Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Principles and Sayings

This series of essays deals briefly with Chinese Martial Arts Principles and Sayings. These sayings have been developed over time and are meant to direct your daily practice. Adhering to them will help you develop a proper mindset reflective of a true martial artist. They also reveal distinctive fighting concepts, strategies, and training precepts contained within the Long Fist school. They are not meant to be merely glanced over but instead require diligent study and should be incorporated in your thinking and practice.

I will provide the Pinyin, for those of you who are interested, as well as the English translation.

Hua Quan Xiu Tui (花拳繡腿) – Flowery Fists and Embroidery Legs

The above adage refers to hand techniques that are like pretty flowers and leg skills that lack speed and power. Sadly, today many Chinese martial arts styles have become far removed from their original combative nature, and what looks pretty, most often is not functional.

When you execute hand techniques, your strikes must be swift and directed at a target and that target must have a purpose. This doesn’t mean that you strike out with brute force. In fact, you must remain loose. Being loose conserves energy and allows you to be able to strike swiftly. Tense slightly only just prior to impact and loosen again to deliver the next blow.

Fast powerful kicks are even more difficult to master. Kicking skills require balance, flexibility, and strength. Besides these physical attributes, the proper technical aspect of each kick must be harnessed and refined. In training you might practice high kicks to develop dexterity and speed, but in a real combat situation kicks are aimed at the groin and other lower extremities. Withdraw the kicking leg back swiftly so as not to expose yourself to the opponent’s counters.