Member of Martial-Arts HyperBanner

The following information is a breakdown of serveral different forms of Kung-Fu. Some of these particular styles I have used and incorporated in my personal art of Aesthetic Jeet Kune Do. The Summaries are courtesy of the book "KUNG-FU: History, Philosophy, and Technique." I found this book very informative and a pure thrill to read.. It is one of many books I have read and used over the span of my martial arts career. I hope you find them just as usefull.

--"Sifu" Bevan Bell

NORTHERN SHOALIN: *"With the original Shaolin Temple in Northern China long since destroyed, the main branches of Shaolin Kung Fu spread far and wide through China, undergoing many revisions and adaptations. The present system, known as Northern Shaolin, specializes in long-range fighting techniques. Based on some of the original temple boxing heritage, the proponents of this system maintain that kicks are more effective than hand movements because the legs obviously are longer than the arms."

DRAGON: *"The mythical dragon has been characterized in the West as a serpentlike, winged monster which, according to some religions, including Christianity, represents the power of evil. However, other cultures, especially the Chinese, believed that the fabulous creature was benevolent, life giving and worthy of reverence, indeed, even worship. In ancient China, the dragon, as a Yang force, was associated with male fertility. Above all, the dragon represented the fertilizing power of rain. As the continuous pelts of rain may be used for healthy growth, they may also be used to engulf or destroy as in the Dragon style. The Dragon specialty at the time of attack is a combination of Hard and Soft techniques. Exponents rely on "floating and sinking movements with shoulders dropped and elbows bent." A powerful outflow of thrusting power is then released."

WHITE CRANE: *"The regal spirit of the white crane has inspired what may be considered as the most elegantly beautiful of all the Chinese Kung Fu systems. Patterned after the aesthetic essence of the statuesque wading bird found mostly in marshes and open plains, the classic White Crane self-defense forms contain an unexpected deadly beauty, especially devastating for the aggressive beholder. The main principles of the White Crane style are really quite simple and direct, although extremely difficult to perfect. There are four main principles to remember: to Hurt, to Evade, to Penetrate, and to Intercept."

To Hurt:
A White Crane master will never fight unless it is to save lives or prevent harm to others. This includes, of course, the protection of oneself from destruction.
To Evade:
The White Crane master almost haughtily disdains physical contact with an opponent, instead opting for a single debilitating blow, usually delivered from long range. A White Crane saying has it that "If you evade an attack, there will only be one attack; if you block an attack there will be ten attacks."
To Penetrate
This means to break through the defense of the adversary. The master should take advantage of the tense side of the Opponent's attention or the lax side of his inattention.
To Intercept:
Violent situations could possibly arise in which distasteful physical contact might be forced by a strong opponent. There are basically two methods of intercepting, physical interception and negative interception. Physical interception, the blow is Intercepted just as it is launched. And negative interception, an application of pressure in the same direction as the antagonistic force.

BLACK CRANE: "From the crane, we learn grace and self control". This, the second of the styles of the Shaolin, traces its ancestry back to the time of Dr. Hua T'o during the Han dynasty. This physician developed a series of exercises for improving health by imitating animal motions, among which was a bird. Black crane, as it has evolved today, constitutes the hand sets of the Shaolin crane. As such, it provides a short range style of boxing useful to tall boxers. Its complement was to include throws and locks but delete intricate forms so that it could be studied by the general populace or military personnel. Legend has it that an old man was watching a battle between an ape and a crane one day and marvelled at the bird's ability to evade the ape and still connnect with telling blows of its own. He meditated daily on this conflict and one day, when attacked by bandits, defeated them by using the moves of the crane. Thus was a new system born. History tells us that the movements were a collation of the ancient bird style, some tiger and the motion of snake. Because the exercises were intended to teach character and spirit, the style inherited the stork stance long before white crane itself was introduced into China.

WING CHUN: *"The essence of Wing Chun, in Chinese terms, is "Opponent attacks, absorb and neutralize blow. Opponent withdraws, pursue and counter. Disengage restriction from arms, retaliate with penetrating thrust." This will take some time to understand and a lot of practical application to master. Technically, Wing Chun uses a constant flow of forward energy based on the principle that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Offensively, a Wing Chun artist will use a combination of straight and intercepting lines and deflecting arcs. We emphasize the word "offense" because Wing Chun is structurally an aggressive close-quarter style which, as a modern Wing Chun practitioner told us, "Doesn't give a damn about traditional block and punch routines.""
**Wing Chun is a southern style of Chinese kung-fu, and the most influential Chinese martial art in modern times. Wing Chun emphasizes self-defense reduced to its most streamlined rudiments, simultaneous attack and defense with multiple straight-line strikes at extremely close range. Each punch, poke, strike, slap, or kick in the system has been designed to serve as a defense; similarly every block, deflection, or evasion has been designed to double as an attack. Rapid hand techniques combined with low kicks tend to be featured in an aggressive array of constant forward pressure.

HUNG GAR: *"Hung Gar is an adaptation of the Shaolin Tiger system, and stresses close-quarter fighting methods. This system was totally unlike the far-ranging jumping styles of the North, but it was extremely effective for combat in the confining alleys of China during the Ch'ing dynasty. In Hong Kong, Hung Gar artists consider a half hour in a strong horse stance adequate for daily exercise, in addition to powerful boxing and weapons sets."

PRAYING MANTIS: *"Some three hundred and fifty years ago Wang Lang founded the Praying Mantis form of Kung Fu. Wang based his martial art on a mantis he captured. He observed the mantis' offensive and defensive movements. After Wang's death his carefully thought out mantis heritage became divided when four of Wang's disciples, each claiming superior innovations, sought to be released from the founding school. The mantis master granted permission on one condition- each student name their individualized style after the markings on the back of a personally captured mantis. One had the appearance of a Yin-Yang symbol (Tai T'si), another looked like a plum blossom (Mei Hua), one showed the markings of seven stars (Tsi T'sing), and one had no markings and was called the Bare Style (Kwong P'an)."

MONKEY STYLE: *"It may be a very comical style of martial arts, but is truly one of the most deadly personal defense systems. Its origins trace back to at least 1842 when foreign missionaries were first allowed into China. When a normally peaceful man, Kau See, resisted being drafted he accidentally killed an officer. For this crime he was placed in prison, from his cell Kau See watched and imitated the movements of the prison "watchdogs" which were apes. He watched the movements of the apes for ten years, paying special attention to how the apes fought. When he was pardoned and released he became know as "The Monkey Master." Disciples soon joined him to learn his unusual hopping and squatting defense system."

CHOY LEE FUT: *"Choy Lee Fut's power originates from the waist through a strong horse stance. It utilizes this power to release punches from only a foot away from the target. It also uses basic Chin Na grappling and throwing techniques, high and low kicks, side kicks, snap kicks, hook kicks and turn kicks featuring 360-degree spins and turns. Intercepting and jamming are favorite tactics used against any enemy. Jam an opponent off balance by moving straight into him while blasting overpowering hooks and uppercuts. Some of these moves are strikingly similar to Western boxing."

HSING CHEN KUNG FU: For students who wish to study martial arts for self-defense purposes, the Hsing Chen program teaches an extremely effective means of dealing with an attacker. Training in this program involves the study of close distance fighting, joint trapping and breaking, throws and takedowns, hand and foot striking as well as weapons training. Because Hsing Chen Kung Fu is not dependent on strength but on a mastery of angles and the mechanics of the body, it is an ideal self-defense system for men and women.

T'AI CH'I CH'UAN: Literally translated T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan means "Supreme Ultimate Boxing". T'ai Ch'i is a form of moving meditation that is normally practiced with slow, relaxed and flowing movements. This art is ideal for those seeking gentle, rehabilitative exercise, to relieve stress, or to study inner power through calmness.
**Tai Chi cultivates chi as the seat of power and the force behind the techniques it employs. There are several theories of the origin of Tai Chi: The taoist priest Chang Sen Feng of the Yan dynasty created the style; that it emerged during the T'ang dynasty and developed through the Hsu, Yu, Ch'eng, and Yin schools; that the Ch'en family of Ch'en-Chia-Kou in Honan province created it during the Ming dynasty; and a fourth theory attributes its development to Wang-Tsung-Yueh, during the Ch'ien-Lung period of the Ch'ing dynasty. Whatever theory you believe, it is well known that Ch'en-Chia-Kou is well known as the first t'ai-chi-ch'uan master. Two major and important schools of t'ai-chi emerged from Ch'en style, namely the Yang and Wu styles. The techniques of the Yang style were so effective that warriors flocked to the kwoon. According to ancient scrolls and manuscripts from this school the son of the head master was requested to perform techniques from his fathers program before Emperor Gomizuno(1611-1629). Following the performance the emperor bestowed upon the art the title of 'supreme and unsurpassed art of combat' granting the discpiles permission to use the imperial color purple for the cords used by the school.

HSING I CH'UAN: Hsing I, or "Mind/Form" Boxing is the oldest of the internal martial arts. It is known for its direct linear movements and its ability to develop physical and internal power. Hsing I has more physical training and quicker ovements than T'ai Ch'i, but Hsing I is still less demanding than the Hsing Chen program.
**Found chiefly in the north, originating in San-Shih province. It spread to Hepei, the to Hunan, and eventually reached Peking. Based on the five-element philosophy of Chinese cosmology, it has a simple and practical style. Major weapons are knife(tao) and sword (chien). It uses single movements in training, repeated on both left and right sides, and contains short basic forms, unlike other northern systems. Important figures in the Hepei style (San-Shih original style) are Li-Tsun-I, San-Yuen-Shiang, Tsau-Ke-Li, Chiao-Liang-Feng and Adam Hsur.

TIGER: The tiger plays a great role in Chinese history and mythology, so it is only fitting that the beast should be chosen as one from which to develop a fighting art. The ferocity, wisdom and tenacity are legendary. So it is that we study the king of the animals in order to be taught "tenacity and power". Tiger dates back to the time of Dr. Hua T'o and constituted some of the original gung fu exercises taught for health. As a fighting art, it traces its roots to Burma and the ancient methods of bandasilat. Among the Shaolin, tiger was a necessity for study because it encompassed all aspects of armed and unarmed combat. For the most part, tiger utilizes a hard, external approach to combat that meets force with force and is very likely to maim or kill an opponent because of the nature of the counterattack. Its primary hand weapons are the closed fist and the tiger claw while kicking manuevers are usually low to middle range kicks of great power. One studies tiger to develop bones, muscles and tendons. The emphasis, as befits the beast, is on strength and dynamic tension, culminated in short, hard, snappy moves. As in all styles of gung fu, one becomes the animal.

LEOPARD: Leopard began as a southern style that has seen some northern influence in the form of Panther. Leopard is construed as a soft subsystem and is used to develop speed and strength, for it is the fastest of the tiger family. It was developed by Mot, a great choy lay fut practitioner, and included in tiger because of its different structure and style of attack. Although the chain and whip are occasionally used, the main weapon is the leopard fist. The fist is formed in such a way that it can jab, rake or crush on any surface without alteration, striking soft points in the anatomy and structural weak points. Ribs are a frequent target. The back of the hand is often used in breaking while a variation with the first two fingers extended like chelicerae is used for attacks to the eyes. Snow leopard, leopard at dawn, leopard bares its claws and Panther are forms seen in tiger. The first is from the Tibetan snow leopard system and is arbitrarily included. The second utilizes tiger footwork in conjunction with leopard hand techniques. Panther, the highest form in the style, has all of leopard's kicking maneuvers and uses the 3rd leopard form as its foundation.

SNAKE: Snake styles probably developed among the first codified martial arts creations. The emphasis on hitting weak points along the ch'i meridians suggests that such meridians and primal acupuncture had already been worked out. (It has been suggested by some practitioners of acupuncture that the meridian routes were mapped based on preferred sites for mosquito bites; many bites induce discomfort in distant parts of the body. Interesting idea...) The modern snake style is actually an amalgamation of older styles which have now died out. Its range of technique, however, reflects the influence of each of these three styles. Viper consisted of intimidating strikes that could inflict heavy psychological damage by drawing lots of blood without causing life-threatening damage. Its trademark was the tongue strike--two fingers aiming often at arteries and veins. Cobra, in contrast, did not emphasize highly recognizable or showy techniques but rather very serious strikes to nerves and pressure points. Its characteristic hand technique was an open hand with the thumb curled underneath in order to maintain dynamic tension. Python, in addition, relied on the leopard fist for its pinpoint strikes and included grappling. The two universal aspects of snake techniques are pin-point open-hand strikes and twisting arm postures to disguise one’s line of attack. Such movements are often seen in Wing Chun forms, as in the third, or Bil Jee, set, in which most of the hand techniques are snake-derived.

Fong Ngan **Fong Ngan is a style of Chinese kung-fu, also known as the Phoenix Eye, originating in China's Hopu province and developed by Kew Soong. In this system the basic blow is delivered with the foreknuckle fist, palm fist, finger poke, ridge hand, and knife hand techniques. The style's only kick is the front snap kick, delivered low to the groin area. There are no formal stances in the style. Instead, pratitioners learn to crowd an opponent, enticing him to make a wrong move.
A Fong Ngan practitioner never retreats from an attack, but moves into it, or, if necessary, jumps to the side while counter-attacking. Fong Ngan employs tripping and leg-hook throws, techniques that are always followed up by a 'killing' blow or strike. The style emphasizes 'kuen' (forms), proper breathing, speed and technique. There are four-man and two-man exercises.

Hop Gar **Also known as Lama kung-fu, Hop Gar became prominent during the Ch'ing dynasty in China as the official martial arts system of the Manchu Emperor and his guard. It was, and still is, a style for fighting, not for excerise or dancing. More than three hundred years ago a Tibetan priest named Dai-Dot laid the groundwork for this style. According to legend, Dai-Dot was stricken with enlightenment one day and, pointing one finger toward the sky and one toward the earth, he fell to his hands and knees and roared like a lion.

Hung-Chia **A Southern style of kung-fu that stressed powerful hand techniques, delivered from strong, low stances. As the story goes, five monks, called the Five Ancestors, escaped from the temple during its destruction by government troops. One monk, Chi-Sim, made hi way to southern China, taking refuge among the boat people, where he was recruited by a floating opera troupe to teach martial arts. Chi-Sim reportedly modified this style accordingly: kicks and the more intricate balancing maneuvers found in the northern styles were excluded.
This system is based on the movements of the five animals: dragon, snake, tiger, leopard, and crane. A famous exponent of this system is Yuen-Yik-Kai, in Hong Kong.

Kung-Ki-Ch'uan **Northern style of Chines kung-fu that originated in the Chang county, Hopei province, where it is still practiced. Practice is quite slow and very difficult, consisting of low horse stances. Famous for its knife and staff routines, it is a rare style in which a practitioner will often strike his own body. Because of this and its extreme difficulty it has earned the nickname 'Sa-Dung-Li' or Stupid Kung-Li.

Lo-Han-Ch'uan **Literally the Buddha style. It is composed of several systems it is very similar to Chang-Ch'uan. Emphasis is placed on positioning rather than movement.

Mien-Ch'uan **Literally the 'cotton-fist'. A northern style. Emphasis on softness, smoothness, slowness, warmth, and even weakness. Practitioners train very slowly with the legs in a perfect horse stance. The common saying in Mien-Ch'uan is 'ten years of practice before one can use it'.

San-Hwang Pao-Ch'u **Nothern style of kung-fu that originated in the Three Kingdoms period. Its name literally means 'cannon fist'. This style is also known as hsing-kung-ch'uan and is still practiced in Peking.

Shuai Chiao **Chinese form of wrestling dating back to about 700 B.C. Shuai Chiao uses throws and takedowns as well as strikes, kicks, and blocks similar to those of other styles of kung-fu. Shuai Chiao stances are very low and solid. Freestyle fighting is practiced with kicks, strikes, and throws combined. This art is taught as a means of combat, not as a sport.

T'an-T'ui **A Northern form of kung-fu from the Chang-Ch'uan Islamic style. This is actually not a system in itself, but the first form of Chang-ch'uan. T'an-Tui was adopted by several other northern systems in their basics. This Chinese boxing method is characterized by low kicking techniques and an emphasis on strong, yet mobile horse stances. Training stresses repeating movements left and right, always ending each move with a kick.

Ta-Sheng-Men **Known as the monkey style. In 629 A.D. Hsuan Tsang, a Buddhist monk, was traveling from China to India. According to legend Sun Wu-k'ung, a monkey, was his bodyguard. From his methods, so folklore says, the kung-fu system was developed. The stances of a monkey are adopted in this style, which also employs rolls, crouching defensive postures, and aggressive leaps.

Ti T'and **Northern Chinese boxing system; techniques of fighting while falling or lying on the ground. Emphasis is on kicking and falling techniques. Balance is considered from three standpoints: keeping comfortable balance; using difficult movesments, yet maintaining balance; and breaking balance, falling, and yet maintaining composure. This training is seen as proactical in circumstances in which on cannot follow the usual methods of fighting, when injured or taken off guard, for example. Also known as Ti-Kung, and Bai-Ma-Sya-Shan.

Wah Kuen **Nothern Chinese style of boxing emphasizing high kicks and long-range hand techniques. Students learn to close the gap quickly. Besides kicking and striking, the system also adopts joint locks and throwing techniques. Forms are practiced alone or in two-man sets.

Pa-Kua **One of the three branches of nei-chia(internal family of system) of Chinese boxing (along with Tai-Chi and Hsing-'i). Pa-Kua was derived from the philosophy from the I Ching(Book of Changes). Pa-Kua's philosophy is concerned with continuous change: all is in flux, nothing stands still. The origin of Pa-Kua is unknown, however it IS known the Tung Hai-ch'uan (A.D. 1798-1879) of Wenan Hsien in Hopei province during the Ch'ing Dynasty learned this art from an annonymous man then barely in his 20s.
Tung is reputed to have been nearly dead of starvation when the hremit found him. The Taoist ministered to him, and Tung remained with him several years learning a 'divine' boxing. Pa-kua emphasises displacement of horizontal strength and turning of the palms. Pa-kua is comprised of various circling postures named after and based on the movements of the snake, stork, dragon, hawk, lion, monkey, and bear.
Tung's most noted pupils were Yin Fu, Ch'eng T'ing-hua, Ma Wei-chi, Liu Feng-ch'un, and Shih Liu. The best known pa-kua boxers today are in Taiwan, notably Wang Shu-chin, Chang Chuan-feng, Ch'en P'an-ling, Kua Feng-ch'ih, and Hung I-hsing.

[Return to Main Page] [On-Line Kung-Fu Instruction] [A breakdown of Aesthetic Jeet Kune Do] [To the Wisdom of Kung-Fu] [To the Page of Japanese Fighting Arts] [Back to Page One of Jackie's Filmography] [To the Bruce Lee Kung-Fu Filmography] [To Brandon Lee's Filmography]
[To the Picture Archives] [To the Page of the Etenal Tao] [To the Page O' Links]
[All About Me] [Home of THE TARGET]

---

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page