Chapter 1: Building A Strong Foundation

The foundation drills in Wushu are for overall body conditioning, yet develops power, speed, flexibility, jumping ability, quick reactions, control of one’s body, agility, and coordination. The drills generally include the training of the shoulders, arms, waist, legs, hands, stances, stepping, jumping, and balancing. The training can be isolated to one section or part of the body, or can integrate different sections of the body.

The purpose of the fundamental drills are to help the practitioner attain a well rounded and conditioned body for all other aspects of Wushu training, including barehanded routines and weapon routines. It is also an important step in the preparation for self-defense and combat readiness. With a good foundation, all the necessary components required for free fighting, including ti, da, shuai, and na, will be enhanced and improved.

Regular training of the fundamental drills will strengthen the joints, increase flexibility and agility of the ligaments, and heighten the control of the muscles and it's elasticity. A well conditioned body will improve the body’s ability to express the Wushu movements more effectively and can reduce the chances of unnecessary injuries that may occur during training.

Many people feel that basic drills are boring, hard, and a waste of time. These people tend to want to start their Wushu training with routines and fighting right away. Unfortunately, many of these people find that they lack the coordination and proper body conditioning to excel to a high level and end up with injuries. Many give up their training due to injuries or due to a lack of advancement after a long period of stagnation. These individuals often have to restart their training with basic drills. All highly accomplished martial artists have strong foundations developed through repetitious foundation drills. There are many foundation drills. It is not easy to master all the drills. Therefore, the approach should be to focus on the drills that are most beneficial for developing the less adequate areas of your body.

We live in a fast paced society that demands quick results. However, not everything can be rushed to reach fruition. Wushu is one thing that can’t be rushed. Starting your sparring and routine training without a solid foundation will limit higher accomplishments. Starting your martial arts training with sparring and routine training may provide some visible quick results. Unfortunately, without a strong foundation, the coordination and proper body conditioning required to excel to high levels will be hindered.

This chapter focuses on increasing your flexibility; basic arm, waist, and leg movements; and strength building. Flexibility will increase your mobility and overall range of motion, improve the muscles’ ability to contract and relax, and improve the muscles’ elasticity. One’s flexibility directly affects one’s movements. In martial arts, one’s flexibility and range of motion can effectively increase one’s striking distance, and the ability to neutralize and avoid an opponent’s attacks. Flexibility training generally includes the shoulders, back, waist, and legs.

The basic arm, waist, and leg maneuvers include stances, stepping patterns, coordination drills, balance drills, and strength and endurance building drills. These drills will set a good foundation for you, and provide a guarantee for furthering your achievements in Kung Fu. When training these drills, repetition is necessary to improve the fluidity of your movements. Continuous and dedicated training will make these movements become a part of your body’s automatic response. Practice 10 to 20 repetitions of each during your training session. Concentrate and be alert, do not simply go over the movements mechanically.