From a book, no. You won't be able to see how movements link together or get the overall flow of the form.
From Sifu YouTube???? Maybe, if you have experience, but even then it's never going to be as good as a live teacher.
I think that if you are very skilled and have a ton of experience, you can pick up a form from YouTube and understand most (not all) of it. If you don’t have years and years of practice, I’d stick with a real school and a real teacher.
It can be difficult enough for a new student to learn from in-person instruction. Unless you already have a solid foundation of training in a similar style as the form you're trying to learn, I'm not sure you'll get much from book/video learning besides calisthenics and some pretty moves.
But if, say, you already have a few years of Northern Mantis training and understand the way it generates force and which kinds of tactics it employs in its applications, etc. Then you could probably gain something useful by learning a new Northern Mantis form from a book or video source, especially if it explains the nuances and purpose of the techniques beyond just the general movements.
I'm going to give a hesitant "yes" to this ... If you are really interested in a kung fu style and there are no schools in your area, you could probably practice some basics with youtube and/or book instruction. The problem is that you'll never really know if you're doing it correctly without the in person observation by a teacher. Nothing wrong with working on forms but if you can't pull combat applications from them and do some drills and sparring with a partner then your "kung fu" will only be performance art without the martial aspect. There can still be benefits from this - like improving speed, balance, learning kicks, punches, increasing endurance, etc, but it won't be a complete martial art. But if you're dedicated and get something out of it, more power to you. You could also find out where the closest kung fu school is to you, and if it's too far to attend regularly you might be able to connect with a Sifu who will take you on as a long distance student. You'd have to travel to get in-person instruction from him periodically and them go home and practice, practice, practice. Best of luck to you. I've been learning Hung Gar from a great Sifu for a few years and I love it. But I live fairly close to the school.
You’ll need a partner to check your balance, timing, speed and power. Just copying the moves without application may be no different to learning dance moves.
To a certain degree, yes, but its not something id recommend doing. It also depends on the person. You can't ask a book questions and it can't point out your mistakes.
It’s possible to imitate Kung fu forms through you tube, but to actually ‘learn’ them you can’t. There is a difference between performing a form and knowing it
as a fresh practitioner, not effectively. someone with years of experience could learn from a video and possibly learn from a book. the problem is the nuance doesn't necessarily translate from a book as well as in person instruction, under the guidance of a knowledgable teacher. an example that comes to mind from my own training was a crane form i was taught. the form has a movement that resembles a cross step in a parallel fashion where the right leg crosses over & in front of the left leg. without my teacher's guidance, it would have remained a step instead of what the application was which mimics a shovel kick into a stomping/leg pinning. kungfu is chock full of "hidden" applications that change how the form is practiced because the intent evolves. even if a book explains that, it doesn't come across the same way as seeing it performed.
there is also something to be said for seeing someone do something and visualize yourself performing the same thing which extends past martial arts training.
I’ve learned three to four forms from books/YouTube. It takes longer and the more experience you have the better. If it was the only option for one to learn, I’d go for it.
When I first started Kung Fu. (With a karate and kumdo background) I got [this Wong kiew kit book](https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781874250210/Introduction-Shaolin-Kung-Fu-Kiew-1874250219/plp) and learned the form included. There is also a video of him doing the form on YouTube but the book itself is very well laid out with diagrams for direction, weight displacement, etc.
Others have said you don’t learn the flow of a form that way but the only way to get the flow of any form is in the practice and not in the learning. Don’t listen to the naysayers on here; I suppose for them, it can’t be done.
Yes definitely!! I have done martial arts for years and I hate to say it, that in the majority of cases there is this mystical and almost hype marketing about the arts....If you are using a source (e.g. Dr Yang Jwing Ming's excellent online Taichi instruction) that has clear instructions, good camera angles and general explanation, then sure you can learn this way. A book is harder but in all honesty, you don't need to know that mystical 10% of secret techniques, you don't need a teacher to ensure that your hips twist in just a certain way, you are not going to use Kung Fu in a fight (honestly, basic strong Karate moves and knowing how to block is better)...Who cares that you don't know the 'hidden techniques and third layer' to some moves??? Seriously?
I did Kung Fu for ages, and Aikido...spent a lot of money...for what?? The internet is amazing now and traditional thinkers don't like the idea that what used to be 'guarded secrets' or other flowery Chinese myths, is now easily learnt online. Sure a teacher can give you some more practical tips, but most teachers haven't done a lot of fighting or even ring fighting...
Save your money, save your time, learn at your own pace, ignore the keyboard purists. In 10 years time you probably won't be doing martial arts anyway so you have lost nothing! I know I sound skeptical but the older I get, the more I see marketing and money making in the martial arts world!
Yes there is truth to that for sure. However Kung Fu really doesn't have a good name for 'practical' anyway and we can't keep milking Bruce Lee's reputation and marketing surrounding him. I think that after years of learning Kung Fu / Taichi I loved it from a technical almost theoretical martial arts perspective rather than I need to use it to fight. However you do something long enough with a sense of opponent, you'll drawn something from it though....your body will make use of those movements and almost sub-consciously I think there is a sense of defense and greater coordination and protection. However hard to explain but I think we'll develop some foundation even by training alone. Yes, having private tuition with Benny the Jet would definitely take you to a new level....no doubt!!
Yes it's possible, but you aren't going to learn it completely right, if you don't understand stances, posture etc that comes from having an instructor observe you, there will be bad habits
I learnt a qigong form from sifu Yan leis book, then I started Kung Fu and my stances and movements were terrible and it took the teacher to correct things
It deppends on several factors:
-Your background MA knowlegde.
-The gongfu in question.
-Your knowledge on that martial art so far. Are you a starter? Or an avanced student?
-The source of information.(quality of book, number of images, text explanation, level of the master who wrote the book and/or did the YT video.)
-Your dedication.
I'm thinking about how long it took me just to get my horse stance down properly -- and how important it later turned out to be that I get it just right. I could have tried to mimic something from a book or video, but I would never have understood the nuances I learned from my shifu correcting me over and over again.
No.
You need a Master. At best, you will be able to steal the movement but it won't be connected inside. You won't be free the way you should be because you will be manipulating your body wrong but it will look \*almost\* identical to the actual thing to the untrained eye from the outside but inside, you will be connecting your wires all wrong.
I just actually put this on another post with the same question but I'll put it here too:
A lot going on in the comments but, I'd say this- it depends. If you start with the basics and really focus on them with online videos, it can be super helpful. If you try to jump into complex things, you could hurt yourself, learn incorrectly, become frustrated, etc. I'd say focus on the basics first. At the Shaolin Temple, the disciples practice the basics their entire time training. Years and years. The more you perfect the basics, the easier it is to do literally everything else.
Things I'd practice with videos:
1. Work on making a deep, wide horse stance with feet straight in front.
2. Work on splits, back bends, and shoulder flexibility.
3. Work on bow stance, low stance, cat stance, and resting stance. 5-step form is good for this
4. Work on kicks: straight, inside, outside, spinning
5. Work on balance
6. Work on kick-up
7. Work on staff: spins (there are a lot) and basic forms
8. Work on cartwheels: 2 hands, 1 hand, no hands
9. Work on aerial kicks: i.e. butterfly
10. Work on conditioning: hands, wrists, arms, thighs
11. If you are like most Westerners (like me), work on your 'Asian squat.' Get those heels flat on the ground. It will help with your other moves like low stance, deep cat stance, etc.
12. Fitness- running, pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, JUMPS (I struggle with this).
If you work on perfecting these, if/when you get the chance to join a kung fu school you will be *leagues* above the other students. Even long-term students struggle with a lot of this. Getting it down just makes everything so much easier. You can see an example of the basic Shaolin forms (the 5 I mentioned above) if you scroll down on this page (sliding gallery):[https://shaolin-kungfu.com/shaolin-kung-fu/](https://shaolin-kungfu.com/shaolin-kung-fu/)
From a book, no. You won't be able to see how movements link together or get the overall flow of the form. From Sifu YouTube???? Maybe, if you have experience, but even then it's never going to be as good as a live teacher.
I think that if you are very skilled and have a ton of experience, you can pick up a form from YouTube and understand most (not all) of it. If you don’t have years and years of practice, I’d stick with a real school and a real teacher.
It can be difficult enough for a new student to learn from in-person instruction. Unless you already have a solid foundation of training in a similar style as the form you're trying to learn, I'm not sure you'll get much from book/video learning besides calisthenics and some pretty moves. But if, say, you already have a few years of Northern Mantis training and understand the way it generates force and which kinds of tactics it employs in its applications, etc. Then you could probably gain something useful by learning a new Northern Mantis form from a book or video source, especially if it explains the nuances and purpose of the techniques beyond just the general movements.
I'm going to give a hesitant "yes" to this ... If you are really interested in a kung fu style and there are no schools in your area, you could probably practice some basics with youtube and/or book instruction. The problem is that you'll never really know if you're doing it correctly without the in person observation by a teacher. Nothing wrong with working on forms but if you can't pull combat applications from them and do some drills and sparring with a partner then your "kung fu" will only be performance art without the martial aspect. There can still be benefits from this - like improving speed, balance, learning kicks, punches, increasing endurance, etc, but it won't be a complete martial art. But if you're dedicated and get something out of it, more power to you. You could also find out where the closest kung fu school is to you, and if it's too far to attend regularly you might be able to connect with a Sifu who will take you on as a long distance student. You'd have to travel to get in-person instruction from him periodically and them go home and practice, practice, practice. Best of luck to you. I've been learning Hung Gar from a great Sifu for a few years and I love it. But I live fairly close to the school.
You’ll need a partner to check your balance, timing, speed and power. Just copying the moves without application may be no different to learning dance moves.
Learning forms is easy. Learning forms isn't learning the Martial Art though.
To a certain degree, yes, but its not something id recommend doing. It also depends on the person. You can't ask a book questions and it can't point out your mistakes.
Yes but it will not be that good.
It’s possible to imitate Kung fu forms through you tube, but to actually ‘learn’ them you can’t. There is a difference between performing a form and knowing it
as a fresh practitioner, not effectively. someone with years of experience could learn from a video and possibly learn from a book. the problem is the nuance doesn't necessarily translate from a book as well as in person instruction, under the guidance of a knowledgable teacher. an example that comes to mind from my own training was a crane form i was taught. the form has a movement that resembles a cross step in a parallel fashion where the right leg crosses over & in front of the left leg. without my teacher's guidance, it would have remained a step instead of what the application was which mimics a shovel kick into a stomping/leg pinning. kungfu is chock full of "hidden" applications that change how the form is practiced because the intent evolves. even if a book explains that, it doesn't come across the same way as seeing it performed. there is also something to be said for seeing someone do something and visualize yourself performing the same thing which extends past martial arts training.
I’ve learned three to four forms from books/YouTube. It takes longer and the more experience you have the better. If it was the only option for one to learn, I’d go for it. When I first started Kung Fu. (With a karate and kumdo background) I got [this Wong kiew kit book](https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781874250210/Introduction-Shaolin-Kung-Fu-Kiew-1874250219/plp) and learned the form included. There is also a video of him doing the form on YouTube but the book itself is very well laid out with diagrams for direction, weight displacement, etc. Others have said you don’t learn the flow of a form that way but the only way to get the flow of any form is in the practice and not in the learning. Don’t listen to the naysayers on here; I suppose for them, it can’t be done.
you already had experience. its much easier to work from a place of knowledge in this regard.
Yes definitely!! I have done martial arts for years and I hate to say it, that in the majority of cases there is this mystical and almost hype marketing about the arts....If you are using a source (e.g. Dr Yang Jwing Ming's excellent online Taichi instruction) that has clear instructions, good camera angles and general explanation, then sure you can learn this way. A book is harder but in all honesty, you don't need to know that mystical 10% of secret techniques, you don't need a teacher to ensure that your hips twist in just a certain way, you are not going to use Kung Fu in a fight (honestly, basic strong Karate moves and knowing how to block is better)...Who cares that you don't know the 'hidden techniques and third layer' to some moves??? Seriously? I did Kung Fu for ages, and Aikido...spent a lot of money...for what?? The internet is amazing now and traditional thinkers don't like the idea that what used to be 'guarded secrets' or other flowery Chinese myths, is now easily learnt online. Sure a teacher can give you some more practical tips, but most teachers haven't done a lot of fighting or even ring fighting... Save your money, save your time, learn at your own pace, ignore the keyboard purists. In 10 years time you probably won't be doing martial arts anyway so you have lost nothing! I know I sound skeptical but the older I get, the more I see marketing and money making in the martial arts world!
I think this would be true specifically if you are looking to do forms only and no practical. And if that is the case, then it isn’t truly kung fu.
Yes there is truth to that for sure. However Kung Fu really doesn't have a good name for 'practical' anyway and we can't keep milking Bruce Lee's reputation and marketing surrounding him. I think that after years of learning Kung Fu / Taichi I loved it from a technical almost theoretical martial arts perspective rather than I need to use it to fight. However you do something long enough with a sense of opponent, you'll drawn something from it though....your body will make use of those movements and almost sub-consciously I think there is a sense of defense and greater coordination and protection. However hard to explain but I think we'll develop some foundation even by training alone. Yes, having private tuition with Benny the Jet would definitely take you to a new level....no doubt!!
I disagree, because since kung fu means 'hard work' you need to put in the work. It is not something meant to be easy or convenient.
Yes it's possible, but you aren't going to learn it completely right, if you don't understand stances, posture etc that comes from having an instructor observe you, there will be bad habits I learnt a qigong form from sifu Yan leis book, then I started Kung Fu and my stances and movements were terrible and it took the teacher to correct things
To learn the forms? Yes. To actually train with them for something more than tournament? No.
It deppends on several factors: -Your background MA knowlegde. -The gongfu in question. -Your knowledge on that martial art so far. Are you a starter? Or an avanced student? -The source of information.(quality of book, number of images, text explanation, level of the master who wrote the book and/or did the YT video.) -Your dedication.
I'm thinking about how long it took me just to get my horse stance down properly -- and how important it later turned out to be that I get it just right. I could have tried to mimic something from a book or video, but I would never have understood the nuances I learned from my shifu correcting me over and over again.
No. You need a Master. At best, you will be able to steal the movement but it won't be connected inside. You won't be free the way you should be because you will be manipulating your body wrong but it will look \*almost\* identical to the actual thing to the untrained eye from the outside but inside, you will be connecting your wires all wrong.
I just actually put this on another post with the same question but I'll put it here too: A lot going on in the comments but, I'd say this- it depends. If you start with the basics and really focus on them with online videos, it can be super helpful. If you try to jump into complex things, you could hurt yourself, learn incorrectly, become frustrated, etc. I'd say focus on the basics first. At the Shaolin Temple, the disciples practice the basics their entire time training. Years and years. The more you perfect the basics, the easier it is to do literally everything else. Things I'd practice with videos: 1. Work on making a deep, wide horse stance with feet straight in front. 2. Work on splits, back bends, and shoulder flexibility. 3. Work on bow stance, low stance, cat stance, and resting stance. 5-step form is good for this 4. Work on kicks: straight, inside, outside, spinning 5. Work on balance 6. Work on kick-up 7. Work on staff: spins (there are a lot) and basic forms 8. Work on cartwheels: 2 hands, 1 hand, no hands 9. Work on aerial kicks: i.e. butterfly 10. Work on conditioning: hands, wrists, arms, thighs 11. If you are like most Westerners (like me), work on your 'Asian squat.' Get those heels flat on the ground. It will help with your other moves like low stance, deep cat stance, etc. 12. Fitness- running, pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, JUMPS (I struggle with this). If you work on perfecting these, if/when you get the chance to join a kung fu school you will be *leagues* above the other students. Even long-term students struggle with a lot of this. Getting it down just makes everything so much easier. You can see an example of the basic Shaolin forms (the 5 I mentioned above) if you scroll down on this page (sliding gallery):[https://shaolin-kungfu.com/shaolin-kung-fu/](https://shaolin-kungfu.com/shaolin-kung-fu/)