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The martial art known as Kung Fu is very old, yet very powerful.  There are several different forms involved with Kung Fu, that only add to the power and mystique.  Below, we will go over a majority of the different styles and forms that make up Kung Fu.

White Crane style
The spirit of the White Crane has led to what many martial artists consider to be the most graceful system of Kung Fu.  The pattern for the White Crane style was patterned after a crane bird often found in marshes and open plains.  The White Crane defense forms and attacks are nothing short of amazing, often known as “deadly beauty”.

Although the techniques within the White Crane style can take years to properly master, they simple and to the point.  White Crane stylists are masters of self defense, although they are taught to avoid confrontations.  Even though a stylist can handle himself in any situation, he will avoid a fight at all costs and only react with physical action when he is left with no choice.

Wing Chun
From a Chinese standpoint, Wing Chun is the essence that the opponent will attack, absorb, and then neutralize the attack.  Then, the opponent or attacker will back off, pursue, then counter - disengage his restriction from arms, and then retaliate with a deadly and penetrating force.

This philosophy will take years to fully understand, and years of practice to master.  Technically speaking, Wing Chun uses a steady and never ending forward flow of energy that’s based on the principle that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points.

Offensively, Wing Chun is all about a combination of intercepting and straight lines with deflecting arcs.  In general, it is an aggressive close quarter style that pushes offensive attacks and takes the fight right to the attacker.  In other words - Wing Chun doesn’t care nor does it put a lot of time towards the more traditional block and counter routines.

Hung Gar
Hung Gar is more or less an adaptation of the Tiger system of Shaolin that emphasizes close quarter techniques.  Hung Gar isn’t much on distance fighting, although it is very effective in close quarter situations, such as alleys and in small rooms.  It is a very strong system, teaching stylists to handle themselves properly in areas where other martial arts seem to fail.

Praying Mantis
Nearly 400 years ago, a man named Wang had a vision.  Using a praying mantis that he was able to capture, Wang studied it’s movements.  By using what he saw, he created and founded the style of Praying Mantis.  Wang perfected his own martial art style by continuing to observe both the offensive and defensive movements of the praying mantis, and using them with his style.

The Monkey style
Even though it is thought of a comical approach to martial arts, the Monkey style is actually one of the deadliest martial arts systems in the world.  This style dates back to the 1840s, when missionaries were first allowed passage into China.

The Monkey style all began when a peaceful maned named See resisted arrested after accidentally killing an officer of the law.  See was sentenced to prison for his crime, where he spent all of his time watching the prison apes.  He found them amazing, and would watch them from his cell, which his also helped to pass the time.

Over his ten year prison sentence, he studied the way the apes moved, paying very close attention to how they defended themselves and fought each other.  Then, when he was released from prison, he adapted his style, becoming known as the Monkey Master.  A lot of people joined him along the way, and began to learn his Monkey system which is still very effective today.

The belts and their colors that are used with Taekwondo aren’t just a random assortment of colors that are used to separate the ranks in the martial art.  In Taekwondo, each belt color has a meaning that lets fighters known about their advancement and increasing knowledge.  Belts are also great for the stylist, as they let the stylist know just how far they have progressed.

The colors of the belts found in Taekwondo vary, as they represent the advancement of rank, as well as the growth of the student.  It can take a long time for students to move up the ranks, all depending on their knowledge and how quite they adapt to the techniques and forms of the art.

Below, are the colors and belts of Taekwondo, along with their meaning.

White belt
A white belt is the symbol of birth, or the beginning for the stylist.  Students that wear white belts are just starting out, searching for the knowledge to continue Taekwondo.

Yellow belt
A yellow belt is the first ray of light that shines on the student, giving them new strength to the Taekwondo martial art.  Students that have yellow belts have taken a great step in learning, and have opened their mind to new techniques.

Green belt
A green belt is the symbol of growth, or a seed as it sprouts from the ground and begins to grow into a plant.  Students with green belts are continuing along the path of Taekwondo, learning to develop further and redefine every technique they have been taught.

Blue belt
A blue belt represents a blue sky, with the plant continuing to grow upwards, heading for the sky.  Students with blue belts continue to move higher in ranks, as the plant continues to grow taller.  Students at this stage will also be given additional knowledge of Taekwondo so that their mind and body can continue to grow and develop.

Red belt
The red belt is the heat of the sun, with the plant continuing the path upwards toward the sun.  Students that possess red belts are higher in rank, as they have acquired a lot of the knowledge in the art of Taekwondo.  Red belts also tell the students to be cautious, as they gain more knowledge and their physical techniques increase.

Black belt
A black belt is the best of the best.  It symbolizes the darkness that is out there beyond the light of the sun.  Once the student is given a black belt and begins to train other students, he will teach all that has been taught to him.  Black belts recognize the best students, as they continue to teach others the art of Taekwondo, and continue the never ending cycle of training.

Tae Kwon Do is a modern martial art, well known all around the world for it’s lightning fast, often high, spectacular spin kicks.  Tae Kwon Do has been around for many years, originally founded in Korea.  It translates to “the are of punching and kicking”, or the “art of unarmed combat”.

The martial art Tae Kwon Do has four disciplines - patters, self defense, break test, and sparring.  It isn’t just one of these disciplines that make up the art, but a combination of them.  All 4 of them are important, especially for those looking to advance in belt ranking.  To advance in a belt, there are certain tests that students need to pass.

One of the great things about Tae Kwon Do is the fact that there are no age limits, and it can easily be learned by young children.  Children of all ages will quickly learn fast reactions playing games, learn respect, and they will also learn their abilities as well as their disabilities.

The competitions however, are a bit different for children than they are for the adults.  Even though the participants will wear full body protection, children can only kick and punch to the body, as no shots to the head are allowed.  The competitions in Tae Kwon Do is what makes the art so very dominating.  A majority of students that practice this martial art do so because of the competitions.

The competitions can be very exciting to watch, as they can get very competitive.  Contrary to what many may think, the competitions aren’t deadly, nor are they anywhere close to being as dangerous as Muay Thai fights.  Competitors will wear full protection, including head gear.  For adults, kicks to the head are allowed, although a majority of stylists can block them before they make impact.

In order to participate in the competitions, stylists will need to have a certain level of experience.  It can take years to become good enough, especially for those who win.  Competitions are a great way to learn, especially if there are participating fighters from other areas of the world.  The skill of a stylist is a very important factor with the competitions and tournaments.  If you have a black belt fighter going against a white belt - the results will normally be quite obvious.

All things aside, the art of Tae Kwon Do is a great martial art.  Stylists can learn kicking, punching, blocking, and the spectacular movements the art is known for.  Tae Kwon Do is practiced all around the world, meaning that there are just as many places to learn this art as there are Karate.  For an art that won’t disappoint - Tae Kwon Do teaches self defense and a whole lot more.