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Kung Fu practitioners are taught forms that they practice in a particular sequence. Instructors teach these forms to the students and in most schools also teach the proper use of these techniques. After a while the students know enough to make assumptions about the techniques such as the purpose of a punch. What is probably not taught enough is that students should understand more than the end result of a technique. Students should question the techniques further to get full value from their training. I do not mean to flood your instructor with questions (especially if you are one of my students), I mean to ask yourself why certain things happen in your forms. Some examples are:
- Why do I throw a punch from the waist in one part of the form but circle my arms prior to punching in another part of the form?
- Why do I start my block on the outside of my arm when I turn?
- Why do I use different stances for the same technique in different parts of my form?
- How would I get into position to execute this technique in a real encounter?
Whoever created the style put certain elements into the form for a reason. These reasons are now sometimes lost in the teaching of a style if a student is pushed through a system too quickly or if an instructor is only focused on teaching form rather than technique. One thing that Fut Gar practitioners are taught is to consider how techniques can flow together once you understand the reaction caused by the previous technique.
Even if the instructor of a particular school is not focused on teaching to this level of detail, the student is still able to formulate ideas in their own mind. Try questioning yourself the next time you are training. The results can be very interesting.
When learning kung fu at my school, the students often ask about the applications of a technique. How is the technique used in a combat situation? This is a good question but when I was a student I was often given the answer "What do you think it does?" This is not an attempt by the instructor to avoid the question or an indication that they do not know the answer. I do know what the techniques are for and I can feed the answer to the students but prefer to have the students think. My real answer is that the application of a technique is correct if you are able to execute it the way you believe it should be used. Although there is an intended purpose for a technique, I do not believe that there is only one answer to the question "What does this move do?" I prefer students to think about the technique and try to figure out the answer to the question first. I am there as a guide for those that really cannot think of an answer and will happily discuss the advantages or disadvantages of a potential application. I would like to encourage all martial artists to think beyond the obvious and look for the "hidden" techniques of a style. Ask yourself questions such as why do I circle my arms twice instead of once or why do I raise my knee when executing this technique. Thinking this way will bring out new possibilities in your fighting.
Students of Leung Tin Chiu's version of Fut Gar Kung Fu are likely to learn the Sup Bat Lohan form as part of their early training. Our school teaches this form at the first level of training in our system. The form begins with a series of circles with your arms (White Crane Spreading Wings) and looks like a balance technique with little martial arts value. The technique definitely has a purpose. The purpose of the technique is for breaking of a grab to the upper body (arm, shoulder, neck). By continuing the circles in the techniques, the opponent is forced to let go of their grab. The important points are to keep your elbows bent through the technique for leverage and keep your palms facing down throughout the technique. All techniques in Kung Fu have a purpose. Students should make sure they have a good understanding of these techniques as they progress in their training.
