flying kick done?
Show more unanswered questions
Answered Questions
Tips
- When you fight, try to use your feet as much as you use your hands. Unleash the full potential of your limbs.
- Practice repetitions of each move, to synchronize your mind and body to be fast and accurate.
- Try to get books that show you step by step instructions to different moves.
- Get top quality materials.
Warnings- Don't start hurting people once you've learned Kung Fu. Kung Fu should only be used for self defense.
- Don't show off. If your main aim of learning Kung Fu is to show off to others, you are better off not training at all.
- Be careful when embarking on any training of any sort. Always be aware of the risks and hazards before starting.
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