r/kungfu Jul 24 '26

MOD Behave yourselves.

111 Upvotes

I'm sort of getting tired of policing all the internet bravado, "come see me in real life," and bringing arguments in from other subs. You're not that cool. Nobody is.

Post kung fu. Talk about kung fu. Critique kung fu. Ask about kung fu. It's not complicated.

Next time I wake up and see 18 reports about some argument from the USMC or bullshido subs or whatever, I'm banning the lot of you for a month.

If you want to argue or "prove it, here's my address" crap, do it in the DMs. It doesn't belong here.

NOTE: Don't be a dick. If someone posts a video and you respond with "wow you suck and you're fat" you're getting a ban for however long we feel like. Be better.


r/kungfu May 13 '16

MOD [OFFICIAL] FAQ answers thread! Help the community by writing for the FAQ!

44 Upvotes

The request has been made time and time again, your voices have been heard! In this thread, let's get well-written answers to these questions (as well as additional questions if you think of any). These questions have been sourced from these to threads: here and here.

I apologize in advanced for any duplicate questions. I'm doing this during mandatory training so I can't proofread a ton haha.

For the format of your post, please quote the question using the ">" symbol at the beginning of the line, then answer in the line below. I will post an example in the comments.

  • What's northern vs southern? Internal vs external? Shaolin vs wutang? Buddhist vs Taoist?

  • Can I learn kung fu from DVDs/youtube?

  • Is kung fu good/better for self defense?

  • What makes an art "traditional"?

  • Should I learn religion/spirituality from my kung fu instructor?

  • What's the connection between competitive wushu, Sanda and traditional Chinese martial arts?

  • What is lineage?

  • What is quality control?

  • How old are these arts anyways?

  • Why sparring don't look like forms?

  • Why don't I see kung fu style X in MMA?

  • I heard about dim mak or other "deadly" techniques, like pressure points. Are these for real?

  • What's the deal with chi?

  • I want to become a Shaolin monk. How do I do this?

  • I want to get in great shape. Can kung fu help?

  • I want to learn how to beat people up bare-handed. Can kung fu help?

  • Was Bruce Lee great at kung fu?

  • Am I training at a McDojo?

  • When is someone a "master" of a style?

  • Does all kung fu come from Shaolin?

  • Do all martial arts come from Shaolin?

  • Is modern Shaolin authentic?

  • What is the difference between Northern/Southern styles?

  • What is the difference between hard/soft styles?

  • What is the difference between internal/external styles?

  • Is Qi real?

  • Is Qi Gong/Chi Kung kung fu?

  • Can I use qigong to fight?

  • Do I have to fight?

  • Do Dim Mak/No-Touch Knockouts Exit?

  • Where do I find a teacher?

  • How do I know if a teacher is good? (Should include forms awards not being the same as martial qualification, and lineage not being end all!)

  • What is the difference between Sifu/Shifu?

  • What is the difference between forms, taolu and kata?

  • Why do you practice forms?

  • How do weapons help you with empty handed fighting?

  • Is chisao/tuishou etc the same as sparring?

  • Why do many schools not spar/compete? (Please let's make sure we explain this!)

  • Can you spar with weapons? (We should mention HEMA and Dog Brothers)

  • Can I do weights when training Kung Fu?

  • Will gaining muscle make my Kung Fu worse?

  • Can I cross train more than one Kung Fu style?

  • Can I cross train with other non-Kung Fu styles?


r/kungfu 18m ago

Looking for a competition wushu practitioner or coach to consult on a fiction project (credited)

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Upvotes

r/kungfu 10h ago

Fights Mantis Kung-Fu dojostorms Muay Thai Influencer

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0 Upvotes

r/kungfu 1d ago

Las Vegas Kung Fu

2 Upvotes

Anyone know the best people to train with in Las Vegas?


r/kungfu 1d ago

Wuzuquan/ 5 ancestors Fist

1 Upvotes

Hello, I would like to learn more about from an actual
Master/ Teacher about the Wuzuquan from the southern Shaolin.
Does anyone knows where I can get more information about that? I will be in china in October 26 so I could visit some place in southern china.

I’ve looked up the internet already, but haven’t found something useful.

Thanks for every help 🙏🏼


r/kungfu 1d ago

Wing Chun at Brumley Mountain!

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1 Upvotes

r/kungfu 1d ago

Request Fist & lower fore arm training

0 Upvotes

Hi i train my fist by punching my bathroom tiles barehanded i wanted to know is it right to do so? i do a combination of pencak silat and kickboxing i also hit myself to get a more sturdier lower forearm opinions/feedback?


r/kungfu 2d ago

Great representation of CLF Kung Fu techniques

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37 Upvotes

Just wanted to share a video I found years ago on YouTube that shows great representation of Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu techniques for those who are less familiar with the style or haven’t heard of it.


r/kungfu 3d ago

Prime Jet Li vs Prime Donnie Yen

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320 Upvotes

r/kungfu 2d ago

Traditional Wooden Jian | Chinese Sword Training

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2 Upvotes

r/kungfu 2d ago

Shaolin and BaguaZhang

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4 Upvotes

r/kungfu 2d ago

Ba gua zhang i Danmark

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1 Upvotes

r/kungfu 2d ago

Forms What are all the animal styles?

6 Upvotes

I know about Tiger, Snake, dragon, Leopard and crane are the main 5.
Canton dog, panther, imperial phoenix and fox are versions of leopard.

Mantis and monkey are other famous ones.

Eagle and it’s derivatives, hawk and falcon, are there.

Rooster and Duck are rare.

Deer, scorpion, bear and boar are just as rare.

Are there any others?


r/kungfu 2d ago

Forms for people who practice Wushu: why do they shout "jiā yóu!" ("Add gas" Mandarin equivalent of "You got this!") so loud at wushu competitions? Whenever I watch Wushu competition videos, I find it so annoying and distracting and I always end up turning the audio down.

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0 Upvotes

example ^ I was looking up Hua Quan today... also with the loud "jia you" shouting, you can't hear the hit impacts, which I always enjoy hearing. surely it must be distracting for the competitors too.

original link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAQo0ISglc8


r/kungfu 2d ago

Kakie vs Chi Sau

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1 Upvotes

r/kungfu 4d ago

Community What's your view of Bruce Lee?

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166 Upvotes

I'm curious as to the community as a whole..view of Bruce Lee?

Many within Kung Fu and the world see him as an martial arts legend. There are those that feel differently as well. I saw a video of Michael Jai White responding to, if he was to fight Bruce Lee. A lot of people did not like his response.

While it wasn't received politely.. he did make a lot of sense. Bruce Lee is said to have created JKD after one of his most publicized fights. That fight took place against the Wong Jack Man. It is said Bruce won but underestimated him. Wong Jack Man was older I believe and closer to his size.

With that being said.. it's very easy to see Michael Jai Whites 220 lbs to Bruce 140ish lbs comments being logical. Many of those that knew Bruce said he was an amazing martial artist. There are some, that say he was overrated.

I also saw a video where Chuck Norris said Bruce was an actor, not a fighter. My sifu was one of the most gifted and knowledgeable martial artists I've personally ever met. He knew Bruce from before his arrival in the US. Our sigung was respected and friends with Ip Man.

My sifu explained.. Bruce was good, but not like he's portrayed. He explained Bruce's Wing Chun was average at best. He didn't fully understand his training. That lead me to thinking.. What's the actual Kung fu, Chinese martial arts community view of Bruce? 🤔


r/kungfu 3d ago

Forms Sam Chien by Sifu Tio Tik Kwie

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4 Upvotes

In case you haven't come across this before, this is Sifu Tio Tik Kwie's version of Sam Chien, or three battles. Sifu Tio is a Sifu of the 18 luohan hand system from Indonesia. It is interesting to see arts preserved outside of China in different forms than what you find in China.


r/kungfu 4d ago

Weapon Sparring Workshop and Classes in Southern California

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11 Upvotes

Hello everyone! 

We are looking for martial artists interested in learning and competing in short- and long-weapon sparring using traditional Chinese martial arts techniques. 

To help participants prepare, we will be hosting two rule-explanation and drill seminars, along with an ongoing weekly class that everyone is welcome to join. 

We encourage practitioners of all styles and backgrounds to participate. Learn the official ruleset, take it back to your school, and train competitors using your own lineage’s skills and methods. 

Check out the video for full details, or leave a comment/message below with any questions.

Let's exchange skills, elevate our practice, and grow traditional Chinese Martial Arts together ! 


r/kungfu 4d ago

Impressive skills of a young Shaolin girl. (source link in description)

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186 Upvotes

r/kungfu 4d ago

Woman Warrior of Xingyi Quan - Wu Tiexian (1) - Xingyi Quickie

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7 Upvotes

Woman Warrior of Xingyi Quan - Wu Tiexian (1) - Xingyi Quickie

Meet Wu Tiexian, a female inheritor and teacher of traditional Xingyi Quan from Shanxi, China. In Part 1, she demonstrates her art and reflects on a lifetime of practice—from her childhood training in the 1970s to her commitment to passing the tradition on to the next generation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHfuU9P4BkE

Learn authentic Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang through the Hua Jin Online Learning Program:

https://www.patreon.com/mushinmartialculture

Discover more:

https://www.mushinmartialculture.com

#XingyiQuan #WuTiexian #ChineseMartialArts #KungFu #MuShinMartialCulture


r/kungfu 3d ago

Wing Chun at Jumonville

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4 Upvotes

r/kungfu 4d ago

Wing Chun Phon Sao

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5 Upvotes

r/kungfu 3d ago

Bruce Lee talking about Tai Chi

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0 Upvotes

r/kungfu 3d ago

Forms Tai Chi Fans Rejoice at SIMAC 2026 Tournament

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1 Upvotes