Kung Fu Techniques

Because Kung Fu encompasses hundreds of styles, techniques vary enormously. These are the most common across major styles.

Stances

Stance	Chinese	Description	Used In
Horse stance	Ma bu	Wide, low, feet parallel. The foundation of almost every Kung Fu style.	All styles — trained for endurance (hold for minutes)
Bow stance	Gong bu	Front leg bent, back leg straight. Similar to karate’s front stance.	Northern styles, Shaolin
Cat stance	Xu bu	Weight on back leg, front foot barely touching. Quick front kicks.	Wing Chun, southern styles
Crane stance	Du li bu	Standing on one leg, other knee raised.	Crane style, Tai Chi
Cross stance	Cha bu	Feet crossed, low position. Transitional movement.	Wushu, acrobatic styles

Hand techniques

Technique	Description	Style
Chain punch (yat chi kuen)	Rapid-fire straight punches along the centerline	Wing Chun — the signature technique
Palm strike	Open palm strike to chin, chest, or solar plexus	Tai Chi, Baguazhang
Tiger claw	Open hand grab-and-tear, targeting face or throat	Tiger style, Hung Gar
Finger strike	Extended fingers to pressure points	Snake style, Praying Mantis
Hammer fist	Downward strike with the bottom of the fist	Shaolin, most external styles
Backfist	Whipping strike with the back of the hand	Northern styles, Wushu

Kicks

Kick	Description	Style Focus
Front snap kick	Quick kick with the ball of the foot	All styles
Side kick	Thrust kick with the heel — very powerful	Northern styles, Wushu
Crescent kick	Sweeping arc with the sole of the foot	Wushu, acrobatic styles
Spinning back kick	Turn and thrust with the heel	Competition Wushu
Butterfly kick	Aerial horizontal spinning kick	Wushu — acrobatic, spectacular
Sweep	Low spinning leg sweep to take down opponent	Shaolin, competition

Wing Chun centerline theory: Wing Chun teaches that the most efficient path of attack is a straight line from your center to the opponent's center. All punches travel along this centerline. This is why chain punches are so effective — they attack the shortest possible distance.