Kung fu is a martial art also known as Shaolin, which encompasses over 1,000 recognized styles of martial arts, all requiring physical and mental discipline, a strong commitment to practice and ambition to learn. Basic techniques include kicks, punches and stances, but styles vary, depending on the emphasis toward attack and defense. The windmill technique, an elaborate and graceful move, is not for the beginner.
History
According to Shaolin priests who emigrated from China to the United States, the order of kung fu dates back to approximately 540 A.D., when Buddhist monks in China needed to build physical strength and mental stamina to perform meditation practices. The original movements were adapted from yoga and always focused on defense, not attack.
Style
With over 1,000 styles of kung fu, the main categories are broken into animal types, then further divided by teachers. For instance, the crane is a style patterned after the bird's elegance and ability to evade attackers while using your hands to jab like the bird would use its beak. The windmill technique is common in the yin style's phoenix system, which often uses dodging, chopping and extending motions to emulate the phoenix's characteristics.
Technique
The windmill technique is an advanced move used as a recovery from an attack that has caused you to fall to the ground. From lying on your back, you spread your legs wide, both feet pointing to your right. Twist your upper body to the right and place both hands on the floor on the same side while your head and shoulders are slightly elevated off the floor. Swing your left leg up and around, allowing your left leg and body to follow, rolling off the floor up onto your head, then landing open-legged and flat-footed on the floor, ready to fight.
Other Uses and Cautions
The windmill technique is so fluid and artistic a movement that it has been incorporated into break-dancing routines. Instead of using momentum to carry your body back to a standing position as you would for the martial arts movement, you would continue to roll through the motion, spinning open-legged while balancing, alternating on your neck or on your hands repeatedly. Whether performing the movements as exercise, martial arts or dance, any activity involving your head and neck for support puts you at risk of injury. A study published by the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine" in 2008 notes break dancing as a dangerous activity resulting in medical problems such as spinal fractures. Work with a qualified trainer to avoid injury.
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