Basics are a Classical Kung Fu workout that develops your Strength and Extraordinary Power. Classical Kung Fu is based on the 2000-year-old Chinese art of Kung Fu that kept the monks in the Shaolin Monastery healthy and free from disease. They created an unbelievable Health program based on 5 Animals: Tiger (Strength), Leopard (Speed), Snake (Endurance), Crane (Balance), and the Dragon (Flexibility).
Basics comprise the Kung Fu techniques of strikes, kicks, punches, stances, and blocks. Each technique can have anywhere from 10 to 100’s variations. For example, you have front kicks, side kicks, round kicks, cross kicks, etc. Each kick is done a specific way and to strike specific areas. All basics aim for specific points on the body to achieve the greatest effectiveness. These are the same points used in acupressure and acupuncture. Basics teach you how to strike, where to strike, and how much power needed.
Strikes and Punches have hundreds of variations from the simple Twisting Punch to the typical openhand Snake strike. Each basic hand strike or punch has a specific way that it is done. This improves the effectiveness of the strike or a punch as it hits a specific point on the body. For example, a Twisting Punch starts with the fist the thumb-side facing up at the waist. The arm slides down the side of the body and after the elbow clears the waist, you turn the fist all the way over so the thumb-side down.
Blocks are divided into 3 groups: Upper Gate, Middle Gate, and Lower Gate. As the names imply, these blocks protect the upper part of the body, middle part of the body, and the lower part of the body. The blocks are all done differently depending on how you have to defend yourself. If someone attacks your head area you cannot use a middle block, and you cannot use a high block for someone attacking the middle part of your body. Each block is performed for maximum power and effectiveness against an attack.
Kicks have a wide variety of uses from high kicks to low kicks. Kicks are also used for sweeps, leg traps, ground fighting, and even blocking. Each kick has specific uses and specific parts of the foot and leg that a kick uses. Side kicks are thrusting power kicks where the body is sideways of the kick and you use the side edge of the foot for the strike. Front kicks can use the instep, heel, or the ball of the foot for the strike. Cross kicks are circular kick and use the inside or outside edge of the foot by circulating the leg. These kicks can unbalance the opponent or even for blocks.