Appreciate the importance of basics. Good kung fu skills are all about being an expert on the basics. The underlying premise in kung fu is that we try to achieve mastery through hard work. It doesn’t matter what we’re learning. What it all comes down to is becoming super-good by putting a lot of effort into something that we want to be skilled at. But there’s a very important lesson to be learned that all long-term students of kung fu are bound to experience at some point on their paths.

Enduring through the basics

No person can truly understand the importance of basics without going through the tough beginning. All masters have been students at the beginning of their paths. The beginning is the toughest phase, because our expectations are high. We are enthusiastic about learning kung fu, perhaps because we saw the old kung fu movies, or just something we always wanted to do. But as we take the introductory class, we find out how challenging and repetitive kung fu really is. This is how it starts for every student. And there are good reasons as to why beginners are expected to perform certain exercises, repetitiously. Below is a list of the most significant ones:

• Strength – Stance training strengthens our legs.
• Form – Effective power generation needs proper form. We have to learn how to generate power with our whole bodies.
• Concentration – We must learn to concentrate on single actions and learn to coordinate our bodies with minimum effort. Concentrating on one thing at a time stimulates focus.
• Discipline – We have to be conditioned, because we must be able to withstand physical and mental pressure. We need to learn how to control ourselves when we are constantly bombarded with temptations to give up.
• Hard Work – To weed out the frivolous students. There is nothing in kung fu for those who do not wish to put effort into achieving great skills.

In kung fu, the basics consist of a simple array of techniques that are connected with stance work and movement. The techniques themselves may sometimes look simple but there is so much more to them than just their outward appearance. The “real power” is hidden under the surface. Proper execution requires the practitioner to master all the mechanics behind a technique. A simple punch can’t be polished to its fullest potential without mastering the basics.

Towards enlightenment

Getting to the point where you finally understand the importance of basics is preceded by hundreds or thousands of hours of practice. The shift, or moment of enlightenment, is not a sudden feeling of awareness and realization. It comes gradually. It’s so slow you don’t notice it until you’ve finally acquired the knowledge. By investing time in learning the basics, we can master the fundamentals that are essential to progressing further. Feel how the basics are the building blocks that everything else will be built on. Don’t be hasty. Find beauty within the style and stick with the basics. It’s the surest way to your success.