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It is a way of life and a way of fighting, a method for total self-development, as well as a collection of effective combat techniques.

It is Chinese. It is inextricably bound with elements of Chinese culture and philosophy, with Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, as well as with ancient legends, modern heroes, and age-old traditions.

It is both sport and art. Learning kungfu means undertaking rigorous training to learn specific stances, hand techniques, and footwork, while doing kungfu is essentially artistic expression. Beauty and grace are as important as speed and power.

Kungfu is also a community. It is a family of dedicated practitioners who share a love of kungfu and who have committed themselves to one another, to the teachers before them, and to the art and its preservation.

The purpose of this book is to help a new student get started. The chapters of this book are organized roughly in the sequence of a beginner’s experience—from choosing the school, through training, to participating in tournaments. It is meant to cover the material taught in approximately the first three to six months of training, with hints of what comes beyond. We start with history because that explains how the different styles developed and with philosophy because that explains what the art is trying to teach.