Crane and other Bird Stances

[bawang]

Hi, what I can attest to about not only one legged stances but low stances as well is that the transitions during forms in the style I'm learning gives one's legs a helluva workout. That combined with the marathon-length forms and one can barely finish without being completely winded and fatigued. I am learning Mizhong Lohan, and formerly studied Choi Li Fut and Lama Kung-Fu. So my observed differences between the northern and southern is that northern styles tend to be more acrobatic, utilize more kicking, jumps/leaps/running, and high-to-low stance transitions. In the southern styes I studied one would basically and for the most part walk through the forms using predominantly hand techniques, horse to bow stances, cross stance, and stealing step.

It's fairly obvious that Chinese martial arts have imbued much of the surrounding nature as inspiration for the names given to movements, and clearly also inspired by literature "The Monkey King" for example. So as far as what is developed, in brief...leg strength! As far as a real skill to use in fighting that's always subjective. What is fighting? In the ring, during a mugging or robbery? Being a track-star would be a real skill used in fighting in my opinion if one can run away unscathed. I generally don't worry about what can be used in a fight (although I seek to understand application) as I am in it to develop myself, know myself, and each muscle. Basically to be fit, experience a tradition/culture, learn philosophy, escape daily life, etc. For example, I don't practice a sword form thinking I'll be in a sword fight one day. But that's just me. I don't see modern society as a place and time where hand-to-hand combat is a necessity. Bruce Lee said that any attribute can be used in a fight and as fights are completely unpredictable I tend to agree.

The mainstream Chinese kung fu of the Qing dynasty, aka green banner styles, develop leg strength by lifting 150(children size)-300 (imperial minimum)lb examination stones. Even yang style tai chi founder has a 300lb examination stone in his old residence. This was a uniform standardized method throughough the land. The acrobatic movements are because much of surviving northern styles are commercial money making styles that arose during the late opium economy of the 1880s. Southern styles also began to transition to performance, but for intimidating other villages during cross-village festivals, developing muscular poses.

Horse stance training as a formal exercise is separated into horse riding training and boat riding training. For horse riding training the trainee stands on a standard plum flower pole or a brick/rod horizontally across the foot axis. Boat boxing trains by exercising on boats and standing on brick/rod vertically across the foot axis. Weights are added asap.

H2H is an inseparable part of daily life in low income neighborhoods and societies. Escape from daily life by kung fu training eventually leads to a mental breakdown where one's personal issues are not resolved/healed and one quits kung fu or become destroyed by it.