practice of Chinese martial arts

practice of Chinese martial arts	practice of Chinese martial arts

The practise of Chinese martial arts can be divided into two categories - Taolu and Sanshou. Most styles of Chinese martial arts contain practice of the application of techniques (both as prepared drills and as free sparring), but also the practice of what is known as forms, or taolu (Chinese: 套路; pinyin: tào lù) in Chinese. Forms are a pre-choreographed series of techniques and movements, performed alone or with one or more partners.
Another important part of the training, as in most other physical activities, is what is referred to as basics (基本功), these basics condition the "beginner" for further training
 Basics are a vital part of the training, as a student cannot progress to the more advanced stages without them; without strong and flexible muscles, many movements of Chinese martial arts are simply impossible to perform correctly. Basics include such things as stretching, strengthening of muscles, bones and tendons, stamina training, and basic stances, kicks and punches. Some styles also consider jumping, jump-kicks and acrobatics basics. In addition, many styles teach a few basic techniques as well, before moving on to forms. These techniques are normally the most common techniques of the specific style, found in many of the style's forms. Forms or taolu are series of techniques put together after one another so they can be practiced as one whole set of movements. Some say that forms resemble a choreographed dance, though martial artists often argue that a general difference is the speed and explosiveness seen in most external styles, and that the movements are actual fighting techniques.
These forms sought to incorporate both the internal and external of kung fu. A kung fu form needs to be both practical, usable and applicable as well as promoting flow, meditation, flexibility, balance and coordination. Often kung fu teachers are heard to say "train your form as if you were sparring and spar as if it were a form.