06/01/2026
TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF KUNG FU:
We don’t use ‘techniques’ to fight. We use principles. We use ‘techniques’ as a vehicle for learning those principles. Once the principles have are ingrained in our body, the techniques can be let go of, and we move in accordance with these principles at all times.
1. FOCUS (YI)
2. STRUCTURE
3. BODY MECHANICS
4. PUPPET STRINGS
5. ROOT
6. MOMENTUM
7. PRESSURE
8. CONNECTION
9. TIMING
10. TEMPO
11. EQILIBRIUM
12. INTERNAL POWER (GONG LI)
These twelve principles working together are what makes kung fu possible. If one of them is missing, it's like a sports car that's missing a spark plug or a distributor cap; it might look pretty but it doesn't come close to its full potential.
