| Many Kung Fu students have knee problems later | | | | stretching may not be as fun or interesting as |
| in life. This is not because the Kung Fu is poorly | | | | lifting weights or practicing strikes it is an |
| designed, or that Kung Fu should not be trained. | | | | important part of training. Many Kung Fu students |
| This is because many Kung Fu students jump | | | | do not stretch enough and this takes a toll on |
| around too much, put too much stress on their | | | | their body when they train movements over and |
| knees, and do not use flowing footwork. Using | | | | over for hours. |
| flowing footwork allows a Kung Fu student to | | | | Kung Fu also places a lot of importance on |
| move around quickly, but minimize the stress put | | | | footwork. Fast footwork is very important to |
| on their knees. | | | | performing moves and defending against attacks. |
| Training in martial arts and self-defense is | | | | But Kung Fu is not about jumping around or trying |
| important because it allows someone to defend | | | | to show off. Kung Fu requires flowing footwork |
| themselves against an attacker. Martial arts are a | | | | that allows for speed and change of direction to |
| matter of self-preservation and self-protection. | | | | be accomplished without putting too much stress |
| But to be able to defend yourself in a stressful | | | | on the knees. Your body should give to each step |
| real life self-defense situation you have to train | | | | and react like a spring, not a stuff board. This |
| for many hours. Simply knowing the moves will | | | | does not just help protect your knees during |
| not help in a real self-defense situation because | | | | hours of training, but actually helps you move |
| you will be very stressed out and very excited. It | | | | faster and change direction sooner. |
| is very easy to forget the things you learned in | | | | It is possible to learn Kung Fu by yourself, but |
| such situations. This is why martial arts students | | | | getting a teacher can be a great way to make |
| train for so many hours and repeat each move | | | | sure you are doing the movements correctly and |
| and motion so many times. The goal is for the | | | | that you will not end up hurting your joints in the |
| movements to be committed to muscle memory | | | | long run. Sometimes it takes another set of |
| so that the student can do the moves without | | | | trained eyes to watch what you are doing and tell |
| having to think about them. | | | | if you are doing the correct movements or not. It |
| The downside of all of this training is that it can | | | | is a shame when a martial arts student, who is |
| take a toll on a body. This is especially true if the | | | | seeking to defend their body and health, ends up |
| moves are practiced wrong or performed without | | | | hurting their body by training in self-defense |
| proper preparation. Kung Fu puts a lot of | | | | incorrectly. |
| emphasis on stretching for a reason. While | | | | |