History
The origin of Kung Fu dates back more than 2500 years in China, where it began as a means to standardize military training and techniques. Over the centuries, thousands of systems have been created as different regional and family styles adapted to suit their own specific needs. While each of the styles vary in character and offer a unique skill set, all styles evolved to encompass a set of morality, vales and code of conduct that is aligned with major schools of Chinese philosophical thought. These strong connections to values and philosophy were important throughout the propagation of Kung Fu as they helped masters identify worthy disciples who could carry on their traditions and the reputation of the styles. Over the years, Kung Fu transformed from regulated military training, to a vessel for physical, philosophical, and spiritual growth.
Adult Kung Fu Program
Wu Dao’s Adult Kung Fu program is designed to help students improve their overall health and to learn the martial concepts and movements of Kung Fu. We focus on helping students to develop their strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination through warm ups, core training, martial techniques and forms practice. With an emphasis on precision, focus, and attention to detail, students are soon able to accurately perform techniques important to Kung Fu practice, and later apply these techniques in self-defense and sparring drills.
Modern lifestyle conditions most people into adopting bad habits that result in physical weaknesses that in turn cause pain and discomfort in their everyday lives. Wu Dao's martial arts programs work to reverse the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle and to help students return their bodies to a more natural, healthy state. During the hour and a half long classes, students safely push their physical limitations through rigorous strength and flexibility training and gain experience striking targets such as focus mitts and body shields.
Wu Dao’s curriculum encompasses both Choy Lay Fut and Shaolin Kung Fu, each style having it’s own unique advantages and emphasis on specific techniques. At Wu Dao, Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu is taught to both beginners and advanced students, instilling a solid foundation of accessible fighting applications to rapidly build confidence and coordination. The Shaolin curriculum is available, by recommendation, to senior students, as these forms are generally more intricate and the applications are less direct than in Choy Lay Fut. Wu Dao is very fortunate to have 31st generation Shaolin Warrior Monk, Shifu Shi De Cheng, visit the Wu Guan annually to work with instructors and students to pass on authentic Shaolin Kung Fu. At Wu Dao, we teach Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut, which was brought to America by Master Lee Koon Hung. Wu Dao currently works closely with Sifu Daniel Tomizaki, of Concord California, to set up workshops for students to further develop their Choy Lay Fut skills.
Both styles are authentic representatives of traditional practice with effective stances, core movements and fundamental principles. In addition to these two styles, keeping with spiritual and philosophical connections in Kung Fu, an inextricable component of Kung Fu training, Wu De or martial ethics are taught to all ages.
Applications and Sparring
Learning to use Kung Fu is an essential part of Kung Fu training and includes basic techniques such as striking, falling, throwing and body conditioning. During applications training and sparring, students focus on using traditional techniques unique to their style of Kung Fu in order to gain a full understanding of the movements. Students work through three different stages to improve their skill and comfort in fighting situations. Initially working with partners to drill on small combinations develops good habits and important foundational skills. Once students have a basic proficiency, they learn to link these combinations into strings of movement, building off of what they learned in previous sparring sessions. After that, free sparring is introduced and students are able to practice their techniques in a non-choreographed, controlled manner.
