Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: The preparation
• Part 2 of 4: Starting with the basic training
• Part 3 of 4: Learning the traditional movements
• Part 4 of 4: Understanding the philosophy behind kung fu
• Tips
• Warnings

Kung Fu, also known as Gong Fu, is an ancient Chinese martial art. If you want to learn this art, but there is no fighting school nearby, you cannot afford it, or your calendar is just too full, then you have no choice but to teach yourself. As long as you are committed and ambitious, you can do it. This won't be easy, but it's worth it.

To step

Part 1 of 4: The preparation

1. Set up a place in your home for training. Since you will spend a lot of time jumping, kicking, boxing and hitting around you, it is important to arrange a part of your house in such a way that you have enough space for practicing kung fu. About 3 by 3 meters should be more than enough.
   • If you do not have a separate room for training, tidy up a part of your room so that you do not have the opportunity to hurt yourself or break something.
2. Buy or make a punching bag. You can postpone this in the beginning, but in the end you will need a punching bag. In the beginning you are mainly shadow boxing, but in the end you want to feel some resistance.
   • You can hang a punching bag from the ceiling (if possible in your room) or buy a free-standing bag (available online or at most sports stores).
3. Find good instructions. Fair is fair, nothing can replace a good teacher or "sifu" when it comes to learning kung fu. But you can certainly teach yourself if you are diligent and persistent. Buy a few DVDs, watch videos online, or check out the fighting school websites. Many have short videos that allow you to get an idea of ​​their program, as well as teach you some movements.
   • It is best to find more than one source. There are a number of different kung fu schools, so try to pick the one that suits you the most. It is also important to be able to clearly distinguish who the experts are and who are not. Finding more than one resource can help you check that you are learning the moves correctly.
4. Pick an area you want to focus on first. There is so much to learn when it comes to kung fu; if you tell yourself that you are going to learn everything there is to learn about this sport, then you set the bar very high. If you are just starting out, limit yourself to a specific topic. If you have memorized a number of positions, you can continue with kicks, jumps or punches.
   • This also makes it easier to put together a lesson plan for yourself. For example, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday you work on your postures and stairs. On Tuesdays and Thursdays you will work on basic skills such as your balance and flexibility.

Part 2 of 4: Starting with the basic training

1. Work on your balance and flexibility. To be able to maintain the postures in kung fu, you have to be in top form. A good way to master this is yoga. It may seem like this is unnecessary and takes you away from the real thing, but what you achieve with it is that you do the prep work to get really good at kung fu.
   • And as far as flexibility is concerned, it is important to start each session with a warm up and stretching of the muscles. A warm up can consist of some jogging, a few jumping jacks and push ups. Then stretch your muscles. Not only will this keep you free from injury, but it will also make you more flexible, allowing you to pedal higher and bend more smoothly.
2. Learn some poses. The basis of kung fu lies in the postures. You can't do the right moves if you get out of the wrong position. The first three are not intended to be fighting stances; they are intended as a basic posture in traditional kung fu necessary for your balance and as a starting point for the other postures. They are an integral part of the kung fu train of thought. Here are some poses to work on:
   • The horse pose. Bend your knees at about 30 degrees, spread your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and keep your fists clenched at your sides, palms up. Keep your back straight, as if you were on a horse.
   • The frontal position. Bend your knees and stretch your left leg back, as if in a lunge. Then extend your right fist in front of you in a quick motion and keep your left fist close to your body. Now reverse the movement, so for the right leg and the left fist.
   • The cat pose. Place the right leg slightly behind you and lean on it. Let only the toes of the left leg touch the ground. Keep both fists tight as if you were going to box, and protect your face with it. If someone approaches you now, the front leg should automatically spring into action to defend.
   • The combat stance. If you want to use kung fu against someone else then you need the fighting stance. This is essentially the same as the regular boxing stance; one foot slightly in front of the other, fists raised to protect your face, knees relaxed.
3. Work on your punches. With punches, most of the force comes from your hips. Just like in boxing, kung fu has stitches (jabs), uppercuts and hooks. We will discuss all three.
   • The jab. From the fighting stance with the left foot in front of the right foot, bend your knees, rotate the hips towards the opponent and strike with the left fist, immediately followed by strike with the right fist. As the right fist shoots forward, rotate your hips as well.
   • The hook. Contrary to what you might expect, it is important to start the hook small. From the fighting stance, right foot back, clench the right fist, rotate the hips and lash out with your left, in a turn. Remember that all the power comes from your hips.
   • The uppercut. In combat stance, lower the fist and raise it in a swing, as if you were aiming at the chin of your imaginary opponent in front of you. Also rotate the hips slightly, because that is where all the strength has to come from.
4. Work on your defense. Each defense is different depending on what you are blocking. But whatever comes your way, start with the combat stance. From this position you are fully prepared to protect your face and repel attacks.
   • With punches, jabs and hooks, the blocking is similar to boxing. Depending on the side being threatened, take that arm and keep it bent, after which you can repel the opponent's attack. You can then attack with your other arm.
   • Use for kicks and elbow strikes both arms. Keep them bent and in front of your face, but rotate your hips according to the direction from which the threat is coming. This prevents you from beating yourself through the backlash of the defense, and it is more painful for the other person.
5. Get your stairs strong. Kicking is the most fun part of kung fu and also the easiest to notice improvement. Here are three basic steps you can start with.
   • The kick kick. Stand in front of a punching bag. Step forward with your left foot and kick the bag with the inside of your right foot. Switch sides.
   • The stump kick. Stand in front of a punching bag. Take a step forward with your left foot and bring your right foot straight out in front of you, slightly bent at the knee. Then pull forward and "punch" your foot head-on against the bag on the bag, pushing it backward.
   • The side kick. Stand in the fighting position, your left foot slightly in front of the right. Bring your body weight to your left foot and swing your right leg up, sideways, so that you hit the bag at shoulder height or lower with the side of your foot. Try to bring your right leg back in quickly, but stay on your left leg to practice your balance.
6. Practice combinations in the air and against the bag. Now that you are still trying to get into it, start doing the movements in the air. When you find yourself in control, continue with the punching bag. If you find yourself getting tired, take a break or practice something else.
   • If you're really starting to gain confidence, try sparring with a training partner. Mind you, as long as you have the right protective equipment or pads that the other person can put on their hands while you practice your kicks and punches.

Part 3 of 4: Learning the traditional movements

1. The Dragon. This movement is mainly about appearing intimidating; you keep staring at your opponent all the time. Here's how:
   • Stand in Horse Pose, but put your feet a little further apart and bend your knees a little further.
   • Strike with your fist like a regular punch (jab), but place your fingers in the shape of a claw. You use this to lash out at your opponent.
   • Come out of Horse Stance and transition to a side piercing kick at your opponent targeting the stomach area.
2. The snake. In this position, you sneak back and lift your head before striking, much like a snake. Here's how:
   • Spread your legs, right leg in front of the left and rest your body weight on the back leg. Keep your knees bent.
   • Flatten your hands as if they were knives. Take it straight forward.
   • Block your opponent's attack by grabbing his arm and then lashing at him with a blunt kick.
3. The leopard. This movement is less direct; it allows you to flee if necessary.
   • Stand in a fighting stance, wide, lean back on your back leg.
   • When you are ready to attack, throw your weight forward, bend your finger, and lash at your opponent with the palm of your hand and the edge of your fingers, instead of with a fist. But this does require some practice or you will injure yourself.
4. Fly like a crane. This move is very passive and waits to see what your opponent is going to do. This is done as follows:
   • Stand in Cat Pose, but with your feet close together. With this you "hide" your foot.
   • Raise your arms to your sides to distract your opponent.
   • As soon as he approaches you, lift the front foot touching the ground only with the toes and take out with a suitable kick.
5. Claw like a tiger. This movement is fast, energetic and effective. This is how you proceed:
   • Stand in the fighting position, but slightly wider. You are essentially in a squat.
   • Bring your hands up to your shoulders, claw-shaped, palms facing out.
   • Do a jab-jab combination and then hit high with a side kick.

Part 4 of 4: Understanding the philosophy behind kung fu

1. Learn the two different kung fu schools. Read as many kung fu and martial arts classics as you can, such as Sun Tzu, Bruce Lee, Tak Wah Eng, David Chow, and Lam Sai Wing. This way you learn everything about the different movements within kung fu:
   • Shaolin. This is the oldest school in kung fu. It is known for its external, large movements and training aimed at strengthening the muscles, tendons and ligaments. This is what most people think of when it comes to kung fu.
   • Wu Dung. This school is a bit newer and is a different interpretation of the original concept of kung fu. It is known for its internal movements and training aimed at strengthening and directing chi or life force. This is more about focus, zen and inner strength.
2. Think of the movements as those of animals. Many of these movements resemble those of animals; after all, this is the origin of this martial art. It can also put you in the right frame of mind and allow you to tap into your true potential.
   • There is a story of a man in New Zealand who once dug a hole 1 meter deep and began to practice jumping in and out. In time, he dug the hole deeper and deeper and gradually became a human kangaroo. Not only do you have to think about animals in a combat situation, but also when you are training.
3. Meditate. Japanese samurai used meditation to increase their skills. They believed (rightly) that it clears the mind and provides insight into which attack is best. It allowed them to think more clearly and slow down everything around them. The same is still true today. Just meditating for 15 minutes a day can help you find your inner balance and strength.
   • Imagine that you are very focused on something. While this is happening everything around you slows down. This is a meditative state. This is a peaceful, zen state and can be useful in combat as everything seems to slow down, allowing you to react more quickly.
4. Practice, practice, practice. The only way to become a true kung fu master is to keep practicing. In itself, the movements can sometimes look strange and you can start to wonder what you are doing. But if you practice every day, meditate, and read a lot about the sport and what it entails, it can become a way of life where you can't imagine ever living without it.
   • Keep practicing in the air, against a punching bag, with a sparring partner, and keep looking for challenges as you keep getting better and better.
   • Keep correcting yourself. Read your source material carefully and keep checking that you are doing the movements correctly. Otherwise you are not really into kung fu.

Tips

• When training with a partner, it is important to use both your hands and your feet as much as you can. Tap into the full potential of your body.
• Practice repetitions of each movement to balance your mind with your body so that you get faster and more confident.
• Try to get books that show you step-by-step instructions for the different movements.
• Try to work with the best materials.

Warnings

• Don't act tough and bother (attack) other people with your new skills. Kung fu should only be used for self-defense, otherwise you will not have understood what this art actually entails.
• If your only goal is to show off your skills, don't get started.
• Always train wisely. There are risks and dangers that you should be aware of before starting.