What is Kung Fu?
Kung Fu is a centuries-old Chinese martial art whose history blurs the line between recorded history and ancient legend. The phrase Kung Fu (pronounced gongfu in Chinese) translates to English as a “high level of skill achieved through hard work and practice.” According to legend, its origins date back to the Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery in China’s Henan Province. In 527 AD an Indian monk named Bodhidharma arrived at the temple, where he taught the resident monks a series of exercises based on animal movements to improve their health to balance the extended periods of sitting required for meditation. These movements were then developed into fighting methods to ward off marauding bandits during holy pilgrimages and defend their temple from attackers, elevating what began as simple exercises into a sophisticated martial art which served as a vehicle for physical, mental, and spiritual cultivation. Over the centuries the skill of the Shaolin monks became legendary. In 1760 the ruling Manchu burned the temple to the ground, after which the remaining monks scattered throughout China where they shared and further developed the many styles of Kung Fu that we know today. It also made its way to other parts of Asia, where it influenced the development of other martial arts including Karate and Taekwondo. Today it is taught around the world, popularized by television and film, and has maintained its traditional roots while also evolving into the modern sports of Wushu and Sanda.
What styles do we teach?
At our school we train multiple styles of Kung Fu whose origins are rooted in both southern and northern China. The most traditional style that we teach is the southern Hung Gar Kuen, or Hung family fist, known for its strong, low stances and powerful hand techniques. According to legend, one of the monks who survived the burning of the Shaolin Temple was Gee Sin Dahn Si, often credited as the father of southern Kung Fu. The foundational knowledge of Gee Sin was then passed down to Hung Hei Gune, Luk Ah Choi, Wong Tai, Wong Kai Ying, Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai Wing, Ng Siu Chun, Zhu Bi Sheng, and finally to Sihing Brian Weaver. Many of the masters in our lineage have become legends in Chinese folklore due to their heroic deeds, often being depicted in popular novels, Kung Fu movies, and television shows. Wong Fei Hung in particular is noted for his influence on contemporary Hung Gar, creating the well-known empty-hand form Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen, or Tiger and Crane Double Pattern Fist, which is a key form in our advanced-level curriculum.
The northern style of Kung Fu that we teach is Northern Shaolin Longfist (Changquan), known for its long, extended hand techniques and wide variety of kicks ranging from the simpler snap kick and heel kick to the more complex low sweep, tornado kick, butterfly kick, and lotus kick. Contemporary Changquan was developed in the mid-20th century in an effort to standardize and promote the practice of traditional martial arts in China while also creating the competitive sport of Wushu, though its techniques are based on older, more traditional styles of northern Kung Fu including Chaquan, Hongquan, and Huaquan, whose histories – like Hung Gar – also go back many centuries to the point of becoming legend. Both the Hung Gar and Changquan that we teach also involve the practice of traditional weapons including the staff, broadsword, straight sword, spear, and the mighty guandao.
What are classes like?
At Tai Chi Kung Fu Tao we aim to deliver balanced classes that help practitioners improve their health and fitness, develop practical self-defense skills, and have fun doing it. Both our youth and adult classes begin with a rigorous warm-up to improve strength and agility while learning Kung Fu techniques through a variety of drills based on the multiple styles that we teach. Following a short water break we then stretch to increase flexibility before resuming both individual and partner-based drills to further develop our Kung Fu skills. We also aim to balance the traditional with the modern by not only learning traditional techniques, but also by practicing these techniques with more modern combat applications in mind through the use of modern fighting stances, partner-based application work, and equipment drills. The later part of the class is then dedicated to the learning and practicing of traditional Kung Fu forms, the foundation from which all of our techniques come from. The youth class then concludes with a fun Kung Fu game while the adults cool down with a brief Qigong exercise to gather the breath and relax the body. At the intermediate and advanced levels, students can expect to learn more challenging techniques, forms, weapons, and further practice applying their skills through sparring in a safe and non-competitive environment.
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