Expert: Laurence Lance - 10/30/2009

Question
Is that kung fu is full contact martial arts.And what is Non contact , semi contact, full contact.


Answer
Dear Abdul,
Kung Fu, more properly known as WuShu, does not traditionally have full contact. Full contact is where each partner hits with full power and full speed. Certain areas are exempt from this, such as the round of the face, temples, groin and such.  As you can imagine injury is unavoidable. Over time, ten, twenty years, the injury mounts up and we end up crippled for the rest of our lives.

Traditional Okinawa Karate, pre 1879, was contact only in what was called "One Steps". One steps are simple exercises in which one partner blocks, SLOWLY, and one partner punches, or kicks, SLOWELY. As each become used to the pattern the speed and power increases, but here to the increase is SLOW. Eventually each partner is using full speed and full power, but because they have increased the intensity slowly the blocking partner is able to block without being hit. No hit = no  injury.

There are, as you correctly write, varing degees of contact but the heart of it all is about sparing.

Sparing, as it is known today did not exist in the traditional classes. The Okinawa masters of the 1800s and those born in the early 1900s considered sparing a stupid game of tag. I know this to be true because I've been told such by old men, now passed on, who were born in the early part of the twentieth century. I also know this because I've done both methods and taught both methods and found that the one step method by far is the superior way.

Does this answer your question?
Laurence