Kung Fu is a Chinese Martial Art, dating back hundreds of years. Kung Fu literally translated means ‘time’ and ‘effort’ and the daily practice of empty hand and weapon systems is the basis of the art form.
There are many ways to train Kung Fu and this varies from school to school and teacher to teacher. Some schools primarily focus on Kung Fu forms while others focus more on the martial aspects of Kung Fu.
Kung Fu Practice
The daily practice of Kung Fu forms helps to focus the mind and train the body. There are many different forms within Kung Fu (empty hand and weapons) and forms vary in duration and difficulty.
The purpose of each form is to teach the practitioner to synchronise the body and mind so they work as one unit. Kung Fu forms contain martial movements and each form requires varying levels of strength, stamina and flexibility to perform.
Practicing forms every day energises the body, keeps you strong and helps to keep your joints healthy.
At Cardiff Kung Fu Academy our aim is to keep the tradition of Kung Fu alive and we believe that forms underpin everything. If the forms are practiced well they are passed on well, and the tradition stays alive. If the forms take a back seat then the tradition slowly gets diluted over time and replaced with something that is not Kung Fu.
Kung Fu Training
At Cardiff Kung Fu Academy, we also place a strong emphasis on the functionality of Kung Fu. We spend a lot of time on combative drills such as striking, grabs, leg locks, take downs and grappling as each of these elements can be required in a real situation.
It would be possible for us to keep the tradition of Kung Fu alive by simply passing on the forms, but the importance and effectiveness of the martial aspects would be lost without training them.
This balance of practice vs training is what makes Kung Fu such an interesting martial art to learn.
Practice VS Training
The word practice is usually used to define a relaxed, non-competitive or non-performance environment that allows the practitioner to learn and develop skill.
Training on the other hand, tends to suggest a different environment – more pressured, and structured and towards an end goal. In martial arts this means with training others, under pressure for a real situation or a competition.
Practicing Kung Fu alone embeds the skill and training teaches you to deploy the skill in a meaningful way.
Both practice and training are important aspects of Kung Fu and at Cardiff Kung Fu Academy, we believe they should be trained equally for maximum effectiveness.
Book A Trial
Live in Cardiff and want to try Kung Fu? Book a trial here –