Tag kung fu forms

The Styles Within the Temple Part 3: Styles, Forms, and Weapons of Shaolin

In the final part of our series featured in Martial Arts Magazine Australia, we explore the incredible depth of styles, forms, and weapons taught at the Shaolin Temple. Far from being a fixed curriculum, Shaolin Kung Fu is a living archive—home to over 700 forms and a vast arsenal of traditional weapons. This section reveals how the temple preserves, adapts, and transmits martial knowledge through hands-on tradition, discipline, and purpose.

Applications: Can You Actually Fight by Learning Kung Fu Forms?

When people think of kung fu, they often imagine flowing, intricate movements or dramatic, acrobatic forms (called taolu in Chinese). This visual aspect of kung fu is awe-inspiring and artful, but one common question arises: Can learning these forms actually help you fight? To answer this, let’s break down what kung fu forms are, how they contribute to martial skill, and the realities of translating these skills into a fight scenario.