“Flowery fists, embroidery legs” is a popular Chinese saying, describing a “martial” art that looks good, but has no combat use.

Often this is indeed a truth – and it does not matter if it is modern or traditional style. In many other cases, technique that looks flowery may have a practical combat usage – it was just forgotten. 

Honestly, this is the case with many, many Chinese martial arts techniques – the real meaning and practical usage has been lost. Same applies to our style, Hung Ga Kyun: I can’t honestly remember when I saw a video of good, functional application of certain technique – just a lot of Shaw Bros choreography or wannabe RBSD/MMA (“look ma, we wear gloves, real Gung Fu”).

Below is an application of a commonly see slapping front kick, called in modern wushu usually “Flying Kick” (Fei Geuk), although you don’t jump – it is of course a progression. Other styles called just “Spring Kick” (Taan Geuk), etc.

It is usually considered to be a type of dynamic stretching only, with no combat use. Yes, it is an excellent dynamic stretch, but it has various combat applications. One of them is featured in our PHK Intro Kit in the “No-Shadow Kick” module, other one is presented below.

PS: Why does the lady performs the kick so high? The answer is – flexibility reserve. More on that in the future, as it is a key aspect of understanding many traditional combat techniques.

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