The reason for the north's preference on low stances and intricate leg technique can be boiled down to the northern terrain and climate. The northern countryside had large layouts of plains. It's cli-mate was harsh, but there was room to move. In the more densely populated south, with a warmer cli-mate, Kung Fu practitioners were forced to confine their art to smaller areas. Being close to the water, the southern people were basically fisherman and rice farmers. More often than not, boats, barges and muddy farm land required solid stances and low kicks to maintain balance and stability.

There is a saying in Kung Fu; "southern fist, northern legs". This basically translates that the southern styles of Kung Fu use their fist and the northern styles use their kicks. While their is some truth to this, basically all styles of Kung Fu use both. For example Hung Gar and Choy Lay Fut are two well known southern styles that make extensive use of the legs for kicking and have wide-open postures. On the other hand, there are northern styles such as Baguazhang that in comparison make little use of kicking and have narrow and shorter postures and stances, qualities supposedly found only in southern styles.

While their are some basic ideas and rules in Kung Fu. It is important to understand that most of the time you can always find exceptions to the rule. Instead of classifying the hundreds of Chinese Kung Fu styles into northern and southern, one should strive to better his Kung Fu.

Written By Sifu Rino Côté