Searching For The Best Shaolin Kung Fu Martial Art Is A Difficult Task!
First, even thought they be interesting, we can usually dismiss such arts as Lohan Quan. The reason for this is because they are a different kind of kung fu. Wushu is actually a martial art that has been largely developed by the communist government of China, and one does not feel like learning something which has politically correct overtones, and from which the self defense techniques have been removed.
So we stay with the old styles of Chinese Gung Fu, the versions that leaked out of China before the great cultural revolution. These were the arts passed down through the generations, given from family member to family member to develop a true martial arts lineage. These are the Kung Fu styles in which the fires of true self defense techniques were flamed fanatically.
Many of these old Gung Fu schools claim they are descended from the Shaolin Temple, but there is actually no real proof of the claims. Still, people accept certain martial arts styles as being the real goods when it comes to these claims. Thus we end up with three martial arts which have good lineage, and are of such high quality of Shaolin technique that they can be looked to as a possible answer to the best kung fu.
There are two distinct Praying Mantis kung fu schools, the north and the south, and these can further be broken down into specific styles. The main feature of Praying Mantis (Tong Long) is the hooking and clawing movements, which enable a fighter to keep an opponent immobilized long enough to flatten him. This is a good answer to our question, but tends to be a bit specialized.
There are also many styles of Ving Tsun Gung Fu, which is the art made famous by Bruce Lee (the Little Dragon), and which features the close in strategy of the Sticky Hands exercise. Sticky Hands (Chi Sau) has one of the best methods for creating ‘closed eye’ intuition. It does have several problems, however, such as immobile stances, workability concentrated in on specific ranges, and that type of thing.
The strongest kung fu, but lacking some of the close in work of the previous arts mentioned, is Hung Gar. Hung Gar is also taught as Choy Li Fut, Fut Ga, and so on, and it is considered the quintessential shaolin martial art in China. For all it’s strength, however, it does have certain stylistic problems, as the techniques don’t always relate to real life situations.
Now, of the three arts, I believe Praying Mantis may be the strongest. However, this is a personal opinion, and one should really study all three and focus on the points which are of most personal benefit. Really, in the final analysis, the best Shaolin Kung fu is going to be that kung fu which has been personalized, and which fits the person studying it the best.
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The Secret Trick Inside Shaolin Kung Fu Fighting Systems
Stand in a natural stance, feet shoulder width and extend the arms straight out in front of the body. Bend the arms slightly and make circles with the arms in front of your body in a clockwise manner. The circles should be about three feet wide, and should overlap each other by about a foot.
As you make these circles you will see a series of blocks. At one point your right arm will do a high block and your left arm will do a low block. As you continue the clockwise circle of the limbs your right arm will go through an inverted low block (back of the wrist protecting the groin) and your left arm will go through a palm block (protecting the face).
Anybody who comes at you will run into one of these blocks, or enter into the swirling motion of your arms. You can angle the blocking motion and cause all types of manipulations simply by adjusting foot movement. Take a step, pivot the hips, turn, all will alter the angle of the circles, and you will find other types of blocks.
If you maintain distance and focus the circles you can execute hard and bruising blocks. If you step into a person and circle the attacking arm it will turn into a lever and a joint manipulation or a throw, as you might find in Gracie Jujitsu. Tighten it up and charge at a person and you will end up doing the basic Bruce Lee blasting technique.
As I said, this circling of the arms is native in any martial style, and most students will play with it at some time in their careers. Unfortunately, most people don’t explore it to the degree that they understand the basic conceptual nature of what they are doing. Yet, a few decades into the art, a serious student will invariably realize the fundamental utility of the arm circles.
I discovered this move in the art of Pan Gai Noon. The wa-uke circling block is a variation of this basic motion. It wasn’t long before I saw it in the various kung fu fighting systems, and then the karate fighting systems. I was quick to make it the heart of my own Shaolin Butterfly system.
In summation, let me point out that this arm motion opens the door to endless fighting techniques. If you alter the direction of the circles, or change the direction of one of the circles, you will find virtually every martial arts technique imaginable. Go ahead, look at your martial arts patterns and kata, and you will find that this little trick is at the heart of every martial system, and not just Shaolin Kung Fu Systems.
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