Learn the secrets of Kung Fu


A few of the Kung Fu styles

China arguably has the one of the longestmartial arts comes from Huang Zongxi's 1669
histories of continuously recorded martialEpitaph for Wang Zhengnan.[1] Stanley Henning
arts tradition with hundreds of differentproposes that the Epitaph's identification of
styles, perhaps the most of any society inthe internal martial arts with the Taoism
the world. Of the hundreds of Chinese martialindigenous to China and its identification of
arts that have developed over the past two tothe external martial arts with the foreign
four thousand years, there are manyBuddhism of Shaolin—and the Manchu
distinctive styles with their own sets ofQing Dynasty to which Huang Zongxi was
techniques and ideas. Also, there are manyopposed—may have been an act of
themes common to different styles that leadpolitical defiance rather than one of
many to characterize them as belonging totechnical  classification.[2]
generalized "families" , of martial art
styles. There are styles that mimic movementsExternal  styles
from animals and others that gather
inspiration from various ChineseThese styles are what most people associate
philosophies. Some styles put most of theirwith Chinese martial arts. They are generally
focus into the belief of the harnessing of qifast and explosive, focusing on physical
energy, while others concentrate solely onstrength and agility. External styles can be
competition  and  exhibition.both the traditional styles focusing on
application and fighting, as well as the
Chinese martial arts can be split intomodern styles adapted for competition and
various categories to differentiate them: Forexercise. Examples of external styles are
example, external and internal (or hardShaolinquan, with its direct explosive
and soft . Chinese martial arts can also beattacks and high-kicking aerial maneuvers
categorized by location, as in northern andfrom which is developed the Korean Taekwondo,
southern as well, referring to what part ofand the many animal styles inspired by the
China the styles originated from, separatedmovements of certain animals. External styles
by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang); Chinesebegin with a training focus on muscular
martial arts may even be classified accordingpower, speed and application, and generally
to their province or city. The main perceivedintegrate their qigong aspects in advanced
difference about northern and southern stylestraining, after their desired "hard" physical
is that the northern styles tend to emphasizelevel  has  been  reached.
kicks, jumps and generally fluid and rapid
movement, while the southern styles focusInternal  styles
more on strong arm and hand techniques, and
stable, immovable stances and footwork.Internal styles focus on the practice of such
Examples of the northern styles includeelements as awareness of the spirit, mind, qi
Changquan and the sword and broadsword(breath, or energy flow) and the use of
routines used in contemporary Wushurelaxed leverage rather than unrefined
competitions, and examples of the southernmuscular tension, tension that soft stylists
styles include Nanquan, Houquan (monkeycall "brute force". While the principles that
style) and Wing Chun. Chinese martial artsdistinguish internal styles from the external
can also be divided according to religion,were described at least as early as the 18th
imitative-styles  ,  and  more.century by Chang Nai-chou, the modern terms
distinguishing external and internal styles
Hundreds of different styles of Chinesewere first recorded by Sun Lutang; who wrote
martial arts have developed over the past twothat Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan
thousand years, many distinctive styles withwere internal arts. Later on, others began to
their own sets of techniques and ideas. Also,include other styles in this definition,
there are many themes common to differentincluding Liuhexinyiquan, Liu He Ba Fa and
styles that lead many to characterize them asYiquan.
belonging to generalized "families" (?, jia)
of martial art styles. There are styles thatSome internal stylists say that the
mimic movements from animals and others thatdifference between internal and external for
gather inspiration from various Chinesethem is mostly the distinction of the inside
philosophies. Some styles put most of theirand the outside of the body. The reason for
focus into the belief of the harnessing of qithe label "internal," according to most
energy, while others concentrate solely onschools, is that there is a focus on the
competition  and  exhibition.internal aspects earlier in the training,
once these internal relationships are
Northern styles feature deeply extendedapprehended (the theory goes) they are then
postures—such as the horse, bow, drop,applied to the external applications of the
and dragon stances—connected by quickstyles in question. Because of the extended
fluid transitions, able to quickly change theperiods of time that beginning students are
direction in which force is issued. It isexpected to work on very basic principles in
said that northern styles put more focus onmost internal schools, and perhaps also the
legwork, kicking and acrobatics. Some sayprevalence in recent years of many Western
this is because the northern Chinese were"New Age" oriented schools who are accused by
generally taller than those living intraditionalists of emphasizing philosophy and
southern China, and that they made theirspeculation at the expense of hard work (see
styles take advantage of their greater rangethe next paragraph), many people believe
of motion, especially in their legs. Othersinternal styles lack "external" physical
claim that the terrain of northern China istraining. In the older schools, however, much
more suitable to kicking techniques, or thattime is spent on basic physical work, such as
the cold of the northern Chinese winterstance training (zhan zhuang), stretching and
caused any focus upon hand techniques to bestrengthening of muscles, as well as on empty
physically damaging to the practitioner'shand and weapon forms which can contain quite
hands. Still other experts, hold thatdemanding coordination from posture to
northern styles originally emphasized highposture. Also, many internal styles have
kicks as an expedient against the Mongoloianbasic two-person training, such as pushing
occupation forces who often fought fromhands. Some forms in internal styles are
horseback and could be easily unseatedperformed slowly, though some also include
because they used "very short stirrups"sudden outbursts of explosive movements, such
(Peers and Sque, 45). An example of aas those the Chen style of Taijiquan is
northern style is the modern Chángquánfamous for teaching earlier than some other
that is the most popular style in the formsstyles (e.g. Yang and Wu). The reason for the
division in most contemporary Chinese martialgenerally slow pace is to improve
arts competitions held around the worldcoordination and balance by increasing the
today. There are many northern styles; somework load, and to require the student to pay
of them are Northern Praying Mantis,minute attention to their whole body and its
Chuojiao, Bajiquan, Taijiquan, Baguazhang,weight as they perform a technique. At an
Bayingquan, Eagle Claw, and Chaquán. Mostadvanced level, and in actual fighting,
Korean martial arts are analogous to Northerninternal styles are performed quickly, but
Chinese  Style  martial  arts.the goal is to learn to involve the entire
body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with
Southern  stylesdeep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate
the motions of the body and the breathing
Southern Chinese martial arts are typified byaccurately according to the dictates of the
the styles that belong to the related Fujianforms while maintaining perfect balance.
(Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, WingInternal styles have been associated in
Chun) and Hakka (Southern Praying Mantis,legend and in much popular fiction with the
Dragon) families of martial arts. As LeungTaoist monasteries of Wudangshan in central
Ting, the head of the WingTsun branch of WingChina.
Chun, put it, the common features of the
Fujian and Hakka martial arts are "thatToday, only a few traditional schools
during fights, pugilists of these systemsteaching internal styles train martially,
prefer short steps and close fighting, witheven though such training was originally a
their arms placed close to the chest, theirpart of all internal styles. Most schools
elbows lowered and kept close to the flanksteach forms that are practiced for the health
to offer it protection" (Leung, 1978, p. 30).benefits only, as this is what most modern
students are looking for and as these
Even though Cantonese styles such as Choy Leestudents seldom have the time or devotion to
Fut and the Wong Fei-Hung lineage of Hungreach far enough in their training to start
Kuen are classified as Southern and feature afocusing on the martial aspects. To condition
characteristically Southern emphasis on theoneself well enough to become adept at the
arms, their stances and routines, like thoseinternal style martial arts is a long-term
of Northern Chinese styles, are respectivelyproposition; many simply lose interest after
wider and more complicated than those ofa few years and never finish the program.
Fujian and Hakka styles. High, narrow,Most have no hope as their teachers know
pigeon-toed stances are more prominent inlittle. Many people who have not fully
"old" or "village" styles of Hung Kuen butlearned the martial aspects of their style
also appear in its Iron Wire Fist empty-handjudge themselves qualified to teach what they
routine.do know publicly anyway, leading to a further
diminution of the martial applications taught
There are sayings that because of theirin many schools. Some of such instructors
shorter height, the southern Chinesesupplement what they are teaching with
developed styles that were direct andelements from other schools, internal and
powerful. Similarly, it is speculated thatexternal, and their training becomes further
the dense urban population of the south andremoved from the original art. While this
its humid climate made focusing ongradual watering-down of technique has made
close-quarter hand techniques more practicalsome external aspects of internal styles
there than the north's focus on jumping andavailable for a wider audience who are
kicking. A generalized Nanquan (Southerninterested in the purported health benefits
Fist) style has become a popular class inof the internal schools, traditional schools
modern Chinese martial arts competitions. Itsee a complete martial syllabus as a
is similar to Chángquán but includesfundamental, defining part of their art, both
more rapid punches and blocks, and fewerfor health and self-defense purposes. They
jumps.claim that while the students may not need to
practice external applications to derive a
The most popular Southern style is Wing Chun.benefit from the training, their teachers
Also known as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, it isshould know the applications well, to ensure
characterized by short range power,that the movements are trained correctly,
centerline strategy and sticking andeffectively and safely. For these reasons
deflecting techniques. Its most famoustraditionalists feel that a school not
student is Bruce Lee, whose teacher was Yipteaching martial aspects somewhere in their
Man. Other Southern styles include Hung Garsyllabus cannot be said to be actually
and  Choy  Lee  Fut.teaching the art itself, that they have
"graduated themselves", and that they are
Internal  and  Externalmuch less likely to be able to reproduce the
health benefits that have made complete
The distinction between external and internalinternal systems famous in the first place.



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