Kung Fu forms are the heart and soul of Kung Fu.
Let me dispel one myth right now. You have probably seen, in over a dozen movies, a young man covertly watching a Kung Fu master and copying his form on the sly. Then, of course, the young man becomes a master.
This is utter nonsense. You could no more steal the sequence of a Kung Fu form than you could steal the secrets of a sports car by watching a race. The secrets to both are hidden inside, and only through study with a qualified Kung Fu teacher can you view the secrets inherent in a Kung Fu form.
The instructor has done the form tens of thousands of times. He knows what this form will do to him physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, because he has lived with this form and it is now a part of him.
One of the greatest Kung Fu masters of the 20th century, Yip Man, the Grand Master of Wing Chung, is said to have practiced the Sil Lim Tao (the first form in wing Chung) just three days prior to his death from cancer. Quite obviously he was not practicing this form to memorize it or to improve his fighting abilities. Could it have been that the form was one of the things that was keeping him alive?
True Kung Fu form can only be learned by a true student, and a true student will always find a true Kung Fu teacher. If you happen to be a true Kung Fu student, we invite you to investigate Temple Kung Fu a little further. It's possible our way of teaching may become your way of life.
