Old-School Kung Fu Techniques

Kung fu (or gong fu), an ancient Chinese martial art, is still taught in many countries and has spawned a number of martial arts films. While the art itself is ancient, it has grown and changed over the years to incorporate the techniques of its masters. Still, there are five old-school kung fu techniques on which every subsequent style of the martial art has been based.

  1. The Snake

    • The snake

      According to Shaolin.com, the snake style of kung fu “is one of wisdom, knowledge, precision, experience and clarity.” Created by the Shaolin monk Chuan Yuan during the Yuan Dynasty, between 1260 and 1368 A.D., this is one of the five primary forms of kung fu and is still practiced today. A more indirect form of combat than the tiger or dragon techniques, this form uses controlled breathing and an understanding of the opponent’s weak points to gain martial victory.

    The Tiger

    • The tiger

      The tiger form is another of the primary forms of Shaolin kung fu. The technique is modeled after the natural behavior of the tiger and is an intimidating and brutish form that uses the hands as claws to dig into the opponent. Many of the moves are designed to twist and tear tendons, dig muscle from bone and pull parts of the body apart. Interestingly, the tiger technique is not usually practiced by both combatants in a match, as "when two tigers fight, one is killed and the other is severely hurt.”

    The White Crane

    • The white crane

      The white crane was thought by kung fu masters to be a spirit of royalty and grace. Because of this, the white crane technique is a series of flowing and graceful movements designed to penetrate a combatant’s defense. One signature of the white crane technique is the graceful evasion of attacks, working from the point of view that "if you evade an attack, there will only be one attack; if you block an attack there will be ten attacks."

    The Dragon

    • The dragon

      In Chinese mythology, the dragon is a sign of wisdom and strength, and the dragon style of kung fu reflects this aptly. Basing most movements on the continuous flow of energy, the practitioner of dragon kung fu uses timing and momentum to deliver powerful attacks without requiring large muscles or physical strength.

    The Leopard

    • The leopard

      The leopard style, like the tiger style, uses brute strength along with cunning to obtain dominance over an opponent. Unlike the tiger technique, the leopard technique focuses on speed and lower-body attacks. The concept comes from the leopard’s tendency to move low and strike quickly in the wild. Also featured in the leopard technique is an ability to block while striking simultaneously.