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Basic physical conditioning is emphasized in the early stages of training in Kung Fu. Students start by learning fundamentals such as stances and arm and leg movements. Exercises, such as punching hard surfaces or sandbags and holding stances for long periods of time, additionally strengthen and toughen the body. Some Kung Fu movements were based on movements of animals; The Shaolin Five Imitation style, for instance, involves intricate body movements that imitate the fighting styles of the tiger, snake, leopard, crane, and dragon.
Dragon Stretches His Claws (left)
Heavenly Crane Guards His Cave (middle)
White Tiger Pushes The Mountain (right)
Leopard Climbs The Tree (left)
Snake Looks At The Road (right)
Although the specific movements may vary with the style of Kung Fu, they are eventually combined into forms, or sequences of movements. All Kung Fu forms have sequences, each, for example, containing 24, 36, or 72 movements. Students start by learning short forms and eventually as they progress, gain the ability to perform more sophisticated movement in the long forms.
It is at these higher levels of training and refinement, more complex combinations of punches and kicks and alternating rhythms and tempos - fast and slow, hard and soft - are involved. Essentially, the element of spontaneity develops and the student begins to focus on embodying and expressing the form. Thus he also develops deeper concentration and connection internally, performing exercises such as repetitive breathing from the tanden to cultivate the body's vital energy, or chi. Ultimately, the student is trained both physically and mentally.
Although the Kung Fu styles can serve as highly effective and sophisticated fighting systems, many modern-day schools also emphasize health purposes in training.
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