Kung fu sliding stance

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Do You Want To Train In An Authentic Style Of Kung Fu?

Question: Is it important to train in an "authentic" style?

Answer: When people call my Las Vegas Kung Fu Martial Arts school and ask if I teach a ‘traditional style” of kung fu, usually I say yes. But I think to myself what a loaded question that is. I really have no idea how to answer them, because “traditional” can mean so many different things to different people.

The martial art of kung fu itself is ancient. It is hundreds of years old. So, kung fu is “traditional” in that these many techniques survived the test of time because of their efficiency. Many people today, think of “traditional” as perhaps schools that emphasize ideas such as “this is the one true way”, “do not intertwine other styles that you may have picked up” or even they go so far as to say “the art as taught by the founder”. Traditional thought could not be farther from this.

The style of kung fu that I teach at Las Vegas Kung Fu Martial Arts School is called Shaolin Fut Ga Kuen This martial art is an intertwining of five different styles itself. One monk at the Shaolin temple learned five different types of kung fu. These five styles were family styles particular to the individuals that created them. He took these five styles and condensed them down to only those techniques he thought were really going to work in a true fight.

Combining different family styles

The stances we practice come from Hung Ga Kuen or Hung family fist. These stances are deep and low to develop strength in the legs, but become very upright when fighting. The kung fu practitioner at my martial arts school should be able stay rooted and balanced standing upright because of the feeling gained at the deep posture. The kung fu kicking techniques come from Mok Ga Kuen or Mok family fist. These are mostly low line kicks that attack an opponents knees and feet. The trapping and locking hands of Shaolin Fut Ga come from a style known as Lau Ga Kuen. These are receiving type motions that trap an incoming blow to the body.

If the original creator of this style had taken a so called “traditional” approach to learning, we would not be practicing Shaolin Fut Ga Kuen or monks family fist, today. Bruce Lee was not the first person to incorporate different kung fu and martial arts styles into his training. Martial arts are always evolving because kung fu students are all different. What works for one person might not work for the next. A tall person with a long reach will want to stay to the outside rather than get in real close to his opponent. Someone with long legs will want to develop their kicks to a high level while a short muscular build will want to get in tight against the person he is fighting. Kung fu and Martial arts training are a highly individualized type of activity. When looking for a kung fu or martial arts school, make sure the instructor at the school realizes this obvious fact. Most people when entering into a new martial arts or kung fu school may know some martial arts already. Very few of these new students like to demonstrate their previous knowledge. Sometimes they may think it disrespectful or as showing off somehow. I always emphasize in my classes to use what you know if it is going to help you become a better fighter. Free fighting or play fighting and shadow boxing are really good ways of combing all of your skills together while becoming fluid at using them all coherently.

Each art has a strength, or aspect that it excels in

Take from each art the strength of the art. Kung Fu is really good at targeting. Kung fu hits to the eye, throat and groin as its primary targets. Take from boxing the defense. A good boxer utilizing slips can become almost impossible to hit. Take from jujitsu the grappling techniques and ground fighting. Take from Ninjutsu its excellent rolls and break-falls. Take from Shuai Chiao all of the throwing techniques. Take from escrima its excellent knife drills. Wing chun kung fu’s chi sau drills develop a very high level of sensitivity and flow. My own personal goal and the goals of many of my kung fu martial arts students, are to become complete fighters. In my very “traditional” kung fu martial arts school I recommend using everything at your disposal to become one.

The kung fu student uses leverage and body mechanics to overcome brute strength.