Kung Fu, also known as Gong Fu, is much more than a martial art. “Itself” means “skill achieved through hard work and practice.” Whether you’re drawn to Shaolin Kung Fu or Tai Chi, this guide will provide you with the best way to learn kung fu.
Step 1: Choosing Your Kung Fu Style
Kung fu styles are generally divided into two categories:
External styles (Wai Jia), like Shaolin Kung Fu and Wing Chun, focus on physical strength, speed, and explosive movements. They’re excellent for those interested in self-defense and physical condition.
Internal styles (Nei Jia), such as Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang, emphasize breath control, energy cultivation, and meditative movements. These are ideal for those seeking health improvements and stress reduction.
When selecting your kung fu style, consider your fitness level, personal goals, and what’s available in your area. Watch videos of different styles, and pay attention to what interests you personally.
Step 2: Traditional Schools and Self-study
The best way to learn Kung Fu is through a qualified instructor or a reputable martial arts school. A good Kung Fu master will provide immediate feedback, correct your movements, and adjust the curriculum based on your progress. When looking for a martial arts school:
- Research the instructor’s qualifications, experience, and lineage.
- Observe a class to assess the teaching style and students.
- The curriculum should be progressive, moving from basic to advanced levels.
If you cannot attend in-person classes, a blended learning approach combining online and offline learning is recommended. For those choosing to self-study Kung Fu, use various reliable resources (such as DVDs) to verify your movements.
Designate a safe, open area of at least 10×10 feet (approximately 3×3 meters) for practice. Remove any items that could damage or cause injury.
Step 3: A Qualified Master
No video, book, or app can replace an experienced teacher. A qualified master provides three key elements that self-study cannot match:
Direct Correction: A master can identify and correct your mistakes in real time, preventing injuries and ineffective movements.
Lineage and Background: A true master teaches more than just movements; they impart a system. They provide the cultural, historical, and philosophical background of the martial arts style, whether it’s the close-quarters efficiency of Wing Chun, the fluid movements of Choy Li Fut, or the powerful stability of Hung Kuen.
Responsibility and Motivation: A master will encourage you when you feel like giving up and provide structured lessons to ensure gradual progress.
How to Do This: Research reputable martial arts schools in your area. Visit in person, sit in on a class, and talk to the instructors. Ask about their lineage and teaching philosophy. A suitable martial arts school should be challenging yet respectful and safe.
Step 4: “Kung Fu on Demand” and Online Resources
“Kung Fu on Demand” can effectively supplement your training, but it can never replace your master.
Reference and Review: Review the routines you learned in class using online video tutorials. Observing kung fu movements from different angles can deepen understanding.
Expand Knowledge: Watch documentaries on the history of different schools, listen to podcasts by masters, and read e-books of classic works.
Flexible Choices: If there are no traditional martial arts schools in your area, high-quality online courses can be a starting point for learning. However, you must maintain a critical mindset and supplement with seminars or workshops to receive face-to-face guidance and correction.
How to Do It: Subscribe to reputable online platforms run by well-known and orthodox martial arts masters. Use them as knowledge bases, not your main classroom.
Step 5: Practicing Kung Fu Alone
The word “kung fu” itself does not refer to “martial arts,” but rather to “skills accumulated through diligence and time.” Real training happens when you practice alone.
Fundamentals: Your stance, footwork, and basic strikes are the foundation of kung fu. You must practice them daily until they become second nature.
Routines: Practice your kung fu routines persistently. Initially, it’s for memorization, then for improving accuracy, and finally for practicing intention and application. Forms are a textbook of combat principles coded with movements.
Strength and Conditioning Training: Traditional training methods, such as stance training, grip strength training, and calisthenics, are crucial. Simultaneously, combining them with modern fitness knowledge can provide a balanced improvement in strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular function.
How to do this: Schedule fixed times and spaces for practice each day. Even 30 minutes of focused, high-quality practice is more valuable than 3 hours of aimless, repetitive training.
Step 6: Partner Practice and Sparring
Without a partner, your kung fu training remains purely theoretical.
Practice: Partner practice allows you to master timing, distance, and how to apply techniques in real combat.
Sparring: In sparring, you will learn how to adapt to your environment, overcome fear, and test your skills under pressure.
How to Do It: It must be done under the guidance of a master to ensure safety and proper learning methods. Excellent martial arts schools will integrate progressive, structured partner practice into their curriculum.
Step 7: Self-Cultivation
Kung fu is a path of self-cultivation. Sparring and self-defense are only one aspect.
Respect: Respect for your master, your training partner, the martial art, and yourself is paramount.
Patience and Perseverance: Progress is measured in years, not weeks.
Humility: Learning is a lifelong process. A closed mind cannot grow.
Best Way To Learn Kung Fu: Integrating All
The “best way to learn kung fu” is a holistic approach. Here is an example of a balanced weekly plan:
2-3 days: Attend classes at school. Learn new knowledge, receive direct instruction, and practice with partners.
4-5 days: Practice alone at home. Focus on the fundamentals and refine the routines learned in class.
Daily: Mental practice. Spend 10 minutes meditating, reflecting on the principles of martial arts, or reading related history.
Occasionally: Use online resources to review difficult techniques or deepen theoretical knowledge.
Conclusion
The best way to learn Kung Fu is through consistent and balanced practice. It requires respecting the traditions of different Kung Fu schools while utilizing modern tools to improve skills.
The true essence of Kung Fu lies not in the final achievement, but in daily practice.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the best first step is finding an authentic Kung Fu teacher to guide you on your path.
