A martial arts form or kata (as it is called in Japanese) is just a series of self defense techniques strung together in a sequence that flows together. Practicing forms is akin to doing rounds of shadowboxing in boxing, just with less of an emphasis on freestyle.

Training In Forms Is Not Useless

Forms can teach you numerous things. It can develop many attributes that will help you become both a better fighter and a martial artist. One quality that training informs can develop in you is the attribute of fluidity. Kung fu forms are famous for their flowing and powerful motions.

Executing a set of kata without pausing or stopping between moves will directly translate to being able to fight without stopping. In a real-life self-defense scenario, the ability to flow is so much more important to your success than practically anything else.

Practicing forms or sets will likewise teach you the correct way to block and strike while in motion. Many times students can perform blocks and strike perfectly while standing still but, include footwork and they now must focus on moving multiple body parts at the same time.

Practicing Forms Are The Best Way To Workout

At the highest level of training, forms practice can become the ultimate conditioning solution.

Just how much of a workout you get out of doing forms will greatly depend on how much intensity and speed you execute the form with. What you put inot it is what you will get out of it.  Imagine a boxer that does shadowboxing. Does he get a good workout? Well of course, his results will aslo greatly depend on the speed an intensity that he puts into hos shadowboxing. Does he practicae at a lackadaisical pace or at a very elevated pace?

No Practical Use Of The Movements Found In The Form

In these types of programs, it seems as though the traditional forms have no realistic use. However, the movements contained within the forms of Shaolin Kung Fu each have an explicit application in combat.

If the movements you are learning have no martial function, then you are learning a dance.

Practicing Forms Has No Value?

It has taken me literally half of my life to feel like I have a firm grasp of every one of the forms in Kung Fu. Even these days, I believe that I have a lot of more room for refinement. Shaolin Kung Fu can take a whole entire lifetime to learn and master.

Saying forms has no value is akin to saying hitting the heavy bag has no value.

You could easily make an argument that the heavy bag does not counter or hit back at you, therefore, hitting the heavy bag is useless. The heavy bag is nothing like a real opponent. 

Hitting or kicking the heavy bag will enable to develop the trait of striking with power. Just as Jumping rope will help you develop fast footwork and jogging will develop your endurance. A boxer, will work sparring, heavy bag, double end bag, running, jump rope, and focus mitts all on the very same day.

Forms are just one of many methods you can use to practice Kung Fu.

However, there are a couple of things that training in forms will not help you with.

What Form Practice Is Not Good For

Training In Forms Will Not Teach You A Feel For What Is Correct Range Or Distancing.

To be proficient in the martial arts you will need to develop a good instinct for what is the correct distance needed between you and your opponent in order to successfully apply blocks.

Kung Fu forms practice also will not teach you how to flow or follow up effectively. Having the ability to recognize the next target then strike it with power is also an essential skill-set.

It took me almost a full year to learn my first Shaolin Kung Fu form. Occasionally, I tell my students how long it took me to learn the first form. Often time they look at me incredulously and I think they do not believe me.

This intrinsic challengesfound in the art of Kung fu are one of the things that initially drew me to it.

However, I also think one of the reasons Kung fu is not as popular in the United States as Tae Kwon Do is, because training in kung fu appeals only to a certain type of person. Shaolin Kung fu appeals to people interested in continuous and constant work and improvement.

 Learning Kung fu is the exact opposite of instant gratification. It takes back breaking work and perseverance to be successful.

Are you looking for true transformation? Then you can be our next student!

 Shaolin Fo Jia Chuan or  Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen 

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen - The Traditional Southern Style That is the predecessor to modern Wing Chun

Shaolin Fo Jia Chuan Or Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen

During the time China's Ching Dynasty, which ruled during the 18th century, a style of kung fu called Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen was created.

Any citizen who would dare oppose the Ching government was tortured and killed. The Han Chinese, who made up the majority of the population, was subjected to the worst kind of physical and mental degradation under the Manchu rule.

Secret societies of revolutionaries dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchus formed. These secret organizations consisted of many of China's most skilled fighters

Hence, the Ching Dynasty realized the threat posed by well-trained fighters against the Ching Regime. Manchurian rulers required commitments of loyalty from all martial arts masters. Those masters who refused were put to death.

The 5 Famous Families Of Southern Style Kung Fu

One monk living at the Sil Lum Monastery was fortunate enough to receive the attention and guidance of 5 different masters of Kung Fu. He learned from masters of Lau Ga, Li Ga, Mok Ga, Hung Ga, and Choy Ga styles. Each Kung Fu style had unique characteristics and emphasized different techniques.

For example, Hung Ga Kuen emphasized brute strength and a low wide stance. The stances in Hung Ga Kuen are deep and low to develop strength in the legs but become very upright when fighting. You should be able to stay rooted and balanced standing upright because of the feeling gained at the deep posture.

Next, Mok Ga was famed for its kicks. You attack an opponent's knees and feet in this style.

Finally, Lau Ga Kuen contained all of the locking hand techniques.

This one monk integrated this accumulated knowledge into a single style. This monk kept only the martial arts techniques he felt were most efficient. He then discarded all techniques he considered less essential. He condensed them down to only those techniques he thought were really going to work in a true fight.

This is SiI Lum Fut Ga Kuen.

Sil Lum Fut Gar Kuen contains elements that are typical of both Northern and Southern Gong Fu styles.

The Buddhist Connection

They do not intertwine other styles and even they go so far as to say “We teach the art as it was taught by the founder”.

Traditional thought could not be farther from this. The art that I teach called Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen is an intertwining of five different styles itself.

We would not be practicing Sil Lum Fut Ga Kuen today if the original creator of this martial arts style had taken this so-called “traditional” approach. Bruce Lee was not the first person to incorporate different styles into his training. Martial arts are always evolving because people are all different.

Specifically, what works for you might not work for someone else. For example, a tall person with a long reach will want to stay to the outside rather than get in real close. However, someone with long legs will want to develop their kicks to a high level while if you have a short muscular build you will want to get in tight against the person you are fighting.

Each individual student should receive customized instruction in martial arts. Any martial arts instructor worth their salt will realize this obvious fact.

How Slapping Water Became A Shaolin Training Method 

In general it take about 8 to 10 years to get a black belt or black sash in Kung Fu. Of course everyone's journey to black belt is going to be different, it depends on how many classes you are attending per week, and how physically coordinated you were staring out.

Have you ever looked back on something that you accomplished and saw how much time it took? Did you wonder why it took so long before you reached it?

We have never had a student be promoted to a Kung Fu Black Belt in our ten years of being open as a martial arts studio.

Our expectations are not for the students to be masters at the styles, instead, we want them to know just some knowledge of the other arts and be well rounded.

Every time a child takes a belt test they feel a little bit more confidence in their abilities. They are able to reaffirm their previous skills and also show how much they have improved from the last test. This kind of confidence-building is incremental but yet at the same time extremely powerful in building up self-esteem.

We have a saying in our school "If you train hard you get to be a little bit stronger and more skilled every day" Sometimes it is hard to see growth when the kids are improving just a tiny bit daily, but when they take their test they can really see how far they have actually come.

The Kung Fu Black Belt is a symbol of belonging to a very exclusive group of people

She trained every day and became dedicated to achieving her goal. Then it motivated my other two black belts to join her and push hard to get their belts together.

Dedication is simply never giving up. Dedication is the students who show up to class every day on time and are the last ones out of the studio. It means that you put your entire self into your training with passion, heart, and soul.

This is the true lesson that they learned. I watched all three of them set their goal then work hard and take the steps they needed to achieve it.

They learned what it means to be fully dedicated and committed to something. Then experienced what it feels like to finally reach what they have been working towards.