Benefits of Hung Ga

There are many benefits to Hung Ga training, from the purely physical to the mental. With consistent training, students will enhance their level of physical and energetic health, improve muscular and cardiovascular fitness as well as fine-tune their martial arts skills. Subtle benefits include sleeping more soundly, improved focus and better mental clarity. The training system utilized is very progressive, and students learn at their own pace. Forms, techniques, strength, flexibility and endurance all increase at a gradual level and there is no "schedule" for becoming better in these aspects. With consistent training, all of your abilities will increase.


Training And Techniques

Hung Ga Kung Fu's principal goal is to train the body's physical core in order to maximize one's physical and energetic development. Training at New York Hung Ga places emphasis on the development of a strong base (firm stances and powerful strikes) through the execution of stance exercises and the performance of Kiu Sao (bridge hand training), and dynamic tension. Because of Hung Ga's focus on the fundamentals, each generation of practitioners has been able to grow the art with a variety of new and different techniques. Its current applications include techniques that range from striking, clinching, wrestling and joint locking to long and short range weapon techniques.

The system incorporates the classical 5 animals of Shaolin: Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake and Dragon. Each animal has a particular characteristic and strategy which are expressed in various applications. For example: the Tiger is fierce and aggressive while the Crane is evasive and uses explosive whipping techniques. Hung Ga also utilizes the theories of the 5 elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal. These theories strive to encompass the different aspects of training rather than specialize on any one technique.

Everyone shares the same foundation of learning in this style: Crane Stance, Horse Stance, Bow Stance, Cat Stance, and Dragon Stance. While each student learns all the techniques, Hung Ga's diversity allows many students to specialize in areas that are best suited to their physique and mentality. A tall, flexible person would tend towards Crane techniques mixed liberally with Leopard; a strong person would tend towards Tiger. A virtually limitless variety of techniques exist, allowing a Hung Ga practitioner to respond flexibly to various combat situations.

Classes incorporate Qi Gong training for the development of energy, stance training for the development of physique, strength and mobility, traditional resistance training for tendon strength and muscle power, technique training for self defense and reaction time and sparring training (see Freestyle Sparring). All classes follow a progressive system that provides the best development for each student.


Hand/Weapon Forms

The forms of the Hung Ga system incorporate hard and soft (external and internal) techniques. Each form is learned in a particular order and sets the foundation for the next form. Through the proper training of breathing, sounds, and emotions from the forms, one will learn how to use ging (internal power) efficiently and explode their strikes with minimal exertion. Below is the list of Hung Ga's traditional forms:

- Gung Ji/Fuk Fu Kuen (Subdue the Tiger in the "I" pattern)
- Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen (Tiger Crane Double Form)
- Hang Yuet Dan Do (Moon Flowing Single Broadsword)
- Ng Ying Kuen (Five-Animal Fist)
- Ng Long Baat Gwa Gwan (Fifth Brother Eight Diagram Pole)
- Ji Mo Seung Do (Mother Son Twin Swords)
- Ng Long Baat Gwa Cheung(Fifth Brother Eight Diagram Spear)
- Chun Choy Dai Do (Spring Autumn Great Knife)
- Yu Ga Dai Pa (Yu Family Tiger Fork)