Kung Fu- The Many Styles

The martial art known as Kung Fu is very old, yettowards the more traditional block and counter
very powerful. There are several different formsroutines.
involved with Kung Fu, that only add to the powerHung Gar
and mystique. Below, we will go over a majorityHung Gar is more or less an adaptation of the
of the different styles and forms that make upTiger system of Shaolin that emphasizes close
Kung Fu.quarter techniques. Hung Gar isn't much on
White Crane styledistance fighting, although it is very effective in
The spirit of the White Crane has led to whatclose quarter situations, such as alleys and in small
many martial artists consider to be the mostrooms. It is a very strong system, teaching
graceful system of Kung Fu. The pattern for thestylists to handle themselves properly in areas
White Crane style was patterned after a cranewhere other martial arts seem to fail.
bird often found in marshes and open plains. ThePraying Mantis
White Crane defense forms and attacks areNearly 400 years ago, a man named Wang had a
nothing short of amazing, often known as "deadlyvision. Using a praying mantis that he was able to
beauty".capture, Wang studied it's movements. By using
Although the techniques within the White Cranewhat he saw, he created and founded the style
style can take years to properly master, theyof Praying Mantis. Wang perfected his own martial
simple and to the point. White Crane stylists areart style by continuing to observe both the
masters of self defense, although they are taughtoffensive and defensive movements of the
to avoid confrontations. Even though a stylist canpraying mantis, and using them with his style.
handle himself in any situation, he will avoid a fightThe Monkey style
at all costs and only react with physical actionEven though it is thought of a comical approach
when he is left with no choice.to martial arts, the Monkey style is actually one
Wing Chunof the deadliest martial arts systems in the world.
From a Chinese standpoint, Wing Chun is theThis style dates back to the 1840s, when
essence that the opponent will attack, absorb, andmissionaries were first allowed passage into China.
then neutralize the attack. Then, the opponent orThe Monkey style all began when a peaceful
attacker will back off, pursue, then counter -maned named See resisted arrested after
disengage his restriction from arms, and thenaccidentally killing an officer of the law. See was
retaliate with a deadly and penetrating force.sentenced to prison for his crime, where he spent
This philosophy will take years to fully understand,all of his time watching the prison apes. He found
and years of practice to master. Technicallythem amazing, and would watch them from his
speaking, Wing Chun uses a steady and nevercell, which his also helped to pass the time.
ending forward flow of energy that's based onOver his ten year prison sentence, he studied the
the principle that a straight line is the shortestway the apes moved, paying very close attention
distance between two points.to how they defended themselves and fought
Offensively, Wing Chun is all about a combinationeach other. Then, when he was released from
of intercepting and straight lines with deflectingprison, he adapted his style, becoming known as
arcs. In general, it is an aggressive close quarterthe Monkey Master. A lot of people joined him
style that pushes offensive attacks and takes thealong the way, and began to learn his Monkey
fight right to the attacker. In other words - Wingsystem which is still very effective today.
Chun doesn't care nor does it put a lot of time