By far the biggest secret weapon in your Kung Fu Training is Chi Kung. It is not widely known or explained what impact this has on kung fu. Here I write a brief explanation on how it is at the heart of ANY kung fu or martial art.
Chi Kung is closely connected with Chinese martial arts. Before 1950, when Chi Kung was taught exclusively the disciples only, it was common for the general public to think of it as some sort of advanced internal kung fu training, whereby the expert would injure his opponent without leaving any external mark, or take punches and even attacks with weapons without sustaining any injury. Since the 1980s, however when the health aspect of Chi Kung began to be taught many people have begun to think that it has nothing to do with martial arts!
Which of these two views is correct? They are in fact both right and wrong. Some types of chi kung allow the practitioner to break bricks with their hands and head, are specifically for fighting and maybe detrimental to their health if the training is not done properly. On the other hand, most medical Chi Kung exercises are specifically meant for curing illness and promoting health and appeared to have no connection with martial arts. Hence the view that martial arts and chi kung are mutually exclusive.
But if we understand them more deeply, we understand it they can be complementary, helping each other to achieve a special purpose. A training program of martial arts and chi kung usually includes exercises to promote health. For example for going 10 days or jabbing their hands into sand to strengthen their hands and punches, trainees must first practice Chi Kung exercises that make them healthy and fit and protect their hands (and rest of their body) by covering themselves with Chi as well as clearing away any injury that is sustained during training.
So you see se Chi Kung and Kung Fu are intertwined and have elements that both complement and enhance the other.
