Kung Fu: For Combat and Daily Living
 One who practices Kung Fu must be able to apply it in combat as well as in his/her daily life. There are some students of the art who have trained in Kung Fu or/and Tai Chi for many years, yet cannot defend themselves at all. I call this type of Kung Fu "flowery Kung Fu ." This would be a demonstrative type of Kung Fu that looks good but would not be genuine Kung Fu.
Kung Fu, including Tai Chi Chuan, becomes meaningless as a martial art if it is striped of its fighting functions. I am not saying that a Kung Fu student should fight to justify his art, but it is important that a student who has practiced for some time should be able to put up a good defense when attacked. I am not talking about winning a fight but rather surviving an attack, because a good Kung Fu student is not a fighter but a survivor.
We must also train to incorporate the peaceful applications of Kung Fu in every day life. A Kung Fu practitioner should have more energy in work and in play than an ordinary person, and have calmness of mind and clarity of though even under demanding situations. A Kung Fu person should not take himself or life to seriously. He should appreciate it and cherish it and "roll with the punches" as a wise man once said.
In closing, keep training and be the best you can be. That is the essence of Kung Fu.
Written By Sifu Rino Côté
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