CHINESE

GUNG FU
The Philosophical Art of
SE L F• D E FE NS E

by
BRUCE LEE
 CHIN E S E GUNG F U
THE PHI LOSOPHICAL ART O F
SELF D EFE NS E

BY
B RUCE LEE

Thi s is a r ep roducti o n of t h e o r iR inal ho o k .

 @1987 1.inda Lee

All rir.hts reserved, includinn

the right to reproduce this hook
or portions ther~of in any form .

First Fclition 1963

Second F.dition 1987
Third Edition 1988
Manufactured in United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:86-43242
ISRN 0-89750-112-8

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OHARA qi PUBLICATIONS, INCORPORATED

SANTA CLARITA ~AUFOANIA
 DEDICATION

To my par en ls -

!Vlr. and Mrs. L ee Hoi Chuen

and to my very good friend -

Mrs. Eva Tso

 CONTENTS
Page

About the Author by J . Y . Lee 1

About the Author by Ed Parker -±

A bout the Author by Wally Jay 5

introduction . . . . 6

Chin ese Marti(ll Art . 9

S eve ral Important Pointers . . . . . . . . . . 11

Gung Fu Stnnc cs . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . 12

Th e Seven Stars . . . . , • . • • . . . . . . . 22

The Three Fronts . 23

On Waist T raining . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. 24

On Leg Training . . .... . . . . . 28

Chinese Gung Fu Techniques . .. . . . .. . 34

Theory of Yin Yang . . . . • ..... .. . . . 80

D ifference in Gung Fu Styles .... . . . . 84

- All drawings by Author -

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
By James Y. Lee

As mentioned before
in my previous book,
"Modern Kung Fu Kar-
ate", that the B ri.ck
Breaking and Iron Hand
Training i.s not a neces-
sary part of Gung Fu
training - this book
deals strictly with self
defense.
Unlike my pr e vious books on GWlg Fu, writ-
ten by one of limited knowledge, I was very
happy when Mr. Bruce Lee was persuaded to
come out with this, his first of a series of books
on th e Ancient Art of Gung Fu.
Bruce Lee, one of the highest authorities in
the Chinese Art of Gung Fu in the United States
today, came from China three years ago. At
an early ag e , Mr. L ee started Gung Fu training
from v a rious instructors from both Northern
a nd S o uthern schools of Gung Fu. At thirteen,
he met Master Yip Man, leader of the Wing
Chung School of Gung Fu, and since then he has
devot ed himself to that system. After years of
daily training and engagements in competitive
matche s, he was awarded the rank of instruc -
tor - the youngest to achieve it in that school.
Si.ne e his arrival in the United States, Mr.
Lee ha s selected a few disciples and devoted
his ti.me to t e aching them. Among his many
follow e rs are Judo and Karate Black Belt hold-
e rs, Gung Fu students of other systems, bo,x-
ers , e tc.
 Aside from his knowledge of the various
schools of Gung Fu, Mr. Lee is also well
versed in Taoism and Ch' an (Zen). He has con-
ducted a T. V. series in the U.S. on Oriental
philosophy and Gung Fu.
Mr. L ee will be one who will bring credit to
the ancient and noble art of Chinese Gung Fu by
his sincere effort to present a true perspective
of the art of Chinese self defense .
I was really impressed when in friendly spar-
ring matches with Mr. Bruce Lee, I couldn't
penetrate or land a telling blow or kick - even
when he was blindfolded, once his hands are
"sticking" to mine.
I am sure this book will bring to the citizens
of the U.S . a better understanding of the prin-
ciples which make Gung Fu such and effective
system in defense. Students of other Oriental
systems will benefit greatly from this book.
In well illustrated photos, it clearly explains
all the steps to master the various techniques .
Oscar Wilde once said, "Imitation is the
most sincere compliment. " If so, I have paid
Mr . Bruce Lee a sincere compliment by chang-
ing all my Gung Fu techniques to his methods .
When he demonstrated his type of striking,
which is based on inner energy, I found it much
more powerful than the powE)r I had <level.oped
from previous Iron Hand training . The super -
iority of his G1,1ng Fu i.s more refined and effec-
tive than that which I have learned in all my
past years . Since his striking power is gener-
ated from the waist and the mind, I have always
maintain·e d that the powe'r to break bricks is
not the true test of actual application of ene rgy
in real combat.
I always benefit greatly whenever we get a
chance to train together .

')
 At pres e nt Mr . L ee , throughh isbooks, T.V.
appearan c e s and Gung Fu instructio ns to Amer-
icans, regardles s of race, creed o r national
o rigin, is in the proc e ss of developin g a nucleus
of futur e Gung Fu instr uctor s to keep th e ancient
Chin ese a rt from b eing exploited and commer-
cialized as e videnc e d unfortuna tely in some
other Ori e ntal syste ms .

I a m in compl e t e acco rd with the author when

he says, 11 When mor e and mor e American s are
instruct ed in the authentic technique s of Gung
Fu, less and les s p eople will b e abl e to pass
th e mselves off as self styled Gung Fu " expe r ts " .
J . Y . Lee
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
By
Ed Parker

This is just a summation of my in1pressions

as I observed Bruc e L ee .
His sys t em is unique , pr eci s e and extrem e ly
practi c al. Its principl es and concepts ar e log i-
cal and b as ically sound . It is based on simpli-
city, but yet it is intricate; the inov erne nts ar e
sticky but yet slipp ery, soft but yet firm.. obvi -
ous but yet deceptive , dual but y e t having one-
n ess , a ngular but yet circular, not to mention
th e inc redibl e speed and snap e x ec uted by Bruce
L ee .
Not only is h e hi g hly adapt in his syste m, but
as a conve r sa tionalist h e is very inte r es ting.
Hi s d es criptive knowle dge of other Chinese s ys-
t ems and the ir historical and philoso:J?hical back-
ground cannot h e lp but m ake on e an attentive lis-
tene r .
H e is one of th e ver y f e w that I have seen who
is gift e d with natural ability, a gift which h e un-
d oubtedly has put to work e vid e n ced by his sup-
e rb skill.
I am gl ad to l e arn that h e is writing books
o n Gung Fu . H e confirms my faith in Gung-Fu
and will b e a great stimulant in pres e nt the art
of Gung - Fu in its true and authentic light .

Publisher's N ot e : Mr . Parker i.s the w e ll known

Black Belt Kenpo Karate in-
s tructor of Pasadena, Calif. ,
auth0r of 11 Kenpo", ownE'r of
seve ral K enpo K a rat e studios .
 11
1 highly r ecommend Mr . Bruce L ee 1 s book
on the Chin ese Art of Gung Fu. This i nforma-
tive book will reveal an outstanding style of
Chin ese self d e fense. I have wi tnessed the teach-
tng methods of the author and I find it concise and
effective . I was a lso astonished with the vast
knowl e dg e this youthful Chinese Master poss e sses .
His " Wing Chung" system is unlike any other
system of Gung Fu that I have seen . I have neve r
seen anything like i t .
I a m convinc e d that this would be the system I
would study if I were to begin my Gung Fu training
again .
M.aste r Bruce Lee, who is a gentleman, can
actually apply h i s se e mingly gentle m e thod in ac -
tual application.
I have seen him perform with the grace and
agility of a panthe r, and with lightning speed. He
is truly a Master of a great style of Chines e fight -
ing • II
WALLY JAY
Head Instructor 1 1 Island Jud o
and Ju Jitsu" club, Alame d a,
California.
Bl ac k B e lt 5th d e gree in Ju
Jitsu - Black B e lt 3rd de g re e
i n K o dakan Judo
 INTRODUCTI ON

The center of the Far Easte rn martial arts has

been the art of Gung Fu, whose principles and tech-
niques pervaded and influenced the different arts of
Oriental self-defense. Because Gung Fu has been
shroud ed under a v eil of utmost sec recy, it is very
seldom heard of in the Western world as weU as
many other Far Eastern countr ie s.
Its history covers f o ur thousand years. At first
in the midst of antiquity, Gung Fu was simply a
no--holds - barred type of fighting, but as the cen-
turies wen t by, countless gene rati ons of i t s prac-
titi oners gradually perfected it , smoothing out the
r ough spots, polishing the t echniques, until it be-
gan to emerge as something definitely superior.
Later on, the studies of anatomy, religions, psy -
chology are included, and Gung Fu a dvanced one
more step to a highly scientific and philosophical
type of self-defense. That was around two o r
thr ee thousand years ago! Cung Fu is for health
promotion, cultivation of mind, a nd self-protec-
tion . I ts philosophy is based on the in t egr al parts
of the philosophies oi Tao ism ( J,_ ~ ), Ch'an
(Zen ).'f_ ) and ! 'Ching (Book of Changes .IJ ~l_ -
the ideal of giving with advers ity, t o bend slightly
and spring back str onger than before, and to adapt
oneself harmoniously to the opponent ' s movements
without striving or resisting. The t echniques of
Gung Fu emphasize not on power but in conserva-
tion of energy and moderation without going t o
eith er extreme (Y in & Yang ft . !~ ). That is
why a true Gung Fu man never oppos es force (which
will create reaction) or give way completely; he is
simply pliable, as a spring . He seeks to merg e
harmoniously with the oncoming fo r ce of the oppon-
ent -- to be the complement, and not the opposite

6
 of the opponent's force.
It has been quite a number of yea r s that I have
indulged myself in Wing Chuing, the School of
Artlessness ; my mind is no longe r distracted by
lhe opponent, "self", or formal techniques, etc.
I have made my opponent• s techniques my tech-
n iques ; my task is simply to complete the other
half of the "oneness", and my action is that of
Wu-Wei (spo ntan eous act) which is ac cording to
th e circumstanc es without pre-arrange ment.
The training of mind and imagination , lmagi na-
tion and Ch' i (breath), breath and energy , etc . ,
are all gone. There is nothLng to 1•try" to do;
eve rything simply flows .
Now I am asked, by a very good friend of
mine , to write a book on Gung Fu techniques,
which I hav e long forgotten. ln order lo fulfill
his wish, I have included h ere in this book
some of the basic techniques of the various
schools of Gung Fu I have l earned bef o re my
joLntng the school of W ing Chuing . It is lru e
that the niental aspect in Gung Fu is the destrcd
end; however, in order to achieve this s tage ,
technical skill of the art has to come !Lrst.
I like to s lr ess that this ls not a text b ook
on Gung Fu fo rmal techniques ; rath e r, lt lS a
book on some of the basic blocking and striking
in that art . In the very near future, after my
trip back from the Orient, a rnore thorough
book entitled "T h e Tao of Ch inese G ung Fu"
will be published.
Since my t hr ee years stay in the U.S. I 'v1.
seen unscrupul ous "business men", Am l.? r lcans
and Chinese altke, who claim themselV L'S pr o -
fessors or masters of Gung Fu, and whosc-
mover:nents res e mble nothing to any school 1n
Gung Fu. I hope that people who a r '-' abuul tu

7
join th ese schools will examine closely. I also
like to add that wh oeve r reads this book will not
be able t o become a "hol y t err o r "; nor can h e be
a Gung F u e xpert in just thr ee easy lessons.
B . L ee

Q
 CHINESE MARTIAL ART

Th e Chines e Martial Art basically consists of

five "ways" :

l - Strik ing In cludes all techniques of

( J1 it palm s , fists, knee s, elbows,
should e rs, fore-arms, h ead,
t h ighs (does not include dif-
ferent school's special tech-
niques like the eagle claws,
the beak of the crane, the
mantis hand, etc. )

2 - Ki cking Includ es all typ es of tech-

( J/; ;,t niques of kicking {both n o rth-
ern a nd schools of China. )

3 - Joint L ocks - S e venty-two t echniques of

( .tfii 1 ) different joint breaking and
loc k ing .
4 - Throw ing - Thirty-six techni ques 01

( :It tt ) throwing .

5 - We apons Eighteen differ ent weapons.

( .:.l' "~ )
;l.l 'Of'/

The r t• ar e innum erabl e school s of Cung Fu in .

both N o rthe rn a nd Southern p arts of China. Among
som e of Lh e w e ll known sch ool s ar e : .
In N o rthern Chin a: - Wi ng Chung School ( I}) ;f .1/c
J\.. if,), B a rt Kuar Clan ( kJ ,l.), Ying Ye e (
), N . Praying Mantis ( t£.t'/1 ),
Eagle Claw School Jl )/\. . .
.:/f<... ), Tam Tuei ( If J~ l'j
), Springing L eg ( Jf.A~ff ), NorthernSil
Lum ( ~t !!I ~ ), L aw lio n ( 'f_ Lo st if .f ),
Tr a ck S ch ool ( ~iL ~ i:r
Wa K'ung { ·'5:1. Jfc ), f J
C h' a K' ung ( ;Ii /; . ), Monkey Styl e ( !f/.. J. )
..... 1(,0 pb ~ f
; -.._ :1. ! ), Chuiang Kung P 1 ai ( k L1- iJk_ ). etc .
 I n Southern China: - Wing Chung School (
Pl~ 1'- tll<._ ), Southern Praying Mantis ( if; Jc_ ~t_ it~f
) . Dr ago n Style (
1'r1 ,f .1l_ }, WhLt c Crane S c hoo l ( (fJ 'ft.~ "{~ ),
No r tht-rn Sil L um ( .~ tfK._? 1-"- ), Ch oy Lay Fut
( :r it. "· J <I • ), Hung K •un~ ( I-
",.... •t'
Cl' ), Choy
!f:- 'JZ ), Fut Ga ( 1~ 'f ). <1 'f..
Ca (

Ga ( f-
), Y.il Gung M oo n (
~ }, L au Ga (
rf·' f f1 ), ),
J!f
M o k Ga
L~
e t c.
Tht:n th cb\. clans a r t. sepa r a t ed i nto so -called
inl0rna l a nd t•x t e rna l sc h ools ( 1.KJ f._ ~)/....'I._ ).
Hcr1.; we ar1. not c on ce i-ne d wUh Lhem.

I I\
Several Important Pointers
1. Every movement of Gung Fu has a flowing
continuity without any dislocation. As soon as a
movement is completed, it begins to flow into
another one. Because of this the readers will
find the techniques of Gung Fu faster than the
ordinary method .
2. Gung Fu is a mind exercise. The com-
bination o f mind and body is especially impor -
tant in the higher stage of Gung Fu. As for the
reader h e re, try to use the imagination (mental
move m e nt) to influence every physical movement;
for exan1ple, a firm belief that every technique
will come to the desired end would help.
3. Cooperate with your opponent . Do not re -
sist or interrupt his flow of movement. Instead
of stopping his force, complete it by following
him. In other words, you help him to destroy
himself. Re1ne.inber this - what you will do de-
pends on your opponent; that is why we say - be
the complement and not the opposite of the
opponent's force .
4. The wais t is very important in the art of
Gung Fu, as it play s a tnajor part in both strik-
ing and dis solving away the opponent's force.
Duting practice , the practitioner is required to
dissolve away the opponent's force by turning
waist first before he can side step it. (Note: A
w hite a r row will show the direction of turning of
the wai::;t in the illustration.
5. RP.member - it is better to learn how to
endure than to learn how to fight. However, if
yo u are compelled to oppose force, make use of
it.

,,
 B AS IC GUNG FU S T ANCES

Gung Fu h as m.any stan ces fo r d iff e r en t pur-

pos e s, and s o me o the r sch ool s ha v e th e ir own
special s l a n c<:'s . H ere a r e the t e n 1nost com m o n-
ly used stances fo r th e begin ne r s .

l - Ma B o ( ..~ ·~ ) - The thigh s m u s t b e par a-

ll e l , th e toes point f ront, and the knees
point at the toes . The n ea rer th e dis -
tanc e of the feet , t he bet te r.
Point s t o Avoid - Standing b ow- l egg e d
01· l eanin g fo '.r ward o r backward .

1J
 ~ ,'fi
2 - Gung Bo ( ..... / ) - T h P weight is on th e front
l eg with toes p ointed sli.ghtly inward
(av o id being stepped o n ) ; the back leg
s tr aight. (Thi s is why this is some -
ti m es call ed t h e bow' s a rr o w stance .
Thi s sta nc e a nd M a Bo (horse s l ance )
a r e s trong and fi rm stan ces .
P oint s to Avoid - Lifti n g the h ee l up on
b ack foo t , or p ointing to es straight f r ont
o n the front foot.

l ~
3 - Ding Bo ( J J )- Most of the weight is on
the back leg, the front leg stands with
toe pointing (ready to kick any time) .
The front knee is slightly higher than
the back one f o r protection of the
private part.
Points to Avoid - Weight on front leg,
toes not pointing straight.

, ..
 I'
l(
4 - H lli B o (,£. J ) - A slight variation of Ding
Bo , excep t with f r ont toes turned
::.lightly inward .
Points to Avoid - Weight on front foo t .

15
5 - Chung Sik ( 'f ~) - This is a inedium stance
bctwC'en Ma no and Hui Bo , and lS
moistly used tn free - styl e sparring, due
to ttb flexibiltty . The front knee is
slightly higher than the rear one.

1 h
 q
6 - Chuat Sing (-{:. :!.- ) - Weight on back 1 eg, the
front leg rests lightly on heel wi th t oes
pointing upward. This is mostly us e d
with Gung Bo for dissolving away forc e .
The waist plays a very important part
in this s tance . Both knees try to be
parallel.

17
 _J,'i' fl.
7 - L au Ma I 4 ;!-... ,,~) - The tw1st1ng h o rs " .
Th e
front foot flat on ground with the back
heel raised . This stance is u s ed moslly
in close-r ange for moving w1th the
shortest time .

18
8 - Kuai Ma t:flb ~-~) - The weight is on the front
kneeing leg . This stance is used most-
1y fo:r the attack to the low gate.

19
 Jlf.)
9 - Tou Bo ( T"
Jf,
} - This stance in English
means to steal a step, to sneak in to
attack. From this stance one can
either kick or change it to many other
stances like Ma Bo. Ding Bo, Gung Bo.
etc.
- Tu Ma ( r ,!h )- In English, hanging horse,
this stance is for defense against foot
sweeps, low kicks, weapon attacks,
etc . From this position, a kick is
often connected.

21
 THE SEVE N STAR S

Watch for the oppon ent's seven parts

l) hands
2) feet
3) elbow s
4) knees
5) shoul ders
6) thighs
7) head

22
 T HE THRE E FRON TS

fake care of o ne 's "thre e fronts "

1) in front of one's eyes

2) in front of one's hands

3) in front of one's legs

23
ON WAIST TRAINI NG

The waist plays a vital role in the art of

Gung Fu. Here are some exercises to extend
the range of its motion and make the waist flex-
ible .

Fig. 1 - Front Bend

( 1) Bend forward with palms touching
ground, (2) legs keep straight at all times.

Fig. 2
( 1) Bend forward and grasp both ankles and
touch head on the knees .
(2) Later on the head should touch the shin
or, even better, the instep.

Fig. 3 - Side Bend

( 1) Body turn left and bend down without
moving the lower t runk,
(2) Touch palms on ground,
(3) Come up and repeat the same to the
right side.

Fig. 4 to Fig. 6 - Back Bend

Figures 4 to 6 show the steps toward hack
bending .

Fig. 6
Stand with feet together, hand naturally
raised, body twisted toward left side (Fig. 6a);
(2) The body turns from left toward right (Fig.
6b); (3) Right hand turns to a hook and left hand,
following the turning of the waist, drops down
and grasps right ankle (Fig. 6c); (4) Left hand
releases and turn body from right to left again.
 l
..
...l •....
.•,.-'°:
.
··-~;·
.:
;i
Lj.

F r fr I
f•(f J
Fig. 7
( 1) From the standing position the body drop s
toward the right side with right f o ot c r o ssing in
front of left foot (Fig. 7a);
(2) Body turns backward with l eft foot grind-
ing the ground, and right foot slightly touching
ground (Fig. 7b);
(3) After turrung l e ft foot bends slightly on
the knee.

Fig. 8
(1) Assume squatting po si t ion a s in Fig. 8a
with left foot in front; the che s t is clos e to the
knee.
(2) Body turns toward right back with hand
following (Fig. Sb).
(3) After turning the waist, the right leg
should be in front as in Fig. 8b, dotted lines.
(4) Ready for left turning.

26
 Fi r, 76

27
 ON LEG TRAININ G

The kick, especiall y to the Northern clans of

Gung Fu, is a best means of attack; however,
they too warn the danger of using them reckless-
ly. It is a !act that the legs are much more
powerful and have a longer reach than the hands,
but we must consider also that when we lift one
leg and kick, our whole balance is involved.
"In training, kick as high as you can, but 1n
combat, kick as fast as you can and don't pass
over the belt. ff This is a saying I often teach to
my students. In my school, our kicks seldom
pass over the belt, and the so called high or
flying kicks are never used. As for leg training,
and this is true in most of the Gung Fu schools
(North or South), it is not necessar y for us to
strengthe n and toughen it by kicking on hard ob-
jects or sandbags . Due to their support of the
whole body everyday , our legs already have
power, and it is a matter of cultivatin g them
naturally . The training then involves the cul-
tivating and concentra ting of power, and the
developm ent of speed.
Here I have included a few basic exercises
that serve to develop the kicking; the first part
of which will concentra te on stretchin g the liga-
ments and extending the range of motlon. The
second part will be the natural developm ent of
kicking power.

Fig. 1 (Front Bend)

Assume the position in Fig. 1 with hands on

right knee to prevent it from bending. With the
toes raised, try to touch the knee with your head.
Repeat 15 times on each leg.

2.8
 F•'f I

Fig. 2 (Side Bend)

Assume position in Fig. 2 with hand on hip.

With toes raised, bend sideways and touch the
right foot with your head.

Fig. 3A - This exercise is commonly called shoe

kissing. (1) Assume a squatting posi-
tion with left leg extending straight, toes
raised and the heel touching the ground,
(2) with two hands grasping left foot and
pulling backward, bend forward and kiss
the shoe (fig. 3B). Practice left and right.
NOTE : At first, practice by touching the
head on knees, then reach farther and
farther out.

Z9
 ,
,,

F•<, ' 7A
'P(f Tic, 1 6

Fig. 4 A- Assume same position; but this time

bend over and try to touch shoe with
the head. (This time the right side of
the body touches the left leg.) Repeat
12-20 times and do the same with right
leg.

Fig. 5 & Fig. 6

Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show a slight but more
difficult exercise of leg training.

Fig. 7 A- Side Hang. This exercise is known as

leg hanging in Chinese because when the
leg is raised to the desired position, it
has to stop there for as long as one can.
(1) Assume position A in Fig. 7A with
right hand on a bar, (2) Slowly lift left
Fig. 7B- leg (with toes raised) to around 90° from
the ground and stay there £or a while,
(3) Lower down to original position and
repeat the same procedure again.
30
 Fig. SA- Straight Hang.
( 1) Assume original position, (2 ) This
time, instead of raising the l eg side-
ways, raise it slowly straight up (toe
Fig. SB- raised) till it reaches at least 90° from
ground, (3) Stay there for a while and
repeat again.

'
'\
\

Fig. 9 - This is front high kick for practising

purposes only. ( 1) With hands on hips
advance right foot with left foot behind
it, (2) Left foot kick up straight with
toes raised aiming at one's forehead.
(3) When l eft foot comes down next to
right foot, stop and advance left foot
with right foot behind, ready to kick.
NOTE: (1) During kicking the waist
should not bend, and do not
l ean forward too much.
(2) The body should not bend
backward.
(3) The stationary foot should
be firmly flat on the ground.

31
Fig. 10 - Side Slanting Ki ck
(1) Assume same position as in Fig. 9
and kick with left leg the same way
except to the side of right ear .
(2) The hand extending position is for
balancing the posture of the body .

Fig. 11 - Side Straight Kick

(1) From e r ect position advance right
foot with toes slightly pointing to the
right side; body also turn ed toward
right side as shown in Fig. 11.
(2) L eft foot ki ck toward left ear,
(3) L eft foot lands on ground with toc-s
pointing slightly toward left side and
body turning left side . (4) Kick in the
same manner .

Figs . 12, 13, 14

( 1) Fig. 12 and Ftg. 14 show the exer -
cise of leg swi.ng1ng of out and inwa rd
swing. Practise with left and right.
(2) Fig . 13 shows the correct posture
while swinging the l eg.

Fig. 15 - This is the actual kicking as used in

actual application. H e re I have just
included three basic kicks in Gung Fu,
the straight-toe and thrust kick, and
the side kick.
( 1) A ssume position in Fig. 15 with body
erect, (2) Advance right foot and snap
out left foot like a whtp with all the
p owe 1: concentratin g on impact, (3) Snap
back as fast as possible and land in front
of right foot, (4} I n the same manner the
ri ght foot snaps out.
 .
I
I
.. .
.·(; /
.·
·-·

f •<; 10

F• <; 1 7

33
34
 CHINE SE GUNG FU

THE PHILO SOPH ICAL ART OF

SELF DEFE NSE

35
 1-A

1-B

36
 1-C

1-A A comes in with straight left punch in Gung

Bo ( ~ -j- -Bow and Arrow stance).

1-B Turning his waist, B dissolves A 's punch

in an upward arc . Unlike other schools of
blocking with power, Gung Fu block tends
to dissolve the oncoming force and rl'!turn
lt back to the opponent. (Notic e white ar-
r ow indicate the direction of turni ng of the
waist. )

1-C Continuing his motion B follows with fingers

job to attacker's eye. Notice th e other hand
is on guard. (Note - After constant practice
the blocktng and strtking should be one con-
tinuous action.

37
 2-A

2-B
 2-C

2- A A l eads with straight left.

2- B B steps in with Chung Sik ( ·f

.:tt medium
stanc e ), simultaneou sly deflects the punch
with left slapp ing h and ( /.t. JS f ),
and
strikes opponent with right knuckle fist
( ;f; J~ Jf.. }.
2-C A thrus t s out his right, and B, without
changing his position , blocks it with his l eft
and at the same time jabs A 's throat wLth
upward ftnger poke !rom where his right
hand was ( ;£ J~ "f{ f. }.

39
 3-A

3-B
3- A A leads w i th right punch

3- B At the slightest movement of A, B steps

back, blocks and side kick s opponent at the
same time ( ~ 111/ ,ff~ ). {Notice
right hand is in position.)

41
 4-A

4-B

42
 4-C

4-A A c0mes in with right hook.

4 -B B side steps and, turning his waist, blocks

and jabs opponent' s eyes simultaneously.

4-C A again comes in with left upper cut to mid-

section. B side steps and at the same time
slashes down his right and again jabs A w ith
A. Ji · }.
left finger thrus t s (
 5- A

5- B

44
 5-C

5- A A grasps B's both hands.

5- B B advances right foot and at the same time

strikes A's right wrist bone by his own left
thumb .

5-C After A releases the grip, B then punches

his face with a straight r i ght { ;'f ft )·

45
 6-A

6-B

46
6-A A bear-hug from the rear. B relaxes and
sinks down his weight.

6-B Turning his waist, B strikes A with his

elbow and at the same time steps on his
toes .

47
7-A A comes i.n with straight- right ln left Gung
Bo.

48
7- B B side steps, deflects tlle punch, Q.nd
strikes A's ribs with knuckle fist ( J'1 Ji).
 8-A

8-A A come s in with right side kick ( J IJ.1 if J!.! I

 8-B

8- B B comes down (in an arc) with hand hook

(notice left hand is on guard) and counters
b y kicking A 1 s groin with straight toe kick.
( i lit) )Jf:; )

51
 9- A

9-B

52
 9-C

9-A A pushes B.

9-B B, turning his waist and advancing, deflects

and strikes A with knuckle fist ( ~ }t_ )
as shown in the picture .

9-C Turning his right hand in an al'.c to lead the

oncoming movement of the opponent, B
skips in and strikes him with the knee.

53
 10-A

10-B

54
 1 0-C

10-A, B A con\eS in Wlth lunging stTaight right

punch.

10-C Without backing, B turns his waist and

leads the opponent to the direction of his
own movement.

r:::r
10-D A inte nds t o pull each ri.ght punc h and snap
out his left.

56
1 0-E At the slight est movem ent of withdr awal,
B follow s and slaps down and locks A's
both arms; at the same time, B strike s A
with a straig ht right.

,.. ..,
 11 -A

11-B
 11 -C

11- A , B A intends t o throw B as shown in picture

A & B. (There are, by the way, 36
throWlng techntques and 72. joint locks in
the art of Gung Fu.)

11 -C Turn1ng his wai.st, B grasps A's left

hand and al the saint' time turn:. hi!>
shoulder out and d'.)wnward against A ' s
shoulder .

59
11-D
 11-E
11 - D , E By kicking his right foot sharply into a
Gung B :> , B counters A by throwing him.
(Knee or fist can follow to finish opponent . )

(- 1
 12- A

12- A Oppone nt A steps in with straigh t finger

jab.

62
12- B Withou t backin g, B leads A ' s force by
turnin g h i s waist, and at the same time
strike s A with the edge of the hand.

(Ackno wledg e ment: Mr. Charle s Woo, the

defend er, by the way, is a 2nd degree black
belt Judo holder .)
13- A A leads with straight right. B d eflects
by right hand. (Notice left hand on guard.

64
13- B A withd raws right and shoot s out his left
to mid- sectio n. B simpl y slaps the punch
down ward with left and jabs A's e ye s with
hi s right from previ ous positi on.

65
14-A A come s in with left. B deflec ts the punch
with right hand hook.

66
14 - B A withdraws his l eft and shoots out his
right. B deflects the oncoming punch with
l eft hand (in the fo r m of an arc) and, f ol-
lowing A's withdrawal of e n ergy, h e strikes
A with right knuckle fist (fr om t he previous
hooking position) .

67
-
15-A
 15-B

l~,-A, B Right at this moment X doesn't concentrate

on any of his opponent's actions, he simply
has a quiet awareness of the immediate
situation without thinking of the outcome or
anything. Opponent, A, attacks X with right
hook. X, turning his waist, blocks and jabs
A with right. (Notice the changing of foot
work. )

69
 15-C
15- B, C As X disab les A, B come s in with a straig~
punc h. From wher e he is, X turns h1s
wais t, defle cts and side kicks B.
 15- D

15-C, D At this moment C lunges in with straight

right to the face. X dissolves the punch in
an arc and at lhe same time strikes him wi.th
a knuckle f1st.

71
 16-A

16-n

i2
 16- C

1b-A, B A steps in with righl straighl heart pun~·h .

X ct~ fleets Lhe punch and counte rs with back
fist ( jJt.- Jf..... to A's templ e. At this 1nom-
t•nt B cont'-'ti tn.

16- B, C X swt:eps his lt•fl back in an arc and ::.lidc-s

in with kncPtng horse f}nd str1kt>s B's l!ruin
as shown 1n tht• picturt>.

73
17-A A comes in with straight knuckle fist to
solar plexus.

74
 17-B

17 - A, B B, turning his waist, hooks A 1 s punch

and counters with straight knuckle fist.
18-A
 18-B

18-A A & B facing in ready position.

18-A, B A co1nes in with finger Jab to B's throat.

B leads A 1 s movement by turntng his
\Vaist . This dissolvtng is not by the
hand, but by the waist so as to really
unbalance the oncoming force as he
1nakcs it.

77
 19-A

. - .ll:J ;:a. ~

-
.. -:-~~~ ... ··
- ~
......

19-B

7R
 19 - C

19-A A and B tn natural position. As A appltes

pressure on B's hand.

19 - B B assists A by jerking him to the direc-

tion of his force, and at the same time
skips in with a straight thrust kick.
(Notice the left hand is in position.)

19- B,C A blocks B's straight kick with his left.

B, by following the direct1on of A's
blocking, turns and kicks A's knee with
a low s t de thrust kick.
 THE BASIC THEORY OF YIN AN D YA NG
IN THE ART OF GUNG F U

At first I did not plan to include thts sec tton

as the book deals only with basic tech ni ques; h ow-
ever, on second thought, I believe the r eade r w1U
be greatly benefited by this Chinese vi e "" o f lif e.
Most likely his technique (no matter what sys t em
he is in) will also be greatly improved .
The basic structure of Gung Fu i s basl!d on the
theory of Yin/Yang ( f~ /IJ }, a pair of rnutua lly
complementary forces that act cont1nuously, with-
out cessation, in this universe . Th1s C h i ne s e way
of life can be applied to anything, but here '.~ e are
interested in its relationship to the art of Gung Fu.
The black part of the circle is called Y1n ( f{ ).
Yin can represent anything in the unive r se;_ a s:

negativeness, passiveness, gentleness, tn s ub-

stantiality, femaleness, moon, darkne ss, night,
etc. The other complementary part of th(. cir cle
1s Yang ( !~). which represents p o s1t1v e ness,
activeness, firmness, substantiality, mal e nes s ,
sun, brightness, day, etc.
The common mistake most peopl e m a k e is t o
identify this Yin/Yang symbol, T 1 ai-Chi (t.... ,Jj_ ),
as dualistic; that is Yang being the oppostl e of Y1 n,
and vice versa. As long as we separat e lhis "one-
ness" into two, we won't achieve realiz a ti o n. A c-
tually, all things have their c o mpl emtntary p art;
it is only 10 the human mi n d a n d his pE:: r ct•p non tha t

AO
 they are being separated into opposites. The sun
is not the opposite of the moon, as they comple-
ment and are interpendent on each other, and we
cannot survive without either of them. In a sim-
ilar way, a male is but the complement of the
f emale; for without the male, how on earth do
we know there is female, or vice versa. The
"onc-ness" of Yin/Yang is necessary in life. If
a pers on riding a bicycle wishes to go somewhere,
he cannot pump on both the pedals at the same
time o r not pumping on them at all. In order to
move fo rward, he has to pump one pedal and re-
lease the other . So the movement of going for-
ward requires this "oneness' of pumping and re-
leasing . Pumping then is the result of releasing,
and vice versa; each being the cause of the other.
In the Yin/Yang symbol there is a white spot
on the black part, and a black spot on the white
one. This is to illustrate the balance
in life, for nothing can survive long by going to
either extremes, be it negativeness or positive-
mess . Therefore, firmness must be concealed
in gentleness, and gentleness in firmness, and
that is why a Gung Fu man must be pliable as a
spring. Notice that the stiffest tree is most eas-
ily cracked, while the bamboo or will bend with
the wind. So in Gung Fu, or any other system,
one must be gentl e yet not giving away complete-
ly; be firm yet not hard, and even if he is strong,
he should guard it with softness and tenderness .
For if there is no softness in firmness, he is not
strong; in a similar way, if one has firmness
concealed in softness, no one can break through
his defense. This principl e of moderation pro-
vides a best means of preserving oneself, for
since we accept this existence of the one-nes s
(Yin/Y ang ) in everything, and do not treat it du-
alistically , we thus secure a state of tranguility
81
by remaining detached and not inclining to either
extreme. Even if we do incline on one extreme,
be it negative or positive, we will flow with it in
order to control it. This flowing with it without
clinging is the true way to get rid of it.
When the movements in Yin/Yang flow into
extr emes, reaction sets in. For when Yang goes
to the extreme, it changes to Yin; and when Yin
(activated by Yang) goes to the extreme, it returns
back to Yang (that is why each one is the result
and cause of the other .) F or example, when one
works to the extreme, he becomes tired and has
to r est (from Yang to Yin). After resting, he can
work again (Yin back to Yang) . This incessant
changing of Yin/Yang is always continuous .
The application of the theory of Yin/Yang in
Gung Fu is known as the Law of Harmony, in
which one should be in harmony with, and not
against the force of the oponent. Suppose A
applies strength on B, B shouldn't oppose or
gives way completely to it. For these are but
the two extreme opposites of B's reaction. In-
stead, he should complete A's force, with a
lesser force, and lead him to the direction of
his own movement. As the butcher preserves
his knife by cutting along the bone and not
against it, a Gung Fu man preserves himself
by following the movement of his opponent
without opposition or even striving ( Wu-wai
~A spontaneous , or spirit action) .
This spontaneous assisting of A's movement
as he aims it will result in his own defeat.
When a Gung Fu man finally understood the
theory of Yin/Yang, he no longer ''fusses"
with so-called 11 gentlenes s 11 or 11 firmness 11 ; he
simply does what the moment requires him to
do. In fact, all conventional Corms and tP~h-

R7
niques are all gone, his movem ents are those of
everyd ay movem ents. He doesn' t have to "justi-
fy" himse lf like so many other maste rs have,
claimi ng his spirit or his intern al power; to him'
cultiva tion of martia l art in the long run will re-
turn to simpli city, and only people of half-w ay
cultiva tion justify and brag about thems elves.
Bruce Lee
Oaklan d, Califo rnia

83
 DIF FER ENC E IN GON G FU STY LE

The tech niqu es of a sup erio r sys tem of

Gun g Fu is bas ed on sim plic ity. It is only
the
half cult ivat ed sys tem s that are full of and
un-
nec e ssa ry was ted mot ions .
Sim plic ity is the natu ral resu lt of pro foun d
and long stud y of the "wa y" of mov eme nts.
A
goo d Gun g Fu man 1s a sim plif ier.
Her e are s ome exa mpl es of a slow er s ystel
'l'l
aga inst the mo re effe ctiv e Gun g Fu tech niqu
es.

Fig . 100 "A" adv anc es with "po w chu ie ", uppe r
cut blow.

Fig . 101 "B' ' , with out was ted mot ions , s imp ly
hoo ks dow n with his left han d and
stri kes "A" s caro tid arte ry by fol -
low ing his with draw ing ene rgy .

84
85
F ig . 200 In Gung Fu one never g r abs som e-
one as shown. For ill ustration, let• s
assume that "B" grabs " A~ ' s cl o thing.

11
Fig. 20 0 A" advances right foot an.d attempts
right upward elbow stroke.
It is dangerous to use the elbow
in far range - as you can see during
" A" s advance, "B" can simpl y punch
straight (Fig. 20 1). Elbows should
be reserved for close range combat.

F t g . 202 11
B 11 continues the action and throws
11
A 1 1 with cross hock throw, and sim-
ultaneously strikes 11 A 11 s jaw with he el
of hand blow.

A
R7
Fig. 300 When grabbed by somebody, instead
of applying joint lock or pushing him
off-balance, one is better off by
simply kicking his attacker on the
shin, or if his other hand is free,
just punch him.
Let's assume B grabs A's hand
and A tries to unbalance B's posture
by advancing his right foot and at
the sanie time pushing B's elbow to-
ward his own body. {Fig. 3A}

Fig. 301 During the process of all these

movements B can either kick A's
groin while he advances, or just
jab at his eye. Or, as shown on
Figure 301, comes in with both
hand jab and toe kick.

88
89
Fig. 400 A grasps B ' s hand and pulls him
in for the left side elbow to ribs .

Fig. 401 B simply drops his elbow and,

following in an arc facing A, strikes
him at the same time with his lef t
finger jab. A straight kick can b e
followe d.

II

4oO
 Y0 I

91
Fig. 500 B comes in with straight right and
A, in twisting horse, deflects B's
punch.

Fig. 501 Advancing into a horse stance

slightly toward the right side of B,
A is ready for a side hand chop to
B's ribs . ActuallyB can now
co:ne in by a finger jab or edge of
the hand by checking A's elbow with
left hand.

Fig. 502 As A comes in B, in the same posi-

tion all the time, deflects the punch
with right hand and counters wilh a
right hook kick. (Fig. SC)

92
 501

foi.

93
 The foll owi ng are som e pho tos take n at
Ral ph Cas tro' s Ken po Kar ate Stud io in San
Fra nci sco , Cal ifor nia, dur ing a rec ent
visi t .

Aut hor and Ed Par ker in " Bi Jon g" or "rea

dy
pos itio n"

94
Fron t Row - Auth or Bruc e Lee, Jarn es Lee
Back Row - Ed Park e r , Ralp h Cast ro, Blac k
Belt Kenp o Kara te instr ucto rs .

95
Autho r with Ed Park er and Jame s Lee durin g
Gung Fu gabfe st.
Author, Ed Parker and Ralph Castro. Note
Castro's spacious studio.