Northern Legs & Southern Hands?

[chenyaolong]

What are the main characteristics of Northern and Southern styles of Chinese Kung Fu, and what are the conditions and factors that led to these differences? This is the first of a series of videos I will be making where I present my findings from the various research trips I have undertaken in China & Asia.

[aamc]

I feel as if the classifications around southern styles are not broad enough. What's being described are those Fujian styles, those styles that have the 3-step formula. I don't think it explains those Guangzhou southern styles that got exported to the west; Hung Gar, Choy Lee Fut, Lama Pai, Hop Gar. These southern styles, don't have the three step formula, have both battlefield and farmer weapons, do generate power through the legs.

[chenyaolong]

What would you suggest are the main characteristics? Because everything I could think of as far as Fujian and Hakka styles were contradicted by those styles you mentioned.

[jimmy]

[aamc]

What would you suggest are the main characteristics? Because everything I could think of as far as Fujian and Hakka styles were contradicted by those styles you mentioned.

If you want some broad similarities; both static and dynamic stance training, swinging punches as body method training, two person sets.

[chenyaolong]

So then that's no different to northern styles.

[aamc]

Yup, agreed

[dspyrido]

North vs South was a generalisation for where they started training:

Northern legs - long stances and long range kicking
Southern hands - legs are stabilisers for the hands and focus is on arm control/striking

It's just a generalisation and some styles had convergence to the other end.

I flicked through the video but the difference seemed to be more in line with harmonies (hand and foot) vs isolation (legs move separate to arms).

[Bao]

I don't think it explains those Guangzhou southern styles that got exported to the west; Hung Gar, Choy Lee Fut, Lama Pai, Hop Gar. These southern styles, don't have the three step formula, have both battlefield and farmer weapons, do generate power through the legs.

Agreed. Hung gar has maybe the clearest power generation by transition from one stance to another. Mok gar and Choy Li Fut has similar ways using footwork and transitions to generate power.

What is more interesting than footwork, IMHO, is to compare breathing techniques and methods. Here you can see very clear differences between northern styles and Hakka arts for instance. The breathing methods are also something that affects the use of legs and stances and practice of postures. So if you go from this direction and first understand the differences in breathing and internal aspects, then it’s also more easy to understand the differences of the legs and footwork. Again, IMHO.