| As most of you know, I primarily study jujitsu, and | | | | the styles I'm used to, and it feels a lot like it |
| Northern (animal style) Kung Fu as my primary forms | | | | overcommits on the body motions. Punches and |
| of martial arts. I dabble in other styles, from Shaolin | | | | blocks tend to be straight from elbow height, and |
| to Kempo to Tae Kwon do on the hard side, and | | | | tend to be "minimum force redirection" blocks rather |
| work out with Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan with my | | | | than sweeping redirections. As a predominantly |
| father, and teach a couple of jujitsu classes for extra | | | | punching style, it doesn't try to lead the practitioner |
| income. | | | | into joint locks or throws, though it does have an |
| However, I take a deep interest in nearly any style | | | | array of kicks. Most of the blocks are "straightened" |
| of martial arts, hard or soft, so long as it gives a solid | | | | versions of their Shaolin Kung Fu counterparts, which |
| workout and lots of motions. An interesting trend in | | | | isn't surprising given the emphasis on the art and its |
| martial arts instruction is "syncretic" or contemporary | | | | practitioners, and where it came from |
| styles; one of the ones I've recently been exposed | | | | My own experience, with moving along with a local |
| to is Nan Quan Kung Fu, or "southern boxing". Martial | | | | practitioner, is that it's got a lot of similarities to Tae |
| arts styles have generations, where they're founded, | | | | Kwon Do in overall feel, even though the motions are |
| the founder founds schools, the schools then spread, | | | | different, and the focus is built on punching over |
| and regional variations build up, and the styles seem | | | | kicks as the primary offensive maneuver. Like Tae |
| to ossify, then someone starts up a new tradition or | | | | Kwon Do, it's a pared down style; it's designed for |
| style, and the process repeats itself again. Southern | | | | rough and ready efficiency of motion. Also like Tae |
| Boxing is an outgrowth of Shaolin Kung Fu, and | | | | Kwon Do, it's built around heavily scripted routines, |
| shares many of the same basic techniques and | | | | which, when executed, string a bunch of very large |
| styles. | | | | whole body motions into a blinding, energetic series |
| The core stance is best described as a wide rooted | | | | of attacks. It's very flashy looking, but like I |
| "horse" stance; it's designed for transmission of the | | | | mentioned above, compared to jujitsu and the |
| strength of the punch from the core of the body | | | | Northern styles of Kung Fu I do, it feels very much |
| through to the fist; this is a significant change from | | | | like it overcommits on the body motion. |