Learn Chinese Kung Fu

Chinese Kung Fu learning gains popularity mainly because of its emphasis on fitness and self-defence. Earlier days, people had to apprentice themselves to the martial arts masters. Nowadays, many training centers, clubs or schools are open to enrolling enthusiasts. They have to pass tests to weed out the ill suited and retain the committed.

The training includes the basic skills, routines, weapons handling and others, among which the practice of internal and external skills are most important.
 

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Internal skills are based on the theory of body channels in the traditional Chinese medicine. It’s said that exercising the channels would strengthen organs. Practising for a long time is beneficial to the physical conditions. External skills apply traditional Chinese medicine as catalyst to improve the function of body parts and muscles through repetitive routines. It makes one agile and responsive to dangers.

 Basics: All the basic themes taught by the different schools are similar, including standing-on-stake (pile-standing or Zhan Zhuang) and some flexibility practices. They emphasize the basic exercise on external training of hands, eyes, body, stances and steps coordination as well as internal training of energy, spirit, breath and strength. Hands’ skills are presented in fists, palms and hook hands.

 Routines: A routine refers to a series of motions concerning fighting, defensing and attacking skills. The routines advocated by one school may be far removed from another. The trainees progress from the easy ones to the difficult ones. The trainees have to go through the motions step by step to attain flexibility in tune with breathing and energy release. Gradually they are able to well grasp the skills to defence and attack.

 Weapon Training: It can be traced back to the cold weapon times, when the sabers, swords, spears and staffs were the main representatives. In ancient China, most masters used sabers and swords to improve their skills. Nunchakus, needles, stones, sickles, iron pans and umbrellas were also used as practicing tools. In the Kung Fu movies and novels, the innovation use of common objects as weaponry is an eye opener.
 It is a long and arduous process to attain Chinese Kung Fu success, so commitment and strong will are a must. To attain professional standing, good masters are helpful. Hereunder are several well established schools in China:

1. Songshan Shaolin Temple Kung Fu School
Location: Shaolin Temple Scenic Area on Mt. Songshan, Dengfeng City, Henan Province
Consultation Hotline: 0371-62906336
Established to propagate Shaolin Temple culture as well Shaolin Martial Arts, this school recruits from home and abroad, as well as hosting promotional events. It has strong training facilities with more than 1,000 people registered.

2. Wudang Sanfeng Kung Fu School
Location: Eight Immortals Temple, Mt. Wudang Scenic Area, Shiyan City, Hubei Province
Consultation Hotline: 0719-5664355
Wudang School once had stringent standards to select its learners for Wudang Martial Arts . In the last thirty years, it has begun public recruitment drives. The school has brilliant masters among its alumni and they introduce Wudang skills to the world.

3. Liangshan Kung Fu Academy
Location: east section of Gongming Road, Liangshan County, Shandong Province
Over the more than 20 years’ existence, the academy has turned out around 10 thousand students and trained over 80 martial arts coaches for Russia, France, southeastern Asia and other areas. Many of its students are playing prominent roles at domestic and international sports filed.

4. Quanzhou Southern Shaolin Kung Fu School
Location: Xingzhai Development Zone, Luojiang District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
The martial arts teams of this school have exchange programs with Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau. Over the recent years, many foreign people come to learn for visiting groups or summer camps.

Many other schools are also in the business, such as Shaolin Temple Tagou Kungfu School, Binzhou China Kungfu School and Beijing Shaolin Kungfu School. Nowadays, Chinese martial arts institutes are established world wide.