Below is our ever-growing collection of articles on Kung Fu related subjects.
Many other articles are being prepared and will be available here in due course. These will include basic and intermediate strikes, blocks, throws, locks, pressure points, weapons training, animal styles, internal and external conditioning and more.
So check back regularly to find more new content.
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Cloud Hands
Cloud hands is a beautiful movement that mimics the soft movement of clouds floating through the sky. It is a lovely movement to practice over and over again. Partly because it feels good to do and partly because there is so much it can teach you when it comes to…
Standing up. A simple guide to good posture
Your posture is all about the way you hold and move your body. A good posture makes you feel alive, nimble, full of energy and puts minimal strain on your body. A poor posture makes you feel sluggish, drained and puts excess stress on various key joints and other systems…
Fight like an animal – 8 ways to become stronger, faster and release your animal spirit
The Chinese have been developing their martial arts skills for at least two thousand years. There is a huge variety of different styles and systems. Some estimate there to be at least a thousand distinct styles that have been developed over the centuries. In the West we lump them all…
Walking The Circle – The Astonishing Art of Baguazhang
Visit almost any park in China at dawn and you will find people doing a variety of traditional exercises. These exercises will look nothing like Western exercise. Some of them will be moving in the intricate patterns of tai chi. Others will be standing completely still yet utterly relaxed in…
Stretch Daily
Stretching is an important part of conditioning to be fitter and healthier. Do you really need more reasons than that to stretch regularly? If the answer is yes, consider this. Imagine if you could have a bath in WD40. It would seep into all your joints, restoring them to their…
Side to Sides
This is a my favourite exercise for dropping tension out of your shoulders and neck. It’s simple to do. Just remember to do it slowly and smoothly and let gravity do the work. Side to Sides…
Forwards Clock
This is another good exercise for restoring mobility. I often do this after doing the sideways clock. This exercise focuses on opening the front and back of the body. Here are the teaching points for this sideways clock exercise. Notes…
Push
Push is a movement that looks easy but can take years to get right. It is used several times in the tai chi form but is also essential study for kung fu practitioners. The principles of push can be applied to a wide range of other techniques. Push is actually…
Pressure Points – do they work?
The effectiveness of pressure points in the martial arts is a hotly contested topic. Many books and films show very unrealistic scenarios where the master touches a few points on his opponent who is then paralysed or dies soon thereafter. At the other end of the scale are the martial…
Gain leg strength
As anyone who comes to my classes will know I talk a lot about leg strength. Basically, without strong legs you have no real support so your upper body will be full of tension to keep your weight off your weak legs. Strengthen your legs and your upper body can…
Principle Two – Move from the centre
In kung fu and tai chi, we always aim to make our movements balanced, efficient and powerful. A balanced movement is one where the forces involved are balanced throughout the body. At no point is the individual out of balance and vulnerable to counter-attacks. An efficient movement is one which…
Defences Against Grabs
and here are a few more. Remember the success of any move depends on maintaining the right principles. Don’t panic or tense upStay ‘on your legs’Don’t hold your breath If the person comes back to attack you again you’ll have to resort to joint locks or, if they fail, strikes…
Twisting power in tai chi and kung fu
There are only two main movements you can make that involve the entire body. These movements are the only ones that generate any real power. So every move in tai chi and kung fu that requires power uses one of these. The first is transferring your weight from one leg…
The Cat Stance
The cat stance is one of the most used stances in both tai chi and kung fu. Yet when you first start to use it you may find it unstable and unbalanced – unlike a cat! Simply put the cat stance involves having all your body weight on one foot…
Transferring weight – one of the most crucial skills
In kung fu and tai chi there are only two movements we can do that have any real power. One is transferring your weight from one leg to the other. The other one is twisting your body at the waist and hips. Transferring weight simply involves moving your weight from…