I. The amount of Kung-fu learners is on the increase nowadays worldwide, yet the ways they have been learning should not be the same.
The first way is studying one or two patterns in a certain Quan style, perhaps with one or two Kung-fu weapons.
The second is learning additionally some typical training methods in each Kung-fu style, practicing some postures, acknowledging a little Quan theory.
The third is concentrating on the practical uses of different schools of Kung-fu.
The fourth is a combination of the three types mentioned above.
The last type, however, is acquiring everything in traditional Kung-fu culture.
By the way, "learning Kung-fu" is a variable concept. The differences in motives, mentors, time and energy and in learning style will result in sharply different outcomes. This learner is different from the other indeed.
II. Kung-fu technique, a term for the transient movements of feet and arms in attacking and defense, is a man-made symbol right at that time actually. There is quite a difference between what a mentor teaches in class and what techniques a student can use in a real combat, because no two men are exactly the same in movements, especially in terms of counterattack responses.
As a result of individual differences, Kung-fu techniques can be infinite. An old mentor, we can say, might fight with ten thousand techniques, a middle-aged, five thousand possibly, but a young one, one thousand merely. How to learn the real Chinese Kung-fu if one just focuses on more and more amount of so-called Kung-fu techniques only, but overlooks the essence in Kung-fu?
